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Lula Presses Maduro to Hold New Elections - The Friday AM Quickie 8/16/24

By Corey Pein —

I enjoy a German vacation as much as anyone, but I think I'll pass on the new Hard Rock Hotel in the old Nazi slave labor bunker, danke. Have a nice weekend, all! Jacob's back Monday. - Corey

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THE BIG NEWS

Even Maduro's Allies Don't Trust He Won the Election

It's hard to take the United States seriously on the subject of proper democratic governance in Venezuela, considering that the previous occupant of the White House seems to have backed yet another armed coup attempt by shady right-wing opposition figures – later boasting that "we would have taken it over, we would have gotten all that oil." But when it comes to the country's most recent elections, marked by a total lack of transparency and followed by indiscriminate mass arrests, the current liberal US administration is now in agreement with the leftist leaders of Brazil and Colombia: Venezuela should hold a do-over.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva conferred by phone on Wednesday with his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro. Yesterday, both leaders made separate statements calling on their ally, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, to hold new elections.

Lula went so far as to say he doesn't recognize Maduro as the winner of last month's election. "Maduro still has six months left in his term," Lula said in a radio interview, per the Associated Press. "He is the president regardless of the election. If he has good sense, he could call upon the people of Venezuela, perhaps even call for new elections, create an electoral committee and allow observers from around the world to monitor."

Petro echoed the idea, the Washington Post reports, "along with the possibility of a transitional shared government, a total lifting of sanctions against Venezuela and 'general national and international amnesty.'"

Asked yesterday if he agreed with the call for new elections in Venezuela, Biden said "I do," although the White House later walked back his clear and straightforward response. Malarkey!

One group that isn't happy with the proposal: Venezuelan opposition leaders. Opposition leader María Corina Machado called the suggestion "an insult," considering that her preferred candidate, Edmundo González, claims to have beaten Maduro in last month's vote by a wide margin. Despite the hard line they're taking in public, the Post reports that there is "a growing willingness among some opposition members to consider alternative options, including some type of power-sharing agreement or institutional changes for future elections." All of which Maduro may reject out of hand. But the chances of a negotiated compromise to defuse the crisis are better if the brokers are Lula and Petro versus Biden – or, god forbid, Trump and his mercenary flunkies.

Future of Democracy Watch: Biden Joins Harris to Tout Prescription Drug Price Cuts

  • Harris Backs Subsidies for Renters, Home Buyers, and New Parents; Corporate Landlord Crackdown; Ban on Grocery Price Gouging "'The days of "what's good for free enterprise is good for America" are over," said Felicia Wong, president of Roosevelt Forward, a left-leaning think tank," of the newly unveiled and strikingly progressive Harris-Walz economic agenda. via the Washington Post, NBC News and the Los Angeles Times.
  • Latest Polling Shows Harris Has 2 Paths to Win the Electoral College, While Trump Only Has 1 Meanwhile, Harris's entry into the race has improved the prospects for downballot Democrats in competitive states, but the party may need to flip a Republican Senate seat to win that chamber. via the Washington Post and HuffPost.
  • Flagging Trump Campaign Shakes Up Top Ranks, Brings Back 'the Bad Corey' (Lewandowski) The Republican presidential nominee's latest financial disclosures show a cyptocurrency wallet worth between $1 million and $5 million; a $7.15 million licensing payment from an NFT company; profits from property deals in Dubai and Oman; and over $100 million in new legal liabilities. via the Post, the New York Times, and NBC News.
  • Deranged Felon Seeks to Delay Sept. 18 Sentencing in Hush Money Case Until After the Election "I think I'm entitled to personal attacks," Trump said of Harris at his latest rambling golf club press conference. "They want me to be nice. But they're not being nice to me. They want to put me in prison." via the Associated Press and Politico.
  • JD Vance Dissolves Failed Ohio Charity That Employed Right-Wing Academic Who Denied Pharma Role in Opioid Epidemic The "not weird" Republican vice presidential nominee, who originally challenged Harris to a debate for some reason, has lowered his sights and agreed to an Oct. 1 debate on CBS with Democratic rival Tim Walz. via the AP and CBS News.
  • What About Harris? Secret Service Diverts Staff from Biden's Protective Detail to Bolster Trump's Security An anonymous current service official says the reassignment may be "unusual" but is "both necessary and feasible" due to President Biden's reduced travel schedule; agents will also be surrounding Trump's podium with bulletproof glass at future outdoor rallies. via the New York Times and ABC News.
  • It Stinks: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Snubs Rep. Andy Kim By Naming a Crony to Finish 'Gold Bar' Bob Mendendez' Senate Term Murphy declined to bolster the campaign of the popular Democratic Senate nominee, instead selecting his former chief of staff George Helmy, who continued to advise the governor after becoming a health care industry lobbyist, to serve a career-enhancing four-month stint in Washington, DC. via the New York Times.
  • Feds Subpoena New York City Mayor-Cop Eric Adams and His Campaign in Corruption Probe The subpoenas, which encompass demands for text messages and other documentation, "seek information in a number of areas, including travel by the mayor, his aides and others, as well as fund-raising." via the New York Times.

QUICKEST QUICKIES

  • Ukraine Captures Kursk Town as Fierce Fighting Spreads in Russia's Belgorod Region Meanwhile in Yekaterinburg, a Russian court sentenced US dual citizen and amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina of Los Angeles to 12 years in prison for "high treason," namely, donating $51.80 to a New York charity called Together for Ukraine. via the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
  • At Least 66 People Have Been Disappeared Since Cost-of-Living Protests Kicked Off in Kenya Last Month "Enforced disappearances have unfortunately become the modus operandi for the security authorities during these protests," says Hussein Khalid of the Haki Africa human rights group. "Not only is this practice unconstitutional but also illegal and an affront to people's rights and liberties." via the Guardian.
  • Louisiana Prison Farm Workers Who Supply Burger King and Walmart Deserve Heat Breaks and Shade, Federal Judge Rules Meanwhile in California, outdoor-heat safety inspections by the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health have declined 30 percent in recent years, some of the hottest on record, due to short staffing. via the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.
  • Detroit Judge Faces Consequences After Forcing 15-Year-Old Girl on Courthouse Field Trip Into Handcuffs and Jail Garb District court Judge Kenneth King has been temporarily removed from his criminal docket and forced to attend "necessary training" after traumatizing a teen participating in a nonprofit group's tour because she appeared sleepy and he didn't like "her whole attitude"; the girl's mother says she was likely sleepy "because we don't have a permanent address." via NBC News and the Detroit Free Press.

SOME NUMBER

40,005

That's how many people in Gaza have been killed in the past 10 months, according to the latest tally from the territory's Health Ministry. The figure is likely a massive undercount; a study last month in the Lancet medical journal estimated 186,000 direct and indirect deaths due to Israel's invasion and bombing campaign. The latest round of ceasefire talks in Qatar continues today, with Hamas declining to attend following the assassination of its lead negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran last month.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

8/16: It's Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with Mehdi Hasan, founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of the new media company Zeteo, to discuss the biggest stories of the week and the newest Zeteo documentary entitled "Israel's Reel Extremism". Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Matt Strackbein, better known as The Letterhack, and friend of the show Harvey Kaye, to discuss the comic strip they've collaborated on entitled The 'New Economic Bill of Rights' Comic Strip: A Vision for 2024 and Beyond, available on Common Dreams.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

BERNIE WATCHES THEO VON GO FULL COMMIE

Stick around for some classic Tupac.

What Walz Would Do For Possible Harris Administration

Reading the tea leaves around Reid Hoffman's crusade against Lina Khan.

PARTING WORDS

"This float presence represents these groups' desire to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity. This is not merely a cultural display, but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and religious supremacy."

-- The Indian American Muslim Council and other faith groups, in a letter to Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor-Cop Eric Adams requesting the removal of a float from New York City's upcoming India Day Parade that celebrates the destruction of Islamic religious sites. The float depicts the Ram Mandir, a brand-new Hindu temple built on the ruins of a 16th-century mosque that was destroyed by a Hindu nationalist mob in 1992, sparking riots that left more than 2,000 people dead. Far-right Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally consecrated the Ram Mandir earlier this year, saying "our Lord Ram has arrived."

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