Daily Archives: February 2, 2021

2021-02-02: News Headlines

Staff (2021-02-02). Alexei Navalny Faces "Kafkaesque" Charges in Russia for Breaking Parole While in Poison-Induced Coma. democracynow.org Russian authorities have arrested thousands of people during anti-government protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been held in jail since returning to Russia on January 17 after recovering in Germany from an attempt on his life in August using the nerve agent Novichok. Navalny has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the poisoning that nearly killed him. While Navalny has emerged as Russia's leading opposition figure and anti-corruption campaigner, his political roots have links to right-wing nationalist and anti-immigrant causes. Joshua Yaffa, Moscow corresp…

Staff (2021-02-02). Latinx COVID Deaths Soar 1,000% in Los Angeles as Communities of Color Lag Behind in Vaccine Rollout. democracynow.org Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Black and Latinx people in the United States have died at higher rates, and new data shows that they are getting vaccinated at much lower rates than white people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 60% of those vaccinated were white, while just 11.5% were Latinx, 6% were Asian, and just over 5% were Black. The CDC data is based on details gathered during the first month of the U.S. vaccination campaign that saw nearly 13 million Americans get a shot, though race and ethnicity was only known for about half of the recipients. Black and Latinx people…

Staff (2021-02-02). Russia's Sputnik V Is Found to Be 91.6% Effective, Providing Boost for Global Vaccination Effort. democracynow.org Russia has been one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, recording about 73,000 deaths and over 3.8 million infections over the past year. Meanwhile, there is widespread skepticism over the domestically developed Sputnik V vaccine, with many Russians reluctant to get the shot. Now a peer-reviewed study published in the respected Lancet medical journal has confirmed the vaccine's 91.6% efficacy, as developers of the shot have long maintained. "That's good news for the developers of the vaccine in Russia. That's good news for Russia writ large, which certainly has plenty of geopolitical ambitions surroundi…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-02-02). White House Briefings for Children: Jen Psaki Circles Back. counterpunch.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 sessions 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

John Bachtell (2021-02-02). "We're in a national emergency," President Biden says. peoplesworld.org "We're in a national emergency. We need to act like we're in a national emergency." President Biden declared on Jan. 22. As he signed a flurry of sweeping executive orders. "Families are going hungry. People are at risk of being evicted." The orders increase the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school lunch assistance, require federal …

Mark Gruenberg (2021-02-02). Catholic panel wrestles with gap between Biden, bishops on sexuality issues. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—When it comes to comprehensive immigration reform, combatting climate change, tackling endemic racism, and closing the yawning gap between the rich and the rest of us, the nation's Catholic bishops, its president who is a practicing Catholic, Joe Biden, and Pope Francis I are all on the same page. So are Biden, the bishops, and …

George Wuerthner (2021-02-02). Putting Our Public Forests into Carbon Reserves. counterpunch.org The Biden Administration supports protecting 30% of US lands by 2030 or what is termed the 30 x 30 proposal. One of the best ways to meet that 30 by 30 goals would be to put all national forests and BLM lands off-limits to logging. Not only does this help to move the country closer

Tom Engelhardt (2021-02-02). The Imperial Presidency Comes Home to Roost. counterpunch.org Joe Biden's got a problem — and so do I. And so, in fact, do we. At 76 years old, you'd think I'd experienced it all when it comes to this country and its presidencies. Or most of it, anyway. I've been around since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. Born on July 20, 1944, I'm a little "young" to remember him, though I was a war baby in an era when Congress still sometimes declared war before America made it.

stclair (2021-02-02). The Imperial Presidency Comes Home to Roost. counterpunch.org Joe Biden's got a problem — and so do I. And so, in fact, do we. At 76 years old, you'd think I'd experienced it all when it comes to this country and its presidencies. Or most of it, anyway. I've been around since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. Born on July 20, 1944, I'm a little "young" to remember him, though I was a war baby in an era when Congress still sometimes declared war before America made it.

Brian Whitaker (2021-02-02). Ending the crisis in Yemen is a priority for Biden administration. juancole.com ( Al-Bab.com) — Secretary of State Blinken: "It's vitally important that we do everything we can to get humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen." Photo: State Dept When Antony Blinken, the newly-appointed US Secretary of State, gave his first press briefing last Wednesday the first topic to come up was the war in Yemen. …

MEE staff (2021-02-02). UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador. middleeasteye.net UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador | UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, says if US plans to pivot from Middle East to China it cannot 'take tools away from your partners' | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 15: 52 | The US agreed to sale of F-35 jets to Abu Dhabi following normalisation agreement between UAE and Israel (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates is confident t…

Anand Naidoo (2021-02-02). The Heat: Myanmar military takeover. america.cgtn.com The military in Myanmar takes over after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders.

Norman Solomon (2021-02-02). Don't grade President Biden on a curve. nationofchange.org If President Biden is pushed hard and far and persistently enough, some truly great changes are possible.

Norman Solomon (2021-02-02). Don't Grade President Biden on a Curve. indybay.org Being better than Trump is a high jump over abysmal standards…

Juan Cole (2021-02-02). Biden's Green Energy Plans are just Market Wisdom: Norway's Investment Fund just Dumped $6 Bn. in Oil Stocks. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Some have questioned how realistic Biden's plans are to move the US rapidly off fossil fuels. In fact, it is the fossil fuels that are unrealistic. Burning petroleum and coal are bad for everyone's health and destined to make earth swelteringly hot, with lots of climate catastrophes and extreme weather. …

Caitlin Johnstone (2021-02-02). Everything About The Biden Administration Is Fake. thealtworld.com A new exclusive from The Daily Beast titled " "While it's a relief to see briefings return, particularly with a commitment to factual information, the press can't really do its job in the briefing room if the White House is picking and choosing the questions they want," one White House correspondent told The Daily Beast. "That's not real…

James O'Neill (2021-02-02). The Biden Government Running True to Form. dissidentvoice.org The least surprising news item in the past week was that the United States government under President Biden had decided that American troops would after all, despite Ex- President Trump's order, remain in Afghanistan. This breaks an agreement that had been reached by the Trump administration and the Taliban that US troops would all be …

Staff (2021-02-02). Polls Show Major Support for Biden's Stimulus Plan That GOP Wants to Undercut. truthout.org Two separate polls conducted recently show that the majority of the American public is in favor of passing a COVID-19 stimulus bill quickly and that they are largely supportive of Joe Biden's version of the bill. With Congress poised to pass Biden's stimulus through reconciliation soon, the polls show that bipartisan agreement among the public shows that

Jesse Jackson (2021-02-02). The nation can't afford Republicans' stimulus sabotage. peoplesworld.org In his first ten days in office, Joe Biden launched an intense effort to address the "cascading crises" that America faces. In addition to issuing executive orders to reverse several of Trump's most poisonous acts—ending federal contracting with private prisons, reviving enforcement of discrimination laws, ending the Muslim ban, re-entering the Paris Climate Accord, and …

Robert Pollin (2021-02-02). Biden's $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Is a Vital Beginning for a New New Deal. zcomm.org This reliance on big pocketed financiers will be a continuing obstacle to truly reorienting finance to serve society…

Staff (2021-02-02). Biden Plans Task Force to Reunite Migrant Families Separated by Trump. truthout.org President Joe Biden is planning to sign three executive orders on Tuesday, meant to dismantle a number of actions from the previous administration that will, according to one official, make the process of migration to the U.S. more humane and fair. | Perhaps the most notable of these three orders will be Biden's call for the creation of a task force to reunite children who were separated from their families under a Trump administration policy that was called "zero tolerance." Ostensibly put into pla…

Cronkite News Arizona PBS (2021-02-02). Dreamers in Arizona Enthusiastically welcome Biden's immigration plan, but older Immigrants say it doesn't go far enough. juancole.com By Emma VandenEinde and Tyler Manion | — ( Cronkite News ) — PHOENIX — On his first day in office, President Joe Biden sent to Congress his plan to reform the U.S. immigration system. The bill includes preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, and outlines a path to permanent residence …

Staff (2021-02-02). Headlines for February 2, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 26 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Shots, Surpassing Confirmed Coronavirus Cases , Biden Takes Executive Action to Reverse Trump Immigration Policies as Deportations Continue, Senate Republicans Meet at White House to Press Far Smaller Coronavirus Relief Bill, South Africa Receives First COVID-19 Vaccines; New Variant Linked to Reinfections in Brazil, WHO Team Probes Virus Origins in Wuhan; Australia Puts Perth on Lockdown After Single COVID-19 Case, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reveals She Is a Sexual Assault Survivor in Video Recalling Jan. 6 Capitol Attack, Trump Hires New Lawyers. One Declined to Prosecute Bil…

RT (2021-02-02). 'Bravery' or 'manipulative'? AOC comes out as survivor of sexual assault while describing 'trauma' of Capitol riot. rt.com Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) revealed she is a survivor of sexual assault while recounting last month's Capitol riot. Many hailed her for the deeply personal story, while others questioned her motives. | During a livestream on Instagram on Monday night, the progressive lawmaker pushed back against Republican colleagues and critics who have demanded an apology after she accused Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) of putting her life in danger by allegedly helping to incite the unrest in the capital on January 6. | .

MEE staff (2021-02-02). Biden urged to publicly support rights of citizens to boycott Israel. middleeasteye.net Biden urged to publicly support rights of citizens to boycott Israel | Human Rights Watch calls on Biden administration to renounce Trump-era policy that labelled BDS movement as antisemitic | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 16: 47 | The BDS movement was founded in 2005 and modelled after a similar campaign credited with ending apartheid in South Africa (AFP/File photo) | A leading human rights group has called on US Presid…

Ali Harb (2021-02-02). Covid-19: Jamaal Bowman calls on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Jamaal Bowman calls on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians | US congressman likens racial disparities in US and his own experiences as Black man to 'hopelessness' Palestinians face | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 18: 53 | Jamaal Bowman defeated staunch Israel supporter Eliot Engel, a senior Democrat, last year (AFP/File photo) | Congressman Jamaal Bowman, a first-term progressive Democrat, has called on the Israeli go…

RT (2021-02-02). Democrats seek to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of House committee assignments to negate 'future harm' from 'QAnon Congresswoman'. rt.com Democrats are demanding the GOP purge Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from two House committees over her supposed "inflammatory and false statements," apparently with support of some Republicans. | Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida), Ted Deutch (D-Florida) and Jahana Hayes (D-Connecticut) submitted a resolution on Monday demanding Greene be removed from the House Education & Labor Committee and the House Budget Committee. | "Reducing the future harm that she can cause in Congress, and denying her a seat at committee tables where fact-based policies will be drafted, is both a suit…

RT (2021-02-02). Marjorie Greene Taylor hits back after Mitch McConnell dubs her 'GOP cancer,' says 'weak Republicans' will doom party & country. rt.com Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has responded to a scathing attack by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — who dubbed her a "cancer" for the GOP — insisting that "weak" Republicans would be the country's downfall. | "The real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully," the freshman GOP congresswoman wrote in a tweet on Monday night. | This is why we are losing our country. | The real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully. | This is why we are losing our country.— Marjorie Taylor Greene &#…

RT (2021-02-02). Conservative 'Avenger' Ted Cruz fights evil environmentalists and dastardly Democrats, gets ridiculed online. rt.com Texas senator and apparent superhero geek Ted Cruz has been roasted online for his peculiar takeaway from the smash-hit Marvel movies, namely that "rabid environmentalists" were the bad guys all along. | Speaking to conservative pundit Michael Knowles on Monday, Cruz complained that President Joe Biden's environmental crusade would cost jobs, and infringe on the freedom of Americans to work however they want. Biden's

Joe Costello (2021-02-02). The Politics of Debt Can Strangle a Society, Just Look at What Happened to Rome. counterpunch.org For the democratically ambitious, an obvious issue to focus on is debt. And I'm not talking about government debt, which is certainly part of the problem, but debt across the whole societal spectrum — corporate, personal, and government. At this point, one is tempted to throw out a bunch of numbers to make the case,

Claudio Katz (2021-02-02). After Trump, what prospects for Biden in the Global imperial disorder? mronline.org The United States seeks to regain its sagging world dominance by capturing wealth, quelling rebellions, and deterring competitors. It supports this operation with gigantic military power and a burdensome arms economy.

Zoya Teirstein (2021-02-02). Latest Trump EPA rule to get tossed? The 'secret science' ban. peoplesworld.org Former President Donald Trump will forever leave his mark on the federal government, but some of his administration's rules aren't standing the test of time. President Biden wants to reconsider and possibly scrap more than 100 anti-environmental actions his predecessor took during his term, including Trump's efforts to weaken protections for migratory birds and gray wolves and …

Phelan Acheson (2021-02-02). The 3rd Party Resurgence. realprogressives.org "The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth." H.L. Mencken | This article is part of a three-part series on the history of parties and partisan politics in America. "The Democratic Party is ideologically bankrupt. … They have no ideology. Their ideology is opportunism." Bernie Sanders | The millennium marked the beginning of the end for the duopoly. A third-party resurgence was, and is, underway. Here are just five party examples: | Green Party — 2001 | A federation…

Tom Engelhardt (2021-02-02). The Imperial Presidency Has Come Home to Roost. thenation.com The Imperial Presidency Has Come Home to Roost…

Stephanie Taylor (2021-02-02). Behind the Scenes: Personnel as Policy in the Biden Administration. thenation.com Behind the Scenes: Personnel as Policy in the Biden Administration…

Ryan Broderick (2021-02-02). The Paradoxical Politics of the GameStop Pump. thenation.com The Paradoxical Politics of the GameStop Pump…

_____ (2021-02-02). Robinhood: Stealing From the Poor to Give to the Rich. strategic-culture.org By Thomas KNAPP | In late January, a band of merry men (and women) organized via Reddit and other Internet forums to stick it to The Man. They began buying shares of failing retail chain GameStop to drive its stock price up. | Their target: Wall Street hedge funds engaged in the tactic of "shorting" GameStop's stock. | Their main weapon: Robinhood, an app which allows pretty much anyone to buy stock in small amounts. Its stated mission is to "democratize finance for all." | You've probably read 20 explanations of "shorting" by now, so I'll keep it simple: To "short" a stock is to bet that its price will go down.

_____ (2021-02-02). Happy Days Ahead for the Pentagon as Beacons Are Lit for the Military-Industrial Complex. strategic-culture.org President Biden's beacon has been deflected to the rugged trails of aggression, Brian Cloughley writes. | The Washington Post put it gleefully by

Jeffrey Sachs (2021-02-02). Trump's White Mob. indybay.org Trump may have been unusually heavy-handed in his race-baiting. But his approach fits perfectly with the party's approach, which it has taken at least since Republicans adopted the "Southern Strategy" in the 1968 election in the wake of the Civil Rights Acts.

Anthony Cartalucci (2021-02-02). Myanmar's Crisis Explained. thealtworld.com Myanmar's military has seized power, detained Aung San Suu Kyi and has begun rounding up members of her National League for Democracy political party. | I explain how the US has spent decades building ASSK's political network and installing her into power and how US-backed groups — including those in Thailand — are already mobilizing to undermine not only Myanmar's political stability — but also that of the entire region. | For a much more in-depth explanation, please view the video below. | I explain why the US had been placing pressure on Aung San Suu Kyi in recent years and why the US is s…

Grant Molen (2021-02-02). White or Wealth Supremacy? realprogressives.org The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 authorized the dissemination of US state department propaganda to foreign nations deemed a threat to American democracy. This act has been a useful tool for intelligence operatives who have repeatedly sought to stamp out populist revolutions in countries with access to valuable natural resources. Through the spread of propaganda and the arming of US aligned insurgency groups, the US has been able to foment confusion and discord in foreign populations resulting in unwinnable political battles, power struggles and weak leadership representing the working people's interests. In the pow…

Fight Back (2021-02-02). Tallahassee: Slave-owner statue officially removed. Victory for 5-year SDS campaign. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL — Florida State University's (FSU) Presidential Task Force on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion recently released their recommendation to permanently remove the Eppes statue and change the names of Eppes Hall and B. K. Roberts Hall. On January 27, FSU President John Thrasher approved the task force recommendation. This decision comes after years of campaigning and struggle from FSU's campus chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). | FSU SDS had been organizing around this issue for about five years, and the campaign has seen many victories and losses. In 2016, SDS sponsored a non-…

Jake Johnson (2021-02-02). 'Now is not the time to count pennies': Sanders says GOP relief plan won't cut it, urges democrats to keep election promises. nationofchange.org "What the Republicans are talking about is just totally inadequate to meet the unprecedented crises that we're facing."

Editor (2021-02-02). The Imperial Presidency Comes Home to Roost. scheerpost.com Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0] By TOM ENGELHARDT / TomDispatch Joe Biden's got a problem — and so do I. And so, in fact, do we. At 76 years old, you'd think I'd experienced it all when it comes to this country and its presidencies. Or most of it, anyway. I've been around since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. Born on July 20, 1944, I'm a little "young" to remember him, though I was a war baby… |

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.

Karl Grossman, Harvey Wasserman (2021-02-01). Embrittlement in Nuclear Power Plants. counterpunch.org Of all the daunting tasks Joe Biden faces, especially vital is the inspection of dangerously embrittled atomic reactors still operating in the United States. A meltdown at any one of them would threaten the health and safety of millions of people while causing major impact to an already struggling economy. The COVID-19 pandemic would complicate

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-02-01). The COVID-19 Pandemic Can't Be Managed, It Has to Be Eradicated. counterpunch.org For millions of Americans who believe that COVID-19 is real, dangerous, and requires a plan of action, Joe Biden's election to the presidency has finally offered a path out of the seemingly never-ending pandemic. Indeed, compared to President Donald Trump's approach—which centered on financing the development of vaccines, but did little else to mitigate the

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 …

oneworld.press (2021-02-01). Bangladesh-Based 'Rohingyas' Mustn't Agitate For Regime Change In Myanmar. oneworld.press The aggressive statement by Bangladesh-based 'Rohingya' leader Dil Mohammad imploring the international community "to come forward and restore democracy at all costs" in Myanmar following Monday's dramatic developments there is extremely counterproductive and risks confirming accusations that this Muslim minority group is being exploited as proxies for carrying out regime change in the Southeast Asian state.

oneworld.press (2021-02-01). Bangladesh-Based 'Rohingyas' Mustn't Agitate For Regime Change In Myanmar. oneworld.press The aggressive statement by Bangladesh-based 'Rohingya' leader Dil Mohammad imploring the international community "to come forward and restore democracy at all costs" in Myanmar following Monday's dramatic developments there is extremely counterproductive and risks confirming accusations that this Muslim minority group is being exploited as proxies for carrying out regime change in the Southeast Asian state.

Alan Macleod (2021-02-01). With Anti-IMF Candidate Surging in Polls, Ecuador's Moreno Flies To DC Amid Talk of Suspending Election. mintpressnews.com Adding to worries that a Bolivia-style coup might be imminent in Ecuador, Lenín Moreno will spend his final days in office in Washington, DC, where he's been meeting with members of the Biden administration.

Umar A Farooq (2021-02-01). Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners. middleeasteye.net Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners | Pentagon decided to pause plan to offer coronavirus vaccines to Guantanamo detainees following criticism from Republican lawmaker | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 20: 38 | Detainees line up at a chain link fence for library books and magazines inside Camp VI at Guantanamo Bay prison in 2010 (AFP/File photo) | Rights groups are calling…

Juan Cole (2021-02-01). Conservatives worked for Decades to build an Imperial Presidency, and it Gave them Trump and now Biden. juancole.com By Tom Engelhardt | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — Joe Biden's got a problem — and so do I. And so, in fact, do we. At 76 years old, you'd think I'd experienced it all when it comes to this country and its presidencies. Or most of it, anyway. I've been around since Franklin D. Roosevelt …

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Powers is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Power is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Staff (2021-02-01). Reaching Beyond "Black Faces in High Places": An Interview With Joy James. truthout.org With the advent of the Biden administration, it's a crucial time to examine the role anti-Blackness plays not only when it comes to overt white supremacist actions, but also the actions of the government — and other forces of power — more broadly. | What does Black suffering look like historically? What is the complex relationship between "progressive" racial politics and the subtle operations of capitalism? How is Black suffering monetized, especially within the context of celebrity ac…

Patrick Bond (2021-02-01). Biden-Kerry International Climate Politricks. counterpunch.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? To be sure, it's great that the word crisis is consistently deployed, not just 'climate change.' Applause is due Biden's commands to halt fossil fuel subsidies and new oil and gas

Staff (2021-02-01). White House Announces $231 Million Contract to Buy Rapid At-Home COVID Tests. truthout.org The Joe Biden administration announced on Monday a $231.8 million contract with Australian company Ellume to buy 8.5 million rapid at-home coronavirus tests. The test will be available for the public to take without a prescription and provides results within 15 minutes. | After the company announced that the tests were

Staff (2021-02-01). Polls Show Support for Biden's Executive Orders, as Progressives Push for More. truthout.org President Joe Biden has issued

Alan MacLeod (2021-02-01). With Anti-IMF Candidate Surging in Polls, Ecuador's Moreno Flies To DC Amid Talk of Suspending Election. thealtworld.com Adding to worries that a Bolivia-style coup might be imminent in Ecuador, Lenín Moreno will spend his final days in office in Washington, DC, where he's been meeting with members of the Biden administration. | MPN- Polls

Umar A Farooq (2021-02-01). Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners. middleeasteye.net Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners | Pentagon decided to pause plan to offer coronavirus vaccines to Guantanamo detainees following criticism from Republican lawmaker | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 20: 38 | It is not known how many people at Guantanamo have contracted Covid-19 (AFP) | Rights groups are calling on the Biden administration to publicly reveal its Covid-19…

Staff (2021-02-01). Biden Condemns Burma Military Coup, as Critics Question Claims of Election Fraud. truthout.org President Joe Biden sent out a stern statement voicing consternation toward a military coup in Burma this week, threatening economic sanctions to the country if it did not return power to the duly elected government that was recently chosen by its people. | The coup in Burma (also known as Myanmar)

Staff (2021-02-01). "Judas and the Black Messiah" Director Shaka King on Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers & COINTELPRO. democracynow.org A highly anticipated new feature film, "Judas and the Black Messiah," tells the story of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and William O'Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the Illinois Black Panther Party to collect information that ultimately led to Hampton's killing in 1969 by law enforcement officers. The film is premiering at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and stars Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton, LaKeith Stanfield as O'Neal and Martin Sheen as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Shaka King, the film's director and co-writer, says focusing on Hampton and O'Neal was a way "to make 'The Departed' inside the world of…

Staff (2021-02-01). The Assassination of Fred Hampton: New Documents Reveal Involvement of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. democracynow.org Newly unearthed documents have shed new light on the FBI's role in the murder of the 21-year-old Black Panther leader Fred Hampton on December 4, 1969, when Chicago police raided Hampton's apartment and shot and killed him in his bed, along with fellow Black Panther leader Mark Clark. Authorities initially claimed the Panthers had opened fire on the police who were there to serve a search warrant for weapons, but evidence later emerged that told a very different story: The FBI, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and the Chicago police had conspired to assassinate Fred Hampton. FBI memos and reports obtaine…

Staff (2021-02-01). Ilhan Omar Pushes Tax on All Stock Trades Amid GameStop Controversy. truthout.org Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) has renewed calls she's made in the past to place a small tax on Wall Street investors amid concerns that were exposed last week amid the GameStop trading frenzy. | "A small ta…

Staff (2021-02-01). All 10 GOP Senators Behind Skimpy COVID Proposal Gave the Military $740 Billion. truthout.org Each of the 10 Republican senators who threw their support behind a widely criticized $600 billion coronavirus relief proposal on Sunday "Every sin…

Byul Ryanim (2021-02-01). The Weekly Round-up: Employment Rights, 'Spy Cops', and Abandoned Rape Prosecutions. ukhumanrightsblog.com In the news: The week began with the first Opposition Day of 2021, with Labour choosing to put council tax and employment rights centre of the Parliamentary stage. This followed an admission last week by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng that the government was reviewing certain workers' rights which had been saved post-Brexit as retained EU employment law. Responding to allegations …

Editor (2021-02-01). Hedges: Papering Over the Rot. scheerpost.com By Chris Hedges / Original to ScheerPost The death spiral of the American Empire will not be halted with civility. It will not be halted with the 42 executive orders signed by Joe Biden, however welcome many are, especially since they can, with a new chief executive, be immediately revoked. It will not be halted by removing Donald Trump, and the crackpot conspiracy theorists… |

Staff (2021-02-01). Headlines for February 1, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Orders Mask-Wearing on Public Transportation as Experts Urge Speedy Vaccination to Combat Variants, Johnson & Johnson Says One-Shot Vaccine Is Effective, Especially in Preventing Severe Cases, Major Racial Disparities Emerge in Vaccine Recipients as Latinx Deaths in L.A. Jump by 1,000%, Biden Meets with GOP Leaders to Discuss Stripped-Down Counter Bill to $1.9 Trillion Package, Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi, Police Arrest Over 5,100 in Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia, Car Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Aleppo, Syria, U.N. Calls for Repatriation of 27,000 Children Stranded in al-Hol…

Norman Solomon (2021-02-01). Don't Grade President Biden on a Curve. zcomm.org To give high marks merely for excelling in comparison to right-wing Republicans is to cheer high jumps over very low standards…

Norman Solomon (2021-02-01). Don't Grade President Biden on a Curve. indybay.org Being better than Trump is a high jump over abysmal standards…

John Nichols (2021-02-01). Cutting $2,000 Payments, and Limiting Who's Eligible for Them, Is Bad Economics and Loser Politics. thenation.com Cutting $2,000 Payments, and Limiting Who's Eligible for Them, Is Bad Economics and Loser Politics…

Johanna Kichton (2021-02-01). As Congress Negotiates COVID Relief Bill and Budget Reconciliation Process Begins, People's Action Announces Priorities to Protect Everyday People. peoplesaction.org In New Letter to Congressional Democratic Leaders, People's Action Demands Lawmakers Fight for Cash Payments, Vaccines for All, Rent Relief, Good Jobs and Pay, Debt Cancellation, and State Funding Contact: Johanna Kichton, 240.206.1145, press@peoplesaction.org WASHINGTON, D.C.—People's Action today sent a letter to congressional Democrat leadership demanding they protect everyday people in any new COVID relief …

Jack Delaney (2021-02-01). On The Green New Deal, Nationalization, & Class Politics. zcomm.org The current mode of production and distribution — of private ownership motivated by unlimited growth and profits — is incompatible with ensuring the survival of humanity, serving the common interest, and staving off ecological collapse…

Jeet Heer (2021-02-01). Biden Should Reject the Latest GOP Bipartisan Fantasy. thenation.com Biden Should Reject the Latest GOP Bipartisan Fantasy…

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Biden Asks US Supreme Court to Suspend Trump Immigration Cases. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Biden administration has asked the US Supreme Court to cancel oral arguments scheduled in the coming weeks on Trump-era cases concerning border wall funding and the so-called "Remain in Mexico" asylum program, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), court documents revealed.

RT (2021-02-01). WATCH Thai police clash with opponents of military coup outside Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok. rt.com Thai police have broken up a protest rally staged by the opponents of a military coup in neighboring Myanmar. The activists gathered outside the country's embassy in Bangkok. | Some 200 Myanmarese expats and local Thai activists gathered for a spontaneous protest outside Myanmar's embassy, the Bangkok Post reported, citing police. They held flags of Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD), whose leader Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested by the military on Monday, as well as photos of Suu Kyi. | Students were seen distributing leaflets denouncing the coup. The Myanmarese constitute the largest migrant group in…

RT (2021-02-01). 13 GOP House members demand AOC apologize to Ted Cruz for accusing him of 'attempted murder'. rt.com Republican members of Congress have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), demanding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) apologize to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for claiming he tried to have her killed. | "It has come to our attention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet in which she accused Senator Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder," the letter, which was obtained and revealed by Washington Examiner on Monday, reads. | The lawmakers are referring to a recent tweet from Ocasio-Cortez in which she said Cruz was among the Republicans who "almost had me murder…

RT (2021-02-01). 13 GOP House members demand AOC apologize to Ted Cruz for accusing him of 'attempted murder'. rt.com Republican members of Congress have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), demanding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) apologize to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for claiming he tried to have her killed. | "It has come to our attention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet in which she accused Senator Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder," the letter, which was obtained and revealed by Washington Examiner on Monday, reads. | The lawmakers are referring to a recent tweet from Ocasio-Cortez in which she said Cruz was among the Republicans who "almost had me murder…

RT (2021-02-01). 'I don't really trust experts,' says New York Gov. Cuomo, as 9 health officials resign in protest over his Covid-19 'leadership'. rt.com A handful of top New York health officials have left their posts in protest over Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report that adds another layer to the Democrat's many controversies. | Cuomo has made his position on health experts clear in recent days, even saying during a Friday press conference that he doesn't "really trust them." | "When I say 'experts' in air quotes, it sounds like I'm saying I don't really trust the experts," the governor said. "Because I don't." | The quote now looks especially bad in the context of a new report from the New York Times, deta…

WSWS (2021-02-01). Chicago educators call for a strike as district begins partial lockout. wsws.org In defying the dictates of the Chicago Democratic Party political machine, educators are giving voice to the strivings of millions of workers across the US and globally to implement measures to contain the pandemic and save lives.

Chris Gilbert (2021-02-01). Covid and Democracy, a Turning Point? counterpunch.org The Covid pandemic and crisis may have generated a range of responses, but there is one remarkable absence: the promotion of democracy. In politics around the world, both the Right and the Left increasingly favor technocratic governance and neither feels that the situation calls for an especially democratic response. For a Left that has historically

WSWS (2021-02-01). Chicago educators call for a strike as district threatens lockout. wsws.org In defying the dictates of the Chicago Democratic Party political machine, educators are giving voice to the strivings of millions of workers across the US and globally to implement measures to contain the pandemic and save lives.

Claudio Katz (2021-02-01). After Trump, What Prospects for Biden in the Global Imperial Disorder? socialistproject.ca Claudio Katz presciently analyzes shifts in the imperialist order, the mainstay of global capitalism, and weighs what the increasing social and political polarization within the United States portends for the Joe Biden administration in the effort to restore its sagging world dominance. Katz is professor of economics at the University of Buenos Aires, as well …

WSWS (2021-02-01). International Marxist Tendency on the storming of the US Capitol: "This was not an organized insurrectionary coup" wsws.org The IMT has distinguished itself throughout its existence by combining slavish subservience to the trade union bureaucracy and social democratic parties with revolutionary "Marxist" rhetoric designed to disorient and mislead workers and young people entering into struggle.

Staff (2021-02-01). 50 House Democrats Back Resolution to Remove Marjorie Taylor Greene From Office. truthout.org Image Credit: Facebook: Marjorie Taylor Greene | Republicans face increasing pressure to strip Georgia Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene of her post on the House Education Committee. Greene was elected in November 2020 and is a far-right conspiracy theorist who has promoted QAnon, supported the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and claimed the school shootings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida, were staged — as was the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. She al…

Staff (2021-02-01). Is Far-Right QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene the New Face of the GOP? democracynow.org Republicans face increasing pressure to strip Georgia Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene of her post on the House Education Committee. Greene was elected in November 2020 and is a far-right conspiracy theorist who has promoted QAnon, supported the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and claimed the school shootings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida, were staged — as was the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. She also has a history of racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic comments. Bee Nguyen, a Democratic state representative in Georgia, recently joined other lawmakers in signing a…

Staff (2021-02-01). Biden Is Acting to Undo Trump's Toxic Immigration Legacy. Now Congress Must Act. truthout.org Since January 20, President Joe Biden has made it a political priority to rapidly dismantle as many of Trump's signature anti-immigration policies as possible.

RT (2021-02-01). Facebook leak: Zuckerberg admits having TOO MUCH POWER but cheers new administration, seeks to WORK WITH BIDEN on key issues. rt.com Project Veritas has posted leaked videos exposing internal talks at Facebook lamenting the company's admittedly excessive power but at the same time seeking to use its influence to "work with" President Joe Biden's administration. | "These were all important and positive steps," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said of the executive orders on immigration, Covid-19 and other issues that Biden signed right after being inaugurated on January 20. "And I am looking forward to opportunities where Facebook is going to be able to work together with this new administration on some of their top priorities, starting with Cov…

RT (2021-02-01). California teacher says Bernie's mittens are symbol of 'WHITE PRIVILEGE,' in 'stupidest op-ed ever'. rt.com Progressive godfather Bernie Sanders has been cancelled and is now, according to a San Francisco journalist and teacher, the embodiment of "white privilege," all because he wears meme-able mittens, or something. | Few people would associate Bernie Sanders with "white supremacy." An elederly Jewish progressive whose ill-fated presidential campaign last year promised to build a left-wing "multi-generational, multi-racial coalition," the Vermont senator is about as far from the prototypical skinhead as it's possible to be. | Not so for Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, a high school teacher (that's right, she shapes the youth o…

RT (2021-02-01). Ukrainian President Zelensky admits he's 'angry' with Trump over leaked phone call, expresses hope Biden will help Kiev join NATO. rt.com Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized former US President Donald Trump for his move to release the transcript of an infamous 2019 phone call between the two leaders, calling the breach of privacy "totally wrong." | Speaking to US outlet Axios, Zelensky revealed the publication of the call made him a "little bit" angry. In his opinion, conversations between presidents should be kept secret and confidential. | "I think this is totally wrong," the president noted in the interview, recorded last week. "This was the first serious conversation between two presidents, between strategic partners. And i…

_____ (2021-02-01). Chris Hedges: Papering Over The Rot. popularresistance.org The death spiral of the American Empire will not be halted with civility. It will not be halted with the 42 executive orders signed by Joe Biden, however welcome many are, especially since they can, with a new chief executive, be immediately revoked. It will not be halted by removing Donald Trump, and the crackpot conspiracy theorists, Christian fascists and racists who support him, from social media. It will not be halted by locking up the Proud Boys and the clueless protestors who stormed the Congress on January 6 and took selfies in Mike Pence's Senate chair. It will not be halted by restoring the frayed allia…

Margaret Kimberley (2021-02-01). Pro-Biden Propaganda. "White Washed By the Democratic Party, A Very Dangerous President" globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The Democratic Party and its corporate media have already white-washed Biden, …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2021-02-01). Biden Urged to 'Be the Hero' to Save American Bumblebee From Extinction. commondreams.org "It is our hope that the Biden administration grasps the gravity of this moment." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/american-bumblebee-biden-esa-petition.jpg

Norman Solomon (2021-02-01). Judging Biden by Low Standards Set by Trump Would Be an Unforgivable Catastrophe. commondreams.org We don't have any room to grade this administration on a curve. Progressives must push with everything they've got. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_pressure.png

Jake Johnson (2021-02-01). GOP senators behind skimpy $600 billion COVID relief happily voted for $740 billion military budget. salon.com These Senate Republicans voted to give the Pentagon billions more than what they're willing to give to Americans…

Robert Reich (2021-02-01). The Real Reason the GOP Don't Want Biden's Plan? They Fear It Will Work. commondreams.org Biden's success would put into sharp relief Trump and Republicans' utter failures on COVID and jobs. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcconnell_15.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-02-01). As GOP Senators Push Smaller Covid-19 Relief Package, Dem Leaders Move to Advance Biden's Bolder Plan. commondreams.org "Congress must pursue a bold and robust course of action. It makes no sense to pinch pennies when so many Americans are struggling," said the Senate majority leader. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12923215461.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-02-01). All 10 GOP Senators Behind Skimpy $600 Billion Covid Relief Offer Happily Voted for $740 Billion Military Budget. commondreams.org "Every single one of these Senate Republicans voted to give the Pentagon billions more than what they're willing to give to the American people." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12305293411.jpg

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-02-01). 'That Hurricane Is Coming': Leading Expert Says More Contagious UK Covid-19 Variant Could Portend Deadliest US Surge Yet. commondreams.org "We are going to see something like we have not seen yet in this country," warned Dr. Michael Osterholm, who advised President Joe Biden's transition team. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/vax_0.jpg