Monthly Archives: April 2021

2021-04-22: News Headlines

Staff (2021-04-22). To Survive Next Pandemic, We Must Not Forget COVID Like We Forgot the 1918 Flu. truthout.org The second Moderna shot made me sick — as predicted. A 24-hour touch of what an alarmed immune system feels like left me all the more grateful for my good fortune in avoiding the real thing and for being alive at a time when science had devised a 95% effective vaccine in record time. | To distract myself from the fever as I tried to sleep, I visualized strands of synthetic messenger RNA floating into my cells to produce the alien spike protein that attracted my warrior T-cells. I drift…

Staff (2021-04-22). Putin Condemns 'Regime Change' Attempts in Belarus and Venezuela. orinocotribune.com This Wednesday, April 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his annual message to the Federal Assembly of Russia in which he condemned the attempts to change governments by force, such as those that occurred in Belarus or Venezuela. | "You can have any opinion about, for example, the former president of Ukraine [Victor] Yanukovych or [President of Venezuela, Nicolás] Maduro (…) have any point of view about the president of Belarus, [Alexandr] Lukashenko, but the practice of organizing coups, plans for political assassinations, including those of high-ranking officials, exceed all limits," Putin said, as rep…

Lucia Eugenia Cordova (2021-04-22). Maduro's Administration Present at the Ibero-American Summit: Delcy Rodríguez Asks that Venezuelan Funds Be Unblocked and Responds to Colombia's Duque. orinocotribune.com The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela participated at the XXVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, which took place in an online conference this Wednesday, April 21. As appropriate, the government of President Nicolás Maduro was represented by its Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez. She gave a brief but forceful speech, adjusted to the regulations that govern speech rights in this international consultative forum. Two important moments are identified in her speech: the first came with the reiteration of the denunciation of the criminal blockade that curtails the fundamental rights of th…

Stephen Lendman (2021-04-22). Fake News Reports. is Russia Preparing to Invade Ukraine? Zelensky Ready for War? globalresearch.ca When major media operate exclusively as press agents for wealth, power, …

PAI (2021-04-22). Reactions to Chauvin guilty verdict: Only a first step to justice. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The overwhelming reaction to the Minneapolis jury's verdict finding former city police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges of murder and manslaughter in kneeing George Floyd to death last year was that it was great, but only a first step towards justice. From union leaders to Black Lives Matter to the Women's March, virtually …

Workers World Party (2021-04-22). PDF of April 22 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Spirit of May Day: Fight Back! After Amazon vote: Unionize ALL workers Smash police violence and white supremacy Release Mumia now! Tribute to Ramsey Clark. Anti-choice Bigots thwarted; 'The fire has started' in Alabama; Trans resistance; Editorial: FedEx massacre. GLOBAL: Madawaska Nation; Cuba; Haiti; Syria; Puerto Rico. . . . |

The Tricontinental (2021-04-22). Risen from the Ruins: The Economic History of Socialism in the German Democratic Republic. mronline.org The German Democratic Republic (DDR) was a socialist state founded in 1949 as a democratic, antifascist reaction to the Second World War. It redistributed land, socialised the means of production, and collectivised the agricultural system. | April 21, 2021 | Commentary…

Brian Terrell (2021-04-22). Biden's Drone Wars. counterpunch.org On Thursday, April 15, the New York Times posted an article headed, "How the U.S. Plans to Fight From Afar After Troops Exit Afghanistan," just in case anyone misunderstood the previous day's headline, "Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says 'It Is Time to End the Forever War'" as indicating the U.S. war in Afghanistan might actually come to an end on September 11, 2021, almost 20 years after it started.

Anonymous007 (2021-04-22). IKE Cyber Warfare Tool Entered U.S. Cyber Command. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | A critical cyber tool — Project Ike was officially delivered to US Cyber Command, after initially being developed by DARPA. | Project Ike is a prototyping effort that got its start under the name Plan X in 2013. After DARPA, it was moved to the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office in July 2019 with an award to contractor Two Six Labs for $95 million dollars. | In early April 2021, the program finally moved under the Joint Cyber Co…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-22). Military Situation In Yemen On April 22, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 143 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On April 21, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 15 airstrikes on the Sarwah area | On April 21, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Kitaf area | On April 21, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Shada area | On April 22, Ansar Allah attacked King Khalid Airbase with a Qase…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-22). Military Situation In Syria On April 22, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 22, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 39 times: 6 — in Idlib province, 27 — in Latakia province, 1 — in Hama province | On April 22, Israeli warplanes attacked Damascus city with several missiles. SAA air defense systems reportedly intercepted a number of missiles. 4 SAA soldiers were wounded when an Air Defense Battery was hit | On April 21, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positi…

The Canary (2021-04-22). Don't know your net zero from your NDCs? This climate jargon buster could help. thecanary.co World leaders are under pressure to take action on climate change — but what exactly is it they are talking about? Here are some of the commonly used climate terms and what they mean. | — Greenhouse gases | These are gases that trap some of the heat from the sun in the atmosphere and keep the the planet warm enough for life to thrive. | Concentrations of these gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, have increased at a rapid rate in recent years. | — Greenhouse gas or carbon emissions | This is the release of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, into the atmosph…

South Front (2021-04-22). Video: Towards All Out War? Worldwide Chaos Just a Step Away in Eastern Ukraine. globalresearch.ca Preparations for open conflict in Ukraine are ongoing as a sense …

Jason Ditz (2021-04-22). Istanbul Summit on Afghanistan Postponed After Taliban Rejects Attending. news.antiwar.com Long awaited as a key for trying to kickstart the Afghan peace process, the Istanbul summit was finally scheduled for next week, The Taliban had been set for the conference not so long ago, but are Officials indicate that they're pos…

_____ (2021-04-22). US Joins Past Empires In Afghan Graveyard. popularresistance.org An Afghan taxi-driver in Vancouver told one of us a decade ago that this day would come. "We defeated the Persian Empire in the eighteenth century, the British in the nineteenth, the Soviets in the twentieth. Now, with NATO, we're fighting twenty-eight countries, but we'll defeat them, too," said the taxi-driver, surely not a member of the Taliban, but quietly proud of his country's empire-killing credentials. | Now, after nearly twenty years of a war that has been as bloody and futile as all those previous invasions and occupations, the last 3,500 U.S. troops and their NATO brothers-in-arms will be coming home f…

IFIMES (2021-04-22). 2021 Elections In Albania: Edi Rama's Political Capitulation — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Albania has entered the final phase of the election campaign for the parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place on 25 April 2021. | Once again the elections will be a confrontation between two old rivals. Specifically, the Socialist Party (PS/S&D) headed by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the opposition group led by the Democratic Party (PD/EPP) headed by Lulzim Basha, which also includes the Movement for Socialist Integration (LSI) headed by Monika Kryemadhi. | As after the parliamentary elections Albania will be faced with the transition of government, it is necessary to ensure a peaceful transition and ac…

_____ (2021-04-22). The Women Of The Warrior Met Strike. popularresistance.org Alabama – Just 40 miles to the west of where Amazon workers at the BHM1 facility in Bessemer, Alabama, were voting on whether to form a union, 1,100 mine workers at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood began a strike for a fair contract and better working conditions. The strike is now entering its third week, and already the workers have surmounted their first significant obstacle: they voted overwhelmingly to reject a wretched deal presented by the company, one that many workers called "a slap in the face." The tentative agreement (TA) presented by UMWA union representatives and the company fails to address the workers…

Brenda Norrell (2021-04-22). 'Financing Border Wars' Corporations violating human rights on Arizona border. indybay.org The new report, "Financing Border Wars," details the push for border walls, drones and biometrics — including iris scans and finger prints — which violate the international human rights of migrants and refugees. The abuse includes tracking surveillance on phones and social media.

Tom Engelhardt (2021-04-22). Tomgram: Nina Burleigh, The Pandemic Memory Hole. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. World War I was, however faintly, still part of my life when I grew up in the Cold War years. I can remember being hoisted on my father's shoulders to see the aging American veterans of that global …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-22). Seoul: US Is Reviewing Peace Declaration That Would Officially End Korean War. news.antiwar.com The US is Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Moon's peace proposal would replace the 1953 Armistice and officially end the war. While Chung said the US was reviewing the proposal, he also said he believes the Biden administration might want to make progress towards "denuclearization" before signing it. | The Biden administration says it is conducting a review of its North Korea policy but has als…

TransConflict (2021-04-22). Constitutional Reform In Contemporary Bosnia — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Matthew Parish* | Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the world's most notoriously dysfunctional constitutions. Although at 5,000 words the document is also one of the world's shortest constitutions, brevity is not always a benefit. The constitution was prepared by US lawyers overseeing the peace negotiations ending the Bosnian war in Dayton, Ohio in November 1995. It was written in English, not an official language of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it came into force not by virtue of a resolution of a parliamentary assembly but as an annex to an international treaty, the Dayton Peace Accords. | Since then, the…

Ullrich Mies (2021-04-22). Saving the planet by disempowering the elites. indybay.org Humanity is at the final crossroads of becoming aware of the drama of the ecological and peace crisis in which it finds itself. The book "The Eco-Catastrophe" is a wake-up call to take note of the seriousness of the situation, to accept the Herculean tasks ahead, to understand the growth ideology of global capitalism and its structural lack of peace as a cancerous evil.

Clodovaldo Hernandez (2021-04-22). Do NGOs in the US and Spain Operate Without Rules? More Evidence of Double Standards for Venezuela. orinocotribune.com By Clodovaldo Hernandez — Apr 21, 2021 | US and Spanish authorities and media are "alarmed" by the rules Venezuela recently approved to regulate the operations of non-governmental organizations in its territory. It is an act of profound hypocrisy, because in the United States and Spain very strict laws apply regarding these supposedly independent and non-profit entities. | A cursory review of media such as La Voz de América or El País in Madrid reveals how the global media apparatus and officials from the US and Spain accuse Venezuelan government of persecuting and trying to destroy NGOs because it intends t…

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-22). After West Builds Up War Hysteria for Weeks, Russian Troops Return to Bases After Drills End. news.antiwar.com The Russian defense minister confirmed today that troops deployed to the south and west of the country, Crimea and areas east of Ukraine, have completed what were described as surprise combat readiness checks and would return to barracks starting tomorrow. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is quoted by government news agency TASS as saying: "I believe …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-22). Senate Committee Moves Forward Sweeping Anti-China Legislation. news.antiwar.com The Senate Armed Services Committee

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-22). NATO Deploys Polish Troops to Turkey for War With Syria. news.antiwar.com The North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced the deployment of Polish troops to Turkey as part of the military bloc's six-year Tailored Assurance Measures for Turkey mission instituted to — as NATO described it — protect Turkey from Syria. That measure was taken after Turkey requested an Article 4 consultation with the other members of the …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-22). Pompeo Joins House Republicans to Unveil Iran Sanctions Bill. news.antiwar.com Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo The legislation, titled

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-22). Senate Committee Clears $300 Million More in Military Assistance for Ukraine, Including Lethal Weapons. news.antiwar.com Yesterday the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously advanced a bill to add $300 million more in military aid to Ukraine through 2026. The Ukraine Security Partnership Act will go to the Senate and the House for a vote where there is little question regarding the result. The timing of the bill is not fortuitous, …

Jason Ditz (2021-04-22). Israel Bombs Southern Syria After Missile Landed Near Nuclear Site. news.antiwar.com A new round of Israeli attacks on Syria took place Wednesday evening, after a Syrian air defense system was activated and fired at an Israeli warplane. The missile did not hit the plane, Israel's attacks centered on military targets in southern Syria, and they hit a number of Syrian air defense batteries. This is just the latest in common Israeli attacks on Syria, which leave Syria's air defenses constantly ready to try to defend sites. | Complicating matters were that Israel was bee…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-22). US Keeping Close Eye on Chinese Military. news.antiwar.com Tensions between Washington and Beijing in the South China Sea continue to rise, as the US now maintains a regular naval presence in the waters and constantly flies spy planes near China's coast. | The South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said a US Air Force RC-135W reconnaissance aircraft came wi…

Chris Lombardi (2021-04-22). Vietnam Veterans Descended on the Capitol 50 Years Ago. zcomm.org Bigger than the Jan. 6 insurrection, the 1971 antiwar mobilization known as Operation Dewey Canyon III altered the course of the war and uplifted the nation…

Edward Hunt (2021-04-22). The Debate over Puerto Rico's Future: Statehood, Independence, or Something Else? progressive.org A Congressional divide leaves the island territory in colonial limbo.

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-22). After West builds up war hysteria for weeks, Russian troops return to bases after drills end. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com After West builds up war hysteria for weeks, Russian troops to return to bases after drills endRick Rozoff The Russian defense minister confirmed today that troops deployed to the south and west of the country, Crimea and areas east of Ukraine, have completed what were described as surprise combat readiness checks and would return to …

_____ (2021-04-22). We Can Solve The Climate Crisis! popularresistance.org Climate change is unfolding at an increasingly rapid rate with more severe droughts, storms, wildfires and floods impacting the globe. Yet, the capitalists continue to plunder the planet and extract fossil fuels, destroying ecosystems and increasing warming. The 2018 UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned that we have 12 years to avert runaway catastrophe. That call to action becomes more urgent by the day while the majority of governments globally take limited actions that fail to meet the urgency of the crisis. | The very system of capitalism itself is the cause of climate change with the Gl…

_____ (2021-04-22). Love Letter For Our Afflicted Earth. popularresistance.org Dear Earth, in this journey that we call our existence, we produce, consume, we eat, drink, breathe and survive because you are the very essence of life. | Your voice is clearer than our words, stronger than our laws, and more just than our principles. How do we renew the promises of our Original Trust, and restore the confidence that you gave to past generations? | Dear Earth, this Original Trust is an agreement. You have whispered its many names and have warned us of deep contradictions in our understanding of that trust. | Now a poison threatens you, us, our home. Its identity might be cloaked but its name is…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). WeSay: Asian Americans still struggling. ecns.cn From "I have a dream" to "I can't breathe," it takes African Americans 57 years to "catch a breath" with the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. If the conviction is a "step forward," then do not ignore the struggling Asian Americans.

news.un (2021-04-22). The planet's on 'red alert' UN chief warns leaders at President Biden's climate summit. news.un.org World leaders must act now and put the planet on a green path because "we are at the verge of the abyss", UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday in his address to the virtual climate summit convened by United States President Joseph Biden.

sputniknews (2021-04-22). Tucker Carlson Warns Political Actors 'Harnessed' Floyd's Death to 'Control, Change US Forever'. sputniknews.com In a trial that lasted over a month, on 20 April former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of African-American man George Floyd on 25 May 2020.

sputniknews (2021-04-22). Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Reveals Only Factor Deterring Western Politicians. sputniknews.com In a speech to lawmakers on Wednesday, President Putin compared those who seek to bully or intimidate Russia to the tiger Shere Khan and the jackal Tabaqui from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, and warned nations not to cross Moscow's "red lines." On Thursday, the Kremlin specified that these "red lines" are tied to Russia's national interests.

_____ (2021-04-22). Who Wags the Dog? Israel's Friends in Washington Mean Constant War in the Middle East. strategic-culture.org Biden, like presidents before him, is caught in the trap between an extremist-dominated Israel and the all-powerful domestic Israel Lobby. | Donald Trump, who was elected President of the United States in 2016, may have won due to voters attracted by his pledge to end many of the "stupid" wars that the American military was involved in worldwide. In the event, however, he ended no wars in spite of several attempts to withdraw from Afghanistan and Syria, and almost started new conflicts with cruise missile attacks and the assassination of an Iranian general. Trump was consistently outmaneuvered by his "experts" on…

_____ (2021-04-22). As British Warships Deploy to Black Sea, Putin Warns of Red Lines. strategic-culture.org The British are being told that they cannot just sail their warships into the Black Sea and rattle their sabers in Russia's face. Putin is telling the Brits and anyone else not to even think about getting that close. | Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to countries trying to provoke military tensions, saying that his nation is drawing up red lines for defense. | Putin delivered the sharp

Ozlem Goner (2021-04-22). Banning the pro-Kurdish HDP in Turkey is a move towards fascism. zcomm.org The government's attempt to ban Turkey's third-largest political party is the latest attack against voices of change in the country…

Thomas Knapp (2021-04-22). A Biden-Putin Summit: Jaw-Jaw is Better than War-War. counterpunch.org On April 13, US president Joe Biden spoke by phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin, whom he has previously referred to, in pot/kettle fashion, as a "killer." During the call, Biden proposed a summit between the two in the near future. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Russian chess legend and political exile Garry Kasparov

Andy Kroll (2021-04-22). The Great Forgetting. tomdispatch.com The second Moderna shot made me sick — as predicted. A 24-hour touch of what an alarmed immune system feels like left me all the more grateful for my good fortune in avoiding the real thing and for being alive at a time when science had devised a 95% effective vaccine in record time. To distract myself from the fever as I tried to sleep, I visualized strands of synthetic messenger RNA floating into my cells to produce the alien spike protein that attracted my warrior T-cells. I drifted off envisioning an epic micro-battle underway in my blood and had a series of weird nightmares. At about two a.m., I woke u…

Dominic Kailash Nath Waughray* (2021-04-22). Earth Day 2021: A Turning Point For Climate Action — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Earth Day 2021 marks a historic moment for action on climate change. Today, at President Biden's unprecedented Leaders Summit on Climate, he put forward an ambitious national commitment from the US to help the world tackle the climate crisis — to halve greenhouse gas emissions from the country by 2030 compared to 2005. | Combined with existing commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 from the EU, the UK and other major G20 economies including Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as a commitment from President Xi to peak China's carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon-neutral growth by 20…

MISES (2021-04-22). Polarization In Washington Is Forcing Politicians To Decentralize — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By José Niño* | Can political polarization be used for good? | The average political commentator often argues that unity is the highest virtue for any polity. Polarization is constantly lamented and is perceived as a sign of a deteriorating political environment. In fairness, a polarized political climate is not exactly hospitable toward productive political discourse. Against the backdrop of a divided culture, politics tends to to devolve into performance art and cheap renditions of political theater. | At the same time, polarization is not the end of the world. As a matter of fact, polarization in Washington…

Eurasia Review (2021-04-22). Record-Breaking Flare From Sun's Nearest Neighbor. eurasiareview.com A team of astronomers including Carnegie's Alycia Weinberger and former-Carnegie postdoc Meredith MacGregor, now an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, spotted an extreme outburst, or flare, from the Sun's nearest neighbor–the star Proxima Centauri. | Their work, which could help guide the search for life beyond our Solar System, is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. | Proxima Centauri is a "red dwarf" with about one-eighth the mass of our Sun, which sits just four light-years, or almost 25 trillion miles, from the center of our Solar System and hosts at least two planets,…

Pip Hinman (2021-04-22). Beware of king tides — the result of human induced climate change. greenleft.org.au King tides and climate change have become survival issues for the world's coastal cities, writes Rob Pyne.

Pip Hinman (2021-04-22). Afghanistan shows we need to continue campaigning against the warmongers. greenleft.org.au The withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan is a welcome development. But, as Alex Bainbridge argues, it doesn't mean that the warmongers in Canberra and Washington have been defeated.

The Canary (2021-04-22). Man jailed for 'abhorrent' attack on transgender woman. thecanary.co A man who spat in the face of a transgender woman before punching her several times in the head in an "abhorrent" attack has been jailed. | Neil Cleal approached the victim, in her 50s, in Ludlow Road, Southampton, where he began shouting abuse at her, specifically about her gender identity. | A Hampshire police spokesman said: Cleal then proceeded to kick down her front gate and walk up to the woman and spit in her face before punching her several times to the head, causing her to fall backwards, leaving her in significant pain. | Cleal, 25, of Victoria Road, Southampton, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual…

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2021-04-20: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2021-04-20). Despite Hawks Seeking new Cold War, the US and China can only Confront Climate Emergency by Cooperating. juancole.com ( China Dialogue ) — They say don't mess with Texas, but Mother Nature didn't get the memo. A surprise winter storm killed at least 111 people in March, when rolling blackouts left several million Texans without power for several freezing days. Their misery came just a few years after Hurricane Harvey put a US$125 …

Moderator (2021-04-20). What the U.S. Could've Done With the $2 Trillion Spent on the Afghanistan War. scheerpost.com YouTube] By Juan Cole / Informed Comment The Costs of War Project at Brown University has just brought out a new report on Afghanistan. The September 11, 2001 attacks were launched from Khost and Qandahar in Afghanistan by al-Qaeda, though it is not clear that this organization of Arab expatriates informed their Taliban hosts of what they were planning. The operation involved hijacking commercial… |

_____ (2021-04-20). How To Make A Gulf Monarchy All-American. popularresistance.org 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 [m…

RT (2021-04-20). 'Do Not Travel': Citing Covid-19, State Department updating advisory for 80% of the WORLD. rt.com Citing "unprecedented risk" from the Covid-19 pandemic, the State Department is urging Americans to reconsider going abroad and is updating its travel advisory to the highest, Level 4 warning for most of the planet. | On Monday, Foggy Bottom announced that it will be updating the travel advisory during the week, to "better reflect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) science-based Travel Health Notices," which will result in the number of places at 'Level 4: Do Not Travel' increasing to "approximately 80% of countries worldwide." | The State Department just announced it will issue "Level 4: D…

RT (2021-04-20). Michigan's lockdown-championing Gov. Whitmer traveled to Florida after warning residents to avoid spring break trips. rt.com Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited Florida last month, according to local media, in time to warn constituents against enjoying the sun in the Covid rulebreaker's paradise. Her staff passed it off as a family visit. | Florida repealed its coronavirus dictates late last year, while Michigan's remain in full force. The mask-loving state leader continues to (publicly) warn those in her own state against travel, but her true loyalties are less border-bound than it seems. It was also revealed that at least two of Whitmer's senior advisers left Michigan for "spring break," apparently shrugging off their boss'

Megan Redshaw (2021-04-20). Scientists Warn of 'Vaccine Treadmill' as Vaccine Makers Gear Up for COVID Booster Shots. globalresearch.ca Vaccine makers are

Staff (2021-04-20). President Maduro: US Escalates War, Prevents Vaccine Sales to Venezuela. orinocotribune.com The Venezuelan president denounced threats by the US towards COVID-19 vaccine distribution companies, preventing them from trading with the Bolivarian Republic. | "They have gone so far as to threaten the companies that distribute vaccines with sanctions, if they sell vaccines to Venezuela… Washington has escalated its war against the country," said Nicolás Maduro on Sunday, April 18, during a televised speech. | However, the president said, Venezuelan authorities continue to manage the doses they've acquired to combat the pandemic, despite the illegal economic and commercial blockade by the United States and E…

_____ (2021-04-20). 'Western Media Jeopardizing Uyghurs Interests'. popularresistance.org Dan Cohen speaks with Gordon Gao, Director of Strategic Research at Tsinghua University Endowment Fund in Beijing and a native of Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Gao discusses growing up as a Mongolian ethnic minority in XUAR, and how the propaganda war against China hurts Uyghur interests, but will ultimately backfire on the United States. Gao and Coden also discuss the U.S.-China artificial intelligence arms race as well as the comparative strengths of the two countries.

_____ (2021-04-20). Berlin: Protests Against End Of 'Rent Cap' And Real Estate Swindlers. popularresistance.org The repeal of the Berlin "rent cap" by the Supreme Court means massive rent increases, arrears payments and poverty for hundreds of thousands of people. The ruling, which exacerbates homelessness amid the coronavirus crisis, has a signal effect for the whole of Germany and is emblematic of the inhuman enrichment policies of the ruling elites in Germany and Europe. | Balakrishnan Rajagopal, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, spoke on Twitter on Thursday of a "deeply disturbing judgment" and, referring to the pandemic, warned, "The German government still has an international legal obligation to respect…

Staff (2021-04-20). Mass Shooting at Indianapolis FedEx Warehouse "Follows Pattern of Violence Against Sikhs" Nationwide. democracynow.org As the Sikh community in Indianapolis and across the United States is in mourning after a gunman killed eight people at a FedEx facility last week, where four of the victims are Sikh, we speak with Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and senior fellow for the Sikh Coalition, which is calling for a full investigation into the possibility of racial or ethnic hatred as a factor in the killings in Indianapolis. A majority of the workers at the warehouse are Sikh, and while authorities have not shared evidence Brandon Hole was targeting Sikh workers when he attacked the FedEx facility, police revealed Monday they pre…

Staff (2021-04-20). The Family of FedEx Mass Shooter Warned Police About Him. How Did He Still Manage to Buy His Guns? democracynow.org Authorities in Indianapolis say the mother of Brandon Hole, the former FedEx employee who shot and killed eight people at a company facility last Thursday, called police in 2020 to say her son might commit "suicide by cop," prompting them to seize his pump-action shotgun. But officials say they did not push for Hole to have a hearing under Indiana's "red flag" law, which allows police or courts to seize guns from people who show warning signs of violence. "The very thing that the law is designed to prevent — going and buying a new gun — was not even ever sought," says Nick Suplina, managing director f…

Staff (2021-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2021. democracynow.org Jury Begins Deliberations in Derek Chauvin Murder Trial, Thousands Protest in Minnesota as Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Wraps Up, U.N. Warns Planet Is "On the Verge of the Abyss" from Relentless Climate Change, Hundreds of Climate Scientists Warn Against Criminalizing Peaceful Protests, White House Holds Virtual Climate Summit as U.S. and China Pledge Cuts to Emissions, Migrant Workers Flee India's Capital Ahead of Lockdown as Coronavirus Cases Soar, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Joins Fight for Vaccine Equity, President Biden Urges All U.S. Residents 16 and Over to Get Vaccinated, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Can…

Editor2 (2021-04-20). Bolivia's Fight for Food Sovereignty. orinocotribune.com Food security and food sovereignty are perhaps the most important issues facing Latin America and its campesino farmers. Being able to produce what one consumes is key in reducing poverty and guarding against hunger and external economic shocks. Since 2006, Bolivia has made it a priority. Evo Morales came through the ranks of the campesino social movements and was keenly aware of the poverty and other challenges facing the rural areas. After huge investments in rural communities, Bolivia now produces 95% of what it consumes. | To understand this issue and how Bolivia is grappling with it, Kawsachun News spoke exc…

RT (2021-04-20). HFPA, group behind Golden Globes, denounces ex-president for reportedly sending email equating BLM to Manson cult. rt.com The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awards the Golden Globes, has condemned its eight-term president Philip Berk for reportedly circulating an email that accused BLM of racism and compared it to the Manson murders. | According to the Los Angeles Times, Berk sent an email to the association's staff and members on Sunday which contained a post that called Black Lives Matter a "racist hate movement" and described its co-founder Patrisse Cullors as "self-proclaimed 'trained Marxist.'" | The paper said the text in the email appears to have been taken from an article originally published on conservative c…

Staff (2021-04-20). Venezuela secures aid from UN food programme. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Venezuelan President Maduro announced that his country has signed several agreements with the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-20). Make aid to Israel conditional on protecting Palestinian human rights, say Sanders, Warren. peoplesdispatch.org Successive US governments, irrespective of the ruling party, have been providing billions of dollars in aid to Israel each year. Israel has been accused of using the money to sustain its occupation of Palestine…

Abby Martin (2021-04-20). Abby Martin — Uganda Dictatorship: Imperialism's Pearl of Africa. theanalysis.news | | | | David Swanson (2021-04-20). Talk World Radio: Matt Hoh on Afghanistan and Why to Really End the War. warisacrime.org Talk World Radio is recorded as audio and video on Riverside.fm. Here is this week's video and all the videos on Youtube. Matthew Hoh is a Senior Fellow with the Center for International Policy and a member of the Eisenhower Media Network (EMN), as well as a member of the Advisory Board of World BEYOND …

Media Lens (2021-04-20). Shocking Omissions: Capitalism's Conscience: 200 Years of The Guardian. dissidentvoice.org Long before 'the propaganda model' flew off Edward Herman's keyboard and into Manufacturing Consent, the book he co-authored with Noam Chomsky, Leo Tolstoy had captured the essence of non-conspiratorial conformity: One man does not assert the truth which he knows, because he feels himself bound to the people with whom he is engaged; another, because …

Carlos Arellán (2021-04-20). Cape Verde Trends in Venezuela Due to Contradiction Between Alex Saab Case & Election. orinocotribune.com The ruling party of Cape Verde won the parliamentary elections on Sunday. The event was attended by international observers from ECOWAS, the organization that ordered the release of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab through its court. | Cape Verde's government did not recognize the ECOWAS resolution, though it should ostensibly abide by it. Analysts say they have not done so due to pressure from the US regime. | This situation, in which the government of Cape Verde invited electoral observers of ECOWAS, but does not comply with their judicial decisions, triggered a widespread reaction by Venezuelans on social media n…

Nicole Rodriguez (2021-04-20). San Francisco students hold 'Action Towards Change' rally against anti-Asian racism. liberationnews.org The rally was led by youth whose speeches consisted of calls to action, solidarity in organizing, and self-written poems.

Staff (2021-04-20). Vietnam, Afghanistan, Yemen: What is all this needless death for? therealnews.com President Biden announced an end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan, but what does that actually mean? What was it all for? Then, we talk with a Yemeni-American activist about their hunger strike against U.S. support for the catastrophic war in Yemen.

Michael Berkowitz (2021-04-20). 'The Trial of the Chicago 7': The whole world is still watching. peoplesworld.org There are many reasons to see Aaron Sorkin's Academy Award-nominated film The Trial of the Chicago 7. Writer-director Sorkin has gifted us with a well-written, often well-acted lesson in history and political philosophy. Although the focus is on ideas, heartfelt emotions, and wry humor leaven Sorkin's filmic advertisement for organizing for social change. Chicago 7 …

RT (2021-04-20). Elon Musk draws flak after claiming data logs clear Tesla's 'Autopilot' of blame in fatal 'driverless' vehicle crash. rt.com Elon Musk has sparked a row after suggesting that Tesla's in-house checks had shown its controversial 'Autopilot' driver assistance feature was not responsible for a fiery 'driverless' vehicle crash in Texas that left two dead. | Law enforcement authorities are expected to serve warrants to the carmaker on Tuesday to secure data logs from the accident, according to a Reuters On Saturday night, the fully electric 2019…

RT (2021-04-20). Oscars ceremony demands guests mask up — but only when camera's OFF. rt.com The annual Academy Awards will spare visitors the mask mandate during the main ceremony, but stars and viewers who step outside must don the mask for commercials and jump through plenty of hoops to participate. | Unlike the Grammys, the Oscars on Sunday will be held mostly mask-free at Los Angeles' Union Station, media revealed on Monday. However, those in the audience will be required to put their face coverings back on during commercial breaks and as they "cycle" through two outdoor courtyards — choreographed movement that is apparently part of a social distancing mandate for the nevertheless atypically…

RT (2021-04-20). Richard Dawkins stripped of 'humanist of the year' award after inviting discussion on transgender issues in tweet. rt.com The American Humanist Association has withdrawn its top honor from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins over a tweet calling for dialogue on transgender issues, accusing the atheist speaker of "demeaning marginalized groups." | The organization said Dawkins had recently implied that "the identities of transgender individuals are fraudulent, while also simultaneously attacking Black identity as one that can be assumed when convenient," noting he would be stripped of an award granted to him some 25 years ago. It declined to specify the offending comment. | "Regrettably, Richard Dawkins has over the past severa…

RT (2021-04-20). Biden hopes Chauvin jury will reach 'RIGHT VERDICT' after calling George Floyd's family. rt.com US President Joe Biden has said he is praying for the "right verdict" in the case of the Minnesota police officer charged with killing George Floyd, even after the judge urged public officials to stop talking about the case. | Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Biden said he had phoned Floyd's family the day before, waiting until the jury was sequestered to begin deliberations in the case. | "They're a good family and they're calling for peace and tranquility no matter what that verdict is," Biden said. "I'm praying the verdict is the right verdict. It's overwhelming, in my view. I wouldn't say that unless th…

_____ (2021-04-20). Israel and Its Unlikely Arab Friends. strategic-culture.org In 2020, Israel, supported by the United States, began a diplomatic offensive in the Arab world. The goal is evident: containing Iran. As U.S. author Eric Margolis writes, the countries that sign peace agreements with Israel, are "so frightened of neighboring Iran that they would happily have opted for Israeli rule rather than welcome the angry, unforgiving Iranians".

Anonymous007 (2021-04-20). Military Situation In Yemen On April 20, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 152 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On April 19, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 7 airstrikes on the Sarwah area | On April 19, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Khab and Shaaf area | On April 20, Ansar Allah attacked Abha Airport with a Qasef 2K drone | On April 20, clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces continued…

Anonymous103 (2021-04-20). An Expert Guide To Pick The Best Bitcoin Trading Software! southfront.org SPONSORED POST | Illustrative image | Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that is based on blockchain technology. It is getting more popular because it allows people to earn money by trading it at varying rates over the Internet. There is a lot of bitcoin trading software available that you can use to make easy money and get rich. But it is a bit confusing to choose the best one out of so many options. So, some of the imperative tips that you need to follo…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-20). Military Situation In Syria On April 20, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 19, a Turkish military convoy entered Syrian territory from Kafr Lussin border crossing | On April 19, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in Deir Sunbul, Sarjah and Bainin | On April 19, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in Ziyara and Sarmaniyah | On April 19, intra clashes between Turkish-backed forces were reported in the town of Raas al-Ain | On April 19, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions…

Eds. (2021-04-20). Katherine Angel, 'Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again: Women and Desire in the Age of Consent'. mronline.org Katherine Angel's intervention into post-feminist discourse fits the script of recent events and sits at what's hopefully the tail end of post-feminist discourse, otherwise known as 'the sex wars'. | April 20, 2021 | Review…

Staff (2021-04-20). FedEx Warehouse Shooting Follows Pattern of Violence Against Sikhs Nationwide. truthout.org Image Credit: Jenna Watson/USA Today Network | As the Sikh community in Indianapolis and across the United States is in mourning after a gunman killed eight people at a FedEx facility last week, where four of the victims are Sikh, we speak with Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and senior fellow for the Sikh Coalition, which is calling for a full investigation into the possibility of racial or ethnic hatred as a factor in the killings in Indianapolis. A majority of the workers at the warehou…

Editor2 (2021-04-20). Has the Biden Administration Quietly Given Up on Recognizing Juan Guaidó as the President of Venezuela? orinocotribune.com By Les Blough — Apr 11, 2021 | Has the Biden administration quietly given up on recognizing Juan Guaidó as the President of Venezuela? | Not yet, but they will. They know they picked the wrong horse for destabilization and "regime change" but they have to find a way to dump him while saving face. | Venezuelans, including the opposition, have no love for out-and-out traitors. Poor "Juanito" ("Little John", as he's known here) has found himself in a very very dark place, despised by his fellow citizens, impossible to show his face in the streets anymore, directly responsible for many deaths when grandstanding…

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). UN Security Council Open Debate: Chinese FM calls for peaceful approach to international issues. ecns.cn Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on the international community to uphold the United Nations Charter and not to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. He spoke on Monday via video, at a UN Security Council High-Level Open Debate.

_____ (2021-04-20). Make Aid To Israel Conditional On Protecting Palestinian Rights. popularresistance.org The US Democratic party's leading senators and last year's presidential aspirants, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, on Monday, April 20 called on the Joe Biden administration to use the billions of dollars of aid given to Israel to pressurize it to protect Palestinian human rights and work for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The senators were speaking at the conference of J Street, a "pro-Israel, pro-peace" lobbying group in the US. | Both Sanders and Warren, speaking separately, asked for putting conditions on the military aid to Israel. They argued that the US aid is used by Israel to prolong its occ…

Staff (2021-04-20). Inflation in Venezuela Slows Down to 16.1% in March. orinocotribune.com Caracas, April 19, 2021 (OrinocoTribune.com).- Inflation in Venezuela reached 16.1% in March, according to According to data released on Saturday night by the Venezuelan institute, accumulated inflation for the first three months of 2021 reached 127.8%, after t…

news.un (2021-04-20). World Food Programme reaches deal to supply food to 185,000 children in Venezuela. news.un.org The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has signed an agreement with the Government of Venezuela to begin operations to provide the most vulnerable children in the South American country with nutritious school meals, it announced on Tuesday.

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). EU Walks Back Claim of 150,000 Russian Troops Near Ukraine Border. news.antiwar.com The European Union had to correct a claim made by its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, concerning Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. Borrell told reporters on Monday that

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-20). Several Dozen US Fighter Jets Land in Poland for Air Combat Drills. news.antiwar.com U.S. Air Force and Polish government sources confirm that American F-15 and F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Poland for joint exercises with host country aircraft; as a Radio Poland report phrases it, "amid concerns over a Russian troop build-up on the border with neighbouring Ukraine." The exercises are preplanned though the message they send …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). Philippines' Duterte Says He Would Send Navy to Assert South China Sea Claims. news.antiwar.com Over the past few weeks, tensions have been high between the Philippines and China due to the presence of Chinese vessels near Whitson Reef, a disputed area in the South China Sea. Philippine officials have accused Beijing of massing a "maritime militia," while China insists the vessels are fishing boats. | On Monday,

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). Israel's Cabinet Concerned US Wants an Iran Deal 'At All Costs'. news.antiwar.com Israel continues to express its opposition to the Biden administration rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the JCPOA. "The Americans want a deal at all costs and the Iranians know it," one minister said at the meeting. The minister told…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). Following US, EU to Boost Presence in Indo-Pacific to Counter China. news.antiwar.com The European Union is following the US and looking to EU foreign ministers released a statement on the strategy. Borrowing language from the US, the ministers said the EU should "reinforce its strategic focus, presence and actions in the Indo-Pacific … based on the promotion of democracy, rule of law, human rights and intern…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-20). Iran's Uranium Enrichment Doesn't Get Them Close to Making a Bomb. news.antiwar.com Iran's Uranium Enrichment Doesn't Get Them Close to Making a Bomb | 60% enrichment is a new accomplishment, but still well short of weapons-grade…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-20). Russia: 200 Militants Killed in Airstrikes in Eastern Syria. news.antiwar.com Russian Admiral Alexander Karpov has This area is known to be one of those awash in ISIS holdouts. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that ISIS had claimed to have killed two Russian soldiers in the area, speculating that this is why Russia hit them. | Admiral Karpov reported that in addition to 200 killed, the airstrikes destroyed 24 ve…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-20). Iraq PM: Progress Made on US Troop Pullout. news.antiwar.com In a meeting with military officers, Iraqi PM Mustafa Kadhimi reported that his government has been successful in "imposing legal and time-based mechanisms" on the pullout of US and other coalition forces from Iraq. | Kadhimi The U…

Tom Engelhardt (2021-04-20). Tomgram: Dilip Hiro, Who's Rising and Falling on Planet Earth? warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Here's the strange thing: these days, you would think that China was "rising" to potentially top great-power status out of nowhere, out of nothing (unlike the United States). Historically speaking, however, America is the great-power newcomer on this …

Editor2 (2021-04-20). "A Sign of Progress": How a Tiny Corporate Media Clique Inverted Reality During Brazil's 2016 Coup. orinocotribune.com By Brasil Wire — Apr 17, 2021 | On the fifth anniversary of Dilma Rousseff's impeachment, the role foreign media played in propagandising for it still warrants further investigation. | Little of international media coverage of Brazil's 2016 coup and its centrepiece, the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, has dated well. But one opinion piece in US newspaper the New York Times stands out as emblematic of the inverted reality being presented to the world, as Brazil's first female president was facing a right-wing plot to remove her and her progressive government from office. | Written by Op-Ed contributo…

Rima Najjar (2021-04-20). Neither the Israeli Elections Nor the Palestinian Elections Are About Democracy. globalresearch.ca Chances are, you are unaware that Palestinian elections are in the …

Dr. Gilbert Doctorow (2021-04-20). Zero Mainstream Coverage Today of the Foiled, U.S. Backed Plot to Assassinate Belarus President Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca In his last book "War with Russia?" my friend and colleague …

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