Monthly Archives: January 2021

2021-01-31: News Headlines

Binoy Kampmark (2021-02-01). White House Briefings for Children: Jen Psaki Circles Back. dissidentvoice.org The Biden administration's first White House press secretary is keen that things will be done differently under her guidance. The jaw dropping, sniping essions between the press and government that were characteristic of the Trump administration were going to cease. "When the President asked me to serve in this role," Jen Psaki outlined in her …

WSWS (2021-02-01). Triple shock of US sanctions, oil price collapse and the pandemic decimates Iranian living standards. wsws.org The "hardline" faction around the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is attacking the faction around President Hassan Rouhani who negotiated the nuclear agreement with the Obama administration, amid indications that the Biden administration intends to continue enforcing the "maximum pressure" campaign of draconian sanctions and military provocations against Iran.

Fight Back (2021-02-01). Philippines: Mark the 50th anniversary of the Diliman Commune. fightbacknews.org Fight Back New Service is circulating the following February 1 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines. | Today we mark the 50th anniversary of the Diliman Commune, a 9-day uprising of the students of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. The Diliman Commune was part of the widespread strikes and protest actions against oil price increases, imperialist control of the economy and police brutality under the Marcos regime. | The student uprising was part of the continuum of the surging national democratic mass movement of students and workers from the previous decade. It broke out…

WSWS (2021-02-01). Spanish fascists vote to save Podemos party's bank and corporate bailouts. wsws.org The vote exposes that the EU bailout policy, as well as the health and financial policies of the Podemos-social democrat government, enjoys the full support of the fascists.

WSWS (2021-02-01). Leading German columnist Heribert Prantl denounces coronavirus lockdown measures. wsws.org Prantl's current invocation of basic rights has degenerated into mendacious hollow phrases that serve to protect the privileges of a rich minority and are directed against the democratic rights of the working class.

The Conversation (2021-01-31). All Hands on Deck: Biden plans to fight climate change in a way no U.S. president has done before. juancole.com By Bill Ritter Jr. | — Joe Biden is preparing to deal with climate change in a way no U.S. president has done before — by mobilizing his entire administration to take on the challenge from every angle in a strategic, integrated way. The strategy is evident in the people Biden has chosen for his …

Staff (2021-01-31). Biden's Hawkish Foreign Policy Could Derail Moves to Fight Austerity. truthout.org In his first days in office, President Joe Biden has signaled a willingness to disavow austerity policies and expand public benefits, sparking cautious optimism about whether his administration could succeed in minimizing damage done by the coronavirus pandemic. | But Biden is at risk of repeating similar mistakes made by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who promised more relief to the poor than he could deliver because of his decision to escalate conflict in Vietnam. | In 1964, Johnson won the presidenti…

Jack Delaney (2021-01-31). On The Green New Deal, Nationalization, & Class Politics. counterpunch.org Humanity has precious time to drastically and uniformly act to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate carbon-intensive economic activity before ecological collapse materializes. However, the struggle presented is not that simple. The challenge also requires providing economic relief for workers and recognizing contradictions in the prevailing economic model that created the climate crisis when undertaking a

_____ (2021-01-31). The People Of Ecuador Are Fighting To Recover Their Popular Sovereignty. popularresistance.org On 7 February, the citizens of Ecuador will express their constitutional right to popular sovereignty, electing a new president and National Assembly to carry the country out of its most severe crisis in a generation. Between violent crackdowns on IMF protests in 2019 to persistent threats to cancel next month's election, Ecuador's democracy is on the brink. The vigilance of the world will be critical to preserve it — and help restore democracy to a region in the midst of an authoritarian backslide. | Ecuador has been hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than almost any country in the world. The country has…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-01-31). 'We Should All Be Water Protectors': Ilhan Omar Visits #StopLine3 Organizers Day After Activists Block Enbridge Worksites. commondreams.org "We owe it to future generations, to the Indigenous communities we've signed treaties with, and to every living being on this planet to stop building fossil fuel infrastructure." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/line_3_jan2021.jpg

Grace Blakeley and Thomas Frank (2021-01-31). Pandemic leads to massive concentration in the marketplace. indybay.org "We need a much more democratic system, we need to democratize all bits of the state — we need collective power theface.com/culture/the-corona-crash-grace-blakeley-interview-coronavirus-economy-uk?token=44

David Soll (2021-01-31). Democrats, You PROMISED Survival Checks NOW! realprogressives.org On January 5 there was a special election held in Georgia where the two running Democrats ultimately won. How were they able to pull it off? No, the election was not stolen by Russia, China, Venezuela, or little green men. It was won because the Democrats promised the American people relief in the form of immediate distribution of $2000 survival checks! | These words were verbatim, by then Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, during an interview just days before the election,"We will be able to pass $2,000 dollar stimulus checks for the people next week when we win these races in Georgia and get economic relief direct…

RT (2021-01-31). 'He doesn't care': 10 Republicans praise Biden's call for 'unity', want to work 'in good faith' on new Covid-19 relief bill. rt.com Republican senators, including Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, sent a letter to Joe Biden on Sunday, requesting a meeting to discuss Covid-19 economic relief — but the attempt at bipartisanship is being eviscerated on social media. | The Republicans' specific plan will be unveiled on Monday, but they say it aligns with the president's "stated priorities" and could win "bipartisan support." | Biden's Covid-19 relief package is worth $1.9 trillion, a cost some critics have argued is too high. The plan also includes $1,400 stimulus checks for individuals. | Specifics for the Republican plan were not given in…

RT (2021-01-31). #BidenLied tops Twitter trends as president's loyalists try to hijack hashtag to switch conversation from disappointment to Trump. rt.com Joe Biden has been slammed from both left and right for not fulfilling at least one campaign promise, getting #BidenLied trending, triggering his supporters to try and hijack the hashtag to distract from the criticism. | After decades in politics, Biden being accused of lying to the public by critics is nothing new, but his first days as president have even some supporters questioning his honesty. | As numerous liberals called out Biden for his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 stimulus plan offering $1400 direct payments to Americans when he actually promised $2000 "immediately" after taking office (though he's attempte…

sputniknews (2021-01-31). #BidenLied: Netizens Blame POTUS for Deception Over $2,000 Stimulus Checks. sputniknews.com Despite continued debate over the coronavirus relief package in the US, the only thing that the former Republican president, Donald Trump, and the incumbent Democrat, Joe Biden, appear to agree on was that the $600 one-time stimulus payments are not enough.

RT (2021-01-31). 'You got conned': Regretful Democrat volunteers cope with disappointment after Biden turns out to have misled about $2,000 checks. rt.com Americans who voted for President Biden in the November US presidential election expressed their regret at having volunteered for the Democrats, after the administration revealed it would not be giving out $2,000 relief checks. | The Democratic Party announced on Saturday that Americans would receive $1,400 coronavirus relief checks instead of the $2,000 promised by the party and Biden during their presidential campaign. | "I worked my ass off and knocked on well over 1000 doors promising ppl for $2000 checks. Where are they? You promised them. I hate lying to ppl," complained one self-proclaimed socialist on…

Ramona Wadi (2021-01-31). A return to the two-state politics without a historical reckoning spells loss for Palestinians. juancole.com (Middle East Monitor ) — US President Joe Biden announced the restoring of diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority and the resumption of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people, in a bid to bring the country back to international consensus after the Trump administration pursued a different form of diplomatic relations which culminated in the …

RT (2021-01-31). Massachusetts congressman tests positive for Covid-19 after getting 2 shots of Pfizer vaccine. rt.com Representative Stephen F. Lynch of Massachusetts has tested positive for Covid-19, his office said. The lawmaker received his second shot of the Pfizer vaccine before Joe Biden's inauguration. | The 65-year-old tested positive on Friday, his office said. A staff member in his Boston office tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week, spokesperson Molly Rose Tarpey added. | Lynch "had received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and subsequently received a negative Covid-19 test prior to attending President Biden's Inauguration," on January 20, the statement added, without specifying the date. Lynch has no…

RT (2021-01-31). Anti-Trump Lincoln Project turns on 'predator' co-founder after he's accused of harassing 21 men, offering jobs for sex. rt.com Longtime GOP operative and co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project John Weaver has been accused of sending unsolicited, sexually charged messages to over 20 men, including one who was only 14 when he first made contact. | Weaver had previously acknowledged sending inappropriate messages to men after multiple accusers came forward in recent weeks. The Republican, who has worked with John McCain, John Kasich, and numerous other conservatives, admitted to sending some of the messages and came out as gay in a statement, despite having a wife and two children. | "The truth is that I'm gay," he said. "And that…

RT (2021-01-31). 'There will be no full withdrawal': Troops to remain in Afghanistan past Trump-set deadline — report. rt.com According to a new report citing senior North American Treaty Organization (NATO) commanders, coalition forces will not be leaving Afghanistan by May, a deadline Donald Trump hoped to meet as president. | "There will be no full withdrawal by allies by April-end," one NATO official told Reuters. | According to the source, "conditions have not been met" to justify a full-scale withdrawal, and the new administration will likely present "tweaks in policy." | "With the new US administration, there will be tweaks in the policy, the sense of hasty withdrawal which was prevalent will be addressed and we could see a mu…

Staff (2021-01-31). Ilhan Omar Calls on Biden to Follow End of Keystone With End of Enbridge Line 3. truthout.org Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota traveled to the northern part of her state on Saturday to "We owe it to future generations, to the Indigenous communities we've signed treaties with, and to every living being on this pla…

sputniknews (2021-01-31). Ireland Could Have 'Picked up the Batphone to Biden' to Force EU to U-Turn in COVID Jab Row With UK. sputniknews.com The European Union, which has been far outpaced by the UK in its race to inoculate its population, threatened to invoke Northern Ireland Brexit emergency powers to control the flow of COVID-19 vaccines into Britain on Friday, but was forced to backtrack on part of the announcement after an immediate backlash from London, Dublin and Belfast.

sputniknews (2021-01-31). Political Persecution? How US Dems Are Cracking Down on Trump & His Conservative Supporters. sputniknews.com Having taken control over the White House, the House of Representatives and even the Senate in the aftermath of the 2020 election, Democratic politicians appear to still be after private citizen Donald Trump and conservative social media users. A US lawyer known by his nom de plume Techno Fog on Twitter has shed light on Dems' apparent strategy.

_____ (2021-01-31). Biden Day One: Nothing Changed, Nothing Ever Will. strategic-culture.org The Liberal Sleepwalkers are not dealing with the passive, stupid thuggish, unthinking herd that they believe half the American people to be. | The Doom of the Biden Administration and within the next eight years of the entire supposedly great and mighty Democratic Party has been written in deeds on the very first full day of Joe Biden's presidency. | There were absolutely no surprises whatsoever in it. Biden did what he said he was going to do. He nominated exactly the people he said he was going to nominate. The US Liberal Mainstream Media with their usual Courage and Character slavishly applauded with unanimou…

_____ (2021-01-31). VIDEO: In first week as president, Joe Biden tosses women, unions and the American people under the globalist bus. strategic-culture.org Biden has come out strong with a massive number of executive orders after years of the Democrats criticising Trump for doing so. Did Biden make the right moves coming into office? Or maybe Trump's gruff populism wasn't so bad?

Steven Sherman (2021-01-31). The Left is Positioned to Win More Under Biden Than Any President in Decades. zcomm.org The progressive grassroots is much stronger than it was 12 years ago when Obama took office. If it stays focused, it can make real progress in advancing its agenda…

WSWS repost (2021-01-31). The far-right attempts to seize opening from the 1619 Project. indybay.org The authors of the 1619 Project and the 1776 Report have more in common than they may care to admit. Both replace class struggle in history with forms of nationalist mythmaking—right-wing black nationalism in the former, and far-right "America First" nationalism in the latter. Both falsify America's revolutionary history in service of the present-day political needs of factions of the ruling class—the 1619 Project for the Democratic Party and its satellites; the 1776 Report for Trump and the Republicans. Neither the 1619 Project nor the 1776 Report can tell much of the actual history of the United Sta…

Tom Valovic (2021-01-31). A Closer Look at the AI Hype Machine: Who Really Benefits? commondreams.org In a second "Gilded Age" where the power of billionaires and elites over our lives is now being widely questioned, what do we do about their ability to radically and undemocratically alter the landscape of our daily lives using the almighty algorithm? | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/robot_dystopia.jpg

Shelley Inglis (2021-01-31). Death Threats Against Public Officials Reflect Trump's Autocratic Legacy. Reversing GOP's Authoritarian Turn Difficult But Essential. commondreams.org The heightened risk of widespread political violence symbolizes the depth of deterioration of democracy in the U.S. What happens next with the Republican Party, and its financial backers and supporters, will remake or break America's democracy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/jan_6.jpg

Eric Levitz (2021-01-31). Democrats' Internal Conflict Over the Filibuster Is Just Getting Started. commondreams.org Joe Manchin doesn't necessarily have an interest in the institutional health of the Democratic Party, but the party's leaders have a vital interest in passing sweeping reforms that gratify its base and mitigate its structural disadvantages. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/schumer_manchin.jpg

Ron Forthofer (2021-01-31). A New U.S. Foreign Policy. dissidentvoice.org President Biden has inherited a terribly flawed US foreign policy. For the past few decades, the pro-corporate US foreign policy has been a catastrophic failure, especially in the Middle East. Our criminal military interventions there have resulted in the devastation of much of that area, impoverished millions, created millions of refugees, and injured or killed …

_____ (2021-01-30). Victimized Teacher Speaks Out Against Deadly School Reopening. popularresistance.org Chicago Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) ordered 5,800 teachers to return for in-person instruction at the beginning of January. Teachers who refused to return to in-person learning as the deadly COVID-19 virus raged through Chicago were labeled by the district as "absent without leave." Their pay was docked, and their computer access locked. | The World Socialist Web Site recently interviewed Jake, one of nearly 150 locked-out educators. Jake was a physical education (PE) teacher at a CPS elementary school for five and a half years until recently. He quit the profession after bein…

Jon Queally (2021-01-30). As World Demands Peace and Aid for Yemen, Biden Told to 'End Every Aspect of This War'. indybay.org Over 385 groups from across the globe are calling for an immediate halt to the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition's relentless attack—an armed conflict that is only intensifying the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe. | Photo: In San Francisco, speakers addressed a rally on January 25 in front of the Federal Building. Terry Scussel, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

Staff (2021-01-30). Congress Took on Vital Health Issues in Last Month's Massive Spending Bill. truthout.org This story also ran on Late last month, before President Joe Biden took office and proposed his pandemic relief plan, Congress passed a nearly 5,600-page legislative…

Mark Fiore (2021-01-30). Kevin McCarthy's United Irresponsible States of America. progressive.org Kevin McCarthy's United Irresponsible States of America – a sure sign that the Republican Party still hasn't learned its lesson after a violent insurrection and losing the White House.

Tina Gerhardt (2021-01-30). Stopping Keystone Pipeline Is First Step Toward Environmental Justice. zcomm.org Indigenous groups and environmental activists are also calling on President Biden to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline and Enbridge Line 3…

RT (2021-01-30). 'Torturing the English language': Biden accused of twisting the truth with promise his Covid-19 stimulus plan 'finishes the job'. rt.com President Joe Biden is getting criticism from both the left and the right for claiming his American Rescue Plan will help Americans struggling during the pandemic by offering a $2,000 stimulus — an amount also pushed for by Trump. | "$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying your rent and putting food on the table," Biden tweeted on Saturday, referring to the $600 stimulus payment passed in the final weeks of Trump's presidency. | Biden went on to claim his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which he has urged Congress to pass sooner rather than later, "finishes the job of getting…

Paul Jay (2021-01-30). Americans Don't Need "Unity" in the Abstract. theanalysis.news Katrina vanden Heuvel joins Paul Jay to discuss Biden's attempts at bipartisanship and the need for progressives, inside the Democratic Party and the movement outside, to mount massive pressure for real reform.

WSWS (2021-01-30). How Jacobin and the Democratic Socialists of America aided the Teamsters' betrayal of the Hunts Point market strike. wsws.org As millions of workers have been radicalized by the pandemic, the DSA assumes the critical role of providing the efforts of the Democrats and the trade unions to suppress the class struggle—if necessary by brute force—with a "left" cover.

RT (2021-01-30). 'You really believed this?' Anderson Cooper asks after former QAnon follower apologizes for thinking CNN host 'ate babies'. rt.com An alleged former believer in the QAnon conspiracy theory apologized on CNN to host Anderson Cooper for believing that he "ate babies" as part of a Satanic ritual. | In a preview of the interview, Jitarth Jadeja claimed to believe many of the conspiracy theories pushed in the QAnon movement until June 2019, including that Anderson "ate babies." | Asked by Cooper whether he previously thought that "high-level Democrats and celebrities were worshipping Satan" and "drinking the blood of children," Jadeja responded, "Anderson, I thought you did that, and I would like to apologize for that right now." | "I apologiz…

RT (2021-01-30). 'Loud & unmasked': Democratic rep moves office citing 'safety' concerns after accusing GOP upstart Taylor Greene of 'berating' her. rt.com Democratic Rep. Cori Bush said she was forced to move her office for her own safety after Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene allegedly "berated" her on Capitol Hill, a charge the GOP upstart has emphatically denied. | Bush (Missouri) said in a Friday Twitter post that Taylor Greene and her staff "berated" her "in a hallway" in the Capitol earlier this month, adding "I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety." | A maskless Marjorie Taylor Greene & her staff berated me in a hallway. She targeted me & others on social media. | I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety. | I've…

RT (2021-01-30). Pentagon halts plan to give Covid-19 vaccination to Gitmo detainees after wave of outrage from conservatives. rt.com Following a recent report that the Biden administration planned on vaccinating detainees at Guantanamo Bay before millions of Americans caused outrage, the Pentagon has announced the plan has been "paused." | "No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated," Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby tweeted on Saturday. "We're pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe." | No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We're pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. We remain committ…

RT (2021-01-30). US shows off nuclear-capable B-52 bombers on Iran's doorstep week after Biden's inauguration (VIDEO). rt.com The US Air Force has published footage of its B-52 Stratofortress nuclear-capable bombers flying over the Persian Gulf in what was described as a mission showcasing America's "global reach capability." | The mission that saw B-52s flying non-stop from the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was conducted on Wednesday, just a week after President Joe Biden's inauguration. During their flyover of the Gulf, the American bombers were accompanied by US Navy and US Marines' fighters as well as Saudi Air Force jets. | A video released by the US Army Central Command on Saturday shows at least two bombers in the s…

Staff (2021-01-30). Freshman Democrats Plan Resolution Calling for Marjorie Taylor Greene to Resign. truthout.org While GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia faced widespread criticism even before entering Congress this year for supporting conspiracy theories and expressing racist views, in light of Reps. Nikema Wil…

David Hart QC (2021-01-30). What is a continuing nuisance? ukhumanrightsblog.com Harrison Jalla and others v. (1) Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (2) Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited [2021[ EWCA Civ 63 — read judgment A traditional phrase in the common law, such as "continuing nuisance", may mean a number of things in different contexts, as we will see clearly from this oil …

Jessica Corbett (2021-01-30). 48 Years After Landmark Ruling, Advocates Push to #ReimagineRoe and Build Abortion Justice. indybay.org Nearly a half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that access to safe, legal abortion is a constitutional right, advocates are now pushing the Biden administration and Congress to urgently and aggressively pursue a bold reproductive justice agenda. | Photo: On the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, members of the Raging Grannies mark the day in Menlo Park, California. Photo by Jim Colton, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Taliban reject US charges of violating peace accord. yenisafak.com The Taliban in Afghanistan rejected on Friday accusations by the US Pentagon that it has been violating their peace accord and continued to kill Afghan security forces and civilians.The group's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, said in a statement that the Taliban is fully committed to all clauses of the Doha agreement with the US, and has implemented its part in the accord."Implementation of the Doha agreement is the only solution to the ongoing conflict. We also urge the US to fully adhere to the Doha agreement," he said.The Taliban has also urged US President Joe Biden to continue the ongoing peace process initia…

sputniknews (2021-01-30). Pelosi Greenlights Dem Rep Bush Office Move in Congress After Squabble With GOP Rep Greene. sputniknews.com Division is said to be a major problem for US citizens in recent times, particularly when it comes to polarization between the two main political parties in America – Democratic and Republican, which appeared to further escalate after the deadly 6 January Capitol attack by Trump supporters.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Like Throwing a Match Into a Tinderbox': Gabbard Slams Pelosi's 'Enemy Within the House' Remark. sputniknews.com Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labelled legislators bringing weapons into Congress for their own protection as "the enemy within", as several GOP Representatives revealed that they were armed and prepared to protect themselves during the Capitol Hill riots.

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). Myanmar's military to 'respect constitution' amid coup fears. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- Myanmar's armed forces on Saturday said they would respect the country's constitution amid mounting concerns the military might attempt a coup. "Since the Tatmadaw (armed forces) is the armed association, it must obey the constitution. Our soldiers must obey and respect the constitution," the military establishment said in a statement. …

Rod Driver (2021-01-30). Supporting Democracy Abroad If It Gives The 'Right' Results. zcomm.org The double standards of the mainstream US and British media in relation to foreign interference in elections has been particularly obvious since 2016…

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Despite new Biden administration, US-China friction could remain high. yenisafak.com Chinese-US relations during the Donald Trump years went from bad to worse, but experts believe friction could climb even higher under new President Joe Biden.Besides an ongoing trade war, conflict of interests continue over a range of issues including human rights abuses against China's minority Uighurs, the status of Taiwan, national security legislation in Hong Kong, and military expansion in the South China Sea.Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a Pakistani senator for the capital Islamabad, said there would be no drastic change in the US perception of China as a competitor, but that the new president would like to engag…

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Untreated Schizophrenia': Twitter Explodes Over Rep. Greene's 'Jewish Laser Beam' Conspiracy Theory. sputniknews.com Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia's 14th congressional district, previously came under fire for espousing Qanon conspiracy theories, that the administration of former President Donald Trump was involved in fighting an elite group of Satan-worshippers and child abusers.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Pro-Khalistan' Canadian MP Urges Trudeau to Condemn 'Violence' Against Indian Farmers. sputniknews.com Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana states, have been protesting at Delhi's borders – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since 26 November for revocation of new farms laws, passed in Indian parliament last September. The government has alleged Khalistan supporters have joined the protests.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Massive Corruption and Cover-up': Republicans Urge 'Callous' Cuomo to Resign Over Nursing Home Row. sputniknews.com New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday dismissed allegations in the NY Attorney General's report alleging that his administration had 'manipulated' the tally of coronavirus-related deaths in local nursing homes, denouncing them as a "political attack" that began with former US President Donald Trump's administration.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). Mobile Services Suspended for 2 Days at Farmers' Protest Sites Near Delhi as Tensions Soar. sputniknews.com Protesting farmers, mainly from the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have been demanding three controversial farm laws be repealed since November.

_____ (2021-01-30). Biden Administration Halts Arms Deals Over Yemen… What's Really Going On? strategic-culture.org The bigger concern of Biden and Blinken seems to be damage limitation to America's bloody image, and also doing a big favor for Israel. | Antony Blinken, the newly-appointed US top diplomat, has announced a pause in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates out of apparent concern over American weapons being used in prosecuting the horrendous war in Yemen. | Blinken was confirmed by the Senate for…

Shawn Hattingh (2021-01-30). Broken world, broken people — we need a path to a better future. zcomm.org We have to give people that are rightfully angry a home, but one that is healing and progressive and that not only aims for real democracy, mutual aid, belonging, respect, dignity, tolerance, humility and egalitarianism in the future, but as everyday practice…

Jill Richardson (2021-01-30). GOP Talking Heads Try to Score Political Points by Stoking Resentment About Accusations of Racism. commondreams.org Biden condemned white supremacy, so why are some Republicans disingenuously describing it as an attack on the entire GOP? I would like to assume that most Americans in both parties oppose hate groups and violence. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/rand_paul_0.jpg

Susan Jaffe (2021-01-30). [World Report] Biden unwinds Trump health-care policies. thelancet.com A Democrat in the White House and a Democratic Congress could bring big changes to US health policy, but challenges remain. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.

Matthew Chapman (2021-01-30). South Carolina Republicans censure Rep. Tom Rice for voting to impeach Donald Trump. salon.com Rice was one of only 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives who crossed party lines to impeach Trump…

_____ (2021-01-30). ACLU Pressing Biden To Stick To His Promise Of Decarceration. popularresistance.org The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is launching a six-figure ad buy featuring both digital and print spots calling for President Biden to adhere to his campaign promise of decreasing the number of incarcerated persons in the country. | Specifically, the ACLU wants Biden to grant clemency to thousands of people who meet certain criteria, something that he could do through executive powers. | "We use criteria that reflect an evolution in our thinking around criminal justice," Cynthia Roseberry, deputy director of the ACLU's justice division, told The Hill. | "For example, calling for those who are now incarc…

WSWS (2021-01-30). Pennsylvania educators oppose statewide reopening of K-8 schools. wsws.org Toothless state recommendations over school reopenings are being swept away under Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Tom Wolf, as districts are told to return K-8 students to face-to-face learning in line with the Biden plan.

Michael Harris (2021-01-30). Monday 2/1: 2021 National Freedom Day – California State Capitol – US Civil War Grove. indybay.org California State Capitol | South Lawn | US Civil War Grove…

WSWS (2021-01-30). New revelations on role of Republican lawmakers in fascist assault on US Capitol. wsws.org New reporting documents the close connections between fascist militias and the Republican party.

Editor (2021-01-30). Joe Biden Is the Embodiment of Our Fading Empire. scheerpost.com Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0] By Alfred McCoy / TomDispatch After four years of Donald Trump's fitful tenure, America is awakening from a long, troubled sleep to discover, like the fictional character Rip Van Winkle, that the world it once knew has changed beyond all recognition. In that classic American tale by Washington Irving published in 1819, an amiable but shiftless farmer strolls out of… |

Jon Skolnik (2021-01-29). Republicans are using Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to deflect from controversy over QAnon congresswoman. salon.com Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fiercely rejected support from Sen. Ted Cruz, saying he "can sit this one out"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medea Benjamin (2021-01-29). America's overlooked crime: Will Joe Biden end the U.S. global war on children?>. salon.com Trump's treatment of immigrant children was shocking. The effect of U.S.-led wars on children's lives is much worse…

Tina Gerhardt (2021-01-29). Indigenous Leaders and Environmental Activists Are Standing Firm on Their Demands of President Biden. commondreams.org Indigenous groups and environmental activists are also calling on President Biden to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline and Enbridge Line 3. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/protest_against_dakota_access_and_keystone_xl_pipelines_20170126-1652.jpg

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

RT (2021-01-29). 'Sad billionaire' slams 'LOSER' GameStop investors — then laments Biden taxes he voted for as ATTACKING THE WEALTHY. rt.com A hedge fund manager who famously cried over a Democrat tax proposal — then voted for Joe Biden anyway — slammed Robinhood investors buying GameStop stock as "losers" spending government stimulus money to gamble on the markets. | People "sitting at home getting their checks from the government, trading their stocks" are the problem, Leon Cooperman In a lengthy appear…

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

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

RT (2021-01-29). Warren accused of 'protecting' hedge funds by saying Gamestop surge helps no one, demanding SEC action. rt.com Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) is demanding action from the Security Exchange and Commission (SEC) to address the recent surge of GameStop, AMC, and other stocks based on buyers motivated by a subreddit group. | "Casino-like swings in stock prices of GameStop reflect wild levels of speculation that don't help GameStop's workers or customers and could lead to market instability," Warren wrote in a Friday letter addressing controversy on Wall Street. | Warren, long painted by herself and supporters as a critic of Wall Street, said the "swing" in value for companies like GameStop is "yet another example…

RT (2021-01-29). A done deal: Following agreement with Biden, law extending New START nuclear treaty with US for 5 years signed into law by Putin. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill extending the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement, the Kremlin has announced. Should his US counterpart Joe Biden follow suit, the treaty will remain in force until 2026. | Friday evening's move comes just two days after the Russian parliament unanimously agreed to prolong the pact that was about to expire on February 5. | Earlier this week, Putin and Biden agreed to trigger the five-year extension clause following a lengthy phone call. This launched the paperwork needed to save the treaty, which had been left in limbo after the previous Donald Trump ad…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2021-01-30: News Headlines

_____ (2021-01-30). Victimized Teacher Speaks Out Against Deadly School Reopening. popularresistance.org Chicago Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) ordered 5,800 teachers to return for in-person instruction at the beginning of January. Teachers who refused to return to in-person learning as the deadly COVID-19 virus raged through Chicago were labeled by the district as "absent without leave." Their pay was docked, and their computer access locked. | The World Socialist Web Site recently interviewed Jake, one of nearly 150 locked-out educators. Jake was a physical education (PE) teacher at a CPS elementary school for five and a half years until recently. He quit the profession after bein…

Jon Queally (2021-01-30). As World Demands Peace and Aid for Yemen, Biden Told to 'End Every Aspect of This War'. indybay.org Over 385 groups from across the globe are calling for an immediate halt to the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition's relentless attack—an armed conflict that is only intensifying the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe. | Photo: In San Francisco, speakers addressed a rally on January 25 in front of the Federal Building. Terry Scussel, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

Staff (2021-01-30). Congress Took on Vital Health Issues in Last Month's Massive Spending Bill. truthout.org This story also ran on Late last month, before President Joe Biden took office and proposed his pandemic relief plan, Congress passed a nearly 5,600-page legislative…

Mark Fiore (2021-01-30). Kevin McCarthy's United Irresponsible States of America. progressive.org Kevin McCarthy's United Irresponsible States of America – a sure sign that the Republican Party still hasn't learned its lesson after a violent insurrection and losing the White House.

Grace Blakeley and Thomas Frank (2021-01-30). Pandemic leads to massive concentration in the marketplace. indybay.org "We need a much more democratic system, we need to democratize all bits of the state — we need collective power theface.com/culture/the-corona-crash-grace-blakeley-interview-coronavirus-economy-uk?token=44

Tina Gerhardt (2021-01-30). Stopping Keystone Pipeline Is First Step Toward Environmental Justice. zcomm.org Indigenous groups and environmental activists are also calling on President Biden to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline and Enbridge Line 3…

RT (2021-01-30). 'Torturing the English language': Biden accused of twisting the truth with promise his Covid-19 stimulus plan 'finishes the job'. rt.com President Joe Biden is getting criticism from both the left and the right for claiming his American Rescue Plan will help Americans struggling during the pandemic by offering a $2,000 stimulus — an amount also pushed for by Trump. | "$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying your rent and putting food on the table," Biden tweeted on Saturday, referring to the $600 stimulus payment passed in the final weeks of Trump's presidency. | Biden went on to claim his $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan, which he has urged Congress to pass sooner rather than later, "finishes the job of getting…

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Taliban reject US charges of violating peace accord. yenisafak.com The Taliban in Afghanistan rejected on Friday accusations by the US Pentagon that it has been violating their peace accord and continued to kill Afghan security forces and civilians.The group's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, said in a statement that the Taliban is fully committed to all clauses of the Doha agreement with the US, and has implemented its part in the accord."Implementation of the Doha agreement is the only solution to the ongoing conflict. We also urge the US to fully adhere to the Doha agreement," he said.The Taliban has also urged US President Joe Biden to continue the ongoing peace process initia…

Paul Jay (2021-01-30). Americans Don't Need "Unity" in the Abstract. theanalysis.news Katrina vanden Heuvel joins Paul Jay to discuss Biden's attempts at bipartisanship and the need for progressives, inside the Democratic Party and the movement outside, to mount massive pressure for real reform.

Jessica Corbett (2021-01-30). 48 Years After Landmark Ruling, Advocates Push to #ReimagineRoe and Build Abortion Justice. indybay.org Nearly a half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that access to safe, legal abortion is a constitutional right, advocates are now pushing the Biden administration and Congress to urgently and aggressively pursue a bold reproductive justice agenda. | Photo: On the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, members of the Raging Grannies mark the day in Menlo Park, California. Photo by Jim Colton, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). Pelosi Greenlights Dem Rep Bush Office Move in Congress After Squabble With GOP Rep Greene. sputniknews.com Division is said to be a major problem for US citizens in recent times, particularly when it comes to polarization between the two main political parties in America – Democratic and Republican, which appeared to further escalate after the deadly 6 January Capitol attack by Trump supporters.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Like Throwing a Match Into a Tinderbox': Gabbard Slams Pelosi's 'Enemy Within the House' Remark. sputniknews.com Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labelled legislators bringing weapons into Congress for their own protection as "the enemy within", as several GOP Representatives revealed that they were armed and prepared to protect themselves during the Capitol Hill riots.

RT (2021-01-30). 'Loud & unmasked': Democratic rep moves office citing 'safety' concerns after accusing GOP upstart Taylor Greene of 'berating' her. rt.com Democratic Rep. Cori Bush said she was forced to move her office for her own safety after Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene allegedly "berated" her on Capitol Hill, a charge the GOP upstart has emphatically denied. | Bush (Missouri) said in a Friday Twitter post that Taylor Greene and her staff "berated" her "in a hallway" in the Capitol earlier this month, adding "I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety." | A maskless Marjorie Taylor Greene & her staff berated me in a hallway. She targeted me & others on social media. | I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety. | I've…

RT (2021-01-30). US shows off nuclear-capable B-52 bombers on Iran's doorstep week after Biden's inauguration (VIDEO). rt.com The US Air Force has published footage of its B-52 Stratofortress nuclear-capable bombers flying over the Persian Gulf in what was described as a mission showcasing America's "global reach capability." | The mission that saw B-52s flying non-stop from the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was conducted on Wednesday, just a week after President Joe Biden's inauguration. During their flyover of the Gulf, the American bombers were accompanied by US Navy and US Marines' fighters as well as Saudi Air Force jets. | A video released by the US Army Central Command on Saturday shows at least two bombers in the s…

Staff (2021-01-30). Freshman Democrats Plan Resolution Calling for Marjorie Taylor Greene to Resign. truthout.org While GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia faced widespread criticism even before entering Congress this year for supporting conspiracy theories and expressing racist views, in light of Reps. Nikema Wil…

David Hart QC (2021-01-30). What is a continuing nuisance? ukhumanrightsblog.com Harrison Jalla and others v. (1) Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (2) Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited [2021[ EWCA Civ 63 — read judgment A traditional phrase in the common law, such as "continuing nuisance", may mean a number of things in different contexts, as we will see clearly from this oil …

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). Myanmar's military to 'respect constitution' amid coup fears. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- Myanmar's armed forces on Saturday said they would respect the country's constitution amid mounting concerns the military might attempt a coup. "Since the Tatmadaw (armed forces) is the armed association, it must obey the constitution. Our soldiers must obey and respect the constitution," the military establishment said in a statement. …

Shawn Hattingh (2021-01-30). Broken world, broken people — we need a path to a better future. zcomm.org We have to give people that are rightfully angry a home, but one that is healing and progressive and that not only aims for real democracy, mutual aid, belonging, respect, dignity, tolerance, humility and egalitarianism in the future, but as everyday practice…

Rod Driver (2021-01-30). Supporting Democracy Abroad If It Gives The 'Right' Results. zcomm.org The double standards of the mainstream US and British media in relation to foreign interference in elections has been particularly obvious since 2016…

_____ (2021-01-30). Biden Administration Halts Arms Deals Over Yemen… What's Really Going On? strategic-culture.org The bigger concern of Biden and Blinken seems to be damage limitation to America's bloody image, and also doing a big favor for Israel. | Antony Blinken, the newly-appointed US top diplomat, has announced a pause in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates out of apparent concern over American weapons being used in prosecuting the horrendous war in Yemen. | Blinken was confirmed by the Senate for…

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Despite new Biden administration, US-China friction could remain high. yenisafak.com Chinese-US relations during the Donald Trump years went from bad to worse, but experts believe friction could climb even higher under new President Joe Biden.Besides an ongoing trade war, conflict of interests continue over a range of issues including human rights abuses against China's minority Uighurs, the status of Taiwan, national security legislation in Hong Kong, and military expansion in the South China Sea.Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a Pakistani senator for the capital Islamabad, said there would be no drastic change in the US perception of China as a competitor, but that the new president would like to engag…

Susan Jaffe (2021-01-30). [World Report] Biden unwinds Trump health-care policies. thelancet.com A Democrat in the White House and a Democratic Congress could bring big changes to US health policy, but challenges remain. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.

_____ (2021-01-30). ACLU Pressing Biden To Stick To His Promise Of Decarceration. popularresistance.org The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is launching a six-figure ad buy featuring both digital and print spots calling for President Biden to adhere to his campaign promise of decreasing the number of incarcerated persons in the country. | Specifically, the ACLU wants Biden to grant clemency to thousands of people who meet certain criteria, something that he could do through executive powers. | "We use criteria that reflect an evolution in our thinking around criminal justice," Cynthia Roseberry, deputy director of the ACLU's justice division, told The Hill. | "For example, calling for those who are now incarc…

WSWS repost (2021-01-30). The far-right attempts to seize opening from the 1619 Project. indybay.org The authors of the 1619 Project and the 1776 Report have more in common than they may care to admit. Both replace class struggle in history with forms of nationalist mythmaking—right-wing black nationalism in the former, and far-right "America First" nationalism in the latter. Both falsify America's revolutionary history in service of the present-day political needs of factions of the ruling class—the 1619 Project for the Democratic Party and its satellites; the 1776 Report for Trump and the Republicans. Neither the 1619 Project nor the 1776 Report can tell much of the actual history of the United Sta…

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Pro-Khalistan' Canadian MP Urges Trudeau to Condemn 'Violence' Against Indian Farmers. sputniknews.com Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana states, have been protesting at Delhi's borders – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since 26 November for revocation of new farms laws, passed in Indian parliament last September. The government has alleged Khalistan supporters have joined the protests.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). Mobile Services Suspended for 2 Days at Farmers' Protest Sites Near Delhi as Tensions Soar. sputniknews.com Protesting farmers, mainly from the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have been demanding three controversial farm laws be repealed since November.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Untreated Schizophrenia': Twitter Explodes Over Rep. Greene's 'Jewish Laser Beam' Conspiracy Theory. sputniknews.com Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia's 14th congressional district, previously came under fire for espousing Qanon conspiracy theories, that the administration of former President Donald Trump was involved in fighting an elite group of Satan-worshippers and child abusers.

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Massive Corruption and Cover-up': Republicans Urge 'Callous' Cuomo to Resign Over Nursing Home Row. sputniknews.com New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday dismissed allegations in the NY Attorney General's report alleging that his administration had 'manipulated' the tally of coronavirus-related deaths in local nursing homes, denouncing them as a "political attack" that began with former US President Donald Trump's administration.

Editor (2021-01-30). Joe Biden Is the Embodiment of Our Fading Empire. scheerpost.com Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0] By Alfred McCoy / TomDispatch After four years of Donald Trump's fitful tenure, America is awakening from a long, troubled sleep to discover, like the fictional character Rip Van Winkle, that the world it once knew has changed beyond all recognition. In that classic American tale by Washington Irving published in 1819, an amiable but shiftless farmer strolls out of… |

Michael Harris (2021-01-30). Monday 2/1: 2021 National Freedom Day – California State Capitol – US Civil War Grove. indybay.org California State Capitol | South Lawn | US Civil War Grove…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jon Skolnik (2021-01-29). Republicans are using Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to deflect from controversy over QAnon congresswoman. salon.com Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fiercely rejected support from Sen. Ted Cruz, saying he "can sit this one out"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medea Benjamin (2021-01-29). America's overlooked crime: Will Joe Biden end the U.S. global war on children?>. salon.com Trump's treatment of immigrant children was shocking. The effect of U.S.-led wars on children's lives is much worse…

Tina Gerhardt (2021-01-29). Indigenous Leaders and Environmental Activists Are Standing Firm on Their Demands of President Biden. commondreams.org Indigenous groups and environmental activists are also calling on President Biden to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline and Enbridge Line 3. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/protest_against_dakota_access_and_keystone_xl_pipelines_20170126-1652.jpg

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

RT (2021-01-29). 'Sad billionaire' slams 'LOSER' GameStop investors — then laments Biden taxes he voted for as ATTACKING THE WEALTHY. rt.com A hedge fund manager who famously cried over a Democrat tax proposal — then voted for Joe Biden anyway — slammed Robinhood investors buying GameStop stock as "losers" spending government stimulus money to gamble on the markets. | People "sitting at home getting their checks from the government, trading their stocks" are the problem, Leon Cooperman In a lengthy appear…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RT (2021-01-29). Warren accused of 'protecting' hedge funds by saying Gamestop surge helps no one, demanding SEC action. rt.com Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) is demanding action from the Security Exchange and Commission (SEC) to address the recent surge of GameStop, AMC, and other stocks based on buyers motivated by a subreddit group. | "Casino-like swings in stock prices of GameStop reflect wild levels of speculation that don't help GameStop's workers or customers and could lead to market instability," Warren wrote in a Friday letter addressing controversy on Wall Street. | Warren, long painted by herself and supporters as a critic of Wall Street, said the "swing" in value for companies like GameStop is "yet another example…

RT (2021-01-29). A done deal: Following agreement with Biden, law extending New START nuclear treaty with US for 5 years signed into law by Putin. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill extending the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement, the Kremlin has announced. Should his US counterpart Joe Biden follow suit, the treaty will remain in force until 2026. | Friday evening's move comes just two days after the Russian parliament unanimously agreed to prolong the pact that was about to expire on February 5. | Earlier this week, Putin and Biden agreed to trigger the five-year extension clause following a lengthy phone call. This launched the paperwork needed to save the treaty, which had been left in limbo after the previous Donald Trump ad…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-29). After Altercation, Rep. Cori Bush to Move Office Away From Far-Right Marjorie Taylor Greene for Team's Safety. commondreams.org Bush cited Greene's support for executing Democrats and "renewed, repeated antagonization of the movement for Black lives." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12296857061_0.jpg

Steven Hill (2021-01-29). Should President Biden Revoke Section 230? commondreams.org The recent attack on the US Capitol reveals the danger of digital media platforms. Here's what we must do to transform Silicon Valley's corruption of the media infrastructure. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/fgt.jpg

Sunnivie Brydum (2021-01-29). What the Inauguration Meant to Me, as an Abuse Survivor. commondreams.org We may be bruised; we may have even believed that we are broken. But we made it out. We still face vast uncertainty, and desperately need deep, systemic change if we are going to survive the years ahead. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden-inauguration-brydum.jpg

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-01-29). 'How About a Counter-Argument Based on Fact?': Warren Destroys CNBC Host Over Two-Cent Wealth Tax Criticism. commondreams.org "The wealthiest in this country are paying less in taxes than everyone else," said the Democratic senator. "If they added a two-cent wealth tax, they'd still be paying less than most of the people in this entire nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_wealth_tax2_0.png

Lora Lumpe (2021-01-29). If Biden Is Serious About Saving the Planet, He Should End US Military Domination Across the Globe. commondreams.org It would save American taxpayers billions of dollars and diminish the threat to the American people—and to the world. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/lloyd_austin.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-01-29). Amid Broader Concerns Over Biden USDA Nominee, Watchdog Flags 'Disturbing Suppression' of Science by Vilsack. commondreams.org "Unless he pledges to implement significant safeguards for scientists, Tom Vilsack should not be confirmed. The days in which federal agencies function as scientific gulags should be behind us." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12300714871.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-29). Progressives Applaud Rob Malley, Key Nuclear Deal Negotiator, as Biden's Special Envoy for Iran. commondreams.org "Malley should be celebrated for his ability to understand how adversaries see problems and find common ground, for this is the art of diplomacy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-8830106521.jpg

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

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

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

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

Heather Digby Parton (2021-01-29). McConnell repeats the same obstructionist playbook from Obama era: Can Biden ignore the trolling?>. salon.com Republicans are concern trolling President Biden on his promises of "unity." They should be ignored…

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

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

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

_____ (2021-01-29). Biden's Suspension of Middle East Arms Deals Is Clear Signal That 'America Is Back'. strategic-culture.org power struggles as Joe Biden's new foreign policy tsar has indicated that they can no longer play by their own rules. Prepare for Abraham Accords 2.0 | It should not have come as a surprise to the royal elites of both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but the decision of Joe Biden to suspend all arms sales to these countries is a thunderbolt none the less, if certainly to the sustainability of their campaigns in Yemen, then certainly to how Gulf Arab countries in general carry out their inept hegemony in the region. | The decision by Biden to suspend arms sales so as a new dialogue and agreement can be honed, using the…

David Cay Johnston (2021-01-29). QAnon and evangelicals: Republicans baptized in crazy. salon.com Trump's legacy: from QAnon lunatics to fanatical evangelicals, the Grand Old Party is out of its mind…

Igor Derysh (2021-01-29). "One more check is not enough": Progressives push Joe Biden to do more to help working families. salon.com "We have to make the most of the opportunity," Rep. Ro Khanna, former co-chair of Bernie's campaign, tells Salon…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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