Monthly Archives: February 2021

2021-02-28: News Headlines

_____ (2021-02-27). Activists Who Forced Elijah McClain Investigation Face Retaliation. popularresistance.org People all over the country are learning about the explosive new report just out in Aurora, CO which concluded that the Aurora Police's entire encounter with Elijah McClain which ended in his death was unjustified. What is not being talked about in most media coverage is that the organizers who led the massive peaceful protests which forced this report to be commissioned are still facing as many as 48 years in prison. | The city of Aurora commissioned the independent investigation that produced the report on July 20, 2020 under the pressure of massive peaceful protests demanding accountability for the murder of E…

Online News Editor (2021-02-27). Myanmar police crack down on anti-junta protesters. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 27 (efe-epa).- Myanmar police on Saturday chased and fired tear gas at peaceful demonstrators who have taken to the streets of Yangon in rejection of the military junta that seized power in a coup on Feb. 1. An unknown number of protesters were arrested, as was at least one photographer, according to …

Online News Editor (2021-02-28). Injuries and arrests as Myanmar police crack down on protesters. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Feb 28 (efe-epa).- Myanmar security forces cracked down on anti-coup protesters across Yangon on Sunday, with witnesses and local media reporting several demonstrators wounded and dozens arrested. Police launched tear gas and stun grenades against thousands of residents peacefully protesting the Feb. 1 military takeover in various parts of the country's most populated city, …

Online News Editor (2021-02-28). Afghanistan in clutches of violence year after US-Taliban peace pact. laprensalatina.com By Baber Khan Sahel Kabul, Feb 28 (efe-epa).- A year after the historic Afghan peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban in Doha, there are a few signs of receding violence in a country plagued by decades of war. The peace deal signed in the Qatari capital last year called for the complete …

RT (2021-02-28). WATCH: Portland protest turns chaotic with businesses trashed, fist fights on the street and bike cops slamming into 'press'. rt.com At least two arrests were made after a mostly peaceful protest in Portland turned violent. Banks and other businesses were trashed as beleaguered residents pleaded with protesters to "go home!" and leave them in peace. | A group of dozens of people were reportedly demonstrating against immigration policy under the Biden administration in the Pearl District in downtown Portland, but quickly began vandalizing the area. | Businesses had their windows smashed, vehicles were vandalised and graffiti was sprayed over a number of walls in the area, as video uploaded to social media purports to show. | A security vehic…

teleSUR (2021-02-27). Venezuela Reaffirms Historic Position: Essequibo is Venezuelan. telesurenglish.net Through a statement issued on Friday by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, the government of President Nicolás Maduro informed that it participated "as a courtesy," not as part of the proceedings, in a virtual meeting with the president of the ICJ, Joan E. Donoghue, following a unilateral demand by Guyana in the midst of the territorial dispute over the Essequibo. | "Venezuela has expressly reaffirmed its historical position of non-recognition of the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the territorial dispute over the Guayana Essequibo," reads the document published by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Biden faces growing pressure to lift Trump's sanctions on ICC prosecutors. middleeasteye.net Biden faces growing pressure to lift Trump's sanctions on ICC prosecutors | International Criminal Court officials sanctioned starting probes on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, Palestine | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 13: 46 | An Israeli soldier stands on a Merkava main battle tank stationed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on 30 March 2019 (AFP) | US President Joe Biden face…

Paul Street (2021-02-28). The Anatomy of Fascism Denial. counterpunch.org When I am being interviewed by a member of the old guard and point to the concrete and steel, the tiny electronic listening device concealed in the vent, the phalanx of goons peeping in at us, his barely functional plastic tape-recorder that cost him a week's labor, and point out that these are all manifestations

Joe Parkin Daniels (2021-02-27). [World Report] Colombia grants protected status to 1 ∑7 million migrants. thelancet.com The decision will enable 950‚Äà000 undocumented Venezuelans to access the health system in Colombia. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-27). Biden's Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not the Diplomacy He Promised. dissidentvoice.org Photo: CODEPINK The February 25 U.S. bombing of Syria immediately puts the policies of the newly-formed Biden administration into sharp relief. Why is this administration bombing the sovereign nation of Syria? Why is it bombing "Iranian-backed militias" who pose absolutely no threat to the United States and are actually involved in fighting ISIS? If this …

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Yemen: Five civilians killed, including a child, in Hodeidah. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Five civilians killed, including a child, in Hodeidah | Warring parties accuse each other of the attack, with the Houthis threatening new attacks on Saudi Arabia | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 11: 01 | Yemen's civil war has cost the lives of thousands and displaced millions, which the UN says has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis (AFP) | Five civilians, including a child, were kille…

Alan Macleod (2021-02-28). Media Completely Ignore American Secret Agent's Trial For Terrorism In Venezuela. theantimedia.com There is an American secret agent currently standing trial in Venezuela on charges of terrorism and weapons trafficking.

Walter Smolarek (2021-02-27). Deciphering Biden's excuse to abandon the fight for $15. liberationnews.org President Biden received a major political gift from an obscure, unelected official called the Senate parliamentarian Feb. 25 when she ruled that the provision in the administration's stimulus plan that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour must be removed from the bill. Unless this maneuver is defeated, millions of workers who could have …

T.J. Coles (2021-02-28). How the CIA Helped to Crush Turkey's Post-War Left. counterpunch.org After the Second World War (1939-45), the U.S. became the dominant global power and fought its rival, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for international supremacy. Many countries became proxy battlegrounds between U.S. and Soviet influence. In addition to beating the Reds, U.S. war planners used secret militias, many of them allied with fascists

Reem Zubaidi (2021-02-27). Exposing Israel's vaccine apartheid in West Bank & Gaza. liberationnews.org Five million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza are excluded from vaccine rollouts while Israeli citizens, even those living in illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories, are prioritized.

Jake Lindahl (2021-02-28). Amazon union struggle takes hold in Southern state with radical labor history. liberationnews.org It should be no surprise that a place like Bessemer, Alabama is exactly where Amazon's first union in the United States is likely to form–given its radical labor history.

Eds. (2021-02-27). We have to change our suicidal ways and reconcile with nature to tackle climate crises and pandemics. mronline.org Every day, entrepreneurs in Brazil cut down more of the Amazon to produce cheap soybeans for animals in Europe and America. Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia tear up their forests to produce cheap coffee and palm oil for the world.

Joe Piette (2021-02-27). Mental health effects of COVID lockdown in prison: Interview from inside SCI Albion. workers.org This telephone interview with Demitrius Grant, imprisoned at SCI Albion near Erie, Pa., was conducted by Joe Piette for Workers World newspaper on Feb. 16. Demetrius Grant: We're going to be covering the issue of COVID-19 today, as to how it impacts prisoners' mental health. About a week ago, a . . . |

RT (2021-02-27). IDF soldier killed in training accident 'saves' Covid-stricken Israeli man with lung transplant. rt.com An Israel Defense Forces trooper died after an officer accidentally shot him in the head, but his family decided to donate his organs, reportedly saving a coronavirus patient with wrecked lungs and a man who needed a heart. | Yonatan Granot, 22, who was a Nahal Brigade infantry unit soldier, suffered a gunshot wound to the head during training at a firing range on Tuesday. | According to the IDF's initial probe, a Ruger rifle, which had just been used by one of the troops, accidentally discharged a bullet after being picked up by the unit's commander. | Granot was struck with a .22-caliber round, usually used…

RT (2021-02-27). Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package narrowly passes US House, $1,400 stimulus checks included. rt.com The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The package is now headed to the Senate, where the bill is expected to be stripped of its minimum wage hike provision. | President Joe Biden's relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, was passed by the House early on Saturday in narrow 219-212 vote. No Republicans have voted for the legislation, while two Democrats broke ranks and voted against it. | The legislation includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, as well as billions for state and local governments, schools and businesses. The package wou…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Covid-19: Israel to administer vaccines to Palestinian workers. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel to administer vaccines to Palestinian workers | Vaccination campaign could include around 130,000 Palestinians working inside Israel | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 15: 18 | Palestinian workers line up for a security check at the entrance to Israel's Mishor Adumim industrial zone near the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank on 1 July 2020 (AFP) | Israel will vaccinate Pa…

The Conversation (2021-02-28). How Miracle Workers made 60% of S. Australia's Electricity Green in only 20 Years. juancole.com By Michael McGreevy and Fran Baum | — Less than two decades ago, South Australia generated all its electricity from fossil fuels. Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of the state's electricity supply. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis — so how did it happen? Our research set …

Niko Sims (2021-02-28). Housing crisis: Pittsburgh politicians' patchwork solutions fall short. liberationnews.org In spite of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium "pausing" evictions, Pennsylvania landlords are abusing loopholes to kick people out of their homes.

John McDevitt (2021-02-28). Andre Cailloux and the Siege of Port Hudson. liberationnews.org Not widely known, and certainly not celebrated enough, Andre Cailloux was the first Black military hero functioning as an officer in the Union Army.

CP Editor (2021-02-28). The Final Inch. counterpunch.org

RT (2021-02-28). Widow of NBA icon Kobe Bryant rages at Hollywood actress Evan Rachel Wood over 'rapist' comment. rt.com Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late NBA icon Kobe Bryant, has hit out at actress Evan Rachel Wood over a tweet she posted in the aftermath of the basketball star's death in which Wood labeled Bryant "a rapist." | "What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe's family," Wood had tweeted last year in the wake of the helicopter crash in California which killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others. | "He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all of these truths can exist simultaneously." | Despite the tweet being in existence for more than a year, it has only just been seen by V…

RT (2021-02-28). Widow of NBA icon Kobe Bryant rages at Hollywood actress Evan Rachel Wood over 'rapist' comment. rt.com Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late NBA icon Kobe Bryant, has hit out at actress Evan Rachel Wood over a tweet she posted in the aftermath of the basketball star's death in which Wood labeled Bryant "a rapist." | "What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe's family," Wood had tweeted last year in the aftermath of the helicopter crash in California which killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others. | "He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all of these truths can exist simultaneously." | Despite the tweet being in existence for more than a year, it has only just been seen…

RT (2021-02-28). WATCH: Wild scenes in Dagestan as junior judo event descends into mass brawl. rt.com A junior judo event in Dagestan erupted into a mass melee as competitors and dozens of fans traded blows. | The tournament at the Ali Aliyev Sport Complex in Kaspiysk witnessed ugly scenes as the brawl was captured on camera and quickly shared across social media on Saturday. | Footage of the carnage starts with one of the competitors seen leaning over the barriers, throwing punches. | By that point a broader punch-up is already underway as dozens of spectators trade blows. | –î–µ—Å—è—Ç–∫–∏ –∑—Ä–&prod…

RT (2021-03-01). Plane forced to land in Sudan after CAT ATTACKS pilot mid-air, 'hijacking' cockpit. rt.com A passenger plane was forced to return to the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum after an angry cat, which somehow got into the cockpit, attacked the pilots shortly after takeoff, local media reports. | This Wednesday's flight of the Sudanese Tarco airline bound for Qatar's capital, Doha, was proceeding in a totally routine manner — that is, until a most unlikely passenger caused an emergency mid-air. | Having departed from the Khartoum International Airport, the plane was in the air for roughly half an hour when an unregistered passenger was spotted inside the pilot's cabin. The passenger in que…

Aaliyah Harris (2021-02-28). Politicians and religious groups are fuelling homophobic attacks on Ghana's LGBTQI+ community. thecanary.co On 24 February, National Security raided the offices of Sharing the incident in a At this moment, we no longer have access to o…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-28). Police forces are still unable to explain why they're so racist. thecanary.co According to a The report highlights that: Over 35 years on from the introduction of stop and search legislation, no…

Tom Coburg (2021-02-28). Unsurprisingly, leaked files confirm the Foreign Office coordinates multi-agency propaganda programmes. thecanary.co A tranche of leaked files shows that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is coordinating multi-agency propaganda programmes. These files show that the programmes mainly target the authoritarian regimes in Russia and Syria. This is not unexpected. More significantly, perhaps, documents also show that these programmes are not confined to just foreign targets. | Leaked files: | The leaked files, were released to The Canary by 'Anonymous': | OP. HMG Trojan Horse. Part 4:

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Khashoggi murder: Qatar joins other Gulf states in showing support for Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Qatar joins other Gulf states in showing support for Saudi Arabia | Doha, Bahrain, UAE have stood by Riyadh after CIA report blames Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for journalist's killing | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 16: 44 | Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim Al Thani (L) has confirmed his support for Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the CIA's damning report naming Crown Prince Mohamme…

Shir Hever (2021-02-28). Israeli private arms export is too terrible even for Tel Aviv. middleeasteye.net Israeli private arms export is too terrible even for Tel Aviv | Israel cracks down on sales of suicide drones to China to avoid heavy diplomatic cost in relationship with US | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 11: 17 | An Israeli UCAV IAI Harop drone displayed at Bourget airport during the International Paris Air Show on 21 June 2011 (AFP) | At least 20 Israeli arms dealers have been arrested by Israel's secret police over…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Nuclear deal on brink of collapse as Iran rules out meeting with US. middleeasteye.net Nuclear deal on brink of collapse as Iran rules out meeting with US | Tehran has demanded Washington take the first step to revive the nuclear deal by scrapping sanctions
| Sun, 02/28/2021 – 21: 37 | Iran has suspended commitments to the 2015 deal in response to the US failure to lift its sanction (AFP) | Iran on Sunday dismissed Europe's offer for an informal meeting involving the Uni…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Syria intercepts Israeli missiles over Damascus: state media. middleeasteye.net Syria intercepts Israeli missiles over Damascus: state media | A war monitor said the strikes hit an area where Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Lebanese Hezbollah are present | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 22: 11 | Israel is thought to have carried out hundreds of air and missile strikes on Syria since civil war broke out in 2011 (AFP/File photo) | Syrian air defences intercepted Israeli missiles ov…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Israel blames Iran for explosion on Israeli-owned ship after 'initial assessment'. middleeasteye.net Israel blames Iran for explosion on Israeli-owned ship after 'initial assessment' | The MV Helios Ray has arrived at a port in Dubai, where an Israeli delegation is to investigate the event | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 09: 37 | Tensions have risen in the Gulf of Oman after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other major powers (AFP) | Israel has blamed Iran as being behind an…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Turkey and Iran summon envoys, escalating Iraq row. middleeasteye.net Turkey and Iran summon envoys, escalating Iraq row | Moves follow Iran's representative to Baghdad criticising Ankara's involvement in Iraq after Kurdish attack on Turkish forces there | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 13: 59 | The coffin and image of Turkish Lt Ertug Guler are carried during the funeral of three Turkish military personnel killed in action in northern Iraq's Gara region, on 12 February…

_____ (2021-02-28). Is the American Dream Still Alive? strategic-culture.org &nbsp…

RT (2021-02-28). California gov. Newsom accused of breaking own lockdown rules for 2nd time amid growing cries for him to be recalled. rt.com Embattled California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has been accused of once again breaching his own coronavirus restrictions after he was allegedly caught dining indoors. | Newsom himself posted a video with comedian George Lopez to his TikTok aimed at promoting how citizens can check their coronavirus vaccine eligibility. The video was taken inside the Los Amigos restaurant in Fresno, which is under the state's strictest lockdown restrictions, complete with a ban on indoor dining. | California Governor

RT (2021-02-28). Epstein jokes touched a nerve? After Trump, Golden Globes host Tina Fey says 'don't expect much politics' in this year's ceremony. rt.com With Donald Trump out of office and after Ricky Gervais' take-no-prisoners performance last year, the Golden Globes won't get political this year, host Tina Fey said. "I wonder why?" commenters replied. | Tina Fey and Amy Poelher were announced last January as this year's hosts, after comedian Ricky Gervais used his hosting gig to roast the elitism of the virtue-signalling celebrities in attendance. | Also on rt.com | | Gervais' Jeffrey Epst…

RT (2021-02-28). 'I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me:' 2nd former aide to NY Gov. Cuomo accuses him of sexual harassment. rt.com Another ex-aide has accused New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, already facing allegations of sexual harassment, of improper advances. Charlotte Bennett, 25, said he asked about her sex life and whether she ever dated an 'older man.' | Bennett joined Cuomo's administration in early 2019 and was promoted from her entry-level position to that of a senior briefer and executive assistant to the governor within several months. She told the New York Times that she was constantly grilled about her sex life by her former boss. | The former aide said that she reported Cuomo's alleged sexual overtures to his chief of staff,…

RT (2021-02-28). GOP NY Rep. calls on 'criminal sexual predator' Cuomo to resign after 2nd former staffer alleges sexual harassment. rt.com Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) doubled down on her call for embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to step down "immediately" after another of his former staffers, the second one since December, accused him of sexual harassment. | "Governor Cuomo is a criminal sexual predator and he must immediately resign," Stefanik said in a statement issued shortly after the New York Times published a detailed account of Cuomo's former aide Charlotte Bennett, accusing the governor of unwanted sexual advances, on Saturday. | Stefanik noted that she "was one of the first and one of the only elected officials to call on the Gove…

RT (2021-02-28). 'United and strong like never before': Trump won't break with Republican party at CPAC speech, will back GOP. rt.com In an upcoming speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, former president Donald Trump will reportedly not announce a break from the Republican Party, and will walk "right up to the line" of announcing a 2024 run. | Trump has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the White House last month, and his public statements have been few and far between, likely owing to his deplatforming from every major social media outlet. As such, his headline appearance on Sunday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) has been hotly anticipated. | According to an excerpt from the speech obtained…

RT (2021-02-28). Multitasking 101: California doctor appears at court hearing via Zoom DURING surgery. rt.com A plastic surgeon in California attended a virtual court hearing in relation to a traffic violation from an operating theater while a patient was on the table. The court was not exactly pleased with his multitasking, however. | The usually mundane traffic violation hearing at Sacramento Superior Court was spiced up this week when the defendant, Dr. Scott Green attended via Zoom from his surgery room, baffling other participants. The bizarre in-court surgery, which was livestreamed online, was first

RT (2021-02-28). GOP NY representative calls on 'criminal sexual predator' Cuomo to resign after 2nd former staffer alleges sexual harassment. rt.com Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) doubled down on her call for embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to step down "immediately" after another of his former staffers, the second one since December, accused him of sexual harassment. | "Governor Cuomo is a criminal sexual predator and he must immediately resign," Stefanik said in a statement issued shortly after the New York Times published a detailed account of allegations by former aide Charlotte Bennett on Saturday, accusing the governor of unwanted sexual advances. | Stefanik noted that she "was one of the first and one of the only elected officials to call on th…

RT (2021-02-28). After backlash over 'outside review' of sexual-harassment claims, Cuomo asks AG & chief judge to pick counsel to investigate. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, seeking to allay concerns that an investigation of sexual-harassment claims against him would be politically influenced, has called for state officials to choose a lawyer to handle the case. | The governor's office wants the review of allegations by two former staffers to be

RT (2021-03-01). Vanity Fair says Saturday Night Live sucked, and DONALD TRUMP is to blame. rt.com While Saturday Night Live's ratings fell during the Trump years, it wasn't the writers' fault for churning out 'Orange Man Bad' sketches, Vanity Fair claims. No, it was Donald Trump's fault for being so "noxious." | By the time Donald Trump left office, Saturday Night Live's reliance on the divisive president as a source of material had worn thin. 2019's season opened to the show's lowest ratings in five years, parodies of Robert Mueller, Rudy Giuliani and Jeff Sessions fell flat, and former cast member Gary Kroeger admitted last year that Alec Baldwin's Trump impersonation had been "done to death." | Also on…

RT (2021-03-01). Trump calls for breaking up Big Tech, says failure to restore freedom of speech would doom Republican Party. rt.com Former President Donald Trump has called for breaking up giant technology companies and taking away their Section 230 liability protections. He argued that the Big Tech mutes conservative voices like his own. | "The time has come to break up Big Tech monopolies and restore fair competition," Trump said Sunday at the CPAC conference in Orlando. "Republicans, conservatives must open our platforms and repeal section 230 liability protections," he added. | While in the past the public had a chance to hear both sides of the argument before making an informed decision, the big tech censorship disproportionately targ…

Laura Wells (2021-02-28). End Sanctions on the "Troika of Tyranny", and Learn from the World. indybay.org The US could learn a lot from other countries, instead of placing lethal sanctions against them. Trump ramped up sanctions against many countries including the "Troika of Tyranny" of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Biden has been following the same dead-end path. There are healthy alternatives.

2021-02-27: News Headlines

Online News Editor (2021-02-27). Myanmar police crack down on anti-junta protesters. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 27 (efe-epa).- Myanmar police on Saturday chased and fired tear gas at peaceful demonstrators who have taken to the streets of Yangon in rejection of the military junta that seized power in a coup on Feb. 1. An unknown number of protesters were arrested, as was at least one photographer, according to …

Eds. (2021-02-27). We have to change our suicidal ways and reconcile with nature to tackle climate crises and pandemics. mronline.org Every day, entrepreneurs in Brazil cut down more of the Amazon to produce cheap soybeans for animals in Europe and America. Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia tear up their forests to produce cheap coffee and palm oil for the world.

RT (2021-02-27). Boston halts advanced school program over 'equity' concerns after study finds it has too many 'white and Asian' students. rt.com Public schools in Boston, Massachusetts are suspending new enrollment in an advanced study program citing concerns over "inequities" that supposedly emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to be more "anti-racist." | Fourth-graders hoping to get into the Advanced Work Classes (AWC) program are out of luck, after Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius called for a one-year hiatus for the program this week. The district's

Joe Parkin Daniels (2021-02-27). [World Report] Colombia grants protected status to 1 ∑7 million migrants. thelancet.com The decision will enable 950‚Äà000 undocumented Venezuelans to access the health system in Colombia. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.

Clean Energy Wire (2021-02-27). By the End of the Year, Germany will have a Million Electric Cars on the Road out of 4.7 mn Total. juancole.com By Sà∂ren Amelang | — Germany will probably reach its target of having one million fully electric or plug-in hybrid cars on the road this year, government advisors have said. The head of the country's National Platform Future of Mobility (NPM), Henning Kagermann, told business daily Handelsblatt he was pleased "that it appears we will …

Walter Smolarek (2021-02-27). Deciphering Biden's excuse to abandon the Fight for $15. liberationnews.org President Biden received a major political gift from an obscure, unelected official called the Senate parliamentarian Feb. 25 when she ruled that the provision in the administration's stimulus plan that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour must be removed from the bill. Unless this maneuver is defeated, millions of workers who could have …

Joe Piette (2021-02-27). Mental health effects of COVID lockdown in prison: Interview from inside SCI Albion. workers.org This telephone interview with Demitrius Grant, imprisoned at SCI Albion near Erie, Pa., was conducted by Joe Piette for Workers World newspaper on Feb. 16. Demetrius Grant: We're going to be covering the issue of COVID-19 today, as to how it impacts prisoners' mental health. About a week ago, a . . . |

John Catalinotto (2021-02-27). 'Rubin never lost a case' — Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021. workers.org Some younger Workers World Party members met Rubin Kanowitz for the first time when he was a communist elder, still confronting cops on recent demonstrations chanting, "Black Lives Matter." Older ones knew him from when he first joined the party in 1965. All grieved as they learned he died this . . . |

Michael Kowalchuk (2021-02-27). Sojourner Truth's Massachusetts days. liberationnews.org Sojourner Truth, born into slavery in New York as "Isabella Baumfree" in 1797, was one of the most important abolitionists and feminists of the nineteenth century.

Shabbir Manjee (2021-02-27). Chicago City Council passes unanimous resolution to end the blockade on Cuba. liberationnews.org All 50 aldermen voted to oppose the blockade, adding that normalizing relations can benefit the economic conditions of both Cubans and Chicagoans.

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-02-27). U.S. bombs Syria and ridiculously claims self defense. mronline.org On orders of President Biden, the United States has launched an airstrike on a facility in Syria. As of this writing the exact number of killed and injured is unknown, with early reports claiming "a handful" of people were killed.

Eds. (2021-02-27). FBI, NYPD exposed: Deathbed confession shines new light on assassination of Malcolm X. mronline.org Without any training, Wood's job was to infiltrate civil rights organizations and encourage leaders and members to commit felonious acts. He was also tasked with ensuring that Malcolm X's security detail was arrested days prior to the assassination, guaranteeing Malcolm X didn't have door security while at the Audubon Ballroom.

The Conversation (2021-02-27). Gulf War: As Biden bombs Iraqis, 30 years on the consequences of Desert Storm are still with us. juancole.com By Lorena De Vita and Amir Taha | — It was a short message to end a short war. On February 26 1991, Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz put his signature to a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council: I have the honour to notify you that the Iraqi Government reaffirms its agreement …

Jason Hickel (2021-02-27). Is the world poor, or unjust? mronline.org Social media has been ablaze with this question recently. We know we face a crisis of mass poverty: the global economy is organized in such a way that nearly 60% of humanity is left unable to meet basic needs. But the question at stake this time is different.

Mike Walter (2021-02-27). The Heat: U.S. intelligence report on Khashoggi's death. america.cgtn.com A U.S. intelligence report concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation to murder a prominent journalist. And U.S. President Biden orders airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian-backed militias.

Reem Zubaidi (2021-02-27). Exposing Israel's vaccine apartheid in West Bank & Gaza. liberationnews.org Five million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza are excluded from vaccine rollouts while Israeli citizens, even those living in illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories, are prioritized.

RT (2021-02-27). Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package narrowly passes US House, $1,400 stimulus checks included. rt.com The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The package is now headed to the Senate, where the bill is expected to be stripped of its minimum wage hike provision. | President Joe Biden's relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, was passed by the House early on Saturday in narrow 219-212 vote. No Republicans have voted for the legislation, while two Democrats broke ranks and voted against it. | The legislation includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, as well as billions for state and local governments, schools and businesses. The package wou…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-27). Former Ofsted chief calls on teachers to 'sacrifice their lives', but the teachers are having none of it. thecanary.co During an Wilshaw told Emily Maitlis: You have to compare this with the medical emergency over the last year and the commitment on the part of medical professionals, and nurses, and doctors. They've gone the extra mile at great cost to themselves, and their families, their…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-27). Khashoggi murder: Bahrain, UAE reaffirm support for Saudi Arabia after CIA report. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Bahrain, UAE reaffirm support for Saudi Arabia after CIA report | US intelligence report blames Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 10: 19 | Protesters in London demonstrate against former president Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia and the UAE (MEE/Kaamil Ahmed) | Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stoo…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-27). Khashoggi murder: Oxfam calls on Britain to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Oxfam calls on Britain to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia | Demand follows release of report in which CIA determines that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind murder of Jamal Khashoggi | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 13: 49 | Britain is the second-largest seller of weapons to Saudi Arabia (AFP) | The release of a CIA report blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering th…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-27). Tunisia's Ennahda holds large street protest, fuelling government crisis. middleeasteye.net Tunisia's Ennahda holds large street protest, fuelling government crisis | The protest is seen as an attempt to mobilise popular backing against President Kais Saied | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 12: 15 | Supporters of Tunisia's biggest political party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, march during a rally in opposition to President Kais Saied in Tunis on 27 February (Reuters) | Tunisia's biggest poli…

RT (2021-02-27). 'Safely recovered': Lady Gaga's stolen bulldogs brought to LA police after pop star offers $500k reward with no strings attached. rt.com Two French bulldogs have been safely returned to pop star Lady Gaga after robbers stole the animals at gunpoint from her dog walker, who was shot in the struggle, according to LA police. | The pups were brought to an LAPD station north of downtown on Friday evening by a woman believed to be "uninvolved and unassociated" with the theft and shooting earlier this week, police captain Jonathan Tippett Both of Lady Gaga's dogs have been…

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise for Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

RT (2021-02-27). Biden admin to charge White House reporters $170 per Covid test amid concerns smaller outlets will be squeezed out — reports. rt.com The Joe Biden administration is reportedly set to charge White House correspondents $170 a pop for daily coronavirus tests, stoking anger among reporters, some noting the move could cost struggling newsrooms thousands per week. | The White House press office will begin charging for the tests next week, the Washington Post

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

teleSUR (2021-02-26). Guatemalans March in Remembrance of Genocide Victims. telesurenglish.net Indigenous people marched on Thursday in Guatemala to mark the National Day of Dignity for Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict, as survivors of the 1960-1996 civil war demanded the government to abide by the peace agreements. | RELATED: | "For many, many years we have struggled for the recognition of victims," Indigenous leader Rigoberta Menchu told news agency Al Jazeera. "There are major latent setbacks in the administration of…

Fight Back (2021-02-26). FRSO condemns Biden's military strike on Syria. fightbacknews.org Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns in the strongest possible terms the February 25 attack launched by the Biden administration on Syria. There is nothing that can justify this cowardly move and it will be opposed by all who stand for peace with justice. | President Biden has been telling the world "America is back." We can now see exactly what he means. The empire of the dollar wants to control the land, labor and resources of others, and is more than willing to use military means to do so. | The cold reality is that the U.S. is the aggressor in the Middle East, and Washington is trampling on the right…

Alan Macleod (2021-02-26). Another Step Back for Biden: Attack on Syria Draws Establishment Cheers. mintpressnews.com "This is basically the polar opposite of getting back in the peace agreement, which was what [Biden] promised to do." — Political commentator Kyle Kulinski…

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-02-26). Yemeni official calls on US, UK to end arms supply to SA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 26 (MNA) — The chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Yemen stressed the need to end British arms support to Saudi Arabia, adding "if Biden seeks peace, he must stop the activities of his military experts in Marib."

Monterey Peace and Justice Center (2021-02-26). Thursday 2/25: Elections, Elections: Who is the Fairest One of All? indybay.org Register to get the Zoom link: | tinyurl.com/Sharat-G-Lin-2-25-21…

Alan Macleod (2021-02-26). Media Completely Ignore American Secret Agent's Trial for Terrorism in Venezuela. mintpressnews.com One might think that a supposedly innocent American citizen on trial for terrorism inside a hostile enemy country, facing decades behind bars in Venezuela's notorious prisons, would spark a nationwide media furor.

teleSUR (2021-02-26). European Network of Solidarity With Venezuela Rejects EU Acts. telesurenglish.net The European Network of Solidarity with Venezuela condemned on Friday the European Union (EU) decision to declare the Representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the EU, Ambassador Claudia Salerno, persona non grata. | RELATED: | "We condemn that the EU remains fixated in promoting the failed strategy of sanctions, which have only served the U.S. strategy of generating pain and harm to the Venezuelan people. In doing so, it n…

Vijay Prashad (2021-02-26). Your privileges are not Universal. mronline.org Stencilled in red on the walls of Santiago, Chile is a statement of fact: 'your privileges are not universal' (tus privilegios no son universales).

Eds. (2021-02-26). The Pandemic: Half a million lives lost in U.S., more than the two World Wars and Vietnam War combined. mronline.org Over half a million people have died of coronavirus in the U.S. Grasping the enormity—half a million people gone—is difficult to visualize.

Henry Tufnell (2021-02-26). High Court: Covid self-employed support scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against women. ukhumanrightsblog.com R (The Motherhood Plan and Anor) v HM Treasury [2021] EWHC 309 (Admin) — read judgment In a judgment handed down on 17 February 2021, the High Court has ruled that the Self Employment Income Support Scheme ("the Scheme") introduced during the coronavirus pandemic does not indirectly discriminate against self-employed women who have taken a …

Mike Walter (2021-02-26). The Heat: One scientist's fight against disease & Racism against Asian-Americans. america.cgtn.com As the pandemic continues to take its toll, we'll talk to one of America's leading science pioneers. Plus — what's behind the alarming rise in violence against Asian Americans?>

Staff (2021-02-26). Big Tech Shouldn't Be the Arbiter of Our Free Speech Rights. truthout.org Business corporations don't need free speech rights. Nor should they have the power to deny free speech to others. But leading up to and following the 2020 election, we saw both undemocratic realities on display. | The 2020 election was largely "democratic." Due to the pandemic, more voters had more ways to cast their ballots than ever, and the elections were overall free and fair. H…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-26). Imagining Palestine: On Barghouti, Darwish, Kanafani and the Language of Exile. counterpunch.org For Palestinians, exile is not simply the physical act of being removed from their homes and their inability to return. It is not a casual topic pertaining to politics and international law, either. Nor is it an ethereal notion, a sentiment, a poetic verse. It is all of this, combined. The death in Amman of

The Socialist Program (2021-02-26). Their Protest Forced Investigation on Elijah McClain Police Killing; Now They Face Decades in Prison. liberationnews.org A damning new independent investigation into the police murder of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado has been released, but the only people facing charges so far in this case are the activists who led the movement for justice for Elijah McClain.

Diego Sanchez (2021-02-26). El Monte taco vendors and community: 'LA County Department of Public Health, stop harassing us!'. liberationnews.org Community members gathered on Feb. 13 in front of the El Monte Police Department in solidarity with local street vendors. This action comes a week after a violent attack by an LA County health inspector and EMPD on the Los Palomos taco stand. Community members and organizations such as ACAB El Monte, Revolutionary Socialists for …

_____ (2021-02-26). U.S.-Backed Ecuador Government Tries Stopping Socialist Electoral Victory. strategic-culture.org If Arauz wins the presidency, he may appoint an important economist and ideologist of the "Citizens Revolution" to a government post, Ron Ridenour writes. | U.S.-backed Lenin Moreno government is trying to stop the new socialistic UNES political party candidate, Andres Arauz, from winning the national elections underway. | Andres Arauz, won first place, 32.7%, on the first round of national elections, February 7. Arauz is the first presidential candidate of UNES, Union of Hope. | Former president Rafael Correa led the formation of this party, Union of Hope (UNES) after he had backed Moreno for president in 2017.

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-26). Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules. middleeasteye.net Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules | Londoner who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State as a teenager argued she should be able to appeal stripping of citizenship in UK | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Shamima Begum, photographed in her tent at the al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria in February 2020 (Screenshot) | The UK's Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum, a British wo…

Jeremy Levine (2021-02-26). Massive thousand-car caravan protests unsafe reopening of Montgomery County schools in Maryland. liberationnews.org Photo: Car that participated in the caravan On Feb. 23, the parking lot at the Montgomery County Public Schools central office in Maryland swarmed with car horns, brightly colored signs, and shouts as thousands rallied outside a closed session meeting of the Board of Education (BOE). Among the participants were residents, parents and teachers' union …

Jonah Raskin (2021-02-26). What Lawrence Ferlinghetti Means to Me. counterpunch.org The anarchist, pacifist poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whom I knew for forty years was shy and introverted, even while he was a public figure who wanted to be recognized and appreciated as an artist. A decade older than me, he cared deeply about his friends in the city, in Bolinas and in Big Sur. He also valued his own privacy. At events at the San Francisco public library, where he stood out from the crowd, he often meant to be witty, but his one liners would fall flat. He took many of the changes in San Francisco—the arrival of the dot comers, the Google buses, the influx of wealth, the price of real estate…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-26). US strike on several locations inside Syria draws global criticism. peoplesdispatch.org US president Joe Biden authorized the airstrikes as a response to the recent attacks on US military bases in Iraq. The move is being criticized by anti-war and progressive sections as a sign of continuation of Trump-era policies in the region…

Wayne Nealis (2021-02-26). George Floyd justice coalition puts officials on notice before Chauvin trial. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—At a press conference held in Minneapolis on Feb. 25, a coalition of groups demanding justice for George Floyd reminded city and state officials that they will fill the streets March 8 on the opening day of the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin. They put the city on notice that no matter how …

Tony Pecinovsky (2021-02-26). Alphaeus Hunton: A life devoted to equality, liberation, and internationalism. peoplesworld.org In a November 1950 article in Paul Robeson's newspaper Freedom, the scholar-activist Alphaeus Hunton noted that "the most reactionary minority of the American people," the U.S. ruling class, "has advanced from its role of silent partner of the Western European imperialist powers." No longer "content with arming and financing their wars against the colonial revolutionaries," …

Michael T. Klare (2021-02-26). A New Cold War on a Scalding Planet: Biden, Climate Change, and China. counterpunch.org Slowing the pace of climate change and getting "tough" on China, especially over its human-rights abuses and unfair trade practices, are among the top priorities President Biden has announced for his new administration. Evidently, he believes that he can tame a rising China with harsh pressure tactics, while still gaining its cooperation in areas of concern

Patricia Gorky (2021-02-26). Exposed: McDonald's surveillance operation spies on employees organizing for a living wage. liberationnews.org New reports show that McDonald's has spied on workers "for years" in their effort to combat the Fight for $15 movement that has been struggling for a living wage for nearly a decade. According to documents leaked to Motherboard, McDonald's hired a team of global intelligence analysts to identify and surveil workers and labor leaders …

Rob Urie (2021-02-26). Capitalism and Political Violence at Home and Abroad. counterpunch.org Question: why do both conservative and liberal governments in the U.S. install right-wing governments abroad if 'the U.S.' opposes right-wing political violence? While right and left politics may seem to have limited descriptive value in many current conflicts, the interests of capital, broadly considered, represent an unwavering motive for them. Why then would military conflict