2021-01-10: News Headlines

socialistregister (2021-01-10). A Tribute to Leo Panitch (1945—2020). socialistregister.com The editorial collective of the Socialist Register and its publishers are in shock and deep mourning at the sudden passing of Leo Panitch, the long-standing co-editor of the Register, on December 19 in Toronto.

news.un (2021-01-10). UN chief highlights need for climate action, pandemic response, in commemorating 75th anniversary of the General Assembly. news.un.org In his first major speech of the year, the UN Secretary-General underlined the need for global cooperation to address today's challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Staff (2021-01-10). COVID Has Underscored the Need for Safe Drinking Water. But Not Everyone Has It. truthout.org When the COVID-19 outbreak swept across the U.S., toilet paper, hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes flew off store shelves. But shopping carts have also been full of something that most Americans get supplied straight to their home: water. Shoppers emptied store shelves of bottled water while stockpiling during the initial months of the pandemic.

Prabhat Patnaik (2021-01-10). Why Modi govt. looked the other way on giving cash relief during pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org Timidity vis-à -vis international finance capital, callousness toward people, and cynicism in manipulating the electorate and legislators, have made the Modi government one of the most ultra-Right governments in the world…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-10). Communist youth mobilize across Italy demanding safety in schools. peoplesdispatch.org On Thursday, January 7, Communist Youth Front (FGC) organized demonstrations in several cities across Italy demanding safer classrooms. Schools across Italy were supposed to be reopened on that day but the government postponed the reopening to Monday. The FGC organized protests in the cities of Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Florence, Perugia, Catania, Padova, Salerno, Taranto, Cosenza, Gorizia and Ascoli. The protesters said that since the beginning of the pandemic, nothing substantial has been done to ensure safety in schools and respect for students' rights during online lessons. | FGC also gave a call for a nati…

Newsclick (2021-01-10). Iran nuclear deal: What happens next? peoplesdispatch.org Former Indian Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar and Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha discuss what lies ahead in West Asia as a new US administration takes charge. Will the US return to following the provisions of the Iran nuclear deal? How are relations between key players in West Asia likely to develop? What will be the role of the United States?

Pacifica Fightback (2021-01-10). 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

Farooque Chowdhury (2021-01-10). Regime Change within Empire. dissidentvoice.org Hundreds of protesters breached the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, forcing lockdowns as the US Congress was convening a joint session to count the certified 2020 Electoral College votes. The entire episode, although with a few gaps, was in the mainstream media. Death number, arrests, etc. accompanied. There are some more things. What came out was …

The Canary (2021-01-10). Letter: The demonisation of Assange paves the way for more rape and murder by the State. thecanary.co We are relieved the court ruled not to extradite Julian Assange to the US. His immediate release from Belmarsh, classified as torture by the UN Special Rapporteur, especially under coronavirus, must follow. The refusal of bail must be reversed immediately. | As an anti-rape organisation, we resent the original use of alleged sex offences to facilitate Assange's extradition to the US via Sweden. Knowing the evidence, that case was never viable, but it initiated and fuelled a witch-hunt against Assange and diverted from the real target: his Wikileaks reporting. | Assange and Chelsea Manning exposed rape, torture, a…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-10). Israelis resume corruption protests against Netanyahu amid third Covid-19 lockdown. middleeasteye.net Israelis resume corruption protests against Netanyahu amid third Covid-19 lockdown | Protests taking place as trial approaches and with race on to deliver vaccine ahead of March election | Sun, 01/10/2021 – 14: 22 | Prime minister has centred focus on vaccination programme ahead of latest nationwide vote (Reuters) | Thousands of Israelis have restarted protests against Prime Minister Benja…

The Canary (2021-01-10). Public health expert warns that the UK needs a clear coronavirus strategy beyond the vaccine. thecanary.co The response to coronavirus (Covid-19) across the UK should be more proactive, a public health expert has warned. | Professor Devi Sridhar said there's currently "no clear strategy" in the UK other than "reactive lockdowns". Prof Sridhar is chairwoman of public health at Edinburgh University and an adviser to the Scottish government. | Each devolved administration is responsible for how it handles coronavirus. But all four are currently in lockdown following a spike in cases and deaths in the past six weeks. The spike has been caused, at least partially, by a new, more transmissible strain of the virus. | "Th…

Editor (2021-01-10). The Coming Battle Over Vaccines. scheerpost.com Matt Allworth / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Jill Richardson / OtherWords With the new COVID-19 vaccine available, Dr. Anthony Fauci says Americans can begin to achieve herd immunity by next summer. Herd immunity occurs when so many people are immune to the virus that it can't spread, because an infected person won't have anyone left to spread it to. Yet as of November, four in ten Americans said they… |

Muhammed Shabeer (2021-01-10). 'Let the rich pay for the COVID-19 crisis'. peoplesdispatch.org Niklas Bà∂ck, chairman of the Communist Youth of Austria, talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the people, especially the youth, the resistance to the far-right and the growth of the left…

_____ (2021-01-10). Assange Ruling Is A Blow Against A Free Press — A Closer Look. popularresistance.org Judge Vanessa Baraitser's decision to prevent Julian Assange's extradition to the United States to face trial on espionage-related criminal charges is a partial victory for Assange, his family, and his supporters. Baraitser was not satisfied that US prison authorities would be able to prevent the award-winning journalist from taking his life, given the conditions of solitary confinement and isolation that he would likely face during pre-trial detention and in the event of his conviction. | However, in her ruling, the judge made clear that Assange would have been extradited, if it weren't for his "substantial risk…

_____ (2021-01-10). Artists And Academics Oppose Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement. popularresistance.org More than 150 artists and academics and over 20 trade unions, cultural organizations, student groups and indigenous collectives in Montréal are calling on the Canadian government to cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement. | This community declaration of collective opposition to the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) was first launched in July 2020 as part of the global wave of protests to oppose a push by the extreme right wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu to formally annex the Jordan Valley, in the occupied Palestinian territory. | Specifically this statement is part of a series of ongoing loc…

GAY SHAME (2021-01-10). Drop Charges Against the Indigenous People's Day 5. indybay.org On October 12, Indigenous People's Day, Northern California's Mission San Rafael Arcángel was the site of a protest where activists toppled a statue of Junípero Serra— known for his role in the Native genocide and colonization of California.

Insomniac Resurrected (2021-01-10). Czechs Finish Gas Pipeline That Connects Them to Nord Stream 2. anti-empire.com The Czech Republic has put a new gas pipeline, which is connected to the EUGAL pipeline – a terrestrial extension of

Staff (2021-01-10). After Attempted Coup, We Must Fight White Supremacy and Sow Revolutionary Love. truthout.org Years ago my friend and teacher Mia Herndon listened patiently as I railed against capitalism and how broken the system was. Then she said, clearly, "Capitalism is not broken. It is working exactly as it was designed to work." A light bulb went on in my head that has illuminated how so many things we want to call dysfunction are actually oppressive and inhumane systems functioning exactly as they were intended to work. | This line of thinking beamed through the performative shock of the atte…

Staff (2021-01-10). New Google Union Will Help Build Labor Struggle Against Technological Oppression. truthout.org Last Monday, workers at Google and other companies under the umbrella company Alphabet formed a "minority union," affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) claims it aims to include workers of all job descriptions at Alphabet, including temps and contractors, who are normally excluded from union activities recognized by the National Labor Relations Board. These workers have explicitly said why they are unionizing: thousands of workers a…

Alex MacDonald (2021-01-10). Turkish government calls on Turks to dump WhatsApp, switch to local apps. middleeasteye.net Turkish government calls on Turks to dump WhatsApp, switch to local apps | New terms of service led to privacy concerns while Turkey has blasted a UK-EU exemption from data-sharing changes | Sun, 01/10/2021 – 15: 50 | Logos of social networking websites displayed on a mobile phone's screen in Istanbul (AFP) | The Turkish government has called on its citizens to stop using WhatsApp and instead us…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-10). Iraqi policeman shot dead, dozens wounded in Nasiriyah protests. middleeasteye.net Iraqi policeman shot dead, dozens wounded in Nasiriyah protests | Witnesses said security forces opened fire to disperse demonstrators from the city's Haboubi Square, after third consecutive day of protests | Sun, 01/10/2021 – 17: 41 | Iraqi protesters are pictured next to burning tyres during clashes with police during anti-government demonstrations in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, on 10 Janu…

Steve Topple (2021-01-10). A sociologist just slammed Starmer's new paywalled Telegraph article. thecanary.co Keir Starmer has once Starmer in the T…

Ali Salam (2021-01-10). Palestinians Demonstrate Against Israeli Settlements in Kafr Thuluth Village. imemc.org Palestinian civilians held a demonstration, on Saturday, in Kafr Thuluth village, southeast of Qalqilia, in the northern occupied West Bank, in rejection of Israel's accelerated settlement expansion, the Palestinian Information Center reported. The participants marched from the center of the town, toward the Separation Barrier, built on Palestinian village lands, flying the national flag and …

Ali Salam (2021-01-10). Palestinian Family Forced to Demolish Section of Home in East Jerusalem. imemc.org A Palestinian family was forced to destroy a section of their home in Silwan town, on Friday, after the Israeli occupation authorities threatened to demolish the entire house, the Palestinian Information Center reported. Hatem al-Salaymeh, the homeowner, has been living in the home in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, with his wife …

Dan Bacher (2021-01-10). Ecosystem Disaster: For third year in a row, zero Delta Smelt found in CDFW Fall Trawl Survey. indybay.org Between 1967 and 2020, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) Fall Midwater Trawl (FMWT) abundance indices (combined September, October, November and December surveys) for striped bass, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, American shad, splittail and threadfin shad have declined by 99.7, 100, 99.96, 67.9, 100, and 95 percent, respectively, according to Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA).

The Frontline coalition (2021-01-10). Saturday 1/16: #ForwardTogether: Mass Organizing for Racial Justice, Climate, LGBTQIA+, Economy, more. indybay.org Online/virtual mass organizing meeting…

news.un (2021-01-10). FROM THE FIELD: Laos villages transformed by solar power. news.un.org For people living off-grid in remote villages in Laos, solar energy offers a clean, sustainable way to bring electricity for all, and the promise to transform their lives.

_____ (2021-01-10). Snowden Warns Against Trump Social Media Ban. popularresistance.org NSA whistleblower and internet freedom advocate Edward Snowden has cautioned the public against celebrating President Trump's recent social media ban. "I know a lot of folks in the comments [who] read this are like 'YAAAAS,' which, like — I get it. But imagine for a moment a world that exists for more than the next 13 days, and this becomes a milestone that will endure," he wrote on Twitter. Both Facebook and Twitter announced they would prevent the president from using their services in the light of his incitement of the storming of the Capitol Building on Wednesday. Twitter has since reversed its decision…

_____ (2021-01-10). Vancouver Gave Its Homeless $5,800. popularresistance.org "It took me about a week to really sink in that this money was for me," Ray recounts. "You know, $7,500 bucks is a fair bit to be giving to someone in my situation." | Ray was among 50 people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver, British Columbia selected in 2018 to receive a lump sum of cash deposited into their personal bank accounts — no strings attached. The gift (about USD$5,800) was part of a pilot project, the first of its kind, and the early results are so impressive that cities across Canada and the U.S. are looking to try it themselves. | For Ray, everything hit at once. After a 37-year-long car…

_____ (2021-01-10). Capitol Incident A Dress Rehearsal. popularresistance.org With the normalization of mass shootings in the United States it is more than understandable that members of Congress feared for their lives when they learned protestors had forced their way into the Capitol in unknown numbers and were roaming around at will. | But by the time it was over we knew that: only five weapons were seized by police so most of the intruders were probably unarmed; the only shots fired were by police who killed an unarmed female protestor; video and photos showed the demonstrators taking pictures of chambers and art work like they were tourists; and the occupiers were peacefully led out of…

RR (2021-01-10). Outrage Over Coup Attempt Aired with Projections on Twitter HQ, Moscone Center and Federal Bldg in SF. indybay.org Projectionist @aemarling has "always advocated for protecting lives by banning [Trump's] white supremacist ass" from Twitter. Twitter headquarters in San Francisco was his first target for projections, but far from his last.

Khibaka, Michael Harris (2021-01-10). MLK Sacramento Library Golden Anniversary – Farm to Fork Friday. indybay.org Join us as we continue the journey celebrating the Golden Anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Liberary in the Meadowview Community of Sacramento, California.

Support Bookshop Santa Cruz Union (2021-01-10). Tuesday 1/12: Bookshop Union Solidarity Rally. indybay.org Locust Street & Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz…

NORCALMLK & SF Public Library (2021-01-10). Saturday 1/16: BCAF2021: Black & Brown Comix Artists Virtual Festival San Francisco (1/16). indybay.org Virtual festival online (FREE)…

Dan Bacher (2021-01-10). Gavin Newsom's New Year's Gift: 14 new fracking permits, delayed public health regulations. indybay.org California Gavin Newsom has come under fire from environmentalists and the public over the fracking and other oil drilling permits that CalGEM issued in 2020 for Aera Energy and other oil companies.

NORCALMLK & SF Public Library (2021-01-10). Monday 1/18: BCAF2021: Black & Brown Comix Arts Virtual Festival San Francisco (1/18). indybay.org Virtual festival online (FREE)…

Dan Bacher (2021-01-10). Newsom's 2021 Budget Doesn't Address Fossil-Fueled Public Health & Climate Crises. indybay.org The response to the budget by environmental, climate and environmental justice groups was mixed. The Sierra Club praised the funding of incentives to replace fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles, while the Last Chance Coalition, a coalition of more than 750 public health, environmental justice, climate, and labor organizations, said the budget fails to directly address the extraction and production of fossil fuels in California after a year during which the state's oil and gas regulators approved thousands of drilling permits.

Rescue Pacifica (2021-01-10). KPFA LSB Members From Rescue Pacifica Protest The Lawsuit Against Pacifica. indybay.org KPFA Local Station Board members who are supporters of Rescue Pacifica protest a lawsuit to put Pacifica into a receivership with a judge in charge of the radio foundation.

Quanah Brightman (2021-01-10). 45th Anniversary of UNA saved AIM. indybay.org Celebrate The 45th Anniversary of United Native Americans Saving AIM | #January 25, 2020 | #Globally | #HistoricalVideo | 45th Anniversary of UNA saving AIM | youtu.be/ldfuwWYroPs

WIT (2021-01-10). àönase a la celebración mundial de la victoria de Joe Biden y Kamala Harris. indybay.org àönase al mundo en la celebración de que Trump ya no es el presidente de los Estados Unidos y es reemplazado por Joe Biden.

Labor Video Project (2021-01-10). Insurrection, The Coup & The Working Class With Professor Francis Boyle. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews Professor Frances Boyle about the insurrection and coup and what should be done about it.

Coalition for Proptery Tax Justice (2021-01-10). Wednesday 1/13: #Black Homes Matter Speak Out: Most Detroit Home Foreclosures Since the Great Depression. indybay.org Virtual speak out…

DON (2021-01-10). Free Speech is Under Attack. indybay.org As I have been saying for a long time, Twitter has gone further and further in banning free speech.

NORCALMLK & SF Public Library (2021-01-10). Sunday 1/17: BCAF2021: Black & Brown Comix Artists Virtual Festival San Francisco (1/17). indybay.org Virtual festival online (FREE)…

HUFF (2021-01-10). Saturday 1/9: Stop the Sweeps in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. indybay.org On the sidewalk in front of the Bookshop Coonerty aka Bookshop Santa Cruz at 1520 Pacific Ave.

WIT (2021-01-10). Join the Worldwide Celebration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's Victory. indybay.org Join the world in the celebration that Trump is no longer is the President of the United States and replaced with Joe Biden.

repost (2021-01-10). Assault on KPFA & Pacifica. indybay.org Perhaps you heard about the attempt — not in DC — this one was in an LA courtroom, targeting Pacifica. Below is a letter from eight of us Rescue Pacifica persons who are on the KPFA board. Please share this widely.

KUKU (2021-01-10). Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka deliberately infected the cat with the novel coronavirus. indybay.org Animal cruelty! Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo deliberately infected the cat with the novel coronavirus and conducted an experiment.

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-01-10). The Capitol coup only highlights the threat that white supremacy poses to democracy. thecanary.co At a right-wing 'Save America' rally on 6 January, Trump Following this speech, on the same day, a right-wing mob violently stormed the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Five people were

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2021-01-10). As Brexit reality hits home, it's starting to expose the DUP in Northern Ireland. thecanary.co When the UK left the EU on 1 January 2021, both parties

Colin Todhunter (2021-01-10). Genetic Engineering, Agriculture and Brexit: Treachery in Our Midst. dissidentvoice.org The UK government has launched its public consultation on the deregulation of gene editing in England. To kick things off, somewhat predictably Environment Secretary George Eustice recently spun a staunch pro-industry line at the Oxford Farming Conference by stating: Gene editing has the ability to harness the genetic resources that Mother Nature has provided in …

_____ (2021-01-10). CCTV — The most-surveilled commuter boroughs in London. truepublica.org.uk Research by UK network data cabling infrastructure company ACCL has found that London is the most surveilled city in Europe with around 630,000 CCTV cameras watching 9.6 million inhabitants in the UK capital. That's 68 cameras per 1,000 Londoners. People living in Paris, Madrid and Athens are surveilled far less with between 3 and 11 …

WSWS (2021-01-09). EU responsible for refugee disaster in Bosnia: People without food, in sandals in the snow. wsws.org Without food, wearing just sandals in the snow and lacking a roof over their heads, more than 3,000 migrants must brave sub-zero temperatures in the northwest of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Binoy Kampmark (2021-01-09). Trump, Insurrections and the 25th Amendment. dissidentvoice.org How strange it must have seemed for US lawmakers to be suddenly facing what was described as a "mob", not so much storming as striding into the Capitol with angry purpose. A terrified security force proved understaffed and overwhelmed. Members of Congress hid. Five people lost their lives. With the US imperium responsible for fostering …

WSWS (2021-01-09). Workers Struggles: Asia and Australia. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to

Roger Kneebone, Claudia Schlegel (2021-01-09). [Perspectives] Thinking across disciplinary boundaries in a time of crisis. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic forced clinicians and researchers to look beyond traditional professional boundaries, working at a speed that would have previously been unthinkable. A widespread shortage of essential equipment in the early stages of the pandemic prompted health-care staff to search outside their clinical domains for new solutions. Reports from the UK and beyond showed clinicians, engineers, and racing car teams collaborating to design and produce respiratory support apparatus such as ventilators and continuous positive airway pressure machines for treating seriously ill patients.

Sophie Cousins (2021-01-09). [World Report] Polio in Afghanistan: a changing landscape. thelancet.com Resurgent violence and the COVID-19 pandemic have set back polio programmes in Afghanistan. Sophie Cousins reports from Kandahar.

The Canary (2021-01-09). Scientists warn that national lockdown needs to be stricter. thecanary.co The national lockdown needs to be toughened further to have a similar impact on case numbers as the March shutdown, scientists have said. | A more infectious variant, coupled with the usual winter pressures, requires stricter measures than the ones announced by Boris Johnson for England this month, the experts warned. Similar lockdown measures are in place across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. | Activity: | Professor Robert West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), said the current restrictions are "still allowing a lot of activity which is spreading the…

_____ (2021-01-09). Tribes Mount Organized Responses To COVID-19. popularresistance.org As the months roll by, the pandemic continues to hit Indigenous nations hard. But this phenomenon is not new. Epidemics have been part of colonialism since settlers arrived. Health inequities tell us that illnesses have different outcomes on different populations; however, leading medical professionals warn the general public of the dangers of oversimplifying health data. They don't tell the whole story. And, in the case of Indigenous nations, the story of inequity is imbued with dispossession of lands and is met with organizing from the inside: two crucial points for untangling and responding to COVID-19.

Joe Glenton (2021-01-09). The military is chuffed that the coronavirus crisis has filled the ranks. thecanary.co The British Army is reporting a substantial rise in recruiting due to the pandemic. A source General Tyrone Urch, the British Army officer who was responsible for overseeing the Nightingale hospitals, was also interviewed. He told the paper: In a uniquely demanding year for us all, it has been remarkable and really encouraging to see the huge numbe…

RT (2021-01-09). BoJo gets an earful from fed-up Brits as UK govt launches ad campaign urging compliance with 3rd national lockdown. rt.com Boris Johnson has been accused of mismanaging the UK's response to Covid-19, as his government rolls out a new ad campaign encouraging people to adhere to the nation's third lockdown. | The British prime minister on Saturday implored his countrymen to comply with the measures, claiming that the NHS was under increasing pressure amid a rise in coronavirus cases. | Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates continue to soar at an alarming rate. | The vaccine rollout has given us renewed hope, but it's critical for now we stay at home, protect…

Eds. (2021-01-09). COVID-19 crisis situation in Ontario: Deadliest day of the pandemic. mronline.org January 7th is the deadliest day of the pandemic so far, 89 people died in the last 24-hour period. By every measure the situation is critical, and there can be no question remaining that stronger measures are needed to control the devastation the virus is wreaking.

John V. Walsh (2021-01-09). Infamous US Record during Covid-19 Pandemic. dissidentvoice.org A health worker conducts a nucleic acid test on a resident in Chengdu, in western China's Sichuan province, on December 8, 2020, after new Covid-19 cases were detected in the city. Almost from the start, China has responded rapidly to outbreaks. Photo: AFP / STR December 11, 2020, is another December day that should "live …

WSWS (2021-01-09). Tennessee Education Association estimates more than 16,000 Tennessee educators have had COVID-19. wsws.org In response to a recent survey conducted by the Tennessee Educators Association over 84 percent of educators reported a negative "emotional impact" from working in public education during the pandemic.

WSWS (2021-01-09). Ohio Amazon worker speaks out against unsafe workplace conditions in pandemic. wsws.org An Amazon worker in Ohio describes the bureaucratic nightmare of returning to work in the midst of a deadly pandemic following a planned leave of absence.

Sara Flounders (2021-01-09). The Pentagon, corporations and slave labor in U.S. prisons. workers.org This article was originally published in Workers World June 11, 2011. It is not only federal prisons that contract out prison labor to top corporations. State prisons that used forced prison labor in plantations, laundries and highway chain gangs increasingly seek to sell prison labor to corporations trolling the globe . . . |

_____ (2021-01-09). False Equivalencies Re Antifa/Fascism. popularresistance.org I read Glenn Greenwald's latest article titled "Violence in the Capitol, Dangers in the Aftermath" and found myself nodding in agreement with 95% of what he wrote. But there was one big problem with this article that I just couldn't leave alone — so here I am with a little note on a big problem. | The issue I have comes at the end of his piece where he severely downplays the threats of right-wing violence while simultaneously raising the threat level of left-wing violence. He writes: "there are right-wing activists filled with rage and who are willing to engage in violence. Some of them are dangerous (just…

Ryan P Barbaro, Graeme MacLaren, Daniel Brodie (2021-01-09). [Correspondence] ECMO support for COVID-19: a balancing act — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Yang Zhang and colleagues for their thoughtful letter in response to our study of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for COVID-19 from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry.1 They raise difficult questions concerning bleeding, thrombosis, and the use of anticoagulation in patients with COVID-19 receiving ECMO support.

Richard Horton (2021-01-09). [Comment] Offline: The cosmopolitan state. thelancet.com Britain feels broken. Broken by COVID-19. Broken by Brexit. Broken by the lies that have been dripped into British political debates these past 5 years. Those scientists and doctors who voted to remain in the European Union—perhaps based on a belief in the public value of research and clinical networks that have been painstakingly built over half a century between the UK and its European neighbours—were accused of Project Fear. But now that the UK has finally left the EU, with the thinnest of thin deals, one can look back and say that the arguments to leave were themselves based on nothing but fear[md…

Ann Danaiya Usher (2021-01-09). [World Report] Health systems neglected by COVID-19 donors. thelancet.com The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator is short of billions of dollars, and the funds committed so far are skewed towards vaccines, with little for health systems. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.

Shana Kusin, Esther Choo (2021-01-09). [Perspectives] Parenting in the time of COVID-19. thelancet.com Before COVID-19, you could put any two physician parents together and we'd have a shared narrative of all our "fails" as we juggled hospital work with child rearing: missed teacher conferences, late sign-ups for activities, being the only one who didn't attend the field trip. These were all crises in the Before Times. Our lives changed abruptly with COVID-19. The ways we educated, enriched, and entertained our kids were obliterated overnight. For many parents, child care evaporated, as did the endless march of activities that helped to keep our kids happy.

Yang Zhang, Bingyang Ji, Zhou Zhou (2021-01-09). [Correspondence] ECMO support for COVID-19: a balancing act. thelancet.com We read with great interest the analysis of data from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)1 Registry. It provides valuable data that support the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with COVID-19. However, it is widely acknowledged that many critically ill patients with COVID-19 present with coagulation abnormalities that include thrombotic microangiopathy and venous and arterial thromboembolic complications.2,3 Hence, anticoagulants have been used in these critically ill patients both therapeutically and prophylactically.

sputniknews (2021-01-09). Twitter Deletes Khamenei Post Labelling US and UK COVID-19 Vaccines 'Untrustworthy'. sputniknews.com In December last year, the tech giant announced a policy under which it would eliminate the users' content containing what it described as potentially "false or misleading information" about COVID-19 vaccinations.

Staff (2021-01-09). New COVID Variant Found in South Africa Raises Concerns Over Impacts on Vaccine. truthout.org Naturally, the coronavirus mutates as it spreads. But scientists are more concerned about some mutations more than others, and there's one in particular that's worrisome because it could throw a wrench in future vaccine efficacy. | Specifically, variant 20C/501Y.V2 — also known as B.1.351 lineage — which has

The Canary (2021-01-09). An ICU nurse says 'our government failed us' with NHS staff 'so burnt out they can't eat'. thecanary.co An ICU nurse at an NHS London hospital has said "our Government failed us". It comes as the capital's mayor Sadiq Khan declared a "major incident" across the city in the face of soaring coronavirus (Covid-19) cases.London hospitals will run out of beds within weeks if the spread of coronavirus is not dramatically reduced, Khan warned."It's worse than the first wave": Ameera Sheikh, 28, said that across the country some of her colleagues "are so burnt out that they can't eat". Sheikh is also a Unite union representative.She told the PA news agency: During and after the first wave, a lot of staff had handed i…

RT (2021-01-09). WHO has received 13 Covid vaccine proposals for emergency use, expects to get full data on Russia's Sputnik V by end of this month. rt.com The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently assessing several vaccines to be promoted for emergency use across the world, including those made in Russia and China, one of its most senior officials revealed on Friday | The WHO has received 13 "valid proposals" for the possible emergency listing of Covid-19 vaccines since October, the assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, Mariangela Simao, said at a press briefing. | "We have received, for example, the information from Sinopharm, we have finalized that in phase three trial and it is being authorized in some countries. We ar…

RT (2021-01-09). Pope to be vaccinated against Covid next week, labels opposition to jabs 'suicidal denial'. rt.com Pope Francis has branded opposition to Covid-19 vaccines as "suicidal denial" and announced that he will receive a jab against the coronavirus disease next week. | In a forthcoming interview, the 84-year-old leader of the Catholic Church says that "ethically" getting a vaccine against the virus should be a duty for everyone. | "Next week, we will start to do it here (in the Vatican) and I made an appointment, we must do it," Francis told Italy's Canale 5 TV station. | Segments of the interview were released on Saturday with the full comments set to be broadcast on Sunday. "There is a suicidal denial which I ca…

Ryan Cristián (2021-01-09). Numerous Deaths After COVID Vaccine, DARPA Genetic Extinction Tech, The Coup Psyop & The War On YOU. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/9/20). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth

WSWS (2021-01-09). Indonesia: Soaring COVID-19 cases as government scrambles to roll out vaccine. wsws.org Contact tracing has been minimal and disorderly, while lockdowns have been resisted throughout, placing the full burden of the virus on the working class.

WSWS (2021-01-09). The United States sees more than 4,000 deaths in a single day from COVID-19. wsws.org The United States saw more than 4,000 deaths yesterday from COVID-19 infections. The vaccine rollout continues to be a fiasco, while new coronavirus variants are demonstrating more aggressive behaviors.

A Guest Author (2021-01-09). Pa. prisoner on COVID crisis — Guards were the transmitters. workers.org Since Workers World received this letter, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has confirmed nearly 7,000 cases of COVID-19 among prisoners and over 2,500 among staff, who are not subject to mandatory testing. Many prisoners who report COVID-19 symptoms have been placed in restricted housing units, reviled as "the hole." Prisoners . . . |

Noam Chomsky (2021-01-09). A Global Green New Deal Is the Only Way to Avert Disaster. zcomm.org The fate of the planet depends on whether we can put in place just transition policies for workers and communities that will be negatively impacted by the decline and shuttering of the fossil fuel industry…

Tom Coburg (2021-01-09). Judge's ruling in Assange's extradition case could be seen as a declaration of war on journalists. thecanary.co On 4 January 2021, judge Vanessa Baraitser

Yuri Martins Fontes (2021-01-09). Um marxista da América para o mundo: Mariátegui vivo a 90 anos de sua morte (I). globalresearch.ca Em 1930, antes de completar 36 anos, faleceu José Carlos Mariátegui. Sua tà£o breve vida nà£o o impediu de legar à história uma obra ampla, que quase um século depois mantém sua atualidade. | Considerado um dos mais influentes marxistas …

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-01-09). In India, pseudo-nationalism trumps science in vaccine clearance. peoplesdispatch.org The recent regulatory clearance given to an indigenous developed vaccine candidate in India is an example of vaccine nationalism at its worst and jettisoning of all the principles of an evidence-based, scientific approach…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-09). Justice for victim of police killing in Ireland. peoplesdispatch.org In this episode of Around the World in 8 Minutes, we look at the campaign launched by the Sudanese Professionals Association to dissolve the notorious government-backed militia, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). We also look at the protests against the killing of George Nkencho by Irish police, as well as the killing of 9 indigenous leaders of the Tumandok community in the Philippines.

A Guest Author (2021-01-09). Editorial: La pandemia de los especuladores capitalistas. workers.org Hay un nuevo término para describir a los superricos: "centimillonarios". Son individuos cuyo patrimonio neto asciende a más de $100 mil millones. Después de haber agregado $67,2 mil millones a su patrimonio neto en el 2020, el propietario de Amazon, Jeff Bezos, encabeza la lista de centimillonarios globales: $182,2 mil . . . |

MEE correspondent (2021-01-09). Gulf reconciliation means little for warring sides in Yemen's conflict. middleeasteye.net Gulf reconciliation means little for warring sides in Yemen's conflict | Despite end to Qatari blockade, groups loyal to different Gulf states are far from reconciling in Yemen | Sat, 01/09/2021 – 13: 20 | Fighters with the Saudi-backed coalition man a checkpoint in Dar Sad, north of Yemen's southern city of Aden on 31 December 2020 (AFP) | The disputes between Qatar and its neighbours…

Staff (2021-01-09). More Cops and Big Tech-Led Deplatforming Won't Help Us Defeat the Far Right. truthout.org So, this is what a latter-day insurrection looks like: the crowd waving their mobile phones. Mirror are smashed, boots are stamped on

Staff (2021-01-09). I Showed Raffensperger Evidence of Wrongful Voter Purges. He Ignored It. truthout.org Atlanta — Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger The record says otherwise. Republican Raffensperger did all he could leading up to the election to su…

MEE staff (2021-01-09). Twitter blocks China embassy tweet for 'dehumanising' Uighur women. middleeasteye.net Twitter blocks China embassy tweet for 'dehumanising' Uighur women | China's embassy in the United States claimed Uighur women were no longer "baby-making" machines | Sat, 01/09/2021 – 15: 41 | Thousands used the tweet to highlight reports of Uighur women going through 'forced sterilisations' (AFP) | Twitter blocked a tweet on Saturday made by China's embassy in the United States which claimed that Uighur wome…

Alex MacDonald (2021-01-09). Iraqi lawyer and activist killed after home invasion in Nasiriyah. middleeasteye.net Iraqi lawyer and activist killed after home invasion in Nasiriyah | Lawyers association calls for investigation into 'hideous' murder of Ali al-Hamami | Sat, 01/09/2021 – 15: 08 | Lawyer and activist Ali al-Hamami (Facebook) | A senior lawyer and activist was killed in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on Friday after unknown assailants broke into his home, according to officials and local me…

Mike Walter (2021-01-09). The Heat: Calls of second impeachment for President Trump. america.cgtn.com Two days after the violence at the U.S. Capitol, President Trump talks about a peaceful transfer of power while politicians discuss the possibility of impeaching him again.

Kathy Durkin (2021-01-09). Argentina: Women's movement wins free, legal abortions. workers.org Thousands of women cheered, jumped and cried tears of joy when the Argentinian Senate in the country's capital of Buenos Aires voted to legalize abortion on Dec. 30. The lower house of Congress had passed the legislation backing the right to abortion earlier the same month. Women celebrate passage of . . . |

RT (2021-01-09). 'Our people won't be a testing device': Tehran bans trials of foreign vaccines on Iranians. rt.com Tehran has rejected attempts by foreign companies to test their coronavirus vaccines on Iranians, President Hassan Rouhani said, adding that the country will purchase safe immunization for its population. | "Foreign companies wanted to give us vaccines so they would be tested on the Iranian people. But the health ministry prevented it," Rouhani told state TV, without naming the producers that tried contacting the government in Tehran. | Our people won't be a testing device for vaccine manufacturing companies. | The Iranian authorities will purchase foreign vaccines — without naming them — that hav…

RT (2021-01-09). Isaak Khalatnikov dies aged 101: Legendary Russian physicist & WW2 veteran helped create first Soviet nuclear bomb in 1940s. rt.com Russian physicist Isaak Khalatnikov, the oldest member of the country's Academy of Sciences (RAS), has died at the age of 101. The scientist was the last living participant of the team that built the first Soviet nuclear bomb. | The scientist died early on Saturday in the Moscow Region, RAS told Russian media outlets. Born in 1919, more than a century ago, Khalatnikov was one of the leading Soviet — and, after the collapse of the Union, Russian scientists in the field of theoretical physics. | He was also the first head of the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, a prestigious research agency within…

RT (2021-01-09). Spaniards SKIING & dog-sledding on Madrid streets as freak blizzards kill 3 (VIDEOS). rt.com Scores of people in Madrid neglected calls by the authorities to stay home and flocked outside to engage in winter activities, as the Spanish capital was paralyzed by the biggest snowfall in half a century, leaving three dead. | Storm Filomena, which buried Madrid under a record 50 centimeters of snow on Friday, became a disaster for the city. | The blizzard caused at least three fatalities in the city and nearby areas, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday. A man and a woman drowned in a car after it was swept away by a swollen river, while a homeless person froze t death. | But, after c…

RT (2021-01-09). Massive power grid failure plunges Pakistan into darkness. rt.com Pakistan's national power grid has failed, leaving almost the entire country in the dark. With officials blaming a mysterious "plunge in the frequency," conspiracy theories quickly proliferated. | "A countrywide blackout has been caused by a sudden plunge in the frequency in the power transmission system," Pakistani power minister Omar Ayub Khan wrote on Twitter, shortly after the country was plunged into darkness before midnight on Saturday. | Pakistanis soon shared pictures of their blacked out cities and towns, with the starry night sky clearly visible above without the usual light pollution. | Check out th…

Devin Cole (2021-01-09). Eleven Alabama prisoners begin hunger strike! workers.org Occupied Muscogee Creek land — Montgomery, Ala. Ronnie Miller, after assault by guard. With the announcement of the Alabama prison strike/30 Day Economic Blackout, 11 incarcerated workers in the segregation unit of Kilby Correctional Facility in Montgomery, Ala., have begun a hunger strike. (See "Alabama prisons: On Strike!" Workers World, . . . |

Eds. (2021-01-09). Fascism, fascisation, antifascism. mronline.org Fascism can be classically defined as an ideology, a movement and a regime.

Ali Salam (2021-01-09). Israeli Soldiers Shoot, Injure Two Palestinians at Weekly Kufur Qaddoum March. imemc.org Two Palestinians were injured, on Friday, when Israeli soldiers opened fire with tear-gas towards the peaceful protesters in Kufur Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilia, in the northern occupied West Bank, according to a local official. Two Palestinian civilians, including a teen and a volunteer paramedic were struck with tear-gas canisters, while dozens more suffered the …

Eds. (2021-01-09). The true significance of the historic farmers struggle. mronline.org First, it is led by over 500 farmers' organisations in the country, who have united under the platform of Samyukta Kisan Morcha(SKM). All sections of the peasantry have joined together.

sputniknews (2021-01-09). Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Quit Social Networks Due to 'Unsurvivable' Trolling, Report Says. sputniknews.com The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down as senior royals last January to live a "financially independent" life. The news reportedly came as a shock to the members of the British royal family, and Harry is said to be meeting with the Queen later to discuss how the arrangement was working.

sputniknews (2021-01-09). Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Quit Social Networks Due to 'Unsurvivable" Trolling, Report Says. sputniknews.com The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down as senior royals last January to live a "financially independent" life. The news reportedly came as a shock to the members of the British royal family, and Harry is said to be meeting with the Queen later to discuss how the arrangement was working.

J Erin Staples, Alba-Maria Ropero Alvarez (2021-01-09). [Comment] Public health role for fractional dosage of yellow fever vaccine. thelancet.com In The Lancet, Aitana Juan-Giner and colleagues1 compare seroconversion rates, neutralising antibody titres, and adverse events in patients given full dose (0 ∑5 mL) and one fifth dose (0 ∑1 mL) of all four WHO pre-qualified yellow fever vaccines among 960 healthy adults aged 18—59 years in Kenya and Uganda. Each group contained 110—117 participants and participant demographics were similar between groups, with an overall mean age of 35 ∑7 years (range 34 ∑5—37 ∑2), and 55% of participants were female (range 49—61%).

Geoff Watts (2021-01-09). [Obituary] Gordon Wesley Perkin. thelancet.com PATH co-founder and radical visionary in global health. He was born in Toronto, ON, Canada, on April 25, 1935, and died of lung cancer in Seattle, WA, USA on Aug 21, 2020, aged 85 years.

Amy Booth (2021-01-09). [World Report] Argentina to legalise elective abortion. thelancet.com In a landmark vote for women in the region, Argentina's senate has passed a law allowing abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Amy Booth reports from Buenos Aires.

Aitana Juan-Giner, Derick Kimathi, Kyra H Grantz, Mainga Hamaluba, Patrick Kazooba, Patricia Njuguna, Gamou Fall, Moussa Dia, Ndeye S Bob, Thomas P Monath, Alan D Barrett, Joachim Hombach, Edgar M Mulogo, Immaculate Ampeire, Henry K Karanja, Dan Nyehangane, Juliet Mwanga-Amumpaire, Derek A T Cummings, Philip Bejon, George M Warimwe, Rebecca F Grais (2021-01-09). [Articles] Immunogenicity and safety of fractional doses of yellow fever vaccines: a randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial. thelancet.com Fractional doses of all WHO-prequalified yellow fever vaccines were non-inferior to the standard dose in inducing seroconversion 28 days after vaccination, with no major safety concerns. These results support the use of fractional dosage in the general adult population for outbreak response in situations of vaccine shortage.

Michelle Morse, Delan Devakumar (2021-01-09). [Perspectives] Building power. thelancet.com It was a raw response to yet another social injustice. A response to the not guilty verdict in the trial of the murderer of Trayvon Martin. A response that many people had, but Alicia Garza's response became a global movement. As she describes in her book The Purpose of Power, this was a moment decades in the making. Garza's courageous reflections document her personal transformation alongside the growth of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the USA. As public health physicians of colour from the USA and UK humbly engaging in the work of social change to advance global health equity, for us Garza's words ar…

Megha Agarwal, Lee How, Sudipta Chattopadhyay, Attila Kardos (2021-01-09). [Clinical Picture] Leg weakness and paraesthesia provide a clue to sudden death due to aortic dissection. thelancet.com An 86-year-old man was seen at home by an ambulance crew after a fall associated with sudden severe lower back pain and weakness in his legs. The paramedics reported that they found the patient alert and haemodynamically stable; his legs appeared pale—although the colour returned during the journey to the hospital—and he had weak pedal pulses.

Richard P G ten Broek, Pepijn Krielen, Harry van Goor (2021-01-09). [Correspondence] Adhesions after open and laparoscopic abdominal surgery — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Kjetil Sà∏reide and colleagues raise concerns about overestimating the positive effects of laparoscopy on adhesion-related morbidity in the SCAR update.1 They highlight that, when comparing outcomes of laparoscopy with those of open surgery, case selection might jeopardise the generalisability of the results.

Kjetil Sà∏reide, Benedicte Skjold-àòdegaard, Kenneth Thorsen, Hartwig Kà∏rner (2021-01-09). [Correspondence] Adhesions after open and laparoscopic abdominal surgery. thelancet.com In the SCAR update, Pepijn Krielen and colleagues1 suggested that laparoscopic abdominal surgery reduces the incidence of adhesion-related readmissions. In a linked Comment, Liane S Feldman and Raul J Rosenthal argued for more widespread use of laparoscopic surgery.2 Laparoscopic surgery is increasingly used3 and has advantages, such as reduced hospital stay, but it has limitations too.4 We have concerns about the generalisability of the SCAR data and the size of the effect attributed to laparoscopy alone.

WSWS (2021-01-09). Detainees protest inhuman conditions on Australia's Christmas Island. wsws.org After being denied the right to peacefully demonstrate, detainees set fire to mattresses and buildings in the immigration prison.

sputniknews (2021-01-09). Watch Heavy Snowfall Bury Madrid as Storm Filomena Hits Spain. sputniknews.com The snowfall, said to be the heaviest in decades, caused the cancellation of flights and left hundreds of roads closed on January 9.

sputniknews (2021-01-09). Pompeo Says Lifting US 'Self-Imposed Restrictions' on Relations With Taiwan. sputniknews.com The news comes as US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft is set to visit China's Taiwan on January 13-15, where she is expected to meet with senior diplomats.

_____ (2021-01-09). Groundbreaking Climate Crisis Court Case. popularresistance.org In 2019 a study linked climate change and hotter weather to early childbirth in the United States. "That's enough to take somebody from what's considered to be a pretty healthy pregnancy into a 'we are somewhat worried' pregnancy," said Alan Barreca, a UCLA professor of environment and human health and lead author of the study. | Prior to this, several studies showed that the most effective way to mitigate the climate crisis, in terms of individual behavior, was to choose a smaller family, and have fewer children than one normally would. | That means the best thing we can do to protect our kids is to change the w…

_____ (2021-01-09). During Civil Rights Era, Native American Communities In The South Armed Themselves Against The KKK. popularresistance.org I first heard this story when I was probably eight or nine years old—old enough to know what the Ku Klux Klan was and why it was so dangerous, but young enough to believe the story had clear heroes and villains. My family and I are members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the largest Indian tribe east of the Mississippi, headquartered in the southeastern part of the state. I was born there, in Robeson County, but my parents raised me in Durham, where they taught at North Carolina Central University, one of the state's 12 historically-Black colleges and universities. Between my African-American elders…

Museum of African Diaspora San Francisco (2021-01-09). 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 (2021-01-09). 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.

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-09). 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…

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-09). 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…

Christoph Spehr (2021-01-09). 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.

Democracy (2021-01-09). 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 (2021-01-09). 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…

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2021-01-09). 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.

MLK Jr. Institute Stanford University (2021-01-09). 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…

FSTPPC (2021-01-09). Friday 1/8: "Democracy on the Brink" w/ guest Rev. William Barber II of Poor People's Campaign. indybay.org Online program…

Dan Roberts (2021-01-09). The Shortwave Report 01/08/21 Listen Globally! indybay.org A weekly 30 minute review of international news and opinion, recorded from a shortwave radio and the internet. With times, frequencies, and websites for listening at home. 3 files- Highest quality broadcast, regular broadcast, and slow-modem streaming. Radio Deutsche-Welle, Radio Havana Cuba, and NHK Japan.

D. Watkins (2021-01-09). The Black community is right to be suspicious of the medical establishment right now. salon.com Though I'll be getting the vaccine, I don't judge my friends for being mistrustful of the biotech industry…

Melanie McFarland (2021-01-09). Ready, set, bake! Apple's vibrantly witty "Dickinson" layers in the sweetness and spice of fame. salon.com In a lively second season, the death-obsessed poet weighs the risk & reward of stepping beyond the room she knows…

Jon Skolnik (2021-01-09). Republican lawmakers caught helping pro-Trump mobs at U.S. Capitol, Oregon statehouse. salon.com One West Virginia Republican live-streamed with the mobs in DC, another was caught opening doors to them in Oregon…

Doug Neiss (2021-01-09). Can we save democracy from the two-party system?>. salon.com A political establishment that equates the left and right as untouchable evils is not "moderate." It's a disaster…

Justin Pelofsky (2021-01-09). The 9 best free streaming services worthy of downloading. salon.com From local news to acclaimed films and TV, these apps can help you cut the cord or at least not add to your bundle…

Melanie McFarland (2021-01-09). Bidding a final, poignant adieu to "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek amidst our nation's chaos. salon.com In a week marred by violence and anxiety, Trebek's last episodes were an oasis of calm and intellectual uplift…

The Canary (2021-01-09). Ministers face calls to support university students with rent rebates for their empty rooms. thecanary.co Ministers and university leaders are facing calls to offer rent rebates to students amid the lockdown. | The government has said the majority of university students in England can't return to campus until at least mid-February. Instead, they'll have to study from their current residence. Some universities have decided to move lessons online until even later in the year amid tighter restrictions announced this week. | The National Union of Students (NUS) has said it's "unacceptable" that students have to pay towards accommodation that they've been told not to travel to on public health grounds. They say ministers…

WSWS (2021-01-09). British Gas workers begin five-day strike. wsws.org Gas workers face a terrible decline in living standards if these conditions are imposed throughout British Gas. They are not just fighting the company but face staunch opponents in the union bureaucracy.

Alex Newhouse (2021-01-09). Far-Right Activists on Social Media Telegraphed Violence Weeks in Advance of the Attack on the US Capitol. commondreams.org The siege was consistent with their openly expressed hopes and plans. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/weeks-advance-capitol-newhouse.jpg

Judy Rohrer (2021-01-09). New "Day of Infamy," Centuries Old White Supremacy. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/day-infamy-rohrer.jpg

Alex Newhouse (2021-01-09). Far-Right Activists Telegraphed Violence Weeks in Advance. zcomm.org This violence was fomented in the open, and not for the first time. Right-wing activists have made a habit of organizing in the open and galvanizing supporters to express their desire for violent confrontation…

Peter Gowan (2021-01-09). The Police Enabled the Far-Right Mob That Violently Stormed the Capitol Building. zcomm.org The far-right mob that took over the Capitol never would have gotten past the front door if the federal police hadn't allowed them to storm in. The simple fact is that left-wing protesters get treated with brutality, while right-wing protesters get coddled…

Ellen David Friedman (2021-01-09). How to Keep On Keeping On. zcomm.org Whatever form your purposeful action eventually takes, if it is grounded in relationships that sustain you, it will keep you on your feet for the many struggles still ahead…

Saskia Hostetler Lippy (2021-01-09). How we can be better than this. zcomm.org I think that people can be better than that, and I know that people can be better than they are. We are capable of bearing a great burden, once we discover that the burden is a reality and arrive where reality is…

WSWS (2021-01-09). US lost 140,000 jobs in December. wsws.org The disastrous Labor Department report did not halt the speculative orgy on Wall Street, where the run-up in share values is driven by an endless flow of free money from the Federal Reserve.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-09). DC Riot: Resignations and the question "Where were the police" peoplesdispatch.org A day after the riots in the US Capitol building, the death toll has risen to 5, several high-ranking officials in Trump's administration have resigned.

oneworld.press (2021-01-09). The Forgotten People Of America. oneworld.press The elites and the deep state are behaving like idiots, but that's not America. That's, like in Europe, not real politics, but the deep state, which has nothing to do with us, the real people. In the US, it has nothing to do with politics, and the same applies for in Europe.

Sharon Kelly (2021-01-09). Climate deniers moved rapidly to spread misinformation during and after attack on US Capitol. nationofchange.org The disinformation-fueled movement backing him is extremely unlikely to simply fade away…

Jessica Corbett (2021-01-09). Why impeach Trump at this late date? One word, says Bernie Sanders: 'Precedent'. nationofchange.org "It must be made clear that no president, now or in the future, can lead an insurrection against the U.S. government."

WSWS (2021-01-09). As UK death toll mounts, Corbyn and teaching unions suppress opposition to Johnson government's murderous policies. wsws.org National Education Union joint leader Courtney pleaded that his union had done everything to keep schools open. "My union supported the opening of schools in September", he said.

David W. Mathisen (2021-01-09). Video: The Capitol Hill Fiasco 2021. globalresearch.ca The supposed "Storming of the Capitol" on January 06, 2021 does not make any sense on its face: there is simply no way a gaggle of "protesters" can burst into the Capitol Building unless they are deliberately allowed to do so. Footage shown during the event has all the appearances of drama: stage-acting.

WSWS (2021-01-09). Carpenters in Detroit denounce draconian pension cuts proposed under 2014 federal law. wsws.org Nearly 20,000 active and retired carpenters and millwrights in the Detroit metropolitan area are facing deep cuts in their pensions in July 2021.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-09). Braving crackdown, Turkish students resist Erdogan's bid to subjugate universities. peoplesdispatch.org Turkish authorities are cracking down on protests by the student community against president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's bid to control universities placing his loyalists at their helm. The move to appoint Melih Bulu as the rector of Boƒüaziàßi University has been met with widespread protests which have been going on since January 4. On January 8, police detained 30 students in Ankara who had demonstrated in solidarity with the university protests. On January 7, two cadre of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) were arrested in Antalya for raising a banner in solidarity with the students. Earlier, dozen…

WSWS (2021-01-09). International protests support Indian farmers' agitation against Modi's pro-agribusiness laws. wsws.org There have been protests around the world, including in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, in support of the now 45-day-long agitation Indian farmers are mounting against the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's pro-agribusiness laws.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-09). Houseboats in Kashmir's Dal Lake: Once iconic, now neglected. peoplesdispatch.org The houseboat sector in Kashmir's Dal Lake is facing a deep crisis due to a ban on repairs. The houseboats' owners have appealed to the government to implement sustainable methods like bio-digester tanks…

WSWS (2021-01-09). Germany leads Europe in daily coronavirus deaths. wsws.org Germany currently has the highest number of daily coronavirus deaths in Europe.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-01-09). Joe Biden and the Post-Corona "Great Reset". The Protest Movement. globalresearch.ca Author's Note | In the wake of the Wednesday January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill Event, we must reflect on what a Joe Biden Administration will look like. | Joe Biden was not duly elected, he was selected. He is a groomed …

Graham Peebles (2021-01-09). The collective shame of global hunger. nationofchange.org An estimated 700 million people go hungry every day.

WSWS (2021-01-09). Details emerge of high-level state involvement in Wednesday's coup attempt. wsws.org New revelations show the fascist putsch was prepared with the involvement of sections of the military, police and Republican Party and that the danger has not passed.

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…

_____ (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…

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 . . . |

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 . . . |

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.

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…

Melanie McFarland (2021-01-08). How Joanna Gaines and Ina Garten deliver a one-two punch of comfort (food) TV we need. salon.com At the pandemic's start we tried to cook well. A year in, Joanna Gaines makes us feel better about semi-homemade…

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…

RT (2021-01-08). Researchers 'find no sign' that patients on immunosuppressive drugs at higher risk from severe Covid-19 — Johns Hopkins. rt.com In promising coronavirus news, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that, contrary to widespread fears, patients on immunosuppressive drugs are not at higher risk from severe Covid-19. | Immunosuppressed patients are typically classed as those taking medications to prevent organ rejection following transplant or to treat a variety of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases and conditions. Roughly 10 million people in the US alone would fall under this category. | The medical status has been touted as a potential risk factor throughout the pandemic, with patients advised to…

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…

WSWS (2021-01-08). Modi boasts about "Indian" vaccines as COVID-19 virus rages through the country. wsws.org Workers and the poor continue to be the primary victims of the pandemic, while India's media focuses on vaccinations.

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.

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.

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) …

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Cuban Doctors To Arrive in Mexico Once Again. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) announced the upcoming arrival of the second group of Cuban doctors made up of 200 professionals who will support the fight against the pandemic in the country. | RELATED: | The group will be assisted by the Navy and the Armed forces given the alarming health situation in the country, which has recorded a caseload of over 1.4 million cases and over 131,031 related fatalitie…

teleSUR (2021-01-08). IMF Projects China's Economy To Grow by 7.9% in 2021. telesurenglish.net The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday said that China's economy will expand by 7.9 percent in 2021 following a 1.9 percent growth in 2020. | RELATED: | "The Chinese economy continues its fast recovery from the pandemic, helped by a strong containment effort and swift policy actions to mitigate the impact of the crisis," the IMF executive board said, adding that "policymakers have provided financial relief a…

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.

Minnie Bruce Pratt (2021-01-08). Cuba's revolution continues during the pandemic. workers.org During the first week of January, Cubans celebrated the 62nd 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 . . . |

WSWS (2021-01-08). Record numbers of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations across the US as pandemic surge continues. wsws.org The situation in southern California remains especially dire, with Los Angeles County emerging as a global epicenter of the virus.

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.

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 …

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Bolivia Identifies 7 Suspects Related to Sacaba Massacre. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Interior Ministry Thursday identified seven alleged perpetrators of the Sacaba massacre that took place in Cochabamba city in 2019. | RELATED: | The suspects must testify before the Public Prosecutor's Office of La Paz for the violent acts that followed the coup against former President Evo Morales. | "We identified the suspects after interviews with the military, police, and civilians involved," prosecutor Nur…

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 …

Ricardo Vaz (2021-01-08). Venezuela Rejects ICJ Ruling, Reaffirms Claim Over Essequibo Strip. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government called on the UN Secretary General to mediate the territorial conflict.

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…

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Peru Identifies the First Case of the New Sars-Cov-2 Mutation. telesurenglish.net Peru's Ministry of Health confirmed on Friday its first case of the new SARS-CoV-2 mutation. The patient, a woman who had not traveled abroad but did receive a relative over Christmas, remains in quarantine at this home. | RELATED: | The scientists have warned that the new mutation has a contagion capacity 70 percent more than the COVID-19. Nonetheless, the authorities remarked that the patient had shown only "mild sympto…

sputniknews (2021-01-08). President Seems to Accept Vote Result Amid Ruling Class Repudiation. sputniknews.com US hits 4,000 daily COVID deaths; Big Tech blacks out Trump social media after insurrection; Nate Wallace breaks down Trump riots…

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.

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…

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…

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.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-08). As US Sets Daily Record With 4,085 Dead From Covid-19, Governors Demand More Vaccine Doses. commondreams.org The World Health Organization now says the interval between two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be extended to up to six weeks.

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…

RT (2021-01-08). Denmark restricts travel from all countries to 'win time' in battle against Covid-19. rt.com The Danish Foreign Ministry has raised its travel guidance to the maximum level for all countries on Friday, in an effort to limit the spread of more transmissible Covid variants discovered in the UK and South Africa. | Entering Denmark without a recognizable purpose and a negative coronavirus test will not be permitted between January 10 and 17, Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod told journalists. | He also

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Indonesia Deems the Chinese Vaccine Suitable for Muslims. telesurenglish.net The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) on Friday announced that the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Chinese company Sinovac is suitable for Muslim believers. | RELATED: | The MUI Fatwas Commission Secretary Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh pointed out that the vaccine is "holy" but that his institution will wait for the health authorities to approve the drug to issue the "fatwa", which is a formal ruling on a point of Islamic law…

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…

WSWS (2021-01-08). Nineteen-year-old Chicago, Illinois auto mechanic dies of COVID-19. wsws.org Arnold Herrera had just recently been certified as a brakes and electrics specialist before succumbing suddenly to the coronavirus last weekend.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Hospitals in Ecuador and Peru Collapse Due to Lack of Beds. telesurenglish.net Health authorities in Peru and Ecuador on Thursday reported a surge in demand for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds at their hospitals, which suggests that both countries are facing a COVID-19 rebound. | RELATED: | "We have started counting them on our fingers," Peru's Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti warned, reporting that a group of experts believe the country is experiencing a second wave of contagion. | Hospitals' situatio…

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). 5,000 deaths and 400,000 COVID infections in UK in first week of 2021. wsws.org Scientists advising the government warned this week that the death toll will reach 100,000 before the end of the month.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Cuba Reports Record Number of COVID-19 Cases in Past 24 Hours. telesurenglish.net The director of epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) of Cuba, Francisco Durán García, announced this Friday in a press conference that the country reports its highest number of infections of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with 344 new cases confirmed. | The province that presents the most significant accumulation of coronavirus infections is Havana, the island's capital. | RELATED: | Durán García said that 12,092 clinical t…

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.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). North China City Shijiazhuang to be Locked Down for 7 Days. telesurenglish.net Shijiazhuang, the capital city of north China's Hebei Province, will be locked down for seven days to curb the COVID-19 epidemic spread, announced local authorities on Friday evening. | RELATED: | After completing the citywide acid testing, all Shijiazhuang citizens are called to stay at home, and local authorities will endeavor to ensure their daily life, said the municipal COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters. | Shijiazhuang…

WSWS (2021-01-08). COVID-19 infections out of control at Cricklewood Bus Garage! For a walkout and strike action to save lives! wsws.org At least 12 staff have been diagnosed with COVID in recent days, including up to ten bus drivers, a manager and the garage's full time Unite Health and Safety Rep…

WSWS (2021-01-08). Egyptian hospitals run out of oxygen, killing COVID-19 patients in ICU wards. wsws.org The manager of Hamool Hospital in Kafr Al-Sheikh, in the Nile Delta, made an appeal on Facebook for oxygen cylinders, only to be referred for investigation by the authorities.

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.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Court Prevents Bolsonaro From Confiscating Sao Paulo Supplies. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (STF) Judge Ricardo Lewandowski on Friday issued a ruling to prevent President Jair Bolsonaro's administration from confiscating needles, syringes, and other medical supplies that the Sà£o Paulo government bought for its immunization plan. | RELATED: | The legal action was filed shortly after the federal government requested the delivery of the supplies purchased by Governor Joa…

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 …

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 …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2021-01-08). Climate Emergency Persists as 2020 Ties for Earth's Hottest Year on Record. commondreams.org "It took over 200 years for [atmospheric CO2] levels to increase by 25%, but now just over 30 years later we are approaching a 50% increase." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/2020-ties-hottest-climate-emergency.jpg

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… |

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…

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.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-08). As Pro-Trump Mob Boasts About Roles in Deadly Capitol Invasion, Indigenous Water Protecters Charged for Peaceful Keystone XL Protests. commondreams.org "This is on my people's land, and I have the right to protect it for my future generations," said one of the charged activists. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/noxkl_0.jpg

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 …

Tiffany Duong (2021-01-08). Amazon Rainforest Will Collapse by 2064, New Study Predicts. commondreams.org The forest could lose its ability to store the world's excess carbon which helps to regulate the climate and planetary temperature. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2021-01-08_at_12.18.10_pm.png

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…

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…

RT (2021-01-08). German region approves creation of fund to bypass US sanctions designed to stop Gazprom's vital Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. rt.com The parliament of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has voted to establish a fund to circumvent American sanctions preventing the construction of the Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline that will connect Russia and Germany. | When completed, it will

RT (2021-01-08). United Ireland 'within 25 years' thanks to 'disaster' Brexit, UK's former Home Secretary predicts. rt.com The "disaster" Brexit deal has played into the hands of those wishing for the "destruction" of the UK, former cabinet minister David Blunkett has said, predicting that a united Ireland might emerge within the next 25 years. | The situation created by Brexit that now "effectively continues" the European single market in Northern Ireland bodes "extremely ill" for the future, Blunkett warned during a debate in the UK House of Lords on Friday. | The divorce agreement has created "contradictions" between the relationship Northern Ireland has with the rest of the UK and the EU, and, ultimately, might lead to the re…

RT (2021-01-08). Out of puff: Amsterdam mayor pushes for ban on marijuana-loving tourists visiting coffee shops. rt.com Tourists could soon be barred from Amsterdam's famous cannabis-dealing coffee shops as Mayor Femke Halsema, continues her battle to rid the city of its image as a drug and prostitution haven. | The patronage of coffee shops would be limited to Dutch residents only, according to the plan submitted by Halsema to Amsterdam's city council on Friday. | "The residence condition is far-reaching, but I see no alternative," the mayor told Bloomberg in an email. The move is aimed at tackling organized crime and hard drugs attracted by the marijuana trade, she pointed out. | "The cannabis market is too big and overheated…

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

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

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 . . . |

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,

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

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.

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 …

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,

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…

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. …

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.

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

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 …

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

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.

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…

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.

Igor Derysh (2021-01-08). Pro-Trump rioters stole Nancy Pelosi's and other top lawmakers' laptops and iPads, Democrats say. salon.com The alleged thefts by the pro-Trump mob could pose "national security" risks, said DOJ prosecutor Michael Sherwin…

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

sputniknews (2021-01-08). Pompeo Meets With Biden's Secretary of State Pick for First Time to Facilitate 'Orderly Transition'. sputniknews.com US President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Antony Blinken to be the next US secretary of state. Blinken served as deputy national security adviser between 2013 and 2015 and as deputy secretary of state between 2015 and 2017 under then-US President Barack Obama.

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). 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). 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.

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…

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

_____ (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…

_____ (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). 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). 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). 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). 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…

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.

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.

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…

Ashlie D. Stevens (2021-01-08). I found solace in scream hotlines (and you can too). salon.com Since its launch in November, Just Scream! has received 20,000 messages from people, well, just screaming…

Amanda Marcotte (2021-01-08). Ignore Trump's manipulative damage control: He must be impeached again. salon.com Donald Trump can't be trusted to oversee a peaceful transition of power…

Igor Derysh (2021-01-08). The Pentagon denied multiple requests to send National Guard during Capitol siege, GOP governor says. salon.com The Pentagon blamed the Capitol Police, who turned down repeated offers of assistance before the deadly riot…

Matthew Rozsa (2021-01-08). Time flies: The Earth is rotating faster than expected. salon.com Scientists may need to add a negative leap second so atomic clocks can remain accurate…

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'

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.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-08). Black Woman 'Heartbroken' After Vicious Attack by Racist MAGA Mob in Downtown Los Angeles. commondreams.org "All of a sudden I'm just getting cornered by 30, 40 people," said Berlinda Nibo. "That's what started all of them to jump in." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/nibo.jpg

teleSUR (2021-01-08). The US Suspends Proposed Tariffs on French Products. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR) on Thursday announced that the United States has decided to suspend proposed tariffs on about US$1.3 billion worth of French products amid a dispute over digital service taxes (DSTs). | RELATED: | The additional 25-percent tariffs on certain French products were announced in July 2020 in response to France's DST that impacts major U.S. technology companies and were scheduled to go into e…

commondreams (2021-01-08). 6,500+ Lawyers Sign Open Letter Calling for Trump to be Impeached and Removed from Office. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-08). President Trump Must Be Removed from Office Immediately. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-08). 100+ Civil Rights, Racial Justice, Labor, and Grassroots Groups Demand Trump Be Immediately Removed from Office, Co-Conspirators Held Accountable. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-08). NEA President Reacts To Education Secretary Betsy Devos's Resignation. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-08). Stand Up America Demands Immediate Impeachment Vote, Driving Constituent Calls To Entire House of Representatives. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-01-08). Washington Post: Biden in Danger of Having No Confirmed Cabinet Secretaries on First Day of Presidency. commondreams.org ______________________________…

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…

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…

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?>

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

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?>

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 study was originally published in April 2012. | It pertains to the 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. The …

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.

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.

John O'Kane (2021-01-08). Expats, Expatriots and Utopia. counterpunch.org The run-up to election 2020 tested the patriotic nerves of many who deem themselves progressive-minded citizens, vowing to leave the country if Trump were re-elected and permitted to wreak more illiberal havoc on the nation. A similar sentiment circulated before the 2004 election, though the fear of what George Bush 2 would bring seems delusory

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.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). US Witnesses a Record Year for Climate-Driven Catastrophes. telesurenglish.net According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), a total of 22 major disasters each causing at least $1bn in damage swept the United States last year, six more than the previous record. | The federal agency reported on Friday that at least 262 people died in these events, with $95bn in total damages recorded. | RELATED: | The year was marred by extremes on both the East and West coasts, including…

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

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Colombia: Over 28,500 People Forced to Displace Over Violence. telesurenglish.net The Ombudsman's Office on Thursday reported that over 28,500 Colombians were forced to displace from their homes in 2020 due to violence. | RELATED: | "Forced displacement is a frequent phenomenon, but the government shows no concern. The victims have no support to restore their rights," Ombudsman Carlos Camargo said, adding that thousands of people live in doorways or makeshift shelters without the necessary health conditions. | The displace…

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). Violence Grows High in Chile's Araucania Region. telesurenglish.net Chile's Production and Commerce Confederation (CPC) President Juan Sutil condemned the violent events that resulted in the death of rural worker Orwal Casanova and a police officer in the La Araucania region on Thursday. | RELATED: | The Mapuche Territorial Alliance (ATM) noted that over 60 Police Special Force contingents were deployed in the Ercilla community to carry out what President Sebastian Piñera's administr…

WSWS (2021-01-08). Australia: Locked-out Coles workers in Sydney confront a choice. wsws.org Unless workers begin to take matters into their own hands, form a rank-and-file committee independent of the union and launch a political and industrial fight for jobs and conditions, they will be forced to accept whatever terms the company imposes.

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…

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

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 …

teleSUR (2021-01-08). The US and Guyana Begin Joint Maritime Patrol Operations. telesurenglish.net The Guyana Defense Force (GDF) announced that it will participate with the U.S. Coast Guard in a joint maritime patrol operation on Saturday. | RELATED: | "This exercise will take place off the coast of Guyana and will focus mainly on illegal and unregulated fishing," GDF said, adding that the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Cutter Stone has already arrived in the region. | These patrol exercises result from the "Shiprider Agr…

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,

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

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.

WSWS (2021-01-08). New weekly jobless claims at 797,000 amid signs of US economic slowdown. wsws.org Weekly unemployment claims remained steady at just under 790,000 for the week ending January 2, as economic data pointed to a net loss of jobs in December after months of gains.

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.

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…

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.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). AMLO Compares Trump's Facebook Bar To the Holy Inquisition. telesurenglish.net Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador warned on Friday about the risks of a worldwide social media hegemony after the U.S. President Donald Trump was blocked from Facebook and Instagram indefinitely. | RELATED: | "What they did in the United States is a bad sign, a bad omen that private companies decide to silence, censor. This goes against freedom, so let's not create a world government with the power to co…

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

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.

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

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.

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 …

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Argentina: Lawyer Asks Release of Dictatorship's Hidden Files. telesurenglish.net Argentina's lawmaker Myriam Bregman asked President Alberto Fernandez"s administration to declassify the dictatorship's secret documents to reveal more people involved in State terrorism. | RELATED: | "The secrets of horror are still hidden. There are military procedures or crimes still unknown, and new names to investigate," Bregman said and recalled that she has been trying to access these documents for years.

WSWS (2021-01-08). Hong Kong police carry out largest arrests since imposition of national security law. wsws.org Beijing's primary fear is that the working class will start to fight for its own class interests in Hong Kong and opposition will spread throughout the rest of China.

WSWS (2021-01-08). European politicians and media downplay coup in the United States. wsws.org The central concern within ruling circles is that the advanced decomposition of American democracy could strengthen opposition to similar developments in Europe.

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.

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.

teleSUR (2021-01-08). Pompeo Meets With Biden's Secretary of State Nominee. telesurenglish.net U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that he had met with President-Elect Joe Biden's Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken to facilitate an orderly transition. | RELATED: | "Today, I met with President-Elect @JoeBiden's Secretary-Designate @ABlinken in order to facilitate an orderly transition and to ensure American interests are protected abroad," Pompeo tweeted. | Pompeo called the meeting "very productive," adding tha…

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…

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 …

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…

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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

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.

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…

_____ (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…

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…

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,…

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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…

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). 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.

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…

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…

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.

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 …

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 . . . |

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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

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…

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…

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). 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…

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…

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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…

_____ (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…

_____ (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…

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.

Jonathan Cook (2021-01-07). The US and UK may not will Assange's death, but everything they are doing makes it more likely. dissidentvoice.org 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 be changing tack. Washington has wanted Assange permanently silenced and made an example of — …

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 …

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

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 …

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."

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

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

_____ (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…

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 …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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 …

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

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

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…

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…

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.

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 …

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 . . . |

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.

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 …