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2021-12-30: News Headlines

Staff (2021-12-30). Venezuela Mourns Death of US Activist Chuck Kaufman. orinocotribune.com This Wednesday, December 29, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Félix Plasencia, mourned the death of US activist and organizer Chuck Kaufman, who consistently supported social movements in Latin American countries. Kaufman's involvement in solidarity actions spanned several decades, first focused on Central America and Nicaragua, and later expanded to include activism for Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, and many other Latin American countries. | "We express our deepest sadness at the tragic passing of Chuck Kaufman," wrote Plasencia through his Twitter account, "a US activist, defender of…

Hannah Rose (2021-12-30). Before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Corona Virus "Vaccines". Nuremberg Code, Crimes against humanity, War Crimes and Crimes of Aggression" globalresearch.ca We bring to the attention of Global Research readers, the full text …

WSWS (2021-12-30). Ukrainian government expands military conscription among women. wsws.org The US-backed government of President Volodymyr Zelensky continues its attempts to militarize the Ukrainian population despite wide-spread anti-war sentiments.

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-30). *BONUS* Comments and questions about waging a revolutionary struggle here in the US Empire. anchor.fm In this episode I read one of my recent blogs and discuss some of my further ideas about the struggle towards building a revolution here within the belly of the beast. Can it be done? I think yes, but we have to figure out how. The best way to figure out is by waging that struggle today. Go organize! (Blog found at forliberation.wixsite.com/website )…

Joyce Chediac (2021-12-30). Biden's new COVID rules protect profits, endanger workers. liberationnews.org 'Nurses hare not going to stand by while the government and our employers weaken protections. We are not going backward now."

Bharat Dogra (2021-12-30). The Exploiter Harms—But Look At What Happens to the Exploiter, Too. towardfreedom.org If there is a better understanding and a wider recognition of how exploiters suffer in the process of exploitation, new openings can emerge to convince the more powerful regarding the futility of prolonging exploitative relations and systems, writes Bharat Dogra.

_____ (2021-12-30). In Remembrance Of Chuck Kaufman. popularresistance.org Tucson, AZ – It is with heavy heart that the news of the passing of longtime anti-imperialist organizer Chuck Kaufman reached communities on December 28. Born in a small Indiana town, Chuck's life saw travels to numerous countries, most notably in the Latin American countries most firmly in the crosshairs of U.S. imperialism. | In 1987, as Reagan's illegal Contra War against Nicaragua ravaged the country in an attempt to kill the successful Sandinista Revolution, Chuck answered the call for solidarity. He gave up his advertising business and joined thousands of other U.S. solidarity activists to help in the coffe…

Abdul Rahman (2021-12-30). Drone warfare: The world needs to end US impunity. peoplesdispatch.org A recent report by The New York Times into the killings of hundreds of innocent civilians in Afghanistan and West Asia in over 50,000 air strikes carried out by the US since 2014 underlines the need to hold the imperialist power accountable for its crimes…

Rann Miller (2021-12-30). Why Five-Star Athletes Choose HBCUs: Knowing The Past To Process The Present. moguldom.com Howard University professor Dr. Greg Carr teaches his students using the Africana Studies Framework (ASF), which is a set of conceptual categories for studying periods of time with African people at the center. One of those categories, movement in memory, answers the questions: How did Africans preserve memories of where they had been, what they …

Vijay Prashad (2021-12-30). We Dance into the New Year Banging Our Hammers and Swinging Our Sickles. dissidentvoice.org P.S. Jalaja (India), We Surely Can Change the World, 2021. Bittersweet is the passage of this year. There have been some immense victories and some catastrophic defeats, the most terrible being the failure of the Global North countries to adopt a democratic attitude towards confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and creating equitable access to key resources, …

David Swanson (2021-12-30). Video: David Swanson on RT: The 2021 State of Things. warisacrime.org By See minute 20: 28.

Jon Queally (2021-12-30). Encampment Near Biden's Delaware Home Calls for Declaration of Climate Emergency. truthout.org A small group of climate activists has established an encampment near President Joe Biden's private home in Delaware where they are demanding he declare a national climate emergency and immediately order the end to fossil fuel development in the United States. | Establishing the camp on Christmas Day and sleeping overnight in tents or cars on a roadside area not far from the family's Wilmington residence, the campaigners operating under the "Occupy Biden" banner say if the president truly…

Sharon Zhang (2021-12-30). Warren Slams Grocers for Raising Prices While Raking In Profits. zcomm.org As the company hailed its grocery workers as "heroes," it cut hazard pay early in the pandemic while pursuing over $1 billion in stock buybacks in 2020…

teleSUR (2021-12-30). Cuba Remembers Revolutionary Heroine Haydee Santamaria. telesurenglish.net On Dec. 30, Cubans celebrate the birthday of Haydee Santamaria, a woman whose life was marked by episodes of intense revolutionary struggle. Among them is her participation in the assault on the Moncada Barracks, a milestone in the revolutionary war. | RELATED: | Santamaria was born in 1922 in Las Villas province, where she got involved with social causes from her early youth. Besides being editor of the undergrou…

_____ (2021-12-30). The China Distraction and U.S. Destabilization. strategic-culture.org Today's war is a class war of the super elites, and this can be fought and won by the great masses of people against their own oligarchs. | The American deep state is playing upon the public's distaste of China towards its own ends, and just as with the present global mystery illness, they will blame China for a social credit system which in reality was made in the USA. We can deconstruct the anatomy of this scam through the handling of Covid and biological warfare in general. | This same deep state is trying to springboard or otherwise utilize the incessantly bad behaviour of its own rapacious oligarchy, who it…

Dave Lindorff (2021-12-30). The Washington money pit: FLASH! Pentagon Fails Audit! (Again!). warisacrime.org By Dave Lindorff That's what should have been the biggest news of 2021. Instead, the story, which broke on November 17, was largely ignored or buried. The nation's two main newspapers, the Washington Post and the New York Times, have simply ignored it. Other news organizations stenographically quoted Pentagon officials as admitting that they "failed again" …

Editor (2021-12-30). A red under every bed? Canada, racial profiling, and the Five Eyes. mronline.org Amid the wreckage of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States and its allies have turned their sights on China. University of Victoria professor emeritus and historian John Price examines the rise of the coalition of Anglo settler colonial states of Canada, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, and how they are today fomenting conflict in the Asia Pacific.

Staff (2021-12-30). Chomsky Blasts the "Torture" of Julian Assange & Biden's Provocative Acts Against China. democracynow.org Noam Chomsky decries what he calls the torture of imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He also critiques the Biden administration's reckless foreign policy. "The trajectory is not optimistic," Chomsky says. "The worst case is the increasing provocative actions towards China. That's very dangerous."

_____ (2021-12-30). Oklahoma Bill Would Empower Parents To Remove Books From School Libraries. popularresistance.org A bill proposed by a Republican state senator in Oklahoma would empower parents to have books that discuss gender identity removed from public school libraries—a measure that rights advocates warned could have life-threatening consequences for LGBTQ+ children across the state. | Under Senate Bill 1142, introduced earlier this month by state Sen. Rob Standridge, just one parent would have to object to a book that includes discussion of "sexual perversion, sex-based classifications, sexual identity, or gender identity" and other related themes in order to begin the process of removal.

Staff (2021-12-30). Noam Chomsky on Rising Fascism in U.S., Class Warfare & the Climate Emergency. democracynow.org Noam Chomsky warns the Republican Party is "marching" the world to destruction by ignoring the climate emergency while embracing proto-fascism at home. Chomsky talks about the January 6 insurrection, how neoliberalism is a form of class warfare and how President Biden's climate plans fall short of what is needed.

Staff (2021-12-30). Venezuela's National Assembly Passed Almost 40 New Laws in 2021. orinocotribune.com A total of 38 laws were passed by the National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela since its installation on January 5. At all times, the national parliament acted in compliance with the 7+7 scheme and all biosafety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. | Since its passing of the Interior and Debate Regulations at the beginning of the year, the Legislative Power has gone on to pass numerous laws leading up to the draft law on the Commission for the Guarantee of Justice and Reparation of Victims of Crimes Against Human Rights, passed on December 15. | The laws passed were: | 1) Interior and Debate Regulations of the…

teleSUR (2021-12-30). Venezuelan Congress To Debate Reform To Supreme Court. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Venezuela's National Assembly will debate a bill to reform the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ). | RELATED: | "In recent days, the TSJ President Maikel Moreno sent to the Commission for Dialogue and National Reconciliation a proposal for the reform of the Supreme Court law," National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said. | During the discussion of this proposal, the Venezuelan lawmakers will evalu…

_____ (2021-12-29). Stopping The War Machine For One Day. popularresistance.org I've attended most of the major antiwar protests in Washington since 9/11. At a 2005 protest, a cop tried to whack me on the head with a wooden pole. At a 2007 protest, I snapped a picture showing George W. Bush swinging by the U.S. Capitol. But my favorite protest was a potent little ruckus that I almost missed. | On a sunny late summer day in 2013, I ambled to downtown Washington to hike with a bunch of friendly folks in a jaunt starting on the National Mall and heading towards the World War Two Monument and points beyond. But the hike was vexed from the start because someone invited along a "licensed tourist g…

Amy Goodman (2021-12-29). Arundhati Roy Talks Media, Authoritarianism in India and Challenging US Wars. truthout.org We go to New Delhi, India, to speak with acclaimed Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy about the pandemic, U.S. militarism and the state of journalism. Roy first appeared on Democracy Now! after receiving widespread backlash for speaking out against the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. At the time, her emphatic antiwar stance clashed with the rising tides of patriotism and calls for war after 9/11. "Now the same media is saying what we were saying 20 years ago," says Roy. "But the trouble is, i…

Staff (2021-12-29). Arundhati Roy on the Media, Vaccine Inequity, Authoritarianism in India & Challenging U.S. Wars. democracynow.org We go to New Delhi, India, to speak with acclaimed Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy about the pandemic, U.S. militarism and the state of journalism. Roy first appeared on Democracy Now! after receiving widespread backlash for speaking out against the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. At the time, her emphatic antiwar stance clashed with the rising tides of patriotism and calls for war after 9/11. "Now the same media is saying what we were saying 20 years ago," says Roy. "But the trouble is, it's too late."

John Wojcik (2021-12-29). Ursula Wojcik, 97 — Mother who lived for her children and a better world. peoplesworld.org "May there always be sunshine, may there always be blue skies, may there always be mama, may there always be me!" — Russian folk song expressing the yearning of people for peace I sang that song, along with my mother and a hundred peace activists gathered at a rally in East Berlin in 1985. She …

William Briggs (2021-12-29). Great power rivalry and capitalist crisis. greenleft.org.au Thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War the promised peace and harmony has been illusive, writes William Briggs.

Morning Star (2021-12-29). Report reveals NATO warplanes constantly provoke Russian Air Force. peoplesworld.org NATO warplanes confronted Russian aircraft 290 times in 2021, most of the time along Russia's western borders, the U.S.-led alliance reported this week. It means nearly 80% of NATO's 370 flight missions this year involved confrontations with the Russian Air Force. Tensions between the military bloc and Russia are rising as Moscow warns against NATO …

_____ (2021-12-29). Forced Displacements In Colombia Increase By Over 169% During 2021. popularresistance.org The Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES), on December 22, warned of an alarming increase in massive and multiple forced displacement events in Colombia during 2021. The CODHES reported that between January and November, 2021, 82,846 people were forcibly displaced from their homes and territories, a figure that represents an increase of 169.3% as compared to the same period in 2020. The CODHES further reported that a total number of 167 displacement events were recorded in these eleven months, which represents an increase of 65.3% in relation to the same period in 2020. | CODHES also reported tha…

Nora Barrows-Friedman (2021-12-29). Podcast Ep 48: Gaza, cyberwarfare and resistance. electronicintifada.net EI editors discuss some of the most impactful stories of the year.

_____ (2021-12-29). Building Collective Power Within Our Organizations. popularresistance.org As we imagine an alternative society, we should think about how we will create something more collective, something where all people have a voice. Most of us come from a tradition where a select few make large impactful decisions for social justice organizations. Organizations have practices that at times feel inadequate and inaccessible for all. How do we move more towards a democratic collective process? | These questions come to mind as many movement organizations are wrestling with creating collective democratic power internally. How can processes be more transparent in the organization—and how do we ba…

teleSUR (2021-12-29). EU: "Only Winners Can Make Demands" as Warning to Russia. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, called the repeated claims of Russia on stopping NATO's eastwards expansion completely unacceptable. | RELATED: | In an interview for Welt, a German newspaper, Josep Borrell refers to the document released earlier this month by Moscow, in which it listed the promises it wants to get from NATO and the U.S. government. The proposal included guarantee…

Fight Back (2021-12-29). In remembrance of Chuck Kaufman, anti-imperialist, international solidarity organizer. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – It is with heavy heart that the news of the passing of longtime anti-imperialist organizer Chuck Kaufman reached communities on December 28. Born in a small Indiana town, Chuck's life saw travels to numerous countries, most notably in the Latin American countries most firmly in the crosshairs of U.S. imperialism. | In 1987, as Reagan's illegal Contra War against Nicaragua ravaged the country in an attempt to kill the successful Sandinista Revolution, Chuck answered the call for solidarity. He gave up his advertising business and joined thousands of other U.S. solidarity activists to help in the coffe…

Peter Koenig (2021-12-29). Video: Digital Tyranny and the Rockefeller-Gates WHO "Vaxx-Certificate Passport": Towards a World War III Scenario. globalresearch.ca It's an electronic ID-program using the Covid-19 "vaccine as a platform for digital identity, linking everything to everything of each individual (records of health, banking, personal and private, etc.), managed by a state agency or in extremis, by the private sector.

Chris Walker (2021-12-29). Historians Warn the GOP Is Pushing Nation Toward Trump-Based Authoritarianism. truthout.org Two historians in Kentucky have vociferously expressed their concerns over the future of democracy in the United States and the possibility that Trumpism will make a return after either the 2022 midterms or the 2024 presidential election. | "This is real, this is serious and it's frightening," Brian Clardy, professor of history at Murray State University, said regarding the potential for the nation to descend into a far right authoritarian state focused on white supremacy. | The solution to…

Moderator (2021-12-29). Experts Warn Merck's FDA-Authorized Covid Pill Could 'Create Breeding Ground for Mutant Viruses'. scheerpost.com By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams Merck's anti-viral coronavirus pill has been heralded as a "gamechanger" in the fight against the deadly global pandemic, and the Food and Drug Administration decided last week to authorize the treatment on an emergency-use basis for certain segments of the U.S. population. But public health experts in recent days have increasingly sounded …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-29). The COVID-19 "Vaccine" and the Nuremberg Code. Crimes Against Humanity, Genocide. globalresearch.ca The health authorities, Big Pharma, the WHO, the Rockefellers and the Gates foundation are fully aware that the vaccine has resulted in countless deaths and injuries, including blood clots, infertility, brain damage, myocarditis, etc.

Editor (2021-12-29). Invisible Warriors: California's Incarcerated Female Firefighters. scheerpost.com In recent years, California's wildfire season has become one of the greatest challenges facing the state's population. Nearly one-third of the people risking their lives to fight these deadly fires are incarcerated, many of them women, including Amita Mota (center), shown here in July, 2013. | By Joshua Grant / Risking their lives for minimal pay, incarcerated female firefighters in California work to save residential neighborhoods and national parks. | Incarcerate…

Staff (2021-12-29). Poet Martín Espada on "Floaters," the Dehumanization of Refugees, Puerto Rico & His Father. democracynow.org Acclaimed poet Martín Espada recently won the National Book Award for Poetry for his anthology "Floaters." He became just the third Latinx poet to win the award. "Floaters" is titled after the photo of the Salvadoran father and daughter who drowned in the Rio Grande in June 2019 trying to cross into the United States, one that sparked outrage at the humanitarian crisis at the U.S. southern border. Espada discusses U.S. immigration policy and reads the poem "Letter to My Father: October 2017," which looks back at his father's native Puerto Rico.

teleSUR Desk (2021-12-29). Chaos, poverty and hunger — The U.S. legacy in Afghanistan. mronline.org The U.S.-led mission fled the Afghanistan front of their so-called "war on terror," leaving nothing but trash, extreme poverty and universal unemployment.

Editor (2021-12-29). Warnings from the Far North. mronline.org "Breaking the food chain that supports billions of creatures" is horrific to contemplate.

David Swanson (2021-12-29). Surveillance Concerns: The Good, the Bad, and the Xenophobic. warisacrime.org By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, December 28, 2021 Thom Hartmann has written an enormous number of great books, and the latest is no exception. It's called The Hidden History of Big Brother in America: How the Death of Privacy and the Rise of Surveillance Threaten Us and Our Democracy. Thom is not the least …

Moderator (2021-12-29). Best of 'Scheer Intelligence' 2021: Assange, Kucinich, Abdullah and More. scheerpost.com Throughout another turbulent year of pandemic, protests, and economic troubles, Robert Scheer and the award-winning "Scheer Intelligence" team made sure to bring you left-wing perspectives from a wide range of distinguished voices including Ralph Nader, Melina Abdullah, Chris Hedges, and many more, as the progressive fight becomes as urgent as ever. With a new year …

Staff (2021-12-29). Headlines for December 29, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Infections Hit All-Time High, Omicron Drives Record Rates of Infection in Several European Countries, Taliban Fire Warning Shots at Dozens of Women Protesters in Kabul, U.N. Envoy Warns of Civilian Toll as Saudi-Led War on Yemen Escalates, Mahmoud Abbas Meets Israeli Defense Minister, Death Toll from Brazil Flooding Rises to 20, Kodiak, Alaska, Hits 67 ∞F as Climate Emergency Fuels Extreme December Weather, Climate Emergency Cost Global Economy Nearly $200 Billion in 2021, South African Court Halts Shell Oil's Offshore Oil Exploration Plans, Russia Shutters International Memorial, Which Chr…

Staff (2021-12-29). Venezuela's Science and Technology Minister Jiménez: 'Vaccine Geopolitics Has Endangered Life'. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Minister for Science and Technology, Gabriela Jiménez, stated that "if equity in the vaccination process was real, we would have a greater distribution of vaccines amongst the poorest and hence the most vulnerable nations. Vaccine geopolitics has endangered life, and this must not happen. In January we will start vaccinating with boosters to protect our people [from COVID-19]." | The minister made this comment at a COVID-19 vaccination report session led by President Nicolás Maduro. "The virus will continue its evolutionary and mutational course," Jiménez stated during the meeting. "However, there will…

Eva Barlett (2021-12-29). Your $1.7 Billion of Gold is Now Ours, UK Tells Starving Venezuelans. orinocotribune.com By Eva Bartlett — Dec 26, 2021 | In its prolonged freezing of Venezuelan assets, the UK continues to withhold 31 tons of Venezuelan gold stored at the Bank of England, with a new Supreme Court ruling supporting the seizure. | The recent decision, CNN

teleSUR (2021-12-29). Colombian Constitutional Court Condemns Expulsion of Migrants. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, the Plenary Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Colombia concluded that due process was not observed during the expulsion of 59 Venezuelan migrants that took place amid the 2019 national strike. | RELATED: | The sentence will be published in January 2022. In the press release, however, the Court indicates that the Colombian police arbitrarily deprived the migrants of their liberty. Subsequently,…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-29). Mexico Authorizes Emergency Use of Cuba's Abdala Vaccine. libya360.wordpress.com Kawsachun News Cuba's Abdala vaccine has been granted emergency use authorization by Mexico, which joins Nicaragua, Venezuela, Iran, Vietnam and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in authorizing the use of Cuban-developed vaccines, produced by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) reports that "specialized personnel…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-29). Lima Cartel is Over: Peru Receives President Maduro's Ambassador. libya360.wordpress.com Kawsachun News The so-called Lima Group has been officially buried and Peru has normalized relations with Venezuela. Peru's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oscar Maúrtua de Romaña, received the credentials of Alexander Yánez Deleuze, which accredit him as the new Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Peru. El Ministro de Relaciones…

Staff (2021-12-29). Venezuela Booster Shot Campaign Begins Next Week. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Minister for Health Carlos Alvarado provided details about the National Plan for COVID-19 booster vaccination schedule starting next week, on Monday January 3. He reported that "more than 18 million vaccines are guaranteed." Likewise, he specified that as of the second quarter of the year Venezuela will be producing the Abdala vaccine domestically, via an agreement with Cuba, which "guarantees the booster vaccine in Venezuela for the year 2022." | The statements were issued during a briefing on the vaccination plan and the fight against COVID-19, led by President Nicolás Maduro and broadcast by public…

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2021-12-29: News Headlines

David Swanson (2021-12-29). Surveillance Concerns: The Good, the Bad, and the Xenophobic. warisacrime.org By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, December 28, 2021 Thom Hartmann has written an enormous number of great books, and the latest is no exception. It's called The Hidden History of Big Brother in America: How the Death of Privacy and the Rise of Surveillance Threaten Us and Our Democracy. Thom is not the least …

William Briggs (2021-12-29). Great power rivalry and capitalist crisis. greenleft.org.au Thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War the promised peace and harmony has been illusive, writes William Briggs.

WSWS (2021-12-29). Don't Look Up: Science vs. a deadly catastrophe confronting humanity. wsws.org Adam McKay's new film Don't Look Up is a dark comedy about unheeded warnings in the face of an event that could destroy humanity.

Peter Koenig (2021-12-29). Video: Digital Tyranny and the Rockefeller-Gates WHO "Vaxx-Certificate Passport": Towards a World War III Scenario. globalresearch.ca It's an electronic ID-program using the Covid-19 "vaccine as a platform for digital identity, linking everything to everything of each individual (records of health, banking, personal and private, etc.), managed by a state agency or in extremis, by the private sector.

teleSUR Desk (2021-12-29). Chaos, poverty and hunger — The U.S. legacy in Afghanistan. mronline.org The U.S.-led mission fled the Afghanistan front of their so-called "war on terror," leaving nothing but trash, extreme poverty and universal unemployment.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-29). The COVID-19 "Vaccine" and the Nuremberg Code. Crimes Against Humanity, Genocide. globalresearch.ca The health authorities, Big Pharma, the WHO, the Rockefellers and the Gates foundation are fully aware that the vaccine has resulted in countless deaths and injuries, including blood clots, infertility, brain damage, myocarditis, etc.

Peter Maass (2021-12-29). The U.S. Military Is a Machine of Impunity. zcomm.org Wartime savagery requires that its perpetrators are told that their actions are acceptable — maybe heroic — and must not cease…

Staff (2021-12-29). Venezuela Booster Shot Campaign Begins Next Week. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Minister for Health Carlos Alvarado provided details about the National Plan for COVID-19 booster vaccination schedule starting next week, on Monday January 3. He reported that "more than 18 million vaccines are guaranteed." Likewise, he specified that as of the second quarter of the year Venezuela will be producing the Abdala vaccine domestically, via an agreement with Cuba, which "guarantees the booster vaccine in Venezuela for the year 2022." | The statements were issued during a briefing on the vaccination plan and the fight against COVID-19, led by President Nicolás Maduro and broadcast by public…

Staff (2021-12-28). Headlines for December 28, 2021. democracynow.org World Coronavirus Cases Hit Record High as Omicron Surges, Israel Tests Fourth Vaccine Doses as COVID Surges in Largely Unvaccinated African Nations, Biden Warns Governors of Looming Shortages of Hospital Beds as COVID-19 Cases Near Pandemic Highs, CDC Recommends Shorter Isolation for People with Asymptomatic Coronavirus Infections, Afghan Taliban Bans Women from Road Trips Without Male Escort, Talks on Reviving Iran Nuclear Deal Resume in Vienna, Iraq's Top Court Ratifies Results of October's Contested Election, Russia to Hold Talks with U.S. and NATO Allies over Ukraine Border Tensions, New German Government Mo…

Moderator (2021-12-28). UN Envoy Warns 'Threat to Civilian Lives Is Increasing' in Yemen. scheerpost.com By Jessica Corbett / Common Dreams A United Nations special envoy on Tuesday raised alarm about the safety of civilians in war-torn Yemen given escalating violence, including airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. "The escalation in recent weeks is among the worst we have seen in Yemen for years and the threat to civilian lives is increasing," said Hans …

Staff (2021-12-28). "People Have the Power": Poet & Singer Patti Smith Awarded Key to New York City. democracynow.org Legendary poet, singer, author and activist Patti Smith has been awarded a key to New York City. Smith's music has inspired countless bands and helped earn her the title of the queen of punk. Her song "People Have the Power" has become an anthem at protests across the globe. Patti Smith has also been a longtime activist, performing regularly at antiwar rallies and political benefits. She gave an emotional acceptance speech during a ceremony Monday with outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. We also air a clip of her live performance with singer Michael Stipe at Democracy Now!'s 20th anniversary celebration…

Medea Benjamin (2021-12-28). Yes, There Were 10 Good Things About 2021. dissidentvoice.org Photo credit: peace-justice.org This year, 2021, began with a huge sense of relief as Trump left office. We hoped to emerge from the ravages of COVID, pass a hefty Build Back Better (BBB) bill, and make significant cuts to the Pentagon budget. But, alas, we faced a January 6 white nationalist insurrection, two new COVID …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-28). Guatemala: 25 Years of Peace Accords, 25 Years of Neoliberalism. libya360.wordpress.com Ollantay Itzamná Mayan peasant women harvesting sesame seeds. OI In the Christmas atmosphere, and the day after the feast of the "Holy Innocents", the groups that took up arms in the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) and the Creole State of Guatemala, after 36 years of "internal war", signed the firm and lasting Peace Agreements….

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-28). Pope Francis urges peace, vaccine access in 2021 Christmas message. peoplesdispatch.org For his Christmas message this year, the progressive-leaning Pope Francis called for peace and dialogue amid an unprecedented global crisis. Once again, the global leader of the Catholic church took advantage of his platform to issue a clarion call to global leaders of all creeds, across all regions of the world. | Pope Francis, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina who initiated the World Meeting of Popular Movements, has made headlines frequently for

Staff (2021-12-28). "His Spirit Reflected a Giant": Mumia Abu-Jamal Remembers Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Visit on Death Row. democracynow.org Mumia Abu-Jamal remembers South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died on Sunday at the age of 90. Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting to end apartheid in South Africa. In 2007, Tutu visited Mumia when he was still on death row. "His spirit reflected a giant," says Abu-Jamal. "He struggled for change with his prophetic voice, his sweet humor, his deep love and his boundless sense of compassion."

_____ (2021-12-28). Government Action, Not Consumer Action, Will Stop Climate Change. popularresistance.org Pointing the finger at individual consumers has been the default strategy of powerful corporations since the 1950s. Deflect blame for smog or litter or polluted waterways or carcinogens or gun violence away from manufacturers and onto John Q. Public. Make the issue about personal responsibility. Which brings us to climate change. Once again, it is individual consumers and not the fossil fuel industry who are being blamed for the potential destruction of our planet. Only this time it isn't just powerful corporations and their trade groups wagging the finger at individuals for not doing enough to halt global warmin…

_____ (2021-12-28). Longshore Workers Get Blamed For Delays, As Contract Fight Looms. popularresistance.org Nonetheless, when the supply chain started to break down, frontline workers got blamed. ILWU members say the port terminal operators are drawing attention to the delays to cast longshore workers in a bad light ahead of contract negotiations next year. | "The foreign-flag steamship lines are going to exert all of the leverage that they can towards American workers to get the absolute best deal that they can in the upcoming negotiations," said Seattle longshore worker Justin Hirsch, "and if that means going to sympathetic ears in the press to throw mud at us, they'll do it with absolutely no hesitations."

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-28). Howard University Plans To Delay Spring Semester Amid Area Covid Case Surge. moguldom.com Howard University has delayed the start of its Spring 2022 semester due to a surge of covid-19 cases in the region. The university made the announcement on Monday, Dec. 28 that it will push the start of classes to Jan. 18 in a news release. In the release, Howard notes its public health teal is …

Robert Hunziker (2021-12-28). Warnings from the Far North. dissidentvoice.org Forces profound and alarming are reshaping the upper reaches of the North Pacific and Arctic oceans, breaking the food chain that supports billions of creatures and one of the world's most important fisheries. 1 "Breaking the food chain that supports billions of creatures" is horrific to contemplate. It sends a powerful signal of trouble dead ahead. …

Staff (2021-12-28). 2021 Samidoun Year in Review: Help us organize a new year of Palestinian liberation struggle! samidoun.net 2021 has been a year of struggle for Palestine — towards return and liberation. This year, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network has taken to the streets, organized new chapters, marched for justice, and fought to free Palestinian prisoners. We're now preparing for 2022. From New York to Vancouver, from Germany to occupied Palestine, from Toulouse […] | The article

_____ (2021-12-28). The World is Turning to Nuclear Power amid the Raging Energy Crisis. journal-neo.org The energy crisis is perhaps the worst since 1973, when the Arab countries imposed an oil embargo, protesting against Western support for Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Combined with a pandemic, new strains, and a lockdown relapse threat, it is a deadly blow to economies and industries worldwide. Bloomberg sounds the alarm: problems with …

teleSUR (2021-12-28). WHO Warns About the Fast Spreading of Omicron Strain. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, the World Health Organization expressed its concern about the Omicron variant leading to a congestion in the healthcare system, as the countries reinforce their anti-COVID measures and France reaches a new record of daily cases. | The WHO express its concern about the fast spreading of the Omicron variant. Dec. 28, 2021.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-28). Israel attacks Syria's Latakia port for the second time this month. peoplesdispatch.org The strike on Latakia on Tuesday caused a fire and damage to containers. The port is a major source of food and other supplies to the war-ravaged Syrian people and the country's economy…

Sheikh Fakhar-e-Alam (2021-12-28). Pakistan — A Wonderful Destination For Adventurous Sports. moderndiplomacy.eu Pakistan is famous for its exciting cities, historical sites, hospitality, great cuisines across the world. However, most of the international states are not aware of the fact that it is an excellent destination to enjoy adventurous sports as well as cultural festivities. The variety of adventure sports in Pakistan is enormous. There are a number …

WSWS (2021-12-28). UK Johnson government takes no new measures against pandemic. wsws.org The decision was a fait accompli. Johnson is under instruction from his party's most fascistic wing in the COVID Recovery Group to ignore all warnings that the Omicron variant of the virus is surging out of control, infecting millions and rapidly overwhelming the National Health Service.

Editor2 (2021-12-28). US on the Brink of Civil War. orinocotribune.com By Alfredo Jalife-Rahme — Dec 23, 2021 | After three US generals warned of a fractured Army, a civil war scenario, as a coup attempt after the 2024 presidential election, CIA consultant Barbara Walter judges that the US exhibits several signs that foretell a "pre-civil war" insurgency. | Three retired generals shocked public opinion in an article in The Washington Post, an establishment newspaper, that "the military should prepare now for an insurrection in 2024". | On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the lethal insurrection on Capitol Hill, former Generals Paul Eaton, Antonio Taguba and Steven Anderso…

teleSUR (2021-12-28). Russia Will Block NATO's Expansion. telesurenglish.net According to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, for the next diplomatic meeting with Washington, Moscow has as its objective to completely stop any signal of eastwards expansion of the NATO military bloc. | RELATED: } | Sergey Ryabkov said to news agency Interfax that Russia would have a clear agenda for negotiations, making clear that the country would refuse any attempt coming from U.S. diplomats on dissolving…

Lee Fang (2021-12-28). The Collapse of Afghanistan's Economy. zcomm.org More Afghan people may die from sanctions than from 20 years of war…

teleSUR (2021-12-28). France: Ambassador Warns Switzerland About EU Negotiations. telesurenglish.net Frédéric Journès, the ambassador of France in Switzerland, stated in an interview with the Le Temps newspaper on Tuesday that the previous agreement rejected by the country last May would be back on the table for the next six months. | RELATED: | The negotiation was expected to be restored at the World Economic Forum (WEF), postponed for the following summer in 2022, given the fast spread of the Omicron variant…

WSWS (2021-12-28). Solomon Islands' government invites Chinese riot police deployment. wsws.org The move has triggered alarm in Australian ruling circles—ever since World War II, Australian imperialism has regarded the South Pacific as its exclusive "sphere of influence."

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-28). History: "Wipe the Soviet Union Off the Map", 204 Atomic Bombs against 66 Major Cities, US Nuclear Attack against USSR Planned During World War II. globalresearch.ca According to a secret document dated September 15, 1945, "the Pentagon had envisaged blowing up the Soviet Union with a coordinated nuclear attack directed against 66 major urban areas.

Editor2 (2021-12-28). Maduro to Al Mayadeen: We Will Not Abandon Palestine. orinocotribune.com Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro says, in an interview for Al Mayadeen, that the Venezuelan people resisted fierce attacks launched by US imperialism and its allies, and discusses relations with some countries, including Iran and Syria. | In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro noted that 2021 was the first year in which Venezuela registered economic growth since "the beginning of the criminal imperialist US sanctions," adding that this growth was the result of Venezuela's economy which produces food, goods, products, and services. The country has witnessed growth in i…

José Manuel Blanco Diaz (2021-12-28). María Corina Machado Speaks Out Against 'Interim Government'. orinocotribune.com Faced with the announcement of former deputy Juan Guaidó's clan and the fake National Assembly that Washington uses to provide some legitimacy to its actions, the Vente Venezuela party, led by María Corina Machado, rejected the recent steps to renew the "interim government" and announced that it will not support them in this new stage. | It should be remembered that next January 5 is the date that the US-led extreme opposition politicians consider as the deadline for the renewal of the pseudo-parliament that supports Guaidó, following the directions of the US government —despite countless corruption scandal…

José Manuel Blanco Diaz (2021-12-28). Screwed? Guaidó Extends 'Interim Government' into 2022. orinocotribune.com As 2021 comes to an end, the so-called interim government of Venezuela, appointed by former deputy Juan Guaidó two years ago, also reaches a crossroads. The puppet government, a legal mechanism created by the far-right to destabilize the constitutional government of President Nicolás Maduro and divert funds to Guaidó and his entourage, is continuing to unravel. | In this regard, the pseudo-parliament, which still includes former deputies to Venezuela's National Assembly who had been in office during the 2015-2020 legislative period, has undertaken a new maneuver that, according to them, will enable them to procla…

teleSUR (2021-12-28). US-Backed Opposition Continues to Loot Venezuelan Assets. telesurenglish.net On Monday, Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Felix Plasencia accused the US-backed opposition of continuing with the looting of resources belonging to the Bolivarian people. | RELATED: | "Unscrupulous politicians, who are divorced from national interests, intend to continue with the shameless plundering of the resources of all Venezuelans. Justice will be imposed sooner rather than later and they will have to render accounts before our people," h…

teleSUR (2021-12-28). Venezuela Aims To Be Free of Colombian Irregular Groups by 2022. telesurenglish.net "I set a big goal, but I know that you (the Armed Forces) will make it possible, 2022 must be the year in which Venezuela achieves a territory 100 percent free (…) of Colombian Armed Drug Trafficking Terrorists (Tancol)", said the President in statements to the state channel Venezolana de Televisión. | RELATED: | During the end of the year ceremony of the military forces, the President said that during 2021 the Venezuelan m…

teleSUR (2021-12-28). This Is How Venezuela Celebrates the 'Holy Innocents Day'. telesurenglish.net On Dec. 28, Latin American peoples commemorate the "Holy Innocents Day," which recalls that baby Jesus escaped the massacre of children ordered by Herod I, the King of Judea. | RELATED: | Venezuelans celebrate these holidays by making jokes amid artistic expressions that melt symbols from various cultures. | In Sanare town, in the state of Lara, people say prayers and dance "Las Zaragozas," while musical groups play songs in Tamunangue rythm. In t…

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