(2021-12-03). Why We Should Oppose The Democracy Summit. popularresistance.org The exclusion of certain countries from the U.S. "democracy summit" is not a side issue. It is the very purpose of the summit. And excluded countries have not been excluded for failing to meet the standards of behavior of those that were invited or the one doing the inviting. Invitees didn't even have to be countries, as even a U.S. backed failed coup leader from Venezuela has been invited. So have representatives of Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, DRC, Zambia, Angola, Malaysia, Kenya, and — critically — pawns in the game: Taiwan and Ukraine.
(2021-12-03). An Obscure Agency Is Threatening to Hand Medicare Over to Wall Street. truthout.org 
In the face of massive support for Medicare for All and the failure of the U.S.'s for-profit health care system, the inevitable fall of the medical-industrial complex can be predicted, if not with precision, with certainty. Everyone is aware of the impending demise, none more so than those in charge of the for-profit health care system and their supporters in Congress, as evidenced by the frenetic activity at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to transfer the traditional Medicare p…
(2021-12-03). Biden offers platitudes while Omicron coronavirus variant spreads in US. wsws.org CDC data indicates that the Omicron variant is at least partially resistant to even a triple-dose of the existing vaccine regimens.
(2021-12-03). Documents Reveal Biden Admin Not Fighting For A Covid Vaccine Patent Waiver. popularresistance.org On November 26, as news of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 stoked alarm around the world, the White House released a statement calling on countries to support an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines. However, this public statement, which garnered numerous headlines, stands in stark contrast with what the Biden administration did‚Äâ—‚Äâor did not do‚Äâ—‚Äâbehind closed doors at the WTO on November 29.
(2021-12-03). Haitian Asylum Seekers Held Under Del Rio Bridge Now Face Inhumane Conditions in New Mexico ICE Jail. democracynow.org 
The world was shocked by images of Haitians whipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback as they sought refuge. Thousands were soon deported, but dozens are now detained in an ICE jail in New Mexico where they face inhumane conditions and lack access to legal services. We speak with a lawyer who describes medical neglect, deteriorating mental and physical health, and poor treatment by the staff. "They cannot get the basic tools and have the basic human contact that they need to save their own lives," says immigration attorney Allegra Love of the El Paso Immigration Collaborative.
(2021-12-03). WA Labor's electoral reforms: one step forward, two steps back. greenleft.org.au Under the cover of applying "one vote, one value" to elections for the Legislative Council, last month WA Labor also pushed through legislation that disadvantages smaller political parties, writes Sam Wainwright.
(2021-12-03). "Only the people can save the people!" Xiomora Castro's presidential win in Honduras. nationofchange.org "I believe firmly that the democratic socialism I propose is the solution to pull Honduras out of the abyss we have been buried in by neo-liberalism, a narco-dictator and corruption."
(2021-12-03). 21N Elections: Scrutiny of Vote Count for Indigenous Representatives Concludes. orinocotribune.com This Thursday, December 2, Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that it had concluded the tabulation of the voting minutes issued in the elections to choose Indigenous representatives for legislative councils and municipal councils. | The voting minutes were issued in each of the 74 authorized voting centers in eight states of the country. | "The Ad Hoc commission for the 2021 elections…
(2021-12-03). Libya: Protesters Gather in Sebha in Support of Saif Gaddafi, Demanding Free and Fair Elections and an Impartial Judiciary. orinocotribune.com 
The people of Ghat confirmed that there are those who want to occupy the country and restore colonialism again, and who threaten to divide the country according to the interests of the international powers. | This came during a protest organized by the people of the city of Ghat in front of the Sebha Court of First Instance to support the demonstrators against the closure of the court by force. The people added that it is the duty of all of us to unite to save the country from division and refraction, and what is happening in front of the court complex in Sebha, and to prevent them from considering the appeals su…
(2021-12-03). Progressives sweep Teamsters election ‚àí time to organize! workers.org 
In a major setback for top-down, corporate-model business unionism, Teamsters United candidate Sean O'Brien defeated Steve Vairma — the chosen successor to Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr. — by a two-to-one margin. The results were announced Nov. 18, with Fred Zuckerman, Teamsters United candidate for Secretary-Treasurer, and the entire "OZ" . . . |
(2021-12-03). Opposition Deputy José Brito Asks CNE to Repeat Elections in Pariaguán, Anzoategui State. orinocotribune.com This Thursday, December 2, José Brito, a deputy representing Justice First in Venezuela's National Assembly, asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to repeat the regional and municipal elections in Pariaguán (Anzoátegui State) after the disqualification of the victor Tomás Bello. | In the company of the candidate for the Democratic Alliance for mayor of the Miranda municipality of Pariaguán, Tomás Bello, Brito went to the headquarters of the CNE to challenge the electoral process of that jurisdiction. He denounced that, following the disqualification of the elected candidate, a substitution of candidates was…
(2021-12-03). Opposition's Presumed Candidate for Barinas State Re-election. orinocotribune.com With the opening of the new electoral process in the state of Barinas, following the controversial decision issued by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that confirmed the disqualification of Freddy Superlano as the opposition (MUD) candidate—even when Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) forecast his victory—it is presumed that they will nominate his wife, Aurora Silva de Superlano, to run as candidate for governor. | The CNE authorities have already announced that the period for political organizations to present their offers is underway. For their part, regional media reported on the possib…
(2021-12-03). Why Does Independent Media Matter? A Webinar on Nicaragua, Haiti, Venezuela, Honduras and the Black Liberation Struggle. towardfreedom.org Toward Freedom hosted a webinar December 2 to welcome new editor, Julie Varughese, who reported on her time covering Nicaragua's November 7 elections. Regular contributors Danny Shaw and Jacqueline Luqman discussed the Pink Tide in Latin America, Haiti and how Hollywood depicts the Black liberation struggle.
(2021-12-03). Referendum on direct election of UAW officers passes. wsws.org A little over 140,000 voted out of close to 1 million eligible active workers and retirees, a mere 14 percent turnout, reflecting the deep alienation felt by workers toward the UAW.
(2021-12-03). Gunmen Attack Four Libyan Election Centers. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC) said that four of its election centers have been attacked by a group of gunmen. | RELATED: | Said Al-Qasabi, head of the main operations chamber of the HNEC, said that gunmen in civilian clothes launched the attacks on Wednesday, taking away 2,312 voter cards and damaging 69 others. Interior Minister Khaled Mazen on Tuesday warned that obstructing the…
(2021-12-03). Ocasio-Cortez Introduces Bill to Help Clear Marijuana Charges at State Level. truthout.org 
A new bipartisan bill introduced in the House aims to aid local and state governments in expungement efforts for those charged with cannabis offenses at the sub-federal level. | The Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act was introduced by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Dave Joyce (R-Ohio). It would direct the Justice Department to create a new grant program with up to $20 million in funding over 10 years, starting in 2023. Grants would be issued…
(2021-12-03). "Autonomy is Everything": Interview with Indigenous Political Prisoner José Antonio Arreola of Nahuatzen. itsgoingdown.org 
La versión original de esta entrevista en español puede encontrarse aquí. The following is an interview with Indigenous political prisoner José Antonio Arreola Jiménez, one of three political prisoners from the P'urhépecha community of Nahuatzen, Michoacán, currently serving seven-year sentences based on trumped-up charges. The interview was conducted in late November by IGD contributor Scott… The English translation of this in…
(2021-12-03). Quédate en México: Ecos trumpianos. globalizacion.ca El gobierno de México aceptó la petición de Estados Unidos para reimplementar el programa Quédate en México, creado por el ex presidente Donald Trump para obligar a los migrantes que solicitan asilo a Washington a permanecer en territorio mexicano hasta…
(2021-12-03). Supreme Court prepares to decimate abortion rights — Here's why it's not too late. liberationnews.org 
This attack could have been prevented had the Democrats taken any of its many opportunities over the decades to definitively legalize abortion through an act of Congress. There is no reason why the legality of abortion has to be left up to SCOTUS…
(2021-12-03). Social Democrats, Greens and Left Party to continue right-wing agenda in German state of Berlin. wsws.org Leaving aside the noncommittal rhetoric and empty phrases of the 152-page document, the coalition agreement clearly shows that the three parties are preparing a direct confrontation with the working class.
(2021-12-03). "The Facility": Meet the Former Prisoner Who Details Fight for His Life Inside ICE Jail During COVID. democracynow.org 
We go inside a notorious ICE jail at the height of the pandemic to see how people held there spoke out against dangerous conditions, and faced retaliation before they were ultimately released with no notice. Their story is captured in a new documentary called "The Facility." It investigates the inhumane conditions at Irwin County Detention Center using footage from video calls, where cameras installed in cell blocks to enable pay-per-minute video calls "functioned almost like a portal for a moment in and out of a place meant not to be seen in this way," says director, Seth Freed Wessler. "How can your own governm…
(2021-12-03). US House Approves Funding Bill Ahead Of Shutdown Deadline. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a short-term spending bill that would keep federal agencies running through February, averting a partial shutdown just a day before government funding is set to expire. | RELATED: | The Democrats-held lower chamber approved the bill by a vote of 221-212. The measure now heads to the Senate, where a group of Republicans have threatened to delay the passage o…
(2021-12-03). From Abortion Bans to Anti-Trans Laws, a Christian Legal Army is Waging War on America. democracynow.org 
As the Supreme Court looks poised to uphold Mississipi's 15-week abortion ban and possibly overturn Roe v. Wade we speak to The Nation's Amy Littlefield about her investigation into the Christian legal army behind the Mississippi law as well as anti-trans laws across the country. She also critiques the mainstream pro-choice movement's failure to center the poor and people of color. "There is a change coming within the movement because of its reckoning with these past missteps including, frankly, the failure to adequately protect Black women and to stand up for the safety of the people whose rights were eroded fir…
(2021-12-03). Sri Lankan public sector workers hold nationwide protests to demand higher wages. wsws.org The island-wide actions, held on consecutive days beginning Monday, are another indication of mounting working-class opposition to the Rajapakse government's austerity measures and its escalating anti-democratic attacks.
(2021-12-02). With Omicron in US, GOP Hard-Liners Are Still Trying to Thwart Vaccine Mandates. truthout.org 
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The current federal spending agreement that funds many operations of government is set to expire at midnight on Friday. Absent a new deal, or at least a vote to kick the can down the road a bit, much of the federal government will shut down, again. M*A*S*H didn't get this many reruns. | The last one ran 35 days, from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, and happened because then-President Donald Trump wanted to staple funding for his draconian bor…
(2021-12-02). Headlines for December 2, 2021. democracynow.org Supreme Court's Conservatives Signal Support for Mississippi Anti-Abortion Law , U.S. Detects Omicron Coronavirus Variant in California, U.N. Chief Blasts "Travel Apartheid" as Nations Deny Entry to Africans Over Omicron Variant, Russia Expels Some US Ambassadors as Blinken Warns Russia Against Invading Ukraine, Burmese Military Helicopters Attack Villagers in Region Where Resistance to Coup Remains Strong, Women's Tennis Association Suspends Tournaments in China Over Peng Shuai Case, 15-Year-Old Suspect in Michigan High School Shooting to be Tried as an Adult, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams to Run for Governor i…
(2021-12-02). Gold Investor Peter Schiff: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Just Admitted Biden Wants To Empower IRS To Go After Low-Income Tax Cheats. moguldom.com The Biden administration in November dropped its unpopular proposal from the $2.2 trillion Build Back Better plan to make banks share data about customers with the Internal Revenue Service for accounts with total annual deposits or withdrawals of $10,000-plus. However, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she still supports the concept. The bank reporting idea was …
(2021-12-02). Socialism in the Global South w/ Comrades Ramiro Sebastián Fúnez and Libre X. Sankara. anchor.fm In this episode I have on Comrades Libre X. Sankara from Troika Kollective (@troikakollectiv on Instagram and Twitter) and Ramiro Sebastián Fúnez, host of Unmasking Imperialism on Youtube, director of "Nicaragua Against Empire" (youtu.be/-wUDr0tQxqs) | We discuss the situations in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua briefly, touching mostly upon the recent elections in Nicaragua and Venezuela, as well as the false accusations levied by the US Empire against these nations at this time. We also go in depth to discuss the overall situation facing Central and South America, as colonized nations, and how their figh…
(2021-12-02). "Summit for Democracy" — Enhancing Empire, Not Defending "Democracy" newatlas.report 
December 3, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — The very first "Summit for Democracy" will be held in early December 2021. Organized by the United States, it will include "leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector," all unilaterally picked by the United States who, by implication, has unilaterally declared itself arbiter of which …
(2021-12-02). Potential Legislation On China Amounts To A New Cold War. popularresistance.org Congress is itching to pass a sweeping bipartisan package that threatens to enshrine a new Cold War, this time against China, and they're counting on the American public's inattention to get it through by the end of the year. After months of stalling in the House, and a failed attempt to attach the legislation to the annual defense bill, majority leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi struck a deal this week for a bicameral conference on the anti-China legislation. | The US Innovation and Competition Act is a massive piece of legislation purporting to make the United States more "competitive" with China ec…
(2021-12-02). National Labor Relations Board orders new union election at Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. wsws.org The Biden administration is intervening not to defend workers' democratic rights, but to impose a labor police force over this decisive section of the working class…
(2021-12-02). Hondurans Break The US-Imposed Narco Siege Of Their Government. popularresistance.org Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, visited Honduras the week before the presidential elections. His stated purpose was to "encourage the peaceful, transparent conduct of free and fair national elections." He did not meet with the de facto President, Juan Orlando Hernández. | The gesture was clear and illuminating on two levels. | First, it showed that the U.S. government had already accepted the irrefutable truth that the center-left coalition led by Xiomara Castro would earn the votes of the Honduran people (as we go to publication, she was in the lead with 53.6%). Hondur…
(2021-12-02). El Partido Libre y la candidata presidencial Xiomara Castro ganan a lo grande en las elecciones de Honduras. peoplesworld.org 
(2021-12-02). Honduran President Hernandez Accepts Victory of Xiomara Castro. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez congratulated President-elect Xiomara Castro, who won 52.31 percent of the votes in the Nov. 28 general elections. | RELATED: | "I want to congratulate Castro and all our compatriots, whose civic display in these elections strengthened democracy," Hernandez stated, recalling that the electoral process took place in peace and order. | "The will of Hondurans is s…
(2021-12-02). Xiomara Castro inaugura una nueva era. globalizacion.ca La aplastante victoria de Xiomara Castro en las elecciones presidenciales de Honduras pone un broche de oro a un mes políticamente excepcional de Nuestra América. Queda aún pendiente el balotaje chileno, pero el triunfo de la candidata de LIBRE tiene…
(2021-12-02). Honduras: 12 Years Later, Defeat of the Coup d'état Regime. orinocotribune.com 
By Ollantay Itzamná — Nov 29, 2021 | According to the preliminary computation of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on the results of the 2021 general elections, after 40% of the vote tallies, Xiomara Castro, candidate of the Libre party, obtained more than 53% of the votes, followed by Nasry Asfura, of the National party, with 34%. Nearly 20 points difference that will be very difficult to reverse. | More than 5 million Hondurans were eligible to elect the President and 3 presidential appointees (vice presidents), 120 deputies, 20 representatives to PARLACEN and 298 municipal governments. More than 3 million Ho…
(2021-12-02). Washington hails victory of Honduran opposition candidate. wsws.org The victory of Xiomara Castro brings to an end a dozen years of rule by the National Party, which consolidated its grip on power through a US-backed coup in 2009.
(2021-12-02). The Sneaky And Hidden Tax: How High Inflation Can Heavily Tax Your Cash. moguldom.com There's more to inflation than just rising prices. Some economists say inflation is actually another way to tax your dollars. Back in February, Larry Summers, former director of the National Economic Council and an alumnus of both the Clinton and Obama administrations, warned President Joe Biden that more spending could easily trigger a spike in …
(2021-12-02). Biden breaks UN COP26 pledge with record-breaking fossil fuel auction. liberationnews.org On Nov. 17, the Biden administration set out to auction off over 80 million acres of land off the Louisiana coastline.
(2021-12-02). Millions of acres of Gulf of Mexico could be given to fossil fuel industry. peoplesworld.org 
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Energy companies including Shell, BP, Chevron, and ExxonMobil offered a combined $192 million for drilling rights on federal oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, as the first government lease auction under President Joe Biden laid bare the hurdles he faces to reach climate goals dependent on …
(2021-12-02). Right-wing Venezuelan invited to so-called democracy summit in U.S. peoplesworld.org 
President Joe Biden has invited Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaido to a so-called Summit for Democracy he is set to host later this month, it was confirmed on Tuesday. Head of U.S. diplomacy for Latin America Brian A. Nicholls told a Senate foreign affairs committee that the wannabe usurper had been asked to participate in …
(2021-12-02). Biden Admin Confirms Restart of Trump's Remain in Mexico Policy. telesurenglish.net The policy, formally the Migrant Protection Protocols, requires migrants seeking asylum to wait outside the United States before their immigration court hearings. The program will restart at one border location following Monday. It will eventually spread to seven entry points, including San Diego and the Texas cities of Laredo, El Paso and Brownsville. | RELATED: | Biden ended the program when he took office this yea…
(2021-12-02). US Judge Blocks Biden's Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday to temporarily block President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate, which requires certain health workers across the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19. | RELATED: | "There is no question that mandating a vaccine to 10.3 million health care workers is something that should be done…
(2021-12-02). Biden is Trying to Make an Anti-Chinese Stand on the Olympics. journal-neo.org 
China will host the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, from 4 to 20 February 2022. Beijing became the first city in history to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The competitions will be held at the new facilities and the existing arenas built for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The official Olympic mascot will be a …
(2021-12-02). Biden Admin Reimposes "Remain in Mexico" Policy That Started Under Trump. truthout.org 
This week, the Biden administration announced that it will restart a Trump-era anti-immigration policy designed to restrict asylum seekers from entering the United States. | The policy is known as "Remain in Mexico" and is sometimes referred to as the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP. The program requires migrants coming from Mexico or Central America to stay on Mexico's side of the U.S.-Mexico border as they wait for their asylum claims to be processed and for an immigration court date to be a…
(2021-12-02). Russia, China poised to forge a greater alliance. asiatimes.com 
The Communist Party of China newspaper Global Times has disclosed, citing a high-level "source," that Beijing had no intention of inviting US and other Western politicians to the 2022 Winter Olympics on February 4-20. This followed US President Joe Biden's innuendo that he was considering a diplomatic boycott of the Games. The White House apparently sensed …
(2021-12-02). CNE's Roberto Picón Issues Statement on Electoral Ruling in Barinas. orinocotribune.com One of the five rectors of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), Roberto Picón, issued a statement regarding the ruling that ordered new elections to be held in the state of Barinas. According to Picón, the electoral authority was not made aware of the disqualification of the opposition candidate Freddy Superlano at the time of his registration. | Through a statement published on his Twitter account, Picón wrote that the CNE was unaware of Freddy Superlano's ineligibility condition, pursuant to a resolution of the comptroller general dated August 17, 2021. | "I put on record that the disqualification of c…
(2021-12-02). KHive Goes After Pro-Reparations Congressional Candidate: Black Men With Small D*ck Energy Like You Have A Problem With Successful Black Women. moguldom.com Gregg "Marcel" Dixon, a pro-reparations congressional candidate for South Carolina Congressional District 6, has come under attack online by the KHive, a community of fans of Vice President Kamala Harris. The KHive is an informal online community that popped up when Harris was running for president in the 2020 elections. The KHive continued to support …
(2021-12-02). Latin America: Why the Elections in Chile, Brazil and Colombia are Crucial. orinocotribune.com By Emir Sader — Nov 29, 2021 | Latin America has become the epicenter of the greatest political struggles of the 21st century because it was the epicenter of neoliberalism in the world. It was the region with the most neoliberal and radical governments. Therefore, it became the region where the anti-neoliberal governments developed, thus becoming the fundamental scenario of the most important disputes in the world in the 21st century. | The first decade of the century in Latin America was marked by the emergence of anti-neoliberal governments, which implemented a set of measures that attacked the main factor…
(2021-12-02). As France Honors Black Artist Josephine Baker, Far-Right Pundit Éric Zemmour Launches Presidential Bid. democracynow.org 
On the same day France celebrated the induction of American-born singer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker into the Pantheon, far-right xenophobic writer and pundit Éric Zemmour announced he will run for president of France in the upcoming April 2022 election. Many have pointed out the contradiction in these opposing events, even in President Emmanuel Macron's speech that painted Baker as a model of colorblind unity, when in reality she was outspoken about racial justice. "Celebrating Josephine Baker who was an immigrant … while making things difficult for immigrants of today to access to France is a con…