(2021-02-24). The Empire's Hidden Hand: How The US Established, Sustains and Benefits From Morocco's Occupation of Western Sahara. mintpressnews.com 
Over the decades, the Moroccan settler population expanded while the United States and European Union have illegally exploited the Western Sahara's resources, mining phosphates, fishing in its waters, and in recent years, drilling for oil and gas.
(2021-02-24). What Planet Is NATO Living On? dissidentvoice.org 
NATO headquarters in Brussels (Photo: NATO) The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme …
(2021-02-24). Labor and allies pressure Congress to pass American Rescue Plan. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—The urgency and historic significance of the American Rescue Plan are being amplified by the gamut of civic and community groups around the country, from labor to civil rights, health care, education, child, senior, unemployed, disability, homeless, and other advocacy groups. Momentum is building for mass public pressure to get the strongest measure passed …
(2021-02-24). Harlem's 1946 fight against South African starvation foreshadowed anti-apartheid struggle. peoplesworld.org 
People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Jan. 3, 1946 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African-American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist Party …
(2021-02-24). Covid-19 Demonstrated How This Country Fails Its Most Vulnerable: A Field Guide to Our Threadbare Social Safety Net. juancole.com 
( Tomdispatch.com) — Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. Between …
(2021-02-24). First English, Then American, and Now Muslim Francophobia. counterpunch.org 
Francophobia has been a persistent part of French history, transmitted and modulated through several centuries. 17thcentury England constructed the first significant layer of Francophobia. The Americans may have borrowed Francophobia from England and then developed its version in the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Muslim world has begun to manufacture its variety of
(2021-02-24). Mensaje de Alerta sobre la COVID-19. Profesionales de la Salud Unidos. globalizacion.ca 
Llamamos la atención de nuestros lectores, este importante comunicado internacional de profesionales de la salud, médicos y científicos, que ha sido enviado a los gobiernos de treinta países. | A continuación se muestra el texto completo que se envió a los…
(2021-02-24). Compartmentalizing Woody Allen … or Not. counterpunch.org 
I missed the first round of talk about the New York Times' publication of a moving and forthright letter by Woody Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan, regarding his alleged sexual molestation of her over two decades ago. Woody Allen is an American icon as well as a human being capable of all things human, perhaps including
(2021-02-24). GameStop Hearing Exposes a Sick Business Model Destined to Exacerbate Wealth Inequality in America. counterpunch.org 
The most striking revelations in yesterday's House Financial Services Committee hearing on the wild trading action in New York Stock Exchange-listed shares of GameStop came when Congresswoman Cindy Axne of Iowa questioned Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood, the trading app being increasingly used by young people to trade stocks and options on their mobile
(2021-02-24). Does the West repeating claims of China committing genocide in Xinjiang reify it? mronline.org 
The Jewish Virtual Library quotes Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as having said: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
(2021-02-24). The Ethics of Healthcare Marketing. dissidentvoice.org 
Spend an evening watching television on any network in pretty much any town in America and you'd probably think that Big Pharma had already created a pill for anything that might ail ya. And, of course, in some ways, that's not entirely wrong. Today we have a world of therapies to extend our lives and …
(2021-02-24). Rush Limbaugh and the rise of the far right. liberationnews.org 
Photo: Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump speaking at a 2019 event hosted by Turning Point USA. Credit — Gage Skidmore After more than three decades assaulting airwaves and television screens with his vicious right-wing rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, the bigoted and imperialist radio personality, died last week from a year-long battle with lung cancer. With his …
(2021-02-24). Biden immigration bill has shortcomings, but shows promise on several fronts. peoplesworld.org 
The Biden administration has introduced a sweeping new immigration bill that stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's four years of attacks on undocumented workers and their families. The new bill is being seen by many as a bold step in a better direction, but some immigrant rights activists are pointing out shortcomings in the …
(2021-02-24). Confronting the Digital Divide: New York City vs. Verizon. counterpunch.org 
The United States is a divided nation, one expressed in all-too-many ways as evident by the 2020 presidential election and the failed January 6th insurrection. Unfortunately, one of its most telling expressions is the digital divide, in which more well-to-do urban and suburban locals get superior if over-priced telecom services while whole swaths of urban
(2021-02-24). Texas freeze — Rich get richer, workers suffer. workers.org 
Houston An unprecedented winter storm hit Texas Feb. 15, bringing subfreezing temperatures. One week later, huge sections of the population are still without power, heat and/or water. Houston skyline glows, while millions suffer subfreezing temperatures without heat or water amidst preventable power outages, Feb. 15 Across major cities — such . . . |
(2021-02-24). Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries. mronline.org 
The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus.
(2021-02-24). 'Executive Order': A futuristic 'final solution' to the Brazilian 'race problem' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org 
Director/co-writer Lázaro Ramos's award-winning Executive Order (Medida Provisória) exemplifies what I love most about the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF): It gives movie buffs the opportunity to see films, often from far-flung destinations around the globe, that we might otherwise never have the chance to watch. Often these are worthy, well-made productions that PAFF is …
(2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter (It's not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas). counterpunch.org 
Naomi Klein has an interesting piece in the New York Times on the implications of the Texas disaster. I would disagree with some parts, which attack the Texas approach to energy as "free market." To my view, this is far too generous. Even Texas' deregulated energy market is still highly regulated. It is possible to
(2021-02-24). Tri-Cities, WA's Katie Barton: 'She wanted to see equal rights for the community, not just herself'. liberationnews.org 
This article is part of Liberation's commemoration of Black History Month, 2021. T…
(2021-02-24). Cuomo's Cover-up Will be Most Effectively Weaponized by the Right. counterpunch.org 
On February 11, news broke that the Cuomo administration intentionally hid data on COVID-related nursing home deaths from the federal government and New York state legislators, ostensibly for fear of a Department of Justice investigation and potential federal prosecution. The revelation was fairly shocking, but hardly out of character. Cuomo's mishandling of the pandemic—coupled with
(2021-02-24). In the News: Capitalism Kills. liberationnews.org 
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the COVID death toll in the United States topping 500,000, the winter storm that has left millions without power in zero degree temperatures in Texas, a new independent report that further exposes the police in Aurora Colorado for the brutal murder of Elijah McClain, and more.
(2021-02-24). Ecuador elections — The calm before the storm. workers.org 
Ibarra, Ecuador Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador's presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough . . . |
(2021-02-24). FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. workers.org 
Join us Saturday, March 6, from 2-4 p.m. EST, for a Global Virtual Street Meeting for Mumia Abu-Jamal: FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. Join organizers, artists, supporters and educators as they shine a light on the important history of this international movement to #FreeMumia along with a summary . . . |
(2021-02-24). Saving the Planet: Why a net-zero future depends on the ocean's ability to absorb carbon. juancole.com 
By Anya M. Waite, Brad deYoung, Chris Milley, and Ian G. Stewart | — Most of us growing up along Canada's East Coast never worried about hurricane season. Except for those working at sea, we viewed hurricanes as extreme events in remote tropical regions, seen only through blurred footage of flailing palm trees on the …
(2021-02-24). San Francisco teachers struggle for a safe reopening. liberationnews.org 
The following was a presentation at the Feb. 20, 2021, Reds in Ed webinar. Afternoon fellow educators, my name is Frank Lara and I am a public-school teacher of 10 years in San Francisco's historic Mission District. I am also on the Executive Board of our union, the United Educators of San Francisco, a 6,500-member …
(2021-02-24). Milwaukee protesters demand real change from Biden administration. liberationnews.org 
Around 50 protesters congregated in the cold outside Milwaukee City Hall Feb. 16 to make their demands heard, as President Joe Biden arrived for a town hall conversation with CNN.
(2021-02-24). In plain sight, GOP senators show sabotage is their game. peoplesworld.org 
Republican senators exposed their true colors at separate Senate hearings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and those colors are not ones that would typically be shown by anyone interested in "bipartisanship." The nation was treated to the spectacle in hearings on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol of Senate leaders of that right-wing insurrection …
(2021-02-24). Republicans' working class hero re-branding isn't fooling anyone. peoplesworld.org 
So far, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Jim Jordan haven't taken up Chris Hayes's challenge. On his show a while back, the MSNBC host laughed out loud when Sen. Cruz—aka The Cancun Kid—Sen. Josh Hawley, and Rep. Jim Jordan claimed the GOP was the born-again blue-collar party. The host of "All in With Chris Hayes" dared the …
(2021-02-24). COVID-19 vaccine patents: Private property vs. public health. workers.org 
Among the many controversies surrounding vital COVID-19 vaccines, the issue of patent bans gets far less attention than how vaccines are being distributed or who is able to receive them. Yet the patent laws protecting intellectual property (IP) in the U.S. and European Union give the world's wealthiest countries unfair . . . |
(2021-02-24). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine. counterpunch.org 
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(2021-02-24). 20 Years Of Media Lens: A Selection Of Remarkable Replies From Journalists. dissidentvoice.org 
The Insiders In a 2002 interview with the Observer, the BBC's John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE of Kabul, to give him his full name and title, was asked to define the 'essential qualities' of a journalist. Simpson responded with typical left-field quirkiness: There's something slightly wrong with most of us, don't you feel? We're damaged goods, …
(2021-02-24). 'Cancel them before they cancel us': Gab CEO says banks have banned platform due to media smears. rt.com 
Three banks have refused to do business with Gab, a Twitter competitor outspoken about free speech, in recent weeks, the company's chief executive revealed. Andrew Torba blamed the development on mainstream media hit pieces. | The third bank to sever its relationship with the company in three weeks told Torba on Monday that they were doing so because of "all the bad things the press has written about Gab," he said in an interview published by the conservative outlet National File. | Speaking to
(2021-02-24). Divided Republicans in Congress awkwardly disagree on Trump's future at same press conference (VIDEO). rt.com 
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) is facing a backlash after openly disagreeing with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) on Donald Trump's future with the party during an awkward press conference exchange. | Asked on Wednesday whether Trump should be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida this week, McCarthy replied simply, "Yes, he should." | Cheney, who was standing behind McCarthy, was then asked what she thought about the matter — though her answer should surprise no one, as she's been a vocal critic of the former president. | "I don't believe he should be playing a role i…
(2021-02-24). Chicago lawmaker calls to BAN Grand Theft Auto in new bill, blaming 'violent video games' for spike in carjackings. rt.com 
A Democratic lawmaker in Chicago is pushing to ban the sale of all violent video games, claiming the graphic 'Grand Theft Auto' series — which debuted more than 20 years ago — is to blame for a wave of carjackings around the city.
(2021-02-24). 'Let's play strip poker': Former staffer publishes explosive essay detailing claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is being accused of sexual harassment and fostering a "toxic" work environment by former staffer Lindsey Boylan, who detailed her time with the top Democrat in a new essay. | Boylan The former aide now says she has revealed her full story in the hopes that it will "clear the path for other women to come forward." She published the exp…
(2021-02-24). What about student loans, water or the homeless? Outrage follows report $1.7 trillion F-35 program is now considered a failure. rt.com (2021-02-24). US seeking re-election to UN Human Rights Council after Trump withdrawal, Blinken calls for expulsion of other members. rt.com (2021-02-24). Conservative host posts about his investigation into voter fraud claims, gets blocked, challenges Twitter to disprove his findings. rt.com (2021-02-24). US Federal Reserve investigating disruptions to Fedwire payment system and other services. rt.com (2021-02-24). Neera Tanden's quest for OMB post hits another roadblock as crucial step postponed indefinitely — reports. rt.com (2021-02-24). Home addresses, social security numbers & sensitive medical data on 500,000 French patients leaked online after hack — reports. rt.com (2021-02-24). Twitter called out for 'double standards' after it singles out report on UK influence op in Russia with 'hacked materials' label. rt.com (2021-02-24). Oklahoma man on parole accused of taking victim's HEART to feed family that he later slayed & maimed. rt.com (2021-02-24). 'The war continues': Small investors up in arms after GameStop stock trades halted amid price surge & reports of Reddit outages. rt.com (2021-02-24). Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Pro-Fossil Fuel Senators Grill Deb Haaland as She Bids to Become First Indigenous Cabinet Secretary. democracynow.org (2021-02-24). US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution'. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison. middleeasteye.net (2021-02-24). Texas Power Grid Deregulation Cost Texans $28 Billion Over Two Decades. truthout.org (2021-02-24). Romney Says Trump Will Be GOP Nominee If He Runs in 2024. truthout.org (2021-02-24). Biden Cancels "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Left Waiting. truthout.org (2021-02-24). In What Universe Is a $15 Wage "Too High"? Joe Manchin's. truthout.org (2021-02-24). Calls Rise for Louis DeJoy's Removal and for Major Postal Reforms. truthout.org (2021-02-24). FDA May Approve Johnson & Johnson Vaccine for US Use as Early as Saturday. truthout.org (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Wait in Squalid Refugee Camps. democracynow.org (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Waiting in Squalid Camps. democracynow.org (2021-02-24). Identificación del "paquete de vacunas" implantado: El Parlamento de Alemania ha ratificado la "Agenda ID2020" digital de GAVI. globalizacion.ca (2021-02-24). How do you do, fellow kids? Biden White House leaves followers baffled after tweeting out-of-touch meme with Canadian PM. rt.com (2021-02-24). Cori Bush Grills Postmaster DeJoy About USPS's Board of "Millionaire White Boys" truthout.org (2021-02-24). Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell offers to renounce UK & French citizenship in exchange for bail. rt.com (2021-02-24). The Heat: Afghanistan-What's next? america.cgtn.com (2021-02-24). 1 in 6 Americans under 23 say they're LGBTQ, as more people in the US than ever identify as non-heterosexual. rt.com (2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org (2021-02-24). Victory for campaigners as richest Cambridge college promises to divest from fossil fuels. thecanary.co (2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter. zcomm.org It's Not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas…
(2021-02-24). Headlines for February 24, 2021. democracynow.org Ex-U.S. Capitol Security Say Intelligence Failures Led to Jan. 6 Attack Even as FBI Warned of "War", Senate Confirms Thomas-Greenfield, Vilsack as GOP Go After Haaland in Interior Confirmation, House to Vote Friday on $1.9 Trillion Relief Bill as Fate of $15/Hour Minimum Wage Remains Uncertain, U.S. Blocks Waiver on Vaccine Intellectual Property Protections, Lebanese Lawmakers Accused of Vaccine Line Cutting; Rabbis Call on Israel to Vaccinate Palestinians, No Charges Filed Against Rochester Police Officers Who Killed Daniel Prude, Ahmaud Arbery's Mother Files Lawsuit Against Her Son's Killers on Anniversary of H…
(2021-02-24). COVID-19 Testing, Not Standardized Testing: Schools Need Vaccinations, Not Examinations. progressive.org President Biden just announced the return of high-stakes standardized tests. That's the wrong way to go, especially during the pandemic.
(2021-02-24). The Pandemic, Newsom, The Recall & The Working Class. indybay.org The bankrupt and corrupt policies of California Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party are fueling the Republican funded efforts to have another recall in California. The last recall of Gray Davis was because of his support of deregulation of energy and putting Enron and other crooks in charge of the energy grid similar to what is happening in Texas…
(2021-02-24). Catholic Bishops and Jubilee USA Network Ask Biden for Global COVID Aid and Debt Relief. indybay.org The Biden Administration should support the release of $3 trillion in global reserve funds to support developing countries confront the COVID pandemic, say the US Catholic Bishops and Jubilee USA Network in a letter to President Biden.
(2021-02-24). Biden administration reopens Trump-era child migrant detention facility in Texas. wsws.org The Department of Health and Human Services is reactivating the Carrizo Springs Child Migration Detention Facility for detaining up to 700 teenagers in the coming days and weeks.
(2021-02-24). 'This is Not Okay': AOC Decries Biden's Reopening of Controversial Migrant Facilities for Children. sputniknews.com The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Monday that US authorities were reopening a temporary facility in the state of Texas to house an influx of migrant children arriving at the US-Mexico border without a parent, with the site to house up to 700 migrant youngsters aged 13 to 17.
(2021-02-24). Biden's CIA Director Pick Sees China as 'Biggest Geopolitical Test'. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday that China is the country's biggest geopolitical foe and will be among his top priorities if confirmed.
(2021-02-24). Will Biden Finally Get US Troops Out Of Afghanistan? popularresistance.org Real talk: Joe Biden hasn't had too many finest hours in his 47 years plus years on the national scene. To be fair, he's had his moments — like a powerful, earthy, and impassioned 1986 speech he delivered to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opposing the Reagan administration's apologism for the "repulsive, repugnant" Afrikaner apartheid "regime" in South Africa. Sure, he later — during the 2020 campaign — repeatedly peddled a bizarre lie that he once got arrested attempting to visit Nelson Mandela in prison. Nor does Biden sport such clean record on race relations in his own country [mdas…
(2021-02-24). Open Letter: Nearly 800 Organizations And Individuals Demand Biden End Support For Brutal MoàØse Regime. popularresistance.org United States – Today, February 24, 72 organizations and 700 individuals published an open letter calling for the Biden administration to end its illegal and destructive intervention in Haiti. While Joe Biden and the Democrats condemned the Trump forces for not respecting the results of the U.S. election, they are supporting Jovenel MoàØse's refusal to leave office after his term as president ended on February 7, 2021. MoàØse has unleashed violent gangs, the police and the military against protesters who are demanding that he respect the Constitution and step down. | "President Biden claims to care…
(2021-02-24). Biden Swiftly Disappoints Educators and Students. dissidentvoice.org Months before he became president, many pointed out that harmful neoliberal policies would continue unabated in K-12 education under a Joe Biden administration. Indeed, there is a long record of both democrats and republicans supporting harmful education policies like high-stakes standardized testing, charter schools, performance-based pay schemes, NCLB, ESSA, and more. But U.S. presidential elections …
(2021-02-24). El Salvador's FMLN fought for democracy, now they defend it from authoritarian rule. peoplesdispatch.org Víctor Suazo, a candidate of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front ( FMLN ), talks about the upcoming elections in El Salvador and the struggle waged by his party to save the country's democracy and institutions…
(2021-02-24). The Democrats just helped the Greens! nationofchange.org By Trump doing his thing the Greens will attract millions of working stiffs once they realize that it doesn't have to be mutiny to leave the Democratic Party's safe refuge anymore.
(2021-02-24). Ecuador: Democracy Should Not Be Derailed by False Claims of Fraud. cepr.net MarketWatch See article on original site When Donald Trump began his final campaign to convince the American people and the world, or at least his supporters, that the US election was stolen from him, he didn't get any help from most of the US media. Most journalists here — as well as the experts they …
(2021-02-24). The Real Threat To Free Speech? Florida's Courts. popularresistance.org Gov. Ron DeSantis and some other Florida Republicans are worked up over a perceived threat to the freedom of speech of politicians, but they're ignoring a more significant threat to the public's right to speak. | They're upset that Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms have begun to suppress posts they deem flagrantly false or socially offensive, particularly those from their favorite ex-president. | But that isn't a First Amendment issue. Those are private corporations, not government entities. | The legitimate First Amendment threat they are ignoring is the misuse of Florida's courts to suppress a…
(2021-02-24). 'Security Threat': House Republicans Request FBI Briefing on Swalwell's Ties to Alleged Chinese Spy. sputniknews.com Images and details emerged late last year tying Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) to Christine Fang, a Chinese national accused of targeting local politicians that Beijing allegedly deemed to be up-and-coming and likely to hold higher office. The Chinese government has denied all related allegations.
(2021-02-24). Biden's Would-be CIA Chief Burns Tells Lawmakers 'Buckle Up for Long Haul' on China, Russia, Iran. sputniknews.com Late in the Trump administration, the US Department of State produced a roadmap for a long-term comprehensive struggle against China that included a "containment" approach similar to that used against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, as well as reforming the US education system to push anti-China views on the US populace.
(2021-02-24). Thursday 2/25: Impact of Black History on Our Nation's Democracy Town Hall w/ Faithful Democracy. indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2021-02-24). Wednesday 2/24: Community Call on Biden's New Immigration Bill w/ United We Dream CA. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2021-02-24). Courage, rage and joy at Turkey's student protests. zcomm.org The undemocratic appointment of a party loyalist as rector at a prominent university in Turkey is fiercely resisted by its student body and faculty…
(2021-02-24). How We Came to Suspect the Disquiet in Our Democracy. zcomm.org We can see how, in many parts of the world, conversation itself has come to be regarded as conspiracy…
(2021-02-24). New York City and the Persistence of the Atlantic Slave Trade. thenation.com New York City and the Persistence of the Atlantic Slave Trade…
(2021-02-24). Facebook Remains a Threat to Democracy. thenation.com Facebook Remains a Threat to Democracy…
(2021-02-24). Deb Haaland Is Everything the Biden Administration Needs to Be. thenation.com Deb Haaland Is Everything the Biden Administration Needs to Be…
(2021-02-24). Biden Administration Seeking to Provoke China to War. strategic-culture.org By Eric ZUESSE | The United States now routinely violates a fundamental agreement that had been reached between Russia and the U.S. at the Yalta Conference in February 1945. FDR and Stalin agreed together that though every major power has a right to intervene in the internal affairs of other nations in its "neighborhood" insofar as is necessary in order to block such a nearby nation's alliance with any hostile major power (an example is the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, in which Kennedy had a right to block Cuba from receiving Soviet missiles), no such right to intervene in a foreign country's purely internal or…
(2021-02-24). Over 130 NGOs demand global arms embargo on Myanmar. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 24 (efe-epa).- More than 130 human rights organizations on Wednesday demanded the United Nations Security Council urgently impose an international arms embargo on Myanmar, where on Feb. 1 the military seized power in a coup. Since then, at least three protesters have been shot dead with live ammunition in clashes with security …
A tacit admission by the US Air Force that the F-35 has failed its main mission has triggered an outpouring of outrage from Americans who think the stealth fighter's gargantuan budget could have been better spent on other things. | Frustration with Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth jet flooded Twitter on Wednesday, after Forbes magazine published a story about how USAF commissioning a study into a new, cheaper and lighter fighter amounts to "a tacit admission that the F-35 has failed." | | t.co/fDhBTf4Cyd (2021-02-24). Grand jury refuses to indict officers in Daniel Prude case, whose death in police custody sparked protests & resignations. rt.com 
A grand jury in Rochester, New York has decided not to indict seven police officers, including the one who placed a hood on Daniel Prude's head and contributed to his death. The black man's demise spurred protests last year. | The police officers were suspended in the wake of Prude's death on March 23 last year, which came as a result of an altercation between Prude, a black man, and a group of responding officers as they attempted to take him into custody. | Announcing the jury's verdict, New York AG Letitia James said that she was "extremely disappointed" by the outcome, arguing that Prude's race played a ro…
The US wants to retake its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a video message to the body, during which he also called for the removal of other nations. | "I'm pleased to announce the United States will seek election to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term," Blinken declared on Wednesday. "We humbly ask for the support of all UN member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body." | Former President Donald Trump's administration
BlazeTV host Steven Crowder had his Twitter account restricted after posting about a video investigative piece claiming numerous voter addresses in the 2020 presidential election were faked. | "DOZENS of voter names, addresses, and pictures proving they don't exist. Period. Today I'm tired of this s**t. Mass voter fraud is real and I can prove it," Crowder Twitter quickly restricted the tweet and did not allow anyone to like, retweet, or respond to it "due to a risk of violence." Twitter also temporarily locked Crowder'
The US Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it is investigating a disruption to services including Fedwire, which facilitates trillions of dollars in wire transfers between institutions every day. | According to updates from the Federal Reserve, the massive disruption to services was caused by an "operational error". | "We acknowledge that payment deadlines are impacted and will communicate remediation efforts to our customers when available. Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the issue," the institution said in an update on the situation. | As of 2.30pm Eastern Time Wednesday, almost all serv…
The confirmation of Neera Tanden, Biden's polarizing pick for head of the Office of Management and Budget, has been further derailed after Republicans suggested they'd vote against it, insider sources told the media. | Both the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Budget Committee postponed meetings set for Wednesday in which they were scheduled to vote on Tanden's confirmation, according to sources cited in several US outlets. | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to say whether the Biden administration was planning to withdraw Tanden, instead gushing over her "broad s…
Sensitive medical records on nearly 500,000 patients in France have been stolen in a major cyber attack on dozens of healthcare labs, landing online after an alleged dispute between the hackers, according to media reports. | A file containing names and contact details on 491,840 people has made the rounds online since at least earlier this month, according to French cybersecurity journalist Damien Bancal, who runs the Zataz blog. The data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, social security numbers and other sensitive medical information pertaining to medications, pregnancy and diseases such as HIV.
Twitter has added a warning to a bombshell expose revealing a covert UK program to plant pro-government narratives in foreign media, telling users the piece may be based on "hacked material," despite letting similar stories slide. | A
Grisly details have emerged in a triple homicide case in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The suspect reportedly cut out and cooked the heart of a neighbor he had killed, before turning the knife against his own family. | The already shockingly brutal case against Lawrence Paul Anderson, 42, rose to a new level of senselessness after the chain of tragic events was further explained in court papers. As the suspect was confessing to his crimes to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), he said he had taken out the heart of his first victim and took it to his home. | I feel the need to warn people that this story…
GameStop shares have again soared, surging by more than 100 percent until a trading halt slowed the rally before markets closed, stoking suspicions among small investors, some pointing to mysterious Reddit issues during the spike. | $GME was up by Observers online noted that while halts are typically short-lived and last onl…
Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections | The Prime Minister's Office has been in contact with Palestinian authorities to drum up backing among Palestinian citizens of Israel | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 15: 59 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on a visit to Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, 20 February 2021 (AFP) | An Israeli watchdog on Wednesday called for a cri…
Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report | US intelligence report expected to support earlier CIA findings that Saudi crown prince behind murder of journalist | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 08: 36 | The call would be the first conversation between Biden, as US president, and King Salman, according to Axios (Reuters) | US President Joe Biden is set to call Saudi Arabia'
Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too | The Israeli security services have no wish to rock the boat, but they have few measures to influence the upcoming polls | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 17 | An electoral worker leaves the Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza City (Reuters) | From the perspective of the Israeli security establishment, it would ha…
Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes | Gregory Meeks, chair of House Foreign Affairs Committee, ruled out conditioning aid to Israel even if annexation proceeds | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 43 | Congressman Gregory Meeks vowed to be a 'strong voice against antisemitism' when dealing with Palestinians (AFP/File photo) | Congressman Gregory Meeks, a key Democrat, linked Palestinians to the…
Indigenous communities across the United States are closely following the Senate confirmation hearings of Congressmember Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Interior Department, who would become the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary if she is confirmed. Haaland is a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, and the prospect of an Indigenous person leading the federal department with broad oversight of Native American affairs has galvanized support for her in Indian Country. Several Republican senators have grilled Haaland over her past comments opposing fracking, the Keystone XL oil…
US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says | But Secretary of State Antony Blinken says body needs to eliminate agenda item on rights abuses in occupied Palestinian territories | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 23 | Blinken said the US was seeking support for its election to the UNHRC for the 2022-2024 term (AFP) | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the Biden administration…
German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment | Court finds Abu Walaa helped radicalise young people in Europe and send them to Iraq and Syria | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 12: 00 | Abu Walaa, 37, was found guilty of belonging to a foreign terrorist organisation, helping to plan subversive violent acts and financing terrorism (AFP) | An Iraqi preacher said to be the Islamic St…
Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan | The three Turks were convicted of smuggling the ex-Nissan boss into Lebanon while he faced charges in Japan | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 27 | The Ghosn saga has shaken the global car industry, at one point jeopardising the Renault-Nissan alliance which he masterminded (AFP) | An Istanbul court on Wednesday conv…
Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president | Barham Salih says meeting between Pope Francis and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani will be 'profound statement about moderation in religion' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 21: 11 | Pope Francis is set to visit Iraq on 5 March, and travel to areas previously under the control of the Islamic State group (AFP/File photo) | Iraqi President Barham Salih ha…
Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution' | New investigation also denounces the lack of medical treatment given to the Palestinian man and the degrading treatment of his body | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 35 | Ahmad Erekat was killed at an Israeli checkpoint on his sister's wedding day last year (Facebook) | The killing of Palestinian Ahmad Erekat at an Israeli checkpoint on his s…
Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict | Intelligence officer sentenced to four and a half years in prison over complicity in crimes against humanity | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 09: 28 | Eyad al-Gharib, accused of crimes against humanity in the first trial of its kind to emerge from the Syrian conflict, arrives to hear the court's verdict on 24 Februar…
Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report | In recent court filings, documents reveal that two of the jets used by Saudi hit squad belonged to a company seized by MBS months earlier, CNN reports | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 22: 02 | Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 (AFP/File photo) | Two private jets used by the Saudi hit squad that killed journalist…
UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison | A panel of rights experts welcome administration's goal of closing prison, but say it must ensure 'crimes committed there will not remain unpunished' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 16: 41 | There are currently 40 detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison (AFP/File photo) | A panel of UN rights experts said the Biden administration's current rev…
Republican Texas lawmakers often tout their state leadership's contempt and recalcitrance toward the federal government as a point of pride. But a new analysis by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has found that the deregulation and monopolization of the Texas energy market cost Texas residents $28 billion more than they would have paid under a traditional utility. | When Texas changed from fully regulated power generation to the largely deregulated system that's in place today, it began requiring almos…
Speaking about the future of the Republican Party on Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said it's very likely that former President Donald Trump would win the nomination for president if he decided to run again in 2024. | "I don't know if he'll run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I'm pretty sure he will win the nomination," Romney said Romney also acknowledged that "a lot can happen between now…
One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in,…
Economic justice organizers may soon triumph in their fight for a $15 minimum wage. Thanks to their years of effort, President Biden (and every Democratic contender during the primary debates) vowed to hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour. In keeping with that promise, Biden attached a wage bill to his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. | Although Republicans and their political allies are firmly opposed to the measure, the Senate could approve it. But Democratic holdouts like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin could do…
On Wednesday, February 24, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective in a briefing document on Wednesday morning, lending support to its emergency use authorization. | The vaccine's trial data results are "consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA's guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19,"
One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…
One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…
Noticias alarmantes. En Alemania, el Parlamento (Bundestag) ratificó el 29 de enero de 2021 la implementación de la Agenda ID2020. | Se trata de una recopilación de datos electrónicos generalizados y centralizados de cada ciudadano a la que tendrían acceso todas…
The Biden administration has taken a popular meme and mutilated it, leaving what appears to be praise for Canada's Justin Trudeau but which was hard to understand either way. | Biden's White House Twitter account posted two images in a row captioned "How it started. How it's going" on Wednesday. The first showed Biden and Trudeau walking side by side down a hallway lined with flags, apparently from Biden's term as Vice President under Barack Obama. The second featured a large screen on which Trudeau was projected, with Biden turned towards it, seemingly in mid-speech, clearly taken during the pandemic. | How i…
During Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) noted that, despite the fact that people of color make up a sizeable share of United States Postal Service (USPS) employees,…
Jeffrey Epstein's alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to give up her British and French citizenship in order to be released on bail. She was arrested on charges of trafficking underage girls. | Maxwell "will renounce her French and British citizenship to eliminate any opportunity for her to seek refuge in those countries, if the Court so requires," her lawyers wrote in a The defendant's legal team argued that by doing so, Maxwe…
The war in Afghanistan rages on as a major deadline looms for U.S. forces to leave the country.
More Americans than ever identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) according to a survey of sexuality, with one in six people under 23 saying they are something other than heterosexual. | The Gallup Poll released Wednesday, found that 5.6 percent of Americans classify themselves as LGBTQ — up from 4.5 percent in 2017. That was the last time Gallup carried out polling on the issue. | Gallup surveyed 15,000 Americans above 18 years of age and found that of those who identified themselves as LGBTQ, 54.6 percent said they were bisexual, 24.5 percent said they were gay, and 1…
The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted incarcerated people in the U.S. In California, during the early days of the pandemic, the transfer of prisoners into San Quentin sparked a massive outbreak of COVID that spread to over two-thirds of the prison population there, causing the death of 27 prisoners, including . . . |
After four years of student campaigning, Cambridge's Trinity College has promised to divest fully from fossil fuels in the next 10 years. | The college has vowed to end all direct investment into fossil fuels by the end of 2021, and all indirect investment within 5-10 years. | Trinity is only the third Cambridge college to promise full divestment. The university as a whole has