(2021-08-18). Afghanistan: Longest US War Continues to a New Stage. dissidentvoice.org The longest of the United States' "forever wars" in Afghanistan was supposed to end August 31 after President Biden extended his predecessor's withdrawal date from May of this year. But what will be ending is not clear; certainly not the imperial mission of the world's superpower. If the US determines that it cannot impose its …
(2021-08-18). What Israel hopes to gain from America's Afghan disaster. electronicintifada.net Bennett may push Biden for more belligerence towards Iran.
(2021-08-18). Biden Is Right to End the War in Afghanistan. otherwords.org The scenes from Afghanistan are heartrending. | I can't imagine the desperation of someone who clings to a military airplane as it takes off, as Afghan refugees attempted to in Kabul. Nor is it possible to dismiss the fears of Afghan women, as a faction that once executed them for seeking jobs or education comes back to power. | But in light of the precipitous collapse of the country's 300,000-man army and political leadership, it's also impossible to dismiss President Biden's conclusion that the war was never going to be winnable. | "If Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now," Bide…
(2021-08-18). "There is No Military Solution." Time to Get Real About It. counterpunch.org "There is no military solution to the conflict." That was the conclusion reached by the Biden administration earlier this year, which set into motion the plans for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of August. Nearing the termination of this process, in a few short days we witnessed the collapse
(2021-08-18). In OtherWords: August 18, 2021. otherwords.org The rapid collapse of Afghanistan's government was harrowing, but not surprising. | This week in OtherWords, I argue that President Biden is right to stand by his decision to end the war — but wrong to place all the blame for its failure on Afghans. The U.S. has been at war in the country for not just two decades, but nearly four. More war won't clean up the mess we made, but we must still help the ordinary Afghans living with the consequences. | On the domestic front, Rebekah Entralgo looks again at the federal infrastructure package and argues that it needs to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocume…
(2021-08-18). The Choice Facing Afghans: Do a Deal With the Taliban or Flee. counterpunch.org As Afghans see it, President Donald Trump began a series of one-sided deals favouring the Taliban in 2020, an approach confirmed by President Joe Biden in his speech on 14 April this year. He declared that the final American pull-out would be completed by the 20th anniversary of 9/11, come what may.
(2021-08-18). Why did a military superpower fail in Afghanistan? nationofchange.org This external approach, based on military occupation, to promote democracy in occupied foreign countries was "doomed to fail."
(2021-08-18). US Government Lied For Two Decades About Afghanistan. popularresistance.org "The Taliban regime is coming to an end," announced President George W. Bush at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on December 12, 2001 — almost twenty years ago today. Five months later, Bush vowed: "In the United States of America, the terrorists have chosen a foe unlike they have faced before. . . . We will stay until the mission is done." Four years after that, in August of 2006, Bush announced: "Al Qaeda and the Taliban lost a coveted base in Afghanistan and they know they will never reclaim it when democracy succeeds. . . . The days of the Taliban are over. The future of Afghanistan belongs to t…
(2021-08-18). Fact Check: Rep. Barbara Lee Was Only Member Of Congress To Vote No On Military Authorization In Afghanistan. moguldom.com Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA 13th District) was the only member of Congress to vote against the war in Afghanistan and for doing so, she was called a traitor. On Sept. 14, 2001, three days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the U.S., the California Democrat cast the lone "no" vote against giving President George …
(2021-08-18). Ex-Official Matthew Hoh, Who Resigned over Afghan War, Says U.S. Mistakes Helped Taliban Gain Power. democracynow.org 
"The only thing more tragic than what's happened to the Afghan people is that in a few days America will have forgotten Afghanistan again," says Matthew Hoh, a disabled combat veteran and former State Department official stationed in Afghanistan's Zabul province who resigned in 2009 to protest the Obama administration's escalation of the War in Afghanistan. He says much of the U.S. media coverage has been filled with "complete lies and fabrications," despite decades of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. "You see the same people who've been wrong about this war trotted out over and over again," says Hoh, a senior fe…
(2021-08-18). Advocates Urge Biden to Move Faster to Resettle Afghan Refugees. truthout.org 
President Joe Biden has allocated $500 million in new funds for relocating Afghan refugees following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The U.S. had already vowed to help evacuate over 80,000 Afghan civilians who qualify for special immigrant visas and face possible retribution from the Taliban, such as translators and interpreters for the U.S. military or NATO, but critics say the Biden administration needs to move faster and expand refugee resettlement from the country. There is already a backlog of more…
(2021-08-18). "People Are Thirsty for Peace": Afghans Wary of Taliban as Group Vows to Uphold Rights. democracynow.org 
We go to Kabul for an update as the Taliban moves to secure control of Afghanistan. The group said Tuesday former government officials will not face retribution and that the rights of women and journalists will be upheld. The Taliban's rhetoric and the relatively restrained behavior of its fighters in Kabul are starkly different from how the group governed Afghanistan after seizing power in 1996, when it imposed draconian restrictions on everyday life. Despite the Taliban's pledges, many women across Afghanistan have not left their homes since the Taliban seized control over the weekend and as thousands of people…
(2021-08-18). Decades of Disaster: Biden Is Right to End the War in Afghanistan. commondreams.org "The stench of corruption wafting up from Louis DeJoy's office is so thick seagulls are flying in from the Jersey Shore and circling overhead."
(2021-08-18). Advocates Call on Biden Admin to Move Faster on Resettling Afghan Refugees. democracynow.org 
President Joe Biden has allocated $500 million in new funds for relocating Afghan refugees following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The U.S. had already vowed to help evacuate over 80,000 Afghan civilians who qualify for special immigrant visas and face possible retribution from the Taliban, such as translators and interpreters for the U.S. military or NATO, but critics say the Biden administration needs to move faster and expand refugee resettlement from the country. There is already a backlog of more than 17,000 Afghan nationals and 53,000 of their family members awaiting visa approval. "This entire backl…
(2021-08-18). Headlines for August 18, 2021. democracynow.org Taliban Addresses Women's Rights, Press Freedom in First Press Conference Since Takeover, U.S. Continues Evacuations as Top Dems Pledge to Investigate Biden's Afghanistan Exit, Haiti Earthquake Death Toll Hits 2,000 as Survivors, Many Now Unhoused, Lashed by Tropical Storm, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Alabama Runs Out of ICU Beds; 3,000 NOLA Students and Staff in Quarantine, New Zealand Orders Lockdown After ID'ing One COVID Case, Tokyo Extends State of Emergency; Thai Protesters Demand PM Step Down for Mishandling COVID, India Bans Single-Use Plastics, But New Law Contains Major Loopho…
(2021-08-18). Washington's War in Afghanistan Is Over. What Happens Now? zcomm.org President Biden was right to withdraw US troops. But we should have no illusion that this will end the war for Afghans…
(2021-08-18). GOP State Officials Take Step Toward Overseeing Elections in Georgia's Heavily Democratic Fulton County. commondreams.org Now our obligation is to those Afghans living with the consequences of our four decades of intervention.
(2021-08-18). Hyphen-ated for Life: Palestinian-American, Almost. counterpunch.org "Democratic representation of We The People requires an accurate ascertainment of who 'We The People' are." ~Arab American Institute The space of identity is tight. A single identity can hardly fit into its place, yet that is what society expects. The reality of identity is much more dynamic and colorful than dry categories of some
(2021-08-18). Documents of the Revolution: Unpublished Che Guevara Letters. thenation.com Documents of the Revolution: Unpublished Che Guevara Letters…
(2021-08-18). Wounded Paternalism: Biden and the US Imperial Complex. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-18). The GOP's Election Lies Are Stale, But the Stakes Are High. otherwords.org Right now our nation still has two competing narratives about the 2020 election. | One is that Joe Biden legitimately won and that Donald Trump encouraged a false narrative, known as the Big Lie, that Biden's win was fraudulent. The other is that Joe Biden did not win the election, and Trump's claims of voter fraud are true. | For each, ask: What would have to be true for this to be accurate? How do you know you know? What information can you personally confirm from the evidence you have access to? | If you learn something secondhand, where did it originate — and would someone who said it personally gain by…
(2021-08-18). Joe Biden To Increase Food Stamp Benefits By 25 Percent: 3 Things To Know. moguldom.com All 42 million recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive additional aid in a permanent boost from President Joe Biden, who is increasing food stamp benefits by more than 25 percent from pre-pandemic levels. There has long been a misconception about who receives welfare. The stereotype of President Ronald Reagan's Black "welfare …
(2021-08-18). Kabul Has Fallen — But Don't Blame Biden. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-18). US Moves to Cut Backlog of Asylum Cases at US-Mexico Border. latinorebels.com WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed changing how asylum claims are handled, aiming to reduce a huge backlog of cases from the U.S.-Mexico border that has left people waiting years to find out whether they will be allowed to stay in America.
(2021-08-18). US extends public transportation mask mandate through JANUARY, citing Delta variant threat. rt.com 
Wearing of face coverings on planes, trains and public transportation of any kind in the US will be mandatory through at least mid-January 2022, the Biden administration has announced, citing the spread of Covid-19. | Originally imposed on February 1 as part of President Joe Biden's "Mask Up America!" plan to defeat the virus in 100 days, the mandate was extended in April and set to expire on September 13. On Tuesday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) informed the media that it will be extended through January 18 next year. | "The purpose of TSA's mask directive is to minimize the spread of Covi…
(2021-08-18). Dozens of Democrats to Biden: Revoke Permits for Line 3 Pipeline. commondreams.org "If your dress code can enforce skirt lengths, it can enforce masks."
(2021-08-18). Biden's Mounting Pandemic Failures. dailyposter.com 
(2021-08-18). MIDDAY POSTER: Climate Personnel Is Policy. dailyposter.com 
(2021-08-18). As pandemic intensifies public discontent, Australian government unveils anti-democratic electoral laws. wsws.org The bills seek to strip party registration from all parties not currently represented in parliament by requiring them to provide lists of 1,500 members—triple the existing requirement—within three months of the laws passing.
(2021-08-18). House on verge of votes on infrastructure, budget, voting rights. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—With heavy lifting scheduled in the U.S. House next week on infrastructure, the budget, and voting rights, progressive groups and their allies are scrambling to put pressure on the majority Democrats to stand by party priorities on those issues. Those priorities include provisions to battle climate change, tax the rich, permanently enact paid family and …
(2021-08-18). How California's top Democrats paved the way for a Republican governor this fall. nationofchange.org This is largely a tale of corporate-friendly elitism and tone-deaf egotism at the top of the California Democratic Party.
(2021-08-18). Texas Governor Greg Abbott Tests Positive for Coronavirus After Banning Mask & Vaccine Mandates. democracynow.org 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for the coronavirus, just one day after he attended a packed indoor Republican event in Dallas, where he and most attendees were unmasked. Abbott, who said he was not showing symptoms of COVID-19, imposed a statewide ban on vaccine and mask mandates last month, though a judge later blocked the ban on mask mandates. Abbott has also tried to blame immigrants for the spread of COVID-19 in Texas and issued an executive order last month instructing state troopers to stop any vehicle suspected of transporting migrants "who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19." Abbott's rhetor…
(2021-08-18). How is Corona changing the world of work? indybay.org Exceptional situations do not necessarily have to be handled in an authoritarian manner; efficiency does not have to be generated in command structures. Independent action by employees becomes productive in democratic structures – perhaps the Corona crisis has also triggered learning processes that go in this direction.
(2021-08-18). From Soil to Society: A Systems Approach to Change. commondreams.org "I don't think Democrats will flip Ohio if we nominate another establishment insider," she told supporters.
(2021-08-18). Progressive Democrat Morgan Harper Launches Campaign Against Rep. Tim Ryan for Ohio Senate Seat. commondreams.org Pennsylvania and other places want to push forward on carbon removal plans, but there's little evidence for their impact.
(2021-08-18). America's 'Good Cop v. Bad Cop', Fake-'News', Major Media. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | Written by Eric Zuesse. | The way it works in America and other 'democratic' regimes is that everything in politics comes down ultimately to two political parties, each of which is owned/controlled by one of the two contending factions of the country's ruling oligarchy (i.e., of the country's billionaires), and different oligarchic families control each one of the various 'news'-media, and use its med…
(2021-08-18). 8 Quotes From Top Reparations Scholar Dr. Sandy Darity On Obama's Legacy And Black America. moguldom.com Professor, economist and top reparations scholar Dr. Sandy Darity has never been one to mince words about the state of Black America. The Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy at Duke University, Darity has gone on record in the past to criticize former President Barack Obama's legacy as it relates to Black people. In …
(2021-08-18). The Regulator: Nancy Pelosi Is Loaded With Shares Of Big Tech Monopoly Companies Based In California. moguldom.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul have a net worth of at least $66.1 million and as much as $315.7 million, much of it tied up in real estate, according to her 2020 annual financial disclosure, filed on Aug. 13 by the Clerk of the House. However, Paul Pelosi also trades stocks in big tech …
(2021-08-18). Thursday 8/19: "Is Nancy Pelosi Addicted– to War?" indybay.org Nancy Pelosi's house, 2640 Broadway, in Pacific Heights, San Francisco…
(2021-08-18). As Covid-19 Cases Rise, Global Task Force Lays Out How to Avert Future Pandemics. commondreams.org GOP-appointed judges sided with Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and right-wing lawmakers in the state, who are seeking to secure a quorum to pass legislation attacking voting rights.
(2021-08-18). Florida Moves Closer to Punishing Districts Defying DeSantis's Ban on Mask Rules. truthout.org 
The Florida Board of Education determined on Tuesday that two school districts in the state, in Broward and Alachua Counties, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill passed by the state legislature into law earlier this year, and has thr…
(2021-08-18). How A Drone Whistleblower In Montana Survived A Political Prosecution. thedissenter.org 
Brandon BryantIn July, drone whistleblower Brandon Bryant survived a political prosecution that was launched against him by the Missoula County Attorney's Office in Montana and with support from city council members.Brandon was accused of making "threats" and "improper influence" in official or political matters, a felony that carries a potential sentence of 10 years in prison. The charge stemmed from a city council member who googled him after he spoke at a city council meeting during public comment.City Council member Julie Merritt found a video that was edited by someone who joined the…
(2021-08-18). Texas Supreme Court Says Dems Who Fled State to Block Voter Suppression Package Can Be Arrested. commondreams.org "Voters deserve better," said one advocacy group.
(2021-08-18). UAW keeps autoworkers in the dark about possible strike at Dana, Inc. parts plant in Warren, Michigan. wsws.org Workers at the Dana, Inc. auto parts manufacturing plant in Warren, Michigan told the World Socialist Web Site that their contract is expiring today, August 18, but the United Auto Workers has told them nothing about the status of their negotiations with the company.
(2021-08-17). The Afghanistan War And The Dissenters We Should've Listened To. thedissenter.org 
Vice President Joe Biden and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in 2011 (Photo: US Embassy Kabul Afghanistan) | President Joe Biden delivered a speech where he stood by the withdrawal of United States military forces from Afghanistan, but he crudely blamed the people of Afghanistan for the chaos that has unfolded over the past several days. | It was a lie to assert the war in Afghanistan was never about nation-building. Neoconservatives in President George W. Bush's administration, who launched the war, deployed troops for an open-ended mission to establish a government that could secure the country against the T…
(2021-08-17). Poll Shows Public Disapproval of Biden Handling of Afghanistan. telesurenglish.net The majority of U.S. citizens are dissatisfied with President Joe Biden's performance in Afghanistan and find him responsible for the chaos in that country, according to a poll by The Trafalgar Group polling company. | According to the survey, 69 percent of Americans disapprove of his decision to leave Afghanistan, which led to the fall of Kabul and the take-over by the Taliban. In contrast, only 23 percent approve. | RELATED: | Among De…
(2021-08-17). Afghanistan And The US Imperial Project. popularresistance.org On August 16, 2021 President Biden addressed the nation to explain why the US military is pulling out of Afghanistan. To a lesser extent, he also tried to explain why the Afghan government and its 300,000 military forces imploded over the past weekend. With the Afghan State's quick disappearing act, in a puff of smoke up went as well the more than $1 trillion spent by the US in Afghanistan since 2001. | Biden glossed over the real answer to the first point why the US is now pulling out. The second he never really answered. | The real answer to the first point is simple: the USA as global hegemon can no longer aff…
(2021-08-17). Former CIA Director And Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo Blames The 'Fall Of Afghanistan' On Critical Race Theory. moguldom.com Is there a connection between critical race theory and the recent fall of Afghanistan? Well, former CIA Director and Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo thinks so. The former Trump surrogate blames the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on President Joe Biden's administration, saying it was focused on critical race theory instead of foreign policy. CRT, Pompeo …
(2021-08-17). Biden doubles down on withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. peoplesworld.org 
President Joe Biden declared Monday he would not back down on his withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Republicans, fearful that he or future presidents might just be serious about discarding the long-time imperialist policy of so-called "nation building," united around a barrage of attacks on the president. Using images broadcast around the world of …
(2021-08-17). US Admits Leaving Weaponry in the Hands of Taliban. telesurenglish.net U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan admitted on Tuesday that a considerable part of the weaponry was left in Afghanistan, in hands of the Taliban. | RELATED: | "We don't have a complete picture obviously of where every article of defense materials has gone, but certainly a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban," the official said during a press conference at the White House. | President Biden's N…
(2021-08-17). Canada Won't Recognize Taliban, Will Offer Asylum. telesurenglish.net Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed on Tuesday that the country would not recognize a Taliban government, although the force has already settled in Kabul. | RELATED: | "Canada has no plans to recognize the Taliban as the Government of Afghanistan. They have taken over and replaced a duly elected democratic government by force," Trudeau said. | "Canada has no plans to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan," says Justin Trudeau…
(2021-08-17). Ret. Col. Ann Wright on Reopening U.S. Embassy in Kabul in 2001 & Why She Supports Troop Withdrawal. democracynow.org 
Retired U.S. Army colonel and former State Department official Ann Wright, who helped reopen the U.S. Embassy in Kabul in December 2001 and later resigned in protest, says the United States should reopen its embassy now and needs to maintain a diplomatic footprint in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. "If the United States really wants to help the people of Afghanistan … we've got to have a presence in Afghanistan," says Wright.
(2021-08-17). Afghan-Australian: 'Democracy and safety not a priority for West'. greenleft.org.au The West was never in Afghanistan to bring democracy or assure safety for ordinary Afghans. Riz Wakil said the warmongers orchestrated not only the occupation of Afghanistan but many parts of the Middle East: Iraq, Syria and also Libya.
(2021-08-17). US Defeat In Kabul To Increase Domestic Rejection Of Biden. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | Trump takes advantage of the situation to criticize the current president. | Written by Lucas Leiroz, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. | The US defeat in Afghanistan is already having an effect on the American domestic scenario. Taking advantage of the collective dissatisfaction generated by the tragic way in which Washington ended its presence in Kabul, former President Donald Trump has severely criticized the Biden administration, saying that this…
(2021-08-17). A Year of Afghanistan War Spending Could Resettle 1.2 Million Refugees. truthout.org 
As the Biden administration faces criticism for not doing enough to assist those fleeing Afghanistan, an Lindsay Koshgarian of the National Priorities Project estimated that t…
(2021-08-17). Azmat Khan: Deadly U.S. Air War in Afghanistan Helped Taliban Gain New Recruits Who Wanted Revenge. democracynow.org 
Investigative journalist Azmat Khan, who has reported extensively in Afghanistan, says President Joe Biden has not yet addressed the chaos unleashed by the collapse of the Afghan government. In remarks on Monday, Biden "really focused on the decision to end the war" and ignored criticism about chaos at the Kabul airport and the abandonment of thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. over the last 20 years. "None of that was really discussed in any detail," Khan says. She also discusses why the Afghan military fell so quickly to the Taliban, its overreliance on U.S. air power, how civilian casualties weakened supp…
(2021-08-17). Afghan-Australian refugee: 'Democracy and safety not a priority for West'. greenleft.org.au Afghan refugee Riz Wakil says Western warmongers were never in Afghanistan to bring democracy or protect ordinary Afghans; they orchestrated the occupation of Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East.
(2021-08-17). Afghan Scholar: The U.S. Can't Distance Itself from Chaos Unfolding Now After 20 Years of War. democracynow.org 
Thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States and other foreign countries remain stranded in Kabul two days after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Military flights out of the Kabul International Airport have resumed a day after thousands of Afghans raced to the airport with hopes of leaving the country. President Joe Biden has defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of occupation and criticized the U.S.-trained Afghan military for collapsing "without trying to fight" the Taliban in many cases. Afghan law professor Haroun Rahimi, who was en route to Kabul when he…
(2021-08-17). AOC Stresses Moral Obligation to Afghan Refugees as Fox Revives Racist Tropes. truthout.org 
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) has called on the United States to fulfill its "moral obligation to the Afghan people" by swiftly accepting refugees into the country in light of the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan. | But even as Ocasio-Cortez and progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California) call for a more humanitarian approach toward those affected by the U.S.'s 20 years of military occupation and sudden departure from Afghanistan, right-w…
(2021-08-17). The Biden Doctrine and Afghanistan: Lean counter-terrorism and the end of bloated nation-building. nationofchange.org Ironically, the collapse of the Afghanistan government is a powerful argument that the state-builders and counter-insurgency advocates failed miserably, but Biden took the blame for it.
(2021-08-17). Biden Forfeits His Afghan Victory by Defending His Deep State Advisors. counterpunch.org President Biden put a popular flag-waving wrapping on America's forced withdrawal from Afghanistan in his 4 PM speech on Monday. It was as if all this was following Biden's own intentions, not a demonstration of the totally incompetent assurances by the CIA and State Department as recently as last Friday that the Taliban was over a month away from being able to enter Kabul.
(2021-08-17). Headlines for August 17, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Defends U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan After Taliban Capture Kabul , Advocates Demand U.S. and Other Nations Open Doors to Afghan Refugees, Tropical Storm Adds to Haiti's Misery Two Days After Massive Earthquake Kills Over 1,400, Immigrant Advocates Denounce Biden Administration for Deporting Haitian Refugees, U.S. Will Recommend COVID Booster Shots After 8 Months, Despite Global Vaccine Inequity, Johnson & Johnson Ships Millions of Vaccine Doses from South Africa to Europe, U.S. Coronavirus Hospitalizations Soar, with Record Infection Levels in Five States, Republican Governors Erect New Barriers to COVI…
(2021-08-17). Last Charge for the Dead Enders: Blame Biden for Leaving Afghanistan. counterpunch.org It is becoming increasingly clear that the strategy of interventionist dead-enders is to blame President Biden for losing Afghanistan to the Taliban. If only he had kept U.S. troops there a bit longer or even indefinitely, their argument goes, the crooked and corrupt U.S.-installed Afghan puppet regime could have won the war and finally brought
(2021-08-17). A Thoughtful Response to the Tragedy in Afghanistan. commondreams.org "Climate change is an emergency," said Judith Whitmer, Nevada state Democratic Party chair, over the Lake Mead and Colorado River crisis.
(2021-08-17). Deadly US Air War in Afghanistan Helped Taliban Gain New Recruits. truthout.org 
Investigative journalist Azmat Khan, who has reported extensively in Afghanistan, says President Joe Biden has not yet addressed the chaos unleashed by the collapse of the Afghan government. In remarks on Monday, Biden "really focused on the decision to end the war" and ignored criticism about chaos at the Kabul airport and the abandonment of thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. over the last 20 years. "None of that was really discussed in any detail," Khan says. She also discusses why the Afghan milit…
(2021-08-17). US Policy Toward Afghanistan Was a Recipe for Collapse From the Start. truthout.org 
We must not allow the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan to be used to rewrite history and teach the wrong lessons. | The rapid fall of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan and the takeover of that country by Taliban extremists has stunned the world. President Joe Biden has nevertheless defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces, arguing that Americans should not be forced to fight and die for a government when Afghans were themselves unwilling to do so. | Yes, the Biden administration grossly…
(2021-08-17). Almost 1,500 Dead From Earthquake In Haiti: 5 Things To Know. moguldom.com The death toll continues to climb after a massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, Aug. 14. Already devastated by immense poverty and prior natural disasters — including the deadly 2010 earthquake — Haiti is in dire straits. Here are five things to know about the earthquake in Haiti. 1. Almost 1,500 people are dead …
(2021-08-17). Damaged Hospitals in Haiti Struggle to Help Earthquake Survivors as Death Toll Tops 1,400. democracynow.org 
We get an update from Les Cayes, Haiti, not far from the epicenter of Saturday's earthquake, as Tropical Storm Grace drenched parts of the country and the death toll has now climbed to more than 1,400, with nearly 7,000 suffering from injuries amid overwhelmed hospitals. The impact from the latest earthquake is "just as great" as the devastation from the 2010 earthquake, says Jacqueline Charles, Haiti and Caribbean correspondent for the Miami Herald. "Haitians are not sitting around and waiting for international aid. They're not waiting for their national community to come and rescue them," Charles says, noting t…
(2021-08-17). Proportions of Faculty Self-Identifying as Black or African American at US Medical Schools, 1990-2020. jamanetwork.com This study examines differences in proportions of US medical school faculty who self-identified as Black or African American between 1990 and 2020 based on data from the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Roster.
(2021-08-17). Biden administration and media hand occupied land to Israel. electronicintifada.net False accusations directed at Hizballah following rockets fired at occupied Shebaa Farms and not at Israel.
(2021-08-17). Anti-hunger groups applaud massive SNAP food stamp benefit increase. peoplesworld.org 
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic emergency, the Biden administration just announced the largest increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in the program's history. It is the latest policy aimed at substantially reducing poverty, especially among children. Anti-hunger advocacy groups applauded the action. "SNAP is one of our nation's first …
(2021-08-17). The U.S. and the UK Support Human Rights for Some but Not for Others. strategic-culture.org When human rights are brought to the attention of the authorities in Washington and London it's money and military "partnership" that matter. Not people. | Last month President Biden
(2021-08-17). 'Hard to Imagine Worse Idea': Biden to Resume Fossil Fuel Leases on Public Lands and Waters. commondreams.org How college is like the airplane game.
(2021-08-17). A Day in the Death of British Justice. orinocotribune.com By John Pilger — Aug 13, 2021 | I sat in Court 4 in the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday with Stella Moris, Julian Assange's partner. I have known Stella for as long as I have known Julian. She, too, is a voice of freedom, coming from a family that fought the fascism of Apartheid. Today, her name was uttered in court by a barrister and a judge, forgettable people were it not for the power of their endowed privilege. | The barrister, Clair Dobbin, is in the pay of the regime in Washington, first Trump's then Biden's. She is America's hired gun, or "silk", as she would prefer. Her target is Julian A…
(2021-08-17). Biden's Broken Promise? (A Latino USA Podcast). latinorebels.com Seven months into President Biden's administration, there are still several land condemnation lawsuits against property owners in south Texas for the border wall.
(2021-08-17). Joining Fight Against Line 3, Health Professionals Urge Biden to Block Project. commondreams.org "Abbott will have access to the best healthcare, the best doctors, the best treatments… The kids who he refuses to protect from Covid in his state's schools? Not so much."
(2021-08-17). Feds Set to Advise an Extra Round of Vaccinations, Which Could Start Next Month. truthout.org 
Health officials within the Biden administration are expected to announce as soon as this week that an extra "booster" shot may be needed to help individuals stay protected against the coronavirus. The additional round of vaccinations would likely begin after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives full authorization to the immunizations. |
(2021-08-17). Rand Paul spreads COVID lies, risking lives in low-vaccination rate Kentucky. peoplesworld.org 
"You can't make this stuff up," starts a fundraising email from Democrat Charles Booker, who wants to challenge Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul next year. Team Booker meant the widely-publicized Paul video fib-fest on Twitter in which he shifted his chronic covidiocy into warp drive. "This is just the latest in a series of political games that …
(2021-08-17). Block the Vote: How Politicians are Trying to Block Voters from the Ballot Box. aclu.org 
Last updated: August 18, 2021 | Voting should be as easy and accessible as possible, and in many cases it is. But in recent years, more than 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced in 48 states. These bills erect unnecessary barriers for people to register to vote, vote by mail, or vote in person. The result is a severely compromised democracy that doesn't reflect the will of the people. Our democracy works best when all eligible voters can participate and have their voices heard. | Suppression efforts range from the seemingly unobstructive, like strict voter ID laws and cuts to early voting, to mass purges…
(2021-08-17). The Glasgow Climate Talks Are a Vital Deadline for Action. commondreams.org "It's time to pass H.R. 4 along with the For the People Act," said one House Democrat. "But we can't do so unless we finally end the filibuster."
(2021-08-17). Democracy and Nested Councils. zcomm.org Interview from the online conference, "The crisis of nation-states — anarchist answers?"
(2021-08-17). 'No Time for Amateur Hour': Pelosi Signals Plan to Steamroll Right-Wing Dems. commondreams.org "The president made a promise to ban all new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters," said Greenpeace, "and the American people expect him to keep it."
(2021-08-17). Nearly 7 in 10 Support Mask Requirements in Schools, New Poll Shows. truthout.org 
Most Americans support schools mandating that masks be worn by students and staff in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, conservative voters' antipathy toward such rules has likely caused Republican politicians to oppose such mandates, and to ban them where they may be desperately needed. |
(2021-08-17). Investigating 9/11 and Naming Suspects. Evaluating Evidence. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-17). Buffett's Business Wire censors China book. workers.org 
Billionaire Warren Buffet's public relations company, Business Wire, has refused to distribute a press release announcing the publication in China of a U.S. book that compares the responses to COVID by capitalist and socialist governments. The headline of the press release referred to the fact that the book, "Capitalism on . . . |
(2021-08-17). Buffet's Business Wire censors China book. workers.org Billionaire Warren Buffet's public relations company, Business Wire, has refused to distribute a press release announcing the publication in China of a U.S. book that compares the responses to COVID by capitalist and socialist governments. The headline of the press release referred to the fact that the book, "Capitalism on . . . |