If social media’s to blame, why are mass shootings only in US?

Published on Aug 6, 2019
Is artificial intelligence the solution for the gun problem in the United States? In the wake of multiple tragic mass shootings this week, President Trump calls for social media companies to develop tools that can detect potential mass shooters before they strike. RT America’s Michele Greenstein joins Rick Sanchez to discuss.

China calls Hong Kong protesters ‘criminals,’ threatens retaliationj

Published on Aug 6, 2019
A day after a strike disrupted public transportation and blocked major roads in Hong Kong, China’s central government strongly condemned the protesters, whom it called “criminals.” It did not address the grievances of the pro-democracy forces or propose solutions, but rather warned them not to “mistake our restraint for weakness.” Jonathan Miller of Independent Television News reports.

Why are environmental activists under attack? | The Stream

Al Jazeera English

Scheduled for Aug 7, 2019

A new human rights report says 164 environmental activists around the world were killed last year, and countless more are being silenced through violent attacks, intimidation or unfair criminalisation. The report by UK-based Global Witness highlights the threats indigenous communities in particular face from resource extraction industries and the growing trend by governments to label environmental protectors as eco-terrorists. The report examined 19 countries and found that most of the activist killings in 2018 involved those who spoke out against mining industries. Deadly attacks were also linked to activists protesting hydropower projects and land disputes with agribusinesses. The Philippines topped the list with 30 victims, followed by Colombia with 24, India with 23, and Brazil with 20. In this episode, we’ll look at the struggles faced by environmental activists and ask what should be done to protect their work.

All student debt in the US, visualized

Vox

Published on Aug 6, 2019

What if all of this debt was canceled? This is what that would look like.

Student loan debt has increased exponentially in the past few decades. So now, some Democratic presidential candidates propose canceling those debts — all $1.6 trillion of it. But is this a good idea? Who exactly does it benefit? For more on student loan debt, read this Vox explainer on Elizabeth Warren’s plan: https://www.vox.com/2019/4/22/1850919… And this explainer on Bernie Sanders’s plan: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi… This piece explains why wonks don’t like Sanders’s plan: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi… And to get a wider perspective on the whole debate, Matt Yglesias breaks it down: https://www.vox.com/2019/6/24/1867778…

After El Paso and Dayton shootings, right-wing media desperately look to blame everything BUT guns

mediamatters4america
Published on Aug 6, 2019

Could the End of Local Newspapers Be the End of Democracy & Journalism?

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Aug 6, 2019

US Newspaper Merger threatens democracy and journalism

Local newspaper in the US are being taken over by huge corporations who can now control national newspapers, radio and TV stations.

These mega media corporations control what you read and what you see and hear.

Journalists are being laid off, along with print workers and other in the sector following consolidation and cost cutting.

Have these businesses grown too large, that they should be broke up?

Yosef Geachew from Common Cause Media joined Thom to discuss the newspaper crisis.

China Weakens Currency, Halts U.S. Crop Imports as Trade War Ratchets Up

Aug 06, 2019

The Treasury Department designated China a currency manipulator after it allowed its currency to weaken to an 11-year low amid the ongoing trade war with President Trump. China’s move came after Trump last week threatened to impose a further 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods. Trump lashed out Monday, accusing China of using currency manipulation to “steal our business and factories, hurt our jobs, depress our workers’ wages and harm our farmers’ prices. Not anymore!” China also directed state-owned companies to suspend imports of U.S. crops. Economists have refuted Trump’s claims that China will bear the economic brunt of increased tariffs, saying U.S. consumers will in fact suffer the most. Stocks dropped in response Monday, with Wall Street suffering its worst day of 2019.

Life Inside China’s Total Surveillance State

Wall Street Journal

Published on Dec 20, 2017

China has turned the northwestern region of Xinjiang into a vast experiment in domestic surveillance. WSJ investigated what life is like in a place where one’s every move can be monitored with cutting-edge technology.

PBOC: China is not a “currency manipulator”

CGTN
Published on Aug 6, 2019

The U.S. labelled China a “currency manipulator” after the yuan fell beyond seven per U.S. dollar. As China’s currency rose again on Tuesday, the central bank was quick to say the drop had reflected a market weakened by the U.S. tariffs.

China’s central government warns rioters not to mistake restraint for weakness

CGTN
Published on Aug 6, 2019

China’s central government has issued a warning to radical rioters in Hong Kong, a day after they disrupted transport systems, blocked major roads and attacked the police.