(2020-02-06). Russia's modernized Tu-160M nuclear-capable bomber takes to the skies for the 1st time (VIDEO). rt.com 
A modernized Tu-160, Russia's iconic strategic bomber, with brand new avionics, controls, and other equipment, took its maiden flight. The changes are said to have doubled its combat effectiveness. | Footage of the modernized plane was released by the Russian military on Thursday, though the test flight took place earlier this month at the Kazan aircraft plant proving grounds. The plane took a short trip, remaining in the air for about half an hour at an altitude of 1,500 meters. | The Tu-160 nuclear-capable supersonic bomber was introduced at the end of the Soviet era and has remained in the service of the…
(2020-02-06). Can the U.S. and Iran Avoid a Disastrous Collision? counterpunch.org With the United States walking out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—more commonly known as the Iran accord—we all enter into a heightened zone of danger. Trump is threatening a war on Iran through his statements and tweets, and now by his actions, assassinating serving Iranian and Iraqi generals on Iraqi soil. Assassinations are illegal in international law, but then Trump's understanding of domestic and international law is limited by what he thinks he can get away with. A war in the region now threatens its entire oil and shipping infrastructure, and can also take down the entire gl…
(2020-02-06). Refineries Are Spewing Cancer-Causing Benzene as Trump Slashes Enforcement. truthout.org On a spring evening in 2018, the sky across the New Orleans metro area lit up with fiery light. Friends and neighbors turned to each other with raised eyebrows, anxiety and dark humor. Did a nuclear bomb go off? Is an asteroid about to fall into Lake Pontchartrain? Is this the end? | We would soon learn from the evening news that
(2020-02-06). America's Newest Proxy Battle Could Spark World War 3. truthdig.com The Trump administration has put the U.S. on a collision course with Russia in Central Asia. It risks nothing less than a nuclear cataclysm.
(2020-02-06). Interview: Trump's Nuclear Insecurities and Other Secrets from the Author of "The Bomb" globalresearch.ca In this interview, Bulletin contributing editor Dawn Stover speaks with Fred Kaplan about his just-published book, The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster). Kaplan is a national-security columnist for Slate and the author …
(2020-02-06). Lebanon cabinet approves financial rescue plan. yenisafak.com Lebanon's cabinet approved on Thursday a government policy statement that includes a financial rescue plan with minor amendments, ministerial sources and local media said after the meeting.A draft policy statement seen by Reuters on Sunday outlined broad plans to tackle a deep financial crisis, including reducing interest rates, recapitalising banks, restructuring the public sector and seeking support from international donors.It was not immediately clear what amendments were made to the plan, which will be presented to parliament for a vote of confidence in the new government formed last month by the Iran-backed…
(2020-02-06). Turkey hosts events to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day. yenisafak.com The disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, huddled between South Asian nuclear powers India and Pakistan, is a pressing issue that the international community should take up, said speakers at several events on Wednesday held to commemorate the Kashmir Solidarity Day. "The [United Nations] decisions on Kashmir have been accepted by India, its first leader Jawahar Lal Nehru," said Burhan Kayaturk, the head of the Turkey-Pakistan Cultural Association, at an event at the Pakistan Embassy International School in the capital Ankara.Under Nehru's term, India went to the UN with the Kashmir issue where the international b…
(2020-02-05). Selected Article: Trump Ups Nuclear Ante with 'Mini-Nukes'. globalresearch.ca 
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer" | | | If, like us, this is a …
(2020-02-05). US Space Force conducts first ICBM launch after Moscow warned of threat of renewed arms race (PHOTOS). rt.com 
The newly-created US Space Force has test-fired a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time as Russia blasted it for "lowering the bar" on using nuclear weapons. | The unarmed land-based missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California shortly after midnight on Wednesday. It was the first such development test since the facility became part of the US Space Force, which was established as an independent military branch in late December. The US previously test-fired a missile of this type in October. | The Minuteman missiles are the key component of the US' land-…
(2020-02-05). Iran's Supreme Leader Says Trump's Peace Plan Will 'Die Soon'. telesurenglish.net Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for Middle East will "die soon." | RELATED: | Using his official Twitter account, the Iranian Supreme Leader tweeted on Tuesday, "Trump's 'Deal of the Century' will die earlier than Trump himself." | Trump recently unveiled his plan promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital, and proposes an indepen…
(2020-02-05). Trump Says War With Iran Was "Closer Than You Thought" Last Month. theantimedia.com Trump told reporters that the U.S. came "closer than you thought" to war with Iran last month.
(2020-02-05). US Policy Vs. Iran: Apex Desperation. globalresearch.ca In Washington's losing battle to maintain hegemony in the Middle East at the expense of the actual people and nations that exist there — it has resorted to high-level assassinations, unilateral strikes against targets within sovereign nations against the expressed …
(2020-02-05). Trump Ups Nuclear Ante with 'Mini-Nukes' Deployed on Subs to "Deter Russia" globalresearch.ca The United States has added a 'low yield' nuclear weapon to its submarine arsenal in a controversial first in decades, after the Trump administration called for its deployment as part of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review in order to "deter …
(2020-02-05). US Deploys New Low-Yield Nuclear Submarine Warhead. globalresearch.ca The US Navy has now deployed the new W76-2 low-yield Trident submarine warhead. The first ballistic missile submarine scheduled to deploy with the new warhead was the USS Tennessee (SSBN-734), which deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia during …
(2020-02-05). US Deploys Dangerous Nuclear Weapon for First Time Ever. telesurenglish.net The United States announced on Tuesday the deployment, for the first time, of a low-powered nuclear weapon on board a submarine, with the intention of dissuading Russia from using similar weapons. | In this context, marked by the alarm of a large-scale conflict between the U.S.
(2020-02-05). 'Today Marks a Countdown to Nuclear Chaos': Trump Urged to Extend Key Treaty With Russia. commondreams.org With just a year until the last remaining nuclear treaty between the United States and Russia expires, the Global Zero movement on Wednesday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to extend the pact and warned of the potential consequences if it ends. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_putin_0_1.jpeg …
(2020-02-04). U.S. deploys "usable" nuclear weapon amid continuing war threats against Iran. mronline.org 
The Pentagon deployed a new, smaller nuclear warhead aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee as it sailed into the Atlantic last month in the midst of the spiraling crisis with Iran. The weapon, known as the W76-2 warhead, has an explosive yield of roughly five kilotons, a third of the destructive power of the […] |
(2020-02-04). House tries again to stop Trump march to war on Iran. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—With bipartisan votes — more than a dozen Republicans joined all but a few ruling House Democrats — the House voted twice to again stop GOP President Donald Trump's march to war on Iran. First, lawmakers passed a measure dumping the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force, which GOP President George W. Bush sought and …
(2020-02-04). US deploys new weapon in its nuclear arsenal. thecanary.co 
The US military has deployed a new addition to its nuclear arsenal, a long-range missile armed with a nuclear warhead of reduced destructive power.The so-called low-yield missile joins other, more powerful weapons aboard stealthy submarines prowling the oceans.The debut deployment aboard long-range submarines, known as boomers, is a landmark in US nuclear weapons policy.It is the first major addition to the strategic nuclear arsenal in recent decades and is a departure from the Obama administration's policy of lessening dependence on nuclear weapons in pursuit of a nuclear-free world.In confirming the missile dep…
(2020-02-04). America's Long War: Is the Draft Coming Back? globalresearch.ca During recent increased US-Iran confrontation, so many people viewed the Selective Service website to find out about the draft that the website crashed. People were right to be concerned about a return of the draft. | With the ongoing military conflicts …
(2020-02-04). Headlines for February 4, 2020. democracynow.org Delay in Iowa Democratic Primary Results Causes Confusion, Mixed Messages, Final Arguments Made in Impeachment Trial of President Trump Ahead of SOTU, Hong Kong Medical Workers Demand Border Closure as Coronavirus Claims Life of Hong Kong Man, Leaked Audio Shows Iran Knew It Downed Ukraine Jet Despite Early Denials, Syrian and Turkish Forces Escalate Attacks as Turkey Suffers First Losses from Direct Combat, Massachusetts Prisoners Allege Violent Retaliatory Abuse by Guards, Trial Begins For Ex-CIA Software Engineer Accused of "Vault 7" Leak, Weinstein Rape Accuser Breaks Down During Harsh Questioning, Shooting a…
(2020-02-03). ACLU: Trump Is Expanding His Racist Travel Ban, This Time Targeting Africans. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has expanded its contested travel ban to six additional countries — most of which are African nations. Under the new restrictions, nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to obtain visas to live and work in the U.S., while Sudan and Tanzania will no longer be able to participate in the diversity visa lottery program. The ban, commonly referred to as the "Muslim ban," already affects citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea. The expansion is expected to affect more than 350 million people. Democrats say they will…
(2020-02-02). War with Iran Is at Stake—and Democrats' High Jumps Over Low Standards Aren't Helping. zcomm.org The huge crisis with Iran is more dangerous because so many Democrats have been talking out of both sides of their mouths…
(2020-02-01). Israel has played a key role in US aggression towards Iran. thegrayzone.com Before the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, Israel played a key and overlooked role in the Trump administration's aggression campaign against…
(2020-01-31). Wealthy Gulf States Plan to Spend Big to Coax Syria Away from Iran. mintpressnews.com 
In the first of a three-part series, Agha Hussein investigates efforts by wealthy Gulf Arab countries to ply post-war Syria away from Iran by investing heavily in its reconstruction.
(2020-01-31). Headlines for January 31, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Poised to Acquit President Trump in Impeachment Trial, World Health Organization Declares International Public Health Emergency, U.S. Special Envoy Warns of International Crisis in Idlib, Syria, Britain Formally Withdrawing from European Union Tonight, Pentagon Deploys 1st Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead-Armed Submarine, Trump Admin Poised to Loosen Restrictions on Use of Landmines, Human Rights Groups Condemn Mexico for Crackdown on Central American Migrants, Mexican Butterfly Conservationist Found Dead, Bolivia's Movement for Socialism Candidate Luis Arce Returns to Bolivia, U.S. Pushes EU to End Ban on Chemic…
(2020-01-31). House Votes to Rein in Trump's Iran War Powers While Ending Endless Wars. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — January 30, 2020 — In response to two high-profile war powers votes on the House floor today, Peace Action released the following statement: "Our nation's endless wars are on autopilot, with Trump fitfully grabbing the steering wheel until his attention wanders somewhere else. Today's votes are a step toward Congress reclaiming its …
(2020-01-31). East LA demands: "No war against Iran" fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On January 25, protesters joined together at the U.S. Marine recruitment center to demand "No war against Iran!" The event was organized by the 50th Chicano Moratorium Organizing Committee and was part of a day of action across the U.S. against war with Iran. | The largest Chicano Moratorium happened on August 29, 1970 in which 30,000 Chicanos marched through East Los Angeles (ELA) to demand an end of the Vietnam War and against the draft. The protest was met with heavy repression from the sheriffs, and hundreds were arrested and three left dead, including Chicano journalist Ruben Salazar. | Pr…
(2020-01-30). US government censorship? Social media giants disappear accounts of Iranian and Venezuelan academics, journalists. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil talks with Professor Mohammad Marandi of the University of Tehran. Professor Marandi's Facebook and Instagram…
(2020-01-29). Pentagon Now Says 50 US Troops Suffered Brain Injuries in Iran's Missile Strike. theantimedia.com Hours after the attack, President Trump had announced that "no Americans were harmed."
(2020-01-10). Gregory Shupak on Iran Assassination, Brett Hartl on Biodiversity Loss. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-01-08). In the ongoing crisis, Congress must rein in Trump's war powers. peaceaction.org As we feared, President Trump's reckless assassination of Iran's Gen. Soleimani resulted in escalation — direct Iranian missile attacks on two military bases in Iraq. It's painful to watch more violence in a country that has already suffered far too much from endless war. All parties in the US/Iran conflict must cease military action and …
(2019-12-22). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
(2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …
(2019-09-25). Take Action to Avoid War with Iran. peaceaction.org photo credit Dear Groundswell Readers, We have to keep pushing Congress this week if we want to avoid war with Iran. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said recently that the U.K. might join a U.S.-led military effort in the Gulf. When other nations step up to join the "coalition of the willing" it's often a bad sign. …
(2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …
(2019-06-28). Most Senators Oppose War with Iran Without Congressional Approval. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 28, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting 50-40 in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block funding for military action against Iran without congressional approval, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because …
(2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-20). Striking Iran Now Could Spark a Major War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 20, 2019 — In response to reports that the Trump administration is considering strikes on Iran in response to the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "The United States has stumbled into a perilous situation. If, for example, the U.S. …