Assange Arrest

• Caitlin Johnstone explains how the attack on Julian Assange is an attack on journalism. [Link]
• Justin Raimondo argues Trump’s ‘America First’ platform did not include arresting Julian Assange. [Link]
• Patrick Cockburn explains the attacks on Julian Assange’s personality are meant to distract from the important information Wikileaks exposes. [Link]

Social Media

• Twitter deletes a tweet of an article about STARZ shows being leaked. Twitter deleted the tweet on behalf of STARZ. [Link]
• Leaked documents show Facebook gave companies access to user data if the companies bought ads from Facebook or had a good relationship with company executives. [Link]

US Military

• The Pentagon is working on autonomous killer robots. [Link]
• The military’s ban on transgender people takes effect. [Link]
• The US military aid to the Philippines is assisting the government in committing human rights abuses. [Link]
• Peter Van Buren uses his experience running Iraq national building programs to explain why the US national building projects are harmful to American soldiers. [Link]  
• Conn Hallinan explains the US could lose its unsinkable aircraft carrier at Diego Garcia. The UK stole the island and cleansed the native inhabitants so the US could build an airbase. The UN is now ruling in favor of giving the island back to its native population.  [Link]

Venezuela

• A high ranking US official says there is no timeline for regime change in Venezuela. The official was confident Maduro would be removed from power. [Link]
• Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says the US is preparing a $10 billion trade finance package with Venezuela. Venezuela would receive the package if Maduro were overthrown.  [Link]
• Max Blumenthal exposes think-tank CSIS holding a roundtable on using military force in Venezuela with figures involved in the Venezuela regime change effort.  [Link]

North Korea

• Trump suggests he may look to meet with Kim Jong-un again. Trump told Moon Jae-in that he was ok with South Korea providing North Korea with humanitarian relief. [Link]
• Kim Jong-un says he is only interested in a third summit with Trump if Trump has a different approach than at Hanoi. Trump tweeted that he believes the US and North Korea better understand each other’s positions. [Link]  

Africa

• The US claims to kill a high ranking member of ISIS-Somalia with an airstrike. [Link]
• Over two dozen people have been injured, more than 300 have been killed, and 8,000 have been displaced by the first week of fighting in Tripoli. [Link] Reuters reports that over 70 people were killed – including at least 17 civilians – in the first week of fighting. [Link]
• Field Marshal Haftar received millions in funding from Saudi before attacking Tripoli. [Link] The Saudis are looking to increase their influence in Libya and Sudan. [Link]