The Evening Blues - 3-10-20



eb1pt12


The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Chris Kenner

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features New Orleans r&b singer and songwriter Chris Kenner. Enjoy!

Chris Kenner - Something You Got

"By 2020 we should have been debating which US politician gets the most credit for implementing universal healthcare and which of the green energy systems they implemented have been the most successful. Instead we’re arguing about which politician has the worse dementia symptoms. That’s kinda fucked."

-- Caitlin Johnstone


News and Opinion

Glenn Greenwald provides exhaustive evidence of the decline of Biden's mental faculties, the Democrat elites' knowledge and discussion of it and their current gaslighting of anyone who dares to mention it.

Worth a click and a full read.

Democrats and Their Media Allies Impugned Biden’s Cognitive Fitness. Now They Feign Outrage.

Prior to Joe Biden’s massive victory in the South Carolina primary and his even-more impressive Super Tuesday showing, many viewed his candidacy as all but dead. A fourth-place finish in Iowa was followed up by a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, causing the corporate donors on which he centrally relies to flee and his political obituaries to be widely written. But since then, he has consolidated his status as Democratic front-runner and, as is customary, he is receiving far greater attention than previously, particularly on the question most on the minds of Democratic voters: his “electability” against Trump. And one of the towering questions in that regard is his cognitive fitness: it is visible to the naked eye that the 77-year-old six-term Senator and two-term Vice President is in serious cognitive decline.

That is a grave matter not just because the establishment wing of the Democratic Party wants to put him in charge of the world’s most dangerous nuclear arsenal, a large chunk of the planet’s health, and the welfare of hundreds of millions of people, but also because it directly pertains to whether he can sustain the rigors and spotlight of a General Election against the incumbent President. ... But, as the Democratic establishment has united with creepy speed and obedience behind Biden in order to stop the Sanders candidacy, those who now raise these concerns instantly come under a withering assault of insults and attacks from Democratic Party operatives along with their crucial media allies: thinly disguised pro-Biden reporters who continue to insist on wearing the unconvincing and fraudulent costume of neutrality. ...

CNN’s Democratic Party consultant Karen Finney condemned the discussion of Biden’s cognitive capabilities as “truly a disgusting low blow,” demanding that former Democratic presidential candidates Julian Castro and Cory Booker — both of whom themselves had commented upon Biden’s cognitive failures (on camera!) — announce (falsely) that their prior comments about Biden had been distorted. Castro’s Communication’s Director, Sawyer Hackett, dutifully accused those who were raising these concerns of “push[ing] Trump messaging about Biden”; he also denied that Castro (or Booker) had ever themselves questioned Biden’s cognitive competence, warning those who are raising the issue: “don’t try to throw Julián and Cory in front of you when you do.” Meanwhile, Politico and CNN reporter Ryan Lizza, more devoted to defending Biden than even DNC functionaries, spent all weekend conspiratorially insinuating that journalists who were raising concerns over Biden’s cognitive fitness were part of a joint “coordinated” attack from the Sanders and Trump campaigns. ...

Before Biden became the consensus establishment choice three weeks ago — and Democratic operatives thus tried to impose a ban on speaking ill of him while deceitfully pretending they and their clients never did so for fear that it could cost them future consulting or political gigs within the Biden-controlled Party — it was commonly and routinely acknowledged, even on DNC propaganda outlets such as MSNBC, that Biden’s cognitive decline was an open secret among Democratic Party officials who believed it posed a serious threat to his ability to campaign, let alone beat Trump, let alone govern as President.



The list of prominent political and media figures raising these concerns throughout 2019 is long and diverse. That this is some recently manufactured script — “coordinated” by the Sanders and Trump campaigns to smear Biden — is so laughably and provably false that pro-Biden reporters should be ashamed to show their faces as they claim it. But centrists — as they’ve proven since Trump’s presidency began — casually arrogate unto themselves the right to disseminate the most unhinged conspiracies without the need for any evidence and without the slightest regard for whether they are true. ...

Some are motivated by desperation to push Biden to the Oval Office and will sacrifice the truth, their integrity and their dignity to do it; others are power-flatterers who now see Biden as the new King of their royal court on which their wealth and access depends and so are re-writing their own history to delete what they said about him. Regardless of motive, it’s clear where these valid concerns about Biden’s cognitive decline originated: from within Biden’s own partisan establishment circles. The video and textual evidence is undeniable.

Rising: Joe Biden's mental health should be on the table

EU and Turkey hold 'frank' talks over border opening for refugees

EU leaders in Brussels held “frank” talks with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday over his decision to open Turkey’s border to migrants travelling to Europe, as deteriorating conditions in Greek camps led to the bloc agreeing to rehouse up to 1,500 child refugees.

The presidents of the European commission and council, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, battled during the difficult meeting in Brussels to save the current migration deal with Turkey in the face of Erdogan’s claims that the EU had not kept its side of the bargain. About 35,000 migrants have massed at Turkey’s borders with the EU in the last week since Turkey’s president broke a 2016 pact under which Brussels promised to pay €6bn (£5.3bn) in return for Turkey curbing migration flows.

Erdogan has accused the EU in recent months of a lack of solidarity with his military operations in Syria and claims the true cost of housing refugees in his country has been close to €40bn. ... Von der Leyen accused Erdogan of politicising the border to extract concessions from Brussels and insisted that a “future-proof” solution should be found to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes.

“The events at the Greek-Turkish border clearly point to politically motivated pressure on the EU’s external border,” she said. “Finding a solution to this situation will require relieving the pressure that is put on the border.”

Erdogan stirred the situation on Sunday by giving a speech in Istanbul calling on the Greek government to allow migrants and refugees to move on to the rest of Europe. “I hope I will return from Belgium with different outcomes,” Erdogan said. “Greece, I appeal to you … open the gates as well and be free of this burden. Let them go to other European countries.”

Egypt forms navy commando force to attack Turkish ships off Libya

Egypt has launched a new navy commando force that will work with Libyan militants to block Turkish ships from delivering aid to the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli, Egyptian and Libyan sources have revealed.

The Egyptian military has trained a number of Libyan fighters loyal to rogue general Khalifa Haftar to carry out operations against Turkish navy vessels off the coast of Libya, sources told The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site.

The force, consisting of around 50 fighters who returned to eastern Libya last week, is also supported by the UAE.

Abu Dhabi will supply boats for the mission, which will be supervised by Egyptian naval officers before being handed over to naval forces linked to Haftar, the sources said.

US begins troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, official says

American troops have begun leaving Afghanistan for the initial troop withdrawal required in the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, a U.S. official said on Monday, amid political chaos in Kabul that threatens the deal.

Hundreds of troops are heading out of the country as previously planned, but they will not be replaced as the U.S. moves ahead with plans to cut the number of forces in the country from about 13,000 to 8,600, the official said. ...

The pullout comes as Afghanistan’s rival leaders were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies on Monday, creating a complication for the United States as it figures out how to move forward on the deal and end the 18-year war. ...

The U.S. has not tied the withdrawal to political stability in Afghanistan or any specific outcome from the all-Afghan peace talks. Instead, it depends on the Taliban meeting its commitment to prevent “any group or individual, including al-Qaida, from using the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.”

Bolivian ‘peace’ | Interim president wages war on own people

Gas Mask-Wearing Congressman Matt Gaetz Is One of Several Republicans Now Under Coronavirus Quarantine

Multiple Republican members of Congress — including Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Doug Collins, and Rep. Paul Gosar — have all put themselves under quarantine after shaking hands during last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, with a person who was subsequently hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease resulting from the coronavirus.

The rapid-fire announcements threatened to disrupt work inside the Capitol and raised questions about how many more members would decide to lock themselves at home over concerns about the virus that’s causing regional lockdowns in Italy and China, states of emergency across the U.S., and a white-knuckle drop in the stock market.

President Trump also spoke at CPAC and shook hands on stage with Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union who has said he was in direct contact with the infected person. But there has been no indication that Trump is infected, and Trump insisted he’s not worried about the possibility that the virus might penetrate his administration.

“No, I’m not concerned at all,” Trump said Saturday, when asked whether he had any concerns about the virus getting closer to Washington D.C. or the White House.

Will the Establishment's Neoliberal Model of Drug Profiteering Finally Kill Us All?

Why is there even a question as to whether any Cov19 vaccine or diagnostic test kit should be free? Vaccines and diagnostic tests are essential components of any public health program, not merely conveniences to an isolated individual. When symptomatic patients are tested for a disease, indispensable information about the spread of the disease is accumulated, with potential benefit to all of us. Vaccinations in turn protect not only the individual patient but also those who might be infected by him/her. That an administration would even consider restricting access to such indispensable instruments of public health is a sad commentary on the state of political discourse today.

Some members of both parties have demanded inexpensive access, but both parties have long been complicit in a model of drug development and pricing that makes healthcare unaffordable for some even as it makes billionaires of a select few. Contrary to the impression left by the pharmaceutical industry it has not always been that way. Other more humane and productive approaches to drug development are not only possible but have also been key moments in our own medical history.

Typically the pharmaceutical industry defends patent protection for its new drugs on the grounds that the resulting monopoly profits fund new research and development. This contention is misleading on two fronts. Much of the profits go into marketing and advertising, More scandalously the development model is not another instance of Reagan’s magic of the market mythology. Columbia economist Jeffrey Sachs puts it this way:

“The prevailing model, indeed, in plutocratic America is that taxpayers fund the vast majority of research and development (R&D) for pharmaceuticals and then the intellectual know-how is turned over, free of charge, to private industry so that it can market these drugs under 20 years of patent protection and then make a fortune at the cost of the American people.” I would add that these fortunes are also often at the expense of other nations as protection of these patent rights is the driving force behind misnamed “free trade” agreements.

Coronavirus Pandemic in U.S. Fueled by Stunted CDC Budget & Lack of Access to Healthcare, Insurance

As Dow Jones Drops Record 2,000 Points on Coronavirus, Progressives Say Response Should Focus 'On Helping Working People'

U.S. stocks plunged again Monday on fears of a global economic slowdown on the heels of the coronavirus outbreak combined with an oil price war led to the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 2,000 points at closing, its largest ever single day drop in points, as progressives called on the government to prioritize the interests of working people over the 1%.

"The folks who suffer most in a market crash are not the traders on Wall Street," said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). "It is ordinary people losing their jobs, getting their pay cut, or losing their pensions."

"Our focus should be on helping working people," Omar added.

The Dow's drop of 2,000 points was a decline of 7.79%; the S&P 500 fell 7.60% and the Nasdaq dropped by 7.29%.

Warning that the economic hit from the outbreak "will come fast" when it arrives and "hit lower-wage workers first and hardest," Josh Biven of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute said it will be crucial for the government to introduce a swift and targeted response.

Biven called on the government to make a plan for "rapid direct payments to individuals" just as was done by President George W. Bush in 2008—when one-time checks of $600 for individual tax-filers and $1,200 for joint tax filers were issued—in order to stem the bleeding from the financial crash that year.

"We could use this model but do even better this time," said Biven, suggesting $1,000 for each individual and $500 per child.

"Besides needing money to tide them over when they can't work," he explained, "low-wage workers could also use protection against being let go by employers when they can't show up to work due to their sickness (or the sickness of family members)."

Coronavirus: US pledges more testing as Trump hints at aid for workers

Warning that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States was expected to grow, the Trump administration on Monday said that testing for the virus would ramp up quickly in the coming weeks while declining to estimate how many Americans had already been tested for the virus.

The evening news conference at the White House came as the stock market plunged and an increasing number of Americans wondered how the official count of virus cases in the country, still in the mid-three-figures, could remain so low despite the aggressive spread of coronavirus elsewhere.

Trump addressed economic concerns, telling reporters his administration would ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick measures. He also said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they’re “not going to miss a paycheck” and “don’t get penalized for something that’s not their fault”.

“There will be more cases,” the vice-president, Mike Pence, said. “But we simply ask today for the American people to engage in the common sense practices.”

Donald Trump appeared briefly at the start of the news conference to announce that the administration was considering a relief package for American workers harmed by the outbreak. Trump did not repeat claims he has made on Twitter that political opponents were exaggerating the health risks posed by the virus to antagonize him.

New York attorney general to televangelist: stop touting product as coronavirus cure

New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, has ordered “televangelist” Jim Bakker to stop claiming that a product sold on his website can cure coronavirus.

On the 12 February episode of The Jim Bakker Show, the man who once told viewers “only saved people can love Trump” asked guest Sherrill Sellman, a “naturopathic” doctor, if his product, Silver Solution, could treat coronavirus.

“Well,” said Sellman, “let’s say it hasn’t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it’s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate within 12 hours.

“Totally eliminate it. Kills it. Deactivates it.” ...

The US health department says evidence supporting health-related claims about silver is lacking and it may be dangerous to people’s health.

Last week, James sent a letter addressed directly to Bakker saying the “show’s segment may mislead consumers” and could be considered false advertising, which is against New York law.

Bloomberg reporter: Are we headed toward an oil, coronavirus bailout?

'There Is Genuine Panic': Fears of Global Financial Meltdown as Human Toll of Coronavirus Grows

Fears of a financial meltdown at least on the scale of the 2008 crisis intensified Monday as global markets were gripped by panic resulting from the spread of the coronavirus across the globe and the ensuing oil price war launched by Saudi Arabia over the weekend.

"The fear today is about a global recession," said Thomas Hayes, chairman of management firm Great Hill Capital, as markets headed for their worst day since the 2008 crash.

As the Washington Post reported Monday morning: "U.S. futures pointed to heavy losses on Wall Street on Monday. Overseas, London's FTSE 100 fell more than 8 percent to its lowest in three years; Japan’s Nikkei index slumped more than 5 percent and Australia's benchmark shed more than 7 percent. Oil prices suffered the sharpest plunge since the 1991 Gulf War, while 10-year U.S. bond yields dropped to a record low as investors sought safety."

While some urged caution in interpreting the meaning of daily market fluctuations, analysts said there is reason to fear that destructive economic crisis is on the horizon. Chris Weston, head of research at the Melbourne-based web trading platform Pepperstone, told The Guardian that "there is genuine panic" in the market, noting that he hasn't "seen anything like this for years."

Oil price war | Russia's ready to tango! - Max Keiser

Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven not partly stolen, court affirms

A US appeals court has reinstated a ruling that British rockers Led Zeppelin did not steal part of their song Stairway to Heaven from another band.

The San Francisco 11-judge panel affirmed a 2016 judgment that found no proof the classic 1971 Zeppelin song breached the copyright of Taurus, written by Randy Wolfe from a Los Angeles band called Spirit.

In 2018 that ruling was overturned by a three-judge panel in San Francisco, which said certain instructions to the district court jury had been “erroneous and prejudicial”, and failed to clarify that the arrangement of elements in the public domain could be considered original.

Led Zeppelin took the case to a larger panel whose decision on Monday, based on the 1909 Copyright Act, put the original ruling back in place.



the horse race



Krystal and Saagar: Biden's mask slip hints he'd veto M4A

The Working Families Party Endorses Bernie Sanders for President

The Working Families Party endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination on Monday. The announcement comes less than a week after Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whom the WFP endorsed in September, dropped out of the presidential race after a poor showing on Super Tuesday and in other early primary states.

WFP National Director Maurice Mitchell told The Intercept the group intended for their endorsement of Sanders to signal to Warren supporters that there’s a significant ideological and political divide between the two current Democratic frontrunners. Compared to former Vice President Joe Biden, Mitchell said, “[Sanders] is the person best suited to deliver on the change that many people in the Warren campaign were committed to.” ...

On the question of whether the WFP endorsement might have any influence on Warren endorsing Sanders, Mitchell said they’d spoken to the Warren campaign. “Senator Warren knows our position,” he said. ...

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, another progressive group that’s long been an ally of Warren and endorsed her in February 2019, sent an email over the weekend to members in Michigan urging them to “vote strategically” for Sanders. The group has not endorsed anyone since Warren ended her campaign.


Krystal Ball: Warren is forever dead to the left

Neil Young endorses Bernie Sanders: 'Every point he makes is what I believe in'

Neil Young has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, saying the Vermont senator is “the real deal” to win the Democratic nomination. Writing on his personal website, the 74-year-old folk singer said that Sanders’ policies on climate change, student debt, healthcare and the minimum wage were the “big changes” required to beat Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

“I support Bernie because I listen to what he says,” he wrote. “Every point he makes is what I believe in. Every one. In 2016, if Bernie had run instead of Hilary Clinton, I think we would not have the incompetent mess we have now. “The DNC will spread their talking point that ‘Bernie is divisive’ … That’s because Bernie is not with the DNC. Bernie is with you … I believe Bernie Sanders. I believe Bernie is the Real Deal.”

Young’s praise follows other musical endorsements from the rapper Cardi B, the pop stars Lizzo, Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, the indie musicians Weyes Blood and Jeff Magnum from Neutral Milk Hotel, and Young’s former bandmate David Crobsy.


Saagar Enjeti: Biden's plan for Wall Street takeover of Washington revealed

Bernie Sanders returns to Michigan in need of 2016 repeat

In 2016, Bernie Sanders’ stunning Michigan upset against Hillary Clinton propelled his campaign forwards and dramatically altered the course of the race just as some had begun to write him off. Four years later, the Vermont senator returns to Michigan in need of another win in the Democratic nomination race as the state represents a crucial make or break chance for his campaign after former vice president Joe Biden swept into the lead on Super Tuesday.

While Sanders’ populist message and democratic socialism resonated with Michigan’s large population of white working-class voters in an economically anxious state in 2016, fear of four more years of Trump is now a top motivator for Democrats and that is believed by many to now favor the more establishment cause of Biden.

The latest Michigan polling mirrors others around the country and suggests the state is leaning toward Biden. While Sanders led by as much as nine points in late February, a poll taken after Biden’s huge South Carolina win put Biden up seven. But, despite the appearance of an uphill battle, there is optimism among some Sanders supporters, who point out he has generally polled better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against the president in Michigan.

“He’s working for it and Biden isn’t,” said Detroit resident Kevin Allen, who voted for Sanders in the last primary. “His policies help Michigan. Biden’s don’t. It’s a new state and there’s been a lot of ups and downs in the race so far.”

Biden's new lie on Iraq War

Pro-Israel Super PAC endorses Joe Biden for president

A pro-Israel Democratic super PAC has endorsed Joe Biden for president, underscoring growing antagonism towards Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders among Israel's advocates in the United States.

The endorsement by the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) - which is linked to AIPAC - comes a day ahead of a crucial round of primaries, after Biden took the lead in what has become a two-candidate race for the Democratic nomination.

"As senator and vice president, Joe Biden has proven he will fight for Democrats' broad vision for America, including a strong US-Israeli relationship," DMFI president and founder Mark Mellman, who is a prominent AIPAC strategist, said in a statement on Monday. ...

DMFI ran ads attacking Sanders ahead of the early primary states in February, questioning the senator's health and electability without tackling his foreign policy ideas. ...

The pro-Israel group's endorsement was announced less than 24 hours before voters in Michigan, home to a large Arab-American community, head to the polls.



the evening greens


An interesting interview. I'll post a chunk to get you started:

The Climate Movement Doesn’t Know How to Talk With Union Members About Green Jobs

The 2020 election is the first presidential race with climate at its center. Throughout the Democratic primary, the potential loss of good construction and fossil fuel industry jobs has helped prevent moderate Democratic candidates, including frontrunner Joe Biden, from taking policy positions that would aggressively confront the fossil fuel industry and the climate crisis. Whoever opposes Donald Trump in the general election will face a politics of climate denial built on an empty but alluring promise of job security in the oil, gas, and coal industries.

Jane McAlevey, a senior policy fellow at the University of California Berkeley’s Labor Center, argues that the climate and labor movements have not done the hard work required to convince beaten-down U.S. workers that they can have the same quality of life offered by the fossil fuel industry in a clean economy. Her most recent book, “A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy,” was published in January.

Intercept: In the Nevada Democratic debate, moderator Chuck Todd quoted a Pennsylvania labor leader who said, “If we end up with a Democratic candidate that supports a fracking ban, I’m going to tell my members that they either don’t vote or vote for the other guy.”

“What do you tell those workers?” the moderator asked. Bernie Sanders responded by referring first to climate scientists’ dire projections, then added that his policies will create 20 million good-paying jobs. Elizabeth Warren said that we can have a Green New Deal and create infrastructure jobs tomorrow, then spoke of fossil fuel donations corrupting politics. Do you think these answers were sufficient?

McAlevey: I remember that moment in the debate so well. They really didn’t nail it. I was hoping that the first things out of their mouths would have been to guarantee that every worker in the fossil fuel economy holds onto the standard they have, as we raise millions more into standards like that, by putting a front-line priority on unionizing the jobs in the clean economy.

In the early 1970s, we started to move all the unionized jobs out of the U.S. As the capitalists are shifting the American dream jobs out of the U.S., they do a containment strategy. They create this union-busting consultant industry, and the capitalist class says, “We’re not going to allow the emerging sector, the service sector, to get unionized the way we allowed the manufacturing sector to get unionized.”

So when people talk about, “Oh we’re going to create this next new economy,” what do workers hear? “We’re going to lose all these good jobs, and we’re never going to have a union again,” because that’s the lived experience in this country.

The Sunrise Movement Is Mobilizing to Stop Joe Biden

Despair, denial, desperation, and ultimately, a rededication to electing Sen. Bernie Sanders. That’s how the nation’s preeminent youth climate group is handling the Super Tuesday losses of Sanders, who now looks dangerously close to flopping in his second attempt at the Democratic nomination. ... Super Tuesday was a heartbreaker for Sunrise members, who see climate change as the existential issue of their time and, until last week, were watching their candidate leading the race for the Democratic nod against all odds. Even as she said she doesn’t buy the narrative that Sanders’ Super Tuesday loss was that bad, Prakash said it’s a super close primary that could go either way.

So what now? Well, they’re open to ideas — and they’re asking their members to go rogue. Whether it’s hosting a teach-in at school, a get-out-the-vote party, a social media campaign, or canvassing on the dating app, Tinder, Prakash said she doesn’t want her members to wait for instructions from group leaders about where to show up and how to protest. That could lead to some bold and unpredictable protests over the next few months. Prakash called for a return to the “moral protests,” “strikes,” and “strategic disruption,” that catapulted the group from unknown advocates to a regular fixture in progressive politics, like the Pelosi protest or a days-long sleep-in on the outdoor steps of the Democratic National Committee office calling for a climate debate. ...

Prakash said voters who consider climate change to be their top issue preferred Biden to Sanders, so the Sunrise Movement plans to bird-dog Biden over the next few weeks to try to bring attention to his record. “If climate voters shift to Bernie, it could literally sway the election,” she said. “So over the next few weeks, we need to be everywhere that Biden is. We need to be asking him hard questions to push him on this record. We need to put those interactions online to highlight for voters why Bernie is the best candidate to energize our generation and defeat Trump.” And while that part of the plan is designed to shift the election in Sanders’ favor, it also serves to push Biden to come up with a climate plan more acceptable to the young activists, or risk them not showing up on Election Day.


Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

The One-Choice Election

Coronavirus has sparked a perfect storm of nationalism and financial speculation

While Biden Says 'Happy to Talk About That Later,' Sanders Holds Coronavirus Roundtable With Medical Experts

'About Damn Time': Detroit Pauses Water Shutoffs Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Why Congress Took 40 Years to Acknowledge Armenian Genocide

How Turkey Lost a Battle of Wills, and Force, to Russia

What’s the End Game in the Saudi Oil Price War?

Keiser Report | No one can predict markets

If Jeff Bezos really wants to fight the climate crisis, he should just pay his taxes

Boosting Electability Argument, Sanders Has Won Independent Voters in 13 Out of 16 Exit Polls So Far

Why Joe Biden’s foreign policy vision isn’t so visionary

Gaffelighting: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

The Grayzone and CODEPINK call on the Organization of American States (OAS) to provide emergency international election observers in the US Democratic presidential primary, after many more irregularities than alleged in Bolivia.

Hill reporter: Inside Bernie's Michigan strategy

Professor Harvey J. Kaye: Why Bernie should not have strayed from FDR

Rising: Can Bernie Sanders survive tonight's primary?


A Little Night Music

Chris Kenner - I Like It Like That (Part 1)

Chris Kenner - Don't Let Her Pin That Charge On Me

Chris Kenner - I Have News For You

Chris Kenner - How Far

Chris Kenner - Don't Make No Noise

Chris Kenner - Sick and Tired

Chris Kenner - Packin' Up

Chris Kenner - Johnny Little

Chris Kenner - That's My Girl

Chris Kenner - Land Of 1000 Dances


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Comments

JekyllnHyde's picture

That is, should Biden emerge as the nominee. It ain't over for Bernie, he still has a chance.

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14 users have voted.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

JekyllnHyde's picture

@JekyllnHyde

Will the spread of disease kill the 2020 Primary Campaign? How about the General Election in November? How does it affect Bernie's chances? I don't think anyone has a clue. We're about to enter unchartered territory.

Sanders and Biden campaigns cancel Cleveland rallies over coronavirus concerns

Sen. Bernie Sanders' and Joe Biden's campaigns announced in separate statements Tuesday that their dueling rallies tonight in Cleveland will be canceled due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

Why it matters: It's the first time rallies in the 2020 presidential primary will be canceled over coronavirus fears. Both campaigns said they would evaluate future events on a case by case basis.

The news follows warnings from Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine, who tweeted Tuesday: "Through the limiting of large events, our goal is to dramatically slow down the spread of COVID 19 and save lives. Now is the time to take action. ... The truth is that COVID 19 is dangerous. We can't ignore it. We can't wish it away. We have to call it as it is."

What they're saying:

"Out of concern for public health and safety, we are canceling tonight’s rally in Cleveland. We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials, who have communicated concerns about holding large, indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak. Sen. Sanders would like to express his regret to the thousands of Ohioans who had planned to attend the event tonight."

— Sanders communications director Mike Casca

"In accordance with guidance from public officials and out of an abundance of caution, our rally in Cleveland, Ohio tonight is cancelled. We will continue to consult with public health officials and public health guidance and make announcements about future events. In the coming days. Vice President Biden thanks all of his supporters who wanted to be with us in Cleveland this. Additional details on where Vice President Biden will address the press tonight are forthcoming."

— Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield

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7 users have voted.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

joe shikspack's picture

@JekyllnHyde

i wonder why biden didn't just call all 5 of the people who were going to show up for his 10 minute rally personally.

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7 users have voted.

Better to let them hear about on the news.

@joe shikspack

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3 users have voted.
joe shikspack's picture

@JekyllnHyde

heh, yep, should biden win the nomination, i would imagine the excitement will be just like ice cream night at the nursing home.

have a great evening!

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5 users have voted.

on some virus and the russians whatevs?
nothing to do with irresponsible accounting

stop bailing out the crooks
and the petro dollar might
have a chance against world
currencies or not

sanctions do not work

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9 users have voted.
joe shikspack's picture

@QMS

the important thing is not to examine the problem too deeply. just keep bailing and try to keep your nose above water.

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6 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

Whatta world. Thought Max Keiser had a good analogy of the convergence of black swans...
COVID-19, the Russia oil play, and the bubble of corporate debt popping as the market falls making them insolvent. Wow...just wow. Here it is...and where we go nobody knows.

And that does not even include the manipulation of the demons primary. Hope we get good news for Bernie, but think the rig is in personally.

Hope you and yours are doing well and avoiding the plague...I mean virus.

Thanks for the news and music, and I gotta say again "whatta world".

On a more positive note, spring is unfolding beautifully here...never seen the daffodils as pretty and the garden is jumping. All is not doom and gloom. Wishing you all the best.

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12 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

joe shikspack's picture

@Lookout

max always has an interesting perspective. i get a kick out of his coverage.

on the way home from dinner, the ap called mississippi and missouri for biden. i just checked the googler and it looks like biden is in the lead in michigan with 18% reporting.

heard national propaganda radio interviewing the execrable tom perez who rather than attacking sanders, was clearly trying to woo sanders supporters into the fold.

so yeah, i think the rig is pretty much in.

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7 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

@joe shikspack

with captions to keep my sanity.

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3 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Raggedy Ann's picture

Stock market bounced back today. Wild seesaw rides for sure. Can’t be connected to the virus or Bernie, although they’d prefer to link it somehow.

I’m almost over my virus and now MrRA has it. Only two days of suffering, thankfully.

Have a great evening - play cards or something! Pleasantry

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8 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

joe shikspack's picture

@Raggedy Ann

glad to hear that the bug has left you, hope that it leaves mr ra just as quickly.

i'm pretty sure that the stock market isn't finished bouncing around. there is far more downside to explore.

have a good one!

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3 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

Georgia today. Both for Bernie Sanders. We think.

We have the new evil hackable voting machines that print out a receipt which is then inserted into a second machine to be scanned. This is what we got when we asked for hand marked paper ballots.

Adding insult to injury, the “I voted” Georgia peach sticker had the words “I secured my vote,” across the bottom. This is the BS that our Secretary of State has been pushing in TV ads at taxpayer expense. And now the sticker with propaganda at the bottom. Grrrr

BTW There is going to be a terrible backlog on voting day. There were plenty of machines, but only one machine that can activate the cards. Also secrecy seems to have gone out the window. The card that activates the voting machine seemed to be specifically activated based on my personal information. So it’s even worse than I had feared.

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8 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

joe shikspack's picture

@Lily O Lady

sorry to hear that you can't have confidence in your state election system. i'm not wild about mine, either.

it's time to go back to paper ballots - with extra scrutiny on the ballot counters.

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4 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

@joe shikspack

this BS system which has been proven to be hackable and prints out a receipt with a code that the voter can’t read. It does also have the name of your candidate(s) but there is no way to know if the text and the code agree. But I repeat myself. Sorry.

I really hoped that after organizing for four years that Bernie could overcome the system with overwhelming numbers. Things are even worse than I thought. And I thought they were pretty bad.

Thanks for the EBs. I’m really singing the blues tonight. But I won’t vote blue!

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3 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

joe shikspack's picture

@Lily O Lady

we tried for hand-marked paper ballots here, too. we wound up with a convoluted system where you press buttons, confirm your choices on an electronic screen and generate a machine-readable (but not human readable) form (retained by the election staff) to be run through a scanner.

my guess is that the kickbacks from the providers of election equipment were way bigger than those that could be garnered from the paper and pencil industries.

yeah, sadly it is looking more and more like the hope that sanders could beat the devil, er, the democrat national corporation machine is unrealistic.

i guess that it's time for plan b.

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3 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

@joe shikspack

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1 user has voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

enhydra lutris's picture

FakeNews? Biden Boosts Third Party Support

I'm wondering if the old "Nobody for President" bumperstickers were copyrighted, I bet you could sell a bunch if Joementia gets the nom.

Remembering all those great Pat Paulsen campaign ads and thinking that Jimmy Dore is generally too excited, but maybe we could draft Stef Zamorano or Ron Placone. I mean, I campaigned for Dick Gregory once upon a time, so why not Stef, "Stef Zamorano, the sane answer to Kamala Harris".

have a good one.

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7 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

joe shikspack's picture

@enhydra lutris

heh, jimmy is a bit overstimulated. well if sanders bites the big one, there's always howie hawkins or vermin supreme.

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2 users have voted.
Unabashed Liberal's picture

say 'hi,' and thanks for tonight's EB.

Will swing back by after primary returns are in, to read more. (Unfortunately, have to carefully pick and choose which videos I watch, due to Gigabyte limitations/restrictions.)

Hey, if I've been able to get through to the Medicare Hotline, will let you Guys know what I find out about waiver of deductibles/co-pays for COVID-19. (Sorta doubtful, since I definitely don't have an hour to wait, especially, this evening.)

Also, gotta place another 'pick-up order' online. We're now mindful of using the card more in person (usually through a customer service window), so that our financial institution doesn't freak out. Apparently, the reason my 'online use' triggered a fraud alert, was because of the big drop in in-person use.

We are beginning to find the MSM hysteria to be amusing, if not a bit grating (regarding COVID-19). Not that we don't personally take reasonable precautions. We do. Having said that, it's particularly amusing the ways that the corporatist MSM media is trying like h*ll to wield public hysteria as a club. (for instance, trying to force a stop to campaign rallies) IMO, it'd be hilarious if it totally backfires on them--meaning, that they're required to start testing for COVID-19.

Biggrin

BTW, ran into 'a run on toilet tissue' for the first time (after hearing about it on teevee)--yikes. Biggrin

Rain's back--yuck.

Gotta run. Exit polls will be available in minutes.

Everyone have a nice evening!

Bye Pleasantry

Post Script: Biden and Bernie have cancelled rallies. And, DNC says there'll be no audience for upcoming debate.

Mollie

“This above all: to thine own self be true
And it must follow, as the night the day
Thou canst not then be false to any man . . ."
~~William Shakespeare

“Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then, I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving.”
~~Author Unknown

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”
~~George Bernard Shaw
Irish Dramatist & Socialist (1856-1950)


WhiskerDocs

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4 users have voted.

Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

joe shikspack's picture

@Unabashed Liberal

i reckon that it might be pretty late before results are available for idaho and washington. mississippi is (with 18% reporting) looking like a rout, but sanders should pick up a delegates in both missouri and michigan despite losing.

not surprising that the demorat allies in the media would want to shut down the primaries now, before biden has a chance to melt down on national teevee.

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3 users have voted.
ggersh's picture

okay okay so I'm a bit late but ya fuck the truth

as in Biden has dementia and tRump has open mouth BS spits out disease

so it goes, Fuck the Truth ameriKa 2020

EDIT: to add voting in ameriKa, why would one believe it matters?

https://www.rt.com/usa/482786-voting-anomalies-primaries-democratic-states/

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6 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

joe shikspack's picture

@ggersh

we choose truth over facts.

great article from rt. too bad u.s. mainstream press won't report these facts.

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3 users have voted.
Azazello's picture

Good selection, as usual, joe.
This came up this afternoon, Max B on RT:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3bd5oYwOL8 width:500 height:300]
Jimmy Dore is LIVE right now:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5StnmwTJ_jI width:500 height:300]
Later

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3 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

joe shikspack's picture

@Azazello

thanks for the vids.

i wonder if it wouldn't be redundant for the cia to install a fascistic right-wing regime in texas, new hampshire or south carolina.

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3 users have voted.
Azazello's picture

@joe shikspack
Next thing you'll be telling me that Mustang Sally was a cover.

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3 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

joe shikspack's picture

@Azazello

i mighta suggested that a while ago when i did a sir mack rice feature. Smile

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3 users have voted.

He looks and walks like a much older man, and his response is off the wall.

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3 users have voted.
joe shikspack's picture

@Marie

heh, maybe he was late for his morning naptime.

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3 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

The media can't deny that he is having problems with his thought processes because they talked about it already. But it's not just his troubles completing his thoughts it's much more than that.

His lies.

His lying is not something new just this go 'round. He had to drop out the two previous times because he lied about his college records and his plagiarism. Whether he knows he is lying this time is something only he knows. He might just actually believe the things he says, but he is still wrong about them.

Just how far will his family let him go is the big question. He has said some very awful things to people including today when after a guy said he didn't appreciate Joe wagging his finger in his face, Biden asked if he wanted to 'take it outside.' Then he said he wanted to slap him. Now just imagine Bernie or Trump saying the things Biden has. Bernie would be toast and the media would be hounding Trump. You know it's true. This is the Dean scream in outer space. It's very bad.

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6 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

walter mitty for president! no more secret life for walter, his dreams can become real on stage live - revealed by former vice president joe biden!

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3 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

.

So, Joe do you have anything to say about this?

Social security does not add to the deficit. Period. Raise the cap. Easy peasy.

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9 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

there's one that ought to be spread around.

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4 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

I thought David was being snarky here, but he's serious.

The aid he shushed was a black woman. Oops that is going to leave another mark.

ETA

Paul Street on ByeDone.

Remember this from the first debate?

“Well, they have to deal with the — look, there’s institutional segregation in this country. And from the time I got involved, I started dealing with that. Red-lining banks, making sure that we are in a position where — look, you talk about education…make sure that we bring in to help the teachers deal with the problems that come from home. The problems that come from home, we need — we have one school psychologist for every 1,500 kids in America today. It’s crazy. The teachers are — I’m married to a teacher. My deceased wife is a teacher. They have every problem coming to them. We have — make sure that every single child does, in fact, have 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds go to school. School. Not daycare. School. We bring social workers into homes and parents to help them deal with how to raise their children. It’s not that they don’t want to help. They don’t — they don’t know quite what to do. Play the radio, make sure the television — excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night, the — the — make sure that kids hear words. A kid coming from a very poor school — a very poor background will hear 4 million words fewer spoken by the time they get there.”

He should have been asked to drop out after that debacle, but here he still gaffing, lying and wagging his finger in people's faces. The guy told him to knock it off and ByeDone asked him if he wanted to step outside. This should get him to drop out too. But then he threatened to slap the guy. Enough.

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7 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

international election monitoring in 2016, Bernie should demand emergency international election observers now. If he doesn't, this whole exercise in voting is just a joke and I won't bother with any of it.
The Grayzone article is good and good for them and Code Pink for demanding this. Now, our politicians and the American people need to do the same.
Thanks for the EB Joe, it's packed with good stuff as always.

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5 users have voted.
joe shikspack's picture

@randtntx

yes, bernie should indeed demand monitoring and review of election results. sadly, i think that he is constitutionally incapable of fighting the machine. they robbed him last time and he, for whatever reason, chose not to fight it. i suspect that it will be the same this time.

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4 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

@joe shikspack

which prohibit candidates who lose in the primary from running in the general—a “sore loser” law. I will write in Bernie anyway, but I don’t think it can count officially. He may be aware of things like this that we may not be aware of.

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1 user has voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

@joe shikspack that you are wrong. (Nothing personal Smile

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1 user has voted.
joe shikspack's picture

@randtntx

i would dearly love to be wrong. i hope that something stirs in sanders and he challenges the system.

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3 users have voted.

Feels worse than 2016. Can't find words. Searching for feelings brings a poem memorized in 7th grade. Didn't understand it then, but life makes things real.

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore --
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over --
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

-- Langston Hughes

Revenge of some sort would be sweet, though. Un poquito. But grateful for JD, Steph, Graham. Strong people.

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3 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

joe shikspack's picture

@laurel

i'm with you. i figure that my current sadness will harden into defiant anger shortly.

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3 users have voted.