2020-10-13: News Headlines

Staff (2020-10-13). Headlines for October 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dems Warn of Threat to ACA, Roe v. Wade, as Hearing Begins for Trump SCOTUS Nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Trump Returns to Campaigning as COVID Status Remains Unclear, COVID-19 Cases Soaring in Europe, Russia, as India Becomes Second Country to Hit 7 Million Cases, Johnson & Johnson Halts Vaccine Trials; More Evidence of Reinfection Revealed, GA Early Voters Face Long Lines; CA Officials Warn GOP over Illegal Drop Sites, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Sues in Arizona over Voter Suppression Efforts, WH Moves Forward with Taiwan Weapons Sales as U.S. Officials Tell Taiwan to Ramp Up Defense, Bangladeshi Government Approves Death…

Katie Miernicki (2020-10-13). After summer of violent repression, Philadelphia City Council considers banning "crowd control" weapons. liberationnews.org On October 7, Philadelphia City Council held a virtual hearing regarding police brutality in the city and the violent repression of protests over the summer sparked by the murder of George Floyd. In response to public outrage over the Philadelphia Police Department's abhorrent treatment of protestors and residents during the summer's uprisings, councilmember Helen Gym, …

_____ (2020-10-13). How Azerbaijan Is Lobbying Washington to Sanitize Its War. strategic-culture.org Documents reveal a flurry of activity to convince beltway elites that Armenia is the aggressor and the U.S. should favor Azerbaijan. | Barbara BOLAND | As conflict heats up over Nagorno-Karabakh, a tiny Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, a covert battle is taking place on Capitol Hill to win the hearts and minds of lawmakers in Washington. | Since hostilities began on September 27, hundreds of lives have been lost as Azerbaijani drones have flown within 20 miles of Yerevan, Armenia's capital, and an Armenian strike was carried out on a military base in Azerbaijan's second city, Ganja. | "The next targets could be…

Michael T. Klare (2020-10-12). The Nuclearization of American Diplomacy. counterpunch.org On August 21st, six nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bombers, representing approximately one-seventh of the war-ready U.S. B-52H bomber fleet, flew from their home base in North Dakota to Fairford Air Base in England for several weeks of intensive operations over Europe. Although the actual weapons load of those giant bombers was kept secret, each of them is capable of carrying eight AGM-86B nuclear-armed, air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) in its bomb bay.

Farooque Chowdhury (2020-10-12). Amidst pandemic, while billions struggle for survival, billionaires' wealth tops $10 trillion. mronline.org Billionaires are "smart" enough. Their wealth now, in this pandemic, tops trillions of dollars.

sputniknews (2020-10-11). Video: Hooded Youths Launch Fireworks at Cars and Residents in Sheffield. sputniknews.com Bonfire Night in the United Kingdom is known for its extravagant fireworks displays and burning effigies. However, in the days running up to the event, when personal fireworks are sold prolifically, they are often used by gangs as weapons, leading to chaos in the streets in recent years.

Thomas Meisenhelder (2020-10-11). Declining American Hegemony Could Be A Good Thing. commondreams.org We spend more on weapons of war than any other country in the world. Researchers at Brown University have found that since the horror of 9/11, the so-called "war on terrorism" has killed 800,000, displaced 37,000,000, and cost taxpayers $6.4 trillion. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/us-empire-2_0_0.jpeg

WSWS (2020-10-10). Thirty years of German unity: Berlin increases military spending, incites nationalism and war. wsws.org The defence minister made no secret of the fact that Germany is arming itself with the deadliest weapons in order to wage war around the world in defence of its economic and geostrategic interest—increasingly against its erstwhile allies.

sputniknews (2020-10-10). Saudi Coalition Destroys Explosive Drone Launched by Houthis Towards Saudi Arabia – SPA. sputniknews.com Attacks involving drones or missiles are frequently reported by the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebel group, as Yemen continues to be engulfed in an armed conflict between government forces led by the president, Hadi, and Houthi militants.

John Feffer (2020-10-09). Nukes and North Korea: a New Direction. counterpunch.org North Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons has changed the nuclear balance in Northeast Asia. But it hasn't altered the way politicians and diplomats approach the question of arms control and disarmament in the region. The debate among influencers continues to revolve around two versions of "more of the same." Containment advocates argue that North Korea

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-09). US Sanctions: Weapons of War by Other Means on Targeted Nations. globalresearch.ca When unilaterally imposed by one nation on others, sanctions have no legal validity. | Along with color revolutions, old-fashioned coups, and assassinations, US sanctions are a favored tactic. | When imposed, they're all about seeking to weaken nations economically. | They also aim …

WSWS (2020-10-09). Fed officials warn of "recessionary dynamic" setting in. wsws.org The overriding concern of the Fed is that unless more stimulus is provided the measures it has taken to bailout Wall Street, amounting to trillions of dollars, will not be sufficient.