Daily Archives: June 30, 2021

2021-06-30: News Headlines

Marc Norton (2021-06-30). Biden and Trump: No COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Workers. counterpunch.org During his campaign for the Presidency, Joe Biden called on President Donald Trump to: Establish and enforce health and safety standards for workplaces… The Trump Administration should immediately release and enforce an Emergency Temporary Standard… to give employers and frontline employees specific, enforceable guidance on what to do to reduce the spread of COVID." Biden

WSWS (2021-06-30). Biden promotes pro-corporate, bipartisan infrastructure plan in Wisconsin speech. wsws.org Beginning to address the decades of malign neglect of basic infrastructure is seen as critical in strengthening the home front in order to conduct economic warfare and prepare for potential military conflict against China.

Peter Bolton (2021-06-30). Biden's Infrastructure Deal Shows How 'Bipartisanship' is a DC Codeword for Continuation of the Center-Right Status quo. counterpunch.org President Biden recently announced that his administration has struck a deal with senators on the long-touted infrastructure bill that he had promised voters during his 2020 presidential campaign. He seemed particularly pleased by the fact that senators from both of the major parties had agreed to the deal. He said that the development reminded him

Howard Lisnoff (2021-06-30). The Insanity of Militarism From McCain to Flynn and Biden. counterpunch.org During the US war in Vietnam, a protester in Providence, Rhode Island set up a tiger cage and lamented that approaching the middle of the decade of the 1970s it was impossible to garner any significant protest against that war from which the US had withdrawn ground troops in 1973. The Vietnam War ended in

Moderator (2021-06-30). America's $1.3 Trillion National Security Budget Isn't Making Us Safer. scheerpost.com Morning Calm Weekly Newspaper Installation Management Command, U.S. Army / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Mandy Smithberger and William Hartung / TomDispatch President Biden's first Pentagon budget, released late last month, is staggering by any reasonable standard. At more than $750 billion for the Defense Department and related work on nuclear weapons at the Department of Energy, it represents one of the… |

WSWS (2021-06-30). Delta variant surge explodes claims that the pandemic is over in the US. wsws.org For months, the Biden administration, the media and major corporations have promoted the fiction that the COVID-19 pandemic is all but over, but the spread of the virus remains a serious and growing threat.

Steven Rosenfeld (2021-06-30). As republicans stall election reform in the US Senate, democracy comes under greater strain. nationofchange.org Both parties are vying to change who votes and how ballots are cast.

WSWS (2021-06-30). Trump kicks off Republican campaign for 2022 midterm elections with fascistic rant in Ohio. wsws.org In his first campaign-style rally since the attempted coup of January 6, the would-be Fàºhrer demanded that the Republican Party be purged of his critics, attacked socialism and agitated against immigrants.

teleSUR (2021-06-30). DR Congo Celebrates 61 Years of Independence From Belgium. telesurenglish.net On June 30, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) celebrates 61 years of its independence from Belgium and the election of Patrice Lumumba as its first Prime Minister. | RELATED: | For the second year in a row, the Congolese will not celebrate this national holiday by performing any rallies or ceremonies because of an exponential rise in COVID-19 infections. Low vaccination rates have left the country vulnerable to the most…

John Catalinotto (2021-06-30). U.S., Britain, NATO threaten Russia in Black Sea. workers.org June 27 — The Biden administration took extra steps to prove that President Joe Biden's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin included no concessions. In both words and deeds, last week's events indicated a resumption of the Cold War — this time not against the Soviet Union but against capitalist . . . |

Joel Wendland-Liu (2021-06-30). Will Biden continue the racist Trump-era 'China Initiative'? peoplesworld.org Trump launched the so-called "China Initiative" in 2018 to target scholars who worked with Chinese colleagues on science-related projects. Since then, more than a dozen U.S.-based scholars have been arrested, jailed, put on show trials, and harassed by federal authorities. Notably, former Trump aid Steve Bannon's comment that there are "too many Asians in Silicon …

Tomdispatch (2021-06-30). What Price "Defense"? America's Nearly $1.3 Trillion National Security Budget Isn't Making Us Any Safer. juancole.com By Mandy Smithberger and William Hartung | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — President Biden's first Pentagon budget, released late last month, is staggering by any reasonable standard. At more than $750 billion for the Defense Department and related work on nuclear weapons at the Department of Energy, it represents one of the highest levels of …

Answer Coalition (2021-06-30). Biden bombs Syria and Iraq using manufactured specter of Iran to justify crimes. answercoalition.org by Nino Brown, organizer – ANSWER Coalition Boston | In yet another act of lawlessness and commitment to the despised doctrine of "endless war," President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes on June 27 attacking Syria and Iraq. This is his administration's second time this year bombing Syria, and his first for Iraq. U.S. officials said the airstrikes were carried out by Air Force F-15s and F-16s using "precision-guided munitions" targeting facilities it said were being used by "Iranian-backed" militias that were "mounting drone attacks against U.S. troops." In typical fashion, the U.S. government is once again employ…

Staff (2021-06-30). More than 100 groups call for Biden to cease 'unlawful' drone strikes, saying it's a 'human rights and racial justice imperative'. rt.com A total of 113 organizations have called on President Joe Biden to "disavow" and end overseas drone strikes carried out by the US government, saying it is imperative to both ending "forever wars" and "promoting racial justice." | Numerous anti-war and human rights organizations, including ones from countries including Yemen and Somalia, have attached their names to the letter, which was released on Wednesday and organized by the Human Rights and Security Coalition. | For too long, presidents have flouted the rights-protecting safeguards of international law and the US system of checks and balances, with devast…

Staff (2021-06-30). How the "Abolition Amendment" Would End Constitutional Loophole That Allows Forced Labor in Prisons. democracynow.org After President Biden signed legislation this month to create a federal holiday commemorating June 19 as Juneteenth, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Georgia Congressmember Nikema Williams reintroduced what is being called the "Abolition Amendment" to amend the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery and involuntary servitude "except as a punishment for crime" — a clause that has allowed the widespread use of forced prison labor. "Eliminating the loophole … is one way to continue moving forward with addressing the problems of our past and building for the future," says Democratic Cong…

Jamal Abdi (2021-06-30). Biden's Latest Middle East Airstrikes Give "More Fuel" to Conflict with Iran. zcomm.org Criticism is growing of recent U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, which the Biden administration says targeted Iran-backed militias…

_____ (2021-06-30). Over 110 Groups Urge Biden to End Unlawful Lethal Strikes. commondreams.org Campus 'red scare' takes Florida back to the '50s.

_____ (2021-06-30). Indigenous-Led Action Outside White House Urges Biden to 'Protect People, Not Polluters'. commondreams.org Mainstream economics ignores the massive government interventions that "free market" capitalism requires.

Manuel Pérez-Rocha (2021-06-30). Poder corporativo como causa raíz de la migración. peoplesworld.org En el contexto de la pasada visita de la vicepresidenta de Estados Unidos (EU), Kamala Harris, a Guatemala, donde instó a centroamericanos a que no vengan a su país, ella también puso énfasis en que hay que atacar el problema de la migración desde las causas raíz ( root causes), un tema central de la …

_____ (2021-06-30). Why Do The Media Hate Daniel Ortega? popularresistance.org When Kamala Harris finally traveled to the U.S./Mexico border last week, she met several young women asylum seekers. The vice president likely saw Hondurans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans who were fleeing from violence and extreme poverty. But she probably did not see any Nicaraguan asylum seekers, who are few and far between. | Nicaragua and Honduras are considered the two poorest nations in Latin America. Honduras is a corrupt, failed, violent country, whose government is backed by the U.S. Nicaragua has free healthcare and education, and is considered the safest country in Central America. | Since Daniel Ortega…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-06-30). Uproar over DeJoy's Postal Service cuts. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Trumpite Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's U.S. Postal Service delivery cuts are producing more formal protests—and more citizen uproar. Without even bothering to consult the USPS Board of Governors, which under the law may be powerless to stop him, Republican-donor-cum-mail-boss DeJoy imposed new and lower service standards on the agency. His standards, 21 state Attorneys General …

Jim Hightower (2021-06-30). The GOP Is Trying to Outlaw Democracy. otherwords.org Ralph Waldo Emerson told of a dinner guest who went on and on about the virtue of honesty, offering his own life as a model of perfect rectitude. "The louder he talked of his honor," said Emerson, "the faster we counted our spoons." | That's my reaction to the cacophony of phony piety arising from Republican governors and legislators who are trying to enact more than 250 new state laws to stop Black, Latino, Asian-American, Indigenous, and other non-Caucasian voters from casting ballots. | They proclaim that they're not racists, only crusaders protecting the "sanctity of the vote." | Really? So why are they speci…

Staff (2021-06-30). Rep. Nikema Williams: I Experienced Capitol Attack on My 3rd Day in Congress. We Must Investigate. democracynow.org House lawmakers are set to vote to create a select committee that will investigate the deadly January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, while Republican leaders still aren't saying whether they will participate in the panel. Congressmember Nikema Williams of Georgia says it's vital to properly investigate the January 6 insurrection. "I experienced this attack on the Capitol my third day of being a member of Congress, having just been sworn in," Williams says. "I signed up to serve the people, but I never imagined that I would be unsafe as a member of Congress." Williams also discusses ongoing negotiations about infra…

Staff (2021-06-30). Maya Schenwar's Sister Died of an Overdose. She Says Defunding the Police Might Have Saved Her. democracynow.org As the U.S. marks 50 years since President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs on June 17, 1971, we speak with journalist Maya Schenwar, editor-in-chief of the news website Truthout, whose sister Keeley died of a drug overdose in February 2020 at the age of 29. Schenwar says her sister's death came after "a long cycle of criminalization" that made her chances of recovery much harder. "She became so afraid of being rearrested," says Schenwar, who notes that many drug users avoid seeking medical help because of the fear of police involvement and incarceration. "Why are we supporting criminalization at the expense…

Staff (2021-06-30). Sea Level Expert in Miami: "We Are Building Here Like There's No Tomorrow — Maybe That's Correct" democracynow.org As the death toll from the 13-story apartment building collapse in Florida rises to 12, with nearly 150 people still missing, we examine how the disaster raises new questions about how rising sea levels will impact oceanside buildings in Miami and other cities. "The reason this is so important is that either this is something unique to the building or this is a general problem that all the condos along the coasts of the world are going to have to deal with," says Harold Wanless, a professor in geography and urban sustainability at the University of Miami who leads a project called The Invading Sea, a collaborativ…

Staff (2021-06-30). Headlines for June 30, 2021. democracynow.org Israeli Forces Begin Demolitions in East Jerusalem's Silwan, Attack Protesters, U.S. Military May Be Near End of Afghan Withdrawal as Top General Warns of Possible Civil War, Russia Tests Missiles in Crimea After Start of Ukraine-NATO's Black Sea Military Drill, Israel's Foreign Minister Inaugurates Embassy in UAE, Former South African President Jacob Zuma Sentenced to Prison for Contempt of Court, COVID Surge Brings Indonesia to "Edge of Catastrophe"; Virus Lowered Brazil's Life Expectancy, Vaccinated Angelenos Urged to Keep Masking Amid Delta Variant Spread; 800 Line 3 Workers Got COVID, Pfizer & Moderna Vaccin…

Deadline for Democracy Coalition (2021-06-30). Friday 7/9: Walnut Creek: Deadline for Democracy Sidewalk Rally for Voting Rights. indybay.org Intersection of Ygnacio Valley Road and Civic Drive, Walnut Creek 94596 | This is a peaceful event. Follow current COVID safety guidelines.

Anonymous669 (2021-06-30). ISIS Cells Attacked Oil Tankers Heading To Government-Held Areas In Syria's Raqqa. southfront.org Illustrative image | On June 29, ISIS terrorists attacked a convoy of tankers loaded with oil in the eastern Raqqa countryside in Syria's northeastern region. | The terrorist group's news agency, Amaq, claimed that the tankers were moving oil from fields held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to government-held areas. | According to Amaq, five tankers were "damaged" after being targeted by ISIS fighters with machine guns. Some of the drivers were wounded. | The tankers are reportedly owned by the Katerji G…

Staff (2021-06-30). 'All the statues were Democrats,' Rep. McCarthy says, as 67 Republicans join Dems in vote to pull Confederate busts from Capitol. rt.com US lawmakers have voted to remove all statues honoring Confederate officials from the halls of Congress, with nearly 70 Republicans joining rivals across the aisle to back the measure, which will now head to the Senate. | The

Staff (2021-06-30). 67 Republicans Join Democrats on Vote to Remove Confederate Statues From Capitol. truthout.org The House voted on Tuesday to remove all statues of Confederate leaders on display in the Capitol as well as a bust of a former Supreme Court chief justice who in 1957 wrote the Dred Scott decision, regarded as one of the most loathsome racist court decisions in U.S. history. | The measure passed

Angela (2021-06-30). Thursday 7/1: Tell Pelosi: Take Action for Palestine. indybay.org 90 7th St, San Francisco…

Ralph Nader (2021-06-30). Leaves Must be Canceled. All Hands on the Congressional Deck. counterpunch.org Open letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader Senator Chuck Schumer: Readers of the Washington Post this past Sunday, many of whom work at least a 40-hour week with short vacations, were informed by reporter Paul Kane about the large number of recess days the Senate and the House are taking this summer. In the midst of

Ralph Nader (2021-06-30). Leaves Must Be Canceled. All Hands on the Congressional Deck. zcomm.org Staying on the job could let Democrats draw vivid kitchen-table distinctions between them and the corporatist Wall Street over Main Street Republicans…

_____ (2021-06-30). 500+ Groups Rally On Capitol Hill Demanding End To 'Outrageous' Fossil Fuel Subsidies. popularresistance.org As high temperatures persisted in both the Northeast and Pacific Northwest—which experts and activists have connected to the climate emergency—campaigners with hundreds of progressive and green groups joined Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for the rally in Washington, D.C.

Peter Certo (2021-06-30). In OtherWords: June 30, 2021. otherwords.org Soon, tens of millions of American families will get an unusually direct federal benefit: cash deposited directly into their bank accounts. | As part of the American Rescue Plan passed by Democrats last March, the vast majority of Americans with kids with get an expanded Child Tax Credit, or CTC. Starting July 15 and going till the end of the year, most families with children in the United States will start receiving $250 to $300 monthly payments for each child they have. | This week in OtherWords, Karen Dolan explains this historic new benefit, which will reduce child poverty by half while it continues — a…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-06-30). King Msawati May Have Fled Swaziland, but the Pro-Democracy Struggle is Far from Over. libya360.wordpress.com Pavan Kulkarni Residents from Siphofaneni constituency (Lubombo region) march for democracy in Swaziland, defying protests ban by the Mswati autocracy. Photo: CPS While the government has denied reports about the King fleeing from the country, it has not convinced the banned opposition political parties who have been mobilizing over the last couple of weeks in…

Coastside United for Action (2021-06-30). Wednesday 7/7: Voting Rights Now! Sidewalk Rally for Democracy in Pacifica. indybay.org Intersection of CA-1 and Reina Del Mar @ 1 Reina Del Mar, Pacifica, CA 94044…

Nora De La Cour (2021-06-30). Coal Miners Strike in Alabama: 'Warrior Met Coal Ain't Got No Soul!'. zcomm.org Democrats should take every opportunity to join with labor in challenging the corporations that trample over workers and the planet alike in their unquenchable thirst for profit…

_____ (2021-06-30). Loony Economics: Republicans Blame Democrats for the Rise in Chipotle Burrito Prices. commondreams.org The revelations "paint a damning picture of drug regulators who surrendered their independence and objectivity," said Public Citizen's Michael Carome.

The Socialist Program (2021-06-29). How a COVID Conspiracy Theory Fuels U.S. War Drive Against China. liberationnews.org This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Over the past month, the U.S. media and the Biden administration have sought to give credence to …

Walter Smolarek (2021-06-29). Biden's infrastructure flip-flop points to showdown ahead. liberationnews.org The Biden administration appears to have clinched its most extensive deal with Republicans yet in the form of a $580 billion infrastructure bill — but only after a dramatic series of reversals nearly killed the agreement barely a day after it was announced. These tumultuous events demonstrate the intensity of the conflict at the heights …

Sameena Rahman (2021-06-29). Why is the Biden administration bombing the people who beat back ISIS? liberationnews.org Outrage is growing across the region in the aftermath of the Biden administration's decision to launch another series of illegal airstrikes over the weekend against facilities in Iraq and Syria on the basis that they were used by "Iran-backed militias". The Department of Defense stated that the United States acted "pursuant to its right to …

Tina Gerhardt (2021-06-29). Biden's Position on Line 3 Undoes his Climate Commitments. progressive.org Climate activists and Indigenous leaders continue the fight against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline, which is a violation of Indigenous treaties, human rights, and the planet.

teleSUR (2021-06-29). Biden to Visit Florida After Condo Collapse. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit Surfside, Florida, on Thursday in wake of the collapse of a residential building there, the White House announced Tuesday. | RELATED: | "They want to thank the heroic first responders, search and rescue teams and everyone who has been working tirelessly around the clock, and meet with the families who have been forced to endure this terrible tragedy waiti…

Juan Cole (2021-06-29). Iraqi Shiite Militias hit back at US Bases in Syria after Biden Air Raids; Why does US have Bases in Syria? Why Hasn't it Left Iraq? juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Al-Quds reports that Shiite militias in Syria fired several rockets or artillery shells at the US military base in the al-'Umar oil field in Deir al-Zor province in southeastern Syria on Monday evening, in response to Sunday's US bombing raids on Iraqi Shiite militias on the Syria-Iraq border. There were …

The Socialist Program (2021-06-29). A Socialist Mayor in New York State's Second Largest City? liberationnews.org On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the election of a socialist in the Democratic primary for mayor of Buffalo, New York, a series of dramatic reversals by the Biden administration over infrastructure, injustices in the prison system, the sentencing of convicted murderer Derek Chauvin, U.S. airstrikes attacking Iraq and Syria, and more.

Lucía Eugenia Córdova (2021-06-29). Report on First Phase of PSUV Primaries Process—21N Regional Elections. orinocotribune.com This Sunday, June 27, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) experienced an unprecedented process of strengthening its internal participatory democracy. The PSUV bases had the opportunity to nominate freely, and according to a policy that guarantees gender parity to their candidates in the upcoming regional and municipal elections. As planned, more than 14,000 Bolívar Chávez Battle Units (UBCH) were organized in assemblies and began the nomination procedure previously defined by PSUV's Electoral Commission. | In the final stretch of the day, the First Vice President of the PSUV, Diosdado Cabello Rondón, r…

John Feffer (2021-06-29). Iran's Hardliners are Back, Too. counterpunch.org To some critics, U.S. elections are managed affairs. According to this cynical view, the "powers that be" narrow the field of candidates, the two parties don't represent the real range of public opinion in the country, and periodic elections are just shadow plays staged by powerbrokers behind the scenes. In this way, U.S. democracy is

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-06-29). Does Socialism Have a PR Problem? counterpunch.org New York's second-largest city, Buffalo, has essentially elected a socialist mayor. India Walton, who calls herself "very proud" to be a democratic socialist, swept past incumbent mayor Byron Brown in Buffalo's Democratic mayoral primary race on June 22. Walton's victory is reminiscent of recent shocking election upsets where self-proclaimed socialists, particularly in the state of

Mark Gruenberg (2021-06-29). Progressive groups gather support for $6 trillion-plus 'bigger than Biden' budget bill. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Progressive organizations, led by the Poor People's Campaign, the Institute for Policy Studies, and the Economic Policy Institute, are gathering organizational—and later individual—support for a $6 trillion-plus budget bill that "would meet all of our needs" in domestic spending, in their words. "Budgets are moral statements," the groups declared in opening their drive, with other …

sputniknews (2021-06-29). Biden's Strikes at Iraq-Syria Border Likely Illegal, Contrary to White House Claims. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States does not appear to have a legitimate basis in either domestic or international law to justify the recent airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, which means the attacks could be seen as acts of aggression that violated the sovereignty of both countries, legal experts told Sputnik.

_____ (2021-06-29). Biden's Bombing Of Iraq And Syria Only Serves The Weapons Industry. popularresistance.org For the second time in the five months since he was inaugurated, President Joe Biden on Sunday ordered a U.S. bombing raid on Syria, and for the first time, he also bombed Iraq. The rationale offered was the same as Biden's first air attack in February: the U.S., in the words of Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, "conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region." He added that "the United States acted pursuant to its right of self-defense." | Embedded in this formulaic Pentagon statement is so much propaganda and so many euphemisms that, b…

Jessica Corbett (2021-06-29). Iraq Says Bombings Ordered by Biden a 'Blatant and Unacceptable Violation' of Sovereignty. globalresearch.ca

Andy Kroll (2021-06-29). What Price "Defense"? tomdispatch.com President Biden's first Pentagon budget, released late last month, is staggering by any reasonable standard. At more than $750 billion for the Defense Department and related work on nuclear weapons at the Department of Energy, it represents one of the highest levels of spending since World War II — far higher than the peaks of the Korean or Vietnam wars or President Ronald Reagan's military buildup of the 1980s, and roughly three times what China spends on its military. Developments of the past year and a half — an ongoing pandemic, an intensifying mega-drought, white supremacy activities, and racial…

Staff (2021-06-29). Biden reiterates anti-Iranian claims in meeting with Rivlin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 29 (MNA) — The US president reiterated his anti-Iranian claims during a meeting with the head of the Israeli regime in Washington.

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2021-06-29). The Biden Administration and Congress Have a Chance to Tame Big Tech. thenation.com The Biden Administration and Congress Have a Chance to Tame Big Tech…

Danny Glover (2021-06-29). Biden's Failure to End Trump's War on Cuba Is Threatening Lives. thenation.com Biden's Failure to End Trump's War on Cuba Is Threatening Lives…

Andrew J. Bacevich (2021-06-29). These Are the 3 Ways Biden's Presidency Could Go. thenation.com These Are the 3 Ways Biden's Presidency Could Go…

Michael F. Pettinger (2021-06-29). Are Pro-Choice Catholics Worthy of Communion? thenation.com Are Pro-Choice Catholics Worthy of Communion?

Staff (2021-06-29). Headlines for June 29, 2021. democracynow.org Pacific Northwest's Stifling Heat Breaks All-Time Records for Second Straight Day, Moscow Storms Break Russia's Record-Setting June Heat Wave, Dozens of Youth Climate Activists Arrested at White House Demanding Action on Climate Crisis, "An Overt Political Blockade": Minnesota Police Barricade Line 3 Pipeline Protest Camp, Ethiopia Declares Ceasefire After Separatists Claim Tigray's Capital City , Iranian-Backed Militia Strikes Back After Biden Orders Bombings in Iraq and Syria, Federal Judge Throws Out Antitrust Lawsuits Seeking to Break Up Facebook , Trump Reportedly Asked to Send Coronavirus-Infected Americans…

Staff (2021-06-29). Free the Children: Advocates Demand Biden Close Fort Bliss Detention Center Holding 800 Migrant Kids. democracynow.org Migrant children held by the Biden administration are reporting suicide and escape attempts and conditions of spoiled food, extreme heat and panic attacks in the largest so-called emergency shelter for migrant children in the U.S., at the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. More than 14,000 migrant children are currently in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, which has set up 15 emergency sites like the one at Fort Bliss to get them out of overcrowded Border Patrol holding facilities. Vice President Kamala Harris did not visit the Fort Bliss tent city on her recent visit to the sou…

Staff (2021-06-29). Amid Nuclear Talks, Biden's Latest Middle East Airstrikes Give "More Fuel" to Conflict with Iran. democracynow.org Criticism is growing of recent U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, which the Biden administration says targeted Iran-backed militias. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi condemned the attack as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security." The U.S. airstrikes come as the Biden administration is holding indirect talks with Iran about reviving the Iranian nuclear deal. Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, says the U.S. needs to end its "constant tit for tat" with Iran across the Middle East. "By failing to pivot away from that and instead bomb…

Staff (2021-06-29). Rep. Jamaal Bowman: We Need Climate & Racial Justice Addressed in Broader Infrastructure Package. democracynow.org As western states battle record-breaking heat waves, climate activists are calling on the Biden administration and congressional Democrats to pass an infrastructure bill that includes major investments in green energy, including a fully funded Civilian Climate Corps. President Biden says he reached a bipartisan deal with senators on a slimmed-down infrastructure spending bill, but Democrats hope to pass a second, larger infrastructure package with a budget reconciliation process that would not require any Republican votes. The bipartisan deal is "completely unacceptable" on its own, says New York Democratic Congr…

_____ (2021-06-29). "Nyah nyah nyah?" (Mis)understanding Putin. strategic-culture.org Prior to the summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva, Russian President Vladimir Putin was interviewed by NBC's Keir Simmons. Unfortunately, some points of the interview were lost in translation. Some cultural background is needed to understand what the Russian leader said. | (Click on the image to enlarge)…

_____ (2021-06-29). Afghanistan's Drug Production Is a Global Crisis. strategic-culture.org There is a grave international crisis looming, and its base is Afghanistan, Brian Cloughley writes. | In May 2003, Senator Joseph R Biden of Delaware gave evidence at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing on "Narco-terrorism: international drug trafficking and terrorism — a dangerous mix" and

_____ (2021-06-29). Blinken's Mass Deception. strategic-culture.org By Stephen LENDMAN | In Rome with US imperial partners, discussions included support for ISIS and likeminded jihadists. | Defying reality like many times before, Blinken, turned truth on is head with the following remarks, saying: | The Biden regime is "commit(ted) to enduring the enduring defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria (sic), including through support for ongoing stabilization efforts in areas liberated from ISIS (sic)." | No US "stabilization" efforts exist in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. | The US and its imperial partners provide no "humanitarian aid" or other…

Jon Schwarz (2021-06-29). Biden's Bombing Campaign Is a Trumpian Assertion of Presidential Power. zcomm.org Trump's berserk recklessness opened a window to rein in presidential war powers. Biden's actions show that window is now closed…

Staff (2021-06-29). Biden's Latest Middle East Airstrikes Give "More Fuel" to Conflict With Iran. truthout.org Image Credit: U.S. Military Handout | Criticism is growing of recent U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, which the Biden administration says targeted Iran-backed militias. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi condemned the attack as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security." The U.S. airstrikes come as the Biden administration is holding indirect talks with Iran about reviving the Iranian nuclear deal. Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian Ame…

_____ (2021-06-29). Though Evidence Is Lacking, US Media Give New Respect to Lab Leak Theory. commondreams.org President Biden must resist trying to revive a new Cold War with China and using that to undermine progressive governments in South America and side with the industrial oligarchs.

_____ (2021-06-29). Biden's Position on Line 3 Abandons His Climate Commitments. commondreams.org Rather than stock market prices I would rather be regularly informed about hunger in America.

Pubdatetue, 29 Jun 2021 11:28:00 -0400 (2021-06-29). Though Evidence Is Lacking, US Media Give New Respect to Lab Leak Theory. commondreams.org President Biden must resist trying to revive a new Cold War with China and using that to undermine progressive governments in South America and side with the industrial oligarchs.

Pubdatetue, 29 Jun 2021 13:11:10 -0400 (2021-06-29). Biden's Position on Line 3 Abandons His Climate Commitments. commondreams.org Rather than stock market prices I would rather be regularly informed about hunger in America.

Caitlin Johnstone (2021-06-29). US Again Bombs Nations on Other Side of the World in "Self-Defense" orinocotribune.com By Caitlin Johnstone — Jun 27, 2021 | The US is again illegally bombing nations on the other side of the planet which it has invaded and occupied and branded this murderous aggression as "defensive". | "At President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region," reads

WSWS (2021-06-29). Biden's bombing of Iraq and Syria: the normalization of war. wsws.org Two decades after the start of an invasion and occupation that claimed the lives of a million Iraqis, the US is still attacking the region as it prepares for far wider wars.

Newsclick (2021-06-29). US seizure of Iranian sites complicates nuclear deal talks. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha analyses the recent decision by the US to 'seize' 33 sites, including those of the Iranian Press TV. He talks about the nature of registration of sites across the world, the discussions around the JCPOA or the Iran nuclear deal, and the recent meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin.

WSWS (2021-06-29). US offers talks to North Korea as it ramps up pressure on China. wsws.org The Biden administration's approach to North Korea is part of wider efforts to isolate China internationally.

Deadline for Democracy Coalition (2021-06-29). Friday 7/9: Walnut Creek: Deadline for Democracy Sidewalk Rally for Voting Rights. indybay.org Intersection of Ygnacio Valley Road and Civic Drive, Walnut Creek 94596 | This is a peaceful event. Follow current COVID safety guidelines.

WSWS (2021-06-29). New York City to move 8,000 homeless people from hotels to crowded shelters, ending COVID-19 prevention program. wsws.org Mayor Bill de Blasio's effort will jeopardize the health of homeless people to free hotel rooms for tourists.

Tikender Panwar (2021-06-29). COVID-19: What will our post-pandemic habitat be? peoplesdispatch.org The governance model for a sustainable habitat has to be linked with people's participation and their engagement. This must be decentralized and democratized. People must be given the opportunity to decide their urban futures…

Staff (2021-06-29). House Will Vote Tuesday on Removing Confederate Statues From Capitol. truthout.org Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are set to vote Tuesday on a bill that, if enacted, would remove statues of Confederate figures as well as replace the bust of a Supreme Court jurist who authored what is considered one of the worst decisions in the country's history. | The bill promoted by Democrats

Staff (2021-06-29). AZ Will Spend Millions to Replace Voting Machines Compromised by GOP "Audit" truthout.org Officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, announced on Monday that Security firms hired by the Republican-controlled Arizona state Senate were tasked with au…

Norman Solomon (2021-06-29). Why Corporate Democrats Are Desperately Trying to Keep Nina Turner Out of Congress. indybay.org Corporate Democrats Are Desperate to Beat Nina Turner…

Lynn Parramore (2021-06-29). Article Top Economist: As Pandemic Recedes, a Chance to Rethink Unemployment. indybay.org The Chamber of Commerce, for example, has pushed the U.S. to stop expanded unemployment insurance benefits so that people will be forced to return to low-wage jobs. Some Republican-dominated states have jumped on board with this idea.

_____ (2021-06-29). Ilhan Omar Says Progressives Ready to Withhold Votes From Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. commondreams.org "Action taken now will help us protect our climate, promote a more equitable, clean energy economy for America, and strengthen international leadership."

Pubdatetue, 29 Jun 2021 12:55:03 -0400 (2021-06-29). Ilhan Omar Says Progressives Ready to Withhold Votes From Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. commondreams.org "Action taken now will help us protect our climate, promote a more equitable, clean energy economy for America, and strengthen international leadership."

Peter Koenig (2021-06-29). The West's Audacity of Sanctioning: The Latest Case is Belarus. dissidentvoice.org On 23 May 2021 President Lukashenko ordered the Ryanair plane, flying from Athens to Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, carrying his Nazi-schooled threatening opponent and activist Protasevich and his girlfriend, to be diverted to Minsk. He did so after having received a message of a bomb threat on board the plane from the Swiss e-mail provider …

sputniknews (2021-06-29). Photos: US Secret Service Agents Arrest Several Climate Change Activists Amid White House Blockade. sputniknews.com Last month, the San Francisco, California, homes of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) became sites of protest as over 100 young activists of the Sunrise Movement ended a 266-mile 'Generation on Fire.' The youth-led movement has now taken its demands to Capitol Hill.

Tom Tomorrow (2021-06-29). The Aliens Are Coming to Help. thenation.com The Aliens Are Coming to Help…

Coastside United for Action (2021-06-29). Wednesday 7/7: Voting Rights Now! Sidewalk Rally for Democracy in Pacifica. indybay.org Intersection of CA-1 and Reina Del Mar @ 1 Reina Del Mar, Pacifica, CA 94044…

José Blanco (2021-06-29). La democracia y la justicia social. globalizacion.ca Según la casa financiera Credit Suisse (CS) —un activo gestor mayor de la inversión internacional—, el 1% de los 5 mil 300 millones de adultos del mundo poseen 45 por ciento de la riqueza global del planeta. El otro 99…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-06-29). Protests intensify in Swaziland as people demand an end to monarchy and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org Today we look at the pro-democracy protests in Swaziland, the ceasefire announced in Ethiopia's Tigray region, demolitions in Occupied Jerusalem's Silwan area, and more…

_____ (2021-06-29). It's Time for a New Good Neighbor Policy Toward Latin America. commondreams.org The Minnesota Democrat said an internal survey found that more than 40 Progressive Caucus members would refuse to vote for the bipartisan bill if it's not accompanied by a bold reconciliation package.

Pavan Kulkarni (2021-06-29). King Msawati may have fled Swaziland, but the pro-democracy struggle against monarchy is far from over. peoplesdispatch.org While the government has denied reports about the King fleeing from the country, it has not convinced the banned opposition political parties who have been mobilizing over the last couple of weeks in an unprecedented wave of protests against the last absolute monarch in Africa.

Peter Certo (2021-06-29). We can have the filibuster or democracy, but not both. nationofchange.org The warning from democracy advocates is clear: Kill the filibuster and pass the For the People Act, or our democracy won't survive.

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