This week's list of articles, news items, opinion pieces and videos that I see as a must if you are looking for a roundup that should be of interest to The Left Chapter readers.
This list covers the week of October 7 - 14.
1) Brazil Elections: Leftist PT Biggest Party in Lower House, Bolsonaro's PSL Expands
Telesur
Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT) became the top political party in the lower house of the country’s Congress, taking 57 seats out of the body’s 513, while the far-right Social Liberal Party (PSL) of Jair Bolsonaro made a strong showing, coming in second with 51 seats.
2) Brazil Elections: Bolsonaro, Haddad To Face Off In Second Round
Telesur
With over 90 percent of the ballots counted, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins the first round with 46,3 percent of the vote but fails to reach the 50 percent necessary for getting elected the new president of Brazil on the first round. Fernando Haddad of the PT who got 28,9 percent is now in second place and will face Bolsonaro in the second round on October 28.
3) Brazil Candidates Support PT's Haddad After First Round
Telesur
Some candidates immediately expressed implicit or explicit support for the PT candidate in light of the strong showing by Bolsonaro during the first round of voting in Brazil.
4) Brazil’s Bolsonaro-Led Far Right Wins a Victory Far More Sweeping and Dangerous Than Anyone Predicted. Its Lessons Are Global.
Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept
FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS, Congressman Jair Bolsonaro was a fringe extremist in Brazilian politics, known mostly for outlandish, deliberately inflammatory quotes in which he paid homage to the most notorious torturers of the 1964-1985 military regime, constantly heralded the 1964 coup as a “defense of democracy,” told a female socialist colleague in Congress that she was too ugly to “deserve” his rape, announced that he’d rather learn that his son died in a car accident than was gay, and said he conceived a daughter after having four sons only due to a “moment of weakness.” (Last September, he used Google to translate a Brazilian epithet for LGBTs to, in essence, call me a faggot on Twitter).
5) Three UCP Candidates Got Caught Partying With a Hate Group. Jason Kenney’s Excuse Makes No Sense.
Press Progress
Why did three nomination candidates for Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party end up partying with a white supremacist hate group?
6) Jason Kenney Says Racists Aren’t Welcome in the Conservative Party – The Facts Tell a Different Story
North 99
Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party is facing criticism for allowing members of the far-right, anti-Muslim anti-immigrant group Soldiers of Odin to attend UCP candidate nomination events.
7) The end of Roe v Wade, one way or another
Rosemary Westwood, Maclean's
It is done. With the haste of a Disney princess about to have her horse-drawn carriage turned to a pumpkin, Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday evening, hours after the Senate confirmed him by a narrow margin.
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Dennis Raphael, The Toronto Star
In 1845, Friedrich Engels described the phenomena by which working-class residents in Manchester died prematurely because of their living and working conditions. He did not simply label the occurrence as we usually do today: “Premature deaths due to unfortunate circumstances,” but rather coined the term “social murder” to make explicit the source of these premature deaths.
Al Jazeera
German police arrest Bulgarian official in Hamburg over murder of journalist Viktoria Marinova, say Bulgarian officials.
Central Executive Committee, Communist Party of Canada
The NAFTA-USMCA agreement announced by the US and Canada has been claimed as a victory by both Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau; but for working people, this deal only tightens the corporate handcuffs. The Communist Party of Canada calls on Parliament to refuse to ratify the USMCA, and we urge the labour and democratic movements to mobilize against this sellout of the interests of working people and farmers in Canada.
Cynthia Mulligan, 680 News
After 100 days in office, the Ford government continues to dismantle many of the previous Liberal government’s initiatives: cap and trade, the sex-ed curriculum and now a fire certification program.
Josh Gerstein, Politico
FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate on Wednesday that the White House put limits on the re-opened investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but the law enforcement chief insisted that the process used was a typical one.
Emily Chung · CBC News
Much of the plastic trash cleaned up from Canadian shorelines by volunteers in September could be traced back five companies: Nestlé, Tim Hortons, PepsiCo, the Coca-Cola Company and McDonald's, an audit led by Greenpeace Canada has found.
Meghan Murphy, Unherd
This year’s freshers fair at the University of Brighton offered up a new fun way to meet people and get involved in campus life: prostitution. Last week, while students perused various societies and sports clubs they could join to upgrade their college experience, they would also have come across the Sex Workers’ Outreach Project (SWOP) stall, which offered condoms, as well as tips for young women (let’s call a spade a spade – young men were not the assumed future ‘sex workers’ SWOP was targeting) who might choose to sell sex as a means to support their studies.
Kathleen Harris · CBC News
Details of a murder trial that saw the sexual history of the victim, Cindy Gladue, presented to the jury — and her torn vaginal tissue entered as evidence — played out before the Supreme Court of Canada today as the justices heard arguments on whether her accused killer should face a new trial.
Brent Patterson, Rabble
The Supreme Court of Canada has just ruled that federal cabinet ministers do not have a duty to consult with Indigenous peoples before they introduce legislation that might affect their treaty and constitutional rights.
Karl Nerenberg, Rabble
The Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision this week that says the federal government does not have the duty to consult Indigenous people when drafting laws, includes a powerful opposing opinion.
Charles Smith · CBC News
Living wages do not just mean giving workers better economic choices, although certainly that is a real benefit. Living wages allow workers real choice in how the fruits of their labour materialize within larger society.
Press Progress
Lance Coulter, one of three United Conservative Party nomination candidates recently photographed partying with a white supremacist hate group, has a history interacting with white nationalist and alt-right content on social media.
Granma
This peaceful people has suffered the loss of 3,478 of its citizens due to brutal terrorist acts, among them the victims of the in-flight bombing of a Cubana de Aviación plane over Barbados.
Tomorrow, Zapatista art and autonomy will be exhibited for the first time in Havana, Cuba.
Tomorrow, Zapatista art and autonomy will be exhibited for the first time in Havana, Cuba.
John Clarke, Counterfire
Corporate exploiters like the Jeff Bezos giant are feeling the heat as workers organise, but its pay announcement should be treated carefully.
22) THE FOUNDATION OF THE DDR
Josh Brady, Look Left
This week marks the two important, and not at all separate events, in both German and socialist history: The 69th anniversary of the the DDR and the 28th anniversary of German reunification.
23) The fall of the Berlin Wall was touted as a triumph — but 29 years on, not everyone agrees
Anik See, ABC News
There are many misconceptions about the transition from two German states into one.
24) Things in the middle of the Arctic are getting really strange
Mark Kaufman, Mashable
In the deep middle of the remote Arctic Ocean, things are amiss.
25) Planet has only until 2030 to stem catastrophic climate change, experts warn
Brandon Miller and Jay Croft, CNN
Governments around the world must take "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" to avoid disastrous levels of global warming, says a stark new report from the global scientific authority on climate change.
26) Leader of Obscure Party That Could Hold Balance of Power in New Brunswick Celebrates on Rebel Media
Press Progress
The possible kingmaker in New Brunswick’s deadlocked election just took a victory lap on Ezra Levant’s far-right Rebel Media.
27) A Fake Online Review Claimed Refugees "Slaughtered Goats" In A Hotel. This Newspaper Helped It Go Viral.
Ishmael N. Daro, BuzzFeed
"Radisson Hotel Toronto East can confirm that the claims of goats being slaughtered in the public bathrooms are completely false statements," the hotel told BuzzFeed News.
28) Washington state ends ‘racially biased’ death penalty
Rachel La Corte and Gene Johnson, AP News
Washington’s Supreme Court unanimously struck down the state’s death penalty Thursday as arbitrary and racially biased, making it the 20th state to do away with capital punishment.
29) Chile: Four Former Agents of Pinochet Dictatorship Sentenced
Telesur
Chile’s Court of Appeals sentenced four former agents of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1974-1990) to five years and one day in prison for the kidnapping and disappearance of student and left-wing activist Gabriela Arredondo in 1974 Wednesday.
Josh Brady, Look Left
This week marks the two important, and not at all separate events, in both German and socialist history: The 69th anniversary of the the DDR and the 28th anniversary of German reunification.
23) The fall of the Berlin Wall was touted as a triumph — but 29 years on, not everyone agrees
Anik See, ABC News
There are many misconceptions about the transition from two German states into one.
24) Things in the middle of the Arctic are getting really strange
Mark Kaufman, Mashable
In the deep middle of the remote Arctic Ocean, things are amiss.
25) Planet has only until 2030 to stem catastrophic climate change, experts warn
Brandon Miller and Jay Croft, CNN
Governments around the world must take "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" to avoid disastrous levels of global warming, says a stark new report from the global scientific authority on climate change.
26) Leader of Obscure Party That Could Hold Balance of Power in New Brunswick Celebrates on Rebel Media
Press Progress
The possible kingmaker in New Brunswick’s deadlocked election just took a victory lap on Ezra Levant’s far-right Rebel Media.
27) A Fake Online Review Claimed Refugees "Slaughtered Goats" In A Hotel. This Newspaper Helped It Go Viral.
Ishmael N. Daro, BuzzFeed
"Radisson Hotel Toronto East can confirm that the claims of goats being slaughtered in the public bathrooms are completely false statements," the hotel told BuzzFeed News.
28) Washington state ends ‘racially biased’ death penalty
Rachel La Corte and Gene Johnson, AP News
Washington’s Supreme Court unanimously struck down the state’s death penalty Thursday as arbitrary and racially biased, making it the 20th state to do away with capital punishment.
29) Chile: Four Former Agents of Pinochet Dictatorship Sentenced
Telesur
Chile’s Court of Appeals sentenced four former agents of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1974-1990) to five years and one day in prison for the kidnapping and disappearance of student and left-wing activist Gabriela Arredondo in 1974 Wednesday.
30) Hungary's homeless fear they are Viktor Orbán's next target
Shaun Walker, The Guardian
Many countries have struggled to deal with the issue of homelessness but Hungary may be the first to put a constitutional ban on living on the streets. From next week, being homeless in Hungary will violate the constitution.
31) Italy's Matteo Salvini says 'little ethnic shops' should close by 9pm
Shaun Walker, The Guardian
Many countries have struggled to deal with the issue of homelessness but Hungary may be the first to put a constitutional ban on living on the streets. From next week, being homeless in Hungary will violate the constitution.
31) Italy's Matteo Salvini says 'little ethnic shops' should close by 9pm
Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian
Italy’s far-right interior minister has come under fire for a proposal that would force what he calls “little ethnic shops” to close by 9pm.
32) 100 Days of Ford: Shut Down the Province to Stop the Cuts!
CUPW Statement
100 days have now passed since Doug Ford and the Conservatives came to power, and their anti-worker, pro-poverty agenda is already in full swing. In just over three months we have already seen cuts to mental health funding, the cancellation of a school repair fund, the privatization of marijuana sales, the cancellation of the Basic Income pilot, and the proposed repeal of Bill 148, along with a freezing of the minimum wage.
Teodora del Carmen Vasquez, an advocate for women’s right in El Salvador will be awarded the Per Anger prize, an international prize for Human Rights and democracy by the Swedish Government.
33) Germany protest: Tens of thousands march against far right
BBC News
More than 100,000 people have been marching in the German capital Berlin to protest against xenophobia and the increasing influence of the far right.
BBC News
More than 100,000 people have been marching in the German capital Berlin to protest against xenophobia and the increasing influence of the far right.
34) Members Of A Far-Right Men’s Group Violently Beat Up Protesters And Weren’t Arrested. New York Police Won’t Say Why.
Julia Reinstein and Stephanie K. Baer, BuzzFeed
The NYPD ignored multiple emails from BuzzFeed News asking why Proud Boys members were not arrested for the violent assault.
35) THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CARRIED OUT THOUSANDS MORE FAMILY SEPARATIONS THAN PREVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED
Ryan Devereaux, Alice Speri and Cora Currier, The Intercept
MORE THAN A year after the Trump administration quietly began a program of separating migrant children from their families along the U.S.-Mexico border, the full number of people impacted remains unclear. According to a new report, however, the government’s own data indicates that the campaign was far more expansive — and far more destructive — than previously acknowledged.
36) Experts, IMF Fear Argentina’s Economic Crisis Could Affect Region
Telesur
The International Monetary Fund has warned that a worsening crisis in Argentina could affect neighboring countries, and that next year’s presidential election could increase political and economic uncertainty.
37) 'Democracy is Over': Colombian Court Rules Community Referendums Cannot Block Mining, Oil Projects
Telesur
Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of a Mansarovar Energy, a transnational oil and natural gas company, and against Indigenous communities in the municipality of Cumeral Thursday.
38) Communist challenger exposes cracks in Putin’s grip on power
Andrew Roth, The Guardian
The Communist wunderkind Valentin Konovalov should already be Siberia’s youngest governor, but the elections he’s supposed to win are cancelled every other week.
39) Many Native IDs Won't Be Accepted At North Dakota Polling Places
Camila Domonoske, NPR
Native American groups in North Dakota are scrambling to help members acquire new addresses, and new IDs, in the few weeks remaining before Election Day — the only way that some residents will be able to vote.
40) Salvadoran Bishop Romero Becomes Saint of The Americas
Telesur
Pope Francis on Sunday made murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero a saint, praising him for disregarding his own life "to be close to the poor and to his people".
Julia Reinstein and Stephanie K. Baer, BuzzFeed
The NYPD ignored multiple emails from BuzzFeed News asking why Proud Boys members were not arrested for the violent assault.
35) THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CARRIED OUT THOUSANDS MORE FAMILY SEPARATIONS THAN PREVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED
Ryan Devereaux, Alice Speri and Cora Currier, The Intercept
MORE THAN A year after the Trump administration quietly began a program of separating migrant children from their families along the U.S.-Mexico border, the full number of people impacted remains unclear. According to a new report, however, the government’s own data indicates that the campaign was far more expansive — and far more destructive — than previously acknowledged.
36) Experts, IMF Fear Argentina’s Economic Crisis Could Affect Region
Telesur
The International Monetary Fund has warned that a worsening crisis in Argentina could affect neighboring countries, and that next year’s presidential election could increase political and economic uncertainty.
37) 'Democracy is Over': Colombian Court Rules Community Referendums Cannot Block Mining, Oil Projects
Telesur
Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of a Mansarovar Energy, a transnational oil and natural gas company, and against Indigenous communities in the municipality of Cumeral Thursday.
38) Communist challenger exposes cracks in Putin’s grip on power
Andrew Roth, The Guardian
The Communist wunderkind Valentin Konovalov should already be Siberia’s youngest governor, but the elections he’s supposed to win are cancelled every other week.
39) Many Native IDs Won't Be Accepted At North Dakota Polling Places
Camila Domonoske, NPR
Native American groups in North Dakota are scrambling to help members acquire new addresses, and new IDs, in the few weeks remaining before Election Day — the only way that some residents will be able to vote.
40) Salvadoran Bishop Romero Becomes Saint of The Americas
Telesur
Pope Francis on Sunday made murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero a saint, praising him for disregarding his own life "to be close to the poor and to his people".
