(2021-02-16). Khaji meets with Putin's special envoy for syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 16 (MNA) — Iranian foreign minister's senior assistant on special political affairs held a meeting with the Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria on Tuesday.
(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…
(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
(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.
(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…
(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.
(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."
(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…
(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 …
(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. …
(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
(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
(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 . . . |
(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 …
(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
(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, …
(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, …
(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.
(2021-02-16). Gulf Coast faces high eviction rates, despite CDC moratorium. liberationnews.org 
Eviction rates in the Southeast region are exceeding national levels.
(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.
(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.
(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 . . . |
(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.
(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.
(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 …
(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 …
(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…
(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 . . . |
(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 . . . |
(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.
(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
(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 …
(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.
(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…
(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 …
(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. …
(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…
(2021-02-16). Trump declares war on Senate GOP leader McConnell, calls him 'dour, unsmiling hack' & vows to back 'America First' primary rivals. rt.com 
Former US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, calling him a "third rate" leader and pledging to support those challenging establishment candidates in GOP primaries. | "The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political 'leaders' like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm," the lengthy statement begins. "McConnell's dedication to business as usual, status quo policies, together with his lack of political insight, wisdom, skill, and personality, has rapidly driven him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader, and it will only get…
(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"?
(2021-02-16). Is Solitary Confinement a Form of Torture? Q&A with journalist James Ridgeway. counterpunch.org 
…
(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…
(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…
(2021-02-16). 'New language': School asks parents to rate their 'whiteness' & become 'white traitors' or 'abolitionists'. rt.com 
A New York City public school has sent a graphic to parents, encouraging them to become "white traitors" or "abolitionists," detailing the eight supposed stages of "whiteness." | The graphic was sent out by the principal of East Side Community School in New York City, according to a report from City Journal's Christopher Rufo, but its author is Northwestern University associate professor Barnor Hesse. | According to Hesse's theory, there are eight "white identities." In the graphic, they are color-coded from green to red in terms of whether they are good or bad. The most green or best version of a white person…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(2021-02-16). Syria's Idlib De-escalation Zone Shelled 29 Times in Past Day, Reconciliation Center Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group* shelled Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone 29 times over the past 24 hours, Rear Adm. Vyacheslav Sytnik, deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said at a briefing.
