Guardian’s False Assange Story
Neo-Nazis Try to Shut Down Leftist Gathering Places ; US and UN Excluded from Syrian Ceasefire ...and More Picks
PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
Guardian Caught Publishing Fake News (Trevin)
The Intercept outlines how Ben Jacobs of The Guardian fabricated comments by Julian Assange to accuse him of a long-standing relationship with Putin, and “guarded praise of Trump” over Clinton. The article went viral, “causing hundreds of thousands of people (if not millions) to consume false news.”
China’s Islamic Terrorism or Ethnic Uprising? (Dan)
A Communist Party office was recently attacked by members of an ethnic Muslim minority in the province Xinjiang. Government officials deem the attack terrorism, while the group, Uighurs, deem treatment in China as historically repressive.
Neo-Nazis Seek Way to Shut Lefty Gatherings, Citing Oakland Club Fire (Russ)
Exploiting the tragedy in an Oakland warehouse, neo-Nazi groups are urging members to cite zoning laws to shut down places where left-leaning activists gather.
Charts: Current US Economy vs What It Could Be (Celia)
From minimum wage to CEO pay to productivity, these historical charts demonstrate current economic realities against what they in theory could (should?) be.
Will Brokered Ceasefire Between in Syria Last? (Dan)
The US and the UN have been excluded from current, and apparently successful, peace talks between the Syrian government and rebel fighters. Previous ceasefire agreements have failed due to disagreements about the fate of Syrian president Assad. Furthermore, forming a cohesive group of the rebels – many tethered to Al-Qaeda – has caused difficulty.
