Daily Archives: February 13, 2021

2021-02-13: News Headlines

Lawrence Wittner (2021-02-13). Will the Nuclear Powers Ever Be Willing to Forgo Their Nuclear Weapons? zcomm.org Supporting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons remains conspicuously absent from the Biden administration's agenda, as it is from the agendas of all the other nuclear powers…

Rick Sterling (2021-02-13). Why Victoria Nuland is Dangerous and Should Not be Confirmed. dissidentvoice.org Victoria Nuland exemplifies the neocons who have led US foreign policy from one disaster to another for the past 30 years while evading accountability. It is a bad sign that President Joe Biden has nominated Victoria Nuland for the third highest position at the State Department, Under Secretary for Political Affairs. As a top-level appointee, …

Staff (2021-02-13). Legalizing All Drugs Is Just the Beginning of a Compassionate Drug Policy. truthout.org President Joe Biden has shifted some of his positions on drug policy in recent years: He's now against However, peer a bit closer, and you'll see that Biden's drug policy approach still assumes there is something inherently wrong with illicit drugs and…

Yanis Iqbal (2021-02-13). Why Suu Kyi is Incapable of Defeating the Military. dissidentvoice.org On 12 February, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution in which it criticized the removal of Myanmar's democratically elected government by the military, locally known as Tatmadaw. The Council also called urgently for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily detained, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi …

Ryan Hamby (2021-02-13). Interview: Formerly incarcerated organizer on Feb. 6 St. Louis jail protest. liberationnews.org On February 10, Liberation News interviewed Ronnie Amiyn, an organizer with EXPO (Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing) St. Louis about the organization, the conditions in St. Louis jails, the protests and organizing of incarcerated people and the responses of jail officials and the media.

Neha S Singh, Michelle Lokot, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica A Onyango, Rosemary Morgan, Anne Harmer, Jane Freedman, Shirin Heidari (2021-02-13). [Comment] Research in forced displacement: guidance for a feminist and decolonial approach. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened inequities and undermined health, human rights, and gender equality for forcibly displaced populations.1,2 The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates that, at the end of 2019, there were 79 ∑5 million people forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events seriously disturbing public order.3 Evidence about the needs of these populations is crucial to tailor effective and equitable responses, but data collection efforts are faced with considerable new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support Peace Hero (2021-02-13). Biden Wants to Extradite Peace Hero Assange. indybay.org Proud Democrat Pres Biden's "Justice" Dept is appealing a British decision to not allow extradition of Julian Assange who exposed American war crimes in Iraq. See consortiumnews.com/2021/02/12/biden-doj-files-appeal-to-get-assange-extradited/

Staff (2021-02-13). Progressives Urge Dems to Call House Minority Leader to Testify at Trump Trial. truthout.org Democratic House impeachment managers are facing growing public pressure to call witnesses to testify at Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial in the wake of Progressive w…

Staff (2021-02-13). Under Democrats' Ethics Bill, Reps Would Have to Resign From Corporate Boards. truthout.org This article was produced by Republican Doug LaMalfa, who represents California's First Congressional District, is a member of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways…

Staff (2021-02-13). Mitch McConnell Tells Republican Colleagues He Will Vote to Acquit Trump. truthout.org This is a developing news story… Check back for possible updates… | Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky

Staff (2021-02-13). New Legislation Would Expose the Financiers of the Capitol Siege. truthout.org Throughout his scorching indictment of President Trump, lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin wove in quotes from eminent historic minds, including this one from his late father, Institute for Policy Studies Co-founder Marcus Raskin: | "Democracy needs a ground to stand on and that ground is the truth." | Raskin's trial team exposed a great deal of truth as they methodically made the case that Trump was "singularly responsible" for inciting the riot at the Capitol. At the same time, they laid out ample e…

RT (2021-02-13). CNN breaks 'negotiations underway' to put THEIR REPORTING in place of witnesses at Trump impeachment trial. rt.com CNN revealed that its own reporting on the aftermath of the Capitol riot may be used as evidence in the trial of Donald Trump. However, the anti-Trump network's hopes were soon dashed. | A handful of Republican defections on Saturday gave Democrats the votes they needed to call witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-Washington) was the only witness named, but according to CNN's

RT (2021-02-13). McConnell draws ire from both sides of the aisle by voting to acquit Trump, then blaming him as responsible for Capitol riot. rt.com US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, normally a savvy political operator, managed to infuriate Republicans and Democrats of all stripes by both acquitting and excoriating former President Donald Trump over the Capitol riot. | McConnell (R-Kentucky) was among the 43 GOP senators who voted on Saturday to acquit Trump in the former president's second impeachment trial, leaving Democrats 10 votes short of the two-third majority that was constitutionally required for conviction. But McConnell then gave a speech blaming Trump as "practically and morally responsible" for provoking the January 6 riot — esse…

RT (2021-02-13). Surprise, surprise! New York Times finds Trump 'GUILTY' in its own impeachment trial verdict. rt.com In a decision that will shock few and surprise fewer, the New York Times editorial board has | declared Donald Trump guilty. No matter the charges or evidence, the Times has been making this case for four years. | "If you fail to hold him accountable, it can happen again," the Times' editorial board wrote on Friday, in a plea to Republican senators to convict the former president. | "To excuse Mr. Trump's attack on American democracy would invite more such attempts, by him and by other aspiring autocrats," they declared. "The stakes could not be higher. A vote for impunity is an act of complicity." | Also on r…

RT (2021-02-13). US Senate ACQUITS Trump, ex-president cleared of incitement charges. rt.com The US Senate has failed to gather enough votes to convict former President Donald Trump, after a Democrat-led impeachment trial. Trump had been accused of "incitement of insurrection" after his supporters rioted on Capitol Hill. | The Senate voted 57-43 on Saturday in favor of impeachment, falling short of the 67 votes needed to comprise the constitutionally required two-thirds majority. | Democrats managed to win two more Republican votes, compare to when the Senate voted in late January to go forward with the trial. Still, only seven Republican Senators broke ranks with their party to find Trump guilty. | F…

RT (2021-02-13). Biden press sec Psaki insists lack of contact with Israel's Netanyahu 'not an intentional diss'. rt.com The Biden administration sought to downplay questions about a perceived cooling of relations between the US and Israel, saying the lack of a call between the countries' leaders was "not an intentional diss." | White House Press secretary Jen Psaki said during a Friday press briefing that a call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would take place "soon," but was unable to give a specific time. | "It is not an intentional diss. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the president has known for some time," Psaki said. "It is just a reflection of the fact that we've been here…

RT (2021-02-13). Hillary Clinton could be charged under precedent set in Trump Impeachment trial, his lawyer says after Rubio floats the idea. rt.com A lawyer for former president Donald Trump said the current impeachment drive is a partisan effort that could backfire on Democrats if they lose leverage, suggesting ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton could also be impeached. | Responding to a question from Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) during Friday's impeachment hearing, Trump attorney Michael van der Veen argued that the Obama-era secretary could face similar impeachment proceedings sometime in the future. | "Is it not true that under this new precedent, a future House — facing partisan pressure to 'lock her up' — could impeach a former secre…

RT (2021-02-13). Democrats BACKTRACK on vote to call witnesses at Trump's impeachment trial, averting a potential political quagmire. rt.com Hours after a surprise vote to allow for calling witnesses in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, the US Senate agreed to enter into the record a statement that prosecutors considered critical, averting weeks or months of testimony. | House impeachment managers and lawyers for Trump agreed on Saturday to enter as evidence a statement by Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Washington) describing what she had been relayed about a telephone call during the January 6 Capitol riot. The congresswoman said late Friday that when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) called Trump and asked him to demand…

RT (2021-02-13). Fresh from acquittal, Trump says MAGA movement has 'ONLY JUST BEGUN,' calls impeachment part of 'greatest witch hunt' in history. rt.com Former President Donald Trump appeared emboldened by being acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial for a second time, making clear that he will seek to remain a major political force in the times to come. | Trump denounced the impeachment as "yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country." He thanked his lawyers and the supporters who backed him through the Democrat effort to block him from ever seeking office again. The 74-year-old stopped short of saying that he will run for president in 2024, but he said the "Make America Great Again" movement has "only just begun." | Also on rt…

RT (2021-02-13). Biden to 'review' Guantanamo prison with 'intention' to close facility by end of term — 12 years after Obama made same promise. rt.com The Joe Biden administration will carry out a "robust review" of the Guantanamo Bay prison, aiming to shutter the detention center before his term is up, the White House said, some 12 years after Barack Obama vowed to do the same.

RT (2021-02-13). Trump impeachment acquittal is a victory for 'white supremacy' … according to liberals crying over 'sad day in America'. rt.com Though Donald Trump's impeachment was expected by most to not pass the Senate, the former president's loudest critics expressed their shock on social media by equating it to a victory for fascism and white supremacy. | "It is a sad day in America when only 7 republicans have the patriotism and integrity to convict a tyrant," actress and Democrat activist Alyssa Milano tweeted minutes after Trump's acquittal was announced, with 43 Senators ultimately voting down the article of impeachment accusing the former president of "inciting an insurrection." | Milano and others recommended Trump be tried in actual court,…

RT (2021-02-13). US Senate ACQUITS Trump, ex-president cleared of incitement charges. rt.com The US Senate has failed to gather enough votes to convict former President Donald Trump, after a Democrat-led impeachment trial. Trump had been accused of "incitement of insurrection" after his supporters rioted on Capitol Hill. | In a 57-43 vote on Saturday, the Senate acquitted Trump and brought to a close the second unsuccessful impeachment effort against him. | Seven Republican Senators broke ranks with their party to find Trump guilty, although 17 would have been needed to secure a conviction. | pic.twitter.com/sETOBeiT5X— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) Mehr News Agency (2021-02-13). US senators urge Biden to enforce sanctions on Nord Stream 2. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — A US Democrat senator along with a senior Republican senator in a letter penned to US President Joe Biden urged him to impose sanctions to prevent completion of construction of "Nord Stream 2" gas pipeline.

Robert Koehler (2021-02-13). Stealing the Vote, Building A Wall. zcomm.org One recent and shocking — but hardly surprising — piece of news is the huge scramble in legislatures, especially the Republican-controlled ones, all across the country to draft and pass legislation restricting the ability of Americans (some of them, anyway) to vote…

Tatiana Cozzarelli (2021-02-13). Joe Biden is Leading The Battle to Reopen Schools, But Teachers Are Fighting Back. zcomm.org There is bipartisan unity around reopening schools thanks to the alliance between Joe Biden, local officials, and national union leadership. It's time for teachers to fight…

William rivers Pitt (2021-02-13). Raskin Was Right When He Said Trump's Actions Were Worse Than Yelling "Fire!" zcomm.org Trump will probably be acquitted. The Republican Party looks guilty as hell. I wouldn't trade places with those GOP senators for all the whiskey in Ireland.

_____ (2021-02-13). Victoria Nuland Had A Hand In Every US Intervention In The Past 30 Years. popularresistance.org President Joe Biden's nomination of Victoria Nuland for Under Secretary for Political Affairs, the third-highest position at the State Department, is a dangerous sign. Nuland exemplifies the neoconservatives who have led American foreign policy from one disaster to another for the past 30 years, all while evading any shred of accountability. | As a top-level appointee, Nuland must still be confirmed by the Senate. And while pro-peace groups have waged a campaign to stop her confirmation, reflecting on her career in public service makes clear why she is incompetent, highly dangerous, and should not be confirmed.

Joan Walsh (2021-02-13). Trump's Lawyers Were Terrible—but Will It Matter? thenation.com Trump's Lawyers Were Terrible—but Will It Matter?

Larry Ginter (2021-02-13). Senator Chuck Grassley Pretends to Be a Principled Republican. Don't Buy It. thenation.com Senator Chuck Grassley Pretends to Be a Principled Republican. Don't Buy It.

_____ (2021-02-13). The Selective Outrage of Jens Stoltenberg. strategic-culture.org The potential consequences from Stoltenberg's ridiculous, appalling NATO policies and infantile wet dreams will be horrible, Martin Sieff writes. | Why was the storming of the Capitol "Shocking and Unacceptable" to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when the violent coup toppling democracy in Ukraine with the open shameless support of the United States and the European Union was not? | "Shocking scenes in Washington, DC," Stoltenberg tweeted on January 6. "The outcome of this democratic election must be respected." | Yet hardly more than a month later, Stoltenberg personally welcomed with open arms at NATO h…

Online News Editor (2021-02-13). US decisions on Yemen: insufficient steps toward peace. laprensalatina.com By Isaac J. Martín Cairo, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- The decision by US President Joe Biden's administration to remove Yemen's Houthi rebels from the terror list can be considered as a first step towards earning the confidence of the Shiite militia in the wider context of ending the conflict, but it does not go far enough, …

Online News Editor (2021-02-13). People return to streets for democracy in Myanmar. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- People in Myanmar returned to the streets on Saturday demanding the return of democracy as protests continue a week after the military coup amid an ongoing crackdown by the military junta. "Respect our voices," "Free our leader" read some of the placards held by protesters in Yangon, Myanmar's most populated …

OtherWords (2021-02-13). Undocumented Americans need a Pathway to Citizenship; Biden's Plan is promising but needs swift implementation by Congress. juancole.com By Vanessa Meraz " — ( Otherwords.org) — Years of advocacy have made DACA the floor of what's possible, not the ceiling. By Vanessa Meraz | February 10, 2021 My father's tired eyes lit up in a way that I had not seen since my sister was born. "Esto nos podría cambiar la vida," he …

Cronkite News Arizona PBS (2021-02-13). Auditor says Trump admin. knew 'zero-tolerance' would separate children from parents at border. juancole.com By Ryan Knappenberger | — ( Cronkite News) — WASHINGTON — Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions knew the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy would separate families at the border but moved ahead with it anyway, a Justice Department official told lawmakers this week. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz told the House Oversight and Reform Committee …

Jonathan Rosenblum (2021-02-12). Big Business Goes Up Against Democracy in Seattle. zcomm.org Local corporate interests are trying to recall elected City Council member Kshama Sawant…

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-02-12). This Is Yemen After Biden Declared an End To American Support for the War. mintpressnews.com The Biden administration sparked a sense of hope around the world that the war on Yemen could finally be over. For those on the ground though, the bombs keep falling, food is scarce and hope is in short supply.

A Guest Author (2021-02-12). Petition to the new U.S. administration: End economic sanctions in the face of the global pandemic. workers.org Sanctions Kill is asking everyone to sign its new petition to the Biden administration and Congress. To sign, go to sanctionskill.org/petition. We write to you because we are deeply concerned about the impact of U.S. sanctions on many countries that are suffering the dire consequences of COVID-19. The global COVID-19 . . . |

Staff (2021-02-12). V-Day: Poet Aja Monet & V (Eve Ensler) on the Movement to End Violence Against Women & Girls. democracynow.org Amid a global rise in domestic violence during the pandemic, we speak with the founder of V-Day, a day of action to fight violence against women. V, the award-winning playwright of "The Vagina Monologues," formerly known as Eve Ensler, says organizers around the globe are finding ways to fight back. "I'm so moved to see our grassroots women movements around the world finding ways to rise in spite of people being locked in and shut in and in spite of COVID," she says. We also speak with blues poet and organizer Aja Monet, V-Day's VOICES artistic creative director, who says Black women are particularly at risk. "Fo…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-12). The Russian Alternative: How Moscow is Capitalizing on US Retreat in Palestine, Israel. counterpunch.org Israeli anxiety was palpable when it was reported that Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was not contacted by the new American President, Joe Biden, for days after the latter's inauguration. While much is being read into Biden's decision, including Washington's lack of enthusiasm to return to the 'peace process', Moscow is generating much attention as

WSWS (2021-02-12). Haiti and the ugly face of Biden's "human rights" imperialism. wsws.org While backing a dictatorial regime against mass popular opposition, the Biden administration is deporting planeloads of refugees back to Haiti in the midst of the global pandemic.

Eve Ottenberg (2021-02-12). Bernie on the Budget Committee. counterpunch.org Those discouraged that Bernie Sanders was not appointed labor secretary can take solace in his role as chair of the senate budget committee. There he can accomplish far more for working people than he ever could at the labor department. The proof is staring us in the face — Sanders just shepherded the $1.9 trillion

Brian Terrell (2021-02-12). Ending the Other War in Yemen. counterpunch.org On February 4, in his first major foreign policy address, President Joe Biden announced, "we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales." Speaking of the Saudi-led coalition that has been at war in Yemen since 2015, creating what he called "a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe," Biden declared "This war has to end."

Judy Greenspan (2021-02-12). Biden and Harris won't help prisoners. workers.org The following are lightly edited remarks from a Workers World Party webinar on January 21. It's actually been a very painful time for those of us who are involved in supporting incarcerated workers. And people behind the walls are incarcerated workers, and they're part of our working class. They're part . . . |

Morgan Artyukhina (2021-02-12). Biden administration cynically manipulates LGBTQ rights struggle to advance empire. liberationnews.org The hypocrisy of his claim is all too apparent: LGBTQ people continue to lack basic rights here in the US, and many of Washington's closest allies have abysmal records on the issue.

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2021-02-12). U.S. reboots Quad in unseemly hurry. mronline.org The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported from Washington Sunday quoting "a source" that the Biden Administration had proposed to New Delhi, Tokyo and Canberra the idea of holding an online summit meeting of the leaders of the "Quad".

MEE staff (2021-02-12). Biden's refusal to call Israeli PM Netanyahu sparks questions over leaders' relationship. middleeasteye.net Biden's refusal to call Israeli PM Netanyahu sparks questions over leaders' relationship | In a break from past presidential procedures, Joe Biden has yet to reach out to Israel's prime minister, more than three weeks into his presidency | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 19: 04 | Then-vice president Joe Biden next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during joint statements in the prime minister's office in Jerusale…

Staff (2021-02-12). Biden Indicates Americans May Need to Wear Masks Throughout 2021. truthout.org In remarks he made on Thursday while visiting the National Institutes of Health, President Joe Biden indicated that Americans may need to wear masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus for the remainder of 2021. | In his statement, Biden mentioned how he continued to wear his mask

Staff (2021-02-12). Biden's EPA Nominee Must Act on Forests to Be an Environmental Justice Champion. truthout.org The

MEE staff (2021-02-12). Biden administration says it aims to close Guantanamo Bay by end of term. middleeasteye.net Biden administration says it aims to close Guantanamo Bay by end of term | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says closing prison camp before Biden leaves office 'certainly is our goal and our intention' | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 21: 31 | Demonstrators dressed in Guantanamo Bay prisoner uniforms march past Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 9 January 2020 | The Biden administration has launched a formal review of…

Staff (2021-02-12). Impeachment Trial: Democrats Warn That Trump Would Use Political Violence Again If Not Convicted. democracynow.org Democratic House impeachment managers have wrapped up their case against Donald Trump, saying the former president remains a threat and should be convicted of inciting the deadly January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The trial now moves ahead to Trump's legal team presenting their defense. We air highlights from the third day of the impeachment trial, including lead House impeachment Manager Jamie Raskin's reiteration of Trump's long history of inciting violence prior to January 6. "Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office,…

David Swanson (2021-02-12). 10 Key Points on Ending Wars. counterpunch.org 1. Victories that are only partial are not fictional. When a ruler, like Biden, finally announces the end of a war, like the war on Yemen, it is as important to recognize what it does mean as what it doesn't. It doesn't mean the U.S. military and U.S.-made weapons will vanish from the region or

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader: Biden Must Hold Boeing Accountable for Deaths Due to Faulty Planes. truthout.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and…

Staff (2021-02-12). Where Are the Witnesses? Ralph Nader Says Democrats' Impeachment Case Is "Prescription for Defeat" democracynow.org As the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continues, we speak with longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who says Democrats have set themselves up for defeat by rushing proceedings and failing to call witnesses — including Trump himself. "The narrow approach of the articles of impeachment keep the Democrats from having a full hand," says Nader. "They have like 10 arrows in their quiver and they're using one or two."

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. democracynow.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and hold Boeing fully accountable. "This is just another example of giant companies getting away with their corporate criminal…

Mark Fiore (2021-02-12). Screen Shot 2021-02-11 at 10.37.47 AM.png. progressive.org The Inciter-in-Chief is nearly certain to avoid conviction thanks to the morally bankrupt Trumpist Republicans in the Senate.

teleSUR (2021-02-12). Colombia's Left Parties Set a 'Historic Pact'. telesurenglish.net Over eight Colombian leftist movements set a new alliance called "Historical Pact" (Pacto Historico), which aims to increase their presence in the National Congress after the elections to be held on March 13, 2022. | RELATED: | Among those political movements are Human Colombia, Patriotic Union-Communist Party, Democratic Alternative Pole, the Indigenous and Social Alternative Movement (MAIS), Colombia's Labour Party, Democratic Union, and "We Are All C…

teleSUR (2021-02-12). US Will Allow Entry To 25000 Migrants Waiting for Hearings. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday that it would allow 25 000 migrants stranded in Mexico to enter the United States as they wait for their court hearings. | RELATED: | This is the latest decision by Joe Biden's administration to reverse Trump's migration policies. In 2019 the former U.S. president activated the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which forced at least 65,000 non-Mexi…

Teresa Gutierrez (2021-02-12). Immigration changes: What has Biden done so far? workers.org Duke university student Anthony Salgado said it best in an editorial for his university paper: "We need immigration revolution, not immigration reform." (tinyurl.com/y695qdw9) Unfortunately, the Democratic Party establishment is not able to grasp this concept. But immigrants have had enough of false promises. A caravan of thousands of migrants from . . . |

Staff (2021-02-12). Headlines for February 12, 2021. democracynow.org House Managers Rest Their Case in Donald Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial, Biden Blasts Trump's Failures to Prepare for Vaccinations as U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 475,000, As U.S. Secures 200 Million More Doses, Concern Grows Over Vaccine Inequity, NYTimes: Trump Was Far Sicker from COVID-19 Than Previously Reported, Five Killed in Attack on U.S. Convoy in Afghanistan's Capital, Lawmakers Plead With President Biden to End "Catastrophic Impact" of U.S. Sanctions, U.S. Has Sold Over a Million Barrels of Iranian Oil Seized As Part of Sanctions, China Bans BBC's World News Channel, Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Progr…

Juan Cole (2021-02-12). America's Transition Away from Democracy and the World's Wave of De-Democratization. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The twentieth century was in the eyes of some observers an uneven but steady march to democracy. Those who study transitions from authoritarian governments to democracy have defined a successful transition as characterized by two elections in a row, where all parties agree on the rules of the game, and …

Ted Rall (2021-02-12). It's Not That Biden Is Too Slow. It's That He's Going Too Small. counterpunch.org In the intraparty Democratic war between progressive leftists and corporate centrists, each side speaks a different language. The two factions' takes on Joe Biden's first weeks as president starkly demonstrate that inability to communicate. Biden's base is his centrist supporters, those who backed him against Bernie Sanders during the primaries on the grounds that his

Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold (2021-02-12). Biden Should Stop Payment on U.S. Funds To Sisi's Egypt. commondreams.org Sisi's reign of power has caused vast human rights abuses and a large-scale breakdown of civil society. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/egypt_0.jpg

Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold (2021-02-12). Biden Should Stop Payment on U.S. Funds to Sisi's Egypt. counterpunch.org Under Donald Trump's presidency, Egypt, as well as Saudi Arabia, Israel, the UAE, and other repressive regimes, had virtually free reign to commit unchecked human rights abuses without worry that they might be chastised or lose U.S. diplomatic and financial support. But when Joe Biden won the 2020 election, President Sisi of Egypt started to

Staff (2021-02-12). Even If He's Acquitted, History Isn't on Trump's Side. truthout.org When former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial wraps up in the coming days, it's entirely possible that a large majority of Republican senators will vote to acquit him of inciting an insurrection. | If they do so, it will not be because of lack of evidence but because of a stunning lack of moral fortitude. They will acquit not because the House managers didn't prove their case, but because by and large, GOP senators — with a few exceptions — regard their oath to deliver impartial justice abou…

Staff (2021-02-12). Biden Plans to Rescind Trump-Era Medicaid Work Requirements. truthout.org The Biden administration on Friday is expected to begin the process of rescinding a Trump policy allowing states to impose punitive work requirements on Medicaid recipients, a move celebrated as a crucial step toward reversing one of the former president's most vicious attacks on the poor and vulnerable. |

RT (2021-02-12). Fresh off banning Project Veritas, Twitter accused of giving anti-Trump Lincoln Project a pass for publishing ex-member's PMs. rt.com Twitter is under fire for seemingly opting to take no action when the Lincoln Project posted one of its ex-members' direct messages without her consent. Critics saw it as a proof that "all's fair when you hate Donald Trump." | Formed before last year's election to oust Donald Trump from the White House and return the Republican Party to its pre-Trump incarnation, the Lincoln Project has fallen on hard times since Joe Biden's victory. Founding member John Weaver was outed as a sex pest who allegedly bothered boys as young as 14, and the group's claim that it was unaware of Weaver's alleged perversion has largel…

RT (2021-02-12). DHS to bring over 25,000 asylum-seekers from Mexico after revoking Trump policy. rt.com The Biden administration is preparing to bring an estimated 25,000 asylum-seekers across the US border who had been waiting in Mexico under policies enacted to curb illegal immigration that have now been revoked. | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to screen up to 300 people a day at two border crossings starting February 19, and an unspecified lesser number at a third, but declined to name the locations, fearing that might encourage a "rush," AP reported on Friday. | NEW: Hope rises in Matamoros, where more than 1,000 asylum-seekers live in tent camp and in apartments. Those waiting longes…

RT (2021-02-12). 'Disgusted' Nikki Haley throws Trump under the bus, but conservatives & #Resistance are having none of her 'flip-flop'. rt.com Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has joined the growing parade of Republicans eager to publicly distance themselves from former president Donald Trump amid his second impeachment proceedings. | "We need to acknowledge he let us down," Haley told Politico in an interview published Friday, making an effort to create palpable space between herself — an upwardly-mobile young politician apparently determined to run for president in 2024 — and the former commander-in-chief whose own party couldn't wait to stick the knives in. | "He went down a path he shouldn't have, and we shouldn't have followe…

_____ (2021-02-12). Jettison the Johnson: Transwomen Athletes Crashing Female Sports Will Only Hurt the Game. strategic-culture.org As the Biden administration moves to make it illegal to deny the participation of birth males in female sport, a number of courageous athletes and academics are beginning to speak out on the issue, warning that the presidential orders will have disastrous consequences on their profession, and possibly their lives. | On the very same day of his locked-down inauguration, Joe Biden signed off on dozens of executive orders, including one gem entitled, 'Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation'. The controversial legislation, which has never been the subject of seri…

MEE staff (2021-02-12). US lawmakers urge Biden to press Iran on human rights, state-sponsored 'terrorism'. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers urge Biden to press Iran on human rights, state-sponsored 'terrorism' | More than 100 lawmakers call on President Joe Biden to 'remain firm' and hold Iranian government accountable for rights violations and regional destabilisation | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 19: 59 | A bipartisan group of US legislators has urged US President Joe Biden to pressure Iran on its human rights violations while working to nego…

Andrew Levine (2021-02-12). Trump: How is He Possible? counterpunch.org How can someone of Trump's caliber have become president? And now that he no longer is president, how is it possible that he is still able to have his will be done in the Republican Party? How is he able, out of office and with his Twitter account blocked, to make everything even worse than it already is — for example, by making a certifiable nut case, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a rising star in what remains of the Party of Lincoln?

Staff (2021-02-12). If Democrats don't deliver now, voters will (rightly) turn on them. therealnews.com No Excuses PAC is raising money to run ads and recruit primary challengers against centrist Democrats in an attempt to pressure them into supporting progressive changes in the Senate.

Staff (2021-02-12). If Democrats don't deliver now, voters will turn on them. therealnews.com No Excuses PAC is raising money to run ads and recruit primary challengers against centrist Democrats in an attempt to pressure them into supporting progressive changes in the Senate.

Special to People's World (2021-02-12). Poor People's Campaign targets Manchin in drive for $15 minimum wage. peoplesworld.org CHARLESTON, W.V.—The Moral Monday fight for a $15 per hour minimum wage is going to the streets next week as Rev. Dr. William Barber II will lead a group of poor and low-income people to march on the office of Sen. Joe Manchin. Manchin, a conservative Democrat representing West Virginia, opposes including a $15 minimum …

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-02-12). Ignoring Pleas of Press Freedom Defenders, Biden DOJ Files Appeal to Extradite Julian Assange. commondreams.org "The Assange case represents the gravest threat to press freedom in a generation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12304214301.jpg

Mike Ludwig (2021-02-12). Bernie Sanders Clears Path in Congress to Raise Minimum Wage. zcomm.org Please Help ZNet Source: Truthout Photo by Marie Kanger Born/Shutterstock Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders said on Monday that findings in a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report provide Democrats with a clear path for bypassing Republican obstruction in the Senate and raising the federal minimum wage to $15

Patrick Bond (2021-02-12). Will the Biden Plan Prevent Climate Catastrophe? zcomm.org The Biden climate plan has important reforms, but can't reach the stated targets with market mechanisms and carbon capture high tech…

Melanie McFarland (2021-02-12). "Clarice" takes the extraordinary "Silence of the Lambs" agent and makes her network-ordinary. salon.com CBS' procedural foray into Harris' Lecter-verse is a bland, unworthy accompaniment to fava beans and chianti…

Amanda Marcotte (2021-02-12). Why bother? Trump's lawyers don't even offer an impeachment defense because Republicans don't care. salon.com Trump's lawyers know they're not there to persuade — just to give GOP senators cheap rationalizations to acquit…

Heather Digby Parton (2021-02-12). Trump's costly impeachment defense strategy: Success comes at the price of the Senate GOP — at least. salon.com No matter how hard Republican senators defend and deflect for Donald Trump, he will still sic his MAGA mob on them…

_____ (2021-02-12). Biden Announces Pentagon Task Force To Review China Policy. popularresistance.org On Wednesday, President Biden announced a new Pentagon task force that will be reviewing the US military's policy towards China, another sign that the new administration is prioritizing confronting Beijing. | Pentagon officials said the task force is a "sprint effort" that will examine things like US troop presence in the region, intelligence, and the role of US allies and partners in countering China. Leading the task force is Ely Ratner, a China hawk who Biden appointed as a special advisor to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. | Before his new position at the Pentagon, Rather worked at the interventionist Cent…

Elie Mystal (2021-02-12). Republicans Won't Convict Trump—Because They Won't Convict Themselves. thenation.com Republicans Won't Convict Trump—Because They Won't Convict Themselves…

Jeet Heer (2021-02-12). To Republican Senators, Donald Trump Is Still the Boogeyman. thenation.com To Republican Senators, Donald Trump Is Still the Boogeyman…

Sarah Anderson (2021-02-12). We Must Expose the Insurrection Financiers. commondreams.org The January 6 assault on our democracy should lead to greater accountability for future political leaders—and their wealthy financial backers. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_insurrection-955px_0.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-02-12). 'It Is Not a Budget Item,' Democrat Kyrsten Sinema Falsely Says as She Joins Joe Manchin in Opposing $15 Wage. commondreams.org "She is incorrect. It has a budgetary impact, and it was verified by CBO. Let's get it done now." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12308191271.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-02-12). 'End… This Human Rights Atrocity,' Says Amnesty After Biden Admin Signals Goal to Close Gitmo. commondreams.org Asked whether the president will shutter the prison, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "That certainly is our goal and our intention." | www.flickr.com/photos/shriekingtree/6688582501

commondreams (2021-02-12). President Biden Must Close Guant√°namo Bay Detention Center, End Twenty Years of Human Rights Abuses. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jeffrey C. Isaac (2021-02-12). Trump's Guilt Clearly Demonstrated During Senate Trial. commondreams.org The Democrats are now presenting a "slam dunk" impeachment case in the Senate. And it will almost certainly "lose" in "court." What's next? | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/impeachment.jpg

commondreams (2021-02-12). Thousands of Activists Push Biden to End Fossil Fuel Era. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-02-12). Reversing Xenophobic Trump Policy, Biden to Allow 25,000 Asylum-Seekers Stuck in Mexico to Enter US. commondreams.org According to the news outlet, "about 70,000 asylum-seekers were enrolled in since it was introduced in January 2019." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mexico_refugee_camp.jpg

Online News Editor (2021-02-12). Student injured by rubber bullet on day of mass Myanmar protests. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 12 (efe-epa).- At least one person was shot with a rubber bullet and arrests were reported as Myanmar on Friday witnessed possibly its largest protests since the Feb. 1 military coup. On the public Union Day holiday at a peaceful demonstration at Mawlamyine University in Mon state, about 300 kilometers southeast of …

yenisafak (2021-02-12). Biden says China will 'eat our lunch' sans infrastructure. yenisafak.com China is poised to defeat the US amid a great power competition unless the country can come together on a plan to bolster its heavily deteriorated infrastructure, President Joe Biden warned Thursday.Biden's cautionary note comes after he held his first telephone call Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a conversation the US president said lasted two hours.The US president called on Congress to forge ahead with a massive infrastructure revitalization plan, saying that without it China is "going to eat our lunch.""They have major, major new initiatives on rail, and they already have rail that goes 225 mi…

yenisafak (2021-02-12). Turkish-American group slams US Senate letter on Turkey. yenisafak.com The US-based Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) said Thursday it is "appalled" by a letter by 50 US senators that characterizes the Turkish government as "authoritarian administration and violators of Human Rights.""Turkey's government was determined by a free and fair election by all citizens regardless of their background," senior names of the committee said in a statement. "The Turkish people made it clear that no one can temper with their future when they took to streets and resisted a coup attempt on July 15th, 2016. The Turkish people made it clear to the world that they value their democra…

Jeremy Ross (2021-02-12). Dozens of Prominent Organizations and Academics Press Biden on Human Rights in Brazil. counterpunch.org Last week, the US Network for Democracy in Brazil (USNDB) delivered a white paper to the Biden White House, its "Recommendations on Brazil to President Biden and the New Administration." The wide-ranging document, covering issues such as the environment, human rights, and the rule of law, urges the new administration to make a fundamental break

Scott Ritter (2021-02-12). Tearing Down the Edifice of American Democracy. 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 joists and beams that hold U.S. democracy are not as …

WSWS Repost (2021-02-12). Democrats seek to whitewash Republican Party role in January 6 coup. indybay.org As a party of Wall Street and the military and intelligence agencies, the Democrats are opposed to any real exposure of the social and political forces behind the January 6 coup.

James Goodman (2021-02-12). Biden Must Not Let the Trump Legacy and 'Reviews' Frustrate Reform. progressive.org The President has been off to a fast start on immigration reform, but his reluctance to repeal Trump's border closures is contributing to the cruelty.

Derek Royden (2021-02-12). Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and the future of the Republican Party. nationofchange.org With a still small but growing number of progressive voices within the Democratic party, there is for the first time in decades an opportunity to truly move that party to the left and counter the threat represented by radicals like Boebert and Taylor Greene.

Prof. Joseph H. Chung (2021-02-12). Biden's North Korea Policy: Can Washington Solve this Time the 70-year Old North Korea Issues? 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). | *** | Washington's North Korea policy was designed to change the Juche regime …

Michael Payne (2021-02-12). Republicans: "see no evil, hear no evil," even when it is right in front of their eyes. nationofchange.org The Republicans in Congress saw exactly what Trump was doing and should have strongly objected to such an action but they saw no evil, heard no evil on his part.