Dan Cohen (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.

MBNJSD (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 …

Rosalío Muñoz, Janice Rothstein (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 …

W. Alphaeus Hunton (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 …

Rajan Menon (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 …

Liaquat Ali Khan (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

United Health Professionals (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…

Elizabeth Keyes (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

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (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

Eds. (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."

Beau Peters (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 …

Royal Thomas II (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 …

Chauncey K. Robinson (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 …

David Rosen (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

Mirinda Crissman (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 . . . |

Eds. (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.

Ed Rampell (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 …

Dean Baker (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

Marlanna Bullock (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…

Will Solomon (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

The Socialist Program (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.

Michael Otto (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 . . . |

Editor (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 . . . |

The Conversation (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 …

Frank Lara (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 …

Ben Slowey (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.

John Wojcik (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 …

Berry Craig (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 …

Betsey Piette (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 . . . |

CP Editor (2021-02-24). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine. counterpunch.org …

Media Lens (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, …

RT (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

RT (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…

RT (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.

RT (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…

RT (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 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 RT (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…

RT (2021-02-24). US seeking re-election to UN Human Rights Council after Trump withdrawal, Blinken calls for expulsion of other members. rt.com 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

RT (2021-02-24). Conservative host posts about his investigation into voter fraud claims, gets blocked, challenges Twitter to disprove his findings. rt.com 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'

RT (2021-02-24). US Federal Reserve investigating disruptions to Fedwire payment system and other services. rt.com 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…

RT (2021-02-24). Neera Tanden's quest for OMB post hits another roadblock as crucial step postponed indefinitely — reports. rt.com 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…

RT (2021-02-24). Home addresses, social security numbers & sensitive medical data on 500,000 French patients leaked online after hack — reports. rt.com 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.

RT (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 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

RT (2021-02-24). Oklahoma man on parole accused of taking victim's HEART to feed family that he later slayed & maimed. rt.com 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…

RT (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 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…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). Biden to call Saudi king ahead of 'explosive' Khashoggi findings: Report. middleeasteye.net 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'

Yossi Melman (2021-02-24). Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too. middleeasteye.net 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…

Ali Harb (2021-02-24). Top US lawmaker links Palestinians to antisemitism and hate crimes. middleeasteye.net 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Pro-Fossil Fuel Senators Grill Deb Haaland as She Bids to Become First Indigenous Cabinet Secretary. democracynow.org 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…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). German court sentences Iraqi preacher over Islamic State recruitment. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-24). Carlos Ghosn: Turkey sentences pilots and airline executive over escape from Japan. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution'. middleeasteye.net 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…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-24). Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Khashoggi killers used planes seized by Saudi crown prince: Report. middleeasteye.net 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…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison. middleeasteye.net 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Texas Power Grid Deregulation Cost Texans $28 Billion Over Two Decades. truthout.org 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Romney Says Trump Will Be GOP Nominee If He Runs in 2024. truthout.org 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Cancels "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Left Waiting. truthout.org 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,…

Staff (2021-02-24). In What Universe Is a $15 Wage "Too High"? Joe Manchin's. truthout.org 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Calls Rise for Louis DeJoy's Removal and for Major Postal Reforms. truthout.org On Wednesday, February 24, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a

Staff (2021-02-24). FDA May Approve Johnson & Johnson Vaccine for US Use as Early as Saturday. truthout.org 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,"

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Wait in Squalid Refugee Camps. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Waiting in Squalid Camps. democracynow.org 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…

Peter Koenig (2021-02-24). Identificación del "paquete de vacunas" implantado: El Parlamento de Alemania ha ratificado la "Agenda ID2020" digital de GAVI. globalizacion.ca 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…

RT (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 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…

Staff (2021-02-24). Cori Bush Grills Postmaster DeJoy About USPS's Board of "Millionaire White Boys" truthout.org 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,…

RT (2021-02-24). Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell offers to renounce UK & French citizenship in exchange for bail. rt.com 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…

Mike Walter (2021-02-24). The Heat: Afghanistan-What's next? america.cgtn.com The war in Afghanistan rages on as a major deadline looms for U.S. forces to leave the country.

RT (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 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…

A Guest Author (2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org 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 . . . |

Jasmine Norden (2021-02-24). Victory for campaigners as richest Cambridge college promises to divest from fossil fuels. thecanary.co 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

Dean Baker (2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter. zcomm.org It's Not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas…

Staff (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…

Jesse Hagopian (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.

UFCFLP (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…

Zachary Conti (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.

WSWS (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.

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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…

Shawgi Tell (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 …

Peoples Dispatch (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…

Philip Farruggio (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.

Matt Sedlar (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…

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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.

Faithful Democracy and partners (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…

United We Dream California (2021-02-24). Wednesday 2/24: Community Call on Biden's New Immigration Bill w/ United We Dream CA. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Nazlƒ± Konya (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…

Badri Raina (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…

Gerald Horne (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…

Jeet Heer (2021-02-24). Facebook Remains a Threat to Democracy. thenation.com Facebook Remains a Threat to Democracy…

John Nichols (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…

Online News Editor (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 …

_____ (2021-02-23). Empire Files: Biden Sells Missiles To Fascists + US Base Destroys Ancient Coral Reef. popularresistance.org Abby Martin covers Biden's first arms deals to major human rights abusers Chile & Egypt; another US military base in Okinawa, opposed by majority of residents, threatens unique biodiversity; militia puts US at crossroads of a new Iraq war; Ecuador's presidential election defies US imperialism. | "This is Abby Martin with your Empire update wrapping up the last week of US imperialism. The Biden administration has approved its first arms sale to a foreign government, the right wing regime of Chile. On February 6th, the State Department gave the green light to the sale of 16 advanced missiles to the Chilean military…

Ronald Newman (2021-02-23). If the Biden Administration Is Serious About Protecting Voting Rights, Here's What It Should Do Immediately. aclu.org This op-ed was originally published by TIME Magazine and can be read in full On Jan. 6, 2021, millions watched, horrified, as agitators hellbent on overturning the election results and disenfranchising Black and Brown voters

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-02-23). Andrés Arauz warns of plans to obstruct second round presidential elections in Ecuador. peoplesdispatch.org Progressive candidate Andrés Arauz denounced actions of the prosecutor's office and the comptroller's office to seize electronic electoral information as an attempt to prevent run-off elections from taking place.

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-23). Arabic press review: Egyptian judge accused of running drug-trafficking network. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egyptian judge accused of running drug-trafficking network | Meanwhile, Palestinians in contact with international community to pressure Israel to allow Jerusalemites to vote in elections, and Kuwait prohibits all trade in Bitcoin | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 58 | An Egyptian judge, the son of a senior judge at the Court of Cassation, is accused of forming a narcotics ring (AFP)…

WSWS Repost (2021-02-23). California petition drive on track to force recall election this year. indybay.org The right-wing petition drive against California Governor Gavin Newsom, organized by the state Republican Party, is on track to reach the 1.5 million signature threshold required to force a recall election later this year.

Orinoco Tribune (2021-02-23). New European Union Sanctions on Democratic Elections: 30 Venezuelan Politicians to be Sanctioned. 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 European Union (EU) announced this Friday, February 19, that the …

Jasmine Norden (2021-02-23). Outrage as Labour North West bans candidates from Liverpool mayoral elections. thecanary.co Labour North West has Shortlisted candidates acting mayor Wendy Simon, current lord mayor Anna Rothery, and former deputy mayor Ann O'Byrne were supposed to be competing for Joe Anderson's vacated position from last week. | Instead, an email sent to Labour party members announced the application process would be reopened. According to the Liverpool Echo, no previous candidates are…

John Wojcik (2021-02-23). Conservative Democrat Joe Manchin playing a dangerous game. peoplesworld.org The press is talking about how a conservative Democratic senator from West Virginia is now allegedly one of the most powerful movers and shakers in the nation's capital. Sen. Joe Manchin has been an enormous headache for President Joe Biden by threatening to sink the $15 minimum wage and by promising to vote down Biden's …

The Conversation (2021-02-23). Biden and the Iran nuclear deal: what to expect from the negotiations. juancole.com By Ali Bilgic | — As Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, speculation was rife that one of the first things his administration would do would be to seek re-entry to the Iran nuclear deal that had been quit by his predecessor in the White House. The Joint …

Juan Cole (2021-02-23). President Biden Honors 500K Dead. He didn't say so, but they didn't have to Die. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — President Biden on Monday honored the deaths of 500,000 Americans from COVID-19. It is a very large number, and commentator Sanjay Gupta at CNN had tears in his eyes because, he said, "they didn't have to die." President Biden clearly cares about these deaths. He commemorated their lives and their …

Jonathan H. Martin (2021-02-23). Beyond Trump and Biden: A Progressive Party Can Rise. counterpunch.org "Once new possibilities for change that are within reach of ordinary people become evident, or at least once people think they are evident and within reach, popular aspirations also expand." — Francis Fox Piven, Challenging Authority (2006, 141—2) Crisis can open the door to opportunities previously seen as desirable but impossible. As 2021 unfolds, more

Fight Back (2021-02-23). 'End the War on Immigrants' protest at Minnesota ICE facility, 1 month after Biden's inauguration. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On February 20, one month after President Biden's inauguration, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) organized the first protest of their new campaign to end the war on immigrants. About 100 people gathered outside of the Bishop Henry Whipple Building, the federal building where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters are located in Minnesota. The campaign demands include, among others: "Legalization for all," "Close the camps," "No kids in cages," "No border militarization," "No wall on Native land," "End abuses in ICE jails," "No forced sterilizations," and "Imme…

Fight Back (2021-02-23). South Florida activists hold rally against sanctions, war on Iran. fightbacknews.org Fort Lauderdale, FL – A dozen activists from the South Florida area joined together outside of the Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon, February 20, to denounce U.S. sanctions and any U.S. aggression against Iran, and to urge President Biden to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action without any added stipulations. | This event was part of the "No War on Iran National Days of Action" called for by Youth Against Empire (YAE), the newest formation within the United National Antiwar Coalition. YAE is part of a national initiative by leading anti-war organizations within UNAC to place yo…

Bonnie Haugen, Darvin Bentlage, Barb Kalbach (2021-02-23). President Biden, Who Controls Our Food System Matters. thenation.com Bonnie Haugen, Darvin Bentlage, Barb Kalbach President Biden, Who Controls Our Food System Matters…

William D. Hartung (2021-02-23). Will Biden Really End Our Endless Wars? thenation.com Will Biden Really End Our Endless Wars?

United We Dream California (2021-02-23). Wednesday 2/24: Community Call on Biden's New Immigration Bill w/ United We Dream CA. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Zachary Conti (2021-02-23). 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.

sputniknews (2021-02-23). Biden's Trade Czar Reportedly Primed to Continue Trump's 'Tough on China' Approach. sputniknews.com During his presidency, Donald Trump broke with nearly fifty years of US policy and started a multi-trillion-dollar trade war against China. The Republican accused Beijing of economic transgressions ranging from artificially weakening its currency to stealing US technology. Chinese officials have vocally denied all claims of wrongdoing.

sputniknews (2021-02-23). 'I Don't Know': Biden's AG Pick Dodges Issue of Whether Illegal Immigration Should Remain a Crime. sputniknews.com President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department, Judge Merrick B. Garland, who was earmarked to serve on the US Supreme Court back in 2016, only to have his nomination blocked by the Senate, has been facing two days of questioning at his confirmation hearing before a Senate panel.

_____ (2021-02-23). Iran's Stubbornness on Enrichment Is Understandable, but Not Wise If It Wants to Return to the JCPOA. strategic-culture.org It's easy to understand why Iran wants to play hardball with Biden now after the suffering of years of Trump's sanctions. The problem is that Biden has to see a halt to enrichment as a crucial gesture. Is there a compromise? | The news that Joe Biden took steps recently to withdraw the specific actions by Donald Trump which led the U.S. to quit the JCPOA deal signed in 2015 is welcome by anyone who hopes for peace in the Middle East, but in many respects is nothing more than a diplomatic stunt with nothing really to glean from either side. | Most keen analysts knew that this was likely and Iranian officials were…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-23). UAE-owned arms company wants to help produce F-35 fighter jets. middleeasteye.net UAE-owned arms company wants to help produce F-35 fighter jets | Biden suspended the sale of weapons to the United Arab Emirates approved by Trump in his final days of office | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 10: 32 | EDGE CEO Faisal al-Bannai said his company was ready to produce missiles and parts for the F-35 fighter if sales of the warplane to the UAE were approved (AFP) | The United Arab Emirate's…

RT (2021-02-23). 'The containers offer privacy!' Biden under fire for opening child detainment center, but some liberals jump to defend him. rt.com The first child immigration detainment facility under President Joe Biden opened this week, prompting Democrats who had attacked former President Donald Trump for maintaining similar facilities to go on the defensive. | A former oil field worker camp in Carrizo Springs, Texas, it was briefly used as a detainment facility by the Trump administration in 2019 before being closed down, but is now back in operation to hold "up to 700 children," with the Biden administration saying it was needed since capacity has been cut at other facilities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | Immigration activists were saddened to hea…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Haven't thought about that': Biden's AG nominee Garland dodges question whether illegal immigration should remain a crime. rt.com Former judge Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the Justice Department, seemed to say "I don't know" a lot at his Senate confirmation hearing, including when asked about illegal immigration. | Also on rt.com | | Senators questioned Garland on Monday ahead of the floor vote on his nomination, which appears to be a foregone conclusion. Time and again, however, he would not commit to things such as safeg…

ProPublica (2021-02-23). President Biden wants More Vaccine Doses Sooner: Why it is Physically Impossible before Summer. juancole.com By Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson | — ( ProPublica ) — President Joe Biden has ordered enough vaccines to immunize every American against COVID-19, and his administration says it's using the full force of the federal government to get the doses by July. There's a reason he can't promise them sooner. Vaccine supply chains …

Stephen Lendman (2021-02-23). Biden to Escalate War on Russia by Other Means? 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). | *** | In early February, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said US …

news.un (2021-02-23). UN rights experts call for US to address ongoing violations at 'Kafkaesque' Guantánamo military prison. news.un.org In response to the Biden Administration's announced review into closing the infamous Guantánamo Bay detention centre in Cuba, independent UN human rights experts on Tuesday said it was vital to also address ongoing violations being committed against the 40 or so inmates still incarcerated there.

yenisafak (2021-02-23). How will Biden 'reassess' US-Saudi relationship? yenisafak.com Joe Biden's pledge to "reassess" the US-Saudi relationship was one of the president's boldest campaign promises on foreign policy. Now there seems to be an impetus in the Biden White House to make good on that promise, as US policy vis-à -vis the kingdom is rapidly shifting. Biden's first moves were to announce an end to support for the controversial Saudi campaign in Yemen and to review planned arms transfers to Riyadh. But Biden will likely not stop there and will seek to construct a novel, all-encompassing approach in dealing with one of America's most controversial allies in the Middle East.In a bid to redeem…

Gareth Porter (2021-02-23). US accusation of "genocide" by China based on claims by far-right ideologue. zcomm.org The Trump and Biden administrations have relied on the work of a right-wing religious extremist, Adrian Zenz, for their "genocide" accusation against China. A close review of Zenz's research reveals flagrant data abuse and outright falsehoods…

James Dennis Hoff (2021-02-23). Biden Betrays Promise to Fight for $15. zcomm.org In a conference call with governors last week, Biden assured them that a federal increase in the minimum wage will not pass congress and that he has no intention of fighting to make it happen…

Online News Editor (2021-02-23). US exceeds 500K Covid-19 deaths. laprensalatina.com Washington, Feb 22 (EFE).- The United States on Monday surpassed half a million deaths from Covid-19, a somber record far in excess of any other country's pandemic fatalities and which comes at a time when the Joe Biden administration is accelerating the vaccination campaign. As of 5 pm US Eastern Time, according to the independent …

Staff (2021-02-23). Headlines for February 23, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Passes 500,000, AG Nominee Merrick Garland Pledges to Prosecute January 6 Insurrectionists, Confirmation Hearings Open for Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary, Xavier Becerra for HHS Secretary, President Biden to Meet Virtually with Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau, Supreme Court Won't Block Release of Trump Tax Returns to Manhattan Prosecutors, Boeing 777 Jets Grounded After Engine Explosion Scatters Debris Over Colorado, U.N. Calls for Rescue of Rohingya Refugees Stranded at Sea, Colombian Inquiry Reveals Army Carried Out 6,400 Extrajudicial Killings from 2002-08, Italian Ambassador to…

sputniknews (2021-02-23). Reporter Asks State Department If Biden Cabinet 'Takes Credit' For Trump's Moves on Nord Stream 2. sputniknews.com Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline project that aims to deliver Russian gas to Europe, is subject to pressure from the United States, with Washington claiming that it will harm European energy security, while Moscow insists that the pipeline is a purely economic project.

Marlee Kokotovic (2021-02-23). Trump campaign paid millions to Jan. 6 Capitol riot. nationofchange.org "It was his duty as commander-in-chief to stop the violence. And he alone had that power because they believed that they were following his orders. They said so."

Robert S. Becker (2021-02-23). Texas Jabberwockery — Cruz Roasted After Fleeing Blizzard. nationofchange.org Even worse than backing Trumpster — Glaring "dereliction of duty…"

sputniknews (2021-02-23). Does a Third Party Have a Shot at Success in the US Political System? sputniknews.com The GOP has realised that it cannot win back the US Congress without Donald Trump, while tens of millions of average American voters believe that the former president represents their values and their aims, say American observers, commenting on the recent poll showing Republican voters' loyalty to Trump.

_____ (2021-02-23). Capitol Riots Were a Dark Day for American Journalism. strategic-culture.org By Patrick COCKBURN | The invasion of the The three-hour takeover of the Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob is portrayed as a "coup" or an "insurrection"

RT (2021-02-23). Ex-VP Pence snubs annual conservative conference where his former boss Trump is due to speak, prompting speculations. rt.com While ex-president Donald Trump will be speaking at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he will not be joined by Mike Pence, a fact that has both sides of the political aisle talking theories as to why. | Matt Schlapp, one of the main organizers for the event, has said Pence's refusal to speak at the conference is a "mistake." | "His conservative record is well respected, and conservatives want to hear his take on the current threats posed by socialism and this radicalized Democrat party," he said. | Trump's speech will, meanwhile, be his most public event since leaving office. While…

RT (2021-02-23). #FireFauci trends as he tells vaccinated people to remain under lockdown, blames Trump's 'denial' for massive death count. rt.com Calls for White House adviser Anthony Fauci to be fired have intensified as he continues pushing lockdown restrictions and criticizing former President Donald Trump over Covid-19 deaths. | After cautioning vaccinated individuals from resuming normal activities like dining out or attending large group events, Fauci tried clarifying his stance in a Tuesday interview with CNN, saying more relaxed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be coming "soon." | The agency, Fauci said, needs to "sit down, talk about it, look at the data and then come out with a recommendation based on the…

Online News Editor (2021-02-23). A year on, India communal riot survivors struggle to piece together lives. laprensalatina.com By Moncho Torres New Delhi, Feb 23 (efe-epa).- A year ago on Tuesday, hours before then American President Donald Trump landed in India, religious riots in New Delhi claimed 53 lives and displaced hundreds of families who struggle to rebuild their lives in an endless wait for justice. Among the dead in the worst in …

Susan Price (2021-02-23). United States: Anti-Klan Act of 1871 takes on the enemy from within. greenleft.org.au Civil rights activists are engaging an 1871 law against Ku Klux Klan terrorism to try to bring former president Donald Trump and other white supremacists to account for the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, writes Malik Miah.

Staff (2021-02-23). Trump Attacks Supreme Court for Allowing Probe Into His Tax Returns. truthout.org On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed a New York prosecutor to obtain Donald Trump's tax returns, marking a fatal blow for his legal effort to block an accelerating criminal investigation into his business dealings. In turn, the former president lashed out at and attacked the justices, including the three nominated to the bench by him, who rebuffed his attempt to block the probe without comment. | "This investigation is a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our Country,"

Staff (2021-02-23). GOP Senator on Investigations Committee Blames "Fake Trump Supporters" for Jan 6. truthout.org During a hearing on Tuesday examining the attack on the Capitol building that took place early last month, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) read into the record a widely debunked conspiracy theory, falsely alleging that the attacks themselves were incited not by former President Donald Trump, but by members of the crowd who were there to …

Staff (2021-02-23). Trump Salary Donation Was 0.1 Percent of Reported $1.6 Billion He Made in Office. truthout.org According to a review of Donald Trump's financial disclosures by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Trump reported at least $1,613,583,013 in revenue from outside sources during his presidency. | Trump famously touted

Natalie Shure (2021-02-23). Before Forcing the Vote on Medicare for All, We Must Build Power. thenation.com Before Forcing the Vote on Medicare for All, We Must Build Power…

Chase Iron Eyes (2021-02-23). We Can't Miss the Next Chance to Force the Vote on Medicare for All. thenation.com We Can't Miss the Next Chance to Force the Vote on Medicare for All…

Staff (2021-02-23). Amazon faces a day of reckoning for its treatment of workers. therealnews.com Amazon workers and their allies rallied last weekend to support the union drive at the Bessemer, Alabama, facility. Workers say the company has failed to protect worker safety or improve working conditions even while Amazon and Jeff Bezos profited from the pandemic.

RT (2021-02-23). Amazon mysteriously pulls book critical of transgender movements, gets accused of 'digital book burning'. rt.com Author Ryan T. Anderson has blasted Amazon for removing his latest book on the rise of the transgender movement without explanation, a move that has many criticizing the company for playing politics and accusing it of censorship. | "I hope you've already bought your copy, cause Amazon just removed my book 'When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment' from their cyber shelves…. my other four books are still available (for now)," Anderson 'When Harry Became Sally' had p…

Richard D. Wolff (2021-02-23). The Fake Debate Over a Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org Capitalism's "conservative" defenders yet again oppose raising the minimum wage. They fought raising it in the past much as they tried to prevent the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) that first mandated a U.S. minimum wage. The major argument opponents have used is this: setting or raising a minimum wage threatens small employers. They may collapse or else fire employees; either way, jobs are lost. What is conveniently assumed here is a necessary contradiction between minimum wages and small business jobs. That assumption enables opponents to claim that not setting a legal minimum wage, like not raising it, saves…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Qatar: More than 6,500 south Asian migrant workers have died since 2011, says report. middleeasteye.net Qatar: More than 6,500 south Asian migrant workers have died since 2011, says report | Data compiled from government sources reveals thousands dead since Qatar awarded Fifa World Cup in December 2010 | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 08: 14 | Migrant workers are seen walking next to a construction site in the Qatari capital Doha on 6 December 2016 (AFP) | At least 6,500 migrant workers from south Asian countries have died i…

sputniknews (2021-02-23). Biden's Lack of 'Decisive Action' Against Nord Stream 2 'Disappointed' Ukrainians, Report Says. sputniknews.com In a Monday article for the US news outlet Politico, the foreign ministers of Poland and Ukraine called upon US President Joe Biden to do his best "to put an end" to the Russian-Western European energy project Nord Stream 2, as they warned that Russia was strengthening "its grip on Europe's gas supply".

Staff (2021-02-23). How do you market sex work? therealnews.com We're back with Part II of our special mini-series on work and politics in the sex industry, guest-hosted by friend of the show Jessie Sage. Jessie is a writer, podcaster, phone sex operator, clip artist, and co-owner of Peepshow Media. In this rich and expansive two-part series, Jessie interviews sex worker, activist, writer, undocumented migrant, and DACA recipient from Honduras, Maya Morena. In Part II of their conversation, Maya and Jessie pick up where they left off last week and discuss the day-to-day labor that goes into being a sex worker, the images that sex workers have to maintain, and much more.

John Bachtell (2021-02-23). Republicans oppose the American Rescue Plan at their peril. peoplesworld.org With Republicans scrambling to block emergency economic assistance to millions, the Democratic-led House of Representatives is moving quickly to approve the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) this week. The measure, which links the pandemic, economic crisis, and racial justice, then goes to the Senate. The Democratic majority is expected to pass it via the …

Ed Rampell (2021-02-23). 'Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me' at Pan African Film Festival. peoplesworld.org Undaunted, the pandemic can't stop the Pan African Film Festival. In that immortal show biz tradition, the show must go on! Albeit virtually, as this year, in order to stay cinematically safe, America's largest and best annual Black-themed filmfest since 1992 is moving online and starting later than usual, kicking off on the last day …

Eliza Egret (2021-02-23). Matt Hancock's audacity is off the scale as he refuses to apologise for breaking the law. thecanary.co It should no longer come as a surprise, watching Matt Hancock give himself a pat on the back for how he's handled the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It should also come as no surprise that he accepts zero responsibility for almost But Hancock's audacity flew off the chart on 23 February when he insisted that his team should be thanked, and that there had been no national shortage of PPE. Does Hancock think that a successful roll-out of vaccines…

RT (2021-02-23). Meghan McCain calls for firing of Fauci for 'inconsistent messaging' on Covid, gets roasted for calling vaccine rollout a disaster. rt.com Meghan McCain was taken to the woodshed online after demanding Anthony Fauci be fired for his "inconsistent messaging" on the Covid-19 pandemic, while complaining that she — a TV host — doesn't know when she'll be vaccinated. | The pundit took aim at Fauci during a Monday segment on 'The View' over a recent appearance on CNN, where the health expert suggested those who've received an immunization may still have to practice social distancing. | "I was very frustrated when I saw this clip," she said. "The fact that Dr. Fauci is going on CNN and he can't tell me that if I get the vaccine, if I'll be a…

Staff (2021-02-23). Over 33 Percent of Low-Paid Workers Lost Jobs During Pandemic. truthout.org 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 February and May 2020, the number of unemployed workers soared more than threefold — from 6.2 million to 20.5 million. The jobless rate spiked in a similar fashion from 3.8% to…

Raul Diego (2021-02-23). Part II — Western Capital's Long Chinese Mission: From Opium to COVID Vaccine Credentials. mintpressnews.com We examine the virtually unbroken history between American power-brokers and the highest echelons of power in China — a history that harkens back to the earliest days of capitalism, slavery, and the opium trade.

Patrick Cockburn (2021-02-23). Capitol Riots were a Dark Day for American Journalism. counterpunch.org What is reported matters and particularly so when it risks exaggerating violence or deepening fear and a sense of threat. If the US government really was the target of an armed insurrection, then this will be used to justify repression, as it was after 9/11, and not just against right wing conspiracy theorists. By becoming partisan instruments for spreading fake news, the media undermines its own credibility.

Naomi Klein (2021-02-23). Why Texas Needs the Green New Deal. zcomm.org "The Green New Deal is a plan that could solve so many of Texas's problems and the problems across the country, and Republicans have absolutely nothing to offer except for more deregulation, more privatization, more austerity."

Staff (2021-02-23). U.S. COVID Death Toll Hits 500,000 as Rich Nations Hoard Vaccines, Leaving Poorer Nations Without Any. democracynow.org The United States has passed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, by far the highest toll in the world. The morbid milestone comes as new COVID-19 cases continue to fall across the country amid an accelerating vaccine rollout, but the head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries not to undermine efforts to get vaccines to poorer nations by buying up billions of doses — in some cases ordering enough to vaccinate their populations more than once. "The inequities that we've seen here are just absolutely stunning," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia Uni…

Staff (2021-02-23). Remembering Octavia Butler: Black Sci-Fi Writer Shares Cautionary Tales in Unearthed 2005 Interview. democracynow.org As Democracy Now! marks 25 years on the air, we are revisiting some of the best and most impactful moments from the program's history, including one of the last television interviews given by the visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. She spoke to Democracy Now! in November 2005, just three months before she died on February 24, 2006, at age 58. Butler was the first Black woman to win Hugo and Nebula awards for science-fiction writing and the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur "genius" fellowship. Her best-known books include the classics "Kindred," as well as "Parable of the Sowe…

Staff (2021-02-23). adrienne maree brown: Octavia Butler's Visions of the Future Have Transformed Generation of Readers. democracynow.org The visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler died 15 years ago on February 24, 2006, but her influence and readership has only continued to grow since then. In September, Butler's novel "Parable of the Sower" became her first to reach the New York Times best-seller list. We speak with adrienne maree brown, a writer and Octavia Butler scholar, who says Butler had a remarkable talent for universalizing Black stories. "She wrote about Black women and about Black feminism, about Black futures, but she wrote in a way that appealed to all human beings," says brown.

Peter Koenig (2021-02-23). Die Twilight Zone: Covid, das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) und Eugenik. 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). | *** | àúbrsetzt aus dem Englischen von Global Research: | |

Eds. (2021-02-23). Demographic characteristics of people receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States. mronline.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with states to provide more information on the demographic characteristics of vaccinated people.

Sameena Rahman (2021-02-23). FBI, NYPD exposed: Deathbed confession shines new light on assassination of Malcolm X. liberationnews.org Fifty-six years after the assasination of Malcolm X, new details from a former New York Police Department officer's deathbed confession has further implicated the NYPD and FBI in the killing. Raymond Wood, the former NYPD officer, requested the letter be publicized only after his death due to fears of retaliation. Wood's cousin, Reggie Wood, read …

Steve Sweeney (2021-02-23). Erdogan slammed, will open a fascist 'Grey Wolves' school in occupied Artsakh. peoplesworld.org Anti-fascist forces in Turkey blasted authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's links to right-wing paramilitary death squads today after reports that he will open a new Grey Wolves school in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. He will lay the foundation for the building alongside Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in the city of Shushi, which was taken by Azeri forces …

John Clamp (2021-02-23). Rohingya: The Sufis of Arakan. counterpunch.org 'It was absolutely shocking, how children aged five or six were hunted down and had their throats slit. I was thinking 'this is ISIS-type stuff'. I told Aung San Suu Kyi 'you have moral standing in this country. You have to stop this. Why are you hiding it?' She said [the United Nations] needed to

Sami Al-Arian (2021-02-23). Mourning Dr. Agha Saeed, Celebrating his Life. counterpunch.org Dr. Agha Saeed , a towering American-Muslim figure has passed away today in a nursing home at the age of 72, due to complications from Covid-19. He had also been silently suffering from Parkinson's for over eight years. The history of American Muslims will be incomplete and extremely inadequate without recognizing Dr. Saeed's life achievements

Tom Conway (2021-02-23). Corporations, lawmakers collude in new multi-state 'right to work' offensive. peoplesworld.org Dave Dell Isola, the son and grandson of union members, grew up grateful for the family-sustaining wages and benefits that organized labor won for working people. But he never fully grasped the might of solidarity until he and his wife, Barbara, and their two sons lost everything in an apartment fire. Dell Isola's brothers and …

Jonah Raskin (2021-02-23). Notes on Black History Month, 2021: No More Black Messiahs, Please. counterpunch.org The sign in the window of my neighborhood food store reads, "Black Lives Matter." I have shopped there at least once a week over the past year. I have never seen a Black person in the store or a Black person working there. That is not strange or unusual. There aren't many Black people in all of northern California. Indeed, there are fewer Blacks in the Bay Area than there were in the 1940s and 1950s. They've been pushed out.

Liberation Staff (2021-02-23). Student activists in Weymouth, Mass. vs the cult of 'blue lives matter'. liberationnews.org The rhetoric surrounding "blue lives matter" isn't new. Similar dogwhistles have been used to defend hate symbols such as the confederate flag, the Gadsden flag, and even the swastika.

Ben Hillier (2021-02-23). What coronavirus taught us about the ruling class. mronline.org If half a million people in the United States were murdered by an evil cult, the leaders of which said that they would keep killing thousands a day to satisfy their rapacious urge for power and money, what do you think the response would be?>

Ronda Shelton (2021-02-23). Killer cop still not on trial almost 3 years after killing Daniel Hambrick in Tennessee. liberationnews.org As made clear by the video footage, when Delke was unable to catch his victim on foot, he stopped running, assumed a firing position, and shot Hambrick three times, including once in the back of the head.

Richard C. Gross (2021-02-23). Welcoming a Return to Sanity. counterpunch.org In the old days, specifically during the presidency of another actor, Ronald Reagan, Republican falsehoods seemed so quaint that Americans dismissed them as such, relegating them to sloganeering. "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem," the conservative president charged during his first inaugural address in 1981. Nonsense. Reagan's phrase was

David L. Wilson (2021-02-23). Crediting Xenophobia—rather than organizing—with raising workers' wages. mronline.org The Economist (2/15/20) ran a brief article last year with a startling headline: "Immigration to America Is Down. Wages Are Up. Are the Two Related?" Maybe, the article's anonymous author answered, at least for the short term.

Eds. (2021-02-23). Bhima Koregaon: Varavara Rao gets bail on medical grounds for six months. mronline.org Just as the Bombay HC pronounced the verdict, the additional solicitor general sought a stay on the order for three weeks. However, the court rejected it.

Sanket Jain (2021-02-23). India's Farm Crisis: "They Sell Our Wheat to Us at Thrice the Price" counterpunch.org Laxmibai Kale has been losing a portion of her harvest every year. That's not been due to excessive rainfall or drought or poor farming techniques. "Our crops are destroyed," said 60-year-old Laxmibai, "because thepanchayat allows animals to graze on the land. I've lost count of the losses we've suffered." The five-acre plot in Mohadi village

Talli Nauman (2021-02-23). The Race to Save the Vaquita Porpoise From Extinction. counterpunch.org San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. The long-running global struggle to prevent extinction of the world's most endangered marine mammal claimed its first human life here on Jan. 2, in the conflict between illegal fishing and conservation of the vaquita porpoise. Fisherman Mario Garcia Toledo, 56, died after suffering massive injuries when his skiff collided with

W.E.B. DuBois, Gus Hall (2021-02-23). From the People's World archives: W.E.B. DuBois joins the Communist Party. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: Dr. William E. Burghhardt DuBois was born Feb. 23, 1868. Near the end of his life, in 1961, he applied for membership in the Communist Party USA. His letter, and the response from Gus Hall, leader of the party at that time, were published for the first time in the pages of The …

Karl Grossman (2021-02-23). Plutonium in Space: What Are the Odds of a Catastrophe? counterpunch.org With all the media hoopla last week about the Perseverance rover, going almost totally unreported was that its energy source is plutonium—considered the most lethal of all radioactive substances—and nowhere in media that NASA projected 1-in-960 odds of the plutonium being released in an accident on the mission. "A '1-in-960 chance' of a deadly plutonium release

MEE staff (2021-02-23). UAE-backed STC forces accused of torturing Yemeni journalist. middleeasteye.net UAE-backed STC forces accused of torturing Yemeni journalist | Adel al-Hasani produced a CNN report critical of the UAE's activities in Yemen, which a source says is the reason behind his detention | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 12: 04 | Hasani is an investigative journalist, producer and fixer for international journalists, based in the southern Yemeni city of Aden (Social media) | Yemen's UAE-backed Southern Transition…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-02-23). Erbil attack a warning to Iraqi Kurds, not the US, say Shia commanders. middleeasteye.net Erbil attack a warning to Iraqi Kurds, not the US, say Shia commanders | With tensions over Sinjar sky high, Iran-backed groups say they are happy to see the Kurdish authorities under pressure but not sure who fired the rockets | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 09: 22 | A gun and bullets belonging to a Yazidi militia affiliated with the PKK in the border area near Sinjar in 2016 (Reuters) | The recent miss…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-23). Saudi Arabia to allow women to join military for first time. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia to allow women to join military for first time | The move is the latest in a series of policy changes designed to change the image of the ultra-conservative kingdom | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 11: 15 | Saudi women watch golfers compete in the Saudi Ladies International golf tournament (AFP) | Saudi Arabia has announced it will allow women to apply for the military for the first time in its…

Nadda Osman (2021-02-23). Outcry in Kuwait over suicide of stateless Bidoon child. middleeasteye.net Outcry in Kuwait over suicide of stateless Bidoon child | Thousands of people are highlighting the case online and demanding an end to the community's marginalisation | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 07 | An illustration of the child has been shared online with the caption 'you have returned to God, the most merciful, Ali' (Screengrab/Twitter) | Reports of a 12-year-old child's suicide from Kuwait's stateless pop…

Ragip Soylu (2021-02-23). Greece-Turkey tensions: Ankara claims Greek jets harassed research vessel. middleeasteye.net Greece-Turkey tensions: Ankara claims Greek jets harassed research vessel | The dispute comes despite recent talks to resolve long-standing maritime hostilities between the two countries | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 12: 45 | A Turkish military ship passes a coastguard patrol boat near the island of Lesbos on 6 March 2020 (AFP) | Turkey said on Tuesday that four Greek F-16s harassed a Turkish research vessel near…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Human rights 'central' to US-Egypt ties, Blinken tells Egyptian counterpart. middleeasteye.net Human rights 'central' to US-Egypt ties, Blinken tells Egyptian counterpart | Antony Blinken raised human rights concerns in call with Sameh Shoukry, but rights advocates are demanding concrete action from Washington | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 21: 33 | Egyptian police cadets at training session at a police academy in Cairo, 30 December 2019 (AFP/File photo) | US Secretary of State Tony Blinken told his Egyptian count…

Ali Harb (2021-02-23). Reviving Iran deal is 'most urgent' priority, says EU's Josep Borrell. middleeasteye.net Reviving Iran deal is 'most urgent' priority, says EU's Josep Borrell | Top European official rejects push to expand nuclear deal beyond its current scope to address other issues with Iran | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 18: 46 | Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) welcomes EU's Josep Borrell in Tehran on 3 February 2020 (AFP/File photo) | Top EU foreign policy official Josep Borrell has called reviving the Iran nuclear deal "th…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Syria: Russia digs up graves in refugee camp in search of dead Israeli spy Eli Cohen. middleeasteye.net Syria: Russia digs up graves in refugee camp in search of dead Israeli spy Eli Cohen | The three-week excavation of Yarmouk cemetery is part of a search for the former Mossad agent, according to report | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 16: 01 | Damaged graves in the Yarmouk refugee camp cemetery following a bomb attack by Syrian government forces in Damascus, 11 April 2015 (Rami al-Sayed/AFP) | Russian forces in Syria have…

MEE staff (2021-02-23). Al Jazeera to launch new platform targeting US conservatives. middleeasteye.net Al Jazeera to launch new platform targeting US conservatives | Journalists expressed outrage over launch of Rightly, saying digital platform deviated from network's stated mission of giving a voice to the voiceless | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 17: 43 | Al Jazeera briefly launched an American news channel and website in 2013 but it was forced to shut down (AFP) | The Al Jazeera news network is launching a new digital pl…

Mike Walter (2021-02-23). The Heat: China-U.S. relations. america.cgtn.com Putting relations back on the right track. China makes the case for cooperation, instead of confrontation, with the United States.

Elizabeth Anderson (2021-02-23). What Comes After Meritocracy? thenation.com The long-standing focus by liberals on meritocratic advancement has isolated the working class.

PAI (2021-02-23). Unions, Poor People's Campaign press wage hike ahead of Congress vote. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—With notable union backing, led by Service Employees President Mary Kay Henry, the New Poor People's Campaign turned up pressure on Congress to approve raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, ahead of key votes on Capitol Hill. The pressure came in nine live demonstrations from coast to coast, despite rain in …

Tom Anderson (2021-02-23). Campaigners call for the strengthening of Welsh language rights as people globally stand up for oppressed mother languages. thecanary.co Sunday 21 February The International Mother Language Day Kurdistan: | Commentators on Twitter highlighted the continued o…

Sarah Anderson, Scott Klinger and Brian Wakamo (2021-02-23). Black Families Have a Vital Stake in the Future of the Postal Service. counterpunch.org The United States Postal Service is under strong pressure to make deep spending cuts that would be devastating for customers and employees across the country. Black families have a particularly large stake in the debate over the future of this vital public service. USPS has long been a major source of good middle-class jobs for

Paul Haeder (2021-02-23). American Exceptionalism: Private Wealth and Public Squalor. dissidentvoice.org A December 2017 statement from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights notes that, while the US manages to spend "more [money] on national defence than China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United Kingdom, India, France, and Japan combined", US infant mortality rates were, as of 2013, "the highest in the developed world". …

Ian Cobain (2021-02-23). British royal family members have met with Gulf rulers over 200 times since 2011. middleeasteye.net British royal family members have met with Gulf rulers over 200 times since 2011 | UK royals have held the equivalent of one meeting a fortnight with Middle Eastern monarchies over the past 10 years | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 09 | Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Buckingham Palace in central London on 7 March 2018 (AFP) | Members of Britain's royal family h…

Ian Cobain (2021-02-23). British royals met with autocratic Arab monarchs 'over 200 times' since 2011. middleeasteye.net British royals met with autocratic Arab monarchs 'over 200 times' since 2011 | UK royal family members have reportedly held the equivalent of one meeting a fortnight with 'tyrannical' Arab rulers over the past 10 years | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 09 | Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Buckingham Palace in central London on 7 March 2018 (AFP) | Members of Brit…

RT (2021-02-23). Bill Gates admits his 'large carbon footprint' makes him a 'strange person' to pressure others — as he plugs climate-change book. rt.com Microsoft founder Bill Gates has admitted his private jet and billionaire lifestyle make him a "strange person" to advocate against climate change, but insists he's doing his part bankrolling obscure tech years away from adoption. | While Gates acknowledged his critics had good reason to question why a man with "the biggest carbon footprint west of the Mississippi" was "preaching" to them about climate change, the software magnate-turned climate crusader insisted he was sincere about trying to shrink even his own massive consumption levels. | In a chummy discussion with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Tuesday, Gate…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Jeep Grand Christopher sounds good': Twitter split after Cherokee Nation chief asks carmaker to stop 'honoring' his tribe. rt.com Naming a vehicle after a Native American tribe is wrong even if the intentions were good, the Cherokee Nation principal chief has said, and Twitter has some ideas for what to call Jeep SUVs instead. | Jeep Cherokee SUVs have been produced since 1974, and in the early 1990s, Chrysler (now part of the Netherlands-based company Stellantis) added the luxury Jeep Grand Cherokee model line to its range. Chuck Hoskin, who heads the largest of the three federally-recognized Cherokee tribes in the US, believes his people's name should not be "plastered on the side of a car," regardless of the motives for putting it the…

RT (2021-02-23). 'Stripped NAKED and left in cell with lights on': Trans woman charged in Capitol riot alleges mistreatment in jail. rt.com A transgender woman charged in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol says she was held naked in a constantly lit jail cell for four days, asking the court to be placed under house arrest instead. Jail officials denied mistreatment.