2021-01-29: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin (2021-01-29). Will Biden End America's Global War on Children? zcomm.org To prevent new U.S. wars, the Biden administration should commit to participate and comply with the rules of international law, which are supposed to be binding on all countries, even the most wealthy and powerful…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-01-29). Will Biden End America's Global War on Children? counterpunch.org Most people regard Trump's treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy with humane immigration policies and a program to quickly find the children's families

_____ (2021-01-29). Toward A Revolutionary Left Framework On An Age-Old Debate. popularresistance.org Activists in the U.S. have debated race and class for decades to no resolution. Nonetheless, in this moment of U.S. imperial decay and crisis, the debate over whether race or class takes precedence in the struggle for liberation from U.S. capitalist and imperialist domination rages on. Two prominent strands of the debate have emerged over the last year which intersect with the rise of Bernie Sanders-led "democratic socialists" and the uprising against racist policing led by the slogan "Black Lives Matter." For many leaders of the Sanders camp, white supremacy is either a distraction or a secondary issue that can…

Jessica Corbett (2021-01-29). 48 Years After Landmark Ruling, Advocates Push to #ReimagineRoe and Build Abortion Justice. indybay.org Nearly a half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that access to safe, legal abortion is a constitutional right, advocates are now pushing the Biden administration and Congress to urgently and aggressively pursue a bold reproductive justice agenda. | Photo: On the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, members of the Raging Grannies mark the day in Menlo Park, California. Photo by Jim Colton, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

Eve Ottenberg (2021-01-29). How Washington Rules the World. counterpunch.org So far, Biden's foreign policy does not differ seismically from Trump's. Indeed Biden's first move — recognizing the unelected pretender to the Venezuelan presidency, Juan Guaido — was as lousy as anything Trump did. It raises the specter of CIA coups, assassinations, regime changes and Washington-orchestrated color revolutions, which Biden's two dreadful foreign policy appointees,

Staff (2021-01-29). Headlines for January 29, 2021. democracynow.org South African Coronavirus Variant Detected in U.S. for First Time, Novavax Vaccine Cut COVID-19 Cases by 90 Percent in Trial But Lagged Against South African Variant, President Biden Expands Affordable Care Act Enrollment Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, U.S. Economy Shrank by 3.5% in 2020 as Pandemic Took Hold , House Speaker Blasts GOP for Assigning Racist Conspiracy Theorist to House Education Committee, "Brazen, Entitled, Dangerous": Capitol Rioter Who Looted House Speaker's Office Denied Bail, House GOP Leader Signals Devotion to Trump as Lawmakers Target Rep. Liz Cheney Over Impeachment Vote, Indian Farmworkers Call…

Staff (2021-01-29). Worldwide Anti-Science Movement Threatens Pandemic Response and Public Health. truthout.org The Biden administration has vowed to increase the rate of vaccinations as COVID-19 continues to spread uncontrollably across the entire U.S., with 90,000 people predicted to die in the next four weeks. President Biden announced plans to acquire another 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech and is devising ways to allow retired nurses and doctors to administer vaccines. Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Ho…

Staff (2021-01-29). Headlines for January 29, 2021. democracynow.org South African Coronavirus Variant Detected in U.S. for First Time, Novavax Vaccine Cut COVID-19 Cases by 90 Percent in Trial But Lagged Against South African Variant, President Biden Expands Affordable Care Act Enrollment Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, U.S. Economy Shrank by 3.5% in 2020 as Pandemic Took Hold , "Brazen, Entitled, Dangerous": Capitol Rioter Who Looted House Speaker's Office Denied Bail, House Speaker Blasts GOP for Assigning Racist Conspiracy Theorist to House Education Committee, House GOP Leader Signals Devotion to Trump as Lawmakers Target Rep. Liz Cheney Over Impeachment Vote, Indian Farmworkers Call…

Beau Peters (2021-01-29). Election Politics and Cybersecurity: What's the Connection? dissidentvoice.org Image Source: Pexels 2020 may have been the most tumultuous election year in United States history. With the coronavirus pandemic complicating traditional election processes, we had to rely on alternative voting methods such as mail-in ballots to secure the ability for many to vote. Yet these methods were besieged by doubts encouraged by former President …

_____ (2021-01-29). Corporate Media Bash Teachers Unions For Resisting School Reopenings. popularresistance.org The seven-day average COVID death toll hit an all time high yesterday, with over 3,400 Americans expected to die on any given day. Educator cases are on the rise. Studies have shown that children are as likely to contract and pass the coronavirus on as adults, making schools potential super spreading hotspots. As a result, European nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands are shuttering schools, despite, in many cases, having lower infection rates than the U.S. | President Biden, however, is pushing forward with a new plan to achieve a near full reopening within his…

Juan Cole (2021-01-29). The Republican Party's Iran-Level Superstitious Anti-Semitism: Greene claimed Jewish Space Laser started Cali Wildfires. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Golnaz Esfandiari reports on controversies currently roiling Tehran over the belief in supernatural beings, genies (jinn or djinn), among the country's ruling ayatollahs. Esfandiari writes, that Iran's clerical Leader recently said, "There are enemies from among both genies and human beings, and they help one another. The security services of …

Max Blumenthal (2021-01-29). Reddit rebellion: amateur investors hold the line against Wall Street fat cats. thegrayzone.com A movement that formed on Reddit groups to challenge challenge billionaire hedge funders with coordinated buys of failing companies has exposed the un-democratic foundations of US capitalism Max Blumenthal visits a spontaneous protest outside the Securities and Exchange Commission after online investing companies like Robinhood blocked trades in Gamestop to prevent retail investors from challenging hedge funds, and takes a look at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's staggering conflicts of interest.

Tina Landis (2021-01-29). Biden's climate orders: 9 things socialists should know. liberationnews.org The Biden administration's recent executive orders on climate action and environmental protections at first glance may inspire hope.

Mike Walter (2021-01-29). The Heat: Biden's new U.S. policies. america.cgtn.com President Joe Biden signs more executive orders as changes U.S. policy.

Jordan Woll (2021-01-29). Biden administration signals it will maintain U.S. hardline anti-Iran policy. liberationnews.org Photo: B-52 bomber, the type that conducted a "patrol" over this Middle East this week Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on his first day of work that President Biden wishes to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, but that it will be a "long road" before the U.S. …

Mark Gruenberg (2021-01-29). Biden renews collective bargaining pledge to Fire Fighters. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Last winter, Joe Biden stood and smiled behind an International Association of Fire Fighters podium as more than 800 Fire Fighters stood, cheered, and waved yellow-and-black signs that declared "Run, Joe, Run" for the White House. This winter, there were no signs, but the man, Joe Biden, addressing the union's 4,000-delegate virtual convention via Zoom …

Karen Conner (2021-01-29). CEPR News: The Fierce Urgency of Now. cepr.net New Union Membership and GDP Data Analysis CEPR News for January 28, 2021 Get CEPR News by email every two weeks, just sign up here. CEPR and Revolving Door Project Press Biden to Act Quickly Ahead of, and then concurrent with, the US presidential transition, CEPR and the Revolving Door Project (RDP) joined with dozens of …

Staff (2021-01-29). Will US policy on Palestine and Israel change under Biden? Florida students take on prison slave labor. therealnews.com When it comes to U.S. policy on Palestine and Israel, the Biden administration has sent some mixed and not-so-mixed signals. Also, student organizers are forcing the University of Florida to end its use of unpaid prison labor.

Workers World Party (2021-01-29). PDF of January 28 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Biden appoints warmongers 30-year U.S. war on Iraq; Workers on the move; No waiting to confront Biden; Webinar vs. racism; Women's clinic attacked; Anti-imperialist feminism. Editorial: Socialism vs. capitalism. Hank Aaron, civil rights icon; Rubin Kanowitz, °presente! GLOBAL: Vietnam; Tunisia. TEAR DOWN THE WALLS: Crushing ICE; . . . |

MEE staff (2021-01-29). Biden administration shifts focus from Middle East to confronting China: Report. middleeasteye.net Biden administration shifts focus from Middle East to confronting China: Report | National Security Council has reorganised with more resources and staff dedicated to Asia, Politico reports | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 18: 12 | Biden, then vice president, toasts Chinese President Xi Jinping during state luncheon in 2015 (AFP/File photo) | The Biden administration has reoriented its foreign policy priorities with a new…

Tomdispatch (2021-01-29). Demilitarizing Our Democracy: How the National Security State Has Come to Dominate a "Civilian" Government. juancole.com By Mandy Smithberger and William Hartung | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — This month's insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy. As the government reform group Public Citizen tweeted, …

Staff (2021-01-29). My Name is Pauli Murray: New Film on Black Queer Legal Pioneer Who Inspired RBG & Thurgood Marshall. democracynow.org We spend the hour looking at the life of one of the most pivotal figures in the history of struggle for gender equality and racial justice, Pauli Murray, whose story is told in the new documentary "My Name Is Pauli Murray," premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Murray was a trailblazing Black, nonbinary, queer, feminist poet, lawyer, legal scholar and priest who influenced the likes of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall, and is viewed as a hero to many in the trans rights movement. We feature excerpts from "My Name is Pauli Murray," which features new footage and audio recordings of Murray in their own…

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-01-29). Enemy is within House of Representatives: Pelosi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (MNA) – The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thurs. that she was concerned about the safety of the lawmakers.

Jon Queally (2021-01-29). As World Demands Peace and Aid for Yemen, Biden Told to 'End Every Aspect of This War'. indybay.org Over 385 groups from across the globe are calling for an immediate halt to the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition's relentless attack—an armed conflict that is only intensifying the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe. | Photo: In San Francisco, speakers addressed a rally on January 25 in front of the Federal Building. Terry Scussel, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

Staff (2021-01-29). Biden's $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Is a Vital Beginning for a New New Deal. truthout.org In his first three days in office, President Joe Biden signed no less than 30 executive orders and memorandums, many of which dismantle Trump's policies. This is an impressive achievement by any standard, but only so much can be done with executive orders and it is all but certain that most legislation will be blocked by Republican senators, thanks to filibuster, and with the possible help of some Democrats. In the meantime, Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion stimulus for the coronavirus-hit economy…

Medea Benjamin and Nicholas J.S. Davies (2021-01-29). Will the Biden Administration End America's Global War on Children? juancole.com Most people regard Trump's treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy with humane immigration policies and a program to quickly find the children's families …

_____ (2021-01-29). How to Do 'Regime Change' Correctly: a Blueprint for the Biden Administration. strategic-culture.org By Sasan FAYAZMANESH | In my college years, as a member of the Iranian Students Association, one of my political tasks was to dispatch progressive American attorneys to Iran to investigate human rights abuses by the Shah, including torture and murder of political prisoners. These trips and the subsequent reports submitted by the attorneys were often successful in reducing the pain and suffering of prisoners of conscience, since the Shah was cognizant of his image abroad. Afterall, he was a creature of the West and dependent on it. He owed his throne to the 1953 American-British backed coup and was nurtured by the…

yenisafak (2021-01-29). Will Biden return to multilateralism in South America? yenisafak.com While new US President Joe Biden's return to multilateralism, the Paris Agreement, and a commitment to protect the Amazon forests has raised hopes, experts believe there will be less substance in US-Latin America relations due to a host of factors.They believe, however, that Biden's flexible and less confrontational approach has shown that he will retain focal points of the Obama administration and rebuild ties with countries.Although during his eight years as vice president under Barack Obama, Biden visited Latin America 16 times, analysts now say domestic issues along with other strategically important global i…

MEE staff (2021-01-29). Biden extends deportation protection for Syrians in US. middleeasteye.net Biden extends deportation protection for Syrians in US | Department of Homeland Security says it will also allow 1,800 additional Syrians to apply for protected status for first time | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 20: 48 | Protected status is granted to those who come to US amid natural disasters, wars or events making them unable to return to home countries (AFP/File photo) | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ha…

Ali Harb (2021-01-29). Biden appoints Rob Malley as Iran envoy despite backlash from hawks. middleeasteye.net Biden appoints Rob Malley as Iran envoy despite backlash from hawks | Conservatives and foreign-policy hawks have voiced opposition to Malley, veteran diplomat who helped negotiate Iran nuclear deal | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 17: 56 | Biden administration taps Robert Malley, who served on Obama's negotiating team for Iran nuclear deal, as its new top envoy for Iran (AFP) | US President Joe Biden on Friday appointed Rob…

MEE staff (2021-01-29). US's plans to restore aid to Palestinians 'fully comply with law', Biden team says. middleeasteye.net US's plans to restore aid to Palestinians 'fully comply with law', Biden team says | Trump-era legislation will not obstruct plans to restore aid to Palestinians or re-open diplomatic missions, State Department says | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 16: 42 | Palestinian man outside UN's Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza City (AFP/File photo) | Resuming US aid to Palestine will not violate legislation against US funds being…

Staff (2021-01-29). Marjorie Taylor Greene Has Long Used Racism, Anti-Semitism to Get Famous. truthout.org Just days before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene faced a fresh round of calls to resign from Congress after CNN reported that her Facebook page had endorsed calls to execute top Democrats in 2018, the Republican from Georgia was starting her own social media buzz around articles of impeachment she filed against President Joe Biden. | Greene

Walter Smolarek (2021-01-29). The rehabilitation of Donald Trump: Who is to blame? liberationnews.org Three weeks ago, Donald Trump could realistically have expected to be sitting in a jail cell by now. Instead, he's hosting the most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Roger Harris (2021-01-29). The Trump-Biden Transition in the Wake of the Capitol Building Riot. counterpunch.org The Capitol building riot of January 6 marked the messiest transition in recent history of ruling class power from one chief executive of the capitalist world to the next. If that history is any guide, the change of guard neither portends better treatment of working people nor a reduction of the threat of fascism. Trump

PAI (2021-01-29). Trumka praises Biden's "Buy American" executive order; GOP silent. peoplesworld.org

Cody Fenwick (2021-01-29). Democrats increasingly alarmed at the threat posed by GOP lawmakers. zcomm.org House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave chilling remarks on Thursday during her briefing with the press: "The enemy is within the House of Representatives"

_____ (2021-01-29). Venezuela: United States Goal Is To Support A 'Transition'. popularresistance.org "The goal of the United States is to support a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela through free and fair elections," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday, January 26, reading from notes she carried with her. | The spokeswoman for the new US administration answered a question from a journalist by adding "the President has always been very clear that the approach towards Venezuela is to address the humanitarian situation, give support to the Venezuelan people, and revitalize multilateral diplomacy." During her comments, she said that measures will continue to be taken to prosecute those al…

Steve Phillips (2021-01-29). This Is Why Texas Is the Next Georgia. thenation.com This Is Why Texas Is the Next Georgia…

Alfred McCoy (2021-01-29). American Hegemony Is Ending With a Whimper, Not a Bang. thenation.com American Hegemony Is Ending With a Whimper, Not a Bang…

Jeet Heer (2021-01-29). Biden's Executive Orders Are Essential to Restoring Democracy. thenation.com Biden's Executive Orders Are Essential to Restoring Democracy…

Richelle Brooks (2021-01-29). Why I Joined the Jubilee 100 Student Debt Strike. thenation.com Why I Joined the Jubilee 100 Student Debt Strike…

Site Administrator (2021-01-29). U.S. Boosting Vaccine Deliveries Amid Complaints of Shortages. laprensalatina.com Answering growing frustration over vaccine shortages, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. is ramping up deliveries to hard-pressed states over the next three weeks and expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall. Biden, calling the push a "wartime effort," said on Tuesday, …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-29). US President Biden's troubles. en.mehrnews.com &nbsp…

Mandy Smithberger (2021-01-29). Demilitarizing Our Democracy. zcomm.org How the National Security State Has Come to Dominate a "Civilian" Government…

Patrick Bond (2021-01-29). Biden-Kerry international climate politricks. zcomm.org Is U.S. President Joe Biden's January 27 Executive Order to address 'climate crisis' as good as many activists claim, enough to reverse earlier scepticism?>

_____ (2021-01-29). Nuclear Agreement: Biden Wants To Strike A 'Better Deal' With Iran. popularresistance.org Washington re-joining the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), won't happen overnight and will require consultations with Israel and Gulf states, signalled then Secretary of State-designate Tony Blinken during last week's confirmation hearings. | Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral agreement in May 2018, prompting the Islamic Republic of Iran to gradually roll back its commitments on uranium enrichment since 2019. Now that Joe Biden has assumed office, Tehran is calling upon the White House to make the first step and lift all sanctio…

_____ (2021-01-29). Democrats Try To Fix 'Taxation Without Representation' In DC. popularresistance.org Democrats from the Senate and House introduced legislation on Wednesday that would make Washington, D.C., the 51st state. | The bill was reintroduced in the House by Eleanor Holmes Norton, a nonvoting delegate in the House who represents D.C. In the Senate, Tom Carper (D-Delaware) reintroduced the bill with the support of over three dozen of his fellow Democrats. Norton said on Tuesday that the bill now has over 200 co-sponsors in the House. | Making D.C. a state, which the Constitution grants Congress the right to do, would allow the region to have voting representation in Congress. Currently, they have one dele…

yenisafak (2021-01-29). More families join sit-in against YPG/PKK in Turkey. yenisafak.com Families of children abducted or forcibly recruited by the YPG/PKK terror group continue their sit-in protest in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir province, calling on their sons and daughters to lay down arms and surrender to authorities.The protest began on Sept. 3, 2019, in Diyarbakir province when three mothers said their children had been forcibly recruited by YPG/PKK terrorists. The sit-in outside the office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which the government accuses of having links to the YPG/PKK, has been growing every day.Solmaz Ovunc, a mother from the eastern Van province, joined the protest fo…

yenisafak (2021-01-29). Turkey 'hopes' US returns to Iran nuclear deal. yenisafak.com Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that he hopes the Biden administration would return to the nuclear deal and lift sanctions on Iran.Speaking at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Istanbul, Cavusoglu said that Turkey has always supported the nuclear deal that was reached by the US, EU and Iran. "I hope the Biden administration will return to the agreement and so the sanctions on brotherly Iran will be lifted."Touching on the Karabakh deal, he said that they want a permanent cease-fire.In this regard, we are planning to establish a mechanism with Azerbaijan,…

yenisafak (2021-01-29). ANALYSIS: Washington set to move clocks back in Middle East. yenisafak.com Having survived the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol Hill, the US made it to the swearing-in ceremony on the 20th, and the inauguration was left behind with much less damage than worried. With Donald Trump gone from Washington DC, what followed immediately was a torrent of executive orders: In line with the expectations of the segments of society that he represents, Joe Biden, the new president, signed a total of 19 executive orders in his first 48 hours in office to erase the traces and reverse the effects of the legacy of Donald Trump, who is believed to have disrupted the established state structure of the US.Th…

Online News Editor (2021-01-29). Being denied care for wife, Chinese activist starts hunger strike. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- A Chinese activist started a hunger strike Friday to protest the country's authorities for barring him from travel to the United States, where his wife is receiving chemotherapy. The China Human Rights Lawyers Support Group (CHRLCG) told EFE that security agents prevented Yang Maodong, or Guo Feixiong, from boarding a Thursday …

Online News Editor (2021-01-29). Joshua Wong pleads guilty to Hong Kong anti-mask protest charges. laprensalatina.com By Shirley Lau Hong Kong, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, currently in jail, appeared in a court Friday and pleaded guilty to charges related to a street protest held during the height of the city's pro-democracy movement in 2019. The 24-year-old, and renowned activist Koo Sze-yiu, 74, were accused of taking …

Online News Editor (2021-01-29). Political crisis looms in Myanmar over military coup threat. laprensalatina.com Yangon Myanmar, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- Myanmar is mired in a political crisis amid the threat of the country's army carrying out a coup before the new parliament takes office Monday. Members of the National League for Democracy, the ruling party, met Thursday night with representatives of the army, but could not reach any agreement to …

sputniknews (2021-01-29). FBI: Two Pipe Bombs Discovered Amid Capitol Riot Were Planted the Day Prior. sputniknews.com Amid the deadly chaos and confusion that erupted as Trump loyalists stormed the US Capitol on January 6, federal authorities were also directed to investigate and safely detonate a pair of pipe bombs discovered blocks away, at the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees. Arrests have not been made.

sputniknews (2021-01-29). Tear Gas Shells Fired to Control Clashes Between Locals and Farmers at Delhi's Singhu Border – Video. sputniknews.com Tens of thousands of Indian farmers, mainly from the Punjab and Haryana states, have been protesting at Delhi borders — Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri – since 26 November, demanding the government revoke three new farm laws that were passed in the parliament in September 2020.

sputniknews (2021-01-29). 'Window is Closing': Iranian Diplomat Says US 'Must Act Quickly' to Rejoin JCPOA. sputniknews.com With US President Joe Biden just a few weeks into a four-year Oval Office term, talks of how the new administration will work to repair US-Iranian ties has been among the top concerns for many Washington DC insiders, particularly when it concerns the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal.

sputniknews (2021-01-29). Singaporean Prime Minister Calls for Upgrade in US-China Ties With Biden Administration. sputniknews.com GENOA (Sputnik) – The United States and China should build a constructive relationship, which will be a challenge for the new US leadership, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday.

_____ (2021-01-29). In First Week As President, Joe Biden Tosses Women, Unions and the American People Under the Globalist Bus. strategic-culture.org Anything that remotely promotes the interest of the nation will be ostracized as racist and working to the advantage of white supremacist tendencies. | In a brutal display of presidential powers that would have made Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un green with envy, Joe Biden rammed through a raft of pro-globalist executive orders just hours after being sworn in as president. | For those U.S. voters who were more obsessed with removing Donald Trump than seriously questioning who or what would replace him, they got their answer shortly after Biden made it through his locked-down inauguration where the soldiers outnumbere…

Stephanie Odenwald (2021-01-29). What could change with Biden and Harris? indybay.org The next few years will be all about democracy in the U.S., about the social cohesion of a diverse population, about stopping environmental destruction, and about a successful structural change of the economy that goes hand in hand with the creation of sufficient, well-paid jobs and humane working conditions. The opponents of democracy are waiting in the wings.

Andrew Levine (2021-01-29). Unity: What Is It Good For? counterpunch.org "The people united, will never be defeated." Everyone reading this has likely heard and chanted those words thousands of times. Joe Biden's call for unity, echoed in the pious and prayerful cant of countless bloviators on the liberal cable networks, is not about that. It is not about fundamental — radical — change from the

Jake Johnson (2021-01-29). Applause as Biden withdraws 'horrific' Trump rule attacking social security disability recipients. nationofchange.org "Wonderful news," said one activist.

ACLU (2021-01-29). What Does Free Speech Mean Online? aclu.org Nearly three weeks ago, former President Donald Trump was banned from nearly every social media platform because of his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Just before Congress was set to certify Joe Biden as the next president of the United States, Trump instructed his supporters to, "fight much harder" against "bad people" and "show strength" at the Capitol. | The social media bans on Trump and his supporters ignited a debate about whether these social media companies have too much power over the speech of their users. Should they have banned Trump sooner? Are these bans legal? What kind of precedent does…

William Hartung — Mandy Smithburger (2021-01-29). How the National Security State Has Come to Dominate a "Civilian" Government. counterpunch.org This month's insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy. As the government reform group Public Citizen tweeted, "If you're spending $740,000,000,000 annually on 'defense' but fascists dressed for the

WSWS repost (2021-01-29). Republicans unite behind Trump. indybay.org In any politically healthy system, the Republican Party would have been irreparably discredited and disgraced by its complicity in the attempted coup. Yet less than three weeks later, it arrogantly and defiantly reasserts its defense of Trump and his fascist supporters. Workers must demand a full and open investigation!

teleSUR (2021-01-29). Peru: Parties Contesting the Elections Sign Ethical Guidelines. telesurenglish.net Peru's National Elections Jury (JNE) President Jorge Salas Thursday announced that 17 parties signed the Ethical Electoral Pact (PEE) to observe democratic values and health protocols in the April general elections. | RELATED: | They committed to complying with certain democratic principles such as the acceptance of the electoral results without undermining the right to challenge when appropriate. | Popular Renovatio…

Allan Boesak, Wendell Griffen, Raouf Halaby, Lauri Umansky (2021-01-29). Will the U.S. End its Support for the Apartheid Israeli Regime? counterpunch.org The world is exhaling following the end of the vicious incompetence and corruption of Donald Trump's presidency. Journalists and political commentators applauded the inaugural address delivered by President Joe Biden, and expressed varying levels of hope about what is called a "return to normalcy" in US public policy. Meanwhile, we wonder whether the Biden administration

WSWS (2021-01-29). Fiji wins presidency of UN Human Rights Council. wsws.org The diplomatic maneuvering around Fiji's appointment underscores the tensions produced by the escalating US-led offensive against China, which is set to deepen under the Biden administration.

David Schultz (2021-01-29). The Senate Trial of Trump Won't Get Anyone Vaccinated Prevent Future George Floyds. counterpunch.org No question that Trump's January 6, speech as well as other lies instigated the storming of the Capitol. No question this was wrong. No question that were he still in office he would have deserved to be impeached and convicted. No question that trying after he has left office is constitutional. Nonetheless, the Democrats

Michael Harris (2021-01-29). Monday 2/1: 2021 National Freedom Day – California State Capitol – US Civil War Grove. indybay.org California State Capitol | South Lawn | US Civil War Grove…

Brian Cloughley (2021-01-29). The Dragon Has Woken and Washington Should Engage With It. counterpunch.org On January 26 the Washington Post noted that "President Biden hasn't been office a full week but already faces questions about one of his most solemn duties: When, why and under what circumstances he might send Americans into combat." We don't know the answer, but he is certainly prepared to send his military into situations in which there

Foreign Policy in Focus (2021-01-29). Republican Leaders are de Facto Justifying Fascist Violence: Don't let them off the Hook. juancole.com By David Ost | — | ( Most recently, when right-wing mobs attacked the Capitol on January 6, once again people shouted "fascism!" Then, when the immediate threat died down, they prayed that perhaps this time,…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J.S. Davies (2021-01-28). Will Biden End America's Global War on Children? commondreams.org Nothing in Biden's long record in public life suggests that he will, unless the American public and the rest of the world act collectively and effectively to insist that America must end its war on children and finally become a responsible, law-abiding member of the human family. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pasted_image_0.png

Staff (2021-01-28). Dr. Peter Hotez: "Globalized Anti-Science Movement" Threatens Pandemic Response & Public Health. democracynow.org The Biden administration has vowed to increase the rate of vaccinations as COVID-19 continues to spread uncontrollably across the entire U.S., with 90,000 people predicted to die in the next four weeks. President Biden announced plans to acquire another 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech and is devising ways to allow retired nurses and doctors to administer vaccines. Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, says the Trump administration'

Jeffrey D. Sachs (2021-01-28). In This Current Emergency There Is Nothing Wrong With Borrowing Funds to Help Americans in Need. commondreams.org We will have to negotiate creatively to reduce the budget deficits ahead, including raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, who have experienced a massive windfall of wealth during the pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_11.jpg

Staff (2021-01-28). Headlines for January 28, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Records Another 4,000 COVID-19 Deaths as White House Warns Vaccinations Will Take Months, DHS Warns of Threat from "Violent Extremists" as More Arrests Are Made over Jan. 6 Insurrection, Leader of Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, Was a Government Informer , Biden to Reverse "Global Gag Rule," Expand Reproductive Healthcare in U.S., Democrats Reintroduce Bill to Make Washington, D.C., the 51st State, Western Hemisphere COVID-19 Deaths Top 1 Million , 4th Zimbabwean Cabinet Official Dies of COVID-19; WHO Begins Probe into Pandemic Origins in Wuhan, Hungry Lebanese Protesters Clash with Police over Coronavirus Lockd…

Editor (2021-01-28). Billionaires Gone Wild: Pandemic Profiteering By the Numbers. scheerpost.com By Chuck Collins / Inequality.org The collective wealth of all U.S. billionaires has increased over $1.1 trillion since mid-March 2020, a nearly 40% leap during the past 10 months of national emergency. This wealth windfall could pay for all the relief for working families contained in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package proposed by President Biden, while leaving the nation's richest… |

WSWS (2021-01-28). Chicago teachers lead resistance to Biden's school reopening plan as pandemic enters deadlier phase. wsws.org Chicago educators are in the forefront of the resistance of educators across the US to the campaign by the Biden administration and the corporate media to reopen schools.

Staff (2021-01-28). AOC Asks Who's Leading the House GOP — Kevin McCarthy, or Peddlers of QAnon. truthout.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) is warning that the GOP has "legitimate white supremacist sympathizers" among its ranks. | During an interview on MSNBC Wednesday night, Chris Hayes asked Ocasio-Cortez how it felt to see Republicans call to "

Staff (2021-01-28). AOC Asks Who's Leading the House GOP — Kevin McCarthy or Peddlers of QAnon? truthout.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) is warning that the GOP has "legitimate white supremacist sympathizers" among its ranks. | During an interview on MSNBC Wednesday night, Chris Hayes asked Ocasio-Cortez how it felt to see Republicans call to "

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-28). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Ted Cruz: 'You Almost Had Me Murdered… You Can Resign'. commondreams.org The Squad member once again implored Cruz to quit after he tweeted agreement with her call for a probe of the GameStop stock trading controversy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_13.jpg

teleSUR (2021-01-28). The Biden Administration Ramps up COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout. telesurenglish.net In face of growing frustration over vaccine shortages, U.S. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday a roughly 16 percent boost in vaccine deliveries to states over the next three weeks. | RELATED: | The country expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million people by the end of the summer or early fall. | The Biden administration is working to buy an additional 100 million doses of each of the two approved coronavirus v…

Global Research News (2021-01-28). Selected Articles: We Are Entering a New Totalitarian Era. globalresearch.ca By In this interview for Pacifica Radio's Covid, Race and Democracy , Ajamu Baraka warned of a new era of totalitarian neoliberalism. "Anybody who …

Rafael Figueroa (2021-01-28). 'Vaccine tourism is real.' County addresses long lines at vaccination station. laprensalatina.com MEMPHIS, TN (WREG) — Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris responded to a backup that had people waiting in line for hours for a COVID vaccination, only to be sent away when the vaccine ran out. He said crowds Tuesday at the Pipkin Building might have been larger because of people from outside the county, even …

Yanis Iqbal (2021-01-28). The Biden Administration: Hardening of US Stance on Venezuela. dissidentvoice.org Joe Biden has been sworn in as the President of USA. For Venezuela, nothing has changed. The same belligerence, the same sanctions, and the same imperialism — the American empire continues to be cruelly hostile to the UN-recognized government of Nicolas Maduro. Inviting an Anti-Chavista Criminal Auguries of an ever-intensifying imperialist attack against Venezuela have …

Juan Cole (2021-01-28). Educator Shocked that GOP put Marjorie Taylor Greene, who spoke of Assassinating Nancy Pelosi and denied Parkland School Shootings, on House Education Committee. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader of the US House of Representatives, and his fellow Republican leaders, I s…

WSWS (2021-01-28). Bernie Sanders backs Biden's national security cabinet. wsws.org The Vermont senator and self-styled "socialist" voted to confirm Biden's choices to head the Pentagon, State Department and US intelligence apparatus.

The Socialist Program (2021-01-28). In the News: Democrats Get Ready for Failure. liberationnews.org This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On this week's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss …

Staff (2021-01-28). Biden Plan Could Improve Health, Reduce Racial Disparities With WIC Investment. truthout.org President Biden's

Susan Abulhawa (2021-01-28). The United States has no real sense of itself. workers.org Susan Abulhawa The author of this essay is a Palestinian writer, whose latest novel is "Against the Loveless World," Atria, 2020. Memes abounded on the internet in response to President-elect Biden's remark during the Jan. 6 attempted right-wing coup. "This is not who we are," he had said. One of . . . |

Staff (2021-01-28). Exposed: Proud Boys Hate Group Leader Enrique Tarrio Was "Prolific" FBI & Police Informant. democracynow.org We speak with Reuters investigative journalist Aram Roston, who has revealed a leader of the extremist hate group the Proud Boys, which played a key role in the Capitol riot on January 6, has a prolific history of cooperating with law enforcement. Court records show Enrique Tarrio was an FBI and police informant in Florida who went undercover in multiple drug and illegal gambling investigations after he was arrested in 2012. This comes as the Department of Homeland Security warns of a heightened threat posed by "ideologically-motivated violent extremists" angry over Joe Biden's inauguration.

Staff (2021-01-28). Progressives Warn Against Scaling Back Relief Bill to Gain GOP Support. truthout.org With the Biden White House

Jessica Buxbaum (2021-01-28). Jewish Groups Warn of Fallout from Anti-Semitism Label for Criticism of Israel. mintpressnews.com As the Israel lobby pushes to erase pro-Palestine activism on college campuses, it not only risks endangering free speech but allowing far-right hatred to spread unchecked.

MBNJSD (2021-01-28). Will Biden End America's Global War on Children? dissidentvoice.org The first day of the 2020 school year in Tiaz, Yemen (Ahmad Al-Basha/AFP) Most people regard Trump's treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy …

Staff (2021-01-28). As Biden Issues Groundbreaking Climate Orders, Activists Push to Ban Fracking. truthout.org On Wednesday, the Biden administration delivered a second surge of orders responding to activist demands to address the climate emergency head-on at every level of the federal government. Like no mandate a U.S. president has signed off on before, the

James Bovard (2021-01-28). Federal Secrecy Protects the Crimes of Every President. counterpunch.org Ever since the 9/11 attacks, Republicans and Democrats have conspired to keep Americans increasingly ignorant of what the federal government does. The number of secret federal documents skyrocketed, and any information that was classified supposedly cannot be exposed without dooming the nation.

Staff (2021-01-28). More Military Influence and Spending Has Not and Will Not Make Us Safer. truthout.org This month's insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy. As the government reform group Public Citizen

Staff (2021-01-28). AOC, Pelosi Say Trade Bans by Robinhood on GameStop Stocks Warrant Inquiry. truthout.org A number of lawmakers are voicing a critical tone toward a popular stock market trading app after it limited users from being able to trade GameStop shares, following actions by retail investors that resulted in a "squeeze" of the stock's market price, which took a number of hedge funds by surprise this week. |

Dove of Peace (2021-01-28). End of Anti-Russian Electioneering; Palestinian Funding Restored. indybay.org One week after the Inauguration, Pres. Biden called Pres. Putin to extend the START nuclear arms control treaty, due to expire 2/5/21. Pres. Biden's administration also announced restoration of relations with Palestine and aid to Palestinians.

Ricardo Vaz (2021-01-28). Venezuela: Oil Corporations Lobby Biden Administration for Sanctions Reversal. venezuelanalysis.com A removal of the ban on swap deals could boost Venezuela's oil production and ease fuel shortages.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2021-01-28). 'Roadmap to Freedom': Jayapal and AOC Lead Progressive Dems With Visionary Immigration Reform Bill. commondreams.org "I know that we must do far more than simply reverse the harmful, xenophobic policies of the Trump administration." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/roadmap-freedom-resolution.jpg