(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…
(2022-02-19). 'Omens are grim' for Ukraine, UK PM warns. rt.com 
Boris Johnson called on Western nations to stand with Kiev and support sanctions against Moscow | Moscow could be just moments away from ordering a full-blown invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has alleged, amid reports of heavy shelling and explosions near the contact line in the Donbass. | Speaking at a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Johnson claimed that the world is at "a very dangerous moment in history" and stands "on the brink of what could be a war in Europe." | "If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine…
(2022-02-19). EU, Allies to Sanction Russia's Energy & Tech Fields in Event of Ukraine Escalation – Von Der Leyen. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Union and its allies have prepared a package of sanctions against Russia targeting energy and advanced technology sectors in the event of escalation in Ukraine, President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said Saturday.
(2022-02-19). British MP has Russia & China warning. rt.com 
The remarks come as Moscow and Beijing emphasize their deepening ties amid an impasse in eastern Europe | If the US and its partners in Europe hit Moscow with crippling embargoes, Russia could seek more economic and political cooperation with Beijing and form a pact with China against the West, a leading British lawmaker has warned. | Speaking to Sky News from Kiev on Thursday, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood set out his view on the standoff between the two eastern European nations and what impact punitive measures could have in the event of a Russian incursion. | "Any sanctions that are imposed onto Russia, th…
(2022-02-19). US workers express solidarity with striking nurses in New South Wales, Australia. wsws.org Amelia, a nurse in Kentucky, said, "I am touched by the shared safety and human rights concerns amongst my fellow nurses. Bravo to the nurses who embody compassion in action and are refusing to enable a sick system!"
(2022-02-19). Military Deserter and Partner of 'El Conejo' Admit to Receiving Training in Colombia. orinocotribune.com Two detainees Starlin Páez Mujica, a Venezuelan military deserter, and María Inés Reyes Silva, partner of the criminal Carlos Rodríguez aka El Conejo, have confessed that members of criminal organizations based in Las Tejerías, Aragua (Venezuela), were trained in Colombia. | This Thursday, February 17, two videos with testimonies of Páez and Reyes were released by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan Assembly (AN), Deputy Jorge Rodríguez. The two were recently captured during the Cacique Guaicaipuro II operation carried out by Venezuelan security agencies in Santos Michelena municipality near Las Tejerias…
(2022-02-19). British government appoints Australian immigration "offshoring" pioneer Alexander Downer to oversee its "pushback" policy. wsws.org Downer negotiated Australia's barbaric "Pacific Solution", detaining refugees on Nauru and Manus Island. He will carry out a review of the UK's Border Force.
(2022-02-19). Tuesday 3/8: Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights on International Women's Day! indybay.org Rally starts at noon in Sproul Plaza on UC Berkeley Campus (public welcome) | Entrance near Telegraph and Bancroft | One hour rally to be followed by march through the city of Berkeley.
(2022-02-19). [World Report] UN sanctions hamper humanitarian work. thelancet.com Aid leaders have warned that unintended consequences of UN sanctions are a growing problem for humanitarian actors and have called for more proactive action. John Zarocostas reports from Geneva.
(2022-02-18). Not Another U.S. War! Demo TOMORROW @3PM: Grand Central Terminal, NYC. iacenter.org DANGER! Not Another U.S. War! SATURDAY, February 19, 2022, at 3 PM Inside GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL, At the Clock, Park Avenue & East 42nd Street, NYC Stop the war with Russia Every U.S. war in our life time is based on lies, provocations and false flag operations. We need healthcare and education, not endless US wars. Stop the NATO expansion! Stop sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine, Poland, Romania and throughout the European Union. Fight Racism! Not Russia With participation from: Antiwar, social justice, anti-racist, environmental, human rights and veterans groups. An Emergency Action with activists from groups incl…
(2022-02-18). The Russians Are Coming. Even in Africa, Moscow Beats a Path. strategic-culture.org For those countries who don't think they have a good deal from the EU, their regimes might well consider working more closely with the Russians. | And the cheers from the crowds seeing off the expelled French ambassador must be seen for what Europeans are. | The chicken or the egg? Did the Mali military junta's decision to bring in Russian military contractors create the inertia for Emmanuel Macron to reduce his own troops' presence there and initiate EU sanctions — or did his earlier decision to reduce troop numbers push the regime to take the measure to bring in around 400 Wagner mercenaries to keep it in…
(2022-02-18). Sunday 2/27: Dangerous Truths. indybay.org
(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). Colombia is Bleeding to Death. orinocotribune.com By Alejandra Garcia — Feb 13, 2022 | Even though you wouldn't know if you only followed the corporate media, in January, violence continued to spiral in Colombia. Human rights groups recorded an increase in attacks against police stations, military bases and civilians, and reported on assassinations and intimidation tactics targeting social leaders in several departments [of the country]. In February, the panorama has been no different. | This Latin American country is bleeding to death before the unblinking eyes of President Iván Duque's government. The wounds are open, especially in three areas. The first…
(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). 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…
(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). New Hampshire legislators escalate attack on abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
The state's first abortion ban in modern history went into effect at the beginning of this year, and legislative attempts to further erode reproductive freedom have followed.
(2022-02-18). State Constitutions Could Stymie Right-Wing Strategies for a Post-"Roe" World. truthout.org 
Republican lawmakers in a handful of conservative states have stumbled on a roadblock to what they thought would be a clear path to setting new restrictions on abortion if the Supreme Court upends the landmark Roe v. Wade decision: right-to-privacy protections enshrined in their own state constitutions. | In states where courts have ruled that their constitutions' explicit privacy rights extend to the right of a woman to have an abortion, the procedure would continue to be legal even if the Su…
(2022-02-18). All-out in the fight for democratic rights! cpusa.org 
The following report was presented by Joelle Fishman, Chair of the Political Action Commission, to the National Committee meeting on Feb. 13, 2022. Joe Sims has laid before us the urgency, dangers, and possibilities of the current political situation and the 2022 elections. We have the responsibility and opportunity to be in the thick …