(2021-03-17). Assange's Father John Shipton On The Home Run Tour For Julian. popularresistance.org For the past fortnight the Home Run for Julian tour has been weaving its way through regional and suburban Victoria and NSW, towards the nation's capital. | And along its route, it's met with supporters to spread the word that Australians want Wikileaks founder Julian Assange returned home. | After over a decade of drawn out detention in the UK, Assange is now incarcerated in London's Belmarsh prison, pending an appeal of the British court decision not to extradite him to the United States to face multiple espionage charges over his publishing. | The Home Run for Julian speak out tour has been led by Assange's fa…
(2021-03-17). 'White supremacist' propaganda incidents nearly DOUBLED across US in 2020 — report. rt.com 
The US saw a major spike in white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ propaganda last year, hitting a record level, a report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has said. | Last year, the country saw a record number of incidents related to dissemination of such propaganda, with the group registering 5,125 cases. The new The figure turned out to be nearly two times higher than in 2019, when some 2,700 such incidents were registered. At the sa…
(2021-03-17). Greek unions say 'No!' to police violence. workers.org 
The banner of the Federation of Construction Workers (member of the All Workers Militant Front — PAME) at an anti-police violence march in Greece, March 9. Behind the union banner of the Federation of Construction Workers of Greece bearing the slogan "Money for health and education! No to repression and . . . |
(2021-03-17). Killings of Korean women reflects U.S. misogyny and racism. workers.org 
Demonstrators at "Love Our Communities: Build Collective Power" rally to raise awareness of anti-Asian violence in Los Angeles, March 13. Atlanta Beginning at 5 p.m., March 16, the first horrific news of the murders of four people and the wounding of a fifth at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, a . . . |
(2021-03-17). One year later: Don't forget about Breonna Taylor. peoplesworld.org 
Her death sparked a movement for change. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets to demand accountability for months following the killing of Breonna Taylor and other African Americans at the hands of police. On the one-year anniversary of Taylor's death, there is still justice to be fought for. The fight goes beyond a trending …
(2021-03-17). The Ongoing Calamity: US Collective Punishment of the Venezuelan People Must End. dissidentvoice.org 
Recent statements made by US officials suggest that Washington will continue to pursue a hardline policy on Venezuela. The new Biden Administration, however, needs to urgently rethink its approach. US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, remarked on February 3 that he "certainly" does not "expect this administration to be engaging directly with (President) Maduro." Namely, …
(2021-03-17). The University Deception: Rankings and Academic Freedom. counterpunch.org 
Forget the global university rankings of any list. The global university promotion exercise is filled with snake oil and perfumed refuse, an effort to corrupt the unknowing and steal from the gullible. The aim here is to convince parents, potential students and academics that their institutions of white collar crime are appealing enough to warrant
(2021-03-17). John Locke and the Roots of White Supremacy in the US. counterpunch.org 
Ideas count — sometimes, they are even stronger than material interests. This is the case with the legacy of 17th century philosopher John Locke in the United States, which is central to explaining why class solidarity is so weak while white racial solidarity is so strong. Recent events have confirmed the unfortunate fact that there
(2021-03-17). Pittsburgh's city budget works for the police but not for the people. liberationnews.org 
The Pittsburgh city budget is a further entrenchment of the same capitalist status quo…
(2021-03-17). Twitter Deletes QAnon to Protect US from Upheaval; Russia May Delete Twitter for the Same Reason. mintpressnews.com 
With American social media companies increasingly controlled by the national security state, Russia is considering bans on the likes of Twitter and YouTube.
(2021-03-17). Magellan, inquisition and globalisation. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-17). Environmentalists seek climate action in U.S. infrastructure bill. peoplesworld.org 
Environmental groups are launching a $10 million push for Congress to make climate change central to infrastructure legislation. "The Great American Build" campaign, a joint effort of Climate Power, the League of Conservation Voters and Potential Energy Coalition, will pressure lawmakers to include funding for climate action as part of the emerging infrastructure package. "Americans elected pro-climate …
(2021-03-17). Trigger words and the duty of revolutionaries in the Internet era. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-17). Why are hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise? liberationnews.org 
Over the past year, we have seen an alarming surge in racist violence directed toward Asian Americans.
(2021-03-17). Defend voting rights! workers.org 
The former Republican president may be absent from the corporate media these days, but his racist and pro-rich ideas live on in all reactionary political institutions and organizations. This ideology flourishes in the Republican Party's current assault on the universal right to vote. We are well aware of the limitations . . . |
(2021-03-17). Diversity and False Dichotomies at Smith College. counterpunch.org 
Can exchanges between individuals always unproblematically be characterized as either racist or not racist? Bret Stephens appears to think so. Smith College hired an independent law firm to investigate what a student argued was a racist incident on campus back in 2018. The investigation ended with a finding of "no persuasive evidence of bias." This
(2021-03-17). Columbia University forces TAs, RAs to strike, again. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK—For the second time in four years, Columbia University's intransigent bosses' refusal to meaningfully bargain for a contract with their more than 2,000 teaching assistants and resident assistants forced those workers to strike. The walkout began on March 16, even though a three-and-a-half-hour bargaining session was scheduled for that afternoon. The two sides are …
(2021-03-17). On January 6th, the U.S. Became a Foreign Country. juancole.com 
By Kevin Tillman | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — Just about everyone was shocked by what happened at the Capitol building on January 6th. But as a former soldier in America's forever wars, horrifying as the scenes were, I also found what happened strangely familiar, almost inevitable. I thought that, if only we had taken our …
(2021-03-17). India's Farm Crisis: "How Long Will the Lies Work?" counterpunch.org 
If it weren't for the violent blows of police lathi s, the farmers protesting in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district would not have left their protest site on January 27. "The protest had been going on for 40 days," says Brijpal Singh, 52, a sugarcane farmer from Baraut town, where the sit-in was held. "It was not
(2021-03-17). Every day is war' — a decade of slow suffering and destruction in Syria. juancole.com 
By Ammar Azzouz | — Abduljalil sent me a photo of his ruined home in Homs, Syria. "It is the third floor", he told me over WhatsApp. The building still stands but it looks like an empty skeleton. Most of its facade has been destroyed, while piles of debris surround it. Residents have not been …
(2021-03-17). California rally: 'Union busting is disgusting!'. workers.org 
San Francisco, March 12 San Francisco March 12 — Labor union and community members rallied today in front of the offices of Morgan Lewis, a law firm with offices in 31 cities around the world with a sordid history of union busting. Morgan Lewis was recently hired by Amazon to . . . |
(2021-03-17). The watchdogs of imperialism and the Uyghur genocide slander. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-17). Biden administration 'tackling' difficult border situation, progressives say step up the pace. peoplesworld.org 
In its attempts to deal with rising numbers of immigrants at the southwest border, the Biden administration is facing strong criticism from many different sources, some of it legitimate but much of it outrageously hypocritical. The administration's head of Homeland Security insisted yesterday that the situation is "under control." He made that assertion during a …
(2021-03-17). The Impossible Peter Oborne. dissidentvoice.org 
On the face of it, Peter Oborne is impossible. It's not possible to be educated at Sherborne independent school, at Cambridge University, to work as political editor of the Spectator, as chief political commentator of The Daily Telegraph, as a journalist at the Evening Standard, as a commentator at the Express, to make nearly 30 …
(2021-03-17). Bust the filibuster! Pass the PRO Act! workers.org 
On March 9 the House of Representatives passed the Protect the Right to Organize Act, the most sweeping amendment to the 1935 National Labor Relations Act since the notorious, union-busting Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Unions are now demanding the Senate pass the PRO Act, which undoes parts of Taft-Hartley and . . . |
(2021-03-17). Philippine activists demand: 'Stop the killings and arrests!'. workers.org 
"Kill them all!" ordered Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, addressing the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines on March 5. Two days later, state forces following the dictator's edict carried out a deadly attack on progressive activists in the Southern Tagalog region. Protest against the March 7 massacre . . . |
(2021-03-17). Racial Justice and Civil Liberties: An Inseparable History at the ACLU. aclu.org 
After World War I, it quickly became clear that the war to make the world "safe for democracy" had not made America safe for equality. Anti-Black race riots ripped through Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and even Elaine, Arkansas. In October 1919, after Black sharecroppers in Elaine convened a union meeting, newspapers labeled the effort a "Negro uprising." The state mobilized troops and mobs to quell the rebellion. The result was "possibly the bloodiest racial conflict in the history of the United States," concluded the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. | The American Civil Liberties Union's origin…
(2021-03-17). 'Making it' in America as pure fantasy: Ayad Akhtar's 'Homeland Elegies: A Novel'. peoplesworld.org 
The book jacket describes Homeland Elegies as "art family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel." The decision to confuse these genres is both tantalizing and frustrating. Its subtitle identifies it as "a novel." This pre-pandemic text refers often to real-life events, such as to his own plays and to main actors in those plays …
(2021-03-17). Infrastructure Should Be the Great Economic Equalizer. counterpunch.org 
During the Trump years, the phrase "Infrastructure Week" rang out as a sort of Groundhog Day-style punchline. What began in June 2017 as a failed effort by The Donald's White House and a Republican Senate to focus on the desperately needed rebuilding of American infrastructure morphed into a meme and a running joke in Washington.
(2021-03-17). OSHA targets coronavirus inspections to health care, meatpacking firms. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Carrying out Democratic President Joe Biden's executive order, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's inspectors will put health care firms—including hospitals and nursing homes—and meat and poultry packers at the top of its inspections and enforcement list in the war against the coronavirus. It's especially going to focus its ire on employers who retaliate against …
(2021-03-17). Jackson Mayor Demands Help After Month-Long Water Crisis Amid Pandemic, Racism, Broken Infrastructure. democracynow.org 
Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, have been facing a water crisis over the last five weeks, with many people lacking reliable access to clean drinking water after deadly February winter storms caused pipes and water mains to burst. While water delivery has largely been restored, "boil water" orders remain in effect for most people. The city estimates it could cost $2 billion to fix the city's water system. The crisis in Jackson, which is 82% Black, highlights how climate catastrophe threatens much of the nation's aging infrastructure. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says while the city "contributes millions of dollar…
(2021-03-17). With First Native Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, Hope Grows U.S. Will Confront Toxic Uranium Legacy. democracynow.org 
Deb Haaland, a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, is being sworn in as secretary of the interior and will be the first Native American ever to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet. Just four Republicans joined Democrats in voting to confirm Haaland, who will manage 500 million acres of federal and tribal land. Haaland will also oversee government relations with 574 federally recognized tribal nations and is expected to address the legacy of uranium mining on Indigenous land and other areas. Leona Morgan, a Diné anti-nuclear activist and community organizer, says that while it's "impossible to expect one person…
(2021-03-17). "Suave": New Podcast Follows One Man's Journey to Freedom After a Life Sentence Without Parole at 17. democracynow.org 
A new Futuro Media podcast, "Suave," tells the story of one person's journey to freedom after receiving a life sentence without parole at the age of 17. David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez met journalist Maria Hinojosa in 1993 during a talk at the prison in Pennsylvania where he was serving a sentence for first-degree homicide. For years, Gonzalez and Hinojosa stayed in touch through letters, visits and phone calls that Hinojosa recorded. The seven-part podcast series chronicles Gonzalez's experience as he is eventually given the opportunity to experience life on the outside for the first time, after the 2016 Supreme Cou…
(2021-03-17). Turkey: Chief prosecutor files lawsuit to close pro-Kurdish HDP party. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey: Chief prosecutor files lawsuit to close pro-Kurdish HDP party | Bekir Sahin accuses party of attempting 'to destroy the inseparable unity of the Turkish state and the nation' | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 15: 35 | A man flashes a V sign as members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) take part in a protest against the detention of HDP members, in Istanbul, on 25 September 2020 (AFP) | Turkey's…
(2021-03-17). US senators from both parties lambast Iran at MEK-linked event. middleeasteye.net 
US senators from both parties lambast Iran at MEK-linked event | Amid Biden administration efforts to revive nuclear deal, Republican and Democratic lawmakers express hawkish views against Tehran | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 17: 43 | MEK leader Maryam Rajavi speaks at conference in Albanian town of Manza, 13 July 2019 (AFP/File photo) | US senators, including several Democrats, rebuked the Iranian government at a virtual…
(2021-03-17). Yemen's Houthis express 'deep regret' for Sanaa migrant centre fire. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's Houthis express 'deep regret' for Sanaa migrant centre fire | Houthis said 44 people died, as evidence grows that the rebels caused the fire | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 53 | East African refugees wait for then-head of UNHCR Antonio Guterres in 2010 when he visited a refugee camp in Djibouti (AFP) | The Houthi rebel movement in Yemen expressed "deep regret" on Wednesday for the deaths of dozens of mig…
(2021-03-17). Iraq: Iran's competing power centres in the country are creating havoc. middleeasteye.net 
Iraq: Iran's competing power centres in the country are creating havoc | Four Iranian intelligence agencies are giving contradictory commands to Tehran's Iraqi proxies, leaving armed factions scratching their heads | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 01 | Iraqi youths watch an event celebrating the inauguration of a street named after the late Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in the southern city of…
(2021-03-17). Iraq: Iran's competing power centres are creating havoc in the country. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Iran's competing power centres are creating havoc in the country | Four Iranian intelligence agencies are giving contradictory commands to Tehran's Iraqi proxies, leaving armed factions scratching their heads | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 01 | Iraqi youths watch an event celebrating the inauguration of a street named after the late Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in the southern city of…
(2021-03-17). Turkey: Chief prosecutor files lawsuit to close down pro-Kurdish HDP. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey: Chief prosecutor files lawsuit to close down pro-Kurdish HDP | Bekir Sahin accuses party of attempting 'to destroy the inseparable unity of the Turkish state and the nation' | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 15: 35 | Turkey's chief prosecutor on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to the Constitutional Court to disband the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HDP), the third largest in parliament, public news agency An…
(2021-03-17). False alarm or malicious rumor? Twitter account claiming to be Ecuadorian FM falsely announces death of Julian Assange. rt.com 
A Twitter account purporting to belong to Ecuador's newly promoted foreign minister has falsely reported Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's death, acknowledging the news is "unconfirmed." It's not clear who's behind the report. | A recently created Twitter account supposedly belonging to Ecuadorian FM Manuel Mejía Dalmau posted an "URGENT" message on Wednesday declaring "diplomatic sources in London" had reported "the news of the death of Julian Assange," the Wikileaks founder's partner Stella Moris revealed on Wednesday, posting a screenshot of the tweet that noted the report was "unconfirmed." | pic.t…
(2021-03-17). 'No indications' of withdrawal of Russian mercenaries from Libya, says UN report. middleeasteye.net 
'No indications' of withdrawal of Russian mercenaries from Libya, says UN report | UN experts cite 'extensive, blatant' violations of 2011 embargo imposed on war-torn country | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 11: 46 | Libyan cadets attend a graduation ceremony at the Military College in the Libyan capital Tripoli (AFP) | There have been "no indications" that around 2,000 Russian mercenaries have withdrawn from Libya, despit…
(2021-03-17). Covid-19 and Ramadan: UAE issues strict social measures. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19 and Ramadan: UAE issues strict social measures | UAE said residents and citizens must avoid evening gatherings and the exchanging of food to break the fast, except for members of the same household | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 17 | A man registers before receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the Dubai International Financial Centre, UAE, 3 February 2021 (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday introduced a nu…
(2021-03-17). Nepal probes Bahraini prince's 'gift' of 2,000 vaccines to Himalayan village. middleeasteye.net 
Nepal probes Bahraini prince's 'gift' of 2,000 vaccines to Himalayan village | Nepal's medicines regulator said vaccine doses were brought into the country without a licence or prior knowledge of the health ministry | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 19: 32 | Sheikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed al-Khalifa (second right) poses for pictures upon arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (AFP) | An investigation has bee…
(2021-03-17). Covid-19: West Bank receives first Covax vaccine doses. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: West Bank receives first Covax vaccine doses | World Health Organisation's vaccine-sharing initiative adds 62,000 doses to the occupied West Bank's struggling inoculation programme | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 18: 00 | A worker unloads a refrigerated truck carrying the first Covax delivery to a Palestinian Authority storage facility in the West Bank city of Nablus on 17 March (AFP) | The Palestinian Authority…
(2021-03-17). Egypt's mass demolitions of Sinai homes 'likely war crimes'. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt's mass demolitions of Sinai homes 'likely war crimes' | Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 12,350 buildings have been demolished by the Egyptian military in the restive Sinai | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 11: 32 | Image grab, taken from a video released by the official Facebook page of Egypt's military spokesman on 8 December 2020, shows Egyptian army vehicles driving in the desert (Screengrab)
| The…
(2021-03-17). Turkey: Parliament unseats outspoken pro-Kurdish MP after court verdict. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey: Parliament unseats outspoken pro-Kurdish MP after court verdict | Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, also a human rights advocate, has decided to hold a sit-in in parliament to protest the 'illegitimate decision' to revoke his membership | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 14: 01 | HDP MP Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu (C) reacts as he is surrounded by MPs applauding and brandishing placards after he was dismissed following a vo…
(2021-03-17). Khashoggi murder: Biden defends decision against punishing MBS. middleeasteye.net 
Khashoggi murder: Biden defends decision against punishing MBS | US president says sanctions against Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince would have been unprecedented | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 19: 18 | Saudi government agents murdered Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 (AFP/File photo) | President Joe Biden defended his administration's decision against imposing sanctions on Saudi Arabia'
(2021-03-17). Pro-Palestinian groups urge Canada to cancel purchase of Israeli drone. middleeasteye.net 
Pro-Palestinian groups urge Canada to cancel purchase of Israeli drone | Canadian NGO says Ottawa's recent purchase of civilian version of military drone implicitly rewards Israel | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 14: 24 | Canada first announced its purchase of Israeli-made drone last December (AFP) | Pro-Palestinian groups are urging the Canadian government to cancel a $36m purchase of an Israeli-made civilian…
(2021-03-17). Muslim organisations boycott UK government's Prevent review. middleeasteye.net 
Muslim organisations boycott UK government's Prevent review | Letter also backed by mosques, prominent scholars and academics accuses reviewer William Shawcross of a 'track record of hostility to Islam' | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 49 | A man prays in a mosque in Bury, northern England, in April 2020 (AFP) | Leading British Muslim civil society organisations and mosques said on Wednesday they would boycott…
(2021-03-17). 'The only acceptable treatment for Mumia Abu-Jamal is his freedom!'. workers.org 
Organized in less than 24 hours, around 50 supporters of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal rallied outside Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's office March 12. They demanded Krasner immediately release 66-year-old Abu-Jamal, who has tested positive for COVID-19. At a protest outside DA Larry Krasner's office, Pam Africa compares photos of . . . |