(2020-12-22). Black Critical Care Dr. Taison Bell of UVA on Fighting COVID, Racism & Securing Fair Vaccine Access. democracynow.org 
More than 40 countries have temporarily suspended some or all travel from the United Kingdom after British health officials announced a highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus has been spreading in the country. South Africa has detected a similar variant. The new variant is believed to be 70% more contagious, but health experts say existing vaccines will still be effective against it. "What's important to remember is that mutations will naturally happen in the course of a virus that's in the community and circulating," says Dr. Taison Bell, critical care and infectious disease physician at the Universi…
(2020-12-22). The Revenge Agenda. The Deep State Has Won a Major Victory. globalresearch.ca The upcoming year should be interesting. The Establishment "Deep State" has won a major victory in the United States with the election of Joe Biden as president. What remains to be seen is whether or not there will be significant …
(2020-12-22). Bernie Sanders: Covid relief package is "totally inadequate" for "unprecedented" economic crisis. nationofchange.org "This country faces the worst set of public health and economic crises that we have faced in over a hundred years."
(2020-12-22). COVID Relief Package Is "Totally Inadequate" for "Unprecedented" Economic Crisis. zcomm.org Sanders took to the floor of the Senate Friday to call for $1,200 emergency checks for every working-class adult and $500 per child…
(2020-12-22). Biden publicly receives Covid vaccine, tells public not to worry. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 21 (efe-epa).- President-elect Joe Biden on Monday received a Covid-19 vaccination in public in an attempt to build confidence among Americans about its safety. "There's nothing to worry about," said Biden before television cameras after receiving the first dose of the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech at the ChristianaCare Hospital in Newark, Delaware, the …
(2020-12-22). Millions of India's Farmers Are in a Fight for Their Economic Lives. counterpunch.org 
India's farmers are revolting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in a mass movement that has drawn international attention. The world's largest democracy is witnessing a collective groundswell of protest as hundreds of thousands of farmers, largely from the states of Punjab and Haryana, have laid siege to the outskirts of the capital of New
(2020-12-22). Why Progressives Must Not Give Joe Biden a Political Honeymoon. indybay.org Need a clear alternative to toxic GOP pseudo-populism…
(2020-12-22). Solidarity with the trade unionists in the Philippines, Human Rights Day 7. fightbacknews.org We strongly condemn the repression that has been unleashed against leading trade unionists in the Philippines and stand in solidarity with the militant labor federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) / May First Movement. | On Human Rights Day, December 10, the Philippine National Police raided the homes and jailed Dennise Velasco of Defend Jobs Philippines; Romina Astudillo, Deputy Secretary-General of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Metro Manila; Mark Ryan Cruz, Regional Executive Committee of KMU-Metro Manila; Jaymie Gregorio Jr. of KMU-Metro Manila; Joel Demate of Solidarity of Labor Rights and Welfare (SOLAR); Rodrigo Esparago o…
(2020-12-22). President-elect Joe Biden appoints his environmental team. nationofchange.org "Folks, we're in a crisis. We literally have no time to waste…"
(2020-12-22). New Boss, Same Story. realprogressives.org Guess what? Joe Biden won the Electoral College vote, and now is officially the President-Elect! And it's about time too. What has it been, 3 years since his electors won the November election so they could put his name on their ballot? And still Donald Trump has not yet conceded to Joe's superior campaigning skills. Of course not, the Donald cannot imagine that anyone could do better at fooling the American electorate than himself. But when it comes to fooling the American electorate all we need to do is look at the biggest fool who served as President and his wise, but foolish words. "Fool me once, shame on…
(2020-12-22). The Dystopian Western World. globalresearch.ca As the second decade of the 21st century comes to an end, democracy and free speech no longer exist in the Western World. In all its respects, Western civilization no longer exists. | In the United States, which poses as the …
(2020-12-22). Populists and Experts. indybay.org Privilege versus equality. | "The central issue in the conflict between the government and doctors in Saskatchewan is not health insurance, but democracy," noted the Toronto-based newspaper The Globe and Mail after the strike began. "The experts, no matter what their specialty, must always ultimately be subordinate to the laity, or democracy can't work."
(2020-12-21). No Co-Sponsor of 'Medicare for All' Has Lost Reelection in the Past Decade (Even in GOP-Leaning Districts). commondreams.org Every single Congressional co-sponsor of these bills in the House and Senate who were up for reelection beat their Republican opponents in 2020. And in 2018. And in 2016. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/medicare_for_all_12_1.jpg …
(2020-12-21). Trump Enacts Sweeping New Sanctions on China, Iran, Venezuela. Biden Promises More To Come. mintpressnews.com The new sanctions come even as an estimated 100,000 people have been killed by American sanctions in Venezuela alone as vital medical equipment and lifesaving drugs have been blocked from entering the country.
(2020-12-21). Will the Media's Newfound Stridency Continue Under Biden? counterpunch.org "In his first rally since losing the election last month, President Trump continued to spout conspiracy theories about voter fraud, falsely claiming that he had defeated President-elect Joe Biden." That was the lede of a news story in the December 5th Washington Post. The Associated Press took a similar tack. "President Donald Trump flooded his
(2020-12-21). Chris Hedges: The Great Delusion. mintpressnews.com The real lesson we should learn from the rise of a demagogue such as Trump and a pandemic that our for-profit health care industry proved unable to contain is that we are losing control as a nation and as a species.
(2020-12-21). Center for Popular Democracy Network Statement on Proposed COVID Relief Package. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-21). No reason to worry? WHO says new Covid-19 strain found in UK is no deadlier & only slightly more infectious than others. rt.com 
The World Health Organization has come forward to calm things down amid the anxiety over a new potentially 'highly infectious' Covid-19 strain found in the UK, saying it is not that different from other coronavirus strains. | "There is zero evidence that the new coronavirus variant increases severity of the disease," the WHO's Health Emergencies Program Chief Mike Ryan told at a press conference on Monday, citing data received from British scientists. | The risks faced by the people that catch this particular strain of the virus are pretty much the same as odds faced by other people suffering from Covid-19. Ac…
(2020-12-21). Time to End Patent Monopolies. cepr.net Democracy See article on original site For several years the opioid crisis has been recognized as a major national catastrophe. Millions of people have become addicted to the new generation of opioid drugs. In many cases, this addiction has led to the destruction of families, job loss, crime, and suicide. At the peak of the …
(2020-12-21). Will the Biden Administration Seek to Disrupt China's Presence in Latin America? globalresearch.ca While Donald Trump's policies towards Latin America sought to disrupt China's investments in the region, the ever-increasing presence of the Asian giant in the continent will be something with which the new Biden administration will have to contend. | China has …
(2020-12-21). Joe Biden and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty: A Timeline of Inaction and Disingenuous Proposals. globalresearch.ca Upon entering office on January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden will have 16 days before the last remaining treaty limiting US and Russian nuclear arsenals, the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( The treaty limits …
(2020-12-21). Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement Applaud Latest Economic Council Picks by Biden as 'Major Win'. commondreams.org Progressives on Monday applauded President-elect Joe Biden's selection of three new economic advisers who are expected to "prioritize the fight against structural inequality in our economy and democracy," including a former economic policy director to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1230050958_1.jpg …
(2020-12-21). Twitter updates label for Trump's misleading tweets. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 21 (MNA) — Twitter has updated a label placed on misleading claims made by Donald Trump and others, that declares Joe Biden to have won the election.
(2020-12-21). US Names New Official to Handle Human Rights, Democracy at State Department. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Department of State has selected a new official to handle the functions of promoting democracy and human rights, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement.
(2020-12-21). Barr rejects Trump's demand for special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden on his way out. salon.com Outgoing AG also says he sees no need for a special counsel to investigate Trump's baseless voter fraud claims…
(2020-12-21). In Mainstream Media, Capitalism's Failures Are Always Your Fault. popularresistance.org Just a quick note: This show is about an existential threat to humanity – the growing gulf between the rich and the rest of us. But why do we need a show solely about the topic of inequality? Because almost every other social ill which threatens the quality of our lives and the state of our democracy is affected by the underlying imperative of rampant inequality. Well, how do I know this? Well just consider what happened this week in the catastrophic mess also known as Washington DC. Their well-heeled politicians and their lobbyist enablers found themselves at an impasse over much-needed aid for a country reeling…
(2020-12-20). Important wins for Bristol rent strikers, but the fight has only just begun. thecanary.co 
As the first term of university comes to an end, the battle for fair rent continues.On the job hunt? *Sigh*…: If coping with coronavirus (Covid-19), isolation, and
(2020-12-20). How to make a Boulevardier, a delicious bourbon Negroni with a high-flying backstory. salon.com Plus, the story of the American who became a Parisian bon vivant and inventor of the cocktail…
(2020-12-20). "SNL": Colin Jost tricked into making whitewashed casting joke about Scarlett Johansson. salon.com "Weekend Update" hosts' annual "joke swap" segment led Jost to making a joke about his wife playing Sammy Davis, Jr…
(2020-12-20). Tuesday 1/5: National Dr. George Washington Carver Recognition Day. indybay.org California State Capitol | Sacramento, California…
(2020-12-19). Good riddance to the "PAT-riot" Act? indybay.org Moments ago, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard introduced a bill to retire the odious and repressive "PAT-riot" Act–a serious repression tool for the U.S. government to massively spy on ordinary citizens who aren't suspected of any illegal act. Rushed by Congress in the days after Sept. 11, 2001(it was said to contain more than 800 pages, and most Congressional members hadn't even read thru all the provisions, before passing it unanimously), it represented the greatest threat to civil liberties, and had long been overdue for retirement, except for the cowardice of a bi-partisan Congress, fearful of alienating the nation…
(2020-12-19). David Attenborough commends the US move to rejoin Paris Agreement. thecanary.co 
David Attenborough has said he cheered when he found out US President-elect Joe Biden plans to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change.The broadcaster, 94, said the world is facing a "real crisis" that could see the majority of the planet's major cities plunged beneath the oceans.He was speaking ahead of the launch of A Perfect Planet, a natural history series he has presented for the BBC. | Discussing the moment when it became clear Biden was to win the presidency and rejoin the Paris Agreement, Attenborough said: "I can't remember actually getting out of my seat and cheering all by myself until that moment…
(2020-12-19). Trump and the Republicans want to turn losing into winning — and it might work. salon.com Apparently it's not Trump's fault he lost. It was all those damn voters! Republicans are looking to fix that…