(2019-08-29). The Death of Arms Control. truthdig.com 
A deadly accident in northern Russia earlier this month caused the U.S. arms control community to stand up and take notice. The Russians claim they were testing "isotopic sources of fuel on a liquid propulsion unit," and that only after the test was completed did the engine explode. There was a spike in radiation levels detected in the city of Severodvinsk, roughly 18 miles away, shortly after the accident. Seven people were killed as a result of the explosion, including at least two who died of acu…
(2019-08-29). Putin and Russia, the World's "Heartland" dissidentvoice.org 
Russia has always fascinated me—the mystical orthodox faith brought to Kievan Rus in the ninth century, the stern heroes who defended Muscovy against the Golden Horde in the 13—15th centuries, the vast spaces, the remarkable literature of Pushkin and Tolstoy, the Bolshevik Revolution against imperialism … The West has always been a bit jealous of …
(2019-08-29). 'Apologies are not enough': Eric Trump threatens to sue MSNBC & host over Russian loan 'smear'. rt.com 
Eric Trump says he's taking legal action against MSNBC and its host Lawrence O'Donnell for slandering and smearing the Trump family and company, while President Donald Trump took to Twitter to slam the host. | Trump responded to O'Donnell's tweet apologizing for "en error in judgement" on his Last Word show on Tuesday night in which he claimed that the president took out bank loans with the help of Russian billionaires. The MSNBC host walked back his report after the president's attorney complained to the network. | "Apologies are not enough," Eric Trump later tweeted, claiming O'Donnell's "true intent" was to…
(2019-08-29). Trump reviews Ukraine aid to ensure it's being used in US' interests — report. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump is reviewing military aid to Ukraine to ensure American interests are being "prioritized," according to a senior administration official, putting the funding on hold and enraging Russiagate truthers. | Around $250 million in funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, earmarked for weapons, training, equipment and intelligence support, has been frozen while administration officials review whether the money is being used "in the best interest of the United States," the official told Politico on Wednesday. Trump reportedly wants to ensure that other nations are "paying their…
(2019-08-29). Do ratings trump accountability in journalism? Latest retracted MSNBC 'bombshell' suggests 'yes'. rt.com 
Lawrence O'Donnell's walkback of a supposed "bombshell" story involving a claim that Donald Trump received loans co-signed by Russian billionaires is the latest sign that journalism has become accountability-free. | Indicating that MSNBC deliberately chose to prioritize hype over facts, O'Donnell admitted on air that the claim needed "a lot more verification before [it] can be a confirmable fact" — but he reported it anyway. | Typically, when a journalist does not have enough information to verify a claim, they wait until such time that they do. When that basic tenet of journalism is lost, the news becom…
(2019-08-29). A safe zone in Syria: a renewed military crisis or a diplomatic solution? uwidata.com 
The establishment of safe zones in war-torn countries is supposed to entail a reduction in violence. However, in the present situation in Syria, US involvement in the establishment of a safe zone will lead to the direct military entrenchment of Washington, Turkey, Russia, and Syria, and will only cause the situation to deteriorate further. WHY …
(2019-08-29). 'Ground Zero': Report from the former Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. un.org Every year on August 29, at the initiative of Kazakhstan, the UN and its Member States mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests. This year, the Day coincides with the 70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb test at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan. UN News travelled to the remote, eerily beautiful region, for this report.
(2019-08-29). Bringing nuclear test ban treaty into force a 'central pillar' of global disarmament push, says UN chief. un.org The legacy of nuclear testing is "nothing but destruction," and in a world of rising tensions, "our collective security depends" on bringing a global treaty into force that bans nuclear explosions, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said.
(2019-08-29). Belarus Wants to Reset Diplomatic Ties With US: Lukashenko. telesurenglish.net The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, met with the U.S. National Security Official, John Bolton, in the capital city of Minsk Thursday as the two nations seek to strengthen their diplomatic ties. | RELATED: | Bolton Bemoans Venezuela's Upcoming Democratic Elections | During Bolton's visit, Lukashenko expressed Belarus' desire to 'reset' relations with the United States, despite Minsk's close ties with Russia. | "Despite all the noise around your visit, there is a lot of pos…
(2019-08-29). Lawrence O'Donnell Retracts Trump-Russia Story. truthdig.com NEW YORK — MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell on Wednesday retracted his story about supposed Russian ties to President Donald Trump's finances and apologized for reporting it — just as Trump's lawyer demanded. | O'Donnell said, however, he still doesn't know whether or not the story is true. | His public pull-back unfolded quickly in the opening minute of "The Last Word," where 24 hours earlier the cable news host said that a source had told him that Deutsche Bank documents showed that Russian oligarchs had co-signed a loan application for Trump. | O'Donnell reported the story, based on a single source he di…
(2019-08-29). In the "New Arms Race", Washington Can't Get Its Story Straight. globalresearch.ca As of August 18th, when the United States test-fired a cruise-missile from San Nicolas Island, California, it would not be an exaggeration to say that we have entered an exceptionally dangerous phase in Russia-US relations, perhaps more so than at …
(2019-08-29). "Israel" Will Never Let Iran Build a Pipeline to Syria Unless Russia Is Involved. globalresearch.ca It's impossible to imagine any realistic scenario where "Israel" would sit back and let its number one enemy strengthen its influence in the region unless Russia was involved as a stakeholder for keeping Iran in check. | *** | Iran is reportedly…
(2019-08-29). The Power to Oversee the Education System, A Historical Timeline from the Prussian Empire to the Rockefeller Dynasty. globalresearch.ca Throughout history, the idea of those in power to oversee the education system started in the 16th Century. The history is complex and is rarely mentioned. | The formation of the American public education system began in the Kingdom of Prussia …
(2019-08-29). Remembering Legendary Peace Activist Frances Crowe, Who Died at 100 After Decades of Resisting War. democracynow.org 
The legendary peace activist Frances Crowe died this week at the age of 100 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Over the past seven decades, Frances had been arrested countless times while protesting war, nuclear weapons, nuclear power and the construction of new pipelines. She is survived by her two sons, a daughter and an international community of peace activists. We revisit a 2005 interview of Francis Crowe by Amy Goodman, and recognize her lifetime of advocacy.
(2019-08-28). G7 Summit: Critical Outcomes. uwidata.com 
In the French city of Biarritz, a three-day summit featuring the heads of state from 7 of the world's largest economies (Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Canada, the USA, France and Japan) has come to a close. The hottest topics of discussion were trade relations, a nuclear deal with Iran, the protests in Hong Kong, the …
(2019-08-28). Russiagate skeptics are vindicated, but conspiracy theorists are rewarded (w/ Glenn Greenwald). thegrayzone.com Glenn Greenwald on Robert Mueller's disappearance; how Andrew McCabe has become the latest former U.S. intelligence official to join either…
(2019-08-27). Tuesday's Daily Brief: UN envoy on Middle East peace process, child labour in Nepal, latest deadly Mediterranean shipwreck, DRC's Goma 21-days free of Ebola transmission, UN chief urges ban on nuclear testing. un.org A recap of Tuesday's stories: UN envoy says tangible steps 'can, and must be taken' to reverse the 'negative trajectory' of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; child labour case in Nepal highlights 'widespread and systematic' abuse; some 40 people drowned off the coast of Libya in Mediterranean shipwreck; DR Congo's Goma passes key 21-day period free of Ebola transmission; and UN chief calls for global support in putting an end to nuclear weapons testing.
(2019-08-26). Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux" democracynow.org 
Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explos…
(2019-08-26). Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl. democracynow.org 
Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of t…
(2019-08-26). An anti-fascist spy who defied Hitler's Nazis and was betrayed by Stalin. greenleft.org.au 
books Phil ShannonIssue 1235 Russia GermanyAugust 26, 2019In Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin's Master Agent
| Owen Matthews
| Bloomsbury, 2019
| 435 pages | Dr Richard Sorge, a German communist who penetrated the innermost political and military circles…
(2019-08-23). "Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest. democracynow.org 
The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…
(2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley on the Dangers of a New Nuclear Arms Race & Why He Backs the Green New Deal. democracynow.org 
Fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is mounting. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to prepare for what he called a "symmetrical response" after the U.S. tested what it said was a nonnuclear cruise missile earlier this week. The U.S. launch was the first test of its kind since the Trump administration withdrew from the INF. We speak to Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon about U.S. nuclear policy, as well as the Green New Deal, President Trump's wish to buy Greenland and more.
(2019-08-22). Arms race accelerates as US tests cruise missile. greenleft.org.au 
arms race Jessica CorbettIssue 1234 United States US missile testAugust 22, 2019Nuclear experts and disarmament advocates are warning that the world is witnessing a new arms race after the United States tested a new missile on August 18. | The test would have vio…
(2019-08-01). Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard. theantimedia.com The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.
(2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-17). Peace Action Endorses Ayanna Pressley for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 17, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, and its affiliate Massachusetts Peace Action, endorsed Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and …