(2021-03-19). Transnational and Transformative Movements: BLM, Kashmir, and Prison Reform in Oklahoma. counterpunch.org Considering electoral processes in my state of adoption, Oklahoma, are healthier than they are in my state of origin, Jammu and Kashmir, I remind millennials to identify important issues to them as voters, so they are inspired to make a significant difference by participating. I will not deny the feeling of hopelessness that sets in
(2021-03-19). A Green New Deal Means a Labor New Deal. dsausa.org What does an "all hands" moment for DSA look like? Perhaps the campaign to pass the PRO Act, the first major campaign of 2021.
(2021-03-19). Oakland joins West Coast cities mandating hazard pay for grocery workers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Cities around the Bay Area have joined, or on the road to joining, the growing list of West Coast cities requiring large grocery outlets to provide their workers hazard pay while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors now requires large grocers to pay their frontline workers $5 more …
(2021-03-19). Gulf royals claimed millions from UK furlough scheme: Report. middleeasteye.net Gulf royals claimed millions from UK furlough scheme: Report | Companies owned by Qatar and royals from the UAE and Saudi Arabia claimed thousands in funds, Guardian reports | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 17: 44 | The furlough scheme was introduced to help struggling businesses stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic (AFP) | Companies owned by some of the world's wealthiest people claimed millions of pounds from a UK…
(2021-03-19). Ernesto Falcon on Internet for All, Alexander Kaufman on Future-Proofed Housing Codes. fair.org This week on CounterSpin: Reporters covering the pandemic can't help but note the impact of the digital divide: How do you work from home, or do remote learning, or even register for a vaccine, without not just available, but affordable high-speed internet? Yet a major congressional effort to end that divide is, so far, generating little interest from big media. It's almost as if the corporate press accepted the existence of information haves and have-nots, because that's how goods get divided in this country—even if it doesn't make technological, economic or humanitarian sense. We'll hear about the Access…
(2021-03-19). Outrage over child detention center reopened over toxic dump. workers.org Plans to reopen a migrant detention facility on top of toxic military waste in Homestead, Fla., have sparked anger. Located just south of Miami, the closed facility was the largest center for unaccompanied migrant children — with 3,200 beds — before it was shut down in 2019 due to national . . . |
(2021-03-19). Ten years since beginning of failed regime-change operation against Syria. mronline.org MR Online
(2021-03-19). Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet From the Sea. counterpunch.org "The most toxic substance on Earth is separated from exposure to society by Ω" of steel encased in a canister." (Blanch) That eye-opener comes from renowned nuclear expert Paul Blanch in reference to spent fuel rods removed from San Onofre Nuclear Generation Plant buried near the sea on California's southern coastline 50 miles north of
(2021-03-19). How AFSCME and ACLU Gutted New Mexico's Proposed Ban on Chemical Weapons, Attack Dogs, Rubber Bullets. counterpunch.org If police reform could fix what's wrong with policing in the United States, it would have already happened in Albuquerque. No police department in the U.S. has undergone more reform, over more years, than the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). None of it has worked. New Mexico consistently ranks among the states with the highest rate
(2021-03-19). The Paris Commune's 150th anniversary — A blueprint for revolution. workers.org An uprising in Paris on March 18, 1871, toward the end of the Franco-Prussian War, burst open the structure of 19th-century European capitalist society. The 72-day social explosion in what would become the capital of the French Empire became the iconic blueprint for workers' revolution. Lessons of the Paris Commune, . . . |
(2021-03-19). Love & Rage: The Eros Effect and Spontaneous Combustion. counterpunch.org "Today the fight for life, the fight for Eros, is the political fight." — Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization, 1966 "Eros is historically shaped but eternally emergent. Love binds us together, gives us the courage to make history, to stare down our fears . . . and gives us the nerve to be resolute .
(2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. counterpunch.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the
(2021-03-19). How America Got the Vapors…Over ANTIFA. counterpunch.org It started last summer during the George Floyd Rebellion: alarming tales about left-wing terrorists, about hordes of antifa ready to invade dozy suburbs and burn down the local post office, Walmart and Starbucks. These wild fabrications percolated through right-wing media, causing a panicked spike in gun purchases, followed by announcements from red-blooded Amuricans in the Midwest and matrons from Florida that they were locked and loaded, ready to defend their real estate and SUVs from the battalions of communist terrorist antifa about to overrun their front lawns and trample azaleas, hydrangeas and any other be…
(2021-03-19). We can't erase the radicalism of the Rainbow Coalition. therealnews.com "Judas and the Black Messiah" has received much-deserved praise, but there are still many facets to the story of the Rainbow Coalition and Fred Hampton's murder that need to be told.
(2021-03-19). Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. counterpunch.org Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened the sports pages
(2021-03-19). The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson. workers.org Atlanta A videotape shows 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson walking down a hallway and entering the gym in the Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga., eight years ago on Jan. 10, 2013. That night his mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, called the emergency number 911 to report that her son had not come . . . |
(2021-03-19). Art & Politics in San Francisco, 2021: Portraits of a City in Upheaval, Again. counterpunch.org Bay Area artist and teacher, Miranda Bergman, knows by heart the most famous lines in The Tempest. She ought to. Her Old Left parents named her after Shakespeare's feisty heroine who exclaims, "How amazing! How many wonderful creatures there are here! Mankind is so beautiful! Oh, what a wonderful new world that has such people
(2021-03-19). There are so many lessons to learn from Kerala. mronline.org Indian farmers and agricultural workers have crossed the hundred-day mark of their protest against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They will not withdraw until the government repeals laws that deliver the advantages of agriculture to large corporate houses. | Newswire…
(2021-03-19). Case of Sarah Everard, kidnapped and murdered by cop, sparks reform in Britain. peoplesworld.org Walking home alone in the darkness of night is a regular experience for many—whether they live in the busiest cities or the quietest towns. It is such a norm that many people never stop to think about safety. But for women everywhere, this action is often fraught with fear and anxiety. Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old …
(2021-03-19). A People's History of the Civil Rights Movement. counterpunch.org The story of the Civil Rights movement is often told in a manner that glorifies certain Movement organizers and so-called leaders while ignoring the multitudes in the churches, the cotton fields, the hamlets of the South and the streets of the nation. This portrayal exists in spite of the ongoing reminders from those who have
(2021-03-19). Oakland crafting pilot program for response to mental health crises. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — An innovative program to provide trained civilian responders for mental health and other nonviolent crisis calls, instead of armed law enforcement, moved a step closer March 16 with unanimous City Council passage of legislation that will launch a pilot project within Oakland's Fire Department. The Council's actions include an ordinance amending Oakland …
(2021-03-19). There are so many lessons to learn from Kerala. mronline.org MR Online
(2021-03-19). With renewed union backing, House passes Dream Act. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With renewed labor backing, this time from the Union Veterans Council, the House voted 227-197 at 6 p.m. on March 18 to pass the Dream Act, formally legalizing and providing an eventual path to citizenship for the 700,000 "Dreamers," undocumented people brought to the U.S. as kids, who are Americans in all but their papers. …
(2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, Calif., police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.
(2021-03-19). TALKING SOCIALISM | Catching up with AOC. dsausa.org Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her way to speak at NYC's Women's March. [Photo by Corey Torpie] | Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, best known as AOC, is DSA's foremost socialist superstar. Her June 2018 primary win—a 29-year-old taqueria bartender defeating the third most powerful Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives—inspired up to 10,000 people to join DSA. : | The Netflix documentary
(2021-03-19). Battleground Baltimore: Brandon Scott sets a progressive path. therealnews.com In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Mayor Brandon Scott delivers his State of the City address, students and leaders look to end digital redlining, activists push for further cannabis reform, and more.
(2021-03-19). Travelers, Sour and Sentimental. counterpunch.org "I hate traveling and explorers." —Claude Levi-Strauss, Tristes tropiques (1955) Texas loosens, Italy locks down. With the skies mostly still clear and quiet, one can hear the collective champing at the bit before the gates open and vacationers charge into their first getaway in more than year. As Airbnb bookings surge, it's worth asking what
(2021-03-19). Water is Life, Can We Protect It? counterpunch.org From West Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, tens of millions of people struggled through late winter storms that froze pipes, broke water mains, and cut off electricity. They froze without showers, toilets, or washing machines — let alone drinking water — for days or even weeks. The irony that Texas, the state built on fossil fuels,
(2021-03-19). Poor People's Campaign demonstrates for priorities in 30 state capitols. liberationnews.org Among the policies are "comprehensive, free, and just" COVID-19 relief; universal healthcare; redirection of the military budget to social needs; and many others.
(2021-03-19). National Day of Action March 27: Call It What It Is, a Hate Crime! Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing! liberationnews.org The following national call to action was issued by the ANSWER Coalition Join the March 27 National Day of Action! Endorse the national day of action here Organize an event in your city — register your event here Initial list of cities, check back for updates! San Francisco, CA1 PMLocation TBD Atlanta, GATime & Location …
(2021-03-19). The Paris Commune of 1871, banks and debt. mronline.org MR Online
(2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. dissidentvoice.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the …
(2021-03-19). Police union defends convicted cops keeping their jobs. therealnews.com Why is it so hard to reform the police, let alone hold police accountable for abusing their power? What are the legal and political protections that have put police above the very law they're supposed to enforce?
(2021-03-19). Poor People's Campaign demonstrates for priorities in 30 state capitals. liberationnews.org Among the policies are "comprehensive, free, and just" COVID-19 relief; universal healthcare; redirection of the military budget to social needs; and many others.
(2021-03-19). How Chesa Boudin is pursuing his promise to reduce incarceration. mronline.org MR Online
(2021-03-19). USSR to Russia. dissidentvoice.org In the early 1960s, the intensifying Cold War confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR was not only a terrifying nuclear-arms race, but also a struggle for prestige and influence vis-a-vis non-aligned Third World nations. The "Soviet" Union — founded on the promise of a dictatorship of proletarian councils — had long since become a …
(2021-03-19). Biden's 'killer' comment about Putin reflects obsolete foreign policy. peoplesworld.org I want to start this critique of Biden's developing foreign policy by stating clearly and unequivocally that his $1.9 trillion rescue plan deserves total support from everyone in our country. It is nothing less than a dramatic disavowal of the right-wing era launched by Ronald Reagan some 40 years ago. Although Biden deserves praise for …
(2021-03-19). The Iraq War: 18 Years Later. counterpunch.org 'You sit in your room, and you talk to the wall You're feeling small but still have a ball And you can't explain what's anyway in vain And you paint your face and dress in black Wear your shades and still can't express The way you feel about a lousy fill And you dance until
(2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, California police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.
(2021-03-19). Sharpeville massacre: A turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle. workers.org The following article first appeared on the front page of the April 1, 1960, issue of Workers World. The original headline was "South African revolution has begun! General strike wins first victory! The mass murder of Africans was a boomerang; South African dictatorship faces abyss!" The article was written by . . . |
(2021-03-19). The Paris Commune of 1871, banks and debt. mronline.org 150 years ago, on 18 March 1871, the Paris Commune was born. | Newswire…
(2021-03-19). No, the Rich Aren't Paying Their Fare Share. counterpunch.org We hear it all the time: The wealthy must pay their fair share in tax. Many of the wealthy, and the members of Congress they sponsor, contend they already are. And they have all sorts of facts and figures to make that appear true. After all, for a billionaire, even a tiny tax payment in
(2021-03-19). Linked struggles: Trans liberation, women's liberation — WW commentary. workers.org It's just two and a half months into 2021, and already over 25 blatantly anti-trans bills have been introduced in 28 state legislatures. In total, 91 bills are proposed in those states that, in some way, shape or form, attack trans people — some directly, some indirectly, but the destructive . . . |
(2021-03-19). How Chesa Boudin is pursuing his promise to reduce incarceration. mronline.org After more than a year in office—and despite pushback—the San Francisco DA's policies have kept people out of jails and prisons. | Newswire…
(2021-03-19). Ten years since beginning of failed regime-change operation against Syria. mronline.org The initial coalition against Syria has collapsed, with Turkey frustrated over the U.S.' sustained support for the Kurds and the Arabs pivoting back to Syria. | Newswire…
(2021-03-19). Villagers & Pillagers: Who Will Survive the Collapse? counterpunch.org Unless you live in a state of denial you're probably like me, troubled about the future. There's not much left of mine, but my daughter's generation and their children will have to survive the aftermath of fossil-fueled civilization on the ravaged, toxic planet we've left them. How will that look? Will democratic eco-settlements rise from
(2021-03-19). Startling Discovery of New Dead Sea Scrolls sheds light on Jewish Revolts against Imperial Rome. juancole.com By Gareth Wearne | — On Tuesday news broke of the discovery of fresh fragments of a nearly 2,000-year-old scroll in Israel. The fragments were said to come from the evocatively named Cave of Horror, near the western shore of the Dead Sea. The finds were announced with attention-grabbing headlines that these were new fragments …
(2021-03-19). The Sports Pages of Death: Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened …
(2021-03-19). Gaming the System: Why the Stock Market is Worthless. dsausa.org The drama that swirled around GameStop and the stock market earlier this year highlighted two things: The system is rigged against working people, and the stock market is useless. | The basic story was this: Some hedge fund investors took bets on GameStop's declining profitability through a process called "shorting." This means that investors borrow shares of the company. They then sell those stocks on the assumption that their price will fall. Once the price has fallen sufficiently, they buy back the stocks at a lower price, return the borrowed shares, and pocket the difference. Some day traders communicatin…
(2021-03-19). Turkey's government moves court to disband opposition HDP. peoplesdispatch.org Turkey's chief prosecutor has filed a lawsuit in the constitutional court to disband the pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples Democratic Party on charges of having links with the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)…
(2021-03-19). MEDICAL FRONT LINE | An EMT's Story. dsausa.org Most people who find out I'm an emergency medical technician think I'm first on the scene, saving lives, that sort of thing. There are people who do that, but that's not my job. I, like most EMTs, don't respond to 911 calls. We work for private companies, doing interfacility transports. On paper, it's things like bringing a psych patient from the emergency room to a mental health care center, or a heart attack victim to a hospital equipped for specialized surgery. In reality, it mostly means dumping patients—taking them from the pristine ERs of the private hospitals to the overstuffed, understaffed comm…
(2021-03-19). AIPAC rallies support for Senate letter calling for broader Iran deal. middleeasteye.net AIPAC rallies support for Senate letter calling for broader Iran deal | Hawkish senators are circulating a letter that effectively rejects a return to the nuclear agreement in its current format | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 19: 47 | Democratic Senator Bob Menendez (L) and Republican Lindsey Graham are pushing the AIPAC-backed letter (AFP/File photos) | AIPAC, the Israel lobby group, is calling on its supporters to urge US…
(2021-03-19). Majority of Democrats say US should focus political pressure on Israel. middleeasteye.net Majority of Democrats say US should focus political pressure on Israel | For the first time, the majority of Democrats surveyed by Gallup say US pressure should be focused on Israel, not the Palestinians | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 18: 55 | Demonstrators call for an independent Palestinian state during a protest outside the White House in 2018 (AFP/File photo) | This year's annual Gallup poll has revealed…
(2021-03-19). UK court restores citizenship to three British-Bangladeshis who travelled to Syria. middleeasteye.net UK court restores citizenship to three British-Bangladeshis who travelled to Syria | Court found trio had been left stateless because they were not Bangladeshi nationals and said home secretary 'had no power to make orders with that effect' | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 11: 23 | The UK government has used citizenship-stripping powers extensively against British nationals who travelled to Syria since the start o…
(2021-03-19). Israeli forces kill Palestinian in West Bank protest. middleeasteye.net Israeli forces kill Palestinian in West Bank protest | According to the Palestinian Authority, Atef Yousef Hanaysha, 45, was shot in the head in the village of Beit Dajan | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 12: 49 | Palestinians carry fellow protester Atef Hanaysha on 19 March 2021 after he was reportedly shot in the head by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank village of Beit Dajan (Social media handout) | Israeli forces…
(2021-03-19). Israel election: Why Netanyahu's makeover made him an improbable 'Arab lover'. middleeasteye.net Israel election: Why Netanyahu's makeover made him an improbable 'Arab lover' | After years of inciting against Israel's Palestinian citizens, Netanyahu is running as 'Abu Yair' and keen to be seen sipping coffee with Bedouin elders
| Fri, 03/19/2021 – 08: 58 | An electoral billboard by the Joint List depicting Benjamin Netanyahu with a caption in Arabic saying "the father of the nation-state l…
(2021-03-19). UN Libya report: Key takeaways, from mercenaries and Erik Prince to murders. middleeasteye.net UN Libya report: Key takeaways, from mercenaries and Erik Prince to murders | Dodgy deals in Jordan and the suspicious presence of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces are some of the details revealed by a United Nations panel of experts | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 09: 30 | Libyan military graduates loyal to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) take part in a parade marking their graduation (AFP) | After a se…
(2021-03-19). Palestinians protest Israeli plans to demolish 100 houses in East Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net Palestinians protest Israeli plans to demolish 100 houses in East Jerusalem | An Israeli municipality's 'biblical' tourism park construction project risks the homes of almost 1,550 Palestinians | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 13: 43 | Palestinians say Friday prayers near a protest tent against the demolition of 100 houses by Israeli authorities in occupied East Jerusalem, 19 March 2021 (AFP) | Hundreds of Palestinians in…
(2021-03-19). US will not recognise Syria presidency vote without UN supervision. middleeasteye.net US will not recognise Syria presidency vote without UN supervision | Acting deputy ambassador to UN says ongoing peace process has been hindered by President Bashar al-Assad's 'refusal to engage in good faith' | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 14: 51 | The US and its allies have been hesitant to normalise relations with the Assad government (AFP) | The United States has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that it will n…
(2021-03-19). Yemen's Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco oil refinery that sparked fire. middleeasteye.net Yemen's Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco oil refinery that sparked fire | The Houthis have escalated cross-border attacks in recent weeks, as fighting intensifies in Yemen's north | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 14: 09 | A man looks at a damaged silo a day after an attack at the Saudi Aramco oil facility in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea city of Jeddah, on 24 November 2020 (AFP) | A drone attack on an oil…
(2021-03-19). Yemen's Houthis advance on Marib after capturing mountain. middleeasteye.net Yemen's Houthis advance on Marib after capturing mountain | The government's loss of Mount Hilan threatens Marib's first line of defence | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 10: 28 | A fighter loyal to Yemen's Houthis attends the funeral of fellow combatants killed in battles with Saudi-backed government troops, in Sanaa on 28 February 2021 (AFP) | Yemen's Houthi fighters have seized a strategic mountain o…
(2021-03-19). British MPs urge UK to 'reconsider' Bahrain ties over rights abuses. middleeasteye.net British MPs urge UK to 'reconsider' Bahrain ties over rights abuses | More than a dozen members of parliament say UK must pressure Bahrain to stop political detentions and end rights abuses | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 19: 28 | Since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Bahrain has launched a comprehensive crackdown on opposition groups and human rights activists (AFP) | More than a dozen British MPs have renewed calls for…
(2021-03-19). Arabic press review: Lebanon's president seeks Saudi support to replace PM Hariri. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Lebanon's president seeks Saudi support to replace PM Hariri | Meanwhile, Egypt relaxes security restrictions in Sinai Peninsula, and Bahrain bristles over Reporters Without Borders report | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 14: 33 | Lebanon's President Michel Aoun talks to then-Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri during the cabinet meeting in Baabda near Beirut, Lebanon on 5 December 2017 (Reute…
(2021-03-19). Turkey: Police detain opposition HDP officials and co-chair of rights group. middleeasteye.net Turkey: Police detain opposition HDP officials and co-chair of rights group | Move follows prosecutor's filing of case with Constitutional Court demanding a ban on the pro-Kurdish party | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 07: 49 | People shout slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul on Thursday to protest against the court case launched against the HDP (Reuters) | Turkish police detained three top dist…
(2021-03-19). Why Don't We Take Hate of Asians Seriously? counterpunch.org We have to problematize the purely academic extrapolation of Asians. I remember this slime popping up after Dylan Roof. According to an analysis quoted on NBC Scott Kurasige, Roof was operating on the premise that Asians were a "model minority" and that a core of white supremacy is to mobilize Asians against Black people. Such
(2021-03-19). Judge agrees to redact 'sensational and impure' details about Ghislaine Maxwell from public docket. rt.com A federal judge in New York has ruled on requests for redactions filed by the US government and Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged madam of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some parts of her private life will now not be made public.
(2021-03-19). Ley de ayuda por COVID evita miles de despidos en Hawái. peoplesworld.org Hacia finales de 2020, oficiales estatales de Hawái enfrentaban un déficit presupuestario de mas de $2 mil millones en gran parte por la pandemia del coronavirus. El Gobernador David Ige dijo que se podría ver obligado a despedir o descansar a miles de empleados estatales, muchos de ellos miembros de AFSCME, a partir de julio. …
(2021-03-19). Taliban threatens with 'reaction' if US does not pull out troops by May deadline. rt.com The Taliban warned the Biden administration to honor a Trump-era agreement and pull US and NATO troops out of Afghanistan by May 1, warning a "retaliation" if the deal is violated. | "They should go," Suhail Shaheen, a member of the Taliban negotiation team, told reporters in Moscow on Friday. Troop presence beyond May 1, Shaheen warned, will qualify as a "violation of the agreement" struck with the Trump administration and will warrant a "reaction." | "We hope that this will not happen, that they withdraw and we focus on the settlement, peaceful settlement of the Afghan issue, in order to bring about a perman…
(2021-03-19). Judge denies request to delay Derek Chauvin trial in George Floyd case after defense argues city settlement prejudiced jury picks. rt.com A request from former cop Derek Chauvin's defense team to push back the date and change the location of his trial in the death of George Floyd has been rejected. | Minneapolis Judge Peter Cahill denied the request on Friday. Chauvin's defense lawyers had made the appeal after the city announced a "The fact that this came in the exact middle of jury sele…
(2021-03-19). Biden administration staffers asked to RESIGN over past marijuana use, despite campaign support for decriminalization — reports. rt.com The Biden administration has been vigilant in weeding out staffers who have admitted to past marijuana use, despite the drug being increasingly legal across the US, a new report suggests. | Dozens of White House employees were asked to resign or join a "remote work program" this month after admitting to past marijuana use, the Daily Beast reported. | "It's exclusively targeting younger staff and staff who came from states where it was legal," one anonymous former staffer claimed. | Marijuana is now legal in 14 states and the District of Columbia, but it remains illegal at the federal level. Even staffers from…
(2021-03-19). Proud Boys members charged with conspiring to block Congress from certifying Biden victory during January 6 riot. rt.com A federal grand jury has charged four prominent members of the far-right Proud Boys movement with conspiring to impede Congress in certifying Joe Biden's presidential victory on January 6. | The charges were revealed in a superseding indictment unsealed on Friday, according to multiple reports. | Federal investigators continued their crackdown on those involved in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol and identified members of the Proud Boys as being chief instigators in the day's events, which led to five deaths, including that of a police officer. | FBI agents arrested Charles Donohoe, a Proud Boys leader fro…
(2021-03-19). US accuses Beijing of sabotaging 'rules-based' world order & decries 'protocol violation' after Chinese hit back at Alaska talks. rt.com A war of words erupted as talks between US and Chinese officials kicked off in Alaska, with Secretary of State Tony Blinken accusing Beijing of undermining the global order, prompting a harsh rebuttal from his counterpart. | Blinken opened Thursday's summit with a series of charges against Beijing, voicing "deep concerns" about alleged "economic coercion" against US allies, rights abuses within China and the threat the country poses to the "rules-based order that maintains global stability." | The secretary's aggressive tone was soon matched by China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, seeing the first face-to-fa…
(2021-03-19). 'Gestapo tactics': NYC mayor de Blasio blasted after saying police should warn & threaten people over 'hurtful' behavior. rt.com New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio has stunned Americans by suggesting cops should confront people at their homes if they have been accused of "hurtful" but non-criminal acts. Many are asking exactly how that would work in practice. | "Even if something is not a criminal case, a perpetrator being confronted by the city, whether it's NYPD or another agency, and being told that what they've done was very hurtful to another person" could deter people from offending others, de Blasio told reporters on Thursday, in response to a rise in hate crime against Asian Americans. | "If someone has done something wrong, but no…
(2021-03-19). #ChickenJoe trends on Twitter after Biden avoids debate with Putin following 'killer' accusation. rt.com US President Joe Biden has landed in the deep fryer after bragging he called out Vladimir Putin for having "no soul" — a claim that led many to cry foul when the politician refused to talk to his Russian counterpart on the phone.
(2021-03-19). Migrant children held in US custody soar to 14,000 as Biden press secretary accidentally acknowledges border 'crisis'. rt.com More than 14,000 migrant children are currently held in US custody, a senior administration official said, insisting there's no "crisis" at the border soon after Biden's press secretary invoked the very same term. | The official said the number of youths detained after attempting to cross the border had soared to 14,000 during a Thursday press briefing, noting that they are divided between facilities run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Border Patrol. | While the official argued that "Children presenting themselves at the border is not a national crisis," White House Press Secret…
(2021-03-19). Jack in the Box manager stabbed by homeless Texan after telling him to put on a coronavirus face mask — police. rt.com The manager of a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant in Texas was reportedly stabbed after telling a homeless customer to wear a coronavirus face mask. | According to League City Police Chief Gary Ratliff told re…
(2021-03-19). Biden falls THREE times as he climbs Air Force One stairs, sends critics & supporters into frenzy (VIDEOS). rt.com President Joe Biden struggled to climb the stairs to Air Force One on Friday, stumbling multiple times, leading to a wave of mockery — and sympathy — over the unfortunate moment, which was caught on video. | The president fell three times while ascending the stairs on Friday, at one point dropping to his knee while still holding the railing. | President Joe Biden trips climbing the stairs to Air Force 1
(2021-03-19). Dropping off migrants with unchecked health & criminal history 'like opening Pandora's box' — Arizona border town mayor to RT. rt.com The mayor of a small border town in Arizona has told RT that federal agents did not provide crucial information about the migrants that are being released in the US after the White House relaxed border policies. | "The number of migrants that come across on foot has ramped up substantially in just the last few weeks," Chris Riggs, the mayor of Gila Bend, an Arizona border town of 2,000, told RT. | Mayor Riggs said he began worrying after the town was notified that border control officials will be releasing migrants in the local community after processing them quickly. At the same time, federal agencies did not…
(2021-03-19). WATCH: Rand Paul challenges Fauci's ever-more-elaborate 'mask theatre' on Senate floor. rt.com US coronavirus czar Anthony Fauci has again butted heads with Republican senator (and fellow doctor) Rand Paul over the government's mask mandates. Paul got under Fauci's skin by denouncing current mask rules as "theater." | The Kentucky senator demanded Fauci explain why Americans who'd already been sick with Covid-19 and recovered, or received the vaccine should be "wearing masks well into 2022" during a Senate hearing on Thursday. Insisting there "no scientific studies arguing or proving that infection with Covid does not create immunity," Paul demanded the doctor cite "specific studies" to bolster his clai…
(2021-03-19). March 7, 1970 — Historic International Working Women's Day march to House of Detention. workers.org by Naomi Cohen The following excerpt is from an article originally printed in the March 25, 1970, Workers World newspaper entitled, "A day of struggle in New York City — Militant demonstration marks International Women's Day" written by Naomi Cohen. YAWF banner leads march to Women's House of Detention, 1970. . . . |
(2021-03-19). Palestine liberation leader sentenced by Israeli military tribunal. workers.org By Mayana Ashley-Carner Khalida Jarrar is a Palestinian politician, elected representative to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), and a member of the Marxist-Leninist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The Israeli government has been holding her in "administrative detention" since October 2019. Recently, she was sentenced to . . . |
(2021-03-19). 10 years ago U.S./NATO forces demolished Libya. workers.org Ten years ago, on March 19, 2011, U.S./NATO forces began the air and sea bombardment of Libya. The war was directed by the United States, first through its Africa Command, then through NATO under U.S. command. In seven months, the U.S./NATO air force carried out 30,000 sorties, 10,000 of which . . . |
(2021-03-19). Mitch McConnell's No. 1 priority is Mitch McConnell. peoplesworld.org "He's got more nerve than Dick Tracy," my grandmother would say of a particularly shameless soul. (Okay, young folks, Tracy was a famous funny pages cop.) Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell keeps reminding me of my grandmother's observation. But the minority leader's calculated Road to Damascus conversion on Judge Merrick Garland might be his most cynical ploy. …
(2021-03-19). In Ohio, solidarity with Amazon workers. workers.org University Heights, Ohio A demonstration outside a Whole Foods store March 13 brought out supporters for the Amazon union drive taking place in Bessemer, Ala. They came to this Cleveland suburb from throughout Northeast Ohio and from as far away as Columbus. Outside Whole Foods, University Hts., Ohio. March 13. . . . |
(2021-03-19). The Geopolitics of Vaccine Nationalism: Perspectives from Australia. counterpunch.org "The eagle has landed", said Australia's federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on 15 February 2021 referring to the arrival of the first international shipment of Pfeizer's Covid-19 vaccines in Australia. On the day which was supposed to be a vaccine response 'D-day' for Australia and to add a boost to the government's approval ratings, the
(2021-03-19). Question the Data: Go Beyond Fake News. dsausa.org One of my favorite television shows was Numbers, which ran from 2005-2010. It was about a prodigy who helped solve crimes using math. The tagline was, "We all use numbers every day." It's true, whether we're checking the time, running our credit cards, or counting change. We use numbers even when we aren't looking; after all, computers and the Internet are built on numbers —ones and zeros, to be exact. | But do we understand what's going on with those numbers? Do we understand the data and how it's driving policy? Most of the time, we don't. Look at the pseudoscience around vaccines. According to the Wo…
(2021-03-19). Why is it still so hard to get vaccinated in Massachusetts? liberationnews.org Massachusetts has a reputation for progressive policies, especially in healthcare. So why is the Bay State's COVID-19 vaccine rollout one of the sloppiest?
(2021-03-19). Covid, Consent and the Court of Protection. ukhumanrightsblog.com Many of the newly vaccinated booked their appointments with gusto and left with a sense of elation. For others the process wasn't so simple. We see a snapshot of this in a handful of reported cases from the Court of Protection: Re E [2021] EWCOP 7; SD v RBKC [2021] EWCOP 14; and Re CR …
(2021-03-19). The providers of 'Ride Hailing apps' and their drivers: another judgment from Amsterdam. ukhumanrightsblog.com Three applicants v Ola Netherlands B.V. C/13/689705 / HA RK 20-258, District Court, Amsterdam (11 March 2021) An Amsterdam Court has ordered Ola (a smartphone-hailing taxi organisation like Uber) to be more transparent about the data it uses as the basis for decisions on suspensions and wage penalties, in a ruling that breaks new ground …
(2021-03-19). "The Sum of Us": Heather McGhee on How Racism Undercuts the American Dream for Everyone. democracynow.org Amid a national reckoning with structural racism and the dangers of white supremacy, author Heather McGhee's new book details how racism in the United States hurts not just people of color but also white people. In "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together," McGhee details how zero-sum thinking has worsened inequality and robbed people of all stripes of the public goods and support they need to thrive. We speak with McGhee about the cost of racism, Republican voter suppression efforts and what people can accomplish when they come together in solidarity across racial lines. "Fundam…
(2021-03-19). "Jim Crow in New Clothes": In First Senate Speech, Raphael Warnock Slams GOP Assault on Voting Rights. democracynow.org Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, whose election in January helped bring the chamber under Democratic control, used his first speech on the floor of the Senate this week to assail Republican efforts to restrict voting rights. He called the raft of voter suppression bills being introduced in states across the country "Jim Crow in new clothes," denounced false claims of voter fraud spread by Donald Trump and others, and called on Congress to pass the For the People Act, also known as H.R. 1, a sweeping voting reform bill that would greatly expand access to the ballot. "Make no mistake: This is democracy in reverse,"
(2021-03-19). "Jim Crow in New Clothes": In First Senate Speech, Raphael Warnock Slams GOP Assault on Voting Rights. democracynow.org Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, whose election in January helped bring the chamber under Democratic control, used his first speech on the floor of the Senate this week to assail Republican efforts to restrict voting rights. He called the raft of voter suppression bills being introduced in states across the country "Jim Crow in new clothes," denounced false claims of voter fraud spread by Donald Trump and others, and called on Congress to pass the For the People Act, also known as H.R. 1, a sweeping voting reform bill that would greatly expand access to the ballot. "Make no mistake: This is democracy in reverse,"
(2021-03-19). Selected Articles: Permanent Warfare and the "War On Terror", US-NATO Invasion of Libya, The Engineered Destruction of Iraq. globalresearch.ca By Ten years ago, on 19 March 2011, the United States and its military arm NATO unleashed a sustained bombardment against Libya, where Colonel …
(2021-03-19). The Heat: China-U.S. meeting in Alaska. america.cgtn.com High-level talks between China and the United States. What can we expect? And what will it mean for relations between the two major powers?
(2021-03-19). Recruited, Arrested, On Trial: Yemeni Spies Tell of Their Reluctant Work for CIA, MI6. mintpressnews.com The CIA and MI6 have recruited hundreds of Yemenis to work as mercenaries and spies gathering intelligence and coordinates of Yemeni military positions, promising them money and even passports for the dangerous work.
(2021-03-19). No 'fix' to police violence, without tackling scourge in society, says rights chief. news.un.org The Human Rights Council embarked on a discussion over police violence against people of African descent on Friday, with a warning from UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet that "brutality and discrimination against people of African descent continue to occur".
(2021-03-19). The International Federation of Journalists calls for Mumia Abu-Jamal's release. indybay.org Mumia Abu-Jamal, an African-American journalist with close ties to the Black Panthers, who has spent nearly 40 years in prison, has tested positive for Covid. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has backed calls from US (NWU) and French (SNJ-CGT) affiliates for his immediate release amid growing fears over his health.
(2021-03-19). Photo Essay: Minneapolis protest on day one of the trial of cop who killed George Floyd. fightbacknews.org Kim DeFranco's stunning photographs taken on March 8, when more than 1000 people rallied and marched demanding justice for George Floyd and the conviction of Derek Chauvin, one of the cops who murdered him.
(2021-03-19). The Angola 3 support Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Color of Change petition. indybay.org In this new statement from from former Black Panther political prisoners Albert Woodfox and Robert King of the Angola 3 declare about Mumia Abu-Jamal: "He has always fought for all of our human rights from inside prison walls. Please fight for his human rights today."