As COVID Surges Behind Bars in California, Why Is San Quentin Transferring Hundreds of Prisoners?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-12-15
Prisons across the U.S. are facing their greatest swell in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly a quarter-million incarcerated people in the U.S. have been infected with COVID-19, according to the Marshall Project, and advocates are pushing for incarcerated people to be prioritized in the country's vaccine rollout. All of California's state prisons have active coronavirus cases, but the California Department of Corrections is continuing to transfer incarcerated people between institutions. San Quentin State Prison has begun the transfer of nearly 300 incarcerated people to other institutions…
www.democracynow.org/2020/12/15/san_quentin_prison_covid_outbreak

The Most Lethal Virus is Not COVID. It is War
John Pilger | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-15
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Boris Johnson has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defence spending — a figure that would restore the under-resourced NHS many times over.
counterpunch.org/2020/12/15/the-most-lethal-virus-is-not-covid-it-is-war/

W.E.B. Du Bois Is as Relevant as Ever
Norman Stockwell | progressive.org | 2020-12-15
Elvira Basevich's new book takes a look at the scholar's work through the lens of the Black Lives Matter movement.
progressive.org/dispatches/du-bois-as-relevant-as-ever-stockwell-201215/

From TMAP to Warp Speed: How Big Pharma Algorithms Fast-Track Unapproved Drugs and Vaccines
John Klyczek | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-15
Five of the pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines through the USA's Operation Warp Speed have paid out a total of nearly $6 billion to settle lawsuits charging them with fraud related to "off-label" marketing of atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants that were mandated through the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP), which evolved into President George W. …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/from-tmap-to-warp-speed-how-big-pharma-algorithms-fast-track-unapproved-drugs-and-vaccines/

Canadian Guards Beat a Prisoner to Death Four Years Ago. Now They Have Impunity
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-15
December 15 marks yet another anniversary in the calendar of carceral violence: the killing of Soleiman Faqiri, who was beaten to death by guards in an Ontario solitary confinement cell in 2016. This August — almost four years later — the Ontario Provincial Police announced that no one will be charged. | Faqiri, known as Soli, was 30 years old. He had studied environmental enginee…
truthout.org/articles/canadian-guards-beat-a-prisoner-to-death-four-years-ago-now-they-have-impunity/

Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-15
Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel | Family and activists have denounced Kinda al-Khatib's case as political because of her stance against parties in power | MEE and agencies | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 10: 23 | Prior to her arrest, Khatib had criticised Hezbollah on social media (Twitter) | Lebanon's military prosecution has sentenced prominent activist Kinda al-Khatib to three years…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-israel-activist-jailed-collaborating

Relief Package Gives Retroactive Immunity to Corporations From COVID Lawsuits
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-15
One piece of a bipartisan Covid-19 relief package unveiled late Monday would give corporations sweeping and retroactive immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits, a top Republican priority that civil rights groups, labor unions, a…
truthout.org/articles/relief-package-gives-retroactive-immunity-to-corporations-from-covid-lawsuits/

William Barr Resigns as Attorney General on Heels of Electoral College Vote
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-15
Image Credit: Shealah Craighead / White House / Flickr | William Barr is resigning as attorney general, leaving his post after angering President Trump for not backing his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud more strongly. But despite their split, Barr has been one of Trump's staunchest allies, echoing much of the president's inflammatory rhetoric about Black Lives Matter and antifascist activists this year even while downplaying the threat posed by far-right extremists. In June, Barr repor…
truthout.org/video/william-barr-resigns-as-attorney-general-on-heels-of-electoral-college-vote/

Iraq to Sue US over Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons: Official
Tasnim News Agency | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-15
An adviser to the Iraqi parliament's foreign affairs committee said the Baghdad government is planning to lodge an international lawsuit against the US for using internationally-banned munitions in civilian areas. | Hatif al-Rikabi told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency in an interview | …
globalresearch.ca/iraq-sue-us-use-depleted-uranium-weapons-official/5732321

DeSantis Sued for Withholding White House Report Slamming His COVID Response
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-15
Two Florida newspapers sued Gov. Ron DeSantis after the Republican withheld a White House Coronavirus Task Force report urging the state to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions amid a large spike in infections in the Sunshine State. | The Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel filed a lawsuit last week accusing the governor…
truthout.org/articles/desantis-sued-for-withholding-white-house-report-slamming-his-covid-response/

Israel's Isolation of Palestinian Child Prisoners Amounts to Torture
Defense for Children International, Palestine | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-14
Israeli authorities routinely detain Palestinian children in isolation solely for interrogation purposes, a practice that amounts to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, Defense for Children International — Palestine said in a report released today. | The 73-page …
globalresearch.ca/israel-isolation-palestinian-child-prisoners-amounts-torture/5732181

ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on Kansas Voting Lawsuit
commondreams.org | 2020-12-14
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/14/aclu-comment-supreme-court-action-kansas-voting-lawsuit?cd-origin=rss

Julian Assange: COVID Risks and Campaigns for Pardon
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-14