(2021-04-22). U.S. Joins Past Empires In Afghan Graveyard. zcomm.org President Biden announced a removal of all U.S. troops by September 11, but he failed to include some important details…
(2021-04-22). Decolonization or Extinction: Indigenous Red Deal Lays Out Plan to Save the Earth. democracynow.org 
On Earth Day, we speak with two of the more than two dozen Indigenous authors of a new book that looks at the history of resistance against colonialism and capitalism and lays out a vision for the future to address the climate crisis. "The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth" details the centuries of Indigenous resistance that created the movement at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access pipeline and what movements centering justice for Indigenous people must look like. The book offers a "people's program to prevent extinction," says Melanie Yazzie, assistant professor of Native American studies and A…
(2021-04-22). Biden's Anti-China Ambitions. counterpunch.org Like his immediate predecessor, Joe Biden is committed to a distinctly anti-China global strategy and has sworn that China will not "become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world… on my watch." In the topsy-turvy universe created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it
(2021-04-22). "An Apocalyptic Situation": Indian Hospitals Overwhelmed as COVID Cases Soar in "Modi-Made Disaster" democracynow.org 
We go to Mumbai, India, for an update on the state of crisis in the country as COVID-19 cases surge and hospitals run out of oxygen. India recently recorded 315,000 new cases in a single day, the highest daily toll in any country since the start of the pandemic, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued to hold large campaign rallies. Public health experts have blamed the surge on a number of factors, including the government's reluctance to impose another round of lockdowns, the spread of a double mutant variant of the virus, a recent Hindu festival attended by millions, and a slow vaccination drive. India…
(2021-04-22). Headlines for April 22, 2021. democracynow.org India Reports Over 315,000 COVID-19 Infections, the Single Worst Daily Toll of Pandemic, Latin American Nations Suffer "Worst Moment" of Coronavirus Pandemic, U.S. Vaccination Pace Slows as White House Hits Goal of 200 Million Doses in 100 Days, Department of Justice Launches Civil Probe into Minneapolis Police Misconduct, Funeral Services Held for Daunte Wright, 20-Year-Old Black Man Killed by White Minnesota Cop, NC Protesters Demand Release of Footage Showing Police Killing of Andrew Brown, Columbus Police Body-Camera Footage Shows Officer Shot 16-Year-Old Ma'Khia Bryant Four Times, GOP Lawmakers in Iowa and O…
(2021-04-22). Meet the Texas Doctor Developing a "People's Vaccine" to Help Inoculate Billions Around the World. democracynow.org 
We look at the state of the pandemic and vaccine rollout in the United States and around the world with Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Hotez is part of a team at Baylor University that is working with a private Indian company to develop a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine. The task of developing a simple vaccine is "daunting," Dr. Hotez says. "We're talking about 5 billion doses of vaccine. And the question is: Where do you get 5 billion doses of vaccine?" he says. "We'r…
(2021-04-22). Risen from the Ruins: The Economic History of Socialism in the German Democratic Republic. mronline.org 
The German Democratic Republic (DDR) was a socialist state founded in 1949 as a democratic, antifascist reaction to the Second World War. It redistributed land, socialised the means of production, and collectivised the agricultural system. | April 21, 2021 | Commentary…
(2021-04-22). 2021 Elections In Albania: Edi Rama's Political Capitulation — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Albania has entered the final phase of the election campaign for the parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place on 25 April 2021. | Once again the elections will be a confrontation between two old rivals. Specifically, the Socialist Party (PS/S&D) headed by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the opposition group led by the Democratic Party (PD/EPP) headed by Lulzim Basha, which also includes the Movement for Socialist Integration (LSI) headed by Monika Kryemadhi. | As after the parliamentary elections Albania will be faced with the transition of government, it is necessary to ensure a peaceful transition and ac…
(2021-04-22). A big Effing Deal: On Eve of Climate Summit, news that Biden will cut US C02 Emissions 50% by 2030. juancole.com 
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — ( Matthew Daly at the Associated Press reports that President Biden will announce at Thursday's virtual international Climate Summit that the US will commit to reducing its annual carbon dioxide emissions by half of the 2005 peak by 2030. Joe Biden famously used an expletive to describe the passage of …
(2021-04-22). Ambitious Earth Day target: Biden announces 50% emissions cut. peoplesworld.org 
President Joe Biden announced an ambitious goal to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in response to the looming climate crisis on Thursday morning. With the goal, GHG emissions are to be reduced by 50% of the 2005 level by the year 2030. Environmentalists, scientists, labor leaders, and many elected officials and businesses enthusiastically greeted …
(2021-04-22). Columbus, Ohio, police kill 16-year-old. liberationnews.org 
Merely 20 minutes before Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict was announced to the nation, 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant was shot four times in the chest by officer Nicholas Reardon of the Columbus Police Department.
(2021-04-22). Why is AFL-CIO So Worried About Its Vermont Affiliate? counterpunch.org 
Two years ago, a group of local union activists launched a reform campaign, called "Vermont AFL-CIO United!." They were frustrated with their own labor council's lack of militancy and creativity, plus its inability to aid new organizing, contract campaigns, or strikes. In a rare contested election, the Vermont reformers called for greater rank-and-file activism, within AFL-CIO affiliated unions and other Vermont labor organizations which represent state employees and teachers.
(2021-04-22). Biden's Drone Wars. counterpunch.org 
On Thursday, April 15, the New York Times posted an article headed, "How the U.S. Plans to Fight From Afar After Troops Exit Afghanistan," just in case anyone misunderstood the previous day's headline, "Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says 'It Is Time to End the Forever War'" as indicating the U.S. war in Afghanistan might actually come to an end on September 11, 2021, almost 20 years after it started.
(2021-04-22). Clashes Between SDF, NDF Renew In Al-Qamishli Despite Russian Efforts (Videos). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image. | Clashes between the pro-government Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF) and Asayish, the security wing of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are still ongoing in the city of al-Qamishli in northeastern Syria. | The clashes came to a temporary halt on April 22 morning. A delegation of the Russian Military Police and the Syrian Arab Army met with representatives of Asayish in the Tayy district, where the clashes first broke out. | The two sides reportedly agreed on a ceasefire to de-esca…
(2021-04-22). Biden Opens Climate Summit With Pledge to Cut US Emissions in Half by 2030. truthout.org 
President Joe Biden on Thursday has pledged to cut carbon emissions from the U.S. to half of what they were in 2005 by the end of this decade. His announcement came on the first day of a virtual climate summit hosted by Biden. | "I've talked to the experts and I see the potential for a more prosperous and equitable future,"
(2021-04-22). 72-Year-Old Fisher Hunger Strikes to Press Biden to Revive Crude Oil Export Ban. truthout.org 
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | Seventy-two-year-old, fourth-generation retired shrimper Diane Wilson has been without food for 16 days. Her 1995 red Chevy, nicknamed "Rosie," has become a mobile campsite, and each morning she posts up on a causeway at the waterfront of Texas's Lavaca Bay, expending just enough energy to switch out a sign displaying the number of days she's been on hunger strike an…
(2021-04-22). Green New Deal Is Essential for Human Survival. zcomm.org If we do end up building a viable clean energy system through a global Green New Deal, we will therefore also succeed in advancing democracy and egalitarianism…
(2021-04-22). Vienna Talks Reveal Biden Team's Attachment to Sanctions that Would Torpedo Iran Deal. orinocotribune.com By Gareth Porter — Apr 18, 2021 | Biden's foreign policy team refuses to relieve Iran from sanctions illegally imposed by the Trump administration, setting the stage for the collapse of negotiations and a major crisis. | The Biden administration signaled once again at the April 9 Vienna meeting on the Iran nuclear deal that it intends to maintain Trump-era Iran sanctions in an effort to win political and military concessions going well beyond the original deal itself. Team Biden continued to insist during the conference that Iran return to full compliance with the nuclear agreement without any reciprocal US…
(2021-04-22). Afghanistan Under the Taliban: It Won't Be Like Last Time. sputniknews.com We've been in Afghanistan 20 years, Joe Biden's generals told him. All we need is a little more time. The president overruled them, ordering a complete withdrawal of American troops by September 11th.
(2021-04-22). On Eve of Climate Summit, Biden will cut US C02 Emissions 50% by 2030. zcomm.org With the Biden plan, we'll be putting on significantly less "weight" every year, and the carbon sink of the oceans will then allow us to "lose" a lot of carbon weight…
(2021-04-22). Armenian Genocide Was A Christian Genocide — OpEd. eurasiareview.com On April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, President Biden is expected to make a statement on the massacre of the Armenian people that took place in 1915-1916. This was the first of three genocides in the twentieth century; the other two were Stalin's mass killing of the Ukrainians and Hitler's annihilation of the Jews. | We urge President Biden to call the massacre of the Armenians for what it is—genocide. To this day, Turkish leaders take umbrage at any mention of this subject, preferring to live in a state of denial. We should not appease them any longer. Regrettably, too many presidents and sena…
(2021-04-22). Will Biden's Central American Plan Slow Migration (or Speed It Up)? orinocotribune.com By Aviva Chomsky — Apr 20, 2021 | Joe Biden entered the White House with some inspiring yet contradictory positions on immigration and Central America. He promised to reverse Donald Trump's draconian anti-immigrant policies while, through his " Although t…
(2021-04-22). Biden's Education Proposals Sets Off Washington Post Orgy of Really Big Numbers. cepr.net In an article that ran under the headline "Biden's mammoth education agenda would the federal role from cradle to college," the Washington Post spewed a whole set of budget numbers with literally no context whatsoever, not even giving the number of years over which the money would be spent. For example, the piece told readers …
(2021-04-22). The planet's on 'red alert' UN chief warns leaders at President Biden's climate summit. news.un.org World leaders must act now and put the planet on a green path because "we are at the verge of the abyss", UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday in his address to the virtual climate summit convened by United States President Joseph Biden.
(2021-04-22). A Biden-Putin Summit: Jaw-Jaw is Better than War-War. counterpunch.org On April 13, US president Joe Biden spoke by phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin, whom he has previously referred to, in pot/kettle fashion, as a "killer." During the call, Biden proposed a summit between the two in the near future. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Russian chess legend and political exile Garry Kasparov
(2021-04-22). Pompeo Touts 'Toughest' GOP Sanctions Bill on Iran Amid Signs of Tentative Progress at Vienna Talks. sputniknews.com Amid ongoing Vienna talks to reactivate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Biden administration has been sending indications to Tehran that it may consider reducing punitive sanctions currently targeting Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
(2021-04-22). Earth Day 2021: A Turning Point For Climate Action — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Earth Day 2021 marks a historic moment for action on climate change. Today, at President Biden's unprecedented Leaders Summit on Climate, he put forward an ambitious national commitment from the US to help the world tackle the climate crisis — to halve greenhouse gas emissions from the country by 2030 compared to 2005. | Combined with existing commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 from the EU, the UK and other major G20 economies including Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as a commitment from President Xi to peak China's carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon-neutral growth by 20…
(2021-04-22). Democrats Must Stop Sacrificing Good American Nuclear Jobs For Cheap Chinese Solar Panels — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The Biden Administration is
(2021-04-22). President Biden At The Virtual Leaders Summit On Climate Opening Session — Transcript. eurasiareview.com Thank you, Madam Vice President. | Good morning to all of our colleagues around the world — the world leaders who are taking part in this summit. I thank you. You know, your leadership on this issue is a statement to the people of your nation and to the people of every nation, especially our young people, that we're ready to meet this moment. And meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet; it's also about providing a better future for all of us. | That's why, when people talk about climate, I think jobs. Within our climate response lies an extraordinary engine of job creation and econom…
(2021-04-22). Tim Kirby, Joaquin Flores — The Strategy Session, Episode 14. strategic-culture.org The Biden Circle's foreign policy agenda is secondary — It's prime objective is to forestage 'toughness', Alastair Crooke writes. Tim and Joaquin discuss
(2021-04-22). Who Wags the Dog? Israel's Friends in Washington Mean Constant War in the Middle East. strategic-culture.org Biden, like presidents before him, is caught in the trap between an extremist-dominated Israel and the all-powerful domestic Israel Lobby. | Donald Trump, who was elected President of the United States in 2016, may have won due to voters attracted by his pledge to end many of the "stupid" wars that the American military was involved in worldwide. In the event, however, he ended no wars in spite of several attempts to withdraw from Afghanistan and Syria, and almost started new conflicts with cruise missile attacks and the assassination of an Iranian general. Trump was consistently outmaneuvered by his "experts" on…
(2021-04-22). Seoul: US Is Reviewing Peace Declaration That Would Officially End Korean War. news.antiwar.com The US is Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Moon's peace proposal would replace the 1953 Armistice and officially end the war. While Chung said the US was reviewing the proposal, he also said he believes the Biden administration might want to make progress towards "denuclearization" before signing it. | The Biden administration says it is conducting a review of its North Korea policy but has als…
(2021-04-22). Turkey: HDP calls for international solidarity as show trial begins. greenleft.org.au The progressive Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey has called for international solidarity on April 26, reports Peter Boyle.
(2021-04-22). Pompeo Joins House Republicans to Unveil Iran Sanctions Bill. news.antiwar.com Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo The legislation, titled
(2021-04-22). Ohio Students Sit-in To Demand University Cut Ties With Police. popularresistance.org Students at Ohio State staged a sit-in protest and demanded that the university cut ties with Columbus Police in the wake of the killing of Ma'Khia Bryant. | The protest took place one day after a police officer shot and killed the 16-year-old girl in the city, just as the verdict in the George Floyd trial was reached. | Students staged their Wednesday protest in the Ohio Union before taking to the streets to march. | Some carried signs with the victim's name, along with phrases like "say her name", while another student had a sign that said, "Being Black shouldn't be a death sentence." | "Ohio State supports the…
(2021-04-22). Syrian Election Amid Terrorism and the US Occupation. globalresearch.ca On April 19, the
(2021-04-21). Biden isn't Ending the Afghanistan War, he's Privatizing it: Special Forces, Pentagon Contractors, Intelligence Operatives will Remain. orinocotribune.com 
By Jeremy Kuzmarov — Apr 16, 2021 | Over 18,000 Pentagon contractors remain in Afghanistan, while official troops number 2,500. Joe Biden will withdraw this smaller group of soldiers while leaving behind US Special Forces, mercenaries, and intelligence operatives — privatizing and downscaling the war, but not ending it. | On April 14, President Joe Biden announced that he would end the U.S.'s longest war and withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan on the 20th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. | Over 6,000 NATO troops will also be withdrawn by that time. | "War in Afghanistan was…
(2021-04-21). The Saudi Lobby Moves From K Street to Main Street. counterpunch.org Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving American oil and gas companies feeling the pain. As oil prices plummeted, Republican
(2021-04-21). Black Visions Collective: We Need to Abolish the Police & End Militarized Occupations of Our Cities. democracynow.org 
The police murder of George Floyd added jet fuel to a nationwide push to defund the police. We go to Minneapolis to speak with Kandace Montgomery, co-executive director of Black Visions Collective, about their response to the guilty verdict for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd and an update on the push to divest from Minneapolis police and invest in communities.
(2021-04-21). Historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad: Policing in U.S. Was Built on Racism & Should Be Put on Trial. democracynow.org 
A Minnesota jury's conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin on three counts for murdering George Floyd does not go far enough in dismantling police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, says historian and author Khalil Gibran Muhammad. "We know that while the prosecution was performing in such a way to make the case that Derek Chauvin was a rogue actor, the truth is that policing should have been on trial in that case," Muhammad says. "We don't have a mechanism in our current system of laws in the way that we treat individual offenses to have that accountability and justice delivered." Muhammad also l…
(2021-04-21). Guilty on All Counts: Derek Chauvin Verdict Triggers Relief & Determination to Keep Fighting. democracynow.org 
A jury in Minneapolis has convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin on three counts for murdering George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds last year. The jury reached its decision after 10 hours of deliberation. Derek Chauvin will be sentenced in two months. He faces up to 40 years in prison for the most serious charge, second-degree murder. He is the first white police officer in Minnesota to ever be convicted of killing a Black man. We feature reactions from people gathered outside the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, comments from George Floyd's brother and nephew, as…
(2021-04-21). Headlines for April 21, 2021. democracynow.org Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty on All Counts for Murdering George Floyd, Police Shoot Dead 16-Year-Old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio, Judge Denies Dismissal of Prison Sentence for Officer Who Shot and Killed Walter Scott in 2015, India Faces COVID "Storm"; AMLO Gets COVID Vaccine; U.S. Warns Against Travel to 80% of Globe, Johnson & Johnson Resumes European Rollout After Regulator Says Benefits Outweigh Blood Clot Risk, AOC and Sen. Markey Reintroduce Green New Deal as Biden Sets Ambitious Emissions Target, Idriss Déby's Son Named Interim Leader Following Chadian President's Death, Journalists in Over 100 Cou…
(2021-04-21). Amid Nuclear Talks, 40 Groups Urge Biden to Lift Sanctions on Covid-Ravaged Iran. commondreams.org "By prioritizing humanitarian relief for Iran and other sanctioned states, President Biden can follow through on his campaign commitment and demonstrate that the U.S. can be a force for global good." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_sanctions_2000x1047-2.png …
(2021-04-21). 'Exactly the Person We Need': Senate Confirms Civil Rights Champion Vanita Gupta for Key Spot at DOJ. commondreams.org Every Republican senator except one voted against the veteran attorney and rights advocate. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/vanita-gupta-confirmed-senate.jpg …
(2021-04-21). Systemic Racism won't End with One Trial, But Biden-Harris can enlist Government in addressing Economic Inequality at its Root. juancole.com 
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — African-Americans face aggressive policing in part because, on average, they lack resources. Household wealth allows a family to donate to political campaigns, to ensure a good education for their children, and to join influential civic clubs and organizations. The Center for American Progress reports that in 2019, before the distortions …
(2021-04-21). Tax Stock Returns: If Biden Really Wants to Close Corporate Income Tax Loopholes. counterpunch.org 
President Biden has indicated that he wants to raise much of the money to cover the cost of his infrastructure program by raising the corporate income tax. The amount of money raised through the corporate income tax plummeted following the Trump tax cut in 2017. In non-recession years it had been averaging close to 2.0
(2021-04-21). Washington is Spoiling for a new Cold War with China, but this Ambition needs a Reality Check. juancole.com 
( Tomdispatch.com ) — Like his immediate predecessor, Joe Biden is committed to a distinctly anti-China global strategy and has sworn that China will not "become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world… on my watch." In the topsy-turvy universe created by …
(2021-04-21). US Has No Moral Standing to Criticize Russia or China. counterpunch.org 
President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken are worried about Russian Putin critic and presidential aspirant, currently in a Russian prison after conviction on charges of skipping bail and leaving the country and other charges, being abused and at risk of dying in jail. That threat may or may not be real,
(2021-04-21). Personal Dispute Sparked Heavy Clashes Between Government Forces, SDF In Syria's Al-Qamishli (Videos). southfront.org 
Screen grab from a video released by the Hawar News Agency (ANHA). | Late on April 20, heavy clashes broke out between the pro-government Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF) and Asayish, the security wing of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeastern Syrian city of al-Qamishli. | Asayish claimed that NDF forces attacked one of its checkpoints near the Tayy district in the city. An officer known as Ahmad Hajji was killed and four others were injured in the incident. Asayish responded by launching a lar…
(2021-04-21). First Of Many To Come: US Supply Convoy Attacked In Northeastern Syria (Photos). southfront.org 
Illustrative image | On April 20, a convoy moving supplies and vehicles for the US-led coalition in northeastern Syria came under attack. | The convoy, which was escorted by units from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED) in the town of al-Sabhah in southeastern Deir Ezzor. The supply convoy was on its way to the Omar oil fields, where US forces maintain a large presence. | As a result of the attack, a pickup of the SDF was damaged. Furthermore, two civilians,…
(2021-04-21). Syrian Presidential Elections: Assad Files To Run For Third Term Despite Criticism. southfront.org 
Syrian President Bashar Assad. FILE IMAGE: Michael Klimentiev/TASS | On April 21, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad submitted documents to run for a third term in the election scheduled for May 26. | The news was announced by Hammouda Sabbagh, the Speaker of Syrian People's Assembly. Under Syria's electoral laws, al-Assad, like all other candidates, needs the support of at least 35 members of the People's Assembly to officially enter the presidential race. | President al-Assad was the sixth to file for the upcoming presidentia…
(2021-04-21). Republicans Have Introduced 81 Anti-Protest Laws in 34 States Just This Year. truthout.org 
As protesters have rallied across the U.S. over the past year against police-perpetrated violence and brutality, Republicans in state legislatures have been busy cooking up anti-protest laws. Reporting has found that, just in the 2021 legislative session, Republicans This is double the number of anti-protest laws that have been f…
(2021-04-21). Are Republicans Breaking Up With Big Business? Don't Hold Your Breath. truthout.org 
Mitch McConnell doesn't seem to be adjusting well to the new limits of his power, following his ouster from the majority leader seat last November. A once nigh-omnipotent power broker, McConnell has now found his influence diminished to the point that he's yelling strange things at stranger targets. He spent a chunk of last week unspooling some doozies directed at corporate America, which has long been a close ally of the Republican Party. | The trouble began in Georgia, a state whose GOP officials we…
(2021-04-21). Ocasio-Cortez: "Verdicts Are Not Substitutes for Policy Change" truthout.org 
After a jury on Monday afternoon found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin "For a lot of us that have been in this fight for justice, in this…
(2021-04-21). Sanders, Jayapal Introduce Bill to Make College Free for Nearly 80% of Americans. truthout.org 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would make college and university tuition-free for most people living in the United States. | The legislation would allow for families that earn less than $125,000 in yearly household income
(2021-04-21). Rising Drug Prices Will Become Leading Cause of Senior Citizen Deaths, Report Finds. projectcensored.org The rising cost of prescription drugs could lead to the premature deaths of 1.1 million seniors in Medicare programs in the next decade, according to a study conducted by the…
(2021-04-21). Russia Threatens Ukraine? Biden Has Transformed Russia's Border with Ukraine into A Dangerous Hot Spot. globalresearch.ca Throughout its 30 year history, the Russian Federation never attacked or …
(2021-04-21). Defeat of Minimum Wage Increase Leaves People with Disabilities Behind. projectcensored.org As was widely reported by news outlets (including CNN, CBS, NPR, among others) in February 2021, a popular $15 minimum-wage hike was struck from President Biden's COVID relief package when…
(2021-04-21). US Resumption Of Foreign Aid To The Palestinians — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Jim Zanotti and Rhoda Margesson* | On April 7, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Biden Administration's plan to resume various forms of aid to the Palestinians that had been discontinued under the Trump Administration. Separately in March, the Biden Administration allocated $15 million in International Disaster Assistance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response needs and emergency food assistance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. | Secretary Blinken's statement and other documents indicate that the Administration plans to provide: | $75 million in bilateral Economic Support Fund…
(2021-04-21). Could Malaysia's Fake News Ordinance Stifle Public Debate? — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani* | On 12 January 2021, Malaysia's king, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, announced a nationwide state of emergency that will last until 1 August 2021. That same day, the Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the imposition of stricter movement controls in states most badly affected by COVID-19. The Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted on 14 January 2021. | On 12 March, the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021 followed, taking action against the spread of fake news across video, written and audio platforms. The ordinance raises concerns abou…
(2021-04-21). Biden's Big Spending Plans Won't Revive The Economy — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Frank Shostak* | On March 11, 2021, US president Biden introduced his $1.9 trillion covid-19 stimulus plan. The president also announced a plan of more than $2 trillion to rebuild US infrastructure, which includes repairing roads and bridges, as well as expanding access to long-term care services under Medicaid, building schools, and expanding internet access across the US. | It is commonly accepted that during difficult economic times the government should run large budget deficits in order to keep the economy going. This is because when overall demand in the economy weakens, the government should step in…
(2021-04-21). System Fail # 8: The Ghosts of Democracy. dissidentvoice.org Discussion about sexual assault (including against minors), torture; scenes of police brutality, murder. In this episode, Dee Dos takes a look at recent developments in the social war in Greece, including the COVID-19 lockdown, the #MeToo movement and the hunger strike waged by 17th of November member Dimitris Koufontinas. We also include an interview with …
(2021-04-21). Reversing Scientific Integrity's Race to the Bottom. commondreams.org From COVID-19 to climate change, and toxic chemicals to endangered species, the health of this nation and our ecosystem depends on scientists being able to "think, research, and speak freely" in both Democratic and Republican administrations. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mask_1.jpg …
(2021-04-21). 100+ Organizations Address World Leaders Before Climate Summit. telesurenglish.net In a firm message to the world leaders days before a landmark international climate summit, global social movements, organizations and parties remind of the radical shift in priorities and policies necessary to prevent climate castrophe and socio-economic disaster for the peoples of the global South. | Here, teleSUR English reproduces in full their open letter: | "It is common knowledge that we are at a decisive moment for human survival and for the biodiversity of our planet. There is a serious environmental and public health crisis, caused by crimes committed continuously by the greed for profit. The resear…
(2021-04-21). Arizona Sends Troops to Mexico Border to Quell Migrant Crisis. telesurenglish.net "I have declared an emergency and am sending Arizona National Guard troops to resolve the border crisis," said the state's Republican governor, Doug Ducey, on his Twitter account. | RELATED: | Since the arrival of Democrat Joe Biden to the U.S. presidency three months ago, the exodus of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. has drastically increased, given increased hopes for progressive asylum and immigration policies. | NE…
(2021-04-21). Manifest Destiny? U.S. Immigration 'Crisis' a Bipartisan Toxic Legacy. strategic-culture.org Migration is here to stay regardless of fences or chicken coops used for vetting migrants as labor, and the corruption of gangsterism will continue to normalize itself with the U.S. corporatist state. | Since Joe Biden took over the White House nearly three months ago, a recurring controversy dogging his administration is the plight of migrants crossing the southern border from Mexico. In the following interview, Randy Martin gives his take on the subject as a seasoned observer and campaigner based near the border. He says much of the political heat on the subject recently is being generated by the bitterly divis…
(2021-04-21). The Case Against Biden's Plan to Further Militarize Borders. commondreams.org The U.S. government's solution to the migrant crisis is militarization…again. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mexicanborder.jpg …
(2021-04-21). Biden's Announcement That Trump Got Military Spending Just Right Is Dead Wrong. counterpunch.org President Joe Biden is proposing a level of Pentagon spending so close to that of Trump's last year in office that Bloomberg calls it a 0.4% reduction adjusting for inflation while Politico calls it a 1.5% increase and "effectively an inflation-adjusted budget boost." I call it a disgusting violation of the will of the public spent in the hypocritical
(2021-04-21). You Reap What You Sow: Weeds Are Destroying Crops Globally — But the Real Problem Is Big Agriculture. globalresearch.ca That we live on a hugely degraded, biologically impoverished planet, in …
(2021-04-21). Celebrities Criticize Bolsonaro Ahead of US Climate Summit. telesurenglish.net On the eve of Thursday's U.S.-organized climate summit, President Joe Biden received letters from governors, politicians, artists, and intellectuals reminding the White House of the disastrous role Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has played in protecting globally important ecosystems. | RELATED: | In one of the letters, 23 Brazilian governors emphasize that fight against deforestation should be the starting point for r…
(2021-04-21). Climate Change Will Force Us to Rethink Migration and Asylum. thenation.com Climate Change Will Force Us to Rethink Migration and Asylum…
(2021-04-21). 24 Senators Send Letter To President Biden Urging Him To Close Guantánamo — OpEd. eurasiareview.com In the long struggle to try to secure the closure of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, there has rarely been adequate support from lawmakers, so it was extremely reassuring, on April 16, to see that 24 Democratic Senators — almost half of the Democrats in the Senate — have written Led by Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, and including Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Wa…
(2021-04-21). Biden Administration Seeking $300 Million In Aid To Afghanistan. eurasiareview.com U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the Biden administration is working with Congress to provide nearly $300 million in additional aid for Afghanistan in 2021. | "The funding will be targeted at sustaining and building on the gains of the past 20 years by improving access to essential services for Afghan citizens, promoting economic growth, fighting corruption and the narcotics trade, improving health and education service delivery, supporting women's empowerment, enhancing conflict resolution mechanisms, and bolstering Afghan civil society and independent media," Blinken said in a statement. | Th…
(2021-04-21). Israeli Intelligence Chiefs Assess that Biden, Iran will Rejoin Nuclear Deal; Netanyahu wants to Stop it. juancole.com By Motasem A Dalloul | — After two weeks of deliberations in Vienna about reactivating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal with Iran, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell told reporters on Monday that, "There is a real goodwill on both parts to reach an agreement." He pointed out that the …
(2021-04-21). USA: UN Experts Call for President Biden to End Death Penalty. strategic-culture.org UN human rights experts* have called on President Biden to do everything in his power to end executions in the United States, at both the federal and state level. | "The death penalty is an abhorrent practice. It serves no deterrent value and cannot be reconciled with the right to life," said the experts. | "Despite retentionist States' pretence that capital punishment can be implemented in a 'humane' fashion, executions have repeatedly resulted in degrading spectacles. The death penalty is an inherently flawed form of punishment which disproportionately impacts African-Americans and people living in poverty," th…
(2021-04-21). 300,000 People Send a Clear Message to Biden: Time's Up for Fossil Fuels. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-04-21). Sunrise Movement Responds to Biden's Emissions Commitment: Warns "It Is Nowhere Near Enough" commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-04-21). 'Not Enough!' Climate Activists Disappointed With New EU Emissions Deal on Eve of Biden Summit. commondreams.org "This deal shows that Europe's climate action is all smoke and mirrors," said a Greenpeace E.U. campaigner. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12318098471.jpg …
(2021-04-21). 40+ Orgs to Biden: Iran Needs Sanctions Relief. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-04-21). 'The Clock Is Ticking': 300,000+ Tell Biden to Act Boldly Ahead of Climate Summit. commondreams.org "We can no longer afford any further fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure, or false climate solutions that continue to prioritize profits over people." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/climate_clock_2000x1047.jpg …
(2021-04-21). Revolving Door Watchdog Gives Biden White House 'B-' on Corporate Capture in First 100 Days. commondreams.org "Allies of Big Tech, Wall Street, Big Pharma, the military-industrial complex, and the fossil fuel industry have secured jobs in various corners of the executive branch." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-13135488172.jpg …
(2021-04-21). US and Israel at Odds Over Iran Talks. news.antiwar.com Tensions are rising between the Israeli government and the Biden administration over talks that have been ongoing in Vienna aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, The US and Israel have been holding strategic talks on Iran policy through a forum headed by each country's national security advisor. Israeli officials told Axios that during recent talks, Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat felt the US is not showing "sufficient consider…
(2021-04-21). Biden's Yemen Envoy Claims He Doesn't Know if the US Is Still Supporting Saudi Military Operations. news.antiwar.com Tim Lenderking was appointed by President Biden as a special envoy to find a diplomatic solution to the war in Yemen. But on Wednesday, "I'm not totally in that information loop, congressman, so I can't really speak to that," Lenderking said when asked by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) if the US is currently supporting Saudi military operations in Yemen. "I do think that we need to ma…
(2021-04-21). Why Renewables Cause Blackouts And Increase Vulnerability To Extreme Weather — OpEd. eurasiareview.com In recent congressional hearings, Democratic leaders
(2021-04-21). In Closed-Door Event With Corporate Lobbyists, Manchin Vows $15 Wage 'Not Going to Happen'. commondreams.org A top restaurant industry lobbyist reportedly "couldn't contain his excitement" at the West Virginia Democrat's remarks. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/joe_manchin_minimum_wage.jpg …
(2021-04-21). The GOP's Attack on Constitutional Checks and Balances in Montana. counterpunch.org Right when you think the Republican-dominated Montana legislature and governor can't get any worse, they do. A number of bills that Gov. Greg Gianforte happily signed into law are already facing court challenges, so to stack the deck in their favor, both the governor and the legislature have launched a new and shameless attack on the
(2021-04-21). GOP introduces largest package of Iran sanctions in Congress. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The Republicans in the US Congress unveiled on Wednesday what they described as the largest package of Iran sanctions in history, US media reported.
(2021-04-21). These Attacks on Maxine Waters Reveal the Grifter Politics of Republican Dog-Whistlers. thenation.com These Attacks on Maxine Waters Reveal the Grifter Politics of Republican Dog-Whistlers…
(2021-04-21). US: Ohio Rejects Police Brutality After Black Teen's Murder. telesurenglish.net U.S. citizens on Tuesday night took to the streets against police brutality after 15-year-old teenager Ma'Khia Bryant was shot and killed by an officer in Columbus city, Ohio. | RELATED: | Protesters marched to Ohio's Capitol with signs that read "The whole damn system is guilty as hell" and "Police brutality is white supremacy. End both." | "So far, details of the African-Descendent girl's murder remain unclear. Authorities are review…
(2021-04-21). Syria: Bashar Al-Asad Runs For President In Upcoming Elections. telesurenglish.net Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday registered his candidacy for re-election in the upcoming polls to be held on May 26. | RELATED: | He will compete for the presidency against five other candidates, among whom is Faten Ali Nahar, the first woman running for the office. | Former Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Abdula Salum Abdula and businessman Muhamad Firas Yasin Rajuh are also contenders for the presidency. | Anyone…
(2021-04-21). Bashar al-Assad to run for 2021 Syrian presidential election. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Bashar al-Assad has officially announced his run for the Syrian presidential election in 2021.
(2021-04-21). The United States' Extensive Knowledge of the 1976 Planned Military Coup in Argentina. strategic-culture.org While the released documents portray the U.S. as having knowledge of the coup as opposed to intervening overtly or covertly, the aftermath shows U.S. involvement was considerable. | Last March, on the 45th anniversary of Argentina's descent into dictatorship, the National Security Archive posted a selection of