(2021-03-14). 'Die-in' in NYC & vandalism in LA as protesters mark 1yr anniversary of Breonna Taylor's death (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Protesters took to the streets in America's two largest cities to mark the one-year anniversary of the police shooting that killed Breonna Taylor. Her death became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. | Hundreds of people gathered in New York City's Times Square to participate in a 'die-in' to remember her killing. Footage from RT's video agency Ruptly shows people lying on the ground, with some holding signs reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Abolish the police." | Elsewhere in the city, demonstrators carrying signs and chanting Taylor's name shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. Similar protests were…
(2021-03-14). Biden administration directs FEMA to help shelter child migrants amid claims it denied lawyers access to cramped border facility. rt.com 
As the number of migrant children in border detention facilities has swelled to a record high, the Biden administration has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help house them. | FEMA will help "safely receive, shelter and transfer" children who cross the southwestern border on their own, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced on Saturday, saying the assistance will last 90 days. | Today
(2021-03-14). Four foreign nationals arrested near Syria border in Turkey. yenisafak.com Border authorities arrested four foreign nationals in southeastern Turkey, near the border with Syria, on Sunday, security sources said.Border guards in Kilis province spotted a group of people along the border with Syria.Four people, who entered Turkey illegally, were caught in an operation, said the sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.They were referred to the provincial repatriation center.Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.It hosts nearly 4 million r…
(2021-03-14). Against the odds, South Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse; and they're showing the world how to do it. juancole.com 
By Michael McGreevy and Fran Baum | — Less than two decades ago, South Australia generated all its electricity from fossil fuels. Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of the state's electricity supply. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis — so how did it happen? Our research set …
(2021-03-14). Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe wins against 'not in my backyard' racists. liberationnews.org 
The tribe's goal is to set a new precedent for the way our society deals with the problem of addiction with a clinic in Sequim, Washington.
(2021-03-14). German Scientists: Without Drastic Climate Action, World could be headed to Dangerous 7.2 ∞ F. extra Heating. juancole.com 
By Benjamin Wehrmann | — ( Clean Energy Wire ) — Current emissions reduction efforts around the world are insufficient to limit global warming to up to 2 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, Germany's Meteorological Service (DWD) has said. Despite globally reduced mobility and depressed industrial production due to the coronavirus …
(2021-03-14). British-Iranian Zaghari-Ratcliffe faces new charges in Tehran court. middleeasteye.net 
British-Iranian Zaghari-Ratcliffe faces new charges in Tehran court | A week after the end of a five-year sentence, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe attended a hearing over accusations of 'propaganda against the system' | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 09: 56 | Zaghari-Ratcliffe was recently released from a five-year sentence for espionage, a charge she has consistently denied (MEE/family handout) | British-I…
(2021-03-14). US could reach 'certain' post-Covid 'degree of normality' by mid-summer, 'no exact date' for events like indoor weddings. rt.com 
White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci has expressed confidence in President Joe Biden's Covid-19 vaccination plan, but says he can give no timeline for a return to normal. | "There are two issues: getting enough doses, which we will have with the new contracts with the pharmaceutical companies. But once you get those doses, to get it into people's arms," Fauci told CNN on Sunday when discussing Covid-19 vaccine distribution plans. | Fauci expressed support for Biden's wish that the US would be able to mark "independence" from the pandemic by July 4 and gather without masks or social distancing for tradi…
(2021-03-14). 'Get right before you get left, boomer': Marines backtrack after jumping into Fox host Tucker Carlson's row with Pentagon. rt.com 
The US Marine Corps is adjusting its aim after facing public backlash over suggesting that men critical of the Pentagon's mission creep towards wokeness should serve, get pregnant, and only then speak on the issue. | "What it looks like in today's armed forces [Tucker Carlson], Get right before you get left, boomer," the Marines tweeted on Friday, accompanying the tweet with an image of a smiling female officer carrying a fellow officer. | What it looks like in today's armed forces Get right before you get left, boomer | &sbqu…
(2021-03-14). Portland police confiscate guns, hammers & other weapons after corralling 100 protesters during violent demonstration. rt.com 
Portland police seized numerous weapons, including firearms, after kettling dozens of protesters during a night of unrest in the Oregon city. | Law enforcement intervened in a march on Friday when a group of demonstrators began breaking windows in the downtown area. Officers responded by establishing a perimeter around the crowd and announcing that the protesters were being detained. | According to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), some of the demonstrators refused to comply and locked arms in an attempt to prevent officers from carrying out their orders. Around 100 people were identified and photographed as p…
(2021-03-14). Palestinians condemn opening of Czech Jerusalem office. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinians condemn opening of Czech Jerusalem office | The Palestinian Authority and the Arab League accuse the Czech Republic of committing 'a flagrant violation of international law' | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 06: 30 | Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis hailed the new office as a "milestone in our co-operation" (AFP) | The Palestinian Authority and the Arab League on Saturday condemned the Cze…
(2021-03-14). Palestinians condemn opening of Czech Jerusalem office. middleeasteye.net Palestinians condemn opening of Czech Jerusalem office | The Palestinian Authority and the Arab League accused the Czech Republic of committing 'a flagrant violation of international law' | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 06: 30 | Czech prime minister Andrej Babis hailed the new office as a 'milestone in our co-operation' (AFP) | The Palestinian Authority and the Arab League on Saturday condemned the Cz…
(2021-03-14). Finally. The DWP £20 uplift is facing legal action. thecanary.co 
The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) £20 uplift to Universal Credit is facing a legal challenge. It's from people on so-called legacy benefits. And the case may open the floodgates for thousands of other claimants. | DWP uplift: one rule for workers: | The £20 uplift for Universal Credit from chancellor Rishi Sunak and the DWP has been
(2021-03-14). Oman blocks Clubhouse, citing 'lack of proper authorisation'. middleeasteye.net 
Oman blocks Clubhouse, citing 'lack of proper authorisation' | Blocking the audio app has prompted a backlash by free-speech advocates online | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 10: 29 | The iOS-only app has been at the top of many national download lists in the Middle East (Illustration by Hossam Sarhan/MEE) | Oman blocked the audio app Clubhouse on Sunday, citing "lack of proper authorisation," accordin…
(2021-03-14). Kosovo inaugurates embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net 
Kosovo inaugurates embassy to Israel in Jerusalem | Kosovo joins US and Guatemala as only countries with embassies in city whose status is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 16: 01 | Kosovo government officials stand in front of Kosovar and Israeli flags during a ceremony at the foreign ministry in Pristina on 1 February 2021 as the two countries establish…
(2021-03-14). Yemen: Houthi missile attack kills three children in Taiz. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen: Houthi missile attack kills three children in Taiz | A missile fired at a school where pro-government forces are based killed 15 soldiers and three children nearby | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 16: 04 | A Yemeni boy looks for bullet casings to sell as scrap metal in a Taiz street on 27 April 2019 (AFP) | Yemen's rebel Houthi forces fired a missile on Sunday at a school where pro-government fo…
(2021-03-14). Syria war: Ten years on, Syrian Christians say Assad 'has taken us hostage'. middleeasteye.net 
Syria war: Ten years on, Syrian Christians say Assad 'has taken us hostage' | Members of Syria's Christian minority now in exile say president has manipulated the community while cracking down on dissent | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 14: 05 | An Assyrian Christian Syrian in the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, destroyed by the Islamic State group, in the village of Tal Nasri, south of Tal Tamr in northeas…
(2021-03-14). Days of '49: Remembering Peekskill. dissidentvoice.org 
Tayo Aluko ∑ Paul Robeson's Love Song (trailer) A new radio play by Tayo Aluko based on events surrounding Paul Robeson's concert in Peekskill, New York in 1949, and the racist, anti-communist riots that came before and after it, drops on Paul Robeson's birthday — April 9th — and it seems more timely than ever. …
(2021-03-13). Scammer charged with money laundering & wire fraud after bilking $450k from donors for fake Black Lives Matter charity, DOJ says. rt.com 
A fraudster has been indicted on federal charges for his alleged role in swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors who thought they were giving to a Black Lives Matter group, instead pocketing the funds for himself. | Ohio man Sir Maejor Page, 32, was slapped with four federal counts this week, the DOJ announced in a
(2021-03-13). Black Workers in Alabama Aim to Slay the Trillion-Dollar Behemoth That Is Amazon. zcomm.org "Amazon workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and especially the 85% of Black Lives that go to that fulfillment center daily to work, but whose work is grossly undervalued"
(2021-03-13). Police Deploy Water Cannons, Tear Gas During BLM Riots in Belgium's Liege – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in the Belgian city of Liege on Saturday escalated into riots, with police using water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, the national media reported.
(2021-03-13). Israeli settlers attack Palestinian family in West Bank farmland. middleeasteye.net 
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian family in West Bank farmland | The parents of eight children have been hospitalised after settlers threw rocks at them | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 10: 33 | The father of the Alyan family carried by Israeli soldiers after being attacked by settlers (Courtesy of the Alyan family) | Israeli settlers, some masked and equipped with batons, attacked a Palestinian family in the South Hebro…
(2021-03-13). San Francisco: Haitian community denounces murderous coup regime. workers.org 
San Francisco — Waving Haitian flags, a crowd of 80 demonstrated March 1 to mark the anniversary of the bloody U.S.-backed coup d'etat in 2004 that overthrew the popular government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The beloved former president was kidnapped and flown to Africa on a U.S. military plane, beginning a . . . |
(2021-03-13). Human rights report on the Lasalin massacre. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-13). Right-wing Texas college president assaults free speech, ignores COVID. liberationnews.org 
Matkin, who according to college records could receive a salary as high as $1 million, recently decided not to renew the contracts of three faculty members who have been vocal about unsafe work conditions during COVID-19.
(2021-03-13). What's behind the Biden Administration's new $100 billion nuclear missile system? mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-13). February revolution in Burma. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-13). Floyd family gets $27M settlement; activists say 'no substitute for change'. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS—By a unanimous vote of the Minneapolis City Council Friday, the city agreed to pay a $27 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the George Floyd family. According to media reports, it is the largest pre-trial settlement in U.S. history. The settlement was announced as the first week of jury selection was …
(2021-03-13). Sarah Everard vigil cancelled. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Reclaim These Streets v Metropolitan Police Sarah Everard, a 33 year old woman living in London, was walking home from a friend's house at around 9pm on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 when she disappeared without trace. In the days that followed, public appeals for information and press coverage ensured that the case was widely discussed. A …
(2021-03-13). The governor of Texas, Neanderthals and COVID-19. workers.org 
The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, made a surprise announcement March 2 in Lubbock, a city of 200,000 people in West Texas. All state mandates to combat the spread of COVID-19 were being lifted. Counties and municipalities cannot require basic public health policies to limit the spread of disease after March . . . |
(2021-03-13). Defeating Climate Denialism by showing People how they will Win by Greening Society. juancole.com 
By Sarah Sharma and Matthew Hoffmann | — Canada and the United States are suddenly steeped in policy proposals to aggressively cut carbon emissions. In the face of a climate emergency and on the heels of numerous climate disasters, this is welcome news indeed. In the U.S., the newly minted Biden administration has unleashed a …
(2021-03-13). On the picket line. workers.org 
Bosses retaliate against Hunts Point workers Business retaliation against union organizing is nothing new. Weak laws and minimal fines embolden corporations like Amazon to hire strikebreaking law firms to intimidate workers into voting down attempts to unionize their workplace. Workers who strike or successfully organize face the threat of losing . . . |
(2021-03-13). Ten Problems With Biden's Foreign Policy and One Solution. dissidentvoice.org 
The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it's not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed — or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama's New START Treaty with Russia and Secretary of …
(2021-03-13). Knoxville, TN, activists present 'award' to city's top evictor. liberationnews.org 
When activists arrived at the housing complex owned by Robert Greene, the residents who lived there came out of their homes and cheered the protesters on — a visible sign of how urgently these demands speak to working class people.
(2021-03-13). Lula's right to run for president of Brazil restored in major victory for people's movemen. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-13). Celebrating our Declaration of Independence from Covid with Poetry of Omar Khayyam. juancole.com 
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — President Biden on Thursday expressed the expectation that the vaccination of the US population will have proceeded to the extent by July 4 that we can look forward to small gatherings of friends and family then. The calculation is that when 70% of the population is inoculated, the virus will …
(2021-03-13). Perilous Journey — My Experiences as a Delegate Inside the Democratic Party. realprogressives.org 
"I have lived inside the belly of the Monster and know him from within." Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti | I only spent a brief time inside the Democratic Party as an elected delegate for Bernie Sanders in 2020, but it was enough to determine that the monster is indeed irreformable. My delegate journey exposed me to the gross incompetence and corruption within the party. The following reflects my personal experience as a delegate from Colorado's Congressional District 2. My conclusion from these few months is there is no path forward inside the Democratic Party. This should be no surprise at all, as…
(2021-03-13). Moscow joins 5G club as ultrafast next-generation internet service arrives at some of Russian capital's most iconic spots (VIDEO). rt.com 
The high speeds of 5G internet can now be experienced at over a dozen of some of the most well-known locations in Moscow, and a number of locals who spoke to RT didn't seem to share the concerns of skeptics about the technology.
(2021-03-13). Party's over: South Dakota's request for July 4th fireworks on Mount Rushmore DENIED over health & environment concerns. rt.com 
A repeat of last year's large-scale celebration at Mount Rushmore, headlined by then-President Donald Trump, is apparently not going to happen this year, after a federal agency refused a request for a fireworks display. | National Park Service (NPS) Regional Director Herbert Frost said in a letter seen by the Hill that the agency was "unable to grant a request" to stage fireworks at the memorial due to "potential risks to the park itself and to the health and safety of employees and visitors." | Frost also cited opposition by "many tribal partners" of the park to the sight of fireworks, and noted that while th…
(2021-03-13). UK warns China is in state of 'non-compliance' after Hong Kong 'patriot' electoral reform. rt.com 
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab declared China to be in a state of non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, accusing the nation of restricting democracy in Hong Kong. | "Beijing's decision to impose radical changes to restrict participation in Hong Kong's electoral system constitutes a further clear breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration," Raab said in an official government
(2021-03-13). Syria's first lady faces possible prosecution and loss of UK citizenship. middleeasteye.net 
Syria's first lady faces possible prosecution and loss of UK citizenship | Britain's Metropolitan police have opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Asma al-Assad incited war crimes | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 22: 19 | British-born Asma al-Assad has been under EU and US sanctions since 2012 (AFP) | London's Metropolitan police have opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Asma al-Assa…
(2021-03-13). National Public Radio Makes Stuff Up to Tell a Story About Interest Rates and Budget Deficits. cepr.net 
A story on All Things Considered last night told listeners: "In the early '90s, President Bill Clinton's administration was troubled by this looming problem. Year after year, both government deficits and interest rates were going up. Here's one of his top economic advisers, Laura Tyson. "LAURA TYSON: 'And then he said, oh, my goodness, if …
(2021-03-13). Moscow joins 5G club as ultrafast next-gen internet arrives at Russian capital's most iconic spots (VIDEO). rt.com The high speed of 5G internet can now be experienced at over a dozen of the most well-known locations in Moscow, and the locals who spoke to RT didn't seem to share the concerns of skeptics about the technology. | 5G being available to the public is a "breakthrough" because "it is the only way we can make sure mobile networks keep developing," Victor Belov, president for technology at Russian telecom giant MTS, which is behind the pilot project, told RT. | The new standard will allow mobile phone users to "watch videos in Ultra HD and even some newer formats." The people "won't have any trouble doing a live-st…
(2021-03-13). 'F**k, promote, fire': Editor of Germany's Bild tabloid steps down amid sexual misconduct investigation. rt.com 
Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief of German tabloid Bild, has stepped down from his job as the paper's publisher investigates allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Meanwhile, Bild is gearing up for lawsuits. | Bild's publisher, Axel Springer,
(2021-03-13). Vaccines DO help to stop coronavirus transmission, recent study suggests. rt.com 
A new study has found that Covid-19 vaccines stop people passing the virus on to others. The study is one of several with similar findings, and may pave the way for scientists to support the introduction of 'vaccine passports.' | A preprint Good news üëè in this new pre-print studying vacci…
(2021-03-13). Police disrupt Moscow summit of banned pro-Western group linked to ex-oligarch, making around 200 arrests. rt.com 
Opposition activists, as well as several local deputies, were detained on Saturday as police descended upon a summit staged by an 'undesirable' organization linked to exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. | Several dozen officers reportedly entered the convention hall of the Izmailovo Hotel in eastern Moscow shortly after the event started, interrupting the opening speech by the former mayor of Yekaterinburg, Yevgeny Roizman. | Footage from the scene showed one of the officers announcing that the meeting was illegal due to being staged by a foreign NGO, the activities of which have been deemed 'undesira…
(2021-03-13). AstraZeneca warns of new shortfall in deliveries to EU as five nations seek summit on 'unfair' vaccine distribution. rt.com 
AstraZeneca has announced new shortfalls in its planned vaccine shipments to the EU. The latest setback comes as five of the bloc's nations called for an emergency summit to address what they call "unfair" vaccine distribution. | The already lagging behind vaccine deliveries are expected to be delayed further, the company admitted Saturday. The pharmaceutical giant blamed the disruption on production issues as well as on export restrictions. | "Unfortunately, export restrictions will reduce deliveries in the first quarter, and are likely to affect deliveries in the second quarter," AstraZeneca said in a statem…
(2021-03-13). Police round up women mourning London kidnapping-murder victim in crackdown on VIGIL held despite Covid ban (VIDEOS). rt.com 
A London vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard — held in defiance of a police order amid the Covid-19 pandemic — turned ugly after large numbers of officers arrived and tried to clear people from the area. | Several organizers of Saturday's vigil at Clapham Common were reportedly arrested, and footage from the scene showed clashes with police. One clip posted on Twitter shows several women standing on the edge of a bandstand where police congregated, including one holding a sign that says, "We aren't safe in our homes." Four women are then grabbed from behind by officers, pulled back and arrested after…
(2021-03-13). Too risque? Pakistani students expelled from university after hugging on camera. rt.com 
A Pakistani couple was booted from the University of Lahore after a video of them embracing went viral. The institution said in a letter that the pair were expelled after being found guilty of violating its code of conduct. | Photos and videos circulating on the internet show a young woman proposing to her partner as she bends down on one knee and offers him a bouquet. The man then takes the flowers and pulls her up for a hug. The heartwarming moment was met with applause and cheers from bystanders, but it appears that the university's administrators felt differently about the seemingly benign affair. | &euro…
(2021-03-13). Israel most likely responsible for blast on Iranian container ship in Mediterranean — media. rt.com 
A member of an Iranian investigation team has told a local news outlet that Tel Aviv was most likely behind the attack on a Europe-bound Iranian container ship in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this week. | "Considering the geographical location and the way the ship was targeted, one of the strong possibilities is that this terrorist operation was carried out by the Zionist regime (Israel)," an unnamed investigator Several cont…
(2021-03-13). 4 killed, 2 survive after Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft crashes in Kazakhstan. rt.com 
Four people were killed and two others injured in Almaty, Kazakhstan, after a Soviet-designed Antonov An-26 plane crash-landed at the city's airport. The aircraft belonged to the Kazakh National Security Committee (NSC). | The intelligence agency confirmed that its plane with six crew members aboard crashed during landing in Almaty at 5: 22pm local time (11: 22 GMT) on Saturday. | Four people were killed in the incident, while two others survived and were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, the NSC said. The reasons for the crash are currently being investigated, it added. | Eyewitness footage purporte…
(2021-03-13). 'That's my guy': Snoop Dogg challenges UFC boss Dana White to $2 MILLION wager on winner of Jake Paul vs Ben Askren. rt.com 
Rapper Snoop Dogg has told UFC boss Dana White to put his money where his mouth is and enter into a wager with him on the winner of the boxing bout between YouTuber Jake Paul and former MMA star Ben Askren.
(2021-03-13). 'Respect to him': Crystal Palace ace Zaha becomes first Premier League star NOT to take a knee after describing it as 'degrading'. rt.com 
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha made good on his vow not to take a knee anymore as he became the first Premier League star to go against the grain since the gesture was introduced. | Zaha stood tall while others around him knelt before the kick-off as Palace took on West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday, making the 28-year-old Ivory Coast star the first footballer in England's top flight to shun the move. | üó£"I will continue to stand tall" | Wilfried Zaha becomes first Premier League player to not take a knee
(2021-03-13). Bridges praises 'tough as f*ck' rival as 'Blonde Bomber' wins on ring return and fans demand big-name fight. rt.com 
Aussie 'Blonde Bomber' Ebanie Bridges earned a unanimous decision win over durable rival Carol Earl on her ring return as fans claimed big-name promoters could "sell the sh*t" out of the curvy pugilist for future bouts. | Bridges improved her unbeaten record to 5-0 as she picked up the ANBF Australasian title with victory against the 45-year-old New Zealander Earl in their super bantamweight bout in New South Wales on Saturday. | The bout had been preceded by a typically racy trip to the scales from Bridges — who also works as a math teacher in Sydney — as she stripped down to a blue bikini. That…
(2021-03-13). Liverpool star Salah 'high-maintenance' and has 'imperfect' relationship with strike partner Mane — report. rt.com 
Liverpool strike pairing Mo Salah and Sadio Mane have an "imperfect relationship" and the Egyptian is "high-maintenance" despite being a popular figure at the Anfield club, according to a report on the team's woes this season. | Liverpool have endured a disastrous defence to their Premier League title, falling to an historic sixth home defeat in a row against Fulham last Sunday and languishing down in eighth in the table before the start of play this weekend. | Despite obvious big-name injury absences, observers have still struggled to explain the alarming slump from Jurgen Klopp's men which has seen them deri…
(2021-03-13). 'I have unfinished business with Masvidal': UFC star Leon Edwards eyes 3-piece & soda revenge 'inside or outside the cage' (VIDEO). rt.com 
UFC welterweight Leon Edwards confesses he has "unfinished business" with contender Jorge Masvidal and division champ Kamaru Usman after his fist fight with the former and first fight with the latter ahead of UFC Las Vegas 21. | Brit Edwards will make his octagon return after 20 months out against Chicago-based Palestinian Belal Muhammad, a late replacement for Covid-stricken original…
(2021-03-13). Return to Real? Ronaldo 'in discussions with former club FOR MONTHS' as speculation mounts after latest Juve flop in Europe. rt.com 
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in discussions with Real Madrid for months regarding a potential return to the club, according to reports in Spain, as speculation mounts over where the star will be playing next season. | Ronaldo and his Juventus team suffered more disappointment in the Champions League this week as they crashed out to unfancied Porto on away goals. |
(2021-03-13). US declares Huawei threat to national security, pouring cold water on Beijing's hopes for reset with Washington. rt.com 
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has deemed Chinese telecom giant Huawei a threat to US national security, maintaining pressure on Beijing that some believed could ease under the new Biden administration. | The FCC announced on Friday that the firm, as well as four other Chinese companies, pose "an unacceptable risk to US national security or the security and safety of US persons." | The regulator's acting chief, Jessica Rosenworcel, said that the move would help "restore trust" in US communications networks. She did not explain what specific actions would be taken against the Chinese companies. Hua…
(2021-03-13). 'Largest investigation in American history': 100+ people to be charged in storming of US Capitol, court filings say. rt.com 
At least another hundred people connected to the January 6 storming of the US Capitol are expected to be charged with a variety of crimes, according to prosecutors. | "The investigation continues and the government expects that at least one hundred additional individuals will be charged," claimed the prosecutors in court filings first
(2021-03-13). 'The Bachelor' host who was 'canceled' after defending contestant hounded by 'woke police' won't return for next season. rt.com 
Fans of Chris Harrison were saddened to learn that he will not be hosting the upcoming season of 'The Bachelorette'. Harrison stepped down from the show amid a controversy surrounding an allegedly racist contestant. | Harrison, who went on leave from 'The Bachelor' in mid-February after taking heat for defending one of the participants from accusations of racism, will not be part of the next season of 'The Bachelorette', the gender-swapped version of the show. ABC Entertainment and Warner Horizon confirmed earlier speculation that this would be the case in a statement, saying that former contestants Tayshia Ad…
(2021-03-13). Politically homeless? Sarah Silverman says she doesn't want to be associated with 'elitist' Democratic Party anymore. rt.com 
Comedian and cancel culture opponent Sarah Silverman has expressed uncertainty about her affiliation with the Democratic Party, eliciting cheers from pundits who hailed the breakup as long overdue. | In a video posted to Instagram, Silverman confessed that she found the Democrats to be too uncompromising and self-righteous for her liking. | "It's the absolutist-ness of the party I am in that is such a turnoff to me. It's so f****** elitist. You know, for something called 'progressive', it allows for zero progress." | She added that after reflecting on the issue, she feels like she doesn't want to be "associate…
(2021-03-13). 'It could have been prevented': Relatives of NY nursing home victims tell RT they hold Cuomo responsible for their deaths. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is at fault for the state's disastrous nursing home policies amid the Covid-19 crisis, relatives of care home patients who succumbed to the virus told RT, voicing hopes for accountability. | Grace Colucci, whose elderly father passed away following a 20-day stint in a New York nursing home for physical rehabilitation, told RT's Colon Bray that she and other family members were unable to contact her dad during his stay due to pandemic restrictions, and that he emerged from the home with "very severe symptoms" of what later was confirmed to be Covid-19. | "We were not able to have…
(2021-03-13). US judge temporarily removes China's Xiaomi from Trump-era blacklist. rt.com 
A US judge has temporarily removed Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi from a Trump-era blacklist prohibiting American investment in "Communist Chinese military companies." | The ruling was announced by US District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington on Friday. The judge argued that the US Departments of Defense and Treasury "have not made the case that the national security interests at stake here are compelling," issuing a preliminary injunction removing Xiaomi from the blacklist. | Xiaomi was hit with the ban as then-President Donald Trump took a fresh series of hostile moves against China during his last day…
(2021-03-13). Key 'Oath Keeper' granted pretrial release as prosecutors find no evidence of wide-ranging conspiracy to storm Capitol. rt.com 
A US judge has ordered the release of retired Navy officer Kenneth Caldwell, accused of being part of an Oath Keepers militia plot to invade the Capitol, pending trial, as no evidence to back the conspiracy claims has turned up. | Judge Amit Mehta said that Caldwell did not enter the Capitol building, nor was there direct evidence of him trying to force his way in. | "There are no text messages, communications by him, that speak to entering a building or trying to enter the building. And ultimately, he did not enter the building," Mehta said, as he ordered the 65-year-old's release from jail. Because he did no…
(2021-03-13). Police disrupt Moscow summit of banned pro-Western group linked to UK-based former-oligarch Khodorkovsky, making dozens of arrests. rt.com Police detained a number of Russian liberal opposition activists, as well as several local deputies, in Moscow on Saturday at a summit staged by an 'undesirable' organization linked to exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. | Several dozen officers reportedly entered the convention hall of the Izmailovo Hotel, in the east of the capital, shortly after the event started, interrupting the opening speech by the former mayor of Yekaterinburg, Yevgeny Roizman. | Footage from the scene showed one of the officers announcing that the meeting was illegal due to being staged by a foreign NGO, the activities of whi…
(2021-03-13). 'Wrong on every level': Charlie Hebdo condemned for 'disgusting' cartoon making fun of royals, Meghan Markle and George Floyd. rt.com 
Notorious French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has published a new cover making fun of Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle, and George Floyd at once. Amid the outrage, some liberals demanded blood. | "Why Meghan Markle left Buckingham Palace," read the cover of this week's Charlie Hebdo, followed by the punchline, uttered by Markle: "Because I couldn't breathe." The illustration depicts Markle pinned under the hairy knee of a smiling Queen Elizabeth II, with the pose and punchline a reference to George Floyd, a black man who died under the knee of police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis last summer. "I can't…
(2021-03-13). Bitcoin hits $60k record high as cryptocurrency's rally continues. rt.com 
Bitcoin has shot past $60,000 as the world's leading digital asset continues to surge upwards. | The cryptocurrency climbed more than five percent on Saturday, reaching $60,200 on Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of trading volume. | The price sur…
(2021-03-13). Big energy emerges as winner from Texas winter storm. rt.com 
As smaller companies are hit hard following grid failures in the storm, people look to big energy firms such as Vistra, NRG, Exelon and Calpine to provide a more stable source of energy. | This is likely to lead to bigger energy companies across the state acquiring smaller, local companies that people no longer trust to supply their power. | The four major Texan companies, together,
(2021-03-13). Danish anti-lockdown activist gets double jail time for inciting violence… after telling crowd to 'smash city in non-violent way'. rt.com 
A Danish woman has been jailed for two years after telling people to "smash the city" at an anti-lockdown protest. The activist is the first protester hit by a law enabling courts to double sentences for Covid-related offenses. | The unusually harsh ruling was announced by the Copenhagen court on Friday. The defendant, a 30-year-old woman, was found guilty of making offensive statements that contributed to a "gross disturbance of public order as well as the use of violence against police" during an anti-lockdown protest in early January. | "Are you ready to walk around and smash the city in a non-violent way?"
(2021-03-13). Mass protests across Germany mark one year of anti-coronavirus restrictions (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Several separate rallies were held in Germany's capital city of Berlin. The largest one, with some 1,000 people in attendance according to police estimates, began at noon outside the federal health ministry. | The event was not marred by any major incident, the police | Another large protest was held in the southwestern city of…
(2021-03-13). WATCH: Activist swarmed by group of attackers after protesting against use of puberty-blocking drugs on children. rt.com 
A Canadian activist who traveled to Montreal to demonstrate against giving puberty blockers to children was attacked by black-clad assailants who allegedly punched him, stole his camera, and broke his arm him with a traffic cone. | The incident occurred on Friday night in downtown Montreal, where Vancouver resident Chris Elston said he was having a "peaceful conversation" with a local man when about seven "thugs" swarmed him. Video footage shows several assailants, including at least one woman, pursuing Elston and another man, hitting them with traffic cones and demanding that they leave the area. At one point…
(2021-03-13). U.S. calls Europe to arms against China, Russia. workers.org 
The author's Art of War column published in the Italian web daily, Il Manifesto, March 9. Translation: John Catalinotto. The EU-China Agreement on investments, signed Dec. 30 by the European Commission, may be rejected by members of the European Parliament on the grounds that Beijing violates human rights. This is . . . |
(2021-03-13). Owners of Hospital Conglomerate Made Billions as Health Care Workers Lacked PPE. truthout.org 
Not everyone is suffering during the pandemic. | The Frist family of Tennessee are the founders and biggest shareholders of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the largest for-profit hospital conglomerate in the U.S. Thomas F. Frist Jr. and his family have seen their personal wealth increase from $7.5 billion on March 18, 2020 to $15.6 billion on March 8, 2021, an increase of $8.1 billion or 108 percent, according to an analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies. | Almost half of thes…
(2021-03-13). OSHA Performed Half as Many Workplace Inspections in 2020 Compared to 2019. truthout.org 
This article was first published at According to a recent report, during the first nine months of the Covid-19 pandemic the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) received more complaints but performed far fewer inspections than usual. Between February 1 and October 26, 2020, OSHA received 15 percent more complaints but performed 50 p…
(2021-03-13). Biden's Trade Policy With India Could Accelerate Global Climate Catastrophe. truthout.org 
The new Biden administration's centering of the climate crisis — including through the cabinet appointment of Indigenous leader Deb Haaland, the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the creation of a nation-wide climate policy task force — is a significant At the same time, there are also aspects of Biden's climate plan, his international agenda in par…
(2021-03-13). Right-to-Work Laws Are Rooted in Racism. The PRO Act Would Strike Them Down. truthout.org 
The U.S. House of Representative passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act this week, with 42 House Democrats from Southern states as The bill is one of the most ambitious attempts to strengthen the rights of workers and unions in decades. Its centerpiece is a provision that would override so-called "right-to-work" laws by allowing unions to collect dues from represented workers in…
(2021-03-13). The Heat: Biden pledges vaccines for all Americans by May. america.cgtn.com 
After a year of unimaginable loss, U.S. President Biden says every American will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine in the next two months.
(2021-03-13). Morocco extradites Saudi-Australian national to Riyadh. middleeasteye.net 
Morocco extradites Saudi-Australian national to Riyadh | Relatives and rights groups had warned that Osama Hasani could face torture if sent to Saudi Arabia | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 14: 28 | Saudi-Australian dual national Osama al-Hasani was arrested on 8 February while visiting his newborn child in Morocco (Twitter) | Moroccan authorities have extradited Saudi-Australian dual national Osama al…
(2021-03-13). Jordan: Health minister submits resignation after Covid-19 patients die of oxygen shortage. middleeasteye.net 
Jordan: Health minister submits resignation after Covid-19 patients die of oxygen shortage | An investigation is underway to determine what led to shortage of oxygen in state-run hospital | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 12: 40 | Jordan's King Abdullah II visiting a room during the inauguration of the health ministry's Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Aqaba on 24 January…
(2021-03-13). Iran says Israel likely behind attack on container ship in Mediterranean. middleeasteye.net 
Iran says Israel likely behind attack on container ship in Mediterranean | Ship was hit by 'an explosive object' which caused a small fire, but no one on board was hurt in incident on 10 March | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 16: 01 | Iranian-flagged container ship Shahr e Kord at Haydarpasa port in Istanbul, Turkey on 13 December 2019 (Reuters) | Israel is highly likely to have been behind an attack i…
(2021-03-13). Far-Right Bolivia Coup Leader Jeanine A√±ez Arrested on Terrorism, Sedition Charges. commondreams.org "The authors and accomplices of the dictatorship that looted the economy and attacked life and democracy in Bolivia" must "be investigated and punished," said Evo Morales, the former president. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-03-13). Bolivia arrests ex president àÅñez, her ministers as part of coup probe. laprensalatina.com (Update 1: updates with ex president's arrest) La Paz, Mar 12 (efe-epa).- Bolivian authorities confirmed early on Saturday that they had arrested former interim president Jeanine àÅñez as part of a probe into the alleged 2019 coup against Evo Morales. The Minister of Government Eduardo Del Castillo Carpio confirmed àÅñez's arrest on his Facebook account …
(2021-03-13). Bolivia issues warrant for ex-president àÅñez, arrests 2 of her ministers. laprensalatina.com La Paz, Mar 12 (efe-epa).- Bolivian authorities on Friday arrested two former interim ministers and issued an arrest warrant against former interim president Jeanine àÅñez as part of a probe into the alleged 2019 coup against Evo Morales. Arrest warrants were also issued against former officials, and military and police officers. Prosecutors issued warrants against …
(2021-03-13). Texas County Got Rid Of Cash Bail For Minor Crimes. popularresistance.org Eager to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit, Texas' most populous county over the past two years has stopped requiring most people accused of low-level crimes from putting up cash to get out of jail on bond. | Tens of thousands of people accused of misdemeanors not involving some specific circumstances, like domestic abuse or previous bond violations, have been freed without cost while awaiting trial. | Letting them out does not appear to increase the chances they will be arrested for new crimes, according to researchers who have been tracking changes made to the Harris County misdemeanor bail system. In fact…
(2021-03-13). Bolivia: Former Coup President Jeanine Anez Arrested in Beni. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's former interim president Jeanine Añez on Friday was arrested late Friday night after a court asked for her imprisonment in the morning. | RELATED: | After being charged with terrorism, sedition, and conspiracy, Añez was arrested during a search-and-seizure operation since she disappeared after being accused, stated Bolivian Government Minister Eduardo Del Castillo Del Carpio. | The former de facto coup president hid inside…
(2021-03-12). Police Violence, Racial Justice and Class. counterpunch.org 
The racial justice protests of the summer of 2020 tied to four years of #Resistance, but more precisely to the unresolved Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests of 2014 — 2015 that preceded it. What both BLM movements accomplished was to elevate racial justice as a talking point without altering the distribution of power. Broader questions
(2021-03-12). Minneapolis settles lawsuit from George Floyd estate for $27mn ahead of Derek Chauvin trial. rt.com 
The Minneapolis City Council has unanimously approved a civil lawsuit settlement worth $27 million with the estate of George Floyd, over his death while being detained by police last year. | The settlement includes $500,000 to be sent to the neighborhood where Floyd died during his arrest in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. The $27 million payment marks the largest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in US history. | "That the largest pre-trial settlement in a wrongful death case ever would be for the life of a Black man sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutalit…
(2021-03-12). Headlines for March 12, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill, Pledges to Make Vaccines Available to All U.S. Adults by May 1, Denmark, Norway and Iceland Halt AstraZeneca Vaccinations over Blood Clot Fears, World Food Programme Warns 34 Million Face Famine in Yemen, Ethiopia and Beyond, Biden to Meet Leaders of Japan, India and Australia in Anti-China "Quad Summit", Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor Indicted for Murder of Michael Ramos, Judge Reinstates Third-Degree Murder Charge Against Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin, Who Killed George Floyd, Report Condemns LAPD's Mishandling of BLM Protests; Kentucky Tries to Make "Taunting" a Cop a Crim…
(2021-03-12). Russian Communists may be excluded from verifying 2021 election as party reveals it doesn't want to 'legitimize' vote — reports. rt.com 
With the relationship between the Communists and the ruling United Russia party deteriorating, Russia's presidential administration is unlikely to include the principal opposition faction as part of its observer training program. | That's according to Moscow newspaper Vedomosti, which reported that the two political groups are growing further apart, with the Marxist-Leninist party considered by officials to be "out of touch." | The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) have recently become more vocal in their criticism of the Kremlin and, in particular, have attacked election processes, such as duri…
(2021-03-12). Yemen's Marib Offensive Born of Desperation, with No Sign Saudis/US Will Cease Their War. mintpressnews.com 
Having all but given up on the prospect of peaceful settlement under the administration of Joe Biden, the Houthis are now betting it all on retaking Yemen's oil-rich Marib province from Saudi Arabia.
(2021-03-12). The Necessity of Dismantling the U.S.—A conversation with Ajamu Baraka. counterpunch.org 
On February 26th, I interviewed Ajamu Baraka for my podcast. Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are in the Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. He is an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. and has been at the forefront of efforts to
(2021-03-12). Why are Super-Rich Democrats Called "Moderates" When they Wage Class War vs. Low-Income Workers? liberationnews.org 
Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the Biden administration's stimulus package.
(2021-03-12). Neoliberalism was born in Chile; Neoliberalism will die in Chile. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-12). Salt of the Earth Labor College spotlights border militarization and death. peoplesworld.org 
TUCSON, Ariz.—For decades, the U.S.-Mexico border areas have experienced increased militarization, a surge in deportations, and an ever-more brutal border patrol. The Trump administration's policies of separating families, building walls, and racist demonizing of migrants made the situation even worse—and then came the pandemic. Some hope the Biden administration will ease things somewhat, but change is slow …
(2021-03-12). Yemen: Sanaa migrant centre fire survivors grieve as death toll mounts. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen: Sanaa migrant centre fire survivors grieve as death toll mounts | New footage shows scores of charred bodies inside overcrowded hangar detaining mostly Ethiopian migrants, as Houthis and UN office trade blame | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 11: 23 | Ethiopians and other nationals wait in Djibouti as they prepare to be smuggled to Saudi Arabia from Yemen in December 2010 (AFP) | It was just a…
(2021-03-12). Elections under Fire: Palestine's Impossible Democracy Dilemma. dissidentvoice.org 
Many Palestinian intellectuals and political analysts find themselves in the unenviable position of having to declare a stance on whether they support or reject upcoming Palestinian elections which are scheduled for May 22 and July 30. But there are no easy answers. The long-awaited decree by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last January to hold …
(2021-03-12). Ecuadorian Indigenous Leader: "We must get out of the Correaism-Anticorreism polarization" mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-12). Milošević trial exposed U.S.-NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. workers.org 
Few people in the United States, even those in the movement that opposes U.S. imperialist aggression, remember that March 11 is the 15th anniversary of the death of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević. He had been unjustly incarcerated in Scheveningen prison in The Hague, Netherlands. For movement activists, a review of . . . |
(2021-03-12). To mine or not to mine? Alberta coal confusion puts water in danger. peoplesworld.org 
EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada—Conservative Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government has been dancing all over the place lately when it comes to coal policy. First, they talk to Australian coal mining companies before letting Albertans know they are planning to rescind a 1976 coal policy that forbids mountaintop removal coal mining. When outrage mounted, they announced that …
(2021-03-12). World Digital Divide Gapes as JPMorgan Peddles Cryptocurrency Gateway Drug. mintpressnews.com 
An SEC filing by JPMorgan has the financial world on the brink of opening the cryptocurrency markets wide open as digital assets on the blockchain go mainstream.
(2021-03-12). Leaving Afghanistan by May 1? Alas, Not Likely. counterpunch.org 
Will the U.S. military ever leave Afghanistan? The answer appears to be no. When the U.S. military comes it stays. It's been in Germany since the 1940s, and now has expanded, with its attack dog, NATO, from there throughout Eastern Europe to menace Russia. The Afghan adventure has so far lasted 20 years and cost two trillion dollars. Afghanistan provides a convenient, imperial base from which to threaten China. The U.S. military, realistically, will never want to give that up.
(2021-03-12). Cuba's reforms raise public sector salaries, broaden self-employment options. peoplesworld.org 
Starting in January 2021, Cuba began to implement broad economic reforms designed to increase production and exports in an effort to mitigate the effects of the U.S. blockade and the coronavirus pandemic. The following article, republished from the Turkish media site Sol ("The Left"), analyzes the first month of the reforms and their impact on …
(2021-03-12). Israel has Detained 13,000 Palestinian Children since 2000 and just took 5 more. juancole.com 
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Since the year 2000, the Israeli military in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank has "detained, interrogated, prosecuted, and imprisoned approximately 13,000 Palestinian children," according to Defense for Children International. Nowadays Israel typically prosecutes between 500 and 700 children annually in military courts. Even though they are civilians and children, they …
(2021-03-12). Fukushima at Ten: Aftershocks, Lies, and Failed Decontamination. counterpunch.org 
It's now 10 years since the catastrophic triple meltdowns of reactors at Fukushima in Japan. As Joseph Mangano of the Radiation and Public Health project put it three years ago, "Enormous amounts of radioactive chemicals, including cesium, strontium, plutonium, and iodine were emitted into the air, and releases of the same toxins into the Pacific have never stopped, as workers struggle to contain over 100 cancer-causing chemicals."
(2021-03-12). Wolf Killing and the Legacy of Conquest. counterpunch.org 
It had seemed for the past half century that perhaps the worst of wolf killing was finally over. After centuries of methodic extermination had nearly completely wiped the animals out of the lower forty-eight, government agencies, scientists, and the general public began to see wolves not primarily as threats to private property, but rather, as
(2021-03-12). The ICC and Israel's Charge of Anti-Semitism. counterpunch.org 
We are at a critical historical juncture in which it is becoming increasingly difficult to criticize Israel without being branded an anti-Semite. You are an anti-Semite if you support the International Criminal Court's recent ruling that it has jurisdiction to open a war crimes investigation against Israel. But you are also likely to be called an anti-Semite if you reject the logic informing the court's decision.
(2021-03-12). Journalist acquitted: Covering protests against racism is not a crime. liberationnews.org 
After a three day trial an Iowa jury has found Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri not guilty on misdemeanor charges stemming from her coverage of a June 2020 demonstration against racist police violence. Police pepper-sprayed the journalist in the face and arrested her as she covered a local protest against police brutality. Acquitted. (Photo credit: …
(2021-03-12). Why Tunisians are still out on the streets — a decade after the Arab Spring. juancole.com 
By Saerom Han, Andrea Teti, and Pamela Abbott | — It has been 10 years since nation-wide protests in Tunisia led to the ousting of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his regime. Ben Ali led Tunisia for 23 years. Tunisia's "Dignity Revolution" marked the first time a long-standing Arab autocrat was removed …
(2021-03-12). Amy Poehler's new film 'Moxie': Growing up female in 2020. peoplesworld.org 
Amy Poehler's new Netflix film Moxie is not perfect. But it is very, very good. It's a smart, funny, entertaining look at how growing up female in 2020 is similar and different from growing up in the Sixties and Nineties, or any other time for that matter. Now we know what the prolific writer-director-actress Poehler …
(2021-03-12). No Matter How Bad, COVID Makes It Worse. counterpunch.org 
It's disquieting to see profit-incentivized entities turn into major vaccination hubs—many people now routinely go to drug stores to get their flu shots. Until such time as the American government catches up with the rest of the world–and creates the public health care system we so desperately need—it looks as if the large pharmacy chains will remain central to the patchwork, makeshift future of pandemic response
(2021-03-12). The white establishment rebels against community policing. therealnews.com 
This week, in lieu of a new episode of PAR, we have a special interview with Stephen Janis and Taya Graham about their new full-length documentary, "The Friendliest Town," which tells the story of Kelvin Sewell, the first African-American police chief of Pocomoke City, MD.
(2021-03-12). Ari Berman on the Attack on Voting Rights. fair.org 
USA Today ( This week on CounterSpin: A March 3 New York Times
(2021-03-12). Data confirms what we already knew: Pandemic hit people of color harder. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK (AP)—A year ago, Elvia Banuelos' life was looking up. The 39-year-old mother of two young children said she felt confident about a new management-level job with the U.S. Census Bureau—she would earn money to supplement the child support she receives to keep her children healthy, happy, and in daycare. But when the coronavirus …
(2021-03-12). More on H.R.1/S.1: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. counterpunch.org 
The "For the People Act" (H.R.1/S.1) passed the House on March 3 and is now under consideration by the Senate. The bill was also adopted by the House in 2019 but had no chance of passage in the Senate with the Republicans in control. But now that this voting and elections reform bill has become
(2021-03-12). Livestock and Deforestation in the American West. counterpunch.org 
The dawn breaks each morning on a hundred different mountain ranges in the Great Basin, with few human eyes to see it. Many of these mountain chains will be unfamiliar to most — the Toquimas, the Wah Wahs, the Goshutes, the Sheeprocks, the Fox Range — but the one thing they all have in common
(2021-03-12). Do Organists Dream of Electric Sheep? counterpunch.org 
In his encyclopedic cinderblock of a book Musurgia Universalis of 1650, the German polymath Athanasius Kircher imagined God as an organist pulling out a new stop on each new day of Creation and playing the world's beings into life. Kircher didn't mention any Pandemic Pipes in his World Organ, but they have been sounding for
(2021-03-12). We need to decolonize our understanding of antisemitism. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-12). Haiti protests: 'MoàØse, U.S., UN out!'. workers.org 
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians took to the streets of Port-au-Prince Sunday, March 7, to demand the departure of President Jovenel MoàØse, whose term of office has expired. The protesters raised the corruption under MoàØse's PHTK (Haitian Party of Tèt Kale), which has stolen or squandered billions of dollars of . . . |
(2021-03-12). San Francisco: $5/hour COVID hazard pay for grocery, pharmacy workers. peoplesworld.org 
San Francisco this week joined the growing number of Bay Area cities mandating hazard pay for grocery workers, when its Board of Supervisors on March 9 unanimously passed an emergency ordinance requiring large grocers and pharmacies to pay their workers an additional $5 per hour during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city had earlier urged, but …
(2021-03-12). Battleground Baltimore: House passes police reform legislation. therealnews.com 
In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Maryland Republicans call police reform legislation "far left," a teen is accused of murder, the continued fight against a Johns Hopkins University private police force, and more.
(2021-03-12). Letters From Minsk: Leaving Home. counterpunch.org 
This is the first in a series about train and bicycle rides from Switzerland to Belarus, in those carefree days before pandemic lockdowns. Tired Tires Before boarding the train to Minsk, I first had to fix a flat tire on my Brompton bicycle. Mercifully, it lost its air just before I left home, although it
(2021-03-12). B'nai B'rith Smear Doesn't Change Facts about University Funding. dissidentvoice.org 
B'nai B'rith is at it again. The racist group is smearing a pro-Palestinian voice for pointing out a simple truth about Canadian life. Last week the anti-Palestinian organization released a statement headlined "Carleton University Should Condemn Antisemitism, Take Action on Professor's Remarks". The alleged offence was that sociology professor Nahla Abdo stated that pro-Israel individuals …
(2021-03-12). Unless the Power of the People Asserts Itself. counterpunch.org 
The COVID-19 pandemic and recession and the political realignment in Washington after the defeat of the malignant fascist Trump and the two former Republican Senators in Georgia have opened the door for some welcome federal action. Among the improvements: the newly serious and aggressive federal response to the deadly virus and the passage of a
(2021-03-12). Has the DC Foreign Policy Blob swallowed Joe Biden? We don't need to be the World's Policeman. juancole.com 
( Tomdispatch.com ) — You may have noticed: the Blob is back. Beneath a veneer of gender and racial diversity, the Biden national security team consists of seasoned operatives who earned their spurs in Washington long before Donald Trump showed up to spoil the party. So, if you're looking for fresh faces at the departments …
(2021-03-12). Russia Offers Europe Win-Win Vaccine Solution. strategic-culture.org 
The Sputnik V vaccine potentially fills the supply gaps that the EU is encumbered with. Immediately. | It is now one year since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic from the novel coronavirus and its accompanying Covid-19 disease. Worldwide, the death toll stands at 2.6 million and continues to rise. | The arrival of effective vaccines has offered new hope that the deadly virus can be eradicated. Sputnik V, the Russian manufactured vaccine, was the first to be registered anywhere in the world as of August last year and has since been proven by large-scale trials to be highly effective and safe…
(2021-03-12). Czech police tackle man, put him in headlock for not wearing mask as toddler cries in viral clip (VIDEO). rt.com 
A disturbing video of police in the Czech Republic putting a man into a headlock after he allegedly refused to wear a face mask to protect against Covid-19 has gone viral and prompted an investigation. | In the clip recorded on Wednesday in Uherske Hradiste, police can be seen tackling the maskless 40-year-old man to the ground and holding him in a headlock as his frantic three-year-old son cries. | According to the Facebook post, the man had run into trouble with police after he "picked up his child from the playground" and forgot to bring a mask. | Though the video sparked widespread condemnation against…
(2021-03-12). Iran state shipping firm reports 'terrorist attack' on Europe-bound cargo vessel as explosion rips through hull, fire breaks out. rt.com 
An Iranian commercial vessel has been damaged by an explosive device in an alleged terrorist attack as it traveled through the Mediterranean to Europe, a spokesperson for the country's national shipping company said on Friday. | There were no casualties, but a small fire was caused by an explosion in the ship's hull and had to be put out by the crew, said Ali Ghiasian, a spokesman for Iran's shipping group. | "Such terrorist acts amount to naval piracy, and are contrary to international law on commercial shipping security, and legal action will be taken to identify the perpetrators through relevant internation…
(2021-03-12). Biden asks Americans to 'trust Fauci' after he draws criticism for saying the latest CDC recommendations are not science-based. rt.com 
US President Joe Biden's call to trust Dr. Anthony Fauci on the issue of vaccine safety while describing him "one of the most trusted voices in the world" has earned scorn from conservatives, accusing him of inconsistency. | In his first address as president on Thursday evening, Biden demanded Americans follow advice from scientists, who he said "have made clear that things may get worse again" as new strains of the virus spread. | "But to get there we can't let our guard down. This fight is far from over," he added, calling on those hesitant to receive the Covid-19 vaccine to take cues from Dr. Fauci, praisin…
(2021-03-12). Selected Articles: 7 European Nations and Thailand Halt AstraZeneca Vaccinations. globalresearch.ca 
By In October 2019, shortly before th…
(2021-03-12). Meghan Markle Racism Revelations Are "Shocking, But Not Surprising" to People of Color in U.K. democracynow.org 
The British royal family is facing intense criticism over its treatment of Meghan Markle, who revealed shocking details about life as a royal in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, including mistreatment and bullying from other royals, relentless harassment by the British press, and racist comments about Markle, who was born in the United States to a Black mother and a white father. One member of the royal family, according to Markle, even speculated how dark her child's skin would be. Markle and her husband Prince Harry stepped down as senior members of Britain's royal family last year. Pioneering British journalis…
(2021-03-12). 'Legitimate' owner? Boris Johnson says UK 'legally' obtained Elgin Marbles, will not return them to Greece. rt.com 
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dashed Athens' hopes of getting back the Parthenon/Elgin Marbles by saying that the British Museum remains their "rightful" owner following "legal" acquisition in the 19th century. | The ancient sculptures that once adorned the famed fifth century BC Parthenon temple in Athens were "legally acquired" by the British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, Johnson told the Greek newspaper Ta Nea on Friday. | The UK prime minister left no room for the idea of returning the ancient works of art to Greece, saying that although he "understands" the "strong feelings" of…
(2021-03-12). Council of Europe reopens case of murdered Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane, putting pressure on UK over its role in killing. rt.com 
The Council of Europe has re-opened the case of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane after the UK rejected an inquiry into his death in December, the human rights body said on Friday following a meeting of its 47 member states. | In an attack found to have involved collusion by the British state, 39-year-old Finucane was shot 14 times by members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in front of his wife and three children at his Belfast home in 1989. | The Council of Europe said it would "supervise the ongoing measures" taken by the UK to address the lack of a proper investigation into Finucane's murder,…
(2021-03-12). Gunmen abduct 30 students in Nigeria, police confirm, in ongoing spate of kidnappings. rt.com 
Nigerian police have said that 30 students remain unaccounted for after gunmen targeted a technical college in the northwest of the country late Thursday night, as the shocking trend of student kidnapping continues. | Speaking on Friday, Kaduna State's security commissioner, Samuel Aruwan, said that the militants, often referred to as bandits, struck at 11: 30pm on Thursday night. | Aruwan said that around 30 individuals remain missing after the nighttime raid at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization on the outskirts of Kaduna town, the state capital. | The police commissioner said that the army had res…
(2021-03-12). Villagers in Russia's freezing Far North spot burning UFO flying across sky; but experts say it's probably space debris (VIDEO). rt.com 
A video from the remote, frozen northern Russian village of Ust-Nera has gone viral online after locals spotted a seemingly burning unidentified flying object, with a clearly visible trail in the pitch-black Siberian night sky. | Ust-Nera, which has a population of around 5,000, is one of the world's coldest permanently inhabited settlements, with current temperatures dropping to around -32C at night. Founded in the 1930s, it is located on what is known as the 'Road of Bones'. | The object was filmed at around 8pm local time, flying over the village's houses. | While it is not known precisely what it was, two…
(2021-03-12). Italy's Rome and Milan to be declared Covid 'red zones' as whole country heads for Easter lockdown amid rising infections. rt.com 
Rome and Italy's business capital Milan will be plunged into the country's toughest Covid-19 restrictions from Monday in a bid to stem the rising tide of infections, the health ministry said on Friday. | Milan's Lombardy region, which was the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe, will be placed under the most restrictive health measures, which will now apply to more than half of Italy's 20 regions and most of its population. | Lazio around Rome and a handful of other regions will also become "red zones", meaning schools, restaurants and bars will be closed, with curfews in place from 10pm to 5am. | Also on rt.c…
(2021-03-12). Austrian chancellor suspects 'secret contracts' signed at 'vaccine bazaar' behind unequal jab distribution in EU. rt.com 
Covid-19 jabs are being distributed unevenly between EU member states, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said, pointing to "secret contracts" signed at a "vaccine bazaar" with big pharma by the bloc's vaccination steering board. | "Deliveries are not happening in line with population," Kurz told a press conference organized at short notice on Friday. He added that the situation would likely be "exacerbated in the coming months" and said the differences between member states could become "even greater." | The chancellor said that delivery data for the jabs showed some strange differences in how vaccination cam…
(2021-03-12). Turkey and Egypt make diplomatic contact for first time since 2013. rt.com 
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country has reestablished diplomatic contact with Egypt for the first time since the latter's President Mohamed Morsi was ousted in the 2013 coup. | "We have contacts at both the level of intelligence and foreign ministries with Egypt. Diplomatic-level contacts have started," Cavusoglu Cavusoglu said that talks were in an early phase and neither party had brought forward a…
(2021-03-12). South Africa mourns 'visionary' Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, dead at 72. rt.com 
Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, king of South Africa's Zulu nation, has passed away after contracting Covid-19. He was praised for preserving traditional culture while leading his people through apartheid and the AIDS epidemic. | Zwelithini, 72, died on Friday at a hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, where he checked in last month for diabetes treatment. South African media reported that he contracted the coronavirus there, and was moved to intensive care. | "Tragically, while still in hospital, His Majesty's health took a turn for the worse and he subsequently passed away in the early hours of this morning," said Pri…
(2021-03-12). 'Africa vs everybody': Francis Ngannou winds up Stipe Miocic & Tony Ferguson as he targets history in UFC heavyweight title clash. rt.com 
UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou has posed with champion Kamaru Usman and declared "Africa vs everybody" ahead of his title showdown with Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, causing ex-champ Tony Ferguson to respond with his own message. | Thunder-punching Ngannou wants to become the first Cameroonian, African and Frenchman to win a UFC crown when he faces heavyweight king Miocic in Las Vegas on Saturday, and he shared a photo of himself in the gym with welterweight title holder Kamaru Usman beforehand. | The 34-year-old has spoken of his humble beginnings in Cameroon as a youngster, where he worked as a sand miner before…
(2021-03-12). 'It sends a clear message that our daughters' rights are worth fighting for': New rules on transgender athletes passed in US state. rt.com 
The leader of Mississippi has hailed an "important" new piece of legislation prohibiting transgender athletes from competing on women's sports teams in high schools and universities, leaving some human rights campaigners dismayed. | Republican chief Tate Reeves said the first anti-trans legislation approved by a governor this year would "ensure that young girls in Mississippi have a fair, level playing field in public schools", carrying out a symbolic public signing after supporters of similar bills argued that trans women have a physical advantage over athletes born as women. | Statehouses across the US, incl…
(2021-03-12). 'She's such a tease': 'Blonde Bomber' strips off 'for the boys' as Muslim opponent takes scales to toilet for 2nd weigh-in (VIDEO). rt.com 
Saucy boxing babe Ebanie Bridges has enjoyed an eventful weigh-in as she prepares to contest the ANBF Australasian belt, stripping off to a bikini before her rival was forced to take the scales to a toilet for a second go. | While social media favorite Bridges feigned annoyance at making the bantamweight limit so easily that she could have treated herself to a pre-weight glass of water, her unfortunate opponent, 45-year-old Carol Earl, weighed in 3.4lb over the maximum. | In accordance with her Muslim faith, Earl, who initially wore a tracksuit and has come out of a three-year retirement to face Bridges for th…
(2021-03-12). IOC says it received 'kind offer' from Chinese Olympic Committee to provide future Olympic Games participants with Covid vaccine. rt.com 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has revealed it received an offer from China to provide additional vaccine doses to athletes who will be taking part in the upcoming Tokyo Games and 2022 Beijing Olympics. | The Olympic governing body, which earlier gave assurances that…
(2021-03-12). National Guard Association denounces extension of soldiers in DC: 'Inappropriate at best, illegal at worst'. rt.com 
National Guard Association Chairman and Arizona Adjunct General Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire is calling for troops' presence in Washington, DC to end following a two-month extension this week. | "This enduring requirement of having them around the city, I think it's completely inappropriate at best, illegal at worst," Maj. Gen. McGuire told the Washington Examiner on Friday. | National Guard troops were deployed to DC following the January 6 riot at the US Capitol that led to five deaths, including that of a police officer. The continued presence of the soldiers, as well as extensive security measures, have becom…
(2021-03-12). NY's Cuomo refuses to resign, questions 'motivation' of accusers & says politicians turning on him 'bowing to CANCEL CULTURE'. rt.com 
Despite numerous members of his own party calling for his resignation over sexual harassment and assault allegations, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday he refuses to leave office and again denied any wrongdoing. | "Women have a right to come forward and be heard and I encourage them fully," Cuomo told reporters in a conference call — his briefings are typically televised — though he insisted he never harassed or assaulted anyone as has been alleged. | The governor took aim at the "motivations" of both his six accusers, which include multiple former aides, as well as politicians calling fo…
(2021-03-12). Tucker strikes back: Fox host accuses Pentagon of 'declaring WAR' on his show after DOD attacks his comments on pregnant soldiers. rt.com 
Fox host Tucker Carlson returned fire after the Pentagon launched a "large and coordinated" PR blitz against his show over criticism that the military may be too "feminine," saying the DOD has no place attacking a US news outlet. | "Since when does the Pentagon declare war on a domestic news operation? I can't remember that ever happening," Carlson said on a segment of his show on Thursday night, adding "This is genuinely worrisome. The Department of Defense has never been more aggressively or openly political." | VIDEO üö® Tucker Carlson says the Pentagon "declared war" on his program by…
(2021-03-12). 'Am I making you uncomfortable?': Cuomo faces SEVENTH sexual harassment accuser as Senator Schumer joins calls for his resignation. rt.com 
Yet another woman has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, his seventh accuser to date, airing the charge as top US Senators echo growing demands for him to step down. | Journalist Jessica Bakeman took the pages of New York Magazine on Friday to At a holiday party at the ex…
(2021-03-12). Professor fired for claiming black students underperform in class. rt.com 
After a Zoom conversation went viral in which two Georgetown University professors claimed black students underperformed in their classes, thousands demanded action, and one of the educators is now out of a job. | School Dean Bill Treanor called the comments by Professors Sandra Sellers and David Batson "reprehensible," with Sellers being fired and Batson placed on administrative leave. | The viral section of the conversation, which made its way onto social media this week, included Sellers claiming that "almost every semester," her "lower" grading students end up being black. | Batson seemed to be in agreemen…
(2021-03-12). NY House speaker launches impeachment probe into Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations & Covid nursing home cover-up. rt.com 
The New York State Assembly has given the nod to an impeachment investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo, who faces a litany of sexual harassment charges from several accusers and intense criticism of his pandemic response. | Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie authorized a Judiciary Committee to probe the allegations on Thursday, tapping fellow Democrat Assemblyman Charles Lavine to spearhead the investigation. | "The reports of accusations concerning the governor are serious. The committee will have the authority to interview witnesses, subpoena documents and evaluate evidence, as is allowed by the New…
(2021-03-12). US hoarding millions of doses of unapproved AstraZeneca vaccine as EU & others suffer shortages — reports. rt.com 
Washington has reportedly refused a request by AstraZeneca to loan some of the US' stockpile of its Covid-19 vaccine — which cannot be used there yet — and deliver it to the EU, where the supplier is failing to meet its targets.
(2021-03-12). Republicans demand Bezos hand over documents after alleging 'discrimination' against conservatives. rt.com 
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have demanded that Amazon cough up files and communications related to its alleged "viewpoint discrimination" against the right-of-center, penning a formal request to CEO Jeff Bezos. | Sent by ranking Republicans on the judiciary panel's antitrust subcommittee, Representatives Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Ken Buck (Colorado), the letter on Thursday night called on the e-retail giant to address lawmakers' concerns about alleged censorship of conservative voices. | "Big Tech, including Amazon, is engaged in systematic viewpoint discrimination. In the unfortunate phenomenon o…
(2021-03-12). Biden says all American adults will be eligible for vaccination by May 1, says rollout 'months ahead of schedule'. rt.com 
President Joe Biden has said he ordered states to remove vaccine eligibility criteria by May 1. He noted, however, that the measure would allow Americans only to "get in line" for the shot, not to take it immediately. | The announcement came during a national address on Thursday night, in which Biden marked the first anniversary of pandemic-related shutdowns across the US and updated the various ways his administration had tackled the health crisis, including an upcoming directive to states to slash their eligibility requirements. | "Tonight, I'm announcing that I will direct all states, tribes and territories…
(2021-03-12). Man faces 110 years in prison for trying to solicit child porn on motherhood blogs. rt.com 
A Florida man has been convicted of not only possessing child pornography, but also trying to solicit more through motherhood blogs, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced. | A Jacksonville jury convicted 42-year-old Patrick Moran Jr. of trying to "entice minors to produce images and videos depicting child sexual abuse" and being in possession of "materials depicting the sexual exploitation of children," the DOJ said in a statement on Thursday. | Moran is facing a minimum of 15 years for his crimes, but officials say he could face as much as 110 years. He could also be placed on a lifetime of supervised…
(2021-03-12). Return to normalcy? Vandalizing protesters target Portland courthouse days after its protective fence was removed (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Violent clashes were once again witnessed overnight in central Portland, where a federal courthouse — the focal point of last year's months-long violent protests — was stripped of its surrounding fence earlier this week. | Local media reported that around 50 to 60 black-clad demonstrators clashed with federal agents on Thursday night, breaking windows and setting on fire a section of plywood barring entry to parts of the Mark Hatfield Federal Courthouse in central Portland, Oregon. | Someone in the group set fire to the plywood on the building at the entrance to the courthouse. Federal officers are…
(2021-03-12). Critics rage at Guardian as transgender comedian Eddie Izzard's 'boob envy' interview runs next to story on UK's murdered women. rt.com 
The Guardian is facing accusations of transphobia as they chose to run an interview with trans comedian Eddie Izzard — also in hot water for her comments on gender — next to a story about UK women murdered by men. | "I've been promoted to a she. It's an honor," reads the headline of a new interview with Izzard, who captured headlines in December after making public that her pronouns were 'she' and 'her.' | The story unfortunately ran just above one on the alleged murder of Sarah Everard, who disappeared this month after an indecent exposure incident on February 28 which has been claimed to not have…
(2021-03-12). Serbia set to begin producing Russian Sputnik V & Chinese Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines for export across Europe within coming weeks. rt.com 
A new coronavirus vaccine factory will start rolling out tens of thousands of vials for use in immunization programs across Europe, Serbia's president has announced, unveiling a deal backed by Russia, China and the UAE. | President Aleksandr Vucic told reporters on Thursday that domestic production of the jabs would begin as early as May, with the Moscow-made Sputnik V formula set to be the first one manufactured. | "It will be an entirely… new vaccine factory which we will build together with the UAE," the Serbian leader said after a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose country is c…
(2021-03-12). Share the Vaccines, Erase the Debt: Joseph Stiglitz on How the U.S. Can Help Developing Countries. democracynow.org 
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says wealthy countries have a responsibility to help the developing world in overcoming the pandemic. He says the response must include vaccine equity as well as economic aid, including debt relief. "America won't be free from the pandemic until the world is," says Stiglitz.
(2021-03-12). "Hell on Earth": Yemeni Children Starve to Death as U.S.-Backed Saudi Blockade Devastates Nation. democracynow.org 
The World Food Programme is warning Yemen is headed toward the biggest famine in modern history, with the U.N. agency projecting around 400,000 Yemeni children under the age of 5 could die from acute malnutrition this year as the Saudi war and blockade continues. CNN senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir says Yemen is accurately described as "hell on Earth." Her latest report from inside Yemen details the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians, including widespread fuel shortages affecting all aspects of life. "We were utterly unprepared for what we found when we got there," says Elbagir.
(2021-03-12). The End of Trickle-Down Economics? Joe Stiglitz on the "Transformational" $1.9T American Rescue Plan. democracynow.org 
President Biden has signed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, which Democrats are hailing as the largest anti-poverty bill in a generation. It includes stimulus checks to most adults, expanded unemployment benefits and an overhaul of the child tax credit. One study projects the law will lift almost 14 million Americans out of poverty, including 5.7 million children. "This is transformational," says economist Joseph Stiglitz. "It says, 'We are actually going to live up — try to live up — to our aspirations.'"
(2021-03-12). Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: 'Shut 'em down!'. workers.org 
Jailhouse Lawyers Speak is a collective of radical incarcerated activists. In a March 1 press release, they have called for national demonstrations to shut down jails, prisons and ICE detention centers on Aug. 21 and Sept. 9 (#shutemdown2021). These dates were selected to commemorate the 50th anniversaries of the assassination . . . |
(2021-03-12). Israeli press review: Netanyahu calls on supporters to protest against attorney general. middleeasteye.net 
Israeli press review: Netanyahu calls on supporters to protest against attorney general | Former Mossad chief said Iran was different from Syria and Iraq, and war with 'a single bomb' will not draw a line on Tehran's nuclear ambitions | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 15: 39 | People walk past an electoral billboard for Israel's Likud party bearing a portrait of its leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, 12 M…
(2021-03-12). Dan Hodges sent the tw*t-o-meter nuclear on Question Time. thecanary.co 
A Mail on Sunday columnist was talking about racism in the UK media on BBC Question Time. Predictably, when it came to his own newspaper, he denied ever seeing any. Please pick your jaw up off the floor and continue reading. | Cuckoo on Question Time: |
(2021-03-12). Exports to EU plunged 41% in January as Brexit transition period ended. thecanary.co 
Exports of UK goods to the European Union dropped by more than two-fifths in January as the Brexit transition period came to an end. | The drop: | New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that overall exports from the UK fell by £5.6bn — 19.3%. It was driven by a £5.6bn, or 40.7%, plunge in exports of goods to the EU, the ONS said. | Imports also fell, by £8.9bn overall (21.6%), while imports from the EU dropped £6.6BN (28%), the figures show. | The underlying total trade deficit fell £3.7 billion to £1.9 billion in January: goods exports fe…
(2021-03-12). DOJ Expects to Make At Least 100 Additional Charges Related to Capitol Attack. truthout.org 
In a legal filing made on Friday, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it expects to make at least 100 additional criminal charges related to the January 6 breach of the Capitol building. | The violence of that day happened
(2021-03-12). Yemeni Youth Are Still Starving to Death Due to US-Backed Saudi Blockade. truthout.org 
Image Credit: CNN | The World Food Programme is warning Yemen is headed toward the biggest famine in modern history, with the U.N. agency projecting around 400,000 Yemeni children under the age of 5 could die from acute malnutrition this year as the Saudi war and blockade continues. CNN senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir says Yemen is accurately described as "hell on Earth." Her latest report from inside Yemen details the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians, including widesp…
(2021-03-12). Community Health Centers Are Fueling Vaccine Equity. The Relief Bill Funds Them. truthout.org 
President Biden approved $7.6 billion in emergency funding for community health centers when he signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan for combating the effects of the COVID pandemic on Thursday. Community health centers are public clinics that primarily provide health care in medically underserved areas and are proving crucial for overcoming massive racial disparities in vaccination rates. | The Biden administration launched a program last month that provides vaccines directly to co…
(2021-03-12). Bernie Sanders Calls Jeff Bezos to Testify Before Senate About Income Inequality. truthout.org 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has asked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify before the Senate Budget Committee at a hearing on income inequality next Wednesday. | Sanders's call comes during a fierce unionization fight in Bessemer, Alabama, where Amazon warehouse workers
(2021-03-12). Wealth Gained by Billionaires Amid COVID Could Pay for Two-Thirds of Relief Bill. truthout.org 
America's billionaires have made so much money they could fund two-thirds of President Biden's American Rescue Plan (ARP) with just their pandemic wealth gains. | Using the jump in their wealth since last March, three men alone — Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg — could foot the nearly $250 billion cost for supplemental unemployment benefits contained in the ARP that will pay millions of jobless Americans $300 a week for the next six months. | The collective net worth…
(2021-03-12). White Supremacist Christianity Drives Trump's Loyal Mob. We Must Scream It Down. truthout.org 
Two months have now passed since mobs of mostly white people descended on the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the results of November's election, but I am still haunted by images of the mob's racist violence such as the noose that they put on display and the shirt of a white man in the crowd that read, "Camp Auschwitz." | These details were more than symbolic — they point to historically materialized forms of horrific anti-Black and antisemitic racism that continue to be stoked by w…
(2021-03-12). GOP-Run States Saw Higher COVID Death Rates, Study Shows. truthout.org 
A new study, which examines the outcomes of different states' approaches to the coronavirus pandemic based on what party their governors belonged to, shows that, for most of 2020, states with Republican governors were more likely to see higher incidence rates and death tolls versus states with Democratic governors. | Published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Preventive Medicine this month, the study, conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Medical Universit…
(2021-03-12). USPS's DeJoy Gives Himself an "A" and Asks for More Funds to Further Slow Mail. truthout.org 
Handing congressional Democrats additional reasons to demand his removal, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Thursday
(2021-03-12). Cuba's contributions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-12). US envoy for Yemen blames Houthis for failure to reach ceasefire. middleeasteye.net 
US envoy for Yemen blames Houthis for failure to reach ceasefire | Tim Lenderking played down the effect of the blockade on the humanitarian crisis, accusing the Houthis of impeding aid | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 19: 09 | A fighter loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government launches a mortar during clashes with Houthis near Taiz, 8 March (AFP) | The US envoy for Yemen has blamed the Houthis for the continuing violence in…
(2021-03-12). Lebanese-Armenian freed from Azerbaijani prison lands in Beirut after four months in jail. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanese-Armenian freed from Azerbaijani prison lands in Beirut after four months in jail | Maral Najarian left Beirut after last year's port blast, only to be caught up in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 17: 20 | Maral Najarian left Lebanon in August hoping to find a better future and financial stability (Social media) | A Lebanese-Armenian woman who spent four months in…
(2021-03-12). Saudi Arabia's King Salman sacks pilgrimage minister. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia's King Salman sacks pilgrimage minister | The kingdom has suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic from a lack of income from pilgrims | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 14: 30 | Handout from the Saudi Press Agency on 15 December 2020 shows Saudi Arabia's King Salman signing the 2021 state budget following a virtual cabinet meeting in the capital Riyadh (AFP) | Sauid Arabia's minister overseein…
(2021-03-12). 'Winds are shifting': US lawmakers criticise Israel in two rare letters. middleeasteye.net 
'Winds are shifting': US lawmakers criticise Israel in two rare letters | Dozen House members slam range of Israeli policies, and five senators call on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians in separate letter | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 22: 25 | An elderly Palestinian protests against the demolition of a temporary health clinic by Israeli forces in the West Bank village of al-Mufagara, 27 January (AFP/File photo) | US lawmake…
(2021-03-12). Turkey: Diplomatic contact has resumed with Egypt, says foreign minister. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey: Diplomatic contact has resumed with Egypt, says foreign minister | The two countries have had only intermittent contact since 2013, after Egypt's army overthrew President Mohamed Morsi | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 09: 53 | Foreign Ministers Sameh Shoukry of Egypt and Mevlut Cavusoglu of Turkey at the 13th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul in 2016 (AFP) | Turkey and Egyp…
(2021-03-12). Arabic press review: Bahrain protests to Qatar over Al Jazeera torture claims. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Bahrain protests to Qatar over Al Jazeera torture claims | Meanwhile, Sudan and Egypt in 'military coordination talks', Lebanon faces electricity blackout and Egypt's journalists detained for years | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 14: 45 | Bahrain said the Al Jazeera episode contained 'inaccurate information' and allegations made by people who had been hired to campaign against Bahrain…
(2021-03-12). US joins western criticism of Egypt's human rights abuses. middleeasteye.net 
US joins western criticism of Egypt's human rights abuses | Joint statement from 31 countries calls on Egypt to end use of 'terrorism' charges against human rights defenders and activists | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 17: 34 | Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has overseen an extensive crackdown on political dissent that has steadily tightened in recent years (AFP) | The United States joined dozens of western count…
(2021-03-12). Clubhouse: Can the social platform flourish in the Gulf? middleeasteye.net 
Clubhouse: Can the social platform flourish in the Gulf? | The new app has garnered many users in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait – but will authorities let their citizens use it freely? | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 12: 01 | A woman checks the Clubhouse app on her phone in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on 6 March 2021 (AFP) | Clubhouse, the new voice-only social networking app touted as a platform…
(2021-03-12). Israel has reportedly targeted a dozen ships carrying Iranian oil. middleeasteye.net 
Israel has reportedly targeted a dozen ships carrying Iranian oil | Attacks potentially signal the opening of a new front in the conflict between rivals Iran and Israel | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 14: 00 | Israel recently blamed Iran for an explosion that struck an Israeli-owned ship, the MV Helios Ray, an accusation that Iran rejected (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP) | Israel has struck at least a dozen boats heading to Syria o…
(2021-03-12). European Parliament calls for repatriation of children from Syrian camps. middleeasteye.net 
European Parliament calls for repatriation of children from Syrian camps | Resolution marking 10 years of the conflict also dismisses forthcoming presidential election in Syria as 'completely lacking in credibility' | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 11: 27 | A girl stands in the rain at the Roj camp in northeastern Syria on 4 March (AFP) | The European Parliament has called for the repatriation of children from Eur…
(2021-03-12). US says Syria's Assad has 'done nothing' to restore legitimacy. middleeasteye.net 
US says Syria's Assad has 'done nothing' to restore legitimacy | Biden administration has no plans to normalise relations 'anytime soon' as Syrian government flouts accountability, State Department says | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 16: 30 | State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters the US will continue to promote a political settlement to end the conflict in Syria (AFP/File photo) | The United States has n…
(2021-03-12). Egypt: Football star Aboutrika loses appeal to be removed from terror list. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt: Football star Aboutrika loses appeal to be removed from terror list | Exiled former footballer to remain on watchlist until 2023, as Cairo court makes final ruling on his case | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 11: 00 | Mohamed Aboutrika scored 38 times in 100 appearances for Egypt's national team, guiding them to two African Cup of Nations titles (AFP/File photo) | Football icon Mohamed Aboutrika…
(2021-03-12). Washing Away One Trail of Tears After Another. dissidentvoice.org 
White Washing: According to one Merriam-Webster definition, to whitewash is to "gloss over or cover up," which, in a sense, is what the racial form of whitewashing does. It creates a White world where sins against people of color, including Blacks, Native Americans, Asians, Latinos, and other minority groups cease to matter because, in revisionist …
(2021-03-12). The Heat: China's Two Sessions concludes. america.cgtn.com 
China's "Two Sessions" wraps up in Beijing. What were some of the hot topics? And what about plans for China's future development?
(2021-03-12). Roaming Charges: Fear of a Black Prince. counterpunch.org 
The ravages of COVID and the narrow victories in the elections gave the Democrats a once in a generation chance to do something big without having to barter for the votes of grifter Republicans. Instead, the Democrats ended up negotiating amongst themselves in a strange dance of downward harmonization, where every intra-party compromise resulted in those who needed the most relief ending up with less and less. In the end, Biden, Schumer and Pelosi settled for a hefty spending package (bigger than most but similar in kind to past bills) that doled out $1.9 trillion across the political spectrum, but did little or…
(2021-03-12). Aurora stands in solidarity with Minneapolis on day one of Chauvin trial. fightbacknews.org Aurora, CO – On, March 8, 45 community members and supporters gathered in front of MLK Library in Aurora for a rally in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis on the first day of Derek Chauvin's trial. Chauvin is the first of the four Minneapolis killer cops to go on trial for the murder of George Floyd, whose death sparked a nationwide uprising last summer. The rally demanded that Chauvin be convicted for the murder of Floyd. It also called for renewed protests against police brutality. | The rally started with a speech from Shareef Aleem, a longtime Aurora community activist and founder of Aurora Copwatch. "
(2021-03-12). Jacksonville demands justice for George Floyd on the first day of the Chauvin trial. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – On March 8, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) organized an action, in solidarity with Minneapolis, demanding justice for George Floyd. Jacksonville was one of many cities to participate in a national day of action, as Monday was the start of the People v. Derek Chauvin trial. JCAC demands that Chauvin be convicted and jailed for the killing of George Floyd. | Over 50 people gathered in front of the Duval County Courthouse to demand justice for George Floyd and all other victims of police brutality. JCAC continues to demand justice for Jamee Johnson, Kwame Jones, Reginald Boston…
(2021-03-11). Los Angeles joins national day of action to convict killer cop Derek Chauvin. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On March 8, Centro CSO and supporters joined the National Alliance Against Racist Political Repression (NAARPR) for a national day of action. March 8 was the first day of the trial of Minneapolis killer cop Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd. Floyd's killing sparked worldwide outrage and led to the largest rebellion against police brutality in U.S. history. | Dozens of participants met up on the intersection of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Soto Street in Boyle Heights, chanting "Jail killer cops!" "No justice, no peace!" and "Black lives, they matter here!" to demand justice for Georg…
(2021-03-11). St. Vincent nurses strike to demand safe staffing in Worcester, Mass. liberationnews.org 
On March 8, nurses launched an indefinite strike to demand safe staffing and more affordable healthcare at a time when nurse to patient ratios have increased.
(2021-03-11). Alabama Senate votes to criminalize healthcare for trans youth. liberationnews.org 
On March 2, the Alabama State Senate passed a bill intended to prevent transgender youth from accessing any gender-affirming care. The bill, absurdly titled the "Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act," bans puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender youth. This vital medical care alleviates the psychological and physical harm caused by going through puberty …
(2021-03-11). Austin rally on opening day of trial of cop who murdered George Floyd. fightbacknews.org Austin, TX – Protesters gathered in front of the Capitol building to listen to speeches in solidarity with Minneapolis on March 8, the first day of Derek Chauvin's trial for the murder of George Floyd. | Organizers from Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) denounced police violence and demanded justice for George Floyd, Jamar Clark, Philando Castile and countless others whose lives have been ended by police. | Jake Holtzman, speaker for FRSO, stated "At the end of the day, police are a tool of the ruling class to protect private property. We recognize tha…
(2021-03-11). Pelosi says Biden's 'humanitarian' approach to migration is based on 'love of children'. rt.com 
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) came to President Joe Biden's defense as a surge of unaccompanied minors have reached the border and the administration has been accused of not being able to handle the situation. | "I trust the Biden administration's policy to be based on humanitarian and love of children rather than political points or red meat for their — for their Republican base," Pelosi said at a Thursday press conference. | Comparing Biden's administration favorably to Trump's when it comes to border policy was a point she hit multiple times, and one that has been echoed by White Hou…
(2021-03-11). Biden Administration Struggles With Surge of Unaccompanied Migrant Children. truthout.org 
The Biden administration is struggling to address the flow of migrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents, many fleeing extreme violence, poverty and natural disasters in their home countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. News reports show more than 3,500 children were detained at the border in just the first nine days of March, with many being held longer than the legal limit of 72 hours. "We can call it a crisis. We can call it a surge," says Aura Bogado, se…
(2021-03-11). Six irregular migrants held following car crash in Turkey. yenisafak.com Six irregular migrants of Syrian origin were held following a car crash in southern Turkey on Thursday, according to security sources.Security teams found six irregular migrants who entered the country illegally in a vehicle that rolled over into a garden near the Kirikhan district of southern Hatay province, said sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The driver, along with two other suspects identified as A.A.M. and A.A., were arrested while the irregular migrants were transferred to the local provincial migration office after routine procedures.Turkey has been a key tra…
(2021-03-11). U.S. & Other Wealthy Nations Block Effort to Waive Vaccine Patent Rights in Blow to Global South. democracynow.org 
The United States and other wealthy members of the World Trade Organization have blocked a push by dozens of developing countries to waive patent rights in an effort to boost production of COVID-19 vaccines for poor nations. The proposal by South Africa and India was supported by hundreds of civil society organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and Amnesty International. Without the waiver, vaccine production will remain in the hands of only a few pharmaceutical companies. "Millions of us are basically going to have to wait for a vaccine, putting global immunity, as well as regional immunity, part…
(2021-03-11). Israel's arrest of Palestinian children picking vegetables sparks outrage. middleeasteye.net 
Israel's arrest of Palestinian children picking vegetables sparks outrage | 'As a Palestinian father, this is one of your worst nightmares', father of two of five boys arrested in southern Hebron hills tells MEE | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 12: 03 | B'Tselem says Israeli forces arrested five Palestinian children in the West Bank on Wednesday (B'Tselem/Twitter) | A video of armed Israeli soldiers arrestin…
(2021-03-11). Palestinian elections: Fatah sacks prominent leader amid chaos in its rank. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinian elections: Fatah sacks prominent leader amid chaos in its rank | Nasser al-Qudwa has refused to run on a single election list that represents all Fatah candidates, seeking to form a new party | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 13: 55 | Nasser al-Qudwa addresses a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 23 January 2019 (AFP) | The Palestinian movement Fatah has sacked one of its most prominent leaders,…
(2021-03-11). Displaced persons return home in Latakia, Syria. mronline.org 
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(2021-03-11). Frist Family Leads Pandemic Profiteer Parade in Health Sector. counterpunch.org 
Not everyone is suffering during the pandemic. The Frist family of Tennessee are the founders and biggest shareholders of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the largest for-profit hospital conglomerate in the U.S. Thomas F. Frist Jr. and his family have seen their personal wealth increase from $7.5 billion on March 18, 2020 to $15.6 billion