(2021-12-15). Crunch time coming after Biden-Putin meet. asiatimes.com 
Moscow is reiterating its "red lines," seeking long-term legal guarantees against NATO's further advancement to the east and the deployment of weapons on Russia's western borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on December 10, putting on record its expectation that long-term legal guarantees must be given "within a specific timeframe and on the …
(2021-12-15). Will Ethiopia Become Biden's Libya 2.0 or a Driver for an African Renaissance? dissidentvoice.org 
Many westerners trying to make sense of the events in the "dark continent" of Africa have many barriers standing in the way of their minds and reality. This must be the case, for without such filters of spin proclaiming Africa's problems to be self-induced (or the consequence of Chinese debt slavery), we in the west, …
(2021-12-15). "These laws aim to keep us in the dark"—Australian SEP electoral members denounce new anti-democratic laws. wsws.org SEP electoral members speak on the link between Australia's party deregistration laws, the COVID-19 disaster and last week's British High Court ruling to extradite Julian Assange.
(2021-12-15). 'Summit for Democracy' — the Irony of an Empire in a Glass House. orinocotribune.com The following is a translation of the daily report of the Samuel Robinson Institute for December 13, 2021. | On December 9 and 10, US President Joe Biden chaired a meeting through videoconference, "The Summit for Democracy," the purpose of which was to "champion" the protection of voting rights and freedom of expression around the world. | The summit took place as the British High Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration's plea to extradite Julian Assange to the US, to face fabricated espionage charges that could result in a life term and even possible death sentence for Assange. | The US is persecuting A…
(2021-12-15). Headlines for December 15, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 800,000 COVID Deaths as Officials Around the World Warn of Omicron's Rapid Spread, House Votes to Hold Mark Meadows in Contempt; D.C. Sues Oath Keepers, Proud Boys over Insurrection, Judge Dismisses Trump Attempt to Shield Tax Docs from House; NY Probe into Trump Org. Continues, Another GOP Rep. Attacks Ilhan Omar as House Passes Anti-Islamophobia Bill, Congress Votes to Increase Debt Ceiling by $2.5 Trillion, Averting Default, UAE Suspends Talks with U.S. on $23 Billion Arms Sale, Presidents Putin and Xi Meet Amid Mounting Tensions with U.S., Belarusian Opposition Leader Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison…
(2021-12-15). Honduras' Left-Wing Breakthrough. orinocotribune.com By Francisco Dominguez — Dec 10, 2021 | Since a US-backed coup toppled Mel Zelaya in 2009, Honduras has faced a clampdown on democracy and serious human rights abuses. But the election of socialist Xiomara Castro is a chance to break the cycle. | What appeared impossible has been achieved: the people of Honduras have broken the perpetuation, through electoral fraud and thuggish violence, of a brutal, illegal, illegitimate, and criminal regime.By means of sheer resistance, resilience, mobilisation, and organisation, they have managed to defeat Juan Orlando Hernandez's narco-dictatorship at the ballot box. Xio…
(2021-12-15). People's Action: Manchin, Prove You Support Families. peoplesaction.org Contact: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 202.660.0605 WASHINGTON, D.C.—People's Action released the following statement by Director of Federal Affairs Megan Essaheb amid news reports that a Senate vote on President Biden's Build Back Better Act would be pushed to 2022, in part due to Sen. Manchin's opposition to the inclusion of the Child Tax Credit: "Today is …
(2021-12-15). Casey Mulligan Says Build Back Better Will Raise Child Care Costs by $27,000. cepr.net Many people may remember University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan for his argument that unemployment in the Great Recession was caused largely by generous food stamp benefits. Well he's back, and telling us that the child care provisions in President Biden's Build Back Better (BBB) plan could raise the cost of child care by $27,000 …
(2021-12-15). Iran Nuclear Talks Falter as Biden Admin Threatens "Alternatives" After Squandering Window for Diplomacy. democracynow.org 
The United States is continuing talks with Iran over its nuclear program after President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015. With a new Iranian administration after April's controversial election, many worry that if talks fail, tensions between the two countries could turn into military escalation fueled by pressure from Israel. "The new hard-line team has been coming in to the negotiation table with more demands than the previous administration," says Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi. "They want sanctions relief from the U.S. in exchange for them scaling back part of th…
(2021-12-15). Libya: Mass Demonstrations Demand Elections Not Be Postponed. libya360.wordpress.com The Independent High Electoral Commission in Libya announced on Wednesday that it had handed over the final report on the stage of electoral appeals to elect the president, to the committee formed by members of the House of Representatives concerned with following up the electoral process, coinciding with the outbreak of demonstrations in different parts…
(2021-12-15). Victory for Starbucks Workers United! workers.org 
Starbucks workers made history here Dec. 9 by winning the first union election at a corporate-owned Starbucks store in the United States. Starbucks Workers United gained a sweeping victory at the Elmwood Starbucks store with a greater than two-to-one margin (19 yes, 8 no). The win comes on the heels . . . |
(2021-12-15). Chile's Future at Stake: Runoff Election Pits Leftist Student Leader Against Far-Right Pinochet Defender. democracynow.org 
In Chile, voters this weekend will determine a close runoff election between far-right candidate José Antonio Kast and leftist Gabriel Boric, a former student leader. If Boric, who holds a narrow lead, wins the race, he would become Chile's youngest and most progressive president in years. Meanwhile, Kast's win would make him "an authoritarian taking power with anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, nationalistic and very hateful rhetoric in relation to everything that is progressive," says Chilean American author Ariel Dorfman.
(2021-12-15). Mark Meadows Held in Contempt of Congress as Jan. 6 Probe Expands. How Long Can Trump Hold Out? democracynow.org 
The U.S. House voted to recommend the Department of Justice charge former President Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows with criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. The vote came after the committee released a series of text messages from Republican lawmakers and Fox News hosts to Meadows on January 6 that begged him to convince Trump to tell his followers to leave the Capitol. The messages show that Trump and his inner circle were "in the know" in the plot to overturn the election, says Daily Beast reporter Jose Pagliery.
(2021-12-15). In OtherWords: December 15, 2021. otherwords.org On December 15, the families of 65 million U.S. children received their last monthly payment under the expanded Child Tax Credit, which expires this month. | Those payments have kept millions out of poverty, writes West Virginia mom Kristen Olsen. Unfortunately, the GOP is unanimously opposed to extending them — and so far, they've had an ally in West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. | Will the multimillionaire senator, Kristen wonders, really vote to send millions of kids back into poverty — including in his home state, whose kids are among the poorest in the country? The answer will have national impl…
(2021-12-15). Democratic Party betrayal, abortion, and the Supreme Court. mronline.org 
" What about the Supreme Court?" Those words are used to thwart any discussion which questions support for the Democratic Party.
(2021-12-15). "The emergency is over," declares Colorado Governor, as hospital system nears total collapse. wsws.org During an interview with Colorado Public Radio late last week, Democratic Governor Jared Polis doubled down on his declaration that he will not impose any statewide public health measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
(2021-12-15). New York nurses' union stages impotent protests against understaffing. wsws.org At its "days of action," the union has proposed no actions other than fruitless appeals to Democratic politicians.
(2021-12-15). The only way to deal effectively with a pandemic is socialistic. moderndiplomacy.eu The two extremes of ideology are libertarianism (anarchy) versus government (socialism). (Pure embodiments of either are rare if not non-existent.) A democratic government represents the public; an aristocratic government represents the wealthiest 0.1% as its actual dictators and beneficiaries. The two types of libertarianism are: the pure form, in which everyone is free to destroy …
(2021-12-14). The United States Is Using Nazis In Ukraine To Provoke War With Russia. popularresistance.org If you listen to the corporate media in the United States, you may believe the lies that say Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. In reality, it is the United States, led by then vice president Joe Biden, that conducted a coup to replace the elected president of Ukraine in 2014 and has been training and arming Nazis to attack the ethnically Russian Donbass Region in eastern Ukraine ever since. There is daily violence against civilians and basic infrastructure. The Biden administration is escalating this aggression and trying to blame Russia with the support of the same corporate media that defended US attacks o…
(2021-12-14). Headlines for December 14, 2021. democracynow.org Eight Killed by Tornado at Kentucky Factory Whose Workers Were Ordered to Remain on Site, Ice Sheet Holding Back Vast Antarctic Glacier Poised to Collapse Within Five Years, U.K. Reports First Death Linked to Fast-Spreading Omicron Coronavirus Variant, New York City to Require Proof of Vaccination for Kids 5 and Up to Enter Public Spaces, Pentagon Won't Punish Anyone over Kabul Drone Strike That Killed 10 Civilians, Sudanese Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Demanding End to Military Rule, Report: Colombian Police Killed at Least 11 People Protesting Police Brutality, Danish Ex-Minister Gets Prison for Illegally…
(2021-12-14). US military in Syria attacked hours after its alleged involvement in killing and kidnapping of civilians. peoplesdispatch.org The US forces aided by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out an alleged anti-ISIS operation in Syria's eastern Deir al-Zor province in the early hours of December 13. At least three civilians were killed in the operation and several others were kidnapped…
(2021-12-14). The Creeping Privatization Of Medicare. popularresistance.org In the early 1970s, Senator Ted Kennedy and Congresswoman Martha Griffiths introduced Medicare for All legislation in the Congress. | It could have passed but for the efforts of a doctor from Minnesota by the name of Paul Elwood. | Elwood believed that unless the Republicans did something to control health care costs, Medicare for All single payer would soon become the law of the land. | So in February 1970, Elwood traveled to Washington, D.C. and met with officials in Richard Nixon's administration to present his proposal for what he called health maintenance organizations (HMOs). | The seeds for a managed care…
(2021-12-14). Whistleblower Network on Assange. indybay.org " If the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still to be worth anything, all politicians in Western liberal democracies must stand up and speak out. Those who – quite rightly – stand behind Alexei Nawalny must also stand up for Julian Assange. The credibility of our rule of law is at stake here. "
(2021-12-14). Over a Year After His Election, President Biden's Human Rights Commitments Fail to Meet the Moment. aclu.org Throughout his presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden The United States' meager commitments presented before last week's Summit for Democracy are illustrative. Instead of undertaking new initiatives to protect democracy, advance racial justice, and implement U.S. obligations on human rights, the Biden adm…
(2021-12-14). US Shouldn't Be Invited to Summit for Democracy, Let Alone Be its Host. orinocotribune.com 
By Alexander Rubinstein — Dec 8, 2021 | In every one of the countries the United States has intervened in over the past decades, anti-democratic means are almost always used towards anti-democratic ends, all in the name of promoting democracy. | This week, the United States is convening a virtual "Summit for Democracy," the first of its kind in what the State Department hopes to make an annual event. | "The summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies and will provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend demo…
(2021-12-14). Workers At Warren General Hospital Vote To Strike. popularresistance.org Workers at Allegheny Health Network affiliate Warren General Hospital voted Saturday to strike, straining already fragile medical resources in rural northwest Pennsylvania. | The 114 nurses and health care workers, who are members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, issued a 10-day strike notice at the 87-bed hospital — the only acute care facility in the county. | The labor agreement with workers expired in September, and negotiations were scheduled to continue Monday, hospital CEO Rick Allen said. | The hospital has offered pay increases of 4.2% to over 16%, plus enha…
(2021-12-14). Government crisis in Sweden strengthens far-right. wsws.org For the first time, the Swedish parliament voted for a budget drafted by the conservative Moderate Party in collaboration with the far-right Sweden Democrats.
(2021-12-14). Strike Wave in the U.S.? Labor Historian Nelson Lichtenstein on Union Drives & Worker Revolts. democracynow.org 
As unionizing efforts have taken the U.S. by storm, we look at the history of the U.S. labor movement and how unions have acted as a bulwark against corporate power. Worker organizing at Starbucks, Kellogg's and Amazon shows that unions help enforce health and safety measures and protect workers who speak out. "A working-class consciousness ebbs and flows," says Nelson Lichtenstein, director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "A union is a way of capturing that consciousness and making it the law of the land."
(2021-12-14). White House Hosts Democracy Summit and Highlights Global Anti-Corruption Commitments. indybay.org More than 100 leaders showcase initiatives to counter dictatorships, fight corruption and promote human rights at a virtual summit the White House hosts December 9-10.
(2021-12-14). Ukraine Is a Problem Only as Long as the West Makes It One. dissidentvoice.org 
Ukrainian servicemen take part in a drill of the airborne troops taking place in Zhytomyr region on November 21, 2018. (photo: AFP) Since the fall of the Soviet Union thirty years ago, US policy on Ukraine has been an ugly mix of inconsistency, quiet aggression, fear-mongering and stupidity. Now President Biden is recklessly intensifying the …
(2021-12-14). Mapping Faultlines: After Biden-Putin summit, what next for Ukraine and the region? peoplesdispatch.org NewsClick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about the recent call between US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin and the emerging situation in Ukraine…
(2021-12-14). Law Requires Biden To Cancel Oil Lease Sale To Prevent Climate Harm. popularresistance.org Washington — Conservation groups submitted formal comments today urging cancelation of February's federal oil and gas lease auctions, saying the Biden administration is legally required to prevent harm from the leasing program's greenhouse gas emissions, not just disclose it. | "The Biden administration must do more than simply talk about climate change, it has a duty to take action on a scale and with a sense of urgency that the climate crisis demands," said Kyle Tisdel, attorney and Climate & Energy Program director with Western Environmental Law Center. "The ongoing sale and development of federal o…
(2021-12-14). Summit for U.S. styled Democracy. moderndiplomacy.eu President Joe Biden has called a virtual summit on democracy, but, has invited only chosen democracies, not all well-established democracies. Since its inception, the idea inviting only of like-minded nations was valid proof of evil designs. Of course, it is the intentions, which decide good or bad outcomes. It is believed that the intention was …
(2021-12-14). Tim Kirby, Joaquin Flores — The Strategy Session, Episode 38. strategic-culture.org How bitterly amusing that when Joe Biden was elected U.S. president he promised to bring allies together.
(2021-12-14). Striking Kellogg's Workers Vow to Hold Out for Better Contract, Urge Boycott of Company's Products. democracynow.org 
Kellogg's announced it would begin permanently replacing the 1,400 workers who have been on strike for over two months to demand fair wages and better working conditions. The move comes after an overwhelming majority of Kellogg's workers rejected a new five-year agreement they say falls short of their demands and sparked widespread public backlash, including from President Biden. "We are fighting for equal pay and equal benefits, regardless of what the company is putting out there. And trying to replace us is something that they're using as a scare tactic," says Kevin Bradshaw, a striking Kellogg's worker and pre…
(2021-12-14). Biden's "Democracy Summit" Prioritized US Hegemony Over Democratic Ideals. truthout.org 
For stark evidence that we live in a world where political hypocrisy reigns supreme, one need look no further than Biden's recent The United States — which was rated for the fifth consecutive year as a "
(2021-12-14). Biden's Efforts to Appease Israel on Iran Have Failed on All Fronts. zcomm.org It's not the nuclear deal that's the problem for Tel Aviv, but the very idea that Washington and Tehran would reach any detente at all…
(2021-12-14). Against plutocrats, platitudes — about democracy — will always be pitiful. nationofchange.org The Biden administration's democracy initiative is missing the all-important inequality connection.
(2021-12-14). Biden Campaigned on Climate. Where's the Bold Action? truthout.org 
Millions of years of evolution have graced birds with a wealth of healthy instincts. They have mastered the art of flight, and many species fly thousands of miles when the seasons change, unerringly returning time and again to a distant refuge where the weather is calm. More than anything, though, birds know better than to shit in their own nest. This is an instinct the president of the United States has yet to develop, and the whole wide world may come to pay a brutal price for it. | November's COP 26 international e…
(2021-12-14). Tunisian president announces constitutional referendum and general elections in 2022. peoplesdispatch.org The constitutional referendum is scheduled to be held on July 25, 2022, exactly a year after president Kais Saied took control of all executive and legislative powers in Tunisia through a series of exceptional measures. Critics and opposition political parties have called his actions a "presidential coup"
(2021-12-14). Joà£o Pedro Stedile on Bolsonaro and Brazilian elections in 2022. peoplesdispatch.org Brazilian peasant leader Joà£o Pedro Stedile discusses the different dimensions of the worst crisis in the country's recent history, as well as the priorities for movements in 2022…
(2021-12-14). US Senate Approves Raising Debt Ceiling Ahead of Default. telesurenglish.net The measure would increase the debt limit by 2.5 trillion, which is expected to last until 2023 without the need for another vote to raise the borrowing cap, avoiding another partisan fight over the debt ceiling issue before the midterm elections next year. | Photo taken on Sept. 30, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States.
(2021-12-14). Armed Clashes in Sebha: Manufacturing Consent to Postpone Elections. libya360.wordpress.com One dead and two wounded in armed clashes in Sebha, southern Libya following clashes between forces affiliated with the Libyan army and others loyal to the Dabaiba government after an attempt to storm the Military Intelligence headquarters. Armed groups are a security dilemma threatening the Libyan elections Sebha (Libya) — The city of Sebha, west…
(2021-12-14). Exposed documents from Meadows show Trump involvement in coup attempt. peoplesworld.org 
(2021-12-14). Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows referred for criminal contempt of Congress in January 6 probe. wsws.org The report by the House Select Committee recommending the contempt charges reveals that Meadows was in close contact with the Pentagon throughout January 5-6 and expected the military to intervene on the side of Trump's coup plans.
(2021-12-14). President Maduro Proposes a Common Development Path for ALBA. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro called for the creation of a comprehensive economic development plan for the countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP). | RELATED: | During his speech at the 12th ALBA Summit, he recalled that this integration mechanism arose from a meeting between Venezuelan Commander Hugo Chavez and Cuban Commander Fidel Castro. In 200…
(2021-12-14). Milestones in The History of ALBA Integration Programs. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Latin America celebrates the 17th anniversary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) first summit in 2004. | RELATED: | Founded by Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) and Fidel Castro (Cuba) as an alternative to the U.S.-controlled Free Trade Area for the Americas (FTAA), the ALBA-TCP encompasses Antigua & Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua,…
(2021-12-14). Spain's Foreign Minister Now Urges EU to Promote Dialogue in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com According to the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the European Union (EU) should concentrate its efforts on encouraging dialogue between Venezuela's government and the opposition factions. | According to Albares, the EU should act as a bridge between both poles so that the dialogue process can restart and "for us to be able to see democracy win in Venezuela." | He also noted that in the EU C…
(2021-12-14). ALEC Is Pushing A Bill That Punishes Banks For Divesting From Fossil Fuels. popularresistance.org As climate change accelerates and environmental disasters proliferate around the world, a Big Oil-funded business lobbying group has decided to attack financial firms that are taking their money out of fossil fuel companies, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has learned. | This month at the annual States and Nation Policy Summit of the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a pay-to-play organization that brings together corporate lobbyists and mostly Republican state lawmakers to author model legislation, members of the group's energy task force voted unanimously to approve a new model p…
(2021-12-14). Sunday 12/19: Haiti's Crisis and the Popular Resistance. indybay.org This event will be held on Zoom. Register: dsasf.org/haitiresist…