CP Editor (2021-03-06). Richard Wolff: Capitalism and the Pandemic. counterpunch.org …

_____ (2021-03-07). This Is Who Democrats Are. strategic-culture.org By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | * | This is who the Democrats are. It's who they always will be. They let you have your Bernies and AOCs to create the illusion that progressives can win if they just vote a little harder, but the corporate elites will always have enough of a congressional majority to kill progress. Don't let them spin this as some sort of freakish anomaly, as the result of not having the right kind of Democrats in office. This is the only way the Democratic Party will ever operate. It's not broken, it's working exactly as it's meant to. | * | Left-wing Democrats who give the party the illusion of legitimac…

Editor (2021-03-06). Todo el mundo está mirando. workers.org "Un ataque contra uno es un ataque contra todxs." Este famoso lema laboral, popularizado por los Trabajadores Industriales del Mundo hace más de un siglo, es más significativo hoy que nunca. Pero tiene un doble significado para los trabajadores de Amazon, donde la tasa de lesiones en el lugar de . . . |

RT (2021-03-06). ICE to allow detainees to appeal arrest if they feel their detention does not 'align' with Biden's immigration policy. rt.com The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has created an appeals process that will permit migrants to challenge arrests and deportations if they feel their treatment does not reflect the Biden administration's own policies. | Overseen by a senior official in Washington, DC, the ICE Case Review Process is part of the White House's wide-ranging immigration reforms. | In a statement, the agency said that the appeals process could be used by individuals who believe that their case does not "align with ICE's enforcement, detention, and removal priorities." | Shifting away from Donald Trump's strict enforceme…

Staff (2021-03-06). Biden's Plan to End Long-Term Migrant Detention Does Not End Family Detention. truthout.org The Biden administration's plan to rebrand family detention facilities as "reception centers" as part of sweeping changes to the United States immigration system is drawing a mixed response. Migrant justice organizations welcomed the efforts to end long-term detention but warned that without making the policy permanent, a shift in political winds could mean the eventual return of family detention. | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the agency's intention to end long-te…

Bruce Lerro (2021-03-06). Anti-Communist Political Science: Propaganda for the Yankee Capitalist State. dissidentvoice.org Orientation I returned to college 20 years after dropping out in the late 1960s. After a couple of weeks in the political science class I was taking, I challenged the instructor by asking: "Where are the Marxists and anarchists in your presentation of political science?" Here is what I was told. "Marxists and anarchists are …

RT (2021-03-07). Mumford & Sons banjo player deemed a 'Nazi sh**bag' for praising book condemning Antifa. rt.com The battle lines of the culture war get redrawn every day. In the latest development, Mumford & Sons banjo player Winston Marshall has now been deemed a "nazi," because he read, and enjoyed, a book critical of 'Antifa.' | Famed for their radio-friendly folk, Mumford & Sons seem a long way from jackbooted Nazis, but a tweet from banjo player Winston Marshall on Saturday changed that, at least in the minds of online leftists. Posting a photo of Portland journalist Andy Ngo's book 'Unmasked,' Marshall congratulated Ngo on his "important book," and called the independent reporter "a brave man." | Congratulations <...

The Conversation (2021-03-07). The Byzantine Empire was Multicultural, So why are QAnon and White Supremacists Idolizing it? juancole.com By Roland Betancourt | — From Charlottesville to the Capitol, medieval imagery has been repeatedly on show at far-right rallies and riots in recent years. Displays of Crusader shields and tattoos derived from Norse and Celtic symbols are of little surprise to medieval historians like me who have long documented the appropriation of the Middle …

International Workers Committee (2021-03-07). Mumia's COVID-19 infection has been confirmed by prison doctors after initial denial. mronline.org Mumia Abu-Jamal must be hospitalized. He has tested positive for COVID-19 and isbeingwarehoused in a completely inadequate prison infirmary. Given his age, 67, his liver disease, and his blood-pressure challenges, Mumia's life is seriously in danger.

Tina Ngo, Wai Lee Chin Feman, Bethie Wang (2021-03-07). Why are hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise? liberationnews.org Over the past year, we have seen an alarming surge in racist violence directed toward Asian Americans.

The Tricontinental (2021-03-07). Dossier No. 38: Uncovering the crisis: Care work in the time of Coronavirus. mronline.org The pandemic has sharpened and transformed pre-existing inequalities, reconfiguring the processes that sustain and guarantee life.

Jack Delaney (2021-03-07). Civil War 2.0. counterpunch.org On May 29, 2020, in the wake of the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstration marched about a half-mile from Oakland's Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building. Around ten o'clock at night outside the federal building, as the protest continued close by, bullets spewed from a moving vehicle

Eds. (2021-03-07). COVID-19: Social murder, they wrote—elected, unaccountable, and unrepentant. mronline.org Murder is an emotive word. In law, it requires premeditation. Death must be deemed to be unlawful. How could "murder" apply to failures of a pandemic response? Perhaps it can't, and never will, but it is worth considering.

Eds. (2021-03-06). Rosa Luxemburg at 150: a revolutionary legacy. mronline.org Rosa Luxemburg, one of the great leaders in the history of the socialist movement, was born in Poland (then a province of the Russian empire) 150 years ago this month, on 5 March 1871.

teleSUR Desk (2021-03-06). U.S. to continue using Guaido to rob Venezuelan assets abroad. mronline.org The continuation of the Trump administration's aggressive policies toward Venezuela by the Biden administration is reflected in the recent meeting between the new U.S. Secretary of State and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Eds. (2021-03-06). Who signed the pro-testing appeals? mronline.org Education Trust, led by former Secretary of Education John King, sent two letters to the Biden administration, urging the administration not to allow states to receive waivers from the mandated federal testing.

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2021-03-07). This SNP claim may be electioneering, but it highlights the deplorable state of UK pensions. thecanary.co Believe in Scotland ( t.co/QZf1iAUoFg

RT (2021-03-07). Democrats turn on Arizona Sen. Sinema after her office frames criticism of her vote against $15 minimum wage as 'sexist'. rt.com Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) has been raked over the Twitter coals after her spokesperson argued that it was sexist to ridicule her theatrical 'no' vote against hiking the minimum wage. | The lawmaker came under fire after she and seven of her Democratic colleagues voted with Republicans to shoot down an amendment to the recently-passed Covid-19 relief bill that would have increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour. | Sinema claimed she voted against the measure because she thought the issue should be more thoroughly debated in the Senate before being put to a vote. However, the way in which she voted dow…

RT (2021-03-07). US will strike 'at a time and place of our choosing' after rocket attacks on bases in Iraq, Defense Secretary Austin says. rt.com US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin won't say who was behind a recent rocket attack on an American airbase in Iraq, but his eyes are on Iran, and he says the US will strike again "at a time and place of our own choosing."

RT (2021-03-07). TWO MORE former aides accuse New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct. rt.com Two more women have come forward with allegations of inappropriate workplace treatment by Governor Andrew Cuomo, bringing the total number of accusers in the escalating sexual misconduct scandal to five. | Ana Liss, 35, who served as Cuomo's policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015,

RT (2021-03-07). 'Biden showers money on Americans'?! WaPo mocked for 'Dear Leader' vibes in Covid stimulus story. rt.com Washington Post has been mocked for an overly enthusiastic headline that called the coronavirus relief bill a "defining move" of Joe Biden's presidency, poised to "sharply" cut poverty by "showering money" on Americans. | After the Senate narrowly passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Saturday, and President Joe Biden promised that eligible Americans will start receiving their $1,400 stimulus checks from this month onwards, the Washington Post tried to explain that the massive rescue package is more than just about this modest handout. | t.co/pAsCyogPJv

RT (2021-03-07). New York Times falsely claims last year's BLM violence was 'misinformation'. rt.com The New York Times has been lambasted online for bizarrely claiming that violence surrounding Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 was merely "misinformation" and likening it to Deep State conspiracy theories. | The Gray Lady's Jennifer Medina sought to unravel the mystery behind Latinos in the US voting Republican, in a Friday Medina teased out the motivations of Latino Republicans through a series of interviews, before attempting…

RT (2021-03-07). Ex-Republican Senate candidate Witzke banned from Twitter after calling trans activist 'DEMONIC'. rt.com Lauren Witzke, a hardline right-winger who ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2020, has been banned from Twitter. Her ban came after she called a trans activist "demonic" for suggesting that "little girls" can be "kinky." | Witzke's account was suspended on Sunday evening, and in a post to Telegram shortly afterwards, the former Senate candidate from Delaware revealed that her account had violated Twitter's rules against "hateful conduct." | Witzke's last tweet before her suspension was only one word long. Retweeting a post by an anti-trans feminist group that contained a quote by self-described "gender n…

RT (2021-03-07). 'Used & betrayed': Pro-life Biden backers say he broke promise to hear them, ramrodded Covid bill with taxpayer-funded abortion. rt.com Pro-life Christians who chose to support Democrat Joe Biden in last November's election said they're feeling "betrayed" after the new president rammed through Covid-19 relief legislation that includes taxpayer-funded abortion. | The $1.9 trillion stimulus package that was passed on Saturday in a party-line vote by the US Senate would allow for billions of dollars to be spent on abortion. Democrats rejected a Republican effort to include the Hyde Amendment, as in previous Covid-19 relief bills, breaking with a 44-year-old policy of giving pro-life taxpayers the solace of knowing their tax dollars weren't spent…

RT (2021-03-07). 3 Alabama professors suspended amid probe into their 'racially insensitive' 2014 Halloween costumes with NOOSE & WHIP. rt.com The University of South Alabama has placed three professors on leave and appointed a former federal prosecutor to investigate their wearing of allegedly racist costumes to a 2014 Halloween party on campus. | University President Tony Waldrop The three…

RT (2021-03-07). Fraternity hazing victim's organs are being donated after extreme incident at Ohio university. rt.com The family of a 20-year-old Ohio university student has begun the process of donating his organs after an alleged hazing incident involving alcohol forced the young man onto life support. | The student has been identified as 20-year Stone Foltz who was hospitalized after an off-campus Pi Kappa Alpha event Thursday near Bowling Green State University. Foltz remains in critical condition and on life support having been airlifted to ProMedica Toledo Hospital. | "Not all the facts are out yet, the investigation is obviously ongoing. I'm sure the university and police are doing their investigations which takes time…

RT (2021-03-07). New York State legislative leaders say Cuomo 'MUST RESIGN' after embattled governor brands such demands 'ANTI-DEMOCRATIC'. rt.com Leaders of New York's Assembly and Senate called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign just hours after he said stepping down because of rising sexual-harassment allegations by former staffers would be "anti-Democratic." | New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who like Cuomo is a Democrat, said Sunday that with new accusers of Cuomo stepping forward seemingly every day and the governor embroiled in multiple scandals, focus is being drawn away from the business of government. "We need to govern without daily distraction," she said. "For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign." | NEW: B…

RT (2021-03-07). New York Times mocked for attempting to downplay 2020 BLM protest violence as 'misinformation'. rt.com The New York Times has been lambasted online for bizarrely claiming that violence surrounding Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 was merely "misinformation" and likening it to Deep State conspiracy theories. | The Gray Lady's Jennifer Medina sought to unravel the mystery behind Latinos in the US voting Republican, in a Friday Medina teased out the motivations of Latino Republicans through a series of interviews, before attempting…

RT (2021-03-07). New York State legislative leaders say Cuomo 'MUST RESIGN' after embattled governor brands such demands 'ANTI-DEMOCRATIC'. rt.com Leaders of New York's Assembly and Senate called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign just hours after he said stepping down because of rising sexual-harassment allegations by former staffers would be "anti-Democratic." | New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who like Cuomo is a Democrat, said Sunday that with new accusers of Cuomo stepping forward seemingly every day and the governor embroiled in multiple scandals, focus is being drawn away from the business of government. "We need to govern without daily distraction," she said. "For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign." | @Andre…

RT (2021-03-06). WATCH massive fire consume Iran-Afghanistan border post. rt.com A customs office on Iran's border with Afghanistan went up in flames, sending torrents of black smoke into the desert sky. The blaze, which was captured on video, is believed to have started at a fuel reservoir. | Footage provided by RT's video news agency Ruptly shows the fire erupting from the customs facility. The clear desert sky was quickly blotted out by thick black smoke. | Local media say the fire originated at a fuel reservoir, and damaged four fuel trucks. The customs post itself is located in the village of Mahirud in Iran's South Khorasan Province, which borders Afghanistan's Farah province to t…

RT (2021-03-06). Saudi Arabia to lift most Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday — state media. rt.com Restaurants, shopping centers, and gyms will reopen in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in a major easing of coronavirus restrictions by the Gulf nation, a government source told state-run SPA news agency. | The decision on lifting the suspension will be implemented starting from March 7, an official source in the Interior Ministry This means that cinemas, indoor entertainment centers, restaurants, shopping malls, and gyms will reopen in the country after remaining shut down for more than a month. | However, some curbs, including the limitati…

RT (2021-03-06). Health workers 'angry' after pandemic & government deserves STRIKE for offering 1 percent pay raise — British nurse. rt.com By offering health workers just one percent pay rise, the UK government missed out on an opportunity to restore faith in the NHS, a British nurse told RT, adding that the medics have all the grounds to go on strike now.

RT (2021-03-06). China sets goal of sending 12 astronauts to space by 2023, opening of space station by 2022. rt.com Hot on the heels of its recent successes reaching the Red Planet, China's space agency has announced the lofty goal of executing 11 launch missions and sending a dozen astronauts to space within the next two years. | Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut and now a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) broke the news on Saturday, explaining that the tightly packed spaceflight schedule was to facilitate the speedy construction of a new Chinese orbital station. | The upcoming missions are set to include the launch of the space station's main module into orbit…

RT (2021-03-06). WATCH: Scientists unveil new rapid 3D organ printing method which is 10-50 times faster than current techniques. rt.com Researchers at the University at Buffalo have unveiled their novel 3D printing method with an incredible video showcasing what could soon be the future of rapid, artificial organ manufacture. | The research team's incredible seven-second video, which is sped-up from 19 minutes, showcasing the printing of a hand, which would take a whopping six hours to create using conventional 3D printing methods. | "The technology we've developed is 10-50 times faster than the industry standard, and it works with large sample sizes that have been very difficult to achieve previously," says the study's co-lead author Ruoga…

Steve Topple (2021-03-07). Marr just witnessed a car crash. It was a Tory minister on NHS pay. thecanary.co The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday 7 March An insult?: | BBC News

_____ (2021-03-07). #BlackLivesMatter — But to Whom? strategic-culture.org Western "big pharma" profit imperative and patent controls inevitably mean that poor countries will always be last on the list to receive supplies of vaccines on a consumer-commodity basis. The wealthier nations are as usual taking the lion's share. Some estimate that at present rate, it won't be until 2024 when African nations will be fully inoculated.

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). US says it will do what is necessary to defend itself after attack in Iraq. middleeasteye.net US says it will do what is necessary to defend itself after attack in Iraq | Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said his country would act to counter attacks on American interests | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 15: 28 | US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during President Biden's visit at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia (Reuters) | The US has said it will do what "we need to do" to protect its i…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). Switzerland votes to ban wearing of the burqa and niqab in public spaces. middleeasteye.net Switzerland votes to ban wearing of the burqa and niqab in public spaces | Referendum denounced by rights group as 'needlessly fueling division and fear', after Swiss right-wing party had framed it as verdict on the role of Islam in public life | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 19: 27 | People protest in Bern, Switzerland, after a narrow majority of Swiss voted in favour of the so-called 'burqa ban', wh…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). Yemen's Houthis target Saudi oil facilities in new escalation. middleeasteye.net Yemen's Houthis target Saudi oil facilities in new escalation | Houthis claim to have fired drones and missiles at Ras Tanura, one of the world's biggest oil ports, and military targets in the eastern area of Dammam | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 22: 49 | Smoke rises over Sanaa after air strikes 'on military targets' by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen (AFP) | A missile and drone attack targeted the…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). Iraq: Pope Francis celebrates largest mass of historic trip. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Pope Francis celebrates largest mass of historic trip | In the final event of his visit, in Iraqi Kurdistan's capital Erbil, Francis tells worshippers that 'Iraq will always remain in my heart' | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 18: 19 | Pope Francis blesses worshippers as he arrives to conduct mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, 7 March 2021 (Handout/AFP) | Pope Francis vo…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). Switzerland votes to ban wearing of the burqa or niqab in public spaces. middleeasteye.net Switzerland votes to ban wearing of the burqa or niqab in public spaces | Referendum denounced by rights group as 'needlessly fueling division and fear', after Swiss right-wing party had framed it as verdict on the role of Islam in public life | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 19: 27 | People protest in Bern, Switzerland, after a narrow majority of Swiss voted in favour of the so-called 'burqa ban', whe…

Katherine Hearst (2021-03-07). Covid-19: Britain's Muslims in the eye of the pandemic storm once again. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Britain's Muslims in the eye of the pandemic storm once again | Muslim institutions in the UK struggle to survive a disproportionate death toll and lockdown-induced financial troubles | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 08: 06 | A member of mosque staff prays in the otherwise empty Noor Ul Islam Mosque on the day before Ramadan commences in the UK, in Bury, Greater Manchester (AFP) | On the firs…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). Covid-19: Israel begins loosening restrictions with 40 percent of country vaccinated. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel begins loosening restrictions with 40 percent of country vaccinated | Restaurants, bars and cafes are set to open to vaccinated 'green pass' holders | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 11: 30 | Attendees prepare to present their "green passes" (proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19) on arriving at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on 5 March 2021 (AFP) | Israel began loosening Cov…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). Saudi-led coalition bombards Yemeni capital after Houthi drone attacks. middleeasteye.net Saudi-led coalition bombards Yemeni capital after Houthi drone attacks | Coalition backing recognised government said it intercepted 12 drones launched by Houthis | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 14: 16 | Smoke rises over Sanaa after air strikes "on military targets" by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen (AFP) | Explosions rocked the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, as the Saudi-led coalition targeted Houthi rebel…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer. middleeasteye.net British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer | Aid worker has electronic ankle tag removed after end of five-year sentence | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 12: 01 | An undated handout image released by the Free Nazanin campaign in London on 10 June 2016 shows Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe posing for a photograph with her daughter Gabriella (AFP) | Iran has released British-…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran. middleeasteye.net British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran | Lawyer for aid worker says she walked free after end of five-year sentence | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 12: 01 | Iran released British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani told Iranian website Emtedad on Sunday, after her five years sentence for plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. | "

MEE, agencies (2021-03-07). British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer. middleeasteye.net British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer | Aid worker has electronic ankle tag removed after end of five-year sentence as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demands she 'be released permanently' | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 12: 01 | An undated handout image released by the Free Nazanin campaign in London on 10 June 2016 shows Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe posing f…

Inequality (2021-03-07). If We Want to Renew Democracy, We Need to Tax the Ultra-Wealthy. juancole.com By Madeleine Johnsson | — ( Inequality.org ) — Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act of 2021, introduced March 1, could not be a more timely reminder that the United States needs serious policy changes to address massive wealth and income inequality. While eight million Americans slipped into poverty and half …

Andrew Stewart (2021-03-07). Biden's Commerce Secretary is Pure Clintonism. counterpunch.org Last Sunday, Marie Franco stood at the rear of a Rhode Island state prison building, cradling the portrait of her son Jose, who died needlessly while incarcerated due to contracting COVID-19. As we consider the well-manicured, PR-friendly profile of the subject at hand, keep in mind that Franco's death was caused by this politician's decisions,

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-06). Ready to Work with Netanyahu: Mansour Abbas Splinters Arab Vote in Israel. dissidentvoice.org At a glance, it may appear that the split of Arab political parties in Israel is consistent with a typical pattern of political and ideological divisions which have afflicted the Arab body politic for many years. This time, however, the reasons behind the split are quite different. As Israel readies for its fourth general elections …

RT (2021-03-06). 'I'm not a killer': Slovakia's PM says he won't give up on 'quality' Sputnik V vaccine only because it's made in Russia. rt.com Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic has rejected the possibility of returning Sputnik V supplies to Russia, saying that the effective jab will be used to save lives in the country no matter the split in the government. | "Sputnik is not going back to Russia," Matovic wrote in a The PM recalled how he was branded "Putin's sidekick" who deserve a place in the "hall of shame" after the first batch of Sputnik V arrived in the country earlier this week, while the vaccine its…

RT (2021-03-06). Covid vaccine-induced swelling can lead to false cancer diagnosis, doctors warn. rt.com Cancer experts and radiologists in the US are warning Covid-19 vaccine recipients that an otherwise normal immune response can be mistaken for cancer if it appears on a mammogram or other cancer screening. | Prior to major offensives against infections and unwanted intruders, some of the body's defense forces, the white blood cells, gather in lymph nodes. However, lymph nodes, especially in the armpit, can swell up following Covid-19 vaccinations. | As cancer screenings continue parallel to vaccination drives across the world, a scan conducted soon after vaccination may yield a false positive and cause unneces…

RT (2021-03-06). 'No new directives, period': New York lawmakers vote to strip Governor Cuomo of emergency Covid powers with veto-proof majority. rt.com Legislators in New York have sent a bill to Governor Andrew Cuomo's desk seeking to eliminate his "temporary" emergency pandemic powers, securing a veto-proof majority to impose stricter limits on the state government. | Both chambers of the state legislature approved the bill on Friday in a largely party-line vote, with most Republicans opposing the measure on the grounds that it does not go far enough in curbing Cuomo's authorities. With sizable Democrat majorities in the State Assembly and Senate, however, the law passed with ease. | "Today, under this new legislation the governor will no longer be able to…

RT (2021-03-06). BLM backfire? US public opinion shifts on George Floyd's death, law & order, as racial divide widens after summer of riots — poll. rt.com US public opinion on the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody has shifted since the early days of last year's Black Lives Matter protests, with trust in law enforcement growing after violent unrest in the streets. | Just 36 percent of respondents in a USA Today/Ipsos

RT (2021-03-06). Senate passes $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill after marathon session. rt.com The US Senate has passed a coronavirus relief bill worth a whopping $1.9 trillion. The bill passed after more than 24 hours of debate and amendments, in a narrow party-lines vote. | The bill passed by 50 votes to 49 on Saturday, wrapping up a day-long session of amendments and debate. Every Democrat present voted in favor of the bill, and every Republican against. Republican Dan Sullivan (Alaska) was absent, which meant that Democrats did not have to bring in Vice President Kamala Harris to break the Senate's 50-50 tie. | BREAKING: Senate Democrats just passed the American Rescue Plan and big, bold COVID relie…

RT (2021-03-06). 'At least hold the pictures up': House GOP leader receives poor reviews for Dr. Seuss reading amid censorship controversy. rt.com House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been accused of playing childish political games after he shared a video of himself reading Dr. Seuss, apparently as a protest against the 'cancelation' of the late author's books. | Days after Dr. Seuss' estate announced that six of the author's books would no longer be published due to racially insensitive imagery, McCarthy took to Twitter to show solidarity with the late children's author. | "I still like Dr. Seuss, so I decided to read Green Eggs and Ham," he wrote, adding: "RT if you still like him too!" | I still like Dr. Seuss, so I decided to read Green E…

RT (2021-03-06). California gives green light for Disneyland reopening after Covid restrictions shutter theme park for 1 year. rt.com Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is preparing to welcome visitors for the first time in over a year after the iconic theme park was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. | California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly announced on Friday that the state's amusement parks will be permitted to reopen with limited capacity starting on April 1. | Read more | | "We feel like now is the appropriate time to begin t…

RT (2021-03-06). Looney Tunes: Cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew contributed to 'RAPE CULTURE', says New York Times columnist. rt.com NYT columnist Charles Blow and his critics are trading rhetorical blows after the writer made Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew the latest target of the cancel mob, arguing that the skunk "normalized rape culture." | "Right-wing blogs are mad because I said Pepe Le Pew added to rape culture," Blow wrote on Saturday, tweeting a scene from the Warner Bros. classic cartoon series. "Let's see, he grabs/kisses a girl/stranger repeatedly, without consent and against her will. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he won't release her. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping." | RW blogs are mad bc I…

RT (2021-03-06). Pentagon 'assessing systems' after TENS OF THOUSANDS of servers compromised in global Microsoft hack… blamed on 'Chinese hackers'. rt.com The US military is reviewing its networks following a hacking spree linked to a vulnerability that gave backdoor access to tens of thousands of Microsoft Exchange servers, in a massive attack the company has blamed on China. | "We are aware of the Microsoft threat intelligence center's report. We are currently assessing our networks right now for any evidence of impact," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters at a Friday presser. "We're also taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to the situation." | Joint Force headquarters… is coordinating with the Nationa…

RT (2021-03-06). Texas high school cancels 'Rules of Chivalry Day' assignment after outrage over girls being told to OBEY male classmates. rt.com A Lubbock, Texas high school has apparently taken a lesson from unwoke history too far, causing public outrage by instructing girls to "obey any reasonable request" by male classmates to learn about medieval "rules for chivalry." | The 'Rules of Chivalry Day' assignment at Shallowater High School has been cancelled after a review determined that, despite its historical context, "it does not reflect our district and community values," superintendent Anita Herbert said in a statement. The matter has been addressed with the offending teacher, who wasn't identified. | According to copies of the assignment that wer…

RT (2021-03-06). Biden says first stimulus checks will be mailed this month, after Senate passes bumper virus bill. rt.com President Joe Biden has promised that eligible Americans will receive their $1,400 stimulus checks from this month onwards, after the Senate narrowly passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. | Speaking after the Senate passed the bill in a 50-49 party lines vote on Saturday, Biden boasted that the bill "puts us on a path to beating the virus." While the bill does provide funds for hospitals, vaccines and testing, most Americans are likely awaiting their $1,400 cash payments first and foremost. | The president said that the first checks will start to go out this month, but that timeframe depends on the H…

RT (2021-03-06). Tough night shift: Senate passes an amendment to Covid bill… just to vote on an almost identical one later. rt.com As Senators pulled an all-nighter to pass Joe Biden's Covid-19 relief bill, they apparently didn't care about time, as they voted on an amendment to extend unemployment pay, an hour after voting on an almost identical amendment. | The Senate voted on Friday night against adjourning business until Saturday morning, ensuring that senators would stay on Capitol Hill overnight voting on a flood of amendments to President Biden's long-anticipated Covid-19 relief bill, a $1.9 trillion package that includes $1,400 stimulus checks for eligible Americans and bailouts for state and local governments. | Some of these ame…

RT (2021-03-06). 'Blond, blue eyes… everything fit': Toni Kroos says he was labeled 'NAZI' after criticizing Ozil over Germany retirement. rt.com Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has said he was perceived as a "Nazi" after he criticized former teammate Mesut Ozil over his bitter exit from international football. | Ozil Kroos — who won the World Cup alongside Ozil in…

RT (2021-03-06). South Korean government investigates 7 deaths that followed Covid-19 vaccination with AstraZeneca's jab. rt.com South Korea finished its first week of rolling out long-awaited Covid-19 inoculations in the country with thousands of suspected adverse reactions to AstraZeneca's vaccine, seven of which resulted in deaths. | The number who died after the jab rose by four in the past two days, according to a report on Saturday by South

RT (2021-03-06). 'Ready to shock the world': Megan Anderson aiming to overcome Amanda Nunes — and astronomical odds — to claim UFC gold. rt.com Megan Anderson knows it will take something special to defeat Amanda Nunes at UFC 259 in Las Vegas on Saturday night, but the Australian is unfazed by her quest to do what no woman before her has ever managed to achieve.

RT (2021-03-06). 'Pep isn't great like Ferguson': Man United legend Kanchelskis reveals secret of Sir Alex's success to RT Sport (VIDEO). rt.com Until Pep Guardiola wins a Champions League title with Man City, he can never be compared to the great Sir Alex Ferguson, that's the opinion of former Reds winger Andrei Kanchelskis, who was speaking on his show 'Down the Line'. | Kanchelskis won five major honours with United in a four-year spell with the Old Trafford club, but also enjoyed a brief loan stint at City later on in his career, and is one of a handful players to turn out for both in the Manchester derby. | However it was under Sir Alex that Kanchelskis, then an unknown and untried young winger from behind the Iron Curtain, emerged from anonymity…

RT (2021-03-06). 'Saying no to negative thoughts': Russian long jump siren Klishina looks on sunny side as she lounges in bright bikini. rt.com Russian long-jump star Daria Klishina has put a week of hard work behind her and urged fans to "say no to negative thoughts" as she shared an image of herself relaxing in style. | The social media favorite was Russia's only track and field representative at the last Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016 due to the nation's doping ban, and is aiming to make this year's delayed Summer Games in Tokyo, albeit under neutral status. | That has involved a tough training routine in Florida for the 30-year-old former world silver medalist — although she still has time to spread some positive vibes to her Instagram follo…

RT (2021-03-06). 'Never seen anything like it': Fans in disbelief at astounding goal blunder from Arsenal midfielder Xhaka (VIDEO). rt.com Arsenal's Granit Xhaka committed one of the blunders of the season as he inexplicably gifted Burnley an equalizer in their Premier League clash. | With Arsenal leading 1-0 at Turf Moor thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's clinical finish after six minutes, Burnley were handed a way back into the game following a scarcely-believable act of generosity from Swiss international Xhaka. | Heading towards his own goal to collect a pass from Arsenal 'keeper Bernd Leno, the midfield man took a touch under pressure before attempting a pass across the box to teammate David Luiz — only to pass the ball straight at B…

The Canary (2021-03-06). Government accused of 'snatching away' promised NHS pay rise as the outrage grows. thecanary.co The organisation representing NHS Trusts in England is challenging the government over its defence of a controversial 1% pay offer to health workers. | Growing controversy: | NHS Providers said the NHS has conducted detailed work around implementing a long-term plan. It claimed that in this plan the government assumed an NHS pay rise in 2021/22 of 2.1%, not 1%. | It comes amid growing anger at the pay offer, with the main nurses' union setting up a £35m industrial action fund. And another union is urging the public to support a slow hand clap next week as protest against the proposals. | Deputy chie…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Lebanon's caretaker prime minister threatens to resign his duties over economic crisis. middleeasteye.net Lebanon's caretaker prime minister threatens to resign his duties over economic crisis | Hassan Diab said he would stop performing his duties in order to pressure the formation of a new government | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 15: 03 | Lebanon's caretaker premier Hassan Diab (3rd R) watches as actor Salah Tizani (aka Abu Salim al-Tabl) receives a dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at the R…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Sisi says Egypt, Sudan reject Ethiopian Nile dam 'fait accompli'. middleeasteye.net Sisi says Egypt, Sudan reject Ethiopian Nile dam 'fait accompli' | On visit to Sudan, Egyptian president rejects Ethiopian policy of 'unilateral measures without taking Sudan's and Egypt's interests into account' over Blue Nile dam project | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 18: 51 | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (L) is received by Sudan's head of state, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, upon the…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Egypt's President Sisi in Sudan with Ethiopia's dam on agenda. middleeasteye.net Egypt's President Sisi in Sudan with Ethiopia's dam on agenda | Egyptian leader's visit continues diplomatic push for support and renewed talks on controversial mega-project | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 11: 14 | Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets with the head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Burhan, in Egypt in October (FILE/AFP) | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has arrived in S…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Sisi says Egypt, Sudan reject Ethiopian Nile dam 'fait accompli'. middleeasteye.net Sisi says Egypt, Sudan reject Ethiopian Nile dam 'fait accompli' | On visit to Sudan, Egyptian president rejects Ethiopian policy of 'unilateral measures without taking Sudan's and Egypt's interests into account' over Blue Nile dam project | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 18: 51 | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (L) is received by Sudan's head of state General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan upon the fo…

Yves Engler (2021-03-06). Broadbent Institute Head smears Ashton, Robinson and Internationalism. dissidentvoice.org Broadbent Institute head Rick Smith should just be frank and say he hates Palestinians and doesn't care about internationalism. On Tuesday Smith tweeted that it was disturbing that NDP MP Niki Ashton was doing an upcoming fundraiser for the Progressive International with former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. In response to former NDP MP …

Staff (2021-03-06). Punitive Attendance Policies Fueled COVID-19 Outbreaks in Meatpacking Plants. truthout.org Working in meatpacking plants has This analysis, published in December 2020, estimates that

Staff (2021-03-06). Millions of Unpaid Caregivers Are Currently Ineligible for COVID Vaccine. truthout.org This story also ran on Before her stretched a line of people waiting to get covid-19 vaccines. "It was agonizing to know that I couldn't get in that line," said Davidson, 50, who is devoted to her father a…

Staff (2021-03-06). Manchin Wins Cuts to Unemployment Benefits as COVID Relief Bill Passes Senate. truthout.org The U.S. Senate is on track to approve a coronavirus relief package as early as Saturday after a session that extended late night Friday into Saturday morning and that included conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia ensuring the package is less generous for economically struggling Americans. | As of this writing, senators were "By d…

Staff (2021-03-06). Eight Democrats Joined GOP to Vote Down Sanders's $15 Minimum Wage Amendment. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders's last-ditch effort to reattach a $15 minimum wage provision to the Senate coronavirus relief package failed Friday morning after 8 members of the Democratic caucus joined all 50 Republicans in voting down the Vermont senator's amendment. | Those who voted against advancing Sanders's amendment were Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Magg…

Alex MacDonald (2021-03-06). Turkey: Erdogan's human rights initiative raises eyebrows of beleaguered activists. middleeasteye.net Turkey: Erdogan's human rights initiative raises eyebrows of beleaguered activists | Despite Ankara announcing the new initiative, the co-chair of Turkey's Human Rights Association says the situation is worse than ever | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 10: 00 | President of the Human Right Association (IHD) Eren Keskin speaks to journalists during a demonstration in front of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Scores killed in Yemen's Marib over 24 hours. middleeasteye.net Scores killed in Yemen's Marib over 24 hours | The UN warned of a humanitarian crisis as thousands are displaced by Houthi offensive | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 09: 47 | Armed Houthis at the funeral of another fighter killed during recent fighting in Marib (Reuters) | At least 90 combatants have been killed in fighting around Yemen's Marib governorate over a single day, government sources said.

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Pope Francis meets Iraq's top cleric Ali Sistani in 'historic' meeting. middleeasteye.net Pope Francis meets Iraq's top cleric Ali Sistani in 'historic' meeting | Leaders of Catholic Church and Shia Islam call for religious tolerance in unprecedented meeting | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 09: 25 | A handout picture provided by the Vatican media office shows Pope Francis meeting top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in the Iraqi shrine city of Najaf (AFP) | Iraqis have hailed a "

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Tunisians protest for LGBT rights activist's release. middleeasteye.net Tunisians protest for LGBT rights activist's release | Rania Amdouni had been repeatedly targeted since protests began against police repression | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 15: 59 | Tunisian activist Rania Amdouni at a protest in January (AFP) | Hundreds of Tunisians demanded the release of an activist sentenced to six months in prison for allegedly insulting a police officer. | The incident for…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-06). Syrian Kurds hand 12 children fathered by IS members back to Iraqi Yazidi mothers. middleeasteye.net Syrian Kurds hand 12 children fathered by IS members back to Iraqi Yazidi mothers | Official says that the children, aged between two and five, are the first to be born to Islamic State members to be returned to their mothers | Sat, 03/06/2021 – 18: 09 | Women burn incense during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of the Islamic State group in the northern Iraqi village of Kojo in Sinjar di…

Anand Naidoo (2021-03-06). The Heat: China's Two Sessions. america.cgtn.com China's Two Sessions continues as Premier Li Keqiang announces plans for the country's economic growth and development.

Lee Siu Hin (2021-03-06). Vaccine imperialism: China vs. the Western world. workers.org Vaccine Racism: How wealthy nations stockpile life-saving vaccines while poor countries and poor people within these countries are ignored. How Western countries criticize China, despite China's success in containing the virus and providing vaccines to the world. Feb. 23 China and Russia are among the first countries in the world . . . |

Staff (2021-03-05). New York Congressmember Mondaire Jones: Israel Should Ensure Palestinians Have Access to COVID Vaccine. democracynow.org Israel has failed to make COVID-19 vaccines available to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, despite its responsibility under the Geneva Conventions. Critics in the United States say this "vaccine apartheid" is another example of Israeli human rights abuses going unpunished, even as the country receives billions in U.S. aid each year. Congressmember Mondaire Jones of New York says Israel must ensure that Palestinians are vaccinated. "There's no question about that," he says. "I don't think that anyone can argue otherwise in good conscience."

Staff (2021-03-05). "We Do This 'Til We Free Us": Mariame Kaba on Abolishing Police, Prisons & Moving Toward Justice. democracynow.org Outrage over police brutality and the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people has generated calls to defund and abolish the police. Longtime organizer Mariame Kaba's new book, titled "We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice," brings together collected essays, interviews and other writings that she and numerous collaborators produced between 2014 — the year of the uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri, over the police killing of Michael Brown — and today. Kaba says the book grapples with "the fact that so many people around the country recognize the complete and utte…

Staff (2021-03-05). Rep. Mondaire Jones: Voting Rights Bill H.R. 1 Is of "Foundational Importance" to U.S. Democracy. democracynow.org The House of Representatives has approved sweeping legislation protecting the right to vote with the For the People Act, which has been described as the most sweeping pro-democracy bill in decades. The legislation is aimed at improving voter registration and access to voting, ending partisan and racial gerrymandering, forcing the disclosure of dark money donors, increasing public funding for candidates, and imposing strict ethical and reporting standards on members of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill, which comes amid a nationwide attack on voting rights in courthouses and statehouses, is heading to…

Staff (2021-03-05). Rev. William Barber to Democrats: Overrule the Senate Parliamentarian & Pass the $15 Minimum Wage. democracynow.org The Senate has voted to open debate on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The legislation has widespread support from voters, with one new poll showing 77% of Americans support the bill, including nearly 60% of Republicans. But the Senate bill has some key differences from the package approved by the House, including a reduction in the number of people eligible for direct stimulus checks and no provision to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. However, the Fight for 15 continues, with the Senate considering an amendment by Senator Bernie Sanders to raise the minimum wage fro…

Richard Becker (2021-03-05). Top Pentagon commander requests astronomical sum of money to prepare for war with China. liberationnews.org The funding increase that Davidson is seeking for his command — not the total allocation — is greater than the entire budget of the whole armed forces of Brazil.

Staff (2021-03-05). Cornel West: The Whiteness of Harvard and Wall Street Is "Jim Crow, New Style" truthout.org Cornel West is a preeminent public intellectual, a brilliant philosopher-gadfly and a towering thinker whose critically engaging voice and fearless speech have proven indispensable for calling out injustice wherever it exists. He is a force grounded within a prophetic tradition that refuses idols, even if that idol is democracy itself. He is a bluesman who grapples with the funk of life through a cruciform of love within a crucible of catastrophe, where despair never has the last word. | West i…

Alan Macleod (2021-03-05). NATO Video Talks 'Diversity, Respect, Embrace' But Critics See Through the Wash Job. mintpressnews.com BRUSSELS — Earlier this week, NATO put out a "At NATO, diversity is our strength. We speak many languages. We have different skills, our own unique personalities. We come from all over the world, from every walk of life. No two of us are the same. We work together. Respect our needs. Embrace our differences. Because we all have one th…

Alan Macleod (2021-03-05). US, Allies Drop 46 Bombs Per Day for 20 Years, New CODEPINK Research Reveals. mintpressnews.com The United States has been at war for nearly every year of its existence as an independent nation, fighting in 227 years of its 244-year history.

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-03-05). Trump and Biden's Secret Bombing Wars. counterpunch.org On February 25, President Biden ordered U.S. air forces to drop seven 500-pound bombs on Iraqi forces in Syria, reportedly killing 22 people. The U.S. airstrike has predictably failed to halt rocket attacks on deeply unpopular U.S. bases in Iraq, which the Iraqi National Assembly passed a resolution to close over a year ago. The

A Guest Author (2021-03-05). #LettersToBessemer: Black Workers Matter. workers.org From People's Power Assembly NYC and Workers Assembly Against Racism: Since early February 2021, a Black women-led unionizing struggle has been happening in a Bessemer, Ala., Amazon warehouse. They've organized in response to dangerous working conditions including: 1) dangerously inadequate COVID-19 protocols; 2) no hazard pay, even as essential workers . . . |

A Guest Author (2021-03-05). Gulf Coast says: Support #BAmazon Union! workers.org By Sean Miller Members of Black Voters Matter, Workers World Party-Central Gulf Coast branch and others hosted a Feb. 20 rally in downtown Pensacola, Fla., in support of the Bessemer, Ala., Amazon workers union drive. Joining over 50 other cities in a Day of Solidarity actions, they spoke out for . . . |

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-03-05). Roaming Charges: No Neanderthal Ever Bombed Syria. counterpunch.org + There were many reasons to vote against Trump, starting with the fact that he was the incumbent running for reelection. All incumbent presidents should be voted against as matter of principle, because they almost certainly started committing war crimes within weeks of taking office, a truism Biden has now reconfirmed with his bombing of

RT (2021-03-05). Trump accuses Biden of creating 'spiraling tsunami' at US-Mexico border as migrant situation spins 'totally out of control'. rt.com Donald Trump has released a statement accusing President Joe Biden of letting the situation at the US/Mexico border get "totally out of control" as officials prepare for unprecedented numbers of migrant children this year. | "A mass incursion into the country by people who should not be here is happening on an hourly basis, getting worse by the minute," Trump said in a Friday statement. He blasted Biden for creating a "spiraling tsunami" at the border. | "When I left office, we had achieved the most secure border in our country's history. Under Biden, it will soon be worse, more dangerous, and more out of cont…

Eds. (2021-03-05). On May Day: Karl Marx on India, colonialism and religion. mronline.org Marx, argues the author, is often misunderstood and even more often, misrepresented even as the world observes his bicentenary.

Paul Street (2021-03-05). Killer Kim Reynolds and the Fascist State of Iowa. counterpunch.org The affluent and older white male "leftists" who minimize the threat posed by the ever more fascistic Republican Party tend to live in big "blue" cities where the Amerikaner Republivolk are a distinct minority. Some of these privileged urbanites might want to spend some time in a pandemo-fascist white-supremacist state like Iowa, which sent Steve

Raul Diego (2021-03-05). Social Media Microtargeting and the Evolving Ministry of Truth. mintpressnews.com As social media replaces actual social interactions, our thoughts and opinions are increasingly coming under the purview of the cybersecurity industry and national security interests that want to regulate what and who can see, talk to and hear in the U.S. cognitive space.

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-05). The right to live in peace. mronline.org On a warm late February day in Santiago, I went to the grave of Victor Jara to pay homage to the man who was brutally killed on 16 September 1973.

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-05). Victor Jara's song returns as an anthem of our time. peoplesworld.org On a warm late February day in Santiago, I went to the grave of Victor Jara to pay homage to the man who was brutally killed on Sept. 16, 1973. A theatre director, songwriter, and communist, Jara was arrested after the coup d'état against the socialist government of Salvador Allende. He was tortured and then …

Eve Ottenberg (2021-03-05). What the Ecuadoran Elections Mean for the U.S. counterpunch.org The pink tide is coming back in — much to the chagrin of many in the U.S. government. With leftist governments in Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina, Nicaragua, Mexico and Cuba, the prospect of yet another, this time in Ecuador, doubtless keeps regime changers, right-wing think tankers and other assorted Washington imperialists up at night. All those leftists the U.S. had murdered over the years, all the death squads the U.S. gave the nod to, all those dictators the North American empire supported — for what? After generations of slaughter, the victims' heirs keep taking over. The U.S. sponsored the exterm…

John Wojcik (2021-03-05). What's really behind Republican obstructionism? peoplesworld.org Later Thursday, before senators could even begin debate on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion rescue plan, they had to sit through a nearly 11-hour reading by the clerks of the entire 620-page bill. It was only the first step in Republican moves to delay a vote on an economic package that millions of Americans so …

PAI, Northwest Labor Press (2021-03-05). Montana defeats 'right to work'; W. Va. governor admits it's failed his state. peoplesworld.org HELENA, Mont., and CHARLESTON, W. VA. (PAI)—The continuing drive by the corporate class and their right-wing GOP puppets to impose "right to work" around the U.S. took hits in Republican-run Montana and West Virginia on consecutive days in early March. The bigger triumph for workers and their allies came in Montana. For its 50,000-member labor …

William J. Astore (2021-03-05). Failing Upward: Pentagon's more and more Expensive Boondoggles (that don't even work). juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Cancel culture is a common, almost viral, term in political and social discourse these days. Basically, somebody expresses views considered to be outrageous or vile or racist or otherwise insensitive and inappropriate. In response, that person is "canceled," perhaps losing a job or otherwise sidelined and silenced. In being deplatformed by Twitter, …

Kenya Elliott (2021-03-05). Why was the National Guard not at the Capitol when the mob attacked? liberationnews.org Washington, D.C., National Guard commander William Walker, along with other top officials, testified before Congress this week regarding the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol building by a fascist-led mob. The testimony involved critical information about the timeline of events between the first request by Capitol Police for National Guard assistance and the Pentagon's eventual …

Don Fitz (2021-03-05). From the Murder of Berta Cáceres to Dam Disaster in Uttarakhand. dissidentvoice.org March 2, 2021 was the five year anniversary of the murder of Berta Cáceres, who opposed the Agua Zarca dam in Honduras. That date was less than one month after the deaths of dozens of people from Tehri Dam disaster in Uttarakhand, India. The two stories together tell us far more about consequences of the …

Joe Lee-Cullin (2021-03-05). Michigan high school students fight racism. liberationnews.org "It can be scary to be Black in America. [Our kids] shouldn't have to be scared at school."

Don Fitz (2021-03-05). From the Murder of Berta Cáceres to the Dam Disaster in Uttarakhand. counterpunch.org March 2, 2021 was the five year anniversary of the murder of Berta Cáceres, who opposed the Agua Zarca dam in Honduras. That date was less than one month after the deaths of dozens of people from Tehri Dam disaster in Uttarakhand, India. The two stories together tell us far more about consequences of the insatiable greed of capitalism for more energy than either narrative does by itself.

Juni Hannah (2021-03-05). A fight for free speech in Selah, Wash. liberationnews.org In a small, conservative town in central Washington, sidewalk chalk has become a highly contentious issue between residents and the City Council.

Joe Lee-Cullin (2021-03-05). Michigan high school students fight attacks on BLM mural. liberationnews.org "It can be scary to be Black in America. [Our kids] shouldn't have to be scared at school."

National Lawyers Guild (2021-03-05). The case for abolition, for skeptics. mronline.org In the final piece of the series, NLG Anti-Racism Committee Co-Chair and one of the proponents of the 2020 policing resolution Kira Kelley makes the case for the abolition of policing and offers examples of individuals and projects taking power and resources away from police and prisons to create non-carceral, non-punitive alternatives.

Zac Vecellio, Brianna Griffith (2021-03-05). Abbott forces Texas to 'OPEN 100%' just weeks after deadly storm. liberationnews.org Abbott has billed the new order as a victory for "freedom," even as he undermines cities' freedom to protect their own populations with mask mandates and protective measures.

John P. Geyman (2021-03-05). The Private Health Insurance Industry: Should It Be Eliminated? counterpunch.org Many Americans assume that the private health insurance industry is an unmovable fixture in the U. S. health care system, but there is a growing need to re-examine that premise. Over recent decades, its performance has been increasingly profit-driven to the point of now becoming unaffordable for patients, their families, employers and taxpayers. The time

Liberation Staff (2021-03-05). Video: Cancel the Rents caravan in Oakland, California. liberationnews.org On Feb 27, people from around the San Francisco Bay Area gathered for a rally and caravan in Berkeley and Oakland to demand cancellation of rents and mortgages, an end to evictions, and housing for the homeless. Over 20 organizations were represented, including the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, Do No Harm Coalition, AFSCME 3299, …

Magnificent Mndebele (2021-03-05). ArcelorMittal is 'slowly becoming a burial site'. peoplesdispatch.org Three ArcelorMittal workers were trapped in a control room in the early hours of Wednesday 17 February when the room collapsed after a stack structure fell on it, following an explosion. Workers who witnessed the scene at the company's plant in Vanderbijlpark in south Gauteng paint a grim picture. But the company denies an explosion occurred, despite no managers being there at the time. | The workers say the flames from the batteries were unusual that day, resembling an explosion, with large flames in the ovens. Gas escaped to the stack structure adjacent to the control room, where Thami Molefe, 53, Lesenyeho Mof…

Miko Peled (2021-03-05). Israel: Orthodox Religious Parties Shaken by Supreme Court Ruling on Law of Return. mintpressnews.com The Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the application of the Law of Return threatens ultimate dilution of the political power of Israel's Orthodox religious parties, and thus has the potential to shake up the upcoming election's dynamics.

Monica Johnson, Leela Anand (2021-03-05). Atlanta DA refuses to prosecute killer cops in Rayshard Brooks' murder. liberationnews.org Despite nearing a year since the murder of Rayshard Brooks, Fulton County officials have yet to prosecute the two killer cops of the Atlanta Police Department. Brooks was killed by officers Garret Rolfe and Devin Brosnan on the night of June 12, 2020, outside a Wendy's restaurant near Atlanta's Pittsburgh neighborhood. Brooks was shot twice …

Liberation Staff (2021-03-05). The Real Story: A Socialist Look at Syria and US Intervention. liberationnews.org Brian Becker dissects the reasons for the US military occupation in Syria and analyzes the objectives and strategies of U.S. imperialism in Syria, and its wars against Iraq and Libya.

Rob Urie (2021-03-05). Economic Growth is the Cause of Climate Change, Not the Solution to It. counterpunch.org Through 2019, the last year for which data is available, greenhouse gas emissions and global GDP growth remained as highly correlated as they have been for the last half century. What this means is that despite the rhetorical back-and-forth over technological innovation and government policies as potential solutions to climate change, the role of economic

Caleb Granger (2021-03-05). Houston demonstration demands, 'Fix our broken pipes, no more airstrikes!'. liberationnews.org Texans were told to drink pool water while Biden prioritized bombing Syria.

Juni Hanna (2021-03-05). The fight for free speech in Selah, Wash. liberationnews.org In a small, conservative town in central Washington, sidewalk chalk has become a highly contentious issue between residents and the City Council.

John Feffer (2021-03-05). The Odyssey of An Wei, the Forest Gump of China. counterpunch.org The story of An Wei overlaps almost perfectly with the story of Communist China. Born in a small village some distance from the northwestern city of Xian, An Wei was seven years old when Mao took control of the country in 1949. As the son of peasants, he was part of the first generation of

Caleb Granger (2021-03-05). Houston demonstration demands, "Fix our broken pipes, no more airstrikes!" liberationnews.org Texans were told to drink pool water while Biden prioritized bombing Syria.

Zac Vecellio, Brianna Griffith (2021-03-05). Abbott forces Texas "OPEN 100%" just weeks after deadly storm. liberationnews.org Abbott has billed the new order as a victory for "freedom," even as he undermines cities' freedom to protect their own populations with mask mandates and protective measures.

Monica Johnson, Leela Anand (2021-03-05). Atlanta DA refuses to prosecute killer cop in Rayshard Brooks' murder. liberationnews.org Although nearing a year since the murder of Rayshard Brooks, Fulton County officials have yet to prosecute the two killer cops of the Atlanta Police Department. Brooks was killed by officers Garret Rolfe and Devin Brosnan on the night of June 12, 2020, outside a Wendy's restaurant near Atlanta's Pittsburgh neighborhood. Brooks was shot twice …

PAI (2021-03-05). PRO Act, biggest labor law reform in decades, headed for House vote. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The narrowly Democratic U.S. House will vote during the week of March 8 on the nation's most wide-ranging, pro-worker labor law reform in decades, the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize). Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced the scheduled vote on March 3. His schedule statement comes as unions, led by the AFL-CIO, are stepping …

John Bachtell (2021-03-05). GOP, Senate filibuster in way of 'next great Civil Rights bill'. peoplesworld.org The Democratic-led House of Representatives is responding to the largest assault on voting rights since Reconstruction with the For the People Act (H.R. 1). The measure passed in the lower chamber on March 3. The fight to win final adoption of the bill now passes to the nearly evenly divided Senate. But passage in the …

RT (2021-03-05). Lebanon's central bank chief says he's suing Bloomberg for report claiming US mulling sanctions on him over corruption. rt.com Lebanon's central bank governor said he will file legal action against Bloomberg and one of its journalists over a story it published claiming that the US was considering sanctions against him as part of a wider corruption probe. | "The governor of the bank, Riad Salameh, will present a series of legal actions inside and outside Lebanon against the agency Bloomberg [and its] US correspondent in Beirut," a statement from the Banque du Liban carried by local media said on Friday. | It also accused the US-based media outlet of "fabricating news, abuse and attempts to distort the reputation of the governor of the…

RT (2021-03-05). 'I don't know what prime minister meant': Israel's virus czar shoots down Netanyahu's suggestion country is through pandemic. rt.com Israeli coronavirus response chief, Nachman Ash, doesn't share PM Benjamin Netanyahu's optimism regarding the Covid situation in the country, warning that it could well go into a fourth lockdown due to a rising transmission rate. | Israel is "the first country in the world to emerge from corona," Netanyahu insisted in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. "Look, I don't think we're coming out completely. We're going to have to wear a mask for some time. But we're behind it." | When asked on Friday to comment on Netanyahu's remarks, Ash responded: "I don't know what the prime minister meant." | Israel has bee…

RT (2021-03-05). 200,000 Russians have died of Covid-19 since start of pandemic, state agency confirms, as caseload falls & restrictions dropped. rt.com Another grim milestone has been reached in Russia's fight against Covid-19, with Moscow officials confirming that more than 200,000 deaths linked to the virus have been recorded since the first fatality just under a year ago. | Rosstat, the country's statistical authority, announced on Friday that 37,107 people had died while infected with the coronavirus in January, putting the overall official number of dead at 200,432 and potentially giving the country the third-highest total death toll in the world after the US and Brazil. However, when measured on a per capita basis, the world's largest country has seen l…

RT (2021-03-05). German intelligence blocked from spying on right-wing AfD party after designation as 'suspected' extremists. rt.com The BfV, Germany's domestic intelligence service, cannot spy on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party under the authority they have to fight extremism, a court has said in an emergency injunction. | The decision by the Cologne Administrative Court was taken on Friday as it continues looking into a complaint by the AfD. The court agreed with the party that the information about the designation may affect its election outlook. The party was designated a suspected extremist organization by the BfV earlier this week. | The German constitution requires equal treatment of all political parties, so at least for now…

RT (2021-03-05). European Union agrees that member states can purchase Russian & Chinese vaccines outside of bloc's collective purchase program. rt.com EU countries have the right to acquire vaccines independently if the jabs concerned aren't part of the bloc's centralized procurement strategy, a European Commission spokesman said when asked about Russian and Chinese formulas. | Amid shortages of EU-approved Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, some countries in the 27-member collective have started looking for other ways to inoculate their populations. Hungary and Slovakia have already approved Russia's Sputnik V jab on their own, while Poland is discussing the possibility of purchasing Sinovac immunization from China. | When ask…

RT (2021-03-05). One dose of Sputnik V is enough for strong immune response in people previously infected with Covid-19, Argentina study claims. rt.com People who already had the coronavirus show rapid immune response to Sputnik V and may require just one shot of the Russian jab during vaccination, a study in Buenos Aires found. | Participants developed Covid-19 antibodies in 100 percent of the cases after both doses of Sputnik V were administered to them, a The research, which was supported…

RT (2021-03-05). 20 killed in Somali capital after suicide car bomb detonates outside restaurant. rt.com At least 20 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a suicide car bombing in Mogadishu. The incident occured on the same day Somali Islamist militants stormed a jail in the semi-atonomus Puntland state. | The blast struck outside the Luul Yemeni restaurant on Friday evening, with eyewitness footage of the scene showing the scale of devastation as locals and first responders bearing torches searched through the debris in the dark for other victims. | No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and local medics have warned that the death toll may rise. Local reports say the scale of the blast br…

RT (2021-03-05). European Union agrees member states can purchase Russian & Chinese Covid-19 vaccines outside of bloc's collective purchase program. rt.com European Union member states have the right to acquire Covid-19 vaccines independently if the jabs concerned aren't part of the bloc's under-fire centralized procurement strategy, a European Commission spokesman said on Friday. | Amid shortages of EU-approved Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, some countries in the 27-member collective have started looking for other ways to inoculate their populations. Hungary and Slovakia have already approved Russia's Sputnik V jab on their own, while Poland is discussing the possibility of purchasing Sinovac immunization from China. | When ask…

RT (2021-03-05). European Union says member states are allowed to purchase Russian & Chinese vaccines on their own. rt.com EU countries have the right to acquire vaccines independently if jabs aren't part of the bloc's centralized procurement strategy, a European Commission spokesman said when asked about the Russian and Chinese shots. | Amid shortages of EU-approved Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, some countries in the bloc have started looking for other ways to inoculate their populations. Hungary and Slovakia have already approved Russia's Sputnik V jab on their own, while Poland is discussing the possibility of purchasing Sinovac immunization with China. | When asked about those developments,…

RT (2021-03-05). Practically impossible: Russian NGOs plead for Putin's help as new law demands they declare foreign funding sources of EVERY donor. rt.com More than fifty Russian NGOs that help orphans, the homeless and other vulnerable groups have asked President Vladimir Putin to help resolve disputes with the Ministry of Justice over the declaration of foreign funding. | That's according to Moscow daily Kommersant, which explained that the law obliges such organizations to declare any foreign sources of funding in their annual financial reports, including information about international income streams of their Russian donors. | In recent years, the government has increased the reporting requirement of organizations in several fields, with an increased focus o…

RT (2021-03-05). Duterte Harry: Philippines leader admits 'faults' including 'extrajudicial killings,' but says corruption isn't one of them. rt.com While addressing an official anti-communist taskforce on Friday, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte defended himself against claims of corruption — but said he's working on his other faults, including "extrajudicial killings." | "Faults? Me? Plenty. But I don't steal money," Duterte said on Friday as he reviewed his own record as the country's leader. "I just have cases of extrajudicial killings. We will get there," he added. | Duterte conceded that the "government is not perfect" as he addressed members of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Eclac), which itself has bee…

RT (2021-03-05). Deal with Russia 'as it is' says Estonian president, arguing in favor of greater cooperation with shared neighbor on Baltic visit. rt.com During a trip to neighboring Latvia, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid has urged European diplomats to pursue more constructive relationships with Moscow, insisting that doing so need not be at the expense of their 'values'. | In an interview with the local LTV news channel, reported by Russian media on Thursday, the Estonian politician insisted that when it comes to Russia, "being involved doesn't mean abandoning your principles." | "I am in favor of dialogue," she said, "but in it, you need to be firm and give a clear message. This is our common task — to take on these difficult issues." At the same t…

RT (2021-03-05). Democratic congressman Swalwell sues Trump for EMOTIONAL DAMAGE over Capitol riot, says he was ready for COMBAT with mob. rt.com Rep. Eric Swalwell has sued Donald Trump and his allies over "emotional distress" sustained at the Capitol Hill riot. The suit also claims that Swalwell stripped down and prepared for "hand-to-hand combat" with the rioters. | In a civil

RT (2021-03-05). Republican senator forces clerks to read Biden's Covid bill for TEN HOURS, in last-ditch effort to block. rt.com Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) has infuriated Democrats by demanding that Senate clerks read each and every page of Joe Biden's $2 trillion Covid-19 relief bill aloud. To some Dems, bills are better passed with no debate. | President Joe Biden's Covid-19 relief bill, which passed the House of Representatives last week, weighs in at a whopping 628 pages. It offers relief checks of $1,400 to eligible Americans, though more than three quarters of its $1.9 trillion

RT (2021-03-05). Democrats crush Bernie Sanders' push for $15 minimum wage insert into Covid relief bill, despite most Americans supporting it. rt.com Senator Sanders (I-Vermont) has failed to insert a minimum wage hike into a mammoth $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The attempt was a long shot, and members of his own party decisively voted against it. | As the US Senate debated amendments to President Joe Biden's long-anticipated Covid-19 relief bill, Sanders stuck to his progressive guns on Friday and attempted to insert an amendment to raise the federal minimum wage to $15. The amendment was already ruled out by the Senate parliamentarian — an official who functions as a sort of referee in the chamber — last week, as inserting it would bre…

RT (2021-03-05). Obama said Buttigieg can't become president because he's 'GAY' and 'SHORT,' new book on 2020 campaign reveals. rt.com Former President Barack Obama sized up the top Democrat 2020 presidential contenders and concluded that Pete Buttigieg couldn't win because of his sexual orientation, shortness and youth, according to a new book on the race. | "He's 38, but he looks 30," Obama told a group of wealthy black political donors in New York in October 2019, two mainstream journalists wrote in a He's the mayor of a small town. He's gay, and he's short. | Obama gave his br…

RT (2021-03-05). California's Newsom doubles down (literally) on mask-wearing as he says Texas made 'terrible mistake' in lifting mandate. rt.com California Governor Gavin Newsom has urged state residents to double up on their mask-wearing, issuing new guidelines calling for two face coverings in public after condemning Texas and other states for easing their restrictions. | Asking Californians to "get the most out of masking," the state's

RT (2021-03-05). Covid-19 has been 'really good' for CNN's ratings, WarnerMedia CEO says at Morgan Stanley conference. rt.com While Covid-19 has claimed more than 2.5 million lives worldwide, the chief executive at CNN's parent firm is looking on the bright side, telling a virtual audience the pandemic has been "really good" for the outlet's ratings. | Jason Kilar — the CEO of WarnerMedia, which owns the cable network — appeared at Morgan Stanley's 'Technology, Media and Telecom' virtual conference on Thursday, where he was asked about CNN and whether it could keep up its current momentum. | "I'd say that it turns out that pandemic is a pretty big part of the news cycle, and that's not going away anytime soon," he replied,…

RT (2021-03-05). No-show Joe? VP Harris continues high-level talks without Biden, speaks to Israeli PM Netanyahu. rt.com Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without President Joe Biden being present, the latest in a series of calls to world leaders usually conducted by the president. | Harris spoke to Netanyahu on Thursday, with a White House readout of the call saying she "underscored the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to the US-Israel partnership," and affirmed her opposition to the International Criminal Court prosecuting Israeli soldiers for alleged

RT (2021-03-05). Boeing 737 MAX makes emergency landing after one engine shut down over suspected mechanical issue, American Airlines says. rt.com A Boeing 737 MAX headed to New Jersey was forced to make an emergency touch-down after its captain cut one of its engines due to a suspected malfunction with the troublesome plane, which was ungrounded only two months ago. | American Airlines said the plane's captain declared an emergency as it approached New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport from Miami on Friday, successfully reaching the airport and landing with just one engine online. | The issue was not linked to the MCAS flight control system behind two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that prompted the plane's 20-month grounding, but rather rel…

RT (2021-03-05). 'It's the Cuomo way': MORE aides describe 'cult' workplace as top NY Democrat says governor should quit if new accusers speak out. rt.com Numerous former staffers for Andrew Cuomo have described the toxic and cult-like work environment they worked under amidst the governor's multiple worsening scandals, including three accusations of sexual harassment. | "There's no right or wrong way. It's the Cuomo way," one staffer told the Gothamist about a warning she received when interviewing for a job in the Cuomo administration. "He wants people who are literally going to fall on the sword for him, and they all will." | Another described being told to wear stiletto heels because she was blonde and the governor "likes blondes" in stiletto heels. Her desk…

RT (2021-03-05). MSNBC's Joy Reid sparks outrage by claiming conservatives would trade tax cuts to be allowed 'openly say the n-word'. rt.com Joy Reid has triggered everyone from Ben Shapiro to Glenn Greenwald by implying Republicans are racists wishing they could "openly say the n-word" and floating new meritless "Moscow" conspiracy theories. | "I'll say it again: people on the right would trade all the tax cuts for the ability to openly say the n-word like in 'the good old days,'" Reid tweeted this week. "To them, not being able to be openly racist and discriminatory without consequence is oppression. Trump is the avatar for this 'freedom.'" | I'll say it again: people on the right would trade all the tax cuts for the ability to openly say the n-w…

RT (2021-03-05). Americans more upbeat about end of Covid-19 than ever, poll finds…but others not so sure. rt.com A record 60 percent of Americans believe the coronavirus situation is improving, a recent poll found, with people more confident than ever that they can get PPE or be tested if they need it. But the fun police aren't happy. | More Americans feel optimistic about the Covid-19 epidemic than at any point since the beginning of the pandemic, a Gallup poll published on Friday has revealed. | With 60 percent of Americans confident the epidemic was on the mend, the March poll was the first time since the pollster began checking for Covid-19 concerns in April that the overall outlook had improved. Faith in being able…

RT (2021-03-05). Arrests over clashes in Lyon as locals blame French police for teenager's scooter crash that left him in coma (VIDEOS). rt.com Twelve people have been arrested after violence broke out in Lyon, France, where protesters burned cars and launched fireworks in response to the alleged role of police in a local teenager's serious scooter crash on Wednesday. | The Lyon prosecutor's office announced on Friday that it was launching an investigation into the teenager's crash and injuries. The 13-year-old boy is reportedly in a coma after the incident. | Eight juveniles and four adults were arrested in the area after cars were torched and police were attacked with fireworks on Thursday. | One local officer suffered minor injuries and national po…

RT (2021-03-05). US announces sanctions on top Ukrainian oligarch & Zelensky ally Kolomoisky for 'undermining democratic processes' in country. rt.com Washington has introduced a package of measures against a billionaire Ukrainian businessman and long-time supporter of the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The US claims he has used his political links for personal gain. | On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken designated Igor Kolomoisky under rules that will allow the US to target him and his family with punitive measures, including a travel ban. He

RT (2021-03-05). 'He's two years old': Furious ex-UFC champ Garbrandt 'kicked off US flight because of facemask issue with young son'. rt.com Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt has posted angry videos to social media claiming he and his two-year-old son were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight because of a facemask issue involving the youngster. | Garbrandt shared two clips on Instagram on Thursday showing the incident, in the first of which the fighter accuses a flight attendant of hiding in the airplane bathroom as a row over the facemask unfolds. | "Are you going to hide in there?" Garbrandt is heard saying, before repeating "two years old, two years old" as he is asked to turn his phone off. | "F*ck @southwestair got kicked of…

RT (2021-03-05). Software guru John McAfee and his top cryptocurrency adviser charged with fraud and money laundering by US federal prosecutors. rt.com Antivirus pioneer John McAfee has been charged with fraud and money laundering by prosecutors in New York. The businessman and one-time presidential candidate is accused of fraudulently promoting cryptocurrency on social media. | An indictment against McAfee was unsealed on Friday, and names both him and Jimmy Gale Watson — an adviser to McAfee — as defendants in a fraud and money laundering case. The pair are accused of using McAfee's social media accounts to publicize various cryptocurrencies, inflating their value and allegedly netting McAfee more than $13 million. Another member of the McAfee tea…

Andrew DeMillo (2021-03-05). Arkansas abortion ban aims to force Supreme Court Roe v. Wade fight. peoplesworld.org LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)—Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation banning nearly all abortions, sending the bill to a Republican governor who has expressed reservations about the move. Abortion rights groups have said they're prepared to challenge the outright ban if it's enacted. The majority-Republican House voted 75-18 for the bill, which bans all abortions except …

Global Research News (2021-03-05). Selected Articles: Why the Biden Administration Is Dead Wrong to Oppose ICC Inquiry in Occupied Palestine. globalresearch.ca By Since Palestine…

_____ (2021-03-05). How to Succeed in School Without Really Trying. strategic-culture.org By Rod DREHER | We live in a time when people are losing faith in institutions. Tiffany France thought her son would receive…

Staff (2021-03-05). Unemployment Drops to 6.2 Percent — But Long-Term Unemployment Continues Soaring. truthout.org The establishment survey showed the economy added 379,000 jobs in February. In addition, the figures from December and January were revised up by 38,000. This brings the average job gain over the last three months to 79,700. Employment in the survey stands at 9,475,000 below its year-ago level. | The household survey showed the unemployment edging down to 6.2 percent, while the employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) also ticked up 0.1 percentage point to 57.6 percent. That is down 3.5 percen…

Staff (2021-03-05). Detroit Will Use $200,000 in Taxpayer Money to Fund Claim Against BLM Group. truthout.org Detroit Will Breathe was formed days after the mass uprising following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Despite the hyper-militarized tools and tactics used by Detroit Police on anti-racist protesters in an attempt to stop the movement, activists kept mobilizing against police brutality. Instead of trying to meet the demands that Detroit Will Breathe developed with the community, DPD continued to use excessive force and brutality. Following a summer of state violen…

Staff (2021-03-05). Former Impeachment Manager Sues Trump Over January 6 Capitol Breach. truthout.org Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-California), who also served as a House manager in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump earlier this year, Swalwell also named Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former…

Staff (2021-03-05). FBI Arrests Former Trump Appointee for Role in January 6 Capitol Breach. truthout.org The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) arrested Federico Klein, a former State Department official who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, on Thursday evening, alleging that he was involved in the January 6 attack of the U.S. Capitol building. | Klein's arrest

Staff (2021-03-05). Rev. William Barber to Democrats: "Stick Together" and Pass the $15 Minimum Wage. truthout.org Image Credit: Facebook: Fightfor15LA | The Senate has voted to open debate on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The legislation has widespread support from voters, with one new poll showing 77% of Americans support the bill, including nearly 60% of Republicans. But the Senate bill has some key differences from the package approved by the House, including a reduction in the number of people eligible for direct stimulus checks and no provision to raise the federal mini…

Staff (2021-03-05). GOP Goes All In to Obstruct Relief Bill Nine Days Before Jobless Benefits Expire. truthout.org Republican lawmakers, led by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, are attempting to grind the Senate to a halt to delay passage of a sprawling $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package as Democrats race to get the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk before March 14, when millions of jobless Americans will begin losing their unemployment lifelines. | After the Senate on Thursday afternoon approved a procedural motion to begin consideration of the aid bill — with all 50 Republicans vot…

Staff (2021-03-05). "Moderate" Democrats May Obstruct Fundamentally Essential Electoral Reform. truthout.org One of the more revealing political moments of recent times was when the Republican Party decided they weren't going to bother

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-03-05). Arabic press review: Palestine slams Washington's 'lack of understanding' of ICC jurisdiction. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Palestine slams Washington's 'lack of understanding' of ICC jurisdiction | Meanwhile, British ambassador in Jordan says her country is committed to the two-state solution, and Iraq imposes curfew during Pope's visit | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 17: 07 | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks about priorities for administration of President Joe Biden in the Ben Franklin…

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2021-03-05). Tens of thousands of Palestinians protest against Israeli police violence and inaction. middleeasteye.net Tens of thousands of Palestinians protest against Israeli police violence and inaction | Demonstration held on eighth Friday in a row and said to be the largest in 20 years | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 11: 04 | Palestinians take part in a protest against a wave of crime and violence in their communities, amid tensions with Israeli police who the protesters say are unwilling to deal with th…

MEE correspondent (2021-03-05). Egypt: Toddler traumatised after two years in detention with mother. middleeasteye.net Egypt: Toddler traumatised after two years in detention with mother | Amnesty International says a 27-year-old woman and her baby were 'forcibly disappeared' by Egyptian security services | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 15: 40 | Manar Adel Abu el-Naga and her husband Omar Abdelhamid Abu el-Naga (Supplied) | Egyptian authorities have been urged to fully investigate the two-year-long "enforced disapp…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-05). 'Baba al-Vatican': Pope Francis arrives in Iraq for historic visit. middleeasteye.net 'Baba al-Vatican': Pope Francis arrives in Iraq for historic visit | Head of Catholic Church greeted by dancing and dignitaries for Iraq's first ever papal visit | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 13: 21 | Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi welcomed Pope Francis at Baghdad International Airport (Reuters) | Pope Francis said he was "happy" to land in Iraq for the first ever papal visit to the country…

Malek Bachir (2021-03-05). Germany-Morocco tensions: Why is Rabat so upset with Berlin? middleeasteye.net Germany-Morocco tensions: Why is Rabat so upset with Berlin? | Western Sahara, Libya negotiations, German organisations… the suspension of contact between Rabat and the German embassy in Morocco has been attributed to 'an accumulation of grudges'
| Fri, 03/05/2021 – 13: 17 | German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Berlin in November 2019 (AFP) | A d…

Mucahid Durmaz (2021-03-05). Sahel countries negotiate with armed groups despite French opposition. middleeasteye.net Sahel countries negotiate with armed groups despite French opposition | France has failed to defeat militants in the Sahel. Now, regional governments are turning to talks to resolve the conflict | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 15: 01 | A soldier poses for a portrait during Operation Barkhane in Burkina Faso, on 13 November 2019 (Michele Cattani/AFP) | On 16 February, during a two-day summit of leaders from we…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-05). Princess Latifa: UN 'still waiting' for evidence from UAE that she is alive. middleeasteye.net Princess Latifa: UN 'still waiting' for evidence from UAE that she is alive | Recent footage showed the daughter of Dubai's ruler saying she was being held captive by her father | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 11: 27 | Friends of Princess Latifa say she has had little medical care and went over a year without a toothbrush (Screengrab/Sky News) | The United Nations has said it is still waiting for proo…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-05). Harris reaffirms US opposition to ICC probe of Israel in call to Netanyahu. middleeasteye.net Harris reaffirms US opposition to ICC probe of Israel in call to Netanyahu | US vice president also 'emphasized the United States' unwavering commitment to Israel's security' | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 08: 26 | The call was the first between Harris and Netanyahu since she became US vice president in January (AFP) | US Vice President Kamala Harris, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne…

Nadda Osman (2021-03-05). Algeria: Bill to revoke citizenship met with anger and fear among activists. middleeasteye.net Algeria: Bill to revoke citizenship met with anger and fear among activists | The proposed law would target people deemed detrimental to the state, in a move condemned as dangerous and vague | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 14: 22 | Demonstrators carry the national flag on a march in Algiers to demand political change (Reuters) | A new bill being considered by the Algerian government, which could see people have thei…

MEE staff (2021-03-05). Biden open to repealing US laws that enable 'forever wars'. middleeasteye.net Biden open to repealing US laws that enable 'forever wars' | US president will work with Congress to revoke decades-old measures that allow military action without congressional approval, White House says | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 17: 38 | American soldiers taking position around the US embassy in Baghdad, on 31 December 2019 (AFP/US embassy handout) | US President Joe Biden has signalled willingness to repeal laws…

Azhar Al-Rubaie (2021-03-05). What is Ur, the 'birthplace' of Abraham? middleeasteye.net What is Ur, the 'birthplace' of Abraham? | Pope Francis is due to lead an interfaith service at the ancient Iraqi city where the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is thought to have lived | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 13: 14 | The ziggurat at Ur was a temple to the moon god Nannar, and has been dated to the second millennium BC (Reuters) | On Saturday, Pope Francis will hold an inter-faith s…

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-05). UN expert warns counter-terror policies led to 'further stigmatisation' of Muslims. middleeasteye.net UN expert warns counter-terror policies led to 'further stigmatisation' of Muslims | UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed said Islamophobia has reached 'epidemic proportions' across the world | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 16: 21 | UN expert Ahmed Shaheed said Muslim women face the triple threat of discrimination due to their gender, ethnicity, and religion (AFP) | A United Nations expert has warned that counter-ter…

MEE staff (2021-03-05). Iran ready to resume nuclear talks if US lifts sanctions within a year, official says. middleeasteye.net Iran ready to resume nuclear talks if US lifts sanctions within a year, official says | Former IRGC chief suggests Tehran willing to re-engage with Washington, but foreign ministry spokesman appears to reject remarks | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 16: 32 | Mohsen Rezaei was a leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps for 16 years (AFP) | Iran would be willing to resume negotiations on the 2015 nuclear deal if the U…

MEE staff (2021-03-05). US Republicans demand arms embargo on Iran after missile strikes in Iraq. middleeasteye.net US Republicans demand arms embargo on Iran after missile strikes in Iraq | Two senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying US must prevent 'Iran from selling its weapons abroad' | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 20: 02 | Senators Joni Ernst, left, and Bill Hagerty, right, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week (AFP) | Two Senate Republicans are calling on the State Depart…

MEE staff (2021-03-05). Israel has list of Iran-backed targets ready to strike, defence minister warns. middleeasteye.net Israel has list of Iran-backed targets ready to strike, defence minister warns | Benny Gantz says Iran's nuclear programme 'must be stalled' and warns Israel is prepared to 'stand independently' against Tehran | Fri, 03/05/2021 – 17: 26 | Israeli Defence Minister and alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz says Israel is dedicated to stalling Iranian nuclear escalation (AFP/File photo) | Israel is updating its co…

Betsey Piette (2021-03-05). Mumia has COVID-19 — the only treatment is his freedom! workers.org Word has come that Pennsylvania political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal has tested positive for COVID-19. Supporters learned of the diagnosis March 3, as they were gathered in front of the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to call for Abu-Jamal's release and that of all incarcerated people over 50, who . . . |

Staff (2021-03-05). Big Pharma slows vaccine rollout to protect corporate profits. therealnews.com This week, President Biden announced that, by utilizing the Defense Production Act, the federal government has created an historic agreement between drugmakers Johnson & Johnson and Merck to produce enough COVID-19 vaccines for the entire U.S. adult population by May (months quicker than initially expected). This underscores the ability of the U.S. government to facilitate faster vaccine production, argues Peter Maybarduk of Public Citizen, but that production doesn't have to be driven by the hunt for profit.

Staff (2021-03-05). Police hijack helicopter ambulance for aerial surveillance. therealnews.com Documents obtained by PAR reveal how an air ambulance service has been used repeatedly to fly surveillance missions over the city of Baltimore, raising troubling questions about the consequences of law enforcement's growing civic influence.

Staff (2021-03-05). Police hijack helicopter ambulance for surveillance. therealnews.com Documents obtained by PAR reveal how an air ambulance service has been used repeatedly to fly surveillance missions over the city of Baltimore, raising troubling questions about the consequences of law enforcement's growing civic influence.

RT (2021-03-05). Lebanon's central bank chief says he's suing Bloomberg for report claiming US mulling sanctions on him over corruption. rt.com Lebanon's central bank governor said he will file legal action against Bloomberg and one of its journalists over a story it published claiming that the US was considering sanctions against him as part of a wider corruption probe. | "The governor of the bank, Riad Salameh, will present a series of legal actions inside and outside Lebanon against the agency Bloomberg [and its] US correspondent in Beirut," a statement from the Banque du Liban carried by local media said on Friday. | It also accused the US-based media outlet of "fabricating news, abuse and attempts to distort the reputation of the governor of the…

Staff (2021-03-04). Vaccine Apartheid: Marc Lamont Hill, Mitchell Plitnick on Israel's "Indifference to Palestinian Health" democracynow.org Israel has had the fastest vaccination rollout in the entire world, with 40% of Israelis already fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but Palestinians in the Occupied Territories have received almost no doses — a situation critics call "vaccine apartheid." By one count, just 34,000 vaccine doses have been administered to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, which has a population of over 4.5 million. "What we're seeing right now is a gross injustice," says Marc Lamont Hill, author and professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University. We also speak with Mitchell Plitnick, political anal…

Staff (2021-03-04). Marc Lamont Hill & Mitchell Plitnick on ICC Probe & the "Palestine Exception" in Progressive Politics. democracynow.org Israel and the United States blasted the International Criminal Court's decision to open a probe into Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories, as well as crimes committed by Palestinian militant groups. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that the Biden administration "firmly opposes" an investigation. Mitchell Plitnick and Marc Lamont Hill, co-authors of "Except for Palestine," say it's an illustration of the "Palestine exception" that makes even supposedly progressive people unwilling to criticize Israel's human rights abuses and its ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories. "We are at…

Staff (2021-03-04). Mumia Abu-Jamal Tests Positive for COVID, Prompting Urgent Call to Release Elder Political Prisoners. democracynow.org Renowned political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal's lawyers confirmed Wednesday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and also has congestive heart disease. Abu-Jamal also suffers from the preexisting conditions of liver disease, which advocates say is directly related to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections' failure to treat his hepatitis C in a timely fashion. Mumia's doctor, Dr. Ricardo Alvarez, says the only appropriate treatment is freedom. Marc Lamont Hill, who co-authored a book with Abu-Jamal titled "The Classroom and the Cell: Conversations on Black Life in America," says this is an opportun…

Eds. (2021-03-04). Cornel West: Palestine is a "taboo issue among certain circles in high places" mronline.org Activist and scholar says he is being denied tenure at Harvard University because of his views on Israeli occupation.

Alan MacLeod (2021-03-04). After years of propaganda, American views of Russia and China hit historic lows. mronline.org Both pro- and anti-war voices have stated that the U.S. is on the cusp of entering a second Cold War, and a new Gallup poll suggests that the groundwork for such a conflict has already been laid.

Staff (2021-03-04). COVID Deaths Soar in Brazil as Bolsonaro Blasts Lockdowns. truthout.org Brazil's COVID-19 death toll has now topped nearly 260,000, the world's second worst after the United States, as hospitals are overwhelmed with new cases. International concern is also growing about the P1 variant of the virus, which overwhelmed the Amazonian city of Manaus and caused its hospitals to run out of oxygen. Less than 4% of Brazil's population has been vaccinated. Marcia Castro, demography professor at Harvard University, says the crisis in Brazil is due to "a combination of inaction and also wrongdoin…

Staff (2021-03-04). AOC Slams Biden Administration Over Lowering COVID Stimulus Income Thresholds. truthout.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) sharply criticized The $1,400 checks, the third round of payments to Americans during the pandemic, will be sent in full to every individual earning $75,000 or l…

Shatha Hammad (2021-03-04). Covid-19: Palestinian Authority criticised for VIP vaccine distribution. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Palestinian Authority criticised for VIP vaccine distribution | A significant proportion of the first batch of vaccines have gone to PA government figures and their allies
| Thu, 03/04/2021 – 14: 45 | An UNRWA employee prepares a shot of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine for medical staff at UNRWA's al-Sheikh Redwan clinic in Gaza City, on 25 February 2021 (AFP) | Political and security…

teleSUR Desk (2021-03-04). Ecuador's leftist candidate ratified as first round winner. mronline.org Authorities officially confirmed that Andres Arauz and the banker Guillermo Lasso will compete for the presidency in the second round to be held on April 11.

Staff (2021-03-04). Dr. Beverly Tatum: The ABCs of representation in education. therealnews.com Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum talks with the professors about the critical importance of having curriculums, educators, and school communities that are dedicated to affirming and embracing Black students and students of color, and explains what she calls the "ABCs": Affirming Identity, Building Community, and Cultivating Leadership.

Wayne Nealis (2021-03-04). Trial of Chauvin, George Floyd's murderer, pivotal to reforming racist policing. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—The consensus among activists speaking at a recent press conference in Minneapolis is that it will take massive street protests to convict Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Frank Chapman, a spokesperson for the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which was founded in 1973, pointed to the national significance of the …

Phil Mattera (2021-03-04). The Decades-Long Struggle Over Big Corporations and Poverty Wages. counterpunch.org The Senate Parliamentarian has dealt a strong blow to the Fight for $15 movement by ruling that a federal minimum wage increase cannot be included in the stimulus bill. Senator Bernie Sanders is pushing back with an amendment to take tax deductions away from large, profitable corporations that do not pay at least $15 an

IndustriALL (2021-03-04). Myanmar military coup leaders target trade unions for destruction. peoplesworld.org For weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have been participating in peaceful mass demonstrations across Myanmar in the wake of a coup led by the Army. As the peaceful civil disobedience movement continues to protest against the military takeover, authorities are resorting to violence and cracking down civilians—including trade unions and their leaders. Police have issued …

Geoff Beckman (2021-03-04). Biden, Team D and the Dimming Prospects of Getting Anything Meaningful Through the Senate. counterpunch.org It's kinda touching that Team D imagines it will get anything through the Senate with: 1. A nominal 50-50 split, 2. Joe Manchin and Kysten Sinema enjoying the power that having a line-item veto provides, 3. Que Mala Harris's reluctance to do anything she thinks might jeopardize her chances at the presidency, 4. Crazy Uncle

Rosalind English (2021-03-04). Doctors acted unlawfully in deciding on eligibility for drug — Court of Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com Basma (suing by her mother and litigation friend Sara Basma) v Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & Anr [2021] EWCA Civ 278 Sophie Basma ("Sophie") is 10. She suffers from Type 3 Spinal Muscular Atrophy ("SMA"). SMA is a rare, genetic, neuromuscular disease which progressively leads to sufferers being unable to walk or sit …

Kayla Gray (2021-03-04). Texas winter storm crisis the fault of state leaders, big oil, protesters say. liberationnews.org Natural gas and fossil fuel executives, as well as officials in ERCOT and PUCT, should face criminal charges for their role in the deaths, injuries, and damages suffered during this crisis.

Victor Grossman (2021-03-04). Germany's Linke (the Left Party) comes out of its convention united. peoplesworld.org BERLIN — Things worked out quite differently than many in the media here said they would at the congress of the LINKE, the country's left-wing party. The pandemic had forced postponements from June 2020 to October 2020 and from last October to last weekend, with most of the 580 delegates at home in front of …

teleSUR Desk (2021-03-04). Parliament rejects Moreno's privatization of Central Bank. mronline.org Parliament's Legislative Administration Council (CAL) reported that the project had 14 unconstitutional aspects. The bill presented 84 reforms to the Organic Monetary and Financial Code that would allow a $400 million loan from the International Monetary Fund.

David Rosen (2021-03-04). Electricity vs. Broadband: Does History Repeat Itself? counterpunch.org Americans take household electric for granted, but this was not always the case. Millions of U.S. households have access to electricity to power water heating, lighting, refrigeration, TV, telephone and other products. And yet, according to one estimate, about 15,000 families — 60,000 people — are not connected to the electric grid; many are located on Native American reservations. (In addition, about 18,000 families don't have running water in their house.) |

Beau Peters (2021-03-04). Creating a Safe Space at Work for Discussing Social Justice Topics. dissidentvoice.org Image Source: Pexels There's a lot going on in the world at the moment, which means there's a lot we need to talk about. It seems as though every day there is another incident that raises issues related to the socio-economic imbalances in our society, systemic racism, or the political decisions that shape our lives. …

Jay August (2021-03-04). New York politicians push bill to 'kill' rent cancellation movement, organizers fight back. liberationnews.org On Feb. 28, tenant organizers in New York City demonstrated outside the home of New York State Senator Brian Kavanaugh in Manhattan to protest his sponsorship of a bill which bails out landlords, not tenants.

Jay August (2021-03-04). NYS politicians push bill to 'kill' rent cancellation movement, organizers fight back. liberationnews.org On Feb. 28, tenant organizers in New York City demonstrated outside the home of New York State Senator Brian Kavanaugh in Manhattan to protest his sponsorship of a bill which bails out landlords, not tenants.

George Wuerthner (2021-03-04). Fire Suppression Hyperbole. counterpunch.org In almost all media reports about the recent fire seasons, one of the chief explanations given for the larger blazes is "fire suppression" and "fuel build-up." We hear that 100 years of fire suppression has contributed to the "unnatural" accumulation of fuels and is one of the primary reasons for large fires. The solution, we

Jahmal Henderson (2021-03-04). Connecticut People's World Black History event: 'Building the Third Reconstruction'. peoplesworld.org NEW HAVEN, Conn.—On a Sunday afternoon I logged on my computer to attend the 47th Connecticut People's World African-American History Month Celebration, which was being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year's theme was perfectly titled, "Georgia On My Mind, The Third Reconstruction," and emceed by Mary Thigpen. Testimonials and experiences were shared …

Bruce Neuburger (2021-03-04). U.S. Agricultural System's Deadly Apartheid. counterpunch.org The NY Times of March 1, 2021 cited some chilling facts about agricultural workers and Covid 19: "In some areas, up to 40 percent of the workers tested for the virus had positive results. The Rev. Francisco Gómez at Our Lady of Soledad church in Coachella said his parish had been averaging 10 burials a

John Wojcik (2021-03-04). National Guard commander charges Pentagon delayed sending troops to Capitol Jan. 6. peoplesworld.org By the day, facts uncovered in the ongoing Senate hearings on the security failings connected to the Trumpite attack on the Capitol are raising concern that there may have been, at the least, advance knowledge and, possibly worse, collaboration involving officials on various levels. Testimony Wednesday added the Pentagon leadership to the list of top …

RT (2021-03-04). Liverpool vs Chelsea: From Drogba's ghost to Anfield woes, 5 talking points ahead of Tuchel's toughest Premier League test so far. rt.com Are Liverpool about to lose a fifth home game in a row? Are Chelsea too defensive to outgun their rivals and bring the best out of the likes of Timo Werner? Here are five factors ahead of the Premier League showdown on Thursday.

RT (2021-03-04). 'People deserve to have choice': Russia 'open' to supplying Sputnik V to EU but doesn't 'insist' on it — vaccine funder to RT. rt.com Russia is ready to supply European nations with its Sputnik V jab as it believes people "deserve" to have a choice of vaccines but it is up to the EU to allow it, said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

RT (2021-03-04). Nearly a fifth of all food produced around the world ends up in the bin, UN report says. rt.com Almost one-fifth of all food that's produced to be eaten by consumers goes to waste, the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) said in a new report, noting that most of the waste (61 percent) is actually produced by households. | The global food waste

RT (2021-03-04). Italy blocks 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from reaching Australia in first for EU — reports. rt.com The Italian government has reportedly prevented a shipment of some 250,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University from leaving the country for Australia, in the first such action in the EU. | Rome's ban on exporting AstraZeneca jabs made at Italy's Anagni plant for Canberra was first reported by the Financial Times, citing Italian government sources. | It is the first such move by an EU member state since Brussels brought in new rules allowing governments to halt shipments to other countries of vaccines produced in the bloc in order to protect European interests. | The Ita…

RT (2021-03-04). Academic intolerance on the rise, study finds, highlighting growth of wokeness in younger scholars. rt.com Surveying both victims and perpetrators of political discrimination in the US, the UK and Canada, researchers at an academic think tank have found intolerance toward dissent is only just beginning — and things may get much worse. | Purporting to be the first paper of its kind to "investigate authoritarianism and political discrimination in academia," the

RT (2021-03-04). Flamboyant Spanish drug lord released from prison after raising ‚Ǩ200,000 in bail money through crowdfunding. rt.com A Spanish drug lord whose high-profile stunts have included appearing in a rap star's video has now been released from jail after he posted ‚Ǩ200,000 ($240,000) in bail money through crowdfunding. | Better known as "El Castana", or "The Chestnut", Francis—Åo Isco Tejon was released late Wednesday night after posting his bail bond, money that authorities said had been collected over three days through a crowdfunding effort that tapped his network of family and friends in the southern port cities of Cadiz and Algeciras. | He has been held since October 2018 when he turned himself in…

RT (2021-03-04). Iraq approves Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. rt.com The Iraqi Ministry of Health has given emergency use authorization to Russia's Sputnik V, the world's first vaccine against Covid-19, joining 44 other countries and territories around the world that have done so thus far. | Baghdad's decision was announced on Thursday by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which financed the vaccine's development at Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute. | "The vaccine is now authorized in 8 countries of the Middle East and we are seeing rising demand for it," said RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev. He added that the total population of the countries and territories that have app…

RT (2021-03-04). Black teen calls 911 on SELF, claims racial profiling, feared he could be in a 'similar situation as George Floyd'. rt.com Seattle police responded to a call claiming a young black man was brandishing a handgun, only to later find out the man in question called 911 himself and later claimed he was racially profiled. | The 911 operator receiving the call believed they were talking to an individual named Stacey Williams who was describing a young black man wearing a hoodie and red bandana, often linked to the Bloods gang, holding a handgun at a bus stop in the metropolitan area of Arlington. | "Well, I'm at the bus stop, and there's a colored young man and I can see a pistol right there," the caller said. "…I saw him fidgeting wit…

RT (2021-03-04). 'Where's our restitution?' Ferguson activists & Mike Brown Sr. demand BLM cough up $20 MILLION, a fraction of its global donations. rt.com A Ferguson, Missouri activist group and Michael Brown Sr. are demanding that Black Lives Matter shell out $20 million to local organizers, accusing the org of abandoning "freedom fighters" while it basks in the public spotlight. | Tory Russell, who co-founded Ferguson's International Black Freedom Alliance, appeared in a video alongside the father of the late Michael Brown on Tuesday, calling on BLM's national leadership to send a cool $20 million to the IBFA and other community groups. | "Today, we hold Black Lives Matter accountable. The movement that has catapulted into the limelight has forgotten about Fer…

RT (2021-03-04). US Capitol Police call for National Guard to be deployed for another TWO MONTHS, citing threats – media. rt.com A 60-day extension to the National Guard's deployment to the US Capitol is being reviewed by the Pentagon, the Associated Press has reported. Over 5,000 troops have been stationed there since January's Capitol riot. | Capitol Police made the request for the 60-day extension to the National Guard's deployment to Washington DC within the last 36 hours, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) told the Associated Press on Thursday. The Guard is reportedly seeking volunteers to fill…

RT (2021-03-04). 'QAnon Shaman' says he was 'waved' into Capitol by police & stopped rioters from stealing muffins, in bizarre interview from jail. rt.com Jacob Chansley, also known as the 'QAnon Shaman', gave his first interview from jail and pushed back against claims that his role in storming the Capitol was an "attack on America." Police "waved" him into the building, he said. | Chansley, who became perhaps the most recognizable face of the Capitol riot on January 6, as images of him shirtless and wearing bull horns quickly went viral, has spoken out ahead of a Friday hearing that will determine whether he will be released from jail ahead of his trial. | In an interview with 60 Minutes Plus reporter Laurie Segall, Chansley claim that police officers "waved"

RT (2021-03-04). Alec Baldwin flees Twitter again, hounded by angry Gillian Anderson fans over his sly dig at her 'switching accents'. rt.com Alec Baldwin's attempt to defend his wife from accusations of faking Spanishness by invoking Gillian Anderson's flawless switching between accents backfired badly and forced him to quit Twitter for a second time this year. | In a lengthy 10-minute video posted to Instagram, the 62-year old actor explained that he was off Twitter again, since "you cannot do any irony in the US anymore because the US is such an uptight stressed-out place" and Twitter in particular was full of "a**holes." Baldwin went on to profess his love for his wife and children and say how good and fulfilling his life was now that he works l…

RT (2021-03-04). YouTube CEO says will lift suspension on Trump's channel when 'we determine the risk of violence has decreased'. rt.com YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is claiming the suspension on Donald Trump's channel will be lifted, but at the moment the "risk of violence" is too great. | In a Thursday discussion with the NATO-backed Atlantic Council think tank, Wojcicki was directly asked about the details behind Trump's suspension from the video platform. YouTube was one of numerous platforms to suspend the former president following the January 6 Capitol riot, which he was accused by the House of inciting. | Wojcicki claims the ban is not permanent and Trump's channel will be turned back on "when we determine the risk of violence has decreas…

RT (2021-03-04). House CANCELS March 4 session after Capitol Police cites 'possible plot' by militia. rt.com The US House of Representatives won't be in session on Thursday, after Capitol Police, the FBI, and Homeland Security said extremists were discussing possible threats to Congress. The Senate is not changing its schedule, however. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) moved to Wednesday evening the vote on a police reform bill that was scheduled for Thursday. Multiple media outlets reported that the March 4 session of the lower chamber was canceled altogether. | Earlier in the day, US Capitol Police announced it would bolster its security profile due to "intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach t…

RT (2021-03-04). eBay to remove Dr. Seuss books over 'hate and discrimination' — but you can still buy Mein Kampf there. rt.com Six of Dr. Seuss' books recently deemed offensive and pulled from publication will now not even be able to be bought second-hand through online retailer eBay, which is scrubbing listings. | "At eBay, we have a strict policy against hate and discrimination to ensure our platform remains a safe, trusted and inclusive environment for our global community of buyers and sellers," eBay Corporate Communications Specialist Parmita Choudhury told the Washington Examiner on Thursday. The statement came after numerous Twitter users noted that their listings for the six Dr. Seuss books recently pulled from publication wer…

RT (2021-03-04). 'We don't censor books': New York Public Library says it will keep canceled Dr. Seuss titles on shelves. rt.com Public libraries across the US are pushing back against the cancelation of Dr. Seuss books, with the New York Public Library being the latest to say it will not censor the suddenly-controversial titles. | "As with all public libraries the New York Public Library does not censor books," spokeswoman Angela Montefinise said of the Seuss books in question, the New York Post reported on Wednesday. | Six titles — including 'If I Ran the Zoo,' 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street' and 'Scrambled Eggs Super!' — have been blasted as politically incorrect for supposed racial and ethnic stereotypes, a…

RT (2021-03-04). Texas power grid operator axes its CEO after deadly blackout caused by winter storm. rt.com The entity delivering power to most of Texas has decided to fire its CEO, as it faces criticism for failing to prepare the power grid for last month's winter storm and leaving millions without heat for days. | The board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has given a 60-day notice to President and CEO Bill Magness, the non-profit company said in a statement after a meeting on Wednesday night. During the transition period, he will "work with state leaders and regulators on potential reforms," while the board looks for his replacement. | Magness has served as the head of ERCOT since 2016. In 201…

RT (2021-03-04). Election reform law passes House and heads to Senate, likely to be killed by filibuster. rt.com A sweeping reform of election rules has been re-approved by the House along party lines, with supporters celebrating it. But like its predecessor, the piece of legislation vehemently opposed by the GOP faces a Senate dead end. | The so-called 'For the People Act', also known as 'H.R. 1' after the designation of its House version, was approved in a 220-210 vote on Wednesday. Not a single Republican joined the Democrats in backing the bill, which the two parties see in a diametrically opposing light. | Supporters call the proposed reform the most significant improvement of the US democratic system since the Voti…

RT (2021-03-04). WATCH: White House abruptly cuts live feed after Biden says 'happy to take questions' at virtual event. rt.com US President Joe Biden said he would be "happy" to field live questions at the tail-end of a virtual event, but was swiftly cut off when the White House inexplicably dropped the video feed, leaving some viewers bewildered. | "I'd be happy to take questions if that's what I'm supposed to do, Nance. Whatever you want me to do," Biden said to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the Democratic "Virtual Issues Conference" wrapped up on Wednesday night. But after a brief pause, the feed was brusquely taken offline. | The White House abruptly cuts the live video feed of a virtual event after President Biden said he was "ha…

RT (2021-03-04). '98% of men in the world can't beat me': Claressa Shields declares she's the second greatest boxer of all time behind Muhammad Ali. rt.com US boxing star Claressa Shields has compared herself to perhaps the greatest fighter of all time, Muhammad Ali — saying she is second only to him and claiming that "98 percent of men in the world" would be unable to beat her.

RT (2021-03-04). Ex-Pro Bowl player Kellen Winslow II cops 14yr sentence for horrific attacks on women after defense citing NFL 'head trauma' fails. rt.com A judge has sentenced ex-NFL star Kellen Winslow II to 14 years in prison for "brazen" attacks, including multiple rapes, on five women in California, calling the father-of-two a "sexual predator" who preyed on vulnerable victims. | The 37-year-old, who was once the highest-paid tight end in the NFL and was named to the 2007 Pro Bowl during his four-year spell with the Cleveland Browns, said he had been advised not to speak by his lawyers before hearing his conviction for forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person, assault with intent to commit rape, indecent exposure and lewd conduct in public. | The forcib…

RT (2021-03-04). Novichok? What Novichok? New US sanctions urge Russia to destroy chemical weapons stockpile, but Kremlin insists it already has. rt.com Russian officials are puzzled by demands from Washington to scrap their country's chemical weapons program, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has said, arguing that the country has already disposed of all such substances. | Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Dmitry Peskov slammed America's warning that Moscow must register and eliminate stores of nerve agents, toxic gases and other poisons, or else face sanctions. "Russia declared and verified the destruction of all chemical weapons on its territory many years ago and fully complied with international conventions," he said. "Russia has no chemical weapons."

MEE staff (2021-03-04). Turkish court refuses to admit US report as evidence in Khashoggi murder trial. middleeasteye.net Turkish court refuses to admit US report as evidence in Khashoggi murder trial | Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz asked the Istanbul court to add the newly declassified report to the case's evidence file | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 20: 59 | Hatice Cengiz attended the third hearing in the trial (AFP) | A Turkish court trying 26 Saudi suspects in absentia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi refused on Th…

Julian Pecquet (2021-03-04). Advocates target Saudi Arabia's PIF over MBS' role in Khashoggi murder. middleeasteye.net Advocates target Saudi Arabia's PIF over MBS' role in Khashoggi murder | Campaign targeting sovereign wealth fund is also expected to pressure US and western investors to pull out from the kingdom | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 21: 16 | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks during a virtual session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh on 28 January (AFP/File photo) | While…

CP Editor (2021-03-04). Suzanne Vallie — Ocean Cliff Drive. counterpunch.org …

Global Research News (2021-03-04). Selected Articles: The Dangers of A "Sino-American Hot War" globalresearch.ca By Unbeknownst to many Americans, the U.S. military and its allies are engaged in bombing and killing people in other countries on a …

Staff (2021-03-04). Georgia Bill Would Criminalize Giving Water to Voters Waiting in Long Lines. truthout.org Republicans in Georgia are passing restrictive voting laws, ostensibly to "protect" people's votes but which critics have said create unnecessary burdens to voters, particularly within communities of color. | Georgia House Bill 531,

Staff (2021-03-04). Senators Move to Repeal Some Presidential War Powers After Airstrikes in Syria. truthout.org As frustration is building among federal lawmakers over President Joe Biden's recent Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R…

Staff (2021-03-04). Right-Wing Supreme Court Justices May Weaken Key Provision of Voting Rights Act. truthout.org The partisan battle over voting rights is boiling over this week, as conservative Supreme Court justices are poised to uphold two provisions of an Arizona voting law that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) argues violates the landmark Voting Rights Act, and the House passes the For the People Act, the most sweeping election reform package in decades. | On Tuesday, Supreme Court justices signaled their willingness to weaken another key provision of the historic Voting Rights Act that p…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-04). Yemen's Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Aramco plant in Jeddah. middleeasteye.net Yemen's Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Aramco plant in Jeddah | Houthi military spokesman said attack took place at dawn using a winged Quds-2 missile and had struck its target | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 08: 26 | The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, have struck other Saudi energy assets in the past (Reuters) | Yemen's Houthi forces fired a cross-border missile at a Saudi Aramco facilit…

MEE staff (2021-03-04). Houthis call on Yemenis to donate funds for ballistic missile programme. middleeasteye.net Houthis call on Yemenis to donate funds for ballistic missile programme | Embassy of Yemen's internationally recognised government in Washington slams crowdfunding campaign as 'brazen' political move | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 16: 20 | A fighter loyal to Yemen's Houthi rebels guards a stack of bills in Sanaa on 24 September 2020 during ceremony to collect cash, food and other donations for fighters (AFP/File photo)…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-04). Yemen: Car bomb kills southern separatist fighters in Aden. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Car bomb kills southern separatist fighters in Aden | Southern Transitional Council forces said Brigadier General Mohsen al-Wali had survived an attack on a convoy | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 12: 37 | Video footage shared by STC activists on social media showed a white four-wheel-drive vehicle with extensive damage (Twitter) | A car bomb killed and injured a number of fighters travelling in…

Ali Harb (2021-03-04). 'Sickening': Palestine advocates slam Biden administration for rebuking ICC. middleeasteye.net 'Sickening': Palestine advocates slam Biden administration for rebuking ICC | The US State Department denounced the International Criminal Court's investigation into alleged Israeli abuses, arguing that Palestine is not a state | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 21: 47 | Israeli forces block Palestinian protesters during a demonstration in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, 26 February (AFP) | After denouncing the Internati…

MEE correspondent (2021-03-04). Egypt draft law condemned as setback for women's rights. middleeasteye.net Egypt draft law condemned as setback for women's rights | Egyptian feminists oppose bill that enshrines male guardianship and sets new rules for polygamy | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 11: 16 | Egyptian protesters hold up placards and shout slogans during a demonstration in Cairo against sexual harassment on 12 February 2013 (AFP) | In Egypt, a woman can be a minister who signs a multi-billion-dol…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-03-04). Iraq's Nasiriyah calmed by Kadhimi for pope's visit – but violence likely to return. middleeasteye.net Iraq's Nasiriyah calmed by Kadhimi for pope's visit – but violence likely to return | With Francis set to lead an interfaith service 17km away at the ancient city of Ur, protests in Dhi Qar's capital threatened to derail visit | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 12: 44 | Anti-government protesters clash with riot police in front of the Dhi Qar Municipal council in Iraq's southern city of Nasiriyah on 27 Febr…

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-04). Smugglers threw scores of people into the sea en route to Yemen, UN says. middleeasteye.net Smugglers threw scores of people into the sea en route to Yemen, UN says | International Organisation of Migration says five bodies have been retrieved from Djibouti's Red Sea coast so far | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 11: 45 | Thousands risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to reach Yemen to cross into Saudi Arabia for work. Wrecked ship on a beach in Obock in 2015 (AFP) | Smugglers threw sco…

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2021-03-04). Saudi Arabia 'fears defeat of Netanyahu' in upcoming Israeli election. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia 'fears defeat of Netanyahu' in upcoming Israeli election | The kingdom sees prime minister as a 'spearhead' against Iran, Saudi sources tell an Israeli TV channel | Thu, 03/04/2021 – 14: 00 | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (AFP/file photo)
| Saudi Arabia is concerned about a possible election defeat for Israeli…

Staff (2021-03-04). Biden should force Big Pharma to share taxpayer-subsidized COVID-19 vaccines. therealnews.com This week, President Biden announced that, by utilizing the Defense Production Act, the federal government has created an historic agreement between drugmakers Johnson & Johnson and Merck to produce enough COVID-19 vaccines for the entire U.S. adult population by May (months quicker than initially expected). This underscores the ability of the U.S. government to facilitate faster vaccine production, argues Peter Maybarduk of Public Citizen, but that production doesn't have to be driven by the hunt for profit.