Monthly Archives: March 2021

2021-03-03: News Headlines

Project Censored (2021-03-03). Luminaries Join Peace Studies Class for Tribute to Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. projectcensored.org By: Aaron Good Famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg joined my peace studies class on February 2nd. Ellsberg came prepared to answer questions from students, which he did, but only…

Steve Topple (2021-03-03). Here's the BBC's most insidious bit of Rishi Sunak propaganda yet. thecanary.co BBC News couldn't let Budget day go by without an insidious Who is Rishi Sunak?: | On Wedn…

Eds. (2021-03-03). The class character of the expansion of COVID-19: The case of Peru's Capital City Lima. mronline.org At the end of December 2019, the world was notified about the existence of a new coronavirus in the city of Wuhan in China. This virus, SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19), rapidly spread and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.

Tomdispatch (2021-03-03). The Real Threats to America are the Pandemic and Poverty; why Give Ever More Money to the Pentagon? juancole.com By Mandy Smithberger | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — This country is in a crisis of the first order. More than half a million of us have died thanks to Covid-19. Food insecurity is on the rise, with nearly 24 million Americans going hungry, including 12 million children. Unemployment claims filed since the pandemic began have …

Joseph Grosso (2021-03-03). Andrew Cuomo: Legend of a Fall. counterpunch.org Future historians will have a field day examining the daily commentary of the COVID pandemic. Early on there was Madonna sitting nude in a marble bathtub filled with rose petals proclaiming COVID 'the great equalizer.' Trump of course supplied his daily dose of schizophrenic fare so incoherent that even conservative TV hacks were unable to morph it into a convincing picture of brave leadership. Yet nothing tops the spectacle of Ellen Degeneres and Trevor Noah actually declaring themselves to be 'Cuomosexuals', in honor of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a term that was immediately plastered on various merchandise…

Joseph Grosso (2021-03-03). Andrew Cuomo: Legend of a Fall. counterpunch.org Future historians will have a field day examining the daily commentary of the COVID pandemic. Early on there was Madonna sitting nude in a marble bathtub filled with rose petals proclaiming COVID 'the great equalizer.' Trump of course supplied his daily dose of schizophrenic fare so incoherent that even conservative TV hacks were unable to morph it into a convincing picture of brave leadership. Yet nothing tops the spectacle of Ellen Degeneres and Trevor Noah actually declaring themselves to be 'Cuomosexuals', in honor of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a term that was immediately plastered on various merchandise…

Staff (2021-03-03). Latinx Farmworkers Risk Their Lives During Pandemic. Many Now Struggle to Access Vaccines. democracynow.org There are about 2.5 million farmworkers around the U.S., many of them undocumented immigrants working under dangerous and exploitive circumstances without sick leave or healthcare. Despite their status as essential workers, however, many farmworkers are facing an uphill battle to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Estella Cisneros, legal director of the Agricultural Worker Program for California Rural Legal Assistance, says an uneven rollout in California as well as technical barriers have left many farmworkers unvaccinated. "There's been a lot of inequities that we've seen," she says. We also speak with Mary Jo Du…

Staff (2021-03-03). Latinx Farmworkers Risk Their Lives During Pandemic. Many Now Struggle to Access Vaccines. democracynow.org There are about 2.5 million farmworkers around the U.S., many of them undocumented immigrants working under dangerous and exploitive circumstances without sick leave or healthcare. Despite their status as essential workers, however, many farmworkers are facing an uphill battle to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Estella Cisneros, legal director of the Agriculture Worker Program for California Rural Legal Assistance, says an uneven rollout in California as well as technical barriers have left many farmworkers unvaccinated. "There's been a lot of inequities that we've seen," she says. We also speak with Mary Jo Dud…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-03-03). Arabic press review: Egypt tries to boost human rights credentials for Biden. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egypt tries to boost human rights credentials for Biden | Meanwhile, Jordan has reportedly received $1bn from the European Union to fight the pandemic, and Iraq's PM vows to crack down on militias | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 15: 03 | Watchtowers at the notorious Tora prison on the southern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo on 11 February 2020 (AFP) | Egypt concerned by US…

Staff (2021-03-03). Cuomo Must Go: Calls Grow to Remove NY Governor over COVID Nursing Home Cover-up & Sexual Harassment. democracynow.org New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing mounting calls from fellow Democrats and progressive organizations to resign or be impeached over sexual harassment allegations and his cover-up of thousands of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation after three women — two former aides and a woman who met Cuomo at a friend's wedding reception — accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. "Credible accusations of sexual harassment made by these courageous women coming forward show a clear pattern of Cuomo's abuse of power," says New York Assembly…

Staff (2021-03-03). Asian American Communities Organize Against Rise in Hate Crimes, Say More Policing Is Not the Answer. democracynow.org Anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked across the U.S. over the past year, fueled in part by Donald Trump's racist rhetoric about the coronavirus. One recent study found a 150% increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans in 2020, even though overall hate crimes fell last year. Ron Kim, member of the New York State Assembly representing the 40th District in Queens, New York, says anti-Asian sentiment tends to flare up during times of crisis. "There's a long history of Asian Americans in this country feeling targeted and scapegoated whenever we experience economic downturns," says Kim. We also speak with Kim Tran…

Staff (2021-03-03). GOP Lawyer Admits to SCOTUS That Voting Rights Disadvantage Republican Party. truthout.org An attorney representing the Arizona Republican Party on Tuesday helpfully admitted outright what has long been obvious to observers of the GOP's decades-long assault on the franchise: Easier voting makes it harder for Republicans to win elections. | Asked by right-wing Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to explain the Arizona GOP's interest in upholding a state law that disqualifies ballots cast in the wrong precinct — a restriction that voting rights advocates say discriminates a…

Staff (2021-03-03). Democratic Women's Caucus Members Propose Monument Honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg. truthout.org Several Democratic lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation that seeks to honor the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg The bill is sponsored by several members of the Democratic Women's Caucus, and was introduced this week to highlight March as Women's History Month. The proposal's introduction at thi…

Martha Grevatt (2021-03-03). Support keeps building for #BAmazon union drive, Biden feels pressure. workers.org A people's movement against an anti-people corporation has intensified, backing the union drive at Amazon's Bessemer, Ala., warehouse. The courageous Southern union warriors are finally starting to get the support they need and deserve. People's Organization for Progress rally to support Amazon workers outside Whole Foods, Newark, N.J., Feb. 27. . . . |

Christian Noakes (2021-03-03). The Bessemer front in the international class struggle. workers.org Bessemer, Ala., is now the site of a historic labor struggle between the majority-Black Amazon warehouse workers there and the $1.7 trillion international capitalist monopoly corporation. About 80% of the warehouse workers are African American, and almost half are women. Rally for Amazon workers, Bessemer, Ala., Feb. 6. In March . . . |

Joyce Chediac (2021-03-03). 7 lies Amazon tells about the union. liberationnews.org In a historic development, 5,800 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, are right now voting on whether to be represented by the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Special to People's World (2021-03-03). The devastating, irreparable death of Aruká Juma. peoplesworld.org Manaus, Amazonas — The death of the last survivor of the Juma people, the warrior Amoim Aruká, from complications linked to COVID-19, is an incalculable tragedy. The Juma people suffered innumerable massacres throughout their history. There were 15,000 of them at the turn of the 20th century and by 2002 there were only five Jumas …

A Guest Author (2021-03-03). Global labor federation backs #BAmazon union. workers.org The World Federation of Trade Unions issued the following statement on March 3. USA: WFTU in solidarity with Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama The World Federation of Trade Unions, which is the militant voice of 105 million workers from 132 countries around the globe, extends its internationalist solidarity with Amazon . . . |

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-03). ICC prosecutor opens investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas. middleeasteye.net ICC prosecutor opens investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas | Fatou Bensouda formally begins her investigation after the International Criminal Court ruled it had jurisdiction in the Palestinian territories | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 14: 26 | Bensouda said the decision to begin an ICC investigation comes after a five-year preliminary inquiry (Reuters) | The International Criminal Court's pros…

Kenneth Surin (2021-03-03). Policing Universities by Neoliberal Governments in the UK And France. counterpunch.org The respective motivations, and their specific underlying conditions, are of course different in the UK and France, but both culminate in plans for universities to curb the expression of leftist points of view. In the UK this gives a potential pulpit to "maverick" speakers on the right, such as Steve Bannon, who (facetiously?) approved the delivery of pipe bombs to critics of Trump, and who lost his book deal for having a favourable view of underage sex.

Staff (2021-03-03). Latinx Farmworkers Risking Their Lives During COVID Struggle to Access Vaccines. truthout.org There are about 2.5 million farmworkers around the U.S., many of them undocumented immigrants working under dangerous and exploitive circumstances without sick leave or healthcare. Despite their status as essential workers, however, many farmworkers are facing an uphill battle to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Estella Cisneros, legal director of the Agriculture Worker Program for California Rural Legal Assistance, says an uneven rollout in California as well as technical barriers have left…

ProPublica (2021-03-03). How Facebook Suppressed Kurdish Site for sake of its Business in Turkey. juancole.com By Jack Gillum and Justin Elliott | — ( ProPublica ) — As Turkey launched a military offensive against Kurdish minorities in neighboring Syria in early 2018, Facebook's top executives faced a political dilemma. Turkey was demanding the social media giant block Facebook posts from the People's Protection Units, a mostly Kurdish militia group the …

The Conversation (2021-03-03). A common soil pesticide cut wild bee reproduction by 89% — here's why scientists are worried. juancole.com By Philip Donkersley | — When you think of bees, a hive humming with activity probably comes to mind. But most of the world's 20,000 bee species don't call a hive home. These wild species lead solitary lives instead, and around 70% of them build nests underground where they raise their offspring on the nectar …

Jenny Farrell (2021-03-03). Rosa Luxemburg at 150: Toward 'a social order worthy of the human race'. peoplesworld.org On March 5, 2021, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Rosa Luxemburg's birth. No one who wishes to get a sense of Rosa Luxemburg as a person, both political and private, will regret watching Margarethe von Trotta's meticulously researched 1986 film of the same name. It is available with English subtitles. The film begins on …

Liberation Staff-Yakima (2021-03-03). Richland, Washington protesters demand 'No kids in cages'. liberationnews.org Facilities used to cage children that were closed under Trump's administration are being reopened under Biden's administration.

Eds. (2021-03-03). Ecuador: from horror to electoral debate. mronline.org Amidst denunciations and accusations the campaign for the April 11 runoff begins.

Sandra Plantier (2021-03-03). What the trees of Notre Dame have to tell us. peoplesworld.org On April 15, 2019, watching television footage of Notre Dame Cathedral burning, I wept like millions of other French people and others around the world. The flames which invaded the screen brought back memories of my first visit to the cathedral as a child, reading the novel by Victor Hugo (Notre Dame de Paris, 1831), …

teleSUR Desk (2021-03-03). Ecuador: Indigenous organizations announce national strike. mronline.org Supporters of Indigenous presidential candidate Yaku Perez demand the recount of electoral records due to alleged electoral fraud.

Melvin Goodman (2021-03-03). Biden's Quandry: Proxy Wars and Endless Wars. counterpunch.org From the end of the Second World War until the administration of Ronald Reagan, there were very few American battlefield deaths in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Southwest Asia. Since the administration of George H.W. Bush, however, most American battlefield deaths have taken place in those regions. The turning point took place in 1979 with the Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Joe Piette (2021-03-03). Community demands Sanctuary Schools in Philadelphia, a 'sanctuary city'. workers.org Erika Guadalupe Nuñez speaking, March 1. "Philadelphia has declared itself a 'sanctuary city,' but how can it be a sanctuary city without its schools being sanctuaries for all students?" asked Erika Guadalupe Nuñez of Juntos at a well-attended March 1 press conference outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters. . . . |

Melvin Goodman (2021-03-03). Biden's Quandary: Proxy Wars and Endless Wars. counterpunch.org From the end of the Second World War until the administration of Ronald Reagan, there were very few American battlefield deaths in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Southwest Asia. Since the administration of George H.W. Bush, however, most American battlefield deaths have taken place in those regions. The turning point took place in 1979 with the Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Karen Conner (2021-03-03). Workers Should be Wary Now that Private Equity Is Going Retail. cepr.net Eight years after passage of the 2013 JOBS Act that let private equity firms market directly to individuals to solicit their investments, retail investors — largely high net worth individuals — finally account for a significant share of assets under management (AUM) at some of the largest PE firms. Apollo claims to be "among the …

Lambert Strether (2021-03-03). CDC school reopening guidance suppresses aerosols based on thin evidence and driven by budgetary concerns. mronline.org For a period of time after this article was originally published (February 18, 2021) it was scrubbed from Google's search index. When the author, Lambert Strether, realized the piece had been "censored," it was published a second time on March 1, 2021 with an analysis of the purging. Subsequently, the article magically reappeared in the search …

Ted Kelly (2021-03-03). Biden pick for Secretary of Agriculture no friend of farmworkers or small farmers. workers.org President Joe Biden nominated former Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a job he held for the entire Obama administration from 2009 to 2017. Vilsack testified before the Senate on Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day — and was confirmed a few weeks later. . . . |

Gloria Rubac (2021-03-03). Solitary confinement abuse sparks hunger strike in Louisiana's Angola Prison. workers.org Incarcerated workers in Louisiana's notorious Angola Prison began a hunger strike early Feb. 17. The reason: Prison officials refused to release them back into the prison population after they served their sentence in solitary for a rule infraction. Angola State Prison was the 18,000-acre Angola Plantation before the Civil War, . . . |

Howard Lisnoff (2021-03-03). What We Got in Biden. counterpunch.org The wrenching appeals by some on the political left to vote for Biden must sting for some of those who actually did cast their vote for him, or at least against Trump in November 2020. This is the game that plays itself out again and again and again, ad nauseam, in US politics, the politics

Eds. (2021-03-03). Debt relief with Chinese characteristics. mronline.org As China is poised to become the world's largest creditor, concerns about debt sustainability have grown. Yet considerable confusion exists over what is likely to happen when a government runs into trouble repaying its Chinese loans.

Ted Kelly (2021-03-03). Biden pick for Secretary of Agriculture no friend of farmworkers or small farmers. workers.org President Joe Biden nominated former Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a job he held for the entire Obama administration from 2009 to 2017. Vilsack testified before the Senate on Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day — and was confirmed a few weeks later. Vilsack's . . . |

Nigel Bouvart (2021-03-03). Buffalo demands mental health help, not death-by-cop. workers.org Buffalo, N.Y., City Hall, Feb. 28 Buffalo, N.Y. — Activists demonstrated here Feb. 28 in solidarity with the family of Daniel Prude and the people of Rochester, N.Y, where police killed Prude while answering a mental health crisis call in March 2020. The police response was to put a "spit . . . |

Ed Rampell (2021-03-03). 'Back of the Moon': A Noirish apartheid-era South African film. peoplesworld.org Director/co-writer and Oscar nominee Angus Gibson's Back of the Moon is another example of why I love PAFF—the Pan African Virtual Film + Arts Festival. If not for this festival film buffs like moi probably would never have heard of, let alone had the opportunity to see, this highly entertaining South African movie. Moon is …

Jamal Rich (2021-03-03). Solidarity rallies call for end to U.S.-backed dictatorship in Haiti. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON——On the morning of March 1 at the Embassy of Haiti, local D.C. organizers with Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) held a solidarity rally with the people of Haiti who are rising up against a U.S.-backed dictator. Jovenel MoàØse's term of office ended Feb. 7, but he has so far refused to relinquish power. MoàØse, …

Mirinda Crissman (2021-03-03). Congelación de Texas: los ricos, más ricos mientras obreros sufren. workers.org Houston Una tormenta invernal sin precedentes azotó a Texas el 15 de febrero y trajo temperaturas bajo cero. Una semana después, grandes sectores de la población siguen sin electricidad, calefacción y/o agua. El horizonte de Houston brilla, mientras millones sufren sin calefacción ni agua en medio de cortes de energía . . . |

John Wojcik (2021-03-03). Republicans make the FBI look like the good guys. peoplesworld.org Not too many years ago, it would have been unthinkable that at a congressional hearing on right-wing terror the FBI would be defending left and progressive demonstrators, saying that it was not them but rather white supremacists that were the real threat to security in the U.S. At the obvious displeasure of Republican senators Tuesday, …

Raul Diego (2021-03-03). The Bits and Bytes of The Great Reset: COVID-19 and the Scaling Up of Data-Capitalism. mintpressnews.com The so-called Great Reset amounts to little more than a campaign to turn humanity into datasets, which the world's most powerful hedge funds and transnational corporations can use to create more profits for themselves and their clients.

Liberation Staff-Yakima (2021-03-03). Richland, Wash., protesters demand 'no kids in cages'. liberationnews.org Facilities used to cage children that were closed under Trump's administration are being reopened under Biden's administration.

Paul Street (2021-03-03). Ruling Class Joe and the Essence of American Politics. counterpunch.org It's a damn good thing that the demented pandemo-fascist oligarch Donald Trump no longer sits in the White House and that his Republifascist Party no longer holds the majority in the U.S. Senate. But make no mistake: Americans continue to live under an unelected dictatorship of money and empire. Just because that class dictatorship isn't quite ready for Door #1, open fascist rule, don't look for Door #2, neo-New Deal reformist social democracy, anytime soon. No, we are still getting slammed in the face with Door #3, a neoliberal corporate-imperial authoritarianism that cancels #2 while setting us up for a harsher…

CP Editor (2021-03-03). Cornel West — "My Ridiculous Situation at Harvard" counterpunch.org

Ralph Underhill (2021-03-03). UK media coverage of Scottish politics. thecanary.co Image description | This cartoon is titled "UK media coverage of Scottish politics". It shows a bar graph, and the first bar is tiny, coloured green, and labelled "Usual". The second bar is massive, coloured like a Scottish flag, and labelled "When a distraction from Westminster is needed". | By

A Guest Author (2021-03-03). Cuban 'Red Rose' wins journalism honor. workers.org By Rubén G. Abelenda This slightly edited article was published in Resumen-english.org. Photo: Ismael Francisco Feb. 27 — It was José Martí who said "Honor for those who deserve honor" — but he could never have imagined that the highest distinction awarded to journalists in Cuba would bear his name . . . |

Rayhan Uddin (2021-03-03). Syria: Majority in opposition areas impacted by attacks on medical facilities. middleeasteye.net Syria: Majority in opposition areas impacted by attacks on medical facilities | New report documents devastating impact of a decade of assaults on health care in the country's northwest | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 16: 10 | An aerial view of a hospital reportedly hit by an air strike in the Syrian village of Shinan, 30 kilometres south of Idlib (AFP/File photo) | A majority of Syrians living in the country's e…

2021-03-02: News Headlines

_____ (2021-03-02). Given Recent Innovations, Maybe We Don't Need To Eat Or Use Animals At All. popularresistance.org I'm currently facing a felony prosecution in Wright County after exposing Iowa Select Farms killing thousands of pigs via "ventilation shutdown," which involves shutting down a building's vents as heat and steam are pumped in. The practice was so egregious that employees at the company sought the support of Direct Action Everywhere, the animal rights group I organize with, in exposing and ultimately stopping it. | As recently reported by the Intercept, a high-level executive at the company was fired for raising his concerns, and FBI agents were called in to try to flip a whistleblower into becoming an informant a…

Children's Health Defense (2021-03-02). Whistleblower: 25% of Residents in German Nursing Home Died After Pfizer Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Reiner Fuellmich and Viviane Fischer, attorneys and founding members of …

Patrick Cockburn (2021-03-02). ISIS and the UK: the Case of Shamima Begum. counterpunch.org A former Isis fighter once complained to me that western volunteers who travelled to the so-called Islamic State in northeastern Syria were a burden because they did not speak Arabic, had no military experience, knew little about Islam and had often come because they were bored or unhappy at home. He said that their main

MEE staff (2021-03-02). US sanctions Houthi commanders in Yemen for 'worsening humanitarian crisis'. middleeasteye.net US sanctions Houthi commanders in Yemen for 'worsening humanitarian crisis' | In announcing sanctions, Washington also rebuked Iran's 'involvement' in protracted conflict | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 17: 24 | Houthi supporters in Sanaa protest against blockade imposed on Yemen by Saudi-led coalition, 26 February (AFP) | The Biden administration imposed sanctions on two Houthi commanders on Tuesday, accusing the Yemeni…

Editor (2021-03-02). Raise the minimum wage to $15 — at least! workers.org A $15-per-hour minimum wage cannot be included in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill proposed by Congressional Democrats. So ruled the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth McDonough, on Feb. 25. This unelected official called it "irrelevant to budget legislation." This edict is a brutal blow to millions of struggling workers. Nevertheless, the . . . |

RT (2021-03-02). 'Mass murder' and 'reckless': Texas ending mask mandates triggers Democrat meltdown. rt.com The announcement by Governor Greg Abbott that Texas will fully reopen next week is drawing backlash from mask mandate champions such as his California colleague Gavin Newsom and other Democrats — and counter-backlash as well. | Abbott marked the anniversary of the 1836 Texan independence on Tuesday by announcing that the state will reopen "100 percent" by next week in order to "restore livelihoods and normalcy." | Also on rt.com | | While Covid-19 has not disappeared,…

RT (2021-03-02). 'This is why Americans don't trust media': CNN's Cuomo ripped for claiming he 'obviously' can't cover brother's scandals. rt.com CNN's Chris Cuomo is igniting anger by claiming he cannot objectively cover the numerous sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against his brother, with critics pointing to past puffy interviews between the two. | Promising to "shoot straight" with his audience, Cuomo finally acknowledged the numerous scandals plaguing his brother Andrew Cuomo's administration on Monday evening. | "Obviously I am aware of what's going on with my brother," he said. "And obviously I can't cover it because he is my brother." | Cuomo promised his network would "extensively" cover the ongoing situations with the New York go…

RT (2021-03-02). Johnson & Johnson's newly-approved Covid vaccine met with pushback as Catholic diocese condemns it for 'ties to abortion cells'. rt.com As Johnson & Johnson rolls out its freshly approved Covid-19 vaccine in the US, it faces a religious controversy as the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has labeled it "morally compromised" over links to abortion cells. | Catholics are advised not to receive the vaccine because Johnson & Johnson used cell lines derived from decades-old abortions in both testing and production of the new product, the Archdiocese Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have utiliz…

RT (2021-03-02). US won't share Covid-19 vaccines with Mexico as Americans must be inoculated first — White House. rt.com The Biden administration has rejected the idea of sharing Covid-19 vaccines with the hard-hit neighbor Mexico, White House press-secretary Jen Psaki said, adding that it can only be discussed after all Americans get their shots. | "The administration's focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated. And once we accomplish that objective we're happy to discuss further steps," Psaki said when asked about possible vaccine sharing during a briefing on Monday. | The comments came hours before the virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. | Also…

RT (2021-03-02). 'It is time!' Mississippi governor to end mask mandate & lift all Covid-19 business restrictions, following Texas' lead. rt.com Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said he will soon axe the state's mask mandate and end all coronavirus-related business restrictions, pointing to improved case and hospitalization numbers after Texas took a similar step. | "Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will be able to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules," Reeves said in a tweet on Tuesday. | Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccine is being rapidly distributed. It is time! | Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will…

RT (2021-03-02). Texas gov lifts mask mandate & OKs businesses to operate at 100% capacity. rt.com Texas Governor Greg Abbott has lifted many of the Covid-19 restrictions in his state, permitting businesses to operate at 100-percent capacity and repealing the requirement for people to wear face coverings. | Abbott delivered the "exciting news" during a speech to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, informing the assembled small business and community leaders that the mask mandate — in place since July — was no more. | pic.twitter.com/k5SZKnAUg5— Sarah Self-Walbrick (@SarahFromTTUPM) March 2…

RT (2021-03-02). Texas gov lifts mask mandate & OKs businesses to operate at 100% capacity. rt.com Texas Governor Greg Abbott has lifted many of the Covid-19 restrictions in his state, permitting businesses to operate at 100-percent capacity starting March 10 and repealing the requirement for people to wear face coverings. | Abbott delivered the "exciting news" during a speech to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, informing the assembled small business and community leaders that the mask mandate — in place since July — was no more. | "We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100 percent," Abbott said in a statement on Tuesday — Texas' Indepe…

RT (2021-03-02). Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly opposes delaying second doses of Covid vaccines to inoculate more people. rt.com Dr. Anthony Fauci has disagreed with calls to delay the second dose of Covid-19 jabs to inoculate more Americans, rejecting the strategy adopted by the UK government and others to speed up their vaccine rollout. | America's top infectious disease official made the comments to the Washington Post, as he said the United States must stick to its current two-dose strategy for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. | Fauci warned that, while delaying second doses of the vaccines could allow health officials to provide more individuals with their first dose, it also presents risks, such as leaving people wit…

RT (2021-03-02). Italy shuts all schools in Covid-19 hotspots, toughens travel rules until after Easter amid spread of variants. rt.com The Italian government has ordered all schools to close in the areas with the highest Covid-19 infection rates as part of a series of new measures set to last until after Easter amid the threat of more contagious viral variants. | On Tuesday, Italy's new prime minister Mario Draghi signed an emergency decree that will see public health measures tightened in so-called 'red zones' from March 6 to April 6. | Under a new

Staff (2021-03-02). Black People Face Higher COVID Infections & Deaths. Should They Have Lower Age Cutoffs for Vaccines? democracynow.org As the U.S. vaccine rollout continues to expand, health justice advocates worry about a racial gap in vaccinations. Black communities have been hard hit by the pandemic, but rates of vaccination in communities of color lag behind largely white communities across the country. Dr. Oni Blackstock, a primary care and HIV physician, argues that age cutoffs should be lowered or removed for Black people in order to speed up inoculations, noting that Black Americans are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as white Americans and also dying at rates similar to those of white Americans who are 10 years older. "These fixed-…

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-02). Covid-19: Saudi Arabia says vaccine is a must for Hajj. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Saudi Arabia says vaccine is a must for Hajj | It is still unclear if Riyadh will allow people to travel to the kingdom for the annual pilgrimage this July | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 12: 57 | Saudi Arabia introduced social distancing rules to protect pilgrims from the coronavirus (AFP) | Saudi Arabia said pilgrims hoping to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage would need to be vaccinated against Covid-1…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-02). Covid-19: Turkey reopens restaurants, schools as infection rates drop. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Turkey reopens restaurants, schools as infection rates drop | President Erdogan declares the beginning of 'controlled normalisation' policy with the coronavirus | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 07: 54 | A man feeds seagulls on the shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul during heavy snowfalls on 14 February 2021 (AFP) | Turkey is beginning to ease coronavirus restrictions from Tuesday in new guide…

_____ (2021-03-02). Billionaire Wealth, U.S. Job Losses and Pandemic Profiteers. strategic-culture.org Check back for our regular updates on U.S. unemployment and billionaire wealth during the pandemic emergency. | By Chuck COLLINS | February 24, 2021 Update: US Billionaire Wealth Grows $1.3 trillion Since Mid-March 2020. | As the US crosses the threshold of half a million deaths from the Covid pandemic, the nation's billionaires continue to reap extraordinary financial gains. After 11 months of pandemic misery, where millions have lost their jobs, health and wealth, total US billionaire wealth increased $1.3 trillion since mid-March, 2020, an increase of 44 percent. | As of the market close on Friday, February…

Staff (2021-03-02). Anti-Choice Forces Use Pandemic to Slash Abortion Access in Preview of Post-Roe v. Wade World. democracynow.org We look at how people across the U.S. have struggled to access abortions during the pandemic with reporter Amy Littlefield, who says that even before the COVID-19 outbreak, many states had restrictions, including three-day waiting periods and counseling sessions filled with misinformation. Then, many tried to use the pandemic as a pretext for banning abortion as a nonessential service. "Texas, in the early weeks of the pandemic, sort of gave us a dress rehearsal for what it could look like when states try to ban abortion entirely," says Littlefield. "We saw how half a century worth of attempts to whittle away at…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-02). War Mongering for Artificial Intelligence. counterpunch.org The ghost of Edward Teller must have been doing the rounds between members of the National Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The father of the hydrogen bomb was never one too bothered by the ethical niggles that came with inventing murderous technology. It was not, for instance, "the scientist's job to determine whether a hydrogen bomb

Margaret Flowers (2021-03-02). Small Acts Can Become A Power No Government Can Suppress. dissidentvoice.org The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was passed in the House this past week and now heads to the Senate, where it will no doubt be changed before it becomes law some time in mid-March. The current unemployment benefits expire on March 14. While we don't know what the final bill will look like, at least …

Devin Cole (2021-03-02). Nadezhda Krupskaya: Bolshevik revolutionary and educator. workers.org Feb. 14 is the birth date of Nadezhda Krupskaya — Bolshevik revolutionary, educator and library advocate. Although born to a formerly aristocratic family, her family had descended into poverty, which led her to study Marxism. She joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903. Nadezhda Krupskaya In 1905, Krupskaya . . . |

E.L. Melrose (2021-03-02). Erie, PA: Residents skeptical towards corporation's "green" promises. liberationnews.org The plight of this area has left the door open to the opportunism of "green" industry and it is currently being courted by International Recycling Group (IRG).

John Feffer (2021-03-02). The Claudius Presidency? counterpunch.org Caligula was by all accounts a nasty piece of work. During the nearly four years that he ruled over the Roman empire in the first century CE, Caligula was notorious for sexual predation and extravagant spending. Never one to sell himself short, he proclaimed early on that he was a god. He held the Senate

Staff (2021-03-02). Faith without workers is dead. therealnews.com Working in the Church is a lot like working for other nonprofits, according to Rev. Lindsey Joyce. The work is fulfilling, but it can also be exploitative, and we need to talk about it.

Kathy Kelly (2021-03-02). Blood for Oil. dissidentvoice.org Amid the ongoing horror, it's important to find ways to atone for war crimes —including reparations. Thirty years ago, when the United States launched Operation Desert Storm against Iraq, I was a member of the Gulf Peace Team. We were 73 people from fifteen different countries, aged 22 to 76, living in a tent camp …

Robert Penner (2021-03-02). Struggle for justice forces reopening of two cases of police violence in Milwaukee. liberationnews.org The cases of Christopher Davis, killed by Milwaukee Deputy Juan Ortiz, and Jay Anderson, killed by Wauwatosa officer Joseph Mensah, have been re-opened in the Milwaukee area.

James Bovard (2021-03-02). The Afghanization of American Democracy? counterpunch.org Acrimony and recriminations continue to swirl around the 2020 presidential election. Three out of four Republicans believe that there was "widespread fraud" in the election, while Democrats have sought to turn into criticisms of the election into a "Big Lie" heresy against democracy. Senior congressional Democrats are pressuring the nation's largest cable providers to cease carrying conservative networks such as Fox News that raised too many questions about Biden's victory.

Ben Cowles (2021-03-02). At least 15 refugees dead in Mediterranean shipwreck. peoplesworld.org At least 15 people drowned in the central Mediterranean at the weekend while attempting to flee Libya, though the death toll could have been much higher if civilian rescuers had not intervened. Activist network Alarm Phone received a distress call early yesterday morning from a rubber boat carrying about 125 people. The boat was deflating, …

The Conversation (2021-03-02). Decline of Coal shows Gov't Policy, Renewables crucial to Reducing Carbon Emissions: The Market isn't Enough. juancole.com By David Drake and Jeffrey York | — The big idea People often point to plunging natural gas prices as the reason U.S. coal-fired power plants have been shutting down at a faster pace in recent years. However, new research shows two other forces had a much larger effect: federal regulation and a well-funded activist …

E.L. Melrose (2021-03-02). Erie, PA: Residents skeptical towards corporation's 'green' promises. liberationnews.org The plight of this area has left the door open to the opportunism of "green" industry and it is currently being courted by International Recycling Group (IRG).

Jim Soliz (2021-03-02). Congressional Republicans Kevin McCarthy, Mike Garcia met with protests. peoplesworld.org SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Planned protests against two Congressional Republicans from Southern California, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (23rd C.D.) and Rep. Mike Garcia (25th C.D.) took place as scheduled on Fri., Feb. 26. The actions took place in the cities of Santa Clarita, Lancaster, and Bakersfield, three bulwarks of the far right in California, as …

Phil Knight (2021-03-02). Yellowstone Wasn't Saved by Chance. counterpunch.org Yellowstone National Park, the original "Best American Idea", turns 149 on March 1 this year. We tend to take for granted that we have lots of great national parks and that ones like Yellowstone are protected. But Yellowstone was the first national park and we almost lost that wonderland. In the 1870s and '80s, opportunists

Climate Nexus (2021-03-02). Sky-high levels of fracking chemicals detected in children's bodies. peoplesworld.org While the hazards of fracking to human health are well-documented, first-of-its-kind research from Environmental Health News shows the actual levels of biomarkers for fracking chemicals in the bodies of children living near fracking wells far higher than in the general population. The research fills a gap in the science between the health harms experienced by …

Berry Craig (2021-03-02). Biden just proved to workers that he's got our backs. peoplesworld.org Going on 86 years ago, Franklin D. Roosevelt made the most pro-union statement ever uttered by an American president. Joe Biden just broke FDR's record. Said the 46th president in a video posted to Twitter: "…Workers in Alabama and all across America are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. This is vitally important—a vitally …

PAI (2021-03-02). Senate Democrats pull $15 wage from rescue package; progressives target filibuster. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Senate's barely ruling Democrats apparently have given up for now on raising the minimum wage, but the nation's unions, the New Poor People's Campaign, and their allies haven't. By a 219-212 vote after midnight on Feb. 27, the Democratic-run House approved the $1.9 trillion economic aid bill, called the American Rescue Plan. It includes …

Sam Pizzigati (2021-03-02). The Average American Pay Tax on Half of Their Wealth, Shouldn't Rich Americans? counterpunch.org Might the United States, home to the world's wealthiest people, sometime soon sport a tax on wealth? Media outlets the nation over have begunspeculating on just that question. But many of these reflections are missing the point: The United States already has a wealth tax. We call this already existing levy the "property tax," and

Joe Sims (2021-03-02). Getting it right on Hampton, the Panthers, and 'Judas and the Black Messiah'. peoplesworld.org The young freedom fighters of the Black Panther Party, as brilliantly portrayed in the film Judas and the Black Messiah, were most certainly "uncompromising," as described in Brian W. Major's recent People's World review. The recently released film, directed by Shaka King and starring Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfiel, Dominique Fishback, and Martin Sheen, unfolds a …

RT (2021-03-02). Twitch reverts back to 'women' after tweet celebrating 'Womxn's History Month' savaged online. rt.com Streaming platform Twitch has returned to the conventional spelling for "women" after its social media post hailing "Womxn's History Month" — avoiding any "gender-binary language" — backfired and angered critics on all sides. | Though the company took to Twitter on Monday to inform users that "March is Womxn's History Month," using an alternative styling of "women" in a bid to include non-binary gender identities, it made an abrupt about-face just a few hours later, announcing that it would revert back to the standard spelling. | "While we originally wanted to use a word that acknowledges the short…

RT (2021-03-02). Attempt at civil discourse on 'Wokeism' ends in Clubhouse room 'coup,' Jewish prof shut down as 'SPICY WHITE' & demands for CASH. rt.com Evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein had to relive his Evergreen College moment whe he was attacked from all sides in a Clubhouse room hijacked by hostile "anti-racist" mob aghast at the idea of white people discussing "wokeism." | The room, dubbed "Is Clubhouse Obsessed with 'Wokeism'?" was created by independent journalist Michael Tracey, who said he thought the Clubhouse chats "almost inevitably evolve into a discussion of 'woke-ism'… but there's seldom anyone in the room who identifies enough with the ideology to give a defense of it." | His attempt to create a safe space for a civil discourse and let b…

RT (2021-03-02). Former CIA director John Brennan 'embarrassed to be a WHITE MALE'… and critics agree they're embarrassed he's a white male too. rt.com John Brennan, the former CIA director and perjurer who's now an MSNBC contributor, apparently found a point on which he and his conservative critics can agree: Both sides are ashamed that he's a white male. | Responding to an MSNBC discussion on Monday about Republican claims regarding the January 6 Capitol riot, Brennan said, "I'm increasingly embarrassed to be a white male these days, in light of what I see of my other white males saying." | John Brennan should be ashamed to be John Brennan

RT (2021-03-02). WATCH Iranian missiles rain down on US base in Iraq following Soleimani assassination in newly declassified VIDEO. rt.com The Pentagon has declassified never-before-seen drone footage showing a barrage of Iranian missiles pounding an American airbase in Iraq last year, launched in response to the US kill strike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. | US Central Command released the declassified footage to CBS for a '60 Minutes' segment over the weekend, in which six Qiam 1 missiles are seen raining down on the Ayn al-Asad airbase, which houses US troops in Iraq's western Anbar Province. | Filmed in grainy infrared, the brief annotated video shows incoming missiles as they slam into aircraft maintenance hangars and other base facil…

RT (2021-03-02). YouTube REMOVES video of Trump's CPAC speech from RT channels — yet it's ok with the SAME video posted by Western outlets. rt.com Having a video of former US President Donald Trump's speech at CPAC may get you warnings and a deletion from YouTube, but apparently only if you're RT, as the platform seems to selectively apply its arbitrary and capricious rules. | On Tuesday, RT and its German-language channel RT DE got a notice from YouTube that the video of Trump speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida on Sunday was being flagged for a "strike" under the platform's

RT (2021-03-02). Newsweek forced to admit Buffalo schools teaching kids to blame 'all white people' is true, not 'HALF-TRUE' in big fact-check FAIL. rt.com After public schools in Buffalo, New York have been called out for blaming "all white people" for perpetuating systematic racism, "fact-checkers" tried to disprove it — only to be left red-faced when confronted with evidence. | Journalist Chris Rufo has been vindicated after fact-checkers accused him of misreporting the contents of a Black Lives Matter-themed curriculum being employed at Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) last month. The magazine quietly confirmed that BPS was, in fact, teaching its students to blame all white people for the suffering of others. | While Rufo showed the curriculum claimed that…

RT (2021-03-02). 'We have to DO STUFF NOW': Biden adviser says White House to start redressing systemic racism, not just wait for reparations study. rt.com President Joe Biden will push ahead on making amends for America's "systemic racism," creating more opportunities for black people right away rather than waiting for a reparations study, a White House adviser said. | "We don't want to wait on a study," Cedric Richmond, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, said in an 'Axios on HBO' | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on February 17 that Biden s…

RT (2021-03-02). No fake Trump supporters or Antifa behind Capitol riot, FBI director testifies — adds agency must GROW amid domestic terror threat. rt.com FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate the "domestic terrorism" at the heart of the US Capitol riot has been "metastasizing" for years, but there is no evidence of involvement from Antifa or fake Donald Trump supporters. | In a Tuesday hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wray made it clear he believed the January 6 riot was an example of "domestic terrorism," an issue he sees as an increasing problem in the US. | "January sixth was not an isolated event. The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now and it is not going away anytime soon,"

RT (2021-03-02). Former CIA director John Brennan 'embarrassed to be a WHITE MALE'… and critics agree they're embarrassed he's a white male. rt.com John Brennan, the former CIA director and perjurer who's now an MSNBC contributor, apparently found a point on which he and his conservative critics can agree: Both sides are ashamed that he's a white male. | Responding to an MSNBC discussion Monday about Republican claims regarding the January 6 Capitol riot, Brennan said, "I'm increasingly embarrassed to be a white male these days, in light of what I see of my other white males saying." | John Brennan should be ashamed to be John Brennan

RT (2021-03-02). Americans more concerned with violent protests in US cities than Capitol riot, more certain pro-Trump rioters get convicted — poll. rt.com A new poll has found people are more concerned about protests that turned violent over the summer in major cities than the violence at the US Capitol, and that most believe it's the January 6 rioters who will face full justice.

RT (2021-03-02). New York Governor Cuomo faces THIRD sexual harassment accuser after state AG announces probe into prior allegations. rt.com Yet another woman has come forward to accuse New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, becoming the third to go on record with similar charges after the state's attorney general signaled she would open an investigation. | Anna Ruch, a former staffer in the Barack Obama administration and a member of Joe Biden's 2020 campaign team,

Betsey Piette (2021-03-02). Protest demands freedom for Mumia, suffering COVID symptoms. workers.org Political prisoner and Black journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including difficulty breathing, Feb 26. Hearing this news, his family and supporters called a protest. Less than 24 hours later, about 70 people turned up outside the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to call for Abu-Jamal's immediate . . . |