Juan Cole (2021-06-02). Was Mark Ruffalo wrong to accuse Israel of Genocide? juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The great actor and great humanitarian Mark Ruffalo apologized on Twitter last week for asserting that Israel was committing "genocide" toward the Palestinians, saying that the accusation was inaccurate, inflammatory and disrespectful and he had thought better of it. He also implied that such language was related to anti-Semitic hate …

Staff (2021-06-02). US Moves Against Ethiopia and Eritrea: Atrocities Alleged, Sanctions Imposed (Interview). orinocotribune.com US hostilities towards Ethiopia and Eritrea look more and more like those preceding US wars in Yugoslavia, Libya, and Syria, writes Ann Garrison. | On May 20, the US Senate passed Senate Resolution 97 "calling on the Government of Ethiopia, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and other belligerents in the conflict in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia to cease all hostilities, protect human rights, allow unfettered humanitarian access, and cooperate with independent investigations of credible atrocity allegations." The resolution also called on neighboring Eritrea to withdraw troops from Ethiopia. | On May 21, Camer…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-06-02). That Old Story: Spying on Friends. dissidentvoice.org One has to be repeatedly reminded that the theatre of international relations knows no friends and only national interests, whatever those might be. Intelligence services, being an expression of those interests, do not necessarily discriminate in targeting their quarry. The revelations of Edward Snowden in 2013 about warrantless and unwarranted surveillance by the US National …

Gareth Porter (2021-06-02). Eisenhower Rejected Military Chiefs' Demand for Nuclear War on China, Classified Account of '58 Taiwan Strait Crisis Reveals. globalresearch.ca Fearing a new …

Howard Lisnoff (2021-06-02). The Myth of the Self-Hating Jew. counterpunch.org There are lots of politically and socially liberal and left Jews in the US. Just how many is impossible to tally, but looking at polling data across decades using election results from the New Deal era to the present, the number of Jews supporting progressive/liberal/left causes is significant. For those who eschew electoral politics and

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-06-02). Brushing off the 'social rust' as COVID-19 restrictions ease. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org As society emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, many are feeling excited yet anxious and awkward about returning to normal life and interacting with others. What used to come so naturally doesn't feel so natural anymore. This article is written by Olivia Bogucki, Ph.D., is a clinical health psychology fellow in Primary Care at Mayo Clinic …

_____ (2021-06-02). For Memorial Day, Here Is How We Stop All Wars. popularresistance.org For Memorial Day week, Clearing the FOG speaks with David Swanson, the cofounder and executive director of World Beyond War, an international organization that is working to abolish all war. World Beyond War will hold its annual conference virtually from June 4 to 6. The conference, called "From Weapons Fairs to War Zones: Unraveling the War Machine," will bring activists together to share how they are stopping weapons corporation exhibitions, divesting from war, closing foreign bases and more. They will discuss what type of world they are working to create. David also speaks about his recent book, "Leaving World…

John Dick (2021-06-02). A love letter to the working class. peoplesworld.org On a warm sunny day last summer, whilst most of my patrons were hunkered down by the pandemic, a magical moment happened. I had just finished a loop on one of my favorite streets when two starry-eyed eight-year-olds approached me. "Mailman John, do you have a minute? We have a surprise for you." Of course, …

Editor2 (2021-06-02). Syria's Truly Been a Site of World War, Their Vote for Peace & Against Foreign Interference Must be Respected. orinocotribune.com Daniel Kovalik teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and is author of the Electing Assad for another term, Syrians have made an imperfect but rational choice, preferring their own leader over foreign fighters and governments who ruined the…

Staff (2021-06-02). Bolivarian National Guard Detains Colombian Spy in Táchira. orinocotribune.com The Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) detained a member of the Armed Forces of Colombia in the border state of Táchira. According to sources, the detained individual was carrying out espionage operations within Venezuela. | According to a report from the GNB, the apprehended person, identified by the name of Jhorman Benjamín Ortega Tarazona, was incercepted by GNB personnel as he displayed "suspicious behavior" in the vicinity of a Citizen's Attention Post in Vega de Aza, a Venezuelan town located 68 kilometers away from the Colombian city of Cúcuta. | Identification documents of Jhorman Benjamín Ortega Tarazona, w…

Staff (2021-06-02). Venezuela Carried Out 23 Anti-Narcotics Operations in Last Five Months. orinocotribune.com Journalist Eligio Rojas published in According to the report, the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) carried out 23 military operations against drug trafficking groups so far this year. The report is directly quoted here: | In anti-drug operations during January-May,…

Jesus Rodriguez-Espinoza (2021-06-02). Venezuelan Authorities Rescue 8 Kidnapped Soldiers From Colombian Paramilitary Gangs Without Violence. orinocotribune.com Caracas, June 1 (Special for OrinocoTribune.com)—Eight soldiers kidnapped by Colombian narco-terrorist groups at the beginning of this month in the border area of Apure state were rescued this Monday, May 31, in an operation called Centennial Eagle. | The news was confirmed by the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) through a statement shared on social media networks by Minister for Defense Vladimir Padrino. In the document, the military organization detailed that two additional soldiers are the subject of an ongoing search. | #FANBEnDefensaDeLaDignidad t.co/…

Staff (2021-06-02). 100+ Democracy Scholars Issue Dire Warning About Threats to Voting Rights in US. truthout.org I cannot write computer code, and I have no idea how to make a decent roux. The engine block on a standard-issue Honda may as well be a Rubik's Cube to me. I don't know how to serve drinks to 25 people simultaneously from behind the bar on a busy game day. I couldn't begin to conduct an autopsy, or a symphony. In a million years I would not try to drive an 18-wheeler through a Colorado snowstorm, because I would die explosively for lack of experience. I do what I do, and am thrilled on the…

Staff (2021-06-02). Big Oil Fought Cybersecurity Regulations, Making Pipeline Attacks Easier. truthout.org The American Petroleum Institute, the top trade group for the oil and gas industry, spent years opposing federal cybersecurity regulations before the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. After the attack, watchdog groups say API is still opposing strong federal regulation and pushing for taxpayer "subsidies" instead. | Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest pipelines in the country, which carries 45% of the fuel from Texas to New York, was forced to shut down after a ransomware attack by the foreig…

Anonymous007 (2021-06-02). Military Situation In Yemen On June 2, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 115 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On June 1, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 18 airstrikes on the Sarwah area | On June 1, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Hazm area | On June 1, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Baqim area | On June 1, three civilians were killed by Saudi shelling on Raqu border di…

Anonymous007 (2021-06-02). Military Situation In Syria On June 2, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 115 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On June 1, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 18 airstrikes on the Sarwah area | On June 1, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Hazm area | On June 1, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Baqim area | On June 1, three civilians were killed by Saudi shelling on Raqu bo…

WSWS (2021-06-02). For a socialist movement against fascism and war! Vote for the IYSSE for the student parliament on June 29! wsws.org The IYSSE has issued a statement announcing its candidacy for this year's student parliament elections at Humboldt University.

Rick Rozoff (2021-06-02). Western Sahara: U.S., NATO allies train for new war. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Western Sahara: U.S., NATO allies train for new warRick Rozoff The annual U.S.-led multinational African Lion military exercise will be held from June 7-18. Conducted under U.S. Africa Command auspices and run by U.S. Army Africa (alternately Southern European Task Force), components of the war games will be held in Morocco (the traditional base of …

Mnar Muhawesh Adley (2021-06-02). Dan Kovalik on Elections, Rebuilding and the Ongoing Proxy War in Syria. mintpressnews.com Despite the Western reaction, Assad, in power since 2000, looks set to govern for seven more years. His major task will be attempting to break armed opposition groups in Idlib and to repair a nation destroyed by 10 years of war and crippling sanctions.

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-06-02). Pentagon to Use War Games to Smuggle Weapons to Ukrainian Army, Extremist Formations for War in Donbass. libya360.wordpress.com Rick Rozoff Today's TASS cites Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, warning that the U.S. and NATO will exploit this year's Sea Breeze military exercise in Ukraine to smuggle advanced weaponry and munitions to the nation's armed forces and fascistic paramilitaries and mercenaries of the infamous Azov Battalion and similar units….

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-06-02). Canada: Toward a Police-Free Future? libya360.wordpress.com Robyn MaynardThe defund movement shows the way to divest from violence and repression, and invest in safety and life-affirming services. "In Canada, more than 70 defunding related events took place over the summer of 2020." It's been one year since the police publicly executed George Floyd in Minneapolis, and from New York to Toronto to…

WSWS (2021-06-02). Danish public broadcaster reveals ongoing NSA spying on top EU officials. wsws.org This comes eight years after NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed mass NSA electronic spying in 2013, targeting the population of the entire world.

John Clamp (2021-06-02). Fighting the Wrong Enemy in Africa. counterpunch.org In the West, citizens have for years been given the impression that 'jihad' is spreading like a 'contagion' n the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa. News editors in London and New York know that adding the magical letters I and S to a story gives it instant wings. Pentagon analysts' dire warnings about the 'risks of

WSWS (2021-06-02). Andy Niklaus, bus driver in Berlin, condemns dismissal of David O'Sullivan. wsws.org London bus driver David O'Sullivan was sacked by his employer Metroline after warning his colleagues about the spread of coronavirus at the depot where he worked.

WSWS (2021-06-02). US continues diplomatic provocations towards Beijing over Taiwan. wsws.org Washington's latest manoeuvres again call into question the "One China" policy and are designed to place addition pressure on Beijing.

Staff (2021-06-02). Colombia Backs Down, Will Extend the Closure of Border with Venezuela. orinocotribune.com Colombian authorities have backed down and announced an extension of the closure of the international border of Colombia with Venezuela at least until September 1, 2021. | Just days earlier, the government of Colombia had announced the opening of the border with Venezuela and had scheduled it for June 1, but now the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a decree to ratify the continuity of the closure of cross-border land and river routes. | In

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-06-02). Venezuela's Migration: Why They Left. libya360.wordpress.com Tatuy TV Part I Between 2000 and 2020, a large part of Venezuela's young working population migrated to different locations across the globe in search of better opportunities. This migration has been largely caused by political differences, economic impoverishment, and the deterioration of social conditions in the Latin American country. Venezuela is a country with…

Daniela Jimenez (2021-06-02). United States Extends Authorization for Transactions with PDVSA—Made in USA Only. orinocotribune.com Washington extended the "licenses" of US companies Chevron Corp, Halliburton, Schlumberger Limited, Baker Hughes and Weatherford International to make transactions with Venezuela's state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). The licenses were extended until the end of the year, confirmed the United States Department of the Treasury, within the framework of illegal US sanctions. | In the midst of unilateral "sanctions" and an economic blockade against Venezuela, the "8H General License" extends until December 1, 2021 the deadline for some companies to reduce their activities with the state-owned Petról…

Rick Rozoff (2021-06-02). Pentagon to use war games to smuggle weapons to Ukrainian army, extremist formations for war in Donbass: Russian Defense Ministry. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Pentagon to use war games to smuggle weapons to Ukrainian army, extremist formations for war in Donbass: Russian Defense MinistryRick Rozoff Today's TASS cites Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, warning that the U.S. and NATO will exploit this year's Sea Breeze military exercise in Ukraine to smuggle advanced weaponry and …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-06-02). Consumer Health: Understanding atypical depression. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about dealing with atypical depression. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave, and it can lead to emotional and physical problems. For some …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-06-02). Consumer Health: Treating osteoporosis. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about this bone disease, which affects approximately 10 million Americans, according to the Office on Women's Health. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses, such as bending over …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-06-02). Science Saturday: How regenerative medicine is advancing ALS research. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org May is?ALS Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the role of regenerative medicine research in advancing understanding and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?(ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease. This neurodegenerative disorder causes nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to die, blocking signals to the muscles. That results in paralysis that robs a person …

Jon Schwarz (2021-06-02). Why Now Was the Right Time to Release Top-Secret File on Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org The document about a 1958 crisis shows officials eagerly making the case for atomic warfare against China…

Lynda Carson (2021-06-02). Living under the thumb of CTCAC in California. indybay.org Oakland low-income tenants facing eviction by the John Stewart Company, and the dissolved corrupt Oakland Community Housing, Inc. (OCHI), protest in front of the California Hotel in 2008.

Erin Schwartz (2021-06-02). The Surreal Pleasures of 'The Masked Singer'. thenation.com The Surreal Pleasures of 'The Masked Singer'

Toward increasing Networking (2021-06-01). Online events w) Varoufakis, Sam Gindin, Kate Raworth, Chomsky, Angela Davis, V Shiva, etc. indybay.org Here are some 2 dozen online events taking place over the next couple of weeks (and starting today, May 29), featuring people such as Corrina Gould, Yanis Varoufakis, Sam Gindin, Kate Raworth, Noam Chomsky, Angela Davis, Vandana Shiva, and many others. | These events are hosted from various locations all across the country, as well from Canada and the UK (however, the listed times are all for our "Pacific time zone"). Of course, feel free to share this info with others who might be interested in it.

Jyotsna Singh (2021-06-01). Vaccine apartheid in Palestine: Israel's silent war. greenleft.org.au In violation of its obligations and responsibilities as an occupying power, Israel has taken little effort in vaccinating Palestinians, reports Jyotsna Singh.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-06-01). How Palestinian Resistance Altered the Equation. counterpunch.org The ceasefire on May 21 has, for now, brought the Israeli war on Gaza to an end. However, this ceasefire is not permanent and constant Israeli provocations anywhere in Palestine could reignite the bloody cycle all over again. Moreover, the Israeli siege on Gaza remains in place, as well as the Israeli military occupation and

Staff (2021-06-01). International #FreeAlexSaab Solidarity Delegation on Its Way to Cabo Verde. orinocotribune.com New York, June 1, 2021— The International #FreeAlexSaab Solidarity Committee emergency delegation is going to be in its way to Cabo Verde in the next hours to meet with kidnapped Venezuelan diplomat, Alex Saab, who has been held on isolation in the African island nation for the past year. The US is trying to extradite the Venezuelan diplomat for the "crime" of securing food for the hungry in "violation" of the illegal US sanctions. | Leading the humanitarian delegation is Cabo Verdean religious leader Bishop Felipe Teixeira, joined by Cabo Verdean politician Pericles Tavares along with human rights activist…

Medea Benjamin (2021-06-01). Biden should make normalizing relations with Cuba "a priority" nationofchange.org Biden would do well to heed the warning and with the stroke of a pen, lift trade and travel restrictions and allow unrestricted remittances.

Patrick Cockburn (2021-06-01). From the Somme to COVID, the Deadly Toll of Bad Leadership. counterpunch.org Dominic Cummings criticised the British government response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a case of "lions led by donkeys", a phrase commonly used to describe British military leaders in the First World War. He may have intended simply to abuse Boris Johnson and some of his ministers as catastrophically inept, but the comparison is valid

Eds. (2021-06-01). Was Marx a climate warrior? mronline.org This is a talk given online at the ESRC Festival of Social Science on November 11, 2020: 'Was Marx a climate warrior?' for a panel organized by Bangor University. | June 1, 2021 | Newswire…

Staff (2021-06-01). 'Colombia's People are Orphaned & Massacred': President Maduro Urges Bachelet & Guterres to Speak Up. orinocotribune.com "Colombia's people are orphaned and massacred," said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, commenting on the dire situation in the bordering country. "Orphaned because it [Colombia] has not taken care of them due to the coronavirus, and massacred by the repressive forces of Iván Duque. Thirteen young people killed with bullets, more than 200 disappeared, some bodies are already being found on the banks of the rivers, shot—a massacre, and the world does not react." | During a Sunday, May 30, address, President Maduro interrupted his COVID-19 report to speak about events in Colombia. Maduro took the opportunit…

Al Ronzoni (2021-06-01). Shame of the Nation: The 1921 Tulsa Massacre in Historical Context. counterpunch.org With the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre upon us, I've heard a lot of discussion about it on shows like Democracy Now! but not as much detail as I would have liked on the background of this shameful episode in American history and exactly what triggered it. So, I decided to dig further myself, picking up a copy of journalist Tim Madigan's, 2001 book, The Burning: The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, re-released this year with a new afterward.

Andy Kroll (2021-06-01). My Covid-19 Teaching Year. tomdispatch.com It seems appropriate that the 2020-2021 school year in Portland, Oregon, began amid toxic smoke from the catastrophic wildfires that blanketed many parts of the state for almost two weeks. The night before the first day of school, the smoke alarm in my bedroom went off. Looking back, I see it as a clarion call, a shrieking, beeping warning of all the threats, real and existential, we'd face in the year to come. On that first day of what would be that fall's online version of school, I was still reeling from the loss of one of my dear friends. As wildfires approached her remote Sonoma County, California, home, she…

Tom Engelhardt (2021-06-01). Tomgram: Belle Chesler, Living in Pandemic Purgatory, Up Close and Personal. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. I've thought about my situation more than once (who hasn't?) in these pandemic months. As it happens, I was in the equivalent of a work lockdown for years before Covid-19 hit our shores. I deserted an office setting …

Philip Giraldi (2021-06-01). Recantations Are All the Rage. Israel Has Lost the Public Relations War. globalresearch.ca Several things are …

David Swanson (2021-06-01). Talk World Radio: Scott Horton on Ending the War on Terrorism. 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. This Week on Talk World Radio, it's time to end the terrorism-generating war on terrorism. Our guest is Scott Horton. Scott Horton is the director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com, …

Lawrence Wittner (2021-06-01). How John Hersey Blew the Whistle on the Reality of Nuclear War. zcomm.org Review of "Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World" In this crisply-written, well-researched book, Lesley Blume, a journalist and biographer, tells the fascinating story of the background to John Hersey's pathbreaking article, "Hiroshima," and of its extraordinary impact upon the world. In 1945, although only 30 years of age,

Staff (2021-06-01). 200 Years After Carabobo: The People's War & The Current Strategy. orinocotribune.com Editorial note: As a rule Orinoco Tribune does not re-publish opinion pieces more than 10 days after their original publication, but in this case we are making an exception, because this month Venezuela will be celebration the bicentennial of Battle of Carabobo. This piece was initially published on March 16, 2021. | By Gabriela Molina — Mar 16, 2021 | Eleven battles took place starting February 12, 1814, when the army led by José Félix Ribas won the Battle of Victory, opening the path for the historical outcome that led to Venezuela's political independence, and freeing the nation from the chains of Spanish…