2021-02-19: News Headlines

Paul Street (2021-02-19). "Interesting" Times: Capitalism Kills Everything. counterpunch.org Yes, it's terrible that Joe Biden has refused to forgive more than a pittance of student debt. But do we not recall him telling a Los Angeles Times host that he had "no empathy, give me a break" for the plight of Millennials in the savagely unequal and environmentally unsustainable world he'd helped create over decades of Congressional service to corporate and financial America? No surprise.

Mariah Denman and Caleb Kennedy (2021-02-19). Portland, OR power outages affect 300K residents after ice storm. liberationnews.org In a pandemic winter, when the risk of spreading COVID-19 between households is high, neighbors have had to take the risk to help each other by sharing generators, firewood, food, cooking equipment, clean water and more.

PAI (2021-02-19). New York sues Amazon for not protecting workers against COVID, firing whistleblowers. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK (PAI)—Donald Trump isn't Letitia "Tish" James's only big legal target. Neither is the notorious radical right-wing U.S. gun lobby. Now she's taking on Amazon. James, New York state's Attorney General, is probing Trump's financial crimes committed through his private foundation. Last year, she sued the National Rifle Association and its top officers for …

David Rosen (2021-02-19). The Culture Wars Continue: Biden Takes on Abortion. counterpunch.org Joe Biden is moving aggressively to redress many of the conditions left by Donald Trump's administration, notably the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic recession and white nationalism. However, the most intractable challenge that he will face may be the resistance of the culture wars, particularly a woman's right to an abortion. The culture wars long anchored

Staff (2021-02-19). Essential Farmworkers Deserve Protections From Pesticide Exposure. truthout.org COVID-19 is having

Staff (2021-02-19). Battleground Baltimore: The battle continues for more COVID-19 vaccine doses. therealnews.com In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Leaders examine the way doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being distributed, Mayor Brandon Scott releases his administration's transition report, remembering musician Jimmy Jones, and more.

Staff (2021-02-19). Amid G7 Meeting, Pressure Mounts for Biden to Remove Global Barriers to Vaccines. truthout.org President Joe Biden is meeting with the G7 leaders of other wealthy nations Friday to discuss global plans to defeat COVID. Meanwhile, the United States is under growing international pressure to reverse course from the Trump administration and lead the world toward ending massive global disparities in vaccine and treatment access that threaten to stretch the deadly pandemic out for years. | Hanging in the balance are an untold number of human lives — and the profit margins of privat…

RT (2021-02-19). Dutch curfew extended by emergency bill as government shuns court ruling of Covid lockdown 'illegality'. rt.com Dutch senators have voted overwhelmingly to pass an emergency act to continue a nationwide curfew, disregarding a judge's ruling this week that the restriction violates the law as well as the rights of citizens. | The emergency bill passed in a 45-13 vote on Friday evening, While a lower court

The Global Research Team (2021-02-19). Selected Articles: The Covid Deception Serves An Undeclared Agenda. globalresearch.ca By There is no scientific basis for the measures in place to deal with the alleged Covid Pandemic. Among experts the support for these measures …

A Guest Author (2021-02-19). COVID vaccines are big business and a political weapon. workers.org By Manuel Raposo Manuel Raposo is editor of jornalmudardevida.net in Portugal, where this article was published Feb. 14. Translation: John Catalinotto. It has often been said that so-called "natural" disasters, including unforeseeable catastrophes, lay bare the weaknesses of the societies they strike. The health, social and economic crisis the coronavirus . . . |

Alan Macleod (2021-02-19). Biden's First Month Marked by Broken Promises. mintpressnews.com Biden kicked off his campaign by telling wealthy donors that "nothing would fundamentally change" under his presidency. After one month in office, it appears as if that is one campaign promise he is likely to keep.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-19). 'Leaving Aside' International Law: Why Democrats are as Dangerous as Republicans to a Just Peace in Palestine. counterpunch.org Motivated by their justifiable aversion to former US President Donald Trump, many analysts have rashly painted a rosy picture of how Democrats could quickly erase the bleak trajectory of the previous Republican administration. This naivety is particularly pronounced in the current spin on the Palestinian-Israeli discourse, which is promoting, again, the illusion that Democrats will

Staff (2021-02-19). Immigration Activists Welcome Reform Bill But Warn of Long Fight Ahead. truthout.org Migrant justice activists and organizations welcomed the introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 this week but are warning that the bill faces a long and uphill battle before becoming law. | At the center of the comprehensive bill, which was introduced by Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Linda Sánchez, is a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The bill also includes key provisions that migrant justice activists have been demanding for dec…

Vijay Prashad (2021-02-19). Sometimes Marx's Capital is a pillow, sometimes it obliges us to deepen our struggles. mronline.org In 1911, a young Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) arrived in France, which had colonised his homeland of Vietnam. Though he had been raised with a patriotic spirit committed to anti-colonialism, Ho Chi Minh's temperament did not allow him to retreat into a backward-looking romanticism.

Matthew Stevenson (2021-02-19). Who Won the Impeachment? counterpunch.org If you're Donald Trump, watching the last act of your impeached presidency, you don't need a Weatherman to tell you which way the wind is blowing, which is in the direction of a District of Columbia courtroom, where you will either be convicted as an accessory to second-degree murder ("an extreme indifference to human life…") or a runaway jury will award plaintiffs (the Capitol police injured or killed in the riot) $1.8 billion in damages (which by the way Deutsche Bank will not cover with another overdraft).

Bezaleel Jupiter and Satya Vatti (2021-02-19). Snowstorm + capitalism = disaster for more than 100K in Mississippi. liberationnews.org The unpreparedness of the utility giants, and the pathetic response of the capitalist government at the local and federal level, is nothing short of criminal neglect by those motivated solely by profit making.

The Conversation (2021-02-19). 40,000 BC: Earth's magnetic field flipped, causing massive sudden climate change and Extinction of Neanderthals. juancole.com By Chris Fogwill, Alan Hogg, Chris Turney, and Zoà´ Thomas | — The world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun's behaviour. That's the key finding of our new multidisciplinary study, published in Science. This last major …

Staff (2021-02-19). The Guardian shuts down criticism of Israel. therealnews.com Nathan Robinson's column at The Guardian US was shut down after a tweet criticizing US-Israel relations. Then, Tamara Payne explains how Malcolm Little became Malcolm X.

G. Dunkel (2021-02-19). George Jackson on the role of prisons, 50 years after his death. workers.org This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of George Jackson, an African American prison leader sentenced to a life sentence as a teenager for "stealing" $40 from a gas station. His 11 years behind the walls were spent in California's Soledad and San Quentin prisons. Jackson became . . . |

People's World (2021-02-19). Communist Alphaeus Hunton drew together anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-colonial struggles. peoplesworld.org People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Feb. 15, 1945 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist …

Eve Ottenberg (2021-02-19). The Atrocious Prosecution of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org What do Biden and Trump have in common? (Aside from jerking Iran around over the nuclear treaty, proclaiming support for a phony, unelected pretender to the Venezuelan presidency, Juan Guaido, and posturing aggressively toward China?) Both Biden and Trump support the utterly baseless Espionage Act case against journalist and publisher Julian Assange. Make no mistake,

Ted Rall (2021-02-19). Biden Offers Moderate Solutions to Radical Problems. counterpunch.org "Radical solutions require radical solutions," I wrote in my 2010 book "The Anti-American Manifesto," a polemic that calls upon us to save ourselves from imminent social, economic and political collapse by overthrowing the system and rebuilding society from the ground up. We currently face several radical problems. But we're not likely to rise to the

Martin Billheimer (2021-02-19). Idiocy in Theory and Practice. counterpunch.org Idiocy is as complex as genius. In fact, we like to think them indistinguishable, joined by the ruthless common denominator of an innocence which makes both conditions holy. The lives of geniuses are bestsellers because everyone wants to see themselves in there, which nourishes our profound self-interest and even more profound masochism. Read about the

Ed Rampell (2021-02-19). 'This is the Way We Rise': Hawaiian poetry in motion. peoplesworld.org The Tidal Wave of Indigenous Cinema continues to swell with Hawaiian filmmaker Ciara Lacy's stirring This is the Way We Rise, a poetic short about Polynesian slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio that recently screened as part of the Sundance Film Festival. Jamaica is the daughter of Jon Osorio, Dean of Hawai ªinuiƒÅkea School of Hawaiian Knowledge …

Dean Baker (2021-02-19). How Will Our Children Know They Face a Crushing Debt Burden? counterpunch.org That may seem like a silly question. Of course they will know because there are a number of well-funded policy shops that will be spewing out endless papers and columns telling them that they are facing a crushing debt burden. And, because these policy shops are well-funded and well-connected we can be sure that major

Richard Moser (2021-02-19). Organizing White Workers When the Klan is in the Shop. counterpunch.org With the rise of the extreme right, the Klan and its modern descendants are definitely "in the shop." Here's a story from a long time ago but it could have happened only yesterday. This is not a heroic tale just a memory of day-to-day struggle and the lessons learned. As a young organizer in the mid-1970s, I went to work for District 65, an independent radical union. Martin Luther King called District 65 "The Conscience of the Labor Movement" after their early and staunch support for the civil rights movement. Our dress pin was a black hand and a white hand working both ends of an old fashioned two-man tree- saw…

Tim Wheeler (2021-02-19). Donation match: Will you meet my challenge for People's World? peoplesworld.org Dear readers, I recently posted on social media Marilyn Bechtel's story in People's World headlined, "U.S. and Russia Extend New START Nuclear Treaty for Five Years." Bechtel's article was the first I read about this hugely significant step by President Joe Biden reversing former President Trump's attempt to wreck the New START treaty. The people's …

C.J. Atkins (2021-02-19). Why the Alabama Amazon struggle matters to workers everywhere. peoplesworld.org Sometimes a fight at one particular workplace can be so important that workers and their allies everywhere need to take notice. The struggle going on right now at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, is one of those fights. From now until March 29, nearly 6,000 employees at the Amazon order fulfillment and processing center …

Marie Kelly (2021-02-19). 'Black Freedom Fighters in Steel' — a book review. workers.org Ruth Needleman's "Black Freedom Fighters in Steel: The Struggle for Democratic Unionism," tells of five Black union activists who took on the steel industry of Indiana's Calumet Region along Lake Michigan at Youngstown Sheet and Tube, Inland Steel and U.S. Steel. (Cornell University Press, 2003) Needleman's rich narrative contains interviews . . . |

Chauncey K. Robinson (2021-02-19). Man-made disaster: Capitalism and Republicans failed the people of Texas. peoplesworld.org Winter storms, freezing temperatures, and a failed power grid have left millions of Texans fighting for their lives this week. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz being caught attempting a family vacation to the warmth of Cancun, Mexico, while his constituents faced a humanitarian disaster is the epitome of an unequal system at work. The tragedy in …

Staff (2021-02-19). Illegal checkpoint arrest tied to a controversial shooting. therealnews.com In the small town of Talking Rock, Georgia, a man was supposedly stopped for avoiding a roadblock, had his car searched without consent, and was arrested for having balding tires. But residents say the story of gross overpolicing in their area goes much deeper.

Anthony DiMaggio (2021-02-19). Limbaugh's Legacy: Normalizing Hate for Profit. counterpunch.org Rush Limbaugh's death represents a moment for reflection on the state of American politics. Limbaugh amassed a fortune of more than $600 million over 32 years in the talk radio business, in the process building up more than 15 million regular listeners. It was no exaggeration when CNN referred to him as a "pioneer of AM talk-radio." He made possible the rise of propagandistic partisan media, demonstrating that this format could be incredibly profitable for news channels looking for low-budget programming filled by pundits who tell audiences what they want to hear, while strengthening their prior beliefs and value…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2021-02-19). UN report slams U.S. economic sanctions against Venezuela. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: A group of 27 U.S. senators and representatives on Feb. 11 urged President Joe Biden to "consider the humanitarian impacts of sanctions." They did not name specific countries, but at the top of the list of countries currently on the receiving end of U.S. sanctions is Venezuela. The country was the target of …

Steve Sweeney (2021-02-19). Bogazici resistance is about more than liberal notions of academic freedom, it is a fight against the whole system of oppression. mronline.org TURKEY'S revolutionary forces said today that protests centered on Bogazici University must remain a fight against fascism and oppression—not for "liberal ideas of academic freedom."

PAI (2021-02-19). Pandemic's 1-2 punch: Unemployment up, life expectancy down. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—The ongoing coronavirus pandemic packed a one-two punch against the nation's workers, federal agencies reported, as almost 1.38 million more people sought federal or state jobless aid in the week ending Feb. 13. Meanwhile, U.S. life expectancy dropped by a year in the first half of 2020, another federal report showed. And that second …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-19). Social movements and organizations condemn arrest of 21-year-old Indian climate activist. mronline.org 21-year-old Disha Ravi was arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for her involvement with a 'toolkit' which contained campaign material in support of the the ongoing farmers' agitation in the country. Two other activists also face arrest.

PAI (2021-02-19). Trailblazing former Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis dies at 68. peoplesworld.org CHICAGO (PAI)—If you're looking for who started "Red for Ed," figuratively if not literally, you'll find Karen Lewis. Because it could arguably be said that Lewis, the former President of the Chicago Teachers Union/AFT Local 1, who died in early February at 68 after a long battle with cancer, originated the combination of teacher activism …

Lisa Hajjar (2021-02-19). 'The Mauritanian' rekindles debate over Gitmo detainees' torture—with 40 still held there. mronline.org "The Mauritanian," directed by Kevin Macdonald, is the first feature film to dramatize how the war on terror became a war in court.

Steven Krichbaum (2021-02-19). The 30 x 30 Protection Plan and the George Washington National Forest Ark. counterpunch.org The Biden administration's recent announcement of the 30 by 30 conservation initiative was a welcome ray of light in the dark of winter. The goal is to have 30% of America's lands "protected" by 2030. But what exactly is meant by and would qualify as "protected"? In this age of ecological meltdown and mass extinction/extermination,

Tom Engelhardt (2021-02-19). America's Sick Metamorphosis: Have we Awoken to find our Country a Trump Roach Hotel? juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Like Gregor Samsa, the never-to-be-forgotten character in Franz Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis," we awoke on January 7th to discover that we, too, were "a giant insect" with "a domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments" and numerous "pitifully thin" legs that "waved helplessly" before our eyes. If you prefer, though, you …

Ed Rampell (2021-02-19). '41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers' to be screened Feb. 20. peoplesworld.org The 29th Pan African Film Festival has moved online, taking place Feb. 28—March 14. This year's PAFF is screening at least three Black Panther Party-related films: The documentary Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me and Judas and the Black Messiah, probably Hollywood's best political feature in years. The third is a reprise of …

Liberation Staff (2021-02-19). Haywood County, North Carolina car protest: 'Fund services, not jails'. liberationnews.org In North Carolina's Haywood County a car protest was organized on Feb. 1 by the Party for Socialism and Liberation to oppose Haywood County's plan to expand the existing jail in Waynesville, North Carolina.

Staff (2021-02-19). And then there was X: Malcom's life and legacy. therealnews.com Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, marks the 56th anniversary of the assassination of freedom fighter Malcolm X. To honor Malcolm's life and legacy, we revisit this powerful 2015 documentary, "X: Malcolm's Final Years," produced by The Real News Network.

Ron Jacobs (2021-02-19). Go St. Pauli! Beat Fascism! counterpunch.org Most sports teams have a dedicated fan base. Most often, that fan base is mostly composed of people who live or lived in the region the team is located. Many of these fans grew up with their favorite team, watching players come and go, championships missed and won; they have opinions on the players, the

Staff (2021-02-19). AOC Raised $1 Million for Struggling Texans as Cruz Handled Post-Cancún PR Mess. truthout.org While Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was dealing with an embarrassing public relations disaster of his own making — flying to Cancún, Mexico, with his family while his home state was reeling from blackouts and water shutdowns amid frigid temperatures — his political adversary Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) was spearheading an effort to raise funds for those in dire need. |

Staff (2021-02-19). Nearly 30 Police Officers Face Investigations for Actions During Capitol Attack. truthout.org Six officers have been suspended from the United States Capitol Police (USCP) department for their actions during the Capitol breach on January 6. | On that date, a mob of Trump loyalists,

RT (2021-02-19). Chuck some borscht on the barbie? Amid Australian news row, Facebook 'accidentally' clamps down on RUSSIAN CULTURE SITE. rt.com Facebook's new algorithms targeting Aussie news websites evidently need some fine-tuning: citing "Australian government legislation," the social media behemoth has banned sharing links to a Russian culture site, Russia Beyond. | As of Wednesday, Australian Facebook users found themselves unable to share links to local and international news sites, a change that Facebook implemented as retaliation against the Australian government for legislation that would require Facebook and other companies to pay news creators for their content. Globally, all users are forbidden from sharing links to Australian news sources…

Paul Haeder (2021-02-19). The Eye of the Wolf: Measuring Myself through Death. dissidentvoice.org If I were asked what I want to accomplish as a writer, I would say it's to contribute to the literature of hope. — Barry Lopez, About This Life A passing. A death. Moving on. Back to earth. A new journey. He filled the air with lyrical words and ideas grafted to our role as …

Staff (2021-02-19). Democracy Now! Turns 25: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of Independent News on the Frontlines. democracynow.org Democracy Now! first aired on nine community radio stations on February 19, 1996, on the eve of the New Hampshire presidential primary. In the 25 years since that initial broadcast, the program has greatly expanded, airing today on more than 1,500 television and radio stations around the globe and reaching millions of people online. We celebrate 25 years of the War and Peace Report with an hour-long retrospective, including highlights from the show's early years, some of the most controversial interviews, and groundbreaking reports from East Timor, Standing Rock, Western Sahara and more.

RT (2021-02-19). 'Idea of Sacrifice a complete nonstarter in US culture before Covid': Pandemic spurred major shift in American values, study finds. rt.com Researchers from UCLA and Harvard University analyzed internet activity, namely online searches and social media posts, and found a significant return to more traditional, rural American values emerged as the pandemic took hold. | The team In their analysis, they used Google searches as one metric to reflect societal mood and attitudes w…

2021-02-18: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-18). 'Leaving Aside' International Law: Democrats are as Dangerous as Republicans to Peace in Palestine. mintpressnews.com It's easy to discredit the foreign policy agenda of Trump, Pompeo, and other Republicans as their aggressive, dismissive language and action are unmistakably objectionable. The Democratic discourse, however, cannot be as easily censured,…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-18). "Leaving Aside" International Law: Why Democrats are as Dangerous as Republicans to a Just Peace in Palestine. dissidentvoice.org Motivated by their justifiable aversion to former US President Donald Trump, many analysts have rashly painted a rosy picture of how Democrats could quickly erase the bleak trajectory of the previous Republican administration. This naivety is particularly pronounced in the current spin on the Palestinian-Israeli discourse, which is promoting, again, the illusion that Democrats will …

Akram Al-Waara (2021-02-18). Palestinian cancer patient on deathbed after release from Israeli prison. middleeasteye.net Palestinian cancer patient on deathbed after release from Israeli prison | Hussein Masalmeh lies in critical condition in hospital, as family accuses Israel of medical negligence | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 12: 01 | Hussein Masalmeh's family say he was gravely ill for two years before being released from Israeli prison (Twitter) | When Bilal Masalmeh, 34, dreamt of the day his older brother Hussein woul…

Workers World Party (2021-02-18). PDF of February 18 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Alabama — Roll the union on! Solidarity with Amazon organizing; Class struggle then and now. BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Tribute to George Jackson L.D. Barkley, martyred in Attica uprising A fighting union leader: Karen Lewis ALSO: Care workers dare to strike; $1K per hour union busters; Electric vehicles . . . |

RT (2021-02-18). Amazon changes timing of TRAFFIC LIGHTS in Alabama town to derail unionization drive. rt.com Online retail giant Amazon was so desperate to scuttle a unionization drive among warehouse workers in Alabama that it actually had traffic light times changed. A pro-union publication says it confirmed the rumors with the county. | Amazon actually reached out to Jefferson County to change the timing of the traffic lights near its Bessemer warehouse, the pro-worker publication More Perfect Union reported on Tuesday, citing a public official from the county who said the company had complained about "traffic delays during shift changes" in order to secure the light change. | Organizers had claimed for weeks that…

Norman Solomon (2021-02-18). Cuomo and Newsom Symbolize the Rot of Corporate Democrats and the Dire Need for Progressive Populism. counterpunch.org The governors of New York and California — the most populous states led by Democrats — now symbolize how slick liberal images are no substitute for genuinely progressive priorities. After 10 years as New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo is facing an uproar over revelations that his administration intentionally and drastically undercounted the deaths from COVID in nursing homes. Meanwhile,

MEE staff (2021-02-18). US lawmakers press military over data purchases from Muslim apps. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers press military over data purchases from Muslim apps | Military and intelligence chiefs asked to disclose whether any US citizens were surveilled when military bought user information from popular apps | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 19: 08 | The effort was led by Congressman Mark Pocan, with representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna signing on to it (AFP) | US lawmakers…

The Socialist Program (2021-02-18). Capitalism in Crisis: An Absurd & Deadly System. liberationnews.org This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss how deeply dependent big banks and corporations are on government assistance, the …

Raul Diego (2021-02-18). Prisons Prime Testing Ground for Dehumanizing Hi-Tech "Advances" mintpressnews.com A new form of exploitation, known as "stakeholder capitalism," is already being tested in many places around the world and prisons are among the main targets for its implementation, as they provide an ideal and literally captive market for its proof of concept.

Juan Cole (2021-02-18). Biden's Saudi Game of Thrones: Is he trying to Sideline crown prince Bin Salman? juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — BBC Arabic reports that Saudi Twitter has gone wild with responses to the apparent sidelining by President Biden of Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, with many Saudis considering it a humiliation. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said this week that Biden wishes to "recalibrate" the U.S. relationship with Saudi …

John Perry (2021-02-18). If It Were a Narco Lab, It Would be Working. counterpunch.org On the day he was inaugurated, Joe Biden halted the construction of Trump's Mexican border wall. A few days earlier, 1500 miles to the south, a new 'caravan' of at least eight thousand Honduran migrants had set off northwards, partly in the hope that by the time they tried to cross into Texas, Biden's promised softening of immigration policy might have taken effect.

Staff (2021-02-18). Biden Plans to Use "Inclusive" Language in Future Discussions on Immigration. truthout.org The Biden administration announced this week that federal agencies will use "more inclusive" language when it comes to discussing issues relating to immigration. | A memo from Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Tracy Renaud

Raúl Zibechi (2021-02-18). China avanza desde el mar de Sur hasta Medio Oriente y Europa. globalizacion.ca La disputa por el Mar del Sur de China se sigue intensificando, pero el Dragón va colocando sus fichas de forma gradual, implacable e incontenible, como lo muestran los recientes desarrollos de una estrategia largamente diseñada, que parece estar poniendo…

The Conversation (2021-02-18). Nonviolent Noncooperation: Why Indian farmers' protests are being called a 'satyagraha' — which means 'embracing the truth'. juancole.com By Sumit Ganguly | — For the past few months, farmers protesting in India's capital, New Delhi, have been demanding the repeal of three farm laws that were passed last year. These largely peaceful protests have been referred to as a "satyagraha" by many in the Indian media, politicians and activists. As a political scientist …

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-02-18). Surge of Anti-Asian hate crimes spurs communities to action. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif.—As the start of the Lunar New Year approached last week, concern was growing over a surge in hate crimes being experienced by Asian Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area, including several victims who were over 60 years of age. One attack last month in San Francisco was widely publicized when a local …

Gloria La Riva (2021-02-18). In Texas disaster, low-income people hit hardest. liberationnews.org Eyewitness: In the midst of the massive Texas storm, last night I was fortunate to stay in a shelter in Sealy, Texas, one hour west of Houston.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-02-18). Video: The 2020 Worldwide Corona Crisis. globalresearch.ca We bring to the attention of our readers, the English version of this PANGEA TV program which was broadcast live in several regions of Italy. | Maya Nogradi of PANGEA TV interviews Prof. Michel Chossudovsky pertaining to his E-Book entitled: | |

Monica Moorehead (2021-02-18). L.D. Barkley — A leader in the Attica uprising. workers.org L.D. Barkley, second from the right, and other Attica rebellion leaders negotiating with prison officials, Sept. 1971. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Attica Prison Uprising. The following slightly edited excerpt is from the book "A Time To Die: The Attica Prison Revolt" by the late New York . . . |

Eds. (2021-02-18). Taxes on the rich: One-sixth of what they used to be. mronline.org A new IPS briefing paper highlights the unique role of tax policy in wealth concentration.

PAI (2021-02-18). Fast food workers forced to walk out again for $15 and a union. peoplesworld.org ST. LOUIS (PAI)—For 40 years as a Black pastor in St. Louis, the Rev. Darryl Gray has seen the impact of low-wage jobs not just on his congregants, but on their kids. That's why he and a wide-ranging ministers' coalition support the Fight for $15 and a Union movement—and raising the federal minimum wage to …

IMEMC News (2021-02-18). Soldiers Abduct Two Palestinian In Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday night after midnight, two young Palestinian men in Shu'fat town, in the occupied Palestinian capital, Jerusalem. Local sources said the two young men were walking near the main road of Shu'fat when the soldiers stopped them and took them to an interrogation facility in Neve Yaakov illegal colony. They added …

Kenya Elliott (2021-02-18). COVID + Capitalism: Life expectancy plunges and unemployment surges. liberationnews.org Data released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that following that report, life expectancy had dropped by a full year by June of 2020…

Melvin Goodman (2021-02-18). George Schultz's Character Study of Robert Gates. counterpunch.org In January 1986, Shultz told Gates that he had no "confidence in the intelligence community" and that he "wouldn't trust anything you guys said about Iran no matter what." Shultz charged Gates with "trying to manipulate me" and accused him of trying to create an "alternate State Department with its own strong policy views." Shultz conceded that his department made mistakes, but that Gates' "assaults are almost joyful."

IMEMC News (2021-02-18). Palestinian Woman Dies Of Heart Attack After Soldiers Stormed Her Home. imemc.org A Palestinian woman suffered a fatal heart attack, on Wednesday at dawn, when Israeli soldiers stormed into her home in Abu Njeim village, east of Bethlehem, south of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank. Medical sources said the woman, identified as Rahma Khalil Abu 'Ahour, 67, suffered a heart attack when the soldiers invaded her …

PAI (2021-02-18). West Virginia workers keep pressure on Manchin for $15 wage. peoplesworld.org CHARLESTON, W. VA. (PAI)—Pam Garrison, of Fayette County, W. Va., has toiled at minimum wage jobs her whole life. She calls it "getting us for slave wages." The minimum wage is "the only thing that hasn't doubled and tripled" since she first started working years ago, says Garrison, co-chair of the New Poor People's Campaign …

Jim Soliz, Antonio García (2021-02-18). Proponen manifestaciones en Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Bakersfield contra Trumpistas en Congreso. peoplesworld.org Se escala la oposición contra el dirigente Republicano congresista Kevin McCarthy del Distrito Congressional 23 y su co-representante Mike Garcia en el Distrito 25. Esto viene a consecuencia en que estos representantes se oponen a denunciar a Donald Trump por el atentado golpe de estado contra el electo presidente Joe Biden y la violencia ocurrida …

Tim Wheeler (2021-02-18). Famed Black journalist Joe Walker's fateful meeting with Malcolm X. peoplesworld.org Joe Walker was already a widely admired African-American journalist when he got a surprising invitation and an offer to become the New York editor of Muhammad Speaks, the Nation of Islam's newspaper. He was summoned to the Harlem Mosque of the Black Muslims for a private meeting. And who was the meeting with? Malcolm X. …

Eds. (2021-02-18). 'Only the strong will survive': Texas city mayor resigns for lashing out at residents asking for help during deadly storm. mronline.org The now former mayor of Colorado City, Texas, Tim Boyd, has resigned after two Facebook posts telling people needing help and without electricity that they are on their own.

Jim Soliz, Antonio García (2021-02-18). California Republicans Kevin McCarthy and Mike Garcia face opposition. peoplesworld.org SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—From the 'burbs of Los Angeles County to the sandy hills of Antelope Valley to Bakersfield, the fightback against the Congressional Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of the 23rd Congressional District and his colleague Mike Garcia, Representative from California's 25th C.D., continues to escalate. Fed by the refusal of McCarthy and Garcia to meet …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-18). Colombian students demand free higher-education for 2021. peoplesdispatch.org Students from different public universities of Colombia have been demonstrating to demand that the national and municipal governments guarantee free tuition for all students across the country this year…

Thomas Klikauer — Norman Simms (2021-02-18). What is Digital Fascism? counterpunch.org At least since the great Italian author Umberto Eco's description of the fourteen points that define classical fascism, many readers know what fascism is — at least in theory. New research describes Italo-German fascism (1920s—1940s) as classical fascism. It contrasts classical fascism with a new variant, digital fascism.

Staff (2021-02-18). Stop blaming the Green New Deal for Texas blackouts. therealnews.com Republican politicians like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have cynically used overblown and patently false claims that renewable energy failures are responsible for millions losing power and heat during deadly Winter Storm Uri. Critics around the country are calling "BS."

Staff (2021-02-18). Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Pt.2) — The Black Church. therealnews.com In the second part of our conversation, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. further explores his new documentary "The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song." The new series reveals the broad history and culture of the Black church and explores African American faith communities on the front lines of hope and change.

Dennis Broe (2021-02-18). 'The Mandalorian' season two: Not cancel but carnivore culture. peoplesworld.org One of the surprise hits of the contemporary streaming era is The Mandalorian, the first original series on Disney+. A surprise not because it was a hit—any Star Wars spinoff is guaranteed to have a wide audience—but because of the magnitude of its popularity and the way it has penetrated the culture. This space Western …

Melvin Goodman (2021-02-18). George Shultz's Character Study of Robert Gates. counterpunch.org In January 1986, Shultz told Gates that he had no "confidence in the intelligence community" and that he "wouldn't trust anything you guys said about Iran no matter what." Shultz charged Gates with "trying to manipulate me" and accused him of trying to create an "alternate State Department with its own strong policy views." Shultz conceded that his department made mistakes, but that Gates' "assaults are almost joyful."

Media Lens (2021-02-18). "Our Indifference To Ourselves": Beyond The "Virtue" Of Self-Sacrifice (Part 2). dissidentvoice.org As we saw in Part 1, in 1914 and again in 1939, millions of men and women welcomed war. Arnold Ridley and his pals did make this choice, but in reality the choice had been made for them by decades and centuries of the relentless 'patriotic' propaganda described by Tolstoy, which most people were powerless …

Eds. (2021-02-18). Role of NGOs in promoting neo-Colonialism. mronline.org There are literally thousands of NGOs, the better known being Oxfam, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International.

Joe Piette (2021-02-18). 'Release Mumia NOW!' was the cry in Philadelphia. workers.org Pam Africa (right), speaking at rally, Feb. 15. Philadelphia On less than 24 hours' notice, more than 40 people came out on Feb. 15 to show their opposition to a Feb. 3 legal brief by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a so-called "progressive." It denies Mumia Abu-Jamal the right to . . . |

Judy Greenspan (2021-02-18). Leonard Peltier Defense Committee urgently needs support. workers.org The International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee has launched an urgent appeal for funds to support legal efforts to free this Native political prisoner, who has been held in U.S. dungeons for nearly 45 years. Peltier is a leader of the American Indian Movement, who was framed and jailed for the . . . |

Sam Pizzigati (2021-02-18). Rising Inequality: the 'Pre-Existing Condition' That Doomed the U.S. COVID Response. counterpunch.org Back in April 2017, only a few months after Donald Trump's inauguration, one of world's most prestigious medical journals, the London-based Lancet, established a special commission to keep tabs on "Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era." The panel's 33 commissioners — medical professionals of all sorts, along with assorted notables in legal and

Jonathan Cook (2021-02-18). Why Politicians and Doctors Keep Ignoring the Medical Research on Vitamin D and Covid. counterpunch.org It is probably not a good idea to write while in the grip of anger. But I am struggling to suppress my emotions about a wasted year, during which politicians and many doctors have ignored a growing body of evidence suggesting that Vitamin D can play a critically important role in the prevention and treatment

Anand Naidoo (2021-02-18). The Heat: South Africa's Challenges. america.cgtn.com As South Africa battles COVID-19, it is also dealing with a series of challenges on several fronts including the economy and jobs.

MEE staff (2021-02-18). European powers, US warn Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal. middleeasteye.net European powers, US warn Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal | Iran's Zarif hit back at joint Western statement, saying violations were a result of US withdrawal from the agreement | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 21: 04 | Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant is the country's only nuclear power station and is currently running on imported fuel from Russia (AFP/File photo) | The United States and major European powe…

MEE staff (2021-02-18). Biden downplays Uighur persecution as part of China's 'different norms'. middleeasteye.net Biden downplays Uighur persecution as part of China's 'different norms' | US president said he would not speak out on China's treatment of Uighurs, which the previous Trump administration declared a genocide | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 15: 20 | Rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other Muslim Turkic-speaking people in China have been rounded up and held in detention camps (AFP) | US President Joe Biden…

Ragip Soylu (2021-02-18). REVEALED: Turkey plans spaceport in Somalia for $1bn moon mission. middleeasteye.net REVEALED: Turkey plans spaceport in Somalia for $1bn moon mission | MEE source provides details of plan to put Turks on the moon, as opposition says there's not enough money | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 14: 00 | President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed an ambitious timetable with the aim of making contact with the moon on unmanned missions (Turkish Space Agency TUA) | Turkey's recently announced space programme, w…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-02-18). The untold tragedy of Iraq's Shia Turkmen women abducted by Islamic State. middleeasteye.net The untold tragedy of Iraq's Shia Turkmen women abducted by Islamic State | Like the Yazidis, hundreds were captured and killed by the militant group in 2014. But families, community leaders and officials have turned a blind eye | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 10: 01 | A Yazidi woman and her children who were captured by IS but escaped. Unlike with the Yazidis, no major efforts have been made to free Shi…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-18). Egyptian student at Austrian university detained without charge in Cairo. middleeasteye.net Egyptian student at Austrian university detained without charge in Cairo | Ahmed Samer said police had beaten him and asked questions about his research on reproductive rights and Islam | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 13: 30 | Samer's family said the 29-year-old student was charged with spreading fake news and affiliation to a terrorist group – claims his family deny and describe as baseless (Supplied) | An Egyptian…

MEE staff (2021-02-18). Nato increases troop numbers in Iraq to combat threat from Islamic State. middleeasteye.net Nato increases troop numbers in Iraq to combat threat from Islamic State | Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the increase, from 500 to 4,000, is being organised alongside Iraqi government | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 17: 24 | Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a defence ministers meeting in Brussels on 13 February to address key issues (AFP/File photo) | Nato is preparing to significantly increase tr…

MEE staff (2021-02-18). Israel-Syria prisoner swap: Two Syrian shepherds to be repatriated. middleeasteye.net Israel-Syria prisoner swap: Two Syrian shepherds to be repatriated | Israeli attempts to secure release of a female citizen have been complicated by the Syrian Druze to be swapped wanting to remain in the Golan | Thu, 02/18/2021 – 13: 01 | Signs pointing out distances to different cities is seen on Mount Bental, an observation point in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that overlooks the Syrian side of the Qu…

Sara Flounders (2021-02-18). Alexei Navalny: Why is Biden supporting a Russian fascist? workers.org At the very time Democrats in Congress were attempting to impeach Trump for the Jan. 6 fascist rampage, President Joe Biden expressed support for a Russian political leader allied with a gang comparable to the Proud Boys. In his first contact with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as U.S. president, Biden . . . |