2021-03-01: News Headlines

WSWS (2021-03-01). Trump rails against "socialism" and doubles down on stolen election lie at Conservative Political Action Conference. wsws.org The four-day event demonstrated the ex-president's continuing domination of the Republican Party and its increasingly fascistic orientation.

RT (2021-03-01). It's always Putin! Russian president engineered coup in Armenia because Pashinyan insulted Moscow's missiles, Western media claims. rt.com Not content with fixing US elections and making sure your favorite sports team loses, Vladimir Putin's shadowy hand is now behind a power struggle in Yerevan, after a row over rockets. At least, that's according to American media. | In an article by journalist Anna Nemtsova published on Friday, New York-based outlet The Daily Beast

RT (2021-03-01). Police 'arrest former Barcelona president Bartomeu and two club bosses' as staff see football giants' offices raided by officers. rt.com Josep Maria Bartomeu has been arrested alongside two senior Barcelona officials in the latest development in a police investigation less than a week before the club's presidential elections end, a Spanish news source has said. | Catalonian cops have raided the offices of the Spanish football giants and reportedly swooped on ex-president Bartomeu, who resigned at the end of October along with the club's entire board of directors. | Local force the Mossos d'Esquadra are said to have taken action — moving in just six days before the long-awaited presidential elections to permanently replace Bartomeu end &#15…

Staff (2021-03-01). Headlines for March 1, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Will Not Sanction MBS After Intel Report Confirms Responsibility in Khashoggi Murder, Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Rolls Out as CDC Warns Decline in Cases Has Stalled, Dem. Senators Move to Penalize Big Companies That Underpay Workers, 18 Killed in Deadliest Day of Burmese Anti-Coup Protests, 47 Hong Kong Activists Charged Under National Security Law, Four Killed, 120 Injured After Iraqi Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters in Nasiriyah, 42 Released Following Mass Kidnapping at Nigerian School, 15 Refugees Drown as Boat Capsizes Off Libyan Coast, Donald Trump Attacks Immigrants & Lies About 2020 Election in…

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2021-03-01). U.S. exceptionalism surges again. Will it fly? mronline.org In a statement marking the "return" of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed that the Biden Administration is placing democracy and human rights at the centre of American foreign policy.

_____ (2021-03-01). Biden's Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not The Diplomacy He Promised. popularresistance.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 getting more leverage vis-a-vis Iran, why hasn't the Biden administration just done what it said it would do: rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and de-escalate the Middle East conflicts? | According to the Pentagon, the U.S. strike was in response to the February 15 rocket a…

Brett Wilkins (2021-03-01). 150K+ voters back $15 minimum wage as Biden and Harris pushed to #Keep15In pandemic relief bill. nationofchange.org "The passage of a $15 federal minimum wage and elimination of the subminimum wages for tipped workers, workers with disabilities, and youth workers would guarantee a livable wage for all workers."

WSWS (2021-03-01). Democrats torpedo $15 minimum wage hike. wsws.org Biden's decision to scuttle the minimum wage increase provides further confirmation that his administration is to be one of war and reaction, not social reform.

Gareth Porter (2021-03-01). U.S. State Department accusation of China 'genocide' relied on data abuse and baseless claims by far-right ideologue. mronline.org The Trump and Biden administrations have relied on the work of a right-wing religious extremist, Adrian Zenz, for their "genocide" accusation against China. A close review of Zenz's research reveals flagrant data abuse and outright falsehoods.

Jordan Woll (2021-03-01). Biden bombs Syria: 'Self-defense' or an act of war? zcomm.org Please Help ZNet Source: Liberation News 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

sputniknews (2021-03-01). Biden Administration Intent on Tearing Apart Trump's Good Work, Analyst Says. sputniknews.com Guess who's back? Donald Trump made a triumphant return to the spotlight as the former president enthralled thousands of Republicans at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Trump stood before his supporters and earned rapturous applause as he asked them, "Do you miss me yet?

sputniknews (2021-03-01). US to Rely on Russia for Oil Under Biden, Trump Says as He Predicts 'Energy Disaster' for America. sputniknews.com Speaking at a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event in Orlando on Sunday, Donald Trump lashed out at President Joe Biden's recent move to return to the Paris Climate Accord. According to the ex-POTUS, the decision disrupted his push make the US energy independent.

Staff (2021-03-01). Rep. Ro Khanna: Democrats Should Ignore the Senate Parliamentarian and Pass $15 Minimum Wage Hike. democracynow.org The House of Representatives has voted to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that includes an increase to the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour, which could now be stripped out in the final bill after the unelected Senate parliamentarian found it does not comply with budget rules. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have also said they'll oppose the measure. Congressmember Ro Khanna of California says the parliamentarian "misruled" in this case and that Democrats should pass the wage hike anyway. "I don't know any part of this count…

Staff (2021-03-01). Biden "Illegally" Bombs Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria, Jeopardizing Nuclear Talks with Tehran. democracynow.org The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 22 people died. The Pentagon called the assault a response to recent rocket attacks on U.S. forces in northern Iraq. Those attacks came more than a year after Iraq's parliament voted to expel U.S. troops — an order ignored by both the Trump and Biden administrations. "Very quickly the Biden administration is falling into the same old patterns of before, of responding…

Laura Wells (2021-03-01). End Sanctions on the "Troika of Tyranny", and Learn from the World. indybay.org The US could learn a lot from other countries, instead of placing lethal sanctions against them. Trump ramped up sanctions against many countries including the "Troika of Tyranny" of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Biden has been following the same dead-end path. There are healthy alternatives.

Jon Queally (2021-03-01). Progressives warn "Dems will lose in 2022" if $15 wage dies in Senate. salon.com Biden and Harris appear ready to bow before "wholly powerless" Senate parliamentarian. Progressives forecast doom…

Stephen Miles (2021-03-01). Biden's Syria Strikes: A Perpetual Cycle of Endless War. globalresearch.ca The non-partisan Congressional Research Service maintains a list of every "…

RT (2021-03-01). Fauci brushes off critique after South Dakota Governor Noem says Biden's Covid czar 'IS WRONG A LOT' to standing ovation at CPAC. rt.com White House adviser Anthony Fauci and his media allies have joined forces in rebuking Kristi Noem after the lockdown-skeptic South Dakota governor had the temerity to criticize the Covid czar's forecast she said hadn't come true. | Noem on Saturday took on Fauci's lockdown advice while making her case at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for conservative values and respecting individual liberties. | "He told me that on my worst day, I'd have 10,000 patients in the hospital," Noem said. "On our worst day, we had a little over 600. Now, I don't know if you agree with me, but Dr. Fauci is wrong…

RT (2021-03-01). White House refuses to release 'virtual visit' logs, claims they are like phone records, as watchdogs urge transparency from Biden. rt.com The Biden administration has refused to release details of "virtual" White House visitor logs despite fresh calls for transparency from watchdogs and repeated promises of accountability. | Biden's virtual visits "will not be subject to release," an unnamed White House official told

RT (2021-03-01). Ex-US president Trump uses major speech return to warn Biden that 'crazy' transgender athlete rules will 'destroy women's sports'. rt.com Ex-US president Donald Trump has won widespread support after reports claimed he had "attacked" the transgender community and "mocked" athletes in his first major speech since leaving office, voicing his fears for women's sports. | Reacting to the move by his replacement in the White House, Joe Biden, to sign a new gender discrimination act as one of his first jobs in office and a sign of his departure from his predecessor's policies, Trump said that women's records were being "smashed with ease" by competitors whose biological gender was male. | Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sund…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-03-01). 'A Huge, Huge Deal': Biden Issues Public Statement of Support for Alabama Amazon Workers Fighting for Union. commondreams.org "We haven't had this aggressive and positive of a statement from a president of the United States on behalf of workers in decades." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12312907181.jpg

Staff (2021-03-01). U.S. Says Saudi Crown Prince MBS Approved Assassination of Khashoggi, But He Avoids Any Sanctions. democracynow.org The Biden administration has released a declassified report that finds Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, responsible for the assassination of Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But the U.S. does not plan to sanction the crown prince, though the administration has announced travel restrictions to dozens of other Saudi officials. The decision is being criticized by human rights groups and friends of the late Khashoggi. "It's important to not point fingers but also to sanction MBS … and to treat him as the pariah he is, like Biden promised during…

Alex Emmons (2021-03-01). Biden Balks at Sanctions on Saudi Crown Prince After Release of Report on Killing of Jamal Khashoggi. zcomm.org Biden imposed sanctions only on aides to Mohammed bin Salman even though a new intelligence report said that MBS approved the mission on Khashoggi…

sputniknews (2021-03-01). Khashoggi's Fiancee Claims Saudi Prince MBS Should be 'Punished Without Delay' in Wake of US Report. sputniknews.com On Monday, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised the Biden administration for declassifying an intelligence report on Khashoggi's killing, calling the move "reckless" and a "political" motive to damage relations between Washington and Riyadh.

Robert Reich (2021-03-01). The only way Democrats will get anything done. nationofchange.org With Vice President Kamala Harris now serving as the tie-breaking vote, Senate Democrats can and must abolish the filibuster.

Andrea Mazzarino (2021-03-01). Perspectives on the Storming of the Capitol from a Military Spouse. counterpunch.org "Are you okay?" asked a friend and military spouse in the voicemail she left me on the afternoon the mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol so violently. At home with a new baby, her Navy reservist husband stationed in Germany, the thoughts running through her head that day would prove remarkably similar to mine. As she said when we spoke, "It's as if the U.S. has become a war zone."

Tomdispatch (2021-03-01). The Unpatriots: What the Storming of the Capitol looks Like to a Military Spouse. juancole.com By Andrea Mazzarino | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — "Are you okay?" asked a friend and military spouse in the voicemail she left me on the afternoon the mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol so violently. At home with a new baby, her Navy reservist husband stationed in Germany, the thoughts running through her head …

Heather Digby Parton (2021-03-01). Trump's CPAC warning shot leaves Republicans with little choice: Trumpist or RINO. salon.com Donald Trump returns to make sure the GOP goes down hugging him tight…

RT (2021-03-01). 'Pretty-much everything on Gab': Leaks publisher offers private data of 'alt-tech Twitter' users to researchers of 'neo-Nazis'. rt.com The Gab accounts of Donald Trump and Gab's own CEO are among those "compromised" by a hack of the microblogging service popular among US conservatives and right-wingers. The data is being offered to researchers and journalists. | A 70-gigabyte trove of data dubbed "Gableaks" includes public posts on the platform, but also "private posts, user profiles, hashed passwords for users, DMs, and plaintext passwords for groups,"

RT (2021-03-01). Trump calls for breaking up Big Tech, says failure to restore freedom of speech would doom Republican Party. rt.com Former president Donald Trump has called for giant technology companies to be broken up and for their Section 230 liability protections to be removed. He argued that the Big Tech mutes conservative voices like his own. | "The time has come to break up Big Tech monopolies and restore fair competition," Trump said on Sunday at the CPAC in Orlando. "Republicans, conservatives must open our platforms and repeal section 230 liability protections," he added. | While in the past the public had a chance to hear both sides of the argument before making an informed decision, Big Tech censorship disproportionately target…

RT (2021-03-01). Vanity Fair says Saturday Night Live sucked, and DONALD TRUMP is to blame. rt.com While Saturday Night Live's ratings fell during the Trump years, it wasn't the writers' fault for churning out 'Orange Man Bad' sketches, Vanity Fair claims. No, it was Donald Trump's fault for being so "noxious." | By the time Donald Trump left office, Saturday Night Live's reliance on the divisive president as a source of material had worn thin. 2019's season opened to the show's lowest ratings in five years, parodies of Robert Mueller, Rudy Giuliani and Jeff Sessions fell flat, and former cast member Gary Kroeger admitted last year that Alec Baldwin's Trump impersonation had been "done to death." | Also on…

Democracy Now! (2021-03-01). Vaccine Apartheid: If One Person Is Unprotected, We Are All Unprotected. indybay.org "I've personally received more doses of a Covid-19 vaccine than 130 countries," Dr. Craig Spencer writes, about the two vaccine shots he recently got as an emergency room doctor. In 2014, he contracted ebola while combating that epidemic in Guinea, Africa. Dr. Spencer knows the value of public health protocols, personal protective equipment, or PPE, and vaccinations.

RT (2021-03-01). Macron says France's Covid curfew in place for another '4 to 6 weeks' as contagious UK variant accounts for more half of all cases. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the nation to "hold out" for at least another month before the country can think about easing Covid-induced restrictions and the current 6pm curfew. | Speaking with a group of industrial trade trainees on Monday, Macron dismissed, with a smile, the request of a young man to relax France's 6pm curfew. The president told the students that the nation's curfew would need to remain in place for another four to six weeks, amid indicators the epidemic is on the rise again in France. | Further measures may be brought in across the 20 departments in France which have alrea…

RT (2021-03-01). EU-wide Covid-19 vaccine passport proposals to be brought forward by Brussels, says von der Leyen. rt.com The European Commission president has said Brussels will launch a proposal for the introduction of digital vaccine passports for use across the bloc in March, after the German chancellor said it should be ready by the summer. | "As for the question of what the digital green passport could look like, we will submit a legislative proposal in March," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told German conservative lawmakers on Monday. | Von der Leyen's remarks came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel claimed that the vaccine passport would be ready in time for the summer, with a number of southern European st…

RT (2021-03-01). Covid-19 virus didn't originate naturally but is actually a BIOWEAPON, most Russians believe, according to explosive new poll. rt.com The world has been savaged by a killer virus that escaped a top-secret lab or was unleashed by shadowy forces. It might sound like the plot of a Hollywood film, but a new poll has found it's also how most Russians see Covid-19.

RT (2021-03-01). Prague deploys troops on Czech streets to enforce severe new Covid rules amid record infection rate, spike in hospitalizations. rt.com Some 30,000 police and soldiers have been deployed across the Czech Republic and at 500 security checkpoints set up in a bid to enforce toughened coronavirus rules, as the country battles the world's worst infection rate. | The new measures, introduced on Monday, ban Czechs from leaving their district except for essential reasons, like caring for vulnerable people or working. | Officers are allowed to conduct random spot checks and people are required to produce personal documentation on request, with fines of up to 20,000 Czech koruna ($920) for rule-breakers. | Higher-grade face masks are also now mandatory…

RT (2021-03-01). New Zealand PM urges public to 'call out' family & friends who break Covid-19 rules, who let down 'team of five million'. rt.com New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged obedient members of the public to call out violators of coronavirus rules, as it emerged people have been concealing Covid-19 contacts. | Speaking on Monday about recent Covid-19 cases that are linked to breaches of anti-coronavirus restrictions, Ardern aimed mighty jabs at rule breakers. | Even with the full understanding of human fallibility, it is not appropriate, and it is not okay for members of a team of five million to let the rest of us down. | Ruling out punishments for the violators handed out directly by the government, and citing the separation…

RT (2021-03-01). Discovery of Brazilian variant in UK won't derail plans to ease Covid lockdown in England, PM Johnson says. rt.com UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the discovery of the highly contagious 'P1' Brazilian variant of Covid-19 will not derail his government's plans to ease lockdown restrictions in England in the coming weeks. | The PM said there is currently no reason to change plans to start reopening England after three months of a third national lockdown. Schools and colleges are set to return to in-person learning from March 8, with restrictions on shops and businesses, pubs and gatherings being eased over the next three months — infection rates permitting. | Earlier on Monday, Prof Graham Medley, who head…

RT (2021-03-01). NHS Providers calls for urgent review into 'insufficient' critical care capacity. rt.com NHS Providers has called for a review into "insufficient" critical care capacity in England, citing three regions as being of key concern, at a time when the NHS found itself overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases earlier this year. | The organisation, which includes NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services, called on the government to conduct an investigation into failings in the current system after an analysis showed the UK has the lowest number of critical care beds per head in Europe. | The analysis by NHS Providers uncovered that, per 100,000 people, the UK only has 7.3 critical care beds, co…

RT (2021-03-01). Family with young child rescued, warned after camping on CLIFF EDGE known for landslides (PHOTO). rt.com Police and coastguard officers responded to a call after a couple were spotted camping on a cliff edge with their young child, in contravention of lockdown rules and, arguably, common sense. | Rescue teams from Staithes and Whitby coastguard agencies, along with responding police officers, happened upon the couple's tent on Cleveland Way in North Yorkshire on Saturday. | www.facebook.com/staithes.coastguard/posts/1857131324439338 | The police were called as the family had breached Covid restrictions, though it is unclear whether or not they received a fine. Overnight stays away from a person's primary…

RT (2021-03-01). UK authorities' plea for mystery person infected with 'Brazilian' Covid-19 strain to come forward. rt.com Health officials in England are looking for an unidentified person who was infected with a mutated 'Brazilian variant' of SARS-CoV-19 and slipped under the radar. They are one of six known cases in the UK. | The P1 strain was first detected in people coming to Japan from the Brazilian city of Manus and resembles the so-called South African variant, which is more infectious than 'regular' variants of the virus. Samples collected from six individuals were sequenced as part of the UK's national research of Covid-19 mutations. Public Health England (PHE) could not determine who provided one of them, the organisati…

RT (2021-03-01). Indian PM Modi receives domestic coronavirus vaccine as country expands inoculation program to seniors. rt.com Indian PM Narendra Modi has received his first shot of the country's domestically produced Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, kicking off the second stage of the nation's massive inoculation drive, which is now focused on the elderly. | India entered its next stage of the mass-vaccination campaign on Monday, expanding the drive to include people aged over 60 and those over 45 who have chronic illnesses. The 70-year-old prime minister became the first person to get the jab at Delhi's AIIMS hospital. | "Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against Covid-19,"

RT (2021-03-01). Virus reduces fitness of former Covid-19 patients aged 45 to level of 80-year-olds, Israeli researchers discover. rt.com One of Israel's top medical centers has published a worrying study about the long-term effects of the coronavirus, revealing that 45-year-old former patients performed during physical tests as if they were aged 80. | Some 30 people aged 45, on average, took part in the survey carried out by the Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva, the Times of Israel Three months after they had been officially cleared of the disease, the former Covid-19…

RT (2021-03-01). Deep 'psychological pain': Japan urges China to stop subjecting its citizens to Covid-19 ANAL SWABS. rt.com Tokyo has requested Beijing stop subjecting Japanese nationals in China to anal swab testing for Covid-19, urging it use alternative methods instead. The procedure is said to inflict "great psychological pain" on test subjects. | The coronavirus testing issue was brought up by Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato during a press conference on Monday. | Some Japanese reported to our embassy in China that they received anal swab tests, which caused a great psychological pain. | Japan has already requested Beijing halt the controversial testing, sticking to other methods instead. So far, China has not re…

RT (2021-03-01). Chinese investment in Australia plunges to RECORD LOW amid escalating trade row. rt.com New data from the Australian National University (ANU) showed Chinese investment in Australia dropped by more than 61 percent in 2020, to just over a billion Australian dollars (US$780 million) — the lowest in the past six years. | According to figures from the Chinese Investment in Australia Database (CHIIA), the drop followed a 47 percent fall in 2019, when Chinese investment totaled US$1.57 billion. It was also well short of the peak of US$12.7 billion recorded in 2016. | "It reflects the effects of Covid, but also more scrutiny of foreign investment by the Australian government, particularly that fro…

RT (2021-03-01). Beijing accused of using Covid pandemic to control journalists — foreign media group report. rt.com The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) has accused Beijing of using Covid-19 as "yet another way to control journalists," curbing visas and surveilling reporters. China says it's protecting its citizens from the virus. | The FCCC, which is the professional association of Beijing-based journalists reporting on China, has argued that 2020 had seen a "rapid decline in media freedom," implemented under the cover of measures that were used to combat the spread of coronavirus. | In its annual report released on Monday the press group claimed these restrictions were placed on journalists to prevent them fro…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-01). Coup Leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi Betrayed Democracy in Burma. dissidentvoice.org What is taking place in Burma right now is a military coup. There can be no other description for such an unwarranted action as the dismissal of the government by military decree and the imposition of Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as an unelected ruler. However, despite the endless talk about democratization, …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-01). Coup Leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi Betrayed Democracy in Burma. counterpunch.org What is taking place in Burma right now is a military coup. There can be no other description for such an unwarranted action as the dismissal of the government by military decree and the imposition of Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as an unelected ruler.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-01). Military coup leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi both betrayed democracy in Burma. peoplesworld.org What is taking place in Burma right now is a military coup. There can be no other description for such an unwarranted action as the dismissal of the government by military decree and the imposition of Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as an unelected ruler. However, despite the endless talk about democratization, …

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-01). Biden ready to 'consider' lifting Venezuela sanctions: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 01 (MNA) — Biden would reportedly consider the move only if it sees certain steps made by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-01). Coup Leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi Betrayed Democracy in Burma. zcomm.org Though we must insist that the return to rule by the military in Burma is unacceptable, we must equally demand that Burma embraces true democracy for all of its citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-01). Culpability and Recalibration: MBS and the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi. counterpunch.org It was a brutal way to go, and it had the paw prints of the highest authorities. On October 2, 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi Arabian insider turned outsider, was murdered by a squad of 15 men from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was dismembered and quite literally cancelled in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Staff (2021-03-01). Burmese Scholar: Military Junta Using Terror Against "Entire Population" to Keep Power After Coup. democracynow.org In Burma, mass protests continue after at least 18 people were killed in anti-coup protests, marking the deadliest day since the February 1 military coup which deposed and detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Police fired live ammunition into crowds as Burmese forces steadily escalated their crackdown. One local group says 1,000 people were arrested, including journalists and medical professionals. "The coup group and the entire security sector … have essentially terrorized the entire population," says Maung Zarni, a Burmese scholar, dissident and human rights activist. "I have seen absolutely nothing lik…

Chuck Collins — Omar Ocampo (2021-03-01). Financial Reserves and the Racial Wealth Gap. counterpunch.org Why is it that the wealthiest country on earth has the highest death toll of any nation in the world? And why are Black and Latino people among those experiencing the greatest mortality and hardship during the pandemic? There is excellent research on how the Black-white wealth gap left Black households more vulnerable (see resources

Eds. (2021-03-01). Ecosocialism versus degrowth: a false dilemma. mronline.org Ecosocialists and degrowthers need to map the many overlaps of their views to improve the effectiveness of their shared struggle for an ecologically-sound and socially-fair world free from patriarchal, racial and colonial legacy.

Marina Wheeler QC (2021-03-01). Supreme Court: Shamima Begum may be barred from UK. ukhumanrightsblog.com Special Immigration Appeals Commission and Secretary of State for the Home Department v R (Begum) [2021] UKSC 7 Since 2019 when Shamima Begum was found in a camp in north Syria, her hopes of returning to the UK have ebbed and flowed (see here and here). Stripped of her British citizenship, she brought three sets …

Bernie Sanders (2021-03-01). Amazon Workers in Alabama Are Fighting for a Union. zcomm.org The fight you are waging will send a message to workers all across the country that if they stand up, stand together, and fight, they can win…

Stephen F. Eisenman (2021-03-01). A Modest Proposal for Establishing a Strategic Toddler Reserve. counterpunch.org For the purpose of maintaining adult friendships, protecting household pets, saving monkeys, and benefiting biomedical research — prompted by a recent, reckless article in the NYTimes (With Apologies to Jonathan Swift) How many times have we had the unfortunate experience of visiting the home of a dear friend or colleague, only to discover everything changed.

Rosalind English (2021-03-01). Parent company owes duty of care in transnational cases — Hague Court of Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com The Hague Court of Appeal has recently handed down a ruling that is of profound importance to environmental lawyers. It is not only the first case at the appellate level in Europe that has resulted in a victory on the merits for the victims, but also the first case to hold that a parent company …

Ed Rampell (2021-03-01). 'Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org Co-directors Royal Kennedy Rodgers and Kathy McCampbell Vance's Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story is a nonfiction biopic about the African-American talent who rose to become the so-called "Architect of the Stars" when Jim Crow was still the scourge of the land. Born 1894 in L.A., Paul Revere Williams's real-life story of overcoming adversity …

The Conversation (2021-03-01). Where does the 10 Million Tons of Plastic we put into the Oceans Annually actually go? juancole.com By Bruce Sutherland, Michelle DiBenedetto and Ton van den Bremer | — Of the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste we produce each year, it's estimated that around ten million tonnes enters the ocean. Roughly half of the plastics produced are less dense than water, and so they float. But scientists estimate that …

Oorna Raut — Riya Behl (2021-03-01). Pushing the Tempo at Mumbai's Farmer Sit-In. counterpunch.org Navshya Kuvra had just finished playing his dhumsi (drum) for about 40 protestors dancing at south Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Just as he sat down to rest, around 11 at night, three man approached him. "Is it a wedding? What date?" asked Navshya. They conversed, phone numbers were exchanged, and the three moved away. Navshya turned

Terry Bisson (2021-03-01). The "Murder" of John Hunt Morgan: "You Have Just Killed the Best Man in the Confederacy!" counterpunch.org John Hunt Morgan, the "Kentucky Cavalier," readily embraced the role he was born into. Raised in wealthy Lexington, a scion of Bluegrass planter aristocrats, famously expelled from Transylvania College for dueling, he had eagerly enlisted in the 1848 invasion of Mexico, where he had performed with honor and the requisite gallantry. After that that brief, one-sided conflict he had returned to Lexington, traded in slaves, hemp and wool, and unerringly faithful to the ideal of the Southern gentleman, gambled, drank, raced horses, hunted squirrels, charmed the ladies and defended his honor from rivals both real and i…

Fred Gardner (2021-03-01). The Villain Leshner. counterpunch.org I don't know which chemicals are released in which parts of the brain, but there's a pleasurable rush when you find yourself in agreement with someone who has been observing the same scene from a completely different angle. Civilians who opposed US intervention in Vietnam in the 1960s will remember how affirming it was to see

William Craig Cohen (2021-03-01). The Weekly Round-Up: Unconventional Harm Reduction and Shamima Begum's Final Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com In the news: The UK has seen an increasingly falling rate in arrests and prosecutions for cannabis possession over recent years, as police forces no longer see the point in enforcement. The Liberal Democrats have campaigned for its legalisation since 2016, and the first medically-prescribed cannabis was permitted in the UK in 2018. However, crucial …

Eds. (2021-03-01). BJP begins to pay political price as farmers struggle completes three months. mronline.org IN the week before the historic nationwide farmers' struggle completed three months on February 26, the BJP has begun to pay a heavy political price for its pro-corporate adamancy.

Michael Berkowitz (2021-03-01). 'Nomadland': Moving on with America's homeless van dwellers. peoplesworld.org Fern stands forlorn, surveying the desert before her. She is a small figure looking out over the beautiful, austere, infinite landscape. The desert is her own world writ large. She navigates that world in "Vanguard," her turtle shell van remodeled to carry her few possessions on her back. She drifts toward temporary jobs as low-skill …

Dave Clennon (2021-03-01). Hollywood's New Blackface. counterpunch.org Many more black faces on your movie screen. Same old shuck and jive from finance capital. AND . . . why are so many foreign Blacks impersonating African-Americans? I saw "Selma" six years ago. I could feel earnest sincerity radiating from the screen. It was pretty clear the filmmakers were trying to do justice to

Rosalind English (2021-03-01). Law Pod UK: AI and the Law. ukhumanrightsblog.com In the latest episode of Law Pod UK Rosalind English talks to Matt Hervey, co-editor with Matthew Lavy of a new practitioner's text book on Artificial Intelligence. Matt is Head of Artificial Intelligence at Gowling WLG., and advises on all aspects of AI and Intellectual Property, particularly in relation to the life sciences, automotive, aviation, …

Joe Gill (2021-03-01). Oman: Crackdown in Dhofar over criticism of plans to develop camel-grazing areas. middleeasteye.net Oman: Crackdown in Dhofar over criticism of plans to develop camel-grazing areas | Poet Salem Ali al-Maashani the latest to be arrested as discontent over governor's decision to remove herders grows online | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 13: 07 | A camel walks on a road in Salalah, in Oman's Dhofar governorate, January 2018 (MEE/Joe Gill) | Authorities in Oman have intensified a crackdown on critics of plans to remove camel…

Ragip Soylu (2021-03-01). Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Israeli defence system shot down Russian missile Yerevan fired at Baku. middleeasteye.net Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Israeli defence system shot down Russian missile Yerevan fired at Baku | Russia urged Yerevan to fire rocket at Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's final days as Moscow pushed for a ceasefire | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 12: 30 | Russian officials give a presentation of the Iskander M missile at the 4th international military technical forum in August 2018 in Kubinka. (AFP) | Ar…

MEE correspondent (2021-03-01). 'Unjust': Egypt's property registration plans face popular backlash. middleeasteye.net 'Unjust': Egypt's property registration plans face popular backlash | Millions of homeowners in Egypt could be forced to pay three percent of their property's market value or lose access to water and electricity | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 10: 36 | Up to 95 percent of properties in Egypt are unregistered, according to the minister of justice (Reuters/file photo) | "Angels don't enter homes unre…

David Hearst (2021-03-01). Avi Shlaim slams UK government over 'shameful legacy' of support for Israel. middleeasteye.net Avi Shlaim slams UK government over 'shameful legacy' of support for Israel | Oxford historian says efforts to push IHRA antisemitism definition on universities are part of a long history of support for Zionism | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 11: 59 | Shlaim has called for British universities to resist the threat to their autonomy posed by government's efforts to push them to adopt the IHRA definition (AFP) | An…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-01). Iran says it is not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship. middleeasteye.net Iran says it is not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship | Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has accused Tehran of attacking the ship in the Gulf of Oman last week | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 08: 01 | The Israeli-owned Bahamian-flagged MV Helios Ray cargo ship docked in Dubai's Mina Rashid cruise terminal on 28 February (AFP) | Iran strongly rejects Israel's claim that Tehran was behind a blast aboa…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-01). Iran says not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship. middleeasteye.net Iran says not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship | Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has accused Tehran of attacking the ship in the Gulf of Oman last week | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 08: 01 | This picture taken on February 28, 2021 shows a view of the Israeli-owned Bahamian-flagged MV Helios Ray cargo ship docked in Dubai's Mina Rashid (Port Rashid) cruise terminal (AFP) | Iran strongly rejects I…

RT (2021-03-01). Tiger Woods praises 'really touching' red-and-black tribute from stars after golf icon was badly injured in high-speed car wreck. rt.com Tiger Woods has thanked golfers who donned his famous red and black attire on the final day of a tournament, saying it was "hard to explain" his emotions as he recovers from multiple leg injuries suffered in a car crash last week.

RT (2021-03-01). Russian 'striptease' skating star Elizaveta Tuktamysheva says she wants to 'get satisfaction' from 2021 World Championships. rt.com Figure skating ace Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who recently earned the right to represent Russia at the showpiece, has said her main goal at the upcoming 2021 World Figure Skating Championships is to "enjoy it and get satisfaction." | The 24-year-old beat reigning European gold medalist Alena Kostornaia at the Russian Cup final in Moscow, earning the sole remaining spot on the national squad, which will travel to Sweden later this month. | Known as The Empress by her fans, Tuktamysheva finished third, behind legendary coach Eteri Tutberidze's trio, led by 14-year-old Kamila Valieva. | However, as none of the podiu…

RT (2021-03-01). 'He'll be gone in the spring': Belarusian opposition figurehead Tikhanovskaya says Lukashenko will be removed from office in 2021. rt.com Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will leave his post this year, maybe even before spring ends. That's according to former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who says peaceful protest will soon reap rewards. | Speaking to the German weekend newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Tikhanovskaya revealed her belief that both external and internal pressure on the long-time leader will lead to his replacement. | "We hope for a strong alliance with the new US administration and the EU. Pressure will increase day by day, and at some point, it will become too much for Lukashenko, and he will leave," she said.

RT (2021-03-01). Nationalists stage torch-lit march, demand 'return' of Nagorno-Karabakh amid Armenian political crisis. rt.com Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Yerevan to demand the resignation of embattled Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and the reinstatement of control over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh in a torch-lit march. | The nationalists hit the streets of the Armenian capital on Sunday, marching with lit torches and Armenian flags to folk tunes that blared from a car. As the music paused, protesters chanted "Free and independent Armenian" and "Retake Nagorno-Karabakh" among other slogans. The protesters have also repeatedly called for Pashinyan's resignation. | The fiery procession, led by the supporters of the Sasna Tsr…

RT (2021-03-01). Myanmar's ousted leader Suu Kyi is seen for first time in weeks & now faces new charges, as anti-coup protests rage on. rt.com A Myanmar court has slapped the country's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi with additional charges, as mass-protests against the military coup that toppled her refuse to die down, even after a deadly weekend. | The ousted politician appeared before the court via videolink on Monday, and was seen in public for the first time since the February 1 coup. | Suu Kyi was slapped with two additional charges, one stemming from the colonial-era penal code over alleged publication of information that may "cause fear or alarm" or disrupt "public tranquility." The other one was brought under a telecommunications law…

RT (2021-03-01). Punch drunk: UFC star Paulo Costa mocked by fans over claim he 'drank too much wine' the night before Israel Adesanya title fight. rt.com Paulo Costa had a novel excuse for his unusually tepid performance in his world title bout against Israel Adesanya, earning derision for admitting that he was "hungover" from a full bottle of wine he had drunk hours beforehand. | Brazil's Costa surrendered his unbeaten professional record when he was beaten by middleweight champion Adesanya in Abu Dhabi last September, but more more disappointing than the result was the performance of the usually ferocious slugger. | Rather than hunting down his opponent as he had done in his previous 13 fights, Costa stayed at range and presented an easy target to the laser-s…

RT (2021-03-01). Ex-French president Sarkozy sentenced to year in prison for corruption, plus 2 years suspended. rt.com Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of corruption on charges of trying to bribe a magistrate. The judge sentenced Sarkozy to three years in prison, with two years suspended. | Judge Christine Mee, who presided over the case, stated that the 66-year-old former political leader had "used his status as former French president" in a "particularly serious" act of wrongdoing, as she handed down the sentence. | Sarkozy was put on trial over accusations of trying to bribe Gilbert Azibert, a French magistrate, by offering him a well-paid job in Monaco in return for information about a criminal…

RT (2021-03-01). Tehran rejects Netanyahu's accusations over explosion of vessel in Gulf of Oman and is 'closely monitoring' Israeli actions. rt.com Tehran has dismissed claims made by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran was behind an attack on an Israeli merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman last Thursday, adding that security in the region is just as important for Iran. | "The Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman are Iran's immediate security areas," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on Monday, adding that Tehran would not allow these priorities to be undermined by Israeli accusations. | Khatibzadeh lambasted Israel for its "incorrect" claims that Iran was behind last Thursday's attack on the vessel. | Not only do we strongly reject…

RT (2021-03-01). Champion trainer Gordon Elliott 'apologizes profoundly' after Grand National winner admits controversial dead horse photo is real. rt.com Industry-leading racehorse trainer Gordon Elliott has issued a "profound apology" after a photograph showing him straddling a dead horse drew outraged accusations of animal cruelty after it began circulating on social media. | Elliott, who trained the world-famous Tiger Roll to two successive Grand National wins in 2018 and 2019, came under fire after the image, which shows him taking a phone call while sitting atop the deceased animal, went viral on social media over the course of the weekend. | The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) announced that they were opening an investigation into the matter, to…

RT (2021-03-01). Russia triples gas supplies to China via Power of Siberia pipeline. rt.com Russia's energy major Gazprom said on Monday that it had pumped more gas to China in February via the Power of Siberia pipeline than it had initially planned, more than tripling supplies compared to the same month last year. | "The export of gas to China through the Power of Siberia gas pipeline continues to grow. Supplies regularly exceed our daily contractual obligations. The actual monthly volume of supplies in February is 3.2 times more than in February 2020," Gazprom said in a statement. | The 3,000km (1,864 mile) cross-border pipeline started official deliveries of Russian natural gas to China in 2019. T…

RT (2021-03-01). Bitcoin soars after Citi says it could become 'currency of choice' for global trade. rt.com The world's largest cryptocurrency, bitcoin, bounced back above $48,000 on Monday, following a report by Citi which suggested that the digital asset could one day become the preferred currency for international trade. | Bitcoin was up almost nine percent as of 2: 22pm GMT, at $48,193. | According to Citi, bitcoin's recent performance has been inspired by involvement of institutional investors in recent years, in contrast to its heavy retail investor focus for most of the past decade. With the recent embrace of the likes of Tesla and Mastercard, bitcoin could be at the start of a "massive transformation" into th…

RT (2021-03-01). Cuomo accused of 'gaslighting' after he rejects sexual harassment allegations as 'jokes' & 'being playful'. rt.com New York Governor Cuomo's attempt to apologize after two former aides accused him of sexual harassment backfired online, after he suggested his "good-natured" teasing about personal life was "minsinterpreted" as flirtation. | A day after emphatically denying any improper conduct towards his second accuser, former aide Charlotte Bennet, Cuomo appeared to make a U-turn on Sunday, admitting that some of his "jokes" might have come across the wrong way. | In a lengthy statement, the embattled governor said that he "now understands" that some of his interactions with the staffers "may have been insensitive or too p…

RT (2021-03-01). 'This is Nazi Germany!': Airline faces calls for boycott after Jewish family booted from flight over mask-less BABY. rt.com A Hasidic Jewish family was allegedly kicked off a flight because their 18-month-old child was not wearing a face mask. The airline is now facing accusations of anti-Semitism. | In a series of videos that were posted to Twitter on Sunday, the family could be seen making its way off the Frontier Airlines flight as other passengers shouted, "This is Nazi Germany!" and "This is gonna go all over the news!" | Disturbing incident the last hour on a

RT (2021-03-01). Russia slams Twitter for breaking regulations as US tech giant ignores demands to delete thousands of posts with illegal material. rt.com By not deleting banned material, Twitter has 'maliciously violated' Russian law. That's according to media regulator Roskomnadzor, which has revealed that the tech giant has refused to remove 2,862 posts with illegal content. | On Monday, the watchdog revealed that it had sent the California-based company a combined total of 28,000 deletion demands, with around 10 percent being refused. These include 2,336 posts on suicide, as well as 352 containing pornographic images of minors. | According to Russian law, violating the rules governing the restriction of access to illegal content could see the firm hit with a…

RT (2021-03-01). Japanese PM apologizes after spokesperson quits over expensive dinner scandal that breached ethics law. rt.com Japanese leader Yoshihide Suga has apologized after his spokeswoman, Makiko Yamada, resigned for "breaching the ethics law" by attending expensive dinners hosted by the prime minister's TV executive son, Seigo Suga. | Yamada formally quit her position as the cabinet public relations secretary in the wake of the scandal around her attendance at the expensive dinners after being admitted to hospital due to ill health, according to a statement from the government. | Japanese officials are barred from accepting gifts, including dinners and entertainment from companies under the National Civil Service Ethics Law, m…

RT (2021-03-01). Saint Petersburg cop arrested after allegedly leaking information about flight on which opposition figure Alexey Navalny fell ill. rt.com A Russian policeman has been arrested, suspected of leaking information from the country's centralized database of travel records, which is available only to law enforcement. He is accused of transferring data to a third party. | That's according to Moscow daily Kommersant, which reported that the unnamed St. Petersburg police officer could have handed over information to the team of Alexey Navalny, the Russian opposition figure who was allegedly poisoned and fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow in August. The newspaper claims that, in September, the individual concerned checked the database for informati…

RT (2021-03-01). Canberra should reflect on reasons for poor relations with China, says Beijing, as Chinese investment in Australia falls by 60%. rt.com Beijing has urged Canberra to take a look at the reasons behind worsening relations between the two nations and called on Australia to abide by the free-market conditions and trade rules it has always advertised. | On Monday, foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, cited a study by the Institute of East Asian Economics of the Australian National University, showing that China's direct investment in Australia fell by 61 percent last year to US$783 million, a six-year low. | Wang said the data was cause for Australia to reflect on the reasons behind the deteriorating economic and politics relations. | "Austr…

RT (2021-03-01). Plane forced to land in Sudan after CAT ATTACKS pilot mid-air, 'hijacking' cockpit. rt.com A passenger plane was forced to return to the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum after an angry cat, which somehow got into the cockpit, attacked the pilots shortly after takeoff, local media reports. | This Wednesday's flight of the Sudanese Tarco airline bound for Qatar's capital, Doha, was proceeding in a totally routine manner — that is, until a most unlikely passenger caused an emergency mid-air. | Having departed from the Khartoum International Airport, the plane was in the air for roughly half an hour when an unregistered passenger was spotted inside the pilot's cabin. The passenger in que…

RT (2021-03-01). 'Being Muslim raises fundamental problems with living a Danish life': Political party wants would-be citizens' religion on record. rt.com The Danish People's Party has renewed calls for the religion of would-be citizens to be recorded on a publicly visible register, while also proposing a ban on granting citizenship to applicants married to foreign nationals. | The right-wing populist Danish People's Party (DPP) is proposing that, as part of an ongoing overhaul of immigration and naturalization rules in the country, in future, would-be citizens should declare their faith, or lack thereof, in order to be considered for Danish citizenship. | "For many people being Muslim raises some fundamental problems with living a Danish life. Whether that is v…

RT (2021-03-01). Plane forced to land in Sudan after CAT ATTACKS pilot in mid-air, 'hijacking' cockpit. rt.com A passenger plane was forced to return to an airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum after an angry cat, which somehow got into the cockpit, attacked the pilots shortly after takeoff, local media report. | Wednesday's flight of the Sudanese Tarco airline bound for Qatar's capital, Doha, was proceeding in a totally routine manner — that is, until a most unlikely passenger caused an emergency in mid-air. | Having departed from Khartoum International Airport, the plane was in the air for roughly half-an-hour when an unregistered passenger was spotted inside the pilot's cabin. The passenger in question wa…

RT (2021-03-01). Class dismissed: England's poorer students 'five grades behind' richer ones — report. rt.com A report from the UK's Education Policy Institute (EPI) has found that a "disadvantage gap" has emerged between English pupils aged 16-19, with poorer students finding themselves up to five grades behind their wealthier peers. | The EPI has declared that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and others is "one of the greatest challenges facing England's education system," warning that "the gap grows larger in each phase of education." | On average, the study found that, by the time students reached the age of 16-19, they were the equivalent of three grades behind more affluent peers, with some in par…

Rayhan Uddin (2021-03-01). 'He'll be like Khashoggi': Wife fears for Saudi-Australian detained in Morocco. middleeasteye.net 'He'll be like Khashoggi': Wife fears for Saudi-Australian detained in Morocco | Australian consular officials intervene, as fears grow that dual citizen arrested last month may be extradited to Riyadh | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 13: 02 | Osama al-Hasani was arrested on 8 February hours after arriving in Morocco to visit his newborn child (Screengrab/Twitter) | A Saudi-Australian citizen detained in Morocco l…

MEE staff (2021-03-01). Khashoggi murder: Three Saudi names disappear from revised US intelligence report. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Three Saudi names disappear from revised US intelligence report | US says it removed names 'erroneously' included in the initial report, which identified individuals complicit in the killing of the journalist | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 11: 17 | A man lights a candle by posters of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a gathering outside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 20…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-01). Khashoggi murder: Fiancee demands punishment for Saudi prince 'without delay'. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Fiancee demands punishment for Saudi prince 'without delay' | A CIA report has accused Mohammed bin Salman of approving Khashoggi's murder, but Washington stopped short of sanctioning him | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 08: 36 | Hatice Cengiz says 'there is no longer any political legitimacy' for Mohammed bin Salman after US intelligence report concluded he authorised the murder of J…

RT (2021-03-01). Mars striking back? Extremely bright meteor ignites wild banter on social media (VIDEOS). rt.com Befuddled Brits from Scotland in the North to Somerset in South were astonished by a phenomenally bright flash in the night sky which lasted some seven seconds and ended with a loud boom, according to some reports. | The fireball was so bright it triggered doorbells across the UK shortly before 10pm local time from Manchester to Cardiff, Bath, and Milton Keynes and everywhere in between, with the UK Meteor Network receiving over 120 reports of sightings. | Social media was flooded with videos purporting to show the celestial fireworks display. | Nice meteor hit the earth's atmosphere at 21: 54 slightly obscured…