2021-04-27: News Headlines

Editor (2021-04-27). Smash the anti-protest laws! workers.org In a racist ruling-class backlash to the demonstrations of millions last summer who forced a righteous verdict against killer cop Derek Chauvin, Republicans — at this point almost exclusively Republicans — have introduced 93 bills in 34 states that suppress the right to protest, supposedly protected by the First Amendment. . . . |

_____ (2021-04-27). The Mass Media Will Never Regain the Public's Trust. strategic-culture.org By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | marked the first time ever that trust in news media dropped below fifty percent in the United States, continuing a trend of decline that's been ongoing for years. | Mass media punditry is divided on where to assign the blame for the plummet in public opinion of their work, with some blaming it on Russia and others blaming it…

_____ (2021-04-27). How The United States Stole Democracy In Ecuador. popularresistance.org The second and final round of the presidential election took place in Ecuador on April 11. Clearing the FOG speaks with Leonardo Flores, the Latin American campaign coordinator for CODEPINK who served as an official election observer, about that election and the many ways the United States and the corporate media worked to prevent the election of the popular leftist candidate, Andres Arauz. The election of a banker, Guillermo Lasso, means the neoliberal assault on the people will continue. Flores speaks about the resistance in Ecuador and the general state of the Pink Tide in South America.

Roger Harris (2021-04-27). US Role Behind the Defeat of Ecuador's Leftist Presidential Candidate. orinocotribune.com By Roger D. Harris — Apr 25, 2021 | The US role in the defeat of leftist Andrés Arauz in Ecuador's presidential contest on April 11 was not overt because it did not need to be, according to a high-ranking Latin American diplomat. We met with the diplomat and others on an official election observation delegation with CODEPINK. Names of some sources remain anonymous due to a hostile political environment towards progressives. | This setback for the Citizens Revolution movement, founded by Rafael Correa, will have profound implications for Ecuador and beyond, fortifying the US-allied reactionary bloc in Latin A…

Yanis Iqbal (2021-04-27). How Syria Acted As A Regressive Force In The Lebanese Civil War — OpEd. eurasiareview.com April 9, 1976. The Syrian military intervened in Lebanon to fight against the National Movement (NM) and Palestinians. Kamal Jumblatt – the leader of the NM – was too radical for the liking of Damascus. With his anti-Zionist leanings, he could easily provoke Israel into invading Lebanon – increasing the strategic vulnerability of Syria. Thus, Hafez al-Assad – with the tacit consent of the US – proceeded to thwart any possibility of a leftist regime coming to power in Beirut. Tokenistic elections are held on May 16, 1976 under the watch of Syrian troops. Assad's favored candidate – Ilyas Sarkis – is made the pr…

Juan Cole (2021-04-27). No, Kerry didn't Leak Israeli strikes to Zarif; but Trump did leak Israeli Intel to Russia. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Ted Cruz and other far right demagogues have charged for over half a decade that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was misguided because you can't trust anything Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarid says. Now all of a sudden they are treating an offhand remark by Zarif in a leaked interview …

Staff (2021-04-27). Headlines for April 27, 2021. democracynow.org Andrew Brown Had Hands on Steering Wheel, Was Shot by Officers in Back of Head, Lawyer Says , Justice Department to Investigate Louisville Police, 13 Months After Breonna Taylor's Killing, Coronavirus Infections Hit New Global High, Fueled by India's "Heartbreaking" Outbreak, U.S. to Ship Up to 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine Abroad, Biden Orders $15/Hour Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors, Proposes Capital Gains Tax Hike, Supreme Court to Hear Torture Survivor's State Secrets Case & NRA-Backed Challenge to NY Gun Law, 2020 Census Results Alter Balance of Power in House of Representatives, Florida Senat…

Badri Raina (2021-04-27). A New Custodian in the Supreme Court: A Hope for India's Broken Democracy? zcomm.org Justice Ramana takes over as the chief justice of India at a time when democratic freedoms have been clamped down, indeed the right of habeas corpus itself has come to be in jeopardy…

Staff (2021-04-27). Headlines for April 27, 2021. democracynow.org Anthony Brown Had Hands on Steering Wheel, Was Shot by Officers in Back of Head, Lawyer Says , Justice Department to Investigate Louisville Police, 13 Months After Breonna Taylor's Killing, Coronavirus Infections Hit New Global High, Fueled by India's "Heartbreaking" Outbreak, U.S. to Ship Up to 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine Abroad, Biden Orders $15/Hour Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors, Proposes Capital Gains Tax Hike, Supreme Court to Hear Torture Survivor's State Secrets Case & NRA-Backed Challenge to NY Gun Law, 2020 Census Results Alter Balance of Power in House of Representatives, Florida Sena…

Editor2 (2021-04-27). Pharmaceutical Industry Dispatches Army of Lobbyists to Block Generic COVID-19 Vaccines. orinocotribune.com By Lee Fang — Apr 23 2021 | New lobbying disclosures show over 100 drug lobbyists working to defeat the IP waiver request at the WTO. | The Pharmaceutical Industry is pouring resources into the growing political fight over generic coronavirus vaccines. | Newly filed disclosure forms from the first quarter of 2021 show that over 100 lobbyists have been mobilized to contact lawmakers and members of the Biden administration, urging them to oppose a proposed temporary waiver on intellectual property rights by the World Trade Organization that would allow generic vaccines to be produced globally. | Pharmaceutical…

Rubin R. (2021-04-27). Medicare Raises Payment for Administering COVID-19 Vaccines. jamanetwork.com The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently increased the Medicare payment rate for administering COVID-19 vaccines to approximately $40 per shot.

Prakash Karat (2021-04-27). As Union Government fails, Kerala shows how to combat pandemics and protect health of citizens. mronline.org THE total number of COVID-19 cases detected across India crossed over 2,34,000 on April 17, the very day Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Asansol, West Bengal, where he congratulated the attendees for coming in large numbers and gushed that he had not seen such crowds at a rally before. | April 27, 2021 | Newswire…

WSWS (2021-04-27). UK government's pandemic contracts: A looting operation behind the smokescreen of "the national interest" wsws.org The blatant efforts by the state to conceal industrial-scale corruption and criminal profiteering exposes the decomposition of democratic rule.

Dean Baker (2021-04-27). Biden's Recovery: How's The Hopey-Changey Thing Working Our For You? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com I know it was the last guy who promised hope and change, not Joe Biden, but I couldn't resist stealing Sarah Palin's best line ever. Besides, even if Biden didn't promise hope and change, it looks like he might deliver. | We are going to get the GDP growth data for the first quarter this week and it is almost certain to be very strong, quite likely over 7.0 percent. This is great news in terms of recovering from the pandemic recession and getting people back to work, but we know that all the inflation hawks will be yelling that we will soon be back in the 1970s, with inflation spiraling ever higher. For this r…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-04-27). Joe Biden, Recognition and the Armenian Genocide. dissidentvoice.org Attributing names to the brutal acts humans are capable of inflicting upon each other is never without problems. There are gradations of terror, hierarchies of atrocity and cruelty. In these, the pedants reign. Disputes splutter and rage over whether a "massacre" can best be described as a crime against humanity or a counter-measure waged with …

Anonymous103 (2021-04-27). Joe Biden, Recognition And The Armenian Genocide. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Written by Dr. Binoy Kampmark. | Attributing names to the brutal acts humans are capable of inflicting upon each other is never without problems. There are gradations of terror, hierarchies of atrocity and cruelty. In these, the pedants reign. Disputes splutter and rage over whether a "massacre" can best be described as a crime against humanity or a counter-measure waged with heavy sorrow against a threatening enemy. Scratch the surface of such arguments, and the truth is bleakly…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-04-27). Joe Biden, Recognition And The Armenian Genocide — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Attributing names to the brutal acts humans are capable of inflicting upon each other is never without problems. There are gradations of terror, hierarchies of atrocity and cruelty. In these, the pedants reign. Disputes splutter and rage over whether a "massacre" can best be described as a crime against humanity or a counter-measure waged with heavy sorrow against a threatening enemy. Scratch the surface of such arguments, and the truth is bleakly common: apologists for murder will be found. | With the Armenian Genocide, terms acutely matter. The treatment of the Armenians by the Turks as the Ottoman Empire wa…

Editor (2021-04-28). Que Biden Convierta el Acta PRO en ley por orden ejecutiva. workers.org El 8 de abril fue el "Día Nacional de Acción por la Ley PRO". La AFL-CIO se movilizó para bombardear a los senadores estadounidenses con llamadas telefónicas exigiendo que aprobaran la Ley de Protección del Derecho de Organización, (PRO, siglas en inglés). Esta legislación, aprobada por la Cámara de Representantes . . . |

Monica Moorehead (2021-04-28). In light of more police killings, Black voices must not be silenced. workers.org On April 17, three days before white police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter, Rep. Maxine Waters — a longtime California Democrat whose district includes South Central Los Angeles — spoke at a rally in Brooklyn Center, Minn. This is . . . |

Tom Tomorrow (2021-04-27). The Confounding Fathers. thenation.com Republicans want to be graded on a curve.

Dean Baker (2021-04-27). Biden's Recovery: How's the Hopey-Changey Thing Working Our for You? counterpunch.org I know it was the last guy who promised hope and change, not Joe Biden, but I couldn't resist stealing Sarah Palin's best line ever. Besides, even if Biden didn't promise hope and change, it looks like he might deliver. We are going to get the GDP growth data for the first quarter this week

Pan Africanism Today Secretariat (2021-04-27). Unfreedom Day in South Africa. peoplesdispatch.org Ahead of the national holiday commemorated for the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa, a leader of the shack dwellers movement declared, "We are burning because of the conditions we live under."

Eds. (2021-04-27). How France continues to dominate its former Colonies in Africa. mronline.org In France's former African colonies, imperialist monetary policies from Paris continue to cripple domestic economies and undermine democracy. Colonialism in Africa won't have meaningfully come to an end until true economic sovereignty is allowed to flourish. | April 27, 2021 | Interview…

Roger D. Harris (2021-04-27). Ecuadorian Election: US Secures Another Neoliberal Champion Without Intervening (Overtly). mintpressnews.com By the time of the 2021 presidential election in Ecuador, the playing field had been rendered so precipitously unlevel that the US had little need to overtly intervene.

Dave Lindorff (2021-04-27). No More Police Killings of Children! counterpunch.org Kids of color appear to be fair game for too many cops: No More Police Killings of Children! By Dave Lindorff The latest police murder — and that's what it was whatever the circumstances — of 16-old foster child Ma'Khia Bryant by a Columbus, Ohio cop, is sickening to watch. No way did that officer,

Staff (2021-04-27). No, Biden's Not Banning Burgers — But Meat Is a Real Climate Problem. truthout.org Fact-checkers are slamming Republicans and the right-wing media for repeating false claims that President Joe Biden's climate plan would require Americans to drastically reduce consumption of red meat. While the rumors about Biden have been thoroughly

Anonymous103 (2021-04-27). All In Against SouthFront: US Intelligence To Create New Foreign Malign Influence Center. southfront.org Illustrative Image | The US top spy agency is going to establish a new center to combat hostile foreign meddling in U.S. national affairs. The decision was made following multiple assessments that Russia and other US enemies allegedly have sought to sway elections and sow chaos among the American people. | The "Russian dire threat" has been the main duty of US intelligence for years. The US treasure has already been drained on billions of dollars allocated to fight against the mythical Russian information campaig…

Staff (2021-04-27). Ivy League Secret Exposed: Classes Used Bones of Black Children Killed in 1985 MOVE Police Bombing. democracynow.org Outrage is growing in Philadelphia after explosive revelations that the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University have been in possession of remains thought to belong to two children who were among 11 people killed in the 1985 police bombing of the Philadelphia home of the radical, Black liberation and anti-police-brutality group MOVE. We show an excerpt of a training video — now removed from the internet — by an anthropologist at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University who has been using the bones of at least one of the young bombing victims for the past 36 years — wit…

Staff (2021-04-27). "A Warrant Is Not a License to Kill": Rev. William Barber Condemns Police "Execution" of Andrew Brown. democracynow.org Hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to protest the police killing of Andrew Brown Jr., a 42-year-old Black father shot dead in his car on April 21. On Monday, authorities allowed Brown's family and attorney to watch a 20-second video clip of the shooting. The family says it shows Brown was shot in the back of the head while his hands were on the steering wheel of a car, calling it an "execution." Seven sheriff's deputies have already been placed on paid administrative leave; two other deputies have resigned, and another retired over the past week. But supporters…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-04-27). Almost Everything Biden Said About Ending the Afghanistan War Was a Lie. counterpunch.org President Joe Biden, in announcing an ostensible end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan, is continuing his streak of paying eloquent lip service to progressive causes while maintaining the implied status quo. In a televised address from the White House on April 14, Biden said, "it's time to end America's longest war. It's time for

repost (2021-04-27). SEP National Secretary Kishore spreads lies about an Amazon worker & former party member. indybay.org An Amazon worker who was a member of the SEP talks about their position opposing unionization and attacking democracy…

WSWS (2021-04-28). COVID-19 catastrophe overshadows Peru election. wsws.org With its health care system in a state of collapse, Peru trails only Brazil in terms of Latin American countries with the highest per-capita death rates.

MISES (2021-04-28). It's Time To End The Embargo Against Cuba — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Jacob G. Hornberger* | Now that Cuban president Raul Castro has resigned the presidency of Cuba, will the U.S. government lift its six-decades-long economic embargo against Cuba? | Don't count it. Squeezing the life out of the Cuban people as a way to get regime change has become such a normalized way of life for the United States that it is unlikely that this cruel and brutal policy will be ended anytime soon. | Back in the day, the embargo was justified as part of the Cold War against "godless communism" and, specifically, the international communist conspiracy that was supposedly based in Moscow, Russia,…

IDN (2021-04-28). Sleepwalking Into Nuclear War? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Jonathan Power* | Last week on Tuesday (April 20), US Strategic Command, the part of the military responsible for nuclear weaponry and its use, posted an official Tweet that read, "We must account for the possibility of conflict leading to conditions which could very rapidly drive an adversary to consider nuclear use as their least bad option". | This came just as Russia was pulling back its large deployment of troops on Ukraine's border which, in turn, was triggered in part by President Joseph Biden's decision to ship for the first time sophisticated weapons to Ukraine. | The crisis has now passed but the…

Randall G. Holcombe (2021-04-28). President Biden's Climate Pledge: Aspirations Versus Policies — OpEd. eurasiareview.com With regard to climate policy, the main problem with President Biden's declaration is that he has suggested no actua…

K. Lloyd Billingsley (2021-04-28). The Senator Nobody Voted For Has A Curious Plan For Biden's America — OpEd. eurasiareview.com With Vice President Kamala Harris in the "Biden-Harris" Administration, California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to replace Harris in the Senate. Both politicians have back stories that people across the nation and around the world should know. | Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was a city councilman in Los Angeles from 1999—2006, and a state senator from 2006—2014. The following year Padilla became California's Secretary of State, and after the 2016 election, Padilla refused to cooperate with a federal probe of voter fraud, a longstanding practice in California. | As a State Department inve…

SA News (2021-04-28). South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day. eurasiareview.com South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa says government has made great progress towards realising the rights of people and advancing human dignity. | "Today we have a country where all enjoy human rights and freedoms," the President said. | Speaking at this year's Freedom Day celebration in Botshabelo in the Free State, President Ramaphosa said the country has a Constitution that is a shield and a protection for all. | "And yet, even as we have lived in a democratic country for the past 27 years, we know that across many parts of South Africa, the promise of 1994 has not yet been fulfilled. Millions of South…

Robert Reich (2021-04-28). Robert Reich: How To Stop Republicans From Stealing Elections — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Republican-controlled state legislatures

Iran News Wire (2021-04-28). Khamenei's Iran Elections Impasse — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Adena Nima | Less than two months to Iran's presidential elections and the regime has yet to officially announce its candidates for the

IDN (2021-04-28). State Funeral For Leader Of Chad Embraced By Western Nations. eurasiareview.com By Lisa Vives | European and American military leaders lost a key African ally in their fight against insurgent movements across Africa. Foreign forces face an uncertain future with the recent death of the President of the African nation of Chad. | Idriss Deby Itno died on April 20 during a firefight with militants of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) who had crossed into Chad from Libya. His death coincided with his reelection victory for a sixth term that would have made him one of the longest-serving leaders in the world. | Deby, 68, a French-trained officer and pilot, was hailed by his Wester…

Dave Lindorff (2021-04-27). No More Police Killings Of Children! — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The latest police murder — and that's what it was whatever the circumstances — of 16-old foster child Ma'Khia Bryant by a Columbus, Ohio cop, is sickening to watch. | No way did that officer, Nicholas Reardon, have to kill that young teenage girl. Maybe she had a knife, and maybe she was even planning to try and stab or cut the girl or woman dressed in pink that she was running towards at the time of the shooting. But the odds of such an injury being fatal with the small kitchen paring knife in her hand were not great. | Besides, there were other ways available to Officer Reardon to have stopped he…

Jacob G. Hornberger (2021-04-27). Why the Embargo Against Cuba? counterpunch.org Now that Cuban president Raul Castro has resigned the presidency of Cuba, will the U.S. government lift its six-decades-long economic embargo against Cuba? Don't count it. Squeezing the life out of the Cuban people as a way to get regime change has become such a normalized way of life for the United States that it

Staff (2021-04-27). Rising Calls for Expulsion of US Military from Turkey. orinocotribune.com Caracas and Montreal, April 26 (Orinoco Tribune)—On Saturday, US President Joe Biden announced that his country classified the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces during the First World War, in present-day Turkey, as "genocide." This led to harsh condemnations from the Turkish government. | On Sunday, the President of the Patriotic Party of Turkey, Dogu Perinàßek, announced that his country should stop military cooperation with Washington, expel the US Army from its territory, and prohibit the use of its air bases by the US Air Force, including those involved in the North Atlantic Treaty Or…

Ralph Nader (2021-04-27). If Biden is a "union guy" — Go After the Taft-Hartley Monster! zcomm.org Even mentioning the repeal of Taft-Hartley by unions and Democratic candidates has become taboo…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-27). Cuba reaffirms socialist revolutionary horizon. peoplesdispatch.org The Eighth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba concluded on April 19. It was the Congress for the Historical Continuity of the Cuban Revolution. One of the key objectives of this conference was to define the"continuity and irreversibility" of the Cuban revolutionary process. As part of this process, Raul Castro, the First Secretary of the party stepped down from his post.

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-04-27). Urging Biden to 'Put Human Lives Before Billionaire Profit,' Seattle City Coucil Backs Vaccine Patent Waiver. commondreams.org Seattle's resolution endorsing a coronavirus vaccine patent waiver "demonstrates our movement's rejection of the status quo of profit-driven vaccine apartheid and vaccine nationalism, and our fight for vaccine internationalism," said City Councilmember Kshama Sawant. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/seattle_city_council_patent_waiver.jpg

WSWS (2021-04-27). Pelosi backs bipartisan commission to cover up Republican complicity in January 6 coup attempt. wsws.org The proposed commission, editorially endorsed by the New York Times, would have equal representation for the Republican Party, whose congressional representatives largely backed the effort by Trump to overturn the 2020 election and establish a presidential dictatorship.

WSWS repost (2021-04-27). Pelosi backs commission to cover up Republican complicity in January 6 coup attempt. indybay.org The proposed commission, editorially endorsed by the New York Times, would have equal representation for the Republican Party, whose congressional representatives largely backed the effort by Trump to overturn the 2020 election and establish a presidential dictatorship.

Sam Adler-Bell (2021-04-27). AOC and the Making of Millennial Politics. thenation.com AOC and the Making of Millennial Politics…

Andy Kroll (2021-04-27). Waiting for the Cyber-Apocalypse. tomdispatch.com America has a serious infrastructure problem. Maybe when I say that what comes to mind are all the potholes on your street. Or the dismal state of public transportation in your city. Or crumbling bridges all over the country. But that's so twentieth century of you. America's most urgent infrastructure vulnerability is largely invisible and unlikely to be fixed by the Biden administration's $2 trillion American Jobs Plan. I'm thinking about vulnerabilities that lurk in your garage (your car), your house (your computer), and even your pocket (your phone). Like those devices of yours, all connected to the Internet a…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-27). US Orders Drawdown of Staff at Afghanistan Embassy. news.antiwar.com The US State Department said on Tuesday that it ordered some staff to leave the embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of the Biden administration's preparation to withdraw troops from the country. "By minimizing the number of employees in Afghanistan whose functions can be performed elsewhere, personnel who are urgently needed to address issues related to the drawd…

Amy Littlefield (2021-04-27). Will the Biden Administration Get Bolder on Improving Abortion Access? thenation.com Will the Biden Administration Get Bolder on Improving Abortion Access?

John Nichols (2021-04-27). The Most Righteous Thing Joe Biden Has Done as President. thenation.com The Most Righteous Thing Joe Biden Has Done as President…

commondreams (2021-04-27). President Biden: Stop Deportations Now, End Title 42! commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-04-27). Progressive Caucus Applauds Biden Decision to Raise the Wage for Federal Contract Workers; Renews Call for Lifting Minimum Wage to $15 for All Workers. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-04-27). Patriotic Millionaires Applaud Biden Executive Order to Raise the Minimum Wage for Federal Contract Workers to $15 an Hour. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-04-27). Sunrise Ahead of Biden's Joint Address: "Legislate Like Our Lives Depend on It" commondreams.org ______________________________…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-04-27). Afghanistan, il piano Usa di una nuova catastrofe. globalresearch.ca Il generale Scott Miller, comandante delle forze Usa e alleate in Afghanistan, ha annunciato il 25 aprile l'inizio del ritiro delle truppe straniere che, secondo quanto deciso dal presidente Biden, dovrebbe essere ultimato entro l'11 settembre. Gli Usa terminano …

William I. Robinson (2021-04-27). Crisis capitalista y control social: øQué hay detrás de la 'Nueva Guerra Fría'? globalizacion.ca La decisión del presidente norteamericano Joe Biden el pasado 15 de abril de expulsar a 10 diplomáticos del Kremlin y de imponer nuevas sanciones contra Rusia por su alegada injerencia en las elecciones presidenciales estadounidenses de 2020 — y a…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-04-27). With 300,000 Deported in First 100 Days, Rights Group Warns Biden 'Well on Track to Repeat' Obama Failures. commondreams.org Biden "must make a choice," argues United We Dream: "repeat the mistakes of the Obama administration or do everything in his power to end the cruelty of detentions, expulsions, and deportations." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-13023134511.jpg

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-04-27). Poll Shows People of the World Think US Significantly Less Awful Now That Trump Is Gone. commondreams.org According to the latest surveys of adults in 14 other nations, favorable views of the U.S. have increased by an average of nine points since Biden's inauguration. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_unpopular.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-04-27). 'Good First Step': Warren Welcomes Biden's IRS Boost to Target Rich Tax Cheats. commondreams.org "Republicans have starved the IRS so it can't go after wealthy tax cheats," says Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "This $80 billion announcement from President Biden is a good first step." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1742389461.jpg

ecns.cn (2021-04-26). Biden plans to raise capital gains taxes for top 0.3 pct of U.S. households: White House advisor. ecns.cn U.S. President Joe Biden plans to raise capital gains taxes for households earning more than 1 million U.S. dollars a year as part of a plan to invest in American families, a top White House economic advisor said Monday.

Justice Vanguard (2021-04-27). Saturday 5/1: Love Over Hate Unity March and Rally. indybay.org Mountain View City Hall Plaza | 500 Castro St. | Mountain View, CA…

Dean Baker (2021-04-27). Cheap Theatrics on Facebook from Congress. cepr.net Two members of Congress, Tom Malinowski and Anna Eshoo, took to the Washington Post today to promote their meaningless plan to attack social media profits in the name of protecting democracy (their terminology). The gist of their column is that they want to take away Section 230 protection for any social media company that has …

Max Elbaum (2021-04-27). Key to Strategy #1: Know Your Enemy. zcomm.org The outcome of electoral battle will determine whether the country descends into dictatorship or takes a path toward multiracial democracy and economic transformation…

Jeffrey C. Isaac (2021-04-27). Putting Liberal Democracy First Has Never Been More Important. commondreams.org "Republicans understand this. They understand that liberal democracy is a potential means of serious challenges to the privileges and inequalities they seek to defend," writes Jeffrey C. Isaac. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/democracy-1.jpg

Staff (2021-04-27). Impunity of an Empire: The Cost of Plunder in the Philippines and the Resistance. dsausa.org Hear from Filipino Solidarity Activists about: 1. The historical relationship between the US and the Philippines and the dire consequences of its colonial dynamics. 2: The current situation in the Philippines under the Duterte dictatorship 3. The popular struggle for democracy against imperialism & the current demands of the Filipino people 4.How people in this…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-04-27). 'Letting the Terrorists Win'? Manchin Suggests Pro-Democracy Reform Would Spark Another Insurrection. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-13135068041.jpg

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-04-27). After Being Cut Off by GOP Senator, Stacey Abrams Releases 6-Minute Rundown of Georgia's Attack on Voting. commondreams.org "In Fulton County, our largest county and one that is predominantly African American, the number of drop boxes will be reduced from 38 to eight for no good reason other than Republicans want to make it harder for people of color to vote." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/abrams.jpg

Staff (2021-04-27). Marketing, Elections and Anti-Chavismo Unity: PUSCI is Born. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan opposition announced the launch of a new unity platform. So far in political history, this is the fifth attempt by the bench to work together, but does this new initiative have the possibility of functioning? | Political unity is one of the most complex propositions. Finding common ground and not betraying each other is a challenge that requires maturity and respect for those alongside whom you must work. | In recent years, the Venezuelan opposition has undergone several attempts to present itself as a single bloc against Chavismo, but the efforts have been unsuccessful. | To date, we can mention: | 1-…

Peter Tase (2021-04-27). Deteriorating Conditions: Interview With An Iranian Pensioner. eurasiareview.com Despite high-ranking officials of the Iranian regime touting the importance of the presidential election that is scheduled for June 18, 2021, there is a growing concern that citizens nationwide may in fact be less favorable to participate. Fear of not attaining the minimum legitimacy for the formation of government, with an unprecedented systematic corruption, unemployment, and poverty, along with the collapse of Supreme Leader's awe in Iran and the region, international and deadly economy isolation, and most importantly being the only country in the region without vaccines and Immunity from coronavirus, have…

Johanna Kichton (2021-04-27). People's Action and The New Conversation Initiative Join Forces to Launch Nation's First Deep Canvass Institute. peoplesaction.org Growing in Popularity as Movement Tool, Deep Canvassing is a Method Used to Defeat Trump, Pass LGBTQ Rights, and Win Big Contact: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 240.206.1145 WASHINGTON, D.C.—People's Action and The New Conversation Initiative today announced the launch of the nation's first Deep Canvass Institute. Deep canvassing is a groundbreaking conversation methodology that is proven …

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-04-26). Scores of House Dems Demand Biden Act on 'Important Expansion of Medicare'. commondreams.org "Lowering the Medicare eligibility age and improving its benefits package would provide immediate and substantial relief for millions of individuals throughout the United States." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/jayapal_neguse_1.jpg

Editor2 (2021-04-26). Biden's Package and its Pitfalls. orinocotribune.com By Prabhat Patnaik — Apr 24, 2021 | U.S. President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion rescue package is one of the most ambitious measures to revive the U.S. and, with it, the world economy. Coming on the heels of Trump's $2 trillion package last year and a further $900 billion package announced in December 2020, it seeks not just to provide relief from the pandemic but to start a new boom in the U.S. which, it is expected, will have spill-over effects for the world as a whole, notwithstanding the protectionist measures against imports introduced in the U.S. under Donald Trump. It will also raise the U.S. fiscal defi…

sputniknews (2021-04-26). Kamala Harris Will Reportedly Address UN Urging Countries to Prepare for New Pandemic. sputniknews.com The world is still struggling to overcome the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but some voices, including among the medical community, are already saying that the emergence of the next one is just a matter of time.

Ali Abunimah (2021-04-26). Israel lobby's "Death to the Arabs" damage control. zcomm.org As Netanyahu struggles to retain his post as prime minister in the wake of Israel's latest inconclusive election, he hardly wants to alienate a large part of his racist base…

Roger D. Harris (2021-04-26). US Role Behind the Defeat of Ecuador's Leftist Presidential Candidate. dissidentvoice.org The US role in the defeat of leftist Andrés Arauz in Ecuador's presidential contest on April 11 was not overt because it did not need to be, according to a high-ranking Latin American diplomat. We met with the diplomat and others on an official election observation delegation with CODEPINK. Names of some sources remain anonymous …

Juan Cole (2021-04-26). Methane Menace and Global Heating: Why President Biden is wrong and Fracking must be Banned. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — When running for office, Joe Biden pledged that the federal government would not ban hydraulic fracturing or fracking. This environmentally disastrous method of extracting petroleum and natural gas from shale rock beneath the earth involves pumping water down there under enormous pressure to break up the rocks and release the …

Juan Cole (2021-04-26). Methane Menace and Global Heating. zcomm.org Why President Biden is wrong and Fracking must be Banned…

Deirdre Griswold (2021-04-26). 60 years ago: The invasion that failed. workers.org Sixty years ago — on April 17, 1961 — some 1,400 heavily armed right-wing exiles waded ashore at Cuba's aptly named Bay of Pigs (Playa Girón) to initiate what they thought would be the overthrow of the revolutionary government headed by Fidel Castro. Cuban revolutionaries, led by Fidel, celebrate defeat . . . |

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2021-04-26). Díaz-Canel offers blunt truth on Cuban economy at party congress. peoplesworld.org The Cuban Communist Party's Eighth Congress took place in Havana on April 16-19, five years after the previous one. President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who had just replaced former President Raúl Castro as first secretary of the party's Central Committee, delivered the closing remarks. Castro is retiring from public life. Centering on the congress's theme of continuity, …

Rajan Menon (2021-04-26). The Graveyard of Empires Redux: America's Ruinous Pursuit of Mission Impossible in Afghanistan. juancole.com By Rajan Menon | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — On May 1st, the date Donald Trump signed onto for the withdrawal of the remaining 3,500 American troops from Afghanistan, the war there, already 19 years old, was still officially a teenager. Think of September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and …

PAI (2021-04-26). Manchin says he supports ProAct, but would keep filibuster. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —A key senator in the fight to pass the Protect The Right To Organize (Pro) Act, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, formally announced he supports it. But while that's good news and makes him the sponsor #47 for the legislation, there's a caveat: In the same press conference, Manchin again upheld the Senate filibuster, …

PAI (2021-04-26). Manchin says he supports Pro Act, but would keep kill filibuster. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —A key senator in the fight to pass the Protect The Right To Organize (Pro) Act, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, formally announced he supports it. But while that's good news and makes him the sponsor #47 for the legislation, there's a caveat: In the same press conference, Manchin again upheld the Senate filibuster, …

Max Elbaum (2021-04-26). Know your enemy: Left strategy in the post-Trump (?) era. peoplesworld.org This is the first part of a commentary by veteran organizer Max Elbaum on the strategy and tactics needed now. Sun Tzu's famous dictum about how to prevail in war applies to politics too. We have to know our enemy and know ourselves. For the know-our-enemy part, understanding the underlying system we are up against is essential. …

Anonymous007 (2021-04-26). Chaos In Mogadishu As Political Crisis Deepens. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 25th, the election stalemate in Somalia led to rival factions beginning clashes in Mogadishu. | The fighting took place between federal government forces of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, and members of the Somali military who are aligning themselves with opposition leaders. | There is an unknown number of casualties. | The talks on normalization collapsed after Farmajo failed to hold presidential and parliamentary elections by February, as scheduled,…

webdev (2021-04-26). Mother of Charlottesville Victim Condemns GOP for Giving Immunity to Drivers Who Hit Protesters. democracynow.org Many of the anti-protest laws pushed by Republicans include measures that provide civil or criminal immunity to drivers who hit demonstrators with their vehicles. A pending Oklahoma measure would offer both. "It's declaring open season," says Susan Bro, whose daughter Heather Heyer was killed in 2017 when a white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville. "Since when do we allow the public to become judge, jury and executioner? Because that's what this amounts to: Let's go hunt protesters."

Staff (2021-04-26). "Our Demand Is for Him to Be Fired": Outrage in Kenosha as Cop Who Shot Jacob Blake Returns to Work. democracynow.org Relatives and supporters of Jacob Blake staged a sit-in with arrests outside the Kenosha police headquarters in Wisconsin to protest the department's decision to allow police officer Rusten Sheskey to return to work. Sheskey, who is white, fired seven shots at point-blank range into the back of Jacob Blake last August, leaving the 29-year-old African American father partially paralyzed and sparking massive protests. Sheskey had been on administrative leave but faced no charges for the shooting. "There's been so many injustices carried on through this investigation," says Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake…

webdev (2021-04-26). GOP Criminalizes Dissent with Anti-Riot Laws Targeting Black Lives Matter & Anti-Pipeline Protests. democracynow.org We look at a slew of anti-protest laws pending in Republican-led states, and some that have already passed, such as in Florida, where Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a controversial measure known as the "anti-riot bill" that is widely viewed as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to "defund the police." Under the new law, a public gathering of three or more people can be classified as a "riot," and anyone who "willingly" participates in such a gathering can be charged with a third-degree felony. Many of the anti-protest bills pending in other states have the exact same language as the…

Staff (2021-04-26). GOP Criminalizes Dissent with Anti-Riot Laws Targeting Black Lives Matter & Anti-Pipeline Protests. democracynow.org We look at a slew of anti-protest laws pending in Republican-led states, and some that have already passed, such as in Florida, where Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a controversial measure known as the "anti-riot bill" that is widely viewed as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to "defund the police." Under the new law, a public gathering of three or more people can be classified as a "riot," and anyone who "willingly" participates in such a gathering can be charged with a third-degree felony. Many of the anti-protest bills pending in other states have the exact same language as the…

Staff (2021-04-26). "Open Season": Heather Heyer's Mother Slams New Laws Giving Immunity to Drivers Who Hit Protesters. democracynow.org Many of the anti-protest laws pushed by Republicans include measures that provide civil or criminal immunity to drivers who hit demonstrators with their vehicles. A pending Oklahoma measure would offer both. "It's declaring open season," says Susan Bro, whose daughter Heather Heyer was killed in 2017 when a white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville. "Since when do we allow the public to become judge, jury and executioner? Because that's what this amounts to: Let's go hunt protesters."

webdev (2021-04-26). "Our Demand Is for Him to Be Fired": Outrage in Kenosha as Cop Who Shot Jacob Blake Returns to Work. democracynow.org Relatives and supporters of Jacob Blake staged a sit-in with arrests outside the Kenosha police headquarters in Wisconsin to protest the department's decision to allow police officer Rusten Sheskey to return to work. Sheskey, who is white, fired seven shots at point-blank range into the back of Jacob Blake last August, leaving the 29-year-old African American father partially paralyzed and sparking massive protests. Sheskey had been on administrative leave but faced no charges for the shooting. "There's been so many injustices carried on through this investigation," says Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake…

Staff (2021-04-26). Biden Recognizes Armenian Genocide of 1915, Despite Decades of Lobbying & Denialism by Turkey. democracynow.org As President Joe Biden makes history by explicitly describing the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a "genocide," we speak with Peter Balakian, Pulitzer Prize-winning Armenian American poet and professor at Colgate University. On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire began a systematic, premeditated campaign targeting the Armenian people, an unarmed Christian minority living under Turkish rule. More than a million Armenians were exterminated through direct killing, starvation, torture and forced death marches. Another million Armenian people fled into permanent exile. "It's an important statement," resp…

webdev (2021-04-26). Biden Recognizes Armenian Genocide of 1915, Despite Decades of Lobbying & Denialism by Turkey. democracynow.org As President Joe Biden makes history by explicitly describing the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a "genocide," we speak with Peter Balakian, Pulitzer Prize-winning Armenian American poet and professor at Colgate University. On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire began a systematic, premeditated campaign targeting the Armenian people, an unarmed Christian minority living under Turkish rule. More than a million Armenians were exterminated through direct killing, starvation, torture and forced death marches. Another million Armenian people fled into permanent exile. "It's an important statement," resp…

Eds. (2021-04-26). Solidarity with Kshama Sawant: Against the Seattle Elite's Recall Campaign. mronline.org A recall election allows citizens to vote out an elected official, after a process of garnering a certain percentage of names on a petition and clearing legal challenges. | April 26, 2021 | Newswire…

Geoff Dutton (2021-04-26). How Not to Fix the Post Office or Government in General. counterpunch.org Yesterday my postbox disgorged ten letters, all from organizations seeking donations. Among them was an envelope with "Do you care if you no longer receive your mail at home?" next to my name. Its backside disclosed the sender was DLCC, the Democratic Leadership Campaign Committee, a 527 PAC (enabled by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme

John Laforge (2021-04-26). Biden's MacArthur Moment. counterpunch.org Joe Biden has his own Douglas MacArthur moment, and should replace the head of US Strategic Command, Adm. Charles A. Richard, just as Harry Truman fired the insubordinate commander of the US war in Korea. Truman biographer David McCullough reports that in November 1950, Gen. "MacArthur called on the administration to recognize the 'state of war'

John Laforge (2021-04-26). Biden's MacArthur Moment. counterpunch.org Joe Biden has his own Douglas MacArthur moment, and should replace the head of US Strategic Command, Adm. Charles A. Richard, just as Harry Truman fired the insubordinate commander of the US war in Korea. Truman biographer David McCullough reports that in November 1950, Gen. "MacArthur called on the administration to recognize the 'state of

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-04-26). Almost everything Biden said about ending the Afghanistan War was a lie. mronline.org While Americans hailed the announcement that the U.S. would withdraw troops from Afghanistan after nearly two decades of war, President Biden left out the most important details about the war and how it will in fact continue. | April 26, 2021 | News…

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