2020-12-11: News Headlines

Matthew Rozsa (2020-12-11). Rebekah Jones, Florida's COVID-19 whistleblower, says Gov. DeSantis has health officials "terrified" salon.com After campaigning for transparency in COVID-19 case reporting, Jones' home was raided by armed agents…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-10). Julian Assange: Covid Risks and Campaigns for Pardon. dissidentvoice.org Before the January 4 ruling of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser in the extradition case of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks publisher will continue to endure the ordeal of cold prison facilities while being menaced by a COVID-19 outbreak. From November 18, Assange, along with inmates in House Block 1 at Belmarsh prison in south-east London, were …

Areeb Ullah (2020-12-10). Six times the ICC says British forces committed war crimes in Iraq. middleeasteye.net Six times the ICC says British forces committed war crimes in Iraq | Despite not pursuing its own investigation, court says there is 'reasonable basis' to believe British forces committed murder, rape and torture | Thu, 12/10/2020 – 16: 00 | An Iraqi youth looks at a British soldier pointing his machinegun while conducting a security operation in the Iraqi southern city of Basra, 16 February 2006 (AFP)…

_____ (2020-12-10). OPCW executives praised whistleblower and criticized Syria cover-up, leaks reveal. strategic-culture.org Documents obtained by The Grayzone show that OPCW executives privately criticized the manipulation of a Syria chemical weapons probe, and supported a dissenting veteran inspector. One official, however, feared helping the "Russian narrative." These private admissions further expose the public whitewash of the Douma cover-up, and undermine the ongoing attacks on the whistleblowers who challenged it.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-10). US Senate fails to block arms sales to UAE despite concerns of misuse and regional arms race. peoplesdispatch.org Two resolutions presented to block the sale of F-35 jets and Reaper Drones to UAE were defeated by a simple majority of 49 to 47 and 50 to 46 in the 100-member Senate…

Patricia Gorky (2020-12-10). Genocidal monarchy set to receive $23 billion in U.S. weapons after Senate resolution fails. liberationnews.org Two resolutions in the Senate to block the sale of $23 billion in advanced fighter jets and drones to the United Arab Emirates failed yesterday in close votes.

MEE and agencies (2020-12-10). Italy to indict Egyptian security officers in Giulio Regeni murder case. middleeasteye.net Italy to indict Egyptian security officers in Giulio Regeni murder case | Italian prosecutors give four men 20 days to respond to charges before asking judge to begin trial | Thu, 12/10/2020 – 16: 18 | Activist in Cairo holds poster calling for justice in case of murdered Italian student Giulio Regeni in 2016 (Reuters) | Italian prosecutors in Rome announced on Thursday that they plan to s…

Sarah Lazare (2020-12-10). Biden's Defense Secretary Pick Shows the Revolving Door for Military Contractors Remains. globalresearch.ca Pres ≠i ≠dent-elect Joe Biden has tapped retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III for the pow ≠er ≠ful role of defense sec ≠re ≠tary, news out ≠lets revealed Decem ≠ber 7. Spec ≠u ≠la ≠tion over who Biden would pick had been brew ≠ing for weeks. All three top con ≠tenders for …

WSWS (2020-12-10). Stop government attack on COVID-19 whistleblower Rebekah Jones! wsws.org The SEP condemns the fascistic police raid on Jones' home, meant to suppress her work exposing the spread of COVID-19 in Florida and in schools across the US.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-12-09). 'Severe Blow to Iraqi Torture Survivors': Despite Evidence of UK War Crimes, ICC Drops War Crimes Probe. commondreams.org The decision "will doubtless fuel perceptions of an ugly double standard in justice: one approach to powerful states and quite another for those with less clout." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/icc-no-probe-uk-war-crimes.jpg

Sameena Rahman (2020-12-09). Florida state agents raid home of COVID-19 whistleblower. liberationnews.org This raid comes at a time when the most recent CDC data indicates that Florida surpassed 19,000 deaths due to the coronavirus, and last week, Florida became the third state in the United States to exceed 1 million cases.

Children's Health Defense (2020-12-09). Whistleblower: FDA Failed to Address 'Biohazard Nightmare' at Merck Vaccine Plant. globalresearch.ca A former FDA employee-turned-whistleblower says the agency downgraded his report on safety violations at a Merck vaccine plant. The allegation raises questions about how the FDA will monitor safety of COVID vaccine manufacturers. | *** | A former employee of the U.S. …

MBNJSD (2020-12-08). Why Jeh Johnson Would Be a Better Defense Secretary Than Michèle Flournoy. dissidentvoice.org CODEPINK protests killer drones at DC home of Jeh Johnson (Credit: CODEPINK) President-elect Biden's choice for Secretary of Defense has turned out to be one of the most controversial and difficult of his Cabinet appointments. The early front-runner, Michèle Flournoy, was originally seen as a shoo-in and was touted as a great breakthrough for women, …

Media Lens (2020-12-08). Stuck in a Lift with John Pilger: News and How to Use It by Alan Rusbridger. dissidentvoice.org Noticing the way journalists seemed unable to resist commenting on our work, even if it was just to slag us off, Glenn Greenwald tweeted us in 2012: 'You are really deeper in the heads of the British establishment-serving commentariat than anyone else — congrats.' ((Greenwald, Twitter, 12 September 2012.)) If that was true then, our relationship …