Monthly Archives: February 2021

2021-02-16: News Headlines

Len Yannielli (2021-02-16). Naugatuck, Conn. students keep Black Lives Matter fight going. peoplesworld.org NAUGATUCK, Conn.—What do the police killing of George Floyd and Naugatuck, Conn., have in common? Plenty. In June 2020, there was a March of 1,100 people in Naugatuck in solidarity with the many George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter (BLM) marches across the country. It gave birth to the peace and solidarity group Naugatuck …

Alethea Redfern (2021-02-16). The Weekly Round-up: Phase 2 of the Grenfell Inquiry. ukhumanrightsblog.com In the News: Having been temporarily suspended in early January as a result of an increase in COVID-19 cases, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry hearings resumed on 8 February 2021. The fire killed 72 people. The hearings are being conducted remotely using a Zoom-based video platform, which the Inquiry describes as "a temporary measure to be …

John Bachtell (2021-02-16). Bill Davis—beloved labor and peace activist, Communist leader—lost to COVID. peoplesworld.org Bill Davis, a long-time trade union and peace activist and Communist Party USA leader, died Jan. 23 in New York while in hospice with COVID-19. He was 78 years old. Davis was a caseworker for the New York City Department of Welfare (later Social Services) and a fixture in the trade union movement. As an …

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-02-16). Is Biden Committing Diplomatic Suicide Over the Iran Nuclear Agreement? counterpunch.org As Congress still struggles to pass a COVID relief bill, the rest of the world is nervously reserving judgment on America's new president and his foreign policy, after successive U.S. administrations have delivered unexpected and damaging shocks to the world and the international system. Cautious international optimism toward Biden is very much based on his

Joe Piette (2021-02-16). Philadelphians demand COVID safety. workers.org Several dozen teachers, parents and community activists protested outside Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny's home on Feb 12. They were demanding city officials not reopen schools for in-person teaching — until all teachers are vaccinated and all schools are properly ventilated. Educators continue to teach virtually until an arbitrator rules on . . . |

Marc Norton (2021-02-16). Super Bowl for Sports Team Billionaires: SF Giants owner rakes in $815 million during the pandemic. dissidentvoice.org Oracle Park The assets of Charles Johnson, the controversial chief owner of the San Francisco Giants, increased by $815 million during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, his net worth was a mere $4.2 billion dollars. By January 2021 he commanded a fortune of $5.015 billion, an increase just short of 20%. Workers at Oracle …

MEE and agencies (2021-02-16). Protesters in Algeria defy Covid-19 ban to mark second anniversary of uprising. middleeasteye.net Protesters in Algeria defy Covid-19 ban to mark second anniversary of uprising | Demonstrators marched in the town of Kherrata, which activists view as the birthplace of the Hirak movement | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 13: 28 | Protestors chanted anti-government slogans and held Algerian and Berber flags as they marked the second anniversary of the Hirak movement (AFP) | Hundreds of Algerians defied…

Nadda Osman (2021-02-16). Egypt: Student anger over in-person exams despite Covid-19. middleeasteye.net Egypt: Student anger over in-person exams despite Covid-19 | Calls for Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghaffar to be dismissed over his comments | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 12: 41 | Many have used the minister's comments to highlight the crowded nature of university education and the threat it could pose to the health of students (Screengrab/Social media) | Egypt's Minister of Higher Education Khaled A…

Global Research News (2021-02-16). Selected Articles: The Reshaping of Global Agriculture. globalresearch.ca By Western countries, including Canada, are using experimental mRNA injections in nursing homes, on the most vulnerable of people. …

RT (2021-02-16). Russian-made Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona vaccines are effective against UK variant of coronavirus — watchdog. rt.com Russia's Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona vaccines have been proven to be effective against the UK variant of the coronavirus, a government agency has said. | Serum obtained from people who took the Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona vaccines and had antibodies to the novel coronavirus, demonstrated a "protective effect" against the UK variant, Russia's consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said in a statement to the media. | It added that the vaccines have shown to be just as good against the British strain as they are against the ordinary SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. | The research was carried out by th…

Staff (2021-02-16). Andrés Arauz: Ecuador's Presidential Front-Runner on COVID, Austerity & Ending U.S. Interference. democracynow.org Ecuador's presidential front-runner says the country is facing a "double crisis" of COVID-19 and austerity. "We need a renewal in our politics," Andrés Arauz tells Democracy Now! The left-wing economist secured nearly 33% of the vote in the first round of Ecuador's presidential election on February 7 but fell short of the 40% needed to win outright. He will face right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso or Indigenous candidate Yaku Pérez in a runoff election on April 11, depending on the results of a recount after both candidates secured just over 19% of the vote. Arauz has pledged to end austerity measures imposed by Ec…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Israeli cabinet holds urgent, unscheduled meeting on Syria: Reports. middleeasteye.net Israeli cabinet holds urgent, unscheduled meeting on Syria: Reports | Details of meeting were banned from publication at request of Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 19: 02 | An Israeli flag is seen placed on Mount Bental in the occupied Golan Heights on 10 May 2018 (AFP/File photo) | Israel's cabinet convened for an unscheduled meeting on Tuesday for urgent discussions regarding a human…

Walter Smolarek (2021-02-16). Impeachment fiasco: Trumpism gets new lease on life. liberationnews.org Because of the approach adopted by the Democratic Party in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack, Trump's acquittal was essentially a forgone conclusion.

Steve Sweeney (2021-02-16). Scientists on WHO mission to Wuhan accuse media of biased reportage. mronline.org The U.S. government and many media outlets have queried WHO findings that do not corroborate theories promoted by Washington, such as the virus escaping from a Chinese laboratory.

Ariel Dorfman (2021-02-16). How Spanish Can Help Us Survive Viral Times. counterpunch.org "Una nación bajo Diós, indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos." When Jennifer López shouted out that last line of the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish during Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, like so many Spanish-speaking Latinos in the United States I felt a sense of pride, a sense of arrival. It was a joy to hear my

Jill Marlowe (2021-02-16). Gulf Coast faces high eviction rates, despite CDC moratorium. liberationnews.org Eviction rates in the Southeast region are exceeding national levels.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-02-16). Overcoming company hurdles, 6,000 Amazon workers start union recognition vote. peoplesworld.org BESSEMER, Ala. (PAI)—Overcoming one final company-crafted hurdle, almost 6,000 workers—most of them Black in a 70% Black city—at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., are now voting by mail on whether to unionize. Final results of the balloting, on whether the workers will join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), a sector of …

Eds. (2021-02-16). States have no inherent 'right to exist'—but it's a media fixation on Israel/Palestine. mronline.org No state has an intrinsic "right to exist." As international relations scholar Scott Burchill points out, there is no abstract "right to exist" in international law, or in "any serious theory of international relations."

Mark Engler, Paul Engler (2021-02-16). It's a Myth that Presidents Welcome Movement Pressure — and Biden is No Different. counterpunch.org In early 2009, as Barack Obama prepared to move into the White House, a particular historical anecdote rapidly gained in popularity, repeated in dozens of talks and articles as a parable for how supporters should respond to the new president taking office. The story related a New Deal-era encounter between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a group of activists, usually said to have been led by A. Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. In the meeting, the advocates laid out a vision of bold action for change that the president could advance with his bully pulpit and his executive power. FDR listen…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-16). Europe Will Redefine Itself Despite Political Shift in the US. dissidentvoice.org Despite the long-awaited political change in Washington as Democratic President, Joe Biden, has officially become the 46th President of the United States, Europe is unlikely to resume its previously unhindered reliance on its trans-Atlantic partner. The four years of Donald Trump were rife with tension and strife between the US and Europe — in fact, …

Phelan Acheson (2021-02-16). Catastrophe Capitalism in America. realprogressives.org What is the meaning of "catastrophic" anyways? The sheer amount of death, suffering and misery caused by the neoliberal world order serving the whims of transnational capital is unending. It's so normalized that most people don't even consider the depravity; most people can't, since it's too much to handle. But is It catastrophic? | We're told, "communism killed 100,000,000 in a century" whenever the conversation about making things remotely better or changing our system comes up. Even if that claim, which comes from thinkers and historians diametrically opposed to communism, were true, capitalism kills 20,000…

Moira Casados Cassidy (2021-02-16). Karen Lewis and the class-conscious union. liberationnews.org In a moment of crisis, Karen Lewis and the CORE caucus reinvigorated class consciousness in teachers' unions.

Karl Grossman (2021-02-16). Nuclear Rockets to Mars? counterpunch.org A report advocating rocket propulsion by nuclear power for U.S. missions to Mars, written by a committee packed with individuals deeply involved in nuclear power, was issued last week by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. | The 104-page report also lays out "synergies" in space nuclear activities between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. military, something not advanced explicitly since the founding of NASA as a civilian agency supposedly in 1958.

Eds. (2021-02-16). Biden's first directive to the war machine. mronline.org In his first presidential visit to the Pentagon yesterday, Joe Biden announced the creation of an anti-China task force.

Gary Leupp (2021-02-16). The Trump Cult and Its Future. counterpunch.org I am quite sure the majority of Trump supporters do not embrace the "theory" that the Democratic leaders are pedophile cannibal satanists whom Trump sought to destroy, to protect the children. An amazing minority do, constituting a robust and vital idiot stratum within the Trump coalition. (It is not clear however what QAnon will play

G. Dunkel (2021-02-16). Haiti: The masses are still in the streets. workers.org A twitter post showed hundreds of students taking to the streets of Delmas, near Port-au-Prince, on the morning of Feb. 13, some carrying pictures of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. They were demanding President Jovenel MoàØse, a U.S. puppet, leave office, especially since his term was over Feb. 7. A much . . . |

Jeremiah Smith (2021-02-16). Mississippi laws threaten protesters with jail. liberationnews.org In Mississippi, the first of these anti-protest laws was passed in June. The law threatens individuals who protest oil and gas pipelines or other "critical infrastructure" projects with up to 7 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Lyn Neeley (2021-02-16). Oregon care workers dare to strike. workers.org In Springfield, Ore., essential health workers at The Rawlin at Riverbend Memory Care facility have set a Feb. 16 strike deadline to demand union recognition in order to improve staffing, training and turnover — and save residents' lives. They are leading the way for workers throughout their community and the . . . |

Olivia Rosane (2021-02-16). Child slavery lawsuit targets Hershey, Nestlé, Mars and other chocolate giants. peoplesworld.org Many people give chocolates as a symbol of love on Valentine's Day, but for some, the popular candy is more bitter than sweet. A human rights group filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of eight Malian men who say they were trafficked across the border to the Cote D'Ivoire and forced to harvest cocoa for …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-16). Police arrest Spanish rapper Pablo Hasel. peoplesdispatch.org The Spanish national court served a notice to rapper Pablo Hasel in January asking him to surrender within ten days to face imprisonment. Hasel was convicted on charges of "glorifying terrorism, insulting the crown and state institutions" and faces a two-year prison term.

Bernard Nicolas (2021-02-16). We Need to Talk About Judas. counterpunch.org The new film, Judas and the Black Messiah, is worth seeing, talking about and analyzing with a variety of historical lenses. The historical lenses include the history of Black Cinema, revolutionary cinema, African American history and the history of political repression in the US in general. Every once in a while, an important political film

Eds. (2021-02-16). Immigration enforcement and the afterlife of the slave ship. mronline.org Coast Guard techniques for blocking Haitian asylum seekers have their roots in the slave trade. Understanding these connections can help us disentangle immigration policy from white nationalism.

Will Weissert, Alexandra Jaffe (2021-02-16). Workers press Biden to fight for $15 minimum wage. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (AP)—Union activist Terrence Wise recalls being laughed at when he began pushing for a national $15 per hour minimum wage almost a decade ago. Nearly a year into the pandemic, the idea isn't so funny. The coronavirus has renewed focus on challenges facing hourly employees who have continued working in grocery stores, gas stations, …

Otis Grotewohl (2021-02-16). Karen Lewis, 1953-2021: Lessons from a teacher, leader and courageous fighter. workers.org The global working-class, Black liberation and labor movements lost a courageous fighter when Karen Lewis — former president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), who famously led a militant, seven-day strike in 2012 — passed away Feb. 7 after a long battle with cancer. Karen Lewis. Credit: John W. Iwanski . . . |

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Gideon Saar suspends Lincoln Project advisors amid sexual harassment scandal. middleeasteye.net Gideon Saar suspends Lincoln Project advisors amid sexual harassment scandal | Netanyahu rival's polling has flagged since anti-Trump campaigners came on board | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 15: 42 | Israeli politician Gideon Saar talks to reporters during a visit to an outdoor shopping centre in city of Raanana near Tel Aviv, 8 February 2021 (AFP) | Gideon Saar, one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief r…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Biden to communicate with Saudi Arabia via King Salman, bypassing MBS. middleeasteye.net Biden to communicate with Saudi Arabia via King Salman, bypassing MBS | White House press secretary says move represents return to 'counterpart to counterpart' diplomacy, regarding King Salman as rightful Saudi leader | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 20: 49 | Since taking office, the Biden administration has been pressuring Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record (AFP/File photo) | President Joe Biden plans to shif…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). US urges Yemen's Houthis to join peace talks, stop assault on government stronghold. middleeasteye.net US urges Yemen's Houthis to join peace talks, stop assault on government stronghold | State Department strongly urges Houthi movement to stop its attacks on oil-rich Marib, where deadly offensive threatens lives of millions of civilians | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 16: 31 | Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government get into position during clashes with Houthi rebel fighters, northwest of Marib in central Yemen on…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Israel court rules to expel six Palestinian families from East Jerusalem homes. middleeasteye.net Israel court rules to expel six Palestinian families from East Jerusalem homes | The eviction affects 27 people, in a decision NGO Peace Now says is aimed at dispossessing the Palestinian community of Sheikh Jarrah in favour of settlers | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 14: 04 | Protesters near the house of a Palestinian family, which an Israeli court had ordered to be evicted while declaring Israeli settlers to be the lega…

Simon Hooper (2021-02-16). UK rights groups to boycott Prevent review over Shawcross appointment. middleeasteye.net UK rights groups to boycott Prevent review over Shawcross appointment | Organisations including Amnesty, Liberty and Cage say government has 'no interest in conducting an objective and impartial review' | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 15: 59 | William Shawcross is a former director of the Henry Jackson Society (UK government) | Leading human rights and civil liberties organisations in the UK are to boycott a long…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Saudi Arabia issues ultimatum to foreign companies to move regional HQs to kingdom. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia issues ultimatum to foreign companies to move regional HQs to kingdom | The announcement, which comes amid an economic slump in the kingdom, could create friction with UAE | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 12: 56 | Cars drive past the King Abdullah Financial District in the Saudi capital Riyadh on 18 December 2018 (Reuters) | Saudi Arabia is to stop signing contracts with companies whose regional headquarters a…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Egypt arrests relatives of US-based rights advocate Mohamed Soltan. middleeasteye.net Egypt arrests relatives of US-based rights advocate Mohamed Soltan | Egyptian authorities are arresting Soltan's relatives to 'intimidate him into silence', his lawyer says | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 16: 58 | This is not the first time Egyptian security forces have targeted Soltan's family members (MEE/File photo) | Egyptian security forces arrested several members of Egyptian-American activist Mohamed Soltan's famil…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-16). Arabic press review: Bahrain formed anti-revolution lobby in Washington in 2011. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Bahrain formed anti-revolution lobby in Washington in 2011 | Meanwhile, UK holds talks with Yemen's Houthis, Sudan plans handing over Bashir to ICC and a cash-strapped Jordanian writer sells personal library | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 11: 52 | Bahrain registered its anti-revolution lobby on 15 March 2011, a day after the GCC agreed to deploy troops to counter mass protests (Reuters…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). Israel threatens to forge own path on Iran if US revives nuclear deal. middleeasteye.net Israel threatens to forge own path on Iran if US revives nuclear deal | Ambassador Gilad Erdan says if US were to lift 'crippling' sanctions, Iran will have 'no real incentive to negotiate' | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 15: 23 | Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan (R) stressed that without sanctions and a 'credible military threat', Iran will have no motive to negotiate over its nuclear programme (AFP/File photo) | The Israe…

MEE staff (2021-02-16). UAE: Secret recordings emerge of 'hostage' Princess Latifa. middleeasteye.net UAE: Secret recordings emerge of 'hostage' Princess Latifa | The BBC has obtained new videos of the princess, who claims she is being held captive by her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 16: 36 | Dubai's Princess Latifa al-Maktoum said in a video published in March 2018 that she had run away (Screengrab) | Footage made public by the BBC on Tuesday showed Dubai's Princess Latifa…

Dana Taib Menmy (2021-02-16). Iraq: US forces hit in rocket attack that kills contractor. middleeasteye.net Iraq: US forces hit in rocket attack that kills contractor | US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was outraged by the deadly raid | Tue, 02/16/2021 – 08: 59 | A man lies in a hospital bed after being injured during Monday's rocket attack on US-led forces at Erbil international airport (Reuters) | A rocket attack in northern Iraq killed a contractor and wounded several others, includi…

Kim Petersen (2021-02-16). Why are Effective and Inexpensive Chinese and Russian Vaccines Unavailable in Much of the West? dissidentvoice.org In 2016, I attended an information session about First Nations in Lax Kxeen (colonial designation Prince Rupert),1 "BC." During a break, I conversed with some fellow attendees. They expressed skepticism to colonial provincial authorities being behind the intentional spreading of smallpox among First Nations people2 and that a vaccine was withheld from infected Indigenous individuals. …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-02-16). Trouble in Vaccine Land: The Wiliness of South Africa's Coronavirus Variant. counterpunch.org It began as a shudder through the scientific and public health establishments. A new variant of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 had been found, mutating in South African climes, potentially outwitting human responses to it. Vaccines such as Oxford-AstraZeneca's would have to be brushed up. Rollouts would have to be reconsidered. The South African variant has been

Staff (2021-02-16). The Case for Prosecuting Trump: Elie Mystal on Why Criminal Charges Are Still Possible — and Needed. democracynow.org Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has authorized a 9/11-style commission to further investigate the January 6 insurrection and the actions that led up to it, as calls grow for the criminal prosecution of former President Donald Trump after his acquittal in his second Senate impeachment trial. The Nation's justice correspondent Elie Mystal says House impeachment managers presented "a fairly compelling case for criminal liability" for Donald Trump over the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. "I think there's a case for indictment. I think we should at least try," he says.

Media Lens (2021-02-16). "Our Indifference To Ourselves": Beyond The "Virtue" Of Self-Sacrifice (Part 1). dissidentvoice.org The name Arnold Ridley will be familiar to many viewers of 'Dad's Army', one of Britain's best-loved TV comedies, which ran a long time ago (1968-1977) but is still shown on prime time BBC TV. Ridley played Private Godfrey, the loveable, most doddery member of a Second World War platoon of elderly Home Guard troops tasked with …

Staff (2021-02-16). Sex workers are held to an impossible standard. therealnews.com Do we talk about any other job the way we talk about sex work? Do you ask cashiers or dishwashers if their work is "empowering"?

2021-02-15: News Headlines

Ragip Soylu (2021-02-15). Turkey: Hundreds arrested after PKK's execution of 13 hostages. middleeasteye.net Turkey: Hundreds arrested after PKK's execution of 13 hostages | Erdogan lashes out at United States for allegedly providing Kurdish militants with weapons | Mon, 02/15/2021 – 13: 48 | The funerals of three Turkish military personnel killed in Iraq, at the Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque, Ankara, on 12 February 2021 (AFP) | Turkey on Monday announced the detention of 718 people suspected of having links to the…

WSWS (2021-02-15). British government jails migrants as "people smugglers," excludes and mistreats child migrants. wsws.org The continued pursuit by the Conservative government of a "hostile environment" for those seeking shelter in the UK is devoid of any decency and boundaries…

RT (2021-02-15). Gagging opponents is not unity, conservative reporter who was shoved & rubbed with dirty diaper at BLM rally tells RT. rt.com Days after the Capitol Hill riot, a conservative journalist was assaulted and harassed at a BLM rally in New York. Her ordeal shows how people sharing their political beliefs in today's America risk physical harm, she told RT. | Tara Anne Szczepanski, 33, is a Polish-American political commentator and independent reporter. On January 10, she attended a small protest in Madison Square Park where Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists accosted her after she started filming them. | "The mob turned against me after recognizing that I am a Trump supporter," she told RT. "With the hatred that is going on currently in Am…

Online News Editor (2021-02-15). Harsh jail sentence over drug use spurs legalization debate in Tunisia. laprensalatina.com Tunis, Feb 15 (efe-epa).- Three young Tunisians have received a 30-year prison sentence for possessing and using cannabis, a ruling that has sparked a nationwide debate over the drug use law in the country. The unprecedented prison sentence has led to mutual understanding between both civil society groups and politicians, who seem to agree that …

Online News Editor (2021-02-15). Zuma could face prison sentence after corruption inquiry no-show. laprensalatina.com Johannesburg, Feb 15 (efe-epa).- Former South African president Jacob Zuma could be facing a prison term after he failed to appear before a commission investigating corruption allegations, the head of the inquiry said on Monday. "It is a pity that Mr Zuma has decided not to appear before the commission today, in defiance of the …

Ronnie Amiyn (2021-02-15). Formerly incarcerated organizer on Feb. 6 St. Louis jail protest. zcomm.org Interview on the conditions in St. Louis jails, the protests and organizing of incarcerated people and the responses of jail officials and the media…

WSWS (2021-02-15). Hundreds of artists denounce Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél's imminent jailing. wsws.org Hasél's prison sentence for "insulting crown and state institutions" sparked mass protests and a petition for his release signed by 300 internationally-renowned artists including director Pedro Almodovar, actor Javier Bardem and folk singer Joan Manuel Serrat.

RT (2021-02-14). Premier League hopefuls announce they will stop taking knee for Black Lives Matter after realizing stunt is not 'having an impact'. rt.com London club Brentford have met a divided response after becoming the latest high-profile club in the UK to announce that they will no longer taking a knee before matches, explaining that they feel the gesture has run its course. | The sight of squads taking a knee before kick-off has been a feature of elite matches in England since last summer, but its value has become increasingly questioned against a backdrop of escalating racism against players on social media. | On the same day as Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha attacked the authenticity of some public efforts to genuinely curb the problem, players fro…

RT (2021-02-14). Swedish lawmaker calls for being tough on Germany over Berlin's commitment to Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. rt.com A member of Sweden's parliament, Bjorn Soder, is urging its government to take steps to persuade Germany to withdraw from the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline, as a response to Russia's latest "actions." | In an official inquiry addressed to Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde and seen by RT, Soder, who is a member of the country's Democrats party, highlights that the European Union should take the necessary measures as a reaction to what some perceive as the Kremlin's actions towards jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny, and towards the three EU diplomats booted out of Russia. The lawmaker al…

RT (2021-02-14). Female supporters of Russian activist Navalny gather in central Moscow to form Valentine's Day 'solidarity chain' (PHOTO, VIDEO). rt.com Some 240 women held on to a long white ribbon to form a human chain on an iconic pedestrianized street in Moscow, on Sunday. It was part of a protest organised by supporters of Western-leaning opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | The gathering, on the central Arbat Street, coincided with Valentine's Day and was dubbed "Love is stronger than fear." Some of the participants were given flowers, balloons and leaflets with black hearts. | Those involved told reporters the "chain of solidarity" was aimed at showing support to figures they referred to as "female political prisoners" detained in Russia. | –&iacut…

Ralph Nader, Bruce Fein (2021-02-14). Democrats' Shameful Cave. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-12923215461.jpg

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-14). Systematic human rights violations ongoing in Bahrain. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 14 (MNA) — Today the continuous violation of human rights, suppression of people seeking their own minimalist demands along with al-Khalifa alliance with Zionism can be witnessed in Bahrain, a senior Iranian Parliamentary advisor said.

news.un (2021-02-14). Living and loving with HIV: a UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org To mark Valentine's Day, the annual 14 February celebration of love and affection, Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, and Patchara Benjarattanaporn, Thailand Country Director for UNAIDS, call for an end to discrimination against people living with HIV, and recognition of the contribution they make to Thai society.

Online News Editor (2021-02-14). Russian women hold human chain protests in support of Yulia Navalnaya. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 14 (efe-epa).- Some 300 women formed a human chain in Moscow on Sunday in solidarity with Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The protest, which was unauthorized, doubled up as a call to release all political prisoners and came after several large protests were met by a police …

National WWII Museum (2021-02-14). Friday 2/19: Setsuko's Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration. indybay.org Online event…

Dee Knight (2021-02-14). NYC cops Keep Rioting; Protesters Resist. zcomm.org In contrast to January 6 in Washington, DC, police in New York on Martin Luther King Jr. Day reverted to type. At least 29 people were arrested and multiple protesters were hospitalized when NYPD broke up a Black Lives Matter march held in honor of MLK Day…

_____ (2021-02-14). For Biden Administration, Black Lives Don't Matter In Haiti! popularresistance.org The people of Haiti have been demanding freedom from the succession of U.S.-imposed dictators for decades. One such dictator, Jovenel MoàØse, refused to leave office February 7, which marked the end of his term five years after an illegal election. This move catapulted yet another intense episode in the historic struggle of the Haitian masses against colonial intervention. Tens of thousands of Haitians went to the streets demanding democracy and an end to dictatorship. And what was the response from the U.S. puppet regime? Bullets, paramilitary terror, curfews, house raids, beatings and the imprisonment of…

_____ (2021-02-14). Formerly Incarcerated Organizer On February 6 St. Louis Jail Protest. popularresistance.org EXPO is an organization of formerly incarcerated individuals and other people involved with the criminal justice system. We are a voice for people adversely affected by this system. We are an offshoot of EXPO Wisconsin, which started in 2014. In just a few years, we have made tremendous strides to address issues that reduce the quality of life for people transitioning after being incarcerated. | We are leading a few campaigns now. One is Unlock the Vote, which is a fight to restore voting rights for individuals convicted of a felony and who are now on probation or parole. We hope to restore these rights because p…

_____ (2021-02-14). Forced Labor In The United States. popularresistance.org By any measure, the United States has the worst human rights record among the nations called democratic or developed or advanced or "free world" or any of the other labels that rich capitalist countries use to describe themselves. The U.S. has the worst health care system in that group, the worst benefits for workers, and the worst income inequality. It also has the dubious distinction of being the world's biggest jailer, with some 2.3 million people behind bars. This country which treats its people so terribly is also the one most likely to project its evil doing on to others. | There is a method to the madness.

Hi'Keem Mobley (2021-02-13). $3 billion to spare? Alabama's governor spends on prisons. liberationnews.org Alabama is making one of the largest public expenditures in the state's history—on building new prisons. Governor Ivey should put $3 billion dollars towards making Alabamians' lives better, and not towards justifying mass incarceration.

Ryan Hamby (2021-02-13). Interview: Formerly incarcerated organizer on Feb. 6 St. Louis jail protest. liberationnews.org On February 10, Liberation News interviewed Ronnie Amiyn, an organizer with EXPO (Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing) St. Louis about the organization, the conditions in St. Louis jails, the protests and organizing of incarcerated people and the responses of jail officials and the media.

Gabriela Silva (2021-02-13). Wrongly jailed Queens youth organized own defense from prison: Free Prakash Churaman! liberationnews.org The Free Prakash Alliance continues to demand that the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz drop all charges against Prakash Churaman.

WSWS (2021-02-13). Amid deadly pandemic, Canada deported record number of refugees in 2020. wsws.org The working class must reject the nationalist poison of the ruling elite and defend the right of workers of all origins to work and live in the country of their choice, without fear of discrimination or deportation.

yenisafak (2021-02-13). ANALYSIS – Palestinian elections to test Fatah's cohesion. yenisafak.com Abbas is facing stiff competition from two candidates — Marwan Barghouti, a member of the central committee currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail, and Muhammad Dahlan, a controversial figure who was dismissed and is currently harbored by the United Arab Emirates as he faces legal cases from Palestine and Turkey on several charges, including murder, corruption, and involvement in a 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.Palestinian factions agreed Tuesday in Cairo to establish an elections court based on a national consensus among judges from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.- Barred from runningAbdullah K…

RT (2021-02-13). UK's 'The Independent' apologizes to Roman Abramovich, pays Chelsea owner's legal fees after parroting 'Putin's bag carrier' claim. rt.com Britain's The Independent has been forced to make an apology to Russian tycoon and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, after publishing a story accusing the billionaire of holding illicit cash for Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Amid the uproar surrounding the jailing of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, the Independent, like many Western media outlets, has sided with Navalny's associates in demanding punitive sanctions on Moscow. Yet in its fervor to boost the protest leader, the liberal journal has fallen foul of the law. | In an article published last week, the Independent quoted an associate of…

RT (2021-02-13). The Independent apologizes to Roman Abramovich, pays Chelsea owner's legal fees after parroting claim of 'Putin's bag carrier'. rt.com The Independent has been forced to eat crow and apologize to the Russian tycoon and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, after publishing a story accusing the billionaire of holding illicit cash for Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Amid the uproar surrounding the jailing of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, the Independent, like many Western media outlets, has sided with Navalny's associates in demanding punitive sanctions on Moscow. Yet in its fervor to boost the protest leader, the liberal newspaper has fallen foul of the law. | In an article published last week, the Independent quoted an associate…

RT (2021-02-13). UK's 'The Independent' apologizes to Roman Abramovich, pays Chelsea owner's legal fees after parroting 'Putin's bag carrier' claim. rt.com Britain's The Independent has been forced to make an apology to Russian tycoon and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, after publishing a story accusing the billionaire of holding illicit cash for Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Amid the uproar surrounding the jailing of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, the Independent, like many Western media outlets, has sided with Navalny's associates in demanding punitive sanctions on Moscow. Yet in its fervor to boost the protest leader, the liberal journal has fallen foul of the law. | In an article published last week, the Independent quoted an associate of…

RT (2021-02-13). Biden to 'review' Guantanamo prison with 'intention' to close facility by end of term — 12 years after Obama made same promise. rt.com The Joe Biden administration will carry out a "robust review" of the Guantanamo Bay prison, aiming to shutter the detention center before his term is up, the White House said, some 12 years after Barack Obama vowed to do the same.

The Lancet (2021-02-13). [Editorial] Improving prisoner health for stronger public health. thelancet.com COVID-19 vaccine policy for prisoners has been in the headlines across the USA and the UK. Discordant strategies exist, ranging from no vaccination, to vaccination equivalent to people in the community, to higher prioritisation for people in prison. Prisons are dangerous hotspots for acquiring SARS-CoV-2, and individuals who return to the community could unwittingly transmit the virus. In the USA alone, 372‚Äà583 prisoners have had COVID-19, with 2359 deaths, according to the Marshall Project. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to address racial and social inequalities globally, but…

Ruth E Langley, Duncan C Gilbert, Trinh Duong, Noel W Clarke, Matthew Nankivell, Stuart D Rosen, Stephen Mangar, Archie Macnair, Subramanian Kanaga Sundaram, Marc E Laniado, Sanjay Dixit, Sanjeev Madaan, Caroline Manetta, Alvan Pope, Christopher D Scrase, Stephen Mckay, Iqtedar A Muazzam, Gerald N Collins, Jane Worlding, Simon T Williams, Edgar Paez, Angus Robinson, Jonathan McFarlane, John V Deighan, John Marshall, Silvia Forcat, Melanie Weiss, Roger Kockelbergh, Abdulla Alhasso, Howard Kynaston, Mahesh Parmar (2021-02-13). [Articles] Transdermal oestradiol for androgen suppression in prostate cancer: long-term cardiovascular outcomes from the randomised Prostate Adenocarcinoma Transcutaneous Hormone (PATCH) trial programme. thelancet.com Long-term data comparing tE2 patches with LHRHa show no evidence of a difference between treatments in cardiovascular mortality or morbidity. Oestrogens administered transdermally should be reconsidered for androgen suppression in the management of prostate cancer.

_____ (2021-02-13). Wrongly Jailed Queens Youth Organized Own Defense From Prison. popularresistance.org On Feb. 10, now 21-year-old Prakash Churaman of Queens, New York, stood on the steps of Queens Criminal Court addressing a crowd of supporters just before his latest trial. He spoke confidently into the mic: "I'm ready to fight. This is round two. And I just want to say…free them all!" | At age 15, Churaman was held and aggressively interrogated by the New York Police Department for the fatal shooting of his best friend Taquane Clark. After he and his mother were subjected to hours of intimidation tactics by Detectives Barry Brown and Daniel Gallagher, Churaman agreed to say whatever they wanted to hear: in thi…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-13). UN and others urge Egyptian government to stop persecution of activists in the country. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands of activists, journalists, lawyers and opposition figures have been thrown in prison in the country as part of a massive, ongoing crackdown on human rights and dissent since the regime of president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power in 2014…

Andrew Emett (2021-02-13). Former California Assemblyman sentenced to federal prison for money laundering. nationofchange.org U.S. District Judge James Donato sentenced the former State Assemblyman to one year and one day in prison and ordered him to pay $685,000 in restitution.

Ted Kelly (2021-02-12). 'Progressive' prosecutors put thousands of lives at risk. workers.org Philadelphia The novel coronavirus has claimed an unlikely victim in the United States: the Sixth Amendment. The right to a "speedy trial" is in critical condition. Philadelphia's county jail population has risen to 4,500 and is growing steadily. Half of those behind bars have "detainers," meaning they aren't eligible for . . . |

Rosa Astra (2021-02-12). Make Our Schools and Communities Safe caravan takes to streets of San Francisco. liberationnews.org More than 100 cars bearing signs saying "More resources, less lawsuits"; "Fund our schools"; and "Fund our communities" traveled through San Francisco Feb. 10. The Make Our Schools and Communities Safe caravan was called in response to City Attorney Dennis Herrera's announcement that the City would sue the school district to reopen schools. Over 100 …

Judy Greenspan (2021-02-12). Biden and Harris won't help prisoners. workers.org The following are lightly edited remarks from a Workers World Party webinar on January 21. It's actually been a very painful time for those of us who are involved in supporting incarcerated workers. And people behind the walls are incarcerated workers, and they're part of our working class. They're part . . . |

MEE staff (2021-02-12). 'We want real justice': Loujain al-Hathloul's family slams conditions of release. middleeasteye.net 'We want real justice': Loujain al-Hathloul's family slams conditions of release | Since Loujain's sentence was only suspended, not pardoned, Saudi Arabia retains right to return her to prison for any perceived criminal activity | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 16: 27 | A woman viewing a tweet posted by sister of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, Lina, in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on 10 February (AFP/File photo) | Af…

MEE staff (2021-02-12). Biden administration says it aims to close Guantanamo Bay by end of term. middleeasteye.net Biden administration says it aims to close Guantanamo Bay by end of term | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says closing prison camp before Biden leaves office 'certainly is our goal and our intention' | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 21: 31 | Demonstrators dressed in Guantanamo Bay prisoner uniforms march past Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 9 January 2020 | The Biden administration has launched a formal review of…

CP Editor (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. counterpunch.org

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-12). Hearings continue against anti-terror law in the Philippines. peoplesdispatch.org On Tuesday, February 9, the second day of the hearings on Philippines' controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Supreme Court continued to receive oral arguments from the petitioners. Lawyers representing 37 petitioners against the law focused their attack on the new law's potential to do away with protections that were earlier afforded to prisoners and the accused. | According to

RT (2021-02-12). NY AG brands Amazon 'corporate bully' after tech giant sues to block lawsuit on alleged Covid worker negligence. rt.com New York state's attorney general has dismissed Amazon's move to preemptively sue the office over its inquiries into the e-commerce retailer's alleged neglect of employee safety amid the pandemic as a "sad attempt" at distraction. | On Friday, Amazon sued NY Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of legally threatening the company and overstepping her remit. The suit also said that an unannounced city inspection of Amazon's Staten Island facility on March 30 — the first day of worker protests over conditions at the site — found that complaints about safety were "completely baseless". | Respondi…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-12). Syrian militants urged to release US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem. middleeasteye.net Syrian militants urged to release US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem | Idlib-based reporter was arrested six months ago after raising concerns about alleged torture of prisoners by HTS | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 15: 55 | Bilal Abdul Kareem has reported from opposition-held Syria since 2014 (Screengrab) | A leading media freedom monitor has called for the release of US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, six months aft…

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader: Biden Must Hold Boeing Accountable for Deaths Due to Faulty Planes. truthout.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and…

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. democracynow.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and hold Boeing fully accountable. "This is just another example of giant companies getting away with their corporate criminal…

Staff (2021-02-12). Where Are the Witnesses? Ralph Nader Says Democrats' Impeachment Case Is "Prescription for Defeat" democracynow.org As the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continues, we speak with longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who says Democrats have set themselves up for defeat by rushing proceedings and failing to call witnesses — including Trump himself. "The narrow approach of the articles of impeachment keep the Democrats from having a full hand," says Nader. "They have like 10 arrows in their quiver and they're using one or two."

_____ (2021-02-12). Jettison the Johnson: Transwomen Athletes Crashing Female Sports Will Only Hurt the Game. strategic-culture.org As the Biden administration moves to make it illegal to deny the participation of birth males in female sport, a number of courageous athletes and academics are beginning to speak out on the issue, warning that the presidential orders will have disastrous consequences on their profession, and possibly their lives. | On the very same day of his locked-down inauguration, Joe Biden signed off on dozens of executive orders, including one gem entitled, 'Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation'. The controversial legislation, which has never been the subject of seri…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-02-12). 'End… This Human Rights Atrocity,' Says Amnesty After Biden Admin Signals Goal to Close Gitmo. commondreams.org Asked whether the president will shutter the prison, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "That certainly is our goal and our intention." | www.flickr.com/photos/shriekingtree/6688582501

Philip Weiss (2021-02-12). If Navalny deserves support, why not Issa Amro? zcomm.org Where is the U.S. government on a Palestinian activist at a time when it has highlighted the freedom of other groups to protest (notably the imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Russia)…

Human Rights Watch (2021-02-12). Saudi Arabia releases Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul but Bans her Travel. juancole.com (Beirut) — Saudi authorities released from prison the prominent women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul on February 10, 2021, Human Rights Watch said today. However, she is banned from travel and has a suspended sentence, which allows the authorities to return her to prison at any time for any perceived criminal activity. In late December 2020, …

commondreams (2021-02-12). President Biden Must Close Guant√°namo Bay Detention Center, End Twenty Years of Human Rights Abuses. commondreams.org ______________________________…