Daily Archives: February 23, 2022

2022-02-23: News Headlines

WSWS (2022-02-23). Who in the Lord's name gave the US the right? A question for Mr. Biden. wsws.org This is a question, however, that much of the world would like Biden himself to answer. The "flagrant violation of international law" that Biden accused Russia of perpetrating is precisely what the United States is doing, with Biden directly and personally involved.

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-23). U.S. to add to NATO's Baltic buildup. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com ERR NewsFebruary 22, 2022 Biden: US military in Europe to be redeployed to Baltic States United States military personnel are to be redeployed to the Baltic States from elsewhere in Europe, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday…. *** Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet added some detail to the whole in saying Estonia would receive more …

Fabrizio Casari (2022-02-23). Ukraine: Putin turns the tables. dissidentvoice.org Pending French mediation, Putin-Biden talks, German distancing, Italian fears, Spanish uncertainties and opposition from the former Eastern bloc, as well as the regularly discredited deadlines of the improbable Russian invasions, the war always announced but never started has had its first outcome. In a decision that displaced the Western chancelleries, Vladimir Putin signed the diplomatic …

Jeremy Kuzmarov (2022-02-23). As U.S. threatens war with Russia, Biden administration unveils imperial strategy for Indo-Pacific that could lead to war with China. mronline.org Already threatening war with Russia, the White House this month has unveiled a new imperial grand strategy for the Indo-Pacific that raises the prospects of war with China.

WSWS (2022-02-23). Bipartisan congressional war consensus emerges, bringing together progressive "left" and Republican right. wsws.org The emerging ruling class consensus is part of an attempt by the Biden administration to effect a new "national unity," particularly aimed at distracting from growing inflation and a daily US COVID-19 death toll of over 2,000 people.

Staff (2022-02-23). "Pick Up the Pen, Joe": Biden Faces Pressure to Cancel Student Debt to Fulfill Campaign Promise. democracynow.org The Debt Collective is planning an action on April 4 at the Department of Education to urge the Biden administration to fulfill a campaign promise to cancel student debt before federal student loan payments restart in May. Debt cancellation would give relief to some 45 million borrowers who owe nearly $1.8 trillion in student debt. Education should be treated as a human right and not as a commodity, says Astra Taylor, co-director of the Debt Collective. Not only has Biden failed on his campaign promises, but he has made it easier for lenders to prey on student borrowers, adds Braxton Brewington, press secretary w…

Staff (2022-02-23). Enrique Ochoa Antich Wants G4 to Hold Dialogue with Other Opposition Factions in Venezuela (2024 Presidential Elections). orinocotribune.com Venezuelan opposition leader Enrique Ochoa Antich has strongly criticized the G4 coalition of the extreme-right opposition after the G4 made public that it would be discussing the implementation of a regulation for primaries. | During an interview on Primera Página on Monday, February 21, Ochoa Antich stated that it would be "a very serious mistake" if the G4 elects a candidate for the 2024 presidential elections without discussing it with all the other opposition factions. | "It seems to me a very serious mistake that these four parties, and the other smaller ones that congregate around them, which only obtained…

Staff (2022-02-23). European Union Underlines Transparency of Venezuela's 21N Regional Election. orinocotribune.com In a report on Venezuela's November 21 regional elections, the European Union highlighted the transparency measures adopted by the South American country. | The Electoral Observation Mission of the European Union (EU EOM), in its final report on the mega-elections held in Venezuela last November, to which it sent 134 observers from various European countries, highlighted "improvements observed in the electoral process." | In its text issued this Tuesday, February 22, after a preliminary statement published in Venezuela on November 23, the EU mission stated that these were the "first national elections in which th…

Norman A. Bailey (2022-02-23). Time for a new American political party. asiatimes.com The precipitous decline of the once-invincible United States of America from every standpoint — political, economic, social, cultural and educational — is threatening not only the future of the country itself, but of all Western civilization. The political system of the US is in thrall to the Trumpist extreme right on the Republican side and to …

Staff (2022-02-23). Nuclear War Risk Rises as Tension Mounts Between Nuclear Superpowers over Ukraine. democracynow.org Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to order troops into the separatist-controlled areas of Ukraine has triggered a new wave of sanctions against Russia, amid fears the situation could spiral into an all-out war. We speak with Dr. Ira Helfand, former president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, who warns a war could lead to the use of nuclear weapons that would annihilate millions and cause total collapse of world ecosystems. "We have found it almost impossible to imagine, 30 years after the end of the Cold War, that there could be a nuclear war between the United S…

Staff (2022-02-23). Headlines for February 23, 2022. democracynow.org U.S. Imposes Sanctions, Ukraine Calls for Stronger Action After Russian Recognition of Breakaway Areas, Jury Finds Ahmaud Arbery's 3 Murderers Guilty of Federal Hate Crimes, Trial for Ex-Cop Brett Hankison, Who Shot into Breonna Taylor's Home During Fatal Raid, Starts in KY, U.N. Report Warns of Climate Disaster-Fueled "Global Wildfire Crisis", Mining Companies, Foreign Investors Driving Destruction of Amazon, Violation of Indigenous Rights, Hong Kong to Conduct Mass COVID Testing on Entire Population; U.K. Removes All Pandemic Restrictions, Israeli Forces Kill 14-Year-Old Palestinian; Isr…

WSWS (2022-02-23). Democratic mayor, police launch coverup of fascist mass shooting in Portland. wsws.org It took 18 hours after a left-wing journalist identified the killer as Benjamin Smith for the Portland police to confirm his identity.

WSWS (2022-02-23). Dozens of US colleges and universities end efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. wsws.org The drive to end all mitigation measures and normalize mass infection and death in perpetuity is being pursued by both Democratic and Republican politicians alike.

Staff (2022-02-23). On Anniv. of Ahmaud Arbery's Murder, Family Welcomes Historic Hate Crime Guilty Verdict for Killers. democracynow.org We go to Georgia, where a jury has found the three white men who hunted and fatally shot unarmed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery guilty of committing federal hate crimes, acknowledging the racial animus behind the killing. It marks the first time in Georgia's history that there has been a conviction for a federal hate crime. Today is the anniversary of Arbery's murder, now marked as Ahmaud Arbery Day in Georgia. We speak with Anoa Changa, editor at NewsOne and retired federal government attorney. The verdict feels like a victory for proponents of racial justice, but "it isn't the end-all be-all…

Isheka N. Harrison (2022-02-23). HBCU Message To Students: You Can Bring Your Family To College. moguldom.com A Texas-based HBCU has an innovative admissions policy for students and their families: Admit one, get two free. In other words, Paul Quinn College has revamped its admissions policy to allow qualifying accepted students the privilege of enrolling two family members at no additional cost. Family members can earn an online degree alongside the admitted …

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2022-02-23). California Freedom Trail Preservation Commission – Underground Railroad to Freedom. indybay.org Assemblymember Leon Ralph and Assemblymember Ken Cooley have shared lessons that may serve us all well, preserving the historic sacred signs and symbols, until the next time a remodel needed, I plan to help, God willing.

_____ (2022-02-22). Who's Behind The 'People's Convoy' To Washington DC? popularresistance.org Thousands of truckers are being hijacked by anti-vax loonies and encouraged to parade through red state America in search of any remaining Covid-19 restrictions to protest. The so-called "People's Convoy" is scheduled to leave Barstow, California, on Wednesday, February 23, and meander eastward, picking up truckers as they go for a final jamboree and road-blocking in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 — the day of Joe Biden's first State of the Union address. | Are these the same organizers that brought us Canada's "Freedom Convoy," blocking the streets of the capital, Ottawa, for weeks and blocking…

WSWS (2022-02-22). Russia sends troops into East Ukraine, Biden announces sanctions. wsws.org Monday's escalation comes after weeks in which the US and NATO recklessly ratcheted up tensions with Russia, including by sending 5,000 troops of the airborne division to Poland and 300 Javelin missiles to Ukraine, and unleashing a torrent of war propaganda.

Dana Sanchez (2022-02-22). Joe Biden Calls Russian Declaration An Invasion, Increasing Risks Of Escalation And Military Conflict. moguldom.com The Biden administration, which has tried to leave room for diplomacy while adopting an aggressive stance toward Russia, said Tuesday that it saw President Vladimir Putin's movement of troops into the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine as the start of an invasion. In response, Biden plans to announce sanctions against Russia from the White House …

TASS (2022-02-22). Biden says, Russia's recognition of DPR, LPR threatens US national security. tass.com The American leader asserted that "the Russian Federation's purported recognition of the DPR and LPR contradicts Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements and further threatens the peace, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine"

sputniknews (2022-02-22). Hunter Biden's Former Girlfriend Secretly Testifies in POTUS Son's Tax Probe, Report Says. sputniknews.com In December 2020, Hunter Biden confirmed that he was under federal investigation over what he described as "tax affairs" pertaining to his business dealings in Ukraine and China.

_____ (2022-02-22). Has Elizabeth Truss Decided to Help Washington Enrich itself at the Expense of Afghanistan? journal-neo.org At the end of December 2021, the Biden administration, in another of its now blatantly false propaganda campaigns, tried to convince the world of the supposedly "humane treatment of the people of Afghanistan." It should be recalled that at the time the matter concerned the delivery of one million doses of coronavirus vaccine produced by …

Staff (2022-02-22). Putin Recognizes Ukraine Separatists; Khrushchev's Great-Granddaughter Says War Can Still Be Avoided. democracynow.org Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops into two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, drawing sharp rebukes from the U.S. and other Western countries that have warned for weeks of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration issued new sanctions, and Germany has stopped the certification of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in an attempt to quash the country's dependence on Russian natural gas. We speak with Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School, who says she remains skeptical that Russia will launch an all-out war against Ukraine. She also s…

TASS (2022-02-22). Biden tells Zelensky about US plans on imposing sanctions on Russia. tass.com US President strongly condemned Russian President Putin's decision to purportedly recognize the "independence" of the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine"

_____ (2022-02-22). State Department Gratuitously Invokes Monroe Doctrine Against Russia. strategic-culture.org By Melvin GOODMAN | The Biden administration and the mainstream media are trumpeting a Russian effort to create allies in Latin America, America's backyard. This is part of the U.S. propaganda campaign against Moscow. Last week, the press spokesman for the Department of State (DoS), Ned Price, gratuitously invoked the Monroe Doctrine against Russian involvement in Latin America, warning that the United States would "respond swiftly and decisively." In so doing, Price inadvertently and implicitly begged the question of how Russian President Vladimir Putin's defense of its western border differs from U.S. hegemony…

teleSUR (2022-02-22). Biden Extends National Emergency as States Ease Restrictions. telesurenglish.net More states and major cities across the U.S. are lifting their vaccination and mask mandates as the rate of COVID-19 infections drops, but health experts have warned dropping pandemic protocols too soon may worsen the spread of the virus. | RELATED: | California, the most populous U.S. state, unveiled a milestone plan last week, as Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state would become the first in the nation to treat the coronaviru…

TASS (2022-02-22). Biden to sign decree on sanctions, investment bans, trade with DPR, LPR. tass.com This will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine, the statement noted…

WSWS (2022-02-22). Democratic Socialists of America confront left-wing opposition to Biden by shifting further to the right. wsws.org Far from pressuring the Democrats to move to the left, leading DSA figures are preparing to move their organization even further to the right.

teleSUR (2022-02-22). Biden to Ban Companies from Doing Business in Donetsk & Lugansk. telesurenglish.net On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that U.S. President Joe Biden will soon sign an executive order banning Americans from doing business in the two Ukrainian regions that Russia has recognized as independent states. | RELATED: | "President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and Lugansk People's Repub…

TASS (2022-02-22). Biden signs decree on sanctions over Russia recognizing Donbass sovereignty. tass.com The US president's executive order prohibits "new investment in the so-called DNR or LNR regions of Ukraine or such other regions of Ukraine, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, by a United States person wherever located"

_____ (2022-02-22). Elections In Colombia: Prospects For Change And Lack Of Guarantees. popularresistance.org The Latin American and Caribbean electoral calendar for 2022 promises to be no less hectic than that of the previous year. Among the upcoming elections and referendums that are slated for this year—Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, Peru, perhaps Haiti—two contests that are expected to attract the most attention, due to the specific geopolitical weight of these respective countries, are the general elections in Brazil, which are supposed to take place in October, and the Colombian parliamentary and presidential elections, slated for the first half of 2022. | After 20 years of governments that have supported t…

Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza (2022-02-22). Democratic Action to Organize Internal Elections, Ramos Allup Faction Welcomed. orinocotribune.com Caracas, February 21, 2022 (

PAI (2022-02-22). Amazon Staten Island unionization vote set for March 25-30. peoplesworld.org STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PAI)—The second unionization recognition vote in Amazon's history has been set at the monster retailer-shipper's Staten Island, N.Y., JFK8 warehouse for March 25-30. In an election agreement between the independent grassroots Amazon Labor Union, represented by Eric Milner, and company officer Amber Rogers, it'll be an on-site vote in a tent in …

WSWS (2022-02-22). Three San Francisco school board members recalled in special election. wsws.org The workers of San Francisco mostly abstained from the fight between the race-obsessed school board and the recall coalition of Democrats and charter school advocates.

KWORINOCO (2022-02-22). Latinus and MCCI Smear Campaign Against AMLO—Part of the Soft Coup. orinocotribune.com By Nancy Flores and Érika Ramírez — Feb 22, 2022 | The smear campaign recently launched against López Obrador by Latinus—a media outlet financed by Roberto Madrazo's family, pharmaceutical companies, and actors close to Claudio X González—and MCCI [Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity] should be understood as an element of the larger soft-coup strategy promoted by politicians and business persons from the opposition. For Dr. Patricia Pozos Rivera, it is very likely that, as the 2024 elections draw nearer, the media will intensify its attacks against the president. | Financed by business inter…

Chris Walker (2022-02-22). GOP Candidates in MI AG Race Say They Oppose Precedent on Right to Birth Control. truthout.org Three Republican candidates for attorney general in Michigan, vying to win their party's primary so they can attempt to oust the current Democratic incumbent, indicated support for undoing a landmark Supreme Court decision from over half a century ago that lifted restrictions to accessing birth control. | Former state House Speaker Tom Leonard, current state Rep. Ryan Berman, and Matthew DePerno, a lawyer in the state who has pushed false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential…

teleSUR (2022-02-22). Mali's Interim Government Could Stay in Power For Up To 5 Years. telesurenglish.net On Monday, Mali's National Transitional Council (NTC), which is the Legislative branch established by the dictatorship that took power in August 2020, defined that the organization of elections for the return to democracy could take up to five years instead of 18 months. | RELATED: | "The transition's duration is a frequent subject of discussions and negotiations. To approve the new period, we took into account the aspiration…

WSWS (2022-02-22). Donald Trump's social media app launches on iOS. wsws.org A social media platform called Truth Social was launched on Sunday by Donald Trump's media corporation as part of his campaign to consolidate a fascist movement.

sputniknews (2022-02-22). Vienna Talks to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal Might Be 'Finalised Within Next Couple of Days'. sputniknews.com In May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Tehran, who responded by abandoning its commitments under the agreement. Since April 2021, Vienna has been hosting talks to restore the accord.

Marco I. Dávila C. (2022-02-22). Estados Unidos — La reforma migratoria no será gracias a un partido político. globalizacion.ca En el tema de la inmigración, øcuál es una similitud entre demócratas y republicanos? Una similitud es que los demócratas no cumplen con sus promesas, mientras que los republicanos no cumplen con sus amenazas. | Donald J. Trump (2016-2020), por ejemplo,…

Rodrigo Acuña (2022-02-22). As Honduras's New President Seeks End to Narco-State, Will US Stand in Her Way? truthout.org The January inauguration of Xiomara Castro Sarmiento Zelaya from the Liberty and Refoundation Party was a political landmark in Honduras. Castro become the Central American country's first female president, winning

_____ (2022-02-22). Every US President Has Worked To Uphold White Supremacy. popularresistance.org For President's Day week, Clearing the FOG brings back this 2020 interview with Margaret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report. She is the author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents" that chronicles how every president, even the 'good ones,' has upheld the white supremacy upon which the United States was founded and how social movements have been the only effective tool to bring about meaningful social change. Kimberley also urges Black America to break with the Democrats in order to build political power. In addition to current news and analysis, this program contains a segment by Paul Tulloch of Ottaw…

Amy Goodman (2022-02-22). Paul Farmer Leaves Behind the Legacy of a Global Public Health Movement. truthout.org Image Credit: Twitter: @PIH | We remember the life and legacy of Dr. Paul Farmer, a public health icon who spent decades building community health networks helping millions of poor people in Haiti, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and beyond. He died unexpectedly Monday at the age of 62. We feature Farmer's past interviews with Democracy Now! and speak with his longtime colleague, Dr. Joia Mukherjee. Farmer leaves behind a remarkable legacy and an "enormous community of people that he brought to this large table…

Staff (2022-02-22). Headlines for February 22, 2022. democracynow.org Putin Orders Russian "Peacekeepers" into Ukraine Separatist Regions, U.N. Rebukes Russia over Violations of Ukraine's Territorial Integrity, Florida Senate Advances Bill to Ban Nearly All Abortions After 15 Weeks, Colombia Legalizes Abortion During First 24 Weeks of Pregnancy, Dominican Republic Begins Construction of High-Tech Border Wall with Haiti, Dr. Paul Farmer, Who Brought Free, Quality Healthcare to World's Poorest, Dies at 62, Mali's Military Rulers Cement Hold on Power, Leak Reveals Credit Suisse Ties to Dictators, Torturers and Organized Crime, Wildfires Burn Nearly 2 Mill…

Staff (2022-02-22). Remembering Dr. Paul Farmer: A Public Health Pioneer Who Helped Millions from Haiti to Rwanda. democracynow.org We remember the life and legacy of Dr. Paul Farmer, a public health icon who spent decades building community health networks helping millions of poor people in Haiti, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and beyond. He died unexpectedly Monday at the age of 62. We feature Farmer's past interviews with Democracy Now! and speak with his longtime colleague, Dr. Joia Mukherjee. Farmer leaves behind a remarkable legacy and an "enormous community of people that he brought to this large table that is now global health," says Mukherjee, chief medical officer for Partners In Health, where she worked with Farmer for 23…

Ashley K. Shelton (2022-02-22). Redistricting Tactics Threaten to Suppress Black Representation in Louisiana. truthout.org The Louisiana Senate recently continued the state's long history of racial oppression by voting down Sen. Cleo Fields's congressional redistricting map. What's more, the Louisiana House voted down Rep. Randal Gaines's congressional redistricting map. Gaines is a veteran and civil rights attorney who represents one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ida (river parishes), and Fields is an attorney and former congressman. Gaines's and Fields's proposals included two majority-minority district…

JANET (2022-02-22). Puerto Rico: Workers, yes! Colonizers, no! iacenter.org February 21, 2022 This slightly edited press release was written by Gabriela Malespin and Normahiram Pérez of New York Boricua Resistance and Call to Action on Puerto Rico. The organizations holding the Feb. 18 rally were New York Boricua Resistance, Call to Action on Puerto Rico, Colectiva Solidaridad, ProLibertad and Partido Independentista Puertorriqueña. Union Square, New York City, Feb. 18. Photo: Brenda Ryan On Feb. 18, a coalition of Puerto Rican and global anti-imperialist groups will rally at Union Square, [New York City], at 5: 00 p.m. in solidarity with the workers' strikes happening in Puerto Rico. Thi…

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