Posted on Categories News & Comment

PBC News & Comment: Julian Assange Tells His Side of Swedish “Rape” Charge

Angering Swedish prosecutors who interviewed him, Assange releases his version of sexual encounters with Swedish woman pressured to charge him….--read Assange statement here

--in NY Times interview, Edward Snowden defines patriotism and explains why he won’t return to US to face trial

--NY Times editorial encourages Obama to be generous with pardons, commutations

--Trump will name retired Marine General John Kelly to run Homeland Security, at least it's not Kris Kobach

--Trump’s pick for EPA chief is worse than Myron Ebell; Scott Pruitt is Koch-sponsored Oklahoma attorney general who’s all-in for oil and gas barons

--The Guardian reveals that Koch Bros. and pal Harold Hamm are scoring big in the Trump transition, including Pruitt

--at DeSmogBlog, Steve Horn details how AG nominee Jeff Sessions wrote the bill that became the “Halliburton loophole” for fracking, with help from Harold Hamm

--lawyers say Trump can’t immediately reverse the decision not to grant easement for Dakota pipeline

--Paris is blanketed in smog, auto restrictions extended

--Trump’s unexpected phone call from Taiwan leader was orchestrated by former senator and prez candidate Bob Dole, a paid lobbyist for Taiwan

--lame-duck pork-barrel shenanigans, as GOP adds $10 billion in war funding and slips in a waiver for Mattis to serve as Defense Secretary

--reports that Islamic State is losing ground in Mosul and Aleppo

--Palestinian-American activist Rasmea Odeh is granted a new trial on charges that she lied in immigration documents