The Weekly Watch

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 6:00am

I'm trying a little different approach this week limiting the links to fewer stories. Some of the clips are long, but just watch what interests you. I have used just links rather than embedded video to aid in easy loading. I hope you find at least one piece of interest. Please add any stories you think are important in the comments below, or just share what's on your mind. Have a great Sunday.

election 2016_1.jpg

Nice interview with WY senatorial candidate Charlie Hardy and filmmaker Reed Lindsay. This might restore your faith in democracy - well it will at least make you feel better. (about 20 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihNo80n6dI0

How does the Green Party grow? Bruce Dixon has some concrete ideas. (24 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIh0a8_xi2o

Jill's economic plan on CNBC about 5 min interview on 8/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMsGfumwj4U
and a 15 min interview on BBC from this week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksI4uZAMMhM

David Cay Johnston’s new book, "The Making of Donald Trump," looks at a side of Trump seldom covered in the press: his ties to the mob, drug traffickers and felons. (19 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xc0EpF49vE

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Grimaldi of The Wall Street Journal, who has covered the Clinton Foundation for years, looks at the relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department during Hillary Clinton’s time as secretary of state. The FBI reportedly wanted to investigate the Clinton Foundation earlier this year, but U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch pushed back. (23 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGg3Z7GpILE

Jimmy Dore rips so called liberal journalists. Hillary Clinton added to John Negroponte to her list of war criminal endorsements. All In with Chris Hayes and guests including The Nation's Joan Walsh expressed dismay at the notion that embracing many of the 20th century's worst villains might hurt her chances (2 clips 9 min each).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2JQXszJyPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yaNBquHwg

From last weekend, here's the full 48 min interview with Assange on RT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IfrNZfqGsQ
or a shorter 30 min clip focusing on Clinton's emails
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmYrDNSglag

Assange insinuates murdered DNC staffer maybe the source of the leaks. Offers $20,000 reward for info that leads to convection. (2.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpKaEvY1WGY

The RW is counting possible Clinton hit jobs (10 min) I must admit I'm wondering about it too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb_N02-vh8M

prisons.jpg

Chris Hedges discusses mass incarceration with prison reform advocates Walter Fortson and Boris Franklin. From the school-to-prison pipeline, to solitary confinement, to preventing recidivism, they reflect on their own experiences to address how to fix one of the major civil rights issues of today. (27 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPjfAdcZfSU

around the world.jpg

The Middle East
Interview with Scott Anderson about his in-depth new report, "Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart." It examines what has happened in the region in the past 13 years since the the U.S. invaded Iraq through the eyes of six characters in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. (11 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRVryzcOeqU
And the article
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/11/magazine/isis-middle-east-...

Seymour Hersh and Tariq Ali have a great conversation (each part is about 30 min)
part 1 bin Laden and the lies around his execution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIBxGm08KY8

part 2 Syria's use of poison gas or lack there of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTeZitRDhk0

Another 30 min conversation with Tariq Ali and Professor Mabruk Derbesh, formerly University of Tripoli, now in exile, about the worsening state of affairs in Libya.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OVeERNQLnw

BRAZIL
While the entire world focuses on the Rio Olympics, the coup government in Brazil is advancing rapidly to impeach the democratically elected president Dilma Rousseff. The Olympics have become their smokescreen (2 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfAMA42_ofM

John Oliver on the Rio Olympics (9 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWydFl9KNCI

The Brazilian Senate has voted to hold an impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff, who is accused of breaking the budget law.
http://www.latinamericanpost.com/article/brazil-senate-votes-for-roussef...

VENEZUELA
Venezuelan officials have set out the timetable for a recall referendum on whether President Nicolas Maduro should remain in power. That timetable is causing controversy.
http://www.latinamericanpost.com/article/venezuela-sets-recall-referendu...

ARGENTINA
Kissinger hindered US effort to end mass killings in Argentina, according to files
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/09/henry-kissinger-mass-killi...

GUATEMALA
US deports ex-Guatemalan soldier accused of role in 1982 massacre
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/10/us-deports-guatemalan-sold...

THAILAND
4 dead after several blasts in Thailand including resort towns Phuket and Surat Thani
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/4-dead-after-several/303...

VIETNAM
Vietnam places rocket launchers within range of China-held isles, where aircraft hangars are now visible
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news_category/asia-pacific/

SOUTH KOREA
Samsung blocks info about chemical dangers to workers - Part I
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/korea/2016/08/12/475229/Samsung-blocks.htm
Samsung blocks info about chemical dangers to workers - Part II
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/korea/2016/08/13/475323/Samsung-blocks.htm

INDONESIA
Indonesia said Thursday there was "no room" for the gay community in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, as activists blasted officials for an unprecedented series of LGBT attacks.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/indonesia/2016/08/12/475207/Indonesia-s...
Reply

Climate – Thom and Michael Mann on the UN Paris agreement (11.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMW4aloBLE4

for more news visit:
https://www.youtube.com/user/democracynow/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealNews/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/telesurenglish/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday/videos
Understanding climate change channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-r5Q-5TWB43oLI8eZ6euA/videos
Jill Stein booster club videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPXLOZRCORjQiQl_sELbpw/videos

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Submitted by katie on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:01am

Would add 2:

1) Jeremy Corbyn of U.K. pledges a job guarantee. Economist Pavlina R. Tcherneva explains what it is:

https://vimeo.com/83813741

2) New Study: Fossil fuels could be phased out worldwide in 10 years:

http://phys.org/news/2016-04-fossil-fuels-phased-worldwide-decade.html

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Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:19am
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I love the idea of phasing out fossil fuels!

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

Submitted by katie on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:26am

I haven't read the original study yet - only second hand reports. But it's on my to do list for today.

Hope the study gets lots of eye balls as most folks think that our tech is not up to the task of a rapid phase out. People need realistic hope to the contrary.

This combined with the idea of a guaranteed jobs program, where some of those jobs would be dedicated to achieving a rapid phase out, shows 2 things: That we have the tech for a rapid phase out and doing so will be good for our economy, especially for workers.

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Submitted by Alex Budarin on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:22am
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I think it's better without the embedded videos. Plus, the graphics are attractive but simple. And few.

Question: How would we do "exclusives?" Post an essay first, then link to that?

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"All Life is Problem Solving" - Karl Popper

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:41am
Lookout's picture

you could mail it to me for inclusion. And thank you Alex for your links to the international news - I always get new info from them.

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

Submitted by Alex Budarin on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 9:14am
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Very insightful, imo. I only disagree with his comment to the effect that "Progressive" = "Democrat."

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"All Life is Problem Solving" - Karl Popper

Submitted by katie on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 10:40am

article arguing that what sets liberals apart from progressives is the latters' pursuit of full employment, especially through advocating a jobs guarantee program.

You can't say you support full employment while not supporting a jobs guarantee because the markets simply are not meant to create full employment, do not create full employment, and are not expected to do so by economists or policy makers. (Despite the fact that mainstream economics assumes full employment in their models.)

And even if the markets could create full employment, we have public policy of insuring less that full employment where the Central Bank increases interest rates to insure that we never reach full employment in order to keep inflation down - which should read: In order to keep wage price inflation down and labor "flexibility" high. Asset price inflation is cool according to the Central Bank.

Can't find the article now, but thought he/she made a good case. And think it's a good litmus test: "Do you support a jobs guarantee?" If not, then maybe you aren't such a progressive.

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Submitted by rwiley81925 on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 11:21am

An article that demonstrates that the two major parties are not interested in full employment and are colluding to suppress a realistic count of the unemployed.

Also a blind squirrel (Trump) finds a nut.
....
The ‘big lie’ behind the US unemployment rate

"When Donald Trump on Monday questioned the accuracy of the federal government’s glowing employment reports, it may have seemed like another unsubstantiated outburst from a famously loose-with-the-facts candidate. But in this case, he was joining a bipartisan chorus of business people, economists and lawmakers who say the monthly employment report is an artificial portrait deliberately airbrushed by statisticians to make the jobs picture look better than it really is."

“In today’s labor market, the unemployment rate drastically understates the weakness of job opportunities,” wrote the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute The group argues that there are now 2.3 million “missing workers”—a number that, if counted by BLS, would bump the official unemployment rate up to 6.2 percent."

"Others such as private equity executive Leo Hindery argue that even that figure grossly understates unemployment in America“Both parties sat down and basically said if we ever tell the American people the truth about the employment rate, things could get ugly for whichever one of us is in power,”

"In late 2002—amid a recession—President George W. Bush’s administration discontinued the Labor Department’s mass layoff report, prompting Democrats to accuse the White House of suppressing negative economic news. Democrats managed to restore the regular report for a decade, but it was eliminated again in 2013 by the Obama administration as part of a budget-cutting sequestration agreement with congressional Republicans. With President Obama championing the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership, the budget deal also followed through on the Obama administration’s previous proposal to cut a BLS unit that helped track the job-loss effects of trade deals."

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Solidarity

Submitted by katie on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 11:39am

to simply demand a jobs guarantee program, it simply simplifies so much : ) No need to argue with unemployment stats, how it's defined, etc.... Rather, the question is: Does everyone who wants a job have a job?

No more having to argue for things like infrastructure spending, etc.... Rather, the question is: Does everyone who wants a job have a job, and how many of those can be put to building infrastructure?

No more having to argue for stimulus spending during downturns. Rather, the question is: Does everyone who wants a job have a job?

A job guarantee cuts to the heart of so much we desire and need.

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Submitted by rwiley81925 on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 11:50am

With so much positive and necessary work that needs to be done,child care,health care,clean energy,etc; anyone who can work and wants to work should have a job.

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Solidarity

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:36am
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Give rose

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"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

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:49am
Lookout's picture

I used to love the Sunday am news shows, but came to realize they were mainly corporate propaganda rather than real information. I began to think we need a good source of Sunday news and started collecting stories during the week.

Please message me if you have stories you feel are important that people should know, and I'll include them.

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

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:56am
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I missed a group of suggested links - I was out and about yesterday, but I'll drop them here for your perusal.

A week after end of Dem convention, DWS finally spoke publicly: "I’m very proud of the primary nominating contest that we won - that we ran."
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article9371...

Late Friday afternoon Guccifer 2.0 published a list of cell phone numbers, private email addresses, and more for most House Democrats.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/democratic-national-committee/guccif...

New Orleans strip clubs have until Oct. 1 to get rid of dancers under under age 21.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/08/strip_clubs_have_until_oc...

White Trash and Hillbillies: A powerful exploration about the origins and culture of the white underclass in the Southeast and Appalachia. (Ignore the article's unfortunate title.)
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/09/the-original-undercl...

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

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 8:57am
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this post, joe's EB, etc., bring me the haps. I will certainly let you know if I come across anything that might be worthy to include, L. Smile

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"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

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 9:03am
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I love Joe's EB. Better than any newspaper.

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

Submitted by MsGrin on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 10:19am
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Obama facing pressure to rip up his lobbyist rules

Here's what the article is about:

The head of the group aiding the presidential transition process is urging President Barack Obama to consider killing his executive order restricting lobbyists from serving in the White House, saying it’s provided limited benefits and could hurt the next administration.
The nudge provides a quandary for Obama.
Nixing the order could be seen as an acknowledgment that he failed to uphold one of the major pledges of his 2008 campaign, or that the change he brought to Washington wasn’t built to last. But punting the issue to his successor, especially if it’s Hillary Clinton, would risk thrusting upon her the bad optics of welcoming lobbyists with open arms.

True believers ascribe whatever they want to HRC regardless of what her actions have been:

“I’m quite confident that the next administration -- which is going to be the Hillary Clinton administration -- is going to hang on to the executive order,” said Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist with Public Citizen.
He pointed to Clinton’s op-ed with Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) supporting her bill aimed at reducing Wall Street’s influence by increasing how long officials with ties to the private sector must recuse themselves from oversight affecting their old firm. Holman said he’s also been reassured by discussions with members of Clinton’s policy staff, whom he declined to name.
“I see her strengthening [Obama’s] rule and expanding it to everybody and perhaps even applying it to a larger category of officials,” Holman said.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

Submitted by dancingrabbit on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 5:09pm

More than 7,000 people have been rescued, along with hundreds of pets, and three people have died as a result of flooding caused by historic amounts of rain falling on south Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday.

“I can’t say it’s worse than a hurricane,” Edwards told reporters after being briefed by law enforcement and emergency officials, “but it’s plenty bad.”

Edwards officially requested federal assistance in paying for emergency operations and overtime. Meanwhile, about a thousand motorists have been stranded more than 24 hours on a string of islands surrounded by deep water crossing Interstate 12 east of Albany.

About 30,000 utility customers — 9,000 of whom are under water — are without power and thousands of AT&T cell phones aren’t working because a substation on Choctaw Drive in Baton Rouge flooded, said Eve Gonzalez, secretary of the Public Service Commission.

About 5,050 people spent last night in shelters, said Marketa Garner Walters, secretary of the state Department of Children and Family Services. But that doesn’t include those who evacuated to a number of ad hoc shelters that were opened by churches and other community organizations.

About 1,700 National Guardsmen have been mobilized, and another 300 are expected to join by the end of the day.

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/weather_traffic/article_7838...

More articles, photos, and videos at

http://www.theadvocate.com

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Only connect. - E.M. Forster