mintpressnews--2020-07-27--Israel Rolls Out Dystopian Cyber Espionage Award for US-Backed Digital Saboteurs

A “ mastermind in the field of cyber espionage ” will be awarded a lifetime achievement by the state of Israel in September .
The “ Israel Defense Award ” ceremony is slated to take place in the residence of President Reuven Rivlin , himself a former member of the IDF ’ s intelligence corps , Haman , which is tasked with “ collecting , disseminating , and publishing intelligence information.
” In addition , prizes will also be handed out to members of three secret cybersecurity projects developed by Mossad , the IDF , the Shin Bet and MAFAT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Technological Infrastructure ) that have made a “ long-standing contribution to national security and for initiating many technological solutions ” , not to mention the forging of close ties to the U.S. National Security state .
The identity of the “ legendary ” Israeli spy who is slated to receive the official commendation has not been revealed and has only been referred to as “ Aleph “ ; said to be in his forties and well-known both in Israeli and American intelligence circles .
He is described as a “ phenomenon ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lucrative career in the tech industry in order to serve the national interest .
The mystery-man was credited with creating a “ significant part ” of the work in Israeli cybersecurity by an unnamed acquaintance .
Current Israeli Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister , Benny Gantz announced the winners and heaped praise on Israel ’ s “ human capital , ” whose work proves that there are “ no borders in the war on Israel ’ s security.
” Indeed , this statement by the IDF ’ s former chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the corporate partners who are a part of the winning projects ; the first of which is a joint collaboration between the Israeli national intelligence agency , Mossad , the Rafael Company , the Israeli Air Force and a new IDF Intelligence Unit 9900 , which “ provided the IDF with unique capabilities ” and “ technological breakthroughs.
” The Rafael Company , ( Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. ) , is also involved in the second project to be recognized by the Israeli state , along with Elbit Systems .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracts outside of Israel and the U.S. , in particular Elbit Systems received a contract from the U.S. government last year to build an “ integrated ” surveillance system across the Arizona-Mexico border spanning over 200 linear miles .
They have since deployed dozens of “ sophisticated ” cameras on towers along the border and have also secured multi-million dollar contracts to equip an unnamed Southeast Asian navy ’ s ships with their AI-enabled technology for “ complex reconnaissance missions.
” The Rafael Company , meanwhile , is a major player in international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creator of the “ Iron Dome ” anti-missile technology through a subsidiary company , mPrest .
The Iron Dome software is currently running on “ critical infrastructure systems ” in the United States and has been a recent subject of concern for the U.S. military , who refused to integrate the software into its air defense systems after the Israeli company failed to provide the source code , resulting in the loss of a $ 600 million-dollar contract for the Tel-Aviv-based company .
The Rafael Company subsidiary , nevertheless , has partnered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission-critical monitoring ” services to sectors of the U.S. power grid .
mPrest ’ s “ System of Systems ” has been integrated by San Diego Gas & Electric ( SDG & E ) , Southern Company – the second-largest utility company in the United States – and others .
The New York Power Authority ( NYPA ) entered into a partnership with the Israeli company in 2017 to deploy their technology in a number of utility plants across the state .
In the official statement issued by Gantz announcing the prize winners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that their work “ was done in secret , ” while President Rivlin lauded the “ long nights , days , weeks and months of exhausting and grueling work ” put forward by the recipients of the Eliyahu Golomb award , named after the commander and chief architect of the Haganah ( the Defence ) militia – a paramilitary organization that would eventually become the IDF after the founding of the Jewish state and progenitor of terrorist organizations like Irgun and the Stern Gang .
The history of the Haganah provides a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain U.S. interests and the state of Israel , dating back to its gestation period during the British mandate of Palestine , as well as a direct link to Israel ’ s present-day cybersecurity technology apparatus through a young RCA engineer from New York , Dan Fliderblum , who was recruited by the Zionist guerilla to set up a “ network of secret radio transmitters in Palestine ” to protect their illegal arms smuggling operation .
Fliderblum would later change his name to David Avivi and pioneer the Isreali electronics industry .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprised of the Sicilian and Jewish mafias , often referred to as “ Murder , Inc. ” controlled the Port of New York .
Meyer Lansky , as leader of the New York crime families , was approached by Haganah operative and close aid to Ben-Gurion , Yehuda Arazi , to help move weapons to Palestine .
Arazi was an underground agent who had been doing Ben-Gurion ’ s bidding throughout Europe for years and was sent to the United States by the future first Prime Minister of Israel to procure heavy armaments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tanks [ and ] antiaircraft guns.
” Jewish mobsters in the United States would henceforth play a pivotal role in obtaining and providing financial and other resources to the Haganah .
Notorious Jewish gangsters , like Bugsy Siegel , Longy Zwillman , and Moe Dalitz , met with another Haganah agent every week in 1946 in the back of a Los Angeles restaurant to arrange or deliver money to finance the ongoing war in Palestine .
The extent of the mob ’ s involvement in these operations came to light when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ syndicate ” was forced to return to Newark by bad weather , causing the entire shipment of aircraft , which included twenty AT-6 airplanes , to be confiscated .
As for the man whose name dons the prize Israel will award its undisclosed cyber-tech heroes in a few months ’ time , it was his arguments in favor of a “ much more extensive and orderly defensive force , ” that convinced Ben-Gurion to move ahead with the creation of the IDF and , along with it , the establishment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hinder the social advancement of the Jews involved , like the case of Miami mob figure Sam Kay , who it is claimed , was motivated to aid the Haganah ’ s arms-smuggling operation to “ clean up ” his own image and help his daughter marry up .
The partners of today ’ s IDF-linked tech initiatives read more like a blue-chip investment portfolio than a police rap sheet , but the scope of the crimes dwarf those that occurred in the days of jukeboxes and trench coats .
The myriad cybersecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Israel ’ s state-funded organizations have extensive ties to Fortune 100 companies like Apple , Google , Microsoft , and many others .
The vast majority of these startups originate in military outfits like Unit 8200 , which has been the center of offensive cyber warfare technology like Stuxnet , co-developed with the United States to take down an Iranian nuclear facility in 2010 , among other covert operations and initiatives .
While Israel won ’ t reveal the names of the winners selected for the Israel Defense prize awarded every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can take a few educated guesses as to who might have been some of the finalists .
People like Lior Div come to mind ; founder of a cybersecurity company called Cybereason , which has been running simulations on behalf of the U.S. government of a foreign-hacked 2020 general election .
The table-top exercise predicted dozens of dead Americans , hundreds injured , and an election that never happens .
Div fits the age-range given for the winner of the lifetime achievement award but would be eliminated from consideration if we take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the millions he could have made in the private sector .
Lior Div ’ s company is currently valued at just over $ 1 billion and his own net worth can be assumed to be near that , at least .
There are other potential nominees , such as Amit Yoran , who certainly fits the bill of an individual who is “ known in [ the Israeli ] and the American intelligence community ” as reported in several pieces about the mysterious “ Aleph.
” Yoran fits the age profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cybersecurity chief at DHS has the credentials to be recognized in both the halls of the Mossad and CIA ’ s Langley headquarters .
But , he too has thrown his hat into the private sector many times and is currently CEO of a cybersecurity firm called Tenable , which offers solutions to address “ vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in your modern IT environment.
” If lifetime achievement is the true criteria , then former head of Mossad , Tamir Pardo , might be considered as the potential candidate that could claim that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Defense ] work was created by him personally due to his special talent.
” Pardo served under Bibi Netanhayu ’ s brother , Yoni ’ s military command , and has been a member of Israel ’ s top brass for a very long time .
Pardo once described Mossad as a “ criminal organization with a license.
” But , far from a critique , Pardo followed his controversial statement by admitting it was “ the fun part.
” Feature photo | Israel ’ s Electric Corp vice president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ofir Hason , watch a cyber team work at the ‘ CyberGym ’ school in the coastal city of Hadera .
Dan Balilty | AP

A “mastermind in the field of cyber espionage” will be awarded a lifetime achievement by the state of Israel in September. The “Israel Defense Award” ceremony is slated to take place in the residence of President Reuven Rivlin, himself a former member of the IDF’s intelligence corps, Haman, which is tasked with “collecting, disseminating, and publishing intelligence information.” In addition, prizes will also be handed out to members of three secret cybersecurity projects developed by Mossad, the IDF, the Shin Bet and MAFAT (Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure) that have made a “long-standing contribution to national security and for initiating many technological solutions”, not to mention the forging of close ties to the U.S. National Security state.
The identity of the “legendary” Israeli spy who is slated to receive the official commendation has not been revealed and has only been referred to as “Aleph“; said to be in his forties and well-known both in Israeli and American intelligence circles. He is described as a “phenomenon” of the cyber field who turned down a lucrative career in the tech industry in order to serve the national interest. The mystery-man was credited with creating a “significant part” of the work in Israeli cybersecurity by an unnamed acquaintance.
Current Israeli Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister, Benny Gantz announced the winners and heaped praise on Israel’s “human capital,” whose work proves that there are “no borders in the war on Israel’s security.” Indeed, this statement by the IDF’s former chief of staff can be corroborated by taking a look at the corporate partners who are a part of the winning projects; the first of which is a joint collaboration between the Israeli national intelligence agency, Mossad, the Rafael Company, the Israeli Air Force and a new IDF Intelligence Unit 9900, which “provided the IDF with unique capabilities” and “technological breakthroughs.” The Rafael Company, (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.), is also involved in the second project to be recognized by the Israeli state, along with Elbit Systems. Both of these companies have major cybersecurity contracts outside of Israel and the U.S., in particular
Critical infrastructure
Elbit Systems received a contract from the U.S. government last year to build an “integrated” surveillance system across the Arizona-Mexico border spanning over 200 linear miles. They have since deployed dozens of “sophisticated” cameras on towers along the border and have also secured multi-million dollar contracts to equip an unnamed Southeast Asian navy’s ships with their AI-enabled technology for “complex reconnaissance missions.”
The Rafael Company, meanwhile, is a major player in international weapons systems development and is the principal creator of the “Iron Dome” anti-missile technology through a subsidiary company, mPrest. The Iron Dome software is currently running on “critical infrastructure systems” in the United States and has been a recent subject of concern for the U.S. military, who refused to integrate the software into its air defense systems after the Israeli company failed to provide the source code, resulting in the loss of a $600 million-dollar contract for the Tel-Aviv-based company.
The Rafael Company subsidiary, nevertheless, has partnered with several American utility companies, providing “mission-critical monitoring” services to sectors of the U.S. power grid. mPrest’s “System of Systems” has been integrated by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Southern Company – the second-largest utility company in the United States – and others. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) entered into a partnership with the Israeli company in 2017 to deploy their technology in a number of utility plants across the state.
In the official statement issued by Gantz announcing the prize winners, he gave special attention to the fact that their work “was done in secret,” while President Rivlin lauded the “long nights, days, weeks and months of exhausting and grueling work” put forward by the recipients of the Eliyahu Golomb award, named after the commander and chief architect of the Haganah (the Defence) militia – a paramilitary organization that would eventually become the IDF after the founding of the Jewish state and progenitor of terrorist organizations like Irgun and the Stern Gang.
Old collaborators
The history of the Haganah provides a unique look into the permanent relationship between certain U.S. interests and the state of Israel, dating back to its gestation period during the British mandate of Palestine, as well as a direct link to Israel’s present-day cybersecurity technology apparatus through a young RCA engineer from New York, Dan Fliderblum, who was recruited by the Zionist guerilla to set up a “network of secret radio transmitters in Palestine” to protect their illegal arms smuggling operation. Fliderblum would later change his name to David Avivi and pioneer the Isreali electronics industry.
At the time, an organized crime association comprised of the Sicilian and Jewish mafias, often referred to as “Murder, Inc.” controlled the Port of New York. Meyer Lansky, as leader of the New York crime families, was approached by Haganah operative and close aid to Ben-Gurion, Yehuda Arazi, to help move weapons to Palestine. Arazi was an underground agent who had been doing Ben-Gurion’s bidding throughout Europe for years and was sent to the United States by the future first Prime Minister of Israel to procure heavy armaments, including “aircraft, artillery pieces, tanks [and] antiaircraft guns.”
Jewish mobsters in the United States would henceforth play a pivotal role in obtaining and providing financial and other resources to the Haganah. Notorious Jewish gangsters, like Bugsy Siegel, Longy Zwillman, and Moe Dalitz, met with another Haganah agent every week in 1946 in the back of a Los Angeles restaurant to arrange or deliver money to finance the ongoing war in Palestine.
The extent of the mob’s involvement in these operations came to light when the FBI seized a B-25 bomber obtained by the “syndicate” was forced to return to Newark by bad weather, causing the entire shipment of aircraft, which included twenty AT-6 airplanes, to be confiscated.
As for the man whose name dons the prize Israel will award its undisclosed cyber-tech heroes in a few months’ time, it was his arguments in favor of a “much more extensive and orderly defensive force,” that convinced Ben-Gurion to move ahead with the creation of the IDF and, along with it, the establishment of less suspect partnerships that wouldn’t hinder the social advancement of the Jews involved, like the case of Miami mob figure Sam Kay, who it is claimed, was motivated to aid the Haganah’s arms-smuggling operation to “clean up” his own image and help his daughter marry up.
The candidates
The partners of today’s IDF-linked tech initiatives read more like a blue-chip investment portfolio than a police rap sheet, but the scope of the crimes dwarf those that occurred in the days of jukeboxes and trench coats. The myriad cybersecurity, AI, and IoT startups emerging out of Israel’s state-funded organizations have extensive ties to Fortune 100 companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and many others. The vast majority of these startups originate in military outfits like Unit 8200, which has been the center of offensive cyber warfare technology like Stuxnet, co-developed with the United States to take down an Iranian nuclear facility in 2010, among other covert operations and initiatives.
While Israel won’t reveal the names of the winners selected for the Israel Defense prize awarded every year for the past six decades, we can take a few educated guesses as to who might have been some of the finalists. People like Lior Div come to mind; founder of a cybersecurity company called Cybereason, which has been running simulations on behalf of the U.S. government of a foreign-hacked 2020 general election. The table-top exercise predicted dozens of dead Americans, hundreds injured, and an election that never happens.
Div fits the age-range given for the winner of the lifetime achievement award but would be eliminated from consideration if we take the claim seriously that the recipient shied away from the millions he could have made in the private sector. Lior Div’s company is currently valued at just over $1 billion and his own net worth can be assumed to be near that, at least.
There are other potential nominees, such as Amit Yoran, who certainly fits the bill of an individual who is “known in [the Israeli] and the American intelligence community” as reported in several pieces about the mysterious “Aleph.” Yoran fits the age profile, as well, and as former Cybersecurity chief at DHS has the credentials to be recognized in both the halls of the Mossad and CIA’s Langley headquarters. But, he too has thrown his hat into the private sector many times and is currently CEO of a cybersecurity firm called Tenable, which offers solutions to address “vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in your modern IT environment.”
If lifetime achievement is the true criteria, then former head of Mossad, Tamir Pardo, might be considered as the potential candidate that could claim that a “not insignificant part of [Israel’s Defense] work was created by him personally due to his special talent.” Pardo served under Bibi Netanhayu’s brother, Yoni’s military command, and has been a member of Israel’s top brass for a very long time. Pardo once described Mossad as a “criminal organization with a license.” But, far from a critique, Pardo followed his controversial statement by admitting it was “the fun part.”
Feature photo | Israel’s Electric Corp vice president, Yasha Hain, second left, and Ofir Hason, watch a cyber team work at the ‘CyberGym’ school in the coastal city of Hadera. Dan Balilty | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-28--Antitrust Hearings Delayed as Tech Giants Push Ahead with Ruthless Market Dominance

The much-anticipated antitrust hearing originally scheduled for Monday , July 27 has been moved to Wednesday for the ostensible purpose of allowing members of Congress to pay their respects to recently deceased Rep. John Lewis .
The hearing , which is to feature the testimony of big tech CEOs Tim Cook , Mark Zuckerberg , Jeff Bezos , and Sundar Pichai is supposed to wrap things up for the House Judiciary Committee ’ s year-long investigation into “ anti-competitive behavior in the tech sector.
” The Committee is supposed to release its findings later this summer or in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections .
Much has been made about the “ major concession ” or “ breakthrough negotiations ” regarding the mere presence of these high-powered chief executives at the hearing , which underscores the very problem facing the country and the world over the excessive influence these corporations wield over our lives .
Whether the robber barons of our time will be physically present or simply chime in via a Zoom video chat has yet to be determined .
Perhaps they ’ ll each make use of their own proprietary video-conferencing apps to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been called the “ most sweeping congressional probe to date , ” though that is not saying much considering the complete lack of regulatory oversight of these mammoth companies , who have been allowed to operate virtually unfettered over the last 20 years .
Apple , Google , Facebook , and Amazon are said to be in the crosshairs of the Congressional investigation , but even the communications between the company CEOs and lawmakers about their testimony before the Committee reveal the true pecking order .
Jeff Bezos , for instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by conditioning his presence : “ Of course , ” the letter addressed to the Committee stated , “ we will need to resolve a number of questions regarding timing , format , and outstanding document production issues , all necessarily framed by the extraordinary demands of the global pandemic.
” Other CEOs , like Tim Cook , responded with similar caveats to the provision of documents and other evidentiary material requested by the Congressional body .
A letter from Apple ’ s attorney called the Committee ’ s demands “ highly unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its corporate secrets and “ other competitively sensitive information would be withheld from its many competitors , ” essentially accusing the government of preemptive corporate spying .
Just one week ago , in the span of 24 hours , Jeff Bezos increased his net worth by dollars .
The obscenity of such an immense jump in wealth underscores the growing disparity between the uber-rich and regular people , who are in the midst of an ongoing economic catastrophe and millions of whom are facing the prospect of losing their homes in the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , the tech giants are using every dirty trick at their disposal to increase their riches and power to a level seen only in the days of John D. Rockefeller… or Caligula .
Their ability to manipulate markets and near-total control over modern-day communications makes their power virtually unassailable .
Examples of the types of activities Congress will have to curtail abound .
Amazon , for example , used its own venture capital firm to attract startups who shared details about their products and services only to see Amazon launch their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexa Fund would purchase stakes in companies like Nucleus – which made a video communication device for the home – to gain access to the startup ’ s plans .
Eight months after their “ investment ” in Nucleus , Amazon would launch the “ Echo Show , ” which directly competed with Nucleus ’ product .
This is a pattern Amazon has been shown to engage in with regularity , but it is not alone among the tech giants .
Facebook also has a history of doing the exact same thing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monopoly through its “ iOS App Store , ” which erects high bars of entry for third-party developers through onerous fees and rules described by some developers as a “ Kafka-esque nightmare.
” Meanwhile , Apple puts no such barriers in the way of its own apps .
The problem doesn ’ t end at unfair market practices , however , since the power these companies now wield by virtue of the wholesale transformation of society and economy into a digital environment , means these giant corporations have a stake in practically every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century .
The race to “ connectivity ” has placed the Apples and the Googles of the world in a position of near-limitless power , which – on certain levels – far exceeds the judicial mechanisms that exist to curtail it .
“ When you connect all of society , you connect all of society ’ s problems as well , ” says tech research scientist , Benedict Evans .
In a recent article about tech regulation , Evans points out that the tech industry embodies all the complexities that were present in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as banking or the airline industry .
But , not only do tech companies present a far larger sample of complexity , the timeframe in which we , as a society , must deal with the implications of this reality is immeasurably more compressed .
Evans quotes an old colleague who “ liked to say that software is eating the world.
” He agrees that , in fact , it did eat the world .
But , also reminds us that regulation can only go so far in reigning in these new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the enormous social issues that their unrestrained existence up to this point has already caused .
Feature photo | This combination of 2019-2020 photos shows Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , Apple CEO Tim Cook , Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg , July 29 , 2020 , the four Big Tech leaders facing antitrust hearings in front of Congress by the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust .
Pablo Martinez Monsivais | Evan Vucci , Jeff Chiu | Jens Meyer | AP

The much-anticipated antitrust hearing originally scheduled for Monday, July 27 has been moved to Wednesday for the ostensible purpose of allowing members of Congress to pay their respects to recently deceased Rep. John Lewis.
The hearing, which is to feature the testimony of big tech CEOs Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sundar Pichai is supposed to wrap things up for the House Judiciary Committee’s year-long investigation into “anti-competitive behavior in the tech sector.” The Committee is supposed to release its findings later this summer or in the fall, on the eve of the presidential elections.
Much has been made about the “major concession” or “breakthrough negotiations” regarding the mere presence of these high-powered chief executives at the hearing, which underscores the very problem facing the country and the world over the excessive influence these corporations wield over our lives. Whether the robber barons of our time will be physically present or simply chime in via a Zoom video chat has yet to be determined. Perhaps they’ll each make use of their own proprietary video-conferencing apps to attend remotely.
The Committee’s investigation has been called the “most sweeping congressional probe to date,” though that is not saying much considering the complete lack of regulatory oversight of these mammoth companies, who have been allowed to operate virtually unfettered over the last 20 years.
Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon are said to be in the crosshairs of the Congressional investigation, but even the communications between the company CEOs and lawmakers about their testimony before the Committee reveal the true pecking order. Jeff Bezos, for instance, responded to the Senate’s request by conditioning his presence: “Of course,” the letter addressed to the Committee stated, “we will need to resolve a number of questions regarding timing, format, and outstanding document production issues, all necessarily framed by the extraordinary demands of the global pandemic.”
Other CEOs, like Tim Cook, responded with similar caveats to the provision of documents and other evidentiary material requested by the Congressional body. A letter from Apple’s attorney called the Committee’s demands “highly unusual and burdensome” and expressed doubts that its corporate secrets and “other competitively sensitive information would be withheld from its many competitors,” essentially accusing the government of preemptive corporate spying.
Unfair practices
Just one week ago, in the span of 24 hours, Jeff Bezos increased his net worth by $13 billion dollars. The obscenity of such an immense jump in wealth underscores the growing disparity between the uber-rich and regular people, who are in the midst of an ongoing economic catastrophe and millions of whom are facing the prospect of losing their homes in the coming months as federal government handouts run out.
Meanwhile, the tech giants are using every dirty trick at their disposal to increase their riches and power to a level seen only in the days of John D. Rockefeller… or Caligula. Their ability to manipulate markets and near-total control over modern-day communications makes their power virtually unassailable.
Examples of the types of activities Congress will have to curtail abound. Amazon, for example, used its own venture capital firm to attract startups who shared details about their products and services only to see Amazon launch their own versions. The $200 million Alexa Fund would purchase stakes in companies like Nucleus – which made a video communication device for the home – to gain access to the startup’s plans. Eight months after their “investment” in Nucleus, Amazon would launch the “Echo Show,” which directly competed with Nucleus’ product.
This is a pattern Amazon has been shown to engage in with regularity, but it is not alone among the tech giants. Facebook also has a history of doing the exact same thing, while Apple has exploited its mobile application monopoly through its “iOS App Store,” which erects high bars of entry for third-party developers through onerous fees and rules described by some developers as a “Kafka-esque nightmare.” Meanwhile, Apple puts no such barriers in the way of its own apps.
More than economics
The problem doesn’t end at unfair market practices, however, since the power these companies now wield by virtue of the wholesale transformation of society and economy into a digital environment, means these giant corporations have a stake in practically every human activity as defined in the 21st century.
The race to “connectivity” has placed the Apples and the Googles of the world in a position of near-limitless power, which – on certain levels – far exceeds the judicial mechanisms that exist to curtail it. “When you connect all of society, you connect all of society’s problems as well,” says tech research scientist, Benedict Evans.
In a recent article about tech regulation, Evans points out that the tech industry embodies all the complexities that were present in previous regulatory battles against large industries, such as banking or the airline industry. But, not only do tech companies present a far larger sample of complexity, the timeframe in which we, as a society, must deal with the implications of this reality is immeasurably more compressed. Evans quotes an old colleague who “liked to say that software is eating the world.” He agrees that, in fact, it did eat the world. But, also reminds us that regulation can only go so far in reigning in these new monopolies because they cannot ultimately solve the enormous social issues that their unrestrained existence up to this point has already caused.
Feature photo | This combination of 2019-2020 photos shows Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, July 29, 2020, the four Big Tech leaders facing antitrust hearings in front of Congress by the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust. Pablo Martinez Monsivais | Evan Vucci, Jeff Chiu | Jens Meyer | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-28--US Threatens European backers of Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, NATO in DC’s Crosshairs

The U.S. is starting to fret about the imminent completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , the second of two underwater gas pipelines running from the Russian Baltic city of Ust-Luga to Greifswald , Germany , and has begun issuing informal threats of repercussions to companies who are backing the nearly-finished project .
According to unnamed sources , at least a dozen American officials from three separate departments held video conference calls with European contractors working on the pipeline , while U.S. Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo reportedly warned private European backers of “ risk [ ing ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the key energy infrastructure project .
Several European energy concerns , such as France ’ s Engie , Germany ’ s Wintershall Dea and Uniper and Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell have indirect financial ties to the massive $ 11.7 billion-dollar underwater oil pipeline being constructed by Russia ’ s partially state-owned Gazprom , which will double Russia ’ s oil export capacity to Europe and seriously infringe on Atlanticist designs over the old continent .
Only six percent of the 1,200-mile pipeline remains to be laid in Danish waters , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European contractors working on that particular stretch .
However , Denmark has recently circumvented the sanctions by licensing different vessels , and construction is set to resume by September .
Gazprom CEO , Alexei Miller disregarded claims that U.S. sanctions would stop the project from being completed , and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the pipeline would be commissioned before the end of this year .
The completion of the Russian pipeline would mean a practical end to the viability of American LNG exports to Europe ; a fate the U.S. has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s beginning in 2012 .
On July 15 , the U.S. State Department updated its public guidance on sanctions against Russia and singled the pipeline project , imposing “ sanctions on “ a person ” that “ knowingly ” invests in Russian energy export pipelines , or that sells Russia goods , technology or services for such pipelines where certain monetary thresholds are met.
” The revised Countering America ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ( CAATSA ) reverses previous stipulations , which contained explicit exemptions for any pipeline projects that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nord Stream 2 falls within this category and given that the investment threshold for triggering sanctions is relatively low , practically “ any significant work done to advance the Nord Stream II pipeline ” could be at risk of being targeted by U.S. economic warfare .
The potential ramifications of the new guidance are significant in light of Germany ’ s clear interest in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project as well as their recent ascent to several key leadership roles within NATO and the EU .
Tensions between the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Trump ’ s intention to withdraw U.S. troops from the Teuton nation – have started to rise as a result of the pipeline ’ s unique potential to diminish American influence over its European partners .
German Foreign Minister , Heiko Maas , admitted that the relationship between his country and the U.S. while remaining cordial , was now “ complicated.
” Meanwhile , a member of the German Bundestag ( parliament ) , Christian Schmidt , called for the resumption of talks surrounding the inclusion of Russia into NATO ; a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union .
Such rhetoric coming from a key U.S. ally in Europe and a vital NATO member could be the canary in the coal mine for an eventual trade war between the U.S. and the EU .
In addition to Schmidt , who was Germany ’ s Minister of food and agriculture and the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure , a group of German MPs have outright stated that the revised CAATSA targeting the Nord Stream 2 project was nothing less than a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unilateral strategy of economic aggression against its traditional allies in Europe is facilitated by its position as the number one trading partner of Europe and its second provider of goods and services after China .
But the pressure to bow down to Washington ’ s dictates is starting to fray the boundaries of diplomacy and the threat of an actual trade war between the U.S. and Europe is becoming a strong possibility .
Even the Atlantic Council , a U.S.-controlled think tank for NATO policy , is beginning to question whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future ” in a recent article recapping a debate similarly titled “ Is NATO still relevant ?
.
” The panelists were mostly of the same mindset when it came to the diminishing importance of the post-war Atlanticist alliance from the American perspective and making the argument that it no longer served U.S. “ defense needs.
” Participants stressed China ’ s preeminent role as America ’ s new main antagonist and expressed skepticism over NATO countries ’ willingness to provide any “ military assistance ” in U.S. efforts to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dislike NATO , ” said Chicago University Professor , John Mearsheimer , “ but we live in a completely different world .
For most of my life , Europe was the most important area of the world .
That ’ s no longer the case .
The distribution of power has changed .
Asia is the area that really matters the most to the United States today .
The question is , what can Europe do [ about China ] ?
What can NATO do ?
My argument is it can do hardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and smell the coffee.
” Feature photo | Tubes are stored in Sassnitz , Germany , to construct the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany , Dec. 6 , 2016 .
Jens Buettner | DPA via AP

The U.S. is starting to fret about the imminent completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the second of two underwater gas pipelines running from the Russian Baltic city of Ust-Luga to Greifswald, Germany, and has begun issuing informal threats of repercussions to companies who are backing the nearly-finished project.
According to unnamed sources, at least a dozen American officials from three separate departments held video conference calls with European contractors working on the pipeline, while U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo reportedly warned private European backers of “risk[ing] the consequences” of continuing their support for the key energy infrastructure project.
Several European energy concerns, such as France’s Engie, Germany’s Wintershall Dea and Uniper and Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell have indirect financial ties to the massive $11.7 billion-dollar underwater oil pipeline being constructed by Russia’s partially state-owned Gazprom, which will double Russia’s oil export capacity to Europe and seriously infringe on Atlanticist designs over the old continent.
Only six percent of the 1,200-mile pipeline remains to be laid in Danish waters, which is stalled due to U.S. sanctions against the European contractors working on that particular stretch. However, Denmark has recently circumvented the sanctions by licensing different vessels, and construction is set to resume by September.
Gazprom CEO, Alexei Miller disregarded claims that U.S. sanctions would stop the project from being completed, and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the pipeline would be commissioned before the end of this year. The completion of the Russian pipeline would mean a practical end to the viability of American LNG exports to Europe; a fate the U.S. has been trying to avoid since the project’s beginning in 2012.
US economic warfare
On July 15, the U.S. State Department updated its public guidance on sanctions against Russia and singled the pipeline project, imposing “sanctions on “a person” that “knowingly” invests in Russian energy export pipelines, or that sells Russia goods, technology or services for such pipelines where certain monetary thresholds are met.”
The revised Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) reverses previous stipulations, which contained explicit exemptions for any pipeline projects that were signed before the sanctions were made law. Nord Stream 2 falls within this category and given that the investment threshold for triggering sanctions is relatively low, practically “any significant work done to advance the Nord Stream II pipeline” could be at risk of being targeted by U.S. economic warfare.
The potential ramifications of the new guidance are significant in light of Germany’s clear interest in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project as well as their recent ascent to several key leadership roles within NATO and the EU. Tensions between the U.S. and Germany regarding the Atlanticist organization – punctuated by Trump’s intention to withdraw U.S. troops from the Teuton nation – have started to rise as a result of the pipeline’s unique potential to diminish American influence over its European partners.
The end of NATO
German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, admitted that the relationship between his country and the U.S. while remaining cordial, was now “complicated.” Meanwhile, a member of the German Bundestag (parliament), Christian Schmidt, called for the resumption of talks surrounding the inclusion of Russia into NATO; a topic that was last seriously considered in the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Such rhetoric coming from a key U.S. ally in Europe and a vital NATO member could be the canary in the coal mine for an eventual trade war between the U.S. and the EU. In addition to Schmidt, who was Germany’s Minister of food and agriculture and the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, a group of German MPs have outright stated that the revised CAATSA targeting the Nord Stream 2 project was nothing less than a “threat to European sovereignty.”
America’s unilateral strategy of economic aggression against its traditional allies in Europe is facilitated by its position as the number one trading partner of Europe and its second provider of goods and services after China. But the pressure to bow down to Washington’s dictates is starting to fray the boundaries of diplomacy and the threat of an actual trade war between the U.S. and Europe is becoming a strong possibility.
Even the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-controlled think tank for NATO policy, is beginning to question whether the military alliance “will still be relevant in the future” in a recent article recapping a debate similarly titled “Is NATO still relevant?.” The panelists were mostly of the same mindset when it came to the diminishing importance of the post-war Atlanticist alliance from the American perspective and making the argument that it no longer served U.S. “defense needs.”
Participants stressed China’s preeminent role as America’s new main antagonist and expressed skepticism over NATO countries’ willingness to provide any “military assistance” in U.S. efforts to contain China. “I don’t dislike NATO,” said Chicago University Professor, John Mearsheimer, “but we live in a completely different world. For most of my life, Europe was the most important area of the world. That’s no longer the case. The distribution of power has changed. Asia is the area that really matters the most to the United States today. The question is, what can Europe do [about China]? What can NATO do? My argument is it can do hardly anything. We have to wake up and smell the coffee.”
Feature photo | Tubes are stored in Sassnitz, Germany, to construct the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany, Dec. 6, 2016. Jens Buettner | DPA via AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-29--New Reports Suggest Libyan Warlord Khalifa Haftar is Working with Mossad

The stench of the CIA and its covert operations in oil-rich Libya has long followed General Khalifa Haftar .
But now another intelligence organization is being tied to the controversial military officer as accusations of extensive dealings with the Mossad are being levied against him by an Israeli journalist , who claims that Haftar met with members of the Israeli outfit in Cairo from 2017 to 2019 .
It is not the first time Haftar has been linked to the apartheid state .
In 2017 , the General reportedly coordinated with the Israeli Defense Forces IDF to bomb military positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two years earlier , in 2015 , the Jerusalem Post published an account from an unnamed Arab newspaper asserting that Haftar planned to meet Israeli officials during a visit to the capital of Jordan and struck a deal with them to exchange oil and arms for help in his push for power .
The latest claims of Haftar ’ s Israeli links also involve the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , which is said to have mediated the meetings between the commander of the Libyan National Army and two Israeli assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mizrachi .
The source , in fact , dates Haftar ’ s connections to the Jewish state as far back as 2011 when the Israeli Air Force ostensibly coordinated with the Libyan strongman to target jihadist groups who had flooded the country in the wake of Gaddafi ’ s U.S.-sponsored murder .
Adding to the intrigue are parallel claims that Iran – Israel ’ s sworn enemy in the region – has also been providing Haftar with military aid in his campaign to topple the UN-recognized Government of National Accord ( GNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official reports coming out of Iran declaring its support for the GNA .
These accusations are coming from none other than the Israeli envoy to the UN , who accused Tehran of supplying advanced weapons systems to Haftar , calling it a “ grave violation of Security Council resolution 2231 ( 2015 ) , ” which attempts to halt the “ supply , sale or transfer of arms ” from Iran .
Iran , for its part , denies these allegations .
In a joint press conference held by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cavusoglu last month , Zarif stated that Iran wanted to “ have a political solution to the Libyan crisis to end the civil war ” and both reiterated their support for the GNA .
Iran contends that Haftar ’ s main allies , such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia , are Iran ’ s enemies and it would , therefore , make no sense for them to support him in any way , as this would only increase the influence of the Gulf states in the region .
But the turmoil in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil and strategic geopolitical significance make Haftar a magnet for a plethora of interests vying for some measure of influence over whichever faction ends up assuming control of the country .
Indeed , there is practically no country with any precedent in Libya that has not been caught trying to gain Haftar ’ s favor or better .
At the top of the list is the United States .
When Haftar betrayed the man he had helped put in power back in 1969 , it was in Langley , Virginia – a stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – where Haftar resided for two decades , plotting the overthrow of the “ Brother Leader.
” So it is perhaps not too surprising that a man known to be an asset of the only superpower operating in the region would attract the favor of more than one suitor , in spite of any differences between them .
What is undeniable , however , is Israel ’ s burgeoning intention to build stronger alliances with Sunni states like the UAE , Saudi Arabia and Egypt – all of whom are strong supporters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has historically cultivated relationships with African despots and helped execute coups throughout the continent .
Both during the conflicts that bring them to power and once installed , these authoritarian regimes help to put Israel among the top ten arms dealers in the world .
The more successful Israel is in currying favor with the Gulf states and its Arab partners , the less need there will be for any pretense to hide its role in the ongoing reconfiguration of the Middle East and Africa .
In June , the deputy prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salam al-Badri , was reported to have sought the support of Israeli Prime Minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , saying that Libya has “ never and will never be enemies of Tel Aviv.
” For the moment , such open gestures of friendship with the apartheid state are still too distasteful to be uttered in public , and al-Badri was forced to deny the report after his remarks caused an uproar in Libya .
Feature photo | Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar at the Parliament in Athens , Greece , January 17 , 2020 .
@ @ @ @

The stench of the CIA and its covert operations in oil-rich Libya has long followed General Khalifa Haftar. But now another intelligence organization is being tied to the controversial military officer as accusations of extensive dealings with the Mossad are being levied against him by an Israeli journalist, who claims that Haftar met with members of the Israeli outfit in Cairo from 2017 to 2019.
It is not the first time Haftar has been linked to the apartheid state. In 2017, the General reportedly coordinated with the Israeli Defense Forces IDF to bomb military positions of the so-called Islamic State inside Libya. Two years earlier, in 2015, the Jerusalem Post published an account from an unnamed Arab newspaper asserting that Haftar planned to meet Israeli officials during a visit to the capital of Jordan and struck a deal with them to exchange oil and arms for help in his push for power.
The latest claims of Haftar’s Israeli links also involve the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is said to have mediated the meetings between the commander of the Libyan National Army and two Israeli assets named by the anonymous source as Ackerman and Mizrachi. The source, in fact, dates Haftar’s connections to the Jewish state as far back as 2011 when the Israeli Air Force ostensibly coordinated with the Libyan strongman to target jihadist groups who had flooded the country in the wake of Gaddafi’s U.S.-sponsored murder.
Adding to the intrigue are parallel claims that Iran – Israel’s sworn enemy in the region – has also been providing Haftar with military aid in his campaign to topple the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, running counter to official reports coming out of Iran declaring its support for the GNA. These accusations are coming from none other than the Israeli envoy to the UN, who accused Tehran of supplying advanced weapons systems to Haftar, calling it a “grave violation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015),” which attempts to halt the “supply, sale or transfer of arms” from Iran.
Allies in the desert
Iran, for its part, denies these allegations. In a joint press conference held by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu last month, Zarif stated that Iran wanted to “have a political solution to the Libyan crisis to end the civil war” and both reiterated their support for the GNA. Iran contends that Haftar’s main allies, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are Iran’s enemies and it would, therefore, make no sense for them to support him in any way, as this would only increase the influence of the Gulf states in the region.
But the turmoil in Libya coupled with its immense deposits of oil and strategic geopolitical significance make Haftar a magnet for a plethora of interests vying for some measure of influence over whichever faction ends up assuming control of the country. Indeed, there is practically no country with any precedent in Libya that has not been caught trying to gain Haftar’s favor or better.
At the top of the list is the United States. When Haftar betrayed the man he had helped put in power back in 1969, it was in Langley, Virginia – a stone’s throw away from CIA headquarters – where Haftar resided for two decades, plotting the overthrow of the “Brother Leader.” So it is perhaps not too surprising that a man known to be an asset of the only superpower operating in the region would attract the favor of more than one suitor, in spite of any differences between them.
Israel’s interest
What is undeniable, however, is Israel’s burgeoning intention to build stronger alliances with Sunni states like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – all of whom are strong supporters of General Haftar. In addition, Israel has historically cultivated relationships with African despots and helped execute coups throughout the continent. Both during the conflicts that bring them to power and once installed, these authoritarian regimes help to put Israel among the top ten arms dealers in the world.
The more successful Israel is in currying favor with the Gulf states and its Arab partners, the less need there will be for any pretense to hide its role in the ongoing reconfiguration of the Middle East and Africa. In June, the deputy prime minister of the eastern Libya-based government, Abdul Salam al-Badri, was reported to have sought the support of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that Libya has “never and will never be enemies of Tel Aviv.” For the moment, such open gestures of friendship with the apartheid state are still too distasteful to be uttered in public, and al-Badri was forced to deny the report after his remarks caused an uproar in Libya.
Feature photo | Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar at the Parliament in Athens, Greece, January 17, 2020. Costas Baltas | Reuters
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-29--List of Targets Leaked: Israel Fears Worst in ICC War Crimes Investigation

When International Court of Justice ( ICC ) Prosecutor , Fatou Bensouda , confirmed last December that the Court has ample evidence to pursue a war crimes investigation in occupied Palestine , the Israeli government responded with the usual rhetoric , accusing the international community of bias and insisting on Israel ’ s ‘ right to defend itself.
’ Beneath the platitudes and typical Israeli discourse , the Israeli government knew too well that an ICC investigation into war crimes in Palestine could be quite costly .
An investigation , in itself , represents an indictment of sorts .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war crimes , that is a different story , as it becomes a legal obligation of ICC members to apprehend the criminals and hand them over to the Court .
Israel remained publicly composed , even after Bensouda , last April , elaborated on her December decision with a 60-page legal report , titled : “ Situation in the State of Palestine : Prosecution Response to the Observations of Amici Curiae , Legal Representatives of Victims , and States.
” In the report , the ICC addressed many of the questions , doubts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four months that followed her earlier decision .
Countries such as Germany and Austria , among others , had used their position as amici curiae – ‘ friends of the court ’ – to question the ICC jurisdiction and the status of Palestine as a country .
Bensouda insisted that “ the Prosecutor is satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to initiate an investigation into the situation in Palestine under article 53 ( 1 ) of the Rome Statute , and that the scope of the Court ’ s territorial jurisdiction comprises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Gaza ( “ Occupied Palestinian Territory ” ) .
” However , Bensouda did not provide definitive timelines to the investigation ; instead , she requested that the ICC ’ S Pre-Trial Chamber “ confirm the scope of the Court ’ s territorial jurisdiction in Palestine , ” an additional step that is hardly required since the State of Palestine , a signatory of the Rome Statute , is the one that actually referred the case directly to the Prosecutor ’ s office .
The April report , in particular , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Between the initial decision in December till the release of the latter report , Israel lobbied on many fronts , enlisting the help of ICC members and recruiting its greatest benefactor , Washington – which is not an ICC member – to bully the Court so it may reverse its decision .
On May 15 , US Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo , warned the ICC against pursuing the investigation , targeting Bensouda , in particular , for her decision to hold war criminals in Palestine accountable .
The US slapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 , with President Donald Trump issuing an ‘ executive order ’ that authorizes the freezing of assets and a travel ban against ICC officials and their families .
The order also allows for the punishing of other individuals or entities that assist the ICC in its investigation .
Washington ’ s decision to carry out punitive measures against the very Court that was established for the sole purpose of holding war criminals accountable is both outrageous and abhorrent .
It also exposes Washington ’ s hypocrisy – the country that claims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal accountability by those who have violated human rights .
Upon its failure to halt the ICC legal procedures regarding its investigation of war crimes , Israel began to prepare for the worst .
On July 15 , Israeli daily newspaper , Haaretz , reported about a ‘ secret list ’ that was drawn up by the Israeli government .
The list includes “ between 200 and 300 officials ” , ranging from politicians to military and intelligence officials , who are subject to arrest abroad , should the ICC officially open the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top of the Israeli political pyramid , among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his current coalition partner , Benny Gantz .
The sheer number of Israeli officials on the list is indicative of the scope of the ICC ’ s investigation , and , somehow , is a self-indictment , as the names include former Israeli Defense Ministers – Moshe Ya ’ alon , Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett ; current and former army chiefs of staffs – Aviv Kochavi , Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot and current and former heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Nadav Argaman and Yoram Cohen .
Respected international human rights organizations have already , repeatedly , accused all these individuals of serious human rights abuses during Israel ’ s lethal wars on the besieged Gaza Strip , starting with the so-called ‘ Operation Cast Lead ’ in 2008-9 .
But the list is far more extensive , as it covers “ people in much more junior positions , including lower-ranking military officers and , perhaps , even officials involved in issuing various types of permits to settlements and settlement outposts.
” Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the international community still insists that the construction of illegal colonies in occupied Palestine , the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the transfer of Israeli citizens to occupied land are all inadmissible under international law and tantamount to war crimes .
Netanyahu must be disappointed to learn that all of Washington ’ s concessions to Israel under Trump ’ s presidency have failed to alter the position of the international community and the applicability of international law in any way .
Furthermore , it would not be an exaggeration to argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to illegally annex nearly a third of the West Bank is directly linked to the ICC ’ s investigation , for the annexation would have completely thwarted Israel ’ s friends ’ efforts aimed at preventing the investigation from ever taking place .
While the whole world , especially Palestinians , Arabs and their allies , still anxiously await the final decision by the Pre-Trial Chamber , Israel will continue its overt and covert campaign to intimidate the ICC and any other entity that aims to expose Israeli war crimes and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , will continue to strive to ensure Netanyahu , Gantz , and the “ 200 to 300 ” other Israeli officials never see their day in court .
However , the fact that a “ secret list ” exists is an indication that Tel Aviv understands that this era is different and that international law , which has failed Palestinians for over 70 years , may , for once , deliver , however a small measure of justice .
Feature photo | Israeli soldiers work on tanks in the Israeli occupied Golan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not far from Lebanon border , July 28 , 2020 .
Ariel Schalit | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle .
He is the author of five books .
His latest is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons ” ( Clarity Press , Atlanta ) .
Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs ( CIGA ) , Istanbul Zaim University ( IZU ) .
His website is @

When International Court of Justice (ICC) Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, confirmed last December that the Court has ample evidence to pursue a war crimes investigation in occupied Palestine, the Israeli government responded with the usual rhetoric, accusing the international community of bias and insisting on Israel’s ‘right to defend itself.’
Beneath the platitudes and typical Israeli discourse, the Israeli government knew too well that an ICC investigation into war crimes in Palestine could be quite costly. An investigation, in itself, represents an indictment of sorts. If Israeli individuals were to be indicted for war crimes, that is a different story, as it becomes a legal obligation of ICC members to apprehend the criminals and hand them over to the Court.
Israel remained publicly composed, even after Bensouda, last April, elaborated on her December decision with a 60-page legal report, titled: “Situation in the State of Palestine: Prosecution Response to the Observations of Amici Curiae, Legal Representatives of Victims, and States.”
In the report, the ICC addressed many of the questions, doubts and reports submitted or raised in the four months that followed her earlier decision. Countries such as Germany and Austria, among others, had used their position as amici curiae – ‘friends of the court’ – to question the ICC jurisdiction and the status of Palestine as a country.
Bensouda insisted that “the Prosecutor is satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to initiate an investigation into the situation in Palestine under article 53(1) of the Rome Statute, and that the scope of the Court’s territorial jurisdiction comprises the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza (“Occupied Palestinian Territory”).”
However, Bensouda did not provide definitive timelines to the investigation; instead, she requested that the ICC’S Pre-Trial Chamber “confirm the scope of the Court’s territorial jurisdiction in Palestine,” an additional step that is hardly required since the State of Palestine, a signatory of the Rome Statute, is the one that actually referred the case directly to the Prosecutor’s office.
The April report, in particular, was the wake-up call for Tel Aviv. Between the initial decision in December till the release of the latter report, Israel lobbied on many fronts, enlisting the help of ICC members and recruiting its greatest benefactor, Washington – which is not an ICC member – to bully the Court so it may reverse its decision.
On May 15, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, warned the ICC against pursuing the investigation, targeting Bensouda, in particular, for her decision to hold war criminals in Palestine accountable.
The US slapped unprecedented sanctions against the ICC on June 11, with President Donald Trump issuing an ‘executive order’ that authorizes the freezing of assets and a travel ban against ICC officials and their families. The order also allows for the punishing of other individuals or entities that assist the ICC in its investigation.
Washington’s decision to carry out punitive measures against the very Court that was established for the sole purpose of holding war criminals accountable is both outrageous and abhorrent. It also exposes Washington’s hypocrisy – the country that claims to defend human rights is attempting to prevent legal accountability by those who have violated human rights.
Upon its failure to halt the ICC legal procedures regarding its investigation of war crimes, Israel began to prepare for the worst. On July 15, Israeli daily newspaper, Haaretz, reported about a ‘secret list’ that was drawn up by the Israeli government. The list includes “between 200 and 300 officials”, ranging from politicians to military and intelligence officials, who are subject to arrest abroad, should the ICC officially open the war crimes investigation.
Names begin at the top of the Israeli political pyramid, among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his current coalition partner, Benny Gantz.
The sheer number of Israeli officials on the list is indicative of the scope of the ICC’s investigation, and, somehow, is a self-indictment, as the names include former Israeli Defense Ministers – Moshe Ya’alon, Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett; current and former army chiefs of staffs – Aviv Kochavi, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot and current and former heads of internal intelligence, the Shin Bet – Nadav Argaman and Yoram Cohen.
Respected international human rights organizations have already, repeatedly, accused all these individuals of serious human rights abuses during Israel’s lethal wars on the besieged Gaza Strip, starting with the so-called ‘Operation Cast Lead’ in 2008-9.
But the list is far more extensive, as it covers “people in much more junior positions, including lower-ranking military officers and, perhaps, even officials involved in issuing various types of permits to settlements and settlement outposts.”
Israel, thus, fully appreciates the fact that the international community still insists that the construction of illegal colonies in occupied Palestine, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the transfer of Israeli citizens to occupied land are all inadmissible under international law and tantamount to war crimes. Netanyahu must be disappointed to learn that all of Washington’s concessions to Israel under Trump’s presidency have failed to alter the position of the international community and the applicability of international law in any way.
Furthermore, it would not be an exaggeration to argue that Tel Aviv’s postponement of its plan to illegally annex nearly a third of the West Bank is directly linked to the ICC’s investigation, for the annexation would have completely thwarted Israel’s friends’ efforts aimed at preventing the investigation from ever taking place.
While the whole world, especially Palestinians, Arabs and their allies, still anxiously await the final decision by the Pre-Trial Chamber, Israel will continue its overt and covert campaign to intimidate the ICC and any other entity that aims to expose Israeli war crimes and to try Israeli war criminals.
Washington, too, will continue to strive to ensure Netanyahu, Gantz, and the “200 to 300” other Israeli officials never see their day in court.
However, the fact that a “secret list” exists is an indication that Tel Aviv understands that this era is different and that international law, which has failed Palestinians for over 70 years, may, for once, deliver, however a small measure of justice.
Feature photo | Israeli soldiers work on tanks in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights near the border with Syria, not far from Lebanon border, July 28, 2020. Ariel Schalit | AP
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net


mintpressnews--2020-07-29--A “Brazen Giveaway” GOP HEALS Act is a $30 Billion Bonanza for the Pentagon

On Monday the Senate GOP released their outline for a new $ 1 trillion coronavirus stimulus package .
A successor to March ’ s CARES Act , the 177-page document , named the HEALS Act , includes no funding for hazard pay , the Postal Service , state and local governments , nutrition assistance , or help for uninsured or underinsured Americans , but incorporates a $ 29.4 billion bonanza for the Pentagon .
The package is presented as a necessary measure to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic , which has so far caused the deaths of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP had a very different enemy in mind when writing some parts of it .
“ To prevent , prepare for , and respond to coronavirus , domestically and internationally , ” the bill ( pp .
35-38 ) allocates $ 686 million for the purchase of extra Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets , $ 650 million for A-10 Warthog fighter-bombers , $ 720 million for C-130J transport planes , $ 283 million for AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and $ 1.068 billion for P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft .
It is not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new bill ; it also includes $ 41.4 million for Raytheon missiles , $ 260 million for a new Navy fast transport ship , $ 250 million for amphibious shipbuilding programs and $ 375 million for armored combat vehicles .
Most of these military spending requests are ones that had previously been subject to cuts in February as the Trump administration moved Pentagon money around to fund construction of the border wall .
The plan also allocates ( p. 11 ) $ 1.75 billion to the FBI for the design and construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D.C .
The new HEALS Act , which differs both in scope and its recipients from the $ 3 trillion Democrat-backed Heroes Act , which President Trump has promised will be “ dead on arrival.
” Unsurprisingly , Democrats have condemned the new plan .
“ The bill contains billions of dollars for programs unrelated to the coronavirus , including over $ 8 billion for what appears to be a wish-list from the Department of Defense for manufacturing of planes , ships , and other weapons systems , ” said Vermont Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing to address the long lines at food banks and shortchanges education and childcare , but we can shore up the defense industry ?
I am at a loss for words.
” “ Amphibious ships don ’ t feed hungry children , ” added House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey ( D-NY ) .
Yet Democrats have supported other sections of the bill , particularly that to do with cutting unemployment benefits .
While providing a second $ 1,200 check , the HEALS Act also reduces unemployment payments from $ 600 to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long term it would move to a system where the government would pay up to 70 percent of a worker ’ s pre-COVID wages , a setup that most of Europe opted for in the beginning .
“ Look , it ’ s not $ 600 or bust , ” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ( D-MD ) , claiming that a weekly $ 600 check serves as a disincentive to many to start working again .
The proposed act also ensures that businesses and other entities have near blanket immunity from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Mitch McConnell ’ s new coronavirus ‘ relief ’ proposal is an utter disgrace .
It somehow manages to make the pandemic and economic pain even worse , ” wrote consumer advocacy group Public Citizen , labeling it a “ brazen giveaway ” to big business and the military .
Far from wishing to increase spending , a poll conducted earlier this month showed that the majority of Americans ( including 69 percent of Democrats ) supported Bernie Sanders ’ proposal to cut the $ 740 billion Pentagon budget by ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus and the impending housing crisis it is causing .
Yet Democrats in both the House and Senate joined with the GOP to vote down the idea .
The $ 74 billion in savings , the National Priorities Project calculated , would have been enough to end homelessness , pay for 2 billion COVID-19 tests , create one million green energy jobs , or hire 900,000 extra school teachers .
The U.S. military budget rivals that of the rest of the world combined , with the majority of federal discretionary spending already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Congress and the Senate passed Trump ’ s massive $ 740 billion military bill , an increase from previous years .
Yet it seems too much can never be enough for defense contractors .
While it is far from clear how attack helicopters and cruise missiles will help during a pandemic , it is not hard to see who will benefit from the new bill and whose interests are really being served .
Feature photo | Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell , R-KY , speaks to a NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Army soldiers at Kabul Military Training Center Jan. 16 , 2011 .
Ernesto Hernandez Fonte | DVIDS Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary @

On Monday the Senate GOP released their outline for a new $1 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. A successor to March’s CARES Act, the 177-page document, named the HEALS Act, includes no funding for hazard pay, the Postal Service, state and local governments, nutrition assistance, or help for uninsured or underinsured Americans, but incorporates a $29.4 billion bonanza for the Pentagon.
The package is presented as a necessary measure to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far caused the deaths of nearly 153,000 Americans. But it appears that the GOP had a very different enemy in mind when writing some parts of it. “To prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically and internationally,” the bill (pp. 35-38) allocates $686 million for the purchase of extra Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, $650 million for A-10 Warthog fighter-bombers, $720 million for C-130J transport planes, $283 million for AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and $1.068 billion for P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft.
It is not just the Air Force that will benefit from the new bill; it also includes $41.4 million for Raytheon missiles, $260 million for a new Navy fast transport ship, $250 million for amphibious shipbuilding programs and $375 million for armored combat vehicles. Most of these military spending requests are ones that had previously been subject to cuts in February as the Trump administration moved Pentagon money around to fund construction of the border wall. The plan also allocates (p. 11) $1.75 billion to the FBI for the design and construction of a huge new facility in Washington, D.C.
“Amphibious ships don’t feed hungry children”
The new HEALS Act, which differs both in scope and its recipients from the $3 trillion Democrat-backed Heroes Act, which President Trump has promised will be “dead on arrival.” Unsurprisingly, Democrats have condemned the new plan. “The bill contains billions of dollars for programs unrelated to the coronavirus, including over $8 billion for what appears to be a wish-list from the Department of Defense for manufacturing of planes, ships, and other weapons systems,” said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy. “The bill provides nothing to address the long lines at food banks and shortchanges education and childcare, but we can shore up the defense industry? I am at a loss for words.” “Amphibious ships don’t feed hungry children,” added House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY).
Yet Democrats have supported other sections of the bill, particularly that to do with cutting unemployment benefits. While providing a second $1,200 check, the HEALS Act also reduces unemployment payments from $600 to $200 per week, although in the long term it would move to a system where the government would pay up to 70 percent of a worker’s pre-COVID wages, a setup that most of Europe opted for in the beginning. “Look, it’s not $600 or bust,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), claiming that a weekly $600 check serves as a disincentive to many to start working again.
The proposed act also ensures that businesses and other entities have near blanket immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits coming from customers and employees. “Mitch McConnell’s new coronavirus ‘relief’ proposal is an utter disgrace. It somehow manages to make the pandemic and economic pain even worse,” wrote consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, labeling it a “brazen giveaway” to big business and the military.
A lack of popular support
Far from wishing to increase spending, a poll conducted earlier this month showed that the majority of Americans (including 69 percent of Democrats) supported Bernie Sanders’ proposal to cut the $740 billion Pentagon budget by ten percent, using the savings to fight the coronavirus and the impending housing crisis it is causing. Yet Democrats in both the House and Senate joined with the GOP to vote down the idea. The $74 billion in savings, the National Priorities Project calculated, would have been enough to end homelessness, pay for 2 billion COVID-19 tests, create one million green energy jobs, or hire 900,000 extra school teachers.
The U.S. military budget rivals that of the rest of the world combined, with the majority of federal discretionary spending already going on warfare. Earlier this month, Congress and the Senate passed Trump’s massive $740 billion military bill, an increase from previous years. Yet it seems too much can never be enough for defense contractors. While it is far from clear how attack helicopters and cruise missiles will help during a pandemic, it is not hard to see who will benefit from the new bill and whose interests are really being served.
Feature photo | Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, speaks to a NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan advisor during a visit to meet Afghan National Army soldiers at Kabul Military Training Center Jan. 16, 2011. Ernesto Hernandez Fonte | DVIDS
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-07-29--Big Tech Giants are Forcing Their Way into America’s Public Health System

The Consumer Technology Association ( CTA ) , a Big Tech lobby group has just launched a “ working group ” called the Public Health Tech Initiative ( PHTI ) to explore the ways in which technology can help in future pandemics .
The coalition of companies that form part of the “ broad coalition ” include tech giants like Facebook and Microsoft , transnational behemoths like Philips , as well as U.S. pharmaceutical retail chain CVS Health .
Rene Quashie , VP of Digital Health for CTA says that the goal of PHTI is to “ accomplish what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do : develop a unified strategy for deploying technology in a public health emergency.
” To this end , PHTI has placed a former CMO for the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) , Dr. Alexander Garza as co-chair of the new organization , alongside Microsoft ’ s recently-appointed Global Chief Medical Officer , Dr. David Rhew .
Rhew , ranked 31st in Modern Healthcare magazine ’ s 50 “ most influential clinical executive leaders , ” holds six patents ” related to clinical decision support systems and the interoperability and integration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EHRs ) ” and was Samsung ’ s CMO and VP/GM of B2B Healthcare .
He holds a BS in Computer Science and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and began his professional career at the RAND corporation as a Healthcare Consultant .
Garza currently serves as CMO for one of the largest hospital networks in the country , SSM Health .
A Catholic non-profit healthcare system with 11,000 providers based out of St. Louis , MO , SSM Health made national headlines in 2012 after siding with the Bishop of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who decried rules contained in the Affordable Care Act compelling companies to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives .
A statement from SSM Health , which owns St. Mary ’ s Hospital in Madison , expressed the institution ’ s disappointment “ with the contraceptive mandate in the rule , as it will force organizations like ours to go against our conscience and the explicit teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
” Rhew also has ties to the Vatican as a recurring guest speaker and panelist at the “ Unite to Cure ” conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring together “ the world ’ s thought leaders across all disciplines to engage in a powerful conversation about the future of medicine , ” organized by the Stem for Life Foundation ( SFLF ) – a subsidiary non-profit of the Cura Foundation – and the Fondazione Scienza e Fede – STOQ , a Vatican City organization that “ oversees a pooling of resources and initiatives , lectures and academic programmes between the Pontifical universities and the scientific community.
” The cellular therapies promoted at the conference have come under fire by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits from the DoJ and the FDA calling for the shutdown of cell therapy clinics .
The conference ’ s 2018 edition , where Rhew discussed the benefits of “ virtual reality ( VR ) [ and ] implantable devices ” was lambasted by the press for its less-than-credible panelists , which included quasi-medical personalities and self-help gurus like Dr. Oz , Deepak Chopra , Tony Robbins , and Northwestern University stem cell scientist Richard K. Burt , whose work has come under intense criticism by the FDA .
In March , Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become “ complacent ” amid falling numbers of COVID hospitalizations , declaring that “ this won ’ t be a return to pre-COVID times.
” Garza was brought in to Obama ’ s DHS at “ the height ” of the Swine flu epidemic of 2009 .
In a 2012 interview , Garza foreshadowed the COVID-19 lockdowns when asked about historical precedents for pandemics that threatened national security .
“ You would see a lot of the same things we saw with H1N1 but to another degree , ” said Garza regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential scenario of that sort .
“ There were some folks advocating closing schools , ” he continued , “ canceling public events , quarantining folks who were exposed , limiting travel to unexposed areas.
” Arlington , Virginia-based CTA includes executives from AT & T , Sony , Facebook , IBM , Google among many others on its Board of Industry Leaders and is the host of the largest annual technology trade show in the world , the Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) , where the biggest tech companies reveal their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edition will be an online-only event , citing COVID-19 pandemic concerns .
The organization is not disclosing many details , except to say that it will be a “ highly personalized… immersive experience.
” The Public Health Tech Initiative looks to be an attempt by tech industry partners to shape the conversation surrounding the emerging pandemic-induced tech opportunities in the health sector , with a particular focus on how these relate to minorities and POC – perhaps their largest market segment considering the COVID-19 infection data in the U.S .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which also includes the Health Innovation Alliance ( a lobbying group pushing for industry-friendly telehealth legislation ) , the CTA has recently started an investment fund to provide seed money to “ venture firms and funds that in turn invest in women , people of color and other underrepresented entrepreneurs.
” Feature photo | Ivanka Trump , right , smiles at the crowd after being interviewed by Gary Shapiro , left , CEO of the Consumer Technology Association , during the CES tech show , Jan. 7 , 2020 , in Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a Big Tech lobby group has just launched a “working group” called the Public Health Tech Initiative (PHTI) to explore the ways in which technology can help in future pandemics. The coalition of companies that form part of the “broad coalition” include tech giants like Facebook and Microsoft, transnational behemoths like Philips, as well as U.S. pharmaceutical retail chain CVS Health.
Rene Quashie, VP of Digital Health for CTA says that the goal of PHTI is to “accomplish what the government has been so far unable to do: develop a unified strategy for deploying technology in a public health emergency.” To this end, PHTI has placed a former CMO for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Dr. Alexander Garza as co-chair of the new organization, alongside Microsoft’s recently-appointed Global Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Rhew.
Rhew, ranked 31st in Modern Healthcare magazine’s 50 “most influential clinical executive leaders,” holds six patents” related to clinical decision support systems and the interoperability and integration of data in electronic health records (EHRs)” and was Samsung’s CMO and VP/GM of B2B Healthcare. He holds a BS in Computer Science and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and began his professional career at the RAND corporation as a Healthcare Consultant.
Links to the Vatican
Garza currently serves as CMO for one of the largest hospital networks in the country, SSM Health. A Catholic non-profit healthcare system with 11,000 providers based out of St. Louis, MO, SSM Health made national headlines in 2012 after siding with the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Madison, Wisconsin who decried rules contained in the Affordable Care Act compelling companies to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives. A statement from SSM Health, which owns St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, expressed the institution’s disappointment “with the contraceptive mandate in the rule, as it will force organizations like ours to go against our conscience and the explicit teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.”
Rhew also has ties to the Vatican as a recurring guest speaker and panelist at the “Unite to Cure” conference, a global event that seeks to bring together “the world’s thought leaders across all disciplines to engage in a powerful conversation about the future of medicine,” organized by the Stem for Life Foundation (SFLF) – a subsidiary non-profit of the Cura Foundation – and the Fondazione Scienza e Fede – STOQ, a Vatican City organization that “oversees a pooling of resources and initiatives, lectures and academic programmes between the Pontifical universities and the scientific community.”
The cellular therapies promoted at the conference have come under fire by the broader scientific community and have resulted in lawsuits from the DoJ and the FDA calling for the shutdown of cell therapy clinics. The conference’s 2018 edition, where Rhew discussed the benefits of “virtual reality (VR) [and] implantable devices” was lambasted by the press for its less-than-credible panelists, which included quasi-medical personalities and self-help gurus like Dr. Oz, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, and Northwestern University stem cell scientist Richard K. Burt, whose work has come under intense criticism by the FDA.
COVID market share
In March, Dr. Alexander Garza warned St. Louis residents not to become “complacent” amid falling numbers of COVID hospitalizations, declaring that “this won’t be a return to pre-COVID times.” Garza was brought in to Obama’s DHS at “the height” of the Swine flu epidemic of 2009. In a 2012 interview, Garza foreshadowed the COVID-19 lockdowns when asked about historical precedents for pandemics that threatened national security. “You would see a lot of the same things we saw with H1N1 but to another degree,” said Garza regarding the implementation of policies to mitigate a potential scenario of that sort. “There were some folks advocating closing schools,” he continued, “canceling public events, quarantining folks who were exposed, limiting travel to unexposed areas.”
Arlington, Virginia-based CTA includes executives from AT&T, Sony, Facebook, IBM, Google among many others on its Board of Industry Leaders and is the host of the largest annual technology trade show in the world, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where the biggest tech companies reveal their upcoming products and services. The 2021 edition will be an online-only event, citing COVID-19 pandemic concerns. The organization is not disclosing many details, except to say that it will be a “highly personalized… immersive experience.”
The Public Health Tech Initiative looks to be an attempt by tech industry partners to shape the conversation surrounding the emerging pandemic-induced tech opportunities in the health sector, with a particular focus on how these relate to minorities and POC – perhaps their largest market segment considering the COVID-19 infection data in the U.S. In addition to the creation of the PHTI working group, which also includes the Health Innovation Alliance (a lobbying group pushing for industry-friendly telehealth legislation), the CTA has recently started an investment fund to provide seed money to “venture firms and funds that in turn invest in women, people of color and other underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Feature photo | Ivanka Trump, right, smiles at the crowd after being interviewed by Gary Shapiro, left, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, during the CES tech show, Jan. 7, 2020, in Las Vegas. Ross D. Franklin | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.