Daily Archives: March 15, 2021

2021-03-15: News Headlines

RT (2021-03-15). Zuckerberg unveils new Facebook feature aimed at helping people get their Covid vaccine. rt.com Facebook is rolling out a tool that will make it easier for people to find information about where and when they can receive a Covid-19 shot, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced, as the platform fights disinformation about the jab. | In a message posted to the social media platform, Zuckerberg said that Facebook was launching a feature that will show users places nearby that are offering the shot, and will also help them make an appointment for it. The tool, part of the platform's 'Covid Information Center,' could help "millions" of people make vaccination appointments, the CEO said. The tool will also be availa…

Beth Geglia (2021-03-15). Cuba Working on a 'People's Vaccine': the US and the world should get behind it. counterpunch.org From my hospital bed, as the global emergency around me escalated, I witnessed how the Cuban government swiftly mobilized resources to protect its citizens from Covid-19: at-home testing for anyone with symptoms, door to door preventative education in the most vulnerable neighborhoods, and coordinated isolation when necessary. While deaths soared toward 100,000 in the U.S., Cuba was able to get the average daily Covid-19 related deaths close to zero for most of May-August.

Lindsey Tanner (2021-03-15). Long-haulers struggle with symptoms as scientists work to solve coronavirus mystery. peoplesworld.org (AP) There was no reason to celebrate on Rachel Van Lear's anniversary. The same day a global pandemic was declared, she developed symptoms of COVID-19. A year later, she's still waiting for them to disappear. And for experts to come up with some answers. The Texas woman is one of thousands of self-described long-haulers, patients […] | In the aftermath of the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, drone warfare is being touted as the latest breakthrough in military technology, a "magic bullet" that makes armored vehicles obsolete, defeats sophisticated anti-aircraft systems,…

WSWS (2021-03-15). Tamil Nadu assembly elections held amid worsening social crisis in India. wsws.org These elections take place amid an unprecedented fall in living standards of India's working population due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and war tensions with China.

Ali Harb (2021-03-15). US lawmakers urge Israel to vaccinate Palestinians as 'occupying entity'. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers urge Israel to vaccinate Palestinians as 'occupying entity' | Seventeen House members call for 'continued pressure' on Israel to meet its obligations under international law | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 19: 12 | Israeli helicopter carrying PM Benjamin Netanyahu flies over demonstrators in the Palestinian village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, 14 March (AFP) | Progressive members of the US Congress renewe…

Staff (2021-03-15). "Huge Victory": Black Farmers Hail $5B in New COVID Relief Law to Redress Generations of Racism. democracynow.org A major provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aims to address decades of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers who have historically been excluded from government agricultural programs. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with about half of that amount set aside for farmers of color, and allocates extra federal funds to farmers who were "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group." The U.S. Department of Agriculture has faced accusations of racism for dec…

Staff (2021-03-15). Black Farmers Hail $5 Billion in COVID Relief to Redress Generations of Racism. truthout.org A major provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aims to address decades of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers who have historically been excluded from government agricultural programs. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with about half of that amount set aside for farmers of color, and allocates extra federal funds to farmers who were "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice bec…

Staff (2021-03-15). Congress Urged to Stop Debt Collectors From Snatching Relief Checks. truthout.org Direct payments from the newly approved coronavirus relief package began landing in people's bank accounts with Unlike the Covid relief bi…

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-15). Thomas Piketty and Karl Marx: Two totally different visions of Capital. mronline.org MR Online

Dave Lindorff (2021-03-15). Let's Stop Pretending Russia and China Are Military Threats. globalresearch.ca Someone needs to say this, and it looks like it's gotta …

Lorri Nandrea (2021-03-15). Amazon alienation: Alabama union drive isn't just about wages. peoplesworld.org In a recent interview with The Real News Network, Amazon worker Darryl Richardson described his job as a picker in the Bessemer, Ala., fulfillment center. He clocks in, and a video stream tells him where to go. He logs in at his station, then waits until the robot comes. A video stream tells him what …

Staff (2021-03-15). U.S. Lawyer Steven Donziger Speaks from House Arrest in NYC After Suing Chevron for Amazon Oil Spills. democracynow.org Decades of reckless oil drilling by Chevron have destroyed 1,700 square miles of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but the company has refused to pay for the damage or clean up the land despite losing a lawsuit 10 years ago, when Ecuador's Supreme Court ordered the oil giant to pay $18 billion on behalf of 30,000 Amazonian Indigenous people. Instead of cleaning up the damage, Chevron has spent the past decade waging an unprecedented legal battle to avoid paying for the environmental destruction, while also trying to take down the environmental lawyer Steven Donziger, who helped bring the landmark case. Donziger, who…

MEE staff (2021-03-15). Palestinians lambast Netanyahu's visit to archaeological site near settler outpost. middleeasteye.net Palestinians lambast Netanyahu's visit to archaeological site near settler outpost | The PA's foreign ministry says the visit will embolden settlers to attack Palestinians | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 14: 38 | Palestinian women chant slogans as Israeli soldiers stand guard during a protest in the Palestinian village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, 14 March 2021 (AFP) | Palestine's foreign affairs ministry on Monday…

RT (2021-03-15). US has 1,000 'off-the-books' troops in Afghanistan, some of whom work with the CIA — media. rt.com The US military's presence in Afghanistan is larger than the public has been led to believe, the New York Times has reported, as Washington mulls a full withdrawal from the country as part of a deal with the Taliban. | Citing US, European and Afghan officials, the Times

Juan Cole (2021-03-15). Not Waiting on Biden: China breaks US Iran Blockade, moves to import nearly 1 mn b/d of Ayatolllah's Oil. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — China is dramatically ramping up its imports of petroleum from Iran this spring, going from a daily average of 300,000 barrels per day during the past year to 856,000 bpd. So reports Felicity Bradstock of Oilprice.com. The Biden administration has dragged its feet on negotiating a return to the 2015 …

Andrew Korybko (2021-03-15). The US Strategic "Containment" of China: Will it Encourage the Creation of a "Russia- China- North Korea Missile Alliance"? globalresearch.ca Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned last Friday that the …

Huitzilopochtli Marron (2021-03-15). 'Immigrants are welcome here,' San Diego protesters in solidarity with migrant caravan. liberationnews.org All revolutionary and progressive people should defend the freedom of movement for all people fleeing the horrors of U.S. imperialism regardless of their documentation status.

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-03-15). Ten Problems With Biden's Foreign Policy — and One Solution. counterpunch.org The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it's not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed—or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama's New START Treaty with Russia and Secretary of State Blinken's

John Wojcik (2021-03-15). GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin backs Jan. 6 insurrectionists. peoplesworld.org Over the past few days, we've seen yet again a major indication that top Republican lawmakers are defending and promoting the white supremacists who attempted to overthrow the government on Jan. 6. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has intensified his prior defense of the right-wing insurrectionists by saying that he had nothing to fear from them …

Eds. (2021-03-15). Murdoch Paper gives away the game: Cuomo is on their side. mronline.org MR Online

Stephen F. Eisenman (2021-03-15). The Invisible Professor. counterpunch.org Three years ago, I informed my colleagues I would retire in 2021. That's when I became invisible. I'd never been invisible before. As the youngest of three children growing up in Forest Hills, Queens, I received extra attention from my parents, or so my sister and brother regularly tell me. In college, at SUNY Albany,

John Clamp (2021-03-15). Myanmar: a Defiant Nation, Still Denied Justice. counterpunch.org Considering that the entire population of Myanmar, save the Tatmadaw and its shills, are now effectively prisoners to a politics anathema to all ordinary citizens, here's an update. The army are inveigling and paying villagers and retired military personnel to go and batter anti-coup protesters, in a darkly satirical take on astroturfing straight out of

Wayne Nealis (2021-03-15). Reflections on Chauvin jury selection: Can anyone really be impartial? peoplesworld.org The commitment and ability to maintain impartiality looms large in the jury selection process in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd. When the judge swears in a potential juror, he asks whether they can maintain impartiality and render judgment based on the facts, evidence, and the …

Bezaleel Jupiter (2021-03-15). Why does Jackson, Mississippi have unsafe water? liberationnews.org The government—at the national, state, and city levels—is responsible for Jackson's water crisis and is also responsible for repairing the water system in its entirety.

Julie Norris (2021-03-15). Bronx tenants to local politicians: 'Cancel the rents!'. liberationnews.org The tenant movement is growing more determined each day to expose and fight the injustice of housing under capitalism.

The Conversation (2021-03-15). Sudan's Progressive, Secular Revolutionary Government faces Food Riots and Ethnic Violence. juancole.com By Andrew E. Yaw Tchie | — Sudan's political transition is in a precarious phase. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's government is facing a wide variety of challenges, including protests over the price of goods and commodities, and a resurgence of violence in the country's Darfur region. If the situation continues to unravel, the country could …

Tim Wheeler (2021-03-15). Pat Barile: A century of devotion to workers, equality, and socialism. peoplesworld.org Pat Barile learned the meaning of the word devotion from the rank-and-file workers at the Sonotone Corporation plant in White Plains, N.Y. in the mid-1940s and 1950s. Repeatedly, they elected him president of United Electrical Workers Local 428 for ten years—even after Cold Warriors had branded him a Communist and instigated a witch hunt and …

Erik Molvar (2021-03-15). Honor the Tribal Vision for Bears Ears National Monument. counterpunch.org President Obama's team lopped off more than half a million acres from the tribes' proposal in the final designation, including Wilson Mesa, lands between White Canyon and Red Canyon, and the eastern slopes of the Abajo Mountains. These changes were made to appease local concerns, following public meetings senior Obama administration officials held with area residents. In the end, the concessions were fruitless, and the political backlash was immediate.

Richard Rhames (2021-03-15). Farming: A Dirty Truth. counterpunch.org These days it's common for in-crowd folks to adopt trendy and overused lingo. Maybe you've noticed that we don't have towns or cities anymore. We have "communities." "Problems" have been banished in favor of "challenges." Once upon a time there was a notion of "truth." Now everybody apparently has "their truth." Perhaps related is the

Jeremy Ross (2021-03-15). How a Colombian Ex-President Went to Bat for Trump in Florida. counterpunch.org Latin Americans are used to the US government interfering in their politics. Over the years, the US has helped orchestrate a number of coups throughout the hemisphere, most notoriously the 1954 ouster of Guatemala's Jacobo àÅrbenz, and the 1973 military coup against Chile's Salvador Allende. But there are far more recent examples of meddling, including

Eds. (2021-03-15). Statement of Concern: The OPCW investigation of alleged chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria. mronline.org MR Online

Eds. (2021-03-15). Women and nature: Towards an ecosocialist feminism. mronline.org MR Online

Nomi Prins (2021-03-15). Making America more Equal . . . by Rebuilding the Country. juancole.com (Tomdispatch.com ) — During the Trump years, the phrase "Infrastructure Week" rang out as a sort of Groundhog Day-style punchline. What began in June 2017 as a failed effort by The Donald's White House and a Republican Senate to focus on the desperately needed rebuilding of American infrastructure morphed into a meme and a running …

Aaliyah Harris (2021-03-15). A new book is aiming to show how we can have 'life-changing' conversations about race. thecanary.co This fascinating read dives into a world of new vocabulary coined to initiate conversations around race. And it seeks to discuss "the race construct" which keeps "the di…

RT (2021-03-15). 'God cannot bless sin': Vatican firmly refuses to bless gay unions. rt.com The Vatican's orthodoxy office has ruled out any possibility of same-sex couples receiving an ecclesial blessing, maintaining that the Church does not approve such unions as God "cannot bless sin." | A detailed explanation delving into the Catholic Church's stance on same-sex unions was

RT (2021-03-15). Biden's border crisis: Number of kids detained soars past record levels as Dems blame Donald Trump. rt.com The surge of unaccompanied children across the US' Mexican border continues unabated, with more than 4,200 kids held in makeshift facilities. Democrats, who accused Donald Trump of caging kids, have blamed the former president. | More than 4,200 minors were being held in "jail-like" holding facilities near the US' southern border as of Sunday morning, according to a

RT (2021-03-15). 'Capitol rioter' reportedly told colleagues Nazis 'should have finished the job,' sported 'Hitler mustache' at Navy base (PHOTO). rt.com Army reservist and former Navy contractor Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, charged in the US Capitol riot probe, has been described as a Nazi sympathizer and was reportedly reprimanded by a supervisor for having a "Hitler mustache." | Hale-Cusanelli was arrested on January 15 as part of an ever-expanding investigation into the Capitol riot, which is on course to become the largest investigation in the history of the country. | One contractor colleague said Timothy Hale-Cusanelli discussed his dislike for Jews every day. A supervisor told investigators she had to admonish him for sporting a "Hitler" mustache (images of…

RT (2021-03-15). Elon Musk declares himself 'Technoking' of Tesla, company's CFO now its 'Master of Coin' — SEC filing. rt.com According to a somewhat baffling filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, in addition to being electric carmaker Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk is now also the company's 'Technoking.' | Tesla's chief financial officer Zach Kirkhorn also now holds a new position of "Master of Coin," in apparent reference to George RR Martin's 'Game of Thrones' series of books and TV shows. | "Elon and Zach will also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer," the

RT (2021-03-15). WATCH: Jeffrey Epstein THANKED at Grammys in cringe-inducing nameswap. rt.com While accepting an award at the 63rd Grammys ceremony, one hapless producer inadvertently dropped one hell of a clanger, thanking disgraced financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. | While accepting the award for 'Best Music Film' for his documentary 'Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice' on Sunday night, producer James Keach, 73, appearing via videolink, made the miserable mixup. | HE ACTUALLY SAID JEFFREY EPSTEIN OMG ?😭😭😭😭

Online News Editor (2021-03-15). Beijing enveloped by smog caused by pollution, sandstorm. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Mar 15 (efe-epa).- Residents in Beijing Monday woke up to a city enveloped by a thick brown smog due to high pollution levels in recent days and a sandstorm from Mongolia. The Beijing Meteorological Service issued a yellow alert for a sandstorm in the morning. It warned that the dust was likely to …

Ragip Soylu (2021-03-15). Syria: Turkey asks for western support amid Russia-backed attacks. middleeasteye.net Syria: Turkey asks for western support amid Russia-backed attacks | Erdogan calls for an 'investment in peace and stability', and says Turkey is the only actor that could resolve the Syria crisis | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 10: 20 | Members of the White Helmets extinguish a fire following a reported bombardment of makeshift oil refining installations in the Tarhin area, north of Aleppo province, on 5 March 2021…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-15). Syria: UK announces new sanctions on Assad officials. middleeasteye.net Syria: UK announces new sanctions on Assad officials | British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reveals new targeted sanctions against six members of the Syrian government, including Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 11: 20 | President Bashar al-Assad and wife Asma (R) look at apple-tree saplings in al-Drekish, western Syria, in a picture released by the official Syrian Arab…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-15). Syria: Landmark legal case in Russia brought against Wagner over abuses. middleeasteye.net Syria: Landmark legal case in Russia brought against Wagner over abuses | Three rights groups are facilitating a legal case against mercenary group over involvement in death of Syrian man in 2017 | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 15: 19 | Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visit the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, one of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches in the Syria…

MEE staff (2021-03-15). Four-year-old Canadian girl released from Syrian detention camp. middleeasteye.net Four-year-old Canadian girl released from Syrian detention camp | The young child is on her way to Canada, but her mother has been left behind | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 15: 41 | More than 64,000 individuals, mostly women and children, are languishing in detention camps in Syria (AFP) | A four-year-old girl has been released from a detention camp in northeast Syria and is on her way to Canada without her mother, offi…

MEE staff (2021-03-15). Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisaton is 'in sight', says Jared Kushner. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisaton is 'in sight', says Jared Kushner | Former Trump adviser calls on President Biden to continue push for formal ties between Israel and Arab states | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 16: 16 | Jared Kushner at the Royal Palace in Rabat after the normalisation deal between Israel and Morocco on 22 December 2020 (AFP/File photo) | Jared Kusher, Donald Trump's son-in-law who served as an adviser in…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-15). Yemen: Houthis claim drone attack on airports in southern Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Houthis claim drone attack on airports in southern Saudi Arabia | Saudi-led coalition confirms that it had intercepted an armed drone headed to Khamis Mushait | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 08: 29 | Yemen's Houthi soldiers march during a funeral procession in Marib as it escalates its campaign to take control of the city (Reuters) | Yemen's Houthi movement on Monday said its armed drones had s…

Nur Ayoubi (2021-03-15). Online fury in Saudi Arabia after Dubai deputy police chief's Mecca tweet. middleeasteye.net Online fury in Saudi Arabia after Dubai deputy police chief's Mecca tweet | Saudi Twitter users criticise Dhahi Khalfan for calling for the mobilisation of Sunni Muslims to protect Mecca from Shia-led forces | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 11: 48 | Khalfan's tweets were in response to Yemen's Houthi movement expressing its loyalty to Iran (AFP) | Dubai's deputy chief of police, Dhahi Khalfan, has attracted backlash fro…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-15). Iraqi drug trafficker freed in ambush while travelling to court. middleeasteye.net Iraqi drug trafficker freed in ambush while travelling to court | Armed men posing as soldiers forced more than 100 police officers to hand over the suspected drug trafficker | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 14: 43 | Iraqi policemen who numbered about 100 had no choice but to surrender their prisoner to armed men, a police source said (AFP/file photo) | An Iraqi drug trafficker suspected of having ties…

Yossi Melman (2021-03-15). Netanyahu UAE trip: Israel's PM uses Jordan as fall guy to cover up blunder. middleeasteye.net Netanyahu UAE trip: Israel's PM uses Jordan as fall guy to cover up blunder | Relations between the Israelis and Jordanians hits new low after the prime minister uses kingdom to escape embarrassment | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 14: 45 | A bird flies in front of a Likud Party election campaign banner depicting its leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters) | An odd concoction of a cancelled mee…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-15). Saudi scholar Salman al-Odah trial delayed for four months. middleeasteye.net Saudi scholar Salman al-Odah trial delayed for four months | Odah's son says the prominent scholar was handcuffed when he appeared in court on Sunday | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 09: 57 | Odah has spent three years in solitary confinement after being detained for a tweet calling for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar (AFP) | Imprisoned Saudi scholar Salman al-Odah attended a closed trial…