(2021-06-12). U.S. Reclaims Turkey for the Western Alliance. strategic-culture.org Turkey's importance as a 'swing state' in US regional strategy has increased dramatically as tensions rise with Russia | By MK BHADRAKUMAR | Less than 48 hours will separate US President Joe Biden's meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels from his summit with Vladimir Putin at Geneva on June 16. In between falls the shadow of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit. This is simply exquisite as far as planning of sequential activities go in diplomacy. | Biden's meetings in Brussels and Geneva are, arguably, the most consequential "bilaterals" he'll be having in this entir…
(2021-06-12). Venezuela calls on US to 'unlock' vaccine money. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 12 (MNA) — Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro demanded on Friday that US President Joe Biden "unlock the money for the vaccines" for the COVID-19, coronavirus.
(2021-06-12). Progressives Tell Biden "No Climate, No Deal" on Infrastructure Plan. zcomm.org "Mitch McConnell and the Koch brothers are not worth setting the planet on fire for," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez…
(2021-06-12). Biden Going "Full Steam Ahead" on Trump's Nuclear Plans. zcomm.org U.S. Led 2020 Nuclear Weapons Spending…
(2021-06-12). Jeremy Corbyn among 24 MPs urging Joe Biden to drop Assange extradition bid. thecanary.co A group of British MPs have written to the US president urging him to drop his administration's attempt to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. | An open letter to Joe Biden, who's in the UK for the G7 summit, said dropping the prosecution would be a "clarion call for freedom". | Assange is being detained in Belmarsh prison in London. Meanwhile the US continues an attempt to extradite him over the activities of WikiLeaks. | Joe Biden at the G7 summit (Leon Neal/PA) | Dangerous precedent: | The MPs said they'd hoped Biden's victory might be the occasion to draw a line under the prosecution. | They a…
(2021-06-12). Business Coalition Spends Millions to Lobby Against Biden's Proposed Tax Hikes. truthout.org 
Over half of business associations affiliated with a new coalition to oppose Democratic efforts to raise taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations spent over $3 million in lobbying expenditures in the first quarter of 2021. The coalition of 28 associations The alliance, America's Job Creators for a Strong Recovery, will oppose all legislation a…
(2021-06-12). Sustainable Peace Must End Israeli Apartheid. Anything Else Is Just a Ceasefire. truthout.org 
After four elections in less than two years, Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year rule comes officially to an end on Sunday. The government to replace him consists of a coalition of eight parties from across Israel's political spectrum and will be led by the ultranationalist Naftali Bennett who will serve for the first two years. | Indeed, indicative of the direction of Israeli politics and society over the course of the last 15 years or so, the end of the corrupt and much-maligned Netanyahu…
(2021-06-12). How US govt-funded media incited a violent coup in Nicaragua. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton investigate how the United States funded violent far-right groups and media outlets that published fake news to fuel a 2018 coup attempt against Nicaragua's Sandinista government. (Puede leer o ver este informe en español aquí.) Transcript When the socialist-oriented Sandinista Front returned to power in Nicaragua through democratic elections in 2006, Washington began pouring tens of millions of dollars into the creation, training, and funding of right-wing opposition groups in the Central American nation. Millions …
(2021-06-12). Biden Advances Anti-China Agenda At G7 Summit. popularresistance.org This weekend's G7 summit in the UK will be dominated by US President Joe Biden's efforts to consolidate an anti-China axis. | In a piece for the Washington Post published last Saturday, Biden stated that his mission is to ensure that the US and its allies "not China or anyone else write the 21st century rules around trade and technology." His comments echo his speech to Congress this April when he said, to a standing ovation, "We're in competition with China and other countries to win the 21st century." On Tuesday, the US Senate passed a $250 billion "China competitiveness bill" in preparation for escalating trad…
(2021-06-12). Biden wants to end America's 20-Year War on the Middle East: But Can He? juancole.com By Walden Bello | — ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) — Next September, when the last C-130 cargo aircraft and Chinook transport helicopters take off from the infamous Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan that has doubled as a CIA torture center for suspected jihadists, they will not only be leaving behind the site …
(2021-06-12). Australian government steps up key role in US aggression against China. wsws.org The Australian prime minister aligned himself lockstep behind US President Joe Biden's demand at the G7 and NATO summits for an alliance of the supposed "free world"—the major imperialist powers—against Beijing.
(2021-06-12). [World Report] US drug importation plan hits snag. thelancet.com The Biden administration says it has "no timeline" for deciding if states can import cheap drugs from Canada. Susan Jaffe reports.
(2021-06-12). 100 Nat'l Orgs Sign Friends (Quakers) Ltr to Stop Weapons Sale to Israel. indybay.org An honor roll of 100 national organizations signed a letter from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to Pres Biden to stop the delivery of $735 billion in weapons to Israel. The letter and honor roll are below, from www.fcnl.org/updates/2021-06/fcnl-joins-100-national-organizations-calling-biden-halt-weapons-sales-israel…
(2021-06-12). Guatemala: Address Policies That Put Corporations Over People. popularresistance.org Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Guatemala this week to discuss solutions to the poverty, violence, and corruption that are among the driving forces of migration. Contributing to these drivers are neoliberal arrangements, such as the Central America—Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which have been imposed on Guatemalans. This framework favors the development of large-scale mining and energy projects that are devastating to the well-being of rural communities and Indigenous peoples, while allowing private corporations to sue governments over hard-fought social and environmental…
(2021-06-12). New York Times Admits US Sanctions Are Destroying Venezuela. popularresistance.org The facile right-wing talking point that the economic crisis facing Venezuela "proves" that "socialism always ends in failure" has become so hackneyed by overuse that it has attained its own tongue-in-cheek name. The ad Venezuelum, as it has come to be known, has slowly developed into such a tedious and predictable right-wing tactic that it seems to now serve as an all-purpose retort to try to discredit even the most modest of left-of-center proposals. In October 2018, for instance, then-President Trump responded to a plan by progressive Democrats in congress to introduce a bill to establish a system of universal…
(2021-06-12). Trump's Justice Department seized phone records of Democratic lawmakers during Russia probe. wsws.org Records seized included those of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, Representative Eric Swalwell, their congressional aides, and at least one family member.
(2021-06-12). Senate demands evidence on data seizure from Trump-era law chiefs. thecanary.co Senate Democratic leaders are demanding that Trump-era attorneys general Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions give evidence about the secret seizure of House Democrats' data in 2018. They've called it "shocking" and a "gross abuse of power". | Barr and Sessions: | Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Illinois senator Dick Durbin said in a statement that Barr and Sessions "must testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee" and are subject to a subpoena if they refuse. The demands came after Democratic representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell were notified that the Justice Department, under Donald Trump, s…
(2021-06-12). Democratic leaders support charges of "anti-Semitism" in response to Ilhan Omar's criticisms of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. wsws.org This week has seen yet another revolting example of the Democratic Party's support for Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian population of the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
(2021-06-12). In Guatemala, Harris Should Address U.S. Policies That Put Corporations Over People. zcomm.org As the Vice President seeks to remedy root causes of migration, she should vow to dismantle neoliberal rules that have been devastating for rural and Indigenous peoples…
(2021-06-12). Remember please, it doesn't exist. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Remember, there is no such thing as NATO as an independent entity. It's just an informal talk shop, a friendly forum, a debating society of Western democracies. One that is being threatened by Russia advancing toward its Eastern Flank. One that wants to save the world from authoritarian pushers-back against the rules-based international order, protect …
(2021-06-12). "We were paralyzed for a long time" indybay.org Only in dialogue with those who are strangers to us can we become discerning, can we develop political wisdom. If it is true that we are tipping into a particular form of oligarchy, we should consider how we might supplement our representative system – to re-democratize it.
(2021-06-12). Folsom Juneteenth "Remembering the Ancestors" from 1849 Negro Bar, Sacramento County. indybay.org Our 20th Anniversary, Folsom Juneteenth Freedom Celebration, will be an amazing new opportunity to build stronger bridges utilizing mutually beneficial California – Pan African Trade and Commerce…
(2021-06-11). No More Spying on Journalists. aclu.org The trove of revealing data held by phone and email providers is proving too great a temptation for the Justice Department, even when the government's spying threatens the freedom of the press. The department's existing rules, which were supposed to prevent abuse, have failed and it's time for new, robust limits that will adequately protect journalists — and the free press on which our democracy depends. In a welcome step, the Biden administration and Justice Department
(2021-06-11). Mr. Putin, It's a Trap! In Fact, It's Exactly the Same Trap. strategic-culture.org 
The key barrier in US-Russian relations is that they are again locked in a new zero-sum game but with a different dynamic than during the Cold War. | There is a lot of optimism and big press regarding the upcoming meeting between Biden and Putin. This will be the first meeting of the two since Biden took that seat behind the lovely desk in the Oval Office. There are
(2021-06-11). Activists Demand G7 Take Urgent Action on Climate, Vaccine Apartheid and Poverty. truthout.org 
As world leaders gather for the first in-person G7 summit in two years, talks are set to focus heavily on ending the pandemic and the climate crisis, and climate activists are calling on them for more immediate action. "It's not just one crisis," says Asad Rehman, executive director of War on Want and spokesperson for the COP26 Climate Coalition. "What we've seen is simply rich countries doing too little too late and not taking up their responsibility, and unfortunately this G7 has not change…
(2021-06-11). "Our House Is on Fire": Activists Urge G7 to Immediately Address Climate, Vaccine Apartheid & Poverty. democracynow.org 
As world leaders gather for the first in-person G7 summit in two years, talks are set to focus heavily on ending the pandemic and the climate crisis, and climate activists are calling on them for more immediate action. "It's not just one crisis," says Asad Rehman, executive director of War on Want and spokesperson for the COP26 Climate Coalition. "What we've seen is simply rich countries doing too little too late and not taking up their responsibility, and unfortunately this G7 has not changed that at all."
(2021-06-11). Johnson, Biden confer on Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 11 (MNA) — The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden discussed Iran, China, and Russia during their meeting in UK's Cornwall.
(2021-06-11). US Lifts Some Minor Iran Sanctions Amid Stalled Nuclear Talks. news.antiwar.com On Thursday, the US The sanctions were removed from three Iranians who formerly worked for the state-owned Iranian National Oil Company. The Biden administration said the…
(2021-06-11). Biden-Putin Summit: Restricted Airspace And Other Preparations Underway In Switzerland. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | In Switzerland, preparations are underway for the 'historic' Biden-Putin summit. | On June 11th, the Federal Council approved a temporary restriction on the use of airspace during the summit between President Biden and President Putin from 15th to 17th June 2021 in Geneva. | The Swiss Air Force will provide air policing and tighter airspace surveillance. The armed forces will also set up a support service to assist the civilian authorities in providing security on a subsidiary basis. | In order…
(2021-06-11). Headlines for June 11, 2021. democracynow.org G7 to Donate 1 Billion Vaccine Doses to Poorer Nations, But Billions More Needed, Biden Says "No Strings Attached" to Vaccine Donations, But Venezuela Is Blocked from Getting Any, Trump Administration Secretly Seized Private Data from Two Democratic Lawmakers, Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Slammed for Failing to Address Climate Crisis, U.N.: Tigray Region of Ethiopia Facing World's Worst Famine in a Decade, Socialist Teacher Pedro Castillo Closing In on Becoming Peruvian President, Undercover Israeli Forces Kill Three Palestinians in West Bank Raid, Shocking Video Shows Israeli Guards Brutally Assaulting Palesti…
(2021-06-11). Biden official says trade deal is pro-worker. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement—the three-way trade pact that replaced jobs-destroying NAFTA—is an example of pro-worker trade, crafted with a lot of worker input, the Democratic Biden administration emphasizes and will continue to do so. So says Katherine Tai, Biden's new, labor-lauded, U.S. Trade Representative, speaking to an AFL-CIO-sponsored virtual Zoom "Town Hall" on trade on June …
(2021-06-11). Kamala's "New Era" Mexico Trip was an "Anti-Trump Coup" Clean-up Job. strategic-culture.org 
We cannot ignore the vast network of Soros-backed NGOs operating in Central America and, much to the chagrin of the Mexican government, also in Mexico. | What can we make of Kamala Harris' trip to Mexico? The public reads reports about success, but without anything to back that up. Naturally, from corporate media and from Harris, we are left with meaningless platitudes and cackling vagueities. We are roughly informed that Harris (and not Biden) goes to meet with heads of state of Guatemala and Mexico. Guatemala is one of the Northern Triangle (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador) states caught up in the 'Root Causes…
(2021-06-11). Official: US Told Nicaragua It Will Respect Vote—If Free. latinorebels.com MEXICO CITY (AP) — A senior U.S. official said Thursday that less than two weeks ago, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Nicaragua's foreign minister that the Biden administration would respect the results of free and fair elections in November.
(2021-06-11). President Biden continues 'legal kidnapping' of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – One year ago on June 12, when President Trump was still in office, the vicious talons of the U.S. government reached into the West African country of Cape Verde to snatch its prey: Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. The Colombian-born businessman was on a special mission as an envoy for the Venezuelan government. He was heading to Iran to secure trade arrangements for a vitally important food program called CLAP that delivers food to more than 85% of Venezuelan homes. | As the plane needed to refuel on its long flight, it touched down in Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. Cape Verde is a country k…
(2021-06-11). True Color of Biden(aka Bait-and-Switch maestro!). indybay.org Breaking News! The Biden administration is ready to CUT corporate taxes to just 15%! That's lower than the T-Rump giveaway of 21%(cut from the prior 35%), and it's freaking LOWER than the 19% that middle-class taxpayers have to fork over to the IRS!
(2021-06-11). 100 Nat'l Orgs Sign Friends (Quakers) Ltr to Stop Weapons Sale to Israel. indybay.org An honor roll of 100 national organizations signed a letter from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to Pres Biden to stop the delivery of $735 billion in weapons to Israel. The letter and honor roll are below, from www.fcnl.org/updates/2021-06/fcnl-joins-100-national-organizations-calling-biden-halt-weapons-sales-israel…
(2021-06-11). Biden advances anti-China agenda at G7 summit, takes Johnson to task over Brexit. wsws.org The G7's leaked draft communiqué centres on calls for a new World Health Organisation investigation into the origins of Covid-19, promoting the noxious lie that the virus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(2021-06-11). Roaming Charges: Biden's House Has Many Manchins. counterpunch.org Some politicians spend most of their careers reinventing themselves, trying to stay within the slipstream of current trends, never out front, never too far beyond. But that's not Joe Manchin. His political identity has always been pretty transparent to those who care to look. Manchin's not a complex operator. Frankly, he's just a hack and apparently is proud to be one. He's spent most of his political life doing the bidding of coal companies and Big Pharma. His conflicts of interests are so obvious that he almost gloats about them. For Manchin, such critiques are proof that he's doing what he came to Washington t…
(2021-06-11). Johnson and Biden's G7 Atlantic Charter is more show than substance. globalresearch.ca It's been said that Boris Johnson models himself on Winston Churchill, and if ever there was confirmation of that it was at the G7 summit today when he met with US President Joe Biden. | A new Atlantic Charter was announced, …
(2021-06-11). To Hell with the Hyde Amendment. progressive.org President Joe Biden is ending a four-decade-long ban on using federal health coverage for abortions.
(2021-06-11). "Julian Is Suffering": Family of WikiLeaks Founder Assange in U.S. to Demand His Release from Prison. democracynow.org 
The U.S. State Department is pushing to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from Britain, where Biden is now meeting with leaders during the G7 summit. A U.K. judge blocked Assange's extradition in January, citing serious mental health concerns. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if brought to the U.S., where he was indicted for violations of the Espionage Act related to the publication of classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes. We speak with Assange's father and half-brother, who are on a tour of the United States to advocate for his release. "The G7 meeting is based upon values, and yet they…
(2021-06-11). Forests are Crucial to Combating Climate Change. Will Biden Rise to the Challenge? counterpunch.org Covering a third of the planet's land surface, forests are massive carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide and keeping it out of the atmosphere where it would contribute to global warming. Only the world's oceans store more carbon. Keeping forests intact has long been considered essential to maintaining a healthy planetary environment, but scientists
(2021-06-11). Biden to Return Diverted Border Wall Money, Spend Down Rest. latinorebels.com WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump's signature border wall project would lose much of its funding as well as the fast-track status that enabled it to bypass environmental regulations under a Biden administration plan announced Friday.
(2021-06-11). Dunhammer: The Operation That Could Tarnish Biden's Visit to Europe. libya360.wordpress.com Misión Verdad The recent arrival of U.S. President Joe Biden on European soil is preceded by a scandal that could influence the diplomatic agenda that the Democrat intends to develop in his first visit since he was elected last December. "Something is rotten in Denmark" At issue is the revelation of more information about the…
(2021-06-11). President Biden: It's time to suppress the Republican suppressors, time to think outside the box. nationofchange.org Many presidents use catchy slogans to have their primary objective stand out for all to see. Remember Trump's MAGA, "Make America great again?" In the case of Biden let's make that slogan LSTS, or, "Let's suppress the suppressors."
(2021-06-11). ICE budget set to increase under Biden administration. challenge-magazine.org The Biden presidential campaign received more money than the Trump campaign from companies in the border industry, with Biden promising these companies a 'smart wall' including surveillance towers with night vision and thermal energy cameras as opposed to the physical wall that Trump began constructing. This strategy of using surveillance follows the decades-long US border policy laid out in the 1994 border patrol manual of 'prevention through deterrence', forcing migrants into 'more hostile terrain, less suited for crossing and more suited for enforcement'.
(2021-06-11). Obsessed With Leaks, Trump's DOJ Covertly Seized Dem Lawmakers' Phone Data. truthout.org 
The Department of Justice (DOJ) under former President Donald Trump subpoenaed the phone records of at least two Democratic lawmakers, as well as their aides and family members, in an effort to determine who was leaking damaging information about the administration to the press, Trump's DOJ in 2017 and 2018, then under the purview of forme…
(2021-06-11). Democrats Pass on Using Key Power to Kill Trump Rules. truthout.org 
This article was produced by The Democrats in the Senate have a handy excuse for why they are not passing bills that would benefit regular people but are opposed by their corporate donors: their hands are tied, they say, because Republicans will threaten an insurmountab…
(2021-06-11). Co-ops Weathered COVID-19 by Prioritizing People Over Profits. progressive.org A documentary from The Real News Network highlights how co-ops show us what a workplace centered around democracy and dignity could look like.
(2021-06-11). It's Time To Change Liberal Discourse About Hamas. popularresistance.org Representative Ilhan Omar may have thought she was doing Palestinians a favor when she challenged Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a congressional hearing on Monday. | But her comments about Hamas only reinforce Israeli propaganda delegitmizing Palestinian resistance. | Sadly Omar's both-sidesism is a common feature of discourse even among ostensibly pro-Palestinian liberals. | Omar posted this video clip of her exchange with Blinken. In her tweet she wrote that "We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity." She claimed, "We have seen unthinkable atroc…
(2021-06-11). Progressives Back Ilhan Omar After "Bad Faith" Attack by House Democrats. truthout.org 
As Rep. Ilhan Omar on Thursday afternoon clarified earlier remarks about "unthinkable atrocities" committed by the United States and Israel following a rebuke from her own party's House leadership, many of the Minnesota Democrat's progressive colleagues joined peace and human rights advocates in rallying to her defense. | Omar first
(2021-06-11). Why Germany's Apology for Its 1904-1908 Genocide in Namibia Does Not Go Far Enough. democracynow.org 
Germany has apologized for its role in the first genocide of the 20th century, which took place in Namibia, a former colony then known as German South West Africa. Between 1904 and 1908, German colonizers killed tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people in Namibia. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas officially described the massacre as genocide and outlined an offer of more than $1.34 billion in development aid to the Namibian government. The offer was not negotiated with survivors of the genocide, and critics have described it as a pittance. We speak with Nyoko Muvangua, born of the Ovaherero people who wer…
(2021-06-11). The new abolitionists. workers.org 
If we are to adopt the name of abolitionist, let us do so openly, mindfully and aware of its great and true significance. For guild history has rewritten the texts and penned what Black historian Lerone Bennett has called "theology" rather than truth to depict some figures of the past, . . . |
(2021-06-11). Bad apples or bad system? Lying cops still on duty despite Brady list. liberationnews.org 
Almost 200 Washington state law enforcement officers have been placed on the Brady list, a list of officers who may not be considered trustworthy in a court of law.
(2021-06-11). Senate Republicans defeat women's equal pay bill, again. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—By a party-line 50-49 vote, every Senate Republican—even the women—defeated HR7, the bill to put teeth into the Equal Pay Act that helps working women. All 47 voting Democrats backed it, as did both independents. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was absent from the 6: 42 pm vote on June 8. It was the fourth time the …
(2021-06-11). GOP Oregon Lawmaker Expelled for Letting Far Right Extremists Into Capitol. truthout.org 
A Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives has been expelled from the state legislative body for illegally allowing dozens of far right individuals, some of them armed with guns, into the state capitol at a time when coronavirus protocols limited public access to the building. | The individuals that Rep. Mike Nearman (R) allowed into the state capitol on December 21, 2020, eventually got into physical altercations with law enforcement, spraying officers with bear spray. Before e…
(2021-06-11). GOP Oregon Lawmaker Expelled for Letting Far-Right Extremists Into Capitol. truthout.org A Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives has been expelled from the state legislative body for illegally allowing dozens of far-right individuals, some of them armed with guns, into the state capitol at a time when coronavirus protocols limited public access to the building. | The individuals that Rep. Mike Nearman (R) allowed into the state capitol on December 21, 2020, eventually got into physical altercations with law enforcement, spraying officers with bear spray. Before e…
(2021-06-11). Poor People's Campaign Rally for HR 438 and Third Reconstruction. indybay.org Protest and music at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Franisco Federal Building office. Also actions in Sacramento, Oakland, San Mateo, and San Jose.
(2021-06-11). "We were paralyzed for a long time" indybay.org Only in dialogue with those who are strangers to us can we become discerning, can we develop political wisdom. If it is true that we are tipping into a particular form of oligarchy, we should consider how we might supplement our representative system – to re-democratize it.
(2021-06-11). Black, Brown, and White: Thoughts on Psychoanalysis, the Blues, and Marginality. counterpunch.org The date January 5, 2021, seemed to be a promising one. We were a day away from the Capitol riot, and Georgia Senatorial candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were heading to unlikely victories, creating a Democratic majority that, while far from guaranteeing the triumph of a progressive legislative agenda (how often has a Democratic