Monthly Archives: February 2022

2022-02-16: News Headlines

_____ (2022-02-16). Pipeline Politics And The Ukraine crisis. popularresistance.org Amid escalating tensions between the United States, NATO and Russia, all eyes are on Ukraine. Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland describes it as "a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism." But Nord Stream 2, a pipeline built to bring Russian gas under the Baltic Sea directly to Germany, is an integral part of the story. | On January 27, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, asserted, "If Russia invades Ukraine one way or another … we will work with Germany to ensure it [the pipeline] does not move forward." Delayed by US threats and sanctions, Nord Stream 2 highlights…

Human Rights Working Group, Forum at UUSF (2022-02-16). Sunday 2/27: Dangerous Truths. indybay.org

Angela (2022-02-16). Wednesday 2/23: No to Normalizing Apartheid, Yes to human rights for all. Oppose H.R. 2748. indybay.org 1002 4th St, San Rafael…

_____ (2022-02-16). An Inside Look At The The Day Without Immigrants Demonstration In DC. popularresistance.org Washington D.C. — Carlos Eduardo Espina walked to the White House on Monday morning a TikTok star with over 2.5 million followers. By day's end, the 23-year-old Texan from College Station had become an icon of immigrant rights organizing. | "It's cold," said Espina as he strolled through downtown Washington, D.C., at 6: 30 a.m. "I'm not used to this kind of weather." It was 27 degrees outside and windy. | Weeks earlier, Espina came up with the idea to spearhead "A Day Without Immigrants" on Valentine's Day. The rationale was simple: the holiday relies on immigrant labor, so what if immigrants simply didn't s…

_____ (2022-02-16). Democrats, The More Effective Evil. popularresistance.org 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 less than 5% of the world's population — when the stock market fluctuates on wild rollercoaster rides of highs and lows, when what little help the government offered to the labor force — half of…

_____ (2022-02-16). The Persecution Of Alex Saab. popularresistance.org "It's not a crime to fulfill a diplomatic mission. It's not a crime to evade sanctions that are harming an entire country. It can't be illegal to help a people." Camilla Fabri Saab made these impassioned remarks when explaining the situation behind the illegal arrest and extradition – the kidnapping, in essence – of her husband, Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. | Alex Saab is virtually unknown in the United States, where he is currently languishing in a Miami prison, but he has been vital to Venezuela's ability to survive the brutal economic war being waged by the U.S. He is a political prisoner whose case has para…

Direct Action Everywhere (2022-02-16). Sunday 2/27: Animal Sanctuary Volunteer Day. indybay.org 2785 Franklin Canyon Rd, Martinez, CA 94553…

Editor (2022-02-15). Voting Rights Remain the Critical Barrier to Racial Equality. scheerpost.com Photo by By Dan Siegel / Original to ScheerPost | Over 150 years after the end of the Civil War, restricting voting rights continues to be the right's most hard-fought strategy for maintaining white supremacy in the United States, and the Supreme Court remains the most reliable partner in those efforts. Just last week the Court's majority abandoned de…

_____ (2022-02-15). Israel is an Apartheid State, says Amnesty International. journal-neo.org The human rights organization, Amnesty International, published a report detailing the "true extent of Israel's apartheid regime" and strongly called for an arms embargo on Israel and for Israel "to recognize the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to homes where they or their families once lived." In this landmark report, the …

Peoples Dispatch (2022-02-15). German arms sales to Egypt must meet human rights criteria, foreign minister says. peoplesdispatch.org The German decision is in line with the coalition government's position of reducing arms sales to non-European and NATO countries. Egypt is the leading recipient of German weapons…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2022-02-15). Will Trudeau's Act of Desperation Succeed? libya360.wordpress.com Kim Petersen Canada's Charter of Rights I want to address the prime minister: No matter what you do, we will hold the line. There are no threats which will frighten us. We will hold the line. — Tamara Lich, convoy organizer, 14 February 2022 Justin Trudeau had cornered himself by grotesquely smearing the trucker convoy…

Anonymous Contributor (2022-02-15). Marcelino Ruíz Gómez Denounces Prison Conditions in CERSS No. 10 in Chiapas. itsgoingdown.org Statement from Indigenous Tzotzil prisoner in struggle Marcelino Ruíz Gómez denouncing the deplorable prison conditions in CERSS No. 10 in Comitán, Chiapas To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation To the Human Rights Defenders To the National and International Sixth To the National Indigenous Congress To the Indigenous Governing Council To the Media To the…

Editor2 (2022-02-15). Eight Times the United States Has Used Biological and Chemical Weapons in the Post-World War II Era. orinocotribune.com By The Chronicles of Haiphong — Feb 3, 2022 | U.S. imperialism has claimed innocence and moral superiority on the world stage while deploying the cruelest weapons of war in its quest for dominance | The United States frequently employs human rights as a weapon against so-called "adversaries." Chemical and biological weapons have played a prominent role in cultivating the U.S.'s identity as the foremost humanitarian interventionist power. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was based on accusations made by U.S. intelligence that Saddam Hussein was harboring Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). In recent years, U.S. offi…

Staff (2022-02-15). Backed by AOC & Bernie, House Candidate Greg Casar Says "Big Progressive Change" Is Possible in Texas. democracynow.org Two competitive congressional races are heating up in Texas. Former labor organizer Greg Casar and immigrant human rights lawyer Jessica Cisneros have both gained national endorsements from progressive lawmakers like New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who traveled to the state to campaign for them this past weekend. "We have a real opportunity for big progressive change here in the heart of the state where we've seen so many oppressive laws be pushed through the pandemic," says Casar, who is running in Texas's 35th Congressional District, which covers eastern Austin and east…

John Kiriakou (2022-02-15). Time for UK Government to Come Clean on Ties to U.S. Torture Program. covertactionmagazine.com UK government shamefully cooperated with U.S. in torture of al-Qaeda suspects We Americans have had a painful and difficult national …

JANET (2022-02-15). Free Alex Saab Demonstration Wed., Feb 16: NYC: 5:30pm — Miami: 8 AM — Wash. DC: Noon. iacenter.org Free Alex Saab! Wed. Feb 16, 5: 30pm 42nd St & Park Ave Inside Grand Central at the Clock Day of National Actions to Free Alex Saab — Venezuelan Diplomat kidnapped by US, for buying medicine for the Venezuelan people under sanctions. Alex Saab, on a mission to buy essential supplies for Venezuela, was kidnapped by the U.S. off a flight in June 2020. He was tortured and held in solitary for a year. It is a violation of international law to arrest or imprison an internationally recognized diplomat for any reason. In October 2021 Alex Saab was brought hooded and in chains to Miami for trial. Defend Venezuela! En…

Peoples Dispatch (2022-02-15). Second Belmarsh Tribunal on US war crimes and for Julian Assange's release to be held in New York. peoplesdispatch.org The upcoming Belmarsh Tribunal in New York coincides with with the date of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by the US in occupied parts of Cuba…

Editor (2022-02-15). The best offense is more clinic defense. mronline.org An abortion provider discusses the tactic of clinic defense, and why it's necessary to defend abortion rights.

Staff (2022-02-15). As Early Voting Begins, Texas Sees Spike in Rejected Ballots Due to Sweeping New Voter Restrictions. democracynow.org Early voting in the first 2022 primary elections kicked off Monday in Texas with extreme new anti-voter laws in effect. The Republican-enacted restrictions have already caused Texas voters issues, with some 40% of ballots in Houston rejected. We speak with Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, one of 30 civil rights groups who sent a letter to the Texas secretary of state on Monday calling for stronger action to ensure voters have access to the ballot leading up to the state's March 1 primary. He describes how the laws are also facilitating right-wing efforts to intimidate Black and B…

Staff (2022-02-15). "Adding Insult to Injury": Afghan Activist & 9/11 Mother Condemn Biden's Seizure of Afghan Funds. democracynow.org President Biden is facing mounting criticism for seizing $7 billion of Afghanistan's federal reserves frozen in the United States. Biden is giving half of the money to families of September 11 victims while Afghanistan faces a humanitarian catastrophe. We speak to two of the founders of a new campaign called Unfreeze Afghanistan, a women-led initiative to lift sanctions and other economic restrictions on Afghanistan, and a woman who lost her son in the World Trade Center attack, who says the money should stay in Afghanistan. "The suffering of the Afghan people at the hands of the United States and its…

Morteza Ahmadi Al Hashem (2022-02-15). Anti-Iran sanctions 'crime committed against humanity': Envoy. en.mehrnews.com Iran's Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zahra Ershadi described the unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iranian people as 'crime committed against humanity'.

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2022-02-15: News Headlines

_____ (2022-02-15). Israel is an Apartheid State, says Amnesty International. journal-neo.org The human rights organization, Amnesty International, published a report detailing the "true extent of Israel's apartheid regime" and strongly called for an arms embargo on Israel and for Israel "to recognize the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to homes where they or their families once lived." In this landmark report, the …

Editor (2022-02-15). Voting Rights Remain the Critical Barrier to Racial Equality. scheerpost.com Photo by By Dan Siegel / Original to ScheerPost | Over 150 years after the end of the Civil War, restricting voting rights continues to be the right's most hard-fought strategy for maintaining white supremacy in the United States, and the Supreme Court remains the most reliable partner in those efforts. Just last week the Court's majority abandoned de…

Peoples Dispatch (2022-02-15). German arms sales to Egypt must meet human rights criteria, foreign minister says. peoplesdispatch.org The German decision is in line with the coalition government's position of reducing arms sales to non-European and NATO countries. Egypt is the leading recipient of German weapons…

Anonymous Contributor (2022-02-15). Marcelino Ruíz Gómez Denounces Prison Conditions in CERSS No. 10 in Chiapas. itsgoingdown.org Statement from Indigenous Tzotzil prisoner in struggle Marcelino Ruíz Gómez denouncing the deplorable prison conditions in CERSS No. 10 in Comitán, Chiapas To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation To the Human Rights Defenders To the National and International Sixth To the National Indigenous Congress To the Indigenous Governing Council To the Media To the…

Editor2 (2022-02-15). Eight Times the United States Has Used Biological and Chemical Weapons in the Post-World War II Era. orinocotribune.com By The Chronicles of Haiphong — Feb 3, 2022 | U.S. imperialism has claimed innocence and moral superiority on the world stage while deploying the cruelest weapons of war in its quest for dominance | The United States frequently employs human rights as a weapon against so-called "adversaries." Chemical and biological weapons have played a prominent role in cultivating the U.S.'s identity as the foremost humanitarian interventionist power. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was based on accusations made by U.S. intelligence that Saddam Hussein was harboring Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). In recent years, U.S. offi…

John Kiriakou (2022-02-15). Time for UK Government to Come Clean on Ties to U.S. Torture Program. covertactionmagazine.com UK government shamefully cooperated with U.S. in torture of al-Qaeda suspects We Americans have had a painful and difficult national …

_____ (2022-02-14). On Contact: The Precarious State Of The US Economy. popularresistance.org A bipartisan group of senators are crafting legislation to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia if it engages in what they consider hostile action of any kind against the Ukraine. New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, calls the legislation "the mother of all sanctions bill." The bill led in the House by Gregory Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, like Menendez a Democrat, demands that the administration "not cede to the demands of the Russian Federation regarding NATO membership or expansion." This cuts off the ability to discuss Moscow's core demands, includin…

Peter Boyle (2022-02-14). Protesting the trans discriminatory 'Religious Discrimination Bill'. greenleft.org.au Scott Morrison has temporarily shelved its "Religious Discrimination Bill", after a public outcry. This video footage, by Peter Boyle, was taken at a protest organised by Community Action for Rainbow Rights.

Staff (2022-02-14). Take Action in Canada: Call on Puma to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association. samidoun.net Take one-minute to write to the head of Puma Canada and Puma North America. Be part of the February 12, 2022 global #BoycottPuma campaign! Lets give Puma the boot! Global sportswear manufacturer Puma is involved in violations of international law and human rights. Puma is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association (IFA), which includes teams in Israel's …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2022-02-14). Colombia is Bleeding to Death. libya360.wordpress.com Alejandra Garcia Even though you wouldn't know if you only followed the corporate media, in January violence continued to spiral in Colombia. Human rights movements recorded an increase of attacks against police stations, military bases, and civilians and reported assassinations and intimidation against social leaders in several departments. In February, the panorama has been no…

Antonio C.S. Rosa (2022-02-14). Can Israel Stop the World from Saying 'Apartheid'? Concealing the Suffering in Palestine. transcend.org 2 Feb 2022 — Statements by Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups (including B'Tselem, Al-Haq and Addameer) as well as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch—are a reflection of the facts witnessed on the ground, and no amount of Hasbara 2.0 can erase these facts.

rqorinoco (2022-02-14). Leftist President of Honduras Blocks Indigenous Community's Eviction. orinocotribune.com Andrea Germanos — Feb 10, 2022 | The Human Rights Ministry called the evictions a "clear violation of the human rights of over 100 families who live in the sector in an ancestral Lenca territory that dates from the year 1739." | Honduras' new leftist president on Wednesday Human Rights Mini…

Chloe DS (2022-02-14). Hobart City Council calls for release of Park Hotel refugees. greenleft.org.au The Hobart City Council has added to the pressure on the federal government to release refugees from indefinite detention in the Park Hotel prison in Melbourne. Chloe DS reports.

Peoples Dispatch (2022-02-14). Occupation forces kill Palestinian teen in West Bank demolition raid and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org Today we look at a raid in the Occupied West Bank and settler violence in Sheikh Jarrah, the release of 4 Afghan women activists from detention, and more…

Staff (2022-02-14). Climate & Punishment: How Incarcerated People Face Increasing Threat of Fires, Floods & Extreme Heat. democracynow.org A damning new investigation by The Intercept details the climate risks facing incarcerated people in more than 6,500 detention facilities across the country, including wildfires, floods and extreme heat. We feature a 10-minute video report that includes the stories of people behind bars and their families who are fighting for justice, and speak with reporter Alleen Brown, who says the climate crisis, coupled with the deterioration of detention facilities, places the U.S. mass incarceration system at a "crossroads" between being reinvested in or defunded. The report also includes a new database, which…

Mark Gruenberg (2022-02-14). Biden pro-union panel's recommendations: Boost organizing, hit union-busters. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Not waiting for a gridlocked Congress to act on worker rights, the special Biden administration commission on increasing unionization issued 70 recommendations on how the administration could do so on its own. Measures range from making organizing easier within government agencies to—in the general workforce—forcing more disclosure by union-busters, among other plans. The report also …

teleSUR (2022-02-14). Family Code: The Best Way of Guaranteeing Cuban Minors' Rights. telesurenglish.net The code, to be subjected to popular consultation in Cuba until April, gives children a legal status in accord with…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2022-02-14). "The Plurinational State of Chile": The First Step in Restoring Native Peoples' Long-Forgotten Rights. libya360.wordpress.com Gustavo A Maranges The Commission on the Political System of Chile's Constituent Assembly has passed an initiative to turn the South American country into a Plurinational State. It was passed with 19 favorable votes, only three votes against, and a similar number of abstentions. This is the first step to include such a progressive achievement…

Editor (2022-02-14). Malaysian officials dampen prospects for giant, secret carbon deal in Sabah. mronline.org An agreement for the rights to the natural capital covering 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) in Malaysian Borneo for the next 100 years "in its present form is legally impotent," according to Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof, the attorney general for the state of Sabah.

Jake Johnson (2022-02-14). Biden Urged to Cancel Student Debt During Super Bowl at "Student Debt Stadium" truthout.org Of the many commercials and advertisements displayed during Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, perhaps the most prominent was for the personal finance company with naming rights to SoFi Stadium, the game's multibillion-dollar venue in Inglewood, California. | SoFi offers a range of financial products and services, but what drew the most attention — and ire — during Sunday's game was the company's role in the lucrative student loan refinancing business, which is set to receive a major boost…

Moderator (2022-02-14). Hedges: Democrats, the More Effective Evil. scheerpost.com "Let's Make a Deal," an original work by Mr. Fish. | By Chris Hedges / Original to ScheerPost | 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 less than 5% of the world's population — when the stock market fluctuates on wild rollercoaster rides…

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