Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

The New York Times reports that the United Nations is pulling its staff from the besieged Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah as a massive assault on the country’s only major humanitarian lifeline appears imminent. 

UN staff have played a key role in delivering foreign aid through what is now one of the besieged country’s only humanitarian access points to the outside world, through which 80% of all humanitarian aid flows.    Continue reading “UN, Red Cross Evacuate Staff From Yemen Port City Ahead Of “Imminent” US-Saudi Coalition Assault”

Information Liberation – by Chris Menahan

Billionaire George Soros lamented the rise of President Donald Trump and nationalist movements in Europe in an interview shared Saturday in the Washington Post, saying “everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”

From The Washington Post:

George Soros, the billionaire investor and liberal donor, sat in his hotel suite by Lake Zurich this week, lamenting the turn much of the world has taken in recent years: “Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.” Continue reading “George Soros: ‘Everything That Could Go Wrong Has Gone Wrong’”

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. open internet rules expired on Monday, handing sweeping new powers to internet providers to block, throttle or offer paid “fast lanes” for web traffic, but a court battle remains ahead.

The Federal Communications Commission repealed the 2015 Obama administration’s landmark net neutrality rules in December by a 3-2 vote, sparking a firestorm of criticism on social media websites, opposition from internet firms like Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), and protests among Democrats in the Republican-controlled Congress.   Continue reading “U.S. net neutrality rules expire, court battle looms”

NPR

By a 5-4 margin, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a controversial Ohio voter-purge law.

It’s known as the “use-it-or-lose-it” law, and it’s the most aggressive voter-purge system in the country. The state currently strikes voters from the registration rolls if they fail to vote in two consecutive elections — and if they fail to return a mailed address confirmation form.

Those challenging the law said it violated the National Voting Rights Act, which says that a state cannot strike someone from the rolls for failure to vote. The emphasis is to get more people to vote — and not have them purged.   Continue reading “Supreme Court Upholds Controversial Ohio Voter-Purge Law”

CNN

A rebellion by moderate House Republicans to force an immigration vote is widely expected to succeed this week, pushing members in at least one chamber of Congress to address one of the most hot-button topics in American politics months before the midterm elections and against the wishes of GOP leadership.

The final congressional signatures are likely to be added to a proposal in the next 36 hours that would bypass the wishes of House Speaker Paul Ryan and his deputies and ensure moderates a vote on immigration later this month.   Continue reading “House DACA talks prepare to enter new high-stakes stage”

Jerusalem Post

Ten-thousand Palestinians gathered and burned tires in five locations along the Israel-Gaza border fence Friday afternoon, according to the IDF spokesperson’s unit.

IDF soldiers used crowd dispersal measures in accordance with IDF rules of engagement and “are keeping high-alert.”    Continue reading “10,000 Palestinians Participate In Gaza Border Fence Protest, 6 Wounded”

Anti-War – by Jason Ditz

Speaking at NATO headquarters of Friday, Secretary of Defense James Mattis reiterated his opposition to the idea of withdrawing US troops from Syria. He said any withdrawal before progress was made would be a “strategic blunder.”

Mattis’ position reflects those of a lot of top US cabinet officials, who have resisted President Trump’s talk of a quick withdrawal. He argues that the UN peace plan necessitates an ongoing US military presence.   Continue reading “Mattis: Leaving Syria Without Making Progress Would Be a ‘Blunder’”

Free Thought Project – by Matt Agorist

Altoona, PA — Once again, an abusive police officer is in the news after he was captured on cellphone video bullying and then punching a handcuffed 14-year-old boy in the face. There was no spit, no head butt, and nothing in the video shows the boy doing anything other than complying and talking to provoke the cop into hitting him.

The officer is a Pennsylvania state trooper who is currently enjoying anonymity from the department. He and another trooper were at a residence last week to arrest Preston Weakland, the 14-year-old boy in the video below, for running away.   Continue reading “State Trooper Grabs Handcuffed 14yo Boy By the Neck, Punches Him in the Face”

Mish Talk – by Mike Mish Shedlock

Musk just delivered the first 1,000 of his “Not a Flamethrower” devices. It’s a $500 toy with no practical use.

It turns out, Elon Musk’s flamethrower idea was not a joke as Musk’s Boring Co. delivers first 1,000 flamethrowers to customers. Continue reading “Musk Delivers 1,000 “Not a Flamethrower” Units: 20,000 Sold at $500 Each”

RT

A Memphis grandmother has been arrested after a video went viral which appeared to show her releasing two children from animal cages in the back of her car.

Leimome Cheeks, 62, was charged with two counts of child endangerment after allegedly locking the two girls inside a pair of pet kennels. Footage of the incident was widely shared and re-uploaded online.   Continue reading “Woman drives children in cages as ‘no room in car,’ gets charged after VIDEO goes viral”

RT

Having come under fire for banning the migrant rescue ship ‘Aquarius’ with 629 people on board from docking at its ports, Italy’s new government says it’s been left alone by the EU to deal with the uncontrolled influx of refugees.

“This Europe is not showing solidarity,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, adding that “Italy has to deal with the problem” of illegal human trafficking and migration flows “all by itself.”   Continue reading “‘Italy left alone in crisis’: After shutting ports to migrant rescue ship, Rome rebukes EU criticism”

Mail.com

SINGAPORE (AP) — Latest on a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in Singapore (all times local): 10:30 a.m. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (le dree-AHN) says he will be the first one to applaud U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un if they reach a deal on nuclear weapons disarmament of the Korean Peninsula.

Le Drian says that “everything that has to do with disarmament is positive.” The French foreign minister met Monday with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom in Stockholm. Le Drian cautions “we have been enthusiastic before and it has led to failures.”  Continue reading “The Latest: French diplomat calls US-NKorea talks ‘positive’”