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2021-03-01: News Headlines

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 …

PAI (2021-03-01). Biden declares support for Alabama Amazon workers' union drive. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Democratic President Joe Biden has officially backed the union organizing drive at the big Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. In a two-minute-20-second video he posted on Twitter Feb. 28, and an accompanying shorter tweet, Biden declared the choice by the 5,800 workers there is "vitally important" to both them and the country. "Today and over …

Rayhan Uddin (2021-03-01). 'Disastrous decision': UK slashes aid to Yemen while approving arms sales to Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net 'Disastrous decision': UK slashes aid to Yemen while approving arms sales to Saudi Arabia | Politicians and non-governmental organisations condemn major humanitarian cut as military exports to Riyadh continue | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 17: 50 | A Yemeni civilian receives food aid in a displacement camp in northern district of Abs (AFP/File photo) | The UK will halve its foreign aid to Yemen in 2021, in a mov…

RT (2021-03-01). Syria & Russia accuse US of funneling supplies on pretext of 'humanitarian aid' to militants in war-ravaged Middle Eastern nation. rt.com Washington is pressuring the United Nations to deliver international assistance to an overpopulated desert refugee camp but secretly planning to use the cargo to resupply armed militias it supports, Moscow and Damascus claim. | In a joint statement issued on Monday, the coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria insisted that their military coalition is "making significant efforts to restore peaceful life in the country and provide comprehensive assistance to Syrian citizens in voluntary and safe return to their homeland." | However, they add, the US is actively working to fuel fighting in the bloody civil…

RT (2021-03-01). It's always Putin! Russian president engineered coup in Armenia because Pashinyan insulted Moscow's missiles, Western media claims. rt.com Not content with fixing US elections and making sure your favorite sports team loses, Vladimir Putin's shadowy hand is now behind a power struggle in Yerevan, after a row over rockets. At least, that's according to American media. | In an article by journalist Anna Nemtsova published on Friday, New York-based outlet The Daily Beast

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.

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).

Editor (2021-03-02). Digamosle a Biden: °Deja de bombardear Siria! workers.org La administración de Biden solo tardó 36 días en el cargo para mostrar al mundo, a través de un bombardeo en Siria, que es beligerante, agresivo y empeñado en la guerra. Solo hubo un breve respiro de las viles palabras y acciones de Trump. Ahora tenemos que enfrentar los viles . . . |

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 . . . |

Tim Wheeler (2021-03-01). Black Lives Matter vigil mourns Derek Hayden, shot by Seattle police. peoplesworld.org Scores of protesters joined a Black Lives Matter street-corner vigil in Sequim, Wash., Sunday, Feb. 28, several holding signs protesting the Feb. 16 slaying by Seattle police of Derek J. Hayden, who grew up in Sequim and had many friends and admirers here. Marion "Honeybee" Burns, held a sign, "Derek Hayden: His Life Matters" as …

Stephen F. Eisenman (2021-03-01). A Modest Proposal for Establishing a Strategic Toddler Reserve. counterpunch.org For the purpose of maintaining adult friendships, protecting household pets, saving monkeys, and benefiting biomedical research — prompted by a recent, reckless article in the NYTimes (With Apologies to Jonathan Swift) How many times have we had the unfortunate experience of visiting the home of a dear friend or colleague, only to discover everything changed.

Terry Bisson (2021-03-01). The "Murder" of John Hunt Morgan: "You Have Just Killed the Best Man in the Confederacy!" counterpunch.org John Hunt Morgan, the "Kentucky Cavalier," readily embraced the role he was born into. Raised in wealthy Lexington, a scion of Bluegrass planter aristocrats, famously expelled from Transylvania College for dueling, he had eagerly enlisted in the 1848 invasion of Mexico, where he had performed with honor and the requisite gallantry. After that that brief, one-sided conflict he had returned to Lexington, traded in slaves, hemp and wool, and unerringly faithful to the ideal of the Southern gentleman, gambled, drank, raced horses, hunted squirrels, charmed the ladies and defended his honor from rivals both real and i…

William Craig Cohen (2021-03-01). The Weekly Round-Up: Unconventional Harm Reduction and Shamima Begum's Final Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com In the news: The UK has seen an increasingly falling rate in arrests and prosecutions for cannabis possession over recent years, as police forces no longer see the point in enforcement. The Liberal Democrats have campaigned for its legalisation since 2016, and the first medically-prescribed cannabis was permitted in the UK in 2018. However, crucial …

Rosalind English (2021-03-01). Law Pod UK: AI and the Law. ukhumanrightsblog.com In the latest episode of Law Pod UK Rosalind English talks to Matt Hervey, co-editor with Matthew Lavy of a new practitioner's text book on Artificial Intelligence. Matt is Head of Artificial Intelligence at Gowling WLG., and advises on all aspects of AI and Intellectual Property, particularly in relation to the life sciences, automotive, aviation, …

Dave Clennon (2021-03-01). Hollywood's New Blackface. counterpunch.org Many more black faces on your movie screen. Same old shuck and jive from finance capital. AND . . . why are so many foreign Blacks impersonating African-Americans? I saw "Selma" six years ago. I could feel earnest sincerity radiating from the screen. It was pretty clear the filmmakers were trying to do justice to

Eds. (2021-03-01). BJP begins to pay political price as farmers struggle completes three months. mronline.org IN the week before the historic nationwide farmers' struggle completed three months on February 26, the BJP has begun to pay a heavy political price for its pro-corporate adamancy.

Oorna Raut — Riya Behl (2021-03-01). Pushing the Tempo at Mumbai's Farmer Sit-In. counterpunch.org Navshya Kuvra had just finished playing his dhumsi (drum) for about 40 protestors dancing at south Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Just as he sat down to rest, around 11 at night, three man approached him. "Is it a wedding? What date?" asked Navshya. They conversed, phone numbers were exchanged, and the three moved away. Navshya turned

Eds. (2021-03-01). Ecosocialism versus degrowth: a false dilemma. mronline.org Ecosocialists and degrowthers need to map the many overlaps of their views to improve the effectiveness of their shared struggle for an ecologically-sound and socially-fair world free from patriarchal, racial and colonial legacy.

Ed Rampell (2021-03-01). 'Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org Co-directors Royal Kennedy Rodgers and Kathy McCampbell Vance's Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story is a nonfiction biopic about the African-American talent who rose to become the so-called "Architect of the Stars" when Jim Crow was still the scourge of the land. Born 1894 in L.A., Paul Revere Williams's real-life story of overcoming adversity …

Zach Carlson (2021-03-01). SEIU Graduate Workers Union in stalled talks at Illinois State University. peoplesworld.org NORMAL, Ill.—In October 2018, Illinois State University's more than 400 graduate workers voted to officially unionize and be represented as SEIU Local 73. The long months of meetings, difficult one-on-one conversations, procedural documents, and learning the process of organizing a workplace paid off for the graduate workers involved. All unionizing efforts are difficult, and the …

Chuck Collins — Omar Ocampo (2021-03-01). Financial Reserves and the Racial Wealth Gap. counterpunch.org Why is it that the wealthiest country on earth has the highest death toll of any nation in the world? And why are Black and Latino people among those experiencing the greatest mortality and hardship during the pandemic? There is excellent research on how the Black-white wealth gap left Black households more vulnerable (see resources

Maxximilian Seijo (2021-03-01). Heterodox Properties with Lua Kamal Yuille. mronline.org Money on the Left is joined by Dr. Lua Kamal Yuille to discuss heterodox economics, property law & the politics of vulnerability. Dr. Yuille is professor of law and affiliated professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Kansas. Her work, which spans property theory, heterodox economics, business law, critical pedagogy, and …

Michael Berkowitz (2021-03-01). 'Nomadland': Moving on with America's homeless van dwellers. peoplesworld.org Fern stands forlorn, surveying the desert before her. She is a small figure looking out over the beautiful, austere, infinite landscape. The desert is her own world writ large. She navigates that world in "Vanguard," her turtle shell van remodeled to carry her few possessions on her back. She drifts toward temporary jobs as low-skill …

The Conversation (2021-03-01). Where does the 10 Million Tons of Plastic we put into the Oceans Annually actually go? juancole.com By Bruce Sutherland, Michelle DiBenedetto and Ton van den Bremer | — Of the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste we produce each year, it's estimated that around ten million tonnes enters the ocean. Roughly half of the plastics produced are less dense than water, and so they float. But scientists estimate that …

Staff (2021-03-01). Black mass incarceration in the so-called Free State. therealnews.com Maryland holds itself up as a progressive state when it comes to criminal justice, but a recent report highlights a stark reality: Maryland incarcerates Black people at more than twice the national rate.

Olivia Rosane (2021-03-01). Oregon wolf makes historic journey to California, raising conservation hopes. peoplesworld.org An Oregon-born wolf named OR-93 has sparked conservation hopes with a historic journey into California. A young male, OR-93 traveled hundreds of miles from an area southeast of Mount Hood, Oregon, to California's central Sierra Nevada mountain range, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Friday. The agency said he traveled farther south …

Staff (2021-03-01). 'We've made this kind of war invisible'. therealnews.com The reality of war has become so distant and abstract for U.S. civilians that most have no idea how many wars we're actually engaged in. And that, as writer and combat veteran Danny Sjursen argues, is by design.

Claudia Drdul (2021-03-01). Family of Navy veteran murdered by Antioch police in George Floyd-style killing seeks justice. liberationnews.org Two members of the Antioch, California, Police Department murdered Navy veteran Angelo Quinto (age 30) in his home on Dec. 23, 2020, while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. Quinto's mother and sister, who witnessed the execution of their loved one, initially called the police believing they would help Quinto through his crisis. However, …

Arturo Pineda (2021-03-01). New Haven youth target gun violence, inequality at Black history month march. peoplesworld.org NEW HAVEN, Conn.—A caravan of 20 cars and a group of 65 people took to the streets of New Haven on Feb. 20 to call for an end to gun violence and police brutality, taxing the rich, and to demand state and federal relief for communities of color impacted by COVID-19. The Annual Black History …

Nadya Williams (2021-03-01). Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a Veteran For Peace. peoplesworld.org Many have been the obituaries and tributes to radical poet and civil libertarian Lawrence Ferlinghetti, including this one from City Lights Booksellers and Publishers. Ferlinghetti died on February 22 at 101 in his home in North Beach, the literary heart of San Francisco. Many readers may be unfamiliar with another facet of the writer's life. …

Rosalind English (2021-03-01). Parent company owes duty of care in transnational cases — Hague Court of Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com The Hague Court of Appeal has recently handed down a ruling that is of profound importance to environmental lawyers. It is not only the first case at the appellate level in Europe that has resulted in a victory on the merits for the victims, but also the first case to hold that a parent company …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-01). Coup Leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi Betrayed Democracy in Burma. counterpunch.org What is taking place in Burma right now is a military coup. There can be no other description for such an unwarranted action as the dismissal of the government by military decree and the imposition of Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as an unelected ruler.

Tomdispatch (2021-03-01). The Unpatriots: What the Storming of the Capitol looks Like to a Military Spouse. juancole.com By Andrea Mazzarino | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — "Are you okay?" asked a friend and military spouse in the voicemail she left me on the afternoon the mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol so violently. At home with a new baby, her Navy reservist husband stationed in Germany, the thoughts running through her head …

Andrea Mazzarino (2021-03-01). Perspectives on the Storming of the Capitol from a Military Spouse. counterpunch.org "Are you okay?" asked a friend and military spouse in the voicemail she left me on the afternoon the mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol so violently. At home with a new baby, her Navy reservist husband stationed in Germany, the thoughts running through her head that day would prove remarkably similar to mine. As she said when we spoke, "It's as if the U.S. has become a war zone."

John Wojcik (2021-03-01). GOP: We'll destroy the country in order to return to power. peoplesworld.org With the economy on the brink of collapse for so many, Republicans are totally united against a rescue plan that is the last hope to save millions of Americans from total ruin. The stand they are taking can have far worse consequences than the last time, in 2009, that they opposed a national stimulus plan …

Gareth Porter (2021-03-01). U.S. State Department accusation of China 'genocide' relied on data abuse and baseless claims by far-right ideologue. mronline.org The Trump and Biden administrations have relied on the work of a right-wing religious extremist, Adrian Zenz, for their "genocide" accusation against China. A close review of Zenz's research reveals flagrant data abuse and outright falsehoods.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-01). Military coup leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi both betrayed democracy in Burma. peoplesworld.org What is taking place in Burma right now is a military coup. There can be no other description for such an unwarranted action as the dismissal of the government by military decree and the imposition of Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as an unelected ruler. However, despite the endless talk about democratization, …

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 . . . |

Nadda Osman (2021-03-01). Israel annexation: European lawmakers denounce 'de facto' takeover of the West Bank. middleeasteye.net Israel annexation: European lawmakers denounce 'de facto' takeover of the West Bank | Over 400 parliamentarians have called on EU nations and the Biden administration to work together to halt annexation | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 13: 04 | Israeli workers dismantle tents during a demolition operation of a Palestinian Bedouin encampment in the area of Humsa, in the Occupied West Bank on 22 February (AFP) | Hundre…

Nadda Osman (2021-03-01). Beirut explosion: Diamond-encrusted ring 'inspired' by disaster draws ire. middleeasteye.net Beirut explosion: Diamond-encrusted ring 'inspired' by disaster draws ire | Jeweller's design, which costs more than $7,000, has been denounced as distasteful | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 15: 53 | The ring represents the resilience of Beirut, but has not been well received online (Screengrab/Social media/Forbes) | A champagne diamond-encrusted ring, which has been designed to represent the resilience of Beirut fo…

MEE staff (2021-03-01). Israel demolishes Palestinian family's home in Jerusalem for fourth time. middleeasteye.net Israel demolishes Palestinian family's home in Jerusalem for fourth time | Hatem Hussein Abu Rayaleh's house bulldozed on grounds of lacking building permits, as Israelis step up demolitions in occupied territories | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 16: 17 | Palestinian Hatem Hussein Abu Rayaleh points at his house which was demolished again by Israeli forces in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Issawiya, 1 March 2021 (AFP…

Joe Gill (2021-03-01). Oman crackdown over criticism of plans to develop Dhofar camel-grazing area. middleeasteye.net Oman crackdown over criticism of plans to develop Dhofar camel-grazing area | Poet Salem Ali al-Maashani the latest to be arrested as discontent over governor's decision to remove camel herders grows online | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 13: 07 | A camel walks on a road in Salalah, in Oman's Dhofar governorate, January 2018 (MEE/Joe Gill) | Authorities in Oman have intensified a crackdown on critics of plans to remove camel…

MEE staff (2021-03-01). Top US Senate Republicans warn Biden against reviving Iran deal. middleeasteye.net Top US Senate Republicans warn Biden against reviving Iran deal | Leading Republicans on national security-related committees urge White House to engage Congress, Israel and Gulf partners on Iran | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 17: 12 | The letter was signed by key Senate Republicans, including (L-R) Jim Risch, Marco Rubio and Jim Inhofe (AFP/File photos) | Top US Senate Republicans have warned President Joe Biden against…

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 . . . |

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). 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). 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). 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). '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). 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…

2021-02-28: News Headlines

RT (2021-03-01). Trump calls for breaking up Big Tech, says failure to restore freedom of speech would doom Republican Party. rt.com Former President Donald Trump has called for breaking up giant technology companies and taking away their Section 230 liability protections. He argued that the Big Tech mutes conservative voices like his own. | "The time has come to break up Big Tech monopolies and restore fair competition," Trump said Sunday at the CPAC conference in Orlando. "Republicans, conservatives must open our platforms and repeal section 230 liability protections," he added. | While in the past the public had a chance to hear both sides of the argument before making an informed decision, the big tech censorship disproportionately targ…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Covid-19: Israel to administer vaccines to Palestinian workers. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel to administer vaccines to Palestinian workers | Vaccination campaign could include around 130,000 Palestinians working inside Israel | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 15: 18 | Palestinian workers line up for a security check at the entrance to Israel's Mishor Adumim industrial zone near the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank on 1 July 2020 (AFP) | Israel will vaccinate Pa…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Biden faces growing pressure to lift Trump's sanctions on ICC prosecutors. middleeasteye.net Biden faces growing pressure to lift Trump's sanctions on ICC prosecutors | International Criminal Court officials sanctioned starting probes on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, Palestine | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 13: 46 | An Israeli soldier stands on a Merkava main battle tank stationed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on 30 March 2019 (AFP) | US President Joe Biden face…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Yemen: Five civilians killed, including a child, in Hodeidah. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Five civilians killed, including a child, in Hodeidah | Warring parties accuse each other of the attack, with the Houthis threatening new attacks on Saudi Arabia | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 11: 01 | Yemen's civil war has cost the lives of thousands and displaced millions, which the UN says has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis (AFP) | Five civilians, including a child, were kille…

John McDevitt (2021-02-28). Andre Cailloux and the Siege of Port Hudson. liberationnews.org Not widely known, and certainly not celebrated enough, Andre Cailloux was the first Black military hero functioning as an officer in the Union Army.

Niko Sims (2021-02-28). Housing crisis: Pittsburgh politicians' patchwork solutions fall short. liberationnews.org In spite of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium "pausing" evictions, Pennsylvania landlords are abusing loopholes to kick people out of their homes.

The Conversation (2021-02-28). How Miracle Workers made 60% of S. Australia's Electricity Green in only 20 Years. juancole.com By Michael McGreevy and Fran Baum | — Less than two decades ago, South Australia generated all its electricity from fossil fuels. Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of the state's electricity supply. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis — so how did it happen? Our research set …

T.J. Coles (2021-02-28). How the CIA Helped to Crush Turkey's Post-War Left. counterpunch.org After the Second World War (1939-45), the U.S. became the dominant global power and fought its rival, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for international supremacy. Many countries became proxy battlegrounds between U.S. and Soviet influence. In addition to beating the Reds, U.S. war planners used secret militias, many of them allied with fascists

Jake Lindahl (2021-02-28). Amazon union struggle takes hold in Southern state with radical labor history. liberationnews.org It should be no surprise that a place like Bessemer, Alabama is exactly where Amazon's first union in the United States is likely to form–given its radical labor history.

CP Editor (2021-02-28). The Final Inch. counterpunch.org

_____ (2021-02-28). Is the American Dream Still Alive? strategic-culture.org &nbsp…

Paul Street (2021-02-28). The Anatomy of Fascism Denial. counterpunch.org When I am being interviewed by a member of the old guard and point to the concrete and steel, the tiny electronic listening device concealed in the vent, the phalanx of goons peeping in at us, his barely functional plastic tape-recorder that cost him a week's labor, and point out that these are all manifestations

RT (2021-02-28). WATCH: Wild scenes in Dagestan as junior judo event descends into mass brawl. rt.com A junior judo event in Dagestan erupted into a mass melee as competitors and dozens of fans traded blows. | The tournament at the Ali Aliyev Sport Complex in Kaspiysk witnessed ugly scenes as the brawl was captured on camera and quickly shared across social media on Saturday. | Footage of the carnage starts with one of the competitors seen leaning over the barriers, throwing punches. | By that point a broader punch-up is already underway as dozens of spectators trade blows. | –î–µ—Å—è—Ç–∫–∏ –∑—Ä–&prod…

RT (2021-02-28). Widow of NBA icon Kobe Bryant rages at Hollywood actress Evan Rachel Wood over 'rapist' comment. rt.com Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late NBA icon Kobe Bryant, has hit out at actress Evan Rachel Wood over a tweet she posted in the aftermath of the basketball star's death in which Wood labeled Bryant "a rapist." | "What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe's family," Wood had tweeted last year in the aftermath of the helicopter crash in California which killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others. | "He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all of these truths can exist simultaneously." | Despite the tweet being in existence for more than a year, it has only just been seen…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-28). Police forces are still unable to explain why they're so racist. thecanary.co According to a The report highlights that: Over 35 years on from the introduction of stop and search legislation, no…

Aaliyah Harris (2021-02-28). Politicians and religious groups are fuelling homophobic attacks on Ghana's LGBTQI+ community. thecanary.co On 24 February, National Security raided the offices of Sharing the incident in a At this moment, we no longer have access to o…

Tom Coburg (2021-02-28). Unsurprisingly, leaked files confirm the Foreign Office coordinates multi-agency propaganda programmes. thecanary.co A tranche of leaked files shows that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is coordinating multi-agency propaganda programmes. These files show that the programmes mainly target the authoritarian regimes in Russia and Syria. This is not unexpected. More significantly, perhaps, documents also show that these programmes are not confined to just foreign targets. | Leaked files: | The leaked files, were released to The Canary by 'Anonymous': | OP. HMG Trojan Horse. Part 4:

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Turkey and Iran summon envoys, escalating Iraq row. middleeasteye.net Turkey and Iran summon envoys, escalating Iraq row | Moves follow Iran's representative to Baghdad criticising Ankara's involvement in Iraq after Kurdish attack on Turkish forces there | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 13: 59 | The coffin and image of Turkish Lt Ertug Guler are carried during the funeral of three Turkish military personnel killed in action in northern Iraq's Gara region, on 12 February…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Nuclear deal on brink of collapse as Iran rules out meeting with US. middleeasteye.net Nuclear deal on brink of collapse as Iran rules out meeting with US | Tehran has demanded Washington take the first step to revive the nuclear deal by scrapping sanctions
| Sun, 02/28/2021 – 21: 37 | Iran has suspended commitments to the 2015 deal in response to the US failure to lift its sanction (AFP) | Iran on Sunday dismissed Europe's offer for an informal meeting involving the Uni…

Shir Hever (2021-02-28). Israeli private arms export is too terrible even for Tel Aviv. middleeasteye.net Israeli private arms export is too terrible even for Tel Aviv | Israel cracks down on sales of suicide drones to China to avoid heavy diplomatic cost in relationship with US | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 11: 17 | An Israeli UCAV IAI Harop drone displayed at Bourget airport during the International Paris Air Show on 21 June 2011 (AFP) | At least 20 Israeli arms dealers have been arrested by Israel's secret police over…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Israel blames Iran for explosion on Israeli-owned ship after 'initial assessment'. middleeasteye.net Israel blames Iran for explosion on Israeli-owned ship after 'initial assessment' | The MV Helios Ray has arrived at a port in Dubai, where an Israeli delegation is to investigate the event | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 09: 37 | Tensions have risen in the Gulf of Oman after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other major powers (AFP) | Israel has blamed Iran as being behind an…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Syria intercepts Israeli missiles over Damascus: state media. middleeasteye.net Syria intercepts Israeli missiles over Damascus: state media | A war monitor said the strikes hit an area where Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Lebanese Hezbollah are present | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 22: 11 | Israel is thought to have carried out hundreds of air and missile strikes on Syria since civil war broke out in 2011 (AFP/File photo) | Syrian air defences intercepted Israeli missiles ov…

RT (2021-02-28). Multitasking 101: California doctor appears at court hearing via Zoom DURING surgery. rt.com A plastic surgeon in California attended a virtual court hearing in relation to a traffic violation from an operating theater while a patient was on the table. The court was not exactly pleased with his multitasking, however. | The usually mundane traffic violation hearing at Sacramento Superior Court was spiced up this week when the defendant, Dr. Scott Green attended via Zoom from his surgery room, baffling other participants. The bizarre in-court surgery, which was livestreamed online, was first

RT (2021-02-28). After backlash over 'outside review' of sexual-harassment claims, Cuomo asks AG & chief judge to pick counsel to investigate. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, seeking to allay concerns that an investigation of sexual-harassment claims against him would be politically influenced, has called for state officials to choose a lawyer to handle the case. | The governor's office wants the review of allegations by two former staffers to be

RT (2021-02-28). 'I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me:' 2nd former aide to NY Gov. Cuomo accuses him of sexual harassment. rt.com Another ex-aide has accused New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, already facing allegations of sexual harassment, of improper advances. Charlotte Bennett, 25, said he asked about her sex life and whether she ever dated an 'older man.' | Bennett joined Cuomo's administration in early 2019 and was promoted from her entry-level position to that of a senior briefer and executive assistant to the governor within several months. She told the New York Times that she was constantly grilled about her sex life by her former boss. | The former aide said that she reported Cuomo's alleged sexual overtures to his chief of staff,…

RT (2021-02-28). GOP NY Rep. calls on 'criminal sexual predator' Cuomo to resign after 2nd former staffer alleges sexual harassment. rt.com Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) doubled down on her call for embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to step down "immediately" after another of his former staffers, the second one since December, accused him of sexual harassment. | "Governor Cuomo is a criminal sexual predator and he must immediately resign," Stefanik said in a statement issued shortly after the New York Times published a detailed account of Cuomo's former aide Charlotte Bennett, accusing the governor of unwanted sexual advances, on Saturday. | Stefanik noted that she "was one of the first and one of the only elected officials to call on the Gove…

RT (2021-02-28). GOP NY representative calls on 'criminal sexual predator' Cuomo to resign after 2nd former staffer alleges sexual harassment. rt.com Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) doubled down on her call for embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to step down "immediately" after another of his former staffers, the second one since December, accused him of sexual harassment. | "Governor Cuomo is a criminal sexual predator and he must immediately resign," Stefanik said in a statement issued shortly after the New York Times published a detailed account of allegations by former aide Charlotte Bennett on Saturday, accusing the governor of unwanted sexual advances. | Stefanik noted that she "was one of the first and one of the only elected officials to call on th…

RT (2021-02-28). WATCH: Portland protest turns chaotic with businesses trashed, fist fights on the street and bike cops slamming into 'press'. rt.com At least two arrests were made after a mostly peaceful protest in Portland turned violent. Banks and other businesses were trashed as beleaguered residents pleaded with protesters to "go home!" and leave them in peace. | A group of dozens of people were reportedly demonstrating against immigration policy under the Biden administration in the Pearl District in downtown Portland, but quickly began vandalizing the area. | Businesses had their windows smashed, vehicles were vandalised and graffiti was sprayed over a number of walls in the area, as video uploaded to social media purports to show. | A security vehic…

RT (2021-02-28). California gov. Newsom accused of breaking own lockdown rules for 2nd time amid growing cries for him to be recalled. rt.com Embattled California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has been accused of once again breaching his own coronavirus restrictions after he was allegedly caught dining indoors. | Newsom himself posted a video with comedian George Lopez to his TikTok aimed at promoting how citizens can check their coronavirus vaccine eligibility. The video was taken inside the Los Amigos restaurant in Fresno, which is under the state's strictest lockdown restrictions, complete with a ban on indoor dining. | California Governor

RT (2021-02-28). 'United and strong like never before': Trump won't break with Republican party at CPAC speech, will back GOP. rt.com In an upcoming speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, former president Donald Trump will reportedly not announce a break from the Republican Party, and will walk "right up to the line" of announcing a 2024 run. | Trump has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the White House last month, and his public statements have been few and far between, likely owing to his deplatforming from every major social media outlet. As such, his headline appearance on Sunday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) has been hotly anticipated. | According to an excerpt from the speech obtained…

MEE, agencies (2021-02-28). Khashoggi murder: Qatar joins other Gulf states in showing support for Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Qatar joins other Gulf states in showing support for Saudi Arabia | Doha, Bahrain, UAE have stood by Riyadh after CIA report blames Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for journalist's killing | Sun, 02/28/2021 – 16: 44 | Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim Al Thani (L) has confirmed his support for Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the CIA's damning report naming Crown Prince Mohamme…

RT (2021-02-28). Epstein jokes touched a nerve? After Trump, Golden Globes host Tina Fey says 'don't expect much politics' in this year's ceremony. rt.com With Donald Trump out of office and after Ricky Gervais' take-no-prisoners performance last year, the Golden Globes won't get political this year, host Tina Fey said. "I wonder why?" commenters replied. | Tina Fey and Amy Poelher were announced last January as this year's hosts, after comedian Ricky Gervais used his hosting gig to roast the elitism of the virtue-signalling celebrities in attendance. | Also on rt.com | | Gervais' Jeffrey Epst…

Institute for Policy Studies (2021-02-28). Biden's Return to the Paris Agreement Is Just the Beginning. juancole.com By Lorah Steichen | — (Originally in National Priorities Project) (Institute for Policy Studies ) — On his first day in office, President Joe Biden made good on his campaign promise to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on day one. On Feb. 19, the reentry formally went into effect. Amid a climate emergency that is …

_____ (2021-02-28). How A Poor School Groundskeeper Took On Monsanto And Won. popularresistance.org If a company hides information that suggests its top money-making product is unsafe, keeps adverse findings from regulators, employs ghostwriters to gin up favorable scientific studies and media coverage, funds front groups in an attempt to discredit critics, fails to provide warnings to consumers, and, according to jurors who reviewed a mountain of evidence, is responsible for serious illnesses and death, how would you hold the people responsible to account? | If the company were Monsanto, you couldn't. | Monsanto — once one of the marquee corporate names in St. Louis — is now gone, gobbled up in 201…

_____ (2021-02-27). 'Pipe Dream': Enbridge Escalates Local Tensions. popularresistance.org Palisade, Minnesota — Even in the bitter cold, the pretty little park along the Mississippi River is inviting, a typical gathering spot for community events with its broad trees and public pavilion. | But Berglund Park stood empty recently as families and community members huddled around warming fires in an open field nearby, listening to music and eating Indian tacos as they learned about the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline cutting through their community. | A group of pipeline opponents known as water protectors from the nearby Honor the Earth camp organized the small winter carnival to provide information about…

Staff (2021-02-27). Water Protectors Say Enbridge Is Pressuring Local Governments to Silence Them. truthout.org Palisade, Minnesota — Even in the bitter cold, the pretty little park along the Mississippi River is inviting, a typical gathering spot for community events with its broad trees and public pavilion. | But Berglund Park stood empty recently as families and community members huddled around warming fires in an open field nearby, listening to music and eating Indian tacos as they learned about the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline cutting through their community. | A group of pipeline opponents kno…

Joe Piette (2021-02-27). Mental health effects of COVID lockdown in prison: Interview from inside SCI Albion. workers.org This telephone interview with Demitrius Grant, imprisoned at SCI Albion near Erie, Pa., was conducted by Joe Piette for Workers World newspaper on Feb. 16. Demetrius Grant: We're going to be covering the issue of COVID-19 today, as to how it impacts prisoners' mental health. About a week ago, a . . . |

RT (2021-02-27). Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package narrowly passes US House, $1,400 stimulus checks included. rt.com The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The package is now headed to the Senate, where the bill is expected to be stripped of its minimum wage hike provision. | President Joe Biden's relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, was passed by the House early on Saturday in narrow 219-212 vote. No Republicans have voted for the legislation, while two Democrats broke ranks and voted against it. | The legislation includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, as well as billions for state and local governments, schools and businesses. The package wou…

RT (2021-02-27). IDF soldier killed in training accident 'saves' Covid-stricken Israeli man with lung transplant. rt.com An Israel Defense Forces trooper died after an officer accidentally shot him in the head, but his family decided to donate his organs, reportedly saving a coronavirus patient with wrecked lungs and a man who needed a heart. | Yonatan Granot, 22, who was a Nahal Brigade infantry unit soldier, suffered a gunshot wound to the head during training at a firing range on Tuesday. | According to the IDF's initial probe, a Ruger rifle, which had just been used by one of the troops, accidentally discharged a bullet after being picked up by the unit's commander. | Granot was struck with a .22-caliber round, usually used…

RT (2021-02-27). Boston halts advanced school program over 'equity' concerns after study finds it has too many 'white and Asian' students. rt.com Public schools in Boston, Massachusetts are suspending new enrollment in an advanced study program citing concerns over "inequities" that supposedly emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to be more "anti-racist." | Fourth-graders hoping to get into the Advanced Work Classes (AWC) program are out of luck, after Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius called for a one-year hiatus for the program this week. The district's

RT (2021-02-27). Biden admin to charge White House reporters $170 per Covid test amid concerns smaller outlets will be squeezed out — reports. rt.com The Joe Biden administration is reportedly set to charge White House correspondents $170 a pop for daily coronavirus tests, stoking anger among reporters, some noting the move could cost struggling newsrooms thousands per week. | The White House press office will begin charging for the tests next week, the Washington Post

Staff (2021-02-27). Biden Can Save Lives From COVID by Supporting Intellectual Property Rules Waiver. truthout.org Calling it a moral imperative as well as an urgent public health and economic necessity, over 400 progressive groups on Friday

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-27). Biden's Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not the Diplomacy He Promised. dissidentvoice.org Photo: CODEPINK The February 25 U.S. bombing of Syria immediately puts the policies of the newly-formed Biden administration into sharp relief. Why is this administration bombing the sovereign nation of Syria? Why is it bombing "Iranian-backed militias" who pose absolutely no threat to the United States and are actually involved in fighting ISIS? If this …

Walter Smolarek (2021-02-27). Deciphering Biden's excuse to abandon the fight for $15. liberationnews.org President Biden received a major political gift from an obscure, unelected official called the Senate parliamentarian Feb. 25 when she ruled that the provision in the administration's stimulus plan that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour must be removed from the bill. Unless this maneuver is defeated, millions of workers who could have …

The Conversation (2021-02-27). Gulf War: As Biden bombs Iraqis, 30 years on the consequences of Desert Storm are still with us. juancole.com By Lorena De Vita and Amir Taha | — It was a short message to end a short war. On February 26 1991, Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz put his signature to a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council: I have the honour to notify you that the Iraqi Government reaffirms its agreement …

Eds. (2021-02-27). FBI, NYPD exposed: Deathbed confession shines new light on assassination of Malcolm X. mronline.org Without any training, Wood's job was to infiltrate civil rights organizations and encourage leaders and members to commit felonious acts. He was also tasked with ensuring that Malcolm X's security detail was arrested days prior to the assassination, guaranteeing Malcolm X didn't have door security while at the Audubon Ballroom.

Jason Hickel (2021-02-27). Is the world poor, or unjust? mronline.org Social media has been ablaze with this question recently. We know we face a crisis of mass poverty: the global economy is organized in such a way that nearly 60% of humanity is left unable to meet basic needs. But the question at stake this time is different.

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-02-27). U.S. bombs Syria and ridiculously claims self defense. mronline.org On orders of President Biden, the United States has launched an airstrike on a facility in Syria. As of this writing the exact number of killed and injured is unknown, with early reports claiming "a handful" of people were killed.

Clean Energy Wire (2021-02-27). By the End of the Year, Germany will have a Million Electric Cars on the Road out of 4.7 mn Total. juancole.com By Sà∂ren Amelang | — Germany will probably reach its target of having one million fully electric or plug-in hybrid cars on the road this year, government advisors have said. The head of the country's National Platform Future of Mobility (NPM), Henning Kagermann, told business daily Handelsblatt he was pleased "that it appears we will …

John Catalinotto (2021-02-27). 'Rubin never lost a case' — Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021. workers.org Some younger Workers World Party members met Rubin Kanowitz for the first time when he was a communist elder, still confronting cops on recent demonstrations chanting, "Black Lives Matter." Older ones knew him from when he first joined the party in 1965. All grieved as they learned he died this . . . |