2021-02-27: News Headlines

John Catalinotto (2021-02-27). 'Rubin never lost a case' — Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021. workers.org Some younger Workers World Party members met Rubin Kanowitz for the first time when he was a communist elder, still confronting cops on recent demonstrations chanting, "Black Lives Matter." Older ones knew him from when he first joined the party in 1965. All grieved as they learned he died this . . . |

John Catalinotto (2021-02-27). 'Rubin never lost a case' — Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021. workers.org Some younger Workers World Party members met Rubin Kanowitz for the first time when he was a communist elder, still confronting cops on recent demonstrations chanting, "Black Lives Matter." Older ones knew him from when he first joined the party in 1965. All grieved as they learned he died this . . . |

Deirdre Cooper Owens (2021-02-27). [Perspectives] Listening to Black women saves Black lives. thelancet.com I am one of two African American women who are endowed professors in the history of medicine in the USA. I am the only African American woman directing a traditional medical humanities programme in the USA. When I accepted my position in 2019 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I did not know I would step into a position that would make me a historical first. Since this time, I have become preoccupied with learning about Black women who are "firsts" within the annals of US histories of medicine.

Joe Piette (2021-02-27). Mental health effects of COVID lockdown in prison: Interview from inside SCI Albion. workers.org This telephone interview with Demitrius Grant, imprisoned at SCI Albion near Erie, Pa., was conducted by Joe Piette for Workers World newspaper on Feb. 16. Demetrius Grant: We're going to be covering the issue of COVID-19 today, as to how it impacts prisoners' mental health. About a week ago, a . . . |

RT (2021-02-27). Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package narrowly passes US House, $1,400 stimulus checks included. rt.com The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The package is now headed to the Senate, where the bill is expected to be stripped of its minimum wage hike provision. | President Joe Biden's relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, was passed by the House early on Saturday in narrow 219-212 vote. No Republicans have voted for the legislation, while two Democrats broke ranks and voted against it. | The legislation includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, as well as billions for state and local governments, schools and businesses. The package wou…

RT (2021-02-27). Biden admin to charge White House reporters $170 per Covid test amid concerns smaller outlets will be squeezed out — reports. rt.com The Joe Biden administration is reportedly set to charge White House correspondents $170 a pop for daily coronavirus tests, stoking anger among reporters, some noting the move could cost struggling newsrooms thousands per week. | The White House press office will begin charging for the tests next week, the Washington Post

RT (2021-02-27). Boston halts advanced school program over 'equity' concerns after study finds it has too many 'white and Asian' students. rt.com Public schools in Boston, Massachusetts are suspending new enrollment in an advanced study program citing concerns over "inequities" that supposedly emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to be more "anti-racist." | Fourth-graders hoping to get into the Advanced Work Classes (AWC) program are out of luck, after Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius called for a one-year hiatus for the program this week. The district's

Walter Smolarek (2021-02-27). Deciphering Biden's excuse to abandon the Fight for $15. liberationnews.org President Biden received a major political gift from an obscure, unelected official called the Senate parliamentarian Feb. 25 when she ruled that the provision in the administration's stimulus plan that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour must be removed from the bill. Unless this maneuver is defeated, millions of workers who could have …

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-02-27). U.S. bombs Syria and ridiculously claims self defense. mronline.org On orders of President Biden, the United States has launched an airstrike on a facility in Syria. As of this writing the exact number of killed and injured is unknown, with early reports claiming "a handful" of people were killed.

Jason Hickel (2021-02-27). Is the world poor, or unjust? mronline.org Social media has been ablaze with this question recently. We know we face a crisis of mass poverty: the global economy is organized in such a way that nearly 60% of humanity is left unable to meet basic needs. But the question at stake this time is different.

Michael Kowalchuk (2021-02-27). Sojourner Truth's Massachusetts days. liberationnews.org Sojourner Truth, born into slavery in New York as "Isabella Baumfree" in 1797, was one of the most important abolitionists and feminists of the nineteenth century.

Eds. (2021-02-27). FBI, NYPD exposed: Deathbed confession shines new light on assassination of Malcolm X. mronline.org Without any training, Wood's job was to infiltrate civil rights organizations and encourage leaders and members to commit felonious acts. He was also tasked with ensuring that Malcolm X's security detail was arrested days prior to the assassination, guaranteeing Malcolm X didn't have door security while at the Audubon Ballroom.

Shabbir Manjee (2021-02-27). Chicago City Council passes unanimous resolution to end the blockade on Cuba. liberationnews.org All 50 aldermen voted to oppose the blockade, adding that normalizing relations can benefit the economic conditions of both Cubans and Chicagoans.

MBNJSD (2021-02-27). Biden's Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not the Diplomacy He Promised. dissidentvoice.org Photo: CODEPINK The February 25 U.S. bombing of Syria immediately puts the policies of the newly-formed Biden administration into sharp relief. Why is this administration bombing the sovereign nation of Syria? Why is it bombing "Iranian-backed militias" who pose absolutely no threat to the United States and are actually involved in fighting ISIS? If this …

Clean Energy Wire (2021-02-27). By the End of the Year, Germany will have a Million Electric Cars on the Road out of 4.7 mn Total. juancole.com By Sà∂ren Amelang | — Germany will probably reach its target of having one million fully electric or plug-in hybrid cars on the road this year, government advisors have said. The head of the country's National Platform Future of Mobility (NPM), Henning Kagermann, told business daily Handelsblatt he was pleased "that it appears we will …

The Conversation (2021-02-27). Gulf War: As Biden bombs Iraqis, 30 years on the consequences of Desert Storm are still with us. juancole.com By Lorena De Vita and Amir Taha | — It was a short message to end a short war. On February 26 1991, Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz put his signature to a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council: I have the honour to notify you that the Iraqi Government reaffirms its agreement …

Eds. (2021-02-27). We have to change our suicidal ways and reconcile with nature to tackle climate crises and pandemics. mronline.org Every day, entrepreneurs in Brazil cut down more of the Amazon to produce cheap soybeans for animals in Europe and America. Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia tear up their forests to produce cheap coffee and palm oil for the world.

Reem Zubaidi (2021-02-27). Exposing Israel's vaccine apartheid in West Bank & Gaza. liberationnews.org Five million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza are excluded from vaccine rollouts while Israeli citizens, even those living in illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories, are prioritized.

_____ (2021-02-27). 'No one cares if we die': Ex-Syrian rebels recount Nagorno-Karabakh nightmare as 'disposable force for Turkey'. strategic-culture.org Repurposed into a mercenary force by Erdogan's Turkey, the remnants of Syria's armed opposition were sent off to fight for Azerbaijan with promises of sweet paychecks. They met abuse, humiliation, and death instead. | By Lindsey SNELL | In the first week of October 2020, Ahmad Hadad* and more than 20 other fighters from the Hamza Division faction of the so-called Syrian National Army stood in the middle of a mountain range in Azerbaijan near the Iranian border. They were lost. | After the Armenian army unleashed a bout of heavy bombardment on the mountains, the Azerbaijani soldiers who had been positioned behind…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-27). Khashoggi murder: Oxfam calls on Britain to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Oxfam calls on Britain to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia | Demand follows release of report in which CIA determines that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind murder of Jamal Khashoggi | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 13: 49 | Britain is the second-largest seller of weapons to Saudi Arabia (AFP) | The release of a CIA report blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering th…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-27). Khashoggi murder: Bahrain, UAE reaffirm support for Saudi Arabia after CIA report. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Bahrain, UAE reaffirm support for Saudi Arabia after CIA report | US intelligence report blames Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 10: 19 | Protesters in London demonstrate against former president Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia and the UAE (MEE/Kaamil Ahmed) | Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stoo…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-27). Tunisia's Ennahda holds large street protest, fuelling government crisis. middleeasteye.net Tunisia's Ennahda holds large street protest, fuelling government crisis | The protest is seen as an attempt to mobilise popular backing against President Kais Saied | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 12: 15 | Supporters of Tunisia's biggest political party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, march during a rally in opposition to President Kais Saied in Tunis on 27 February (Reuters) | Tunisia's biggest poli…

RT (2021-02-27). 'Safely recovered': Lady Gaga's stolen bulldogs brought to LA police after pop star offers $500k reward with no strings attached. rt.com Two French bulldogs have been safely returned to pop star Lady Gaga after robbers stole the animals at gunpoint from her dog walker, who was shot in the struggle, according to LA police. | The pups were brought to an LAPD station north of downtown on Friday evening by a woman believed to be "uninvolved and unassociated" with the theft and shooting earlier this week, police captain Jonathan Tippett Both of Lady Gaga's dogs have been…

RT (2021-02-27). As FBI touts 'unprecedented' speed of Capitol 'insurrection' probe, police still don't know what caused officer's death. rt.com Seven weeks on from the Capitol riot, police say a toxicology report on the officer who was allegedly killed isn't done, raising questions over whether investigators are sitting on facts that don't fit a murder-mayhem narrative. | The medical examiner's report on Officer Brian Sicknick's death following the January 6 riot hasn't been completed, as toxicology results are still pending, the Capitol Police Department said Friday in a statement. More than 50 days after the Capitol attack — and even as other aspects of the "insurrection" investigation race ahead — the department offered no explanation for…

RT (2021-02-27). Virginia school district says Dr.Seuss demoted as focus of reading event due to 'RACIAL UNDERTONES', denies complete ban. rt.com Facing public backlash over its alleged cancellation of Dr. Seuss on concern that his stories and illustrations are racist, a Virginia school district denied it banned the author but said it deprioritized his books. | The Loudon County Public Schools system near Washington, DC, clarified on Saturday that it merely downgraded

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise for Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-27). Former Ofsted chief calls on teachers to 'sacrifice their lives', but the teachers are having none of it. thecanary.co During an Wilshaw told Emily Maitlis: You have to compare this with the medical emergency over the last year and the commitment on the part of medical professionals, and nurses, and doctors. They've gone the extra mile at great cost to themselves, and their families, their…

Mike Walter (2021-02-27). The Heat: U.S. intelligence report on Khashoggi's death. america.cgtn.com A U.S. intelligence report concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation to murder a prominent journalist. And U.S. President Biden orders airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian-backed militias.

Joe Glenton (2021-02-26). Tories investigating councillor for 'life time criminal, high on drugs' comments disparaging Black Lives Matter. thecanary.co A Tory councillor is being investigated by his party over his comments on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. | Portsmouth's The News Smith is said to have posted a comment in relations to athletes taking a knee during a recent England Vs Scotland Rugby match. The Conservative politician posted: Why are all the Scottish player…

Henry Tufnell (2021-02-26). High Court: Covid self-employed support scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against women. ukhumanrightsblog.com R (The Motherhood Plan and Anor) v HM Treasury [2021] EWHC 309 (Admin) — read judgment In a judgment handed down on 17 February 2021, the High Court has ruled that the Self Employment Income Support Scheme ("the Scheme") introduced during the coronavirus pandemic does not indirectly discriminate against self-employed women who have taken a …

Greg Kearney (2021-02-26). When it comes to COVID, why aren't Republicans 'pro-life' anymore? peoplesworld.org Read:

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-02-26). Calif. essential workers and supporters call for extended COVID-related sick leave. peoplesworld.org Essential workers, labor advocates, and legislators are joining together to urge the California legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to act immediately to expand emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave protection for workers in the state's 2021-2022 early action budget. Both federal and California emergency paid sick leave mandates on employers expired …

Lubna Masarwa (2021-02-26). Israel's closure of Covid clinic leaves 50,000 people at high risk. middleeasteye.net Israel's closure of Covid clinic leaves 50,000 people at high risk | Termination of vaccine programme for those living in Israel without legal status may be legally challenged by rights groups
| Fri, 02/26/2021 – 13: 50 | A paramedic with Israel's Magen David Adom medical services prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for a Palestinian man in a mobile clinic on 26 February 202…

RT (2021-02-26). Looking into Palantir: Activists want NHS to come clean about secretive deal with data-mining company. rt.com Under a deal negotiated in secret with the British government, shady data firm Palantir will continue to manage NHS data for two years. Activists calling for transparency have now brought the NHS to court. | When the British government unveiled its 'Covid-19 data store' last March, controversial "spy tech" firm Palantir was given control of the data collected from the public, which included sensitive data such as patients' ages, addresses, health conditions, treatments, and whether they smoke or drink, among other private information. Awarded the contract for a nominal fee of £1 ($1.40), Palantir was onl…

RT (2021-02-26). Vaccine race: 88-year-old Frenchman caught speeding at 191 km/h says he was late for Covid-19 jab. rt.com An 88-year-old man in France had his license seized for exceeding the speed limit by more than 90 km/h. The veteran driver told the police that he was hitting the gas because he was late for his vaccination appointment. | The man was travelling at 191 km/h when he was pulled over by the officers in the northeastern region of Bas-Rhin on Thursday. The speed limit of the country road he was driving on is 110 km/h. | The driver "gave as a reason for his speeding that he was late for his anti-Covid vaccine," the police said in a Facebook post. | Unsurprisingly, the officers determined that this was no excuse for r…

RT (2021-02-26). After US apologizes to Ireland for soldiers breaking Covid-19 rules during flight stopover, Irish FM confirms two MORE incidents. rt.com Ireland's foreign minister has revealed two more breaches of Covid-19 lockdown rules by US military servicemen on stopovers at Shannon Airport, following an initial complaint two weeks ago that drew an apology from Washington. | Police had investigated two additional separate breaches by US servicemen during their overnight stopovers in addition to one that occurred on January 25 that elicited an apology from officials in Washington, Minister Simon Coveney revealed on Friday. | Earlier this month, Coveney had said 48 military and five crew from a US Navy C40 transport plane en route from Bahrain to the US had…

RT (2021-02-26). Brazilian prosecutors call on govt to suspend 20 million-dose deal with India's Covaxin jab over lack of Phase 3 trial data. rt.com The Public Prosecutor's Office in Brazil has asked the Federal Audit Court to suspend an order for 20 million doses of the Covaxin Covid-19 jab made by India's Bharat Biotech, ahead of a vaccine factory inspection next week. | Just one day earlier, Brazil's health ministry inked a deal with the private Indian firm worth 1.6 billion reais ($290,000), with the first 8 million vaccine doses set to arrive in March. | However, on Friday state prosecutors in the South American nation said that the two-dose vaccine should not be rolled out because it has not yet passed large-scale phase III clinical trials. | Also on…

RT (2021-02-26). 'Do not wreck this now': UK govt scientist urges lockdown-weary Brits not to flout Covid rules amid 'burning' infection pockets. rt.com England's deputy chief medical officer has urged people to adhere to the current lockdown restrictions and warned there's been a slight uptick of Covid-19 case rates in some areas of the UK. | Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland are among the areas "burning quite hot" with the virus. | Also on rt.com | | "Look, this is all going very well, but there are some worry signs that people…

Global Research News (2021-02-26). Selected Articles: Haiti Betrayed. globalresearch.ca By There's a big mystery that needs to be solved. It's how many people are getting sick and dying from the Covid vaccines. …

MEE and agencies (2021-02-26). Iraq: Protesters killed in clashes with security forces in Nasiriyah. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Protesters killed in clashes with security forces in Nasiriyah | At least five demonstrators have been killed over the past week as activists defied a Covid-19 lockdown to take to the streets | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 16: 00 | Iraqi protesters are pictured next to burning tyres during clashes with police during anti-government demonstrations in the city of Nasiriyah in the Dhi Qar province…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-26). Covid-19: Israel freezes programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel freezes programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny | Bid to garner international goodwill suspended after attorney general said to be seeking clarification about its legality | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 10: 32 | Palestinians have accused Israel of ignoring its duties as an occupying power by not including the Palestinians in its inoculation programme (AFP) | Israel has…

Staff (2021-02-26). Sanders Blasts Parliamentarian's Ruling Dropping Wage Hike From COVID Bill. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and several other Democratic lawmakers are lambasting a decision by the Senate parliamentarian, a nonpartisan referee in that legislative body, who determined on Thursday that a provision to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in the COVID economic relief package does not align with the rules for the reconciliation process. | But while Democrats appear upset over the decision, the party may be disunited on what path they should take next to raise the minimum wag…

Kim Petersen (2021-02-26). North Korea Steadfastly Resisting US Hegemony. dissidentvoice.org I learned a while back to be especially skeptical of western mass media and their governments.1 My experience of life in China is nothing like how western demonization portrays it to be. Therefore, I looked forward to the chance to experience North Korea first hand. I traveled there with a Chinese group departing China. Starting …

Jonah Raskin (2021-02-26). What Lawrence Ferlinghetti Means to Me. counterpunch.org The anarchist, pacifist poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whom I knew for forty years was shy and introverted, even while he was a public figure who wanted to be recognized and appreciated as an artist. A decade older than me, he cared deeply about his friends in the city, in Bolinas and in Big Sur. He also valued his own privacy. At events at the San Francisco public library, where he stood out from the crowd, he often meant to be witty, but his one liners would fall flat. He took many of the changes in San Francisco—the arrival of the dot comers, the Google buses, the influx of wealth, the price of real estate…

Rob Urie (2021-02-26). Capitalism and Political Violence at Home and Abroad. counterpunch.org Question: why do both conservative and liberal governments in the U.S. install right-wing governments abroad if 'the U.S.' opposes right-wing political violence? While right and left politics may seem to have limited descriptive value in many current conflicts, the interests of capital, broadly considered, represent an unwavering motive for them. Why then would military conflict

Staff (2021-02-26). Filming the police is legal, but that doesn't stop them from arresting people for it. therealnews.com Another Ohio resident has been arrested under the dubious charge of "misconduct during an emergency," which has been used again by Ohio police to incarcerate another person who filmed them in action.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-26). Imagining Palestine: On Barghouti, Darwish, Kanafani and the Language of Exile. counterpunch.org For Palestinians, exile is not simply the physical act of being removed from their homes and their inability to return. It is not a casual topic pertaining to politics and international law, either. Nor is it an ethereal notion, a sentiment, a poetic verse. It is all of this, combined. The death in Amman of

Mark Gruenberg, C.J. Atkins (2021-02-26). Biden's economic rescue plan advances, but minimum wage hike more uncertain. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—Congressional supporters of a $15 minimum wage are not backing down, despite a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian Thursday night that the hike cannot be part of a reconciliation package in the upper chamber. The reconciliation procedure—which lets tax and budget legislation proceed with a simple majority—would have allowed the wage hike to pass …

Patricia Gorky (2021-02-26). Exposed: McDonald's surveillance operation spies on employees organizing for a living wage. liberationnews.org New reports show that McDonald's has spied on workers "for years" in their effort to combat the Fight for $15 movement that has been struggling for a living wage for nearly a decade. According to documents leaked to Motherboard, McDonald's hired a team of global intelligence analysts to identify and surveil workers and labor leaders …

C.J. Atkins (2021-02-26). àÅlvaro Cunhal's prison novel 'The Six-Pointed Star'—A chat with the translator. peoplesworld.org Editor's note: Eric Gordon is translating several fictional works written by Portuguese Communist Party leader àÅlvaro Cunhal under the pseudonym Manuel Tiago. The Six-Pointed Star is the second in what is hoped to be a series of works put out in English for the first time by International Publishers. Below is an interview between People's …

Jeremy Levine (2021-02-26). Massive thousand-car caravan protests unsafe reopening of Montgomery County schools in Maryland. liberationnews.org Photo: Car that participated in the caravan On Feb. 23, the parking lot at the Montgomery County Public Schools central office in Maryland swarmed with car horns, brightly colored signs, and shouts as thousands rallied outside a closed session meeting of the Board of Education (BOE). Among the participants were residents, parents and teachers' union …

Vijay Prashad (2021-02-26). Your privileges are not Universal. mronline.org Stencilled in red on the walls of Santiago, Chile is a statement of fact: 'your privileges are not universal' (tus privilegios no son universales).

The Socialist Program (2021-02-26). Their Protest Forced Investigation on Elijah McClain Police Killing; Now They Face Decades in Prison. liberationnews.org A damning new independent investigation into the police murder of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado has been released, but the only people facing charges so far in this case are the activists who led the movement for justice for Elijah McClain.

Ron Jacobs (2021-02-26). Health Care and Colonialism: A Sickness Unto Death. counterpunch.org Nothing is immune from the stain of colonialism and its associated phenomena of racism. This includes the practice of medicine. Whether one is considering the inequality of medical care between the global north and south, the unevenness of medical care inside imperial nations stemming from those nations' colonial history, or the racist attitudes still endemic

Cameron Orr (2021-02-26). 'We're not going back': N.Y. Black History event featuring Gerald Horne, Feb. 28. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—In celebration of African-American culture and struggle, People's World will be supporting an online event broadcast from New York by the We're Not Going Back Host Committee this Sunday, Feb. 28th at 6: 30pm. This years' installment of the annual event will feature historian Gerald Horne as its keynote speaker. Dr. Horne, a prolific author …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-02-26). Futile: Saudi's Decade-Long Attempt to Bottle Up Yemeni Youth Revolution is Failing. mintpressnews.com "Saudi Arabia has crushed our revolution, turned our lives into hell because our uprising was interpreted by the ruling family as a threat to [their] influence and because of their fear of the revolution spreading to the Saudi interior." — Yemeni artist Aisha Ali Saeed…

Diego Sanchez (2021-02-26). El Monte taco vendors and community: 'LA County Department of Public Health, stop harassing us!'. liberationnews.org Community members gathered on Feb. 13 in front of the El Monte Police Department in solidarity with local street vendors. This action comes a week after a violent attack by an LA County health inspector and EMPD on the Los Palomos taco stand. Community members and organizations such as ACAB El Monte, Revolutionary Socialists for …

Tony Pecinovsky (2021-02-26). Alphaeus Hunton: A life devoted to equality, liberation, and internationalism. peoplesworld.org In a November 1950 article in Paul Robeson's newspaper Freedom, the scholar-activist Alphaeus Hunton noted that "the most reactionary minority of the American people," the U.S. ruling class, "has advanced from its role of silent partner of the Western European imperialist powers." No longer "content with arming and financing their wars against the colonial revolutionaries," …

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-02-26). Mitch Jones on Texas Freeze-Outs, Joe Torres on News for All the People. fair.org New York Times ( This week on CounterSpin: As Texans continue to deal with impacts of a deadly combination of frigid weather and power outages, the New York Times

Wayne Nealis (2021-02-26). George Floyd justice coalition puts officials on notice before Chauvin trial. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—At a press conference held in Minneapolis on Feb. 25, a coalition of groups demanding justice for George Floyd reminded city and state officials that they will fill the streets March 8 on the opening day of the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin. They put the city on notice that no matter how …

Eds. (2021-02-26). The Pandemic: Half a million lives lost in U.S., more than the two World Wars and Vietnam War combined. mronline.org Over half a million people have died of coronavirus in the U.S. Grasping the enormity—half a million people gone—is difficult to visualize.

Eds. (2021-02-26). Catastrophe and Utopia: Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Ministry for the Future'. mronline.org We need no longer speculate about whether we live in a climate emergency. The scientific verdict has been out for some time now, each year's report grimmer than the last.

Staff (2021-02-26). Biden's team won't end the forever wars. therealnews.com From Afghanistan to Niger, the "new normal" of American warfare shows no signs of changing course under President Biden and his hawkish national security team. In this episode of "The Marc Steiner Show," combat veteran and writer Danny Sjursen issues a dire warning about American military policy. Tune in for new episodes of The Marc Steiner …

National Committee for Justice in Denver (2021-02-26). Activists who forced Elijah McClain investigation facing retaliation, decades in prison. liberationnews.org This statement was issued by the newly-formed National Committee for Justice in Denver. To support their work, you can sign the petition demanding the charges be dropped or make an urgently-needed donation. An explosive new report finds Aurora, CO cops who tortured and killed Elijah McClain had no cause to detain or choke him; corrupt …

John Bachtell (2021-02-26). Haaland on track to make history as first Native American cabinet secretary. peoplesworld.org "This is all of our country, this is our mother. You've heard the Earth referred to as Mother Earth. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land, and I feel that every Indigenous person in this country understands that," said Rep. Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be Secretary of Interior. "It's …

Michael T. Klare (2021-02-26). A New Cold War on a Scalding Planet: Biden, Climate Change, and China. counterpunch.org Slowing the pace of climate change and getting "tough" on China, especially over its human-rights abuses and unfair trade practices, are among the top priorities President Biden has announced for his new administration. Evidently, he believes that he can tame a rising China with harsh pressure tactics, while still gaining its cooperation in areas of concern

Michael T. Klare (2021-02-26). Biden, Climate Change, and China: A New Cold War equals A Scalding Planet. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — Slowing the pace of climate change and getting "tough" on China, especially over its human-rights abuses and unfair trade practices, are among the top priorities President Biden has announced for his new administration. Evidently, he believes that he can tame a rising China with harsh pressure tactics, while still gaining its …

Andrew Levine (2021-02-26). "America is Back": Make the Best of It. counterpunch.org America is back; Joe Biden says so. Therefore, it must be true. He seems as pleased as can be about it too. So is the entire political class, except for the miscreants wedded to Donald Trump or to rightwing views, distinguished mainly by their vileness and stupidity. There are alarmingly many Americans who hold those

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-26). US strike on several locations inside Syria draws global criticism. peoplesdispatch.org US president Joe Biden authorized the airstrikes as a response to the recent attacks on US military bases in Iraq. The move is being criticized by anti-war and progressive sections as a sign of continuation of Trump-era policies in the region…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-26). Biden's Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not the Diplomacy He Promised. counterpunch.org The February 25 U.S. bombing of Syria immediately puts the policies of the newly-formed Biden administration into sharp relief. Why is this administration bombing the sovereign nation of Syria? Why is it bombing "Iranian-backed militias" who pose absolutely no threat to the United States and are actually involved in fighting ISIS? If this is about

Jordan Woll (2021-02-26). Biden bombs Syria: "Self-defense" or an act of war? liberationnews.org President Joe Biden engaged in his first high-profile military operation yesterday, launching an airstrike on Syria that left as many as 22 dead. This attack appears to have targeted facilities, equipment and fighters of Iraqi resistance organizations affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, one of the main groups responsible for liberating much of Iraq from …

Eds. (2021-02-26). Hundreds of law students announce boycott of Chevron law firm Seward & Kissel for "unethical" private prosecution of human rights attorney Steven Donziger. mronline.org Students from over 50 leading U.S. law schools—including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and New York University—have announced a recruiting boycott of a prominent Chevron law firm to protest its "unethical" private prosecution of U.S. human rights lawyer Steven Donziger after he helped win a $9.5 billion pollution judgment against Chevron.

Viviana Weinstein (2021-02-26). Denver protest: 'No war on Iran!'. workers.org Feb. 20, Denver.Denver Students for a Democratic Society, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Denver Peace Council held a demonstration Feb. 20 at the state capital, in cooperation with the national call to prevent Washington from instigating a war against Iran. Threats the U.S. warships would move into the Persian/Arabian . . . |

Ted Kelly (2021-02-26). Biden sends B-1 bombers to Norway, threatens Russia. workers.org The U.S. Air Force announced during February that it is sending four B-1 bombers and at least 200 personnel to Orland Air Base on the central coast of Norway. Pentagon officials made no secret of the fact that the deployment is meant as a threat to Russia, which is well . . . |

The Conversation (2021-02-26). Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web. juancole.com By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …

Staff (2021-02-26). Battleground Baltimore: Maryland shows solidarity with unionizing Amazon workers. therealnews.com Amazon workers rally in Baltimore County, the LEOBR could survive attempts to weaken it, City Councilperson Ryan Dorsey feuds with the FOP, and more.

David Yearsley (2021-02-26). Now He Sings, Now We Sob. counterpunch.org The title of Chick Corea's Now He Sings, Now He Sobs evokes both the bipolar energy of the album's birthyear of 1968 and the piano's function as an emotional sounding board for the pianist. From its invention in the eighteenth century, and increasingly across the century that followed, the piano was the beating heart of

Roger Harris (2021-02-26). Joe Biden's US Foreign Policy: Return to the Old Normal? counterpunch.org US President Biden bellicosely proclaimed, "American is back," in his major foreign policy priorities speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 19. Repeated twice for effect, Biden signaled the end of the Trump interregnum. No more assuring words could have been uttered for George W. Bush's former Defense Secretary Colin Powell and the 70 odd Republican national security officials, who wrote an open letter endorsing Biden out of fear that Trump would upset the bipartisan foreign policy consensus of regime change, forever wars, and the NATO alliance. Republican neo-cons now shelter in the Democrat's big…

Workers World Party (2021-02-26). Tell Biden: Stop bombing Syria! workers.org It has taken only 36 days in office for the Biden administration to show the world, through a bombing attack on Syria, that it is belligerent, aggressive and hell-bent on war. There was only a short respite from Trump's vile words and actions. Now we have to face Biden's vile . . . |

C.J. Atkins (2021-02-26). Mismatch: Biden bombs Syria while pushing progressive economic bill at home. peoplesworld.org An old dichotomy that's haunted many Democratic administrations—pushing ostensibly progressive economic and social policies at home in the U.S. while pursuing imperialist aims abroad—has returned. In airstrikes characterized as "retaliatory action," the U.S. military on Feb. 25 bombed buildings in Syria near the Iraq border that were reportedly being used by Islamist militia groups for …

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-26). BeIN Sports takes Fenerbahce to court after months of tension. middleeasteye.net BeIN Sports takes Fenerbahce to court after months of tension | Qatari broadcaster launches legal action against Turkish football club for its protest campaign against the network | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 15: 00 | Mesut Ozil wears a "BeFair" training jersey on 21 February 2021, as part of Fenerbahce's campaign against the broadcaster BeIN Sports (Reuters) | Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports is taking legal ac…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-02-26). Iran-backed Iraqi factions seeking de-escalation after US attack. middleeasteye.net Iran-backed Iraqi factions seeking de-escalation after US attack | Despite Kataeb Hezbollah's attempts to drum up outrage, most Shia armed groups want to move on from Syria strike as soon as possible | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 15: 57 | Iraqis attend a funeral procession in Baghdad of Hashed al-Shaabi fighters, who were killed in US air strikes on the border with Syria in 2019 (AFP) | Most Iran-backe…

MEE staff (2021-02-26). Biden launches deadly air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria. middleeasteye.net Biden launches deadly air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria | At least 17 pro-Iran fighters reported dead in strikes made in response to rocket attacks against US-led coalition forces in Iraq | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 02: 10 | Biden had vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, but the two countries remain at a diplomatic impasse (AFP/File photo) | Deadly US air raids targeted the positions of Iran-backe…

Azad Essa (2021-02-26). US lawmakers question legality of Biden's air strikes in Syria. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers question legality of Biden's air strikes in Syria | Prominent Democratic lawmakers seek justification from Biden administration over US air strikes, with some complaining of overreach | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 16: 17 | "> | US lawmakers have asked the administration of President Joe Biden to provide legal justification for its decision to launch air strikes on military targe…

MEE staff (2021-02-26). US launches air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria. middleeasteye.net US launches air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria | Pentagon says raids were authorised by President Biden in response to rocket attacks against US-led coalition forces in Iraq | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 02: 10 | President Biden had vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, but the two countries remain at a diplomatic impasse (AFP/File photo) | US air raids targeted the positions of Iran-backed armed grou…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-26). Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr detained. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr detained | Family lawyer tells MEE Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr is a 'prominent intellectual' who maintains a 'moderate' discourse regarding Saudi government | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Ali al-Nimr was imprisoned as a minor in 2012 and had been sentenced to death before the penalty was commuted earlier in February (Reprieve) | Saudi Arabia has de…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-26). Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr briefly detained. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr briefly detained | Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, described by his lawyer as 'moderate' and a 'prominent intellectual', was released on Friday | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Ali al-Nimr was imprisoned as a minor in 2012 and had been sentenced to death before the penalty was commuted earlier in February (Reprieve) | Saudi Arabia on Wednesday detained…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-26). Arabic press review: UN official says Libya has 20,000 mercenaries. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: UN official says Libya has 20,000 mercenaries | Meanwhile, Kuwait sends letter to Qatar as part of continued effort to end Gulf tensions, and a Kuwaiti minister says country's treasury 'lacks liquidity' | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 12: 26 | UN official Stephanie Williams speaks in Geneva on 5 February following the election of a new interim government for Libya (AFP) | Libya has…

STEVE O'KEEFE (2021-02-26). Vladimir Putin's Very Bad Week. counterpunch.org It's been a rough week for Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin. The European Union imposed sanctions under Euro-Magnitsky; Australia is expected to pass its own Aussie-Magnitsky; and imprisoned anti-corruption crusader, Alexei Navalny, is leading a growing Russian protest movement from behind bars. Oh yeah, Pussy Riot is back! Putin is considered the richest man in

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-26). Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules. middleeasteye.net Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules | Londoner who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State as a teenager argued she should be able to appeal stripping of citizenship in UK | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Shamima Begum, photographed in her tent at the al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria in February 2020 (Screenshot) | The UK's Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum, a British wo…

A Guest Author (2021-02-26). Black rage: a new 'reconstruction' in the U.S. workers.org The following letter from an incarcerated worker at SCI Pine Grove was received by Workers World Feb. 24. By Wesley Massey How do we make a paradigm shift to change how Blacks are viewed with pessimism, and on a good day cautious optimism? How do we change the culture in . . . |

MEE correspondent (2021-02-26). Coptic Egyptian's killing in Minya stokes fury over police brutality and impunity. middleeasteye.net Coptic Egyptian's killing in Minya stokes fury over police brutality and impunity | The victim's family and friends worry the police officer will be acquitted | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 15: 29 | Lotfi's mother during Wednesday's mass at the Minya Catholic Church in Upper Egypt (supplied) | When family, friends and members of Minya's Coptic community gathered in church on Friday, tensions and g…

RT (2021-02-26). 'High culture & iron fists': Welcome to 'Five Directions of the World' — the Dagestan school which raised UFC star Zabit. rt.com Among the rich tapestry of Dagestan's combat sports culture, there is one school nurturing young generations to think, not just fight. Welcome to 'Five Directions of the World' — a place often known as 'the Shaolin of Dagestan'. | In the latest episode of the RT Sport series 'Dagestan: Land of Warriors', we take you behind the scenes at the school founded more than two decades ago in Khalimbekaul by respected karate practitioner Gusein Magomaev and his wife, Olga. | Magomaev gives an insight into how students are provided with a rigorous grounding in martial arts, but also a full educational curriculum t…

RT (2021-02-26). Five people killed & scores wounded as Iraqi security forces open fire on anti-govt protesters — reports. rt.com At least five people were killed and more than 170 wounded in clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in Iraq's fourth largest city, Nasiriyah, according to local reports. | The unrest in the main city of the Dhi Qar Governorate, located some 360 km southeast of Baghdad, has continued since erupting on Sunday when demonstrators armed with rocks and Molotov cocktails tried to storm the provincial government building. | But Friday saw a major escalation, with witnesses saying that law enforcement deployed live fire against the crowds, who had taken to the streets in defiance of the coronav…

RT (2021-02-26). 'Her body would inspire masterpieces': Coach defends skating star Tuktamysheva's revealing men's mag photoshoot. rt.com Russian figure skating coach Alexei Mishin has expressed his support for skater Elizaveta Tuktamysheva who posed for men's magazine Maxim, saying that antique artists would have been inspired by her beauty. | The 79-year-old specialist, who brought to fame figure skating legends Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko, compared Tuktamysheva's beauty to an ancient piece of art, saying that her recent photo session would have attracted even "primitive men." | "Tuktamysheva's body would have attracted the attention even of primitive men. | "Undoubtedly, in ancient times she would have inspired artists to create ma…

RT (2021-02-26). NASA warns of 2nd stadium-sized space rock headed Earth's way as it delays asteroid hunter mission to 2022. rt.com NASA is warning of the second 'stadium-sized' asteroid headed towards the Earth in as many weeks, shortly after announcing…

RT (2021-02-26). 'We have a hint… it may be possible': Controversial stem cell therapy repaired injured spinal cords in 13 patients. rt.com Using a somewhat controversial stem cell therapy, a joint team of Japanese and US-based researchers have successfully repaired some damage in 13 patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI). | SCIs can often cause permanent loss of movement and physical sensation from resultant nerve damage. While physical rehabilitation programs can partially improve outcomes, actual treatment and recovery of lost mobility and function is nigh on impossible. Until now, perhaps. | According to new results from a phase 2 clinical trial conducted in an experimental collaboration by scientists in Japan and the US, patients treated wi…

RT (2021-02-26). Amid Yerevan turmoil & military uprising, Azerbaijani President Aliyev says Armenian PM Pashinyan has led his country to ruin. rt.com Armenian leader Nikol Pashinyan is running Yerevan into "abyss and ruin" and has undermined his own country's statehood. That's according to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who led Baku to war victory against Armenia in 2020. | Aliyev's comments came a day after rallies were held in Yerevan, following the Armenian General Staff's demand that Prime Minister Pashinyan resign from his post. | "These events show that Armenia is in a difficult situation. There are processes going on that undermine Armenian statehood, and the former and current leadership of Armenia is to blame," he said at a press conference fo…

RT (2021-02-26). 'We have a hint… it may be possible': Controversial stem cell therapy repaired injured spinal cords in 13 patients. rt.com Using a somewhat controversial stem cell therapy, a joint team of Japanese and US-based researchers have successfully repaired some damage in 13 patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI). | SCIs can often cause permanent loss of movement and physical sensation from resultant nerve damage. While physical rehabilitation programs can partially improve outcomes, actual treatment and recovery of lost mobility and function is nigh on impossible. Until now, perhaps. | According to new results from a phase 2 clinical trial conducted in an experimental collaboration by scientists in Japan and the US, patients treated wi…

RT (2021-02-26). Syria condemns 'cowardly aggression' by US as Biden says he wanted to send Iran message about 'impunity'. rt.com The Syrian government has denounced a US airstrike on its border with Iraq as an act of aggression contrary to international law, as President Joe Biden told reporters he ordered the strike as a warning to Iran. | "The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the US aggression against its sovereignty," the Foreign Ministry in Damascus Also on rt.c…

RT (2021-02-26). Gunmen kidnap 317 schoolgirls in northwest Nigeria, police confirm, the 2nd major raid in as many weeks. rt.com Police in Nigeria's Zamfara State have said that 317 schoolgirls were abducted in an armed raid on Friday morning, just one week after 42 people were kidnapped from a boys' school in neighboring Niger State last week. | "The Zamfara State Police Command in collaboration with the military have commenced a joint search and rescue operation with a view to rescuing the 317 students kidnapped by the armed bandits in Government Girls Science Secondary School Jangebe," police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement on Friday. | Speaking earlier on Friday, Sulaiman Tanau Anka, information commissioner for Zamfara…

_____ (2021-02-26). U.S.-Backed Ecuador Government Tries Stopping Socialist Electoral Victory. strategic-culture.org If Arauz wins the presidency, he may appoint an important economist and ideologist of the "Citizens Revolution" to a government post, Ron Ridenour writes. | U.S.-backed Lenin Moreno government is trying to stop the new socialistic UNES political party candidate, Andres Arauz, from winning the national elections underway. | Andres Arauz, won first place, 32.7%, on the first round of national elections, February 7. Arauz is the first presidential candidate of UNES, Union of Hope. | Former president Rafael Correa led the formation of this party, Union of Hope (UNES) after he had backed Moreno for president in 2017.

MEE staff (2021-02-26). Read the US intelligence report on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. middleeasteye.net Read the US intelligence report on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi | Four-page executive summary says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 killing of Middle East Eye and Washington Post columnist | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 18: 21 | Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi government agents in Istanbul in 2018 (Reuters/File photo) | The Biden administration released a l…

Ali Harb (2021-02-26). Khashoggi murder: Advocates decry US failure to impose sanctions on MBS. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Advocates decry US failure to impose sanctions on MBS | Activists and lawmakers say Saudi crown prince must face consequences after US intelligence report confirmed he was responsible for Khashoggi murder | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 23: 25 | US intelligence assessment revealed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman authorised the assassination (AFP/File photo) | The virtual ink on a US intelligence report bla…

RT (2021-02-26). Saudi Arabia 'categorically rejects' US claims about Khashoggi killing, as Washington stops short of sanctioning Crown Prince MBS. rt.com Riyadh has rejected the US intelligence report blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as "abusive and incorrect," even as the kingdom is unlikely to face serious punishment. | "The kingdom's government categorically rejects the abusive and incorrect conclusions contained in the report about the kingdom's leadership," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, adding that the US report "cannot be accepted in any way." | Saudi Arabia rejects anything that would "prejudice its leadership, sovereignty and independence of its judiciary," they adde…

RT (2021-02-26). Saudi Crown Prince APPROVED plan to 'capture or kill' Khashoggi, newly-declassified US intelligence report says. rt.com A report by the US intelligence community states that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. The brief report restates what activists have long claimed. | "We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi," reads the report, which was released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Friday. | The report cites Prince Mohammed's "control of decisionmaking in the Kingdom," as well as the involvement of some of his security det…

RT (2021-02-26). TikTok agrees to $92mn settlement in class-action over alleged privacy breach of US users. rt.com Chinese multinational ByteDance agreed to a $92 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit after over a year of litigation. The suit alleged its short video app TikTok tracked and harvested private data of some US users. | The proposed settlement came to light in court documents filed in the US District Court in Illinois on Thursday. The settlement still needs court approval. | The settlement, the result of 21 consolidated federal cases filed primarily on behalf of minors — some as young as six — applies to 89 million TikTok users in the US who allegedly had their privacy breached. While the compan…

RT (2021-02-26). Amazon-owned Twitch removes anti-union ads pushed by parent company after media and users complain. rt.com Ads urging workers in Alabama not to unionize "shouldn't have been allowed," the streaming platform Twitch said, bucking its parent company Amazon after a pro-union outlet published a story complaining about the videos. | "Twitch does not allow political advertising, and these ads should never have been allowed to run on our service," the company said in a statement on Wednesday, thanking the "community" for bringing them to attention. | new: Twitch says they have removed these ads from the platform "Twitch does not allow political advertising, and these ads should never have been allowed to run on our service…

RT (2021-02-26). FBI looking into potential POLITICAL MOTIVE behind violent dognapping of Lady Gaga's bulldogs — reports. rt.com The FBI is reportedly probing potential political motives behind the recent dognapping of Lady Gaga's French bulldogs. Two of her three bulldogs were snatched during an armed robbery, while her dog walker was shot. | The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has deployed a team specializing in kidnappings and ransom cases to assist the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) with the case, the Sun reported. The investigators, among other things, are looking into potential political motives behind the incident. | "Lady Gaga is high profile, of course, but she sang at President Biden's inauguration, which takes thi…

RT (2021-02-26). 'Stunning and brave?' Oreo Cookie called out for marketing ploy after tweeting 'Trans people EXIST'. rt.com Oreo Cookie may have been trying to signal a boldly virtuous statement for social justice by proclaiming that "Trans people exist," but while the message struck a chord with some, it fell flat with many denouncing it as a PR move.

RT (2021-02-26). Bill demanding $15 minimum wage from corporate giants surprisingly comes from pro-Trump Senator Hawley. rt.com US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) has announced a bill requiring large employers to pay a $15 minimum wage, seemingly aligning him more with left-wing Democrats than his conservative colleagues on the issue. | Hawley, who was demonized by Democrats for challenging the validity of President Joe Biden's election victory, said Friday that his new legislation would require companies with annual revenue of $1 billion or more to pay their employees at least $15 an hour. Smaller companies would be spared the mandate, but Hawley's plan also would provide tax credits to US citizens who make less than $15 an hour, bas…

RT (2021-02-26). Mars trip 'can only be understood through Black Americans', NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building. rt.com The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed the planned return to the moon. | Long merely called "NASA Headquarters," the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads…

RT (2021-02-26). 'A real American samurai': Bizarre video featuring Japanese 'futurologist' shown at CPAC hails Trump as communist-fighting hero. rt.com Attendees at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference were treated to a bizarre video featuring a Japanese "samurai futurologist" praising Donald Trump's communist-fighting prowess, two days before Trump's own speech. | A one-stop-shop for all things Republican, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) serves as a barometer of sorts for the direction of the GOP. From the list of pro-Trump speakers to a Sunday night appearance from the former president himself, this year's conference is all about Donald Trump. | Aside from the usual cast of Trump-friendly lawmakers and conservative…

RT (2021-02-26). Mars trip 'can only be understood through black Americans,' NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building. rt.com The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed a planned return to the Moon. | Long merely called 'NASA Headquarters', the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads a…

John Wojcik (2021-02-26). Shocking reversal: McConnell says he'd back Trump for president in 2024. peoplesworld.org In a shocking reversal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he would "absolutely" back Donald Trump for president in 2024 if he is the Republican nominee. He made those remarks on the same day that he joined other Republicans in Washington and around the country in minimizing the Jan. 6 attack on …

RT (2021-02-26). McConnell says he'd 'absolutely' back Trump as 2024 GOP nominee, as poll shows 46% of Republicans would ditch party for ex-POTUS. rt.com Senator Mitch McConnell said he would "absolutely" support Donald Trump as his party's next presidential pick, taking a more friendly tone after a recent poll found nearly half of the GOP would dump the party for the former POTUS. | Asked whether he would support Trump as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024 during a Thursday interview, the Kentucky senator answered readily in the affirmative. | "The nominee of the party? Absolutely," McConnell

Ralph Underhill (2021-02-26). Crime and lack of punishment. thecanary.co Image description | This cartoon begins with the text "Crime and lack of punishment" the words "lack of" are smaller and coloured red, the rest of the text is black. Under that is text reading "A story of government accountability". The rest of the cartoon is divided into two columns, the one on the left is titled "Crime", the one on the right is titled "Punishment" and has quotation marks around it. The crime and punishment columns then read in order as follows. | Crime: Inquiry finds minister bullied staff | Punishment: PM calls for 'protective square' around minister | This is illustrated with a giant mouth…

Steve Topple (2021-02-26). A child poverty investigation wants to hear from you. thecanary.co A parliamentary committee is running an inquiry into child poverty. And it wants to hear people's voices on the issue. It may seem like the committee wants to hear from professionals, but this can also involve people who've actually lived through child poverty. | Child poverty: out of control?: | The Canary has previously

RT (2021-02-26). Russian Foreign Ministry says Twitter no longer independent social media, but a tool of 'digital diktat' under control of West. rt.com Twitter is rapidly changing from an independent platform into a tool of Western countries to impose a dictatorship over the internet. That's according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, following a recent ban of Russian accounts. | Speaking on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova blasted the US tech giant for removing 100 accounts allegedly linked to the Kremlin. On Tuesday, the site's owners announced that 69 were deleted for "undermining faith in the NATO alliance," with a further 31 banned for "targeting the United States and European Union." | "We once again can't help but notice that Twitte…

Staff (2021-02-26). The $15 Minimum Wage Isn't Dead. Here's How Democrats Can Still Get It Done. truthout.org On Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian dealt a blow to Democratic and progressives hopes of passing a $15 federal minimum wage in the upcoming stimulus package, ruling that it did not fit under the budget reconciliation process. Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), however, a longtime champion of the $15 minimum wage, came prepared with a plan B. | Shortly after the ruling, Sanders announced a proposal to take away tax deductions from big corporations that don't pay their workers at le…

Staff (2021-02-26). Big Tech Shouldn't Be the Arbiter of Our Free Speech Rights. truthout.org Business corporations don't need free speech rights. Nor should they have the power to deny free speech to others. But leading up to and following the 2020 election, we saw both undemocratic realities on display. | The 2020 election was largely "democratic." Due to the pandemic, more voters had more ways to cast their ballots than ever, and the elections were overall free and fair. H…

Staff (2021-02-26). Biden's Syria Airstrike Prompts Demands for Answers From Social Media, Lawmakers. truthout.org Democratic lawmakers and anti-war activists have slammed the Biden administration for carrying out illegal airstrikes in Syria while abandoning progressive policy priorities. | The United States carried out an airstrike in Syria on Thursday, claiming it was targeting militias allegedly backed by Iran in what is the first known military action by President Joe Biden since he was sworn into office. | "We didn't flip Georgia Blue for Biden to air strike Syria. We flipped Georgia Blue for our $…

Staff (2021-02-26). Ex-Undercover Officer Admits Role in FBI and NYPD Conspiracy Targeting Malcolm X. truthout.org The FBI and New York Police Department are facing renewed calls to open their records into the assassination of Malcolm X, after the release of a deathbed confession of a former undercover NYPD officer who admitted to being part of a conspiracy targeting Malcolm. In the confession, Raymond Wood, who died last year, admitted he entrapped two members of Malcolm's security team in another crime — a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty — just days before the assassination. This left…

Staff (2021-02-26). Progressives to VP Kamala Harris: "Use Your Power. Keep $15 in." truthout.org The attention of the Fight for $15 movement and its allies turned to Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday night after the Senate parliamentarian opined —

Staff (2021-02-26). Black Families Have a Major Stake in the Postal Service's Future. truthout.org The United States Postal Service is under strong pressure to make deep spending cuts that would be devastating for customers and employees across the country. Black families have a particularly large stake in the debate over the future of this vital public service. USPS has long been a major source of good middle-class jobs for Black workers. Post offices are also well-positioned to address the needs of the disproportionate share of African Americans who currently lack access to affordable financial servi…

Staff (2021-02-26). The National Security State Doesn't Protect Us. Let's Redefine Security for All. truthout.org After the nation watched white supremacists take over the Capitol building, the failure of the national security state to appropriately recognize and address the threat became a national scandal. But this "failure" shouldn't have surprised us. If there is one thing that the trillion-dollar national security apparatus is good at, it's under-hyping and misinterpreting threats that aren't based on threats from "outsiders," while overhyping the threats that are. | It's not just white supremacy th…

Staff (2021-02-26). Rep. Mary Miller's Husband Owns Three Percenters Truck Seen at Capitol Breach. truthout.org A truck seen January 6 on Capitol grounds sporting a far right militia's symbol belongs to the husband of Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois), Chris Miller, the Daily Beast has confirmed. | Twitter users were the first to

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-02-26). How Real Nazis Came to the Americas: the Recruitment of Klaus Barbie. counterpunch.org By the time Klaus Barbie went on the payroll of an American intelligence organization in 1947, Klaus Barbie had lived several lifetimes of human vileness. Barbie sought out opponents of the Nazis in Holland, chasing them down with dogs. He had worked for the Nazi mobile death squads on the Eastern Front, massacring Slavs and Jews. He'd put in two years heading the Gestapo in Lyons, France, torturing to death Jews and French Resistance fighters (among them the head of the Resistance, Jean Moulin. ) After the liberation of France, Barbie participated in the final Nazi killing frenzy before Allies moved into Germany…

Mike Walter (2021-02-26). The Heat: One scientist's fight against disease & Racism against Asian-Americans. america.cgtn.com As the pandemic continues to take its toll, we'll talk to one of America's leading science pioneers. Plus — what's behind the alarming rise in violence against Asian Americans?>

Staff (2021-02-26). "The Whole System Needs to be Indicted": Attorney Benjamin Crump on Overhauling U.S. Policing. democracynow.org The Democratic-led House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on a sweeping police reform bill that would ban chokeholds, prohibit federal no-knock warrants, establish a National Police Misconduct Registry and other measures. The legislation, known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, is in response to a series of high-profile killings of Black people in 2020 and the nationwide racial justice uprising they sparked. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has represented the families of Floyd, Daniel Prude, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many other victims of police and racial viol…

Staff (2021-02-26). "We Want the Truth Uncovered": Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz Backs New Probe into Assassination. democracynow.org The family of Malcolm X is demanding a new investigation into his 1965 assassination in light of the deathbed confession of a former New York police officer who said police and the FBI conspired to kill the Black leader. Ilyasah Shabazz, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and one of Malcolm's six children, says the latest revelation is further evidence of how the authorities worked to infiltrate and undermine Black organizations during the Civil Rights Movement. "All he wanted was for America to live up to her promise of liberty and justice for all," she says of her father. "I'm happy…

Staff (2021-02-26). The Assassination of Malcolm X: Ex-Undercover Officer Admits Role in FBI & Police Conspiracy. democracynow.org The FBI and New York Police Department are facing renewed calls to open their records into the assassination of Malcolm X, after the release of a deathbed confession of a former undercover NYPD officer who admitted to being part of a conspiracy targeting Malcolm. In the confession, Raymond Wood, who died last year, admitted he entrapped two members of Malcolm's security team in another crime — a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty — just days before the assassination. This left the Black civil rights leader vulnerable at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, where he was fatally shot on February 21, 1965.

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-26). Lionel Messi urged by families of prisoners to reject Saudi tourism deal. middleeasteye.net Lionel Messi urged by families of prisoners to reject Saudi tourism deal | Barcelona legend told to 'say no to butcherers of Khashoggi', following Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to turn down $6m deal with Riyadh | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 12: 41 | Lionel Messi receives a trophy after Argentina defeat Brazil during a friendly match in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh (AFP/File photo) | The families of several Saud…

WSWS (2021-02-26). Anticapitalistas covers for Podemos' incarceration of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél. wsws.org In its article acknowledging the mass anger against the policies of Podemos, which it helped found, Anticapitalistas warns of mounting opposition on its left among workers and youth.

Fight Back (2021-02-25). #Tally19 stands with Ben Grant and against HB1. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – On February 23, at the Leon County Clerk of Courts, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) held an outdoor press conference to amplify demands of the #Tally19 – activists arrested last September during and in the days following a Black Lives Matter protest to condemn a grand jury decision that let three Tallahassee killer cops walk free. | A large banner behind the press conference podium read: "#Drop the charges #Tally14 19," reflecting that on September 5, militarized police arrested and charged 14 protest attendees, and in the days after, also arrested four protesters and issued a…

JaTaune Bosby (2021-02-25). Breaking Down Systemic Racism Through Collective Action in the South. aclu.org This month, the ACLU launched its Systemic Equality agenda — an initiative designed to center equity and attack our country's legacy of systemic racism by addressing the imbalance of political power, challenging policies that ravage Black communities, and furthering efforts to advance our racial justice work. As a part of this ambitious effort, the ACLU is making an unprecedented investment in the people and region where vulnerable communities are most affected by local and national regressive policies: the South. | From Reconstruction to the attacks on democracy following the Black Lives Matter movement mo…

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden's and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20% of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The United States continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

Jomo Kwame Sundaram (2021-02-25). Developing Countries struggling to cope with COVID-19. mronline.org SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting most developing countries disproportionately, especially the United Nations' least developed countries (LDCs) and the World Bank's low-income countries (LICs).

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20 percent of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

David Cavendish (2021-02-25). It's time to shorten the workday—and the workweek. peoplesworld.org It's been nearly a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced people in our society to "shelter in place," social distance, and wear masks. Most social activities, such as sporting events, concerts, and parades were canceled. Schools and businesses closed, forcing nearly 50 million people onto the unemployment rolls. And while in recent months the numbers …

Chris Hartmann (2021-02-25). To 'Build Back Better,' listen to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. peoplesworld.org Though often ignored, communities know best what ails them. I am reminded of this often because I hear it in my classroom. I heard it before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I hear it louder now as the pandemic rages on. At the end of last term, amidst the surge in cases after Thanksgiving, I asked …

Vincent Emanuele (2021-02-25). Dr. Osterholm's Warning: COVID Hurricane on the Horizon. counterpunch.org Twelve months ago, Dr. Michael Osterholm was interviewed on the Joe Rogan Program. At the time, he warned that anywhere from 400,000 to 1.5 million Americans would die of COVID and that the pandemic would last for many years and significantly impact our lives. So far, his predictions have been eerily accurate. Today, Dr. Osterholm is warning that a "Category 5 COVID-hurricane" is on the horizon, with the B117/UK Variant posing the greatest threat.

G. Dunkel (2021-02-25). COVID crisis drags down U.S. life expectancy. workers.org The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States is now over 500,000. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. life expectancy dropped by a full year from the first six months of 2019 to the first six months of 2020. This is the biggest drop . . . |

RT (2021-02-25). 'Get the f*ck over it': UFC's Kevin Holland questions Covid-hit Khamzat Chimaev for 'not having heart'. rt.com UFC middleweight Kevin Holland has insinuated that Khamzat Chimaev's battle with the lingering effects of Covid stem from the Russian-born star not having "heart" — citing his own comparatively light brush with the illness. | Chimaev was forced to pull out of his headline welterweight match-up with Leon Edwards on March 13 as he continues to struggle with health issues brought on by a coronavirus infection. | It was the third time the bout had fallen through and Edwards will now face Belal Muhammad — while Chimaev has been flown to the US so that he can receive medical care at the UFC's provision.

RT (2021-02-25). Offices of senior German lawmaker in Merkel's party raided over allegations he claimed huge fee in Covid mask deal — reports. rt.com Police in Germany raided the offices of a senior politician in Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, Georg Nuesslein, who is accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of euros for securing a face-mask contract, according to reports. | A total of 13 properties were raided in Germany and Liechtenstein as part of a probe into alleged corruption and the bribery of officials, the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office told

RT (2021-02-25). Deputy mayor wants Paris back under 3-week lockdown, despite opposition. rt.com Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has said that his administration will likely place the French capital under a harsh three-week lockdown to curb Covid-19, and he doesn't care what President Emmanuel Macron thinks. | A curfew is currently in place in Paris to slow the spread of Covid-19, but Grégoire said it's "not enough to settle the curve." Speaking to France Info on Thursday, Grégoire said that his administration will propose a total lockdown of the capital next week. Mayor Anne Hidalgo will issue the proposal. | "We must now make courageous decisions," he said, adding that a lockdown "is…

RT (2021-02-25). 'Completely defiant' minority have no regard for Covid-19 rules, police say, as almost 70,000 fines issued in England and Wales. rt.com A total of 68,952 fixed penalty notices have been handed out by police officers in England and Wales since Covid-19 laws came into effect last year, with more than 10,000 given in London alone. | Data compiled by the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) on penalties from March 27, 2020, when the Covid-19 laws took effect, through to February 14, 2021 was released on Thursday. | In the week beginning January 27, police handed out their highest weekly total of the pandemic to date, issuing 6,218 tickets. | "Eleven months on and back into a national lockdown, the rules are really clear and so it is frustrating…

RT (2021-02-25). 'Compulsory vaccination': Moscow Communist MP takes aim at mayor for ending pensioners' free transport until they get Covid-19 jab. rt.com Controversial Russian Communist MP Valery Rashkin has asked the country's General Prosecutor's Office to investigate if Moscow is legally allowed to refuse free travel to pensioners who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. | Last year, the city's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, from the pro-Vladimir Putin United Russia party, decided to block the social cards of the elderly, forcing them to pay for travel until they get inoculated. According to Rashkin, the Communist leader in the capital, this is tantamount to compulsory vaccination. | "The mayor's decree violates the rights of citizens of the city of Moscow ove…

RT (2021-02-25). Israel suspends sending its Covid vaccine doses to other countries amid legal scrutiny & defense minister's objections. rt.com The office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has halted the sending of Covid-19 jabs to other countries after the move sparked questions from the state attorney general and angered Defense Minister Benny Gantz. | The suspension was announced on Thursday, shortly after Israel's attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, asked National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat for clarification on the program. | Gantz has

Global Research News (2021-02-25). Selected Articles: The Covid Outbreak: "Biggest Health Scam of the 21st Century." globalresearch.ca By We are health professionals of the international collective :…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities. middleeasteye.net Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities | Legislation allows government to share identities of people not vaccinated against Covid-19 with other authorities, raising privacy concerns for those opting out of inoculation | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 54 | A plenary session at the Israeli parliament in 2019 (AFP) | Israel's parliament approved a law on Wedn…

RT (2021-02-25). Flu gets the cold shoulder: Influenza now virtually non-existent in US as Covid-19 spread continues. rt.com The coronavirus-battered US has enjoyed an unusually calm flu season, showing the lowest figures in decades. The lack of influenza likely stems from enduring restrictions — or Covid-19 wrestling out weaker germs, experts believe. | The ongoing pandemic has had an unexpected effect on the US healthscape, with the conventional flu being almost completely wiped out. Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a sharp drop in influenza cases occurred last April — and the figures remain extremely low ever since. | The 2020-21 flu season has essentially not even happened at a…

Staff (2021-02-25). COVID Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for Blind People. truthout.org Many covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a KHN investigation has found. | Across the country, people who use special software to make the web accessible have been unable to sign up for the vaccines or obtain vital information about covid-19 because many government websites lack required accessibility features. At l…

Staff (2021-02-25). 100+ Countries Push to Loosen WTO Rules on Vaccine Patents. Why Is the U.S. Still Blocking the Way? democracynow.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over 100 nations to waive intellectual property rules that give pharmaceutical companies monopolistic control over vaccines they…

Staff (2021-02-25). Over 100 Countries Push to Loosen Rules on Vaccine Patents as US Blocks the Way. truthout.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over…

Jackie Fox (2021-02-25). Neoliberalism is Killing US. realprogressives.org Following the idea of the Big Other defense falling apart when a truth is seen to be publicly accepted, what would be another similar public acceptance of failure for capitalism? Especially now, I think the US healthcare industry is a great place to look. The more timely issue is one of 'who gets coverage at all?' Barack Obama is the first mainstream, high-profile politician to say the words 'single payer,' descriptors that don't describe the Republican-influenced Obamacare that came to pass. | Bernie Sanders again was a part of the elevation of this idea in the mainstream. As I suggested before, he's not a…

Chuck Collins (2021-02-25). Nomadland: The Impact of Gender-Bias in Wages. counterpunch.org If you grew up agitated that "women earn 59 cents on the dollar," for the same work as men, there's a movie for you. At the beginning of the new film, Nomadland, one of the characters tells Fern, the lead character played beautifully by Frances McDormand: "My social security check is $550. How am I

Staff (2021-02-25). Mayim Bialik: 'S*** got deep with me and Cornel West'. therealnews.com Mayim Bialik delves into the long history of solidarity amongst the Jewish people and Black Americans, and details her dismay at the state of racism in America, her upbringing as a staunch advocate for social justice, and her perspective on the apparent contradictions between her faith and her political ideologies.

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-25). What Planet Is NATO Living On? counterpunch.org The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme was emphasized by U.S. Secretary of

TN Long (2021-02-25). Virginia comes out to support Alabama Amazon workers. peoplesworld.org ARLINGTON, Va.—On Saturday, Feb. 20, the Southern Workers Assembly coordinated over 40 solidarity events around the country in support of the workers at the Bessemer, Ala., Amazon facility who are currently in the midst of a vote to unionize their workplace. The unionization campaign there, called the BAmazon Union, is organized by the Mid-South Council …

Sasha Harrison (2021-02-25). Fired up! Harlem's fight for housing in the 1930s. liberationnews.org The housing struggle in Harlem during the Great Depression took New York City by storm, as some of the most oppressed sectors of society united and stood tall in the face of exploitation.

Nicholas Stender (2021-02-25). Chicago Teachers Union's commitment to democracy pays off. liberationnews.org The battle over school reopening in Chicago was a hard fought one.

Norman Solomon (2021-02-25). Republican Hypocrisy is No Reason to Support Neera Tanden. counterpunch.org Most corporate media outlets have depicted President Biden's effort to win Senate confirmation of Neera Tanden as a battle to overcome Republican hypocrisy about her "mean tweets," name-calling and nasty partisanship. But there are very important reasons to prevent Tanden from becoming the Office of Management and Budget director. They have nothing to do with

Eds. (2021-02-25). How did a fateful CIA coup—executed 55 years ago this February 24—doom much of sub-Saharan Africa? mronline.org Fifty-five years ago on this day, the fate of Africa was irrevocably altered when the CIA sponsored a 1966 coup d'état against Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, former Prime Minister of Ghana and Pan-Africanist visionary who was voted as "Africa's Man of the Millennium."

William Boardman (2021-02-25). How Rational Can the US Be in Dealing with Yemen and Iran? dissidentvoice.org We're also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen — a war which has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe. I've asked my Middle East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks…. And to underscore our commitment, …

Arthur Zipser (2021-02-25). William Z. Foster—Pioneer fighter for Black equality in organized labor. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: Feb. 25, 2021, marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of William Z. Foster. One of the most well-known figures of early 20th century labor history, Foster spearheaded the drive to organize the packinghouse industry during World War I and led the Great Steel Strike of 1919. He later joined the Communist Party …

Anustup Roy (2021-02-25). India's Farm Protests: "If We Don't Stand By Them, Who Will?" counterpunch.org "The company people are certainly irritated with the protest happening here. It has badly affected transportation and the business is running poorly," says 22-year-old Nizamuddin Ali, a security supervisor at a home appliances factory in the Kundli industrial area. He lives about six kilometres from the farmers' protest site at Singhu, on the Haryana-Delhi border.

Eds. (2021-02-25). Human nature is no barrier to socialism. mronline.org Of all the reasons to be angry during the pandemic—the profit-first response of governments, the neglected state of the health system, the environmental crisis underpinning the disaster, the millions dead—it has been people buying extra toilet paper that has elicited the most outrage.

Miko Peled (2021-02-25). Elections Are Not Democracy: Call To Boycott Upcoming Israeli and Palestinian Votes that Don't Matter. mintpressnews.com Elections will matter in Palestine when they are called to include all people who live between the River and the Sea — one person, one vote for a single legislature and executive in a Palestine that is liberated.

Joe Piette (2021-02-25). 'No war drills on Korean Peninsula!'. workers.org Philadelphia Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network activists hold signs, Feb. 21. Annual U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) combined military exercises are costly and a major obstacle to achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula. And it's a provocative threat against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Korea solidarity groups in the U.S. . . . |

Philippe Marlière (2021-02-25). "Islamo-Leftism": Macron's Witch Hunt Against Critical Academics. counterpunch.org Speaking recently on CNews, France's equivalent of Fox News, the higher education minister launched an unprecedented attack on the whole French academic community. Frédérique Vidal argued that French academia is "gangrened by Islamo-gauchisme" or "Islamo-leftism". The "Islamo-leftism" tag is today used uncritically by members of the government, large sections of the media and conservative academics. It is reminiscent

The Conversation (2021-02-25). Texas blackouts show why energy should be a universal right. juancole.com By Gordon Walker | — An unprecedented cold wave in the US state of Texas recently left several million households without power for days on end, as temperatures dropped well below freezing. Dozens of people died from hypothermia, car crashes, house fires or carbon monoxide poisoning from running cars or generators simply to keep warm. …

George Wuerthner (2021-02-25). Degrading Forest Ecosystems in the Name of Collaboration. counterpunch.org A recent article in the Blue Mountain Eagle Finding Common Ground on Active Forest Management quotes several people about restoring forest health. None of these people have expertise in forest ecology, except James Johnson from the OSU forestry school. The irony is that all these people, including Johnson, ignore the science from other scientists in

The Socialist Program (2021-02-25). Capitalism in Crisis: End Capitalist Control Over Heat & Light. liberationnews.org Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the terrible storm in Texas and elsewhere in the south that has caused death, destruction and a near total breakdown in infrastructure. What does this say about the capitalist system?>

Ray McGinnis (2021-02-25). The Doll House the CIA Built. dissidentvoice.org American news these past few decades has been an almost constant non-stop spectacle of shock and awe. Breaking news is emotionally gripping, often disorienting, a 24/7 drama without rest. Key talking points are relentlessly asserted. And with each passing year news commentators grow ever more certain of their talking points, with no sense that dissenting points …

Sasha Harrison (2021-02-25). Harlem's 1930s housing struggle has lessons for today. liberationnews.org The housing struggle in Harlem during the Great Depression took New York City by storm, as some of the most oppressed sectors of society united and stood tall in the face of exploitation.

Eds. (2021-02-25). Cuba has assisted almost one third of the world's population in health care. mronline.org In the six decades of Cuban medical collaboration abroad, its health personnel have assisted 1.988 billion people in the world, almost a third of mankind, said Dr. Jorge Delgado Bustillo, director of the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation (UCCM).

John Wojcik (2021-02-25). Lies and white supremacy fuel Republican voter suppression campaign. peoplesworld.org It is now clearer than ever that the Republican Party is carrying out a strategy of stoking the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and that it is hanging its ability to make a comeback on supporting the white supremacy that was behind the right-wing insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. …

US (2021-02-25). Over 800 Organizations and Individuals in the United States Demand the Biden Administration End Its Support for the Brutal MoàØse Regime in Haiti. dissidentvoice.org Above photo: By Professor Danny Shaw who is currently in Haiti United States — Today, February 24, 72 organizations and 700 individuals published an open letter calling for the Biden administration to end its illegal and destructive intervention in Haiti. While Joe Biden and the Democrats condemned the Trump forces for not respecting the results …

David Trujillo (2021-02-25). We have earned the right to look to a new, socialist future. peoplesworld.org The door is wide open. The opportunity for socialism is a serious option for a new political future. Let's get real: The Republicans have abdicated democratic responsibilities. They have given up on our basic democratic values and the U.S. Constitution. The Republican Party and many of its supporters are frankly pushing for a fascist, racist …

Howie Hawkins (2021-02-25). HR 1's Campaign Finance Program: A Reform that Doesn't Reform. counterpunch.org HR 1, the For the People Act, is an omnibus voting reform bill that has many progressive measures concerning voter registration, voter roll purges, voter-verified paper ballots, early voting, no-excuse absentee ballots, presidential candidate tax returns, gerrymandering, and more. According to reports, the Democratic leadership will whip their members hard to pass the bill through

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Democratic lawmakers call on Biden to clarify Yemen policy. middleeasteye.net Democratic lawmakers call on Biden to clarify Yemen policy | In a letter to the president, 41 members of Congress say they support Biden's decision to end support for Saudi coalition, but ask for clarification on what that entails | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 17: 54 | The conflict has killed nearly 250,000 people, caused outbreaks of preventable diseases and brought Yemen to the verge of famine (AFP) | Dozens of Democr…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Republicans introduce bill opposing lifting Iran sanctions. middleeasteye.net Republicans introduce bill opposing lifting Iran sanctions | US lawmakers say Biden must maintain sanctions until Iran 'ends its support for violence and terror around the region' | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 21: 00 | The resolution led by Tom Cotton in the Senate was co-sponsored by 25 other senators (AFP) | Republican Senator Tom Cotton and more than 40 other lawmakers have introduced bicameral legislation that oppos…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Israel: Satellite images show secretive nuclear facility undergoing major revamp. middleeasteye.net Israel: Satellite images show secretive nuclear facility undergoing major revamp | Construction at site near Dimona comes as Israel continues its scathing criticism of Iran's nuclear programme | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 10: 15 | Israel began secretly building the nuclear site with French assistance in the late 1950s in empty desert near Dimona, a city around 90km south of Jerusalem (Planet Labs) | A secretive nuclear…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). CIA secretly arranged call between Trump and Libya's Haftar: Report. middleeasteye.net CIA secretly arranged call between Trump and Libya's Haftar: Report | Intelligence agency arranged call where former US president praised Libyan general during failed Tripoli offensive, Washington Post reports | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 23: 02 | Former US President Donald Trump spoke with Khalifa Haftar in April 2019 (AFP) | The CIA secretly arranged a call between former US President Donald Trump and Libya's Khalifa…

Simon Hooper (2021-02-25). US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants. middleeasteye.net US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants | Idlib-based reporter cannot appear on social media for six months following release by HTS, according to his own news network | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 12: 02 | Bilal Abdul Kareem stands in front of a mural in Idlib showing George Floyd, an American man killed by police, in 2020 (Twitter) | An American journalist based in Syria's o…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Occupation and peace cannot coexist, says Jordan's King Abdullah. middleeasteye.net Occupation and peace cannot coexist, says Jordan's King Abdullah | Amman ready to play part in relaunching peace negotiations with Palestinian leadership, monarch says | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 20 | King Abdullah said US leadership was 'essential' in peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that continued unilateral actions will kill any cha…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Occupation and peace cannot co-exist, says Jordan's King Abdullah. middleeasteye.net Occupation and peace cannot co-exist, says Jordan's King Abdullah | Amman ready to play part in relaunching peace negotiations with Palestinian leadership, monarch says | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 20 | King Abdullah said US leadership was 'essential' in peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that continued unilateral actions will kill any ch…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Australian historian urged to return Israeli health prize by 250 academics. middleeasteye.net Australian historian urged to return Israeli health prize by 250 academics | Hundreds sign letter asking Alison Bashford to turn down Dan David prize over Israel's 'undermining of Palestine's health systems' | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 13: 25 | A Palestinian man demonstrates in support of BDS near Ramallah (AFP) | An Australian historian is being urged to turn down a highly lucrative Israeli award in an open letter si…

Claudia Jones (2021-02-25). Life and times of Claudia Jones: In her own words. peoplesworld.org Claudia Jones (1915—1964), an Afro-Caribbean woman born in Port of Spain, British West Indies (Trinidad), was a Communist activist in the U.S., holding several responsible positions within the Communist Party and for its publications until her deportation in 1955 to Great Britain. There, based in London, she played a leading role in the West Indian …

MEE staff (2021-02-25). UAE: Princess Latifa asks UK police to reopen case into sister Shamsa's kidnapping. middleeasteye.net UAE: Princess Latifa asks UK police to reopen case into sister Shamsa's kidnapping | In a handwritten letter given to British authorities on Wednesday, Latifa says a new investigation could help her secure her sister's release | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 14: 12 | Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum attends the Global Women's Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 February 2020. (REUTERS/Christopher…

a guest author (2021-02-25). Montgomery Bus Boycott, Bessemer, prisiones: Lucha de clases, antes y ahora. workers.org Los boicoteadores de autobuses, sin importar su edad o habilidad, caminaron millas hasta su trabajo en Montgomery, febrero de 1956. Por Monica Moorehead Cincuenta años después del final de la Guerra Civil de los Estados Unidos, y durante el apogeo de los horribles linchamientos de personas negras en el sur . . . |

A Guest Author (2021-02-25). Bessemer Amazon workers: 'They are showing the way'. workers.org Joan Hwang The following remarks were given by Joan Hwang (she/they), an organizer with the Workers Assembly Against Racism, at a Feb. 20 rally in Manhattan, N.Y., in solidarity with Amazon workers organizing a union drive in Bessemer, Ala. Hwang is also an urban farmer. We are out here today . . . |

Mike Garrity (2021-02-25). Big Victory in Yellowstone Ecosystem as Biden Administration Pulls Massive Henry's Fork Logging and Burning Scheme. counterpunch.org Last December the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Native Ecosystems Council, and Yellowstone to Uintas Connection took the Trump administration's Forest Service to federal court over plans to massively log and burn over 40,000 acres in the very headwaters of the world-famous Henry's Fork of the Snake River. We are exceptionally pleased to announce that

PAI (2021-02-25). Petitions to oust Trump USPS board and postmaster DeJoy top 1.1M signatures. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—Petitions to Democratic President Joe Biden and Congress' Democratic leaders to replace the Trump-named U.S. Postal Service board with a new one that would in turn fire Trumpite Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have passed 1.12 million signatures combined. And that figure may be low. The American Postal Workers Union reported their petition is just …

Betsey Piette (2021-02-25). On Feb. 20: U.S. cities in solidarity with #BAmazon workers. workers.org Outside union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis, Philadelphia, Feb. 20. (WW Photo: Joe Piette) As Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., vote to unionize, they are gaining support. On Feb. 20, demonstrations took place in solidarity with BAmazon workers in 50+ U.S. cities in 30 states, including several in the South. The . . . |

Betsey Piette (2021-02-25). On Feb. 20: U.S. cities in solidarity to #BAmazon workers. workers.org Outside union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis, Philadelphia, Feb. 20. (WW Photo: Joe Piette) As Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., vote to unionize, they are gaining support. On Feb. 20, demonstrations took place in solidarity with BAmazon workers in 50+ U.S. cities in 30 states, including several in the South. The . . . |

MEE correspondent (2021-02-25). Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash | Meanwhile, conservatives squeeze Rouhani to prevent breakthrough in talks with UN nuclear watchdog and timber traffickers use cars to avoid police detection | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 09: 56 | Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (L) having a meal with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland,…

RT (2021-02-25). UFC 259: Sterling cites 'Khabib-style pressure' as he outlines masterplan to dethrone Russian bantamweight king Yan. rt.com UFC bantamweight Aljamain Sterling has referenced "Khabib-style type of pressure" as part of an approach which he believes will lead to victory when he faces Russian reigning 135lbs champion Petr Yan at UFC 259. | Sterling and Yan collide in a rearranged title match-up in Las Vegas on March 6 with both men on hot streaks. | Yan captured UFC gold with a fifth-round TKO victory over Brazilian icon Jose Aldo at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi in July, the latest in a 10-fight winning run for the Siberian. | Sterling, meanwhile, heads into his meeting with 'No Mercy' on a five-fight winning streak, and in his last Octagon ap…

2021-02-26: News Headlines

Joe Glenton (2021-02-26). Tories investigating councillor for 'life time criminal, high on drugs' comments disparaging Black Lives Matter. thecanary.co A Tory councillor is being investigated by his party over his comments on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. | Portsmouth's The News Smith is said to have posted a comment in relations to athletes taking a knee during a recent England Vs Scotland Rugby match. The Conservative politician posted: Why are all the Scottish player…

Deirdre Cooper Owens (2021-02-27). [Perspectives] Listening to Black women saves Black lives. thelancet.com I am one of two African American women who are endowed professors in the history of medicine in the USA. I am the only African American woman directing a traditional medical humanities programme in the USA. When I accepted my position in 2019 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I did not know I would step into a position that would make me a historical first. Since this time, I have become preoccupied with learning about Black women who are "firsts" within the annals of US histories of medicine.

Eds. (2021-02-26). The Pandemic: Half a million lives lost in U.S., more than the two World Wars and Vietnam War combined. mronline.org Over half a million people have died of coronavirus in the U.S. Grasping the enormity—half a million people gone—is difficult to visualize.

Henry Tufnell (2021-02-26). High Court: Covid self-employed support scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against women. ukhumanrightsblog.com R (The Motherhood Plan and Anor) v HM Treasury [2021] EWHC 309 (Admin) — read judgment In a judgment handed down on 17 February 2021, the High Court has ruled that the Self Employment Income Support Scheme ("the Scheme") introduced during the coronavirus pandemic does not indirectly discriminate against self-employed women who have taken a …

Mike Walter (2021-02-26). The Heat: One scientist's fight against disease & Racism against Asian-Americans. america.cgtn.com As the pandemic continues to take its toll, we'll talk to one of America's leading science pioneers. Plus — what's behind the alarming rise in violence against Asian Americans?>

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-02-26). Futile: Saudi's Decade-Long Attempt to Bottle Up Yemeni Youth Revolution is Failing. mintpressnews.com "Saudi Arabia has crushed our revolution, turned our lives into hell because our uprising was interpreted by the ruling family as a threat to [their] influence and because of their fear of the revolution spreading to the Saudi interior." — Yemeni artist Aisha Ali Saeed…

Staff (2021-02-26). Battleground Baltimore: Maryland shows solidarity with unionizing Amazon workers. therealnews.com Amazon workers rally in Baltimore County, the LEOBR could survive attempts to weaken it, City Councilperson Ryan Dorsey feuds with the FOP, and more.

RT (2021-02-26). Amazon-owned Twitch removes anti-union ads pushed by parent company after media and users complain. rt.com Ads urging workers in Alabama not to unionize "shouldn't have been allowed," the streaming platform Twitch said, bucking its parent company Amazon after a pro-union outlet published a story complaining about the videos. | "Twitch does not allow political advertising, and these ads should never have been allowed to run on our service," the company said in a statement on Wednesday, thanking the "community" for bringing them to attention. | new: Twitch says they have removed these ads from the platform "Twitch does not allow political advertising, and these ads should never have been allowed to run on our service…

Staff (2021-02-26). The Assassination of Malcolm X: Ex-Undercover Officer Admits Role in FBI & Police Conspiracy. democracynow.org The FBI and New York Police Department are facing renewed calls to open their records into the assassination of Malcolm X, after the release of a deathbed confession of a former undercover NYPD officer who admitted to being part of a conspiracy targeting Malcolm. In the confession, Raymond Wood, who died last year, admitted he entrapped two members of Malcolm's security team in another crime — a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty — just days before the assassination. This left the Black civil rights leader vulnerable at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, where he was fatally shot on February 21, 1965.

Staff (2021-02-26). "The Whole System Needs to be Indicted": Attorney Benjamin Crump on Overhauling U.S. Policing. democracynow.org The Democratic-led House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on a sweeping police reform bill that would ban chokeholds, prohibit federal no-knock warrants, establish a National Police Misconduct Registry and other measures. The legislation, known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, is in response to a series of high-profile killings of Black people in 2020 and the nationwide racial justice uprising they sparked. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has represented the families of Floyd, Daniel Prude, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many other victims of police and racial viol…

Staff (2021-02-26). "We Want the Truth Uncovered": Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz Backs New Probe into Assassination. democracynow.org The family of Malcolm X is demanding a new investigation into his 1965 assassination in light of the deathbed confession of a former New York police officer who said police and the FBI conspired to kill the Black leader. Ilyasah Shabazz, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and one of Malcolm's six children, says the latest revelation is further evidence of how the authorities worked to infiltrate and undermine Black organizations during the Civil Rights Movement. "All he wanted was for America to live up to her promise of liberty and justice for all," she says of her father. "I'm happy…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-26). Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules. middleeasteye.net Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules | Londoner who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State as a teenager argued she should be able to appeal stripping of citizenship in UK | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Shamima Begum, photographed in her tent at the al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria in February 2020 (Screenshot) | The UK's Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum, a British wo…

Patricia Gorky (2021-02-26). Exposed: McDonald's surveillance operation spies on employees organizing for a living wage. liberationnews.org New reports show that McDonald's has spied on workers "for years" in their effort to combat the Fight for $15 movement that has been struggling for a living wage for nearly a decade. According to documents leaked to Motherboard, McDonald's hired a team of global intelligence analysts to identify and surveil workers and labor leaders …

Staff (2021-02-26). Biden's team won't end the forever wars. therealnews.com From Afghanistan to Niger, the "new normal" of American warfare shows no signs of changing course under President Biden and his hawkish national security team. In this episode of "The Marc Steiner Show," combat veteran and writer Danny Sjursen issues a dire warning about American military policy. Tune in for new episodes of The Marc Steiner …

Jonah Raskin (2021-02-26). What Lawrence Ferlinghetti Means to Me. counterpunch.org The anarchist, pacifist poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whom I knew for forty years was shy and introverted, even while he was a public figure who wanted to be recognized and appreciated as an artist. A decade older than me, he cared deeply about his friends in the city, in Bolinas and in Big Sur. He also valued his own privacy. At events at the San Francisco public library, where he stood out from the crowd, he often meant to be witty, but his one liners would fall flat. He took many of the changes in San Francisco—the arrival of the dot comers, the Google buses, the influx of wealth, the price of real estate…

Greg Kearney (2021-02-26). When it comes to COVID, why aren't Republicans 'pro-life' anymore? peoplesworld.org Read:

The Conversation (2021-02-26). Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web. juancole.com By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …

C.J. Atkins (2021-02-26). àÅlvaro Cunhal's prison novel 'The Six-Pointed Star'—A chat with the translator. peoplesworld.org Editor's note: Eric Gordon is translating several fictional works written by Portuguese Communist Party leader àÅlvaro Cunhal under the pseudonym Manuel Tiago. The Six-Pointed Star is the second in what is hoped to be a series of works put out in English for the first time by International Publishers. Below is an interview between People's …

Rob Urie (2021-02-26). Capitalism and Political Violence at Home and Abroad. counterpunch.org Question: why do both conservative and liberal governments in the U.S. install right-wing governments abroad if 'the U.S.' opposes right-wing political violence? While right and left politics may seem to have limited descriptive value in many current conflicts, the interests of capital, broadly considered, represent an unwavering motive for them. Why then would military conflict

Michael T. Klare (2021-02-26). A New Cold War on a Scalding Planet: Biden, Climate Change, and China. counterpunch.org Slowing the pace of climate change and getting "tough" on China, especially over its human-rights abuses and unfair trade practices, are among the top priorities President Biden has announced for his new administration. Evidently, he believes that he can tame a rising China with harsh pressure tactics, while still gaining its cooperation in areas of concern

Andrew Levine (2021-02-26). "America is Back": Make the Best of It. counterpunch.org America is back; Joe Biden says so. Therefore, it must be true. He seems as pleased as can be about it too. So is the entire political class, except for the miscreants wedded to Donald Trump or to rightwing views, distinguished mainly by their vileness and stupidity. There are alarmingly many Americans who hold those

Vijay Prashad (2021-02-26). Your privileges are not Universal. mronline.org Stencilled in red on the walls of Santiago, Chile is a statement of fact: 'your privileges are not universal' (tus privilegios no son universales).

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-02-26). Calif. essential workers and supporters call for extended COVID-related sick leave. peoplesworld.org Essential workers, labor advocates, and legislators are joining together to urge the California legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to act immediately to expand emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave protection for workers in the state's 2021-2022 early action budget. Both federal and California emergency paid sick leave mandates on employers expired …

John Bachtell (2021-02-26). Haaland on track to make history as first Native American cabinet secretary. peoplesworld.org "This is all of our country, this is our mother. You've heard the Earth referred to as Mother Earth. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land, and I feel that every Indigenous person in this country understands that," said Rep. Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be Secretary of Interior. "It's …

Tony Pecinovsky (2021-02-26). Alphaeus Hunton: A life devoted to equality, liberation, and internationalism. peoplesworld.org In a November 1950 article in Paul Robeson's newspaper Freedom, the scholar-activist Alphaeus Hunton noted that "the most reactionary minority of the American people," the U.S. ruling class, "has advanced from its role of silent partner of the Western European imperialist powers." No longer "content with arming and financing their wars against the colonial revolutionaries," …

Wayne Nealis (2021-02-26). George Floyd justice coalition puts officials on notice before Chauvin trial. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—At a press conference held in Minneapolis on Feb. 25, a coalition of groups demanding justice for George Floyd reminded city and state officials that they will fill the streets March 8 on the opening day of the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin. They put the city on notice that no matter how …

Diego Sanchez (2021-02-26). El Monte taco vendors and community: 'LA County Department of Public Health, stop harassing us!'. liberationnews.org Community members gathered on Feb. 13 in front of the El Monte Police Department in solidarity with local street vendors. This action comes a week after a violent attack by an LA County health inspector and EMPD on the Los Palomos taco stand. Community members and organizations such as ACAB El Monte, Revolutionary Socialists for …

Ted Kelly (2021-02-26). Biden sends B-1 bombers to Norway, threatens Russia. workers.org The U.S. Air Force announced during February that it is sending four B-1 bombers and at least 200 personnel to Orland Air Base on the central coast of Norway. Pentagon officials made no secret of the fact that the deployment is meant as a threat to Russia, which is well . . . |

Mark Gruenberg, C.J. Atkins (2021-02-26). Biden's economic rescue plan advances, but minimum wage hike more uncertain. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—Congressional supporters of a $15 minimum wage are not backing down, despite a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian Thursday night that the hike cannot be part of a reconciliation package in the upper chamber. The reconciliation procedure—which lets tax and budget legislation proceed with a simple majority—would have allowed the wage hike to pass …

Michael T. Klare (2021-02-26). Biden, Climate Change, and China: A New Cold War equals A Scalding Planet. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — Slowing the pace of climate change and getting "tough" on China, especially over its human-rights abuses and unfair trade practices, are among the top priorities President Biden has announced for his new administration. Evidently, he believes that he can tame a rising China with harsh pressure tactics, while still gaining its …

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-02-26). Mitch Jones on Texas Freeze-Outs, Joe Torres on News for All the People. fair.org New York Times ( This week on CounterSpin: As Texans continue to deal with impacts of a deadly combination of frigid weather and power outages, the New York Times

Cameron Orr (2021-02-26). 'We're not going back': N.Y. Black History event featuring Gerald Horne, Feb. 28. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—In celebration of African-American culture and struggle, People's World will be supporting an online event broadcast from New York by the We're Not Going Back Host Committee this Sunday, Feb. 28th at 6: 30pm. This years' installment of the annual event will feature historian Gerald Horne as its keynote speaker. Dr. Horne, a prolific author …

Eds. (2021-02-26). Hundreds of law students announce boycott of Chevron law firm Seward & Kissel for "unethical" private prosecution of human rights attorney Steven Donziger. mronline.org Students from over 50 leading U.S. law schools—including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and New York University—have announced a recruiting boycott of a prominent Chevron law firm to protest its "unethical" private prosecution of U.S. human rights lawyer Steven Donziger after he helped win a $9.5 billion pollution judgment against Chevron.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-26). US strike on several locations inside Syria draws global criticism. peoplesdispatch.org US president Joe Biden authorized the airstrikes as a response to the recent attacks on US military bases in Iraq. The move is being criticized by anti-war and progressive sections as a sign of continuation of Trump-era policies in the region…

The Socialist Program (2021-02-26). Their Protest Forced Investigation on Elijah McClain Police Killing; Now They Face Decades in Prison. liberationnews.org A damning new independent investigation into the police murder of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado has been released, but the only people facing charges so far in this case are the activists who led the movement for justice for Elijah McClain.

Eds. (2021-02-26). Catastrophe and Utopia: Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Ministry for the Future'. mronline.org We need no longer speculate about whether we live in a climate emergency. The scientific verdict has been out for some time now, each year's report grimmer than the last.

Staff (2021-02-26). Filming the police is legal, but that doesn't stop them from arresting people for it. therealnews.com Another Ohio resident has been arrested under the dubious charge of "misconduct during an emergency," which has been used again by Ohio police to incarcerate another person who filmed them in action.

National Committee for Justice in Denver (2021-02-26). Activists who forced Elijah McClain investigation facing retaliation, decades in prison. liberationnews.org This statement was issued by the newly-formed National Committee for Justice in Denver. To support their work, you can sign the petition demanding the charges be dropped or make an urgently-needed donation. An explosive new report finds Aurora, CO cops who tortured and killed Elijah McClain had no cause to detain or choke him; corrupt …

Jordan Woll (2021-02-26). Biden bombs Syria: "Self-defense" or an act of war? liberationnews.org President Joe Biden engaged in his first high-profile military operation yesterday, launching an airstrike on Syria that left as many as 22 dead. This attack appears to have targeted facilities, equipment and fighters of Iraqi resistance organizations affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, one of the main groups responsible for liberating much of Iraq from …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-26). Imagining Palestine: On Barghouti, Darwish, Kanafani and the Language of Exile. counterpunch.org For Palestinians, exile is not simply the physical act of being removed from their homes and their inability to return. It is not a casual topic pertaining to politics and international law, either. Nor is it an ethereal notion, a sentiment, a poetic verse. It is all of this, combined. The death in Amman of

Jeremy Levine (2021-02-26). Massive thousand-car caravan protests unsafe reopening of Montgomery County schools in Maryland. liberationnews.org Photo: Car that participated in the caravan On Feb. 23, the parking lot at the Montgomery County Public Schools central office in Maryland swarmed with car horns, brightly colored signs, and shouts as thousands rallied outside a closed session meeting of the Board of Education (BOE). Among the participants were residents, parents and teachers' union …

Viviana Weinstein (2021-02-26). Denver protest: 'No war on Iran!'. workers.org Feb. 20, Denver.Denver Students for a Democratic Society, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Denver Peace Council held a demonstration Feb. 20 at the state capital, in cooperation with the national call to prevent Washington from instigating a war against Iran. Threats the U.S. warships would move into the Persian/Arabian . . . |

Ron Jacobs (2021-02-26). Health Care and Colonialism: A Sickness unto Death. counterpunch.org Nothing is immune from the stain of colonialism and its associated phenomena of racism. This includes the practice of medicine. Whether one is considering the inequality of medical care between the global north and south, the unevenness of medical care inside imperial nations stemming from those nations' colonial history, or the racist attitudes still endemic

Kim Petersen (2021-02-26). North Korea Steadfastly Resisting US Hegemony. dissidentvoice.org I learned a while back to be especially skeptical of western mass media and their governments.1 My experience of life in China is nothing like how western demonization portrays it to be. Therefore, I looked forward to the chance to experience North Korea first hand. I traveled there with a Chinese group departing China. Starting …

Workers World Party (2021-02-26). Tell Biden: Stop bombing Syria! workers.org It has taken only 36 days in office for the Biden administration to show the world, through a bombing attack on Syria, that it is belligerent, aggressive and hell-bent on war. There was only a short respite from Trump's vile words and actions. Now we have to face Biden's vile . . . |

Roger Harris (2021-02-26). Joe Biden's US Foreign Policy: Return to the Old Normal? counterpunch.org US President Biden bellicosely proclaimed, "American is back," in his major foreign policy priorities speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 19. Repeated twice for effect, Biden signaled the end of the Trump interregnum. No more assuring words could have been uttered for George W. Bush's former Defense Secretary Colin Powell and the 70 odd Republican national security officials, who wrote an open letter endorsing Biden out of fear that Trump would upset the bipartisan foreign policy consensus of regime change, forever wars, and the NATO alliance. Republican neo-cons now shelter in the Democrat's big…

C.J. Atkins (2021-02-26). Mismatch: Biden bombs Syria while pushing progressive economic bill at home. peoplesworld.org An old dichotomy that's haunted many Democratic administrations—pushing ostensibly progressive economic and social policies at home in the U.S. while pursuing imperialist aims abroad—has returned. In airstrikes characterized as "retaliatory action," the U.S. military on Feb. 25 bombed buildings in Syria near the Iraq border that were reportedly being used by Islamist militia groups for …

A Guest Author (2021-02-26). Black rage: a new 'reconstruction' in the U.S. workers.org The following letter from an incarcerated worker at SCI Pine Grove was received by Workers World Feb. 24. By Wesley Massey How do we make a paradigm shift to change how Blacks are viewed with pessimism, and on a good day cautious optimism? How do we change the culture in . . . |

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise for Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

Staff (2021-02-26). Big Tech Shouldn't Be the Arbiter of Our Free Speech Rights. truthout.org Business corporations don't need free speech rights. Nor should they have the power to deny free speech to others. But leading up to and following the 2020 election, we saw both undemocratic realities on display. | The 2020 election was largely "democratic." Due to the pandemic, more voters had more ways to cast their ballots than ever, and the elections were overall free and fair. H…

STEVE O'KEEFE (2021-02-26). Vladimir Putin's Very Bad Week. counterpunch.org It's been a rough week for Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin. The European Union imposed sanctions under Euro-Magnitsky; Australia is expected to pass its own Aussie-Magnitsky; and imprisoned anti-corruption crusader, Alexei Navalny, is leading a growing Russian protest movement from behind bars. Oh yeah, Pussy Riot is back! Putin is considered the richest man in

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-26). BeIN Sports takes Fenerbahce to court after months of tension. middleeasteye.net BeIN Sports takes Fenerbahce to court after months of tension | Qatari broadcaster launches legal action against Turkish football club for its protest campaign against the network | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 15: 00 | Mesut Ozil wears a "BeFair" training jersey on 21 February 2021, as part of Fenerbahce's campaign against the broadcaster BeIN Sports (Reuters) | Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports is taking legal ac…

MEE staff (2021-02-26). Biden launches deadly air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria. middleeasteye.net Biden launches deadly air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria | At least 17 pro-Iran fighters reported dead in strikes made in response to rocket attacks against US-led coalition forces in Iraq | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 02: 10 | Biden had vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, but the two countries remain at a diplomatic impasse (AFP/File photo) | Deadly US air raids targeted the positions of Iran-backe…

Azad Essa (2021-02-26). US lawmakers question legality of Biden's air strikes in Syria. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers question legality of Biden's air strikes in Syria | Prominent Democratic lawmakers seek justification from Biden administration over US air strikes, with some complaining of overreach | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 16: 17 | "> | US lawmakers have asked the administration of President Joe Biden to provide legal justification for its decision to launch air strikes on military targe…

MEE staff (2021-02-26). US launches air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria. middleeasteye.net US launches air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria | Pentagon says raids were authorised by President Biden in response to rocket attacks against US-led coalition forces in Iraq | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 02: 10 | President Biden had vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, but the two countries remain at a diplomatic impasse (AFP/File photo) | US air raids targeted the positions of Iran-backed armed grou…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-02-26). Iran-backed Iraqi factions seeking de-escalation after US attack. middleeasteye.net Iran-backed Iraqi factions seeking de-escalation after US attack | Despite Kataeb Hezbollah's attempts to drum up outrage, most Shia armed groups want to move on from Syria strike as soon as possible | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 15: 57 | Iraqis attend a funeral procession in Baghdad of Hashed al-Shaabi fighters, who were killed in US air strikes on the border with Syria in 2019 (AFP) | Most Iran-backe…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-26). Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr detained. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr detained | Family lawyer tells MEE Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr is a 'prominent intellectual' who maintains a 'moderate' discourse regarding Saudi government | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Ali al-Nimr was imprisoned as a minor in 2012 and had been sentenced to death before the penalty was commuted earlier in February (Reprieve) | Saudi Arabia has de…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-26). Arabic press review: UN official says Libya has 20,000 mercenaries. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: UN official says Libya has 20,000 mercenaries | Meanwhile, Kuwait sends letter to Qatar as part of continued effort to end Gulf tensions, and a Kuwaiti minister says country's treasury 'lacks liquidity' | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 12: 26 | UN official Stephanie Williams speaks in Geneva on 5 February following the election of a new interim government for Libya (AFP) | Libya has…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-26). Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr briefly detained. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Father of political prisoner Ali al-Nimr briefly detained | Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, described by his lawyer as 'moderate' and a 'prominent intellectual', was released on Friday | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Ali al-Nimr was imprisoned as a minor in 2012 and had been sentenced to death before the penalty was commuted earlier in February (Reprieve) | Saudi Arabia on Wednesday detained…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-26). Iraq: Protesters killed in clashes with security forces in Nasiriyah. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Protesters killed in clashes with security forces in Nasiriyah | At least five demonstrators have been killed over the past week as activists defied a Covid-19 lockdown to take to the streets | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 16: 00 | Iraqi protesters are pictured next to burning tyres during clashes with police during anti-government demonstrations in the city of Nasiriyah in the Dhi Qar province…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-26). Covid-19: Israel freezes programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel freezes programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny | Bid to garner international goodwill suspended after attorney general said to be seeking clarification about its legality | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 10: 32 | Palestinians have accused Israel of ignoring its duties as an occupying power by not including the Palestinians in its inoculation programme (AFP) | Israel has…

_____ (2021-02-26). U.S.-Backed Ecuador Government Tries Stopping Socialist Electoral Victory. strategic-culture.org If Arauz wins the presidency, he may appoint an important economist and ideologist of the "Citizens Revolution" to a government post, Ron Ridenour writes. | U.S.-backed Lenin Moreno government is trying to stop the new socialistic UNES political party candidate, Andres Arauz, from winning the national elections underway. | Andres Arauz, won first place, 32.7%, on the first round of national elections, February 7. Arauz is the first presidential candidate of UNES, Union of Hope. | Former president Rafael Correa led the formation of this party, Union of Hope (UNES) after he had backed Moreno for president in 2017.

Global Research News (2021-02-26). Selected Articles: Haiti Betrayed. globalresearch.ca By There's a big mystery that needs to be solved. It's how many people are getting sick and dying from the Covid vaccines. …

John Wojcik (2021-02-26). Shocking reversal: McConnell says he'd back Trump for president in 2024. peoplesworld.org In a shocking reversal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he would "absolutely" back Donald Trump for president in 2024 if he is the Republican nominee. He made those remarks on the same day that he joined other Republicans in Washington and around the country in minimizing the Jan. 6 attack on …

RT (2021-02-26). TikTok agrees to $92mn settlement in class-action over alleged privacy breach of US users. rt.com Chinese multinational ByteDance agreed to a $92 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit after over a year of litigation. The suit alleged its short video app TikTok tracked and harvested private data of some US users. | The proposed settlement came to light in court documents filed in the US District Court in Illinois on Thursday. The settlement still needs court approval. | The settlement, the result of 21 consolidated federal cases filed primarily on behalf of minors — some as young as six — applies to 89 million TikTok users in the US who allegedly had their privacy breached. While the compan…

RT (2021-02-26). Mars trip 'can only be understood through Black Americans', NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building. rt.com The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed the planned return to the moon. | Long merely called "NASA Headquarters," the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads…

RT (2021-02-26). FBI looking into potential POLITICAL MOTIVE behind violent dognapping of Lady Gaga's bulldogs — reports. rt.com The FBI is reportedly probing potential political motives behind the recent dognapping of Lady Gaga's French bulldogs. Two of her three bulldogs were snatched during an armed robbery, while her dog walker was shot. | The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has deployed a team specializing in kidnappings and ransom cases to assist the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) with the case, the Sun reported. The investigators, among other things, are looking into potential political motives behind the incident. | "Lady Gaga is high profile, of course, but she sang at President Biden's inauguration, which takes thi…

RT (2021-02-26). 'Stunning and brave?' Oreo Cookie called out for marketing ploy after tweeting 'Trans people EXIST'. rt.com Oreo Cookie may have been trying to signal a boldly virtuous statement for social justice by proclaiming that "Trans people exist," but while the message struck a chord with some, it fell flat with many denouncing it as a PR move.

RT (2021-02-26). McConnell says he'd 'absolutely' back Trump as 2024 GOP nominee, as poll shows 46% of Republicans would ditch party for ex-POTUS. rt.com Senator Mitch McConnell said he would "absolutely" support Donald Trump as his party's next presidential pick, taking a more friendly tone after a recent poll found nearly half of the GOP would dump the party for the former POTUS. | Asked whether he would support Trump as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024 during a Thursday interview, the Kentucky senator answered readily in the affirmative. | "The nominee of the party? Absolutely," McConnell

RT (2021-02-26). Bill demanding $15 minimum wage from corporate giants surprisingly comes from pro-Trump Senator Hawley. rt.com US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) has announced a bill requiring large employers to pay a $15 minimum wage, seemingly aligning him more with left-wing Democrats than his conservative colleagues on the issue. | Hawley, who was demonized by Democrats for challenging the validity of President Joe Biden's election victory, said Friday that his new legislation would require companies with annual revenue of $1 billion or more to pay their employees at least $15 an hour. Smaller companies would be spared the mandate, but Hawley's plan also would provide tax credits to US citizens who make less than $15 an hour, bas…

Lubna Masarwa (2021-02-26). Israel's closure of Covid clinic leaves 50,000 people at high risk. middleeasteye.net Israel's closure of Covid clinic leaves 50,000 people at high risk | Termination of vaccine programme for those living in Israel without legal status may be legally challenged by rights groups
| Fri, 02/26/2021 – 13: 50 | A paramedic with Israel's Magen David Adom medical services prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for a Palestinian man in a mobile clinic on 26 February 202…

MEE staff (2021-02-26). Read the US intelligence report on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. middleeasteye.net Read the US intelligence report on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi | Four-page executive summary says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 killing of Middle East Eye and Washington Post columnist | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 18: 21 | Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi government agents in Istanbul in 2018 (Reuters/File photo) | The Biden administration released a l…

Ali Harb (2021-02-26). Khashoggi murder: Advocates decry US failure to impose sanctions on MBS. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Advocates decry US failure to impose sanctions on MBS | Activists and lawmakers say Saudi crown prince must face consequences after US intelligence report confirmed he was responsible for Khashoggi murder | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 23: 25 | US intelligence assessment revealed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman authorised the assassination (AFP/File photo) | The virtual ink on a US intelligence report bla…

Steve Topple (2021-02-26). A child poverty investigation wants to hear from you. thecanary.co A parliamentary committee is running an inquiry into child poverty. And it wants to hear people's voices on the issue. It may seem like the committee wants to hear from professionals, but this can also involve people who've actually lived through child poverty. | Child poverty: out of control?: | The Canary has previously

Ralph Underhill (2021-02-26). Crime and lack of punishment. thecanary.co Image description | This cartoon begins with the text "Crime and lack of punishment" the words "lack of" are smaller and coloured red, the rest of the text is black. Under that is text reading "A story of government accountability". The rest of the cartoon is divided into two columns, the one on the left is titled "Crime", the one on the right is titled "Punishment" and has quotation marks around it. The crime and punishment columns then read in order as follows. | Crime: Inquiry finds minister bullied staff | Punishment: PM calls for 'protective square' around minister | This is illustrated with a giant mouth…

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-26). Lionel Messi urged by families of prisoners to reject Saudi tourism deal. middleeasteye.net Lionel Messi urged by families of prisoners to reject Saudi tourism deal | Barcelona legend told to 'say no to butcherers of Khashoggi', following Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to turn down $6m deal with Riyadh | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 12: 41 | Lionel Messi receives a trophy after Argentina defeat Brazil during a friendly match in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh (AFP/File photo) | The families of several Saud…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-02-26). How Real Nazis Came to the Americas: the Recruitment of Klaus Barbie. counterpunch.org By the time Klaus Barbie went on the payroll of an American intelligence organization in 1947, Klaus Barbie had lived several lifetimes of human vileness. Barbie sought out opponents of the Nazis in Holland, chasing them down with dogs. He had worked for the Nazi mobile death squads on the Eastern Front, massacring Slavs and Jews. He'd put in two years heading the Gestapo in Lyons, France, torturing to death Jews and French Resistance fighters (among them the head of the Resistance, Jean Moulin. ) After the liberation of France, Barbie participated in the final Nazi killing frenzy before Allies moved into Germany…

Staff (2021-02-26). The $15 Minimum Wage Isn't Dead. Here's How Democrats Can Still Get It Done. truthout.org On Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian dealt a blow to Democratic and progressives hopes of passing a $15 federal minimum wage in the upcoming stimulus package, ruling that it did not fit under the budget reconciliation process. Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), however, a longtime champion of the $15 minimum wage, came prepared with a plan B. | Shortly after the ruling, Sanders announced a proposal to take away tax deductions from big corporations that don't pay their workers at le…

Staff (2021-02-26). Biden's Syria Airstrike Prompts Demands for Answers From Social Media, Lawmakers. truthout.org Democratic lawmakers and anti-war activists have slammed the Biden administration for carrying out illegal airstrikes in Syria while abandoning progressive policy priorities. | The United States carried out an airstrike in Syria on Thursday, claiming it was targeting militias allegedly backed by Iran in what is the first known military action by President Joe Biden since he was sworn into office. | "We didn't flip Georgia Blue for Biden to air strike Syria. We flipped Georgia Blue for our $…

Staff (2021-02-26). Sanders Blasts Parliamentarian's Ruling Dropping Wage Hike From COVID Bill. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and several other Democratic lawmakers are lambasting a decision by the Senate parliamentarian, a nonpartisan referee in that legislative body, who determined on Thursday that a provision to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in the COVID economic relief package does not align with the rules for the reconciliation process. | But while Democrats appear upset over the decision, the party may be disunited on what path they should take next to raise the minimum wag…

Staff (2021-02-26). Rep. Mary Miller's Husband Owns Three Percenters Truck Seen at Capitol Breach. truthout.org A truck seen January 6 on Capitol grounds sporting a far right militia's symbol belongs to the husband of Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois), Chris Miller, the Daily Beast has confirmed. | Twitter users were the first to

Staff (2021-02-26). Black Families Have a Major Stake in the Postal Service's Future. truthout.org The United States Postal Service is under strong pressure to make deep spending cuts that would be devastating for customers and employees across the country. Black families have a particularly large stake in the debate over the future of this vital public service. USPS has long been a major source of good middle-class jobs for Black workers. Post offices are also well-positioned to address the needs of the disproportionate share of African Americans who currently lack access to affordable financial servi…

Staff (2021-02-26). Progressives to VP Kamala Harris: "Use Your Power. Keep $15 in." truthout.org The attention of the Fight for $15 movement and its allies turned to Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday night after the Senate parliamentarian opined —

Staff (2021-02-26). The National Security State Doesn't Protect Us. Let's Redefine Security for All. truthout.org After the nation watched white supremacists take over the Capitol building, the failure of the national security state to appropriately recognize and address the threat became a national scandal. But this "failure" shouldn't have surprised us. If there is one thing that the trillion-dollar national security apparatus is good at, it's under-hyping and misinterpreting threats that aren't based on threats from "outsiders," while overhyping the threats that are. | It's not just white supremacy th…

Staff (2021-02-26). Ex-Undercover Officer Admits Role in FBI and NYPD Conspiracy Targeting Malcolm X. truthout.org The FBI and New York Police Department are facing renewed calls to open their records into the assassination of Malcolm X, after the release of a deathbed confession of a former undercover NYPD officer who admitted to being part of a conspiracy targeting Malcolm. In the confession, Raymond Wood, who died last year, admitted he entrapped two members of Malcolm's security team in another crime — a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty — just days before the assassination. This left…

Fight Back (2021-02-25). #Tally19 stands with Ben Grant and against HB1. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – On February 23, at the Leon County Clerk of Courts, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) held an outdoor press conference to amplify demands of the #Tally19 – activists arrested last September during and in the days following a Black Lives Matter protest to condemn a grand jury decision that let three Tallahassee killer cops walk free. | A large banner behind the press conference podium read: "#Drop the charges #Tally14 19," reflecting that on September 5, militarized police arrested and charged 14 protest attendees, and in the days after, also arrested four protesters and issued a…

JaTaune Bosby (2021-02-25). Breaking Down Systemic Racism Through Collective Action in the South. aclu.org This month, the ACLU launched its Systemic Equality agenda — an initiative designed to center equity and attack our country's legacy of systemic racism by addressing the imbalance of political power, challenging policies that ravage Black communities, and furthering efforts to advance our racial justice work. As a part of this ambitious effort, the ACLU is making an unprecedented investment in the people and region where vulnerable communities are most affected by local and national regressive policies: the South. | From Reconstruction to the attacks on democracy following the Black Lives Matter movement mo…

Chris Hartmann (2021-02-25). To 'Build Back Better,' listen to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. peoplesworld.org Though often ignored, communities know best what ails them. I am reminded of this often because I hear it in my classroom. I heard it before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I hear it louder now as the pandemic rages on. At the end of last term, amidst the surge in cases after Thanksgiving, I asked …

Eds. (2021-02-25). Human nature is no barrier to socialism. mronline.org Of all the reasons to be angry during the pandemic—the profit-first response of governments, the neglected state of the health system, the environmental crisis underpinning the disaster, the millions dead—it has been people buying extra toilet paper that has elicited the most outrage.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram (2021-02-25). Developing Countries struggling to cope with COVID-19. mronline.org SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting most developing countries disproportionately, especially the United Nations' least developed countries (LDCs) and the World Bank's low-income countries (LICs).

David Cavendish (2021-02-25). It's time to shorten the workday—and the workweek. peoplesworld.org It's been nearly a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced people in our society to "shelter in place," social distance, and wear masks. Most social activities, such as sporting events, concerts, and parades were canceled. Schools and businesses closed, forcing nearly 50 million people onto the unemployment rolls. And while in recent months the numbers …

Vincent Emanuele (2021-02-25). Dr. Osterholm's Warning: COVID Hurricane on the Horizon. counterpunch.org Twelve months ago, Dr. Michael Osterholm was interviewed on the Joe Rogan Program. At the time, he warned that anywhere from 400,000 to 1.5 million Americans would die of COVID and that the pandemic would last for many years and significantly impact our lives. So far, his predictions have been eerily accurate. Today, Dr. Osterholm is warning that a "Category 5 COVID-hurricane" is on the horizon, with the B117/UK Variant posing the greatest threat.

RT (2021-02-25). Step on it! Russian diplomats forced to push trolley to depart from North Korea (VIDEO). rt.com With borders shut tight due to the coronavirus pandemic, the diplomats from the Russian mission in Pyongyang had to saddle a handcar and push it all by themselves to make it home from North Korea. | The DPRK has always been a closed state, but getting in and out of it became even harder after the coronavirus hit. Eight diplomats and their family members, who returned to Russia from the country on Thursday, swapped several means of transportation during their lengthy journey. | Its most important leg ran across a railroad bridge over the Tumen River on the border between North Korea and Russia. In order to make…

RT (2021-02-25). 'Completely defiant' minority have no regard for Covid-19 rules, police say, as almost 70,000 fines issued in England and Wales. rt.com A total of 68,952 fixed penalty notices have been handed out by police officers in England and Wales since Covid-19 laws came into effect last year, with more than 10,000 given in London alone. | Data compiled by the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) on penalties from March 27, 2020, when the Covid-19 laws took effect, through to February 14, 2021 was released on Thursday. | In the week beginning January 27, police handed out their highest weekly total of the pandemic to date, issuing 6,218 tickets. | "Eleven months on and back into a national lockdown, the rules are really clear and so it is frustrating…

RT (2021-02-25). Flu gets the cold shoulder: Influenza now virtually non-existent in US as Covid-19 spread continues. rt.com The coronavirus-battered US has enjoyed an unusually calm flu season, showing the lowest figures in decades. The lack of influenza likely stems from enduring restrictions — or Covid-19 wrestling out weaker germs, experts believe. | The ongoing pandemic has had an unexpected effect on the US healthscape, with the conventional flu being almost completely wiped out. Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a sharp drop in influenza cases occurred last April — and the figures remain extremely low ever since. | The 2020-21 flu season has essentially not even happened at a…

Staff (2021-02-25). Over 100 Countries Push to Loosen Rules on Vaccine Patents as US Blocks the Way. truthout.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over…

Staff (2021-02-25). 100+ Countries Push to Loosen WTO Rules on Vaccine Patents. Why Is the U.S. Still Blocking the Way? democracynow.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over 100 nations to waive intellectual property rules that give pharmaceutical companies monopolistic control over vaccines they…

Staff (2021-02-25). Mayim Bialik: 'S*** got deep with me and Cornel West'. therealnews.com Mayim Bialik delves into the long history of solidarity amongst the Jewish people and Black Americans, and details her dismay at the state of racism in America, her upbringing as a staunch advocate for social justice, and her perspective on the apparent contradictions between her faith and her political ideologies.

_____ (2021-02-25). Democracy Now Amplifies State Department Propaganda Campaign Against China Behind Progressive Cover. strategic-culture.org By Danny HAIPHONG | While Democracy Now hosts US gov't-funded pundits to spread humanitarian interventionist propaganda about Xinjiang, an analysis by The Grayzone found most of the outlets's China coverage is sharply negative | The U.S. has claimed a humanitarian "Responsibility to Protect" to justify military operations in the name of saving civilian lives from evil dictators. Most notable have been the brutal U.S.-led wars in Libya and Syria which destabilized entire regions in the name of "civilian protection" and "promoting democracy." These operations relied heavily on self-described human rights NGO's and…

RT (2021-02-25). 700+ children remain in detention at US border, 200 for over 48 hours, amid spike in unaccompanied crossings — media. rt.com Hundreds of unaccompanied minors have been held at the US border waiting to be processed, Axios reported. Almost a third of them have been lingering in detention for more than two days, as the backlog piles up. | Around 700 minors who crossed into the US on their own were kept in Border Patrol Custody as of Sunday, Axios By that time, around 200 children had already been held up for over 48 hours, a…

TN Long (2021-02-25). Virginia comes out to support Alabama Amazon workers. peoplesworld.org ARLINGTON, Va.—On Saturday, Feb. 20, the Southern Workers Assembly coordinated over 40 solidarity events around the country in support of the workers at the Bessemer, Ala., Amazon facility who are currently in the midst of a vote to unionize their workplace. The unionization campaign there, called the BAmazon Union, is organized by the Mid-South Council …

A Guest Author (2021-02-25). Bessemer Amazon workers: 'They are showing the way'. workers.org Joan Hwang The following remarks were given by Joan Hwang (she/they), an organizer with the Workers Assembly Against Racism, at a Feb. 20 rally in Manhattan, N.Y., in solidarity with Amazon workers organizing a union drive in Bessemer, Ala. Hwang is also an urban farmer. We are out here today . . . |

Betsey Piette (2021-02-25). On Feb. 20: U.S. cities in solidarity with #BAmazon workers. workers.org Outside union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis, Philadelphia, Feb. 20. (WW Photo: Joe Piette) As Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., vote to unionize, they are gaining support. On Feb. 20, demonstrations took place in solidarity with BAmazon workers in 50+ U.S. cities in 30 states, including several in the South. The . . . |

Betsey Piette (2021-02-25). On Feb. 20: U.S. cities in solidarity to #BAmazon workers. workers.org Outside union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis, Philadelphia, Feb. 20. (WW Photo: Joe Piette) As Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., vote to unionize, they are gaining support. On Feb. 20, demonstrations took place in solidarity with BAmazon workers in 50+ U.S. cities in 30 states, including several in the South. The . . . |

Staff (2021-02-25). "Decades in the Making": How Mainstream Conservatives & Right-Wing Money Fueled the Capitol Attack. democracynow.org As more details emerge about those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, it's becoming clearer that the insurrection was not the work of a "fringe" group, but rather the result of a decades-long conservative effort to undermine democracy, according to author Brendan O'Connor. "The events of January 6 were not just months, but years, decades, in the making," says O'Connor, who notes that major Republican donors and prominent conservative groups were connected to the Trump rally that immediately preceded the Capitol riot.

Staff (2021-02-25). "Not Ready to Give Up": Democrats Push Senate to Keep Popular $15 Minimum Wage in Stimulus Bill. democracynow.org As the House of Representatives prepares to pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, a fight is brewing over the inclusion of an increase to the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The measure is at risk in the Senate, where conservative Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema oppose its inclusion in the relief bill or suggest a lower amount. Congressmember Jan Schakowsky of Illinois says Congress must pass the minimum wage hike to help address inequality in the United States. "The current minimum wage, federally, is $7.25. Now, you can't live on that. You can't raise a family…

teleSUR (2021-02-25). Chile: Top Court Overrides Decision Banning Police's Riot Guns. telesurenglish.net Chile's Supreme Court (SC) overturned a ruling that prohibited the use of riot guns by the Military Police (Carabineros). | RELATED: | Previously, in June 2020, Valparaiso's Court of Appeals unanimously approved 15 protection recourses against Carabineros due to the police brutality exercised during the protests unleashed in October 2019. | The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the protection recourses filed by human rig…

RT (2021-02-25). Trump hands over 'MILLIONS of pages' of tax returns to Manhattan DA — reports. rt.com Former president Donald Trump has reportedly handed over his tax returns to prosecutors in New York. With Trump describing the investigation as a "fishing expedition," sifting through the "millions of pages" may take time. | The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump's lawyers may no longer shield the ex-president's tax returns from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who is investigating whether Trump and the Trump Organization committed any financial crimes, including his alleged inflating of property values to secure loans. | Trump's lawyers immediately handed over the returns, CNN reported on Thu…

Miko Peled (2021-02-25). Elections Are Not Democracy: Call To Boycott Upcoming Israeli and Palestinian Votes that Don't Matter. mintpressnews.com Elections will matter in Palestine when they are called to include all people who live between the River and the Sea — one person, one vote for a single legislature and executive in a Palestine that is liberated.

Chuck Collins (2021-02-25). Nomadland: The Impact of Gender-Bias in Wages. counterpunch.org If you grew up agitated that "women earn 59 cents on the dollar," for the same work as men, there's a movie for you. At the beginning of the new film, Nomadland, one of the characters tells Fern, the lead character played beautifully by Frances McDormand: "My social security check is $550. How am I

Jackie Fox (2021-02-25). Neoliberalism is Killing US. realprogressives.org Following the idea of the Big Other defense falling apart when a truth is seen to be publicly accepted, what would be another similar public acceptance of failure for capitalism? Especially now, I think the US healthcare industry is a great place to look. The more timely issue is one of 'who gets coverage at all?' Barack Obama is the first mainstream, high-profile politician to say the words 'single payer,' descriptors that don't describe the Republican-influenced Obamacare that came to pass. | Bernie Sanders again was a part of the elevation of this idea in the mainstream. As I suggested before, he's not a…

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden's and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20% of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The United States continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

Sasha Harrison (2021-02-25). Fired up! Harlem's fight for housing in the 1930s. liberationnews.org The housing struggle in Harlem during the Great Depression took New York City by storm, as some of the most oppressed sectors of society united and stood tall in the face of exploitation.

George Wuerthner (2021-02-25). Degrading Forest Ecosystems in the Name of Collaboration. counterpunch.org A recent article in the Blue Mountain Eagle Finding Common Ground on Active Forest Management quotes several people about restoring forest health. None of these people have expertise in forest ecology, except James Johnson from the OSU forestry school. The irony is that all these people, including Johnson, ignore the science from other scientists in

Norman Solomon (2021-02-25). Republican Hypocrisy is No Reason to Support Neera Tanden. counterpunch.org Most corporate media outlets have depicted President Biden's effort to win Senate confirmation of Neera Tanden as a battle to overcome Republican hypocrisy about her "mean tweets," name-calling and nasty partisanship. But there are very important reasons to prevent Tanden from becoming the Office of Management and Budget director. They have nothing to do with

The Socialist Program (2021-02-25). Capitalism in Crisis: End Capitalist Control Over Heat & Light. liberationnews.org Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the terrible storm in Texas and elsewhere in the south that has caused death, destruction and a near total breakdown in infrastructure. What does this say about the capitalist system?>

G. Dunkel (2021-02-25). COVID crisis drags down U.S. life expectancy. workers.org The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States is now over 500,000. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. life expectancy dropped by a full year from the first six months of 2019 to the first six months of 2020. This is the biggest drop . . . |

Eds. (2021-02-25). Cuba has assisted almost one third of the world's population in health care. mronline.org In the six decades of Cuban medical collaboration abroad, its health personnel have assisted 1.988 billion people in the world, almost a third of mankind, said Dr. Jorge Delgado Bustillo, director of the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation (UCCM).

Sasha Harrison (2021-02-25). Harlem's 1930s housing struggle has lessons for today. liberationnews.org The housing struggle in Harlem during the Great Depression took New York City by storm, as some of the most oppressed sectors of society united and stood tall in the face of exploitation.

William Boardman (2021-02-25). How Rational Can the US Be in Dealing with Yemen and Iran? dissidentvoice.org We're also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen — a war which has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe. I've asked my Middle East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks…. And to underscore our commitment, …

Anustup Roy (2021-02-25). India's Farm Protests: "If We Don't Stand By Them, Who Will?" counterpunch.org "The company people are certainly irritated with the protest happening here. It has badly affected transportation and the business is running poorly," says 22-year-old Nizamuddin Ali, a security supervisor at a home appliances factory in the Kundli industrial area. He lives about six kilometres from the farmers' protest site at Singhu, on the Haryana-Delhi border.

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20 percent of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

Ray McGinnis (2021-02-25). The Doll House the CIA Built. dissidentvoice.org American news these past few decades has been an almost constant non-stop spectacle of shock and awe. Breaking news is emotionally gripping, often disorienting, a 24/7 drama without rest. Key talking points are relentlessly asserted. And with each passing year news commentators grow ever more certain of their talking points, with no sense that dissenting points …

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-25). What Planet Is NATO Living On? counterpunch.org The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme was emphasized by U.S. Secretary of

Nicholas Stender (2021-02-25). Chicago Teachers Union's commitment to democracy pays off. liberationnews.org The battle over school reopening in Chicago was a hard fought one.

Arthur Zipser (2021-02-25). William Z. Foster—Pioneer fighter for Black equality in organized labor. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: Feb. 25, 2021, marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of William Z. Foster. One of the most well-known figures of early 20th century labor history, Foster spearheaded the drive to organize the packinghouse industry during World War I and led the Great Steel Strike of 1919. He later joined the Communist Party …

The Conversation (2021-02-25). Texas blackouts show why energy should be a universal right. juancole.com By Gordon Walker | — An unprecedented cold wave in the US state of Texas recently left several million households without power for days on end, as temperatures dropped well below freezing. Dozens of people died from hypothermia, car crashes, house fires or carbon monoxide poisoning from running cars or generators simply to keep warm. …

Philippe Marlière (2021-02-25). "Islamo-Leftism": Macron's Witch Hunt Against Critical Academics. counterpunch.org Speaking recently on CNews, France's equivalent of Fox News, the higher education minister launched an unprecedented attack on the whole French academic community. Frédérique Vidal argued that French academia is "gangrened by Islamo-gauchisme" or "Islamo-leftism". The "Islamo-leftism" tag is today used uncritically by members of the government, large sections of the media and conservative academics. It is reminiscent

Eds. (2021-02-25). How did a fateful CIA coup—executed 55 years ago this February 24—doom much of sub-Saharan Africa? mronline.org Fifty-five years ago on this day, the fate of Africa was irrevocably altered when the CIA sponsored a 1966 coup d'état against Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, former Prime Minister of Ghana and Pan-Africanist visionary who was voted as "Africa's Man of the Millennium."

Joe Piette (2021-02-25). 'No war drills on Korean Peninsula!'. workers.org Philadelphia Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network activists hold signs, Feb. 21. Annual U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) combined military exercises are costly and a major obstacle to achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula. And it's a provocative threat against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Korea solidarity groups in the U.S. . . . |

John Wojcik (2021-02-25). Lies and white supremacy fuel Republican voter suppression campaign. peoplesworld.org It is now clearer than ever that the Republican Party is carrying out a strategy of stoking the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and that it is hanging its ability to make a comeback on supporting the white supremacy that was behind the right-wing insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. …

US (2021-02-25). Over 800 Organizations and Individuals in the United States Demand the Biden Administration End Its Support for the Brutal MoàØse Regime in Haiti. dissidentvoice.org Above photo: By Professor Danny Shaw who is currently in Haiti United States — Today, February 24, 72 organizations and 700 individuals published an open letter calling for the Biden administration to end its illegal and destructive intervention in Haiti. While Joe Biden and the Democrats condemned the Trump forces for not respecting the results …

David Trujillo (2021-02-25). We have earned the right to look to a new, socialist future. peoplesworld.org The door is wide open. The opportunity for socialism is a serious option for a new political future. Let's get real: The Republicans have abdicated democratic responsibilities. They have given up on our basic democratic values and the U.S. Constitution. The Republican Party and many of its supporters are frankly pushing for a fascist, racist …

Howie Hawkins (2021-02-25). HR 1's Campaign Finance Program: A Reform that Doesn't Reform. counterpunch.org HR 1, the For the People Act, is an omnibus voting reform bill that has many progressive measures concerning voter registration, voter roll purges, voter-verified paper ballots, early voting, no-excuse absentee ballots, presidential candidate tax returns, gerrymandering, and more. According to reports, the Democratic leadership will whip their members hard to pass the bill through

Mike Walter (2021-02-25). The Heat: U.S.-Iran Nuclear Stalemate. america.cgtn.com The United States and Iran remain at an impasse over which country will make the first move in returning to the 2015 nuclear deal.

a guest author (2021-02-25). Montgomery Bus Boycott, Bessemer, prisiones: Lucha de clases, antes y ahora. workers.org Los boicoteadores de autobuses, sin importar su edad o habilidad, caminaron millas hasta su trabajo en Montgomery, febrero de 1956. Por Monica Moorehead Cincuenta años después del final de la Guerra Civil de los Estados Unidos, y durante el apogeo de los horribles linchamientos de personas negras en el sur . . . |

Ed Rampell (2021-02-25). 'Finding Sally': A filmic inquiry into the heart of Ethiopia's revolutionary upheavals. peoplesworld.org The Sixties cliché that "the personal is political" is strikingly true in Tamara Mariam Dawit's Finding Sally. When the Ethiopian-Canadian director/writer stumbles—at the ripe old age of 30!—upon the fact that her father and his siblings had another sister she'd never even heard of, Tamara sets out to piece together the puzzle to find out …

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Democratic lawmakers call on Biden to clarify Yemen policy. middleeasteye.net Democratic lawmakers call on Biden to clarify Yemen policy | In a letter to the president, 41 members of Congress say they support Biden's decision to end support for Saudi coalition, but ask for clarification on what that entails | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 17: 54 | The conflict has killed nearly 250,000 people, caused outbreaks of preventable diseases and brought Yemen to the verge of famine (AFP) | Dozens of Democr…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). CIA secretly arranged call between Trump and Libya's Haftar: Report. middleeasteye.net CIA secretly arranged call between Trump and Libya's Haftar: Report | Intelligence agency arranged call where former US president praised Libyan general during failed Tripoli offensive, Washington Post reports | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 23: 02 | Former US President Donald Trump spoke with Khalifa Haftar in April 2019 (AFP) | The CIA secretly arranged a call between former US President Donald Trump and Libya's Khalifa…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Israel: Satellite images show secretive nuclear facility undergoing major revamp. middleeasteye.net Israel: Satellite images show secretive nuclear facility undergoing major revamp | Construction at site near Dimona comes as Israel continues its scathing criticism of Iran's nuclear programme | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 10: 15 | Israel began secretly building the nuclear site with French assistance in the late 1950s in empty desert near Dimona, a city around 90km south of Jerusalem (Planet Labs) | A secretive nuclear…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Republicans introduce bill opposing lifting Iran sanctions. middleeasteye.net Republicans introduce bill opposing lifting Iran sanctions | US lawmakers say Biden must maintain sanctions until Iran 'ends its support for violence and terror around the region' | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 21: 00 | The resolution led by Tom Cotton in the Senate was co-sponsored by 25 other senators (AFP) | Republican Senator Tom Cotton and more than 40 other lawmakers have introduced bicameral legislation that oppos…

Simon Hooper (2021-02-25). US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants. middleeasteye.net US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants | Idlib-based reporter cannot appear on social media for six months following release by HTS, according to his own news network | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 12: 02 | Bilal Abdul Kareem stands in front of a mural in Idlib showing George Floyd, an American man killed by police, in 2020 (Twitter) | An American journalist based in Syria's o…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Occupation and peace cannot coexist, says Jordan's King Abdullah. middleeasteye.net Occupation and peace cannot coexist, says Jordan's King Abdullah | Amman ready to play part in relaunching peace negotiations with Palestinian leadership, monarch says | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 20 | King Abdullah said US leadership was 'essential' in peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that continued unilateral actions will kill any cha…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities. middleeasteye.net Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities | Legislation allows government to share identities of people not vaccinated against Covid-19 with other authorities, raising privacy concerns for those opting out of inoculation | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 54 | A plenary session at the Israeli parliament in 2019 (AFP) | Israel's parliament approved a law on Wedn…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Occupation and peace cannot co-exist, says Jordan's King Abdullah. middleeasteye.net Occupation and peace cannot co-exist, says Jordan's King Abdullah | Amman ready to play part in relaunching peace negotiations with Palestinian leadership, monarch says | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 20 | King Abdullah said US leadership was 'essential' in peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that continued unilateral actions will kill any ch…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Australian historian urged to return Israeli health prize by 250 academics. middleeasteye.net Australian historian urged to return Israeli health prize by 250 academics | Hundreds sign letter asking Alison Bashford to turn down Dan David prize over Israel's 'undermining of Palestine's health systems' | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 13: 25 | A Palestinian man demonstrates in support of BDS near Ramallah (AFP) | An Australian historian is being urged to turn down a highly lucrative Israeli award in an open letter si…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Yemen: UN aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert 'man-made' famine. middleeasteye.net Yemen: UN aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert 'man-made' famine | Mark Lowcock made the appeal ahead of a virtual pledging conference, highlighting a big drop off in aid support in 2020 | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 08: 36 | The United Nations describes Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 80 percent of the people in need (AFP) | UN aid chief Mark Lowcock urged Gulf sta…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Morocco set to legalise cannabis growth and export for medical use. middleeasteye.net Morocco set to legalise cannabis growth and export for medical use | Kingdom to allow farming, export and domestic use of drug to help struggling Rif mountain farmers | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 00 | A villager stands in a field of cannabis near the town of Ketama in Morocco's northern Rif region (AFP) | Morocco is set to allow the production and sale of cannabis in the kingdom in an attempt t…

Global Research News (2021-02-25). Selected Articles: What Planet Is NATO Living On? globalresearch.ca By These remarks were delivered at an African American History Month virtual webinar hosted by the Moratorium NOW! Coalition on Monday February 22, 2021. The …

Global Research News (2021-02-25). Selected Articles: The Covid Outbreak: "Biggest Health Scam of the 21st Century." globalresearch.ca By We are health professionals of the international collective :…

RT (2021-02-25). EU declares head of Venezuela's diplomatic mission 'persona non grata' in tit-for-tat after expulsion of European envoy. rt.com The European Union has declared Venezuela's chief diplomat at the bloc "persona non grata," calling the move retaliation after Caracas expelled the EU's ambassador in protest over a new round of sanctions from Brussels. | "The Council today agreed that the head of the Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the European Union be declared persona non grata," the European Council said in a

RT (2021-02-25). Offices of senior German lawmaker in Merkel's party raided over allegations he claimed huge fee in Covid mask deal — reports. rt.com Police in Germany raided the offices of a senior politician in Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, Georg Nuesslein, who is accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of euros for securing a face-mask contract, according to reports. | A total of 13 properties were raided in Germany and Liechtenstein as part of a probe into alleged corruption and the bribery of officials, the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office told

RT (2021-02-25). Russian 11yo figure skating prodigy nails QUINTUPLE lutz at training session (VIDEO). rt.com Talented 11-year-old Russian figure skater Maria Simonova has stunned fans and pundits with her incredible attempt to land a quintuple lutz on a pole harness during a training session. | The youngster, who has been training in Svetlana Sokolovskaya's group at CSKA school, managed to do five rotations in the air while being held by a pole harness which prevents potential injuries and falls. | In a video…

RT (2021-02-25). 'Get the f*ck over it': UFC's Kevin Holland questions Covid-hit Khamzat Chimaev for 'not having heart'. rt.com UFC middleweight Kevin Holland has insinuated that Khamzat Chimaev's battle with the lingering effects of Covid stem from the Russian-born star not having "heart" — citing his own comparatively light brush with the illness. | Chimaev was forced to pull out of his headline welterweight match-up with Leon Edwards on March 13 as he continues to struggle with health issues brought on by a coronavirus infection. | It was the third time the bout had fallen through and Edwards will now face Belal Muhammad — while Chimaev has been flown to the US so that he can receive medical care at the UFC's provision.

RT (2021-02-25). UFC 259: Sterling cites 'Khabib-style pressure' as he outlines masterplan to dethrone Russian bantamweight king Yan. rt.com UFC bantamweight Aljamain Sterling has referenced "Khabib-style type of pressure" as part of an approach which he believes will lead to victory when he faces Russian reigning 135lbs champion Petr Yan at UFC 259. | Sterling and Yan collide in a rearranged title match-up in Las Vegas on March 6 with both men on hot streaks. | Yan captured UFC gold with a fifth-round TKO victory over Brazilian icon Jose Aldo at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi in July, the latest in a 10-fight winning run for the Siberian. | Sterling, meanwhile, heads into his meeting with 'No Mercy' on a five-fight winning streak, and in his last Octagon ap…

RT (2021-02-25). US strike in Syria at Biden's orders destroys 'multiple facilities' of 'Iranian-backed militia' – Pentagon. rt.com The US has targeted Iran-backed militia in Syria, the Pentagon confirmed, adding that the airstrikes were approved by US President Joe Biden and intended as reprisal for rocket attacks on US bases in Iraq. | "At President Biden's direction US military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian backed militant groups in eastern Syria," the Pentagon's spokesman John Kirby said in a

RT (2021-02-25). Deputy mayor wants Paris back under 3-week lockdown, despite opposition. rt.com Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has said that his administration will likely place the French capital under a harsh three-week lockdown to curb Covid-19, and he doesn't care what President Emmanuel Macron thinks. | A curfew is currently in place in Paris to slow the spread of Covid-19, but Grégoire said it's "not enough to settle the curve." Speaking to France Info on Thursday, Grégoire said that his administration will propose a total lockdown of the capital next week. Mayor Anne Hidalgo will issue the proposal. | "We must now make courageous decisions," he said, adding that a lockdown "is…

RT (2021-02-25). 'Compulsory vaccination': Moscow Communist MP takes aim at mayor for ending pensioners' free transport until they get Covid-19 jab. rt.com Controversial Russian Communist MP Valery Rashkin has asked the country's General Prosecutor's Office to investigate if Moscow is legally allowed to refuse free travel to pensioners who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. | Last year, the city's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, from the pro-Vladimir Putin United Russia party, decided to block the social cards of the elderly, forcing them to pay for travel until they get inoculated. According to Rashkin, the Communist leader in the capital, this is tantamount to compulsory vaccination. | "The mayor's decree violates the rights of citizens of the city of Moscow ove…

RT (2021-02-25). 'You don't have to worry': Amnesty reveals it snubs inconvenient media and rights issues in prank call with 'Navalny ally'. rt.com Running damage control on the 'prisoner of conscience' row, Amnesty officials assured a prankster impersonating Alexey Navalny's ally that they fully supported the jailed blogger and didn't actually care about media freedom. | During a zoom call, Amnesty International's Secretary General Julie Verhaar, Eastern Europe and Central Asia director Marie Struthers and her deputy Denis Krivosheev bent over backwards to assure 'Leonid Volkov' that the organization was still backing Navalny, even though it revoked his "prisoner of conscience" status over previous remarks that qualified as hate speech. | Treating the ro…

Juan Cole (2021-02-25). Biden's New Mideast: In Nadir of US-Saudi Relations, release planned of CIA report Accusing Crown prince of Murder. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The Biden administration will release a Central Intelligence Agency report concluding that crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, 35, of Saudi Arabia, masterminded the assassination on October 2, 2018, of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. I'm not sure even an old foreign policy hand like President Biden understands how explosive this …

Ali Harb (2021-02-25). Biden calls Saudi King Salman ahead of release of Khashoggi report. middleeasteye.net Biden calls Saudi King Salman ahead of release of Khashoggi report | White House statement on call did not mention Jamal Khashoggi, but the impending release of US report on the murder is expected to shake US-Saudi ties | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 22: 46 | The Biden administration has said it will release the US intelligence community's findings on the murder (AFP/File photo) | President Joe Biden held his first phone ca…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). UAE: Princess Latifa asks UK police to reopen case into sister Shamsa's kidnapping. middleeasteye.net UAE: Princess Latifa asks UK police to reopen case into sister Shamsa's kidnapping | In a handwritten letter given to British authorities on Wednesday, Latifa says a new investigation could help her secure her sister's release | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 14: 12 | Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum attends the Global Women's Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 February 2020. (REUTERS/Christopher…

Claudia Jones (2021-02-25). Life and times of Claudia Jones: In her own words. peoplesworld.org Claudia Jones (1915—1964), an Afro-Caribbean woman born in Port of Spain, British West Indies (Trinidad), was a Communist activist in the U.S., holding several responsible positions within the Communist Party and for its publications until her deportation in 1955 to Great Britain. There, based in London, she played a leading role in the West Indian …

MEE correspondent (2021-02-25). Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash | Meanwhile, conservatives squeeze Rouhani to prevent breakthrough in talks with UN nuclear watchdog and timber traffickers use cars to avoid police detection | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 09: 56 | Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (L) having a meal with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland,…

RT (2021-02-25). Asian-American civil rights group blasts critical race theory as 'hateful, divisive fraud' in fiery letter. rt.com The New York chapter of the oldest US Asian-American civil rights group has denounced critical race theory as actual racism and urged its members to resist, as the Biden administration seeks to mandate CRT-based 'equity'. | CRT "is a hateful, divisive, manipulative fraud," the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) of Greater New York said in a

RT (2021-02-25). #MeWho? Former Cuomo aide's tell-all of strip poker & unwanted kisses met with crickets, proving movement killed by partisanship. rt.com Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has finally come forward with the details of her alleged harassment — only to be confronted by cricket chirps, as the #MeToo crusaders seem to have vanished. | Months after going public with the claim that she was harassed by Cuomo during her three-year stint working for the governor's office, Boylan delivered the details of the governor's alleged misconduct — from unwanted advances including a kiss and comments about her body, to an invitation to play strip poker on a private flight, to a claustrophobic interlude at the governor's off…

RT (2021-02-25). Student shamed as 'disrespectful' for choosing 'racist' Candace Owens as 'black trailblazer' for project, now leaving school. rt.com A Virginia student is leaving her high school after staff failed to do anything about a mass email blasting her for choosing to highlight conservative pundit Candace Owens as a "black trailblazer." | Students at St. Margaret's High School in Tappahannock, Virginia were assigned this month by the Black Student Union to present projects on "black trailblazers" in honor of Black History Month. Julia Saville, a junior, chose Owens. | Saville, a chapter leader for Turning Point USA for which Owens used to work, told Daily Wire she joined the Black Student Union to get a different perspective on race issues in light…

RT (2021-02-25). US Olympic gymnastics coach who worked with abusive Dr. Nassar commits SUICIDE after being charged with sexual assault himself. rt.com John Geddert, who coached the US Gymnastics team to gold at the 2012 Olympics and worked with disgraced doctor Larry Nassar, has committed suicide after being charged with sexual assault, human trafficking and abuse. | "My office has been notified that the body of John Geddert was found late this afternoon after taking his own life. This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Thursday. | Earlier in the day, Nessel had announced two dozen charges against Geddert, including human trafficking, sexual assault and running a criminal enterprise at…

RT (2021-02-25). Wanted: Ad seeks well-paid PR strategist for New York governor amid nursing home deaths and harassment scandals. rt.com Andrew Cuomo's office has reportedly posted an ad seeking a communications director to handle "messaging" for the state's many scandals, from nursing home death coverups to sexual harassment allegations to endless corruption. | "The State of New York's Executive Chamber has an immediate opening for a top level executive to lead messaging for the Office of the Governor. The position reports to the Communications Director," the listing, reposted on Wednesday, revealed. | pic.twitter.com/KlGs18th0E— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) RT (2021-02-25). No more Mr. Potato Head? Hasbro bombarded with mockery after announcement that famous toy brand is gender neutral now. rt.com Hasbro has announced that their famous Mr. Potato Head toy will soon be rebranded as simply Potato Head to break away from the traditional two genders once offered. | "Culture has evolved," Kimberly Boyd, an SVP and GM at Hasbro, told Fast Company about the change. "Kids want to be able to represent their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists — with the 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'— is limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure." | Since the Mr. and Mrs. Potato head toys have appealed to mainly young children for decades now, this new change will be a way to break down the…

RT (2021-02-25). 'Not consistent with our objectives': Harvard plans event featuring expert on cancel culture… then cancels it. rt.com Author and cancel culture critic James Lindsay was set to appear at an event for the Harvard Business School Club of New York, but in an ironic twist, organizers got cold feet and cancelled the entire event. | The event, which was set for March 11, would have featured Lindsay speaking about a book he co-authored, 'Cynical Theories', which turns a critical eye toward things like cancel culture and cultural appropriation. Lindsay is also the founder of New Discourses, a site that also takes a critical approach to social justice issues being politicized in the culture and in education. | While one would think som…

RT (2021-02-25). As troop withdrawal nears, police say militias aim to blow up Capitol, 'kill as many members as possible' during Biden's SOTU. rt.com Police have apparently found a new pretext to keep a militarized security shield around the US Capitol, warning that pro-Trump militias are plotting to bomb Congress during President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech. | "We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6 have stated their desire that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct nexus to the State of the Union," acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman said Thursday in testimony to a House subcommittee. | Such an attack would carry out unfinished business that the electio…

RT (2021-02-25). Georgia State House approves bill limiting police budget cuts to NO MORE than 5% as Democrats slam law as unconstitutional. rt.com Georgia lawmakers have passed a bill that would prohibit large cuts to city and county police budgets, handing off the law to the GOP-led Senate as Democrats insist it would violate local autonomy and the state constitution. | The

RT (2021-02-25). 'QAnon Congresswoman' Greene hangs 'There are two genders' sign in Capitol hall, amid fight with Dems over LBGTQ bill. rt.com Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has struck back against Democrat Rep. Marie Newman, planting a sign reading "there are two genders" outside Newman's office after a trans rights flag went up outside her own. | In a speech to the House on Wednesday, Greene (R-Georgia) vocally opposed the

RT (2021-02-25). Dem operative turned Facebook comms director apologizes for 'hate speech' label on congresswoman's video with transgender flag. rt.com Rep. Marie Newman (D-Illinois) was outraged after Facebook briefly flagged a video of her putting a transgender flag outside the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Georgia) as "hate speech." | "Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labeled it as 'hate speech,'" Newman tweeted on Thursday. | She blasted the social media platform for censoring her content — typically a complaint

RT (2021-02-25). As Telegram and Parler gain traction, Twitter tries to keep users by introducing PAID Super Followers. rt.com Twitter has announced upcoming massive changes to their platform, including allowing users to get paid by followers and the ability to create groups based on certain subjects. | Users will soon be able to get paid by what is referred to as Super Followers access to bonus content, such as a newsletter subscription or bonus tweets. Direct paid subscription features have been successful on other social media platforms, though Twitter has not revealed what sort of fee they will be taking once the feature is finally added to their service. | There will also be a new group feature added to the service called Communi…

PAI (2021-02-25). Petitions to oust Trump USPS board and postmaster DeJoy top 1.1M signatures. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—Petitions to Democratic President Joe Biden and Congress' Democratic leaders to replace the Trump-named U.S. Postal Service board with a new one that would in turn fire Trumpite Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have passed 1.12 million signatures combined. And that figure may be low. The American Postal Workers Union reported their petition is just …

Mike Garrity (2021-02-25). Big Victory in Yellowstone Ecosystem as Biden Administration Pulls Massive Henry's Fork Logging and Burning Scheme. counterpunch.org Last December the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Native Ecosystems Council, and Yellowstone to Uintas Connection took the Trump administration's Forest Service to federal court over plans to massively log and burn over 40,000 acres in the very headwaters of the world-famous Henry's Fork of the Snake River. We are exceptionally pleased to announce that

RT (2021-02-25). After shuttering TV stations, Kiev now bans Telegram channels despite internet providers saying they can't actually censor them. rt.com A Ukrainian judge has ordered four major news channels on the Telegram messaging service to be blocked across the country, just weeks after the government banned a series of opposition-owned broadcasters and online news sites. | On Wednesday, the local Strana outlet reported it had received confirmation from a source in the SBU security agency, Kiev's successor to the Soviet-era KGB, that a district court in Kharkov had ordered the ban on the popular news feeds. Among them are Legitimnyy, Gossip Girl, Resident and Kartel, all operating in the Russian-language, which is reportedly spoken at home by at least one…

RT (2021-02-25). Biden's transgender assistant health secretary nominee REFUSES questions on child sex changes in confirmation hearing. rt.com Rachel Levine, President Joe Biden's nominee for assistant health secretary, evaded questioning on her past support for child sex changes during her Senate confirmation hearing, a move that left GOP Senator Rand Paul "outraged." | Dr. Richard Levine had a long and successful career as a pediatrician before undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2011 and taking the name Rachel. Since then, Rachel Levine has transitioned to politics, becoming Pennsylvania's health secretary in 2017, before being tapped by President Biden earlier this month to become the next US Assistant Secretary for Health, as well as the h…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-25). Here's how you can support the campaign to stop the deportation of Osime Brown. thecanary.co

The Canary (2021-02-25). British Gas engineers to launch new wave of strikes over fire and rehire plans. thecanary.co British Gas engineers will launch a fresh wave of strikes on 26 February in a deadlocked dispute over pay and conditions. | Strike: | Members of the GMB union will walk out for four days following weeks of action since the start of the year. Parent company Centrica announced on 25 February that its underlying earnings had fallen by almost a third as it lost more customers. The group reported a 31% drop in underlying operating profits to £447m for 2020. | Talks have been held between the two sides at the conciliation service Acas, but the union has accused the company of refusing to withdraw fire and…

RT (2021-02-25). Israel suspends sending its Covid vaccine doses to other countries amid legal scrutiny & defense minister's objections. rt.com The office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has halted the sending of Covid-19 jabs to other countries after the move sparked questions from the state attorney general and angered Defense Minister Benny Gantz. | The suspension was announced on Thursday, shortly after Israel's attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, asked National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat for clarification on the program. | Gantz has

Staff (2021-02-25). Republicans Unite Against Stimulus Bill That Has 76 Percent Voter Support. truthout.org A new poll of 2,013 registered voters has found that 76 percent of voters are supportive of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package. This is an increase from The stimulus package enjoys wide and decisive support. Nearly 90 percent of Democratic voters are in favor of the bill, called…

Staff (2021-02-25). Trump Cabinet Members Urged Staffers to "Be the Resistance" Within Biden Admin. truthout.org Government watchdog groups are calling on congressional committees to release the names of Trump political appointees who have "burrowed" into career civil service positions over concerns they may attempt to "sabotage" the Biden administration. | Former President Donald Trump signed an

Staff (2021-02-25). Two-Thirds of GOP Voters Still Buy Into False Claims of Election Fraud. truthout.org A new poll focusing on Republican voters' attitudes on the 2020 election shows that more than two-thirds of respondents do not accept the result of the presidential race as legitimate. | R Street Institute, a policy organization which promotes "free markets and limited, effective government," found that

Staff (2021-02-25). No, Biden's Climate Plans Don't Cut It. truthout.org Long before the Texas energy crisis renewed calls for dramatic action, President Biden was getting high marks right now from a climate movement that was far from enthusiastic about him during the 2020 primaries. A wide range of activists, academics and policy wonks who spent four years planning for a post-Trump reality are almost unified in their enthusiasm about Biden's early moves. | But while everyone agrees there's considerable work ahead, is the celebration of Biden's climate agenda premature? | The White House's release of a s…

Staff (2021-02-25). Dems Introduce Bill to Eliminate Pensions for Presidents With Felony Convictions. truthout.org Two Democratic lawmakers will introduce a bill that would strip former presidents of pension and other benefits if they were convicted of a felony — legislation that seems to be aimed directly at former President Donald Trump, who is presently the subject of numerous investigations. | Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-New York) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) have authored the Restoring and Enforcing Accountability of Presidents (REAP) Act, which would change portions of the Form…

Staff (2021-02-25). Marjorie Taylor Greene Targets Dem Lawmaker's Trans Daughter With Cruel Sign. truthout.org Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), a member of Congress who was removed from committee assignments earlier this year for pushing conspiracy theories and issuing bigoted statements in her past, placed a sign next to her congressional office on Wednesday meant to mock transgender individuals. |

Staff (2021-02-25). COVID Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for Blind People. truthout.org Many covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a KHN investigation has found. | Across the country, people who use special software to make the web accessible have been unable to sign up for the vaccines or obtain vital information about covid-19 because many government websites lack required accessibility features. At l…

Staff (2021-02-25). Republicans Think Commission to Investigate January 6 Needs More Republicans. truthout.org Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) The commission will be tasked with investigating the events of the at…

teleSUR (2021-02-25). Colombians Are Injured During Protest Against Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Four people on Wednesday were injured by Colombia's Mobile Anti-Riot Squadron (ESMAD) during a peaceful protest against police brutality in Bogota. | RELATED: | Gareth Steven, 24, lost his left eye after he was hit on his cheek by an officer near Bolivar Square. He was rushed to a nearby hospital due to severe injuries. | "We are making all inquiries to identify who injured Steven and under what circumstances," Interior M…

West Resendes (2021-02-25). President Biden: Stop Funding the Policing of Our Students. aclu.org Over 150,000 Black and Brown children, disproportionately children with disabilities, are handcuffed, restrained, referred to law enforcement, and arrested in schools across the nation

WSWS (2021-02-25). Judas and the Black Messiah: The 1969 state murder of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton. wsws.org The December 4, 1969, assassination was one of the most brazen crimes ever carried out by the US ruling class.

Will Solomon (2021-02-24). Cuomo's Cover-up Will be Most Effectively Weaponized by the Right. counterpunch.org On February 11, news broke that the Cuomo administration intentionally hid data on COVID-related nursing home deaths from the federal government and New York state legislators, ostensibly for fear of a Department of Justice investigation and potential federal prosecution. The revelation was fairly shocking, but hardly out of character. Cuomo's mishandling of the pandemic—coupled with

Rajan Menon (2021-02-24). Covid-19 Demonstrated How This Country Fails Its Most Vulnerable: A Field Guide to Our Threadbare Social Safety Net. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. Between …

Michael Otto (2021-02-24). Ecuador elections — The calm before the storm. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador's presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough . . . |

a guest author (2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted incarcerated people in the U.S. In California, during the early days of the pandemic, the transfer of prisoners into San Quentin sparked a massive outbreak of COVID that spread to over two-thirds of the prison population there, causing the death of 27 prisoners, including . . . |

RT (2021-02-24). How do you do, fellow kids? Biden White House leaves followers baffled after tweeting out-of-touch meme with Canadian PM. rt.com The Biden administration has taken a popular meme and mutilated it, leaving what appears to be praise for Canada's Justin Trudeau but which was hard to understand either way. | Biden's White House Twitter account posted two images in a row captioned "How it started. How it's going" on Wednesday. The first showed Biden and Trudeau walking side by side down a hallway lined with flags, apparently from Biden's term as Vice President under Barack Obama. The second featured a large screen on which Trudeau was projected, with Biden turned towards it, seemingly in mid-speech, clearly taken during the pandemic. | How i…

RT (2021-02-24). Twitter called out for 'double standards' after it singles out report on UK influence op in Russia with 'hacked materials' label. rt.com Twitter has added a warning to a bombshell expose revealing a covert UK program to plant pro-government narratives in foreign media, telling users the piece may be based on "hacked material," despite letting similar stories slide. | A

2021-02-25: News Headlines

Fight Back (2021-02-25). #Tally19 stands with Ben Grant and against HB1. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – On February 23, at the Leon County Clerk of Courts, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) held an outdoor press conference to amplify demands of the #Tally19 – activists arrested last September during and in the days following a Black Lives Matter protest to condemn a grand jury decision that let three Tallahassee killer cops walk free. | A large banner behind the press conference podium read: "#Drop the charges #Tally14 19," reflecting that on September 5, militarized police arrested and charged 14 protest attendees, and in the days after, also arrested four protesters and issued a…

JaTaune Bosby (2021-02-25). Breaking Down Systemic Racism Through Collective Action in the South. aclu.org This month, the ACLU launched its Systemic Equality agenda — an initiative designed to center equity and attack our country's legacy of systemic racism by addressing the imbalance of political power, challenging policies that ravage Black communities, and furthering efforts to advance our racial justice work. As a part of this ambitious effort, the ACLU is making an unprecedented investment in the people and region where vulnerable communities are most affected by local and national regressive policies: the South. | From Reconstruction to the attacks on democracy following the Black Lives Matter movement mo…

Staff (2021-02-25). "Not Ready to Give Up": Democrats Push Senate to Keep Popular $15 Minimum Wage in Stimulus Bill. democracynow.org As the House of Representatives prepares to pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, a fight is brewing over the inclusion of an increase to the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The measure is at risk in the Senate, where conservative Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema oppose its inclusion in the relief bill or suggest a lower amount. Congressmember Jan Schakowsky of Illinois says Congress must pass the minimum wage hike to help address inequality in the United States. "The current minimum wage, federally, is $7.25. Now, you can't live on that. You can't raise a family…

Staff (2021-02-25). "Decades in the Making": How Mainstream Conservatives & Right-Wing Money Fueled the Capitol Attack. democracynow.org As more details emerge about those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, it's becoming clearer that the insurrection was not the work of a "fringe" group, but rather the result of a decades-long conservative effort to undermine democracy, according to author Brendan O'Connor. "The events of January 6 were not just months, but years, decades, in the making," says O'Connor, who notes that major Republican donors and prominent conservative groups were connected to the Trump rally that immediately preceded the Capitol riot.

Viviana Weinstein (2021-02-26). Denver protest: 'No war on Iran!'. workers.org Feb. 20, Denver.Denver Students for a Democratic Society, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Denver Peace Council held a demonstration Feb. 20 at the state capital, in cooperation with the national call to prevent Washington from instigating a war against Iran. Threats the U.S. warships would move into the Persian/Arabian . . . |

A Guest Author (2021-02-26). Denver protest: 'No war on Iran!'. workers.org By Vivian Weinstein Denver Students for a Democratic Society, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Denver Peace Council held a demonstration Feb. 20 at the state capital, in cooperation with the national call to prevent Washington from instigating a war against Iran. Threats the U.S. warships would move into the . . . |

Miko Peled (2021-02-25). Elections Are Not Democracy: Call To Boycott Upcoming Israeli and Palestinian Votes that Don't Matter. mintpressnews.com Elections will matter in Palestine when they are called to include all people who live between the River and the Sea — one person, one vote for a single legislature and executive in a Palestine that is liberated.

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Occupation and peace cannot coexist, says Jordan's King Abdullah. middleeasteye.net Occupation and peace cannot coexist, says Jordan's King Abdullah | Amman ready to play part in relaunching peace negotiations with Palestinian leadership, monarch says | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 20 | King Abdullah said US leadership was 'essential' in peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that continued unilateral actions will kill any cha…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Australian historian urged to return Israeli health prize by 250 academics. middleeasteye.net Australian historian urged to return Israeli health prize by 250 academics | Hundreds sign letter asking Alison Bashford to turn down Dan David prize over Israel's 'undermining of Palestine's health systems' | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 13: 25 | A Palestinian man demonstrates in support of BDS near Ramallah (AFP) | An Australian historian is being urged to turn down a highly lucrative Israeli award in an open letter si…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Occupation and peace cannot co-exist, says Jordan's King Abdullah. middleeasteye.net Occupation and peace cannot co-exist, says Jordan's King Abdullah | Amman ready to play part in relaunching peace negotiations with Palestinian leadership, monarch says | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 20 | King Abdullah said US leadership was 'essential' in peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that continued unilateral actions will kill any ch…

_____ (2021-02-25). Democracy Now Amplifies State Department Propaganda Campaign Against China Behind Progressive Cover. strategic-culture.org By Danny HAIPHONG | While Democracy Now hosts US gov't-funded pundits to spread humanitarian interventionist propaganda about Xinjiang, an analysis by The Grayzone found most of the outlets's China coverage is sharply negative | The U.S. has claimed a humanitarian "Responsibility to Protect" to justify military operations in the name of saving civilian lives from evil dictators. Most notable have been the brutal U.S.-led wars in Libya and Syria which destabilized entire regions in the name of "civilian protection" and "promoting democracy." These operations relied heavily on self-described human rights NGO's and…

Norman Solomon (2021-02-25). Republican Hypocrisy is No Reason to Support Neera Tanden. counterpunch.org Most corporate media outlets have depicted President Biden's effort to win Senate confirmation of Neera Tanden as a battle to overcome Republican hypocrisy about her "mean tweets," name-calling and nasty partisanship. But there are very important reasons to prevent Tanden from becoming the Office of Management and Budget director. They have nothing to do with

Staff (2021-02-25). Republicans Think Commission to Investigate January 6 Needs More Republicans. truthout.org Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) The commission will be tasked with investigating the events of the at…

TN Long (2021-02-25). Virginia comes out to support Alabama Amazon workers. peoplesworld.org ARLINGTON, Va.—On Saturday, Feb. 20, the Southern Workers Assembly coordinated over 40 solidarity events around the country in support of the workers at the Bessemer, Ala., Amazon facility who are currently in the midst of a vote to unionize their workplace. The unionization campaign there, called the BAmazon Union, is organized by the Mid-South Council …

Betsey Piette (2021-02-25). On Feb. 20: U.S. cities in solidarity to #BAmazon workers. workers.org Outside union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis, Philadelphia, Feb. 20. (WW Photo: Joe Piette) As Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., vote to unionize, they are gaining support. On Feb. 20, demonstrations took place in solidarity with BAmazon workers in 50+ U.S. cities in 30 states, including several in the South. The . . . |

Betsey Piette (2021-02-25). On Feb. 20: U.S. cities in solidarity with #BAmazon workers. workers.org Outside union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis, Philadelphia, Feb. 20. (WW Photo: Joe Piette) As Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., vote to unionize, they are gaining support. On Feb. 20, demonstrations took place in solidarity with BAmazon workers in 50+ U.S. cities in 30 states, including several in the South. The . . . |

Workers World Party (2021-02-25). PDF of February 25 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Texas freeze: Rich get richer, workers suffer 50+ actions: Solidarity with #BAmazon workers BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Washerwomen Strike Steelworker resistance ALSO: Free Mumia! UAW in crisis Police repel hungry people U.S. life expectancy drops Vaccine patents = profits Editorial: Whole world is watching GLOBAL: Who is Navalny? . . . |

a guest author (2021-02-25). Bessemer Amazon workers: 'They are showing the way'. workers.org Joan Hwang The following remarks were given by Joan Hwang (she/they), an organizer with the Workers Assembly Against Racism, at a Feb. 20 rally in Manhattan, N.Y., in solidarity with Amazon workers organizing a union drive in Bessemer, Ala. Hwang is also an urban farmer. We are out here today . . . |

The Conversation (2021-02-26). Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web. juancole.com By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …

Ted Kelly (2021-02-26). Biden sends B-1 bombers to Norway, threatens Russia. workers.org The U.S. Air Force announced during February that it is sending four B-1 bombers and at least 200 personnel to Orland Air Base on the central coast of Norway. Pentagon officials made no secret of the fact that the deployment is meant as a threat to Russia, which is well . . . |

Michael T. Klare (2021-02-26). Biden, Climate Change, and China: A New Cold War equals A Scalding Planet. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — Slowing the pace of climate change and getting "tough" on China, especially over its human-rights abuses and unfair trade practices, are among the top priorities President Biden has announced for his new administration. Evidently, he believes that he can tame a rising China with harsh pressure tactics, while still gaining its …

Patricia Gorky (2021-02-26). Exposed: McDonald's surveillance operation spies on employees organizing for a living wage. liberationnews.org New reports show that McDonald's has spied on workers "for years" in their effort to combat the Fight for $15 movement that has been struggling for a living wage for nearly a decade. According to documents leaked to Motherboard, McDonald's hired a team of global intelligence analysts to identify and surveil workers and labor leaders …

Anustup Roy (2021-02-25). India's Farm Protests: "If We Don't Stand By Them, Who Will?" counterpunch.org "The company people are certainly irritated with the protest happening here. It has badly affected transportation and the business is running poorly," says 22-year-old Nizamuddin Ali, a security supervisor at a home appliances factory in the Kundli industrial area. He lives about six kilometres from the farmers' protest site at Singhu, on the Haryana-Delhi border.

Sasha Harrison (2021-02-25). Fired up! Harlem's fight for housing in the 1930s. liberationnews.org The housing struggle in Harlem during the Great Depression took New York City by storm, as some of the most oppressed sectors of society united and stood tall in the face of exploitation.

Ray McGinnis (2021-02-25). The Doll House the CIA Built. dissidentvoice.org American news these past few decades has been an almost constant non-stop spectacle of shock and awe. Breaking news is emotionally gripping, often disorienting, a 24/7 drama without rest. Key talking points are relentlessly asserted. And with each passing year news commentators grow ever more certain of their talking points, with no sense that dissenting points …

George Wuerthner (2021-02-25). Degrading Forest Ecosystems in the Name of Collaboration. counterpunch.org A recent article in the Blue Mountain Eagle Finding Common Ground on Active Forest Management quotes several people about restoring forest health. None of these people have expertise in forest ecology, except James Johnson from the OSU forestry school. The irony is that all these people, including Johnson, ignore the science from other scientists in

The Conversation (2021-02-25). Texas blackouts show why energy should be a universal right. juancole.com By Gordon Walker | — An unprecedented cold wave in the US state of Texas recently left several million households without power for days on end, as temperatures dropped well below freezing. Dozens of people died from hypothermia, car crashes, house fires or carbon monoxide poisoning from running cars or generators simply to keep warm. …

Chris Hartmann (2021-02-25). To 'Build Back Better,' listen to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. peoplesworld.org Though often ignored, communities know best what ails them. I am reminded of this often because I hear it in my classroom. I heard it before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I hear it louder now as the pandemic rages on. At the end of last term, amidst the surge in cases after Thanksgiving, I asked …

Arthur Zipser (2021-02-25). William Z. Foster—Pioneer fighter for Black equality in organized labor. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: Feb. 25, 2021, marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of William Z. Foster. One of the most well-known figures of early 20th century labor history, Foster spearheaded the drive to organize the packinghouse industry during World War I and led the Great Steel Strike of 1919. He later joined the Communist Party …

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20 percent of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

Jackie Fox (2021-02-25). Neoliberalism is Killing US. realprogressives.org Following the idea of the Big Other defense falling apart when a truth is seen to be publicly accepted, what would be another similar public acceptance of failure for capitalism? Especially now, I think the US healthcare industry is a great place to look. The more timely issue is one of 'who gets coverage at all?' Barack Obama is the first mainstream, high-profile politician to say the words 'single payer,' descriptors that don't describe the Republican-influenced Obamacare that came to pass. | Bernie Sanders again was a part of the elevation of this idea in the mainstream. As I suggested before, he's not a…

Vincent Emanuele (2021-02-25). Dr. Osterholm's Warning: COVID Hurricane on the Horizon. counterpunch.org Twelve months ago, Dr. Michael Osterholm was interviewed on the Joe Rogan Program. At the time, he warned that anywhere from 400,000 to 1.5 million Americans would die of COVID and that the pandemic would last for many years and significantly impact our lives. So far, his predictions have been eerily accurate. Today, Dr. Osterholm is warning that a "Category 5 COVID-hurricane" is on the horizon, with the B117/UK Variant posing the greatest threat.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram (2021-02-25). Developing Countries struggling to cope with COVID-19. mronline.org SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting most developing countries disproportionately, especially the United Nations' least developed countries (LDCs) and the World Bank's low-income countries (LICs).

Chuck Collins (2021-02-25). Nomadland: The Impact of Gender-Bias in Wages. counterpunch.org If you grew up agitated that "women earn 59 cents on the dollar," for the same work as men, there's a movie for you. At the beginning of the new film, Nomadland, one of the characters tells Fern, the lead character played beautifully by Frances McDormand: "My social security check is $550. How am I

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden's and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20% of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The United States continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

William Boardman (2021-02-25). How Rational Can the US Be in Dealing with Yemen and Iran? dissidentvoice.org We're also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen — a war which has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe. I've asked my Middle East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks…. And to underscore our commitment, …

Sasha Harrison (2021-02-25). Harlem's 1930s housing struggle has lessons for today. liberationnews.org The housing struggle in Harlem during the Great Depression took New York City by storm, as some of the most oppressed sectors of society united and stood tall in the face of exploitation.

David Cavendish (2021-02-25). It's time to shorten the workday—and the workweek. peoplesworld.org It's been nearly a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced people in our society to "shelter in place," social distance, and wear masks. Most social activities, such as sporting events, concerts, and parades were canceled. Schools and businesses closed, forcing nearly 50 million people onto the unemployment rolls. And while in recent months the numbers …

The Socialist Program (2021-02-25). Capitalism in Crisis: End Capitalist Control Over Heat & Light. liberationnews.org Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the terrible storm in Texas and elsewhere in the south that has caused death, destruction and a near total breakdown in infrastructure. What does this say about the capitalist system?>

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-25). What Planet Is NATO Living On? counterpunch.org The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme was emphasized by U.S. Secretary of

Eds. (2021-02-25). Cuba has assisted almost one third of the world's population in health care. mronline.org In the six decades of Cuban medical collaboration abroad, its health personnel have assisted 1.988 billion people in the world, almost a third of mankind, said Dr. Jorge Delgado Bustillo, director of the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation (UCCM).

Staff (2021-02-25). Mayim Bialik: 'S*** got deep with me and Cornel West'. therealnews.com Mayim Bialik delves into the long history of solidarity amongst the Jewish people and Black Americans, and details her dismay at the state of racism in America, her upbringing as a staunch advocate for social justice, and her perspective on the apparent contradictions between her faith and her political ideologies.

Eds. (2021-02-25). How did a fateful CIA coup—executed 55 years ago this February 24—doom much of sub-Saharan Africa? mronline.org Fifty-five years ago on this day, the fate of Africa was irrevocably altered when the CIA sponsored a 1966 coup d'état against Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, former Prime Minister of Ghana and Pan-Africanist visionary who was voted as "Africa's Man of the Millennium."

G. Dunkel (2021-02-25). COVID crisis drags down U.S. life expectancy. workers.org The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States is now over 500,000. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. life expectancy dropped by a full year from the first six months of 2019 to the first six months of 2020. This is the biggest drop . . . |

Joe Piette (2021-02-25). 'No war drills on Korean Peninsula!'. workers.org Philadelphia Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network activists hold signs, Feb. 21. Annual U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) combined military exercises are costly and a major obstacle to achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula. And it's a provocative threat against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Korea solidarity groups in the U.S. . . . |

Nicholas Stender (2021-02-25). Chicago Teachers Union's commitment to democracy pays off. liberationnews.org The battle over school reopening in Chicago was a hard fought one.

Chloe de Silva (2021-02-26). Eulalia Reyes Whitney. greenleft.org.au

A Guest Author (2021-02-26). Black rage: a new 'reconstruction' in the U.S. workers.org The following letter from an incarcerated worker at SCI Pine Grove was received by Workers World Feb. 24. By Wesley Massey How do we make a paradigm shift to change how Blacks are viewed with pessimism, and on a good day cautious optimism? How do we change the culture in . . . |

MEE staff (2021-02-26). US launches air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria. middleeasteye.net US launches air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria | Pentagon says raids were authorised by President Biden in response to rocket attacks against US-led coalition forces in Iraq | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 02: 10 | President Biden had vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, but the two countries remain at a diplomatic impasse (AFP/File photo) | US air raids targeted the positions of Iran-backed armed grou…

Staff (2021-02-25). 100+ Countries Push to Loosen WTO Rules on Vaccine Patents. Why Is the U.S. Still Blocking the Way? democracynow.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over 100 nations to waive intellectual property rules that give pharmaceutical companies monopolistic control over vaccines they…

Philippe Marlière (2021-02-25). "Islamo-Leftism": Macron's Witch Hunt Against Critical Academics. counterpunch.org Speaking recently on CNews, France's equivalent of Fox News, the higher education minister launched an unprecedented attack on the whole French academic community. Frédérique Vidal argued that French academia is "gangrened by Islamo-gauchisme" or "Islamo-leftism". The "Islamo-leftism" tag is today used uncritically by members of the government, large sections of the media and conservative academics. It is reminiscent

Eds. (2021-02-25). Human nature is no barrier to socialism. mronline.org Of all the reasons to be angry during the pandemic—the profit-first response of governments, the neglected state of the health system, the environmental crisis underpinning the disaster, the millions dead—it has been people buying extra toilet paper that has elicited the most outrage.

David Trujillo (2021-02-25). We have earned the right to look to a new, socialist future. peoplesworld.org The door is wide open. The opportunity for socialism is a serious option for a new political future. Let's get real: The Republicans have abdicated democratic responsibilities. They have given up on our basic democratic values and the U.S. Constitution. The Republican Party and many of its supporters are frankly pushing for a fascist, racist …

Howie Hawkins (2021-02-25). HR 1's Campaign Finance Program: A Reform that Doesn't Reform. counterpunch.org HR 1, the For the People Act, is an omnibus voting reform bill that has many progressive measures concerning voter registration, voter roll purges, voter-verified paper ballots, early voting, no-excuse absentee ballots, presidential candidate tax returns, gerrymandering, and more. According to reports, the Democratic leadership will whip their members hard to pass the bill through

US (2021-02-25). Over 800 Organizations and Individuals in the United States Demand the Biden Administration End Its Support for the Brutal MoàØse Regime in Haiti. dissidentvoice.org Above photo: By Professor Danny Shaw who is currently in Haiti United States — Today, February 24, 72 organizations and 700 individuals published an open letter calling for the Biden administration to end its illegal and destructive intervention in Haiti. While Joe Biden and the Democrats condemned the Trump forces for not respecting the results …

John Wojcik (2021-02-25). Lies and white supremacy fuel Republican voter suppression campaign. peoplesworld.org It is now clearer than ever that the Republican Party is carrying out a strategy of stoking the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and that it is hanging its ability to make a comeback on supporting the white supremacy that was behind the right-wing insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. …

Juan Cole (2021-02-25). Biden's New Mideast: In Nadir of US-Saudi Relations, release planned of CIA report Accusing Crown prince of Murder. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The Biden administration will release a Central Intelligence Agency report concluding that crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, 35, of Saudi Arabia, masterminded the assassination on October 2, 2018, of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. I'm not sure even an old foreign policy hand like President Biden understands how explosive this …

Mike Walter (2021-02-25). The Heat: U.S.-Iran Nuclear Stalemate. america.cgtn.com The United States and Iran remain at an impasse over which country will make the first move in returning to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Ed Rampell (2021-02-25). 'Finding Sally': A filmic inquiry into the heart of Ethiopia's revolutionary upheavals. peoplesworld.org The Sixties cliché that "the personal is political" is strikingly true in Tamara Mariam Dawit's Finding Sally. When the Ethiopian-Canadian director/writer stumbles—at the ripe old age of 30!—upon the fact that her father and his siblings had another sister she'd never even heard of, Tamara sets out to piece together the puzzle to find out …

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-25). Here's how you can support the campaign to stop the deportation of Osime Brown. thecanary.co

Global Research News (2021-02-25). Selected Articles: The Covid Outbreak: "Biggest Health Scam of the 21st Century." globalresearch.ca By We are health professionals of the international collective :…

Global Research News (2021-02-25). Selected Articles: What Planet Is NATO Living On? globalresearch.ca By These remarks were delivered at an African American History Month virtual webinar hosted by the Moratorium NOW! Coalition on Monday February 22, 2021. The …

a guest author (2021-02-25). Montgomery Bus Boycott, Bessemer, prisiones: Lucha de clases, antes y ahora. workers.org Los boicoteadores de autobuses, sin importar su edad o habilidad, caminaron millas hasta su trabajo en Montgomery, febrero de 1956. Por Monica Moorehead Cincuenta años después del final de la Guerra Civil de los Estados Unidos, y durante el apogeo de los horribles linchamientos de personas negras en el sur . . . |

Staff (2021-02-25). Marjorie Taylor Greene Targets Dem Lawmaker's Trans Daughter With Cruel Sign. truthout.org Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), a member of Congress who was removed from committee assignments earlier this year for pushing conspiracy theories and issuing bigoted statements in her past, placed a sign next to her congressional office on Wednesday meant to mock transgender individuals. |

Staff (2021-02-25). No, Biden's Climate Plans Don't Cut It. truthout.org Long before the Texas energy crisis renewed calls for dramatic action, President Biden was getting high marks right now from a climate movement that was far from enthusiastic about him during the 2020 primaries. A wide range of activists, academics and policy wonks who spent four years planning for a post-Trump reality are almost unified in their enthusiasm about Biden's early moves. | But while everyone agrees there's considerable work ahead, is the celebration of Biden's climate agenda premature? | The White House's release of a s…

Staff (2021-02-25). Two-Thirds of GOP Voters Still Buy Into False Claims of Election Fraud. truthout.org A new poll focusing on Republican voters' attitudes on the 2020 election shows that more than two-thirds of respondents do not accept the result of the presidential race as legitimate. | R Street Institute, a policy organization which promotes "free markets and limited, effective government," found that

Staff (2021-02-25). Dems Introduce Bill to Eliminate Pensions for Presidents With Felony Convictions. truthout.org Two Democratic lawmakers will introduce a bill that would strip former presidents of pension and other benefits if they were convicted of a felony — legislation that seems to be aimed directly at former President Donald Trump, who is presently the subject of numerous investigations. | Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-New York) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) have authored the Restoring and Enforcing Accountability of Presidents (REAP) Act, which would change portions of the Form…

Staff (2021-02-25). Republicans Unite Against Stimulus Bill That Has 76 Percent Voter Support. truthout.org A new poll of 2,013 registered voters has found that 76 percent of voters are supportive of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package. This is an increase from The stimulus package enjoys wide and decisive support. Nearly 90 percent of Democratic voters are in favor of the bill, called…

Staff (2021-02-25). COVID Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for Blind People. truthout.org Many covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a KHN investigation has found. | Across the country, people who use special software to make the web accessible have been unable to sign up for the vaccines or obtain vital information about covid-19 because many government websites lack required accessibility features. At l…

Mike Garrity (2021-02-25). Big Victory in Yellowstone Ecosystem as Biden Administration Pulls Massive Henry's Fork Logging and Burning Scheme. counterpunch.org Last December the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Native Ecosystems Council, and Yellowstone to Uintas Connection took the Trump administration's Forest Service to federal court over plans to massively log and burn over 40,000 acres in the very headwaters of the world-famous Henry's Fork of the Snake River. We are exceptionally pleased to announce that

Staff (2021-02-25). Trump Cabinet Members Urged Staffers to "Be the Resistance" Within Biden Admin. truthout.org Government watchdog groups are calling on congressional committees to release the names of Trump political appointees who have "burrowed" into career civil service positions over concerns they may attempt to "sabotage" the Biden administration. | Former President Donald Trump signed an

PAI (2021-02-25). Petitions to oust Trump USPS board and postmaster DeJoy top 1.1M signatures. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—Petitions to Democratic President Joe Biden and Congress' Democratic leaders to replace the Trump-named U.S. Postal Service board with a new one that would in turn fire Trumpite Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have passed 1.12 million signatures combined. And that figure may be low. The American Postal Workers Union reported their petition is just …

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Republicans introduce bill opposing lifting Iran sanctions. middleeasteye.net Republicans introduce bill opposing lifting Iran sanctions | US lawmakers say Biden must maintain sanctions until Iran 'ends its support for violence and terror around the region' | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 21: 00 | The resolution led by Tom Cotton in the Senate was co-sponsored by 25 other senators (AFP) | Republican Senator Tom Cotton and more than 40 other lawmakers have introduced bicameral legislation that oppos…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Israel: Satellite images show secretive nuclear facility undergoing major revamp. middleeasteye.net Israel: Satellite images show secretive nuclear facility undergoing major revamp | Construction at site near Dimona comes as Israel continues its scathing criticism of Iran's nuclear programme | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 10: 15 | Israel began secretly building the nuclear site with French assistance in the late 1950s in empty desert near Dimona, a city around 90km south of Jerusalem (Planet Labs) | A secretive nuclear…

Simon Hooper (2021-02-25). US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants. middleeasteye.net US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants | Idlib-based reporter cannot appear on social media for six months following release by HTS, according to his own news network | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 12: 02 | Bilal Abdul Kareem stands in front of a mural in Idlib showing George Floyd, an American man killed by police, in 2020 (Twitter) | An American journalist based in Syria's o…

MEE staff (2021-02-25). Democratic lawmakers call on Biden to clarify Yemen policy. middleeasteye.net Democratic lawmakers call on Biden to clarify Yemen policy | In a letter to the president, 41 members of Congress say they support Biden's decision to end support for Saudi coalition, but ask for clarification on what that entails | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 17: 54 | The conflict has killed nearly 250,000 people, caused outbreaks of preventable diseases and brought Yemen to the verge of famine (AFP) | Dozens of Democr…

Ali Harb (2021-02-25). Biden calls Saudi King Salman ahead of release of Khashoggi report. middleeasteye.net Biden calls Saudi King Salman ahead of release of Khashoggi report | White House statement on call did not mention Jamal Khashoggi, but the impending release of US report on the murder is expected to shake US-Saudi ties | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 22: 46 | The Biden administration has said it will release the US intelligence community's findings on the murder (AFP/File photo) | President Joe Biden held his first phone ca…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Morocco set to legalise cannabis growth and export for medical use. middleeasteye.net Morocco set to legalise cannabis growth and export for medical use | Kingdom to allow farming, export and domestic use of drug to help struggling Rif mountain farmers | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 00 | A villager stands in a field of cannabis near the town of Ketama in Morocco's northern Rif region (AFP) | Morocco is set to allow the production and sale of cannabis in the kingdom in an attempt t…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Yemen: UN aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert 'man-made' famine. middleeasteye.net Yemen: UN aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert 'man-made' famine | Mark Lowcock made the appeal ahead of a virtual pledging conference, highlighting a big drop off in aid support in 2020 | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 08: 36 | The United Nations describes Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 80 percent of the people in need (AFP) | UN aid chief Mark Lowcock urged Gulf sta…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities. middleeasteye.net Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities | Legislation allows government to share identities of people not vaccinated against Covid-19 with other authorities, raising privacy concerns for those opting out of inoculation | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 54 | A plenary session at the Israeli parliament in 2019 (AFP) | Israel's parliament approved a law on Wedn…

MEE correspondent (2021-02-25). Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash | Meanwhile, conservatives squeeze Rouhani to prevent breakthrough in talks with UN nuclear watchdog and timber traffickers use cars to avoid police detection | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 09: 56 | Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (L) having a meal with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland,…

RT (2021-02-25). EU declares head of Venezuela's diplomatic mission 'persona non grata' in tit-for-tat after expulsion of European envoy. rt.com The European Union has declared Venezuela's chief diplomat at the bloc "persona non grata," calling the move retaliation after Caracas expelled the EU's ambassador in protest over a new round of sanctions from Brussels. | "The Council today agreed that the head of the Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the European Union be declared persona non grata," the European Council said in a

RT (2021-02-25). US strike in Syria at Biden's orders destroys 'multiple facilities' of 'Iranian-backed militia' – Pentagon. rt.com The US has targeted Iran-backed militia in Syria, the Pentagon confirmed, adding that the airstrikes were approved by US President Joe Biden and intended as reprisal for rocket attacks on US bases in Iraq. | "At President Biden's direction US military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian backed militant groups in eastern Syria," the Pentagon's spokesman John Kirby said in a

RT (2021-02-25). As Telegram and Parler gain traction, Twitter tries to keep users by introducing PAID Super Followers. rt.com Twitter has announced upcoming massive changes to their platform, including allowing users to get paid by followers and the ability to create groups based on certain subjects. | Users will soon be able to get paid by what is referred to as Super Followers access to bonus content, such as a newsletter subscription or bonus tweets. Direct paid subscription features have been successful on other social media platforms, though Twitter has not revealed what sort of fee they will be taking once the feature is finally added to their service. | There will also be a new group feature added to the service called Communi…

RT (2021-02-25). Asian-American civil rights group blasts critical race theory as 'hateful, divisive fraud' in fiery letter. rt.com The New York chapter of the oldest US Asian-American civil rights group has denounced critical race theory as actual racism and urged its members to resist, as the Biden administration seeks to mandate CRT-based 'equity'. | CRT "is a hateful, divisive, manipulative fraud," the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) of Greater New York said in a

RT (2021-02-25). Student shamed as 'disrespectful' for choosing 'racist' Candace Owens as 'black trailblazer' for project, now leaving school. rt.com A Virginia student is leaving her high school after staff failed to do anything about a mass email blasting her for choosing to highlight conservative pundit Candace Owens as a "black trailblazer." | Students at St. Margaret's High School in Tappahannock, Virginia were assigned this month by the Black Student Union to present projects on "black trailblazers" in honor of Black History Month. Julia Saville, a junior, chose Owens. | Saville, a chapter leader for Turning Point USA for which Owens used to work, told Daily Wire she joined the Black Student Union to get a different perspective on race issues in light…

RT (2021-02-25). Trump hands over 'MILLIONS of pages' of tax returns to Manhattan DA — reports. rt.com Former president Donald Trump has reportedly handed over his tax returns to prosecutors in New York. With Trump describing the investigation as a "fishing expedition," sifting through the "millions of pages" may take time. | The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump's lawyers may no longer shield the ex-president's tax returns from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who is investigating whether Trump and the Trump Organization committed any financial crimes, including his alleged inflating of property values to secure loans. | Trump's lawyers immediately handed over the returns, CNN reported on Thu…

RT (2021-02-25). US Olympic gymnastics coach who worked with abusive Dr. Nassar commits SUICIDE after being charged with sexual assault himself. rt.com John Geddert, who coached the US Gymnastics team to gold at the 2012 Olympics and worked with disgraced doctor Larry Nassar, has committed suicide after being charged with sexual assault, human trafficking and abuse. | "My office has been notified that the body of John Geddert was found late this afternoon after taking his own life. This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Thursday. | Earlier in the day, Nessel had announced two dozen charges against Geddert, including human trafficking, sexual assault and running a criminal enterprise at…

RT (2021-02-25). 'QAnon Congresswoman' Greene hangs 'There are two genders' sign in Capitol hall, amid fight with Dems over LBGTQ bill. rt.com Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has struck back against Democrat Rep. Marie Newman, planting a sign reading "there are two genders" outside Newman's office after a trans rights flag went up outside her own. | In a speech to the House on Wednesday, Greene (R-Georgia) vocally opposed the

RT (2021-02-25). Wanted: Ad seeks well-paid PR strategist for New York governor amid nursing home deaths and harassment scandals. rt.com Andrew Cuomo's office has reportedly posted an ad seeking a communications director to handle "messaging" for the state's many scandals, from nursing home death coverups to sexual harassment allegations to endless corruption. | "The State of New York's Executive Chamber has an immediate opening for a top level executive to lead messaging for the Office of the Governor. The position reports to the Communications Director," the listing, reposted on Wednesday, revealed. | pic.twitter.com/KlGs18th0E— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) RT (2021-02-25). Biden's transgender assistant health secretary nominee REFUSES questions on child sex changes in confirmation hearing. rt.com Rachel Levine, President Joe Biden's nominee for assistant health secretary, evaded questioning on her past support for child sex changes during her Senate confirmation hearing, a move that left GOP Senator Rand Paul "outraged." | Dr. Richard Levine had a long and successful career as a pediatrician before undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2011 and taking the name Rachel. Since then, Rachel Levine has transitioned to politics, becoming Pennsylvania's health secretary in 2017, before being tapped by President Biden earlier this month to become the next US Assistant Secretary for Health, as well as the h…

RT (2021-02-25). 700+ children remain in detention at US border, 200 for over 48 hours, amid spike in unaccompanied crossings — media. rt.com Hundreds of unaccompanied minors have been held at the US border waiting to be processed, Axios reported. Almost a third of them have been lingering in detention for more than two days, as the backlog piles up. | Around 700 minors who crossed into the US on their own were kept in Border Patrol Custody as of Sunday, Axios By that time, around 200 children had already been held up for over 48 hours, a…

RT (2021-02-25). Georgia State House approves bill limiting police budget cuts to NO MORE than 5% as Democrats slam law as unconstitutional. rt.com Georgia lawmakers have passed a bill that would prohibit large cuts to city and county police budgets, handing off the law to the GOP-led Senate as Democrats insist it would violate local autonomy and the state constitution. | The

RT (2021-02-25). #MeWho? Former Cuomo aide's tell-all of strip poker & unwanted kisses met with crickets, proving movement killed by partisanship. rt.com Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has finally come forward with the details of her alleged harassment — only to be confronted by cricket chirps, as the #MeToo crusaders seem to have vanished. | Months after going public with the claim that she was harassed by Cuomo during her three-year stint working for the governor's office, Boylan delivered the details of the governor's alleged misconduct — from unwanted advances including a kiss and comments about her body, to an invitation to play strip poker on a private flight, to a claustrophobic interlude at the governor's off…

RT (2021-02-25). As troop withdrawal nears, police say militias aim to blow up Capitol, 'kill as many members as possible' during Biden's SOTU. rt.com Police have apparently found a new pretext to keep a militarized security shield around the US Capitol, warning that pro-Trump militias are plotting to bomb Congress during President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech. | "We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6 have stated their desire that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct nexus to the State of the Union," acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman said Thursday in testimony to a House subcommittee. | Such an attack would carry out unfinished business that the electio…

RT (2021-02-25). Flu gets the cold shoulder: Influenza now virtually non-existent in US as Covid-19 spread continues. rt.com The coronavirus-battered US has enjoyed an unusually calm flu season, showing the lowest figures in decades. The lack of influenza likely stems from enduring restrictions — or Covid-19 wrestling out weaker germs, experts believe. | The ongoing pandemic has had an unexpected effect on the US healthscape, with the conventional flu being almost completely wiped out. Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a sharp drop in influenza cases occurred last April — and the figures remain extremely low ever since. | The 2020-21 flu season has essentially not even happened at a…

RT (2021-02-25). Dem operative turned Facebook comms director apologizes for 'hate speech' label on congresswoman's video with transgender flag. rt.com Rep. Marie Newman (D-Illinois) was outraged after Facebook briefly flagged a video of her putting a transgender flag outside the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Georgia) as "hate speech." | "Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labeled it as 'hate speech,'" Newman tweeted on Thursday. | She blasted the social media platform for censoring her content — typically a complaint

RT (2021-02-25). 'Not consistent with our objectives': Harvard plans event featuring expert on cancel culture… then cancels it. rt.com Author and cancel culture critic James Lindsay was set to appear at an event for the Harvard Business School Club of New York, but in an ironic twist, organizers got cold feet and cancelled the entire event. | The event, which was set for March 11, would have featured Lindsay speaking about a book he co-authored, 'Cynical Theories', which turns a critical eye toward things like cancel culture and cultural appropriation. Lindsay is also the founder of New Discourses, a site that also takes a critical approach to social justice issues being politicized in the culture and in education. | While one would think som…

RT (2021-02-25). No more Mr. Potato Head? Hasbro bombarded with mockery after announcement that famous toy brand is gender neutral now. rt.com Hasbro has announced that their famous Mr. Potato Head toy will soon be rebranded as simply Potato Head to break away from the traditional two genders once offered. | "Culture has evolved," Kimberly Boyd, an SVP and GM at Hasbro, told Fast Company about the change. "Kids want to be able to represent their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists — with the 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'— is limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure." | Since the Mr. and Mrs. Potato head toys have appealed to mainly young children for decades now, this new change will be a way to break down the…

The Canary (2021-02-25). British Gas engineers to launch new wave of strikes over fire and rehire plans. thecanary.co British Gas engineers will launch a fresh wave of strikes on 26 February in a deadlocked dispute over pay and conditions. | Strike: | Members of the GMB union will walk out for four days following weeks of action since the start of the year. Parent company Centrica announced on 25 February that its underlying earnings had fallen by almost a third as it lost more customers. The group reported a 31% drop in underlying operating profits to £447m for 2020. | Talks have been held between the two sides at the conciliation service Acas, but the union has accused the company of refusing to withdraw fire and…

Claudia Jones (2021-02-25). Life and times of Claudia Jones: In her own words. peoplesworld.org Claudia Jones (1915—1964), an Afro-Caribbean woman born in Port of Spain, British West Indies (Trinidad), was a Communist activist in the U.S., holding several responsible positions within the Communist Party and for its publications until her deportation in 1955 to Great Britain. There, based in London, she played a leading role in the West Indian …

MEE staff (2021-02-25). UAE: Princess Latifa asks UK police to reopen case into sister Shamsa's kidnapping. middleeasteye.net UAE: Princess Latifa asks UK police to reopen case into sister Shamsa's kidnapping | In a handwritten letter given to British authorities on Wednesday, Latifa says a new investigation could help her secure her sister's release | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 14: 12 | Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum attends the Global Women's Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 February 2020. (REUTERS/Christopher…

Staff (2021-02-25). Over 100 Countries Push to Loosen Rules on Vaccine Patents as US Blocks the Way. truthout.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over…

West Resendes (2021-02-25). President Biden: Stop Funding the Policing of Our Students. aclu.org Over 150,000 Black and Brown children, disproportionately children with disabilities, are handcuffed, restrained, referred to law enforcement, and arrested in schools across the nation

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Waiting in Squalid Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Wait in Squalid Refugee Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…

Staff (2021-02-24). Pro-Fossil Fuel Senators Grill Deb Haaland as She Bids to Become First Indigenous Cabinet Secretary. democracynow.org Indigenous communities across the United States are closely following the Senate confirmation hearings of Congressmember Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Interior Department, who would become the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary if she is confirmed. Haaland is a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, and the prospect of an Indigenous person leading the federal department with broad oversight of Native American affairs has galvanized support for her in Indian Country. Several Republican senators have grilled Haaland over her past comments opposing fracking, the Keystone XL oil…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections. middleeasteye.net Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections | The Prime Minister's Office has been in contact with Palestinian authorities to drum up backing among Palestinian citizens of Israel | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 15: 59 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on a visit to Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, 20 February 2021 (AFP) | An Israeli watchdog on Wednesday called for a cri…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution'. middleeasteye.net Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution' | New investigation also denounces the lack of medical treatment given to the Palestinian man and the degrading treatment of his body | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 35 | Ahmad Erekat was killed at an Israeli checkpoint on his sister's wedding day last year (Facebook) | The killing of Palestinian Ahmad Erekat at an Israeli checkpoint on his s…

Yossi Melman (2021-02-24). Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too. middleeasteye.net Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too | The Israeli security services have no wish to rock the boat, but they have few measures to influence the upcoming polls | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 17 | An electoral worker leaves the Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza City (Reuters) | From the perspective of the Israeli security establishment, it would ha…

RT (2021-02-24). Israeli PM urges Biden to keep Trump's sanctions on International Criminal Court to stave off war crimes investigation — media. rt.com Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly urged US President Joe Biden to maintain his predecessor's sanctions against the International Criminal Court, arguing that even if he disagrees with them, the US and Israel must stick together. | Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu personally called up Biden last week to request he keep the Trump administration's sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in place, lest the court launch its long-threatened war crimes investigation into Tel Aviv's atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, Axios reported on Wednesday. | A failure to maintain those sanctions could be inte…

RT (2021-02-24). Twitter called out for 'double standards' after it singles out report on UK influence op in Russia with 'hacked materials' label. rt.com Twitter has added a warning to a bombshell expose revealing a covert UK program to plant pro-government narratives in foreign media, telling users the piece may be based on "hacked material," despite letting similar stories slide. | A

The Socialist Program (2021-02-24). In the News: Capitalism Kills. liberationnews.org On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the COVID death toll in the United States topping 500,000, the winter storm that has left millions without power in zero degree temperatures in Texas, a new independent report that further exposes the police in Aurora Colorado for the brutal murder of Elijah McClain, and more.

Eds. (2021-02-24). Ice and blood in Texas. mronline.org Avoidable deaths, not avoided.

Jackie Fox (2021-02-24). How Capitalism Fails US. realprogressives.org Hello internet, I'm Jackie Fox and I'd like for you to join me in a thought experiment. Imagine an ideal world. What do you see? How do you know it's ideal? If you're anything like me, you're imagining a world without homelessness or hunger, where life expectancy increases along with quality of life, everyone has access to healthcare, the world is healthy and our ecosystem isn't on the verge of collapse. Following the logic of Capitalism though, you'd really just want a strong stock market and around three percent market growth per year; everything else is just icing on the cake. | The problem is that while th…

Berry Craig (2021-02-24). Republicans' working class hero re-branding isn't fooling anyone. peoplesworld.org So far, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Jim Jordan haven't taken up Chris Hayes's challenge. On his show a while back, the MSNBC host laughed out loud when Sen. Cruz—aka The Cancun Kid—Sen. Josh Hawley, and Rep. Jim Jordan claimed the GOP was the born-again blue-collar party. The host of "All in With Chris Hayes" dared the …

Dean Baker (2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter (It's not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas). counterpunch.org Naomi Klein has an interesting piece in the New York Times on the implications of the Texas disaster. I would disagree with some parts, which attack the Texas approach to energy as "free market." To my view, this is far too generous. Even Texas' deregulated energy market is still highly regulated. It is possible to

Editor (2021-02-24). FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. workers.org Join us Saturday, March 6, from 2-4 p.m. EST, for a Global Virtual Street Meeting for Mumia Abu-Jamal: FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. Join organizers, artists, supporters and educators as they shine a light on the important history of this international movement to #FreeMumia along with a summary . . . |

MBNJSD (2021-02-24). What Planet Is NATO Living On? dissidentvoice.org NATO headquarters in Brussels (Photo: NATO) The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme …

John Wojcik (2021-02-24). In plain sight, GOP senators show sabotage is their game. peoplesworld.org Republican senators exposed their true colors at separate Senate hearings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and those colors are not ones that would typically be shown by anyone interested in "bipartisanship." The nation was treated to the spectacle in hearings on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol of Senate leaders of that right-wing insurrection …

Rosalío Muñoz, Janice Rothstein (2021-02-24). Labor and allies pressure Congress to pass American Rescue Plan. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES—The urgency and historic significance of the American Rescue Plan are being amplified by the gamut of civic and community groups around the country, from labor to civil rights, health care, education, child, senior, unemployed, disability, homeless, and other advocacy groups. Momentum is building for mass public pressure to get the strongest measure passed …

Rajan Menon (2021-02-24). Covid-19 Demonstrated How This Country Fails Its Most Vulnerable: A Field Guide to Our Threadbare Social Safety Net. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. Between …

Mirinda Crissman (2021-02-24). Texas freeze — Rich get richer, workers suffer. workers.org Houston An unprecedented winter storm hit Texas Feb. 15, bringing subfreezing temperatures. One week later, huge sections of the population are still without power, heat and/or water. Houston skyline glows, while millions suffer subfreezing temperatures without heat or water amidst preventable power outages, Feb. 15 Across major cities — such . . . |

Michael Otto (2021-02-24). Ecuador elections — The calm before the storm. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador's presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough . . . |

United Health Professionals (2021-02-24). Mensaje de Alerta sobre la COVID-19. Profesionales de la Salud Unidos. globalizacion.ca Llamamos la atención de nuestros lectores, este importante comunicado internacional de profesionales de la salud, médicos y científicos, que ha sido enviado a los gobiernos de treinta países. | A continuación se muestra el texto completo que se envió a los…

Eds. (2021-02-24). Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries. mronline.org The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus.

The Conversation (2021-02-24). Saving the Planet: Why a net-zero future depends on the ocean's ability to absorb carbon. juancole.com By Anya M. Waite, Brad deYoung, Chris Milley, and Ian G. Stewart | — Most of us growing up along Canada's East Coast never worried about hurricane season. Except for those working at sea, we viewed hurricanes as extreme events in remote tropical regions, seen only through blurred footage of flailing palm trees on the …

Dan Cohen (2021-02-24). The Empire's Hidden Hand: How The US Established, Sustains and Benefits From Morocco's Occupation of Western Sahara. mintpressnews.com Over the decades, the Moroccan settler population expanded while the United States and European Union have illegally exploited the Western Sahara's resources, mining phosphates, fishing in its waters, and in recent years, drilling for oil and gas.

Ed Rampell (2021-02-24). 'Executive Order': A futuristic 'final solution' to the Brazilian 'race problem' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org Director/co-writer Lázaro Ramos's award-winning Executive Order (Medida Provisória) exemplifies what I love most about the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF): It gives movie buffs the opportunity to see films, often from far-flung destinations around the globe, that we might otherwise never have the chance to watch. Often these are worthy, well-made productions that PAFF is …

David Rosen (2021-02-24). Confronting the Digital Divide: New York City vs. Verizon. counterpunch.org The United States is a divided nation, one expressed in all-too-many ways as evident by the 2020 presidential election and the failed January 6th insurrection. Unfortunately, one of its most telling expressions is the digital divide, in which more well-to-do urban and suburban locals get superior if over-priced telecom services while whole swaths of urban

Will Solomon (2021-02-24). Cuomo's Cover-up Will be Most Effectively Weaponized by the Right. counterpunch.org On February 11, news broke that the Cuomo administration intentionally hid data on COVID-related nursing home deaths from the federal government and New York state legislators, ostensibly for fear of a Department of Justice investigation and potential federal prosecution. The revelation was fairly shocking, but hardly out of character. Cuomo's mishandling of the pandemic—coupled with

Elizabeth Keyes (2021-02-24). Compartmentalizing Woody Allen … or Not. counterpunch.org I missed the first round of talk about the New York Times' publication of a moving and forthright letter by Woody Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan, regarding his alleged sexual molestation of her over two decades ago. Woody Allen is an American icon as well as a human being capable of all things human, perhaps including

Frank Lara (2021-02-24). San Francisco teachers struggle for a safe reopening. liberationnews.org The following was a presentation at the Feb. 20, 2021, Reds in Ed webinar. Afternoon fellow educators, my name is Frank Lara and I am a public-school teacher of 10 years in San Francisco's historic Mission District. I am also on the Executive Board of our union, the United Educators of San Francisco, a 6,500-member …

Marlanna Bullock (2021-02-24). Tri-Cities, WA's Katie Barton: 'She wanted to see equal rights for the community, not just herself'. liberationnews.org This article is part of Liberation's commemoration of Black History Month, 2021. T…

Royal Thomas II (2021-02-24). Rush Limbaugh and the rise of the far right. liberationnews.org Photo: Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump speaking at a 2019 event hosted by Turning Point USA. Credit — Gage Skidmore After more than three decades assaulting airwaves and television screens with his vicious right-wing rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, the bigoted and imperialist radio personality, died last week from a year-long battle with lung cancer. With his …

Beau Peters (2021-02-24). The Ethics of Healthcare Marketing. dissidentvoice.org Spend an evening watching television on any network in pretty much any town in America and you'd probably think that Big Pharma had already created a pill for anything that might ail ya. And, of course, in some ways, that's not entirely wrong. Today we have a world of therapies to extend our lives and …

Ben Slowey (2021-02-24). Milwaukee protesters demand real change from Biden administration. liberationnews.org Around 50 protesters congregated in the cold outside Milwaukee City Hall Feb. 16 to make their demands heard, as President Joe Biden arrived for a town hall conversation with CNN.

Eds. (2021-02-24). Does the West repeating claims of China committing genocide in Xinjiang reify it? mronline.org The Jewish Virtual Library quotes Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as having said: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2021-02-24). GameStop Hearing Exposes a Sick Business Model Destined to Exacerbate Wealth Inequality in America. counterpunch.org The most striking revelations in yesterday's House Financial Services Committee hearing on the wild trading action in New York Stock Exchange-listed shares of GameStop came when Congresswoman Cindy Axne of Iowa questioned Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood, the trading app being increasingly used by young people to trade stocks and options on their mobile

Liaquat Ali Khan (2021-02-24). First English, Then American, and Now Muslim Francophobia. counterpunch.org Francophobia has been a persistent part of French history, transmitted and modulated through several centuries. 17thcentury England constructed the first significant layer of Francophobia. The Americans may have borrowed Francophobia from England and then developed its version in the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Muslim world has begun to manufacture its variety of

Chauncey K. Robinson (2021-02-24). Biden immigration bill has shortcomings, but shows promise on several fronts. peoplesworld.org The Biden administration has introduced a sweeping new immigration bill that stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's four years of attacks on undocumented workers and their families. The new bill is being seen by many as a bold step in a better direction, but some immigrant rights activists are pointing out shortcomings in the …

Mike Walter (2021-02-24). The Heat: Afghanistan-What's next? america.cgtn.com The war in Afghanistan rages on as a major deadline looms for U.S. forces to leave the country.

Betsey Piette (2021-02-24). COVID-19 vaccine patents: Private property vs. public health. workers.org Among the many controversies surrounding vital COVID-19 vaccines, the issue of patent bans gets far less attention than how vaccines are being distributed or who is able to receive them. Yet the patent laws protecting intellectual property (IP) in the U.S. and European Union give the world's wealthiest countries unfair . . . |

Jasmine Norden (2021-02-24). Victory for campaigners as richest Cambridge college promises to divest from fossil fuels. thecanary.co After four years of student campaigning, Cambridge's Trinity College has promised to divest fully from fossil fuels in the next 10 years. | The college has vowed to end all direct investment into fossil fuels by the end of 2021, and all indirect investment within 5-10 years. | Trinity is only the third Cambridge college to promise full divestment. The university as a whole has

Peter Koenig (2021-02-24). Identificación del "paquete de vacunas" implantado: El Parlamento de Alemania ha ratificado la "Agenda ID2020" digital de GAVI. globalizacion.ca Noticias alarmantes. En Alemania, el Parlamento (Bundestag) ratificó el 29 de enero de 2021 la implementación de la Agenda ID2020. | Se trata de una recopilación de datos electrónicos generalizados y centralizados de cada ciudadano a la que tendrían acceso todas…

a guest author (2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted incarcerated people in the U.S. In California, during the early days of the pandemic, the transfer of prisoners into San Quentin sparked a massive outbreak of COVID that spread to over two-thirds of the prison population there, causing the death of 27 prisoners, including . . . |

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Cancels "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Left Waiting. truthout.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in,…

Staff (2021-02-24). Romney Says Trump Will Be GOP Nominee If He Runs in 2024. truthout.org Speaking about the future of the Republican Party on Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said it's very likely that former President Donald Trump would win the nomination for president if he decided to run again in 2024. | "I don't know if he'll run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I'm pretty sure he will win the nomination," Romney said Romney also acknowledged that "a lot can happen between now…

Staff (2021-02-24). In What Universe Is a $15 Wage "Too High"? Joe Manchin's. truthout.org Economic justice organizers may soon triumph in their fight for a $15 minimum wage. Thanks to their years of effort, President Biden (and every Democratic contender during the primary debates) vowed to hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour. In keeping with that promise, Biden attached a wage bill to his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. | Although Republicans and their political allies are firmly opposed to the measure, the Senate could approve it. But Democratic holdouts like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin could do…

Staff (2021-02-24). Calls Rise for Louis DeJoy's Removal and for Major Postal Reforms. truthout.org On Wednesday, February 24, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a

Staff (2021-02-24). FDA May Approve Johnson & Johnson Vaccine for US Use as Early as Saturday. truthout.org The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective in a briefing document on Wednesday morning, lending support to its emergency use authorization. | The vaccine's trial data results are "consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA's guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19,"

Staff (2021-02-24). Texas Power Grid Deregulation Cost Texans $28 Billion Over Two Decades. truthout.org Republican Texas lawmakers often tout their state leadership's contempt and recalcitrance toward the federal government as a point of pride. But a new analysis by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has found that the deregulation and monopolization of the Texas energy market cost Texas residents $28 billion more than they would have paid under a traditional utility. | When Texas changed from fully regulated power generation to the largely deregulated system that's in place today, it began requiring almos…

Media Lens (2021-02-24). 20 Years Of Media Lens: A Selection Of Remarkable Replies From Journalists. dissidentvoice.org The Insiders In a 2002 interview with the Observer, the BBC's John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE of Kabul, to give him his full name and title, was asked to define the 'essential qualities' of a journalist. Simpson responded with typical left-field quirkiness: There's something slightly wrong with most of us, don't you feel? We're damaged goods, …

Staff (2021-02-24). Cori Bush Grills Postmaster DeJoy About USPS's Board of "Millionaire White Boys" truthout.org During Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) noted that, despite the fact that people of color make up a sizeable share of United States Postal Service (USPS) employees,…

CP Editor (2021-02-24). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine. counterpunch.org

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report | In recent court filings, documents reveal that two of the jets used by Saudi hit squad belonged to a company seized by MBS months earlier, CNN reports | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 22: 02 | Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 (AFP/File photo) | Two private jets used by the Saudi hit squad that killed journalist…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report. middleeasteye.net Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report | US intelligence report expected to support earlier CIA findings that Saudi crown prince behind murder of journalist | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 08: 36 | The call would be the first conversation between Biden, as US president, and King Salman, according to Axios (Reuters) | US President Joe Biden is set to call Saudi Arabia'

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-24). Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict. middleeasteye.net Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict | Intelligence officer sentenced to four and a half years in prison over complicity in crimes against humanity | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 09: 28 | Eyad al-Gharib, accused of crimes against humanity in the first trial of its kind to emerge from the Syrian conflict, arrives to hear the court's verdict on 24 Februar…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment. middleeasteye.net German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment | Court finds Abu Walaa helped radicalise young people in Europe and send them to Iraq and Syria | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 12: 00 | Abu Walaa, 37, was found guilty of belonging to a foreign terrorist organisation, helping to plan subversive violent acts and financing terrorism (AFP) | An Iraqi preacher said to be the Islamic St…

Ali Harb (2021-02-24). Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes. middleeasteye.net Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes | Gregory Meeks, chair of House Foreign Affairs Committee, ruled out conditioning aid to Israel even if annexation proceeds | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 43 | Congressman Gregory Meeks vowed to be a 'strong voice against antisemitism' when dealing with Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Congressman Gregory Meeks, a key Democrat, linked Palestinians to the…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan. middleeasteye.net Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan | The three Turks were convicted of smuggling the ex-Nissan boss into Lebanon while he faced charges in Japan | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 27 | The Ghosn saga has shaken the global car industry, at one point jeopardising the Renault-Nissan alliance which he masterminded (AFP) | An Istanbul court on Wednesday conv…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison. middleeasteye.net UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison | A panel of rights experts welcome administration's goal of closing prison, but say it must ensure 'crimes committed there will not remain unpunished' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 16: 41 | There are currently 40 detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison (AFP/File photo) | A panel of UN rights experts said the Biden administration's current rev…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says. middleeasteye.net US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says | But Secretary of State Antony Blinken says body needs to eliminate agenda item on rights abuses in occupied Palestinian territories | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 23 | Blinken said the US was seeking support for its election to the UNHRC for the 2022-2024 term (AFP) | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the Biden administration…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president. middleeasteye.net Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president | Barham Salih says meeting between Pope Francis and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani will be 'profound statement about moderation in religion' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 21: 11 | Pope Francis is set to visit Iraq on 5 March, and travel to areas previously under the control of the Islamic State group (AFP/File photo) | Iraqi President Barham Salih ha…

RT (2021-02-24). 'She came back to win': Serena Williams' coach says tennis superstar won't retire until she wins a record-equaling Grand Slam. rt.com Serena Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou has said the evergreen star won't stop playing professional tennis until she has another Grand Slam title to her name, having narrowly missed out on winning the Australian open. | The 39-year-old, who returned to professional sport in 2018 after giving birth to her daughter, is eyeing her 24th Grand Slam title, which would equal Margaret Court's long-standing record. | The US star has taken part in four major finals since returning to action, but the coveted dream of claiming yet another Grand Slam has so far eluded her. | In 2018, Williams, who was chasing an eighth…

RT (2021-02-24). 'This is why punctuation matters': Boxing champ Fury accidentally advertizes 'white people's champion' merch ahead of Joshua fight. rt.com Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has been mocked by fans after appearing to advertize a "white people's champion" sweatshirt to more than four million followers on Instagram, encouraging them to snap up the offer at his shop. | Eagle-eyed fans laughed at giant Briton Fury's howler after he attempted to flog the branded clothing via social media, producing an unfortunate faux-pas with an attempt at correct grammar that was as inaccurate as many of his opponents' attempts to end his unbeaten boxing career so far. | Fury was clearly keen to make the most of the business opportunity provided by millions of fans aro…

RT (2021-02-24). 'Now you can admire me all year': Sports host Ulyana Trigubchak launches first calendar after asking men what they wanted from her. rt.com Photoshoot-loving sports host Ulyana Trigubchak has branched out to create her debut calendar and invited her almost entirely male audience to "admire me all year round", praising them while offering a preview of the risque snaps. | The self-described former sexiest presenter in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) announced that she "could not ignore" the views of her fanbase when she asked them what they would like from her as a "gift", adding that a whopping 93.5 percent of her huge social media following was male. | Pundit and tipster Trigubchak, who is the mastermind behind the "t*tverg" hashtag promoting…

RT (2021-02-24). Police pelted with stones, garbage dumpsters set alight in Catalonia's 9th night of riots over jailed rapper Pablo Hasel (VIDEOS). rt.com Riots have continued in the Spanish region of Catalonia for a ninth consecutive night as demonstrators voice their anger over the arrest of rapper Pablo Hasel for insulting the monarchy and glorifying terrorism on Twitter. | Protesters pelted police with bottles and stones and torched refuse containers in the town of Vilanova i La Geltrú, in the province of Barcelona, according to a police statement on Wednesday night. | Incidents a Vilanova i la Geltrú. La protesta ha anat directament a la comissaria dels mossos d'Esquadra. C…

RT (2021-02-24). Violence in Kiev sees 27 cops injured as protesters come out against court decision to lock up far-right nationalist Sternenko. rt.com Twenty-seven Ukrainian policemen were injured in clashes on Kiev's central Bankova Street, on Tuesday night, after a demonstration against the imprisonment of far-right Odessa activist Sergey Sternenko descended into violence. | According to media reports, more than a thousand people gathered near the Presidential Administration and were met with tear gas. | Sternenko is the former leader of the Odessa branch of the Right Sector, an association of radical anti-Russia Ukrainian nationalist organizations. Founded in 2013 as a conglomeration of groups at the Euromaidan revolt in 2013, the group has been described…

RT (2021-02-24). Dip in UK's vaccination rate tied to 'supply fluctuations' as Covid jab makers get to grips with production push, deputy CMO says. rt.com A drop-off in the UK's rate of Covid-19 vaccinations is down to "supply fluctuations" of doses, England's deputy chief medical officer has said, adding that "global supply constraints" are also hitting the inoculation rollout. | Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said it will take a few months before vaccine producers can make "a steady routine" of doses. | Earlier this week, the number of vaccinations administered across the UK fell by over a third compared to recent weeks. On Sunday, 141,719 people were vaccinated — the lowest figure since the country began compiling a daily c…

RT (2021-02-24). Home addresses, social security numbers & sensitive medical data on 500,000 French patients leaked online after hack — reports. rt.com Sensitive medical records on nearly 500,000 patients in France have been stolen in a major cyber attack on dozens of healthcare labs, landing online after an alleged dispute between the hackers, according to media reports. | A file containing names and contact details on 491,840 people has made the rounds online since at least earlier this month, according to French cybersecurity journalist Damien Bancal, who runs the Zataz blog. The data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, social security numbers and other sensitive medical information pertaining to medications, pregnancy and diseases such as HIV.

RT (2021-02-24). France's Dunkirk area to join Nice in weekend lockdown amid 'deteriorating' Covid-19 situation – health minister. rt.com From this Friday, the city of Dunkirk and the surrounding area will enter a weekend lockdown similar to that in Nice, France's Health Minister Olivier Veran has announced while warning of an uptick in Covid-19 cases nationwide. | "The epidemic situation is deteriorating in our country," Veran said during a televised news briefing on Wednesday from Dunkirk, where the infection rate has shot up in the last few days. | "We erased in one week the two consecutive weeks of decline that we had recorded so far," the minister added, referring to France's recent progress in halting the spread of the virus. | Dunkirk's n…

RT (2021-02-24). In fresh censorship, Twitter bans 'Russian' accounts it says are 'undermining confidence in NATO' amid rising tensions with Moscow. rt.com Nearly 400 Twitter accounts have been shut down in the latest Silicon Valley banning spree over allegations many are linked to Moscow and work to discredit a US-led military grouping that stages war-games on the country's border. | On Tuesday, Russian media reported that the San Francisco-based microblogging platform had confirmed at least 100 of the bans were of accounts supposedly connected with Russia. | According to a company spokesperson, "some of these accounts disseminated messages that were associated with the Russian government, while the rest of the network focused on undermining confidence in the NA…

RT (2021-02-24). Australian defense minister hospitalized 'as precaution' amid scandal over alleged rape of young staffer. rt.com Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds has unexpectedly taken sick leave just as she was about to answer questions about a young staffer's claims that she was raped by a male colleague inside the minister's office. | According to a statement on the Department of Defense's website, Reynolds has been The statement did not specify how long Reyn…

RT (2021-02-24). Sweden clamps down on restaurant hours, advises solo shopping in bid to curb 'worrying' Covid-19 situation. rt.com The Swedish government will tighten the opening hours of hospitality businesses and order shoppers to go out alone in a bid to avoid a third wave of Covid-19 infections, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced on Wednesday. | "This is no time to relax," Lofven said during a news conference as he outlined the new measures. | The PM also warned that there is a great risk of a third wave of infections if people do not adhere to the health measures. | Under the new restrictions, from March 1, all restaurants in Sweden must close from 8: 30pm, regardless of whether they serve alcohol — previous rules allowed boo…

RT (2021-02-24). After the West refused to provide Ukraine with Covid-19 vaccines, Kiev's long wait finally over as 500k doses arrive from India. rt.com The first shipment of Indian-made doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in Ukraine, ending months of waiting after Kiev failed to obtain jabs from the West. The country's inoculation program has now begun. | According to President Volodymyr Zelensky's website, Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko informed the head of state that the vaccine was registered in the country a day before half a million doses arrived at Kiev's Boryspil Airport from India, where they are being produced under license from AstraZeneca with the name "CoviShield." | The vaccination program will begin with doctors a…

RT (2021-02-24). UK's Covid-19 app can be converted into vaccine certificate whether Brits want it or not — reports. rt.com The National Health Service app initially developed for users to show their Covid-19 test results can be converted into a digital vaccine certificate without further technical alterations — bad news for the privacy-conscious. | In December, Cabinet Minister Michael Gove unilaterally denied Britons would be required to show a "vaccine passport" to enter businesses, eat at restaurants, attend events, or travel, insisting "that's not the plan" and reassuring citizens' right to privacy would remain intact. | However, London appears to have changed its mind on the issue, as Downing Street considers permitting…

RT (2021-02-24). 72 hours to leave: EU envoy to Venezuela told to pack her bags after Brussels brings new sanctions over elections & rights abuses. rt.com The head of the EU's delegation to Venezuela has been told she has just 72 hours to leave after being expelled by Caracas in response to Brussels expanding its sanctions on Venezuelan officials for "undermining democracy." | Venezuela's National Assembly voted earlier this week to expel EU envoy Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, and asked for President Nicolas Maduro to declare her persona non grata. | "She has been given 72 hours to leave Venezuelan territory," Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters on Wednesday. | Responding to the move, a spokesperson for EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell sai…

RT (2021-02-24). 'The war continues': Small investors up in arms after GameStop stock trades halted amid price surge & reports of Reddit outages. rt.com GameStop shares have again soared, surging by more than 100 percent until a trading halt slowed the rally before markets closed, stoking suspicions among small investors, some pointing to mysterious Reddit issues during the spike. | $GME was up by Observers online noted that while halts are typically short-lived and last onl…

RT (2021-02-24). Conservative host posts about his investigation into voter fraud claims, gets blocked, challenges Twitter to disprove his findings. rt.com BlazeTV host Steven Crowder had his Twitter account restricted after posting about a video investigative piece claiming numerous voter addresses in the 2020 presidential election were faked. | "DOZENS of voter names, addresses, and pictures proving they don't exist. Period. Today I'm tired of this s**t. Mass voter fraud is real and I can prove it," Crowder Twitter quickly restricted the tweet and did not allow anyone to like, retweet, or respond to it "due to a risk of violence." Twitter also temporarily locked Crowder'

RT (2021-02-24). 'Cancel them before they cancel us': Gab CEO says banks have banned platform due to media smears. rt.com Three banks have refused to do business with Gab, a Twitter competitor outspoken about free speech, in recent weeks, the company's chief executive revealed. Andrew Torba blamed the development on mainstream media hit pieces. | The third bank to sever its relationship with the company in three weeks told Torba on Monday that they were doing so because of "all the bad things the press has written about Gab," he said in an interview published by the conservative outlet National File. | Speaking to

RT (2021-02-24). How do you do, fellow kids? Biden White House leaves followers baffled after tweeting out-of-touch meme with Canadian PM. rt.com The Biden administration has taken a popular meme and mutilated it, leaving what appears to be praise for Canada's Justin Trudeau but which was hard to understand either way. | Biden's White House Twitter account posted two images in a row captioned "How it started. How it's going" on Wednesday. The first showed Biden and Trudeau walking side by side down a hallway lined with flags, apparently from Biden's term as Vice President under Barack Obama. The second featured a large screen on which Trudeau was projected, with Biden turned towards it, seemingly in mid-speech, clearly taken during the pandemic. | How i…

RT (2021-02-24). Neera Tanden's quest for OMB post hits another roadblock as crucial step postponed indefinitely — reports. rt.com The confirmation of Neera Tanden, Biden's polarizing pick for head of the Office of Management and Budget, has been further derailed after Republicans suggested they'd vote against it, insider sources told the media. | Both the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Budget Committee postponed meetings set for Wednesday in which they were scheduled to vote on Tanden's confirmation, according to sources cited in several US outlets. | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to say whether the Biden administration was planning to withdraw Tanden, instead gushing over her "broad s…

RT (2021-02-24). 1 in 6 Americans under 23 say they're LGBTQ, as more people in the US than ever identify as non-heterosexual. rt.com More Americans than ever identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) according to a survey of sexuality, with one in six people under 23 saying they are something other than heterosexual. | The Gallup Poll released Wednesday, found that 5.6 percent of Americans classify themselves as LGBTQ — up from 4.5 percent in 2017. That was the last time Gallup carried out polling on the issue. | Gallup surveyed 15,000 Americans above 18 years of age and found that of those who identified themselves as LGBTQ, 54.6 percent said they were bisexual, 24.5 percent said they were gay, and 1…

RT (2021-02-24). Oklahoma man on parole accused of taking victim's HEART to feed family that he later slayed & maimed. rt.com Grisly details have emerged in a triple homicide case in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The suspect reportedly cut out and cooked the heart of a neighbor he had killed, before turning the knife against his own family. | The already shockingly brutal case against Lawrence Paul Anderson, 42, rose to a new level of senselessness after the chain of tragic events was further explained in court papers. As the suspect was confessing to his crimes to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), he said he had taken out the heart of his first victim and took it to his home. | I feel the need to warn people that this story…

RT (2021-02-24). US seeking re-election to UN Human Rights Council after Trump withdrawal, Blinken calls for expulsion of other members. rt.com The US wants to retake its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a video message to the body, during which he also called for the removal of other nations. | "I'm pleased to announce the United States will seek election to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term," Blinken declared on Wednesday. "We humbly ask for the support of all UN member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body." | Former President Donald Trump's administration

RT (2021-02-24). US Federal Reserve investigating disruptions to Fedwire payment system and other services. rt.com The US Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it is investigating a disruption to services including Fedwire, which facilitates trillions of dollars in wire transfers between institutions every day. | According to updates from the Federal Reserve, the massive disruption to services was caused by an "operational error". | "We acknowledge that payment deadlines are impacted and will communicate remediation efforts to our customers when available. Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the issue," the institution said in an update on the situation. | As of 2.30pm Eastern Time Wednesday, almost all serv…

RT (2021-02-24). Grand jury refuses to indict officers in Daniel Prude case, whose death in police custody sparked protests & resignations. rt.com A grand jury in Rochester, New York has decided not to indict seven police officers, including the one who placed a hood on Daniel Prude's head and contributed to his death. The black man's demise spurred protests last year. | The police officers were suspended in the wake of Prude's death on March 23 last year, which came as a result of an altercation between Prude, a black man, and a group of responding officers as they attempted to take him into custody. | Announcing the jury's verdict, New York AG Letitia James said that she was "extremely disappointed" by the outcome, arguing that Prude's race played a ro…

RT (2021-02-24). Divided Republicans in Congress awkwardly disagree on Trump's future at same press conference (VIDEO). rt.com Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) is facing a backlash after openly disagreeing with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) on Donald Trump's future with the party during an awkward press conference exchange. | Asked on Wednesday whether Trump should be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida this week, McCarthy replied simply, "Yes, he should." | Cheney, who was standing behind McCarthy, was then asked what she thought about the matter — though her answer should surprise no one, as she's been a vocal critic of the former president. | "I don't believe he should be playing a role i…

RT (2021-02-24). 'Let's play strip poker': Former staffer publishes explosive essay detailing claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is being accused of sexual harassment and fostering a "toxic" work environment by former staffer Lindsey Boylan, who detailed her time with the top Democrat in a new essay. | Boylan The former aide now says she has revealed her full story in the hopes that it will "clear the path for other women to come forward." She published the exp…

RT (2021-02-24). Chicago lawmaker calls to BAN Grand Theft Auto in new bill, blaming 'violent video games' for spike in carjackings. rt.com A Democratic lawmaker in Chicago is pushing to ban the sale of all violent video games, claiming the graphic 'Grand Theft Auto' series — which debuted more than 20 years ago — is to blame for a wave of carjackings around the city.

RT (2021-02-24). What about student loans, water or the homeless? Outrage follows report $1.7 trillion F-35 program is now considered a failure. rt.com A tacit admission by the US Air Force that the F-35 has failed its main mission has triggered an outpouring of outrage from Americans who think the stealth fighter's gargantuan budget could have been better spent on other things. | Frustration with Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth jet flooded Twitter on Wednesday, after Forbes magazine published a story about how USAF commissioning a study into a new, cheaper and lighter fighter amounts to "a tacit admission that the F-35 has failed." | | The U.S. Air Force admitted that the F-35 s…

RT (2021-02-24). Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell offers to renounce UK & French citizenship in exchange for bail. rt.com Jeffrey Epstein's alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to give up her British and French citizenship in order to be released on bail. She was arrested on charges of trafficking underage girls. | Maxwell "will renounce her French and British citizenship to eliminate any opportunity for her to seek refuge in those countries, if the Court so requires," her lawyers wrote in a The defendant's legal team argued that by doing so, Maxwe…

RT (2021-02-24). Poland outlaws face coverings and scarves in favor of masks, ramps up regional restrictions as British Covid-19 variant spreads. rt.com The Polish government has banned the wearing of face coverings and scarves as an acceptable means of protecting oneself against Covid-19, as the third wave of the virus gathers momentum in the east European state. | "Until now, we had the opportunity to use alternatives to masks. But now we want to stop using them. A face covering can be used in addition to the masks because they protect the upper part of the face," Minister for Health Adam Niedzielski announced on Wednesday, as he confirmed the virus was resurgent across the country. | Government adviser Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz reinforced Niedzielski's r…

W. Alphaeus Hunton (2021-02-24). Harlem's 1946 fight against South African starvation foreshadowed anti-apartheid struggle. peoplesworld.org People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Jan. 3, 1946 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African-American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist Party …

Staff (2021-02-23). Remembering Octavia Butler: Black Sci-Fi Writer Shares Cautionary Tales in Unearthed 2005 Interview. democracynow.org As Democracy Now! marks 25 years on the air, we are revisiting some of the best and most impactful moments from the program's history, including one of the last television interviews given by the visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. She spoke to Democracy Now! in November 2005, just three months before she died on February 24, 2006, at age 58. Butler was the first Black woman to win Hugo and Nebula awards for science-fiction writing and the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur "genius" fellowship. Her best-known books include the classics "Kindred," as well as "Parable of the Sowe…

Staff (2021-02-23). adrienne maree brown: Octavia Butler's Visions of the Future Have Transformed Generation of Readers. democracynow.org The visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler died 15 years ago on February 24, 2006, but her influence and readership has only continued to grow since then. In September, Butler's novel "Parable of the Sower" became her first to reach the New York Times best-seller list. We speak with adrienne maree brown, a writer and Octavia Butler scholar, who says Butler had a remarkable talent for universalizing Black stories. "She wrote about Black women and about Black feminism, about Black futures, but she wrote in a way that appealed to all human beings," says brown.

Staff (2021-02-23). U.S. COVID Death Toll Hits 500,000 as Rich Nations Hoard Vaccines, Leaving Poorer Nations Without Any. democracynow.org The United States has passed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, by far the highest toll in the world. The morbid milestone comes as new COVID-19 cases continue to fall across the country amid an accelerating vaccine rollout, but the head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries not to undermine efforts to get vaccines to poorer nations by buying up billions of doses — in some cases ordering enough to vaccinate their populations more than once. "The inequities that we've seen here are just absolutely stunning," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia Uni…

Richard D. Wolff (2021-02-23). The Fake Debate Over a Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org Capitalism's "conservative" defenders yet again oppose raising the minimum wage. They fought raising it in the past much as they tried to prevent the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) that first mandated a U.S. minimum wage. The major argument opponents have used is this: setting or raising a minimum wage threatens small employers. They may collapse or else fire employees; either way, jobs are lost. What is conveniently assumed here is a necessary contradiction between minimum wages and small business jobs. That assumption enables opponents to claim that not setting a legal minimum wage, like not raising it, saves…

Azad Essa (2021-02-23). Cornel West: Palestine is a 'taboo issue among certain circles in high places'. middleeasteye.net Cornel West: Palestine is a 'taboo issue among certain circles in high places' | Activist and scholar says he is being denied tenure at Harvard University because of his views on Israeli occupation | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 15: 00 | Cornel West speaks at the National Press Club on 21 February 2017 (AFP) | US activist and philosopher Cornel West said he is confident that it is his criticism of Israel cost him tenure…

2021-02-24: News Headlines

Dan Cohen (2021-02-24). The Empire's Hidden Hand: How The US Established, Sustains and Benefits From Morocco's Occupation of Western Sahara. mintpressnews.com Over the decades, the Moroccan settler population expanded while the United States and European Union have illegally exploited the Western Sahara's resources, mining phosphates, fishing in its waters, and in recent years, drilling for oil and gas.

Dean Baker (2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter (It's not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas). counterpunch.org Naomi Klein has an interesting piece in the New York Times on the implications of the Texas disaster. I would disagree with some parts, which attack the Texas approach to energy as "free market." To my view, this is far too generous. Even Texas' deregulated energy market is still highly regulated. It is possible to

Eds. (2021-02-24). Ice and blood in Texas. mronline.org Avoidable deaths, not avoided.

Staff (2021-02-24). Pro-Fossil Fuel Senators Grill Deb Haaland as She Bids to Become First Indigenous Cabinet Secretary. democracynow.org Indigenous communities across the United States are closely following the Senate confirmation hearings of Congressmember Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Interior Department, who would become the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary if she is confirmed. Haaland is a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, and the prospect of an Indigenous person leading the federal department with broad oversight of Native American affairs has galvanized support for her in Indian Country. Several Republican senators have grilled Haaland over her past comments opposing fracking, the Keystone XL oil…

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2021-02-24). GameStop Hearing Exposes a Sick Business Model Destined to Exacerbate Wealth Inequality in America. counterpunch.org The most striking revelations in yesterday's House Financial Services Committee hearing on the wild trading action in New York Stock Exchange-listed shares of GameStop came when Congresswoman Cindy Axne of Iowa questioned Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood, the trading app being increasingly used by young people to trade stocks and options on their mobile

Liaquat Ali Khan (2021-02-24). First English, Then American, and Now Muslim Francophobia. counterpunch.org Francophobia has been a persistent part of French history, transmitted and modulated through several centuries. 17thcentury England constructed the first significant layer of Francophobia. The Americans may have borrowed Francophobia from England and then developed its version in the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Muslim world has begun to manufacture its variety of

Eds. (2021-02-24). Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries. mronline.org The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus.

Elizabeth Keyes (2021-02-24). Compartmentalizing Woody Allen … or Not. counterpunch.org I missed the first round of talk about the New York Times' publication of a moving and forthright letter by Woody Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan, regarding his alleged sexual molestation of her over two decades ago. Woody Allen is an American icon as well as a human being capable of all things human, perhaps including

Ben Slowey (2021-02-24). Milwaukee protesters demand real change from Biden administration. liberationnews.org Around 50 protesters congregated in the cold outside Milwaukee City Hall Feb. 16 to make their demands heard, as President Joe Biden arrived for a town hall conversation with CNN.

Chauncey K. Robinson (2021-02-24). Biden immigration bill has shortcomings, but shows promise on several fronts. peoplesworld.org The Biden administration has introduced a sweeping new immigration bill that stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's four years of attacks on undocumented workers and their families. The new bill is being seen by many as a bold step in a better direction, but some immigrant rights activists are pointing out shortcomings in the …

Michael Otto (2021-02-24). Ecuador elections — The calm before the storm. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador's presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough . . . |

The Socialist Program (2021-02-24). In the News: Capitalism Kills. liberationnews.org On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the COVID death toll in the United States topping 500,000, the winter storm that has left millions without power in zero degree temperatures in Texas, a new independent report that further exposes the police in Aurora Colorado for the brutal murder of Elijah McClain, and more.

Royal Thomas II (2021-02-24). Rush Limbaugh and the rise of the far right. liberationnews.org Photo: Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump speaking at a 2019 event hosted by Turning Point USA. Credit — Gage Skidmore After more than three decades assaulting airwaves and television screens with his vicious right-wing rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, the bigoted and imperialist radio personality, died last week from a year-long battle with lung cancer. With his …

Ed Rampell (2021-02-24). 'Executive Order': A futuristic 'final solution' to the Brazilian 'race problem' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org Director/co-writer Lázaro Ramos's award-winning Executive Order (Medida Provisória) exemplifies what I love most about the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF): It gives movie buffs the opportunity to see films, often from far-flung destinations around the globe, that we might otherwise never have the chance to watch. Often these are worthy, well-made productions that PAFF is …

Editor (2021-02-24). FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. workers.org Join us Saturday, March 6, from 2-4 p.m. EST, for a Global Virtual Street Meeting for Mumia Abu-Jamal: FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. Join organizers, artists, supporters and educators as they shine a light on the important history of this international movement to #FreeMumia along with a summary . . . |

Frank Lara (2021-02-24). San Francisco teachers struggle for a safe reopening. liberationnews.org The following was a presentation at the Feb. 20, 2021, Reds in Ed webinar. Afternoon fellow educators, my name is Frank Lara and I am a public-school teacher of 10 years in San Francisco's historic Mission District. I am also on the Executive Board of our union, the United Educators of San Francisco, a 6,500-member …

Berry Craig (2021-02-24). Republicans' working class hero re-branding isn't fooling anyone. peoplesworld.org So far, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Jim Jordan haven't taken up Chris Hayes's challenge. On his show a while back, the MSNBC host laughed out loud when Sen. Cruz—aka The Cancun Kid—Sen. Josh Hawley, and Rep. Jim Jordan claimed the GOP was the born-again blue-collar party. The host of "All in With Chris Hayes" dared the …

W. Alphaeus Hunton (2021-02-24). Harlem's 1946 fight against South African starvation foreshadowed anti-apartheid struggle. peoplesworld.org People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Jan. 3, 1946 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African-American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist Party …

Jackie Fox (2021-02-24). How Capitalism Fails US. realprogressives.org Hello internet, I'm Jackie Fox and I'd like for you to join me in a thought experiment. Imagine an ideal world. What do you see? How do you know it's ideal? If you're anything like me, you're imagining a world without homelessness or hunger, where life expectancy increases along with quality of life, everyone has access to healthcare, the world is healthy and our ecosystem isn't on the verge of collapse. Following the logic of Capitalism though, you'd really just want a strong stock market and around three percent market growth per year; everything else is just icing on the cake. | The problem is that while th…

The Conversation (2021-02-24). Saving the Planet: Why a net-zero future depends on the ocean's ability to absorb carbon. juancole.com By Anya M. Waite, Brad deYoung, Chris Milley, and Ian G. Stewart | — Most of us growing up along Canada's East Coast never worried about hurricane season. Except for those working at sea, we viewed hurricanes as extreme events in remote tropical regions, seen only through blurred footage of flailing palm trees on the …

Eds. (2021-02-24). Does the West repeating claims of China committing genocide in Xinjiang reify it? mronline.org The Jewish Virtual Library quotes Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as having said: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Marlanna Bullock (2021-02-24). Tri-Cities, WA's Katie Barton: 'She wanted to see equal rights for the community, not just herself'. liberationnews.org This article is part of Liberation's commemoration of Black History Month, 2021. T…

Rosalío Muñoz, Janice Rothstein (2021-02-24). Labor and allies pressure Congress to pass American Rescue Plan. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES—The urgency and historic significance of the American Rescue Plan are being amplified by the gamut of civic and community groups around the country, from labor to civil rights, health care, education, child, senior, unemployed, disability, homeless, and other advocacy groups. Momentum is building for mass public pressure to get the strongest measure passed …

Will Solomon (2021-02-24). Cuomo's Cover-up Will be Most Effectively Weaponized by the Right. counterpunch.org On February 11, news broke that the Cuomo administration intentionally hid data on COVID-related nursing home deaths from the federal government and New York state legislators, ostensibly for fear of a Department of Justice investigation and potential federal prosecution. The revelation was fairly shocking, but hardly out of character. Cuomo's mishandling of the pandemic—coupled with

MBNJSD (2021-02-24). What Planet Is NATO Living On? dissidentvoice.org NATO headquarters in Brussels (Photo: NATO) The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme …

John Wojcik (2021-02-24). In plain sight, GOP senators show sabotage is their game. peoplesworld.org Republican senators exposed their true colors at separate Senate hearings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and those colors are not ones that would typically be shown by anyone interested in "bipartisanship." The nation was treated to the spectacle in hearings on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol of Senate leaders of that right-wing insurrection …

Mirinda Crissman (2021-02-24). Texas freeze — Rich get richer, workers suffer. workers.org Houston An unprecedented winter storm hit Texas Feb. 15, bringing subfreezing temperatures. One week later, huge sections of the population are still without power, heat and/or water. Houston skyline glows, while millions suffer subfreezing temperatures without heat or water amidst preventable power outages, Feb. 15 Across major cities — such . . . |

David Rosen (2021-02-24). Confronting the Digital Divide: New York City vs. Verizon. counterpunch.org The United States is a divided nation, one expressed in all-too-many ways as evident by the 2020 presidential election and the failed January 6th insurrection. Unfortunately, one of its most telling expressions is the digital divide, in which more well-to-do urban and suburban locals get superior if over-priced telecom services while whole swaths of urban

Beau Peters (2021-02-24). The Ethics of Healthcare Marketing. dissidentvoice.org Spend an evening watching television on any network in pretty much any town in America and you'd probably think that Big Pharma had already created a pill for anything that might ail ya. And, of course, in some ways, that's not entirely wrong. Today we have a world of therapies to extend our lives and …

Rajan Menon (2021-02-24). Covid-19 Demonstrated How This Country Fails Its Most Vulnerable: A Field Guide to Our Threadbare Social Safety Net. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. Between …

United Health Professionals (2021-02-24). Mensaje de Alerta sobre la COVID-19. Profesionales de la Salud Unidos. globalizacion.ca Llamamos la atención de nuestros lectores, este importante comunicado internacional de profesionales de la salud, médicos y científicos, que ha sido enviado a los gobiernos de treinta países. | A continuación se muestra el texto completo que se envió a los…

Mike Walter (2021-02-24). The Heat: Afghanistan-What's next? america.cgtn.com The war in Afghanistan rages on as a major deadline looms for U.S. forces to leave the country.

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Cancels "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Left Waiting. truthout.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in,…

Staff (2021-02-24). In What Universe Is a $15 Wage "Too High"? Joe Manchin's. truthout.org Economic justice organizers may soon triumph in their fight for a $15 minimum wage. Thanks to their years of effort, President Biden (and every Democratic contender during the primary debates) vowed to hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour. In keeping with that promise, Biden attached a wage bill to his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. | Although Republicans and their political allies are firmly opposed to the measure, the Senate could approve it. But Democratic holdouts like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin could do…

Staff (2021-02-24). Romney Says Trump Will Be GOP Nominee If He Runs in 2024. truthout.org Speaking about the future of the Republican Party on Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said it's very likely that former President Donald Trump would win the nomination for president if he decided to run again in 2024. | "I don't know if he'll run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I'm pretty sure he will win the nomination," Romney said Romney also acknowledged that "a lot can happen between now…

Staff (2021-02-24). Calls Rise for Louis DeJoy's Removal and for Major Postal Reforms. truthout.org On Wednesday, February 24, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Waiting in Squalid Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Wait in Squalid Refugee Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…

RT (2021-02-24). Home addresses, social security numbers & sensitive medical data on 500,000 French patients leaked online after hack — reports. rt.com Sensitive medical records on nearly 500,000 patients in France have been stolen in a major cyber attack on dozens of healthcare labs, landing online after an alleged dispute between the hackers, according to media reports. | A file containing names and contact details on 491,840 people has made the rounds online since at least earlier this month, according to French cybersecurity journalist Damien Bancal, who runs the Zataz blog. The data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, social security numbers and other sensitive medical information pertaining to medications, pregnancy and diseases such as HIV.

a guest author (2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted incarcerated people in the U.S. In California, during the early days of the pandemic, the transfer of prisoners into San Quentin sparked a massive outbreak of COVID that spread to over two-thirds of the prison population there, causing the death of 27 prisoners, including . . . |

Media Lens (2021-02-24). 20 Years Of Media Lens: A Selection Of Remarkable Replies From Journalists. dissidentvoice.org The Insiders In a 2002 interview with the Observer, the BBC's John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE of Kabul, to give him his full name and title, was asked to define the 'essential qualities' of a journalist. Simpson responded with typical left-field quirkiness: There's something slightly wrong with most of us, don't you feel? We're damaged goods, …

Staff (2021-02-24). Texas Power Grid Deregulation Cost Texans $28 Billion Over Two Decades. truthout.org Republican Texas lawmakers often tout their state leadership's contempt and recalcitrance toward the federal government as a point of pride. But a new analysis by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has found that the deregulation and monopolization of the Texas energy market cost Texas residents $28 billion more than they would have paid under a traditional utility. | When Texas changed from fully regulated power generation to the largely deregulated system that's in place today, it began requiring almos…

CP Editor (2021-02-24). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine. counterpunch.org

RT (2021-02-24). Grand jury refuses to indict officers in Daniel Prude case, whose death in police custody sparked protests & resignations. rt.com A grand jury in Rochester, New York has decided not to indict seven police officers, including the one who placed a hood on Daniel Prude's head and contributed to his death. The black man's demise spurred protests last year. | The police officers were suspended in the wake of Prude's death on March 23 last year, which came as a result of an altercation between Prude, a black man, and a group of responding officers as they attempted to take him into custody. | Announcing the jury's verdict, New York AG Letitia James said that she was "extremely disappointed" by the outcome, arguing that Prude's race played a ro…

RT (2021-02-24). Conservative host posts about his investigation into voter fraud claims, gets blocked, challenges Twitter to disprove his findings. rt.com BlazeTV host Steven Crowder had his Twitter account restricted after posting about a video investigative piece claiming numerous voter addresses in the 2020 presidential election were faked. | "DOZENS of voter names, addresses, and pictures proving they don't exist. Period. Today I'm tired of this s**t. Mass voter fraud is real and I can prove it," Crowder Twitter quickly restricted the tweet and did not allow anyone to like, retweet, or respond to it "due to a risk of violence." Twitter also temporarily locked Crowder'

RT (2021-02-24). Twitter called out for 'double standards' after it singles out report on UK influence op in Russia with 'hacked materials' label. rt.com Twitter has added a warning to a bombshell expose revealing a covert UK program to plant pro-government narratives in foreign media, telling users the piece may be based on "hacked material," despite letting similar stories slide. | A

RT (2021-02-24). Oklahoma man on parole accused of taking victim's HEART to feed family that he later slayed & maimed. rt.com Grisly details have emerged in a triple homicide case in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The suspect reportedly cut out and cooked the heart of a neighbor he had killed, before turning the knife against his own family. | The already shockingly brutal case against Lawrence Paul Anderson, 42, rose to a new level of senselessness after the chain of tragic events was further explained in court papers. As the suspect was confessing to his crimes to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), he said he had taken out the heart of his first victim and took it to his home. | I feel the need to warn people that this story…

RT (2021-02-24). US Federal Reserve investigating disruptions to Fedwire payment system and other services. rt.com The US Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it is investigating a disruption to services including Fedwire, which facilitates trillions of dollars in wire transfers between institutions every day. | According to updates from the Federal Reserve, the massive disruption to services was caused by an "operational error". | "We acknowledge that payment deadlines are impacted and will communicate remediation efforts to our customers when available. Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the issue," the institution said in an update on the situation. | As of 2.30pm Eastern Time Wednesday, almost all serv…

RT (2021-02-24). Chicago lawmaker calls to BAN Grand Theft Auto in new bill, blaming 'violent video games' for spike in carjackings. rt.com A Democratic lawmaker in Chicago is pushing to ban the sale of all violent video games, claiming the graphic 'Grand Theft Auto' series — which debuted more than 20 years ago — is to blame for a wave of carjackings around the city.

RT (2021-02-24). What about student loans, water or the homeless? Outrage follows report $1.7 trillion F-35 program is now considered a failure. rt.com A tacit admission by the US Air Force that the F-35 has failed its main mission has triggered an outpouring of outrage from Americans who think the stealth fighter's gargantuan budget could have been better spent on other things. | Frustration with Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth jet flooded Twitter on Wednesday, after Forbes magazine published a story about how USAF commissioning a study into a new, cheaper and lighter fighter amounts to "a tacit admission that the F-35 has failed." | | The U.S. Air Force admitted that the F-35 s…

RT (2021-02-24). Divided Republicans in Congress awkwardly disagree on Trump's future at same press conference (VIDEO). rt.com Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) is facing a backlash after openly disagreeing with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) on Donald Trump's future with the party during an awkward press conference exchange. | Asked on Wednesday whether Trump should be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida this week, McCarthy replied simply, "Yes, he should." | Cheney, who was standing behind McCarthy, was then asked what she thought about the matter — though her answer should surprise no one, as she's been a vocal critic of the former president. | "I don't believe he should be playing a role i…

RT (2021-02-24). US seeking re-election to UN Human Rights Council after Trump withdrawal, Blinken calls for expulsion of other members. rt.com The US wants to retake its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a video message to the body, during which he also called for the removal of other nations. | "I'm pleased to announce the United States will seek election to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term," Blinken declared on Wednesday. "We humbly ask for the support of all UN member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body." | Former President Donald Trump's administration

RT (2021-02-24). What about student loans, water or the homeless? Outrage follows report $1.7 trillion F-35 program is now considered a failure. rt.com A tacit admission by the US Air Force that the F-35 has failed its main mission has triggered an outpouring of outrage from Americans who think the stealth fighter's gargantuan budget could have been better spent on other things. | Frustration with Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth jet flooded Twitter on Wednesday, after Forbes magazine published a story about how USAF commissioning a study into a new, cheaper and lighter fighter amounts to "a tacit admission that the F-35 has failed." | | t.co/fDhBTf4Cyd RT (2021-02-24). 'Let's play strip poker': Former staffer publishes explosive essay detailing claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is being accused of sexual harassment and fostering a "toxic" work environment by former staffer Lindsey Boylan, who detailed her time with the top Democrat in a new essay. | Boylan The former aide now says she has revealed her full story in the hopes that it will "clear the path for other women to come forward." She published the exp…

RT (2021-02-24). 'Cancel them before they cancel us': Gab CEO says banks have banned platform due to media smears. rt.com Three banks have refused to do business with Gab, a Twitter competitor outspoken about free speech, in recent weeks, the company's chief executive revealed. Andrew Torba blamed the development on mainstream media hit pieces. | The third bank to sever its relationship with the company in three weeks told Torba on Monday that they were doing so because of "all the bad things the press has written about Gab," he said in an interview published by the conservative outlet National File. | Speaking to

RT (2021-02-24). Neera Tanden's quest for OMB post hits another roadblock as crucial step postponed indefinitely — reports. rt.com The confirmation of Neera Tanden, Biden's polarizing pick for head of the Office of Management and Budget, has been further derailed after Republicans suggested they'd vote against it, insider sources told the media. | Both the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Budget Committee postponed meetings set for Wednesday in which they were scheduled to vote on Tanden's confirmation, according to sources cited in several US outlets. | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to say whether the Biden administration was planning to withdraw Tanden, instead gushing over her "broad s…

RT (2021-02-24). 'The war continues': Small investors up in arms after GameStop stock trades halted amid price surge & reports of Reddit outages. rt.com GameStop shares have again soared, surging by more than 100 percent until a trading halt slowed the rally before markets closed, stoking suspicions among small investors, some pointing to mysterious Reddit issues during the spike. | $GME was up by Observers online noted that while halts are typically short-lived and last onl…

RT (2021-02-24). 1 in 6 Americans under 23 say they're LGBTQ, as more people in the US than ever identify as non-heterosexual. rt.com More Americans than ever identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) according to a survey of sexuality, with one in six people under 23 saying they are something other than heterosexual. | The Gallup Poll released Wednesday, found that 5.6 percent of Americans classify themselves as LGBTQ — up from 4.5 percent in 2017. That was the last time Gallup carried out polling on the issue. | Gallup surveyed 15,000 Americans above 18 years of age and found that of those who identified themselves as LGBTQ, 54.6 percent said they were bisexual, 24.5 percent said they were gay, and 1…

Betsey Piette (2021-02-24). COVID-19 vaccine patents: Private property vs. public health. workers.org Among the many controversies surrounding vital COVID-19 vaccines, the issue of patent bans gets far less attention than how vaccines are being distributed or who is able to receive them. Yet the patent laws protecting intellectual property (IP) in the U.S. and European Union give the world's wealthiest countries unfair . . . |

Staff (2021-02-24). FDA May Approve Johnson & Johnson Vaccine for US Use as Early as Saturday. truthout.org The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective in a briefing document on Wednesday morning, lending support to its emergency use authorization. | The vaccine's trial data results are "consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA's guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19,"

Peter Koenig (2021-02-24). Identificación del "paquete de vacunas" implantado: El Parlamento de Alemania ha ratificado la "Agenda ID2020" digital de GAVI. globalizacion.ca Noticias alarmantes. En Alemania, el Parlamento (Bundestag) ratificó el 29 de enero de 2021 la implementación de la Agenda ID2020. | Se trata de una recopilación de datos electrónicos generalizados y centralizados de cada ciudadano a la que tendrían acceso todas…

Ali Harb (2021-02-24). Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes. middleeasteye.net Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes | Gregory Meeks, chair of House Foreign Affairs Committee, ruled out conditioning aid to Israel even if annexation proceeds | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 43 | Congressman Gregory Meeks vowed to be a 'strong voice against antisemitism' when dealing with Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Congressman Gregory Meeks, a key Democrat, linked Palestinians to the…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says. middleeasteye.net US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says | But Secretary of State Antony Blinken says body needs to eliminate agenda item on rights abuses in occupied Palestinian territories | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 23 | Blinken said the US was seeking support for its election to the UNHRC for the 2022-2024 term (AFP) | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the Biden administration…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution'. middleeasteye.net Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution' | New investigation also denounces the lack of medical treatment given to the Palestinian man and the degrading treatment of his body | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 35 | Ahmad Erekat was killed at an Israeli checkpoint on his sister's wedding day last year (Facebook) | The killing of Palestinian Ahmad Erekat at an Israeli checkpoint on his s…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president. middleeasteye.net Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president | Barham Salih says meeting between Pope Francis and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani will be 'profound statement about moderation in religion' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 21: 11 | Pope Francis is set to visit Iraq on 5 March, and travel to areas previously under the control of the Islamic State group (AFP/File photo) | Iraqi President Barham Salih ha…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report. middleeasteye.net Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report | US intelligence report expected to support earlier CIA findings that Saudi crown prince behind murder of journalist | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 08: 36 | The call would be the first conversation between Biden, as US president, and King Salman, according to Axios (Reuters) | US President Joe Biden is set to call Saudi Arabia'

MEE staff (2021-02-24). UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison. middleeasteye.net UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison | A panel of rights experts welcome administration's goal of closing prison, but say it must ensure 'crimes committed there will not remain unpunished' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 16: 41 | There are currently 40 detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison (AFP/File photo) | A panel of UN rights experts said the Biden administration's current rev…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-24). Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict. middleeasteye.net Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict | Intelligence officer sentenced to four and a half years in prison over complicity in crimes against humanity | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 09: 28 | Eyad al-Gharib, accused of crimes against humanity in the first trial of its kind to emerge from the Syrian conflict, arrives to hear the court's verdict on 24 Februar…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan. middleeasteye.net Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan | The three Turks were convicted of smuggling the ex-Nissan boss into Lebanon while he faced charges in Japan | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 27 | The Ghosn saga has shaken the global car industry, at one point jeopardising the Renault-Nissan alliance which he masterminded (AFP) | An Istanbul court on Wednesday conv…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections. middleeasteye.net Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections | The Prime Minister's Office has been in contact with Palestinian authorities to drum up backing among Palestinian citizens of Israel | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 15: 59 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on a visit to Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, 20 February 2021 (AFP) | An Israeli watchdog on Wednesday called for a cri…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report | In recent court filings, documents reveal that two of the jets used by Saudi hit squad belonged to a company seized by MBS months earlier, CNN reports | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 22: 02 | Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 (AFP/File photo) | Two private jets used by the Saudi hit squad that killed journalist…

Yossi Melman (2021-02-24). Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too. middleeasteye.net Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too | The Israeli security services have no wish to rock the boat, but they have few measures to influence the upcoming polls | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 17 | An electoral worker leaves the Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza City (Reuters) | From the perspective of the Israeli security establishment, it would ha…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment. middleeasteye.net German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment | Court finds Abu Walaa helped radicalise young people in Europe and send them to Iraq and Syria | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 12: 00 | Abu Walaa, 37, was found guilty of belonging to a foreign terrorist organisation, helping to plan subversive violent acts and financing terrorism (AFP) | An Iraqi preacher said to be the Islamic St…

RT (2021-02-24). How do you do, fellow kids? Biden White House leaves followers baffled after tweeting out-of-touch meme with Canadian PM. rt.com The Biden administration has taken a popular meme and mutilated it, leaving what appears to be praise for Canada's Justin Trudeau but which was hard to understand either way. | Biden's White House Twitter account posted two images in a row captioned "How it started. How it's going" on Wednesday. The first showed Biden and Trudeau walking side by side down a hallway lined with flags, apparently from Biden's term as Vice President under Barack Obama. The second featured a large screen on which Trudeau was projected, with Biden turned towards it, seemingly in mid-speech, clearly taken during the pandemic. | How i…

Staff (2021-02-24). Cori Bush Grills Postmaster DeJoy About USPS's Board of "Millionaire White Boys" truthout.org During Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) noted that, despite the fact that people of color make up a sizeable share of United States Postal Service (USPS) employees,…

RT (2021-02-24). Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell offers to renounce UK & French citizenship in exchange for bail. rt.com Jeffrey Epstein's alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to give up her British and French citizenship in order to be released on bail. She was arrested on charges of trafficking underage girls. | Maxwell "will renounce her French and British citizenship to eliminate any opportunity for her to seek refuge in those countries, if the Court so requires," her lawyers wrote in a The defendant's legal team argued that by doing so, Maxwe…

Jasmine Norden (2021-02-24). Victory for campaigners as richest Cambridge college promises to divest from fossil fuels. thecanary.co After four years of student campaigning, Cambridge's Trinity College has promised to divest fully from fossil fuels in the next 10 years. | The college has vowed to end all direct investment into fossil fuels by the end of 2021, and all indirect investment within 5-10 years. | Trinity is only the third Cambridge college to promise full divestment. The university as a whole has

_____ (2021-02-24). Will Biden Finally Get US Troops Out Of Afghanistan? popularresistance.org Real talk: Joe Biden hasn't had too many finest hours in his 47 years plus years on the national scene. To be fair, he's had his moments — like a powerful, earthy, and impassioned 1986 speech he delivered to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opposing the Reagan administration's apologism for the "repulsive, repugnant" Afrikaner apartheid "regime" in South Africa. Sure, he later — during the 2020 campaign — repeatedly peddled a bizarre lie that he once got arrested attempting to visit Nelson Mandela in prison. Nor does Biden sport such clean record on race relations in his own country [mdas…

Online News Editor (2021-02-24). Philippines arrests 9 women suspected of planning suicide bombings. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Feb 24 (efe-epa).- The Philippine military said Tuesday night it arrested nine women suspected of planning suicide bombings with links to the Abu Sayyaf terror group leadership. The women were arrested Friday during a series of raids at three homes in the south-western province of Sulu in the Philippines, General Corleto Velluan, head of …

Staff (2021-02-23). Amazon faces a day of reckoning for its treatment of workers. therealnews.com Amazon workers and their allies rallied last weekend to support the union drive at the Bessemer, Alabama, facility. Workers say the company has failed to protect worker safety or improve working conditions even while Amazon and Jeff Bezos profited from the pandemic.

RT (2021-02-23). Amazon mysteriously pulls book critical of transgender movements, gets accused of 'digital book burning'. rt.com Author Ryan T. Anderson has blasted Amazon for removing his latest book on the rise of the transgender movement without explanation, a move that has many criticizing the company for playing politics and accusing it of censorship. | "I hope you've already bought your copy, cause Amazon just removed my book 'When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment' from their cyber shelves…. my other four books are still available (for now)," Anderson 'When Harry Became Sally' had p…

Raul Diego (2021-02-23). Part II — Western Capital's Long Chinese Mission: From Opium to COVID Vaccine Credentials. mintpressnews.com We examine the virtually unbroken history between American power-brokers and the highest echelons of power in China — a history that harkens back to the earliest days of capitalism, slavery, and the opium trade.

Sameena Rahman (2021-02-23). FBI, NYPD exposed: Deathbed confession shines new light on assassination of Malcolm X. liberationnews.org Fifty-six years after the assasination of Malcolm X, new details from a former New York Police Department officer's deathbed confession has further implicated the NYPD and FBI in the killing. Raymond Wood, the former NYPD officer, requested the letter be publicized only after his death due to fears of retaliation. Wood's cousin, Reggie Wood, read …

Richard D. Wolff (2021-02-23). The Fake Debate Over a Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org Capitalism's "conservative" defenders yet again oppose raising the minimum wage. They fought raising it in the past much as they tried to prevent the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) that first mandated a U.S. minimum wage. The major argument opponents have used is this: setting or raising a minimum wage threatens small employers. They may collapse or else fire employees; either way, jobs are lost. What is conveniently assumed here is a necessary contradiction between minimum wages and small business jobs. That assumption enables opponents to claim that not setting a legal minimum wage, like not raising it, saves…

David L. Wilson (2021-02-23). Crediting Xenophobia—rather than organizing—with raising workers' wages. mronline.org The Economist (2/15/20) ran a brief article last year with a startling headline: "Immigration to America Is Down. Wages Are Up. Are the Two Related?" Maybe, the article's anonymous author answered, at least for the short term.

Patrick Cockburn (2021-02-23). Capitol Riots Were a Dark Day for American Journalism. counterpunch.org What is reported matters and particularly so when it risks exaggerating violence or deepening fear and a sense of threat. If the US government really was the target of an armed insurrection, then this will be used to justify repression, as it was after 9/11, and not just against right wing conspiracy theorists. By becoming partisan instruments for spreading fake news, the media undermines its own credibility.

The Conversation (2021-02-23). Biden and the Iran nuclear deal: what to expect from the negotiations. juancole.com By Ali Bilgic | — As Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, speculation was rife that one of the first things his administration would do would be to seek re-entry to the Iran nuclear deal that had been quit by his predecessor in the White House. The Joint …

John Clamp (2021-02-23). Rohingya: The Sufis of Arakan. counterpunch.org 'It was absolutely shocking, how children aged five or six were hunted down and had their throats slit. I was thinking 'this is ISIS-type stuff'. I told Aung San Suu Kyi 'you have moral standing in this country. You have to stop this. Why are you hiding it?' She said [the United Nations] needed to

John Bachtell (2021-02-23). Republicans oppose the American Rescue Plan at their peril. peoplesworld.org With Republicans scrambling to block emergency economic assistance to millions, the Democratic-led House of Representatives is moving quickly to approve the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) this week. The measure, which links the pandemic, economic crisis, and racial justice, then goes to the Senate. The Democratic majority is expected to pass it via the …

Steve Sweeney (2021-02-23). Erdogan slammed, will open a fascist 'Grey Wolves' school in occupied Artsakh. peoplesworld.org Anti-fascist forces in Turkey blasted authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's links to right-wing paramilitary death squads today after reports that he will open a new Grey Wolves school in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. He will lay the foundation for the building alongside Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in the city of Shushi, which was taken by Azeri forces …

Eds. (2021-02-23). Bhima Koregaon: Varavara Rao gets bail on medical grounds for six months. mronline.org Just as the Bombay HC pronounced the verdict, the additional solicitor general sought a stay on the order for three weeks. However, the court rejected it.

W.E.B. DuBois, Gus Hall (2021-02-23). From the People's World archives: W.E.B. DuBois joins the Communist Party. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: Dr. William E. Burghardt DuBois was born Feb. 23, 1868. Near the end of his life, in 1961, he applied for membership in the Communist Party USA. His letter, and the response from Gus Hall, leader of the party at that time, were published for the first time in the pages of The …

Ronda Shelton (2021-02-23). Killer cop still not on trial almost 3 years after killing Daniel Hambrick in Tennessee. liberationnews.org As made clear by the video footage, when Delke was unable to catch his victim on foot, he stopped running, assumed a firing position, and shot Hambrick three times, including once in the back of the head.

Richard C. Gross (2021-02-23). Welcoming a Return to Sanity. counterpunch.org In the old days, specifically during the presidency of another actor, Ronald Reagan, Republican falsehoods seemed so quaint that Americans dismissed them as such, relegating them to sloganeering. "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem," the conservative president charged during his first inaugural address in 1981. Nonsense. Reagan's phrase was

Talli Nauman (2021-02-23). The Race to Save the Vaquita Porpoise From Extinction. counterpunch.org San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. The long-running global struggle to prevent extinction of the world's most endangered marine mammal claimed its first human life here on Jan. 2, in the conflict between illegal fishing and conservation of the vaquita porpoise. Fisherman Mario Garcia Toledo, 56, died after suffering massive injuries when his skiff collided with

Ed Rampell (2021-02-23). 'Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me' at Pan African Film Festival. peoplesworld.org Undaunted, the pandemic can't stop the Pan African Film Festival. In that immortal show biz tradition, the show must go on! Albeit virtually, as this year, in order to stay cinematically safe, America's largest and best annual Black-themed filmfest since 1992 is moving online and starting later than usual, kicking off on the last day …

Tom Conway (2021-02-23). Corporations, lawmakers collude in new multi-state 'right to work' offensive. peoplesworld.org Dave Dell Isola, the son and grandson of union members, grew up grateful for the family-sustaining wages and benefits that organized labor won for working people. But he never fully grasped the might of solidarity until he and his wife, Barbara, and their two sons lost everything in an apartment fire. Dell Isola's brothers and …

Ben Hillier (2021-02-23). What coronavirus taught us about the ruling class. mronline.org If half a million people in the United States were murdered by an evil cult, the leaders of which said that they would keep killing thousands a day to satisfy their rapacious urge for power and money, what do you think the response would be?>

Sami Al-Arian (2021-02-23). Mourning Dr. Agha Saeed, Celebrating his Life. counterpunch.org Dr. Agha Saeed , a towering American-Muslim figure has passed away today in a nursing home at the age of 72, due to complications from Covid-19. He had also been silently suffering from Parkinson's for over eight years. The history of American Muslims will be incomplete and extremely inadequate without recognizing Dr. Saeed's life achievements

John Wojcik (2021-02-23). Conservative Democrat Joe Manchin playing a dangerous game. peoplesworld.org The press is talking about how a conservative Democratic senator from West Virginia is now allegedly one of the most powerful movers and shakers in the nation's capital. Sen. Joe Manchin has been an enormous headache for President Joe Biden by threatening to sink the $15 minimum wage and by promising to vote down Biden's …

Eds. (2021-02-23). Demographic characteristics of people receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States. mronline.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with states to provide more information on the demographic characteristics of vaccinated people.

Jonah Raskin (2021-02-23). Notes on Black History Month, 2021: No More Black Messiahs, Please. counterpunch.org The sign in the window of my neighborhood food store reads, "Black Lives Matter." I have shopped there at least once a week over the past year. I have never seen a Black person in the store or a Black person working there. That is not strange or unusual. There aren't many Black people in all of northern California. Indeed, there are fewer Blacks in the Bay Area than there were in the 1940s and 1950s. They've been pushed out.

Karl Grossman (2021-02-23). Plutonium in Space: What Are the Odds of a Catastrophe? counterpunch.org With all the media hoopla last week about the Perseverance rover, going almost totally unreported was that its energy source is plutonium—considered the most lethal of all radioactive substances—and nowhere in media that NASA projected 1-in-960 odds of the plutonium being released in an accident on the mission. "A '1-in-960 chance' of a deadly plutonium release

Staff (2021-02-23). Dr. Cornel West vs. Harvard University. therealnews.com In a special edition of "The Tight Rope," Dr. Cornel West speaks freely about his "ridiculous situation at Harvard" with respect to his being denied tenure at the institution.

Liberation Staff (2021-02-23). Student activists in Weymouth, Mass. vs the cult of 'blue lives matter'. liberationnews.org The rhetoric surrounding "blue lives matter" isn't new. Similar dogwhistles have been used to defend hate symbols such as the confederate flag, the Gadsden flag, and even the swastika.

Sanket Jain (2021-02-23). India's Farm Crisis: "They Sell Our Wheat to Us at Thrice the Price" counterpunch.org Laxmibai Kale has been losing a portion of her harvest every year. That's not been due to excessive rainfall or drought or poor farming techniques. "Our crops are destroyed," said 60-year-old Laxmibai, "because thepanchayat allows animals to graze on the land. I've lost count of the losses we've suffered." The five-acre plot in Mohadi village

Mike Walter (2021-02-23). The Heat: China-U.S. relations. america.cgtn.com Putting relations back on the right track. China makes the case for cooperation, instead of confrontation, with the United States.

Staff (2021-02-23). Unrepentant About His Cancún Trip, Ted Cruz Blames Media for Publicizing It. truthout.org After attempting to do significant public relations damage control over his jaunt to Mexico while Texas was in a deep crisis caused by Winter Storm Uri, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is now trying to suggest he's being victimized by the media. | Speaking during an appearance on conservative radio host Dana Loesch's program Monday, Cruz, who had left the state with his family to travel to Cancún, Mexico, as millions of residents suffered extreme temperatures without heat, electricity and running water…

Staff (2021-02-23). Over 33 Percent of Low-Paid Workers Lost Jobs During Pandemic. truthout.org Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. | Between February and May 2020, the number of unemployed workers soared more than threefold — from 6.2 million to 20.5 million. The jobless rate spiked in a similar fashion from 3.8% to…

Staff (2021-02-23). "What Are We Going to Do About It?" Mariame Kaba Talks Abolition in Action. truthout.org In the wake of the uprisings following the highly publicized murder of George Floyd, new attention has been paid to campaigns to defund and abolish police and policing, and imagine new ways of existing in a world where safety, justice and healing can — and should — exist independently of the carceral state. In this atmosphere of heightened excitement about abolition, Mariame Kaba has delivered the timely collection We Do This 'Til We Free Us. A perennial organizer and prison industrial…

Staff (2021-02-23). GOP Senator on Investigations Committee Blames "Fake Trump Supporters" for Jan 6. truthout.org During a hearing on Tuesday examining the attack on the Capitol building that took place early last month, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) read into the record a widely debunked conspiracy theory, falsely alleging that the attacks themselves were incited not by former President Donald Trump, but by members of the crowd who were there to …

Staff (2021-02-23). Trump Salary Donation Was 0.1 Percent of Reported $1.6 Billion He Made in Office. truthout.org According to a review of Donald Trump's financial disclosures by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Trump reported at least $1,613,583,013 in revenue from outside sources during his presidency. | Trump famously touted

Staff (2021-02-23). Trump Attacks Supreme Court for Allowing Probe Into His Tax Returns. truthout.org On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed a New York prosecutor to obtain Donald Trump's tax returns, marking a fatal blow for his legal effort to block an accelerating criminal investigation into his business dealings. In turn, the former president lashed out at and attacked the justices, including the three nominated to the bench by him, who rebuffed his attempt to block the probe without comment. | "This investigation is a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our Country,"

Staff (2021-02-23). Texas Companies Are Forcing Employees to Use Vacation Time for Winter Storm. truthout.org Dozens of employers in Texas are forcing their employees to dig into their vacation time to account for days they didn't work due to the winter storm, or else go without pay for those days, The Daily Beast reports. | Last week, millions of Texans were left without power, some for days, as a winter storm hit the state and

Staff (2021-02-23). Remembering Octavia Butler: Black Sci-Fi Writer Shares Cautionary Tales in Unearthed 2005 Interview. democracynow.org As Democracy Now! marks 25 years on the air, we are revisiting some of the best and most impactful moments from the program's history, including one of the last television interviews given by the visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. She spoke to Democracy Now! in November 2005, just three months before she died on February 24, 2006, at age 58. Butler was the first Black woman to win Hugo and Nebula awards for science-fiction writing and the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur "genius" fellowship. Her best-known books include the classics "Kindred," as well as "Parable of the Sowe…

Staff (2021-02-23). adrienne maree brown: Octavia Butler's Visions of the Future Have Transformed Generation of Readers. democracynow.org The visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler died 15 years ago on February 24, 2006, but her influence and readership has only continued to grow since then. In September, Butler's novel "Parable of the Sower" became her first to reach the New York Times best-seller list. We speak with adrienne maree brown, a writer and Octavia Butler scholar, who says Butler had a remarkable talent for universalizing Black stories. "She wrote about Black women and about Black feminism, about Black futures, but she wrote in a way that appealed to all human beings," says brown.

Paul Haeder (2021-02-23). American Exceptionalism: Private Wealth and Public Squalor. dissidentvoice.org A December 2017 statement from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights notes that, while the US manages to spend "more [money] on national defence than China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United Kingdom, India, France, and Japan combined", US infant mortality rates were, as of 2013, "the highest in the developed world". …

RT (2021-02-23). 'Speak for yourself': Boris Johnson skewered after telling school kids journalists find themselves 'abusing people'. rt.com Boris Johnson is facing swift backlash after he claimed — to a group of school children — that journalists always find themselves "abusing people" and the job made him feel so guilty he left for a more honest career in politics.

RT (2021-02-23). Sturgeon announces Scotland's roadmap out of Covid-19 lockdown, with hospitality set to return in late April. rt.com Scotland's first minister has announced her government's plans to reopen the country from lockdown, with the previous tiered system of restrictions due to take effect again in April. | Speaking a day after UK PM Boris Johnson unveiled his lockdown exit plan for England, Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would embark on a period of "progressive easing," with the current stay-at-home order lifted on April 5. | From March 15, four people, or two households, will be able to meet outside, and all primary and secondary school students should be returned to classroom learning by that date. The plan also sees hospitality,…

RT (2021-02-23). IAEA report confirms Iran's 20 percent uranium enrichment, says no explanation given for undeclared nuclear particles. rt.com Iran has still not offered explanations for uranium material found at two of its nuclear plants last year, according to a new report by the UN's nuclear watchdog, potentially derailing renewed efforts to revive the nuclear deal. | The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also says that Iran has produced 17.6 kg of uranium enriched to the 20 percent level — as the country had already announced — matching its target of 10 kg a month, according to Reuters. | Iran's hardline-led parliament passed a bill in December forcing the country to "produce and store 120kg per year of uranium enr…

RT (2021-02-23). Number of neo-Nazis in German Army who reject post-WWII state almost DOUBLED in 2020 — parliamentary commissioner. rt.com The number of far-right extremists in the German Armed Forces has grown by almost a third, while the number of military personnel rejecting…

RT (2021-02-23). Tiger Woods suffers 'serious injuries' to BOTH legs in car crash, but 'jaws of life' weren't used — sheriff. rt.com Los Angeles, California authorities said there was no evidence golf legend Tiger Woods was impaired at the time of the car crash that left him seriously hurt. The "jaws of life' were not used to extract the golfer, they noted. | Woods was "calm and lucid" when Deputy Carlos Gonzalez found him in the overturned vehicle on Tuesday morning, the responding officer told reporters at a press conference later in the day. | He was not able to stand on his own power, and was extracted from the car by a LA County Fire crew, Gonzalez added. | Hope Tiger Woods is ok. üôèüè&or…

RT (2021-02-23). Amnesty International says it will not call Navalny 'prisoner of conscience' anymore over his HATE SPEECH. rt.com Amnesty International, a human rights NGO, has withdrawn its designation of the recently jailed Russian activist and blogger Alexey Navalny as a "prisoner of conscience" due to past xenophobic statements he never retracted. | The group said it "is no longer able to consider" Navalny a prisoner of conscience because he "advocated violence and discrimination" and has never retracted any of such statements he made in the past. It maintained, however, that it still believes that his latest imprisonment was linked to his anti-government activism and demanded his "immediate release," a letter published by Grayzone j…

RT (2021-02-23). 'I pray he somehow finds help': Troubled NFL ace who was shamed by Covid breaches & car crash is savaged after quitting on Twitter. rt.com Isaiah Wilson has been blasted as one of the worst first-round picks in NFL history after swiftly deleting a tweet claiming he was "done" with Tennessee Titans, coming after a series of run-ins with the law and two Covid breaches. | Despite being the 29th overall pick at the start of the 2020 season, troubled Wilson had a campaign to forget and was put on the Non-Football Injury list in December after finding himself on the Covid-19 list twice for breaching safety rules. | The 22-year-old offensive tackle was involved in a bizarre incident when Tennessee State University police found him at an off-campus party…

RT (2021-02-23). Suspect pleads guilty to assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017, sentenced to 15 years. rt.com One of three men on trial in Malta for the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia has been sentenced, after admitting to his part in the assassination of the journalist and activist in a car bombing near her home in October 2017.

RT (2021-02-23). 'I had no clue': Olivier Giroud admits disbelief after giving Chelsea Champions League win at Atletico Madrid via spectacular goal. rt.com Olivier Giroud scored a superb second-half winner to end Chelsea's wretched run in the Champions League knockout stages in style — then admitted that he had been as uncertain as anyone over whether the goal would be allowed. | Chelsea held their own in a typical European contest involving the current Liga leaders, with Diego Simeone's wily contenders intent on defending resolutely and pouncing on the break through the likes of deadly top scorer Luis Suarez in the round of 16 first leg. | New manager Thomas Tuchel would likely have been content to have continued his unbeaten start as Blues boss before Gir…

RT (2021-02-23). EU Commission wants 6 members to ease Covid-related border restrictions as Germany defends curbs. rt.com The EU Commission has told six nations that their Covid border restrictions have "gone too far" and must be relaxed after a German minister defended the country's measures aimed at fighting the spread of new strains of the virus. | The EC's justice commissioner, Didier Reynders, has said Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Sweden have 10 days to provide a justification for the restrictions along their borders or to relax the measures, in favor of taking a more "coordinated approach." | It is a necessity to go back to a coordinated approach to all the measures taken in relations with the free movem…

RT (2021-02-23). Tiger Woods suffers 'serious injuries' to legs in car crash as fire crews are forced to use pry bars to cut golf icon from vehicle. rt.com Tiger Woods is in hospital after emergency services were forced to cut him out of his car following an accident in Los Angeles, with local officials describing the golf legend as "calm and lucid" when they attended the scene. | The accident is said to have happened between Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes on Tuesday morning, with the LA County Sheriff's Department confirming Woods' involvement. | "The driver and sole occupant was identified as PGA golfer, Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods," the department announced. | This morning

RT (2021-02-23). Amnesty no longer considers Navalny 'prisoner of conscience' over his anti-migrant HATE SPEECH, but regards jailing as 'political'. rt.com Amnesty International, a human rights NGO, has withdrawn its designation of the recently jailed Russian activist and blogger Alexey Navalny as a "prisoner of conscience" due to xenophobic statements he has refused to retract. | The group said it "is no longer able to consider" Navalny a prisoner of conscience because he "advocated violence and discrimination," in the past. Notably, the opposition figure has been given opportunities to apologise for the far-right positions he advocated, in his 30s, but he has declined. | Amnesty maintained, however, that it still believes that his latest imprisonment was linked…

Staff (2021-02-23). How do you market sex work? therealnews.com We're back with Part II of our special mini-series on work and politics in the sex industry, guest-hosted by friend of the show Jessie Sage. Jessie is a writer, podcaster, phone sex operator, clip artist, and co-owner of Peepshow Media. In this rich and expansive two-part series, Jessie interviews sex worker, activist, writer, undocumented migrant, and DACA recipient from Honduras, Maya Morena. In Part II of their conversation, Maya and Jessie pick up where they left off last week and discuss the day-to-day labor that goes into being a sex worker, the images that sex workers have to maintain, and much more.

RT (2021-02-23). NJ governor finally signs law legalizing recreational marijuana after 3-year wait, but it could be MONTHS before it takes effect. rt.com New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has finally followed through on a long-standing promise to legalize pot — or at least decriminalize it. Or did he? State residents have been promised a lot more than what they're getting. | Murphy announced on Monday he had signed legislation that would launch a recreational marijuana marketplace and finally legalize the drug's use by adults (and decriminalize its use by minors), fulfilling a promise he made three years ago. | New Jersey's broken & indefensible marijuana laws are no more. | Today, I signed historic legislation to: | ‚úÖLegalize adult-use…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Blacklist' site asks people to report everyone who voted for Trump to 'unmask' them. rt.com Conservatives are up in arms over a website that is asking people to report any acquaintance who voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. | "This is insane. The Founders are rolling over in their graves," RealClearPolitics cofounder Tim Bevan tweeted on Tuesday, including a link to the site in a subsequent tweet. | This is insane. The Founders are rolling over in their graves. According…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Jeep Grand Christopher sounds good': Twitter split after Cherokee Nation chief asks carmaker to stop 'honoring' his tribe. rt.com Naming a vehicle after a Native American tribe is wrong even if the intentions were good, the Cherokee Nation principal chief has said, and Twitter has some ideas for what to call Jeep SUVs instead. | Jeep Cherokee SUVs have been produced since 1974, and in the early 1990s, Chrysler (now part of the Netherlands-based company Stellantis) added the luxury Jeep Grand Cherokee model line to its range. Chuck Hoskin, who heads the largest of the three federally-recognized Cherokee tribes in the US, believes his people's name should not be "plastered on the side of a car," regardless of the motives for putting it the…

RT (2021-02-23). America Re-canceled? Black activist Young Pharaoh booted from anti-censorship themed CPAC event for 'reprehensible views'. rt.com The Conservative Political Action Conference has barred activist Young Pharaoh from speaking at its 'America Uncanceled' event, citing his "reprehensible" remarks on Judaism. The rapper denounced the move as "censorship." | CPAC organizers took to Twitter on Monday to declare that the

RT (2021-02-23). Ex-VP Pence snubs annual conservative conference where his former boss Trump is due to speak, prompting speculations. rt.com While ex-president Donald Trump will be speaking at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he will not be joined by Mike Pence, a fact that has both sides of the political aisle talking theories as to why. | Matt Schlapp, one of the main organizers for the event, has said Pence's refusal to speak at the conference is a "mistake." | "His conservative record is well respected, and conservatives want to hear his take on the current threats posed by socialism and this radicalized Democrat party," he said. | Trump's speech will, meanwhile, be his most public event since leaving office. While…

RT (2021-02-23). It's not 'kids in cages,' Biden White House insists, saying it uses 'facilities' with 'Covid-safe' standards to lock up children. rt.com White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has recast the reopening of one of ex-president Trump's infamous migrant detention centers as a temporary fix for the pandemic, arguing that not locking kids up would be "inhumane." | Psaki was skewered by reporters on Tuesday after the Biden administration reopened a migrant detention facility that had been closed in 2019 under former president Donald Trump. | The press secretary floundered as she attempted to defend Biden's stated policy "not to expel unaccompanied children who arrive at the border" by putting those children back in the "cages" — actually shipping c…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Stripped NAKED and left in cell with lights on': Trans woman charged in Capitol riot alleges mistreatment in jail. rt.com A transgender woman charged in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol says she was held naked in a constantly lit jail cell for four days, asking the court to be placed under house arrest instead. Jail officials denied mistreatment.

RT (2021-02-23). WATCH: Huge EXPLOSION in Texas after train collides with 18-wheeler truck. rt.com First responders in Cameron, Texas are battling a huge blaze caused by an explosion after a train and an 18-wheeler truck collided. Eyewitness footage captured the moment a huge fireball rose over the site. | Local reports indicate both the train conductor and truck driver escaped the crash, which occurred at a grade crossing. Footage from the scene shows train cars flipped and aflame. |

RT (2021-02-23). 'The containers offer privacy!' Biden under fire for opening child detainment center, but some liberals jump to defend him. rt.com The first child immigration detainment facility under President Joe Biden opened this week, prompting Democrats who had attacked former President Donald Trump for maintaining similar facilities to go on the defensive. | A former oil field worker camp in Carrizo Springs, Texas, it was briefly used as a detainment facility by the Trump administration in 2019 before being closed down, but is now back in operation to hold "up to 700 children," with the Biden administration saying it was needed since capacity has been cut at other facilities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | Immigration activists were saddened to hea…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Haven't thought about that': Biden's AG nominee Garland dodges question whether illegal immigration should remain a crime. rt.com Former judge Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the Justice Department, seemed to say "I don't know" a lot at his Senate confirmation hearing, including when asked about illegal immigration. | Also on rt.com | | Senators questioned Garland on Monday ahead of the floor vote on his nomination, which appears to be a foregone conclusion. Time and again, however, he would not commit to things such as safeg…

RT (2021-02-23). Bill Gates admits his 'large carbon footprint' makes him a 'strange person' to pressure others — as he plugs climate-change book. rt.com Microsoft founder Bill Gates has admitted his private jet and billionaire lifestyle make him a "strange person" to advocate against climate change, but insists he's doing his part bankrolling obscure tech years away from adoption. | While Gates acknowledged his critics had good reason to question why a man with "the biggest carbon footprint west of the Mississippi" was "preaching" to them about climate change, the software magnate-turned climate crusader insisted he was sincere about trying to shrink even his own massive consumption levels. | In a chummy discussion with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Tuesday, Gate…

RT (2021-02-23). Beauty queen wife of drug lord El Chapo ARRESTED in Virginia on drug trafficking charges, accused of planning TWO prison escapes. rt.com Emma Coronel Aispuro, a former US beauty pageant queen and wife of arguably the world's most notorious drug kingpin — Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman — has been arrested in the US on an array of drug trafficking charges. | Aispuro, 31, who is a dual US-Mexican citizen, was nabbed at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly "on charges related to her alleged involvement in international drug trafficking," the US Justice Department The woman, who marrie…

RT (2021-02-23). #FireFauci trends as he tells vaccinated people to remain under lockdown, blames Trump's 'denial' for massive death count. rt.com Calls for White House adviser Anthony Fauci to be fired have intensified as he continues pushing lockdown restrictions and criticizing former President Donald Trump over Covid-19 deaths. | After cautioning vaccinated individuals from resuming normal activities like dining out or attending large group events, Fauci tried clarifying his stance in a Tuesday interview with CNN, saying more relaxed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be coming "soon." | The agency, Fauci said, needs to "sit down, talk about it, look at the data and then come out with a recommendation based on the…

RT (2021-02-23). Meghan McCain calls for firing of Fauci for 'inconsistent messaging' on Covid, gets roasted for calling vaccine rollout a disaster. rt.com Meghan McCain was taken to the woodshed online after demanding Anthony Fauci be fired for his "inconsistent messaging" on the Covid-19 pandemic, while complaining that she — a TV host — doesn't know when she'll be vaccinated. | The pundit took aim at Fauci during a Monday segment on 'The View' over a recent appearance on CNN, where the health expert suggested those who've received an immunization may still have to practice social distancing. | "I was very frustrated when I saw this clip," she said. "The fact that Dr. Fauci is going on CNN and he can't tell me that if I get the vaccine, if I'll be a…

C.J. Hopkins (2021-02-23). The Vaccine (Dis)Information War. dissidentvoice.org So, good news, folks! It appears that GloboCap's Genetic Modification Division has come up with a miracle vaccine for Covid! It's an absolutely safe, non-experimental, messenger-RNA vaccine that teaches your cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response, just like your body's immune-system response, only better, because it's made by corporations! OK, technically, …

RT (2021-02-23). Pfizer and Moderna pledge to Congress to ramp up Covid-19 vaccine production as US death toll tops 500,000. rt.com Pfizer and Moderna have prepared written testimonies to the US Congress, promising to boost vaccine production in the coming months, as the country's death toll from Covid-19 recently exceeded 500,000. | The companies' executives are scheduled to speak before the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday. | According to Pfizer Chief Business Officer John Young's written testimony, the company will have 120 million doses of the vaccine available for shipment by the end of March and an additional 80 million doses by the end of May. Pfizer expects that all 300 million contracted dose…

Staff (2021-02-23). U.S. COVID Death Toll Hits 500,000 as Rich Nations Hoard Vaccines, Leaving Poorer Nations Without Any. democracynow.org The United States has passed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, by far the highest toll in the world. The morbid milestone comes as new COVID-19 cases continue to fall across the country amid an accelerating vaccine rollout, but the head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries not to undermine efforts to get vaccines to poorer nations by buying up billions of doses — in some cases ordering enough to vaccinate their populations more than once. "The inequities that we've seen here are just absolutely stunning," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia Uni…

Staff (2021-02-23). WHO Urges Rich Countries to Stop Undermining Efforts to Vaccinate Poorer Ones. truthout.org The United States has passed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, by far the highest toll in the world. The morbid milestone comes as new COVID-19 cases continue to fall across the country amid an accelerating vaccine rollout, but the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on rich countries not to undermine efforts to get vaccines to poorer nations by buying up billions of doses — in some cases ordering enough to vaccinate their populations more than once. "The inequities that we've s…

RT (2021-02-23). World Bank's emergency cash for Lebanon may stop amid reports MPs queue-jumping for Covid vaccine, regional chief warns. rt.com Millions of dollars in World Bank funding for Lebanon's Covid-19 vaccine rollout could be halted due to alleged queue-jumping for the jab by the country's MPs, the financial institution's regional director said on Tuesday. | According to local media, Lebanese MPs and parliamentary staff over age 75 were to be vaccinated on Tuesday without needing to register in advance, although journalists were not to be allowed to observe. | "This is not in line with the national plan agreed with [the] World Bank," the organization's Middle East chief, Saroj Kumar Jha, said on Twitter. | "Upon confirmation of violation, [the…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-23). Covid-19 in Lebanon: World Bank threatens to stop funding vaccinations after violations. middleeasteye.net Covid-19 in Lebanon: World Bank threatens to stop funding vaccinations after violations | Lebanon's vaccine committee said on Tuesday that a number of lawmakers had received the jab without its approval | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 02 | People receive Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines at the Lebanese American University Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon, on 16 February 2021 (Reuters) | The head…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-23). UAE-owned arms company wants to help produce F-35 fighter jets. middleeasteye.net UAE-owned arms company wants to help produce F-35 fighter jets | Biden suspended the sale of weapons to the United Arab Emirates approved by Trump in his final days of office | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 10: 32 | EDGE CEO Faisal al-Bannai said his company was ready to produce missiles and parts for the F-35 fighter if sales of the warplane to the UAE were approved (AFP) | The United Arab Emirate's…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Qatar: More than 6,500 south Asian migrant workers have died since 2011, says report. middleeasteye.net Qatar: More than 6,500 south Asian migrant workers have died since 2011, says report | Data compiled from government sources reveals thousands dead since Qatar awarded Fifa World Cup in December 2010 | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 08: 14 | Migrant workers are seen walking next to a construction site in the Qatari capital Doha on 6 December 2016 (AFP) | At least 6,500 migrant workers from south Asian countries have died i…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Covid-19: Israel donates vaccines to countries that moved embassies to Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel donates vaccines to countries that moved embassies to Jerusalem | Czech Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, and Palestinian Authority will receive symbolic amount of vaccines, local media report | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 16: 57 | Israel is facing mounting criticism for not inoculating Palestinians in occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip (AFP) | The Czech Republic, Guatemala and Honduras, which have all move…

Lily Galili (2021-02-23). Jewish National Fund's new land grab drives wedge between Israel and liberal diaspora Jews. middleeasteye.net Jewish National Fund's new land grab drives wedge between Israel and liberal diaspora Jews | Neither the Biden administration nor the liberal diaspora are impressed by the KKL's latest move. But the writing has been on the wall for decades | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 15: 00 | A view of the Israeli settlement of Alon in the Judaean desert, east of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (AFP) | Days before he…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Syria: Russia digs up graves in refugee camp in search of dead Israeli spy Eli Cohen. middleeasteye.net Syria: Russia digs up graves in refugee camp in search of dead Israeli spy Eli Cohen | The three-week excavation of Yarmouk cemetery is part of a search for the former Mossad agent, according to report | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 16: 01 | Damaged graves in the Yarmouk refugee camp cemetery following a bomb attack by Syrian government forces in Damascus, 11 April 2015 (Rami al-Sayed/AFP) | Russian forces in Syria have…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Al Jazeera launching digital platform to provide outlet for US conservatives. middleeasteye.net Al Jazeera launching digital platform to provide outlet for US conservatives | Journalists express anger over Rightly, saying it deviates from network's stated mission of giving a 'voice to the voiceless' | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 17: 43 | Al Jazeera briefly launched an American news channel and website in 2013 but it was forced to shut down due to poor ratings (AFP) | The Al Jazeera news network is launching a new…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Al Jazeera to launch new platform targeting US conservatives. middleeasteye.net Al Jazeera to launch new platform targeting US conservatives | Journalists expressed outrage over launch of Rightly, saying digital platform deviated from network's stated mission of giving a voice to the voiceless | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 17: 43 | Al Jazeera briefly launched an American news channel and website in 2013 but it was forced to shut down (AFP) | The Al Jazeera news network is launching a new digital pl…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-02-23). Erbil attack a warning to Iraqi Kurds, not the US, say Shia commanders. middleeasteye.net Erbil attack a warning to Iraqi Kurds, not the US, say Shia commanders | With tensions over Sinjar sky high, Iran-backed groups say they are happy to see the Kurdish authorities under pressure but not sure who fired the rockets | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 09: 22 | A gun and bullets belonging to a Yazidi militia affiliated with the PKK in the border area near Sinjar in 2016 (Reuters) | The recent miss…

Lily Galili (2021-02-23). Jewish National Fund's new land grab drives wedge between Israel and US. middleeasteye.net Jewish National Fund's new land grab drives wedge between Israel and US | Neither the Biden administration nor the liberal diaspora are impressed by the KKL's latest move. But the writing has been on the wall for decades | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 15: 00 | A view of the Israeli settlement of Alon in the Judaean desert, east of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (AFP) | Days before he made his long-awai…

Ragip Soylu (2021-02-23). Greece-Turkey tensions: Ankara claims Greek jets harassed research vessel. middleeasteye.net Greece-Turkey tensions: Ankara claims Greek jets harassed research vessel | The dispute comes despite recent talks to resolve long-standing maritime hostilities between the two countries | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 12: 45 | A Turkish military ship passes a coastguard patrol boat near the island of Lesbos on 6 March 2020 (AFP) | Turkey said on Tuesday that four Greek F-16s harassed a Turkish research vessel near…

Azad Essa (2021-02-23). Cornel West: Palestine is a 'taboo issue among certain circles in high places'. middleeasteye.net Cornel West: Palestine is a 'taboo issue among certain circles in high places' | Activist and scholar says he is being denied tenure at Harvard University because of his views on Israeli occupation | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 15: 00 | Cornel West speaks at the National Press Club on 21 February 2017 (AFP) | US activist and philosopher Cornel West said he is confident that it is his criticism of Israel cost him tenure…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). UAE-backed STC forces accused of torturing Yemeni journalist. middleeasteye.net UAE-backed STC forces accused of torturing Yemeni journalist | Adel al-Hasani produced a CNN report critical of the UAE's activities in Yemen, which a source says is the reason behind his detention | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 12: 04 | Hasani is an investigative journalist, producer and fixer for international journalists, based in the southern Yemeni city of Aden (Social media) | Yemen's UAE-backed Southern Transition…

Ali Harb (2021-02-23). Reviving Iran deal is 'most urgent' priority, says EU's Josep Borrell. middleeasteye.net Reviving Iran deal is 'most urgent' priority, says EU's Josep Borrell | Top European official rejects push to expand nuclear deal beyond its current scope to address other issues with Iran | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 18: 46 | Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) welcomes EU's Josep Borrell in Tehran on 3 February 2020 (AFP/File photo) | Top EU foreign policy official Josep Borrell has called reviving the Iran nuclear deal "th…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Human rights 'central' to US-Egypt ties, Blinken tells Egyptian counterpart. middleeasteye.net Human rights 'central' to US-Egypt ties, Blinken tells Egyptian counterpart | Antony Blinken raised human rights concerns in call with Sameh Shoukry, but rights advocates are demanding concrete action from Washington | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 21: 33 | Egyptian police cadets at training session at a police academy in Cairo, 30 December 2019 (AFP/File photo) | US Secretary of State Tony Blinken told his Egyptian count…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-23). Arabic press review: Egyptian judge accused of running drug-trafficking network. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egyptian judge accused of running drug-trafficking network | Meanwhile, Palestinians in contact with international community to pressure Israel to allow Jerusalemites to vote in elections, and Kuwait prohibits all trade in Bitcoin | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 58 | An Egyptian judge, the son of a senior judge at the Court of Cassation, is accused of forming a narcotics ring (AFP)…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-23). Saudi Arabia to allow women to join military for first time. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia to allow women to join military for first time | The move is the latest in a series of policy changes designed to change the image of the ultra-conservative kingdom | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 11: 15 | Saudi women watch golfers compete in the Saudi Ladies International golf tournament (AFP) | Saudi Arabia has announced it will allow women to apply for the military for the first time in its…

Nadda Osman (2021-02-23). Outcry in Kuwait over suicide of stateless Bidoon child. middleeasteye.net Outcry in Kuwait over suicide of stateless Bidoon child | Thousands of people are highlighting the case online and demanding an end to the community's marginalisation | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 07 | An illustration of the child has been shared online with the caption 'you have returned to God, the most merciful, Ali' (Screengrab/Twitter) | Reports of a 12-year-old child's suicide from Kuwait's stateless pop…

Elizabeth Anderson (2021-02-23). What Comes After Meritocracy? thenation.com The long-standing focus by liberals on meritocratic advancement has isolated the working class.

RT (2021-02-23). 'Publish your emails instead': Hillary Clinton's plans to pen 'political thriller' met with groans on social media. rt.com An announcement that former presidential candidate and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is planning to write a "political thriller" with author Louise Penny has been met with groans and eyerolls on social media. | Axios reported on Tuesday that the book, to be titled 'State of Terror', will be published in October by Simon & Schuster and St. Martin's Press. | The story will follow a "novice Secretary of State" who "joins the administration of her rival" a president who was inaugurated "after four years of American leadership that shrank from the world stage" — perhaps a not-so-thinly-veiled reference…

Sarah Anderson, Scott Klinger and Brian Wakamo (2021-02-23). Black Families Have a Vital Stake in the Future of the Postal Service. counterpunch.org The United States Postal Service is under strong pressure to make deep spending cuts that would be devastating for customers and employees across the country. Black families have a particularly large stake in the debate over the future of this vital public service. USPS has long been a major source of good middle-class jobs for

RT (2021-02-23). Four board members of Texas grid operator RESIGN over blackouts during deadly winter storm. rt.com The Texas electric utility is shedding board members ahead of the state probe into the blackouts that left more than four million people without power during a severe winter storm, which claimed an estimated 80 lives and counting. | Chairwoman Sally Talberg, vice chair Peter Cramton, finance and audit chair Terry Bulger and human resources and governance chair Raymond Hepper have tendered their resignations to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), effective Wednesday. | They did so "to allow state leaders a free hand with future direction and to eliminate distractions," according to the letter mad…

PAI (2021-02-23). Unions, Poor People's Campaign press wage hike ahead of Congress vote. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—With notable union backing, led by Service Employees President Mary Kay Henry, the New Poor People's Campaign turned up pressure on Congress to approve raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, ahead of key votes on Capitol Hill. The pressure came in nine live demonstrations from coast to coast, despite rain in …

Global Research News (2021-02-23). Selected Articles: Afghanistan's Multibillion Dollar Heroin Trade. globalresearch.ca By The Vaccine Reaction is reporting that a…

Ian Cobain (2021-02-23). British royals met with autocratic Arab monarchs 'over 200 times' since 2011. middleeasteye.net British royals met with autocratic Arab monarchs 'over 200 times' since 2011 | UK royal family members have reportedly held the equivalent of one meeting a fortnight with 'tyrannical' Arab rulers over the past 10 years | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 09 | Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Buckingham Palace in central London on 7 March 2018 (AFP) | Members of Brit…

RT (2021-02-23). For want of a jacket, British MP gets dressed down and bumped from Parliament call (VIDEO). rt.com A British MP lost his speaking slot during a House of Commons video call on Tuesday over his failure to wear a jacket — a fashion faux pas for any MP wishing not to fall afoul of parliamentary dress code in the Chamber.

Ian Cobain (2021-02-23). British royal family members have met with Gulf rulers over 200 times since 2011. middleeasteye.net British royal family members have met with Gulf rulers over 200 times since 2011 | UK royals have held the equivalent of one meeting a fortnight with Middle Eastern monarchies over the past 10 years | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 09 | Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Buckingham Palace in central London on 7 March 2018 (AFP) | Members of Britain's royal family h…

RT (2021-02-23). 'He was sent by god': Novak Djokovic's dad accuses media of ignoring Serbian superstar and says he is 'loved by all normal people'. rt.com Australian Open champ Novak Djokovic's father says "97 percent" of Serbian people support the tennis world number one, adding that he deserves more praise and was "sent by god" at "the worst time" for the people of his homeland. | Srdjan Djokovic, 60, has predicted that dominant Djokovic will collect the three major titles required to beat arch-rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's total of 20 "in the next year and a half", adding that he would then be the best male player of all time. | He said that the 33-year-old was a "deity" in China, India, Russia, Brazil and Africa and claimed that Djokovic had been d…

Peter Koenig (2021-02-23). Die Twilight Zone: Covid, das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) und Eugenik. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | àúbrsetzt aus dem Englischen von Global Research: | |

Jasmine Norden (2021-02-23). Councils have invested nearly £10bn through pension funds into climate-wrecking fossil fuels. thecanary.co Local governments have invested £9.7bn into fossil fuels through pension funds, according to new research. | A report by campaign groups Friends of the Earth and Platform found that despite 75% of councils in the UK declaring a 'climate emergency', many were still investing in fossil fuels during 2019/20. | West Yorkshire, Strathclyde, and Greater Manchester have made the largest local authority pension fund investments into fossil fuels. | 'Dirty pensions': | Fossil fuels account for 3% of the total value of the Local Government Pension Scheme. For the 6.8m people using the local government pension…

Tom Anderson (2021-02-23). Campaigners call for the strengthening of Welsh language rights as people globally stand up for oppressed mother languages. thecanary.co Sunday 21 February The International Mother Language Day Kurdistan: | Commentators on Twitter highlighted the continued o…

Eliza Egret (2021-02-23). Matt Hancock's audacity is off the scale as he refuses to apologise for breaking the law. thecanary.co It should no longer come as a surprise, watching Matt Hancock give himself a pat on the back for how he's handled the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It should also come as no surprise that he accepts zero responsibility for almost But Hancock's audacity flew off the chart on 23 February when he insisted that his team should be thanked, and that there had been no national shortage of PPE. Does Hancock think that a successful roll-out of vaccines…

Jasmine Norden (2021-02-23). Outrage as Labour North West bans candidates from Liverpool mayoral elections. thecanary.co Labour North West has Shortlisted candidates acting mayor Wendy Simon, current lord mayor Anna Rothery, and former deputy mayor Ann O'Byrne were supposed to be competing for Joe Anderson's vacated position from last week. | Instead, an email sent to Labour party members announced the application process would be reopened. According to the Liverpool Echo, no previous candidates are…

The Canary (2021-02-23). Experts urge the UK to follow a zero-Covid strategy to prevent more mutations. thecanary.co Stamping out coronavirus (Covid-19) means that the virus which causes the disease will have less chance to mutate, MPs have heard. | Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that he could not understand why the government had decided not to follow the path of eliminating the virus — or a zero-Covid approach — and instead accepted that it will become endemic in society. | Prof McKee said having a situation where infection rates are "yo-yoing" up and down was just creating uncertainty for the public and for the economy. | It comes afte…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-23). Protest rallies held across Algeria on second anniversary of Hirak movement. peoplesdispatch.org According to Algerian prisoners' rights group, the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees, security forces arrested approximately 26 people in Algiers and 59 others across the country during the protests for unspecified reasons…

teleSUR (2021-02-23). El Chapo's Wife Arrested in US on Drug Trafficking Charges. telesurenglish.net The United States arrested Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Mexican drug trafficker Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, on Monday on charges of involvement in drug trafficking, the Justice Department said. | Coronel, 31 years old and with dual Mexican and U.S. citizenship, was detained at Dulles International Airport, in the state of Virginia, near Washington. | RELATED: | According to a Justice Department statement, the defendant i…

Jonathan Cook (2021-02-23). Picnic Video Exposes Both Faces of Israeli Apartheid. dissidentvoice.org A short video taken by a family as they picnicked in the West Bank this month may be the best field guide yet to Israel's complex apartheid system of state-sponsored Jewish supremacy. In the clip posted to Facebook, armed Jewish settlers arrive unexpectedly to break up the picnic of a Palestinian family — including grandparents …

Movement For Black Lives (2021-02-23). Tuesday 2/23: The State of Black America: Jobs, Health Care, Climate, Education, Safety & More w/ M4BL. indybay.org Online via livestream…

WSWS (2021-02-23). Eight Sri Lankan plantation workers arrested in company-police attack. wsws.org The Ceylon Workers Congress, Sri Lanka's main plantation union, is actively supporting company and state attacks on striking Alton tea estate workers.

Staff (2021-02-22). A Green New Deal Would Solve Texas Energy Deregulation, Says Naomi Klein. truthout.org Millions of Texans are still suffering after severe winter weather devastated the state's energy and water systems. About 8 million Texans remain under orders to boil water, and 30,000 homes still have no power. Around 70 deaths have now been linked to the winter storms, including at least 12 people who died inside their homes after losing heat. Republican lawmakers in Texas are facing increasing criticism for their handling of the crisis, their decades-long push to deregulate the state's energy syst…

Staff (2021-02-22). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine: Naomi Klein on Deadly Deregulation & Why Texas Needs the Green New Deal. democracynow.org Millions of Texans are still suffering after severe winter weather devastated the state's energy and water systems. About 8 million Texans remain under orders to boil water, and 30,000 homes still have no power. Around 70 deaths have now been linked to the winter storms, including at least 12 people who died inside their homes after losing heat. Republican lawmakers in Texas are facing increasing criticism for their handling of the crisis, their decades-long push to deregulate the state's energy system, and their unfounded attacks on renewable energy and the Green New Deal. Naomi Klein, senior correspondent at Th…

_____ (2021-02-22). On Contact: The Power Of Classics. popularresistance.org On the show this week, Chris Hedges discusses with Emily Allen-Hornblower and Marquis McCray the power of the classics, such as Sophocles' play Philoctetes, to elucidate mass incarceration. | Emily Allen-Hornblower is a professor of Classics at Rutgers University and is the recipient of a Whiting Foundation grant to foster dialogues about the classics with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women. | Marquis McCray is a social justice advocate. He spent 28 years in prison, during which time he studied the classics through the prison college program offered by Rutgers University.

Editor (2021-02-22). Bessemer, Alabama: The whole world is watching. workers.org An injury to one is an injury to all. This famous labor slogan, popularized by the Industrial Workers of the World over a century ago, is more meaningful today than ever. But it has a double meaning for workers at Amazon, where the workplace injury rate is exceptionally high due . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-22). Red Books Day celebrated internationally to mark 173 years since the publication of 'The Communist Manifesto'. peoplesdispatch.org On February 21, 1948 the Manifesto of the Communist Party written by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels was first published in the UK. The book is recognized as one of the most influential in the history of humankind and it has been translated in almost all languages in the world.

Ben Cowles (2021-02-22). NGO refugee rescue ship left waiting on European help that never came. peoplesworld.org An NGO refugee rescue ship in the central Mediterranean waited hours today for help from the Maltese and Italian coastguards that never came after the vessel saved the lives of 148 people, 28 more than it is legally allowed to carry. Basque charity Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (SMH) announced in the morning that the Aita Mari …

MEE staff (2021-02-22). Covid-19: Former Israeli minister urges denial of vaccine to Palestinians in Gaza. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Former Israeli minister urges denial of vaccine to Palestinians in Gaza | Ayelet Shaked argued humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged territory should be blocked over bodies of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas | Mon, 02/22/2021 – 14: 57 | A Palestinian health worker holds swab samples collected to test for Covid-19 in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 16 February 2021 (AFP) | Former Isr…

Margaret Flowers (2021-02-22). Global Solidarity Is Needed During The Pandemic To End Medical Apartheid. dissidentvoice.org Some of the truths the COVID-19 pandemic is exposing about the United States are its racial disparities in health and access to health care. Black and Indigenous people are more likely to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 than white people. They are two to three times more likely to be hospitalized and …

The Conversation (2021-02-22). WHO Busts Wuhan Myths: Pandemic started with wild Animal, not Lab, and Wet Market wasn't Ground Zero. juancole.com By Dominic Dwyer | — As I write, I am in hotel quarantine in Sydney, after returning from Wuhan, China. There, I was the Australian representative on the international World Health Organization's (WHO) investigation into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Much has been said of the politics surrounding the mission to investigate the viral …

Brian W. Major (2021-02-22). 'Judas and the Black Messiah,' the story of revolutionary Black Panther Fred Hampton. peoplesworld.org In the summer of 2020, the United States, as in much of the world, experienced an uptick in activism around the issue of racial oppression. The recent increase in police killings of Black people, exemplified by George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, was answered by the militancy of those who have simply had too much. Black …

Eric A. Gordon (2021-02-22). Half a million COVID dead: Trump death cult meets shock doctrine. peoplesworld.org Remember just a few short months ago when President Donald Trump floated the number of 200,000 coronavirus deaths as an acceptable number before COVID-19 just vanished like a miracle? The inevitable outcome of Trump's death cult has arrived—as of this week, a staggering half a million Americans in their graves from a disease that could …

Tania Siddiqi (2021-02-22). India: Rail roko protest and growing state-sanctioned terror. workers.org Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the farmer unions' umbrella body, launched a rail roko protest to halt train transit in many parts of India for four hours on Feb. 18. This action is the farmers' latest attempt to push India's national government to repeal three "farm bills" intended to appease corporate cravings. . . . |