Daily Archives: November 25, 2020

2020-11-25: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-25). Neoliberal Janet Yellen: Biden/Harris Regime's Choice for Treasury Secretary. globalresearch.ca In response to her selection, the Dow topped 30,000 for the first time in market history. | The disconnect between equity prices and Main Street reality is stark. | Since valuations plunged last winter, they've gone hyperbolic to record or near-record highs….

Prof. Marjorie Cohn (2020-11-25). Biden's Victory Does Not Guarantee a Progressive Agenda. We Must Fight for It. globalresearch.ca Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump is monumental. After four years of nonstop cruelty against workers, the poor, people of color, women, LBGTQ folks, immigrants, Muslims, the environment, the climate, and the foreign victims of Trump's bombs, we can …

Eds. (2020-11-25). Creeping fascism after the U.S. election: Trump's march to Gilead. mronline.org Phil Hearse responds to socialist critics of the creeping fascism thesis who put their faith in parliamentary democracy and liberals like Joe Biden.

Dr. Birsen Filip (2020-11-25). Cuba Successfully Halts Its COVID-19 Outbreak: A Reflection of the Socialist Revolution and the Legacy of Fidel Castro's Vision of Health Care. globalresearch.ca 'Private medicine grants privileges to those who have money to the detriment of those who do not have it and nothing could be more inhumane than that. It is unbelievable that rich societies that apply this and many other similar …

Danny Sjursen (2020-11-25). What President Biden Won't Touch: Foreign Policy, Sacred Cows, and the U.S. Military. counterpunch.org In this mystifying moment,…

James Bovard (2020-11-25). How Many Syrians Did You Vote to Kill? counterpunch.org How many Syrians did you vote to kill on Election Day? Thanks to our perverse political system, the answer will be revealed over the next four years if the Biden administration drags the U.S. back into the Syrian Civil War. But there are steps that Trump can take in his final months in office to

Norman Solomon (2020-11-25). Hey Joe, Where You Going With That Pentagon in Your Hands? counterpunch.org By all accounts, the frontrunner to be Joe Biden's pick for Secretary of Defense is Michèle Flournoy. It's a prospect that should do more than set off alarm bells — it should be understood as a scenario for the president-elect to stick his middle fingers in the eyes of Americans who are fed up with endless war

Rosemarie Ho (2020-11-25). Bryan Washington on Fiction 'Outside the Bounds of Trauma'. thenation.com Bryan Washington on Fiction 'Outside the Bounds of Trauma'

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-11-24). 'I Stand With the Amazon Warehouse Workers': Bernie Sanders Throws Support Behind Bold Union Drive in Alabama. commondreams.org "If Amazon workers in Alabama—a strong anti-union state—vote to form a union, it will be a shot heard around the world." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-6282941302_0.jpg

Staff (2020-11-24). Betting Pool? Tyson Managers Bet on How Many Workers Would Get COVID. Advocates Call It Grim Pattern. democracynow.org The family of a former meatpacker who died from COVID-19 alleges in a lawsuit that managers at a Tyson Foods plant in Iowa knew working conditions would result in illness, and even placed bets on how many workers would be infected. The family of Isidro Fernandez, who died in April, says the plant manager set up a winner-take-all betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager on coronavirus infections. Since the start of the pandemic, at least six workers have died and more than 1,000 tested positive for COVID-19 at the Iowa facility. Tyson Foods has suspended the managers involved in the alleged betting schem…

_____ (2020-11-24). Indigenous Peoples' Victory: Largest Dam Removal In The World. popularresistance.org After nearly two decades, Indigenous Peoples win an agreement for the largest dam removal in the world. Four of the six dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon will be taken down, allowing the water to flow freely again and the salmon to spawn. This is a powerful story of how four tribes put aside their past conflicts to work together and environmental groups participated in an indigenous-led campaign that took on two of the wealthiest men in the world, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. And this is an example of why, if we want to succeed in restoring our relationship with the earth, Indigenous Peoples mu…

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-24). Big Lie that Won't Die: Russiagate Still Around. globalresearch.ca The scheme was cooked up by Obama/Biden regime Russophobes John Brennan, Hillary and the DNC — to smear Russia and discredit Trump at the same time. | It aimed to maintain and escalate US hostility toward the Russian Federation — for …

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-11-24). This Is Your Brain On Echo Chambers: Right Calls Biden A Xi Puppet As He Packs His Cabinet With China Hawks. thealtworld.com This is your brain: This is your brain on media echo chambers: Joe Biden set to appoint …

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-24). Biden/Harris Regime's "War Cabinet" Taking Shape. globalresearch.ca Throughout most of…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-11-24). Demanding Reversal of Trump Cruelty, Immigrant Rights Groups Welcome Biden Pick of Mayorkas for DHS Secretary. commondreams.org The former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was a key architect of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and also expanded fee waivers for naturalization and immigration applications. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/alejandro_mayorkas.jpg

John Catalinotto (2020-11-24). Commentary — Active forces decide political struggles ‚àí battling #45. workers.org If the political struggle were determined simply by adding up potential forces, #45 would be meeting now with Joe Biden, and the two would be preparing the next capitalist administration of the U.S. government. Celebrations in Atlanta's streets over Trump's defeat, Nov. 7. Have no illusions. Both Republicans and Democrats . . . |

Azad Essa (2020-11-24). EXCLUSIVE: Ilhan Omar calls for end to American sponsorship of police brutality. middleeasteye.net EXCLUSIVE: Ilhan Omar calls for end to American sponsorship of police brutality | Congresswoman to introduce resolution condemning police brutality, which could have implications for arms sales to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, MEE can reveal | Tue, 11/24/2020 – 16: 55 | Draft resolution urges US arms manufacturers to stop the sale of lethal and non-lethal weapons to countries with documented patterns of police bruta…

Evelyn Leopold (2020-11-24). Biden is Facing a Showdown on Iran Sanctions. counterpunch.org President Trump has called the Obama-initiated nuclear agreement for Iran a "horrible one-sided deal" and withdrew from it in 2018. Except he really didn't. This past summer, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a series of appeals to the UN Security Council, saying that the United States was still a member of the deal, based

Finian Cunningham (2020-11-24). US Back to 'Normal' Imperialism. thealtworld.com The next US administration is taking shape with President-elect Joe Biden naming his picks to top cabinet posts and national security. It heralds a return to "normal" US imperialism and militarism. That is something to dread not celebrate, as American and European media would have us believe. | The incoming Democrat president, who is due to be inaugurated on January 20, is cheerfully

Musawenkosi Cabe (2020-11-24). South Africa's constitutional Court protects domestic workers. peoplesdispatch.org "It's unbelievable. We feel like flying, we are so happy. I nearly broke into song inside [the Constitutional Court], breaking the law…" These were the words of 77-year-old Eunice Dhladhla, a domestic workers' union organizer, after the court ended years of unfair exclusion and discrimination against domestic workers. | Twenty-six years into democracy, and still domestic workers could not claim compensation for contracting a disease, being injured or disabled, or even dying while at work. The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Disease Act expressly excluded domestic workers from the class of workers who…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-24). 'Total Reset' is Wishful Thinking: The Daunting Task of Reordering US Foreign Policy. counterpunch.org A new term has imposed itself on the conversation regarding the impending presidency of US President-elect, Joe Biden: "The Total Reset". Many headlines have already promised that the Biden Presidency is ready to 'reset' US foreign policy across the globe, as if the matter is dependent solely on an American desire and decision. While a

Eds. (2020-11-24). How Joe Biden plans to make the American empire great again. mronline.org Behind his rhetoric, Joe Biden will seek nothing less than global supremacy, escalating a new and even more dangerous arms race that risks the destruction of humanity, what he calls "decency" and "normalcy."

Dean Baker (2020-11-24). How Many Lives Would Have Been Saved, If We Had Cooperated on a Vaccine With China? counterpunch.org We know that Republican office holders are not allowed to say that Joe Biden won the election. Apparently there is a similar ban in place for news outlets when it comes to the question of the United States collaborating with China, and other countries, in developing vaccines against the pandemic. In recent days, there have

Peter Geoghegan (2020-11-24). UK Government Running 'Orwellian' Unit to Block Release of 'Sensitive' Information. globalresearch.ca Secretive Cabinet Office 'Clearing House' for Freedom of Information requests also accused of "blacklisting" journalists; openDemocracy launching a legal bid for transparency | *** | The British government has been accused of running an 'Orwellian' unit in Michael Gove's office that …

Amanda Marcotte (2020-11-24). Give it a rest, Republicans — no one wants to take away Turkey Day. salon.com The imaginary "war on Thanksgiving" is just Republicans grasping for post-Trump bulls**t to rile up the base…

WSWS (2020-11-24). A month after being hired at suburban Detroit Fiat Chrysler plant, worker dies from COVID-19. wsws.org Stevie Brown, a temporary part-time worker at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, is the latest victim of the murderous policy of keeping the factories open even as they have become a major vector in the spread of the deadly disease.

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-11-24). Defenders of US Public Schools Call on Biden to Ditch Trump's Disastrous Education Policies—and Obama's Too. commondreams.org "50.8 million children who attend real public schools need a secretary of education who will be their advocate, not an advocate for privatization." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/public_ed.jpg

Newsclick (2020-11-24). Two days ahead of historic strike, Indian trade unionists and farmers' leaders arrested. peoplesdispatch.org Organizers of the historic general strike said the arrest of 31 leaders of trade unions and farmers' movements in the State of Haryana would not dampen the protests. Over 200 million workers and hundreds of thousands of farmers will take part in the protest…

commondreams (2020-11-24). MPower Change Organizing Director Ishraq Ali Releases Statement on President-Elect Biden's Nomination of Avril Haines as National Security Advisor. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-11-24). Democracy 21 Calls on Democratic Representatives to Again Vote for the For the People Act in the New Congress. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Julia Rock (2020-11-24). Joe Biden's New National Security Picks Are Very Troubling. globalresearch.ca Joe Biden's first national security hires have been consulting for defense contractors or working for industry-funded think tanks. The picks are of a piece with Biden's entire career of backing US imperialism rather than bucking it. | *** |

Joe Biden's early …

Matthew Rozsa (2020-11-24). A reliable pandemic forecasting model says cases will nearly double by Inauguration Day. salon.com As case numbers explode across the country, Biden is poised to inherit a drastically worse crisis…

commondreams (2020-11-24). American Sustainable Business Council and Social Venture Circle Look Forward to Working with John Kerry, Climate Envoy to the Biden Administration. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2020-11-23). A People's Vaccine? Drugmakers Set to Profit from COVID Vaccines Made with Publicly Funded Research. democracynow.org With the world pinning its hopes on a successful coronavirus vaccine to curb the pandemic, corporate watchdogs say much of the research and development of the medicines rely on publicly funded research. "The investment in these vaccines, as for most drugs, has really been underwritten by the taxpayer, by the government," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

Walter Smolarek (2020-11-23). Biden to unveil cabinet picks: Hyper-militarist, pro-Wall Street administration takes shape. liberationnews.org Desperately-needed reforms under an administration so thoroughly imperialist and reactionary can only be secured through determined, militant struggle.

WSWS (2020-11-23). With COVID-19 spreading through auto plants, workers report death at FCA Warren Truck Assembly Plant. wsws.org The death, if confirmed, is the outcome of a massive outbreak in the plant, reported by several workers to the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter. According to one worker, eight teams with six to eight workers each have been sent home due to the virus since September 28.

Howard Lisnoff (2020-11-23). Crashing Against the Glass Ceiling. counterpunch.org During Bernie Sanders' most recent run for the presidency, the issue of his religious/ethnic background raised a recurrent theme of Jews who are seen as too politically left to rise to the highest levels of the US government. Sanders considered himself a socialist, but his campaign policy positions and history place him in a mild

Ralph Nader (2020-11-23). Trump's Massive, Lawless, and Immoral Legacy to Our Country Will Continue Unless … counterpunch.org Trump has gotten away with almost everything throughout his bankruptcy-driven business career and his corrupt, cruel, and costly political years in the White House. Things changed on November 3, when he was retired by the voters.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-23). Future of American Democracy: On Inequality, Polarization and Violence. counterpunch.org In January 2017, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Democracy Index downgraded the state of democracy in the United States from "full democracy" to "flawed democracy". The demotion of a country that has constantly prided itself, not only on being democratic but also on championing democracy throughout the world, took many by surprise. Some US pundits

Walden Bello (2020-11-23). What Will a Biden Presidency Mean for the Asia-Pacific Region? counterpunch.org Assuming Joe Biden will take the reins of the presidency on January 20, 2021, what will his likely policies toward the Asia-Pacific region look like? It is unlikely that Joe Biden will continue Trump's trade war with China. That would simply be too destabilizing for everyone. Not only is the U.S. greatly dependent on China

Editor (2020-11-23). What President Biden Simply Won't Touch. scheerpost.com The U.S. Army / CC BY 2.0] By Maj. Danny Sjursen / TomDispatch In this mystifying moment,…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-11-23). From 'Alarming Red Flag' to 'Something We Can Work With,' Campaigners Respond to Kerry as Biden Climate Envoy. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden-kerry-climate-envoy.jpg

Whitney Webb (2020-11-23). Whitney Webb & PARASCRIPT, Biden's SOS Big Tech Warhawk, Establishment Coup & more! thealtworld.com Whitney Webb & PARASCRIPT, Biden's SOS Big Tech Warhawk, Establishment Coup & more!

commondreams (2020-11-23). Biden Administration Must Remove Trump Holdovers On Day One. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jeff Bryant (2020-11-23). Bad Leadership Drove Schools into Crisis. progressive.org COVID-19 exposed how important teachers are to students and families—but politicians and policy leaders are still not listening to them.

M Kilian, H Wetzer and C Zaschke (2020-11-23). Trump's United States looks more and more like a banana republic. indybay.org "The country that was once an exemplary democracy is becoming a Third World banana republic," he says.For a week now, Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election and future president. But the loser and previous incumbent Donald Trump refuses to acknowledge this. Trump claims he won the election and Biden wants to take the victory away from him. Trump calls the votes that cast for him "legal."

Elijah Magnier (2020-11-23). L'Irak fera monter la pression sur Joe Biden et vice versa (3). thealtworld.com En

teleSUR (2020-11-23). Biden Announces His Administration's Top Foreign Policy Team. telesurenglish.net U.S. President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday his foreign policy leadership team, including Antony Blinken, who briefly served as deputy secretary of state during the second Obama administration. | Biden also has tapped Jake Sullivan to be his administration's national security adviser and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Sullivan served as deputy assistant to Obama as well as a senior policy adviser to 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign. Thomas-Greenfield was Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under Obama as well as the top hu…

commondreams (2020-11-23). U.S. Set To Retake Global Leadership on Climate With Choice of John Kerry as Biden's "Climate Czar". commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2020-11-23). Drugmakers Will Profit Off COVID Vaccines Generated by Taxpayer-Funded Research. truthout.org With the world pinning its hopes on a successful coronavirus vaccine to curb the pandemic, corporate watchdogs say much of the research and development of the medicines rely on public funding. "The investment in these vaccines, as for most drugs, has really been underwritten by the taxpayer, by the government," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I'm Amy Goodma…

commondreams (2020-11-23). 350.Org on Biden Appointing John Kerry as International Climate Envoy. commondreams.org ______________________________…

sputniknews (2020-11-23). Just to Babble in the Back Room. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed the news of the day, including Biden's incoming cabinet, protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in Germany, and the Trump team distancing themselves from Sidney Powell.

Elijah Magnier (2020-11-23). Why Iraq is expected to be hot for Joe Biden and vice-versa? (3). thealtworld.com Last

ibasid (2020-11-23). Video: The Day of Democratic Shame. The Berlin November 18 Rally against The Lockdown. Police Repression. globalresearch.ca 18.11.2020 — Tag der demokratischen Schande — Die etwas andere Perspektive. | Police repression is being routinely carried out in response to Germany's Infection Protection Law which denies fundamental rights to oppose the Merkel government's lockdown policies, which have triggered unemployment …

commondreams (2020-11-23). Biden's Appointment of John Kerry as Climate Czar Is Alarming Red Flag. commondreams.org ______________________________…

repost (2020-11-22). A. Ocasio-Cortez Addresses Failure of U.S. Gov't to Address Poverty. indybay.org As New York Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated to an empty congressional room, on YouTube, the Senate broke for a holiday week while the workingclass of the USA starves. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNBeI-G3eQQ&feature=emb_logo and www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/20/breaking-senate-we-are-abandoning-our-people-watch-aoc-excoriate-mcconnell-house

Medea Benjamin (2020-11-22). Here are 10 things Joe Biden can do immediately to create a safer, better world. salon.com Much of Trump's foreign policy has been conducted by executive order — Biden can undo the worst of it right away…

sputniknews (2020-11-22). 'You Can Lie Remotely': Russian MFA Spokeswoman Zakharova Piques NYT Headhunt in Moscow. sputniknews.com Around a week ago, The New York Times posted a "legendary" job offer, seeking a daredevil who would cover Russia – a country that, according to the outlet, "has its cyber agents sow chaos and disharmony in the West to tarnish its democratic systems, while promoting its faux version of democracy".

Editor (2020-11-22). A New Cold War Could Be Just Around the Corner. scheerpost.com Antonio R. Villaraigosa / CC BY-NC 2.0] By Cassandra Stimpson and Holly Zhang / TomDispatch War: what is it good for? Apparently, in Washington's world of think tanks, the answer is: the bottom line. In fact, as the Biden presidency approaches, an era of great-power competition between the United States and China is already taken for granted inside the Washington Beltway. Much less well known are… |

Abdul Rahman (2020-11-22). US sanctions on Iran stand as an obstacle to any constructive engagement in West Asia. peoplesdispatch.org The relentless maximum pressure campaign of the Trump administration against Iran which is continuing even after his electoral loss will be tough for a Biden administration to reverse, assuming there is the will to do so…

_____ (2020-11-22). Elections Proved Americans Are Done With The Drug War. popularresistance.org Something seismic happened in this election and it has nothing to do with Joe Biden winning. And yes, Joe Biden did indeed win. I'm sorry for those of you Trump fans who believe the election was rigged against him. It simply wasn't. | Yes, millions of Americans were indeed purged from the voter rolls — but they were mostly people of color. So if MAGA Nation are waiting for those votes to be counted, then Trump will actually do even worse. And I honestly don't care if you're thinking, "But I saw a video on Tik-Tok of someone burning a ballot and then smothering it in hot sauce and eating it."

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2020-11-22). Germany: The "Dictatorship of Democracy" Secretly Transformed into an "Open Dictatorship" globalresearch.ca The German national anthem, as a state symbol, was protected from denigration in a special way. But for months it has been dragged deeper and deeper …

_____ (2020-11-22). Biden Could Enact Medicare For All By Executive Action. popularresistance.org Journalist David Dayen presented a convincing case Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden, once sworn into office come January, would have the legal authority to immediately provide complete Medicare coverage to everyone in the country via executive action due to the Covid-19 pandemic—though the very serious question remains: would he? | During the primary season in March, Biden said he would veto a Medicare for All bill should one ever reach his desk, but with the coronavirus infection rate surging—and some scenarios projecting an overall death toll as high as 360,000 by the time the inauguration tak…

_____ (2020-11-21). Ten Foreign Policy Fiascos Biden Can Fix On Day One. popularresistance.org Donald Trump loves executive orders as a tool of dictatorial power, avoiding the need to work through Congress. But that works both ways, making it relatively easy for President Biden to reverse many of Trump's most disastrous decisions. Here are ten things Biden can do as soon as he takes office. Each one can set the stage for broader progressive foreign policy initiatives, which we have also outlined. | 1)End the U.S. role in the Saudi-led war on Yemen and restore U.S. humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-21). "Total Reset" is Wishful Thinking: The Daunting Task of Reordering US Foreign Policy. dissidentvoice.org A new term has imposed itself on the conversation regarding the impending presidency of US President-elect, Joe Biden: "The Total Reset". Many headlines have already promised that the Biden Presidency is ready to 'reset' US foreign policy across the globe, as if the matter is dependent solely on an American desire and decision. While a …

Dean Baker (2020-11-21). How Many Lives Would Have Been Saved if We Had Collaborated on Vaccines With China? cepr.net We know that Republican office holders are not allowed to say that Joe Biden won the election. Apparently there is a similar ban in place for news outlets when it comes to the question of the United States collaborating with China, and other countries, in developing vaccines against the pandemic. In recent days, there have …

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-21). iLaw's US-Funded Charter Proposal REJECTED. thealtworld.com Funded by the US government via the notorious National Endowment for Democracy (NED) — iLaw set about petitioning the Thai government to have the nation's entire constitution rewritten and rewritten in such a way as to make it easier for US-backed opposition parties to get into power. | The Thai parliament flatly rejected the proposal in part because of growing public awareness of iLaw's foreign funding and the massive conflict of interest this represents — not to mention the assault on Thailand's political independence it constitutes. | Hopefully this is the first step toward Thailand reviewing its…

sputniknews (2020-11-21). Councilman, Parents File Lawsuit to Reopen NYC Schools After de Blasio's Announcement. sputniknews.com The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the US hardest of all, with over 12Mln confirmed cases to date. Initially the Big Apple took the brunt of the virus, although later the daily number of new cases dropped significantly. With numbers now almost doubling in the last two weeks, Mayor Bill de Blasio has again shuttered all the schools within the city.

WSWS (2020-11-21). Fascist Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse released after posting $2 million bail. wsws.org The bail money was raised by defense attorneys and generously supported by Republican party donors.

splcenter (2020-11-19). Neo-Nazi, Klan Leader Thomas Metzger Dies in California. splcenter.org Thomas Linton Metzger, a neo-Nazi former Ku Klux Klansman who later formed the White Aryan Resistance, died early this month, according to his website.