Daily Archives: February 24, 2020

2020-02-24: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-24). Scientists to hunt tornadoes with microphones used to listen for NUKES. rt.com Meteorologists have long-struggled to predict when and where tornadoes will strike, but now scientists testing specialized microphones used to detect illegal nuclear weapons tests believe they may have a way to track the twisters. | Tornadoes can be a scourge, wreaking havoc and misery on populations with little to no prior warning because of how incredibly difficult they are to predict and track with any high degree of accuracy. | But now, Roger Waxler of the University of Mississippi and his team at the National Center for Physical Acoustics think they have the answer: microphones that can hear infrasound, o…

Darius Shahtahmasebi (2020-02-24). 2021 Pentagon Budget Request Hints at Russia and China as the New Focus of US Empire. mintpressnews.com As the disastrous US wars in the Middle East begin to wind down, the Pentagon is shifting its strategy, budget and arsenal to focus on a confrontation with Russia and China, writes Darius Shahtahmasebi.

RT (2020-02-24). WATCH: Bored Vyborg resident uses flooding to go SURFING through Russian forest. rt.com After a night of particularly heavy storms in the Leningrad Region, one Vyborg resident reached his 'point break' and decided it was the perfect time to… go surfing in a local forest? | "It's a pity the waves were so small," surfer Denis Zinchuk joked in the caption accompanying video of his bodacious daredevil exploits through the flooded trees of a local forest. | The footage, taken on Saturday, gives a unique perspective on 'flood relief' and showcases some gnarly maneuvers between the sunken pines along the Gulf of Finland following some particularly heavy rains. | The water reportedly rose by up to a…

RT (2020-02-24). US proposals to start dialogue with terrorists in Idlib are unacceptable — Russian FM. rt.com Moscow will resist any attempts to whitewash the terrorists holed up in Idlib, Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that engaging in talks with them as the US is hinting is out of question. | Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Al-Qaeda offshoot previously known as Al-Nusra, which controls Idlib, has been designated as a terrorist organization not only by the UN, but by the US itself, Lavrov said. | However, officials in Washington, including the special envoy for Syria, James Jeffrey, "allow themselves statements, from which a conclusion can be made that 'it's not such a terrorist organization anym…

RT (2020-02-24). 'It was just a game': Estonian mother flees to Russia with 2 girls after court clears Norwegian ex-husband of pedophilia charges. rt.com He bathed with his own daughters naked and made them kiss his crotch, an Estonian mom told RT of her ex-husband after escaping to Russia. But the Norwegian man's lawyers claim she's using pedophilia allegations to keep the kids. | It all started like a happy love story in 2009, but eventually turned into a nightmare. | Anna from the Estonian capital, Tallinn, arrived in Norway to work as a nurse at a senior home. It was there that she met Jostein Finseraasen, a male nurse whom the wards simply adored and courted her like a true gentleman. The couple got married three month later, with Anna already being pregna…

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-24). Russia Accused of Campaign Blaming US for Coronavirus Outbreak. globalresearch.ca Russia has been a prime US target since its 1917 revolution, relations between both countries uneasy at best from that time to now. | Propaganda by US officials and establishment media demonizes the country and its leadership, ongoing for over a …

WSWS (2020-02-24). US defense secretary launches simulated nuclear attack against Russia in Pentagon war game. wsws.org The war game took place as more than 20,000 troops and 20,000 military vehicles began to arrive in Europe for the massive "Defender 2020" exercise targeting Russia.

Nicole Sussner Rodgers (2020-02-24). What Comes After the Nuclear Family? thenation.com What Comes After the Nuclear Family?

Binoy Kampmark (2020-02-24). The Priorities of General Motors: Ditching Holden. counterpunch.org It seemed to be a case of grand misrepresentation. Holden cars, those great Australian acquisitions, along with home, lawnmower and nuclear family, gave the impression of indigenous pride, the home brand. It was also resoundingly masculine. But behind that image was a mighty American thrust, with General Motors holding the reins on investment as benevolent

WSWS (2020-02-24). This week in history: February 24-March 1. wsws.org 25 years ago: Professor Vadim Rogovin launches US lecture tour, "Was there an alternative to Stalinism in the USSR?"On February 27, 1995, Professor Vadim Zakharovich Rogovin, a leading Marxist historian in the former Soviet Union, began a US tour with a lecture delivered at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The lecture, sponsored by the Center for European and Russian Studies, was titled "Was there an alternative to Stalinism in the USSR?" The historic event marked the first time a Soviet scholar presented to American audiences an analysis of the struggle waged by Leon Trotsky and the Left Opposition aga…

WSWS (2020-02-24). Democratic Party deploys Russian meddling smear against Sanders. wsws.org The Democratic establishment and the corporate media are now peddling the lie that Sanders is the beneficiary of Russian intervention in the 2020 elections.

teleSUR (2020-02-24). Russia to Complete Observation Flight Over Turkey. telesurenglish.net Russia will carry out an observation flight over Turkey between Tuesday and Friday under the multilateral Treaty on Open Skies, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday. | RELATED: | Russia's Tu-154M LK-1 observation plane will take off from northwest Turkey's Eskisehir airfield and cover up to 1,900 kilometers over the member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the ministry said. | The Tr…

Andrew Korybko (2020-02-24). Venezuela's Next Economic Shock Might Come from India's Compliance with US Sanctions. globalresearch.ca India is Venezuela's largest oil customer but the two companies that import its oil just declared that they'll comply with the US' latest sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic's Russian intermediary, which could lead to the South American state experiencing an …

WSWS (2020-02-24). Iran elections show growing alienation from bourgeois-clerical regime. wsws.org The 'principalist' faction more aligned with Russia and China won amid a collapse in voter turnout, falling from 62 percent in 2016 to just 42.6 percent.

yenisafak (2020-02-24). Russian airstrikes kill 5 civilians in northern Syria. yenisafak.com Russian warplanes targeted residential areas in Syria's Idlib de-escalation, killing at least five civilians, a civil defense group working in the war-torn country said Monday.The Syrian opposition aircraft targeted 18 residential areas, according to The White Helmets.These areas include Kafr Nabl, Ehsim, Kansafra, Sufuhon, Hizareen, Kafar Aweed, Hass, Deir Sunbul villages in the south of Idlib as well as Darat Izza and Kafr Nouran towns in the west of Aleppo.Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on the pro-democracy protests. | Since then, hundreds of tho…

yenisafak (2020-02-24). Russia, Turkey preparing talks on Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com Russia and Turkey are preparing talks on how to de-escalate fighting in Syria's Idlib province, TASS news agency reported on Monday, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."Another series of consultations, which we hope will lead us to an agreement on how to ensure that this is indeed a de-escalation zone and that terrorists do not operate there, is being prepared now," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

sputniknews (2020-02-24). MP Says US Has 'Unhealthy Interest With Russian Borders' as Video Shows Warship Sailing to Black Sea. sputniknews.com On Sunday, the Russian Navy confirmed that it had picked up and was closely monitoring the USS Ross, a US Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer with Tomahawk cruise missile and AEGIS capability, as the warship headed north after entering the Black Sea.

RT (2020-02-24). 'There's a lot we could learn from Mordor' — Bernie Sanders slammed for saying not everything was bad under Fidel Castro. rt.com Fresh from being compared to Hitler, socialist senator Bernie Sanders is again deflecting criticism over his past admiration for communist revolutionaries. This time it's America's former public enemy number one, Fidel Castro. | Speaking on CBS' '60 Minutes' on Sunday night, the socialist senator and Democratic frontrunner was grilled over the "positive things" he said about the Soviet Union and Cuba in the 1980s. | t.co/ySqvQKoiBU pic.twitter.com/lTwuXWp9sA— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) RT (2020-02-23). Blitzkrieg Bernie? Sanders' victory in Nevada like NAZI invasion of France — MSNBC's Chris Matthews. rt.com MSNBC's Chris Matthews has compared Bernie Sanders' win in the Nevada caucuses to Adolf Hitler's WWII takeover of France. As Sanders pulls ahead of the pack, the media has labeled him a nazi, a communist, and a Russian stooge. | Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders declared a resounding victory in Saturday's Nevada caucuses, the third major showdown of the primary season. With some results still outstanding on Sunday morning, Sanders has won just over 46 percent of the vote, more than doubling the score of former Vice President Joe Biden, currently in second place with 19 percent. | After a strong showing in Iowa an…

Juan Cole (2020-02-23). Why the Russian Petro-State Is Actually Terrified of a Bernie Sanders Presidency: The Green New Deal. commondreams.org Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduce public housing legislation as part of the Green New Deal outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, November 14, 2019. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie_sanders_10.jpg

Aaron Maté (2020-02-23). Russiagate 2.0 drowns out Trump's reckless escalation of US-Russia nuclear arms race. thegrayzone.com Amid new fear-mongering about "Russian interference," former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Trump's overlooked, reckless escalation of the US-Russia…

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-23). Is Moscow Aiding the Sanders Campaign? "Russia AgainGate", But this Time in Favor of the "Progressive Dems" globalresearch.ca At this stage in the Dem party campaign to choose its standard bearer in November, Sanders leads other aspirants in national polls. | As in 2016, DNC bosses likely prefer another candidate to head their ticket, a more reliable figure to …

Staff (2020-02-23). Democratic Party Dinosaurs Have Seen the Meteor, and It's Coming From Vermont. truthout.org The Berniegeddon is upon us! It's France falling to the Nazis in World War II! It's the Russians! It's the end of everything! Flee! Flee for your lives! | Sorry about that. Just trying out for a talking head guest spot on MSNBC. | Vermont senator and Brooklyn native Bernie Sanders

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-02-23). "Fake News": No Evidence of Russia Interference in 2020 Elections "in Order to Reelect Trump" globalresearch.ca There is no evidence that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential election in order to reelect Trump. Nor is there any reason for Russia to prefer Trump, who has done nothing for Russia. Indeed, Trump has imposed sanctions …

Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski (2020-02-23). Video: Brzezinski's Foreign Policy Perspective on China and Russia. globalresearch.ca We bring to the attention of our readers the following video on the late Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski's foreign policy perspective. | Brzezinski was national security advisor under the Carter administration. He worked in close collaboration with the CIA. He was …

RT (2020-02-22). Dangerous games: US NUKES Russia in 'mini exercise' attended by Pentagon chief. rt.com US Defense Secretary Mark Esper played himself in a drill at the US Strategic Command HQ in Nebraska, which featured a bizarre scenario of America nuking Russia in response to its own nuclear strike against a 'NATO ally'. | US military exercises simulating various crises are not that uncommon, yet, out of all plausible scenarios, this particular drill apparently simulated a highly unrealistic one. The classified exercise conducted at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha on Thursday focused on an imaginary nuclear conflict between the US and Russia in Europe. | According to the drill scenario, Moscow somehow dec…

Eric Zuesse (2020-02-22). How Bernie Sanders Will Destroy the Deep State if He Becomes President. dissidentvoice.org Joe Lauria at Consortium News headlined on February 21st, "Apparent US Intel Meddling in US Election With 'Report' Russia is Aiding Sanders", and he noted that, If the story is true and if intelligence agencies are truly committed to protecting U.S. citizens, the Sanders campaign would have been quietly informed and shown evidence to back …

RT (2020-02-22). 'Totally sane': Dems can't make up their minds about who is a supposed 'Russian agent'. Trump? Bernie? Or… both? rt.com Former presidential candidate Eric Swalwell performed mental gymnastics on CNN to defend Bernie Sanders over alleged help from Russia, claiming Moscow does it in order to help its 'agent' Donald Trump. | The Democrats' overuse of Russian collusion conspiracy theories appears to be collapsing in on itself. First Trump supposedly worked with the country to meddle in the 2016 presidential election — something there is still no actual proof of, despite the extensive Mueller investigation — and now even Dems like Sanders are facing accusations of getting help from Moscow. | Thanks to a Washington Post <...

RT (2020-02-22). Russia isn't only behind election hacking! They're also trying to smear US over coronavirus … according to State Department. rt.com Not satisfied with just blaming Russia for election meddling, US officials are now claiming Moscow is trying to "sow discord" by spreading disinformation about the coronavirus and the US' role in its creation and global response. | US State Department officials are claiming Moscow is behind an internet campaign to blame the coronavirus on the US government. | Without citing specific examples, officials told

RT (2020-02-22). Trump mocks 'fake news' for running 'Russian Sympathizer Bernie' smear, but doesn't miss a chance to score points. rt.com It seems Donald Trump is yet to decide whether he would rather lampoon left-wing media for adding Democrat frontrunner Bernie Sanders to Team Russia or take the opportunity to mock his potential rival in the November poll. | Just a day apart, two steaming-hot scoops landed in the US media cycle. First, the New York Times said Russia was helping Donald Trump to get reelected. Then the Washington Post claimed Russia was helping Bernie Sanders's campaign. All based on anonymous sources, innuendos, and other traits with which even casual followers of the 'Russiagate' saga are all too familiar. | One of the princip…

Juan Cole (2020-02-22). Russia Wants Trump Reelected, and May Be Making a Bet That Bernie Sanders Can't Defeat Him (They're Wrong). commondreams.org President Donald Trump speaks to the media at the White House on August 17, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/donald_trump_4.jpg

Fight Back (2020-02-22). Germany: Lenin comes to Gelsenkirchen! fightbacknews.org On March 14, the Russian revolutionary, Marxist working-class theorist and leader of the October Revolution of 1917 will come to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. 150 years after his birthday he will move permanently into Gelsenkirchen-Horst – in the form of an over two meter tall, artfully shaped cast-iron statue in front of the Horster Mitte, the federal headquarters of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD). | "This will also be the start of a nationwide movement 'Don't give anti-communism a chance,'" says Gabi Fechtner, the chairwoman of the MLPD. "In times where monuments of the great communist th…

WSWS (2020-02-22). US intelligence agencies meddle in Nevada primary to sabotage Sanders. wsws.org On the eve of Nevada Democratic caucuses, the Washington Post reported that "US officials" told Sanders the Russian government was working to aid his campaign.

Ted Rall (2020-02-21). Bernie Should Own the Socialist Label. counterpunch.org Bernie Sanders is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. He and everyone else knows exactly how the Republicans will attack him if and when he becomes the nominee: old-fashioned redbaiting. China became communist in name only during the 1980s, the Soviet Union shut its doors in 1991, the Cold War is dead, and

RT (2020-02-21). Zombie collusion? Clinton pounces on latest 'Russian meddling' report to rally the troops, because it worked so well in 2016. rt.com Hillary Clinton has seized upon the latest claim that Russia is 'interfering' in the 2020 election to renew her assault on US President Donald Trump, while a lack of evidence casts even the vague report into doubt. | Clinton crowed an 'I told you so' in response to an NBC reporter's tweet suggesting Trump had desperately wanted to keep the latest installment in the never-ending 'Russian meddling' soap opera under wraps. Accusing the president of "taking Russian help for himself," she exhorted her followers to keep "Putin's Puppet" from securing a second term. | Putin's Puppet is at it again, taking Russian hel…

RT (2020-02-21). 'Hoax!' Trump hits back at latest claims that Russia will 'aid' his 2020 campaign. rt.com US President Donald Trump has slammed the recently reported (but unsubstantiated) claims that Russia will interfere to help him win the 2020 presidential election, saying the rumors are just "another misinformation campaign." | The New York Times and other media reported on Thursday that Moscow is "aiding" Trump in the upcoming election, citing only anonymous intelligence officials. | Cable networks like MSNBC and CNN instantly amplified the unverified claims, setting in motion another round of 'Russiagate' conspiracy theorizing, almost eleven months after the two-year-long Mueller investigation found no evide…

RT (2020-02-21). 'Russians helping Sanders!' MSM takes abrupt break from anti-Trump frenzy for a 'never Bernie' moment on the eve of Nevada caucus. rt.com As Bernie Sanders surges to the front of the pack for the Democratic nomination, the Washington Post has dropped an anonymous "bombshell" claiming that Moscow seeks to help him as well as its "puppet," US President Donald Trump. | On the word of "people familiar with the matter,"

Staff (2020-02-21). Headlines for February 21, 2020. democracynow.org Roger Stone Sentenced to 40-Month Prison Term, Trump Lashed at Intel Chief over Warning of Russian Meddling in 2020 Election, Germany Mourns Victims of Right-Wing Terror Attacks, Suspect Arrested in Stabbing at London Mosque, U.K. to Close Borders to "Unskilled" and Non-English-Speaking Immigrants, Protests Erupt as Acting ICE Director Challenges New York Pro-Immigrant Laws, Mexican Radio Journalist Murdered in Ciudad Juárez, February Flowers Bloom in Moscow Amid Record-High Winter Temperatures, 28 Arrested in Seattle Protesting Chase Bank Fossil Fuel Ties, Rail Blockades Continue as Protests Grow Against Coastal…

Stephen F. Cohen (2020-02-21). The Kremlin Plans to Modernize Russia, Again. thenation.com The Kremlin Plans to Modernize Russia, Again…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

Susan Price (2020-02-20). United States: New weapons raise danger of nuclear war. greenleft.org.au

Jason Ditz (2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Strategic Culture (2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.

Tyler Durden (2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.

Middle East Eye (2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."

Lawrence Wittner (2019-12-22). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …

Peace Action (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 …

Peace Action (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 …

2020-02-24: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Russia Accused of Campaign Blaming US for Coronavirus Outbreak
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-24
Russia has been a prime US target since its 1917 revolution, relations between both countries uneasy at best from that time to now. | Propaganda by US officials and establishment media demonizes the country and its leadership, ongoing for over a …
globalresearch.ca/russia-behind-campaign-blame-us-coronavirus-outbreak/5704471

Scientists to hunt tornadoes with microphones used to listen for NUKES
rt.com | 2020-02-24
Meteorologists have long-struggled to predict when and where tornadoes will strike, but now scientists testing specialized microphones used to detect illegal nuclear weapons tests believe they may have a way to track the twisters. | Tornadoes can be a scourge, wreaking havoc and misery on populations with little to no prior warning because of how incredibly difficult they are to predict and track with any high degree of accuracy. | But now, Roger Waxler of the University of Mississippi and his team at the National Center for Physical Acoustics think they have the answer: microphones that can hear infrasound, o…
rt.com/usa/481551-scientists-hunt-tornadoes-nuke-microphones/

The Priorities of General Motors: Ditching Holden
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-24
It seemed to be a case of grand misrepresentation. Holden cars, those great Australian acquisitions, along with home, lawnmower and nuclear family, gave the impression of indigenous pride, the home brand. It was also resoundingly masculine. But behind that image was a mighty American thrust, with General Motors holding the reins on investment as benevolent…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/24/the-priorities-of-general-motors-ditching-holden/

US defense secretary launches simulated nuclear attack against Russia in Pentagon war game
wsws.org | 2020-02-24
The war game took place as more than 20,000 troops and 20,000 military vehicles began to arrive in Europe for the massive "Defender 2020" exercise targeting Russia.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/24/nuke-f24.html

Scientists to hunt tornadoes with microphones used to listen for NUKES
rt.com | 2020-02-24
Meteorologists have long-struggled to predict when and where tornadoes will strike, but now scientists testing specialized microphones used to detect illegal nuclear weapons tests believe they may have a way to track the twisters. | Tornadoes can be a scourge, wreaking havoc and misery on populations with little to no prior warning because of how incredibly difficult they are to predict and track with any high degree of accuracy. | But now, Roger Waxler of the University of Mississippi and his team at the National Center for Physical Acoustics think they have the answer: microphones that can hear infrasound, o…
rt.com/usa/481551-scientists-hunt-tornadoes-nuke-microphones/

What Comes After the Nuclear Family?
Nicole Sussner Rodgers | thenation.com | 2020-02-24
What Comes After the Nuclear Family?
thenation.com/article/society/nuclear-family-progressive-critique/

This week in history: February 24-March 1
wsws.org | 2020-02-24
25 years ago: Professor Vadim Rogovin launches US lecture tour, "Was there an alternative to Stalinism in the USSR?"On February 27, 1995, Professor Vadim Zakharovich Rogovin, a leading Marxist historian in the former Soviet Union, began a US tour with a lecture delivered at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The lecture, sponsored by the Center for European and Russian Studies, was titled "Was there an alternative to Stalinism in the USSR?" The historic event marked the first time a Soviet scholar presented to American audiences an analysis of the struggle waged by Leon Trotsky and the Left Opposition aga…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/24/twih-f24.html

WATCH: Bored Vyborg resident uses flooding to go SURFING through Russian forest
rt.com | 2020-02-24
After a night of particularly heavy storms in the Leningrad Region, one Vyborg resident reached his 'point break' and decided it was the perfect time to… go surfing in a local forest? | "It's a pity the waves were so small," surfer Denis Zinchuk joked in the caption accompanying video of his bodacious daredevil exploits through the flooded trees of a local forest. | The footage, taken on Saturday, gives a unique perspective on 'flood relief' and showcases some gnarly maneuvers between the sunken pines along the Gulf of Finland following some particularly heavy rains. | The water reportedly rose by up to a…
rt.com/russia/481571-surfer-catches-wave-amid-floods/

Russia to Complete Observation Flight Over Turkey
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-24
Russia will carry out an observation flight over Turkey between Tuesday and Friday under the multilateral Treaty on Open Skies, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday. | RELATED: | US Sanctions On Rosneft Won't Affect Relations With Venezuela: Kremlin | Russia's Tu-154M LK-1 observation plane will take off from northwest Turkey's Eskisehir airfield and cover up to 1,900 kilometers over the member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the ministry said. | The Tr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Russia-to-Complete-Observation-Flight-Over-Turkey-20200224-0006.html

'I'm happy that destiny brought us together': Alina Zagitova congratulates coach Tutberidze on birthday
rt.com | 2020-02-24
Olympic champion figure skater Alina Zagitova has sent warm birthday wishes to her renowned coach Eteri Tutberidze who turned 46 on Monday. | The reigning world champion who put on hold her competitive career last year thanked Tutberidze for the victories she has achieved under her guidance. | READ MORE: 'She can't compete against quad-jumping skaters': Russian Olympic champ says Medvedeva should retire | "Happy Birthday, dear Eteri Georgievna!" Zagitova wrote. "Together we have achieved a lo…
rt.com/sport/481577-alina-zagitova-eteri-tutberidze-birthday/

Iran elections show growing alienation from bourgeois-clerical regime
wsws.org | 2020-02-24
The 'principalist' faction more aligned with Russia and China won amid a collapse in voter turnout, falling from 62 percent in 2016 to just 42.6 percent.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/24/iran-f24.html

'It was just a game': Estonian mother flees to Russia with 2 girls after court clears Norwegian ex-husband of pedophilia charges
rt.com | 2020-02-24
He bathed with his own daughters naked and made them kiss his crotch, an Estonian mom told RT of her ex-husband after escaping to Russia. But the Norwegian man's lawyers claim she's using pedophilia allegations to keep the kids. | It all started like a happy love story in 2009, but eventually turned into a nightmare. | Anna from the Estonian capital, Tallinn, arrived in Norway to work as a nurse at a senior home. It was there that she met Jostein Finseraasen, a male nurse whom the wards simply adored and courted her like a true gentleman. The couple got married three month later, with Anna already being pregna…
rt.com/russia/481526-estonia-norway-russia-pedophile-accusations/

2021 Pentagon Budget Request Hints at Russia and China as the New Focus of US Empire
Darius Shahtahmasebi | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-24
As the disastrous US wars in the Middle East begin to wind down, the Pentagon is shifting its strategy, budget and arsenal to focus on a confrontation with Russia and China, writes Darius Shahtahmasebi.
mintpressnews.com/2021-pentagon-budget-request-russia-china/265124/

Democratic Party deploys Russian meddling smear against Sanders
wsws.org | 2020-02-24
The Democratic establishment and the corporate media are now peddling the lie that Sanders is the beneficiary of Russian intervention in the 2020 elections.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/24/pers-f24.html

Venezuela's Next Economic Shock Might Come from India's Compliance with US Sanctions
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-24
India is Venezuela's largest oil customer but the two companies that import its oil just declared that they'll comply with the US' latest sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic's Russian intermediary, which could lead to the South American state experiencing an …
globalresearch.ca/venezuela-next-economic-shock-might-come-india-compliance-us-sanctions/5704536

Russian airstrikes kill 5 civilians in northern Syria
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-24
Russian warplanes targeted residential areas in Syria's Idlib de-escalation, killing at least five civilians, a civil defense group working in the war-torn country said Monday.The Syrian opposition aircraft targeted 18 residential areas, according to The White Helmets.These areas include Kafr Nabl, Ehsim, Kansafra, Sufuhon, Hizareen, Kafar Aweed, Hass, Deir Sunbul villages in the south of Idlib as well as Darat Izza and Kafr Nouran towns in the west of Aleppo.Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on the pro-democracy protests. | Since then, hundreds of tho…
yenisafak.com/en/world/russian-airstrikes-kill-5-civilians-in-northern-syria-3512687

Russia, Turkey preparing talks on Syria's Idlib
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-24
Russia and Turkey are preparing talks on how to de-escalate fighting in Syria's Idlib province, TASS news agency reported on Monday, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."Another series of consultations, which we hope will lead us to an agreement on how to ensure that this is indeed a de-escalation zone and that terrorists do not operate there, is being prepared now," Lavrov was quoted as saying.
yenisafak.com/en/world/russia-turkey-preparing-talks-on-syrias-idlib-3512699

MP Says US Has 'Unhealthy Interest With Russian Borders' as Video Shows Warship Sailing to Black Sea
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-24
On Sunday, the Russian Navy confirmed that it had picked up and was closely monitoring the USS Ross, a US Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer with Tomahawk cruise missile and AEGIS capability, as the warship headed north after entering the Black Sea.
sputniknews.com/military/202002241078394521-mp-says-us-has-unhealthy-interest-with-russian-borders-as-video-shows-warship-sailing-to-black-sea/

Why the Russian Petro-State Is Actually Terrified of a Bernie Sanders Presidency: The Green New Deal
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2020-02-23
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduce public housing legislation as part of the Green New Deal outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, November 14, 2019. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie_sanders_10.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/why-russian-petro-state-actually-terrified-bernie-sanders-presidency-green-new-deal?cd-origin=rss

Russiagate 2.0 drowns out Trump's reckless escalation of US-Russia nuclear arms race
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-23
Amid new fear-mongering about "Russian interference," former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Trump's overlooked, reckless escalation of the US-Russia…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/23/russiagate-2-0-drowns-out-trumps-reckless-escalation-of-us-russia-nuclear-arms-race/

Russiagate 2.0 drowns out Trump's reckless escalation of US-Russia nuclear arms race
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-23
Amid new fear-mongering about "Russian interference," former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Trump's overlooked, reckless escalation of the US-Russia…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/23/russiagate-2-0-drowns-out-trumps-reckless-escalation-of-us-russia-nuclear-arms-race/

Why the Russian Petro-State Is Actually Terrified of a Bernie Sanders Presidency: The Green New Deal
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2020-02-23
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduce public housing legislation as part of the Green New Deal outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, November 14, 2019. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie_sanders_10.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/why-russian-petro-state-actually-terrified-bernie-sanders-presidency-green-new-deal?cd-origin=rss

Is Moscow Aiding the Sanders Campaign? "Russia AgainGate", But this Time in Favor of the "Progressive Dems"
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-23
At this stage in the Dem party campaign to choose its standard bearer in November, Sanders leads other aspirants in national polls. | As in 2016, DNC bosses likely prefer another candidate to head their ticket, a more reliable figure to …
globalresearch.ca/russia-aiding-sanders-campaign/5704382

Video: Brzezinski's Foreign Policy Perspective on China and Russia
Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-23
We bring to the attention of our readers the following video on the late Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski's foreign policy perspective. | Brzezinski was national security advisor under the Carter administration. He worked in close collaboration with the CIA. He was …
globalresearch.ca/video-brzezinskis-foreign-policy-perspective-on-china-and-russia/5704345

"Fake News": No Evidence of Russia Interference in 2020 Elections "in Order to Reelect Trump"
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-23
There is no evidence that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential election in order to reelect Trump. Nor is there any reason for Russia to prefer Trump, who has done nothing for Russia. Indeed, Trump has imposed sanctions …
globalresearch.ca/schiff-laying-groundwork-tying-up-trump-second-term-more-false-charges/5704374

Democratic Party Dinosaurs Have Seen the Meteor, and It's Coming From Vermont
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-23
The Berniegeddon is upon us! It's France falling to the Nazis in World War II! It's the Russians! It's the end of everything! Flee! Flee for your lives! | Sorry about that. Just trying out for a talking head guest spot on MSNBC. | Vermont senator and Brooklyn native Bernie Sanders ate like a big dog in Nevada last night. At the time of this writing, with 60 perce…
truthout.org/articles/democratic-party-dinosaurs-have-seen-the-meteor-and-its-coming-from-vermont/

Dangerous games: US NUKES Russia in 'mini exercise' attended by Pentagon chief
rt.com | 2020-02-22
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper played himself in a drill at the US Strategic Command HQ in Nebraska, which featured a bizarre scenario of America nuking Russia in response to its own nuclear strike against a 'NATO ally'. | US military exercises simulating various crises are not that uncommon, yet, out of all plausible scenarios, this particular drill apparently simulated a highly unrealistic one. The classified exercise conducted at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha on Thursday focused on an imaginary nuclear conflict between the US and Russia in Europe. | According to the drill scenario, Moscow somehow dec…
rt.com/usa/481482-us-nukes-russia-pentagon-games/

Russia Wants Trump Reelected, and May Be Making a Bet That Bernie Sanders Can't Defeat Him (They're Wrong)
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2020-02-22
President Donald Trump speaks to the media at the White House on August 17, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/donald_trump_4.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/22/russia-wants-trump-reelected-and-may-be-making-bet-bernie-sanders-cant-defeat-him?cd-origin=rss

'Totally sane': Dems can't make up their minds about who is a supposed 'Russian agent'. Trump? Bernie? Or… both?
rt.com | 2020-02-22
Former presidential candidate Eric Swalwell performed mental gymnastics on CNN to defend Bernie Sanders over alleged help from Russia, claiming Moscow does it in order to help its 'agent' Donald Trump. | The Democrats' overuse of Russian collusion conspiracy theories appears to be collapsing in on itself. First Trump supposedly worked with the country to meddle in the 2016 presidential election

Russia isn't only behind election hacking! They're also trying to smear US over coronavirus … according to State Department
rt.com | 2020-02-22
Not satisfied with just blaming Russia for election meddling, US officials are now claiming Moscow is trying to "sow discord" by spreading disinformation about the coronavirus and the US' role in its creation and global response. | US State Department officials are claiming Moscow is behind an internet campaign to blame the coronavirus on the US government. | Without citing specific examples, officials told AFP that the foreign nation is using "false personas" to spre…
rt.com/usa/481485-coronavirus-russia-state-department/

How Bernie Sanders Will Destroy the Deep State if He Becomes President
Eric Zuesse | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-22
Joe Lauria at Consortium News headlined on February 21st, "Apparent US Intel Meddling in US Election With 'Report' Russia is Aiding Sanders", and he noted that, If the story is true and if intelligence agencies are truly committed to protecting U.S. citizens, the Sanders campaign would have been quietly informed and shown evidence to back …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/how-bernie-sanders-will-destroy-the-deep-state-if-he-becomes-president/

Trump mocks 'fake news' for running 'Russian Sympathizer Bernie' smear, but doesn't miss a chance to score points
rt.com | 2020-02-22
It seems Donald Trump is yet to decide whether he would rather lampoon left-wing media for adding Democrat frontrunner Bernie Sanders to Team Russia or take the opportunity to mock his potential rival in the November poll. | Just a day apart, two steaming-hot scoops landed in the US media cycle. First, the New York Times said Russia was helping Donald Trump to get reelected. Then the Washington Post claimed Russia was helping Bernie Sanders's campaign. All based on anonymous sources, innuendos, and other traits with which even casual followers of the 'Russiagate' saga are all too familiar. | One of the princip…
rt.com/usa/481452-trump-mocks-russia-sanders/

US intelligence agencies meddle in Nevada primary to sabotage Sanders
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
On the eve of Nevada Democratic caucuses, the Washington Post reported that "US officials" told Sanders the Russian government was working to aid his campaign.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/sand-f22.html

Germany: Lenin comes to Gelsenkirchen!
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-22
On March 14, the Russian revolutionary, Marxist working-class theorist and leader of the October Revolution of 1917 will come to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. 150 years after his birthday he will move permanently into Gelsenkirchen-Horst – in the form of an over two meter tall, artfully shaped cast-iron statue in front of the Horster Mitte, the federal headquarters of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD). | "This will also be the start of a nationwide movement 'Don't give anti-communism a chance,'" says Gabi Fechtner, the chairwoman of the MLPD. "In times where monuments of the great communist th…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/22/germany-lenin-comes-gelsenkirchen

Bernie Should Own the Socialist Label
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Bernie Sanders is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. He and everyone else knows exactly how the Republicans will attack him if and when he becomes the nominee: old-fashioned redbaiting. China became communist in name only during the 1980s, the Soviet Union shut its doors in 1991, the Cold War is dead, and…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/bernie-should-own-the-socialist-label/

Bernie Should Own the Socialist Label
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Bernie Sanders is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. He and everyone else knows exactly how the Republicans will attack him if and when he becomes the nominee: old-fashioned redbaiting. China became communist in name only during the 1980s, the Soviet Union shut its doors in 1991, the Cold War is dead, and…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/bernie-should-own-the-socialist-label/

Zombie collusion? Clinton pounces on latest 'Russian meddling' report to rally the troops, because it worked so well in 2016
rt.com | 2020-02-21
Hillary Clinton has seized upon the latest claim that Russia is 'interfering' in the 2020 election to renew her assault on US President Donald Trump, while a lack of evidence casts even the vague report into doubt. | Clinton crowed an 'I told you so' in response to an NBC reporter's tweet suggesting Trump had desperately wanted to keep the latest installment in the never-ending 'Russian meddling' soap opera under wraps. Accusing the president of "taking Russian help for himself," she exhorted her followers to keep "Putin's Puppet" from securing a second term. | Putin's Puppet is at it again, taking Russian hel…
rt.com/usa/481429-clinton-russian-collusion-trump-odni/

Street Wise and Worldly
Paul Haeder | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-21
In 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President of the United States. For many the Reagan Administration is remembered for Reaganomics and ending the Cold War. Yet the poor and homeless of the time remember it rather for a dramatic reduction in housing and social services, Boss Tweed politics, and constant reminders that a …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/street-wise-and-worldly/

Street Wise and Worldly
Paul Haeder | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-21
In 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President of the United States. For many the Reagan Administration is remembered for Reaganomics and ending the Cold War. Yet the poor and homeless of the time remember it rather for a dramatic reduction in housing and social services, Boss Tweed politics, and constant reminders that a …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/street-wise-and-worldly/

The Kremlin Plans to Modernize Russia, Again
Stephen F. Cohen | thenation.com | 2020-02-21
The Kremlin Plans to Modernize Russia, Again…
thenation.com/article/world/the-kremlin-plans-to-modernize-russia-again/

'Hoax!' Trump hits back at latest claims that Russia will 'aid' his 2020 campaign
rt.com | 2020-02-21
US President Donald Trump has slammed the recently reported (but unsubstantiated) claims that Russia will interfere to help him win the 2020 presidential election, saying the rumors are just "another misinformation campaign." | The New York Times and other media reported on Thursday that Moscow is "aiding" Trump in the upcoming election, citing only anonymous intelligence officials. | Cable networks like MSNBC and CNN instantly amplified the unverified claims, setting in motion another round of 'Russiagate' conspiracy theorizing, almost eleven months after the two-year-long Mueller investigation found no evide…
rt.com/usa/481415-trump-tweet-russia-2020/

'Russians helping Sanders!' MSM takes abrupt break from anti-Trump frenzy for a 'never Bernie' moment on the eve of Nevada caucus
rt.com | 2020-02-21
As Bernie Sanders surges to the front of the pack for the Democratic nomination, the Washington Post has dropped an anonymous "bombshell" claiming that Moscow seeks to help him as well as its "puppet," US President Donald Trump. | On the word of "people familiar with the matter,"
rt.com/usa/481439-bernie-sanders-russia-democratic/

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-20
Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-20
Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive

United States: New weapons raise danger of nuclear war
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
nuclear weapons Barry SheppardIssue 1254 United States nuclear arms race ICBMsFebruary 20, 2020United States scientists who worked on the first nuclear weapons

The Priorities of General Motors: Ditching Holden
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-18
It seemed to be a case of grand misrepresentation. Holden cars, those great Australian acquisitions, along with home, lawnmower and nuclear family, gave the impression of indigenous pride, the home brand. It was also resoundingly masculine. But behind that image was a mighty American thrust, with General Motors holding the reins on investment as benevolent …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/the-priorities-of-general-motors-ditching-holden/

The Priorities of General Motors: Ditching Holden
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-18
It seemed to be a case of grand misrepresentation. Holden cars, those great Australian acquisitions, along with home, lawnmower and nuclear family, gave the impression of indigenous pride, the home brand. It was also resoundingly masculine. But behind that image was a mighty American thrust, with General Motors holding the reins on investment as benevolent …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/the-priorities-of-general-motors-ditching-holden/

DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-17
The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director’s Role in Russiagate

US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace
Strategic Culture | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-08
These so-called "mini-nukes" represent–despite the diminutive-sounding name–an increased risk of nuclear war.

US Deploys ‘Mini-Nukes’ in Deplorable Threat to World Peace

Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-08
Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.

Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions