Vijay Prashad (2020-02-29). Witnessing the hell that a migrant can face. mronline.org Roughly 11,500 people got on boats at places like Obock and Bosasso, Somalia, to go into Yemen, and then overland to Saudi Arabia, where they hope to get employment. |

RT (2020-02-29). Europe & US use Russia-Poland discord to their advantage, first post-Cold War Polish leader Walesa tells RT. rt.com Poland and Russia must lay \"old ghosts to rest\" as the US exploits their bitter strife to its own advantage, former Polish President Lech Walesa — who led the fight against Communist rule — told RT. | Moscow and Warsaw need to bury the hatchet and sort out their troubled shared history as part of an open and honest dialogue instead, Walesa believes, adding that the endless quarrels that have lasted for decades have so far led the two neighbors nowhere. | \"We can\'t change history,\" the former president told RT. Still, Walesa — whose Solidarity trade union movement led the struggle against the C…

RT (2020-02-29). \'Get out of the way, let us deal with Assad regime\', Erdogan says he told Putin regarding Idlib, Syria. rt.com As tensions in Idlib province reach the boiling point, Turkey has asked Russia to let it fight the Syrian government face-to-face, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed. | Erdogan asked Putin \"to get out of the way\" and let the Turkish troops deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Turkish leader told his AK Party on Saturday. | Erdogan was explaining to lawmakers his government\'s handling of the escalation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, where Turkish and Syrian troops have engaged in several clashes over the past weeks. The hostilities have all but ruined Turkey\'s 2018 agreement with Rus…

RT (2020-02-29). Russia, Turkey reaffirm commitment to deescalate Idlib hostilities — Moscow. rt.com Russian and Turkish diplomats, who held consultations in Ankara on the unfolding crisis in Syria\'s Idlib province, have reaffirmed their nations\' commitments to deescalate the hostilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Both sides also agreed \"to continue fighting against terrorist forces as designated by the UN Security Council\" and to protect the civilian population, the statement said. | The talks in Ankara have been held amid a major escalation in northwestern Syria, where dozens of Turkish troops have been killed by Syrian forces amid an ongoing counter-terrorism offensive. Ankara demanded the withdra…

RT (2020-02-29). Reuters issues correction, deletes tweet after backlash for reporting \'just 1 American with coronavirus in hospital: VP Pence\'. rt.com Reuters raised quite a few eyebrows, invoking a storm of online mockery after it posted an ambiguous tweet about Mike Pence\'s handling of the coronavirus crisis, prompting some to fear for the VP\'s health. | Punctuation is important, especially in the middle of a global health crisis, and Reuters learned this the hard way after it got pilloried by netizens for leaving too much room for interpretation in a recent tweet about the coronavirus situation in the US. | \"Just one American with coronavirus still in hospital: Vice President Pence,\" the agency reported early on Saturday in an attempt to convey the words…

RT (2020-02-29). Secretive military base outside Paris hit by coronavirus, French defense minister confirms. rt.com Several people stationed at the 110 Creil air base outside Paris have fallen ill with coronavirus, the French military confirmed, with the base effectively being placed on lockdown. So far, 57 cases have been detected in France. | Defense Minister Florence Parly

RT (2020-02-29). \'We\'ve seen no evidence\': Social media networks blow up US officials\' claim of \'Russian coronavirus disinformation campaign\'. rt.com Social media titans Twitter and Facebook poured cold water on the State Department\'s latest conspiracy theory, insisting they\'d seen no sign \"Russian operatives\" were spreading falsehoods about Covid-19 on their platforms. | Weighing in after a number of senior State Department officials \"In general, our investigation hasn\'t substantiated this cl…

The Canary (2020-02-29). Trump thinks Democrats\' criticism of his response to coronavirus is \'a hoax\'. thecanary.co Donald Trump has lashed out at Democrats who questioned his handling of the coronavirus, calling it their new \"hoax\".Some Democrats have said Trump could have acted sooner to bolster the country\'s response to the virus. However, Trump said Democrats only want to see him fail.At a campaign rally in South Carolina, he accused Democrats of \"politicising\" the global outbreak, and said: They have no clue […] They tried the impeachment hoax … this is their new hoax. | The US president said Democrats were \"politicising\"the deadly virus (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)Trump boasted about the preventive steps he has ordered in an…

RT (2020-02-29). Opposition activists flock to central Moscow to commemorate slain politician Nemtsov and condemn constitution amendments. rt.com Thousands of people are attending marches in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, on Saturday, to commemorate Russia\'s former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered five years ago in the Russian capital. | The memory of Nemtsov, a veteran politician who became a leading figure in the western-leaning opposition after the turn of the century, is a unifying point for various anti-Kremlin political groupings who are frequently at odds with one another. | Leaders of the march, who have described themselves as \"pretty much the entire democratic spectrum\" in Russia, expected that as many as 30,000 people would…

Alan MacLeod (2020-02-29). Media Stoop to \'Russian Assistance\' to Explain Sanders\' Rise. fair.org For over three years, Russia has been an issue of great concern, if not panic, in our media. Back in 2018, FAIR (

RT (2020-02-29). BOM for… BOMB? Indian man assaulted by passengers on train after they misinterpreted his luggage tag. rt.com An ordinary airport luggage tag got an Indian man beaten up on a train and briefly detained after frightened fellow passengers suspected he was a terrorist carrying an explosive device. | Ganesh Shinde was taking an express train to Mumbai on the way back from a friend\'s wedding in another city. At some point, the 32-year-old man asked a fellow passenger for a charger. | Citing the Railway Protection Police (RPF), the Indian Express reported that the two started chatting, and soon Shinde told his new acquaintance that he wanted to show him something about the \"recipe to make a bomb.\" It is unclear what Shinde…

RT (2020-02-29). \'He knows the entire conspiracy\': India says it nabbed Pulwama bomber\'s co-conspirator in FIRST ARREST over attack that killed 40. rt.com Indian investigators have claimed a breakthrough in the long-running probe into the deadly attack in Kashmir that left 40 troops dead last year, stating they arrested a man who drove an explosives-laden car and hid the bomber. | India\'s National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Friday that they had detained 22-year-old Shakir Bashir Magrey, owner of a shop near the Lethpora bridge where the Pulwama terrorist attack unraveled on February 14 last year. | The attack, which saw a suicide bomber — later identified via DNA as Adil Ahmad Dar — ramming a vehicle strapped with explosives into an Indian conv…

RT (2020-02-29). Police complaint in India targets Wall Street Journal for stoking \'communal tension\' & \'defaming\' Hindus amid fatal Delhi riots. rt.com A police complaint has been filed in India accusing the Wall Street Journal of fueling sectarian hostility during recent unrest in Delhi and falsely reporting that a mob had shouted a Hindu slogan before stabbing a man to death. | The complaint was filed on Friday over a February 26 report in the Journal, which stated a gang of attackers chanted \'Jai Shri Ram\' — a Sanskrit expression meaning \'Glory to Lord Rama\', sometimes used by Hindus as a greeting — as they murdered intelligence officer Ankit Sharma during days of riots in India\'s capital city. The formal protest, filed with police in Delhi and M…

Alan MacLeod (2020-02-29). Supreme Court ruling hands U.S. Border Patrol a license to kill with impunity. mronline.org The Supreme Court set a dangerous precedent yesterday when it ruled in favor of the U.S. Border Patrol in the cross-border murder of a young teenage boy who was shot in the face by an overzealous agent. |

Eds. (2020-02-29). Climate change and the class divide. mronline.org No, we\'re not all in it together. Our rulers are responsible for the system that\'s creating an ecological catastrophe. As that crisis intensifies, it\'s exposing and intensifying the divide between us and them. |

Staff (2020-02-29). U.S., Taliban Set to Sign Afghanistan Peace Deal. truthdig.com The pact sets the stage for U.S. troop withdrawal more than 18 years after George W. Bush ordered bombing in response to the 9/11 attacks.

teleSUR (2020-02-29). US Court Blocks Trump Policy Forcing Migrants To Wait in Mexico. telesurenglish.net A U.S. federal appeals court in San Francisco on Friday blocked a Trump administration policy that has forced tens of thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for months for hearings in U.S. immigration courts. | RELATED: | A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their argument that the program violated U.S. immigration law and international treaty obligations on the tr…

WSWS (2020-02-29). Slovenian journalist Blaž Zgaga: If Assange is extradited \"the same can happen to any of us\" wsws.org \"If journalists cannot write about war crimes allegedly committed by Western armed forces, what is the legitimacy of these democratic countries?\"

Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy (2020-02-29). How socialism became un-American through Ad Council\'s propaganda campaigns. zcomm.org The Cold War ended 30 years ago, but its cultural structures and divisions endure — perhaps, even, in the responses of some Americans to Bernie Sanders\' socialism…

Orion the Elder (2020-02-29). Gracias Chelsea&Julian for publishing Bush\'s War Crimes. indybay.org fruitvale and MacArthur oakland 94602…

UCB Sociology Dep. (2020-02-29). Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities A Forum. indybay.org 102 Wurster Hall | UC Berkeley…

teleSUR (2020-02-29). US Museum Covered With Life Jackets Worn by Refugees. telesurenglish.net The neoclassical columns at the entrance to the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minnesota, United States, are covered by 2,400 life jackets, which were worn by refugees who crossed the Mediterranean, traveling from Turkey to Greece. | RELATED: | It is an art installation called \"Safe Passage\" by the renowned Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei. Those life jackets were once discarded, worn by refugees making the journey from Tu…

UCB Dep. Of Sociology (2020-02-29). UCB Forum Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities. indybay.org 102 Wurster Hall | UC Berkeley…

Ashik Siddique (2020-02-29). Against a Global Pandemic, Trump Keeps Militarizing America. zcomm.org Emergency funds to control the coronavirus outbreak are obviously necessary, but in the longer run we need to think much bigger. The people of this country don\'t need more militarized spending. We need Medicare for All…

Henry A. Giroux (2020-02-29). Cult-Like Ignorance is Death: Trump and the Coronavirus. zcomm.org Trump has played down the urgency of the pandemic, blamed the media for distorting its seriousness, and believes that brown people are more of a threat to national security than real threats such as a pandemic and climate change…

MICK (2020-02-29). Rainier Redoubt – Are You Prepared for a Forced Government COVID-19 Quarantine? indybay.org \"Americans should be preparing for the coronavirus\' arrival and a \"significant disruption of our lives.\" It\'s not so much a question of if this will happen any more, but rather more exactly when this will happen, and how many people in this country will have severe illness. Current global circumstances suggest it\'s likely that this virus will cause a pandemic.\"

Sharon Lerner (2020-02-29). Cronyism and Conflicts of Interest in Trump\'s Coronavirus Task Force. zcomm.org As a former lobbyist for a company that stands to gain hugely from a possible treatment for the virus, Grogan\'s participation on the task force poses a host of ethical problems…

WSWS (2020-02-29). The Trump administration\'s incompetent and criminally negligent response to the coronavirus outbreak. wsws.org The disastrous state of preparedness for the coronavirus is the product of decades of ruling class policy that has subordinated the most basic social needs to war and the endless accumulation of wealth.

WSWS (2020-02-29). WHO says coronavirus danger is \"very high\" wsws.org The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded its assessment of the danger posed by the coronavirus to \"very high,\" but stopping short of calling the outbreak a pandemic.

Oakey-Dokey (2020-02-29). Development of Saranap Old Growth Oaks & Potential Native Burial Site. indybay.org On February 25, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors doomed an old growth grove of oak trees, and an easement trail, by deciding in favor of real estate moguls Tambri Heyden and David Montalbo. Also at issue, is the possibility of Indigenous remains and cultural artifacts on the site. However, it is not too late to stop the construction if people act up and speak out.

WSWS (2020-02-29). War tensions mount in wake of strike on Turkish troops in Syria. wsws.org Russia has sent two cruise missile warships to the Syrian coast as Moscow and Ankara continue to dispute the facts surrounding a strike that killed three dozen Turkish soldiers.

Fight Back (2020-02-29). ILPS holds anti-imperialist study on sanctions. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – On February 27, around two dozen people filled Project Reach in Chinatown for the International League of Peoples\' Struggle (ILPS) study and discussion on sanctions and imperialism. | This study was in coordination with the Sanctions Kill campaign that was begun by several anti-war groups in the United States late in 2019. The Sanctions Kill campaign wants to raise the issue of sanctions and how the U.S. government uses them to carry out its imperialist agenda without ever dropping a bomb. Currently, one third of the world\'s population is living under sanctions and those sanctions are responsible f…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-02-29). 333 Billion Dollar California Working Landscape introduced at 2020 Black Expo. indybay.org CSUS Planetarium opens eyes toward new possibilities for Black Agriculture in the 333 Billion dollar California Working Landscape…

WSWS (2020-02-29). Swathes of UK underwater as record storms expose government indifference. wsws.org The government repeats that it is spending £4 billion on flood defences over the next four years—a pittance—but has yet to announce where and when the money will be allocated.

teleSUR (2020-02-29). Cuban Foreign Minister Denounces Measures Against Western Union. telesurenglish.net Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez today called as interference the suspension of remittances to the Antillean nation through Western Union from all countries, except the United States. | RELATED: | The new regulation violates the sovereignty of third states and reinforces the extraterritorial component of Washington\'s inhuman policy against the island, said the head of Cuban diplomacy on Twitter. | This measure against the Western Uni…

WSWS (2020-02-29). Working class in South Korea bears brunt of Covid-19 outbreak. wsws.org The majority of the cases of infection have been in Daegu, but the virus could rapidly spread in the country\'s other densely populated cities.

Michael Halpern (2020-02-29). Sidelining Scientists Can Only Make COVID-19 Worse. zcomm.org The politicization of information about COVID-19 will make people less trustful and compromise compliance with public health advice. And the only winner is the virus itself…

Erin McCarley (2020-02-29). Class War, the DNC, and the Fight for Our Lives. zcomm.org The ruling class needs to know that we\'re coming for them. And this fight doesn\'t stop at the ballot box. Our futures depend on it…

WSWS (2020-02-29). Roman Polanski gets César for best director for J\'Accuse, in repudiation of #MeToo. wsws.org The French Film Academy openly defied demands from the #MeToo movement and President Emmanuel Macron\'s government not to give Polanski an award.

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Migrant family crossing to Greece stranded on island. yenisafak.com A migrant family trying to cross to Greece from Edirne, a northwestern Turkish border province, has been stranded on an island in the middle of Meric River.Hundreds of irregular migrants hoping to cross to Europe from Turkey are trying sea vessels and land vehicles in order to make the trip.In one of the border villages on Friday, scores of irregular migrants swam or took boats in order to cross to Greece.One of these families\' boat deflated in the middle of the river.The family of nine, including small children, climbed to an island, hoping to inflate the boat again.In the meantime, security forces in Greece fir…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Political legacy of Hosni Mubarak: Oppression, corruption. yenisafak.com Egypt\'s ousted leader Hosni Mubarak died on Feb. 25 at the age of 92.Born in 1928 to a poor family in Monufia province, Mubarak graduated from the military academy in 1949. Afterwards, he started to get recognized after joining the Egyptian Air Forces.The young officer closely monitored the coup d\'état carried out by Gamal Abdel Nasser with nationalist officers known as the \"Free Officers\" in 1952 and the immediate transformation.The defeat against Israel at the end of the 1967 Six-Day Wars threw the nationalist policies into crisis in Egypt, which greatly weakened Egypt\'s leadership role and influence in the re…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Turkish official briefs US envoy on situation in Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com The Turkish deputy foreign minister briefed the top U.S. diplomat in the country on developments in the wake of Thursday\'s attack on Turkish troops by regime forces in Idlib, northwestern Syria.Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal met U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield in Ankara on Friday, according to diplomatic sources.He shared details of actions taken after 34 Turkish troops were martyred by Assad regime forces, and conveyed Turkey\'s expectations from the U.S. and NATO.Moreover, ambassadors of the UN Security Council\'s Permanent Members and NATO allies Germany and Belgium were also given a briefing at…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Turkey hails UK move to add PKK aliases in terror list. yenisafak.com Turkey welcomed Saturday the U.K. move to include the two aliases of the PKK terror group in the list of terrorist organizations.\"We welcome the entry into force on 28 February 2020 of the regulation which includes the incorporation of TAK and HPG, both extensions of PKK/KCK, as alias of the said terrorist organization to the terrorist organizations list of the U.K.,\" Hami Aksoy, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said in a written statement.Aksoy noted that it is typical for the PKK to use such \"labels in order to avoid responsibility for heinous attacks targeting civilians and disguise its relation to…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Turkish jets neutralize 6 PKK terrorists in N. Iraq. yenisafak.com Turkish jets neutralized at least six PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, Turkey\'s Defense Ministry said on Saturday.The terrorists plotting an attack were neutralized in an air-backed operation in Metina and Gara regions, the ministry said on Twitter. | It added that operations will continue undeterred. | Turkish authorities often use the term \"neutralized\" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.YPG/PKK terrorists often seek shelter in northern Iraq, just across the Turkish border, to plan terrorist attacks in Turkey.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PK…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Syria issue is never adventure for Turkey: Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey is not in Syria for an \"adventure\" or to expand its borders, the nation\'s president said on Saturday.\"Syria issue is never an adventure or effort to expand its borders for Turkey,\" Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting with his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party\'s Istanbul deputies.He said nearly four million refugees are recently moving towards Turkey\'s border with Syria due to the bloody attacks of Bashar al-Assad regime on civilians, while 1.5 million of them are already at the southern border.\"We have no interest in oil or the land there, we want to secure our borders with a safe zone,\" Erdogan sa…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). US senator says Turkey \'doing the right thing\' in Idlib. yenisafak.com Turkey is \"doing the right thing\" as it seeks to thwart a Syrian regime offensive on northwestern Syria, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton said Friday.\"Russia and the Assad regime are to blame for the humanitarian disaster unfolding in northwest Syria,\" the lawmaker from Arkansas said on Twitter. \"Our NATO ally Turkey is doing the right thing. Putin and Assad must honor their commitments and stop the massacre.\"Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump \"expressed his condolences and condemned yesterday\'s attack that killed Turkish personnel in Syria\" during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, White House…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Turkish operations in Syria spook Hezbollah militias. yenisafak.com Turkey\'s military operations have inflicted heavy losses on Hezbollah militias in Idlib, northwestern Syria, and their panic is evident in internal communications accessed by Anadolu Agency. | The Iran-backed Hezbollah militias support Assad regime forces against Syria\'s moderate opposition groups, and have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. | They use WhatsApp groups for coordination and communication, and recent messages show their growing anxiety as Turkish forces make gains to protect Syrian civilians. | In messages seen by Anadolu Agency, the militia members blamed Russia for…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). More than 200 historical artifacts seized in NW Turkey. yenisafak.com A total of 209 pieces of historical artifacts were seized in an operation in northwestern Turkey, security sources said Friday.Provincial gendarmerie forces in Kocaeli, acting on a tip, launched an operation and arrested a suspect in Eskihisar district, identified only by the initials O.O.Among the artifacts seized were 207 coins, a pitcher and a tear catcher belonging to the Byzantine and Roman period.

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Death toll from coronavirus in Iran hits 43. yenisafak.com The death toll from coronavirus in Iran has climbed to 43 and the number of cases is now 593, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.A ministry spokesperson said nine more deaths and 205 new cases were reported across Iran over the past 24 hours.\"Most of the new cases were detected in Tehran, Golestan, Qom, Markazi, Mazandaran, and Ghilan,\" Kianush Jahanpur said at a press conference.He said there were many more suspected COVID-19 cases in the country, adding that between 10% to 15% of quarantined individuals tested positive so far.He said 100 lawmakers were also administered tests and only five of them were found…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Qatar confirms first case of coronavirus. yenisafak.com Qatar\'s Health Ministry reported the first case of the novel coronavirus in the country on Saturday.A 36-year old Qatari citizen who returned recently from Iran tested positive for the virus, the ministry said in a statement cited by the official QNA news agency.The ministry said the infected person was among Qatari nationals evacuated on Thursday from Iran, where 43 deaths were reported from the virus.Known as COVID-19, the novel coronavirus has now spread to more than 45 countries worldwide, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.China, where the virus originated, is the worst-hit…

RT (2020-02-29). \'We\'ve seen no evidence\': Social networks blow up 'US officials\' claim of \'Russian coronavirus disinformation campaign\'. rt.com Social media titans Twitter and Facebook have poured cold water on the State Department\'s latest conspiracy theory, insisting they\'d seen no sign \"Russian operatives\" were spreading falsehoods about COVID-19 on their platforms. | Weighing in after a number of senior State Department officials \"In general, our investigation hasn\'t substantiated th…

RT (2020-02-29). Secretive military base outside Paris hit by coronavirus, French defense minister confirms. rt.com Several people stationed at the 110 Creil air base outside Paris have fallen ill with coronavirus, the French military confirmed, with the base effectively being placed on lockdown. So far, 57 cases have been detected in France. | Defense Minister Florence Parly

Alan MacLeod (2020-02-29). Media Stoop to \'Russian Assistance\' to Explain Sanders\' Rise. fair.org For over three years, Russia has been an issue of great concern, if not panic, in our media. Back in 2018, FAIR (

Staff (2020-02-29). U.S., Taliban Set to Sign Afghanistan Peace Deal. truthdig.com The pact sets the stage for U.S. troop withdrawal more than 18 years after George W. Bush ordered bombing in response to the 9/11 attacks.

RT (2020-02-28). \'Aggressive designs\': Pakistan blasts India\'s $3bn arms deal with Washington for \'destabilizing already volatile region\'. rt.com Islamabad has voiced concern over a recent multi-billion dollar weapons deal signed between Washington and New Delhi, insisting its nuclear-armed rival is upsetting stability in southern Asia. | On the heels of the $3 billion exchange inked last week — which will see India purchase 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from US arms giant Lockheed Martin — Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said the move was alarming and revealed New Delhi\'s hostile intent toward Islamabad. | \"Pakistan has concerns regarding defence deals with India, particularly the sale of sophisticated weapon systems to…

RT (2020-02-28). US sees \'significant reduction\' in Afghan violence, prepares to sign historic deal with Taliban. rt.com The US has seen a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan during the past six days, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. The statement comes the day before Washington hopes to sign an American troops withdrawal deal with the Taliban. | \"We have seen just these last six days a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan,\" Pompeo told lawmakers in Washington. | \"We are watching closely to see if the Islamic Republic of Iran begins to take even more active measures… that undermine our efforts at peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan,\" he said. | Pompeo\'s remark suggested that if the dr…

Staff (2020-02-28). Study Debunks Claims That Led to Bolivian Coup. truthdig.com A new study released by a pair of MIT researchers Thursday reveals that, contrary to claims from the U.S.-backed Organization of American States, there was no fraud in Bolivia\'s October 20, 2019 elections—an accusation used by the OAS and others as a pretext for supporting the coup in the country that deposed President Evo Morales and replaced him with an unelected right-wing government. | \"Good lord,\"

RT (2020-02-28). Trump announces US-Taliban peace deal, \'path forward to end war\' in Afghanistan. rt.com President Donald Trump says the US is about to sign agreements with the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan that could provide a way for withdrawal of troops from that country after almost 20 years of war. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is headed to Qatar, where he will witness the signing of an agreement with the Taliban in Doha, while Defense Secretary Mark Esper will \"issue a joint declaration\" with the government in Kabul, Trump announced on Friday. | If the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan live up to these commitments, we will have a powerful path forward to end the war in Afghanistan and…

RT (2020-02-28). 'Not noble to cheer human suffering': Tehran shreds US offer of \'help\' with coronavirus as Pompeo vows to 'sustain' sanctions. rt.com Washington\'s offer to assist Tehran with its COVID-19 outbreak is pure hypocrisy, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, condemning the top US diplomat after he promised to keep up crippling sanctions on Iran while vowing to send aid. | While US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers on Friday that the administration had extended an offer to help Tehran beat back the lethal virus, he couldn\'t help but take jabs at \"the regime,\" insisting Washington would \"sustain [its] pressure\" through a devastating sanctions campaign — at one point going as far as to say that Iranians were \"thankful\" to suffer under…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-02-28). Israel at the Cusp of a Bleak Era. counterpunch.org Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, must be channeling the spirit of Houdini as he continues to plot his escape from one of the most convoluted political dilemmas in Israel\'s history. It is no secret that Netanyahu\'s political behavior is almost entirely shaped by his desire to survive in office for as long as possible in

Maj. Danny Sjursen (2020-02-28). The U.S. Military\'s #MeToo Reckoning That Wasn\'t. truthdig.com \"A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.\" Everyone who enters the gate at West Point Military Academy must memorize and recite these words on their first day. Failure to follow that protocol, including the \"

RT (2020-02-28). Kabul officials meet Taliban members in Qatar to discuss prisoner swap. rt.com Afghan officials met Taliban members in Qatar on Friday to discuss a prisoner swap plan. The meeting in Doha was part of crucial confidence-building mechanism between the warring sides, two senior government officials in Kabul said. | The Taliban wants the release of over 5,000 detainees before launching direct negotiations with Kabul for a permanent ceasefire, a stumbling block in efforts to end the war. | The meeting came ahead of the US and Taliban deal that will set the timeline for the withdrawal of American troops who have been fighting in Afghanistan for 18 years. | A senior Taliban leader in Doha said…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-02-28). Experts: Government, business must step up fight against corona virus. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Presenting solid facts and contradicting GOP President Donald Trump\'s rosy assurances, federal health officials are warning the country to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. — and a warning signal went up just after Trump\'s press conference this week on the looming medical emergency. Meanwhile, two experts on infectious diseases …

Eds. (2020-02-28). Trump touts biodefense strategy but slashes funding to detect and combat outbreaks like coronavirus. mronline.org t the end of January, at a time when the coronavirus outbreak that began in China was dominating international headlines, The White House announced it was forming a new task force to address the growing crisis, one headed by the secretary of health and human services, Alex Azar. |

RT (2020-02-28). US stocks continue downward spiral as coronavirus fears shock markets in WORST WEEK since 2008 meltdown. rt.com All three major US stock market indices continued their free-fall amid growing panic over the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, each seeing their worst week since the global financial crisis in 2008. | The Dow Jones Industrial average dropped more than 350 points after trading closed on Friday, falling by over 1.3 percent and capping off a week of dramatic decline which saw it plummet more than 3,500 points. | Meanwhile, the S&P 500 shed nearly 25 points, adding to a precipitous drop of some 300 points throughout the week for a loss of 11.5 percent. While the Nasdaq ended Friday up by less than a point, the index…

Staff (2020-02-28). Doctors Without Borders: Cheap Coronavirus Diagnostic Kits Needed in War-Torn Areas & Refugee Camps. democracynow.org Across the U.S., officials report a severe shortage of test kits for coronavirus. New York officials say they\'re preparing their own kits, after kits distributed by the Centers for Disease Control failed validation tests. Meanwhile, new cases of coronavirus continue to spring up worldwide, with Nigeria reporting its first case and one of Iran\'s vice presidents testing positive. We discuss how MSF USA, or Doctors Without Borders USA, is responding to coronavirus, with the organization\'s executive director, Avril BenoàÆt.

RT (2020-02-28). Iran coronavirus death toll rises to 34 as number of infected hits 388 — Health Ministry. rt.com Some 34 people have died so far in Iran due to coronavirus infections, a Health Ministry spokesman said on Friday. The total number of people diagnosed with the disease is 388, he said in an announcement broadcast by state TV. | The death toll in Iran is by far the highest number outside China. The total number of infected people on Thursday stood at 245, including several senior officials. | The outbreak prompted authorities to call off Friday prayers in the capitals of 23 of Iran\'s 31 provinces, including Tehran and the Shiite Muslim holy cities of Qom and Mashhad as well as some other infected areas, Reuter…

RT (2020-02-28). US military bases in South Korea placed on lockdown to stop novel coronavirus spread. rt.com The restrictions were paced on the largest US military base abroad after an American soldier tested positive for coronavirus raging in South Korea, which became the second-hardest hit by the outbreak after mainland China. | The new disease control measures were implemented after the risk level was raised to \"high,\" United States Forces Korea (USFK) said on Thursday. | According to the Financial Times, all garrisons were placed under lockdown, including Camp Humphreys located 70km (43,5 miles) from South Korea\'s capital Seoul, which is the largest US base on foreign soil. Civilian employees and \"non-essential\"

RT (2020-02-28). Tourist on board coronavirus cruise ship \'Diamond Princess\' becomes 1st British death from outbreak. rt.com A British man who was on board the quarantined cruise ship \'Diamond Princess\' has died in Japan. It\'s the first British death from the illness which is still spreading across the globe. | Five other passengers from the vessel have already died from the novel coronavirus, which can cause severe respiratory problems, but this was the first death of a foreigner who was on board the cruise ship. | The ship was quarantined with everyone on board by Japanese health authorities earlier this month when a passenger tested positive for the illness. Over 700 other passengers have since been confirmed to have the coronavi…

RT (2020-02-28). World economy heading for a slowdown \'without question,\' professor tells Boom Bust. rt.com Fears of the rapid spread of the coronavirus have panicked investors, sending world markets into a tailspin. | RT\'s Boom Bust talks to the Dean of Miami University Business School, John Quelch, about what this could mean for the global economy. | \"Until about a week ago we were talking about a supply-side problem,\" he says, pointing out that the shutdown of factories in China was essentially disrupting supply chains worldwide. | \"Now we are talking about a demand-side problem that is beyond China spilling over to the rest of the world.\" | Demand-side problems mean consumer fear and lack of consumer confiden…

RT (2020-02-28). Russia on red alert: almost SURROUNDED by Coronavirus cases – braces for epidemic. rt.com As the world\'s biggest country, bordering 16 states, Russia is something of a sitting duck for COVID-19. With eight of those now reporting infections, its reappearance inside Russian borders is perhaps only a matter of time. | Already, two Chinese citizens were diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Siberia\'s Tyumen and Transbaikalia but they recovered and have been discharged. There has so far been no recorded infection of a Russian national on home soil. | As of Friday, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Lithuania and Norway all have live cases. Other neighboring countries, such as Ukraine…

RT (2020-02-28). Congressman threatens Don Jr. with \'serious altercation\' over claim Dems \'HOPE\' people get coronavirus & die so as to derail Trump. rt.com Democratic Rep. John Garamendi had some harsh words for Donald Trump Jr. after the president\'s son said Dems \"seemingly hope\" the coronavirus comes to the US and \"kills millions.\" | The coronavirus is not only a pandemic, it\'s also now a political tool for Republicans and Democrats to lob across the aisle at each other. | California Congressman Garamendi perhaps went further than any politician has so far when he spoke about the disease and the political response to it in the US while appearing on MSNBC on Friday. Garamendi was particularly upset with Donald Trump Jr. over an earlier statement the president\'s…

RT (2020-02-28). Turkish VP says Damascus to pay \'heavy price\' for \'treacherous\' attack after at least 33 Turkish troops killed in Idlib airstrike. rt.com Turkey\'s vice president has vowed revenge on Syrian forces after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike in the rebel-held Idlib province. Ankara previously said it had launched air and artillery strikes in retaliation. | Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay unleashed a scathing verbal attack on Syrian President Bashar Assad and the forces loyal to Damascus shortly after a 6-hour marathon emergency security meeting chaired by Recep Tayyip Erdogan concluded in Ankara in the early hours of Friday. | Oktay minced no words, referring to the Syrian leader as \"the head of a terror state\" who \"would go down in h…

RT (2020-02-28). Syria has every right to fight terrorists in Idlib and Russia can\'t interfere — Moscow. rt.com Damascus has the right to fight back when attacked by terrorists and Moscow is in no position to stop Syrians from doing what the UN Security Council endorsed, Russia\'s foreign minister has said after the latest Idlib flare-up. | Ankara lost 33 soldiers in the northwestern Syrian province after they were targeted by a Syrian airstrike. Commenting on the tragedy on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the deaths were undoubtedly a tragedy, for which Moscow expresses its condolences. However, Ankara shares part of the blame for what happened, both because it failed to notify Russia about the locat…

T.J. Coles (2020-02-28). The Space Force Becomes a Weapons System, Arms Companies Profit. counterpunch.org As the world gets used to what the US military calls \"Full Spectrum Dominance,\" the complex uplinks/downlinks, spurious RADAR returns, cyber glitches, and misinterpretations of big data bring the world closer to its ends, especially as US systems—including possibly nuclear—are orbited or put into the loop of the new Space Force. But the news isn\'t

Matthew Stevenson (2020-02-28). Carolina and Super Tuesday on My Mind. counterpunch.org The fifth of a periodic series on the early primaries and caucuses, this was written before the vote in South Carolina. The other pieces can be found here. Wanting to get the lowdown on the primaries, I reached out to an insider, who sent back this reply: I don\'t know why you call it \"a

Paul Street (2020-02-28). The So-Called Party of the People: From Nevada to South Carolina. counterpunch.org My thesis on the Democratic Party\'s corporate-imperialist establishment had been consistent for years: it would rather lose to the right-wing party, even to an increasingly apocalyptic and fascistic right, than to the progressive, moderately social-democratic and environmentalist left wing of its own party. That was the basic story of 2016 — a tragedy the bourgeois

Andrew Levine (2020-02-28). Bloomberg: What Is He Good For? counterpunch.org After winning big in Nevada and withstanding the efforts of Democratic \"moderates\" to throw him off track at last Tuesday\'s South Carolina \"debate,\" Bernie Sanders is now enjoying what George H.W. Bush called \"the big Mo.\" He has the wind at his back. Those moderates — Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and, worst of all, Joe

John Curiel — Jack R. Williams (2020-02-28). Analysis of the 2019 Bolivia Election: No Evidence of Irregular Trends or Fraud. counterpunch.org Disclosure: In December 2019, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) contracted with the authors to see if the numerical and statistical results of CEPR\'s November 2019 study could be independently verified. Any analysis and interpretation of findings in this report express the sole views of the authors, researchers at MIT Election Data and

Robert Hunziker (2020-02-28). Forever-Chemicals Tap Water. counterpunch.org Throughout the history of Western Civilization there are times, but only on rare occasions, when people en masse feel compelled to run into the streets, similar to the storming of the Bastille 1789, screaming at the top of their lungs: \"Stop the Madness!\" Now is one of those times, as only recently Feb 2020 the

Nick Pemberton (2020-02-28). If Bernie Sanders Is Unelectable, Then What The Hell Are The Rest Of You? counterpunch.org The New York Times complained in a recent column that Bernie Sanders has not expanded the democratic party in the primaries so far. Apparently the paper wanted him to reach more voters, likely only of the Republican variety. They blasted him as a hypocrite. The press is increasingly hysterical and ridiculous. Ever since the Sanders

Jacob Hornberger (2020-02-28). Immunity for Killings by Immigration Police. counterpunch.org The American immigration police state continues to grow more tyrannical with each passing day. The latest example involves the U.S. Supreme Court, which has just issued a ruling in a case that effectively gives the Border Patrol a license to kill Mexican citizens. And guess which two magic words the Court used to justify its

RT (2020-02-28). Conservatives \'censoring themselves in the age of censorship\'? InfoWars kicked out of CPAC, triggering conference row. rt.com InfoWars was shown the door at this year\'s CPAC and journalist Owen Shroyer decided to hold court as he was being removed, demanding answers and calling the group hypocrites for censoring his outlet\'s voice. | Online censorship of conservative voices has been a major topic on panels at this year\'s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Donald Trump Jr. told a crowd on Friday morning at the convention that censorship and bias against conservative voices is \"probably a top three issue\" with his father\'s \"base\" of voters. | Ironically, that very afternoon CPAC took part in some censorship themselves by…

Robert Scheer (2020-02-28). Julian Bond Was a Radical Long Before MLK. truthdig.com A new book shows how the activist\'s positions on issues like the Vietnam War and environmental justice helped move civil rights leaders left.

Staff (2020-02-28). Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis in Idlib as Syrian Troops Advance & Children Freeze to Death. democracynow.org In Syria, 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Russia-backed Syrian forces in rebel-held Idlib in a major escalation on Thursday. Turkey has vowed to respond in kind, as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying \"the risk of even greater escalation grows by the hour.\" Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly spoke by phone on Friday to discuss the crisis, as NATO urged rapid deescalation. The all-out offensive by the Syrian government is the single largest displacement in a nine-year war that has forced 13 million t…

RT (2020-02-28). \'Must be parody\': George W Bush\'s brother ridiculed online after moaning about \'incredibly rude\' BBC bias against BoJo\'s Tories. rt.com Jeb Bush, younger brother of former US President George W Bush, has been mercilessly mocked on Twitter, after accusing the BBC of being \"biased\" in their news coverage and \"incredibly rude to Conservative MPs.\" | The former 2016 US Republican presidential candidate took to social media on Thursday night to reveal that he was in the UK capital and wasn\'t best pleased with the British broadcaster\'s attitude towards PM Boris Johnson\'s Tory Party. | Bush insisted that he enjoyed the BBC\'s world coverage, but questioned the \"vitriol\" when it came to its UK political coverage. | Every time I visit London, I am amaze…

RT (2020-02-28). 'Don't you dare buy these': Sneaker fans warn resellers as Nike releases pics of special edition Kobe 5 'Lakers' basketball shoes. rt.com Sportswear giants Nike are set to release a special edition version of their hugely-popular \"Kobe 5\" basketball shoes to honor the late NBA superstar, but fans are already worried about the cynical motives of the reseller market. | Images of the \"Lakers\" edition of the Kobe Bryant-inspired \"Kobe 5\" sneakers were posted online by noted sneaker-fan Twitter account @J23app. | But, while the fan excitement about the possibility of owning a special pair of tribute sneakers was palpable online, there were also those who warned resellers to steer clear from trying to profit from the NBA superstar\'s death. | Also on r…

RT (2020-02-28). Astronomers release first color PHOTO of Earth\'s new 2ND MOON we all missed. rt.com Until recently, many of us earthlings were blissfully unaware that our planet had gained a second moon. But now 2020 CD3 has become such a superstar, we\'re using giant telescopes just to catch a glimpse of it. | Part-time paparazzi, full-time astronomers at the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii snapped the stunning pictures of the car-sized carbonaceous rock using the 8-meter Gemini North telescope. | | © Gemini Observatory/NSF\'s NOIARL/AURA/G. Fedorets | The image is actually a combination of three separate images using three different filters to capture our new natural satellite in all its glory. | \"Obtain…

Staff (2020-02-28). Syrian Refugees Rush Greece Border as Russia and Turkey Tangle. truthdig.com REYHANLI, Turkey — The presidents of Turkey and Russia spoke by phone Friday to try to defuse tensions that rose significantly in Syria after 33 Turkish troops were killed in a Syrian government airstrike, and a new wave of refugees and migrants headed for the Greek border by land and sea after Turkey said it would no longer hold them back. | The attack Thursday marked the deadliest day for the Turkish military since Ankara first entered the Syrian conflict in 2016 and also was the most serious escalation between Turkish and Russian-backed Syrian forces, raising the prospect of an all-out war with millions…

RT (2020-02-28). WATCH asylum-seekers march towards Europe after Turkey declares it will no longer hold them back. rt.com Turkey has announced it will no longer hold back people who wish to go to Europe and seek asylum there amid an escalation in Syria. Some have been quick to rush towards coasts and borders before Ankara changes its mind. | Would-be irregular immigrants have started trickling closer to Europe after top Turkish officials said Ankara would deliver on its threat and open the floodgates of migrants on Europe. The hopefuls are gathering in the Edirne province, which borders Greece and Bulgaria, as well as on Turkey\'s Aegean coast close to the Greek island of Lesbos, AFP reported. | Anadolu Agency posted drone foot…

RT (2020-02-28). Article 5 or \'Oh my gosh\'? What will US do after Turkish troops die in Syrian strike. rt.com Turkey has reached out to NATO and the US following the deaths of its troops in Syria\'s Idlib province, fueling speculation that it might invoke Article 5 and get the alliance involved in a shooting war with Damascus — and Russia.

Staff (2020-02-28). Elementary School in NJ Latinx Community Fights Displacement by New Cancer Center & Gentrification. democracynow.org In New Jersey, hundreds rallied at the New Brunswick Board of Education meeting Tuesday night against plans to demolish a public school to make way for Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and Rutgers University to build a new cancer center. Protesters included families and more than 30 children, who held signs reading \"Save our School!\" and \"Stop Gentrification.\" If approved, 760 third-through-eighth-graders at Lincoln Annex School would be moved to a former warehouse building on the outskirts of town as they await construction of a replacement school. Even worse, the proposed new school site is located on a \"brownfield…

Staff (2020-02-28). Elementary School in NJ Latinx Community Fights Displacement by Robert Wood Johnson Cancer Center. democracynow.org In New Jersey, hundreds rallied at the New Brunswick Board of Education meeting Tuesday night against plans to demolish a public school to make way for Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and Rutgers University to build a new cancer center. Protesters included families and more than 30 children, who held signs reading \"Save our School!\" and \"Stop Gentrification.\" If approved, 760 third-through-eighth-graders at Lincoln Annex School would be moved to a former warehouse building on the outskirts of town as they await construction of a replacement school. Even worse, the proposed new school site is located on a \"brownfield…

The Canary (2020-02-28). PM warned Brussels will not bow to \'artificial deadlines\' in trade talks. thecanary.co Brussels will not be pressurised by \"artificial deadlines\" in…

RT (2020-02-28). One more Turkish soldier killed in Idlib shelling, Turkish forces \'retaliate\' — Ankara. rt.com Shelling by Syrian government forces has killed one Turkish soldier and injured two more in Syria\'s Idlib province, the Defense Ministry in Ankara said. Turkey is retaliating, as two countries remain on the brink of open war. | The newest casualties come less than a day after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in what has been reported as either an air strike or an artillery bombardment, also in Idlib. Turkey has sent thousands of troops and armor into the province, which is the last remaining stronghold of militants — some of them affiliated with Al-Qaeda — that once sought to overthrow the government…

RT (2020-02-28). Turkey & Syria on brink of WAR in Idlib: How did it come to this? rt.com Alarming developments in Syria\'s Idlib saw dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in a Syrian airstrike and Ankara responding with own fire and fury. But anyone following the conflict would know the escalation didn\'t start overnight. | The Idlib governorate, located in the northwestern part of Syria on the border with Turkey, is the last major stronghold of armed groups that have been fighting to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad for the past several years. The region was spared a Syrian Army offensive in 2018 on a request from Turkey, which said it didn\'t want to face a new influx of refugees…

Chauncey K. Robinson (2020-02-28). \'Hunters\' review: Amazon\'s violent anti-Nazi drama has potential but needs sharper direction. peoplesworld.org \"Only the dead know the end of war.\" — Hunters Approximately six million Jewish people, along with millions of others, perished in the World War II (WWII) genocide that we would later come to know as the Holocaust. They were targeted for racial, political, and ideological reasons by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party regime. …

RT (2020-02-28). Big war in Idlib will have grim consequences for everyone, including Turkey — Russian senator. rt.com Turkey should take into account that it will suffer too if it starts a large-scale operation in Syria\'s Idlib, a Russian senator has warned. If Ankara hopes to get NATO backing for it, it will be disappointed, he added. | The already volatile situation in northwestern Syrian region significantly escalated after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed there by a Syrian airstrike on Thursday. Ankara called an emergency NATO meeting in response, and threatened to launch a large-scale military operation to force Syrian government forces out of the province. | Hopefully, the tension would be defused because a big war in th…

RT (2020-02-28). \'We fought Russia 16 times and will fight it again,\' warns Erdogan\'s adviser amid Idlib escalation. rt.com A member of an expert body advising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted that Ankara is prepared to go to war with Russia after tensions over Syria\'s Idlib province escalated over the past 24 hours. | Mesut Hakki Casin, who is a member of Turkey\'s Security and Foreign Policy Board advising Erdogan, made his comments shortly after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in Idlib province. | We have fought Russia 16 times in the past, and we will fight it again. | The official pointed to Russia\'s sizeable Muslim population and claimed that the country \"

Staff (2020-02-28). Court Puts Breaks on Move to Make Asylum Seekers Wait in Mexico. truthdig.com While it may only be temporary, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling is a major setback for Donald Trump\'s anti-immigration policy.