RSN: Garrison Keillor | Don't Take Lunacy Too Seriously

16 August 17 PM

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Garrison Keillor | Don't Take Lunacy Too Seriously 
 
Garrison Keillor, The Washington Post 
Keillor writes: "I am a happy man and I feel a love of country that I could work up into a really bad song, which the country doesn't need." 
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'Make My Child's Death Worthwhile': Heather Heyer's Mom Delivers Defiant Eulogy 
Katherine Krueger, Splinter 
Krueger writes: "At a memorial service in Charlottesville on Wednesday held to honor the late Heather Heyer - who was killed after white supremacist James Alex Fields, Jr. allegedly hit her with a car on Saturday - Heyer's mother offered a defiant, moving call to continue her daughter's work." 
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No, Mr. Trump, We're Not the Same as the Neo-Nazis 
Emily Gorcenski, Guardian UK 
Gorcenski writes: "The president can think 'both sides' are to blame as long as he wants - but only one side beat a black man nearly to death with poles in a parking garage while hurling racist insults. It wasn't our side. So why is the president blaming us along with the neo-Nazis?" 
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Meet the College Student Who Pulled Down a Confederate Statue in Durham and Defied White Supremacy 
Democracy Now! 
Excerpt: "A college student named Takiyah Thompson climbed up a ladder, looped a rope around the top of the Confederate Soldiers Monument in front of the old Durham County Courthouse and then pulled the statue to the ground." 
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They Got Hurt at Work. Then They Got Deported. 
Michael Grabell, ProPublica and Howard Berkes, NPR 
Excerpt: "How insurance companies use a Florida law to get undocumented immigrants arrested and deported when they get injured on the job - and what it means in Trump's America." 
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Mexican Workers March in Protest at NAFTA Renegotiations 
teleSUR 
Excerpt: "Mexican workers representing broad sections of their country's labor force are marching in Mexico City against renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA." 
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Locals and Tribes March Together to Oppose Construction of Natural Gas Plant in Washington State 
Brandon Jordan, YES! Magazine 
Jordan writes: "Around 250 people, mostly women, carried banners and sang with drummers while marching through the streets of Tacoma, Washington, on Tuesday." 
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CounterCurrents: The Mexican Protests Spread, Cities Of Sickness: Pollution, Dementia And The Modern Condition

Dear Friend,

Protests continue to spread across Mexico after the govt announced a 20 % fuel price hike. 4 people are dead and over 1000 arrested. The govt is not in a mood to relent to popular demand. 

Meanwhile in India people are taking their anger over not being able to withdraw their own money at the banks. There are reports of several banks being attacked. In Maharashtra a women committed sucide after not being able to withdraw her own money from her account.

Can we blame the banks? What can they do, if the government won't provide enough currency? They are out of 'business' for the past two months. They are technically flushed with money. They don't have time to lend out money or even if they had time, there are few takers. Who will incur debt in a contracting economy? Debt is the lifeblood of banks! If they can't lend money, what will happen? I won't be surprised if some banks fail adding more misery to people.    The govt knows it and that's why they have put a weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24, 000 only. 

Sad and bad story on the global warming front. 2016 was the hottest year on record, breaking the previous years record by a 0.2°C. Last three years saw three of the hottest years on record, that too at a time when a global warming denier is going to be the most powerful person on this planet!

Professor Francis Boyle, who has seen much, writes "The Anti-Russian Warmongering Is As Bad As The Anti-Iraq Warmongering Of 2003". Is there something sinister lurking in the dark?

Yesterday, a dear friend of mine from USA sent me this mail regarding the demonetisation in India. "Somebody in your country needs to organize something like Gandhi’s salt march against the monetary situation. They need to go to government sites and protest peacefully. Look at Boston. If we can do this, so can people in India! Mobilize, I recommend!" I wrote a short reply to her. I posted it here with the headline "Will A Gandhi Like Figure Emerge To Fight Demonetisation?". That's a big question. An answer may be found in the months and years to come. 

And also more stories from around the world. 

If you don't mind, and if you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/news-letter/. 

In Solidarity

Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org





Four Dead, 1,000 Arrested As Demonstrations Continue Across Mexico
by Eric London 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/four-dead-1000-arrested-as-demonstrations-continue-across-mexico/


The Mexican government on Thursday declared that it would not rescind its gasoline subsidy cut, as clashes at protests against the measure in recent days left four dead, dozens hurt and over 1,000 arrested. The cut, known as the gasolinazo, will result in a 20 percent gas price hike in the coming year. 






2016 Goes Down As Hottest Year On Record
by Andrea Germanos 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/2016-goes-down-as-hottest-year-on-record/

The first global assessment of last year’s temperatures finds that 2016 broke the record set in 2015 by close to 0.2°C , with last year’s record having broken the record set in 2014. According to meteorologist Jeff Masters, who is not part of the C3S: “The 3-year string of warmest years on record is the first time such an event has happened since record keeping began in 1880.”






The Anti-Russian Warmongering Is As Bad As The Anti-Iraq Warmongering Of 2003
by Professor Francis A Boyle 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/the-anti-russian-warmongering-is-as-bad-as-the-anti-iraq-warmongering-of-2003/

Zbig is going for broke! All the anti-Russian warmongering we are seeing everywhere today 24/7 is just as bad as the anti-Iraq warmongering before President Bush Jr. invaded Iraq in 2003.






The Insane Circus Now Going On In Washington Is A Sad Parody Of Joseph McCarthy
by John Chuckman 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/the-insane-circus-now-going-on-in-washington-is-a-sad-parody-of-joseph-mccarthy/

The single most important point to keep in mind about the “Russians did it” three-ring circus underway in Washington – after the essential fact that still no proof has been provided to support accusations coming from the highest level – is that there is no issue around the contrived notion of interfering in an American election or endangering American security. None.






Cities Of Sickness: Pollution, Dementia And The Modern Condition
by Dr Binoy Kampmark 


http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/cities-of-sickness-pollution-dementia-and-the-modern-condition/


The Lancet, which published a gloom-filled study on January 4 examining trends linking the affect of major traffic to incidence of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.  “We aimed to investigate the association between residential proximity to major roadways and the incidence of these three neurological diseases in Ontario, Canada.”





Senate Democrats Introduce Bill To Block Trump Muslim Registry
by Abdus Sattar Ghazali 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/senate-democrats-introduce-bill-to-block-trump-muslim-registry/

On January 5, 2017, nine Democratic senators filed a bill blocking the executive branch from registering people based on religion, race, gender, age, national origin or nationality. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect American Families from Unnecessary Registration and Deportation  Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘Protect American Families Act.’’





US Corporate Press Selectively Publicizes Disagreements Between CIA, President
by Robert J Barsocchini 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/07/us-corporate-press-selectively-publicizes-disagreements-between-cia-president/

The US corporate press was abuzz with front page, top stories today about the disagreement between incoming president Trump and some figures from the CIA and other intelligence agencies regarding the leaking of facts about Hillary Clinton, which some in the US speculate caused her to lose the election.

RSN: Murder in the Rainforest, American Police Unions: Why Mess With What Works?

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Charles Pierce | American Police Unions: Why Mess With What Works?

Charles Pierce, Esquire
Pierce writes: "Over at Josh's joint, he has an interesting study of how virulent the reaction from police unions has been to the recent spate of peace officers who are forced to make people dead who were unarmed entirely, or armed only with the arsenal also available to the kid in A Christmas Story."
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U.S. to Resume Full Diplomatic Relations with Cuba, Open New Embassy in Havana
Peter Baker, NYT
Baker writes: "The United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba and open an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a half-century after the release of an American contractor held in prison for five years, President Obama announced on Wednesday."
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Mexican Protesters Take Over 43% of Local Governments in Guerrero
TeleSUR
Excerpt: "Recent takeovers and new forms of government are scarcely publicized, yet highly significant responses to the police attack on the students of the Raul Isidro Burgos teacher training school at Ayotzinapa las September 26, resulting in six deaths, 25 injuries and 43 forced disappearances."
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Leaked Sony Emails: State Department Approved Death Scene of Kim Jong-Un in "The Interview"
William Boot, The Daily Beast
Boot writes: "The Daily Beast has unearthed several emails that reveal at least two U.S. government officials screened a rough cut of the Kim Jong-Un assassination comedy The Interview in late June and gave the film-including a final scene that sees the dictator's head explode-their blessing."
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Wall Street Prepares Dodd-Frank Assault Once New Congress Is Sworn in
Peter Schroeder, The Hill
Schroeder writes: "Banks and financial institutions are planning an aggressive push to dismantle parts of the Wall Street reform law when Republicans take control of Congress in January."
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Reporter James Risen Faces Subpoena in CIA Whistleblower Case
Democracy Now!
Excerpt: "In one of the most significant press freedom cases in decades, the United States government has confirmed that it will seek limited testimony from New York Times reporter James Risen."
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Murder in the Rainforest
Alexander Zaitchik, Rolling Stone
Zaitchik writes: "On the morning of December 5th, a dark piece of news began circulating at the U.N. climate talks in Lima: The body of José Isidro Tendetza Antún, a leading Ecuadorian indigenous-rights and anti-mining campaigner, had been found in a riverside grave near his village".
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RSN: This Veteran's Day, Remember Tomas Young, Texas Oil Regulator Says It Will Not Honor Denton's Vote to Ban Fracking

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Michael Moore | In Defense of My Friend Bill Maher's Statements on Islam

Michael Moore, Reader Supported News
Moore writes: "Bill Maher is a friend of mine. He stood up for me when I was attacked after my Oscar speech (given on the fourth night of the Iraq War, a war Bill publicly opposed while 70% of the country, including the majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate, supported it), and I stood up for him when ABC fired him and cancelled his show when he attempted to stop the hysteria and fear-mongering after 9-11."
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This Veteran's Day, Remember Tomas Young
Karin Kamp, Moyers & Company
Kamp writes: "We've just heard that Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, one of the first vets to publicly oppose the war, has died at the age of 34."
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Mexican Protesters Take Over Acapulco Airport, Demanding President's Resignation Over Student Massacre
Carola Sole, Agence France-Presse
Sole writes: "Protesters angry at the apparent massacre of 43 Mexican students clashed with police and besieged Acapulco's airport for hours over a scandal shaking President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration."
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Cable Companies 'Stunned' by Obama's 'Extreme' Net Neutrality Proposals
Dominic Rushe, Guardian UK
Rushe writes: "America's major telecoms and cable companies and business groups came out fighting on Monday after Barack Obama called for tough new regulations for broadband that would protect net neutrality, saying they were 'stunned' by the president's proposals."
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Police Can Seize and Sell Assets Even When the Owner Has Broken No Laws
Laura Sullivan, National Public Radio
Sullivan writes: "You don't have to be convicted of a crime - or even accused of one - for police to seize your car or other property. It's legal. Several videos online are shedding some light on the controversial practice. The practice is called civil asset forfeiture, and every year it brings cities millions of dollars in revenue, which often goes directly to the police budget."
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Texas Oil Regulator Says It Will Not Honor
Denton's Vote to Ban Fracking

Emily Atkin, ThinkProgress
Atkin writes: "On Tuesday, the town of Denton, Texas, voted by a wide margin to ban fracking within the city limits. Two days later, the chairwoman of Texas' oil and gas regulator said she would not honor the ban."
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