Staff (2022-02-20). Pilot sues defence ministry for ruining sex life — media. rt.com A former RAF helicopter pilot alleges that 20kg body armor caused medical problems that "adversely" affected his "personal life" | A former British air force helicopter pilot has reportedly sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD), accusing it of negligently issuing heavy body armor that led to nerve damage and sexual dysfunction. He is seeking more than £200,000 ($271,884) in damages, according to The Telegraph. | In the lawsuit filed at the High Court, Louis Warburton — an almost 10-year veteran with the Royal Air Force (RAF) — alleges that the 20kg (44lbs) 'Load Carriage System' body armor had dam…

Chris Hedges (2022-02-19). Hedges: Democrats, the More Effective Evil. orinocotribune.com By Chris Hedges — Feb 14, 2022 | The US is a de facto one-party state where the ideology of national security is sacrosanct, unsustainable debt props up the empire and the primary business is war. | When all else fails, when you are clueless about how to halt a 7.5% inflation rate, when your Build Back Better bill is gutted, when you renege on your promise to raise the minimum wage or forgive student debt, when you can't halt the Republican suppression of voting rights, when you have no idea how to handle the pandemic which has claimed 900,000 lives — 16% of the world's total deaths although we are les…

Workers World Party (2022-02-19). Unite for Feb. 26 — Workers Power Day! workers.org Solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon and all workers who are organizing and fighting back Fight against racism and all forms of oppression and exploitation — these struggles are part and parcel of the workers movement. Black Lives Matter! Unite our many struggles into one powerful force! Starbucks workers are leading an . . . |

Mike Ludwig (2022-02-19). In a Victory for Activists, Lawsuit Against Arizona's ALEC Lawmakers Can Proceed. truthout.org An appeals court in Arizona ruled this week that a coalition of racial justice groups can pursue a lawsuit against 26 Republican state lawmakers accused of breaking Arizona's open meetings law at a 2019 policy summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). | ALEC is the powerful pay-to-play forum that brings hundreds of conservative lawmakers together with far-right activists and corporate lobbyists to craft conservative policies for state legislatures, many of which are actual…

Editor (2022-02-19). Political prisoners in Cuba? mronline.org Can those prosecuted for acts of violence and recklessly endangering the public order, with no program, no proposals for positive change, be considered political prisoners?>

Justin Johnson (2022-02-19). In Prison, We Celebrated the First Step Act. We Realized It Falls Far Short. truthout.org When the U.S. Department of Justice published a rule finally spelling out how the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) would implement the First Step Act of 2018, the headlines trumpeted that thousands of people in federal prisons were now eligible for release. The news spread quickly among the fir…

Editor (2022-02-19). National Lawyers Guild International calls for the immediate release of Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab. mronline.org The National Lawyers Guild International calls for the immediate release of Venezuelan Special Envoy Alex Saab, imprisoned in a Miami federal prison by the United States in a violation of diplomatic norms and protections.

Alan MacLeod (2022-02-19). 1 in 3 Big Defense Contractors Profit from US Prisoner Suffering. orinocotribune.com By Alan MacLeod — Feb 14, 2022 | There exists a situation whereby prisoners earning pennies per hour are making multimillion-dollar weapons fired by individuals being paid barely $20,000 per year at civilians who might not make that much in their lifetimes. | America's largest arms companies are increasingly finding lucrative new ways of profiting from the

Chris Hedges (2022-02-19). Hedges: Democrats, the More Effective Evil. orinocotribune.com By Chris Hedges — Feb 14, 2022 | The US is a de facto one-party state where the ideology of national security is sacrosanct, unsustainable debt props up the empire and the primary business is war. | When all else fails, when you are clueless about how to halt a 7.5% inflation rate, when your Build Back Better bill is gutted, when you renege on your promise to raise the minimum wage or forgive student debt, when you can't halt the Republican suppression of voting rights, when you have no idea how to handle the pandemic which has claimed 900,000 lives — 16% of the world's total deaths although we are les…

JANET (2022-02-18). Unite for Feb. 26 — Workers Power Day! iacenter.org February 17, 2022 Solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon and all workers who are organizing and fighting back Fight against racism and all forms of oppression and exploitation — these struggles are part and parcel of the workers movement. Black Lives Matter! Unite our many struggles into one powerful force! Starbucks workers are leading an electrifying drive to organize the major coffee chain, often with several stores announcing they're joining this growing movement every day. From coast to coast and globally, Amazon workers are organizing to build workers' power at one of the world's largest and most oppressiv…

JANET (2022-02-18). Workers Power Day in solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon, all workers organizing! iacenter.org ‚áí Solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon, and all workers who are organizing and fighting back ‚áí Fight against racism and all forms of oppression and exploitation — these struggles are part and parcel of the workers movement. Black Lives Matter! ‚áí Unite our many struggles into one powerful force! Organize an action in your area in solidarity with this growing movement! Starbucks workers are leading an electrifying drive to organize the major coffee chain, often with several stores announcing they're joining this growing movement every day. From co…

Jennifer Loewenstein (2022-02-18). How Glib charges of "Anti-Semitism" at every Human Rights Report on Israel undermines Jewish Civil Rights. juancole.com Madison, Wi. (Special to Informed Comment) — The unqualified branding of people, organizations, reports, and movements as "anti-Semitic" for their criticism of Israel is having a boomerang effect. Labeling every condemnation of Israel as "anti-Semitism" silences those whose voices are most needed. The repeated charge of anti-Semitism debases its actual meaning—and provides cover for those …

_____ (2022-02-18). Long Before US Extradition Request, Hondurans Cried, 'Get Out JOH!'. popularresistance.org On Tuesday, Honduran national police arrested JOH from his residence in the capital Tegucigalpa. It came a day after the US government requested JOH's extradition by the Honduran Supreme Court of Justice for allegedly conspiring to traffic drugs in the US. On Tuesday morning, Supreme Court judge Edwin Ortez formally accepted the extradition request and issued an arrest warrant for Hernández. Hours later, Hernández was handcuffed by officials and moved to a high-security detention center.

_____ (2022-02-18). The Growing Right To Repair Movement. popularresistance.org Earlier this month, a group of North Dakota farmers filed a class action lawsuit claiming that John Deere is illegally monopolizing agricultural equipment repair. | The lawsuit alleges that Deere's implementation of computerized engine control units and refusal to provide farmers and independent mechanics with needed software repair tools have forced farmers to pay millions more for service than they would have in a competitive market. | A report from the US Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) titled Deere in the Headlights demonstrated how these software tools are necessary to fix modern tractors. | The laws…

Julia Rock (2022-02-18). VIDEO: How Biden Caved On Student Debt Lawsuits. dailyposter.com

WSWS (2022-02-18). Attorney Steven Donziger detained for five days in a Bronx halfway house. wsws.org Donziger, who won a $9.5 billion class action lawsuit against Chevron for polluting the Amazon rain forest, was detained because prison authorities claimed he violated the terms of his home confinement by going to a lower floor in his apartment building.

_____ (2022-02-18). The Political Violence Of National Oppression. popularresistance.org Jacksonville, FL – Throughout the months of January and February, there were over 20 bomb threats directed towards historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Black churches, most of which were in the South. These concentrated actions over the last few months are a microcosm of the extensive history of racism and national oppression that Black people have faced within the United States, particularly its southern region. | In general, all Black communities within the United States face systemic racism. The evidence is in the economically depressed ghettos of every city (big and small), riddled with de…

WSWS (2022-02-18). Oklahoma executes Gilbert Postelle despite clear evidence that state's lethal-injection protocol causes extreme pain and suffering. wsws.org At a trial set to begin February 28 in Oklahoma City federal court, more than two dozen death row inmates are asking a judge to find the state's execution procedure unconstitutional due to the danger of it causing severe pain to the condemned prisoner.

Fight Back (2022-02-18). Miami demands 'Free Alex Saab'. fightbacknews.org Miami, FL – 20 activists gathered at the Federal Courthouse here, to demand the release of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, who has been detained in Miami since October when the United States government kidnapped him from Cape Verde. Saab's supporters brought banners and signs with messages of solidarity, chanted "Free Alex Saab" and answered questions from reporters who converged on the courthouse. | Eminent Puerto Rican freedom fighter and longtime political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera delivered a powerful speech to the crowd. He explained ,"The Venezuelan people as well as the Puerto Rican people are fighting f…

Staff (2022-02-18). Filmmaker Stanley Nelson on Police Brutality, Black History & His First Oscar Nomination for "Attica" democracynow.org Legendary filmmaker Stanley Nelson's new documentary "Attica" has been nominated for the first Oscar in his three-decades-long career documenting the Black American experience. The film tells the story of the deadliest prison uprising in U.S. history, when men at the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York rebelled on September 9, 1971, overpowering guards and taking over much of the prison to protest conditions, before New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller called out state troopers, who opened fire and killed at least 39 men, including 10 guards. Attica is one of the most "importa…

Staff (2022-02-18). Dozens sentenced to death for major terrorist attack. rt.com An Indian court has handed down punishments for a series of bombings in Ahmedabad in 2008 | A special court in India sentenced 38 defendants to death and 11 others to life imprisonment on Friday for their role in a series of deadly bombings in 2008. | Each convict was also fined and ordered to pay compensation to the victims and their families, the court in India's western Gujarat region ruled. | The court acquitted 28 people due to either insufficient or no evidence against them. One of the 28 was previously released on bail because he was suffering from a mental illness, while the rest have spent nearly 13 y…