2021-01-08: News Headlines

Jonathan Cook (2021-01-08). How the left is being manipulated into colluding in its own character assassination. dissidentvoice.org There was a fascinating online panel discussion on Wednesday night on the Julian Assange case that I recommend everyone watch. The video is at the bottom of the page. But from all the outstanding contributions, I want to highlight a very important point made by Yanis Varoufakis that has significance for understanding current events well …

MEE and agencies (2021-01-08). Israel: Netanyahu hearing postponed amid Covid-19 lockdown. middleeasteye.net Israel: Netanyahu hearing postponed amid Covid-19 lockdown | The attorney-general also announces he intends to file criminal charges over tax offences against Interior Minister Aryeh Deri | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 11: 18 | Deri, left, was appointed as interior minister in Netanyahu's, right, cabinet in January 2016 (AFP) | A planned court appearance next week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin N…

Ariel Gold (2021-01-08). Is Israel Practicing Vaccine Leadership or Medical Apartheid? counterpunch.org Israel has a population of around 9 million. About 20 percent of Israel's population are Palestinian citizens of Israel. These people can vote in elections, have representation in the Knesset, and are being vaccinated against COVID-19. But, there are another around 5 million Palestinians who live under Israeli rule, without rights, and like the rest of the world, are suffering from the pandemic.

Staff (2021-01-08). Survival of the Fittest? Florida Seniors Forced to Camp Overnight in Cars, Hoping for Vaccine. democracynow.org As the United States reports record COVID-19 deaths, Florida broke the record for the highest single-day increase in new cases Thursday. Across the state, long lines to get vaccinations against COVID-19 left senior citizens camping in their cars overnight in cold weather, after Governor Ron DeSantis lowered the priority age to 65, 10 years below the CDC recommended age of 75. Those aged 79 and older are reportedly four times as likely to die from COVID. We speak with John and Maria Luisa Schoch, aged 79 and 80, as they enter their second day in line waiting for shots.

MEE staff (2021-01-08). UK minister criticised for demanding universities adopt IHRA antisemitism definition. middleeasteye.net UK minister criticised for demanding universities adopt IHRA antisemitism definition | Group of lawyers and retired judges say Secretary Gavin Williamson's initiative to require universities adopt resolution is 'legally and morally wrong' | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 19: 52 | Britain's Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said if majority of universities fail to adopt IHRA definition by December, he may start cutting f…

Ian Cobain (2021-01-08). 'An honorary Muslim': The police spy who monitored London's mosques in plain sight. middleeasteye.net 'An honorary Muslim': The police spy who monitored London's mosques in plain sight | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 12: 13 | As undercover officers, Bob Lambert and his fellow detectives adopted the identities of dead children and had relationships with women they spied on. Then they turned their attention to British Muslims | One morning shortly after 9/11, with the remains of the Twin Towers still smouldering, thousan…

MEE correspondent (2021-01-08). Hotel diplomacy: Qatari hotel opens in Cairo as economic ties take centre stage. middleeasteye.net Hotel diplomacy: Qatari hotel opens in Cairo as economic ties take centre stage | While Qatari investment projects in Egypt have not stopped during a three-year rift, the opening of the Qatari-funded luxury St Regis hotel in Cairo is seen as official sign of thawing relations | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 14: 04 | The St Regis overlooks the Nile and is located in downtown Cairo (Marriott hotel we…

Nadda Osman (2021-01-08). 'Horrifying beyond words': China embassy tweet on Uighur women rebuked online. middleeasteye.net 'Horrifying beyond words': China embassy tweet on Uighur women rebuked online | A tweet from Beijing's embassy in the US saying detained Uighur women were now 'emancipated' condemned as misrepresenting 'genocide' and 'forced sterilisation' | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 12: 26 | A demonstrator wears a mask painted with the colours of the East Turkestan flag and a hand bearing the colours of the Chinese flag in a pr…

RT (2021-01-08). 'F***ing hell, this isn't a parody account': UK police backtrack after being mocked for threatening Covid fines over SNOWBALLS. rt.com Police in England have deleted an angry Twitter message and issued a clarification, apparently trying to save face after being ridiculed for seemingly threatening to impose fines for throwing snowballs amid a Covid-19 lockdown. | "We were trying (to) highlight that leaving your home to carry out acts of antisocial behaviour could be considered a breach of the Covid-19 regulations," West Mercia Police tweeted on Friday. "On reflection, we really didn't word this very well. Sorry." | Obviously, this isn't the case. | We were trying highlight that leaving your home to carry out acts of antisocial behaviour could…

Staff (2021-01-08). COVID Scientist Rebekah Jones Condemns Armed Police Raid on Her Home & Florida's Pandemic Response. democracynow.org As Florida sets new records for daily coronavirus cases, we speak with a whistleblower who was fired in May from the Florida Department of Health after she refused to censor information about the state's COVID-19 outbreak. Rebekah Jones is a data scientist who helped build Florida's coronavirus tracking dashboard, and she says her termination came after she refused to manipulate data to support the state's reopening. In December, police raided Jones's home in Tallahassee, seizing her computer and phone and holding her family at gunpoint, as part of an alleged investigation into a hacking of the Florida Health Dep…

Eve Ottenberg (2021-01-08). The Pearl Harbor Hack and Other Media Fables. counterpunch.org Journalistic fatuity soared into the stratosphere last month with tales of Chinese bounties on U.S. soldiers (the Russians, I guess, got tired of doing that and delegated to the Chinese), and breathless reports that the U.S. supposedly experienced its third or fourth Pearl Harbor. This one was in cyberspace, when Russia allegedly hacked into some

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-01-08). Roaming Charges: White Riot, I Wanna Riot of My Own. counterpunch.org Mark my words, the legislative response to the sacking of the nation's capitol will be a bipartisanship push for more money for police and more restrictions on civil liberties, to be imposed most devastatingly on BLM and anti-war protesters, tribal activists and environmentalists.

Sara Flounders (2021-01-08). Hunger strikes at three New Jersey prisons. workers.org The filthy conditions, indefinite incarceration and escalating COVID infections have touched off desperate hunger strikes at three New Jersey county jails. Each jail operates as a prison-for-profit, renting space at $120 a day for ICE to jail out-of-state migrant detainees. The N.J. counties use the contracts to generate tens of . . . |

Liberation Staff (2021-01-08). The real story: Fascist takeover in D.C. isolates Trump. liberationnews.org The following discussion was broadcast Jan. 7 on The Socialist Program podcast.

Staff (2021-01-08). Battleground Baltimore, Jan. 8. therealnews.com Local leaders react to the insurrection that happened just 45 minutes away in Washington. D.C.; why a move to end home detention fees might not go far enough; and a "spy plane" that has been flying in Baltimore (ostensibly to solve crime) is headed for St. Louis.

Jonah Raskin (2021-01-08). I Slept with Bill Ayres: Memories of My Life and Times with the Weather Underground. counterpunch.org Forty-years ago, in January 1971, on my first visit to California as a guest of the Weather Underground, Jeff Jones picked me up at the Hippo, the legendary San Francisco hamburger joint on Van Ness Avenue, drove me across the Golden Gate Bridge, and brought me to a cozy two-bedroom cottage in the hills above

Azza Rojbi (2021-01-08). Yemen, a Quagmire for Saudi Coalition and Imperialists. counterpunch.org "I was still awake. I was sitting in a chair because I was afraid of the planes flying overhead and making a very loud noise. Then they dropped a bomb near us and afterwards they hit our neighbourhood with three bombs. After that, I lost consciousness." These are the word of Yemeni child Ahmad Mansour,

Jude Wagner (2021-01-08). Oil trains endanger communities; Washington state derailment latest in BNSF history. liberationnews.org BNSF has a history with risky choices ending in ecological disaster. They continue to use unsafe practices in pursuit of profit.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-01-08). Coronavirus hits jobs again, 140k jobs lost in December. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The national coronavirus pandemic has hit workers' jobs again. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 8 that companies shed a net of 140,000 jobs in December. The U.S. ended 2020 with a 6.7% jobless rate, compared to 3.6% in Dec. 2019. But those jobs numbers actually understate the virus's impact. And the day …

Nathaniel St. Clair (2021-01-08). The Pointless Putsch. counterpunch.org If the people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, and eventually overtook the Capitol, quite easily by the way, with police literally opening gates for them, snapping some selfies, and participating in a few friendly shoving matches before ceding the building completely. If those people stormed the Capitol because their government had abandoned them

Rob Urie (2021-01-08). Austerity, Democrats and the State. counterpunch.org The cynical D.C. farce around $600 versus $2,000 'stimulus' checks 1) ties in American history back to the pre-Revolutionary practice of delivering the least that will prevent the burning down of key government buildings, 2) serves as cover for the delivery of exponentially larger sums to connected insiders, and 3) illuminates the key impediments to recovering a government that functions for any but the oligarchs. What will be represented by officialdom in coming months as the natural challenges of managing a complex, multilayered and resource-strapped empire, will in fact be the purposeful ordering of political…

Danny Haiphong (2021-01-08). Capitalism on a Ventilator: A new book analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. and China. mronline.org While China contained COVID-19 and preserved its economy, the U.S. spins lies while hundreds of thousands of its people die for lack of even a semblance of a national health system.

Terry Bisson (2021-01-08). The Black Patch War. counterpunch.org On a cold December night in 1907, some 300 to 500 men, armed and mounted in columns of twos, all wearing masks and white sashes, rode into the small Kentucky city of Hopkinsville. They disarmed the local police, occupied the telegraph and telephone offices, and dynamited two warehouses filled with tobacco belonging to James Duke's

Devin Cole (2021-01-08). Long live the Haitian Revolution! workers.org January 1 marked the 217th year of independence for the Republic of Haiti. The Haitian Revolution was led by formerly enslaved Black revolutionary Franàßois-Dominique Toussaint Louverture and later by Jean-Jacques Dessalines. A majority of Louverture's army had been born in Africa. The Haitian Revolution began in 1791 after a Vodou . . . |

Liberation staff, Mississippi (2021-01-08). Jackson, Miss. schools 'Smart Restart' pushed by capitalism, not families. liberationnews.org JPS leaders are making the decision to reopen campus because our racist capitalist system refuses to prioritize public health and safety, even during a global pandemic.

IndustriALL (2021-01-08). Korean workers say POSCO steel company guilty of manslaughter. peoplesworld.org SEOUL—A pattern of fatal accidents at facilities in South Korea belonging to the global steel company POSCO will only be resolved when workers' have the right to organize freely and participate in safety systems, says the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU). Accidents in November and December at POSCO's Gwangyang steelworks in Korea resulted in the …

Eds. (2021-01-08). 2021: Year of living dangerously? mronline.org Goodbye 2020, but unfortunately, not good riddance, as we all have to live with its legacy. It has been a disastrous year for much of the world for various reasons, Elizabeth II's annus horribilis. The crisis has exposed previously unacknowledged realities, including frailties and vulnerabilities.

Makasi Motema (2021-01-08). Comentario: øEnfrenta EE.UU. una situación revolucionaria? workers.org El deber ineludible de un socialista revolucionario es percibir los cambios que se están produciendo en la sociedad y que agudizan la lucha de clases y actuar sobre esos cambios sin vacilar. Cualquier organización socialista o persona socialista que no lo haga no puede ser considerada una defensora del proletariado . . . |

Nick Turse (2021-01-08). Will They Ever Be Over? 20 Years of the War on Terror. counterpunch.org "This is a different kind of war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and destroy terrorist activity," President George W. Bush announced a little more than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks. "Some victories will be won outside of public view, in tragedies avoided and threats eliminated. Other victories will be clear

Joshua Sperber (2021-01-08). Trump, the American Dream and the Frontier. counterpunch.org David Graeber once postulated that the reason conservatives hate Hollywood is not just because of the film industry's sanctimonious liberalism but because this liberalism is disseminated by an industry that is profoundly nepotistic. From the Coppolas to the Barrymores to the Fondas to the Gyllenhaals to Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew Broderick, Daniel Radcliffe, and Jaden Smith,

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-01-08). A Manufactured Crisis: How Saudi Arabia Uses Oil to Bring Yemen to its Knees. mintpressnews.com By manufacturing an oil crisis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is able to foment political chaos in the country and stir up popular discontent against domestic oil companies, many of which are run by the Houthi-led resistance…

Bruce Lerro (2021-01-08). Spirals of Becoming: The Search for a Dialectical Spiral in the Individual Life Cycle. dissidentvoice.org A specter is haunting western psychology, the specter of dialectics. The scaffold of the academic world is shaking. The time for its transformation is near… Dialectical psychologists unite! You have nothing to lose but the respect of vulgar mechanisms and pretentious mentalists. You will win a world, a changing world created by ever-changing human beings. …

Jude Wagner (2021-01-08). Crude-by-rail endangers communities: Washington state derailment latest in BNSF history. liberationnews.org BNSF has a history with risky choices ending in ecological disaster. They continue to use unsafe practices in pursuit of profit.

Liberation Staff (2021-01-08). The Real Story: Fascist Takeover in DC Isolates Trump. liberationnews.org The following discussion was broadcast Jan. 7 on The Socialist Program podcast.

Minnie Bruce Pratt (2021-01-08). Cuba's revolution continues during the pandemic. workers.org During the first week of January, Cubans celebrated the 61st anniversary of their great Revolution, marking the day when Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos and the revolutionary forces entered Havana and ousted the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Since the victory in 1959, Cuba has resisted attack after attack by . . . |

Liberation staff, Mississippi (2021-01-08). Jackson, Miss., schools 'Smart Restart' pushed by capitalism, not families. liberationnews.org JPS leaders are making the decision to reopen campus because our racist capitalist system refuses to prioritize public health and safety, even during a global pandemic.

AFSCME en Español (2021-01-08). El miércoles fue uno de los días más oscuros en la historia de Estados Unidos. peoplesworld.org El Presidente de AFSCME Lee Saunders emitió la siguiente declaración condenando los eventos del miércoles en Washington: "Ayer fue uno de los días más oscuros en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Lo que vimos en el Capitolio fue una insurrección, una sedición y un acto de terror posibilitado por el presidente de los Estados …

Pete Dolack (2021-01-08). The Threat of Fascism Rears its Head in Washington. counterpunch.org Let's not mince words: Wednesday's storming of the United States Capitol building was the work of fascism. That it didn't and couldn't succeed, and that Donald Trump is days from being out of the White House, should not blind us to the reality of larger social forces at work. The Orange Menace possibly finished off

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-01-08). Dorothee Benz on January 6 Insurrection, Mara Verheyden-Hilliard on Police Responsibility. fair.org Military Times' This week on CounterSpin: As we recorded on January 7, the Washington Post was

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-08). Peruvian authorities confirm police responsibility in murder of agricultural worker amid strike. peoplesdispatch.org Since the beginning of December, hundreds of agricultural workers have been carrying out a strike demanding labor rights and better working conditions. Since then, 3 agricultural workers have been killed in various incidents of police repression…

Morning Star (2021-01-08). Compelling account of inspirational Black activist Claudia Jones in new booklet. peoplesworld.org Claudia Jones (1915-1964) is hardly unsung, given the growing number of books and film documentaries on the woman who, on indisputable merit, is interred immediately to the left of Karl Marx in Highgate Cemetery. In this account of an extraordinary Caribbean communist, David Horsley's focus is on Jones's life in advancing class, race, and gender …

Alan Macleod (2021-01-08). "This Will Be Remembered as a Turning Point": Snowden Warns Against Trump Social Media Ban. mintpressnews.com While many breathed a collective sigh of relief when Trump's social media bans were announced, Edward Snowden and other internet freedom advocates warned that the move sets a dangerous precedent.

Reese Erlich (2021-01-08). Foreign Correspondent: U.S. Hypocrisy on Cuba Continues. progressive.org State Department "terror list" includes countries that aren't terrorists and excludes those who are.

WSWS Repost (2021-01-08). The fascist coup of January 6. indybay.org David North, Chairman of the Socialist Equality Party, makes sense of the the chaos that engulfed Washington D.C. this Wednesday.

Pacifica Fightback (2021-01-08). Saturday 1/9: Fightback Town Hall Meeting On Palestine & The Attacks On Pacifica. indybay.org Meeting Registration | us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtc-ihrjsrGdyVPXpExBHN1Ltp-TPzQAis

Ramzy Baroud (2021-01-08). 2021: Palestine's Chance of Fighting Back. counterpunch.org 2020 will go down in history as the year that terminated the American-sponsored 'peace process'. While 2021 will not reverse the monumental change in the US attitude and objectives in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, the new year presents Palestinians with the opportunity to think outside the American box. The previous year began with

WSWS (2021-01-08). Vaccine distribution mired in delays across Europe. wsws.org As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread out of control throughout the European continent, the program of vaccination organized by the European Union is already widely recognized to be a debacle.

Staff (2021-01-08). Plunge in Restaurant Jobs Due to COVID Leads to First Job Loss Since April. truthout.org The economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, all of which can be attributed to a plunge in restaurant employment of 372,000. Other sectors highly sensitive to the pandemic, such as hotels and recreation, also lost jobs. The unemployment rate and employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) were both unchanged at 6.7 percent and 57.4 percent, respectively. | The resurgence of the pandemic further heightened the two-track nature of this recession. Construction and manufacturing, two sectors normally hard…

Staff (2021-01-08). The COVID-19 Pandemic Shows the Dangers of For-Profit Housing. truthout.org A recently published article in The Atlantic titled " As white-collar workers have left expensive urban cores in droves, apartments have emptied and rents have fallen, just as your average economist would predict.

The Canary (2021-01-08). Unison leader retires with blast against Boris Johnson and the government. thecanary.co The outgoing head of the country's biggest trade union has criticised the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis and their treatment of public sector workers. | "Reckoning": | Dave Prentis, who has been general secretary of Unison for 20 years, said ministers had been behind the curve on procuring enough safety equipment at the start of the pandemic, made promises they hadn't kept, and were now denying a pay rise to workers who had heroically served their communities. | He called for a public inquiry into how the government had handled the crisis, saying there has to be a "day of reckoning". | He…

_____ (2021-01-08). Patriarchy And The Pandemic. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic has made it agonizingly clear that the systems under which we are living were already broken. The pandemic has only exacerbated the crisis of the capitalist system and removed any illusions about this reality. However, the impact of the crisis has not been uniform. The neoliberal capitalist model, which survives and profits by exploiting the vulnerable, again fell back on its same old ways. As a result, it has been the workers, the migrants, the women, and others, whose unpaid and underpaid labor serves as the basis for capitalists to profit, who have suffered the most. | In this conversatio…

Peter Mertens (2021-01-08). This Pandemic Shows How Elites Have Forgotten Us. zcomm.org Belgium has suffered the world's worst rate of coronavirus deaths…

Matt Sedlar (2021-01-08). Pandemic-Caused Plunge in Restaurant Jobs Leads to First Job Loss Since April. cepr.net The pain from the recession is heavily concentrated among the long-term unemployed. The economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, all of which can be attributed to a plunge in restaurant employment of 372,000. Other sectors highly sensitive to the pandemic, such as hotels and recreation, also lost jobs. The unemployment rate and employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) …

Dr. Zuhair Sabbagh (2021-01-08). "Forbidden Weapons" Used Against Gaza Strip Palestinians. Israel Deliberately Targets Palestinian Civilians. globalresearch.ca The following research article will explore three forbidden weapons that were and are still being used against the Palestinian civilians of the besieged Gaza Strip. These weapons are the DIME, the Flechette Shells and the Vacuum Bomb. Furthermore, this research …

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-08). Capitol Hill Violence: America's Reichstag Fire? globalresearch.ca GR Editor's Note | With regard to the coverage of the Wednesday Capitol Event, Global Research will be publishing opposing and contradictory points of view by several of our authors. | We are dealing with a complex and far-reaching political process. We …

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-08). Censorship in America: The New Abnormal. POTUS Censored by Twitter. globalresearch.ca Speech, media and academic freedoms are too precious to lose. | Without them, all other rights are threatened — totalitarian rule replacing them, enforced by police state harshness. | What happened on Capitol Hill Wednesday has clear earmarks of an orchestrated false …

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-08). Censorship in America: The New Abnormal. President Trump Censored by Twitter. globalresearch.ca Speech, media and academic freedoms are too precious to lose. | Without them, all other rights are threatened — totalitarian rule replacing them, enforced by police state harshness. | What happened on Capitol Hill Wednesday has clear earmarks of an orchestrated false …

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-08). Evidence Mounts of a Capitol Hill False Flag. globalresearch.ca GR Editor's Note | With regard to the coverage of the Wednesday Capitol Event, Global Research will be publishing opposing and contradictory points of view by several of our authors. | We are dealing with a complex and far-reaching political process. We …

Editor (2021-01-08). The Climate Crisis Sets Another Grim Record. scheerpost.com NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / CC BY 2.0] By Andrea Germanos / Common Dreams Highlighting global campaigners' demands for urgent and bold climate action, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced Friday that despite coronavirus-related lockdowns, 2020 tied with 2016 for being the warmest year on record and closed out the warmest decade on the books. "It is notable that… |

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Venezuela Reaffirms Its Sovereign Rights Over the Essequibo. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Thursday signed a presidential decree setting the country's maritime and territorial borders in order to protect national jurisdiction rights, especially on the disputed Essequibo territory. | RELATED: | He informed that the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was notified about his government rejections over the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling…

Jonathan Cook (2021-01-08). The US and UK May Not Will Assange's Death, but Everything They Are Doing Makes It More Likely. globalresearch.ca There was a hope in some quarters after Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled on Monday against an application to extradite Julian Assange to the US, where he faced being locked away for the rest of his life, that she might finally …

Manlio Dinucci (2021-01-08). Por trás do veredicto de Londres sobre Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca De um processo injusto — o de Londres referente a Julian Assange, fundador do WikiLeaks — resultou numa sentenàßa que, à primeira vista, parece justa: a nà£o extradiàßà£o do jornalista para os Estados Unidos, onde o aguarda uma sentenàßa de …

PANGEA (2021-01-08). VIDEO — ASSANGE: La Nostra Democrazia Dietro Le Sbarre. globalresearch.ca SERVIZIO DA LONDRA DELL'INVIATA DI PANGEA BERENICE GALLI | STASERA 8 GENNAIO SU DAVVERO TV | Mentre il Tribunale di Londra negava il 6 gennaio a Julian Assange il rilascio su cauzione, rimandandolo nel carcere di Belmarsh — la "Guantanamo britannica", la …

Pepe Escobar (2021-01-08). The Assange Saga: Practicing Real Journalism Is Criminally Insane. globalresearch.ca Synchronicity is definitely fond of mirror wonderwalls. The Julian Assange saga seemed to have entered a new chapter as he was, in thesis, on his way to — conditional — freedom this past Monday, only one day after the first …

Philip Giraldi (2021-01-08). More War by Other Means: Sanctioning the Wife of Syria's President Makes No Sense to Anyone. globalresearch.ca I am a recipient of regular, usual weekly, emails from the Department of the Treasury providing an "Update to OFAC's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons." OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which is tasked …

WSWS (2021-01-08). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Employees at British Gas walk out to defend pay and conditions; UK University students rent strike across 31 universities; Kenyan healthcare workers' strike continues despite union sending doctors back…

news.un (2021-01-08). Vaccinating equitably 'saves lives, stabilizes health systems' — WHO chief. news.un.org Two billion doses of "safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines" have been secured by the international equitable vaccine alliance COVAX, and they will be ready for distribution as soon they are delivered, the UN health agency chief said on Friday.

Jackie Fox (2021-01-08). How to Make a COVID-19 Vaccine @Home. realprogressives.org This is a script of the video embedded below. | Hello Internet, I'm Jackie Fox and I have a new idea I want to bring you in the final hours of a dark year. This may be a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. It combines video games, community, scientific research, and even vaccines and medical treatments. In some ways it's a follow up to cover new info about vaccines in general I learned since the last series, but the core concept is about this project called Folding@Home. | See, back in 2007, I bought a PlayStation 3, and after a few updates, there was a mysterious app added called "Folding@Home" and I…

Staff (2021-01-08). Florida Seniors Forced to Camp Overnight in Cars in Hope of Vaccine. truthout.org As the United States reports record COVID-19 deaths, Florida broke the record for the highest single-day increase in new cases Thursday. Across the state, long lines to get vaccinations against COVID-19 left senior citizens camping in their cars overnight in cold weather, after Governor Ron DeSantis lowered the priority age to 65, 10 years below the CDC recommended age of 75. Those aged 79 and older are reportedly four times as likely to die from COVID. We speak with John and Maria Luisa Schoch, aged 79…

Michael Welch (2021-01-08). 2020 Year in Review: COVID, Collapsing America and the Most Censored Stories of the Year. globalresearch.ca "Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life….

WSWS (2021-01-08). Ontario care worker denounces political establishment over disastrous conditions in care homes. wsws.org Five workers at Canada's long-term—care facilities have died from COVID-19 within little more than a week.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-08). South Korean court orders Japan to compensate survivors of sexual violence during World War II. peoplesdispatch.org A lower court in Seoul ordered Japan to compensate 12 Korean women, who were forced to serve as "comfort women" for its military during the Second World War. The verdict is expected to pave the way for more such judgments…

The Canary (2021-01-08). Five police officers in specialist unit sacked for 'abhorrent' conduct. thecanary.co Five out of six members of a "toxic" specialist police unit have been sacked for their "shameful" discriminatory language. | The officers from the Serious Organised Crime Unit (Socu) in Basingstoke, Hampshire, were recorded making racist, sexist, ableist and other inappropriate comments. | An anonymous complaint about their behaviour prompted Hampshire Constabulary to launch an investigation and the unit's office was bugged. | A disciplinary tribunal found the six officers had committed gross misconduct with their "abhorrent" comments. | Detective sergeant Oliver Lage, detective sergeant Gregory Willcox and Pc Ja…

Ria Tabacco Mar (2021-01-08). Requiring Men but not Women to Register for the Draft is Sex Discrimination. aclu.org The requirement that only men — but not women — register for the draft is one of the last examples of overt sex discrimination written into our federal law. Today, we joined two young men and the National Coalition For Men (NCFM) to

_____ (2021-01-08). New Venezuelan Parliament: Those Responsible For Political Instability And Looting Should Be Behind Bars. popularresistance.org Caracas, Venezuela – Today, the first Vice President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Iris Varela, requested the creation of a special commission so that within 48 hours an arrest warrant could be issued for those who attacked the political stability of the country over the last two years. | However, she stated that by virtue of the nature of the parliament, agreed to by the Board of Directors, within a period of one month the special parliamentary commission must present the draft exhortation to the Judiciary to issue arrest warrants against deputies and members of the previous board of directors for damages…

Chien-Te Tseng (2021-01-08). Immunization with SARS [1] Coronavirus Vaccines Leads to Pulmonary Immunopathology on Challenge with the SARS Virus. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in April 2012. | It pertains to Severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS-CoV (2002) which has, according to the WHO and the CDC similar features to SARS-CoV-2. | A vaccine was envisaged in relation to SARS-1. | This article …

Chien-Te Tseng (2021-01-08). Immunization with SARS [1] Coronavirus Vaccines Leads to Pulmonary Immunopathology on Challenge with the SARS Virus. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in April 2012. | It pertains to Severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS-CoV (2002) which has, according to the WHO and the CDC similar features to SARS-CoV-2. | It is of relevance to the current debate on the …

Ariel Gold (2021-01-08). Is Israel practicing vaccine leadership or medical apartheid? peoplesdispatch.org The media is abuzz these days with

Staff (2021-01-08). Betsy DeVos Resigns, Dodging 25th Amendment Push. truthout.org Education Secretary Betsy DeVos late Thursday became the

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-08). Sunday 1/17: MLK Jr. Holiday 2021: Where Do We Go From Here? Documentary Film Festival (1/17). indybay.org Online/virtual event w/ on demand streaming…

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-08). Friday 1/15: MLK Jr. Holiday 2021: Where Do We Go From Here? Documentary Film Festival (1/15). indybay.org Online/virtual event w/ on demand streaming…

EARTHDAY (2021-01-08). Thursday 1/14: We Throw It All Away: Food Waste & Loss and Changing to Responsible Practices. indybay.org Online event via Zoom or direct livestream…

Democracy (2021-01-08). 137 Types Of Republican Vote Fraud, Election Theft In 2020 And For 200 Yrs Before. indybay.org Republicans this year falsely projected onto Democrats categories of crimes which the GOP has commited for 220 Years…

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-08). Monday 1/18: MLK Jr. Holiday 2021: Where Do We Go From Here? Documentary Film Festival (1/18). indybay.org Online/virtual event w/ on demand streaming…

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2021-01-08). Saturday 1/9: Car Caravan — No Fascist Coup! indybay.org Starts at City Hall‚Ä¢ 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102 | then follows a route through the Castro and Mission districts. Lasts about 1.5 hours but you don't have to do the entire route.

Museum of African Diaspora San Francisco (2021-01-08). Monday 1/18: Virtual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday w/ MoAD. indybay.org Online via livestream (FREE & all ages welcome)…

Alex Bustillos (2021-01-08). One in Six US Restaurants Have Closed Down — Moms-and-Pops Suffer Much Worse than Chains. indybay.org The US restaurant industry is undergoing an earthquake.

RR (2021-01-08). Caravan Counter-Protest in San Francisco Reacts to MAGA Insurrectionists in DC. indybay.org Activists from a coalition of groups are calling for people to wake up to the reality of the unprecedented behavior of a sitting president who has legitimized the lie of a stolen election in the eyes of many millions of his supporters and mobilized white supremacist MAGA mobs to rampage, terrorize, and intimidate anyone who stands in their way.

Christoph Spehr (2021-01-08). For a borderless pragmatism. Outline of a Progressive Migration Policy. indybay.org Immigration leads to stronger economic growth, which in turn creates jobs, Without migration, we would all be sitting in Olduvia in East Africa, as we were 100,000 years ago. About 3% of the world's population, about 215 million people, live in a state other than the one in which they were born. Migration has always existed. Not everything has become more right-wing in the last 50 years.

FSTPPC (2021-01-08). Friday 1/8: "Democracy on the Brink" w/ guest Rev. William Barber II of Poor People's Campaign. indybay.org Online program…

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-08). Saturday 1/16: MLK Jr. Holiday 2021: Where Do We Go From Here? Documentary Film Festival (1/16). indybay.org Online/virtual event w/ on demand streaming…

Coalition for Proptery Tax Justice (2021-01-08). Wednesday 1/13: #Black Homes Matter Speak Out: Most Detroit Home Foreclosures Since the Great Depression. indybay.org Virtual speak out…

The Canary (2021-01-08). Personal use of all recreational drugs should be decriminalised, experts argue. thecanary.co Non-violent criminals serving time for drug use or possession should be freed and personal use of recreational drugs decriminalised, experts have said, arguing that the 'war on drugs' is fuelling racism. | "Costly and ineffective": | Personal use of all recreational drugs should be decriminalised immediately, followed by legalisation, regulation, and restrictions on age, advertising and licensing, according to more than 60 international experts. | The group — including bioethicists, drug experts, criminal justice researchers, and psychologists — say prohibition and criminalisation has been "co…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-08). Workers of British Gas strike against restructuring of contracts and 'fire and rehire' threats. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands of British Gas workers under the leadership of GMB union started a five day strike from January 7 against the management's plan to restructure workers' contracts and threats of 'fire and rehire'

_____ (2021-01-08). Open Society Tries To Stage A Counterrevolution In Cuba. popularresistance.org On November 28, 2020 Cuban Television abruptly ended the Cuban State media's reluctance to publicly expose the U.S. attempts to fund and organize a new counterrevolution to bring about a soft coup in the island nation. The TV special was followed by episodes on Mesa Redonda, segments on NTV, news programs, articles in Granma and Cubadebate, as well as follow-up in various government-run media outlets. The ins and outs of this new counterrevolution, including the use of social media and digital outlets, acts of terrorist vandalism carried out to destabilize Cuban society, and the web of connections behind it, had…

_____ (2021-01-08). Will They Ever Be Over? popularresistance.org "This is a different kind of war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and destroy terrorist activity," President George W. Bush announced a little more than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks. "Some victories will be won outside of public view, in tragedies avoided and threats eliminated. Other victories will be clear to all." | This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the war on terror, including America's undeclared conflict in Afghanistan. After that war's original moniker, Operation Infinite Justice, was nixed for offending Muslim sensibilities, the Pentagon rebranded it Operation End…

_____ (2021-01-08). Telling War Stories. popularresistance.org I don't have any personal war stories to tell. In my twenty years in the U.S. Air Force, I never saw combat. I started as a developmental engineer, working mainly on computer software, and morphed into a historian of science and technology who taught for six years at the USAF Academy. I worked on software projects that helped pilots plan their missions and helped the world to keep track of objects in Earth orbit. I taught military cadets who did see combat and served as the dean of students at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey, where I saw plenty of young troops cross the graduation stage…

_____ (2021-01-08). 60 High School Seniors Refuse To Serve In The Israeli Army. popularresistance.org Sixty Israelis of eligible draft age have signed a letter declaring their refusal to serve in the military because of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. | Departing from previous letters of this kind, the signatories call out the country's education system for various issues, such as encouraging enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces and emphasizing the Jewish narrative in Bible and history classes. | They also draw attention to issues they say the curriculum ignores, such as the expulsion of Arabs in 1948 and the current violation of human rights in the occupied territories. | In a letter sent…

_____ (2021-01-08). Will US Farmers Follow India's Lead? popularresistance.org Thousands of farmers in India are braving cold winter temperatures in the outskirts of New Delhi, their tractors and tents blocking traffic along three main roads leading to the capital city, in protest of new agricultural laws that farmers say leave them at the mercy of multinational corporations. The protests, which began in August, morphed into a general strike of 250 million workers on November 26, which has been called the largest-ever global demonstration. | The ongoing demonstrations have struck a chord with agricultural communities in North America, where solidarity protests were held throughout December,…

_____ (2021-01-08). Violence In The Capitol, Dangers In The Aftermath. popularresistance.org In the days and weeks after the 9/11 attack, Americans were largely united in emotional horror at what had been done to their country as well as in their willingness to endorse repression and violence in response. As a result, there was little room to raise concerns about the possible excesses or dangers of the American reaction, let alone to dissent from what political leaders were proposing in the name of vengeance and security. The psychological trauma from the carnage and the wreckage at the country's most cherished symbols swamped rational faculties and thus rendered futile any attempts to urge restraint or…

_____ (2021-01-08). Biden Appoints Chief Ukraine Coup-Plotter Victoria Nuland. popularresistance.org Describing it as "one of the darkest days in American history," President-elect Joe Biden denounced Wednesday's spectacular assault on the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. as a coup attempt fomented by Donald Trump. | "I wish we could say we couldn't see it coming, but that isn't true. We could see it coming," the 78-year-old Delawarean said. | The last four years we've had a president who's made his contempt for our democracy, our Constitution, the rule of law, clear in everything he has done. He unleashed an all-out assault on the institutions of our democracy from the outset, and yesterday was but a culmin…

Pip Hinman (2021-01-08). Don't sweep the ugly truth about US 'democracy' under the carpet. greenleft.org.au As the Capitol Hill 'invasion' by MAGA goes sour and Australian MPs rush to get their stories straight, let's not sweep the ugly truth about US 'democracy' under the carpet, writes Pip Hinman.

William rivers Pitt (2021-01-08). A Snap Impeachment Should Be Done Within 24 Hours. zcomm.org Today, I add January 6, 2021, to the long hall of bleak murals that have decorated my passage through this lethally erratic thing called the future. We were supposed to have flying cars by now. Instead, we have this…

Richard Seymour (2021-01-08). No future: the English Left in retrospect. zcomm.org What is next for the English Left after Corbyn-led Labour's crushing electoral defeat in last year's election?>

Gershon Baskin (2021-01-08). What's the difference between modern Zionism and white supremacy? zcomm.org I no longer call myself a Zionist. I don't know what it means to be a Zionist anymore. Is building settlements in the West Bank Zionism? Is building more homes in settlements a Zionist response to Palestinian violence?>

Michael Albert (2021-01-08). Does Parecon Escape the Logic of Capitalism? zcomm.org An interview on participatory economics…

David Sirota (2021-01-08). The Insurrection Was Predictable. zcomm.org Wednesday's events were the expression of a dangerous authoritarian movement that has been long in the making…

news.un (2021-01-08). Central African Republic: Post-election violence triggers mass displacement. news.un.org Amidst post-election violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), more than 200,000 people have fled for their own safety, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

news.un (2021-01-08). Uganda: 'Deteriorating' human rights situation in run-up to elections next week. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, is urging authorities in Uganda to ensure elections next week are free and peaceful, noting that the arrest of opposition candidates and their supporters are among several "worrying" developments ahead of the vote.

news.un (2021-01-08). Citizens globally affirm belief in international cooperation. news.un.org People worldwide have overwhelmingly highlighted their faith in multilateralism to address global challenges, the results of a year-long survey by the United Nations have shown.

news.un (2021-01-08). Citizens globally affirm belief in international cooperation to overcome challenges. news.un.org People worldwide have overwhelmingly highlighted their faith in multilateralism to address global challenges, the results of a year-long survey by the United Nations have shown.

news.un (2021-01-08). Viet Nam: UN rights office denounces 'increasing clampdown' on freedom of expression. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR), on Friday, voiced concerns over the use of "vaguely defined laws" in Viet Nam, to arbitrarily detain an increasing number of journalists, bloggers, commentators and rights defenders, amidst what appears to be part of an "increasing clampdown" on the freedom of expression in the country.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-08). Space plasma and exoplanet experts receive Royal Astronomical Society awards. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's Dr Julia Stawarz and Dr James Owen have received honours in the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) annual awards.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-08). Rare quadruple-helix DNA found in living human cells with glowing probes. imperial.ac.uk New probes allow scientists to see four-stranded DNA interacting with molecules inside living human cells, unravelling its role in cellular processes.

Wilfred Chan (2021-01-08). In Hong Kong, We Thought We Had More Time. thenation.com In Hong Kong, We Thought We Had More Time…

Fight Back (2021-01-08). Chicago educators returning to buildings find substandard conditions days before reopening to students. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Thousands of Chicago Public Schools teachers, clinicians and staff returning to school buildings last Monday found conditions far below the standards and promises touted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools in preparation for opening doors to students on January 11. Throughout the week, educators submitted photos, video and detailed reports of their findings, which included no masks available upon arrival, empty hand sanitizer dispensers, hallways filled with debris from locker installation and brown water in bathroom sinks. | Many classrooms appeared as if they had not been cleaned si…

Hannah Gais and Freddy Cruz (2021-01-08). Far-Right Insurrectionists Organized Capitol Siege on Parler. splcenter.org Parler, a conservative alternative to Twitter that has become a haven for far-right extremism of all stripes, proved to be a haven for recruitment and promotion for the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol building.

Louis Yako (2021-01-08). When the Left Side is the Only Hope Left: The Destruction of Mosul. counterpunch.org I wrote recently about the field research I conducted in the early months of 2020 for an international organization supporting Iraqi youth. The research focused on young boys and girls attending sessions in different parts of Iraq to engage in dialogues and conversations about pressing issues in Iraqi society such as citizenship, gender, culture and heritage, media,

Matthew Stevenson (2021-01-08). Hangman's Bluff: Trump on the Run. counterpunch.org Am I the only American who didn't see yesterday's Capitol invasion as a threat to the republic? (I know what you're thinking, "What republic?") But was it as horrific as is being played up by this morning's editorials? By the way, where was that new member of Congress authorized to carry her burner into the

WSWS (2021-01-08). Obit: Poet Victoria Chang's meditation on loss. wsws.org In her latest volume of poetry, Chang confronts her mother's death and seeks to understand the nature of grief while grappling with the inadequacy of language.

James Corbett (2021-01-08). Video: "The Thick Red Line": Law Enforcement, the "Plandemic"and the Unlawful Orders of Politicians. globalresearch.ca Howard Lichtman joins us today to introduce ThickRedLine seeks to upend the narrative that keeps the public afraid of breaking the unlawful orders of the politicians …

Bill Ballas (2021-01-08). Trump and the Organ Grinder's Monkey. progressive.org One can't be a leader without followers.

Iliana Hagenah (2021-01-08). White Rioters Are Treated Differently than BLM Protesters. progressive.org On January 6, MAGA insurrectionists overtook the Capitol. Meanwhile, states are criminalizing nonviolent Black Lives Matter protests.

Dr. Meryl Nass (2021-01-08). Is the Virus Real? Has It Been Photographed? What About Koch's Postulates? globalresearch.ca Even though I thought I had answered these questions, smart people whom I respect keep asking if the virus is real. So here is another stab at answering this. | Yes, the virus is real. A misleading CDC/FDA document originally written …

WSWS (2021-01-08). Student protests continue in Turkey in defiance of police-state measures. wsws.org The mass student protests in Istanbul that started to oppose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's appointment of a new rector to Boƒüaziàßi University, continued yesterday in defiance of police-state measures to suppress the movement.

WSWS (2021-01-08). Indian Toyota workers continue strike in defiance of company-government repression. wsws.org Striking Toyota workers also face mounting pressure from the Congress and Janata Dal opposition parties, and the isolation of their struggle by the Stalinist-dominated unions.

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-01-08). Chile intensifies its war against the Mapuche people. peoplesdispatch.org On the day the verdict was announced regarding the assassination of Mapuche leader Camilo Catrillanca, police carried out a violent raid of 6 Mapuche communites and violently detained members of Catrillanca's family to stop them from attending court…

Robert Fantina (2021-01-08). The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) Intrusion in Albania, Threatens Regional Stability in Middle East and Balkans. globalresearch.ca One can only imagine the risk when some citizens of a small country conceal hundreds of thousands of weapons and explosives. The nation becomes a powder keg, awaiting one small mistake to spark a deadly explosion. | This is the situation …

WSWS (2021-01-08). Shippensburg faculty member demands action to save jobs and university education for working-class students. wsws.org Layoffs, the closing of schools, and academic cuts are being pushed by the new chancellor at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Michael Payne (2021-01-08). The good, the bad and the ugly: Medical heroes, anti-maskers, and rotten politicians. nationofchange.org We know who the Good are, they are exemplary, the very best of Americans. We know that the bad and ugly are personified by one Donald. J. Trump, someone who bends or breaks any law that stands in his way.

Abayomi Azikiwe (2021-01-08). Georgia Twin Runoff Election Results Fuel Right-wing Unrest. globalresearch.ca GR Editor's Note | With regard to the coverage of the Wednesday Capitol Event, Global Research will be publishing opposing and contradictory points of view by several of our authors. | We are dealing with a complex and far-reaching political process. We …

ACLU (2021-01-08). For Muslims, Even Prayers Aren't Private. aclu.org We generate droves of personal data every time we use the apps on our phones, make a call, or make an online purchase. While we might hope that our data is kept private, hidden away from people or entities that may want to surveil our usage or capitalize on these private choices, it often isn't., , In November, news reports revealed that the federal government had purchased location data mined from apps used by Muslims. One of those apps is Muslim Pro, a GPS-reliant app that signals prayer times to its users, which has been downloaded by millions. It's not yet clear exactly how the data is being used, bu…

Too Black (2021-01-08). The Myth of the Perfect Victim. counterpunch.org The denial of Black humanity is essential to the order of racial capitalism, and dictates that Blacks deserve whatever treatment they get. "Cop talk conditions us to see each 'officer-involved shooting' through the eyes of the police." "The victims were Black, and the reports are so written as to make it appear that the helpless

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Haiti To Hold Elections and Constitutional Referendum This Year. telesurenglish.net Provisional Electoral Committee (CEP) President Guylande Mesadieu on Thursday announced the dates for a constitutional referendum and general elections to take place in Haiti this year. | RELATED: | The referendum on the Constitution is scheduled for April 25, while the first round of presidential and legislative elections will be held on September 19. Subnational elections will be also held on November 21. | "I wan…

splcenter (2021-01-08). Capitol siege underscores need for bold action to create truly just and equitable nation. splcenter.org &nbsp…

Derek Royden (2021-01-08). The short, scary MAGA cosplay 'revolution'. nationofchange.org Without consequences for those who encouraged what happened on Wednesday, up to and including the outgoing president, such lawlessness could become a normal feature of American political life.

Global Research News (2021-01-08). This Week's Most Popular Articles. globalresearch.ca

Jack Lee (2021-01-08). Why so many young people go vegan. nationofchange.org Millennials are driving the shift towards food that is plant-based. They are likely to check the source of food, the issues surrounding animal welfare, and the impacts on the environment that get implied when they decide to purchase the product.

Saskia Hostetler Lippy (2021-01-08). Security Culture and a New Day in Portland. counterpunch.org Truth be told, I should not be writing this to you now. It was part of the code I signed in order to do the behind-the-scenes protest mental health work that I would never contact "the media." Anarchists, I've learned, like most humans, are on a continuum of extremes. The anarchists I admire most would

RT (2021-01-07). Consumers 'targets of technical bullying' by Chinese tech firms, watchdog warns. rt.com The government-backed China Consumers Association (CCA) has accused tech firms in the country of violating consumer rights by misusing data, distorting algorithms and subjecting users to "technical bullying." | While the CCA did not single out any specific companies in its criticism, it raised concerns over firms that have developed rapidly into large-scale organizations in the consumer sector, particularly those dealing with accommodation, food delivery, online shopping, online gaming, transportation and travel. | The watchdog noted that the collection and handling of data have "aroused widespread concern in…

George Wuerthner (2021-01-07). Deceptions for Logging the Ochoco National Forest. counterpunch.org The Ochoco National Forest proposes what they call a "dry forest restoration" on approximately 23,015 acres in the Mill Creek Dry Forest Restoration Project area east of Prineville, Oregon. As with almost everything the Forest Service does these days, the Mill Creek "Restoration" is emblematic of the agency's narrow perspective on what constitutes a healthy

MEE and agencies (2021-01-07). UAE to resume trade and travel with Qatar within a week. middleeasteye.net UAE to resume trade and travel with Qatar within a week | Emirati foreign minister said restoring full diplomatic relations would take time as trust issues linger | Thu, 01/07/2021 – 12: 13 | UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum signing a document during the opening session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in the Saudi city of al-Ula, 5 January 2021 (AFP)…

RT (2021-01-07). UK may need to 'revaccinate' every 6 MONTHS and Covid testing will still be needed next year, health secretary warns. rt.com The UK may need to revaccinate people for immunisation to coronavirus every six months, while Covid-19 testing will still be required in 2022, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said during a select committee hearing on Thursday. | "I anticipate that we will probably need to revaccinate because we don't know the longevity of the protection from these vaccines," Hancock said in response to an MP's question. "It might need to be every six months, it might need to be every year." | Hancock added that "yes" he did think that England's current national lockdown would be the country's last, but said: "There's absolutely…

Rich Murphy (2021-01-07). The Heat: 2020 year ender. america.cgtn.com 2020 was a year like no other.

MEE staff (2021-01-07). Libya urged to investigate fate of hundreds missing in Tarhuna. middleeasteye.net Libya urged to investigate fate of hundreds missing in Tarhuna | Dozens of mass graves were found in Tarhuna last summer after withdrawal of forces aligned with eastern commander Khalifa Haftar | Thu, 01/07/2021 – 19: 12 | Since June, Libyan teams have been searching for graves and exhuming bodies in Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli (AFP) | Human Rights Watch urged Libya's internationally recognised government to…

Tracy Keeling (2021-01-07). Global wildlife trading body under fire over highly questionable Asian elephant exports. thecanary.co 2020 was a bumpy year for the

The Canary (2021-01-07). 'There's only so much you can see' — heartbreaking words from hospital staff on the pandemic frontline. thecanary.co Hospital staff on the coronavirus frontline have described how there is "very little joy" in the job during the second wave, with some in intensive care units resigning and managers concerned over the long-term mental health impact on employees.Tori Cooper, head of nursing in the Emergency Department at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south-west London, said the usually good staff morale had been chipped away during the Covid-19 pandemic.Cooper told the PA news agency: "There is very little joy in our work at the moment."It's hard to find that joy when you come into work — you're scared for your colleagues,…

Frederick B. Mills, Alina Duarte — Patricio Zamorano (2021-01-07). Mexico Offers Asylum to Assange: a Step Forward for Government Accountability and Press Freedom. counterpunch.org On Monday January 4 a British court denied a U.S. request to extradite world renowned journalist and Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, to face charges in the U.S. under the Espionage Act. Shortly after this breaking news, President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), urged the U.K. to consider the possibility of freeing Assange and

Vijay Prashad (2021-01-07). We Are Living in an Emergency That Requires Urgent Action. dissidentvoice.org The first newsletter of the new year is written in collaboration with our friend, the great linguist and prophetic voice, Noam Chomsky. What follows is a statement by Noam and me. Xiang Wang (China), Extinction, 2020 Three Major Threats to Life on Earth That We Must Address in 2021: A Note from Noam Chomsky and Vijay …

Workers World Party (2021-01-07). PDF of January 7 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Alabama prisons: ON STRIKE! 'Relief' bill offers little; Outrage at year's end; Workers as 'contractors'; Massive hack; Historic postal strike; Editorial: COVID unpreparedness. GLOBAL: Cuban and Haitian revolutions; Brexit crisis; Long live DPRK; Argentina: abortion rights victory. TEAR DOWN THE WALLS: Exonerate Mumia! Letter from Pennsylvania . . . |

RT (2021-01-07). 'Life-saving drugs': Treating critically ill Covid-19 patients with Roche or Sanofi arthritis meds reduces death rate, trial finds. rt.com Survival rates for critically ill Covid patients could be significantly improved and the time they spend in intensive care cut by up to 10 days with the use of existing arthritis drugs, clinical trial results showed on Thursday. | Roche's Actemra (tocilizumab) and Sanofi's Kevzara (sarilumab) — both immunosuppressive drugs — slashed the death rates of the sickest Covid patients by 8.5 percentage points, according to the findings, which are yet to be peer-reviewed. | In response to the apparent breakthrough, the UK government is making the drugs immediately available to doctors, with a spokesperson sa…

RT (2021-01-07). Not believing in God 'as dangerous' as Covid-19 denialism says Head of Russian Church, asking followers to trust the experts. rt.com Coronavirus isn't the only pandemic sweeping through society, the Russian Orthodox Church's top cleric has said. According to Patriarch Kirill, disbelief is public health enemy number one, ahead of purely biological threats. | In a sermon to mark the start of Christmas in Russia on Wednesday, the bishop told worshippers that "there are people who do not believe in anything at all — not in disease or in danger, and neglect medical advice." | "But we believers know that these stupid people exist. There are also many people who do not believe in God… which is very dangerous, even deadly," he added. "Just a…

RT (2021-01-07). Facebook forces WhatsApp users to share their personal data… or get off the platform. rt.com WhatsApp users must share their personal data with parent company Facebook going forward, the app's new privacy policy has declared — flying in the face of everything that attracted privacy-oriented users to the platform. | Facebook's bait and switch will see WhatsApp sharing private information that goes significantly beyond names and profile pictures with Facebook and other subsidiaries. Phone numbers, address books, status updates, and even detailed data on the type of phone they're using will be fed to the Facebook hive-mind. | And woe betide anyone who does business on WhatsApp — information ab…

Staff (2021-01-07). "Americans Are Now Getting a Mild Taste of Their Own Medicine" of Disrupting Democracy Elsewhere. democracynow.org World leaders reacted in horror over the storming of the U.S. Capitol, with the U.N. secretary-general calling on political leaders to demand their followers refrain from violence. Leaders of the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, France, Germany, NATO and the European Council called for a peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden. Investigative journalist Allan Nairn looks at what steps Trump may take next, and says despite protestations from President-elect Joe Biden and others that the insurrection was "not who we are," the U.S. has a long track record of disrupting democratic processes elsewher…

Global Research News (2021-01-07). Selected Articles: A Pandemic of Insanity. globalresearch.ca By This is a controversial issue which has been raised by several prominent scientists. On January 7, 2020 the Chinese authorities "identify a new type …

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-01-07). Short Cuts: the 20 Best Films of 2020. counterpunch.org Bacurau Directors: Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Mendonàßa Filho Beanpole Director: Kantemir Balagov Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets Directors: Bill and Turner Ross Bully. Coward. Victim: the Story of Roy Cohn Director: Ivy Meeropol Collective Director: Alexander Nanau Cordillera of Dreams Director: Patricio Guzmán Dick Johnson is Dead Director: Kirsten Johnson First Cow Director: Kelly Reichart I'm Thinking

Martha Grevatt (2021-01-07). Racist police killings:Year ends on a note of outrage. workers.org Peoples Conference, Dec. 23, Columbus. Cleveland — Three days before Christmas, Andre Hill visited the home of a family friend on Dec. 22 to drop off some holiday cash. Police, called to the neighborhood for an unrelated situation, shot and killed the 47-year-old Black father and grandfather. Hill, whose family . . . |

Eds. (2021-01-07). "Too late to be pessimist! Ecosocialism or collapse" mronline.org From the analysis of the struggle between the great powers for a lesser dependence on fossil fuels (which can shape their rivalries or push towards convergence between them), to the reminder of the need for every subject of oppression to develop its own ecological reflection. Daniel Tanuro gives us illuminating and pedagogical tools to confront …

Steve Lalla (2021-01-07). Resistance is not Futile. dissidentvoice.org Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has inspired fear within the Empire through both armed struggle and its success in electoral politics. For effectively wielding this double-edged sword, the "Party of God" has been vilified by countless politicians and media outlets. From its birth as an armed resistance to Israeli attacks on Lebanon over 35 years ago, …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-01-07). "It's Not as Bad as Iwo Jima, I Suppose": The Julian Assange Extradition Verdict. counterpunch.org The barrister-brewed humour of Edward Fitzgerald QC, one of the solid and stout figures defending a certain Julian Assange of WikiLeaks at the Old Bailey in London, was understandable. Time had worn and wearied the parties, none more so than his client. Fitzgerald had asked for water, but then mused that its absence could hardly

Joe Hirsch (2021-01-07). Film review: "Signed, Sealed and Delivered: Labor Struggle in the Post Office" workers.org Postal workers wildcat, 1978. "Signed, Sealed and Delivered: Labor Struggle in…

Eds. (2021-01-07). The Geo-politics of EU-China Investment deal. mronline.org The recently announced EU-China principally agreed investment deal is a watershed moment, marking a first EU-China investment deal of its kind that would open the doors for the EU to make direct investment in China.

Eds. (2021-01-07). Capitalism and catastrophe. mronline.org The 2020 crisis we've endured isn't an aberration of the system but, as Alex Callinicos argues, an aspect of its permanent crisis.

Anthony DiMaggio (2021-01-07). The Coup in Washington: Why is Anyone Surprised by Trump's Fascist Politics? counterpunch.org As I write this, pro-Trump protesters have stormed the U.S. Capitol building seeking to impose Trump's attempted coup on America. Trump's hand in stoking the coup is apparent on multiple fronts. He's been disseminating and mainstreaming baseless electoral fraud conspiracies for months — years really. He encouraged these protesters to head over to Capitol Hill. Once the attacks on and invasion of the Capitol began, he refused to condemn them. And then in his first address to the nation, he poured more fuel on the fire by continuing to traffic in electoral fraud conspiracies. To be perfectly clear, this is no…

Dustin Noga (2021-01-07). China attempts to mediate divisions within ruling Nepal Communist Party. peoplesworld.org Political unrest and protests have shaken Nepal as Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) called for the dissolution of the parliament on Dec. 20 and for new elections to take place on April 30 and May 10. Prime Minister Oli cited an inability of the NCP to govern because of a lack of …

Greta Anderson (2021-01-07). An Open Letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. Proposed Grazing Permit. counterpunch.org Dear Oregon Bureau of Land Management staffers, I am writing today to ask you to please defend the proper administration of public lands. The recent decision to award Hammond Ranches, Inc. a livestock grazing permit and grazing preference to use four allotments in the Burns Field Office appears to have been politically influenced, and we

Dianne Mathiowetz (2021-01-07). Georgia: Big voter turnout ousts wealthy Republican senators. workers.org Atlanta Jan. 6 — Georgia voters made history on Jan. 5 by voting into the U.S. Senate Rev. Raphael Warnock, the first ever Black senator from Georgia. Warnock is senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the famed church of Rev. Martin Luther King's family, esteemed for its long . . . |

Richard C. Gross (2021-01-07). Pro-Trump Insurrectionists Seize Capitol. counterpunch.org Extremist Republican congressional conservatives began debating the electoral votes that secured President-elect Joe Biden's victory as a Donald Trump-incited mob unleashed real "American carnage" by storming the Capitol building to protest his lost election. Hundreds of demonstrators swarmed past a ring of police and pushed into the Capitol, busting through doors and windows, ransacking offices.

Workers World Party (2021-01-07). Long live the DPRK! Long live socialism! workers.org Workers World Party sent the following message to the Eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, taking place this month. Monument to the Workers' Party of Korea, Pyongyang January 1, 2021 Comrade Kim Jong Un Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of . . . |

Steve Martinot (2021-01-07). The Police "Use of Force," and Berkeley's "Use of Farce" counterpunch.org Recently, the police concept of Use of Force (UOF) has become an issue across the country, and ordinances are being passed calling for "minimal" force from police. For some reason, giving a person a heart attack through repeated (and sadistic) use of a taser has come to be seen as "excessive." And so does pepper

David Rovics (2021-01-07). An Open Letter to Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys (cc: Antifa). dissidentvoice.org Have you ever found yourself surrounded by masked rioters being chased by flag-waving patriots and thought, I've seen this movie before? I woke up this morning dreaming that I was speaking at one of your rallies. I thought then, well, if I probably won't be getting an invitation to speak at one of them, what …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-01-07). 2021: Palestine's Chance of Fighting Back. dissidentvoice.org 2020 will go down in history as the year that terminated the American-sponsored 'peace process'. While 2021 will not reverse the monumental change in the US attitude and objectives in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, the new year presents Palestinians with the opportunity to think outside the American box. The previous year began with …

Eds. (2021-01-07). Incarcerated people and corrections staff should be prioritized in COVID-19 vaccination plans. mronline.org Some states are including correctional facilities in their rollout plans. All states and the BOP should do so-and put incarcerated people near the top of the list.

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2021-01-07). New book: Indonesia was model for anti-communist massacres, U.S. complicity. peoplesworld.org U.S imperialism was on a roll in the mid-20th century as Cold War problems were emerging. These included U.S.-Soviet conflict, nuclear-war fears, the Korean and Vietnam wars, domestic anti-communism, and Indonesia. Having thrown off Dutch colonial rule, that country led by President Sukarno was in the vanguard of nations striving to steer clear of both …

Laurent Ross (2021-01-07). The D.C. terrorist attacks: September 11th and January 6th. peoplesworld.org On Sept. 11, 2001, I was a political appointee of D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, running a $17 million scholarship program. My office was just blocks from the Capitol, and I had a great view of the dome from my 10th story window. A member of my leadership team, Ken Howard, came into my office to …

WSWS (2021-01-07). UK government refuses to publish list of airstrikes in Yemen involving civilian casualties. wsws.org While the UK's Ministry of Defence has listed a staggering 516 potential International Humanitarian Law violations by the coalition of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the real number is far higher.

Lawrence Freeman (2021-01-07). China's "Belt and Road Initiative" Is Not Debt-trapping Africa. globalresearch.ca Over the last three years, a new type of groupthink has emerged among many Western media and policy think tanks in their geopolitically motivated efforts to malign China. They've claimed that China is practicing a new type of colonialism, which …

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Chile To Condemn Murderers of Indigenous Mapuche Catrillanca. telesurenglish.net A Court in Angol city on Thursday is set to hand over its verdict on the murder of the Indigenous Mapuche community member Camilo Catrillanca, aged 24, who was killed by Special Police Operations Group officers (GOPE) in 2018. | RELATED: | The Prosecutor's Office asked for a 19-year in prison sentence for former GOPER sergeant Carlos Alarcon who was accused of both Catrillanca's assassination and the attempted m…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Guatemala: Former Military Charged for Indigenous Leader Murder. telesurenglish.net A Guatemalan court sentenced on Wednesday the former head of security at Central America's largest nickel mine, Mynor Padilla González, to two years in prison for the murder of indigenous leader Adolfo Ich Chamán, committed in 2009. | RELATED: | Adolfo Ich, a Maya Q'eqchi' teacher, and community leader, was killed during violent evictions in the Las Nubes community. The evictions would give space for the operations of…

Matthew Rozsa (2021-01-07). Why vaccines are being wasted in the United States. salon.com The US needs to vaccinate 9 million people a week to end the pandemic by July 1. We're very far from that goal…

WSWS (2021-01-07). As the pandemic death toll mounts, governments delay administration of second vaccine dose. wsws.org With the death toll from COVID-19 projected to accelerate over the next several weeks, some governments are attempting to compensate for problems in the production and distribution of vaccines by delaying the second dose, despite a lack of data proving the efficacy of a prolonged dose regimen.

_____ (2021-01-07). A New Book Analyzes The Impact Of COVID-19 On The US And China. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic has placed China and the United States on the opposite ends of human progress. In the U.S., massive casualties of the pandemic have been coupled with the worst capitalist crash since the Great Depression. The story is much different in China. China began re-opening its economy as early as April of 2020. Deaths due to COVID-19 are virtually non-existent, and economists now predict that China's economy will surpass the U.S. economy in GDP terms two years ahead of schedule. Capitalism on a Ventilator: The Impact of COVID-19 in China and the U.S. is an anthology comprised of more than fifty cont…

WSWS (2021-01-07). Hundreds of thousands in UK spend Christmas and New Year homeless as pandemic worsens. wsws.org A third lockdown is now underway and the Conservative government has committed no more funding to deal with the homeless crisis and consigned its Everyone In scheme to the scrapheap.

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Latin America Celebrates 'Three Kings Day'. telesurenglish.net Latin American countries on Wednesday marked the Three Kings Day, which is a religious festivity that worships the Child Jesus. | Every January 6, as part of a tradition inherited from the Spanish Colony, families praise the arrival of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar in Belem. | On the Three Kings Day, thousands of people go to churches to pray for their families' health. It is also a tradition to give gifts to children, make artistic presentations in the streets, and bake a roll. | This 2021, however, the celebration was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Churches were not as crowded as they were in previ…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Cuba: Infant Mortality Stayed Low in 2020. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Health Ministry (MINSAP) reported an infant mortality rate of 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2020 despite the pressures put by the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. sanctions on the health system. | RELATED: | The Medical Records and Statistics Division informed that 105,030 children were born on the island, which represents 4,686 fewer births than in 2019. | Experiencing a reduction in the under-five years' mortality rate, the Carib…

WSWS (2021-01-07). German teachers' union backs in-person learning as COVID-19 deaths soar. wsws.org In enforcing their inhumane pandemic policies, the federal and state governments, consisting of a broad range of political coalitions, can rely on the close cooperation of Germany's trade unions.

Dean Baker (2021-01-07). What to Look for in the December Jobs Report. counterpunch.org The monthly Employment Situation is scheduled for release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, January 8th at 8: 30 AM Eastern Time. Soaring coronavirus infection rates are likely to be the main story in the employment report in December. Fear of the pandemic, coupled with new state and local restrictions, has led to a fall in

WSWS (2021-01-07). Five Canadian health care workers die within a week as COVID-19 infections rise sharply nationwide. wsws.org Canada's health and senior's care systems are buckling under a second wave of the pandemic for which the entire political establishment is responsible.

WSWS (2021-01-07). World Bank report warns of extended downturn in global growth. wsws.org Even on the World Bank's most optimistic scenario, the level of global gross domestic product in 2021 is expected to be 5.3 percent below pre-pandemic projection, equivalent to a loss of output of $4.7 trillion.

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Brazil: Bolsonaro Cancels Purchase of Syringes for Vaccination. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro suspended the purchase of syringes destined for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign "due to a price increase." | RELATED: | "The syringes' cost increased absurdly. The Ministry of Health suspended the purchase until their value returns to normal," Bolsonaro said. | During a broadcast message, the far-right-wing president minimized the pandemic's impact on the country and the need for syringe…

Frank Scott (2021-01-07). Defund the Pentagon: Refund the People. dissidentvoice.org When profit determines every outcome of social and economic life, the minority politics of lesser evil wins again, and again, and again. — Anonymous The pandemic has heightened public awareness of the injustice of a political economic system that profits private wealth at massive loss to the public good. All talk of change that simply …

Danica Jorden (2021-01-07). France Grants Citizenship to Immigrant Essential Workers as Protests Against Racist "Security" Laws Grow. globalresearch.ca The government of France has decided to recognize the contributions of essential workers from other countries working within its borders during the pandemic by offering them French citizenship. On 22 December 2020, the day of the announcement, 74 immigrants were …

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Bolsonaro Seeks Another "Capitol Riot" in Brazil. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro forecast a storm similar to the Capitol riots that occurred in Washington on Wednesday afternoon. This, as the far-right leader tried to discredit the mail-voting system, an option widely recommended amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "In the U.S., people voted by mail because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, people voted three or four times, even dead people v…

WSWS (2021-01-07). Nebraska governor says undocumented meatpacking workers will not receive vaccine. wsws.org Governor Ricketts said during a press conference that undocumented immigrants in the meat processing industry will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine and his spokesman said its distribution will be prioritized by citizenship status.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2021-01-07). Omar Trump Impeachment Resolution Charges 'Attempted Coup Against Our Country'. commondreams.org "The urgency of this moment is real," said the Minnesota Democrat. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_29_0.jpg

news.un (2021-01-07). Guterres 'shocked' at massacre of civilians in eastern DR Congo. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General has expressed shock at the massacre of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2021-01-07). Ocasio-Cortez Says Cruz and Hawley 'Must Resign'—or Be Expelled From Senate. commondreams.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday vehemently rejected a call by Sen. Ted Cruz for lawmakers and Americans to put the current "anger and division behind us," 24 hours after the senator himself baselessly contested the presidential election results. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2021-01-07_at_4.21.52_pm.png

Staff (2021-01-07). Chomsky and Pollin: A Global Green New Deal Is the Only Way to Avert Disaster. truthout.org Global warming is the biggest challenge facing humanity today. Yet, climate change has yet to become our number one priority even though, as the World Meteorological Organization warned back in March 2020, " In this context, a comprehensive Green New Deal is urgently needed…

sputniknews (2021-01-07). RSVP? Pence's Press Sec Says VP Never Received Formal Invite to Biden Inauguration. sputniknews.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday called for US Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which permits the VP to declare a sitting president unfit for office. Under the provision, Congress can also remove the president from office, granting presidential powers to the VP.

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Colombia Sets Protocol Against Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net President Ivan Duque's administration approved a new protocol setting out the conduct to be followed by Colombian police forces while controlling protests. | RELATED: | The protocol responds to a ruling by the Supreme Court that condemned the "systematic, violent, arbitrary and disproportionate" use of force by the police. Establishing the obligation to report acts of violence committed by police officers, the pr…

WorkWeek (2021-01-07). WorkWeek On Labor & The Threat Of A Coup & Fascism, Racism At CCSF & Julian Assange. indybay.org WorkWeek looks at the threat of a coup and also the role of labor with the David Van Deusen. His Vermont Labor AFL-CIO had called for a general strike to prevent a coup. WorkWeek also looks at the systemic racism in San Francisco and an action at the British Consulate in San Francisco to demand the freedom of journalist Julian Assange.

Kevin Gosztola (2021-01-07). British Judge Keeps Assange in Prison, Despite Ruling Against Extradition. globalresearch.ca A British district judge denied bail for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after a hearing in which the prosecution argued he had helped NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden "flee justice" and would abscond if released from the Belmarsh high-security prison. | "As far …

_____ (2021-01-07). UK Judge Justifies CIA Spying On Assange. popularresistance.org The British judge ruling in the US government's extradition case against journalist Julian Assange justified a CIA spying operation targeting both the WikiLeaks publisher and the Ecuadorian government by pointing to debunked accusations published by CNN. Yet in a self-referential loop, the American media outlet's dubious claims about Assange themselves originated with a security firm that was spying on Assange for the CIA — and which is now facing prosecution in Spain for illegal activity. | While the UK judge ultimately decided not to extradite Assange, citing his deteriorating mental health and the likeli…

_____ (2021-01-07). Police Arrest Several People Near Court After Assange's Bail Denied. popularresistance.org London – The police arrested several supporters of Assange who did not have press IDs and refused to disperse as the city is currently under a lockdown and public gatherings prohibited. Among the detained are several women and an elderly man. | Journalists with proper identifications were allowed to continue their work. Earlier in the day, Westminster Magistrates Court refused to release Assange on bail, leaving him incarcerated while a US appeal against the decision not to extradite him to the United States is considered. | Assange was arrested in London in April 2019 and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jump…

May Ayres (2021-01-07). Assange Denied Bail. Campaigning For Freedom and Justice. globalresearch.ca It didn't take very long to confirm that we are truly in the final stage of a police state. | The euphoria on Monday when Assange's extradition was denied (a wonderful interlude of laughs, smiles and hugs) was short lived. I …

Craig Murray (2021-01-07). The Assange Verdict: What Happens Now. globalresearch.ca I fully expect that Julian will be released on bail this week, pending a possible US appeal against the blocking of his extradition. | There was discussion of when and how to make the bail application on Monday, after magistrate Vanessa …

WSWS (2021-01-07). Assange denied bail after extradition blocked, will appeal to UK High Court. wsws.org Judge Baraitser said in her decision Wednesday, "As far as Mr Assange is concerned, this case has not yet been won."

Binoy Kampmark (2021-01-07). Proxy Jailor: Denying Assange Bail. dissidentvoice.org History, while not always a telling guide, can be useful. But in moments of flushed confidence, it is not consulted and Cleo is forgotten. A crisp new dawn can negate a glance to the past. Having received the unexpected news that Julian Assange's extradition to the United States for charges of breaching the Espionage Act …

Noam Chomsky (2021-01-07). Class Struggle or Get it in the Neck, Part 1. zcomm.org Unless working people, the general population, take part in the class struggle, they're going to get it in the neck…

South Front (2021-01-07). Video: Tense Situation in Northern Syria. Actions of Turkish Military. globalresearch.ca The Turkish Army has been increasing its military presence in Greater Idlib despite the recent withdrawal of observation posts, which had been encircled by the Syrian Army. | Recently, the Turkish military deployed major reinforcements to Mount al-Zawiya. Turkish military convoys …

Andrew Korybko (2021-01-07). Qatar and GCC Detente? In the Wake of a Three Year Blockade Imposed by Saudi Arabia. globalresearch.ca The unexpected detente between Qatar and its GCC partners saw the full restoration of political ties between them following the end of the over three-year-long blockade against the peninsular nation, but speculation remain about the future of their reconciliation considering …

teleSUR (2021-01-07). UN Rights Chief Slams US Capitol Attack. telesurenglish.net UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Thursday said that her office is deeply troubled by Wednesday's assault on the U.S. Capitol, noting that the violence showed the destructive impact of hatred by political leaders. | RELATED: | "We are deeply troubled by Wednesday's attack on the U.S. Capitol, which demonstrated clearly the destructive impact of sustained, deliberate distortion of facts, and incitement to…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Ecuador To Receive 50,000 Doses of Pfizer Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's authorities Wednesday announced the country bought 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. | RELATED: | The doses will arrive in the country on January 18. The vaccination campaign will start with health workers who assist COVID-19 patients. | The military, police, the elderly who are in public nursing homes, and their workers will also receive Pfizer doses as part of the vaccinatio…

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-01-07). Bolivia approves emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. peoplesdispatch.org Bolivia hopes to vaccinate up to 20% of its population in the first quarter of this year. The health ministry has endorsed Russia's Sputnik V and China's CoronaVac vaccines against COVID-19…

Joe Glenton (2021-01-07). 'Irresponsible and inhumane' Home Office continuing with deportations despite lockdown. thecanary.co The Home Office plans to press forward with the deportation of up to 60 people despite a full national lockdown and a massive spike in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the UK. | The Independent newspaper "Irresponsible and inhumane": | New lockdown rules say that people cannot leave their homes or travel abroad except wh…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Possible Presence of UK Strain Puts Bogota on Red Alert. telesurenglish.net Bogota's Major Claudia Lopez on Thursday announced that the recent increase in COVID-19 cases has caused an occupation of 85 percent of the city's Intensive Care Units (ICU), which made her declare a red alert. | RELATED: | "British strain is already circulating in the capital city," she said and attributed that presence to the people who arrived in the country from abroad since mid-December. | Lopez acknowledged that local health authorities…

news.un (2021-01-07). Food for Mozambicans struggling amidst violence and COVID-19, 'will be compromised' without more funding: WFP. news.un.org Despite increased insecurity and limited funding, the UN food relief agency is continuing to supply food for hundreds of thousands of people affected by conflict in northern Mozambique.

news.un (2021-01-07). WHO warns of COVID-19 'tipping point' as cases rise across Europe. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a "tipping point" in the fight against COVID-19, amid surging cases in Europe and the fresh challenge of a mutating virus.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-07). Arthritis drugs may reduce mortality and time in ICU for sickest COVID patients. imperial.ac.uk Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with drugs typically used for arthritis may significantly improve survival, a landmark study has found.

Katha Pollitt (2021-01-07). Covid-19 Has Been Hardest on Women. thenation.com Covid-19 Has Been Hardest on Women…

Mwangi Githahu (2021-01-07). Ivermectin: South Africa Bans 'Miracle' COVID-19 Treatment as "Unsafe" globalresearch.ca The import into South Africa of ivermectin, a drug that has made international headlines recently as a so-called "miracle cure" for Covid-19, has been declared illegal by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). | Ivermectin, which has been used …

Mwangi Githahu (2021-01-07). Invermectin: South Africa Bans 'Miracle' COVID-19 Treatment as "Unsafe" globalresearch.ca The import into South Africa of ivermectin, a drug that has made international headlines recently as a so-called "miracle cure" for Covid-19, has been declared illegal by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). | Ivermectin, which has been used …

Dr. Meryl Nass (2021-01-07). First Country Bans Ivermectin, a Lifesaver for COVID — Will the US be Next? globalresearch.ca Ivermectin, a cheap generic drug used for hookworm, heartworm and scabies, with a half life causing it to remain in your system for months, is used as a "worming" medicine in children, dogs, horses. Due to its tremendous value as …

John C. A. Manley (2021-01-07). Satire: Alien Invasion Dwarfs COVID-19 Hysteria. globalresearch.ca Note to our readers. This is a satire focussing on the "mysterious monoliths" which according to NASA is "paving the way for a full scale Alien invasion." | *** | A recent CBC article, reported that another one of those mysterious monoliths …

Tracy Rosenberg (2021-01-07). COVID-19 Contact Tracing and State Surveillance. globalresearch.ca The US remains wholly incapable of tracing Covid-19 contagion, but if it tried, we might wind up with "the worst of both worlds" — a horror of coercion and confusion that still failed to stop the epidemic. | "Low income communities, …

Dr. Saeed A. Qureshi (2021-01-07). COVID-19: "Virus Isolation". Does the Virus Exist? globalresearch.ca Editor's Note | This is a controversial issue which has been raised by several prominent scientists. | On January 7, 2020 the Chinese authorities "identify a new type of virus" which was "isolated". The CDC also confirmed that the virus had been …

WSWS (2021-01-07). New year begins with record COVID-19 deaths in Germany. wsws.org The beginning of the year in Germany was characterised by overcrowded crematoria, hospitals on the brink of collapse and mass death.

_____ (2021-01-07). The EU Avoids Treating Guaido As 'President' Of Venezuela. popularresistance.org The European Union avoided referring to the opposition politician Juan Guaido as Venezuela's "acting president" once the mandate of the National Assembly over which he presided expired on Tuesday. | "Venezuela urgently needs a political solution to end the current impasse through an inclusive process of dialogue and negotiation leading to credible, inclusive, and democratic processes," said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. | He added that the EU will maintain its engagement with all Venezuelan political and social actors, including "Juan Guaido and…

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2021-01-07). Die Zukunftsvision freier Bàºrger: Eine libertà§re Gesellschaft mit freien Menschen. globalresearch.ca Freie Bàºrger, die gegen die Tyrannei aufstehen, haben nichts gegen die Machthaber. Sie tun ihnen nichts. Sie kà§mpfen fàºr eine gerechtere Ordnung, fàºr ihr Recht auf das Leben, auf Freiheit, Frieden und Sicherheit. Wenn nichts mehr hilft, so lautet die …

Youngji Jo, Isabella Gomes, Joseph Flack, Nicole Salazar-Austin, Gavin Churchyard, Richard E Chaisson, David W Dowdy (2021-01-07). [Research Paper] Cost-effectiveness of scaling up short course preventive therapy for tuberculosis among children across 12 countries. thelancet.com Based on this modeling analysis of available published data, household contact investigation with provision of short-course preventive therapy for TB has a value-for-money profile that compares favorably with other interventions.

Shaun Danielli, Tom Coffey, Hutan Ashrafian, Ara Darzi (2021-01-07). [Research Paper] Systematic review into city interventions to address obesity. thelancet.com Multi-level and multi-component interventions, at the individual, community and city level, done in concert, are needed to address obesity. A composite of interventions that cities can utilise to address obesity is provided. These interventions will also be beneficial to the environment and make the case that personal health and planetary health are inextricably linked and should be considered as one.

commondreams (2021-01-07). Greenpeace Demands Trump Be Removed From Office. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). President Trump Incites Violence. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). National Lawyers' Committee Board Co-Chairs Scheindlin, Sager and West on Kristen Clarke's Nomination as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Saunders Celebrates Selection of Mayor Marty Walsh as the Next Labor Secretary. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Rep. Omar Unveils Privileged Impeachment Resolution Against President Donald J. Trump. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-07). Biden Attorney General Pick Merrick Garland Urged to Establish DOJ Task Force to Probe Trump Crimes. commondreams.org "Donald Trump, and his aides and associates, have engaged in a flurry of unethical, unconstitutional, and often criminal activity, culminating yesterday with the seditious insurrection on the United States Capitol." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12950816481.jpg

Nick Turse (2021-01-07). Will America's Forever Wars Ever Be Over? commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ark.jpg

commondreams (2021-01-07). EWG Calls for Immediate Removal of President Trump from Office. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Trump Auction for Arctic Oil Rights Sees Little Interest: 'Era of Drilling for Oil at Any Cost Is Over'. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Public Citizen Letter to Cabinet Secretaries: Don't Resign, Invoke the 25th Amendment. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement's Statement on Coup Attempt. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Nurses Join Calls for Trump to be Removed 'Sanctions, Accountability Needed for Failed Coup'. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-07). Congress Must Reconvene to Remove Trump. commondreams.org ______________________________…

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-07). Vaccine collaboration could overcome cold chain issues for RNA-based vaccines. imperial.ac.uk Imperial vaccine researchers are collaborating with industry partners to develop RNA vaccines stable at temperatures up to 40C.

Antonietta Gatti (2021-01-07). The Side Effects of Vaccines. 2017 Study in the International Journal of Vaccines and Vaccination. globalresearch.ca This article was first published in January 2017 by the International Journal of Vaccines and Vaccination | Abstract | Vaccines are being under investigation for the possible side effects they can cause. In order to supply new information, an electron-microscopy investigation method …

Dan Froomkin (2021-01-07). It took thugs roaming the halls of Congress for media to speak the truth. salon.com Wednesday's dramatic Capitol attack finally captured the media's attention. But this outrage was far from the worst…

Matthew Rozsa (2021-01-07). Ted Cruz tried to defend Trump's coup. He then praised the white supremacist Compromise of 1877. salon.com Cruz praised the compromise that ended the 1876 election even though it involved imposing white supremacy…

Gary M. Kramer (2021-01-07). In "Pieces of a Woman," Vanessa Kirby survives the worst in a heartbreaking, measured performance. salon.com Kornél Mundruczó's film addresses the fragmentation of a life after losing a child at birth…

Sohla El-Waylly (2021-01-07). An all-in-one guide to the ultimate pound cake. salon.com From cocoa streusel to jam swirls, here's how to build your baking confidence and elevate your next pound cake…

Ashlie D. Stevens (2021-01-07). Why Nic Cage was the perfect f**king host for a show about cursing etymology. salon.com "The History of Swear Words" showrunner spoke to Salon to draw back the curtain on this fun and bizarre series…

Staff (2021-01-07). On the 20th Anniversary of the War on Terror, Is There Any End in Sight? truthout.org "This is a different kind of war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and destroy terrorist activity," President George W. Bush

Staff (2021-01-07). On the 20th Anniversary of the "War on Terror," Is There Any End in Sight? truthout.org "This is a different kind of war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and destroy terrorist activity," President George W. Bush

Direct Action Everywhere (2021-01-07). Sunday 1/10: Community Park Clean Up. indybay.org Lincoln Way & 9th Ave San Francisco, CA 94122…

Direct Action Everywhere (2021-01-07). Saturday 1/23: Meetup: Building a Strong Community for a Strong Movement. indybay.org Online Zoom…

Zach Conti (2021-01-07). White House Announces Puerto Rico Disaster Rebuilding Aid. indybay.org Washington DC — The White House announced a $3.7 billion disaster grant for Puerto Rico to rebuild reservoirs, dams and wastewater facilities.

EARTHDAY (2021-01-07). Thursday 1/7: We Throw It All Away: Food Waste & Loss and Changing to Responsible Practices. indybay.org Online event via Zoom or direct livestream…

Stop the Sweeps (2021-01-07). Wednesday 1/6: Protest to Stop the Sweeps. indybay.org Town Clock, Pacific Ave and Water St, Santa Cruz…

Direct Action Everywhere (2021-01-07). Saturday 1/23: This is an Emergency: Divest From Animal Agriculture. indybay.org Berkeley, California…

Santa Cruz News (2021-01-07). Bookshop Santa Cruz Union Election Starts Tomorrow. indybay.org Bookshop Santa Cruz workers will be voting tomorrow to get their union legally recognized, and are seeking the community's support.

Refuse Fascism (2021-01-07). Wednesday 1/6: MAGA Insurrectionists Have Violently Breeched Capitol in DC, Caravan Counter-Protest in SF. indybay.org In front of San Francisco City Hall, Polk St. side | Press conference for about 15 to 30 minutes then caravan takes off on a route that may last as long as 2 hours.

Steve Topple (2021-01-07). The DWP is continuing with sanctions despite a national lockdown. thecanary.co The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has just DWP Jobcentres: remaining open: | On Wednesda…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). China Urges UK to Forget Colonial Mentality in Hong Kong Issues. telesurenglish.net China on Thursday urged the United Kingdom to abandon its illusion of colonial influence on Hong Kong and to cease interfering in China's internal affairs. | RELATED: | British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Wednesday said that the arrests of activists in Hong Kong were "a grievous attack on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms" as protected under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. | In response, Foreign Affairs Ministry spok…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Bolivia Restricts Flights From Europe Until Mid-February. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's President Luis Arce on Wednesday issued a decree that prohibits the entry of flights from Europe until February 15 as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of the British coronavirus strain in the Andean country. | RELATED: | The new rule changes a decree issued on December 23 that suspended the entry to Bolivia of European flights until January 8, 2021. | The decision was adopted within the framework of the National…

_____ (2021-01-07). Police Reform Advocates Press Minnesota Legislature For More. popularresistance.org Civil rights organizers were back at Minnesota's Capitol as a new legislative session got underway Tuesday, ready to mount another push for changes to police accountability laws less than a week after another fatal police shooting in Minneapolis. | "We know that George Floyd is not an anomaly," said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "George Floyd represents the history of state violence against people of color in this country and particularly against Black people." | Floyd's death last May in the custody of Minneapolis police officers made M…

_____ (2021-01-07). How Activists Shut Down Key Pipeline Projects In New York. popularresistance.org If all had gone according to plan, the Constitution pipeline would be carrying fracked gas 124 miles from the shale gas fields of Pennsylvania through streams, wetlands, and backyards across the Southern Tier of New York until west of Albany. There it would join two existing pipelines, one that extends into New England and the other to the Ontario border as part of a vast network that moves fracked gas throughout the northeastern United States and Canada. | For a while, everything unfolded as expected. When the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project in 2014, the U.S. was in the midst of a frack…

_____ (2021-01-07). University Of Michigan Strike Showed The Power Of Student Organizing. popularresistance.org As the winter university semester is set to begin, the coronavirus is surging. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, like many universities reliant on tuition dollars, tried to reopen in September with a "public health-informed" semester, as the university called it. That meant a mix of in-person and remote classes and dormitories operating at about 70 percent capacity. | Throughout the summer, the graduate workers union at the University of Michigan, the Graduate Employees Organization, or GEO, and Local 3550 of the American Federation of Teachers, had also been preparing for the fall semester by organizing a…

Pip Hinman (2021-01-07). Australia-US alliance: continuing dependence or strategic independence? greenleft.org.au A People's Inquiry to examine the United States-Australia alliance — its costs and consequences — and to canvas alternatives has been launched, writes Bevan Ramsden.

Khaled Iskef (2021-01-07). "The Syrian File" and The "Biased" Policies of the Organization for the Chemical Prohibition Organization. globalresearch.ca Russia has commented on the work policies of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons regarding the Syrian file and the pressures that the organization is subjected to by some countries, criticizing the technical secretariat policies in them, saying …

John Scales Avery (2021-01-07). Human Society And The Biosphere. zcomm.org According to a recent United Nations report, more than a million species of plants and animals are currently threatened with extinction because of human activities…

Rod Driver (2021-01-07). Brutal Human Rights Abuses — Torture, Sanctions and Our Failure to Discuss Economic Rights. zcomm.org People in advanced nations assume that their governments do not torture prisoners, but it is practized by the US, and was used by Britain in its colonies and in Northern Ireland…

Nikos Raptis (2021-01-07). Nazis, 'Commies', etc (Part 1). zcomm.org So, on the basis of my experience on Nazis and on assorted dictators, my guesstimate as to the number of Nazis and crypto-Nazis in any given population is: around 30 %…

Hamilton Nolan (2021-01-07). Google Workers Say the Endless Wait to Unionize Big Tech Is Over. zcomm.org "You have a union when you say you have a union."

Robert Koehler (2021-01-07). Embracing Ecological Realism. zcomm.org We must push our politics beyond the cul-de-sac of so-called political realism…

news.un (2021-01-07). Callamard calls for 'clear, explicit and unambiguous standards' to protect civilian planes during conflicts. news.un.org Urgent measures are needed to protect civilian aircraft flying over conflict zones or other areas where military tensions are high, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday.

news.un (2021-01-07). FROM THE FIELD: The genocide survivor helping others avoid starvation. news.un.org During the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda, Liberee Kayumba avoided starvation thanks to emergency rations from the World Food Programme (WFP). Today, she is helping to ensure that Burundian refugees in the country have enough to eat.

news.un (2021-01-07). Saudi Arabia: UN rights expert welcomes 'positive first step' toward détente in Gulf. news.un.org Saudi Arabia's action in lifting sanctions against Qatar is a "positive first step" towards normalized relations in the Gulf region, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday, urging the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt to follow suit.

news.un (2021-01-07). Hong Kong: UN human rights office urges immediate release of arrested activists. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Thursday voiced deep concerns over the arrests of over 50 individuals under the new National Security Law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, and called for their immediate release.

sputniknews (2021-01-07). Tunisian Forces Arrest High-Ranking Al-Qaeda Operative, Interior Ministry States. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) – Tunisia's security services have detained a terrorist from among the leaders of the Al-Qaeda* terror group (banned in Russia), the country's interior ministry said on Thursday.

sputniknews (2021-01-07). Who Took Part in 'Stop the Steal' US Capitol Storming? Lawmakers, Right-Wing Figures IDed in Footage. sputniknews.com Several dozen people have been arrested by Washington, DC, police in the hours after the storming of the US Capitol building on Wednesday, and federal investigators say their probe of the chaos is likely to last the rest of 2021.

sputniknews (2021-01-07). World Leaders Stunned as Violent Protesters Storm US Capitol. sputniknews.com UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reflected the sentiment of many world leaders as his spokesman said he was "saddened" by the events at the US Capitol.

WSWS (2021-01-07). Sri Lankan president orders all state employees to commit to his election manifesto. wsws.org These preparations of Rajapakse are aimed at cementing his autocratic rule and taking on the working class.

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Argentina Condemns UK's Military Drills on the Malvinas Islands. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Foreign Affairs Ministry (FAM) Wednesday condemned the latest military drills carried out by the United Kingdom on the Malvinas Islands. | RELATED: | The Argentine authorities described the military activities as an unjustified show of force and a deliberate detachment from the United Nations resolution that calls for a peaceful solution to the Malvinas territorial dispute. | "Our country regrets that at…

Brendan O'Connor (2021-01-07). A Preview of What's to Come. thenation.com A Preview of What's to Come…

Timothy Pratt (2021-01-07). The Black Voters Who Defended Democracy in Georgia. thenation.com The Black Voters Who Defended Democracy in Georgia…

Dave Zirin (2021-01-07). WNBA Players Just Showed Their Political Power. thenation.com WNBA Players Just Showed Their Political Power…

Ken Klippenstein (2021-01-07). A Police Bulletin Instructs Officers to Look for Explosives. thenation.com A Police Bulletin Instructs Officers to Look for Explosives…

WSWS (2021-01-07). Unorthodox rapper and beatmaker MF Doom dead at age 49. wsws.org Daniel Dumile was most respected and admired for the series of albums he released as the masked rap artist MF Doom.

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Trump Publicly Acknowledges Transition of Power for First Time. telesurenglish.net Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump released a video on Twitter early Thursday evening in which he publicly ackowledged for the first time that a transition of power is underway. | In a pre-recorded video taped at the White House, Trump said: "A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power." | RELATED: | The video, released ov…

Vera Eidelman (2021-01-07). Clearview's Dangerous Misreading of the First Amendment Could Spell the End of Privacy Laws. aclu.org Secretly, and without consent, a company called Clearview AI has captured billions of faceprints from people's online photos, amassing what it claims to be the world's largest face recognition database. Much like our fingerprints and DNA profiles, our faceprints rely on permanent, unique facts about our bodies — like the distance between our eyes and noses or the shape of our cheekbones — to identify us., , Using our faceprints, Clearview offers its customers the ability to secretly target and identify any of us, and then to track us — whether we're going to a protest, a religious service, a…

Jackie Fox (2021-01-07). The Nickelodean Problem. realprogressives.org Hello internet, I'm Jackie Fox. In my last While the issues I mentioned are, no doubt quite bad, there is a bigger propaganda issue that's shaped my entire life; and that's the issue of the proliferation of advertising to children which really kicked off before I was born. | In this video,…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Farmer's Tractor Rally Rejects Pro-Corporate Laws in India. telesurenglish.net Thousands of Indian peasants aboard tractors on Thursday are heading to New Delhi and will try to enter this capital city on Republic Day (Jan. 26), to press for the repeal of three laws that favor corporations through the deregulation of the agricultural markets. | RELATED: | At least 2,000 tractors traveled an important highway today to express their rejection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. The "Tr…

Abayomi Azikiwe (2021-01-07). Africa in Review 2020: Anti-Imperialist Perspectives Essential in Understanding the Way Forward. globalresearch.ca One of the most serious attacks on the anti-colonial and national liberation legacy in Africa was the attempts by the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco to liquidate the right to self-determination among the Saharawi people in the Northwest …

teleSUR (2021-01-07). In Cuba, All International Travelers to Receive Nasalferon. telesurenglish.net As announced during a session of Havana's Provincial Defense Council, the medicine will be administered in Boyeros and Diez de Octubre's municipalities. It then will be extended gradually to the rest of the capital city. | RELATED: | The director of Science and Technological Innovation at the Ministry of Public Health, Ileana Morales, explained that a drop of Nasalferon would be administered nasally in the morning a…

Editor (2021-01-07). Under New Mismanagement. scheerpost.com Mr. Fish Dwayne Booth (a.k.a., Mr. Fish) is a cartoonist, freelance writer, and ScheerPost's artistic director, and he has been published in many reputable and prestigious magazines, journals and newspapers. In addition to Harper's Magazine, his work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, Vanity Fair, Mother Jones Magazine, the Advocate, Z Magazine, the Utne Reader, Slate.com… |

Editor (2021-01-07). We Have Our Call to Arms. scheerpost.com By Mike Siegel / Original to ScheerPost On January 6, White nationalists sacked the U.S. Capitol at the command of our treasonous President. The same President who on Election Day in November won Texas easily — while dragging multiple Congressional Republicans to victory. There are countless lessons to learn from the Trump insurrection, as well as from the legendary Georgia Senate victories of Rev. |

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-07). Riot in Washington DC: This is America! peoplesdispatch.org Eugene Puryear talks about the lack of concern about the impact of fascist mobilization and possibilities of collusion between the rioters and law and order personnel. He also examines the narrative put forward by some sections that the violence does not represent the United States.

Marlee Kokotovic (2021-01-07). $740 Billion Pentagon Bill receives all but six Democrat votes in Senate. nationofchange.org "The United States government should be responding to the needs, to the desperation, of families in our country at this time."

James Corbett (2021-01-07). Video: What No One Is Saying About the Lockdowns. globalresearch.ca If you are advocating for lockdowns, you are complicit in tearing families apart. You are complicit in inflicting untold suffering on millions of people around the world. | You are complicit in casting the poorest and most vulnerable in our societies …

Sabrangindia (2021-01-07). Re-Plug: 28 Protests in 22 days! Kranti ka Naqsha (Mapping the Revolution) Brings the Latest Updates. asia-pacificresearch.com

Editor (2021-01-07). Will America's 20-Year 'War on Terror' Ever End? scheerpost.com The U.S. Army / CC BY 2.0] By Nick Turse / TomDispatch "This is a different kind of war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and destroy terrorist activity," President George W. Bush announced a little more than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks. "Some victories will be won outside of public view, in tragedies avoided and threats eliminated. Other victories will be clear to… |

Steven Wishnia (2021-01-07). How Unions Helped Georgia Flip the Senate. progressive.org On-the-ground organizing builds people power and victories from the bottom up.

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Trump Admits His Term Is Over and Promises Peaceful Transition. telesurenglish.net U.S. outgoing President Donald Trump on Thursday acknowledged that his term has ended and promised a "peaceful and orderly" transition. | RELATED: | He made the announcement after weeks of trying to reverse the U.S. election result, held on November 3, because he believes he is a victim of widespread election fraud. | "Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the enti…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-07). Hirak activists on hunger strike against pre-trial detention hospitalized in Algeria. peoplesdispatch.org The three Hirak activists – Mohamed Tadjadit (25), Noureddine Khimoud (25) and Abdelhak Ben Rahmani (38) – began a hunger strike on December 27 last year after they were denied bail and their pre-trial detention was extended by the authorities…

Shawgi Tell (2021-01-07). Charter School Accountability Will Remain Weak in 2021. dissidentvoice.org Segregated charter schools have a high failure rate and are notorious for lacking accountability and oversight. Charter schools are also well-known for being non-transparent even though they are ostensibly "public" schools. This has been the case for nearly 30 years when charter schools first came into being. Over the years, endless reports, articles, and books …

WSWS (2021-01-07). The fascist coup of January 6. wsws.org The fascist insurrection in Washington DC is a turning point in the political history of the United States.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-07). 11 Shia Hazara coal miners killed by members of ISIS, thousands stage protest. peoplesdispatch.org Despite harsh weather, thousands from Shia Hazara community continued to protest, refusing to bury the dead while demanding justice for the victims who were killed on Saturday…

teleSUR (2021-01-07). Venezuela's New Parliament Holds Its First Legislative Session. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's new Parliament held its first legislative session on Thursday and approved the creation of three special commissions set to promote a national reconciliation dialogue, the defense of the disputed Essequibo territory, and investigations into damages caused by the previous Assembly. | RELATED: | Dialogue, Peace, and National Reconciliation Special Commission will be presided over by the Parliament's chairman Jorge…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-07). Sudan's transitional government signs Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel. peoplesdispatch.org According to the deal Sudan will recognize Israel and will "normalize" relations with it. The UAE and Bahrain had signed the deal in September last year…

Pamela Winn (2021-01-07). Pamela Winn Fights the Shackling of Pregnant People. aclu.org Pamela Winn was sent to federal prison when she was six weeks pregnant. In prison, she fell down attempting to step into a van while shackled. She was not given prenatal care and she miscarried a little over three months later, shackled to a prison bed., , Winn, who was released from prison in 2013, is now an activist for the rights of incarcerated women. She helped enact a law to prevent the shackling of pregnant people in Georgia and is leading a mission to end prison birth altogether , But her story is not unique. There are currently thousands of pregnant people in prison. Many are not given proper medical…

Cynthia Chung (2021-01-07). Russia's Historical Relationship with the United States. President Lincoln and Czar Alexander II. globalresearch.ca "Whenever the government of the United States shall break up, it will probably be in consequence of a false direction having been given to public opinion. This is the weak point of our defences, and the part to which the …

Desmond Tutu (2021-01-07). Joe Biden Should End the US Pretence over Israel's 'Secret' Nuclear Weapons. globalresearch.ca Every recent US administration has performed a perverse ritual as it has come into office. All have agreed to undermine US law by signing

Professor Piers Robinson (2021-01-07). 9/11 and WTC Building 7: "Good Science" vs "Bad Science" and Propaganda: A Review of "Seven" globalresearch.ca Among the many controversies surrounding the events of 9/11 one of the most prominent has been the question of how, many hours after the collapse of the Twin Towers, the 47-storey WTC7 building

Elizabeth Perry (2021-01-07). Debating Maoism in Contemporary China: Reflections on Benjamin I. Schwartz, Chinese Communism and the Rise of Mao. asia-pacificresearch.com

Andrew Emett (2021-01-07). 2 detectives in Breonna Taylor shooting are fired. nationofchange.org "The shots you fired were in three different directions, indicating you did not verify a threat or have target acquisition."

Tom Engelhardt (2021-01-07). De-Mining America After Trump. counterpunch.org 2021 has indeed begun and god knows what it has in store for us. But unless, somehow, we're surprised beyond imagining, The Donald is indeed going to leave the White House soon and, much as I hate to admit it, in some strange fashion we're going to miss him. Of course, it will be beyond

teleSUR (2021-01-07). New Israeli Aggression Against Syria Results in Three Deaths. telesurenglish.net At least three people were killed, and 11 others were injured Wednesday night in a missile attack launched by Israel against positions of Syrian forces and their allied militias in the south of the Arab country. | Syria's anti-aircraft defense forces repelled the missile attack launched by Israel Wednesday night. | RELATED: | While Syrian antiaircraft defenses shot down several of the projectiles, others hit the rural areas of the southern province of Al Sueida and o…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-07). European Union will no longer recognize Juan Guaidó as president of Venezuela. peoplesdispatch.org The EU announced the position following the swearing-in of Venezuela's new National Assembly which was the body from which Guaidó rendered his claim to interim presidency…

Yohuru Williams (2021-01-07). Raise a Fist of Solidarity! progressive.org The time has come for all social progressives to reclaim the fist of solidarity on every occasion we can.

Dimitris Konstantakopoulos (2021-01-07). Middle East: Again on the Brink. Israel and "Intra-imperialist" Games. globalresearch.ca "To understand the situation, figure out that now, in Washington, the main obstacle to war is a man called Mad Dog." | This answer was given to me three years ago by Ray McGovern, when I asked him about the situation …

Editor (2021-01-07). And in the End. scheerpost.com Mr. Fish Dwayne Booth (a.k.a., Mr. Fish) is a cartoonist, freelance writer, and ScheerPost's artistic director, and he has been published in many reputable and prestigious magazines, journals and newspapers. In addition to Harper's Magazine, his work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, Vanity Fair, Mother Jones Magazine, the Advocate, Z Magazine, the Utne Reader, Slate.com… |

Ashley Curtin (2021-01-07). Gov. Cuomo announces legalization of marijuana with proposed adult-use cannabis program. nationofchange.org It's no longer a question of whether New York will legalize marijuana, its how to go about the legalization. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he will effectively end marijuana prohibition by pursuing legislature to create a legal cannabis market. Gov. Cuomo's proposal, which is part of the 2021 State of the State, includes an adult-use cannabis …

WSWS (2021-01-07). Landslide in Papua New Guinea kills 15 gold miners, children. wsws.org For tens of thousands of people, the desperate search for flecks of gold provides the only means of survival.

Adam Khalil (2021-01-06). Covid-19: Palestinians left in limbo as Israel vaccinates. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Palestinians left in limbo as Israel vaccinates | As Israelis tout record numbers of jabs, the occupied territories are still scrambling to obtain the coronavirus vaccine | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 12: 48 | A Palestinian youth wearing a face mask rides his bicycle past a mural painting of a nurse injecting a vaccine to a COVID-19 virus in Gaza City, on 31 December 2020 (AFP) | Israel has boasted that…

RT (2021-01-06). Stanford researchers developing single-dose nanoparticle Covid-19 vaccine that doesn't need cold storage. rt.com Researchers have successfully tested a nanoparticle Covid-19 vaccine which, as yet, doesn't appear to have any of the side effects or distribution issues plaguing the current generation of vaccines in use. | The scientists at the lab of Stanford University biochemist Peter S. Kim were already working on vaccines for the likes of Ebola, HIV and pandemic influenza when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and they quickly channeled all of their efforts into fighting the new scourge. | The team has already produced and tested a promising new vaccine which could provide the solution to many of the issues frustrating glob…

Anand Naidoo (2021-01-06). The Heat: What Brexit deal means for the United Kingdom. america.cgtn.com After 48 years together, the United Kingdom and the European Union are officially apart. So how's it going so far?

Jasmine Norden (2021-01-06). People are outraged at Keir Starmer's lockdown response. thecanary.co Members of the public have expressed their frustration with Keir Starmer's failure to advocate for increased safety net measures in the new lockdown. | On the evening of 4 January, the Labour leader appeared on BBC News and was

The Canary (2021-01-06). Welsh NHS chief warns Covid-19 patient numbers could double from first wave. thecanary.co The number of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in Welsh hospitals could soon be double that seen during the first wave of the pandemic, the country's NHS chief executive has warned.Dr Andrew Goodall said Wales's health system was under "immense pressure", with critical care units operating at 140% of normal capacity. Two health boards are dedicating almost half their beds to patients with the virus.Almost 2,800 people are in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19-related illness. That's an increase of 4% in just a week, and the highest number on record following a surge in transmissions over the last fortnight.More dif…

Akram Al-Waara (2021-01-06). Palestinian activist Issa Amro defiant over 'baseless' conviction by Israeli court. middleeasteye.net Palestinian activist Issa Amro defiant over 'baseless' conviction by Israeli court | An Israeli military court convicted Amro on charges dating back to 2010, which the activist says is an attempt to silence all resistance against the occupation | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 14: 47 | Palestinian activist Issa Amro speaks to journalists after he was released on bail by a Palestinian court, in the West Bank…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-01-06). Arabic press review: Regional media reacts to end of Qatar blockade. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Regional media reacts to end of Qatar blockade | How has Middle East media interpreted Tuesday's deal ending Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE's embargo on Doha? | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 12: 01 | GCC secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani and Bahraini diplomat Hamad Al-Amer, right, at a press conference in 2013 (AFP) | Bahraini diplomat attacks Gulf reconciliation:…

MEE staff (2021-01-06). New US foreign affairs chair backs resuming aid to Palestinians. middleeasteye.net New US foreign affairs chair backs resuming aid to Palestinians | Representative Gregory Meeks backs resumption of humanitarian aid to Palestinians, but will not support calls to condition US military aid to Israel | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 17: 11 | Representative Gregory Meeks is first Black American to lead House Foreign Affairs Committee (Reuters/File photo) | The new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committ…

MEE staff (2021-01-06). New House Foreign Affairs chair backs resuming US aid to Palestinians. middleeasteye.net New House Foreign Affairs chair backs resuming US aid to Palestinians | Representative Gregory Meeks backs resumption of humanitarian aid to Palestinians, but will not support calls to condition US military aid to Israel | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 17: 11 | Representative Gregory Meeks is first Black American to lead House Foreign Affairs Committee (Reuters/File photo) | The new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs C…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-06). Sudan signs agreement normalising ties with Israel. middleeasteye.net Sudan signs agreement normalising ties with Israel | The Abraham Accords were signed as US treasury secretary inked a deal with Khartoum to access $1bn in financing from the World Bank | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 15: 36 | US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok during a visit to Khartoum (Supplied) | Sudan signed the Abraham Accords with the United States o…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-06). Julian Assange's bail plea denied. peoplesdispatch.org A British judge denied Julian Assange's plea for bail on Wednesday, January 6. Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the bail request filed by Assange's legal team on the grounds that he still has "incentive" to abscond. Assange will continue to remain in the high security prison in Belmarsh pending the appeal filed by the United States on his extradition. The same judge on Monday had The judge, on Wednesday, stated that…

Russell Mokhiber (2021-01-06). Joel Bakan on How Good Corporations Are Bad for Democracy. counterpunch.org Fifteen years ago, University of British Columbia law professor Joel Bakan came out with a book and movie titled — The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power. That book and movie embedded in the American mind the idea of a corporation as a psychopath. Bakan analyzed the corporation the way a psychiatrist would analyze

G. Dunkel (2021-01-06). Brexit: Britain leaves the EU, and workers bear the burden. workers.org Brexit — the rupture between Britain and the European Union — was completed at midnight, Dec. 31. In a 2016 referendum, in a xenophobic, racist vote fueled by dreams of a withered and long-passed imperial glory, British voters narrowly supported a proposal to leave the European Union. Only 51.9% of . . . |

Noam Chomsky (2021-01-06). Chomsky and Prashad: Three major threats to life on Earth that we must address in 2021. mronline.org Large parts of the world—outside of China and a few other countries—face a runaway virus, which has not been stopped because of criminal incompetence by governments.

Noam Chomsky — Vijay Prashad (2021-01-06). Three Major Threats to Life on Earth That We Must Address in 2021. counterpunch.org A scientific paper published in 2018 came with a startling headline: "Most atolls will be uninhabitable by the mid-21st century because of sea-level rise exacerbating wave-driven flooding." The authors found that atolls from the Seychelles to the Marshall Islands are liable to vanish. A 2019 United Nations (UN) report estimated that 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. Add to this the catastrophic wildfires and the severe bleaching of the coral reefs and it is clear that we no longer need to linger over clichés about one thing or another being a canary in the coal mine of climate cat…

A Guest Author (2021-01-06). Advocates demand action as largest women's prison experiences COVID-19 outbreak. workers.org The following press release was issued Jan. 5 by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners CHOWCHILLA, Calif. There is a life-threatening massive outbreak of COVID-19 at the Central California Women's Facility, California's largest women's prison. In the past two weeks, there have been 500 new COVID-19 cases, representing 25% . . . |

RT (2021-01-06). Covid hospitalizations in UK surpass 30,000 for first time in pandemic, amid record surge in infections. rt.com The UK has recorded its highest ever daily increase in new Covid-19 cases, as it also emerged that more people are currently hospitalised with the virus than at any other point in the pandemic, according to new official data. | On Wednesday Britain reported a record 62,322 new infections, as well as a further 1,041 deaths, taking the total number of people to have died within 28 days of a positive test to 77,346. | The stark figures are part of a 42.6 percent increase in cases and 37.2 percent jump in deaths across the last week compared to the previous seven days, government figures show. | The number of Covi…

RT (2021-01-06). Moscow's new women metro drivers inspire commemorative Barbie dolls after rule change lets them take to capital's rails. rt.com Women are once again behind the wheel on Moscow's iconic underground trains, after a decades-old ban was reversed in the Russian capital. Now, the new drivers have a mascot — in the shape of a subway-operating Barbie figurine. | Metro chiefs said in a statement,

RT (2021-01-06). Syrian air defenses respond to 'Israeli aggression' around Damascus (VIDEOS). rt.com Syria's air defenses were activated to repel an Israeli rocket attack near a town south of Damascus, Syrian state media reported, sharing footage of the assault in progress. | The strikes came early on Thursday morning in the area around the Syrian capital, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency, reportedly targeting military sites near the town of al-Kisweh, located some 18 miles (30km) south of Damascus. | "At exactly 11: 10pm, the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression through bursts of missiles from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan on some targets in the southern region," a military source…

Staff (2021-01-06). "Miscarriage of Justice": No Charges Against White Kenosha Officer Who Shot & Paralyzed Jacob Blake. democracynow.org In Kenosha, Wisconsin, District Attorney Michael Graveley has announced that no charges will be filed against the white police officer who fired seven shots at Jacob Blake, paralyzing the 29-year-old Black man in August. Officer Rusten Sheskey fired the shots at point-blank range into Blake's back as he leaned into his car, with his three children, aged 3, 5 and 8, inside the vehicle. Prosecutors maintain the shooting was in self-defense because Blake had a small knife in the car. Video of Blake's shooting sparked an uprising in Kenosha in August against systemic racism and police brutality. Blake's family denoun…

Alison Colette Bodine (2021-01-06). Venezuela Elections: A key victory for anti-Imperialist Movement in Latin America. mronline.org The people of Venezuela have dealt another decisive blow against U.S. domination in Latin America. The successful continuity of two decades of Venezuelan Bolivarian revolutionary process has turned Venezuela into the backbone of the Latin American anti-imperialist and revolutionary movement.

The Tricontinental (2021-01-06). Dossier no. 36: Twilight: The erosion of U.S. control and the multipolar future. mronline.org If there was one revolution that marked the beginning of the end of the colonial epoch and that inaugurated a new worker-led civilisation, it was the Haitian Revolution of 1804. Enslaved Africans defeated the four major European powers of the day, won their freedom, and declared an independent republic.

Eds. (2021-01-06). Chris Hedges: The Empire is not done with Julian Assange. mronline.org As is clear from the memoir of one of his attorneys, Michael Ratner, the ends have always justified the means for those demanding his global persecution.

Editor (2021-01-06). Why is the world's richest country so unprepared? workers.org The big question one must ask about the COVID-19 epidemic — which as of Jan. 2 has killed more than 1,850,000 people around the globe — is "Why was the United States so unprepared?" This is a highly developed and rich country. It has more than 600 billionaires, according to . . . |

Eds. (2021-01-06). 21-year-old college student elected Mayor of Kerala Capital. mronline.org Ms Rajendran had won from the Mudavanmughal ward of the city corporation, bagging 2,872 votes, 549 more than the rival Congress candidate.

Vijay Prashad (2021-01-06). You don't want to imagine an ocean without coral reefs—but you might have to. mronline.org The reefs will die. That seems certain. The UNEP report will not circulate. That seems equally certain. The Marshall Islands and Rwanda will file their updates. That has already happened. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies will sit on the sidelines, expanding fracking with a "who cares" attitude.

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-01-06). 'We Structure the Market to Create Inequality'. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed CEPR's Dean Baker about trickle-down economics for the Janine Jackson: A recent rash of headlines

Eds. (2021-01-06). It wasn't 2020, it was the ruling class trying to kill you. mronline.org Reflections on COVID-19, capitalism, empire, and the worst year ever from the Hood Communist editorial staff.

Alexis Moncada (2021-01-06). Women's movement wins legal abortion in Argentina. liberationnews.org This progressive legislation makes Argentina the largest country to legalize abortion in Latin America, sending ripples throughout the continent.

Rick Baum (2021-01-06). Wealth Inequality Virus Spikes During the Last Days of 2020. counterpunch.org As of December 23, the combined wealth of the ten wealthiest was needed to reach the "magic" sum of one trillion dollars. As of December 31, the combined wealth of the nine wealthiest is now more than a trillion. This change was helped by Warren Buffet's loss for the year shrinking during the last eight days of the year from $4.62 billion to $1.62 billion, and Musk's wealth increasing another $15 billion.

Devin C (2021-01-06). EMERGENCY TWITTER/PHONE CALL ALERT! Alabama prison hunger striker beaten. workers.org On the morning of Jan. 4, a prisoner participating in the #Alabama11 hunger strike was beaten and bloodied by a guard, Officer Landrum, at the instructions of Sgt. Williams, for his participation in the hunger strike. The prisoner's name is Ronnie Miller, #244648. He is out of the infirmary, but . . . |

Alan Macleod (2021-01-06). Journalists, Activists Condemn UK Decision to Keep Assange Locked Up without Charge. mintpressnews.com "To us, that is nothing more than a pretext to keep him detained. This seems unnecessarily punitive and adding insult to injury after the 10 years of hell that he has endured" — Rebecca Vincent, Reporters Without Borders…

Paul Wilcox and Joyce Chediac (2021-01-06). NYC politician's 'Working Group' backs privatizing Fulton Houses over tenant objections. liberationnews.org Tenant organizers at the Fulton New York City Housing Authority complex have been fighting privatization plans for 18 months.

news.un (2021-01-06). Deadly car bomb attacks 'tragic reminder' of price civilians pay in Syria. news.un.org The killing of civilians in separate car bomb attacks in northern Syria on Saturday has been condemned by top UN humanitarian officials for the country.

WSWS (2021-01-06). New Zealand protest demands freedom for Julian Assange. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Group (New Zealand) took part in a rally called by Free Assange NZ in Wellington, ahead of the judicial verdict in London that unexpectedly halted the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US.

Manuela Solé (2021-01-06). Venezuela: New National Assembly Takes Office as Guaido Loses EU Recognition. venezuelanalysis.com Washington doubled down on its support for the opposition leader.

Narendra Kumar, Shafeeq K. Shahul Hameed, Giridhara R. Babu, Manjunatha M. Venkataswamy, Prameela Dinesh, Prakash Kumar BG, Daisy A. John, Anita Desai, Vasanthapuram Ravi (2021-01-06). [Research Paper] Descriptive epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Karnataka state, South India: Transmission dynamics of symptomatic vs. asymptomatic infections. thelancet.com Our findings indicate that both asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases transmit the infection, although symptomatic cases were the main driving force within the state during the beginning of the pandemic. Considering the large proportion of asymptomatic cases, their ability to spread infection cannot be overlooked. Notwithstanding the limitations and bias in identifying asymptomatic cases, the findings have major implications for testing policies. Active search, early testing and treatment of symptomatic elderly patients with comorbidities should be prioritized for containing the spread of COVID-19 and red…

_____ (2021-01-06). Eldercide In The United States. popularresistance.org Contrary to what many believe, the tens of thousands of deaths of those living in long-term care (LTC) were no inevitable biological catastrophe. Their grieving, angry family members know better: they know the conditions that prematurely deprived their loved ones of the remainder of their lives. By December, just as vaccine distribution started, nearly 110,000 residents and staffers had died. The extra deaths among our elders constitute an appalling percentage of the 1.4 million Americans who were living in nursing homes before the pandemic. These older adults were of all races, genders, ethnicities, religions, a…

Hector Rios-Jara (2021-01-06). Lessons from a decade of student activism in the UK. zcomm.org The pandemic has exposed the disgraceful failures of market reforms in the British higher education sector. But the resistance of students continues…

_____ (2021-01-06). 40% Of Chicago Teachers And Staff Didn't Report To Schools As Ordered. popularresistance.org About 40% of Chicago Public Schools teachers and staff who were expected to report to schools Monday for the first time during the pandemic didn't show up for in-person work, officials said Tuesday, accusing the Chicago Teachers Union of pressuring its members to defy the district's orders. | In all, about half of teachers and three-quarters of school-based support staff in preschool and special education cluster programs returned to classrooms as expected, accounting for 60% of those 4,400 employees scheduled to go back to specific schools, the district announced. Officials didn't immediately provide data on ano…

Helen Buyniski (2021-01-06). Civil War, Medical Discrimination, Spy Satellites and Cyborgs! How 2021 Could Make Us Yearn for 2020. globalresearch.ca People everywhere are eager to bid farewell to 2020, a year in which our lives were turned upside down by power-mad elites who seized the Covid-19 pandemic as a chance to go full police state. But be careful what you …

Project Censored (2021-01-06). Aaron Good and Adam Bessie. projectcensored.org In the first half of the program, scholar Aaron Good summarizes a recent article he co-authored with Peter Dale Scott about the September 9, 2001 murder of Afghan militia leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, its connection to the subsequent September 11th attacks, and the ongoing US occupation of Afghanistan. Then English professor and author Adam Bessie examines the implications of the massive change from in-person to remote instruction at community colleges, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. | Notes: | Aaron Good earned his Ph.D. from Temple University and is a history instructor in the Philadelphia area. His arti…

WSWS (2021-01-06). Germany's federal and state governments keep workplaces open despite surging COVID deaths. wsws.org Government officials are ignoring the recommendations of scientists and risking an intensification of the pandemic.

WSWS (2021-01-06). Turkish government sets minimum wage at hunger level. wsws.org While big business rakes in billions in profits during the pandemic, the Erdogan government has slashed living standards, with millions left unemployed.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-06). Activists ask UK government to ensure safety for migrants crossing English Channel. peoplesdispatch.org According to reports, 8,400 migrants risked their lives crossing the English Channel to reach the UK in 2020, four times the number recorded in 2019…

WSWS (2021-01-06). Australia: Chinese immigrant meatworkers locked out after protesting alleged assault. wsws.org The meatworkers' union acted as strike-breaker, shutting down the Chinese workers' principled act of solidarity with their victimised colleague.

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-06). Is Forever Mass-Vaxxing the "New Abnormal"? globalresearch.ca You've been diabolically lied to and deceived by a tyranny-supporting troika of Western regimes, Big Pharma, and their media press agents. | Covid is seasonal flu/influenza by another name, worlds apart from how it's portrayed. [That assessment is broadly confirmed by …

Norman Solomon (2021-01-06). In 2021, the Best Way to Fight Neofascist Republicans is to Fight Neoliberal Democrats. counterpunch.org The threat of fascism will hardly disappear when Donald Trump moves out of the White House in two weeks. On Capitol Hill, the Republicans who've made clear their utter contempt for democracy will retain powerful leverage over the U.S. government. And they're securely entrenched because Trumpism continues to thrive in much of the country. Yet,

splcenter (2021-01-06). Meet DLive: The Livestreaming Platform Used by Trump's Capitol Insurrectionists. splcenter.org Far-right extremists livestreamed on the fringe, youth-targeted gaming website DLive on Wednesday during an unprecedented breach of the U.S. Capitol building that left at least four people dead and others wounded. One of the extremists livestreamed on DLive from the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Hatewatch observed while monitoring the events.

Chris Hedges (2021-01-06). The Empire is Not Done with Julian Assange. zcomm.org As is clear from the memoir of one of his attorneys, Michael Ratner, the ends have always justified the means for those demanding his global persecution…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-06). Citing 'Open Sedition,' Rep. Ilhan Omar Vows Trump Impeachment Resolution. commondreams.org "Today, I watched as armed terrorists stormed the United States Capitol," the Minnesota congresswoman wrote. "We should not mince words about what this was: a coup attempt." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/barb.jpg

The Canary (2021-01-06). WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange must be released after 'inhumane' bail refusal. thecanary.co WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's hopes for freedom have been dashed after a judge refused him bail despite a decision to block his extradition to the United States. | District judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected an application for Assange's release with strict conditionals over concern he would abscond. | It follows a decision that he should not be extradited to the US on mental health grounds due to the risk of suicide. | Assange will have to remain in custody as the US government is appealing against Monday's extradition ruling. | Announcing her bail decision at Westminster Magistrates' Court, Baraitser said: "A…

Ben Norton (2021-01-06). UK judge justifies CIA spying on Assange citing debunked CNN report based on… CIA spying. thegrayzone.com UK judge Vanessa Baraitser justified CIA spying on Julian Assange by citing a falsehood-filled CNN report. Her judgment highlighted corporate media's enthusiastic role in a state-sponsored assault on press freedom. The British judge ruling in the US government's extradition case against journalist Julian Assange justified a CIA spying operation targeting both the WikiLeaks publisher and the Ecuadorian government by pointing to debunked accusations published by CNN. Yet in a self-referential loop, the American media outlet's dubious claims about Assange themselves …

Pip Hinman (2021-01-06). Assange decision welcome but sullied by legal chicanery. greenleft.org.au The ruling that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States is welcome, but it comes after the charade in which British authorities held an unconvicted person in a top security prison and made his defence as difficult as possible, argues Stuart Rees.

news.un (2021-01-06). UN human rights expert 'cautiously' welcomes UK court's refusal to extradite Julian Assange. news.un.org An independent UN human rights expert has welcomed a British court's refusal to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the United States on the basis that he would be exposed to oppressive conditions of imprisonment.

_____ (2021-01-06). Julian Assange Is Denied Bail By London Court. popularresistance.org "I am satisfied there are substantial grounds for believing that if Mr Assange is released today he would fail to surrender to court to face the appeal proceedings," Judge Vanessa Baraitser said. | "As far as Mr Assange is concerned this case has not yet been won… the outcome of this appeal is not yet known." | She was referring to the fact that Assange after failing in his battle against extradition to Sweden, breached bail and took refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London in June 2012. He was granted asylum by Ecuador on the grounds of political persecution, with the presumption that if he was extradited to…

WSWS (2021-01-06). Medical doctors respond to Assange extradition ruling: "He must be released without delay" wsws.org "We demand that all legal proceedings be dropped and that he be released from prison, and only then will his psychological torture finally end."

South Front (2021-01-06). Iran Uses Its Grip on Strait of Hormuz to Fight Back US-Imposed Sanctions. globalresearch.ca Iran has found an original way of dealing with sanctions and limitations imposed on it by the so-called "maximum pressure" campaign launched by the Trump administration. | On January 4, the Navy of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained a …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-01-06). Environmental Capitalism and Climate Change Wars: Australia in 2000. counterpunch.org The Australian was convinced. "Australia could have avoided two decades of climate change wars had the Howard government pushed ahead with its majority view of an emissions trading scheme (ETS), newly released documents reveal." Historian Chris Wallace is not as unequivocal in this assertion, but nonetheless observes in The Conversation that "a working consensus among

Juan Cole (2021-01-06). Raphael Warnock ran for the Senate from Ebenezer Baptist Church. zcomm.org What that means to American History…

Philip Bittihn, Lukas Hupe, Jonas Isensee, Ramin Golestanian (2021-01-06). [Research Paper] Local measures enable COVID-19 containment with fewer restrictions due to cooperative effects. thelancet.com The leakiness, i.e. the proportion of cross-regional contacts, and the regional structure itself were crucial parameters for the performance of the regional strategy. Therefore, regional strategies could offer an adaptive way to contain the epidemic with fewer overall restrictions, if cross-regional infections can be kept below the critical level, which could be achieved without affecting local socioeconomic freedom. Maintaining general hygiene and contact tracing, testing should be intensified to ensure regional measures can be initiated at low infection thresholds, preventing the spread of the disease to other…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-06). COVID-19 vaccines: Differences, costs, and challenges. peoplesdispatch.org The beginning of the new year has brought with it some hope as different countries have started administering vaccinations against COVID-19. This has been the fastest development of a vaccine ever, with a number of research collaborations to make this feat possible. But many challenges also remain.

news.un (2021-01-06). 'An unwanted prison sentence' for seafarers stuck at home and stranded at sea. news.un.org Hundreds of thousands of seafarers have been on board for many months longer than planned, stranded at sea due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Six months after the problem was first revealed, many of them are still struggling to cope with the ongoing uncertainty.

WSWS (2021-01-06). COVID-19 deaths surge amid record new cases as Britain enters lockdown. wsws.org At a Downing Street press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to acknowledge that more than 1.1 million people now had the virus in England.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-06). Neil Ferguson: UK's Covid situation is 'bleak' as control measures may not work. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's Professor Neil Ferguson says the UK's Covid situation is 'bleak' as existing control measures may not contain the new variant of the virus.

WSWS (2021-01-06). Brazilian workers exposed to infections and death as meat-processing industry reaps record profits. wsws.org At least 127 workers have been infected in a COVID-19 outbreak at a plant owned by Seara in Rio Grande do Sul.

Dr. Pascal Sacré (2021-01-06). The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a "Test" To Lock Down Society. globalresearch.ca The misuse of the RT-PCR technique is used as an intentional strategy by some governments, supported by scientific safety councils and by the dominant media, to justify the violation of a large number of constitutional rights, the destruction of the economy with the bankruptcy of entire active sectors of society,…

Dr. David Halpin (2021-01-06). COVID-19 and Induced Insanity in the UK, the Global Lab Rat. globalresearch.ca There were several events typical of predictive programming. | The World Economic Forum October 21st 2020 meeting and the Great Reset was one (1). | Here in Britain the orchestration of central, NHS and local responses to a respiratory disease suggested …

WSWS (2021-01-06). UAW-FCA cover-up of outbreaks continues at Toledo Jeep complex. wsws.org Production at the Jeep complex went forward full throttle over the holidays while the cover-up of COVID-19 cases and intimidation of workers at the plant continued.

Fight Back (2021-01-06). Chicago teachers confronting serious health risks refuse to work in-person. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Thousands of rank-and-file educators, clinicians and support staff want the right to continue working remotely because they or a family member are at higher risk of illness and death should they contract COVID-19. Chicago Public Schools' response has been to refuse to allow educators to ask for an accommodation if family members at risk and to deny members with serious personal health risks like brain cancer the right to work remotely. | Half of the pre-K and special education cluster teachers in elementary and high schools scheduled to start teaching from school buildings refused to work in-person…

WSWS (2021-01-06). Washington state fines Gebbers Farms months after COVID-19 deaths of workers. wsws.org Gebbers Farms persistently and openly violated basic COVID-19 safety precautions even after regular government inspections and three worker deaths in July.

WSWS (2021-01-06). Los Angeles limits ambulance services as COVID-19 infections skyrocket in California and nationwide. wsws.org The unfolding nightmare in the city of 4 million people is the direct result of the ongoing drive to reopen schools and non-essential businesses.

Evans Aggelissopoulos (2021-01-06). Greece: From A Covid Coup To A Covid Junta. globalresearch.ca In the end, only a Grand Coalition of all Covidian parties will become inevitable, either as a consequence of a rebellion or prior to one… | The Greek government is trying to excel in its imposition of totalitarian rules for a …

Charlotte Hamel, Sjors Coppus, Joyce van den Berg, Esther Hink, Jacoba van Seeters, Paul van Kesteren, Ashley Merién, Bas Torrenga, Rafli van de Laar, Josien Terwisscha van Scheltinga, Ingrid Gaugler-Senden, Peppino Graziosi, Minouche van Rumste, Ewka Nelissen, Frank Vandenbussche, Marcus Snijders (2021-01-06). [Research Paper] Mifepristone followed by misoprostol compared with placebo followed by misoprostol as medical treatment for early pregnancy loss (the Triple M trial): A double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial. thelancet.com Pre-treatment with mifepristone prior to misoprostol was more effective than misoprostol alone in managing EPL.

Zhilin Zeng, Juan Zhan, Liyuan Chen, Huilong Chen, Sheng Cheng (2021-01-06). [Research Paper] Global, regional, and national dengue burden from 1990 to 2017: A systematic analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2017. thelancet.com Dengue is a major public health challenge worldwide. While there is remarkable international variation in its incidence, the dengue burden is increasing globally. The results of this study could be useful for policy makers to implement cost-effective interventions and reduce the dengue burden, particularly in countries with high incidence or increasing burden.

Philip.R Harvey, Nigel.J Trudgill (2021-01-06). The association between physician staff numbers and mortality in English hospitals. thelancet.com Acute hospital providers with fewer beds per medical staff of all grades are associated with lower than expected mortality.

_____ (2021-01-06). Vons, Pavilions To Fire 'Essential Workers'. popularresistance.org When Dylan's grocery delivery arrived a few days before New Years, it came with some bad news. The delivery driver who brought his groceries from Vons mentioned that drivers across the state are getting fired by Vons, Pavilions, and other California stores owned by Albertsons Companies in late February. Stores will instead turn to a third-party delivery service using independent contractors. | "I was disturbed and disappointed that Vons would eliminate these jobs. I felt like they were the only remaining company that treated delivery drivers ethically but no longer," said Dylan. | After publication, an Albertsons…