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How Social Security Reform Could Make a Popular Federal Program Better
Rachel Greszler, Ilana Blumsack, The National Interest - 19 minutes ago
*Rachel Greszler, Ilana Blumsack* *Society, Americas* Now is the time for Congress and the next administration to tackle Social Security’s shortfalls and shortcomings by transitioning it to a smaller, better-targeted program. America’s most popular federal government program—Social Security—will be insolvent within 15 years, leaving older workers and retirees fearful of future benefit cuts. It will also leave younger workers reticent to contribute even larger chunks of their paychecks toward a program that 80% of millennials and Gen Xers doubt will be there for them when they re...
You Could Hear Metal Cracking: How One Nazi Submarine Died a Horrible Death
Sebastien Roblin, The National Interest - 19 minutes ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *History, Europe* [image: Reuters] More than a half century later later, the wreck of U-864 was found in 2003 by the Norwegian Navy, two miles off Fedje. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *This was the only time that one underwater submarine ever sunk another - in World War II or any time afterwards. *The Hunt for Red October *dramatized for the public one of the tensest forms of warfare imaginable: combat between submarines submerged deep under the ocean’s surface, the nerve-wracked crews scouring the fathomless depths for their adversary’s acoustic signatur...
November 29th – 2020 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1410
sundance, The Last Refuge - 29 minutes ago
It’s likely we have turned-off commenting functions as we switch sites. However, to retain our continuity… In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for … Continue reading →
Sunday November 29th – Open Thread, Sorta
sundance, The Last Refuge - 35 minutes ago
It’s likely we have cut off comments as we move the site… but in the interest of continuity don’t forget to take those few moments every day and pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy … Continue reading →
Tough Times For The Russian Economy
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 51 minutes ago
Financial district of western Moscow. Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency *RT:* *Covid-19-driven recession may see Russian economy contract by 4.5% & a million plunged into poverty, says finance guru Kudrin * The economic consequences of Covid-19 are becoming clearer, and they aren't good. The number of Russians in poverty is projected to grow by about a million by the end of 2020, with the overall economy due to fall as much as 4.5%. That's according to the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber and former Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin, who revealed on Saturday the current projections...
Atletico Keeps Winning as Real Madrid Slump Deepens
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
Atletico Madrid edged Valencia 1-0 on Saturday to stay level on points with LaLiga leader Real Sociedad, while defending champion Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Alaves, extending its domestic winless run to three matches, and Sevilla continued its renaissance with a victory over Huesca to climb to fifth after a spell in the bottom half of the table.
Ethiopia Says It Captured Capital of Rebellious Tigray Region
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Saturday that the army occupied the capital of the northern region of Tigray two days after beginning what was described as a final offensive against the faction ruling the territory.
Hamilton Hungry for More after Clinching 7th F1 Title
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
Despite having a seventh Formula One championship in the bag, Lewis Hamilton showed on Saturday that he has no intention of resting on his laurels, storming to pole position in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Iran Vows to Avenge Assassination of Fakhrizadeh, Exacerbating Tensions
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
Iran vowed to avenge the death of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was the target of an assassination that Tehran has claimed was carried out by Israeli “mercenaries” acting on behalf of Washington.
Wallace Martins, the ‘Hamilton of the Favela’ with Racing in His Blood
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
At just 17, Wallace Martins is already an emerging figure on the racing circuits of Brazil, a calling he strives to finance in any which way he can give his humble background. He has already been dubbed the “Hamilton of the favela.”
French Shops Reopen Ahead of Christmas Sales Period
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
Small French businesses breathed on Saturday a tentative sigh of relief as they were permitted to reopen ahead of the Christmas period as part of the government’s gradual easing of a nationwide shutdown that was enforced to curb spiraling COVID-19 numbers.
Artist Protest in Cuba Leads to Talks with Government
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
A historic peaceful protest held by more than 300 Cuban artists and intellectuals outside the Ministry of Culture in Havana culminated early Saturday with an unprecedented agreement to hold discussions with the government.
Cuban Dissidents in Disarray after Crackdown on Protesters
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
The eviction and arrest of 14 Cuban activists in Havana have dealt a severe blow to the opposition that has dispersed and gone practically incommunicado despite support from local artists and international organizations.
Staggered Civic Polls Begin in Kashmir a Year after Autonomy Revocation
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
The first phase of the staggered Kashmir civic polls began on Saturday amid high security, more than a year after India revoked the semi-autonomous status of the disputed Himalayan region.
Subdued Black Friday as Sales Shift Online amid Pandemic in US
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
The United States experienced a low-key Black Friday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with few people thronging the shops, smaller discounts, and a shift towards online shopping that could set the future path of the festival of consumption.
Home Detention of Bolivian Army General Triggers Protests
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
Dozens of military men and ex-soldiers marched on Friday in different regions of Bolivia against the criminal prosecution of a general who is being probed by the government for civilian deaths during the 2019 social crisis.
Edition of ‘Don Quixote’ for Young Readers Presented in Uruguay
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
An edition of “Don Quixote” for young readers and including illustrations by children was presented on Friday in a ceremony at the Uruguayan capital’s Colegio Español Cervantes.
Seven Arrested for Threatening Chilean Prosecutor Freed Pending Trial
Latin American Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
A Chilean court granted pre-trial release on Friday to all but one of eight people arrested this week for threatening the prosecutor investigating a police officer for tossing a teenage protester into a river.
Mayor Brown is working to co-locate Greyhound at new Amtrak station
The Buffalo Chronicle, The Buffalo Chronicle - 2 hours ago
Sources close to Mayor Byron Brown tell The Chronicle that he is working to relocate the Greyhound Bus Station on North Division Street and to co-locate it at the City’s new Amtrak Station, which opened earlier this month on Exchange Street. The The post Mayor Brown is working to co-locate Greyhound at new Amtrak station first appeared on The Buffalo Chronicle.
The Mainstream Media Does Not Have Our Trust
Unknown, The Conservative Socrates - 2 hours ago
A strong structure cannot be created with substandard bricks; a free media cannot be created when journalists have an ideological bias or are in bed with tyrants and oligarchs. Humberto Fontova’s book *The Longest Romance: The Mainstream Media and Fidel Castro* is revealing of the corruption and biases in the topmost media houses. Fontova quotes Castro as saying, “Without the help of The New York Times, the revolution in Cuba would never have been,” during Castro’s April 1959 conversation with Herbert Matthews, the New York Times journalist, who was a confidant and supporter of the ...
Japanese Internment: Behind the Barbed Wire in America
Warfare History Network, The National Interest - 2 hours ago
*Warfare History Network* *History, Americas* The forced relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II was a blot on the nation’s moral authority. By Richard Higgins “We were stunned when we entered the camp,” Yoshio “Yosh” Nakamura said, remembering the day when he and his family, from El Monte, California, were herded through the main gate at the Gila River Relocation Center—a Japanese American internment camp 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona—carrying only suitcases into which their worldly possessions had been crammed. [text_ad] “There was a wire perimeter, sea...
Iran's Intelligence And Security Services Have Failed To Protected Their Key Men
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 2 hours ago
*DW: **Fakhrizadeh killing: Iran's security apparatus under scrutiny * *Nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was one of the best-protected people in Iran. His assassination has cast a damming light over the country's security apparatus.* The outrage on Iranian social media after the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been palpable. Countless tweets and comments posted by Iranians have disparaged the country's intelligence services and security apparatus for repressing students, women's rights activists, journalists and dissidents, but failing to "prevent the assassination of the co...
Showing Up To Riot
Kate, Small Dead Animals - 2 hours ago
Heh. pic.twitter.com/mljsvLDdIz — Sandra Girardau (@SGirardau) November 28, 2020
Iran Vows To Avenge Killing Of Top Nuclear Scientist (Update)
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 3 hours ago
*Daily Mail:** 'He wanted to get martyred and his wish came true': Iranian nuclear chief scientist's widow appears on state TV with her husband's coffin as supreme leader vows to avenge his assassination 'by Israel' * * Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi's widow said his death would spark a thousand others to take up his work * The nuclear scientist was killed an in ambush involving an explosion then machine gun fire near Tehran * Sent tensions in the regions soaring as Iran accused Israel of trying to provoke war by assassinating him * Adviser to supreme leader Ali Khamenei echoe...
Add your organization to this statement opposing Flournoy as Secretary of War
Bruce K. Gagnon, Organizing Notes - 3 hours ago
*Action item: To add your organization to this sign-on statement please respond to Marcy Winograd at winogradteach@gmail.com * *Also please immediately contact your Congressional delegation expressing your opposition to Flournoy* *Statement Opposing Michèle Flournoy as Defense Secretary* *The following statement, initiated on November 30, is being signed by organizations and individuals deeply concerned about the prospect that Michèle Flournoy could become Secretary of Defense.* We urge President-Elect Joe Biden and U.S. Senators to choose a Secretary of Defense who ...
Riot police clash with violent anti-lockdown protesters in central London
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 3 hours ago
*Daily Mail:* *More than 150 are arrested as police clash with anti-lockdown protesters in London and thousands march against restrictions - while 100 Tory MPs prepare to rebel against Tiers after admission that indoor socialising ban could last until EASTER * * Riot police have arrested more than 150 anti-lockdown protesters during an angry clash in London today * Thousands marched through the capital demonstrating against government coronavirus restrictions * Protesters led by Piers Corbyn chanted 'freedom' and booed police as they cracked down on the demo * Grassroots...
Ethiopia Declares Victory. Says Its Military Now Controls Tigray Capital
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 3 hours ago
*The Guardian:* *Ethiopian troops in 'full control' of Tigray's capital, says country's PM * Abiy Ahmed claims Mekelle under command of federal forces and that operation in region now complete Ethiopian troops are now in “full control” of Mekelle, the capital of the northern region of Tigray, the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, said on Saturday evening. “With full command of the regional capital, this marks the completion of the Ethiopian National Forces’ last phase … The main operation is successfully concluded,” Abiy said. There was no immediate confirmation of the claim, nor rea...
Rioting Erupts In French Cities Over Police Brutality And New Security Bill
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 3 hours ago
*France 24:* *Tear gas and clashes at Paris protest against police violence * Thousands of critics of a proposed security law that would restrict sharing images of police officers in France gathered across the country in protest Saturday, with the country shaken by footage showing officers beating and racially abusing a Black man. Some 133,000 people took to the streets across France, according to the government's figures. Demonstrators in the French capital carried red union flags, the national tricolour flag and homemade signs denouncing police violence, demanding media fre...
GOP will seek Staten Island’s independence from NYC next legislative session
The Buffalo Chronicle, The Buffalo Chronicle - 3 hours ago
State Senator Andrew Lanza is expected to introduce a bill early in the next legislative session to formally sever Staten Island’s ties to New York City — on everything from municipal services, schools, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), The post GOP will seek Staten Island's independence from NYC next legislative session first appeared on The Buffalo Chronicle.
Landmark legal ruling finds that Covid tests are not fit for purpose. So what do the MSM do? They ignore it
A Reader, From the Trenches World Report - 4 hours ago
RT Four German holidaymakers who were illegally quarantined in Portugal after one was judged to be positive for Covid-19 have won their case, in a... The post Landmark legal ruling finds that Covid tests are not fit for purpose. So what do the MSM do? They ignore it appeared first on From the Trenches World Report.
US-Funded "NGO" Attacks Thai Prime Minister
Land Destroyer, Alt Thai News Network ATNN - 5 hours ago
*November 29, 2020* (Brian Berletic - LD) - US government-funded "Human Rights Lawyers Association" teamed up with anti-government protest leaders in Thailand to "sue" the Thai Prime Minister. I explain how this is a direct attack on Thailand's political independence and why it is important to keep pressure on these US-funded fronts involved in political interference. *References:* NED - Thailand 2019: https://www.ned.org/region/asia/thailand-2019/NED - Board of Directors: https://www.ned.org/about/board-of-directors/Bangkok Post - Prayut, Prawit sued over state of severe emergen...
US-Funded "NGO" Attacks Thai Prime Minister
Land Destroyer, Land Destroyer - 5 hours ago
*November 29, 2020* (Brian Berletic - LD) - US government-funded "Human Rights Lawyers Association" teamed up with anti-government protest leaders in Thailand to "sue" the Thai Prime Minister. I explain how this is a direct attack on Thailand's political independence and why it is important to keep pressure on these US-funded fronts involved in political interference. *References:* NED - Thailand 2019: https://www.ned.org/region/asia/thailand-2019/NED - Board of Directors: https://www.ned.org/about/board-of-directors/Bangkok Post - Prayut, Prawit sued over state of severe emergen...
Pennsylvania Falling?
E.M.Smith, Musings from the Chiefio - 5 hours ago
Is Pennsylvania now going to be determined by their Republican Legislature? Continue reading →
Sunday environmental round up, 29 November 2020
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 10 hours ago
Despite COVID, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise. Does increasing complexity in societies explain the collapse of civilisations? Western Australia is failing to adequately protect sharks and Australia is taking risks with imported flowers. China has an each-way bet on energy: big on renewables; big on coal. The World Meteorological Association has issued an […]
Old dog, new tricks? John Kerry needs to lead a total reform of U.S. climate diplomacy
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 10 hours ago
An introduction by Peter Sainsbury to an article by Brendon Wu concerning John Kerry as President Biden’s Special Presidential envoy for Climate. Peter Sainsbury. There can be absolutely no doubt that the election of Biden as president and his appointment of John Kerry as ‘Special Presidential Envoy for Climate’ are good news for climate action […]
Morrison has misread China
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 10 hours ago
The Prime Minister thinks he can set the terms with Beijing. But hard choices and compromises are required to manage our region’s ruthless great power. We should not be surprised that Australia is finding it hard to get our relations with China right, because we have never encountered a country like this before. China today is […]
Election 2020: a Democratic Mandate or a Vote Against Trump? (CounterPunch Nov 24, 2020)
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 11 hours ago
Every election year is accompanied by countless analyses of why Americans voted the way they did. The 2020 election is no different. Liberal and Democratic Americans who were hoping for an overwhelming victory for Joe Biden were disappointed, although the Democratic candidate did defeat a sitting president by nearly 6 million votes. This is itself […]
China-Australia relations: ex-Australia foreign minister says Canberra must drop adversarial approach to fix ‘frozen’ relationship (South China Morning Post Nov 24, 2020)
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 11 hours ago
Only a herculean shift in foreign policy, a change of government or major external event will thaw a “frozen” relationship between China and Australia that has been damaged by a lack of diplomacy from Canberra that has compounded over the past three years, according to former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr. In an interview with […]
Israel calls them ‘illegals’ in their own land whilst our media ignores this flagrant human rights abuse.
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 11 hours ago
The dehumanization begins with the blind adoption of the concepts dictated by the defense establishment: Shabahim, for example, an IDF acronym for human beings, literally illegal transients and used only for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank who cross into and stay in Israel for hours or days, without a permit. That […]
Skewed responsibility: Australian war crimes in Afghanistan
Pearls and Irritations, Michael West - 11 hours ago
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry was always going to make for a gruesome read – and that was just the redacted version. The findings of the four-year investigation, led by New South Wales Court of Appeal Justice and Army Reserve Major-General Paul Brereton, point to “credible evidence” that 39 Afghan non-combatants and […]
What Was the Point of Building the Zumwalt Destroyer?
Sebastien Roblin, The National Interest - 4 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Americas* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2013%3Anewsml_GF2E9BL1LL401&share=true] These stealth ships need to be revised and the Navy needs to finally decide what to do with them. *Key point: *These ships cost too much and cannot do what they were promised they could. Can they find a new purpose? In January 2019, the Navy will commission its second hi-tech *Zumwalt-*class stealth destroyer, the *USS Michael Monsoor*. The third and last, *USS Lyndon B. Johnson* was launched this December 2018 and will be commissioned...
Can You Bully Someone Without Meaning To?
Geoff Beattie, The National Interest - 4 hours ago
*Geoff Beattie* *Culture, World* Bullying, it seems, can be a slippery concept. I was nine. Some girl, maybe around 15 or 16, old enough to tower over me, asked whether Bill Beattie was my brother. I nodded. Without saying another word she grabbed me by my hair and started to drag me across the street – pulling out clumps of it. The whole time she was swearing about my brother – how he thought he was too good for her. I was bent double, trotting to keep up with her in her rage. In shock, I prayed that nobody had witnessed the attack. I never mentioned this to anyone – it was too...
USS Franklin Roosevelt: One the U.S. Navy's Best Aircraft Carriers
Robert Farley, The National Interest - 4 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, * The first aircraft carrier to be named for a U.S. president. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *There is some mild irony in that the ship named after Harry S. Truman should receive the same kind of early retirement as the ship that Truman named after his predecessor. Of course, even if she is retired the Harry S. Truman will not be scrapped anytime soon. At worst, she will become a source of spare parts for the rest of the fleet, and at best she will remain intact, an insurance policy against the loss of one of the other carriers. Last month, the Na...
Russia Scrambles Su-27 Fighter Jet To Escort U.S. Spy Plane Over The Black Sea
War News Updates Editor, War News Updates - 4 hours ago
© AP Photo / Master Sgt. Charles Larkin Sr *Sputnik:* *Russia Scrambles Su-27 Fighter to Intercept US Air Force Aircraft Over Black Sea* The intercept is the latest incident involving NATO and Russian aircraft flying near Russia's maritime borders, with similar occurrences taking place regularly from the Barents and Baltic seas in the north and west to the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia's Far East. A Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet has been scrambled to intercept a US Air Force surveillance aircraft flying over the Black Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry announced...
I'm not going to explain why you should care about other people
Tom Cantine, A Blog of Tom - 5 hours ago
I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people. So I'm not going to try. Instead, I'm going to ask why I should care that you don't care. You don't want to have to pay taxes to support someone whose interests you don't care about? Fine. Why should I care that you don't want to pay taxes? Explain it to me. I get that you don't *like* to pay taxes. I get that you feel you have some kind of moral right not to be taxed, but so what? Why should I care about what you think your rights are? Why should I care about your interests? The fact is, th...
Will America Build a Monument to Commemorate Coronavirus?
Emily Godbey, The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*Emily Godbey* *Politics, Americas* Diseases like the bubonic plague, cholera, the 1918 influenza pandemic or “Spanish Flu,” AIDS, and even SARS have monuments, although some are much more modest than others. *Editor’s Note: Dr. Emily Godbey is a professor of art and visual culture at Iowa State University. In this interview, she discusses how plague monuments were used to commemorate victims of past disease outbreaks, temporary memorials for COVID-19 and why plague memorials are not as prolific as war memorials.* *What are some of the past disease outbreaks that have been memor...
See These 5 Rifles? They Are the Worst, Ever.
Kyle Mizokami, The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * This is why. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *Most rifles patterned after the AK-47 assault rifle are successful. The AK-47 is a reasonably simple recipe for a reliable, efficient weapon, and as long as the recipe is followed an effective weapon follows. Hungary’s AMD-65, on the other hand, is a warning of what happens when one fails to follow the winning formula. Military rifles were for decades the primary weapon of an army. Wielded by the largest fighting branch, the infantry, rifles were used in both attack and defense. Because of their impor...
China’s Crackdown on Hong Kong Has Sentenced the Administrative Region to a Communist Death
Robert Keatley, The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*Robert Keatley* *Security, Asia* Until recently, disorder and violence marked this obstreperous special region of China; now a forced calm has been restored and the city is relatively quiet. *There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent.* *—*attributed to Mao Zedong. Whether the chairman ever stated his oft-quoted “thought” quite this way is uncertain, but he certainly believed in finding political opportunity in turmoil. Authentic or not, his successors in Beijing could well apply it today as they ponder matters in troubled Hong Kong. Till recently, disorder...
Life After the Post-Apocalyptic Era of Trump
James Clad, The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*James Clad* *Politics, Americas* Cleaning up Trump’s vandalism must happen in a post-pandemic world with little faith in happy endings. But the crowded foreign policy agenda doesn’t need a mob of specialists entering government. Deep knowledge of a specific area must be tempered by a healthy sense of “the do-able.” As the story goes, Secretary of State George Marshall summoned his policy staff just a few hours after the Soviet Union had imposed a land blockade on Berlin, in June 1948. Marshall’s subordinates, some barely out of post-graduate study, voiced worst-case descriptions...
60 Percent of Americans Won't Get Vaccinated for Coronavirus?
Karlyn Bowman, The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*Karlyn Bowman* *Coronavirus, * Americans are increasingly willing to take a coronavirus vaccine, but nearly many are still opposed to the idea. With the promising news about a coronavirus vaccine, more Americans say they are willing to take a free, FDA-approved vaccine to prevent the virus than did so a month ago. In a Gallup panel survey, 58 percent are now willing to get the vaccine, compared to 50 percent in late September. Still, many are not ready to take the vaccine quite yet. Thirty-nine percent told Axios/Ipsos that they were very or somewhat likely to get the first ge...
Brazil Government Forgives US$1.3 Billion in Debts Owed by Telecom Oi
The Rio Times Staff, The Rio Times - 5 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Brazil’s government will pardon about half of the roughly R$14 billion (US$2.6 billion) in debt owed to it by Brazilian telecom firm Oi SA, the country’s solicitor general said on Friday, November 28th. Oi, which has been working to emerge from bankruptcy protection for years, had accumulated gargantuan fines tied […] The post Brazil Government Forgives US$1.3 Billion in Debts Owed by Telecom Oi appeared first on The Rio Times.
Losing Labour Members
Phil, All That Is Solid ... - 5 hours ago
What a terrible week for Labour. The general secretary's heavy handed approach to Jeremy Corbyn's suspension from the PLP is nothing sort of disastrous, having adopted an approach almost goading the left into rebelling. The only saving grace is amid the solidarity motions passed in defiance of David Evans's orders, and the two CLPs supporting no confidence motions against him and Keir Starmer is how, curiously, the media are keeping well away. Between the summer of 2015 and the winter of last year, any obscure Labour councillor making the mildest of criticisms became major talking ...
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