(2021-02-19). UN report slams U.S. economic sanctions against Venezuela. peoplesworld.org 
Editor's Note: A group of 27 U.S. senators and representatives on Feb. 11 urged President Joe Biden to "consider the humanitarian impacts of sanctions." They did not name specific countries, but at the top of the list of countries currently on the receiving end of U.S. sanctions is Venezuela. The country was the target of …
(2021-02-19). Man-made disaster: Capitalism and Republicans failed the people of Texas. peoplesworld.org 
Winter storms, freezing temperatures, and a failed power grid have left millions of Texans fighting for their lives this week. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz being caught attempting a family vacation to the warmth of Cancun, Mexico, while his constituents faced a humanitarian disaster is the epitome of an unequal system at work. The tragedy in …
(2021-02-19). Activists Warn Resumption Of Armed Conflict In Western Sahara. popularresistance.org The collective of the Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA) has called for global support to save the lives of Sahrawis as occupying Morocco resumed its oppression in the region fighting for self-determination. Last week, CODESA appealed to international organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross for solidarity and action in "saving lives and humanity in Western Sahara." | CODESA appealed to the Red Cross to immediately establish a permanent mission for humanitarian operations in Western Sahara. It also asked other international organizations and individuals to sign a…
(2021-02-19). Ethiopia: Tigray TPLF Sets Peace Talks Conditions With Gov't. telesurenglish.net The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) set on Friday a group of conditions for holding peace talks with the Ethiopian government. | RELATED: | In a statement shared on Facebook by the TPLF TV station Dimtsi Weyane, the opposition demands an international mediator's appointment and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid. | During our virtual meeting with regional presidents and city administrators, we agreed to mobilise support for th…
(2021-02-19). 'A Humanitarian Crisis' in Texas: Cold and Snow Put Millions in Danger. 38 Dead. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Texas's freeze entered a sixth day on Thursday. At least
(2021-02-19). Spanish activists rescue 148 migrants in Mediterranean. laprensalatina.com Rome, Feb 19 (efe-epa).- A baby was among the 148 migrants rescued Friday by the crew of a ship belonging to the Spanish NGO Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario (SMH) in two separate operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The Aita Mari is the only humanitarian vessel currently plying the waters of the central Mediterranean. Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario …
(2021-02-19). The Atrocious Prosecution of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org 
What do Biden and Trump have in common? (Aside from jerking Iran around over the nuclear treaty, proclaiming support for a phony, unelected pretender to the Venezuelan presidency, Juan Guaido, and posturing aggressively toward China?) Both Biden and Trump support the utterly baseless Espionage Act case against journalist and publisher Julian Assange. Make no mistake,
(2021-02-19). AOC Raised $1 Million for Struggling Texans as Cruz Handled Post-Cancún PR Mess. truthout.org 
While Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was dealing with an embarrassing public relations disaster of his own making — flying to Cancún, Mexico, with his family while his home state was reeling from blackouts and water shutdowns amid frigid temperatures — his political adversary Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) was spearheading an effort to raise funds for those in dire need. |
(2021-02-19). Juan Cole on the Clearest Example of Israeli Apartheid Yet. scheerpost.com Israel Defense Forces / CC BY-NC 2.0] Click to subscribe on: Apple / Spotify / Google Play As Israel's COVID-19 vaccination program got underway in recent months, reports in Western media, including the New York Times, lauded the country's speedy inoculation efforts to vaccinate every Israeli over the age of 16. What many news reports failed to immediately note in detail, however, was that as the… |
(2021-02-19). Scheer Intelligence: The Clearest Example Of Israeli Apartheid Yet. popularresistance.org As Israel's COVID-19 vaccination program got underway in recent months, reports in Western media, including the New York Times, lauded the country's speedy inoculation efforts to vaccinate every Israeli over the age of 16. What many news reports failed to immediately note in detail, however, was that as the Middle Eastern nation was rapidly vaccinating its citizens against the deadly virus that turned the whole world upside down, it showed no signs of inoculating the approximately 5 million Palestinians whose land Israel occupies in the Gaza strip and the West Bank. After a global outcry ensued over the immoralit…
(2021-02-19). Killing Revolution in Bahrain, U.S.-UK Plotted Regime Change in Libya, Syria. strategic-culture.org The legacy from events a decade ago still reverberate to this day. Several members of the current Biden administration bear responsibility for the destruction, including the present Secretary of State Antony Blinken. | Ten years ago this month, the Middle East and North Africa were convulsed by uprisings and subterfuges. The Arab Spring is generally thought of as a single wave of pro-democracy movements that swept the vast region. Far from it, however, the events were a mixed bag in which Western powers were not on the right side of history, as Western media would portray. Indeed, these powers played a nefarious…
(2021-02-19). Biden Offers Moderate Solutions to Radical Problems. counterpunch.org 
"Radical solutions require radical solutions," I wrote in my 2010 book "The Anti-American Manifesto," a polemic that calls upon us to save ourselves from imminent social, economic and political collapse by overthrowing the system and rebuilding society from the ground up. We currently face several radical problems. But we're not likely to rise to the
(2021-02-19). Historic win: Trade unions celebrate UK top court's ruling on Uber drivers. peoplesdispatch.org The UK Supreme Court upheld multiple lower court rulings that held that Uber drivers are workers and not "self-employed" as the raid-hailing corporate argued…
(2021-02-19). UK Top Court Gives Uber Drivers Benefits In Landmark Ruling. popularresistance.org London – Uber drivers in Britain should be classed as "workers" and not self-employed, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled Friday, in a decision that threatens the company's business model and holds broader implications for the so-called gig economy. | The ruling paves the way for Uber drivers to get benefits such as paid holidays and the minimum wage, handing defeat to the ride-hailing giant in the culmination of a long-running legal battle. | The Supreme Court's seven judges unanimously rejected Uber's appeal against an employment tribunal ruling, which had found that two Uber drivers were "workers" under British law.
(2021-02-19). Shamima Begum to find out next week if she can potentially return to the UK. thecanary.co Shamima Begum will find out if she can potentially return to the UK to pursue an appeal against the removal of her British citizenship when the Supreme Court gives a ruling on her case next week. | Stateless: | Begum was 15 when she and two other east London schoolgirls travelled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State group (IS) in February 2015. Her British citizenship was revoked on national security grounds shortly after she was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019. | Begum, now 21, is challenging the Home Office's decision to remove her British citizenship and w…
(2021-02-19). Massive victory for workers as Uber loses Supreme Court battle. thecanary.co Supreme Court justices have ruled against Uber and said that drivers should be classed as workers. | Seven justices ruled on the latest round of a long-running fight between Uber operating companies and drivers on Friday, after a hearing in July. | Uber operating companies, who said drivers were contractors not workers, appealed to the Supreme Court after losing three earlier rounds of the fight. | "Historic": | Justices dismissed Uber's appeal in a decision the GMB union said was "historic". | BREAKING: It's the end of the road for Uber's mistreatment of drivers. | This landmark Supreme Court ruling puts…
(2021-02-19). The Twilight Zone: Covid, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Eugenics. globalresearch.ca These horrible times, from lockdowns to lockdowns to coerced vaccinations, to social distancing, to masking and masking and more masking — when we all know, and science has proven it — that none of this helps — don't they make …
(2021-02-19). 'Leaving Aside' International Law: Why Democrats are as Dangerous as Republicans to a Just Peace in Palestine. counterpunch.org 
Motivated by their justifiable aversion to former US President Donald Trump, many analysts have rashly painted a rosy picture of how Democrats could quickly erase the bleak trajectory of the previous Republican administration. This naivety is particularly pronounced in the current spin on the Palestinian-Israeli discourse, which is promoting, again, the illusion that Democrats will
(2021-02-19). 'This is the Way We Rise': Hawaiian poetry in motion. peoplesworld.org 
The Tidal Wave of Indigenous Cinema continues to swell with Hawaiian filmmaker Ciara Lacy's stirring This is the Way We Rise, a poetic short about Polynesian slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio that recently screened as part of the Sundance Film Festival. Jamaica is the daughter of Jon Osorio, Dean of Hawai ªinuiƒÅkea School of Hawaiian Knowledge …
(2021-02-19). Colombian Scientists and Indigenous People to Census Condors. telesurenglish.net Biologists and over 300 Kokonucos Indigenous People are conducting the first Colombian condor census to help conserve this endangered species. | RELATED: | "Counting the emblematic national bird will allow us to create policies focused on its preservation given its importance in our ecosystem," Neotropical Foundation Scientific Director Fausto Saenz assured. | The Andean condor, one of the largest birds in the world, is considered a sa…
(2021-02-19). US State Department accusation of China 'genocide' relied on data abuse and baseless claims by far-right ideologue. thegrayzone.com The Trump and Biden administrations have relied on the work of a right-wing religious extremist, Adrian Zenz, for their "genocide" accusation against China. A close review of Zenz's research reveals flagrant data abuse and outright falsehoods. Both President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have endorsed former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's last-minute accusation of "genocide" against the Muslim Uyghur population in China's Xinjiang province. But an investigation of published work by the researcher Pompeo relied on …
(2021-02-19). Cuomo and Newsom Symbolize the Rot of Corporate Democrats. indybay.org The dire need for progressive populism…
(2021-02-19). Have Your Spine and Eat It Too. progressive.org Whatever happened to the Republican Party's strict textual reading of our nation's founding document?
(2021-02-19). Democracy Now! Turns 25: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of Independent News on the Frontlines. democracynow.org 
Democracy Now! first aired on nine community radio stations on February 19, 1996, on the eve of the New Hampshire presidential primary. In the 25 years since that initial broadcast, the program has greatly expanded, airing today on more than 1,500 television and radio stations around the globe and reaching millions of people online. We celebrate 25 years of the War and Peace Report with an hour-long retrospective, including highlights from the show's early years, some of the most controversial interviews, and groundbreaking reports from East Timor, Standing Rock, Western Sahara and more.
(2021-02-19). Headlines for February 19, 2021. democracynow.org Power Cuts, Freezing Temperatures Plague Millions as Texas Energy Producers Boast of Profits, Sen. Ted Cruz Fled to Cancún as Millions of Texans Endured Blackouts and Winter Cold, South Africa Switches to Johnson & Johnson Vaccine in Battle Against Coronavirus Variant, Peruvian VIPs Secretly Received First Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine, Pfizer Says its COVID-19 Vaccine Might Not Need Ultra-Cold Temperatures, U.S. COVID Deaths Drop in February But Still on Pace to Top Half-Million by Month's End, U.S. to Give $4 Billion to COVAX as Biden Tries to Repair International Ties, Biden's New ICE Guidelines Continue to Target…
(2021-02-19). "The Globalization of War" and "Towards a World War III Scenario" globalresearch.ca The Globalization of War: America's "Long War" against Humanity, by Michel Chossudovsky | America's hegemonic project in…
(2021-02-19). Portland, OR power outages affect 300K residents after ice storm. liberationnews.org 
In a pandemic winter, when the risk of spreading COVID-19 between households is high, neighbors have had to take the risk to help each other by sharing generators, firewood, food, cooking equipment, clean water and more.
(2021-02-19). Pandemic's 1-2 punch: Unemployment up, life expectancy down. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (PAI)—The ongoing coronavirus pandemic packed a one-two punch against the nation's workers, federal agencies reported, as almost 1.38 million more people sought federal or state jobless aid in the week ending Feb. 13. Meanwhile, U.S. life expectancy dropped by a year in the first half of 2020, another federal report showed. And that second …
(2021-02-19). The Culture Wars Continue: Biden Takes on Abortion. counterpunch.org 
Joe Biden is moving aggressively to redress many of the conditions left by Donald Trump's administration, notably the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic recession and white nationalism. However, the most intractable challenge that he will face may be the resistance of the culture wars, particularly a woman's right to an abortion. The culture wars long anchored
(2021-02-19). 'Essential' Workers Still Endangered by COVID-19. progressive.org Biden and Congress must boost OSHA standards and enforcement to stifle the pandemic.
(2021-02-19). Layoffs rise as pandemic subsides. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to subside during mid-February, layoffs were on the rise, showing that we are nowhere near the end of the tunnel for workers in this country. For the week ending February 13, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that there were 861,000 new applications for regular state unemployment insurance, an increase of 13,000 over the previous week. Applications for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for gig workers and the self-employed rose by a much larger 174,427 the same week, to 516,299 new claims. Together, this meant that almost 190,000 workin…
(2021-02-19). ALBA Members Review Food Access Strategies Amidst COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Ministers of Agriculture of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) analyzed on Thursday actions to guarantee food to their populations in the coronavirus context pandemic. | Venezuelan Minister of Agriculture, Wilmar Castro, explained in a message on his Twitter account that in the meeting, developed virtually, the impacts on the agri-food sector of the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. | RELATED: | The o…
(2021-02-19). Layoffs rise as pandemic subsides. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to subside during mid-February, layoffs were on the rise, showing that we are nowhere near the end of the tunnel for workers in this country. For the week ending February 13, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that there were 861,000 new applications for regular state unemployment insurance, an increase of 13,000 over the previous week. Applications for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for gig workers and the self-employed rose by a much larger 174,427 the same week, to 516,299 new claims. Together, this meant that almost 190,000 workin…
(2021-02-19). Over 90 Grassroots Health Care and Labor Groups Urge Senate to Immediately Confirm Xavier Becerra to HHS. peoplesaction.org Groups Push Senators for Swift Action on Historic Confirmation Amid Pandemic in New Letter Led by People's Action Contact: Johanna Kichton, 240.206.1145, press@peoplesaction.org WASHINGTON, D.C.—Over 90 grassroots health care and labor groups today wrote to Senate leadership urging them to immediately confirm Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the Secretary of the Department of Health and …
(2021-02-19). Over 200 Small Business Restaurant Owners And Employers Endorse Raise The Wage Act. popularresistance.org As the small restaurant sector reels from the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, a report published Thursday by advocates for tipped workers and a $15 minimum wage revealed that phasing out subminimum wages for such workers—which can be as low as a little over $2 an hour—does not cause businesses to close. | In fact, the report—published by the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley and One Fair Wage—found that the five states with the greatest rate of decline in open hospitality businesses during the pandemic are all states with a submi…
(2021-02-19). The Case For The Financial Transaction Tax. popularresistance.org For most Americans, what threatens health also threatens wealth. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the worst economic crisis in nearly a century, with millions suddenly facing hunger, unemployment, or eviction. But Wall Street doesn't represent most Americans. In the parallel universe of the financial industry, stock indices soared to historic peaks as Americans wished good riddance to the deadliest year in our history. Detached from the daily lives of most Americans, the stock market surge almost exclusively benefited the disproportionately wealthy, and the pandemic once again lived up to its distinction as "the g…
(2021-02-19). COVID-19 disruptions to HIV prevention could increase new infections amongst men. imperial.ac.uk Disruptions to HIV prevention and treatment strategies due to the pandemic could increase new HIV infections amongst men who have sex with men.
(2021-02-19). UN chief to security meeting: '2021 must be the year to get back on track'. news.un.org By exposing deep fissures and fragilities, "COVID-19 has x-rayed the world", the UN chief told the Munich Security Conference on Friday, while acknowledging that today's vulnerabilities go "well beyond" pandemics and public health.
(2021-02-19). World leaders attend virtual Munich Security Conference. yenisafak.com The Munich Security Conference kicked off Friday with world leaders attending the annual event virtually amid the pandemic.The conference, also called the 'Davos for Defense', provides a platform to discuss transatlantic, foreign and security policies.This year, the fight against the pandemic and climate change will also be on the agenda.US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson are among the participants.UN chief Antonio Guterres, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council Presi…
(2021-02-19). The Covid Deception Serves An Undeclared Agenda. globalresearch.ca There is no scientific basis for the measures in place to deal with the alleged Covid Pandemic. Among experts the support for these measures are largely limited to those with financial links with pharmaceutical corporations. Public health bureaucrats, such as …
(2021-02-19). Iran marks one year of pandemic amid fears over fourth wave. laprensalatina.com Tehran, Feb 19 (efe-epa).- One year after the first cases of Covid-19 were detected in Iran, authorities are concerned about the so-called British strain and the arrival of a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, as the government tries to boost its vaccination campaign. The first official announcement of the presence of the new coronavirus …
(2021-02-19). Selected Articles: The Covid Deception Serves An Undeclared Agenda. globalresearch.ca 
By There is no scientific basis for the measures in place to deal with the alleged Covid Pandemic. Among experts the support for these measures …
(2021-02-19). Amid G7 Meeting, Pressure Mounts for Biden to Remove Global Barriers to Vaccines. truthout.org 
President Joe Biden is meeting with the G7 leaders of other wealthy nations Friday to discuss global plans to defeat COVID. Meanwhile, the United States is under growing international pressure to reverse course from the Trump administration and lead the world toward ending massive global disparities in vaccine and treatment access that threaten to stretch the deadly pandemic out for years. | Hanging in the balance are an untold number of human lives — and the profit margins of privat…
(2021-02-19). Politics & Science: Rahm Emanuel, Mike Pence, Homosexuality, Pandemics, Masks, Vaccines. counterpunch.org 
Aside from their icy-mobster visages, Rahm Emanuel and Mike Pence have something else in common. Both, as members of presidential administrations, tried to rewrite Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pandemic guidance for political purposes. The reason why one was successful and the other was not has nothing to do with courageous CDC scientists threatening to resign in protest; instead, the different outcomes had to do with politics.
(2021-02-19). Latin America Finds Its Own Answers To Produce COVID-19 Vaccines. popularresistance.org In a world harmed by the severe COVID-19 pandemic, the access to vaccines is being distorted by the rules of the open market and the deep gap between rich and poor nations. As the director of the World Health Organization (WHO), doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently said, "the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure — and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world's poorest countries." In a formal declaration the WHO warns that "in the majority of low and middle-income countries, vaccination has not even started which is a catastrophe as hospitals fill…
(2021-02-19). 'Idea of Sacrifice a complete nonstarter in US culture before Covid': Pandemic spurred major shift in American values, study finds. rt.com 
Researchers from UCLA and Harvard University analyzed internet activity, namely online searches and social media posts, and found a significant return to more traditional, rural American values emerged as the pandemic took hold. | The team In their analysis, they used Google searches as one metric to reflect societal mood and attitudes w…
(2021-02-19). Pandemic put US back on track to meet Paris climate goals, report finds, but at huge human cost. rt.com 
In what researchers have dubbed a "remarkable" reversal of fortunes, pandemic-induced lockdowns across the US have brought the country back on track to meet targets in the Paris climate accord, but at a grim human cost. | According to an independent report released Thursday, US renewable energy capacity broke new deployment records in 2020, thanks to numerous tax incentives and initiatives, while coal consumption dropped concurrently. | The proportion of electricity generated by renewables hit a record 20 percent of overall capacity, eclipsing coal, which dipped to 19 percent. Emissions from electricity use al…
(2021-02-19). Left & right alike fume over Dems' bill to ban 'twice-impeached presidents' from burial at Arlington, any honoring of their names. rt.com 
House Democrats have apparently found time to plot more ways to punish Donald Trump — even as a pandemic and other troubles devastate their constituents — angering Americans of virtually all political persuasions. | The '
(2021-02-19). Vaccine nationalism and profiteering: How capitalism captured a pandemic. greenleft.org.au Right from the start, agreements and plans for the development of COVID-19 vaccines, were going to privilege a profit-generating and market-based approach, writes Dale McKinley.
(2021-02-19). Will leftist Andrés Arauz be the next president of Ecuador? greenleft.org.au In the first round of Ecuador's presidential elections held on February 7, Alliance for Hope's candidate Andrés Arauz won the largest number of votes but fell just short winning the elections outright, write Vijay Prashad and Pilar Troya…
(2021-02-19). [Commentary] Executive summary: It's wrong not to test: The case for universal, frequent rapid COVID-19 testing. thelancet.com One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid tests are still unavailable to most of the public. Rapid antigen tests [1], using lateral flow devices, have been proven effective in home and community settings for identifying people who are most likely to be contagious—even in the absence of symptoms—and to empower them to isolate before unknowingly infecting others. Despite empirical evidence from across the world demonstrating the utility of rapid tests, well-intentioned academic discussions about the potential risks of false positives, false negatives, and data reporting issues continue to overshadow a…
(2021-02-19). Syria Resurrects Proposed Pipeline for Iranian Gas to Reach European Markets. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The Nord, Blue, Turk, Yamal and South Streams, as well as …
(2021-02-19). Biden Spent Black History Month Deporting Black Immigrants. popularresistance.org In the days it took to pull together this Q&A with two leaders in the immigrant rights movement—Haitian Bridge Alliance's Guerline Jozef and the UndocuBlack Network's Patrice Lawrence—the federal government deported more than 70 asylum-seekers to Haiti, including a two-month-old baby and 21 other children. Haiti is in the midst of political turmoil and advocates are calling these deportations "death flights." Soon, hundreds more Black immigrants are expected to be deported, including 135 Haitian immigrants. Most of them are families. | While the coverage of these deportations hasn't been extensiv…
(2021-02-19). Immigration Activists Welcome Reform Bill But Warn of Long Fight Ahead. truthout.org 
Migrant justice activists and organizations welcomed the introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 this week but are warning that the bill faces a long and uphill battle before becoming law. | At the center of the comprehensive bill, which was introduced by Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Linda Sánchez, is a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The bill also includes key provisions that migrant justice activists have been demanding for dec…
(2021-02-19). The Biden administration has spent Black History Month deporting Black immigrants. zcomm.org Why aren't people in the streets?
(2021-02-19). "Interesting" Times: Capitalism Kills Everything. counterpunch.org 
Yes, it's terrible that Joe Biden has refused to forgive more than a pittance of student debt. But do we not recall him telling a Los Angeles Times host that he had "no empathy, give me a break" for the plight of Millennials in the savagely unequal and environmentally unsustainable world he'd helped create over decades of Congressional service to corporate and financial America? No surprise.
(2021-02-19). Britain's Double Standards in International Affairs. counterpunch.org 
On February 12 it was announced by the UN that a British lawyer had been elected as chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. No matter what one might think of the ICC, it is taking steps to investigate war crimes in Afghanistan and Yemen, so it can't be all bad. But a major point
(2021-02-19). Ted Cruz vacationing in Cancun while millions freeze is par for the Course for the US Filthy Rich and their G.O.P Lapdogs. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Sen. Ted Cruz abandoning Texas to its fate, with millions suffering without power, to go off on a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, is the perfect metaphor for America in the age of monopoly capital. After all, many American corporations have taken a prolonged tax holiday in the Caribbean. Some 18 …
(2021-02-19). [Research Paper] "We needed this": perspectives of parents and healthcare professionals involved in a pilot newborn screening program for spinal muscular atrophy. thelancet.com Newborn screening (NBS) for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a recognised model through which health outcomes can be improved. However, perspectives of parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in such programs are largely unknown. Methods: A pilot program for SMA ran from August 2018-July 2020. Using a mixed-methods convergent methodology, we used a self-administered questionnaire to understand parents' perceptions and psychological impact of the program from diagnosis to treatment. We thematically analysed successes/challenges encountered by HCPs and recommendations for service improvement from both…
(2021-02-19). Venezuela launches Covid vaccination program. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 19 (MNA) — Venezuela on Thursday began immunizing healthcare workers against the coronavirus with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, with the government announcing plans to vaccinate 70% of the population by the end of the year.
(2021-02-19). Biden's First Month Marked by Broken Promises. mintpressnews.com 
Biden kicked off his campaign by telling wealthy donors that "nothing would fundamentally change" under his presidency. After one month in office, it appears as if that is one campaign promise he is likely to keep.
(2021-02-19). Facebook: Genocide is Cool but Don't Threaten our Profits. mintpressnews.com "Facebook's willingness to block credible news sources also stands in sharp distinction to the company's poor track record in addressing the spread of hateful content and disinformation on the platform." — Tim O'Connor, Amnesty International Australia…
(2021-02-19). New York sues Amazon for not protecting workers against COVID, firing whistleblowers. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK (PAI)—Donald Trump isn't Letitia "Tish" James's only big legal target. Neither is the notorious radical right-wing U.S. gun lobby. Now she's taking on Amazon. James, New York state's Attorney General, is probing Trump's financial crimes committed through his private foundation. Last year, she sued the National Rifle Association and its top officers for …
(2021-02-19). Monday 2/22: San Francisco Speakout & Digitial Rally: $15 Fair Wage & COVID Relief Now! w/ PPC. indybay.org SF: sidewalk outside office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein @ 1 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 | Masks & Social Distancing Required at All Times | Online: www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/livestream/…
(2021-02-19). The Global Cry for Change. counterpunch.org Change is in the air, it's been hovering for some time, but thanks to Covid-19 festering social issues and inequalities have been highlighted, intensifying the need for a new approach. Talk of environmental action and reimagining how we live and work fills the airwaves; catchphrases abound, spilling from the lips of duplicitous politicians who claim
(2021-02-19). How the Gates Foundation Seeded America's COVID-19 Policy Catastrophes. globalresearch.ca New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finally facing the heat for his botched and negligent coronavirus response policies, yet no one seems to be asking why Cuomo and select governors made the fateful decisions that led to the excess deaths …
(2021-02-19). CDC report: Biggest drop in US life expectancy since World War II. wsws.org A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the first half of 2020, life expectancy dropped by more than one year as COVID-19 ripped through the population.
(2021-02-19). Essential Farmworkers Deserve Protections From Pesticide Exposure. truthout.org 
COVID-19 is having
(2021-02-19). The 'Pre-Existing Condition' That Doomed the U.S. Covid Response? zcomm.org The answer from a blue-ribbon medical commission on the Trump years: decades of rising inequality…
(2021-02-19). Whitehaven COVID-19 Vaccination Site Open This Weekend by Appointment Only. laprensalatina.com SHELBY COUNTY, TN (SCHD) — The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) in partnership with Southwest Tennessee Community College (SWTCC), will provide vaccinations at the SWTCC Whitehaven Center at 1234 Finley Drive, Memphis, TN 38116, on Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st from 9: 00 a.m. to 5: 00 p.m. In order to make up appointments missed …
(2021-02-19). Spanish cuisine in UK faces Brexit reality. laprensalatina.com London, Feb 19 (efe-epa).- In a cosmopolitan capital like London, diners can opt for tortilla and Iberico ham tapas just as easily as the British staple of fish and chips, but that could be changing, as Spanish restaurants and shops that are already struggling amid Covid lockdown are facing even more bureaucratic hurdles because of …
(2021-02-19). Venezuela inoculates health care workers at start of vaccine rollout. laprensalatina.com Caracas, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- Venezuela launched the first stage of its Covid-19 vaccine rollout on Thursday, administering doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to front-line health care workers. They were selected as a means of recognizing them for their efforts to combat this potentially fatal respiratory illness, which has killed nearly 1,300 people in the …
(2021-02-19). Look at Pharma's Recent Record Before Bestowing a Crown. counterpunch.org The vaccine "halo" that drug makers are currently wearing obscures their track record of selling addictive drugs, overpriced drugs and drugs with dangerous side effects hidden from the public. Lest drug makers become Covid heroes let us remember: * Opioid makers deliberately created the opioid addiction epidemic for profit, assuring patients and clinicians the narcotics
(2021-02-19). Venezuela launches vaccination drive against COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Despite the harsh economic sanctions and commercial blockade against Venezuela imposed by the US and supported by the EU, the government of President Nicolás Maduro is making every possible effort to secure anti-COVID-19 vaccines…
(2021-02-19). Unprotected African Health Workers Die As Rich Countries Buy Up COVID-19 Vaccines. popularresistance.org On 6 January, gastroenterologist Leolin Katsidzira received a troubling message from his colleague James Gita Hakim, a heart specialist and noted HIV/AIDS researcher. Hakim, chair of the department of medicine at the University of Zimbabwe, had fallen sick and had tested positive for COVID-19. He was admitted to a hospital in Harare 10 days later and moved to an intensive care unit (ICU) after his condition deteriorated. He died on 26 January. | It is a crushing loss to Zimbabwean medicine, Katsidzira says. "Don't forget: We have had a huge brain drain. So people like James are people who keep the system going,"
(2021-02-19). COVID vaccines are big business and a political weapon. workers.org 
By Manuel Raposo Manuel Raposo is editor of jornalmudardevida.net in Portugal, where this article was published Feb. 14. Translation: John Catalinotto. It has often been said that so-called "natural" disasters, including unforeseeable catastrophes, lay bare the weaknesses of the societies they strike. The health, social and economic crisis the coronavirus . . . |
(2021-02-19). Battleground Baltimore: The battle continues for more COVID-19 vaccine doses. therealnews.com 
In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Leaders examine the way doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being distributed, Mayor Brandon Scott releases his administration's transition report, remembering musician Jimmy Jones, and more.
(2021-02-19). Dutch curfew extended by emergency bill as government shuns court ruling of Covid lockdown 'illegality'. rt.com (2021-02-19). Foreign Correspondent: What's Really Going on with China's Uighurs? progressive.org Experts say U.S. officials are seeking enemies, not the truth.
(2021-02-19). 'Black Freedom Fighters in Steel' — a book review. workers.org (2021-02-19). Bogazici resistance is about more than liberal notions of academic freedom, it is a fight against the whole system of oppression. mronline.org (2021-02-19). George Jackson on the role of prisons, 50 years after his death. workers.org (2021-02-19). Haywood County, North Carolina car protest: 'Fund services, not jails'. liberationnews.org (2021-02-19). Sometimes Marx's Capital is a pillow, sometimes it obliges us to deepen our struggles. mronline.org (2021-02-19). And then there was X: Malcom's life and legacy. therealnews.com (2021-02-19). The Guardian shuts down criticism of Israel. therealnews.com (2021-02-19). How Will Our Children Know They Face a Crushing Debt Burden? counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). Illegal checkpoint arrest tied to a controversial shooting. therealnews.com (2021-02-19). Donation match: Will you meet my challenge for People's World? peoplesworld.org (2021-02-19). 'The Mauritanian' rekindles debate over Gitmo detainees' torture—with 40 still held there. mronline.org (2021-02-19). America's Sick Metamorphosis: Have we Awoken to find our Country a Trump Roach Hotel? juancole.com (2021-02-19). George Jackson on the role of prisons, 50 years after his death. workers.org (2021-02-19). Why the Alabama Amazon struggle matters to workers everywhere. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-19). Trailblazing former Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis dies at 68. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-19). The 30 x 30 Protection Plan and the George Washington National Forest Ark. counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). 40,000 BC: Earth's magnetic field flipped, causing massive sudden climate change and Extinction of Neanderthals. juancole.com (2021-02-19). '41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers' to be screened Feb. 20. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-19). Go St. Pauli! Beat Fascism! counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). And then there was X: Malcolm's life and legacy. therealnews.com (2021-02-19). Snowstorm + capitalism = disaster for more than 100K in Mississippi. liberationnews.org (2021-02-19). Communist Alphaeus Hunton drew together anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-colonial struggles. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-19). Idiocy in Theory and Practice. counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). Organizing White Workers When the Klan is in the Shop. counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). Social movements and organizations condemn arrest of 21-year-old Indian climate activist. mronline.org (2021-02-19). Limbaugh's Legacy: Normalizing Hate for Profit. counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). Who Won the Impeachment? counterpunch.org (2021-02-19). Turkey: Prosecutor requests lifting of immunity from pro-Kurdish MPs. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Western Sahara activists facing crackdown following Morocco-Israel deal. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). US says it is ready for direct talks with Iran over nuclear deal. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Beirut explosion: Removal of judge sparks renewed fears that blast probe will go nowhere. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Arabic press review: Syrian refugees hit hardest by snowstorms. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Key US lawmakers call for sanctions on killers of Hezbollah critic. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). My Selective High School Looks Nothing Like America. thenation.com (2021-02-19). Voice from behind the walls: 'I'm not imprisoned, I'm enslaved'. workers.org (2021-02-19). Princess Latifa: Dubai emir's family says royal being 'cared for at home'. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Israeli woman held in Syria lands in Tel Aviv following Russia-mediated deal. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Algeria frees first democracy activists after presidential pardons. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). A report just slammed the Universal Credit £20 uplift as 'inadequate'. thecanary.co (2021-02-19). Nearly 30 Police Officers Face Investigations for Actions During Capitol Attack. truthout.org (2021-02-19). The Heat: Extreme weather pummels United States. america.cgtn.com (2021-02-19). The Eye of the Wolf: Measuring Myself through Death. dissidentvoice.org (2021-02-19). Israeli press review: Report finds widespread racism among Israel's youth. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). 'Africa is returning to Israel': Equatorial Guinea to move embassy to Jerusalem, Netanyahu says. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Empty shelves & long lines outside stores as Texas runs out of food amid deadly cold snap (VIDEO). rt.com (2021-02-19). Lucasfilm president excoriated for talking of EMPOWERING WOMEN after firing Gina Carano, forcing Oscars to wipe comments. rt.com (2021-02-19). Democracy must prevail over autocracy, Biden tells the world — even as he's accused of autocratic tendencies back home. rt.com (2021-02-19). Chuck some borscht on the barbie? Amid Australian news row, Facebook 'accidentally' clamps down on RUSSIAN CULTURE SITE. rt.com (2021-02-19). US 'ready' for nuclear talks with Iran… with precondition of addressing 'regional issues'. rt.com (2021-02-19). Ex-MP Williamson slams University of Bristol for failure to defend anti-Zionist professor from 'lynch mob' demanding his firing. rt.com (2021-02-19). At least Joe Rogan is 'freezing': progressive pundit finds UPSIDE in deadly Texas storm. rt.com (2021-02-19). PR disaster worsens for Ted Cruz as reports say senator left dog in freezing home after fleeing to Cancun during Texas blackout. rt.com (2021-02-19). DISTURBING VIDEO shows cop punching alleged attacker in the head as assaults on transit police TRIPLE in NYC. rt.com (2021-02-19). Texas apartment block collapses as firefighters can't retrieve water from frozen hydrants (PHOTOS, VIDEO). rt.com (2021-02-19). Exiled spy chief says MBS believes he's the CIA's source on Khashoggi murder. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-19). Sunday 2/21: The Western Campaign against Russian and Chinese Athletes. indybay.org Log-in info is posted on our website: ICSSMARX.ORG…
(2021-02-19). Saturday 2/20: Monterey Picket Protest in Solidarity With Alabama Amazon Workers Unionizing. indybay.org Whole Foods: Gather in front of Del Monte Shopping Center on Munras @ 800 Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA 93940 | MASKS & SAFE-DISTANCING…
(2021-02-19). Saturday 2/20: Richmond Car Caravan: Solidarity With Alabama Amazon Workers Unionizing. indybay.org Gather at Walmart at Richmond Hilltop Mall Parking Lot, 1400 Hilltop Mall Rd, | Richmond, CA 94806 | MASKS and SAFE-DISTANCING…
(2021-02-19). Yes, Victoria, There is a Berkeley Tenants Union. indybay.org YIMBY lobbyist Victoria Fierce is claiming that there not a Berkeley Tenants Union. There is one. Victoria is lying (again).
(2021-02-19). UAW and Stellantis set April 5 start date for 12-hour, seven-day schedule at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. wsws.org The new schedule, based on four rotating crews alternating over two weeks, represents a further major assault on the eight-hour day.
(2021-02-19). US withdraws Trump era letters to UNSC claiming re-imposition of international sanctions against Iran. peoplesdispatch.org The withdrawal of the letters is being seen as a positive move towards the revival of the Iran nuclear deal. However, Iran wants the US to take firm action and lift all unilateral sanctions before it reverts back to full adherence to the provisions of the deal…
(2021-02-19). Settlement Reached in Groundbreaking Martin v. Boise case. indybay.org Parties reach historic agreement that prevents people experiencing homelessness from being cited or arrested for sleeping outdoors when no shelter is available…
(2021-02-19). Canada: USW members at Fenner Dunlop locked out after rejecting contract concessions. fightbacknews.org Bracebridge, ON, Canada — Workers at mining supplier Fenner Dunlop have been locked out of their jobs after turning down a final contract offer, which included drastic changes to sick day provisions. | Fenner Dunlop unilaterally broke off talks to request a Ministry of Labor-sponsored contract vote. It was later turned down by 79%. The 60 workers are represented by United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7949 and make conveyor belts for mining operations. | Contract talks have been ongoing since late last year for a new collective agreement. In January, USW members voted 95% in favor of strike action if necessary,…
(2021-02-19). Protests greet Biden outside the Pabst Theater in downtown Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Despite bitter cold, on February 16 protesters demanding a people's agenda gathered outside the Pabst Theater where President Joe Biden was hosting his first event outside Washington, DC since being inaugurated. | In total, more than 100 people were present, with that number dwindling as the cold crept in. Closer to 40 stuck it out until the end, listening to all the speakers from the organizations that came together to sponsor the planned event. | "It's so important for us to be out here tonight, standing in solidarity with one another to call for a people's agenda. United front organizing and k…
(2021-02-19). Vision for a Next Generation Security Approach. counterpunch.org The Challenges The next generation of practitioners in geopolitics and global security is set to inherit some serious challenges from the current one. Major power relations have significantly deteriorated over the past decade with attendant reinvigoration of competitive tendencies. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review bluntly proclaims the "return of great power competition," but this time
(2021-02-19). Life Lies of the Islands of Prosperity. indybay.org The embarrassing secret of the 'Western' model of society and development is that it only works under very specific political and economic, ecological and social conditions. Preconditions that lie essentially outside this model and are hidden or made invisible by the social actors of its glorifying preservation. 'Our' prosperity, 'our' democracy & 'our' peace are based on poverty & disenfranchisement.
(2021-02-19). Facebook's news censorship in Australia: A battle between monopolies. peoplesdispatch.org Facebook's sweeping ban on news content has also affected non-news websites. Apart from blocking crucial public information websites, left-wing parties, trade unions and progressive movements have also been censored…
(2021-02-19). Minnesota demands Biden do more on climate change. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On February 17, members of the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) held banners over Interstate 94 and held a banner and signs to drivers on the Snelling bridge in Saint Paul as a part of their week of action targeting President Biden. The banners said things like "2050 is too late! Climate justice now!" "The U.S. military is the #1 polluter" and "Climate justice now, not 2050." | Earlier in the week the CJC had its supporters contact the White House to pressure Biden to shut down the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline in Minnesota and to set emission reduction goals for the U.S. military. The U.S. military…
(2021-02-19). Opposition mounts to unsafe opening of schools in Spain. wsws.org There are growing calls by educators and parents to close schools, and strikes have broken out among students as infection rates in education centres soar.
(2021-02-19). Algerian president to dissolve parliament, calls for early elections. peoplesdispatch.org Algeria's president Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced on Thursday, February 18, that he will dissolve the country's national assembly — the lower house of parliament — and call for early legislative elections, Al Jazeera reported. He also said that he will issue pardons to many of the Hirak protesters, including those currently in the country's prisons. Media reports suggest that Tebboune is aiming to hold elections as early as June this year or by September by the latest. The legislative elections were originally scheduled to be held next year. | In the televised speech, he also talked about wanting to…
(2021-02-19). Minnesota demands Biden do more on climate change. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On February 17, members of the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) held banners over Interstate 94 and held a banner and signs to drivers on the Snelling bridge in Saint Paul as a part of their week of action targeting President Biden. The banners said things like "2050 is too late! Climate justice now!" "The U.S. military is the #1 polluter" and "Climate justice now, not 2050." | Earlier in the week the CJC had its supporters contact the White House to pressure Biden to shut down the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline in Minnesota and to set emission reduction goals for the U.S. military. The U.S. military…
(2021-02-19). Déjà Vu All Over Again: Trump Impeachment and Swiss Burqa/Niqab Vote. counterpunch.org Despite riveting and compelling presentations by the House of Representative Lead Managers in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, the Senate voted 57-43, not enough to find him guilty, just as they had voted not to find him guilty in the previous impeachment trial in 2020. Despite the fact that researchers say there
(2021-02-19). Reasons for optimism? President Biden's first month. nationofchange.org Considering what we might have expected from his long and often troubling record in government, Biden's tone and actions so far should give American progressives some reason for cautious optimism during this very difficult time.
(2021-02-19). Saturday 3/6: Onward To Equity: Building Community and Equity for All w/ Women's March. indybay.org Virtual event…
(2021-02-19). Google This: Algorithmic Oppression. aclu.org Imagine you've forgotten once again the difference between a gorilla and a chimpanzee, so you do a quick Google image search of "gorilla." But instead of finding images of adorable animals, photos of a Black couple pop up. | Is this just a glitch in the algorithm? Or, is Google an ad company, not an information company, that's replicating the discrimination of the world it operates in? How can this discrimination be addressed and who is accountable for it? | "These platforms are encoded with racism," says UCLA professor and best-selling author of Algorithms of Oppression, Dr. Safiya Noble. "The logic is racist an…
(2021-02-19). In Challenge to U.S., Putin's Eurasian Union seeks to Incorporate Iran. juancole.com Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) — Iran is hoping to join Russia-dominated Eurasian Union by the end of February. The Islamic Republic could also soon get a new rail connection with the Russian Federation, and such an action would additionally strengthen economic and political ties between the two countries. Such a major infrastructural project would …
(2021-02-19). Wednesday 3/17: Oakland Privacy: Fighting Against the Surveillance State. indybay.org Online. | Email contact@oaklandprivacy.org a few days before the meeting to obtain Zoom meeting access info.
(2021-02-19). The Windy Sky Music Release & Other Songs By Lynda Carson. indybay.org Handmade guitar built by Lynda Carson in the guitar workshop of Ervin Somogyi many years ago.
(2021-02-19). Serbian online workers protest against taxation. peoplesdispatch.org Online workers across Serbia are continuing with their agitation against the new law against their payments from abroad. The ongoing protest is against the government's decision to charge them taxes for the past six years and they demand for the collection of the taxes be suspended and negotiations opened with the online workers Association of Internet Workers (URI).
(2021-02-19). Indian Farmers' Protest: A Strong Democratic Test? counterpunch.org History is taking a new turn in India with farmers' protests showing no sign of yielding to the government's rigid stand. More than six months have passed since the protest began against several agricultural laws. So far, several rounds of talks between the two sides have only come to a dead end with neither willing
(2021-02-19). Comments on RIN 1235-AA34: Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Delay of Effective Date. cepr.net February 13, 2021 Comments of Eileen Appelbaum, Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, DC. Submitted on FederalRegister.gov on February 13, 2021 Amy DeBisschop Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation Wage and Hour Division U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502 200 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20210 Dear Ms. DeBisschop: The Center for Economic …
(2021-02-19). Why Education Won't Stop Conspiracy Theories. counterpunch.org Conspiracy theories like QAnon are outlandish, dangerous, and often absurd. So why do people believe them? Some say it's a lack of education. "They can do QAnon, or they can do college-educated voters," Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) said about Republicans. "They cannot do both." I disagree. As Osita Nwanevu argued recently, the belief that
(2021-02-19). Oceanic Sharks and Rays Have Declined by 71% since 1970 — A Global Solution Is Needed. globalresearch.ca Oceanic sharks and rays live so far from land that the average person is unlikely to ever see them. But these species, which live in the vast open ocean, are also among the most revered, and include the great white …
(2021-02-19). How corporations try to divide and exploit America's workers. nationofchange.org "These companies are not going to give you everything out of the goodness of their hearts. They start sweating when they see you standing together."
(2021-02-19). Limbaugh and the Echoes of Hatred. counterpunch.org When I was attending a Christian college in the States in the 90s, I remember hearing the broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh blasting from some of the rooms of the dormitory where I was housed. At the time I remember feeling astonished that anyone could listen to this man for any length of time. Beyond his
(2021-02-19). Monday 2/22: Black History Month: Judges, U.S. Courts, & Issues Critical to Black Communities w/ AFJ. indybay.org Online event: www.facebook.com/AllianceforJustic…
(2021-02-19). The Nepal Street. counterpunch.org Boisterous, almost frivolous rallies and counter-demonstrations representing Nepal's numerous political factions have become commonplace across the country for 2 months now. They continue with neither a clear aim nor signs of a resolution. Last Friday, partisan rallies were eclipsed by more earnest protests from another quarter. These were women-led marches over negligence, insults and threats
(2021-02-19). Workers across US strike demanding hike in minimum wage. peoplesdispatch.org Workers in major cities across the United States, participated in a nationwide strike action to raise the federal minimum wage to USD 15 per hour, on February 16…
(2021-02-19). Canada: USW members at Fenner Dunlop locked out after rejecting contract concessions. fightbacknews.org Bracebridge, ON, Canada — Workers at mining supplier Fenner Dunlop have been locked out of their jobs after turning down a final contract offer, which included drastic changes to sick day provisions. | Fenner Dunlop unilaterally broke off talks to request a Ministry of Labor-sponsored contract vote. It was later turned down by 79%. The 60 workers are represented by United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7949 and make conveyor belts for mining operations. | Contract talks have been ongoing since late last year for a new collective agreement. In January, USW members voted 95% in favor of strike action if necessary,…
(2021-02-19). Tuesday 2/23: Oppose the Camping Ban Amendments at the Santa Cruz City Council Meeting. indybay.org Online meeting. Instructions on how to participate: | ecm.cityofsantacruz.com/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1624&doctype=1…
(2021-02-19). NATO summit stresses anti-China strategy as wars in Middle East, Afghanistan continue. wsws.org The most urgent issue confronting NATO, a May 1 deadline for withdrawing 10,000 troops from the two-decades-old war in Afghanistan, was left undecided.
(2021-02-19). Why Democrats Need to Encourage Trump to Run Again. counterpunch.org Guy T. Saperstein is a retired attorney who founded the largest private plaintiff civil rights law firm in America and successfully prosecuted the largest sex, race and age discrimination class actions in American history.
(2021-02-19). Saturday 3/6: "Flint: Who Can you Trust?" Film & Discussion: Impact of Flint Water Crisis on Poor & POC. indybay.org Virtual film screening (FREE)…
(2021-02-19). The Legacy of Baek Ki Wan: a South Korean Icon for Democracy and Reunification. counterpunch.org Baek Ki Wan, the quiet, thoughtful, progressive conscience of South Korea, and its most impassioned, idealistic voice for reunification, passsed away yesterday, Feb 15th, from pneumonia at the age of 89. His last words were a message of support for a grieving mother fasting for the passing of Labor Rights Legislation and words of encouragement for the fired labor organizer, Kim Jin Suk.
(2021-02-19). Saturday 2/27: Health Justice Dialogue. indybay.org Webinar Online…
(2021-02-19). A Framework to Defeat the White Power Movement: Organizing vs. Punditry, State Power, and How the Left Relates to the Police and Military. counterpunch.org In a previous article, I examined the modern white power movement and broader political landscape in the United States. That essay's aim wasn't a comprehensive overview but a summary of who we're fighting and the enemy's defining characteristics. Equally important, what is the broader social and political landscape in the U.S.? And what about our
(2021-02-19). New economic study 'demolishes' myth about student debt parroted by Joe Biden. nationofchange.org "The vast majority of borrowers that benefit from forgiveness hail from low- and lower-income communities," the study's authors affirmed.
(2021-02-19). Ecuador Elections: Arauz and Lasso To Second Round, CNE Says. educators/Dropbox/_data/_rss/telesurenglish.net.xml Ecuador's National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed on Friday that Creating Opportunities (CREO) candidate Guillermo Lasso would face the first-round winner Andres Arauz on the second round of the presidential elections on April 11. | RELATED: | With 100 percent of the ballot records processed, the electoral body reported that the Union for Hope (UNES) Andres Arauz won with 32.72 percent of the votes while Lasso received 19.74 percent.
(2021-02-19). Prime Minister Johnson backed by Scottish and Welsh governments in deadly school reopenings. wsws.org The Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee calls on workers who recognise the grave danger posed by the school reopenings to attend our online meeting on Saturday to discuss the fightback…
(2021-02-19). America's Future: Trillionaire Trust Fund Babies? counterpunch.org History doesn't repeat itself, but sometimes, as the old saw goes, it rhymes. Take this year's Forbes 400. If you listen close enough, you can hear echoes of the first Forbes list back in 1982 — you just have to turn it up about 100 notches. Back in 1982, with Reaganomics in its infancy, the
(2021-02-19). Protests greet Biden outside the Pabst Theater in downtown Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Despite bitter cold, on February 16 protesters demanding a people's agenda gathered outside the Pabst Theater where President Joe Biden was hosting his first event outside Washington, DC since being inaugurated. | In total, more than 100 people were present, with that number dwindling as the cold crept in. Closer to 40 stuck it out until the end, listening to all the speakers from the organizations that came together to sponsor the planned event. | "It's so important for us to be out here tonight, standing in solidarity with one another to call for a people's agenda. United front organizing and k…
(2021-02-19). Luxembourg's housing policy has widened inequality. peoplesdispatch.org Garry Diderich of Dei Lenk analyzes the steep rise in housing prices and rents in Luxembourg in the context of decades of failed policies which have left nearly 30% of the population in deep distress…
(2021-02-19). Vulnerability in the Moment. counterpunch.org Pardon me while I break the fourth wall. I'm in the human stew right now, you might say: drowning in politics, technology, the weather and my own crazy ego. I'm trying to write a column. What makes this one different . . .well, I've been forced today to set aside my certainties, norms and expectations
(2021-02-19). Youth climate activists will not stop fighting their climate case — even after 9th Circuit Court second rejection. nationofchange.org "The 9th Circuit has deprived people in that Circuit the ability to seek a resolution of a real controversy with their government."
(2021-02-19). Merrick Garland Can Transform the Department of Justice. Will He? aclu.org When President Biden's nominee for U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland begins his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, the U.S. government will reach a critical inflection point. Following four years of failed policies at the Department of Justice under the leadership of Jeff Sessions and William Barr, Garland has the opportunity — and the mandate — to restore civil rights and civil liberties left in tatters by the Trump administration. | But reversing Trump's policies is not enough. Garland must use the massive power of the Justice Department to show America that n…
(2021-02-19). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Portuguese teachers strike against unsafe return to schools order; national strike planned against South Africa's ANC government over the erosion of workers' rights, unemployment, corruption, inequality and poverty.
(2021-02-19). Millions of Texans without water, hospitals closed as power outages continue. wsws.org Republican Senator and coup conspirator Ted Cruz, in an act of complete indifference, flew to Cancun, Mexico with his family for a vacation while a disaster unfolded across Texas, leaving dozens dead.
(2021-02-19). No Evictions For 30+ Families In Philadelphia Takeover Houses. popularresistance.org The National Lawyers Guild stands in solidarity with the Poor People's Army and all of the 30+ families that are sheltered in homes that are reclaimed, abandoned properties in Philadelphia. Three families in Philadelphia, residing in homes owned by the Department of Housing & Urban Development, have received notices or threats of eviction within the last 2 months, and could be thrown out into the freezing cold at any moment. Poor People's Army / Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign has filed 3 pro se federal injunctions for these properties and are likely to go to court any day. The families should n…
(2021-02-19). My Genderless ID Makes Me Feel Safe. aclu.org I have never had an ID that accurately reflects my gender. The closest I have come to achieving this was when I received my New York City municipal ID (
(2021-02-19). Global experts debate Biden climate outlook. imperial.ac.uk An expert panel discussed what to expect from the Biden administration's climate policies over the next four years.
(2021-02-19). How mouse brains reorganise old memories when new ones are laid down. imperial.ac.uk Oxford and Imperial researchers have mapped how the structure of existing memories is reorganised as new experiences are committed to memory in mice.
(2021-02-19). "Day of Remembrance" of one of America's most vile chapters. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – February 19 is known as the "Day of Remembrance" and 2021 marks its 79th anniversary. This day also commemorates the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, signed and issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 – a day when the U.S. government executed a legal act of racism. Executive Order 9066 forced the removal and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of who were born American citizens, to internment camps throughout the U.S. Half of them were children and many were from the Los Angeles community of Boyle Heights. | As a result of Executive Order 9066, which was bo…
(2021-02-19). Tokyo Olympinck with coronavirus 2021 What are your comments? indybay.org Please comment to the Japanese government about the Coronavirus Tokyo Olympics 2021 .
(2021-02-19). "Day of Remembrance" of one of America's most vile chapters. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – February 19 is known as the "Day of Remembrance" and 2021 marks its 79th anniversary. This day also commemorates the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, signed and issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 – a day when the U.S. government executed a legal act of racism. Executive Order 9066 forced the removal and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of who were born American citizens, to internment camps throughout the U.S. Half of them were children and many were from the Los Angeles community of Boyle Heights. | As a result of Executive Order 9066, which was bo…
(2021-02-19). Probes on extrajudicial killings, 'important step' in fighting impunity in Colombia — UN rights office. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, welcomed on Friday, progress on the investigation in Colombia of people falsely presented as having been killed in combat as "an important step in fighting impunity".
(2021-02-19). UN chief lauds 'day of hope' as US officially rejoins Paris Agreement on Climate Change. news.un.org The official return of the United States to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change represents good news for the country and the world, UN Secretary-General António Guteres said on Friday during a virtual event to mark the occasion.
(2021-02-19). Violence in South Sudan engulfs country, 10 years after independence 'children all have guns'. news.un.org Extreme violence and attacks involving thousands of fighters at a time have engulfed more than three-quarters of South Sudan, UN human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Friday, warning that the bloodshed faced by civilians are "the worst recorded" since the country's civil war began in December 2013.
(2021-02-19). UN chief lauds 'day of hope' as US officially rejoins Paris climate accord. news.un.org The official return of the United States to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change represents good news for the country and the world, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday during a virtual event to mark the occasion.
(2021-02-19). UN human rights office alarmed by 'attacks' on judicial independence in Haiti. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) is "very concerned" over recent attacks against judicial independence in Haiti, as the country is gripped by political and institutional instability, a spokesperson said on Friday.
(2021-02-19). 'Exercise restraint and calm', UN chief urges after violent outbreak in Somalia. news.un.org The UN chief expressed grave concern on Friday over an outbreak of violence in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
(2021-02-19). DR Congo: Lives and futures of three million children at risk, UNICEF warns. news.un.org The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), on Friday, highlighted the dire situation of some three million displaced children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who face brutal militia violence and extreme hunger.
(2021-02-19). UN NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Exceptional teacher inspires students and fights scourge of child marriage. news.un.org Indian primary school teacher Ranjitsinh Disale, winner of the UN-backed 2020 Global Teacher Prize, says that he is driven by empowering students, particularly girls, so they can "unleash their potential" and have the confidence to achieve their aspirations.
(2021-02-19). Yemen: UN rights office calls for de-escalation in Marib Governorate. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, appealed on Friday for a de-escalation in hostilities in Marib Governorate in northern Yemen as Houthi forces, also known as Ansar Allah, attempt to seize the area from Government control.
(2021-02-19). When Rush Limbaugh Was Too Racist for The NFL. thenation.com When Rush Limbaugh Was Too Racist for The NFL…
(2021-02-19). How Public Schools Became America's Social Safety Net. thenation.com How Public Schools Became America's Social Safety Net…
(2021-02-19). Plundering Our Natural Resources. thenation.com Plundering Our Natural Resources…
(2021-02-19). West Coast States' Failure to Reopen Schools Is a Disaster. thenation.com West Coast States' Failure to Reopen Schools Is a Disaster…
(2021-02-19). What Joe Biden Gets Totally Wrong About Student Debt. thenation.com What Joe Biden Gets Totally Wrong About Student Debt…
(2021-02-19). The US Returns to the Paris Agreement Today—With Lots of Work Ahead for the World. thenation.com The US Returns to the Paris Agreement Today—With Lots of Work Ahead for the World…
(2021-02-19). How Can We Revive Herd Immunity to Fascism? thenation.com How Can We Revive Herd Immunity to Fascism?
(2021-02-19). Calls to Disqualify Trump Using the 14th Amendment Grow Louder. thenation.com Calls to Disqualify Trump Using the 14th Amendment Grow Louder…
(2021-02-19). The Real Reasons Texas's Power Grid Is So Vulnerable. thenation.com The Real Reasons Texas's Power Grid Is So Vulnerable…
(2021-02-19). Canuck Cruz Cuts and Runs to Cancún. thenation.com Canuck Cruz Cuts and Runs to Cancún…
(2021-02-19). Commentary: Support Los Angles DA George Gascon's measures for criminal justice reform. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On December 7, 2020, newly-elected Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon on his first day in office announced sweeping reforms to the LA criminal justice system. This system has a long history of mass incarceration of Brown and Black men and women, so much so that the Police Protective League (PPL) of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Association of Deputy District Attorneys have started to attack him and the progressive reforms. The pro-police Association went so far as to file a lawsuit to stop these much-needed changes. | Centro CSO Community Service Organization in Los Angeles…
(2021-02-19). Commentary: Support Los Angles DA George Gascon's measures for criminal justice reform. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On December 7, 2020, newly-elected Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon on his first day in office announced sweeping reforms to the LA criminal justice system. This system has a long history of mass incarceration of Brown and Black men and women, so much so that the Police Protective League (PPL) of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Association of Deputy District Attorneys have started to attack him and the progressive reforms. The pro-police Association went so far as to file a lawsuit to stop these much-needed changes. | Centro CSO Community Service Organization in Los Angeles…
(2021-02-19). The American Century Ends Early. strategic-culture.org By Tom ENGELHARDT | Like Gregor Samsa, the never-to-be-forgotten character in Franz Kafka's story " Yes, I know, Joe B…
(2021-02-19). America's Plot For World Domination. strategic-culture.org Stephen Wertheim, of the Quincy Institute and Columbia University, propounds a provocative new thesis: that the hegemonic temptation was the product of a coterie of strategic planners from the American foreign policy elite who crafted the notion and sold it to the country by distorting America's distinct and "foundational" philosophy of internationalism.
(2021-02-19). Biden's Post-Trump NATO Reset Points to Failing U.S. Global Power in Multipolar World. strategic-culture.org The more the US pushes NATO as its vehicle, the more it is apparent that the battery of American power is running flat. | A month after his inauguration, President Joe Biden's administration formally engaged on the international stage this week to set out key foreign policies. | His Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
(2021-02-19). Computer Security Breaches and Trojan Horse Backdoors. strategic-culture.org Who is at fault for the succession of major hacking events in the United States? — "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves" | The U.S. Congress wants answers on what has been apparent foot-dragging by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) in answering congressional questions about NSA forcing the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) into incorporating a NSA-engineered back door into the Dual_EC_DRBG encryption algorithm standard developed for use in federal government computer systems and networks. On January 28, Democratic Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Cory…
(2021-02-19). Spain arrests 80 in three nights of riots over rapper's jailing. thecanary.co Protests over the imprisonment of a rapper convicted of insulting the Spanish monarchy and praising terrorist violence were marred by rioting for a third successive night on Thursday. | The plight of Pablo Hasel, who began a nine-month sentence in a north-eastern prison this week, has triggered a heated debate over the limits of free speech in Spain and a political storm over the use of violence by both the rapper's supporters and the police. | The ruling coalition's junior partner, the far-left United We Can (Unidas Podemos) party, on Thursday filed a petition for a "total pardon" for Hasel and another rapper, V…
(2021-02-19). Biden may have thrown the left a few bones, but he's keeping some of Trump's worst policies in place. thecanary.co Recently elected US president Joe Biden is
(2021-02-19). Concerns rise amid rights violations in Myanmar. yenisafak.com International rights defenders, journalists, and analysts expressed concerns over the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar following the Feb. 1 military coup overthrowing the democratically elected government.Condemning the military junta's "widespread crackdown" on civilians, human rights activists, and journalists of the Southeast Asian state, rights defenders have called on the international community to take immediate action against the Myanmar army.Comparing the current situation of Myanmar with "the Soviet-style repressive measures," Maung Zarni, an exiled rights activist and scholar, said the Myanma…
(2021-02-19). US officially rejoins Paris climate pact: State Dept. yenisafak.com The US officially rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, the State Department announced Friday, saying climate change and science can "never" again be "add-ons" in Washington's foreign policy.President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the agreement during his first day in office, Jan. 20. The landmark agreement aimed at rolling back carbon emissions that former President Donald Trump chose to unilaterally exit from in a process that was finalized on Nov. 4. The accord seeks to limit global warming and achieve a carbon-neutral world by 2050."The Paris Agreement is an unprecedented framework for global act…
(2021-02-19). ANALYSIS — 'Quo Vadis, Aida?': Srebrenica survivors finally telling their own story. yenisafak.com The central focus of the film is on the events which took place within the confines of the Dutch compound, where thousands of refugees from Srebrenica sought shelter, including some of the family members of the UN and Dutchbat staff. It is a story of both betrayal and brutality. It could have happened to any one of us. The story is loosely based on what did happen to Hasan Nuhanovic, someone I know and deeply respect. But it is a fictional story that takes into account the factual framework of the events and projects the image of a large, premeditated genocidal operation on the orders of Radovan Karadzic and Ratk…
(2021-02-19). Nuclear deal talks between US, Iran 'possible': EU. yenisafak.com A meeting between the US, Iran and other parties of the nuclear deal is "possible," an EU official said on Friday."But there is no date yet," Peter Stano, the European Commission's chief spokesperson on foreign affairs, said at a daily news conference.‚Ä®Stano said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was "working very hard to get JCPOA back on track which includes bringing Iran back to the full compliance and to see how we can bring the US to the table."‚Ä®The spokesman also assured that the EU was "prepared to convene informal talks" between the parties of the nuclear deal.&sbquo…
(2021-02-19). China admits 4 troops killed in Galwan clash with India. yenisafak.com Almost nine months after the deadly military clash with India, China revealed losses on its side on Friday.The revelation comes when China's Central Military Commission posthumously awarded four soldiers killed in a clash with the Indian army, state-run Xinhua news reported.At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed during the "fistfight" with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) in mid-June last year along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the two countries' de facto border in the Ladakh area of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.Beijing had refused to reveal details of any losses on their side until now. | Th…
(2021-02-19). Somali premier condemns clashes in Mogadishu. yenisafak.com Somalia's prime minister condemned clashes on Friday between government forces and opposition protesters in the capital Mogadishu, underlining that the presence of armed demonstrators was "unacceptable"."Every person in this country has a constitutional right to protest peacefully but my government will not tolerate any armed protesters and it is unacceptable," Mohamed Hussein Roble said in a televised speech.Calling on residents of the capital to reject the prospect of conflict in the city and destruction of their property, Roble said his government was committed to hold peaceful, transparent and inclusive elect…
(2021-02-19). Remembering Patrick Fisher, chased to death by NSW Police. greenleft.org.au Rachel Evans reports on a gathering for Waka Waka man and father of three Patrick Fisher, who was chased to his death by NSW Police three years ago.
(2021-02-19). Biden's Civilian Climate Corps Comes Straight Out of the New Deal. zcomm.org One of the most popular programs from the New Deal is making a comeback, nearly 90 years later…
(2021-02-19). Is Texas' Disaster a Harbinger of America's Future? zcomm.org On the ground from frozen, blacked-out Austin…
(2021-02-19). Why Haitians are angry at the UN. zcomm.org The case of Haiti reveals how the UN can be part of the problem rather than the solution…
(2021-02-19). "Work Won't Love You Back" zcomm.org Sarah Jaffe on Toxic U.S. Work Culture & the Fight Against Inequality…
(2021-02-19). A Framework to Defeat the White Power Movement. zcomm.org Organizing vs. Punditry, State Power, and How the Left Relates to the Police and Military…
(2021-02-19). OSCE defends its role as forum for dialogue and conflict prevention. laprensalatina.com Nur-Sultan, Feb 19 (EFE).- OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid on Friday defended the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's role as a forum for dialogue, confidence-building and conflict prevention and resolution as the region faces fragility and challenges. Schmid said from Vienna during a forum to mark the 2010 Astana Summit — the last …
(2021-02-19). US formally offers to restart talks with Iran, Washington media report. laprensalatina.com Washington, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- The Joe Biden administration has formally offered to restart nuclear talks with Iran, according to US media reports on Thursday. Citing a statement issued by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CNN and The New York Times reported that the official spoke with the British, French and German foreign ministers and …
(2021-02-19). Haitian crafts entrepreneur looking to spread success. laprensalatina.com By Maria Montecelos Port-au-Prince, Feb 19 (efe-epa).- Haitian artisans produce handicrafts of remarkable quality and variety but struggle to make a living due to the lack of a domestic market for their creations. But they now have a key ally and ambassador in Magalie Dresse, an entrepreneur and papier mache artist who is determined to …
(2021-02-19). Bangladeshi Islamist group demands release of convicts in blogger killing. laprensalatina.com Dhaka, Feb 19 (efe-epa)- Bangladesh's hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam on Friday demanded the release of extremists convicted earlier this week of killing liberal writer and blogger Avijit Roy, calling their trial "flawed." A local court had on Tuesday handed death sentence to five members of a banned Islamist outfit, linked to the Al Qaeda terror …
(2021-02-19). Perseverance robot rover touches down safely on Martian surface. laprensalatina.com Miami, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- The Perseverance space probe has landed safely on Mars after successfully passing through the expected "seven minutes of terror" during which it temporarily went out of radio contact with Earth upon entering the thin atmosphere of the Red Planet and descending to the surface, parachuting onto the rocky terrain inside a …
(2021-02-19). Lights Come Back On in Texas as Water Woes Rise in the South. laprensalatina.com AUSTIN, TX (AP) — Many of the millions of Texans who lost power for days after a deadly winter blast overwhelmed the electric grid now have it back, but the crisis was far from over in parts of the South, with many people lacking safe drinking water. Nearly 185,000 homes and businesses remained without power …
(2021-02-19). Zipliner's shoe removed from stomach of huge crocodile in Florida. laprensalatina.com Miami, United States, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- A huge female Nile crocodile from a zoo in St. Augustine, Florida, had to undergo surgery to have a zipliner's shoe removed from her stomach. Anuket, measuring 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) long and weighing 154 kilograms (341 pounds), is recovering at the Alligator Farm Zoological Park from surgery performed …
(2021-02-19). Harry, Meghan will not return as working royals, Palace confirms. laprensalatina.com London, Feb 19 (efe-epa).- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, have told Queen Elizabeth II that they will not return as working members of the British royal family, Buckingham Palace said Friday. Prince Harry, the grandson of Elizabeth II, and his wife decided a year ago to step away from the monarchy …
(2021-02-19). Health Department Orders Restaurants That Can't Comply With Boil Water Advisory to Close. laprensalatina.com Health Department Orders Restaurants That Can't Comply With Boil Water Advisory to Close El Departamento de Salud ordena cerrar a restaurantes que no cumplan con el aviso de hervir el agua MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) — The Shelby County Health Department issued a new health order Friday closing any restaurant that uses MLGW water but can't …
(2021-02-19). Real-life "Inception": Scientists have figured out how to enter your dreams. salon.com Researchers were able to communicate with people dreaming in certain circumstances and even ask them math questions…
(2021-02-19). What caused the Texas disaster? Decades of Republican deregulation: "Laissez-faire run amok" salon.com "There are things we could have done to prevent this," says former Democratic lieutenant governor. "But we didn't"
(2021-02-19). "I Care a Lot" is a darkly amoral joyride for Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage. salon.com Pike plays a court-appointed legal guardian who swindles her elderly wards, until Dianne Wiest fights back…
(2021-02-19). WHO lauds new commitments from US, EU countries on vaccine equity. laprensalatina.com Geneva, Feb 19 (efe-epa).- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday praised countries such as the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom after they announced new commitments to the COVAX program for the global delivery of antiviral vaccines, bringing the organisation closer to the goal of getting them to the entire planet. "There …
(2021-02-19). G7 Discusses Vaccines, Debt Relief, Tax Plans and Climate Change. indybay.org Biden Commits $4 Billion for Vaccine Distribution in Developing Countries…
(2021-02-19). 8 Chinese fighters flew into SW part of Taiwanese air zone. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 19 (MNA) — Taiwan's Ministry of defense claimed on Friday that eight Chinese fighter aircraft flew into the southwestern part of its air defense zone.
(2021-02-19). Biden says US is ready to re-engage within P5+1 on JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 19 (MNA) — Speaking at Munich Security Conference, US President Joe Biden said that the United States is ready to re-engage within the P5+1 on Iran's nuclear program.
(2021-02-19). It's time for realpolitik, diplomacy: Ulyanov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 19 (MNA) — Referring to the failure of the US maximum pressure on Iran, Russia's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna noted that the time is now ripe for "Realpolitik and diplomacy". (2021-02-18). US initial jobless claims rise more than expectation. yenisafak.com Analysts expected 765,000 for the week ending Feb. 13, while the previous week was revised up 55,000 from 793,000 to 848,000.Despite the fall in claims, there are 10.1 million jobless Americans since the coronavirus pandemic-hit US economy shed 22 million positions in March and April.President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief plan, which includes $1,400 stimulus checks for individuals and aid for vaccine distribution efforts, still faces opposition from Republicans.The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives plans to pass the bill before the end of the month but are likely to try to push it through the Senat…
(2021-02-18). Schools Need More Help to Reopen Safely. progressive.org Though the next stimulus bill would increase federal funding for schools, it's still not enough to prepare schools for in-person classes.
(2021-02-18). US lawmakers press military over data purchases from Muslim apps. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). 'We Need Answers': House Dems Demand Probe Into US Military Purchases of Location Data From Muslim-Focused Apps. commondreams.org "We cannot pick and choose who the Constitution applies to," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib. "Our government cannot continue to violate the privacy of Americans." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/muslim_surveillance.jpg …
(2021-02-18). 'Put Syrians first…finally', UN rights investigators urge after deadly decade of conflict. news.un.org Along with an end to the "instrumentalization" of humanitarian aid, victims of Syria's decade-long civil war and their families need justice to help rebuild their lives, Human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Thursday.
(2021-02-18). Stratfor's Decade-Old Geopolitical Map Provoking Russian-Turkish Distrust? globalresearch.ca The recent viral sharing of the speculative map of Turkey's future regional influence that was first published by Stratfor founder George Friedman in his 2010 book about "The Next 100 Years: A Forecast For The 21st Century" is provoking distrust …
(2021-02-18). Daily Beast editor apologizes after accusing Tucker Carlson show of adding 'googly eyes' to AOC, acknowledges image is real. rt.com (2021-02-18). Stop blaming the Green New Deal for Texas blackouts. therealnews.com (2021-02-18). Forget Ted Cruz, What's Really Missing in Texas Is the Green New Deal. commondreams.org "Lives are already being lost because of Texas politicians' refusal to acknowledge and prepare for the realities of the climate crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/texas-needs-green-new-deal.jpg …
(2021-02-18). The Green New Deal Is the Cure, Not the Cause, for What's Happening in Texas. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-18). While Texans Freeze, Governor Greg Abbott Lies About the Green New Deal. thenation.com While Texans Freeze, Governor Greg Abbott Lies About the Green New Deal…
(2021-02-18). Prisons Prime Testing Ground for Dehumanizing Hi-Tech "Advances" mintpressnews.com (2021-02-18). Brazil's Socialist Party Rejects Bolsonaro's Gun Law Relaxation. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Socialist Party (PSB) on Wednesday filed a lawsuit before the Supreme Court urging the suspension of the four decrees issued by President Jair Bolsonaro to relax firearms access. | RELATED: | "Bolsonaro's decision will encourage citizens to possess real arsenals, which will lead to an increase in violence and mortality," the PSB warned, adding that the gun law relaxation poses a serious threat to society.
(2021-02-18). Rwanda Prosecutes Sponsor of Armed Group Involved in Genocide. telesurenglish.net Rwanda's Supreme Court on Wednesday started a trial against Paul Rusesabagina for 13 charges including financing terrorism and forming armed groups. | RELATED: | Rusesabagina appeared before the court in Kigali alongside 20 other co-accused, including Callixte Nsabimana, the former commander of the National Liberation Force (NLF). | The 66-year-old during a pre-trial hearing had admitted to financing this group…
(2021-02-18). Haiti: Black Despots And White Rulers. popularresistance.org The past week has seen growing protests against the contested presidency of Haiti's Jovenel MoàØse. An unpopular figure who has ruled without a mandate, and, increasingly, by decree , MoàØse refused to relinquish power when his presidential term expired on February 7, 2021. While claiming that his term ends in February 2022, MoàØse has lashed out against his political rivals, arresting his critics, members of opposition political parties, and supreme court judges, all the while consolidating his draconian, some would say dictatorial, rule over Haiti. | How Haiti arrived at this moment is pred…
(2021-02-18). Explosive study shows the wildlife trade plays a major role in the rapid loss of the world's species. thecanary.co The biodiversity crisis, aka the rapid disappearance of essential diverse life on earth, is — alongside the climate crisis — one of the most pressing issues on the planet right now. The rich tapestry of life on earth is responsible for the ecosystems that humans, and all living beings,
(2021-02-18). The Decline of the West: American Education Surrenders to 'Equity'. globalresearch.ca It will be difficult or even impossible to go back to a system where learning is actually a discipline that requires hard work and dedication. | Public education in the United States, if measured by results, has been producing graduates that …
(2021-02-18). It's Not A Political Problem, It's A Propaganda Problem: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com While we all fixate on electoral political solutions, the powerful focus on narrative control, because that's where real power is at. The people who pose an actual threat to the machine are those who disrupt its narratives and narrative control agendas. Everyone else is harmless. | If the majority of a troubled population believes their political system is operating in a way that is demonstrably very different from the way it actually operates, then that population doesn't have a political problem, it has a propaganda problem. | Berners watched the mass media actively sabotage the Sanders campaign day after day i…
(2021-02-18). "Leaving Aside" International Law: Why Democrats are as Dangerous as Republicans to a Just Peace in Palestine. dissidentvoice.org (2021-02-18). 'Leaving Aside' International Law: Democrats are as Dangerous as Republicans to Peace in Palestine. mintpressnews.com (2021-02-18). As Israel aims for 1 mn. Squatters on Palestinian Territory, Settler Violence against Indigenous Palestinians Spikes. juancole.com By Osama Othman | — ( Middle East Monitor) — Terrorist attacks by Israeli settlers have become more frequent in the occupied West Bank. One of the latest victims was Bilal Shehadeh Bawatna, 52, from Al-Bireh, who was killed last Friday when he and his companions were run over by a car driven by a …
(2021-02-18). Bayer and US officials pressure Mexico to overturn glyphosate ban. nationofchange.org "Will they continue the pattern of doing the bidding of global biotech/seed firms like Monsanto? Or, will the USTR respect other countries' rights to protect the environment and indigenous crops?"
(2021-02-18). Your National Political Committee newsletter — reflections on Black socialists and revolutionaries. dsausa.org Enjoy your February National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter! Our NPC is an elected eighteen-person body (including two YDSA members who share a vote) which functions as the board of directors of DSA. Make sure to check out the NPC's updated national priorities, including attracting, retaining, and supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) organizers…
(2021-02-18). Violence Against Indigenous Peoples Is Happening In Plain Sight. popularresistance.org It's been just over one year since the RCMP raided Wet'suwet'en camps along the route of the Coastal Gas Link (CGL) LNG pipeline in Northern B.C. Brandishing guns and tactical gear, the RCMP arrested dozens of Indigenous land defenders and supporters who defied an injunction obtained by CGL to not impede the construction right of way. | The raids evoked outrage that saw supporters across Canada erect railway blockades and highway shutdowns. Demonstrators gathered by the thousands in the streets demanding governments, police and industry to uphold Indigenous rights and stop construction of the pipeline.
(2021-02-18). Cuomo and Newsom Symbolize the Rot of Corporate Democrats and the Dire Need for Progressive Populism. counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). Sanders-Commissioned CBO Report Finds Medicare Part D Pays Nearly Three Times More than Medicaid for Prescription Drugs. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-18). "No Hate! No Fear!" Democracy Now! Co-Host Nermeen Shaikh Celebrates 10 Years Covering War & Peace. democracynow.org (2021-02-18). Failed State: Texas Power Grid Collapse Impacts Millions. Black & Brown Communities Are Worst Hit. democracynow.org (2021-02-18). "Not Doing This Is a Choice": Biden Drags His Feet on Canceling Student Debt Despite Campaign Pledge. democracynow.org (2021-02-18). Headlines for February 18, 2021. democracynow.org Texans Face Deadly Winter Storm with Ongoing Power Outages, Water Shortages, U.S. Life Expectancy Falls by 1 Year in 2020, Drops Nearly 3 Years for Black Americans, Florida Gov. DeSantis Prioritizes Vaccines for Rich White Residents, Then Threatens Critics, Mexico Denounces Vaccine Hoarding as U.N. Warns 130 Nations Have Yet to Receive Any Vaccines, Top Executives at Vaccine Manufacturers Sold $500 Million in Stocks Last Year, FBI Probes Cuomo over Nursing Home COVID Deaths; Cuomo Threatens to "Destroy" Critic, White House Unveils Immigration Bill with 8-Year Path to Citizenship, Burmese Anti-Coup Protests Contin…
(2021-02-18). How to Wear a Mask & When to Wear Two to Reduce COVID Transmission & Increase Vaccine Effectiveness. democracynow.org (2021-02-18). Reclaiming Our Common Home: Expand the Commons to Include Everything We Need. commondreams.org Ecological civilization is based on the consciousness that we are part of the Earth, not her masters, conquerors, or owners. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/water_0_0.jpg …
(2021-02-18). Video: The 2020 Worldwide Corona Crisis. globalresearch.ca (2021-02-18). Amazon sues New York to claim immunity from state COVID-19 safety regulations. wsws.org Amazon filed a lawsuit in federal district court Friday demanding a ruling that it is not required to comply with New York safety laws and regulations, while New York authorities filed a complaint against Amazon on Tuesday that paints a devastating picture of the callous disregard for workers' lives by the $1.6 trillion global conglomerate throughout the pandemic.
(2021-02-18). Real Unemployment Is Three Times What They're Telling Us. popularresistance.org Southwest Harbor, Maine — As Congress gets set to debate the Biden Pandemic relief package, one of the favorite Republican lines is the contention that an economic recovery is already well underway. Pouring more money into an accelerating economy is likely to induce seventies style inflation. It is time, they argue, for a little cautionary austerity. However politically efficacious this line may be, rosy portraits of an expanding economy hide the chronic weakness of the US economy and especially the burdens imposed on poor and minority communities. | Fear of inflation on the part of Republicans is insincere…
(2021-02-18). An Improbable Vanguard Of Poor People Is 'Reclaiming' Vacant Homes. popularresistance.org On the night before Thanksgiving last year, Sasha Atkins, a 31-year-old hair stylist and single mom, hauled a few carefully chosen belongings — her phone, blankets, pillows and a laptop — into a vacant duplex on Shelley Street in Los Angeles' El Sereno neighborhood and held her breath. Busting into an empty house was a last resort, but the pandemic has turned her precarious housing situation into an emergency. For three years, she and her son couch surfed or occasionally landed a motel room. But work had become scarce, and friends and family feared COVID-19 if they let new people into their homes. So,…
(2021-02-18). UN chief calls for 'new social contract' as part of post-pandemic recovery. news.un.org With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing social and economic inequalities rooted in racism, discrimination and xenophobia, recovery must lead to more inclusive societies, the UN Secretary-General told Member States on Thursday.
(2021-02-18). Selected Articles: Pandemic Revelations. globalresearch.ca (2021-02-18). BBC Hospital series explores crisis faced by UK's National Health Service during COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The series amounts to an indictment of the government's policy during the pandemic and the impact of decades of cuts on the NHS—facts that will not be lost on Hospital 's many viewers.
(2021-02-18). How the Gates Foundation seeded America's COVID-19 policy catastrophes. strategic-culture.org (2021-02-18). The NHS and care workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic. thecanary.co At least 244 frontline health and care workers have been identified after dying with coronavirus (Covid-19). | This chronological list contains people who were working in roles shortly before their deaths where they were likely to come into contact with patients. | The figure is likely to be lower than the true number of workers who have died, as the names of some victims will not yet be in the public domain. | Through tributes from loved ones and confirmation through sources such as local NHS trusts and other authorities, the names of health and social care workers who have died after contracting Covid-19 since…
(2021-02-18). Climate change bigger threat than pandemic: EU official. yenisafak.com Climate change is a "bigger" threat than the COVID-19 pandemic in the long run, and it requires immediate and collective action, said the head of the EU delegation to Turkey."Climate change is not only a risk in itself, but it is also a risk multiplier for all of our societies," Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut told the meeting held with the theme of "Tackling Climate Change" in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday.The global community, he said, has passed the stage of questioning the causes of climate change, however, it still has an advantage as it knows a way to address the problem: the decarbonization of countries'
(2021-02-18). COVID Deaths in the US Lead to Biggest Drop in Life Expectancy Since WWII. truthout.org (2021-02-18). Italian lawmakers ratify new gov't led by Draghi. laprensalatina.com Rome, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- The lower house of Italy's parliament voted overwhelmingly Thursday to ratify former European Central Bank (ECB) head Mario Draghi as prime minister amid the dual challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the worst economic slump since World War II. A day after getting the nod from the Senate, the 73-year-old economist …
(2021-02-18). Iranian press review: Iran plans to export Covid-19 vaccine to the world. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). Atlantic Council Urges Biden to Enforce Regime Change in Belarus. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | A recent
(2021-02-18). If It Were a Narco Lab, It Would be Working. counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). Biden Plans to Use "Inclusive" Language in Future Discussions on Immigration. truthout.org (2021-02-18). Lebanon announces plan to vaccinate thousands of migrant workers. laprensalatina.com Beirut, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- The Lebanese government on Thursday announced a plan to vaccinate migrant workers in the country, many of whom are there illegally and are often the victims of abuse by their employers. Following a meeting of government representatives, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and NGOs, the chairman of the National Committee …
(2021-02-18). Trump's Frivolous First Amendment Defense Won't Shield Him in a Criminal Case. zcomm.org Trump created a powder keg and lit the match…
(2021-02-18). Politico's Defense News, Brought to You by Northrop Grumman. mintpressnews.com Does taking Northrop Grumman's money make Politico less likely to call out the Pentagon's enormous and bloated military budget, war crimes committed overseas, or the gross wastage of public funds?
(2021-02-18). Israel: Election of New ICC Prosecutor Raises Questions for War Crimes Probe. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The election of Karim Khan, a British lawyer, as chief prosecutor …
(2021-02-18). Sri Lanka stifles dissent to block justice for war crimes, Amnesty says. laprensalatina.com Colombo Feb 18 (efe-epa).- Sri Lanka has launched a new crackdown to stifle dissent and hinder justice for the crimes committed during the nation's civil war, says an Amnesty International report released Thursday. The report alleges that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa government's concerted effort to target human rights bodies, media, lawyers, political opponents, and law enforcement …
(2021-02-18). Biden's Saudi Game of Thrones: Is he trying to Sideline crown prince Bin Salman? juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — BBC Arabic reports that Saudi Twitter has gone wild with responses to the apparent sidelining by President Biden of Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, with many Saudis considering it a humiliation. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said this week that Biden wishes to "recalibrate" the U.S. relationship with Saudi …
(2021-02-18). Israel figured out how to use 120,000 Moderna doses it doesn't need…vaccinate Palestinians with work permits. rt.com (2021-02-18). As Macron Courts the Far-Right, France Launches Crackdown on "Islamo-Leftism" mintpressnews.com Islamo-leftism is a label coined by the far-right, with many pointing out the distinct similarities between it and "Judeo-Bolshevism," a term created by German Nazis linking religion with a set of political beliefs. Yet it has quickly been taken up by many in France's political center.
(2021-02-18). COVID + Capitalism: Life expectancy plunges and unemployment surges. liberationnews.org (2021-02-18). East African Community "Resilient" Amid COVID-19 Crisis -Report. telesurenglish.net The East African Community (EAC) has demonstrated resilience amid the COVID-19 economic crisis, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa reported on Thursday. | RELATED: | "They thought that the region would drown in terms of trade declining catastrophically. But in fact, the EAC economies (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda) have, by global standards, proven to be relatively resilient," the stud…
(2021-02-18). Bolivia Gets First Lot of Medicines for Free COVID-19 Treatment. telesurenglish.net Bolivia on Thursday received from India over 15 tons of medicines for the free COVID-19 treatment in the country. | RELATED: | President Luis Arce's government negotiated directly with India's laboratories and pharmaceutical companies to get the supplies first hand and avoid prices imposed by intermediary countries or organizations. | The shipment contains 30,000 doses of Remdesivir and 225,000 doses of Propofol. It was purchased from…
(2021-02-18). Andalucía: Un brote en una residencia de Los Barrios provoca 46 muertes por coronavirus. globalizacion.ca El Covid-19 no da tregua. El inicio de la campaña de vacunación en las residencias de mayores no está evitando un reguero de muertes. En Los Barrios (Cádiz) lo saben bien. Desgraciadamente, la residencia Nuestra Señora del Rosario sumaba ayer …
(2021-02-18). Biden falsely downplays dangers of COVID-19 in schools. wsws.org At a CNN town hall event Wednesday, Biden made his most direct intervention into the campaign to reopen schools, falsely claiming that children and their families are not endangered by the reopenings.
(2021-02-18). International Alert Message about COVID-19. United Health Professionals. globalresearch.ca We are more than 1,500 members (including professors of medicine, intensive care physicians and infectious disease specialists) from more than 30 countries. The lockdown has not only killed people, it has destroyed physical and mental health, economy, education and other aspects of social life.
(2021-02-18). Why Politicians and Doctors Keep Ignoring the Medical Research on Vitamin D and Covid. counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). Fast Food Workers Went On Strike For $15 An Hour In 15 Cities. popularresistance.org Fast food workers in 15 cities across the country went on a one-day strike on February 16, to demand that their employers—including McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's—pay them $15 an hour and give them union rights. | The effort, which is part of the nationwide Fight for 15 movement, comes as lawmakers in Washington debate enacting a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage as part of President Biden's first COVID-19 relief package. | The strikes also honor Black History Month by emphasizing the generations of low pay and lacking workplace protections among Black workers, historical inequities that have bee…
(2021-02-18). WHO seeks $1.96 billion for 2021 Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Response. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking nearly $2 billion to fund its 2021 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for COVID-19 response which, was launched on Thursday in Geneva.
(2021-02-18). More Than Half of All Inmates in Wisconsin Prisons Have Tested Positive for Covid. thenation.com More Than Half of All Inmates in Wisconsin Prisons Have Tested Positive for Covid…
(2021-02-18). Prince Harry Self-Isolating to Take Private Jet for UK Right Away If Prince Phillip's State Worsens. sputniknews.com Earlier, Buckingham Palace said that the 99-year-old husband of the Queen, Prince Philip, had been hospitalized after feeling unwell. The statement emphasized that this was a precaution taken on the advice of the attending physician, and that COVID-19 had nothing to do with it.
(2021-02-18). The Heat: South Africa's Challenges. america.cgtn.com (2021-02-18). COVID, Austerity & Ending U.S. Interference. zcomm.org Left-wing economist Andrés Arauz secured nearly 33% of the vote in the first round of Ecuador's presidential election on February 7 but fell short of the 40% needed to win outright…
(2021-02-18). Huge Victory: Under Pressure, New York Ends Mandatory COVID Testing in Schools. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The New York State Education Department
(2021-02-18). Researchers Call for Second Pfizer Dose to Be Delayed as First Dose Highly Effective, Study Says. sputniknews.com On December 11, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the first emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. The vaccine shows efficacy of 85% at preventing COVID-19 infection after two doses.
(2021-02-18). 5 Questions To Ask Your Friends Who Plan To Get The Covid Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Many of us have friends or family who plan on getting the vaccine. Maybe they truly believe they are in danger. Maybe they think it's better safe than sorry. Maybe they just want to be able to go to the …
(2021-02-18). Mexico out front in pressuring UN to guarantee anti-Covid vaccine access. laprensalatina.com By Cristina Sanchez Reyes Mexico City, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- Mexico has positioned itself as one of the countries exerting the most pressure on the United Nations to guarantee universal access to anti-Covid-19 vaccines, denouncing vaccine hoarding and/or monopolization by the richest nations and creating links with other Latin American nations like Argentina. "What was raised …
(2021-02-18). EU Launches Bio-Defense Plan Against COVID-19 Strains. telesurenglish.net The European Union (EU) on Wednesday stepped up its efforts to fight COVID-19 variants by bringing together various stakeholders to develop new vaccines. | RELATED: | The European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) project will gather researchers, biotech companies, manufacturers, and public authorities in the EU and globally to detect new coronavirus variants, provide incentives to develop new a…
(2021-02-18). Vaccine for COVID South Africa 'Mutant' Virus Variant May Take Months, Reports Say. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US government infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that it will probably take several months to develop a vaccine for the South African variant of the novel coronavirus, media reports said.
(2021-02-18). Russia admits to lacking capacity to meet Sputnik V vaccine demand abroad. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- Russia does not have the capacity to meet international demand for the Sputnik V Covid vaccine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. "The demand for the Russian vaccine abroad is very high. It is so high that it considerably exceeds production capacity," he said at his daily press conference. The Russian …
(2021-02-18). Antonio Guterres criticizes unequal global access to COVID-19 vaccines, calls it 'wildly unfair'. peoplesdispatch.org The UN secretary general pointed out that 75% of all vaccinations so far have been administered in just 10 rich countries, whereas 130 mostly poor countries have not received a single dose of vaccine…
(2021-02-18). Hong Kong to kick off citywide vaccination program. laprensalatina.com Hong Kong, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong is set to roll out a citywide Covid-19 vaccination program, with the government approving the use of China's Sinovac vaccine Thursday. Health authority confirmed Thursday morning their approval of the CoronaVac vaccine, developed by mainland Chinese bio-pharmaceutical firm Sinovac for emergency use. The decision came after a panel …
(2021-02-18). Make 'every effort' to save COVID-19 response from corruption, UN Assembly President urges. news.un.org Every effort must be taken to ensure that corrupt and unscrupulous practices do not prevent or impede the equitable availability and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the President of the United Nations General Assembly said on Wednesday.
(2021-02-18). US: Millions of Texans Remain Without Power Due to Winter Storm. telesurenglish.net According to official reports, this phenomenon caused some 40 deaths throughout the country, left many roads impassable, interrupted the distribution of vaccines against COVID-19, and covered almost three-quarters of the continental United States with snow. | In the state of Texas, extremely low temperatures and power outages also affected the water supply for millions of people. | RELATED: | There are severe probl…
(2021-02-18). Firms allowed to buy vaccines for employees in Indonesia. yenisafak.com Indonesia on Thursday gave the nod for a private COVID-19 vaccination scheme in the country, allowing companies to purchase jabs for workers.More than 5,000 firms have registered for the campaign, according to a statement by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.Rosan Roeslani, head of the trade body, said the scheme will speed up Indonesia's inoculation drive as companies can directly provide vaccines to their employees without having to wait for the government.A majority of the companies that have applied to join the program are from labor-intensive industries such as textile, which have been hit hard…
(2021-02-18). Pfizer, BioNTech launch global trials of their Covid-19 vaccine in pregnant women. rt.com (2021-02-18). Asking Russia for Sputnik and getting ANAL SWABS in China: US diplomats vent over State Department's Covid-19 vaccine rollout. rt.com (2021-02-18). A lesson in supply & demand? 90-yo Seattle woman walks 6 miles in the snow to get Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com (2021-02-18). Life expectancy in US drops most since WWII, Covid-19 said to be to blame. rt.com (2021-02-18). Iran grants emergency use of 3 foreign-made Covid jabs, including AstraZeneca shot supposedly banned by Supreme Leader. rt.com (2021-02-18). 'Dystopian nightmare': UK Home Office ridiculed for bizarre coronavirus ad with rave soundtrack (VIDEO). rt.com (2021-02-18). Asking Russia for Sputnik and getting ANAL SWABS in China: US diplomats vent over State Department's Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. rt.com (2021-02-18). Rising Inequality: the 'Pre-Existing Condition' That Doomed the U.S. COVID Response. counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). Vaccine shortage made US diplomats seek help other countries. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 18 (MNA) — Citing government documents and US officials' statements, an American source reported that Washington diplomats had asked Russia and some other countries to help them receive the Covid vaccine.
(2021-02-18). Palestinian cancer patient on deathbed after release from Israeli prison. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). Alexei Navalny: Why is Biden supporting a Russian fascist? workers.org (2021-02-18). "Our Indifference To Ourselves": Beyond The "Virtue" Of Self-Sacrifice (Part 2). dissidentvoice.org (2021-02-18). Surge of Anti-Asian hate crimes spurs communities to action. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). Capitalism in Crisis: An Absurd & Deadly System. liberationnews.org (2021-02-18). PDF of February 18 issue. workers.org (2021-02-18). Leonard Peltier Defense Committee urgently needs support. workers.org (2021-02-18). Soldiers Abduct Two Palestinian In Jerusalem. imemc.org (2021-02-18). George Schultz's Character Study of Robert Gates. counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). Nonviolent Noncooperation: Why Indian farmers' protests are being called a 'satyagraha' — which means 'embracing the truth'. juancole.com (2021-02-18). Fast food workers forced to walk out again for $15 and a union. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Pt.2) — The Black Church. therealnews.com (2021-02-18). Colombian students demand free higher-education for 2021. peoplesdispatch.org (2021-02-18). China avanza desde el mar de Sur hasta Medio Oriente y Europa. globalizacion.ca (2021-02-18). 'The Mandalorian' season two: Not cancel but carnivore culture. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). Role of NGOs in promoting neo-Colonialism. mronline.org (2021-02-18). Famed Black journalist Joe Walker's fateful meeting with Malcolm X. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). 'Release Mumia NOW!' was the cry in Philadelphia. workers.org (2021-02-18). Palestinian Woman Dies Of Heart Attack After Soldiers Stormed Her Home. imemc.org (2021-02-18). George Shultz's Character Study of Robert Gates. counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). L.D. Barkley — A leader in the Attica uprising. workers.org (2021-02-18). West Virginia workers keep pressure on Manchin for $15 wage. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). In Texas disaster, low-income people hit hardest. liberationnews.org (2021-02-18). 'Only the strong will survive': Texas city mayor resigns for lashing out at residents asking for help during deadly storm. mronline.org (2021-02-18). What is Digital Fascism? counterpunch.org (2021-02-18). Proponen manifestaciones en Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Bakersfield contra Trumpistas en Congreso. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). Taxes on the rich: One-sixth of what they used to be. mronline.org (2021-02-18). California Republicans Kevin McCarthy and Mike Garcia face opposition. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). Profiles in cowardice: Mitch McConnell. peoplesworld.org (2021-02-18). Egyptian student at Austrian university detained without charge in Cairo. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). Nato increases troop numbers in Iraq to combat threat from Islamic State. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). European powers, US warn Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). The untold tragedy of Iraq's Shia Turkmen women abducted by Islamic State. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). REVEALED: Turkey plans spaceport in Somalia for $1bn moon mission. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). Israel-Syria prisoner swap: Two Syrian shepherds to be repatriated. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). A transgender incarcerated activist speaks out. workers.org (2021-02-18). Biden downplays Uighur persecution as part of China's 'different norms'. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). Seven Facts and Figures About WWII You Need to Know. strategic-culture.org (2021-02-18). Black Lives Matter UK just took a vital step in building a mass movement. thecanary.co (2021-02-18). Ted Cruz Jets Off for Mexican Vacation While Texas Endures Unprecedented Crisis. truthout.org (2021-02-18). Biden Has the Power to Cancel Student Loan Debt Now. What's Stopping Him? truthout.org (2021-02-18). Billionaire Dallas Cowboys Owner and Oil Man Cashes in on Texas Blackout Crisis. truthout.org (2021-02-18). Black Revolutionary Love Reimagines Democracy. truthout.org (2021-02-18). More Policing Is Not the Solution to Anti-Asian Violence. truthout.org (2021-02-18). Leader of Neo-Nazi Group Previously Worked for Department of Homeland Security. truthout.org (2021-02-18). Senators urge Biden to undo US recognition of Morocco's claim to Western Sahara. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-18). The Empire's Navy Has a Task Force With a Cute Pledge. anti-empire.com (2021-02-18). Jailed journalists who livestreamed mass protests against embattled Belarusian leader Lukashenko given 2 years behind bars. rt.com (2021-02-18). 'There has got to be something we can do': Outrage mob tries to cancel Tucker Carlson, only to see Fox give him a SECOND SHOW. rt.com (2021-02-18). 'The one I'll trust my life to': Philippines' FM praises Russian Sputnik V vaccine, pledges to speed up approval process. rt.com (2021-02-18). 'Mission creep?' Police 'recommend' keeping razor-wire fencing around Capitol until September, cite 'threats against lawmakers'. rt.com (2021-02-18). Thousands of Israelis return to normal life with forged 'Green Pass' as vaccine refuseniks otherwise barred from venues. rt.com (2021-02-18). Bill Gates says Trump should be allowed back on social media 'at some point'. rt.com (2021-02-18). Amazon changes timing of TRAFFIC LIGHTS in Alabama town to derail unionization drive. rt.com (2021-02-18). NASA says Moon by 2024 'no longer realistic,' but keeping Artemis program despite lack of funding. rt.com (2021-02-18). 'Mission creep?' Police 'recommend' keeping razor-wired fencing around Capitol until September, cite 'threats against lawmakers'. rt.com (2021-02-18). Stomachs churn after Portland police face-off with crowd picking through mountain of food… tossed during power outage (PHOTOS). rt.com (2021-02-18). Kyril Louis-Dreyfus: 23yo son of Russian-born billionaire businesswoman takes over as chairman of struggling giants Sunderland. rt.com (2021-02-18). Texas halts natural gas exports as states scrambles to end power outages. rt.com (2021-02-18). Russian political activist Anastasia Shevchenko handed 4 year suspended sentence for membership of banned oligarch-linked group. rt.com (2021-02-18). UK and Canada sanction Myanmar generals for 'human rights abuses' as hundreds of protesters arrested amid military coup. rt.com 
Dutch senators have voted overwhelmingly to pass an emergency act to continue a nationwide curfew, disregarding a judge's ruling this week that the restriction violates the law as well as the rights of citizens. | The emergency bill passed in a 45-13 vote on Friday evening, While a lower court 
Ruth Needleman's "Black Freedom Fighters in Steel: The Struggle for Democratic Unionism," tells of five Black union activists who took on the steel industry of Indiana's Calumet Region along Lake Michigan at Youngstown Sheet and Tube, Inland Steel and U.S. Steel. (Cornell University Press, 2003) Needleman's rich narrative contains interviews . . . |
TURKEY'S revolutionary forces said today that protests centered on Bogazici University must remain a fight against fascism and oppression—not for "liberal ideas of academic freedom."
This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of George Jackson, an African American prison leader sentenced to a life sentence as a teenager for "stealing" $40 from a gas station. His 11 years behind the walls were spent in California's Soledad and San Quentin prisons. Jackson became . . . |
In North Carolina's Haywood County a car protest was organized on Feb. 1 by the Party for Socialism and Liberation to oppose Haywood County's plan to expand the existing jail in Waynesville, North Carolina.
In 1911, a young Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) arrived in France, which had colonised his homeland of Vietnam. Though he had been raised with a patriotic spirit committed to anti-colonialism, Ho Chi Minh's temperament did not allow him to retreat into a backward-looking romanticism.
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, marks the 56th anniversary of the assassination of freedom fighter Malcolm X. To honor Malcolm's life and legacy, we revisit this powerful 2015 documentary, "X: Malcolm's Final Years," produced by The Real News Network.
Nathan Robinson's column at The Guardian US was shut down after a tweet criticizing US-Israel relations. Then, Tamara Payne explains how Malcolm Little became Malcolm X.
That may seem like a silly question. Of course they will know because there are a number of well-funded policy shops that will be spewing out endless papers and columns telling them that they are facing a crushing debt burden. And, because these policy shops are well-funded and well-connected we can be sure that major
In the small town of Talking Rock, Georgia, a man was supposedly stopped for avoiding a roadblock, had his car searched without consent, and was arrested for having balding tires. But residents say the story of gross overpolicing in their area goes much deeper.
Dear readers, I recently posted on social media Marilyn Bechtel's story in People's World headlined, "U.S. and Russia Extend New START Nuclear Treaty for Five Years." Bechtel's article was the first I read about this hugely significant step by President Joe Biden reversing former President Trump's attempt to wreck the New START treaty. The people's …
"The Mauritanian," directed by Kevin Macdonald, is the first feature film to dramatize how the war on terror became a war in court.
( Tomdispatch.com) — Like Gregor Samsa, the never-to-be-forgotten character in Franz Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis," we awoke on January 7th to discover that we, too, were "a giant insect" with "a domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments" and numerous "pitifully thin" legs that "waved helplessly" before our eyes. If you prefer, though, you …
This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of George Jackson, an African American prison leader sentenced to a life sentence as a teenager for "stealing" $40 from a gas station. His 11 years behind the walls were spent in California's Soledad and San Quentin prisons. Jackson became . . . |
Sometimes a fight at one particular workplace can be so important that workers and their allies everywhere need to take notice. The struggle going on right now at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, is one of those fights. From now until March 29, nearly 6,000 employees at the Amazon order fulfillment and processing center …
CHICAGO (PAI)—If you're looking for who started "Red for Ed," figuratively if not literally, you'll find Karen Lewis. Because it could arguably be said that Lewis, the former President of the Chicago Teachers Union/AFT Local 1, who died in early February at 68 after a long battle with cancer, originated the combination of teacher activism …
The Biden administration's recent announcement of the 30 by 30 conservation initiative was a welcome ray of light in the dark of winter. The goal is to have 30% of America's lands "protected" by 2030. But what exactly is meant by and would qualify as "protected"? In this age of ecological meltdown and mass extinction/extermination,
By Chris Fogwill, Alan Hogg, Chris Turney, and Zoà´ Thomas | — The world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun's behaviour. That's the key finding of our new multidisciplinary study, published in Science. This last major …
The 29th Pan African Film Festival has moved online, taking place Feb. 28—March 14. This year's PAFF is screening at least three Black Panther Party-related films: The documentary Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me and Judas and the Black Messiah, probably Hollywood's best political feature in years. The third is a reprise of …
Most sports teams have a dedicated fan base. Most often, that fan base is mostly composed of people who live or lived in the region the team is located. Many of these fans grew up with their favorite team, watching players come and go, championships missed and won; they have opinions on the players, the
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, marks the 56th anniversary of the assassination of freedom fighter Malcolm X. To honor Malcolm's life and legacy, we revisit this powerful 2015 documentary, "X: Malcolm's Final Years," produced by The Real News Network.
The unpreparedness of the utility giants, and the pathetic response of the capitalist government at the local and federal level, is nothing short of criminal neglect by those motivated solely by profit making.
People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Feb. 15, 1945 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist …
Idiocy is as complex as genius. In fact, we like to think them indistinguishable, joined by the ruthless common denominator of an innocence which makes both conditions holy. The lives of geniuses are bestsellers because everyone wants to see themselves in there, which nourishes our profound self-interest and even more profound masochism. Read about the
With the rise of the extreme right, the Klan and its modern descendants are definitely "in the shop." Here's a story from a long time ago but it could have happened only yesterday. This is not a heroic tale just a memory of day-to-day struggle and the lessons learned. As a young organizer in the mid-1970s, I went to work for District 65, an independent radical union. Martin Luther King called District 65 "The Conscience of the Labor Movement" after their early and staunch support for the civil rights movement. Our dress pin was a black hand and a white hand working both ends of an old fashioned two-man tree- saw…
21-year-old Disha Ravi was arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for her involvement with a 'toolkit' which contained campaign material in support of the the ongoing farmers' agitation in the country. Two other activists also face arrest.
Rush Limbaugh's death represents a moment for reflection on the state of American politics. Limbaugh amassed a fortune of more than $600 million over 32 years in the talk radio business, in the process building up more than 15 million regular listeners. It was no exaggeration when CNN referred to him as a "pioneer of AM talk-radio." He made possible the rise of propagandistic partisan media, demonstrating that this format could be incredibly profitable for news channels looking for low-budget programming filled by pundits who tell audiences what they want to hear, while strengthening their prior beliefs and value…
If you're Donald Trump, watching the last act of your impeached presidency, you don't need a Weatherman to tell you which way the wind is blowing, which is in the direction of a District of Columbia courtroom, where you will either be convicted as an accessory to second-degree murder ("an extreme indifference to human life…") or a runaway jury will award plaintiffs (the Capitol police injured or killed in the riot) $1.8 billion in damages (which by the way Deutsche Bank will not cover with another overdraft).
Turkey: Prosecutor requests lifting of immunity from pro-Kurdish MPs | Nine members of the HDP, including its co-leader, have been accused of inciting violence during a 2014 protest | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 13: 38 | HDP co-chairs Pervin Buldan (3rd R) and Mithat Sancar (2nd L) hold a press conference with MPs outside parliament in Ankara on 1 October 2020 (AFP) | Turkish prosecutors have requested th…
Western Sahara activists facing crackdown following Morocco-Israel deal | From torture to surveillance and house arrests, activists say they have faced unprecedented repression in recent weeks | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 11: 00 | People call for the independence of the Western Sahara in a protest (AFP/Illustration: Mohamad Elasaar/MEE) | Activists in Western Sahara say they are facing a brutal crackdown in the wa…
US says it is ready for direct talks with Iran over nuclear deal | State Department says Washington is open to a possible meeting to 'discuss a diplomatic way forward' about Iran's nuclear programme | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 00: 43 | It is not clear whether Tehran will agree to the offer (AFP/File photo) | The United States has said it would accept a European invitation to engage in direct talks with Iran to revive…
Beirut explosion: Removal of judge sparks renewed fears that blast probe will go nowhere | Head of investigation dismissed over claims of bias because his home was hit in August blast | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 11: 11 | A relative of one of the victims of the 4 August explosion at Beirut port reacts during a protest outside the Justice Palace in Beirut on 18 February (Reuters) | Mahdi Zahrledine los…
Arabic press review: Syrian refugees hit hardest by snowstorms | Elsewhere, Yemeni security forces arrest local TV reporters and Jordanian journalist imprisoned for years by the UAE dies | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 13: 46 | A woman clears the snow in front of a tent at a camp for displaced people in the northern Syrian town of Tal Abyad on 13 February 2020 (Bakr Alkasem/AFP) | Millions of Syrian ref…
Key US lawmakers call for sanctions on killers of Hezbollah critic | Top members of House Foreign Affairs Committee urge invoking Global Magnitsky Act to address murder of Lebanese activist Lokman Slim | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 16: 56 | A memorial ceremony for Lokman Slim in garden of family residence in Beirut, 11 February (AFP) | Two key US legislators are calling on President Joe Biden to invoke the Global Magnit…
As the nation addresses systemic racism in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, it's time to ask: Who is being represented in selective high schools?
One of the main reasons I send this letter is because I have been reading Workers World for approximately the last four years, and I'm not sure if journalists at WW are aware that certain words/phrases may be misleading and/or unknowingly aid in keeping "prisoners" uninformed. Prime example: The overseers . . . |
Princess Latifa: Dubai emir's family says royal being 'cared for at home' | In clips shown by the BBC, Latifa said she was being kept 'hostage' in a villa in the UAE | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 11: 30 | Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (L) with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, at the Latifa's home in Dubai in 2018 (AFP) | The family of Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai…
Israeli woman held in Syria lands in Tel Aviv following Russia-mediated deal | Woman who crossed into Syria through Quneitra a few weeks ago had been transferred to Russia over the past week | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 11: 10 | According to Syria's official Sana news agency, the woman had crossed over into Quneitra province by mistake (Reuters) | An Israeli woman who crossed into Syria a few weeks…
Algeria frees first democracy activists after presidential pardons | The pardon's come on eve of Hirak's second anniversary, with calls on social media for demonstrations on 22 February | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 13: 38 | Relatives of prisoners and journalists gathered on Friday outside Kolea prison, west of the capital Algiers (AFP) | Algeria released a dozen pro-democrac…
The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Universal Credit is under the microscope again. This time, a survey of claimants found the benefit left them in chaos. It called the £20 uplift "inadequate". But the problem is that this isn't exactly news to the countless people who've been struggling on it for years. | The DWP: here we go again: | The Canary has been
Six officers have been suspended from the United States Capitol Police (USCP) department for their actions during the Capitol breach on January 6. | On that date, a mob of Trump loyalists,
Hundreds of thousands of Americans still without power in the state of Texas, as yet another storm bears down on the United States. How much is global warming to blame?
If I were asked what I want to accomplish as a writer, I would say it's to contribute to the literature of hope. — Barry Lopez, About This Life A passing. A death. Moving on. Back to earth. A new journey. He filled the air with lyrical words and ideas grafted to our role as …
Israeli press review: Report finds widespread racism among Israel's youth | Meanwhile, Netanyahu polling well but election stalemate still predicted, and Palestinian filmmaker excluded from Labor list | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 15: 00 | Isaeli supporters of the right-wing Organisation for Prevention of Assimilation in the Holy Land (LEHAVA) protest a marriage between an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian in 2014 (AFP) | <...
'Africa is returning to Israel': Equatorial Guinea to move embassy to Jerusalem, Netanyahu says | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that 'Israel is returning to Africa and Africa is returning to Israel in a big way' | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 18: 03 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the embassy move was the latest sign of improving ties with African nations (AFP/File photo) | Equato…
Grocery stores in Texas have become a sorry sight with empty shelves and people queuing outside after a freak winter storm caused massive power outages and completely disrupted food supply chains in the unprepared Southern state. | RT's Ruptly video agency visited one of the stores in Dallas, filming shelves and fridges that were bursting with produce not long ago but now stand completely empty. | After several days of the deep freeze and heavy snowfall, even common products like milk, cold meats, vegetables and many others became inaccessible to Texans. | Outside the Dallas store, people with shopping carts s…
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, fresh from firing actress Gina Carano from 'The Mandalorian' for political incorrectness, made the ironic decision to speak about empowering women and hearing their voices. It didn't end well. | The Oscars posted the video on Tuesday, featuring Kennedy speaking about its scientific and technical awards. Kennedy, who fired Carano last week over "abhorrent and unacceptable" social media posts, said in the video that "women are helping to redefine science and technology in the movies, and that means a brave, bold future without limits for each and every storyteller." | 'St…
Fresh from taking office with 3/4 of Republicans believing his election victory was fraudulent, then signing executive orders at a record pace, President Joe Biden evangelized about democracy at the Munich Security Conference. | "We must demonstrate that democracies can still deliver for our people," Biden said Friday via video link at the the conference. | That is our galvanizing mission. Democracy doesn't happen by accident. We have to defend it, strengthen it, renew it. We have to prove that our model isn't a relic of our history. | Biden made his comments in the context of "democratic progress" being "unde…
Facebook's new algorithms targeting Aussie news websites evidently need some fine-tuning: citing "Australian government legislation," the social media behemoth has banned sharing links to a Russian culture site, Russia Beyond. | As of Wednesday, Australian Facebook users found themselves unable to share links to local and international news sites, a change that Facebook implemented as retaliation against the Australian government for legislation that would require Facebook and other companies to pay news creators for their content. Globally, all users are forbidden from sharing links to Australian news sources…
The Joe Biden administration said it's willing to sit down with Iran to discuss renewing the 2015 nuclear pact, though a senior US official noted the talks must cover other "regional issues" — a potential deal-breaker for Tehran. | "The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting of the P5+1 and Iran to discuss a diplomatic way forward on Iran's nuclear program," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a brief statement on Thursday, referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: the US, Britain, France, Russia and Chin…
Former Derby North MP Chris Williamson has called out the University of Bristol for its "outrageous lack of solidarity" with sociology Professor David Miller, currently under attack by the Board of Deputies of British Jews. | The Board of Deputies of British Jews has been targeting Miller, a professor in the University of Bristol's sociology department, with a series of accusations, most recently blaming the academic on Friday for putting Jewish students at risk of "real physical harm" by sharing his view that the "Zionist movement" is the "enemy of world peace." The group's latest letter was addressed to Hugh…
Texans may be suffering without electricity in bitter temperatures, but Young Turks host Cenk Uygur can see the bright side, as podcaster Joe Rogan and others who relocated to the state are "freezing their asses off." | Two dozen Texans are dead, food supplies can't reach supermarkets, and nearly
It's been a bad week for Senator Ted Cruz. Castigated for leaving Texas for sunny Cancun amid a meltdown of the state's power grid and a fierce winter storm, the Republican's mea culpas have only earned him further condemnation. | Cruz returned home to Texas on Thursday after he was spotted boarding a plane to Mexico earlier this week, sparking instant outrage as critics accused him of abandoning his constituents during a crisis. At the time, a major blizzard had knocked out power for as many as 4 million Texans, forcing thousands to seek refuge in shelters and "warming centers" across the state. | So far, the…
The NYPD have been accused of using excessive force after a video showed a cop repeatedly punching a man in the subway. But police claim the officer was acting in self-defense after the suspect allegedly nearly ripped his ear off. | Graphic footage surfaced on Thursday showing three New York Police Department (NYPD) officers restraining a man on the floor of a subway station, while a fourth cop took swings at him, striking him numerous times in the head, face and upper body. The man is seen struggling to break free as the officers eventually turn him on his back and cuff him. | The person filming the video can…
Some 130 residents were evacuated from a Texas apartment complex which later collapsed due to a massive blaze. Responding fire crews were met by frozen fire hydrants which greatly hampered their efforts. | Firefighters with the San Antonio Fire Department and various volunteer crews battled the blaze amid water shortages, pressure issues and freezing conditions. | The fire began at roughly 1pm local time on Thursday and eventually spread to cars in the complex's adjacent parking lot. The fire reportedly broke out on the second floor of the complex shortly after residents received an alert to turn off their wat…
Exiled spy chief says MBS believes he's the CIA's source on Khashoggi murder | Saad al-Jabri says Saudi crown prince suspects he's the source in the CIA's report on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi | Fri, 02/19/2021 – 16: 56 | Saad al-Jabri fled Saudi Arabia in 2017 and later sought refuge in Canada (AFP/File photo) | Former Saudi spy chief Saad al-Jabri has claimed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known a…
US lawmakers press military over data purchases from Muslim apps | Military and intelligence chiefs asked to disclose whether any US citizens were surveilled when military bought user information from popular apps | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 19: 08 | The effort was led by Congressman Mark Pocan, with representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna signing on to it (AFP) | US lawmakers…
Daily Beast editor Justin Baragona has apologized for accusing Fox News host Tucker Carlson of adding "googly eyes" to a photo of progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The wide-eyed stare, it turned out, was all her own. | Carlson ripped into Ocasio-Cortez in a segment of his show on Wednesday night, slating the New York progressive for claiming earlier that day that her 'Green New Deal' environmental legislation would have stopped the blackouts currently affecting the state of Texas. Accompanying the segment was an unflattering screengrab of AOC staring wide-eyed into the middle distance. | Baragona assu…
Republican politicians like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have cynically used overblown and patently false claims that renewable energy failures are responsible for millions losing power and heat during deadly Winter Storm Uri. Critics around the country are calling "BS."
A new form of exploitation, known as "stakeholder capitalism," is already being tested in many places around the world and prisons are among the main targets for its implementation, as they provide an ideal and literally captive market for its proof of concept.
Motivated by their justifiable aversion to former US President Donald Trump, many analysts have rashly painted a rosy picture of how Democrats could quickly erase the bleak trajectory of the previous Republican administration. This naivety is particularly pronounced in the current spin on the Palestinian-Israeli discourse, which is promoting, again, the illusion that Democrats will …
It's easy to discredit the foreign policy agenda of Trump, Pompeo, and other Republicans as their aggressive, dismissive language and action are unmistakably objectionable. The Democratic discourse, however, cannot be as easily censured,…
The governors of New York and California — the most populous states led by Democrats — now symbolize how slick liberal images are no substitute for genuinely progressive priorities. After 10 years as New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo is facing an uproar over revelations that his administration intentionally and drastically undercounted the deaths from COVID in nursing homes. Meanwhile,
As Democracy Now! prepares to mark 25 years on air, we celebrate Nermeen Shaikh's 10th anniversary as a Democracy Now! co-host and feature a report she filed from protests at New York's JFK Airport against the Trump administration's Muslim ban, one of the many highlights from her time on the program.
Millions of people in Texas were plunged into freezing cold and darkness as a major winter storm overwhelmed the state's power grid. More than 12 million Texans face water disruptions and have been ordered to boil tap water for safe consumption, and some parts of the state have no running water at all. The state is also running out of food as the storms disrupt key supply chains. Leading Republicans, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, falsely blamed renewable energy sources for the state's blackouts, warning against a shift to more green energy, but the state's own energy department said the outages were prima…
Students, campaigners and top Democrats have been pushing President Joe Biden to use executive authority to cancel at least $50,000 in student loan debt per person. Student loan debt in the U.S. stands at $1.7 trillion, with some 45 million people owing money. Filmmaker and organizer Astra Taylor, an author, documentary director and organizer with the Debt Collective, says Biden has clear legal authority to cancel student debt. "Not doing this is a choice," she says. We also speak with Braxton Brewington, a digital strategist with the Debt Collective, who says student debt cancellation is also politically smart.
While COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations appear to be waning, the United States has a long way to go before people can safely return to everyday life without masks. Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says it's vital to stay vigilant even as vaccinations ramp up. "If we can get our transmission down as low as possible, that is actually going to make the vaccines more effective."
We bring to the attention of our readers, the English version of this PANGEA TV program which was broadcast live in several regions of Italy. | Maya Nogradi of PANGEA TV interviews Prof. Michel Chossudovsky pertaining to his E-Book entitled: | |
By We bring to the attention of our readers, this important international statement by health professionals, medical doctors and scientists,…
The nursing home death warrants were signed by panicked governors using Gates-funded forecasting. | By Jordan SCHACHTEL | New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finally facing the heat for his botched and criminally negligent coronavirus response policies, yet no one seems to be asking why Cuomo and select governors made the fateful decisions that led to the excess deaths — and the coverup campaigns — of tens of thousands of senior citizens in New York and elsewhere across the United States. | After being awarded an Emmy and writing a book on his supposedly heroic response to the pandemic, Cuomo is finally…
Life expectancy in the United States has dropped by a full year, according to new figures released on Thursday. | The current life expectancy of an individual in the U.S. While there have been drops in life expectancy in recent years due to increases in drug overdoses, the decline over the past year, in large part due to the coronavirus pandemic, is the biggest drop i…
Iranian press review: Iran plans to export Covid-19 vaccine to the world | Meanwhile, Tehran indicates readiness for Qatar to play mediator role in nuclear talks, and, as the pandemic spreads, the number of Iranians working without a contract rises to seven million | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 10: 58 | A member of the Imam Khomeini Hospital medical personnel receives a dose of Russia's Sputnik V…
On the day he was inaugurated, Joe Biden halted the construction of Trump's Mexican border wall. A few days earlier, 1500 miles to the south, a new 'caravan' of at least eight thousand Honduran migrants had set off northwards, partly in the hope that by the time they tried to cross into Texas, Biden's promised softening of immigration policy might have taken effect.
The Biden administration announced this week that federal agencies will use "more inclusive" language when it comes to discussing issues relating to immigration. | A memo from Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Tracy Renaud
With Israel using the Pfizer jab in its vaccination campaign, the country's health ministry has finally found a way to utilize the 120,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine it holds. It'll be given to Palestinians who work in Israel. | Israel, which has already fully vaccinated 2.7 million of its citizens, has been facing a lot of criticism from Palestinian officials and human rights groups for refusing to expand its record immunization drive to the occupied territories in the West Bank and Gaza. | But the country's authorities claimed that it wasn't their responsibility, saying that the Palestinians could only get…
Data released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that following that report, life expectancy had dropped by a full year by June of 2020…
It is probably not a good idea to write while in the grip of anger. But I am struggling to suppress my emotions about a wasted year, during which politicians and many doctors have ignored a growing body of evidence suggesting that Vitamin D can play a critically important role in the prevention and treatment
As South Africa battles COVID-19, it is also dealing with a series of challenges on several fronts including the economy and jobs.
US pharma giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have kicked off an international study into the safety and effectiveness of their coronavirus vaccine in pregnant women, with 4,000 volunteers from nine countries taking part. | Healthy pregnant women in the US have already received their first shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab as part of the research, the companies announced on Thursday. They'll soon be joined by fellow test subjects in Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mozambique, South Africa, the UK and Spain. | Women aged 18 and older are to be inoculated during weeks 24-34 of gestation, the later stag…
Even though the State Department received almost enough US-made Covid-19 vaccines for every employee, some diplomats have had to ask host countries for jabs and suffered indignities such as anal tests in China, a new report says. | The State Department has received "roughly" 73,000 doses of the US-made Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but "declined to say" how many of its estimated 75,000 employees it has vaccinated, the Washington Post reported. | Some of the diplomats stationed in Moscow have asked Russia for its Sputnik V vaccine, after Foggy Bottom "could not promise delivery" of American vaccines "in the near…
The marketing campaign for the Covid-19 vaccine can pat itself on the back: a 90-year-old Seattle woman was willing to brave one of the year's worst snowstorms to get her jab, walking a total of six miles to the hospital and back.
The impact of Covid in the first six months of 2020 cut a year off the life expectancy of Americans, according to data released on Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — the biggest drop since WWII.
The Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) has approved three foreign-made Covid-19 vaccines for use including AstraZeneca's, despite Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei previously banning British jabs. | Speaking on Wednesday evening, IFDA spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced that emergency use permits had been granted for India's COVAXIN shot, produced by Bharat Biotech, as well as two versions of the AstraZeneca vaccine — one manufactured by Russia's R-Pharm and the other by South Korea's SKBio Company. | The only Covid-19 vaccine previously approved in Iran was Russia's Sputnik V, after the two…
A new Home Office advert warning Brits that "meeting up is against the law" has been savaged online. The ad, a throwback to the anti-piracy ads of the 2000s, has been called "dystopian." | Readers of a certain age probably remember the "You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy The UK Home Office has now updated the format for 2021. An ad released by t…
Even though the State Department received almost enough US-made Covid-19 vaccines for every employee, some diplomats have had to ask host countries for jabs and suffered indignities such as anal tests in China, a new report says. | The State Department has received "roughly" 73,000 doses of the US-made Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but "declined to say" how many of its estimated 75,000 employees it has vaccinated, the Washington Post reported. | Some of the diplomats stationed in Moscow have asked Russia for its Sputnik V vaccine, after Foggy Bottom "could not promise delivery" of American vaccines "in the near…
Back in April 2017, only a few months after Donald Trump's inauguration, one of world's most prestigious medical journals, the London-based Lancet, established a special commission to keep tabs on "Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era." The panel's 33 commissioners — medical professionals of all sorts, along with assorted notables in legal and
Palestinian cancer patient on deathbed after release from Israeli prison | Hussein Masalmeh lies in critical condition in hospital, as family accuses Israel of medical negligence | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 12: 01 | Hussein Masalmeh's family say he was gravely ill for two years before being released from Israeli prison (Twitter) | When Bilal Masalmeh, 34, dreamt of the day his older brother Hussein woul…
At the very time Democrats in Congress were attempting to impeach Trump for the Jan. 6 fascist rampage, President Joe Biden expressed support for a Russian political leader allied with a gang comparable to the Proud Boys. In his first contact with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as U.S. president, Biden . . . |
As we saw in Part 1, in 1914 and again in 1939, millions of men and women welcomed war. Arnold Ridley and his pals did make this choice, but in reality the choice had been made for them by decades and centuries of the relentless 'patriotic' propaganda described by Tolstoy, which most people were powerless …
OAKLAND, Calif.—As the start of the Lunar New Year approached last week, concern was growing over a surge in hate crimes being experienced by Asian Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area, including several victims who were over 60 years of age. One attack last month in San Francisco was widely publicized when a local …
This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss how deeply dependent big banks and corporations are on government assistance, the …
Download the PDF. Alabama — Roll the union on! Solidarity with Amazon organizing; Class struggle then and now. BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Tribute to George Jackson L.D. Barkley, martyred in Attica uprising A fighting union leader: Karen Lewis ALSO: Care workers dare to strike; $1K per hour union busters; Electric vehicles . . . |
The International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee has launched an urgent appeal for funds to support legal efforts to free this Native political prisoner, who has been held in U.S. dungeons for nearly 45 years. Peltier is a leader of the American Indian Movement, who was framed and jailed for the . . . |
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday night after midnight, two young Palestinian men in Shu'fat town, in the occupied Palestinian capital, Jerusalem. Local sources said the two young men were walking near the main road of Shu'fat when the soldiers stopped them and took them to an interrogation facility in Neve Yaakov illegal colony. They added …
In January 1986, Shultz told Gates that he had no "confidence in the intelligence community" and that he "wouldn't trust anything you guys said about Iran no matter what." Shultz charged Gates with "trying to manipulate me" and accused him of trying to create an "alternate State Department with its own strong policy views." Shultz conceded that his department made mistakes, but that Gates' "assaults are almost joyful."
By Sumit Ganguly | — For the past few months, farmers protesting in India's capital, New Delhi, have been demanding the repeal of three farm laws that were passed last year. These largely peaceful protests have been referred to as a "satyagraha" by many in the Indian media, politicians and activists. As a political scientist …
ST. LOUIS (PAI)—For 40 years as a Black pastor in St. Louis, the Rev. Darryl Gray has seen the impact of low-wage jobs not just on his congregants, but on their kids. That's why he and a wide-ranging ministers' coalition support the Fight for $15 and a Union movement—and raising the federal minimum wage to …
In the second part of our conversation, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. further explores his new documentary "The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song." The new series reveals the broad history and culture of the Black church and explores African American faith communities on the front lines of hope and change.
Students from different public universities of Colombia have been demonstrating to demand that the national and municipal governments guarantee free tuition for all students across the country this year…
La disputa por el Mar del Sur de China se sigue intensificando, pero el Dragón va colocando sus fichas de forma gradual, implacable e incontenible, como lo muestran los recientes desarrollos de una estrategia largamente diseñada, que parece estar poniendo…
One of the surprise hits of the contemporary streaming era is The Mandalorian, the first original series on Disney+. A surprise not because it was a hit—any Star Wars spinoff is guaranteed to have a wide audience—but because of the magnitude of its popularity and the way it has penetrated the culture. This space Western …
There are literally thousands of NGOs, the better known being Oxfam, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International.
Joe Walker was already a widely admired African-American journalist when he got a surprising invitation and an offer to become the New York editor of Muhammad Speaks, the Nation of Islam's newspaper. He was summoned to the Harlem Mosque of the Black Muslims for a private meeting. And who was the meeting with? Malcolm X. …
Pam Africa (right), speaking at rally, Feb. 15. Philadelphia On less than 24 hours' notice, more than 40 people came out on Feb. 15 to show their opposition to a Feb. 3 legal brief by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a so-called "progressive." It denies Mumia Abu-Jamal the right to . . . |
A Palestinian woman suffered a fatal heart attack, on Wednesday at dawn, when Israeli soldiers stormed into her home in Abu Njeim village, east of Bethlehem, south of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank. Medical sources said the woman, identified as Rahma Khalil Abu 'Ahour, 67, suffered a heart attack when the soldiers invaded her …
In January 1986, Shultz told Gates that he had no "confidence in the intelligence community" and that he "wouldn't trust anything you guys said about Iran no matter what." Shultz charged Gates with "trying to manipulate me" and accused him of trying to create an "alternate State Department with its own strong policy views." Shultz conceded that his department made mistakes, but that Gates' "assaults are almost joyful."
L.D. Barkley, second from the right, and other Attica rebellion leaders negotiating with prison officials, Sept. 1971. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Attica Prison Uprising. The following slightly edited excerpt is from the book "A Time To Die: The Attica Prison Revolt" by the late New York . . . |
CHARLESTON, W. VA. (PAI)—Pam Garrison, of Fayette County, W. Va., has toiled at minimum wage jobs her whole life. She calls it "getting us for slave wages." The minimum wage is "the only thing that hasn't doubled and tripled" since she first started working years ago, says Garrison, co-chair of the New Poor People's Campaign …
Eyewitness: In the midst of the massive Texas storm, last night I was fortunate to stay in a shelter in Sealy, Texas, one hour west of Houston.
The now former mayor of Colorado City, Texas, Tim Boyd, has resigned after two Facebook posts telling people needing help and without electricity that they are on their own.
At least since the great Italian author Umberto Eco's description of the fourteen points that define classical fascism, many readers know what fascism is — at least in theory. New research describes Italo-German fascism (1920s—1940s) as classical fascism. It contrasts classical fascism with a new variant, digital fascism.
Se escala la oposición contra el dirigente Republicano congresista Kevin McCarthy del Distrito Congressional 23 y su co-representante Mike Garcia en el Distrito 25. Esto viene a consecuencia en que estos representantes se oponen a denunciar a Donald Trump por el atentado golpe de estado contra el electo presidente Joe Biden y la violencia ocurrida …
A new IPS briefing paper highlights the unique role of tax policy in wealth concentration.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—From the 'burbs of Los Angeles County to the sandy hills of Antelope Valley to Bakersfield, the fightback against the Congressional Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of the 23rd Congressional District and his colleague Mike Garcia, Representative from California's 25th C.D., continues to escalate. Fed by the refusal of McCarthy and Garcia to meet …
Mitch McConnell and 42 fellow Republicans who acquitted Donald Trump Saturday earned their niche in history, right next to Georg Neithardt and his four fellow jurists. Georg who? Neithardt headed the five-judge panel that twisted the law into a Bavarian pretzel and all-but exonerated Adolf Hitler over the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. Hitler and his armed …
Egyptian student at Austrian university detained without charge in Cairo | Ahmed Samer said police had beaten him and asked questions about his research on reproductive rights and Islam | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 13: 30 | Samer's family said the 29-year-old student was charged with spreading fake news and affiliation to a terrorist group – claims his family deny and describe as baseless (Supplied) | An Egyptian…
Nato increases troop numbers in Iraq to combat threat from Islamic State | Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the increase, from 500 to 4,000, is being organised alongside Iraqi government | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 17: 24 | Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a defence ministers meeting in Brussels on 13 February to address key issues (AFP/File photo) | Nato is preparing to significantly increase tr…
European powers, US warn Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal | Iran's Zarif hit back at joint Western statement, saying violations were a result of US withdrawal from the agreement | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 21: 04 | Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant is the country's only nuclear power station and is currently running on imported fuel from Russia (AFP/File photo) | The United States and major European powe…
The untold tragedy of Iraq's Shia Turkmen women abducted by Islamic State | Like the Yazidis, hundreds were captured and killed by the militant group in 2014. But families, community leaders and officials have turned a blind eye | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 10: 01 | A Yazidi woman and her children who were captured by IS but escaped. Unlike with the Yazidis, no major efforts have been made to free Shi…
REVEALED: Turkey plans spaceport in Somalia for $1bn moon mission | MEE source provides details of plan to put Turks on the moon, as opposition says there's not enough money | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 14: 00 | President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed an ambitious timetable with the aim of making contact with the moon on unmanned missions (Turkish Space Agency TUA) | Turkey's recently announced space programme, w…
Israel-Syria prisoner swap: Two Syrian shepherds to be repatriated | Israeli attempts to secure release of a female citizen have been complicated after Syrian Druze shepherds wanted to remain in the Golan | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 13: 01 | Signs pointing out distances to different cities is seen on Mount Bental, an observation point in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that overlooks the Syrian side of the Quneitra…
Lisa Strawn is a transgender woman who spent more than 35 years in California prisons due to that state's draconian "Three Strikes" law. At the age of 19, she was locked up for petty offenses like prostitution, and on her third "strike," Lisa was sentenced to 50-to-life for burglary. She . . . |
Biden downplays Uighur persecution as part of China's 'different norms' | US president said he will continue to speak out against China's treatment of Uighurs, which the previous Trump administration declared a genocide | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 15: 20 | Rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other Muslim Turkic-speaking people in China have been rounded up and held in detention camps (AFP) | US Preside…
In the final days of the World War II in Europe, the German command pursued a deliberate policy of successive partial capitulations in the West to bring as many as possible of the eastern military formations westwards and surrender them intact to the British and Americans. It was General Eisenhower how dashed German hopes for a separate peace with the West and facilitated the signing of the final instrument of surrender at the seat of government from where the German aggression sprang: Berlin, captured by the Red Army.
Black Lives Matter UK has
This week, while millions of his constituents in Texas suffered under conditions that some have likened to Hurricane Katrina, Sen. Ted Cruz decided to fly to Cancun with his family for a vacation. | After pictures appeared on social media Wednesday night showing Cruz
Image Credit: Facebook: Debt Collective | Students, campaigners and top Democrats have been pushing President Joe Biden to use executive authority to cancel at least $50,000 in student loan debt per person. Student loan debt in the U.S. stands at $1.7 trillion, with some 45 million people owing money. Filmmaker and organizer Astra Taylor, an author, documentary director and organizer with the Debt Collective, says Biden has clear legal authority to cancel student debt. "Not doing this is a choice," sh…
While citizens of Texas are facing a crisis of massive proportions brought on largely by the failures of natural gas companies to Demand for what little natural gas the state can access has soared amid the crisis as mil…
Given the long history of U.S. volatility and racist violence, those attentive to white supremacist and fascistic ideologies were dismayed but not surprised at the January 6 breach of the Capitol. A militarized mob endeavored to block the certification of the Biden/Harris election and harm, if not kill, elected officials seeking to uphold constitutional norms. The following month, the Senate acquitted Donald Trump for inciting sedition that inflicted trauma, injuries and the loss of life. | I never consi…
Asian Americans are crying out against an escalation of anti-Asian attacks in San Francisco, San Jose, New York, and all across the United States. In light of the scant media coverage,
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Wednesday that the neo-Nazi leader of The Base, a white nationalist and accelerationist paramilitary group recently designated a terror group by the Canadian government, worked within their ranks for several years, coordinating efforts to combat terrorism. | According to a
Senators urge Biden to undo US recognition of Morocco's claim to Western Sahara | US lawmakers say new administration should reverse 'misguided decision' which came as part of Morocco's normalisation deal with Israel | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 16: 28 | Sahrawis hold a Polisario Front's flag at Sahrawi refugee camp of Dakhla, 27 February 2016 (AFP/File photo) | More than two dozen US senators from both major parties h…
"I pledge to advocate for and acknowledge all lived experiences and intersectional identities of every Sailor in the Navy.": | Don't believe me? Doesn't matter. It's there. | See That is part of the Task Force One Navy pledge. |
Two journalists detained in Minsk on charges that they took part in opposition rallies were given prison sentences on Thursday, becoming the first reporters convicted of organizing protests despite pleas from rights groups. | Katerina Bakhvalova, a presenter for Warsaw-based Belsat TV, and Daria Chultsova, a camerawoman for the network, were sentenced to two years behind bars after a three-day trial. They had been found guilty of "organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." | Belsat, which is bankrolled by the government of neighboring Poland, cl…
Cancel culture had its second major defeat in less than a week, as efforts to force Fox News star Tucker Carlson off the air failed so spectacularly that the guy called 'TV's most hated host' has been given another show. | Carlson signed a multi-year deal with Fox Nation, the network's subscription-based streaming service, under which he will produce at least three video podcasts each week and long-form monthly specials. The new programs will be done in addition to Carlson's top-rated primetime show on Fox News, 'Tucker Carlson Tonight', which is broadcast every weeknight. | The podcasts will feature interview…
The Philippines' foreign minister has voiced his full support for the Sputnik V vaccine, stating he's been "turning every stone" to get it approved. So far, the drug has been caught in a regulatory limbo. | The country's top diplomat, Teddy Locsin, I'm turning every stone to get Sputnik V in. It is the…
Washington, DC police are calling for razor-wire-topped fencing around the US Capitol to be kept in place until at least September because they continue to hear of threats against lawmakers in the aftermath of the January 6 riot. | US Capitol Police have notified congressional leaders of their fencing recommendation, the Associated Press
While Israel prepares to welcome only vaccine recipients into gyms, hotels, and other venues, thousands have been making their own 'Green Pass,' the easily-counterfeited credential the country is using to prove vaccination. | The Green Pass looks complex enough, with the secure-looking QR code on the lower-right side, but the code is just made up of the same details printed on the pass in normal letters and numbers, cybersecurity expert Ran Bar-Zik revealed in a Facebook post earlier this week. The pass can thus be easily forged by anyone with a graphics program and a printer. | ◊ê◊û;◊&…
Microsoft founder and synthetic meat enthusiast Bill Gates has said former President Donald Trump should be let back on social media "at some point." Trump himself thinks that social media has "become very boring" without him. | "I think at some point he probably will be allowed back on and probably should be allowed back on," Gates told CNBC on Thursday, more than a month after Twitter and multiple other social media outlets booted Trump from their platforms, with Twitter's reasoning being that the president's calls to protest the 2020 election results presented a "risk of…violence." | Gates is considered b…
Online retail giant Amazon was so desperate to scuttle a unionization drive among warehouse workers in Alabama that it actually had traffic light times changed. A pro-union publication says it confirmed the rumors with the county. | Amazon actually reached out to Jefferson County to change the timing of the traffic lights near its Bessemer warehouse, the pro-worker publication More Perfect Union reported on Tuesday, citing a public official from the county who said the company had complained about "traffic delays during shift changes" in order to secure the light change. | Organizers had claimed for weeks that…
Landing on the Moon by 2024 is no longer a realistic goal, the US space agency quietly admitted. While the Biden administration said it would keep the Trump-era Artemis program, there was no hint of Congress actually funding it. | "The 2024 lunar landing goal may no longer be a realistic target due to the last two years of appropriations, which did not provide enough funding to make 2024 achievable," acting NASA administrator Steve Jurczyk told Ars Technica on Wednesday evening. | The agency was "reviewing the program for the most efficient path forward," he added. | Notable: The Artemis Program will become NA…
Washington, DC, police are calling for razor-wire-topped fencing around the US Capitol to be kept in place until at least September because they continue to hear of threats against lawmakers in the aftermath of the January 6 riot. | US Capitol Police have notified congressional leaders of their fencing recommendation, the Associated Press
Portland, Oregon has made headlines after police were called in to stop people from rummaging through a dumpster full of food that allegedly spoiled due to a power outage. Social media users found the incident hard to stomach. | A power outage caused by a winter storm that has wreaked havoc on multiple US states prompted a supermarket to discard perishable items deemed unsafe due to lack of proper refrigeration. After two dumpsters were filled with meat, dairy and other items, a small group of people began to form in the store's parking lot, apparently angry that so much food was being discarded. Photographs s…
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, the 23-year-old heir to a billionaire business fortune headed by his Russian-born mother, has become the youngest chairman in English football after completing his takeover of third-tier Sunderland. | The youngster was confirmed as new chairman on Thursday at the proud North East club, who are spending a third season languishing in League One after tumbling down the tiers when a 10-year stay in the Premier League ended in 2017. | Louis-Dreyfus takes over from British businessman Stewart Donald, who had been owner at the Stadium of Light club since 2018, and who will retain a minority share…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered energy companies to temporarily suspend out-of-state sales of natural gas, amid ongoing power outages triggered by a deadly winter storm. | Read more | | The governor announced during a media briefing on Wednesday that he had issued a decree forbidding gas producers from selling to clients outside the state through February 21. | Citing the current weather crisis that has crippled the sta…
A court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has given an opposition campaigner a lengthy suspended sentence over her role in the activities of a proscribed political organization set up by a disgraced former oligarch. | Anastasia Shevchenko was sentenced to four years' probation by a judge at the Oktyabrsky District Court on Thursday. During the trial, prosecutors had asked for her to be jailed for a total of five years. | The activist was accused of being a member of the UK-based branch of Open Russia, listed as an undesirable organization by the Russian Ministry of Justice. Investigators said that…
Foreign affairs officials in Canada and the UK have announced new sanctions on senior Myanmar military figures on Thursday over alleged human rights abuses against people protesting the ongoing army-led coup. | Both nations will sanction Myanmar's Minister of Defense General Mya Tun Oo over the military's crackdown on protesters and Home Affairs Minister Lt General Soe Htut for his responsibility over the police's actions. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Lt General Than Hlaing is the third person named under the new penalties. | The UK has sanctioned 19 military officials in total over the coup, and Canada, 54 in…
