(2021-04-18). Democrat Opposed to the PRO Act Was Showered With Cash From Amazon Executives. truthout.org 
Tactics used by Amazon to defeat the union organizing drive at the company's Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse have highlighted the need for Democrats to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act). The legislation is a sweeping proposal that would implement the strongest protections for workers since 1935, when collective bargaining itself was first given legal protection in the United States. | If signed into law, the PRO Act would impose tougher restrictions on management during un…
(2021-04-18). COVID Profiteering Exposes the Need to Make Marxism Accessible to All. truthout.org 
The pandemic has upended ideas about economic ideology almost as much as it has upended the economy itself. There has been a massive shift of wealth toward billionaires and corporate giants like Amazon, at the expense of workers suffering the most sudden and severe wave of unemployment and impoverishment since the Great Depression. But there has also been paradigm-shifting federal stimulus legislation that has massively (if temporarily) expanded unemployment insurance and anti-poverty funding. Meanw…
(2021-04-18). Estados Unidos y Colombia: Desean más y más narcóticos. globalizacion.ca El conflicto armado, iniciado al menos, desde el 21 de marzo 2021 entre Colombia y Venezuela, más exactamente entre la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana FANB y grupos paramilitares narcotraficantes de Colombia (no el ejército regular colombiano), (llamado por el gobierno…
(2021-04-18). The US-Russia Sanctions War: Symbolic, Substantive, or Strategic? globalresearch.ca The recently intensified "sanctions war" between the US and Russia has …
(2021-04-18). How to Make a Gulf Monarchy All-American. tomdispatch.com Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving American oil and gas companies feeling the pain. As oil prices plummeted, Republican senators from oil-producing states turned their ire directly on Saudi Arabia. Forget that civil war in Yemen — what about fossil-fuel profits here at home? To address their concerns, Ambassador Bandar Al-Saud agreed to speak with a group of them in a March 18th conference call [mda…
(2021-04-18). Ken Burns' and Lynn Novick's "Hemingway" counterpunch.org 
Why a Hemingway Doc Now? War and peace, fascism, anti-fascism, communism and anti-communism loomed large in the life and work of Ernest Hemingway. An ambulance driver in World War I who was badly wounded, he covered WWII as a journalist and reported on the defeat of Hitler and his henchmen. Also, he went to Spain
(2021-04-18). Minister for Defense: 'Venezuela Has Transformed the Siege into an Opportunity for Innovation'. orinocotribune.com 
The Venezuelan Minister for Defense, Chief General Vladimir Padrino López, said this Saturday, April 17, that Venezuela has transformed the siege into an opportunity to innovate and test its own solutions. | One of the areas in which this stubborn determination not to give up is revealed is the military field. |
(2021-04-18). Minister for Defense: 'Venezuela Has Transformed the Siege into an Opportunity for Innovation'. orinocotribune.com 
The Venezuelan Minister for Defense, Chief General Vladimir Padrino López, said this Saturday, April 17, that Venezuela has transformed the siege into an opportunity to innovate and test its own solutions. | One of the areas in which this stubborn determination not to give up is revealed is the military field. |
(2021-04-18). Michael Hudson: America's neoliberal financialization policy vs. China's industrial socialism. mronline.org 
Nearly half a millennium ago Niccolo Machiavelli's The Princedescribed three options for how a conquering power might treat states that it defeated in war but that "have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom. | April 18, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-04-18). Support the Tropes. orinocotribune.com 
By Alan Macleod — Apr 9, 2021 | How media language encourages the left to support wars, coups and intervention | In an earlier piece (FAIR.org, Some level of buy-in, or at least a hesitancy to resist, among the United States' more left-leaning half is necessary to ensure that US interventions are carried out with a minimum of dome…
(2021-04-18). Russian Warplanes Rain Hell On ISIS Terrorists In Central Syria. southfront.org 
FILE PHOTO: Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft before departing for its permanent base in Russia from Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. © Vadim Grishankin / Sputnik | On April 18, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) carried out a series of airstrikes on ISIS cells in the central region of Syria. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 70 airstrikes hit the central region. The airstrikes targeted the following areas: | The eastern countryside of Hama; | The outskirts of the town of Re…
(2021-04-18). Barrage Of Rockets Hit Base Hosting US Troops In Central Iraq. southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | Late on April 18, a barrage of rockets struck Balad Air Base which is located 64 km to the north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. | The RT TV said that three rockets landed in the base. However, Reuters reported that the number of rockets was at least five. From its side, the Sabereen News channel on Telegram claimed that six rockets were actually used in the attack. | US troops are known to be present in the air base, where F-16 warplanes are also deployed. The base also hosts a headquarters of American Sa…
(2021-04-18). Czechs Are Played In Geopolitical Chess Game. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | The Russian Foreign Ministry declared 20 Czech diplomats personae non-gratae. They must leave Russia before April 20. The decision was made after Czech officials expelled 18 diplomats to Moscow. | On April 17, citing allegations of the involvement of the Russian intelligence in a blast at a military depot in the Czech Republic that took place in 2014, the Czech government ordered 18 Russian diplomats out of the country during 48 hours. Initially, the blast was thought to be an accident. The Czec…
(2021-04-18). In Video: Iraqi Security Forces Thwarted Terrorist Attack In Al-Anbar. southfront.org 
Screen grab from the attached video. | On April 17, Iraqi security forces thwarted a terrorist attack with a booby-trapped vehicle in the western province of al-Anbar."According to confirmed information, a force from the 4th Brigade and the 1st Intelligence Division in the Anbar Operations Sector detonated an abandoned vehicle al-Taba'at airport, which is located west of the H3 base in al-Anbar," the Iraqi Security Media Cell said in a statement. | According to the statement, the booby-trapped vehicle was being prepared for a…
(2021-04-18). Lebanon's energy minister blames fuel shortages on smuggling to Syria. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon's energy minister blames fuel shortages on smuggling to Syria | Raymond Ghajar says smugglers are selling subsidised Lebanese fuel in Syria at triple the price | Sun, 04/18/2021 – 11: 01 | Many Syrians prefer to buy smuggled Lebanese fuel, at a mark-up of up to $25 per tank, instead of sometimes waiting for upwards of six hours for minimal fuel through official channels (AFP) | Soa…
(2021-04-18). Man who was pulled over for running a red light attacks NYPD officers with chemicals & Molotov cocktail (VIDEO). rt.com 
A routine traffic stop in Brooklyn went awry after a driver attacked NYPD officers with chemicals and a Molotov cocktail. The suspect was detained after a brief chase. | The suspect, identified by local media as Lionel Virgile, was stopped by the cops on Saturday after running a red light. | Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows an officer approaching Virgile's car and asking for his license and registration. The man answers that he doesn't have the documents, and begins to open the driver's side door. Virgile then lunges towards the cop as he throws a clear liquid on his face. It's unclear what the liqui…
(2021-04-18). Rescuing the Planet Is Still Possible: The Case for a Global Green New Deal. commondreams.org It is irrational to rely on capitalist solutions to global warming when it is capitalism itself that has led us towards the current path of a climate catastrophe. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/california_0.png …
(2021-04-18). Syria condemns U.S. and NATO military drive to Russia's border as threat to world peace. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Syrian Arab News AgencyApril 18, 2021 Syria condemns Washington and NATO step of dispatching troops towards Russian border as serious threat to international peace and securityEdited by RR Syria demands U.S. compensate it for seven years of war and plundering A decade later: U.S., Turkey renew, intensify war in Syria Damascus — Syria has condemned the U.S.'s …
(2021-04-18). An Epidemic of Low Expectations. dissidentvoice.org Years ago, I was sitting in a café with my rabble-rousing friend James, both of us gnawing our teeth over the myriad difficulties facing the peace and social justice movement in the United States. We cited the usual suspects that stood in the way of progress: the entrenched corporate and financial elite; the embedded Pentagon …
(2021-04-18). The Myth of Peace in the Middle East: Deconstructing the Naturalization Narrative. orinocotribune.com This critical essay deconstructs the political narrative surrounding the naturalization agreements that have occurred between some Arab countries and Israel, formally known as the Abrahamic Accords or Jared Kushner's plan for peace in the Middle East. It offers unique perspectives and analysis of these accords and their true geopolitical intentions. Primarily, it argues how the peace promised by these newly established ties remains just a myth as it explores the true objectives behind them. Interestingly enough, it also highlights the true goals behind the U.S mediation in these Accords. | The Palestinian-Israeli…
(2021-04-18). Sunday 4/25: Enough is Enough! Community March & Rally for Black Lives in San Jose. indybay.org Downtown San Jose: Meet up at Plaza De Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo De San Antonio, then March to San Jose City Hall, 200 200 E. Santa Clara Street for Rally | Masks and Social Distancing Required; Peaceful Protest…
(2021-04-18). Pakistan urges coop with Iran to set up peace in Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — At the threshold of his visit to Iran, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi placed special emphasis on cooperating and collaborating with the Islamic Republic of Iran for establishing peace in Afghanistan.
(2021-04-18). Syria condemns US, NATO dispatching troops to Russian border. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — Syria condemned the US and NATO step of dispatching more military forces towards Russian borders which would pose a threat to international peace and security.
(2021-04-18). The US Did Not Bring Peace, Democracy, or Freedom to Afghanistan. commondreams.org Twenty years of war and U.S. interference have brought no long-term, positive gains in Afghanistan. War is not the answer—not in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria. Peace must be our demand. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/troops_1.jpg …
(2021-04-18). SOUTHCOM Prepares for New Military Drills in Guyana — New Provocation Against Venezuela. orinocotribune.com A new threat against Venezuela may be brewing at the Final Planning Conference for the Tradewinds military exercise, which is supposedly aimed at improving multinational security in the Caribbean, sponsored by the Southern Command of the United States. The exercise will take place in June at various locations in Guyana, a country with which Venezuela has a dispute over the Essequibo territory. | Information on Tradewinds2021 was released by the US embassy in Guyana through its official website. It stated that "all training venues provide opportunities to develop the capacity of joint partner nations, combined and…
(2021-04-18). Sunday Times: Britain To Deploy Two Warships to the Black Sea in Show of Force to Russia. news.antiwar.com The Sunday Times cites a Royal Navy source stating two British warships will enter the Black Sea next month as the newspaper put it, "tensions continue to rise between Ukrainian and Russian forces." As always with the Western press it is not indicated where and in what manner there have been tensions between Ukrainian and …
(2021-04-18). Confronting Russia in the High North: Pentagon Acquires Four New Air, Naval Bases in Norway. news.antiwar.com The U.S. and Norway have signed an updated military cooperation agreement that permits the American military to construct new facilities at three Norwegian airfields and a naval base. In the words of the Stars and Stripes report that related the development, the move "comes amid continuing concerns of Russian military activities along NATO's borders, including …
(2021-04-18). US President Joe Biden's Shameful Push for War with China and Russia. dissidentvoice.org One of the most delightful things about Americans is that they have absolutely no historical memory. — Zhou Enlai In the autumn of 1862, the governments of France and Great Britain proposed to Russia, in a formal but not in an official way, the joint recognition by European powers of the independence of the Confederate …
(2021-04-18). Why Xinjiang Is Emerging As The Epicenter Of The US Cold War On China. popularresistance.org On March 22, 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized sanctions against Wang Junzheng, the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), and Chen Mingguo, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB). These sanctions, Blinken said, have been put in place against Wang Junzheng and Chen Mingguo because they are accused of being party to "genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang." The US Treasury Department followed suit with its own sanctions. | Both Wang Junzheng and Chen Mingguo responded by condemning these sanctions th…
(2021-04-18). Biden Isn't Ending The Afghanistan War, He's Privatizing It. popularresistance.org Above photo: US troops in Afghanistan. Department of Defense. Special Forces, Pentagon contractors, intelligence operatives will remain. Over 18,000 Pentagon contractors remain in Afghanistan, while official troops number 2,500. Joe Biden will withdraw this smaller group of soldiers while leaving behind US Special Forces, mercenaries, and intelligence operatives — privatizing and downscaling the war, but …
(2021-04-18). Denying the Demonic. globalresearch.ca RNA inoculations, misnamed vaccines. People are lined up for them now as they are being told incessantly to "get your shot." The RNA inoculations are not vaccines. To call them vaccines is linguistic mind control.
(2021-04-18). The Extraordinary Rendition of Japanese Latin Americans During World War II. scheerpost.com By Diana Morita Cole / Original to ScheerPost In 2017, Isamu "Art" Shibayama testified before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, marking a milestone in a 74-year journey that began when the United States government kidnapped him and more than 2,260 persons of Japanese ancestry from Latin America during World War II. When he was only 13… |
(2021-04-18). 50th anniversary of Ping-Pong Diplomacy marked in Japan. ecns.cn An international symposium has been held in the Japanese city of Nagoya to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Ping-Pong Diplomacy, with participants looking forward to promoting the sound development of China-U.S. and China-Japan relations through sports exchanges.
(2021-04-18). The Clarian Call Of The People Of Burma — OpEd. eurasiareview.com When will the free world listen to the clarion call of the people of Burma, who have made 730 supreme sacrifices, 3,152 detained and over 870 arrest warrants issued, not to mention the 40 children killed (as according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners)? The entire country of 55 million plus people are ardently appealing to the arsenals of democratic countries, knowing full well that the leading authoritarian countries are pouring more oil on this burning inferno, not only by using their veto powers at the UN Security Council but also by supplying more lethal heavy weapons to use it on its o…
(2021-04-18). A New Super-Earth Detected Orbiting A Red Dwarf Star. eurasiareview.com In recent years there has been an exhaustive study of red dwarf stars to find exoplanets in orbit around them. These stars have effective surface temperatures between 2400 and 3700 K (over 2000 degrees cooler than the Sun), and masses between 0.08 and 0.45 solar masses. | In this context, a team of researchers led by Borja Toledo Padrón, a Severo Ochoa-La Caixa doctoral student at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), specializing in the search for planets around this type of stars, has discovered a super-Earth orbiting the star GJ 740, a red dwarf star situated some 36 light years from the Earth.
(2021-04-18). Alpine Plants Are Losing Their White 'Protective Coat'. eurasiareview.com Snow cover in the Alps has been melting almost three days earlier per decade since the 1960s. This trend is temperature-related and cannot be compensated by heavier snowfall. By the end of the century, snow cover at 2,500 meters could disappear a month earlier than today, as simulations by environmental scientists at the University of Basel demonstrate. | Global warming demands huge adjustments in tourism, hydropower generation and agriculture in alpine areas. But the fauna and flora also have to adapt to rising temperatures. By the end of the century, continuous snow cover for 30 days below 1,600 meters is ex…
(2021-04-18). No Guarantees On Afghanistan After Troop Pullout, Says Top Biden Aide. eurasiareview.com By Ken Bredemeier | No one can say with any certainty what will happen in Afghanistan once U.S. President Joe Biden withdraws the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops by September 11 to end the country's longest war, a top White House official said Sunday. | "I can't make any guarantees about what will happen inside the country. No one can," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the "Fox News Sunday" show. | "All the United States could do is provide the Afghan security forces, the Afghan government and the Afghan people resources and capabilities, training and equipping their forces, provid…
(2021-04-18). 'Benjamin' wins at Kwetu Intl. FilmFest. in Tanzania. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — Iranian animation 'Benjamin' directed by Mohsen Enayati has won two main awards at Kwetu International Animation Film Festival (KIAFF) in Tanzania.
(2021-04-18). Britain to dispatch 2 warships to Black Sea in May. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — Two British warships will peel off in May from the Royal Navy's carrier task group in the Mediterranean and sail through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea.
(2021-04-18). Ten Reasons to Oppose Militarism & War on Earth Day. zcomm.org The U.S. military emits more greenhouse gas emissions than 150 nations…
(2021-04-17). So Now The Left Likes Guns, Perhaps They Always Have? strategic-culture.org 
If you give people the freedom to have rope, on occasion someone will hang themselves with it, that is just the way the world works. | After a few years of racial violence, protesting that many consider rioting and parts of American cities being set ablaze in the runup to the big 2020 election, the Left may be rethinking its attitude towards guns… well at least for the moment while they need them. An interesting look at the rise of "Socialist" gun ownership in America by
(2021-04-17). US escalates in Ukraine battleground. thegrayzone.com With encouragement from his patrons in Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is escalating against Russia and provoking a harsh response Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Moscow-based international affairs analyst Mark Sleboda about recent developments in Ukraine. Sleboda provides an in-depth explanation of the history leading to up to the current situation and analyses domestic factors in Ukraine that are pushing the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to pursue a more bellicose posture towards Russia.
(2021-04-17). Biden finally 'admits' to border CRISIS, says US couldn't manage migrant surge & boosting refugee flow at same time. rt.com 
President Joe Biden has finally referred to the record influx of illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico border as a "crisis" and acknowledged that the situation has undermined his plans to admit more refugees from around the world. | "The problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people. We couldn't do two things at once," Biden told reporters on Saturday after playing a round of golf in Wilmington, Delaware. "And now we're going to increase the numbers." | Biden on refugee cap (and refers to the situation at the border as a "crisis"): "The problem was that…
(2021-04-17). Biden finally 'admits' to border CRISIS, says US couldn't manage migrant surge & boost refugee flow at same time. rt.com President Joe Biden has finally referred to the record influx of illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico border as a "crisis" and acknowledged that the situation has undermined his plans to admit more refugees from around the world. | "The problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people. We couldn't do two things at once," Biden told reporters on Saturday after playing a round of golf in Wilmington, Delaware. "And now we're going to increase the numbers." | Biden on refugee cap (and refers to the situation at the border as a "crisis"): "The problem was that…
(2021-04-17). A Worldwide Workers' Revolt Against Amazon Has Begun. popularresistance.org The union drive at Amazon's 885,000-square-foot warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, failed. But the historic campaign nabbed global headlines and added fuel to ongoing workers' revolts across the world. | Strikes by Amazon workers in Italy, Germany and India are coalescing into an international struggle against the world's fourth-most valuable company and its grueling working conditions and intensive surveillance. | Since the dawn of capitalism, bosses have found innovations to oversee and extract more work from the overstressed bodies of their labor force. But Amazon's minute surveillance of workers‚Ä&aci…
(2021-04-17). WorkWeek Bessemer Amazon Lessons, Hanging Noose At USF, Labor & Brazil Pandemic & Zinn. indybay.org WorkWeek reports on the lessons of the Bessemer Amazon union election, the hanging noose at USF and the pandemic in Brazil and labor. Last WorkWeek hears a past presentation by labor historian Howard Zinn on the hidden history of the US working class.
(2021-04-17). Ramsey Clark: An Essential Voice of Dissidence from the Center of US Power. orinocotribune.com 
By William Camacaro — Apr 14, 2021 | "There will be some who will remember Ramsey Clark as an outsider. There are many more who remember him as a friend of justice, the oppressed, the exploited, and the rule of law. Perhaps he himself would like to be remembered merely as someone who used the law to help others." | Curtis Doebbler, International Law Attorney | During the heat of the Gulf War under the George H. W. Bush administration, I had the opportunity in New York to meet an extraordinary human being: Ramsey Clark. It was an event to protest the State Department and Pentagon's arrogantly labeled "Operati…
(2021-04-17). NATO Nations Train, Arm Ukrainian Military for War With Russia. news.antiwar.com As the Ukrainian government and pro-government press is busily and dutifully terrorizing the domestic populace, and equally attempting to stampede the Western public into a "humanitarian intervention" moral panic, with headlines like Over 103,000 Russian troops currently stationed near border with Ukraine and Russia deploys attack aircraft in occupied Crimea, it is also reporting on …
(2021-04-17). Venezuela Expands Operations Against Colombian Paramilitary Gangs. orinocotribune.com Venezuela has expanded military operations in the border state of Apure to capture Colombian narco-paramilitary groups and eliminate foreign aggression. | "We are stepping up operations in Apure state (bordering Colombia) to guarantee internal order and for the capture of armed Colombian drug traffickers and their collaborators in the area," declared the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (CEOFANB) account on Friday, April 16. | In this sense, the command emphasized in a post on its official Twitter account that the military will continue actions aimed at eliminating foreign aggr…
(2021-04-17). Venezuelan Army to Begin Clearing Mines in Apure State near Colombian Border. orinocotribune.com Major General Domingo Hernández Lárez, general commander of the Bolivarian Army, reported on his Twitter account that a military team has already been deployed to begin demining in the state of Apure, suffering from Colombian narco-paramilitary violence that included landmines planted to cause terror among local residents. | The minesweeper, the commander wrote, is an armored unit designed by Army engineers, dubbed the "patrol alligator." | El barremina diseñado por los ingenieros de combate del Ejército Bolivariano está listo para ir al Alto Apure e iniciar el desminado en nuestro territorio nacional del Alto Ap…
