(2021-05-18). "Genocide": Palestinian Lawmaker Condemns Netanyahu for Bombing Gaza to Stay in Power, Avoid Charges. democracynow.org 
The ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza, which has now killed at least 213 people, "really is an act of genocide," says Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian parliament and head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society who has been leading efforts to manage the pandemic in the West Bank and Gaza. He says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces multiple corruption charges, is using the latest violence to save his political future. "This man and his government is using Palestinian blood, and maybe even Israeli blood, to stay in power, to evade the three cases of corruption that he has to face,…
(2021-05-18). Mayo Clinic again receives top honors for high-quality patient care. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — Eleven? hospitals across?Mayo Clinic?received star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Overall Hospital Quality. Six of the 11 hospitals earned five stars — the best score possible. The national average is 3 of 5 stars. The star rating provides patients with information about multiple dimensions of quality …
(2021-05-18). Monday 5/24: Free, Free, Palestine! Biden, Israel and the Fight for Palestinian Liberation. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-05-18). Commentary: Not one dollar for Zionist genocide! workers.org 
For the first time since the creation of Israel in 1948, U.S. bipartisan support for the Zionist settler state has come under fire on the floor of Congress. "To read the statements from President [Joe] Biden, Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken, General [Lloyd] Austin and leaders of both parties, you . . . |
(2021-05-18). Biden adviser makes personal appeal to young to get shots. peoplesworld.org 
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(2021-05-18). In cowardly move, GOP Leader McCarthy tries to sink Jan. 6 commission. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—As expected by anyone who has paid attention to the way Republicans have operated for many years now, GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Monday that he is against what has been touted as a bi-partisan proposal to form an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. His move will reduce Republican support …
(2021-05-18). Chile: Election Results & Composition of the Constitutional Convention. orinocotribune.com 
This Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16, Chileans participated in a mega-election in which they voted for the 155 members of the Constituent Convention, 345 mayors, 2,252 councilors, and 16 regional governors. Regional governors (called intendants) had been appointed directly by the president since the 1974 creation of Chile's regions by the Pinochet dictatorship. | More than 22,000 candidates disputed 2,678 positions. | The result was so clear that President Piñera had to acknowledge at the end of the day that the people sent a clear message that his government does not know how to tune in to the demands of the…
(2021-05-18). Israel-Palestine conflict: why Gulf leaders are staying quiet — for now. juancole.com 
By Simon Mabon | — It's generally reckoned to be one of Donald Trump's few major foreign policy achievements. On August 13 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel signed a historic agreement normalising relations between the two states, and in the weeks that followed, other Arab states followed Abu Dhabi's lead in what …
(2021-05-18). AOC and Cori Bush Have Helped Remove Taboo on Calling Israel an Apartheid State. truthout.org 
When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez labeled Israel an apartheid country over the weekend,
(2021-05-18). Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem: Israel Is Committing War Crimes by Killing Civilians in Gaza. democracynow.org 
As the Palestinian death toll in Gaza tops 200, the leading Israeli human rights group B'Tselem is accusing Israel of committing war crimes by killing blockaded civilians and destroying infrastructure on a massive scale. Executive director Hagai El-Ad says Israel has not done enough to distinguish between military and civilian targets or to act with proportionality. "We've seen war crimes in previous military assaults on Gaza," he says. "And, in fact, the impunity of the previous times in which war crimes were committed is what has paved the way for the continuation of more such crimes being committed." Earlier t…
(2021-05-18). Gaza Physician: Israel Is Targeting Doctors & Health Facilities to Overwhelm Our Crumbling System. democracynow.org 
The death toll in Gaza has reached 213, including at least 61 children, as Israel continues to attack the besieged area by air, land and sea using U.S.-made warplanes and bombs. The death toll in Israel stands at 11 from rockets fired from Gaza. Israel is facing increasing criticism for targeting doctors in its attack, and its airstrikes have reportedly damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics, according to the World Health Organization. The attacks on medical staff and facilities are a "nightmare," says Dr. Rasha, a Palestinian internal medicine physician working in Gaza who asked not to use her full name for s…
(2021-05-18). Palestinians Stage Historic General Strike from "the River to the Sea" for the First Time Since 1936. democracynow.org 
As the Israeli bombing of Gaza enters its ninth day, Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel are staging a historic general strike. This comes as violence is also spreading across Israel, with Jewish mobs attacking Palestinians in mixed Jewish and Arab communities. Last week, extremist Israeli settlers were filmed attacking Palestinian-owned shops in a Tel Aviv suburb. Another harrowing video shows ultranationalist Israelis dragging a man they believed to be an Arab from his car and beating him mercilessly. Some settlers were filmed on live television chanting "Death to Arabs," and scre…
(2021-05-18). A Maskless US Heads Down a Dark Road as the Covid Pandemic Rages On. counterpunch.org In the clash between sound science and political pressure from anti-science crackpots in the United States, the Biden administration and the Center for Disease Control have blinked, announcing prematurely that people who are vaccinated can basically give up masking except when traveling on public transit or visiting health facilities. The idiocy and mendacity of this
(2021-05-18). Netanyahu Warns Biden Not to Get Involved. globalresearch.ca An interesting
(2021-05-18). Attorney: US Makes Concessions to Ease Asylum Restrictions. latinorebels.com SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Biden administration has agreed to let about 250 people a day through border crossings with Mexico to seek refuge in the United States, part of negotiations to settle a lawsuit over pandemic-related powers that deny migrants a right to apply for asylum, an attorney said Monday.
(2021-05-18). How the United States Contributes to the Killing of Palestinians. progressive.org As Gaza suffers, Congress has been slow to counteract President Joe Biden's plan to continue funneling military aid to Israel.
(2021-05-18). The Mask of "Liberal Democracy" Falls with a Bang. globalresearch.ca Nakba, May 15, …
(2021-05-18). Bukele's Inner Circle Hit in State Department Corruption List. latinorebels.com This list has no legal implications for those named, but the fact that the section on El Salvador was declassified sends a clear political message at a time of tense relations between the Bukele and Biden administrations.
(2021-05-18). Is There a Doctor in the House? tomdispatch.com Is President Biden afflicted with the political equivalent of a split personality? His first several months in office suggest just that possibility. On the home front, the president's inclination is clearly to Go Big. When it comes to America's role in the world, however, Biden largely hews to pre-Trumpian precedent. So far at least, the administration's overarching foreign-policy theme is Take It Slow. "Joe Biden Is Electrifying America Like F.D.R." So proclaimed the headline of a recent Nicholas Kristof column in the New York Times. Even allowing for a smidgen of hyperbole, the comparison is not without merit.
(2021-05-18). If Biden Genuinely Aspires to Build Back Better, He Would Deviate From US Militarism. commondreams.org If Biden Genuinely Aspires to Build Back Better, He Would Deviate From US Militarism | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_13_0_0.jpg …
(2021-05-18). Closing of Guant√°namo Must be a Priority for President Biden. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-05-18). As US Clears 3 Detainees for Release, Amnesty Demands Biden Close Gitmo. commondreams.org "Amnesty International USA is calling on President Biden immediately to appoint a high-level official in his administration to take charge of closing Guant√°namo and arranging the transfers of all detainees who are not charged with crimes." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/close-gitmo_0.jpg …
(2021-05-18). Las difíciles relaciones de México y Estados Unidos. globalizacion.ca Los gobiernos de México y Estados Unidos reformularán su estrategia bilateral de seguridad, acordaron funcionarios de alto nivel de las administraciones de Andrés Manuel López Obrador y Joe Biden, durante la primera reunión binacional presencial sobre el tema tras la…
(2021-05-18). Biden trata de ganar a China el juego del Gran Poder Global. globalizacion.ca China nos está pisando los talones, dijo Joseph Robinet Biden, presidente de EU, ante el US Congress, el pasado 29 de abril. Nos encontramos en un punto de inflexión y tenemos que hacer algo, aseveró. øQué estrategia sigue el actual…
(2021-05-18). Alliance Of Democracies Summit. popularresistance.org Copenhagen, Denmark — The United States is the nation that most threatens democracy worldwide, far more than Russia or even China. That is the headline finding from a new worldwide poll of 53 countries commissioned by the Alliance of Democracies (AoD). The poll also found that the global public considers rising inequality and the increased power of the super rich to be the greatest threat to liberty and democracy. | This was likely not the response the Alliance of Democracies wished to hear as it opened its third annual Democracy Summit in Copenhagen this week — precisely because the organization repr…
(2021-05-18). Tuesday 5/18: Sacramento MLK Memorial Library 50th Anniversary. indybay.org MLK Memorial Library Park | 24th Street Bypass / Florin Rd | Sacramento, California 95822…
(2021-05-18). Change of Strategy Again: Capriles Recommends Opposition Participate in Regional Elections. orinocotribune.com In an interview published this Sunday, May 16, by the Spanish media outlet El País, Henrique Capriles Radonski challenged Juan Guaidó—without mentioning him directly—when Capriles revealed an imminent change of opposition strategy. According to the interview, Venezuela's far right now wishes to participate in the regional elections of November 2021. | The two-time loser in presidential elections remarked that voting is the ideal and most plausible alternative for an opposition that did not achieve anything in almost three years of a "maximalist" strategy. | Capriles concluded that the "all or nothing"
(2021-05-18). Philadelphia's DA Election Is a Test for Progressives. progressive.org The results of the city's district attorney election will highlight the left's growing influence—or how far they still have to go.
(2021-05-18). Philadelphia's DA Election Is a Test for Progressives and Criminal Justice Reform. commondreams.org "This election has far-reaching implications beyond Philly's borders." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/krasner-1.jpg …
(2021-05-18). Pressure mounts for de-amalgamation of Inner West Council. greenleft.org.au The campaign for the de-amalgamation of three inner west councils is gaining traction in the lead-up to council elections on September 4, writes Peter Boyle.
(2021-05-17). Israel Is Trying to Destroy Us: Gaza Father & Writer Speaks Out as Palestinian Death Toll Nears 200. democracynow.org 
Israel's assault on Gaza has entered its second week, as Israel killed at least 42 Palestinians in Gaza Sunday in the deadliest day so far when it bombarded the besieged area with airstrikes, artillery fire and gunboat shelling. Israel has killed nearly 200 Palestinians, including 58 children and 34 women, and destroyed over 500 homes in Gaza, leaving 40,000 Palestinians homeless. Israel also leveled a 12-story building housing the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. "This is a total destruction from the Israeli occupation against the native Palestinians in Gaza," says Palestinian academic and activis…
(2021-05-17). UN Relief Agency Condemns Israeli Bombing of Gaza Refugee Camp. truthout.org 
Matthias Schmale, director of UNRWA operations in Gaza, says civilians in the besieged territory are facing "terror from the skies" amid Israel's bombardment, which has already killed nearly 200 people. "The price the civilian population is paying for this is unacceptable. This has to stop. This is terror on a civilian population." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I'm Amy Goodma…
(2021-05-17). "Terror from the Skies": UNRWA Condemns Israeli Bombing of Gaza Refugee Camp, Killing Family of 10. democracynow.org 
Matthias Schmale, director of UNRWA operations in Gaza, says civilians in the besieged territory are facing "terror from the skies" amid Israel's bombardment, which has already killed nearly 200 people. "The price the civilian population is paying for this is unacceptable. This has to stop. This is terror on a civilian population."
(2021-05-17). Gaza Journalist: Israel Is Deliberately Targeting the Media by Bombing AP & Al Jazeera Offices. democracynow.org 
We speak with Palestinian reporter Youmna al-Sayed, who was among the journalists who had to flee for their lives when Israel bombed and leveled a 12-story Gaza building that housed the offices of media organizations including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Israel has claimed, without evidence, that the building was being used by Hamas operatives, but al-Sayed says it's part of a pattern of Israeli attacks on media. "This is no coincidence," she says.
(2021-05-17). Biden Push for $735 Million Weapons Sale to Israel Amid Onslaught Sparks Outrage. truthout.org 
Human rights advocates warned Monday that the Biden administration is deepening U.S. complicity in the Netanyahu regime's ongoing massacre of civilians in Gaza by attempting to push through a $735 million sale of so-called "precision-guided weapons" to Israel. | The Washington Post
(2021-05-17). Biden Signed $735 Million Weapons Sale To Israel Amid Ongoing Shelling With Gaza — Report. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | On May 17, US President Joe Biden had approved the $ 735 million sale of high-precision weapons to Israel, According to the sources of The Washington Post, Congress received the notification on May 5, a few days before the military escalation. U.S. lawmakers reportedly have 20 days to subm…
(2021-05-17). Biden budget would send $1.3 billion more to Israeli military than to Global climate programs: Analysis. mronline.org 
A group of anti-war veterans said President Joe Biden's spending priorities indicate that he thinks "preserving apartheid is more important than fighting climate change." | May 17, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-05-17). Redistribution of Health Through the American Families Plan. commondreams.org "The American Families Plan will make (Affordable Care Act) subsidies permanent—ensuring that millions of Americans can keep their care. And the top 1% of taxpayers will pay for it." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/medicare_for_all_15_0.jpg …
(2021-05-17). 'ÔªøIt is illegal for US aid to support human rights violations' — Sen. Bernie Sanders. therealnews.com 
Amid international outcry over the violence Israeli forces are unleashing on occupied Palestinians, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Sunday that lawmakers must "take a hard look" at the nearly $4 billion in military aid the U.S. sends to Israel annually.
(2021-05-17). Chileans go to Polls on the Second Day of Elections. orinocotribune.com 
On Sunday, May 16, voting process continued on the second day of elections in Chile, after 20% of the registered voters cast their votes on Saturday. | Sunday was the last day of the so-called "mega-elections" in Chile, in which 14.9 million voters were eligible to elect 155 members of the Constitutional Convention that will draft the new Constitution, and also 16 governors, 345 mayors, and 2,252 councilors. 1,278 candidates belonging to more than 70 lists contested for…
(2021-05-17). As Unused Vaccines Pile Up in the US, Biden Pledges to Export 80 Million Doses. truthout.org 
President Joe Biden announced on Monday that his administration will be sharing 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with other countries, adding 20 million to the total amount of vaccines his administration has already pledged. | Biden
(2021-05-17). Biden Can't Avoid the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. counterpunch.org Joe Biden is trying to keep his distance from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which means continuing with a US policy that is unrelentingly favourable to Israel. This is not likely to change as Biden reasserts "Israel's right to defend itself" without making even a symbolic bow to the Palestinians' equal right to safety and security.
(2021-05-17). Ocasio-Cortez Leads House Dems' Demand That Biden 'End the Carceral Approach to Immigration'. commondreams.org "It is time to end the carceral approach to immigration… Instead, we urge the Biden administration to pursue humane and just immigration policies that aim to end mass incarceration, criminalization, and deportation of immigrants." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12329322561.jpg …
(2021-05-17). As Gaza Burns, Where is Washington's "Respect for Norms" Now? commondreams.org "Let's be clear," writes Richard Eskow. For Israel, recent statements from the Biden administration "are a license to kill." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/3-children-killed-israel-strike-gaza.jpg …
(2021-05-17). Headlines for May 17, 2021. democracynow.org Israel's Deadly Assault on Gaza Enters Second Week: 200 Palestinians Killed and Media Attacked, India, Nepal Battle Devastating COVID Wave as More Asian Countries Impose Restrictions Amid Surge, Nurses' Union Challenges New CDC Mask Guidelines; Judge Keeps Eviction Ban in Place for Now, Blast in Afghan Mosque Kills 12 as Fighting Intensifies Between Taliban and Gov't Forces, Chilean Voters Select Delegates to Draft New Constitution, Colombian Protests Call for End to State Violence After Suicide of Teen Sexually Abused by Police, GOP Replaces Liz Cheney with Trump Loyalist Elise Stefanik, Texas Set to Enact Draco…
(2021-05-17). Communist Party Wins Mayoral Race in Chile's Capital City. libya360.wordpress.com Kawsachun News Irací Hassler of the Communist Party of Chile has been elected Mayor of the Santiago borough in the country's capital city, Santiago. The win in one of the largest municipalities of the country comes as part of a wave of leftist victories in the country's regional elections and a victory in the constituent…
(2021-05-17). How the United States Helps To Kill Palestinians. commondreams.org "The silence and worse from President Biden and most of our representatives in Congress at the massacre of civilians and mass destruction of Gaza is unconscionable." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/joebiden_2.png …
(2021-05-17). Biden Phones Netanyahu: Doesn't Condemn Attack. globalresearch.ca update (4: 10pm): …
(2021-05-17). Washington and AFL-CIO file labor complaints in Matamoros and Silao, Mexico. wsws.org Far from bringing a dawn of "union democracy" to Mexico, the AFL-CIO and the Biden administration are invoking the "labor reform" provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal in an attempt to suppress the growing influence of socialist internationalism via the World Socialist Web Site.
(2021-05-17). Biden's first 100 days gets failing environmental justice score. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On May 13, the Climate Justice Committee organized an event which brought together local activist groups in front of the offices of Senator Amy Klobuchar to examine the actions taken on environmental policy by the Biden administration during its first 100 days in office. | Climate Justice Committee (CJC) speaker Tracy Molm explained how when Biden took office in January, the CJC held his campaign accountable for the promise of doing more on climate, demanded a People's Agenda, and a reversal of Trump's many disastrous executive orders on climate change — picking 11 of the worst f…
(2021-05-17). Sunrise and RISE St. James Rally to Demand Biden Stand Up to Environmental Racism, Revoke Formosa Plastics Permit and Give Good Jobs to All. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-05-17). Why Biden Should Reappoint Powell as Fed Chair, Now. counterpunch.org Jerome Powell's term as chair of the Federal Reserve Board does not end until next January, but the debate on his reappointment has already begun. It would be good for the economy if Powell were reappointed and if Biden announced this decision as soon as possible. In making the case for Powell, it is important
(2021-05-17). Can Democracy Exist in the Digital Era Part II. projectcensored.org This week's program presents excerpts from a live online discussion co-produced by Project Censored and the Real News Network. The second in a series of three programs examining media and…
(2021-05-17). Gov. Inslee Signs Far-Reaching Plastic Pollution Bill. commondreams.org ______________________________…