News & Comment

As more evidence piles up of police brutality, attacks on reporters, there's not much evidence supporting claims of outsiders agitating...--Minnesota AG Keith Ellison upgrades charges on the killer cop, and charges his 3 accomplices
--records show that Minneapolis police use force against blacks 7 times more than whites
--ACLU sues Minneapolis over attacks on journalists, as Committee to Protect Journalists reports 125 press freedom violations
--more than 450 reports of NYPD abuse have been filed since last Friday

In statement attributed to Antifa Facebook page manager, we get intelligent description of their goals and methods, with insults to Trump…--read the statement here
--as Trump vowed “law and order” in Rose garden comments, cops used tear gas to clear protesters from his path to church photo op across the street
--Catholic and Protestant clergy join politicians of both parties in denouncing 2 photo ops where a bible and a pope were used as props
--former military brass criticize Trump’s plans to use troops against protesters

In many cities, police brutalize peaceful protesters and reporters, while too often allowing looters to roam freely; revolution is televised….--as Chicago Mayor Daley said in 1968, “the police are here to preserve disorder”
--in city after city, cops escalate on rowdy—but not violent—protesters
--hordes of looters conduct shopping sprees live on TV, oblivious to likely consequences
--police are seen destroying property in many cases

Escalating his Twitter battle and racist attacks, Trump stokes more conflict with dictator’s tactics, putting out fire with gasoline…--after signing toothless executive order to re-regulate social media, Trump challenges Twitter with threatening message, gets new kind of slap on the wrist
--in typical fashion, he injects himself in tense Minneapolis scene, “sowing discord” in the manner we are told to blame on Russia
--Trump targets Mayor Jacob Frey, who is trying to calm angry mobs as Covid cases increase
--Twitter needs to suspend his account

Strange days in Washington, as Democratic leaders tried to renew surveillance law amid veto threat, and Trump threatens Twitter #againstselfinterest….--Pelosi colludes with Schiff and McConnell for surveillance bill that she says is “better” than prior draft that Trump and GOP now oppose
--corporate surveillance routinely violates privacy rights, using purloined images and sloppily-collected personal data used for renter background checks

As Facebook names ex-Israeli censor to oversight board, Twitter adds tags to false Trump tweets, and he threatens both platforms...--Facebook appoints former Israeli Justice Ministry to its censorship board; Emi Palmor directed anti-BDS campaign in US and got FB to censor Palestinian posts

Trump’s last-minute holiday weekend decree to re-open churches is just his latest pander to religious voters, who overlook extreme hypocrisy…--California Gov. Newsom responds by issuing guidelines for counties to permit church gatherings
--Trump continues to rage over mail-in voting, apparently because it will limit GOP voter suppression efforts
--in deadly Republican loyalty test, Trump threatens to pull GOP convention from Charlotte if big crowds are still banned in August

Ukrainian ex-lawmaker, ally of Rudy Giuliani, releases audio of phone call where Biden squeezes former President Poroshenko to fire prosecutor…--Murdoch-owned NY Post releases it in US, Britain’s Guardian

Atlanta-based Grayshift makes spyware that can capture numeric passwords, and Apple whistleblower says Siri hears just about everything in range….--NBC News exposed the Grayshift spyware, and The Guardian reports the Siri eavesdropping
--Ben Smith, Buzzfeed editor turned NY Times media critic, launched an examination of Ronan Farrow’s sex exposes, with valid critique that should be applied to The Times’ Russiagate coverage
--Glenn Greenwald pounded out a quick rejoinder, mainly aimed at Marcy Wheeler

Successful dealers of dangerous drugs don’t use the products they sell; after pimping hydroxychloroquine for months, Trump says he’s taking it…--the drug is unproven for Covid-19, and has serious side effects; even Fox “News” anchor Neil Cavuto warns “this will kill you”
--profiteering alert: TrumpCo trumpets new contract to manufacture Covid-19 drugs in the US