(2021-03-18). Opposition grows against Canada's decision to buy drones from Israel. peoplesdispatch.org Citing manufacturer Elbit System's human rights record, pro-Palestine groups say that purchase of drones from Israeli companies strengthens the occupation of Palestine. Elbit has faced numerous protests by the Palestinian BDS movement…
(2021-03-18). Rights experts demand Iran release academic 'nearing death' in solitary confinement. news.un.org United Nations independent human rights experts on Thursday called on Iran to immediately release Iranian-Swedish academic Ahmadreza Djalali, reported to be in a "near death" condition after months of prolonged solitary confinement.
(2021-03-18). Obama said he'd close Guantánamo — these activists are pushing Biden to finish the job. nationofchange.org What should have been an end to the Guantánamo saga in 2012, was only the beginning of more grueling work for this anti-torture coalition.‚Ä®…
(2021-03-18). Burmese Protesters Continue to Demand Democracy as Authorities "Shoot to Kill" in Sweeping Crackdown. democracynow.org 
Martial law has been declared in more parts of Burma as the military junta intensifies its crackdown following the February 1 coup. At least 217 protesters have been killed and over 2,000 have been arrested or detained since the coup began, according to one Burmese group. Protests are continuing across the country amid a crackdown on communications, in which much of Burma is under an internet blackout and independent newspapers have stopped publishing. Despite international criticism, the Burmese military is tightening its grip on power. People are continuing to protest even as they face the risk of arrest, polic…
(2021-03-18). PDF of March 18 issue. workers.org 
Download the PDF. Bust the filibuster, pass the PRO-union Act! Medical justice: Release Mumia now! International Women's Day: Protest of massacre in Philippines; New York Boricua Resistance; 1970 march on women's prison. ALSO: Solidarity with #BAmazon; Sharpeville 1960: A turning point; Bus drivers blast school reopening; Stimulus for who? UNITE . . . |
(2021-03-18). PSL Statement: Massacre in Atlanta — racist, sexist terrorism and the capitalist system. liberationnews.org 
Photo: Demonstration last weekend in Los Angeles against the rising tide of anti-Asian hate crimes On Tuesday, March 16 at around 5 p.m., three Atlanta-area spas staffed by Asian workers were the targets of a racist and sexist mass shooting. Eight people were killed, seven of whom were women, and six of the women were …
(2021-03-18). PSL Statement: Massacre in Atlanta — racist, sexist terrorism and the capitalist system. liberationnews.org Photo: Demonstration last weekend in Los Angeles against the rising tide of anti-Asian hate crimes On Tuesday, March 16 at around 5: 00 p.m., three spas staffed by Asian workers in the Atlanta area were the targets of a racist and sexist mass shooting. Eight people were killed, seven of whom were women, and six of …
(2021-03-18). 'Blackwater had bad days in Iraq too': Outrage after media links sheriff probing Atlanta parlors massacre to mercenary outfit. rt.com 
Twitter erupted after reports that the sheriff who is investigating the Atlanta parlors massacre may have links to the notorious private military company, Blackwater. His office was previously accused of harboring racism. | The Cherokee County Sheriff's office headed by Sheriff Frank Reynolds attracted national attention this week over its role in investigating the killings of eight people, including six women, at massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia. The shooting rampage was quickly labeled by the left to be the latest example of racially motivated violence by a presumed white supremacist. | Also on rt.com…
(2021-03-18). The U.S. Government Should Promote the General Welfare. counterpunch.org 
An event revealing a great deal about the kind of government Americans want occurred this March, when members of the U.S. Congress voted on the American Rescue Plan. This legislation, staunchly supported by the Democrats, provided federal funding for the provision of life-saving vaccines, the re-opening of public schools, expanded benefits to the unemployed, a
(2021-03-18). Pandemic's impact propels new push for Medicare for All. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Propelled by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which exposed, as never before, the gaping holes in U.S. health care's non-system, proponents of Medicare For All launched a new push for comprehensive health care reconstruction. But the March 17 exuberant "Town Hall" for the bill, re-introduced by House Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., …
(2021-03-18). The Ongoing Calamity: US Collective Punishment of the Venezuelan People Must End. counterpunch.org 
Recent statements made by US officials suggest that Washington will continue to pursue a hardline policy on Venezuela. The new Biden Administration, however, needs to urgently rethink its approach. US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, remarked on February 3 that he "certainly" does not "expect this administration to be engaging directly with (President) Maduro." Namely,
(2021-03-18). Rate of demolition of Palestinian homes has increased in 2021, says new report. peoplesdispatch.org 
The report, prepared by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territories, says the monthly average of demolition of Palestinian houses by Israeli authorities has increased by 65% in 2021 as compared to the previous year…
(2021-03-18). Alabama Amazon worker testifies before Congress: "We're not robots." peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—At Amazon's warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., more than 5,800 workers, many if not most of them Black, toil for 10 hours each a day in the middle of a pandemic, shifting goods to loading docks via elevators they can't board themselves. Instead, workers, many middle-aged, must tramp, or limp, up and down four flights of …
(2021-03-18). PSL in Tennessee launches campaign to fight utility shutoffs. liberationnews.org 
The rise in unemployment and poverty coupled with dismal state benefits during a deadly pandemic have left many families unable to pay their bills.
(2021-03-18). Thumb in the Dike: Homelessness and Deepening Inequality. counterpunch.org 
In December 2020, USA Today ran a bold headline declaring, "the federal eviction moratorium expires in January. It could leave 40 million Americans homeless." The article cites Diane Yentel, CEO and president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, who warns, "We're facing potentially the worst housing and homelessness crisis in our country's history."
(2021-03-18). Anger mounts as police cover for Atlanta murderer of Asian women. peoplesworld.org 
Only two days before the Atlanta-area murders of eight people, including six Asian American women, Georgia State Sen. Michelle Au, herself Chinese American, was warning of rising anti-Asian violence in her state and nationwide. "Asian Americans are part of our country's plurality," said Au. "And all I'm asking, as the first East Asian state senator …
(2021-03-18). Climate Change is making Sea levels rise fastest in big cities — here's why. juancole.com 
By Sally Brown and Robert James Nicholls | — It is well known that climate-induced sea level rise is a major threat. What is less well know is the threat of sinking land. And in many of the most populated coastal areas, the land is sinking even faster than the sea is rising. Parts of …
(2021-03-18). Author Dan Hicks reveals the backstory of 'contested objects' in Western museums. peoplesworld.org 
The role of museums in Western culture has been a conversation in art and academia for decades. The institution as a whole has had a spotlight shined on its structural biases for years. In response, several museums have attempted to institute reforms to expand diversity. Curator Dan Hicks, of the Pitt-Rivers Museum of Oxford University, …
(2021-03-18). There Are So Many Lessons to Learn from Kerala. dissidentvoice.org 
Anujath Sindhu Vinaylal (India), My mother and the mothers in the neighborhood, 2017. Indian farmers and agricultural workers have crossed the hundred-day mark of their protest against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They will not withdraw until the government repeals laws that deliver the advantages of agriculture to large corporate houses. This, the …
(2021-03-18). Let's Stop Pretending Russia and China are Military Threats. counterpunch.org 
Someone needs to say this, and it looks like it's gotta be me: China and Russia are not our enemies. Somehow, the opinion-makers in the media, the bloated military brass with all their ribbons and stars and with little to do but worry about how to keep their massively overbuilt operation afloat with ever more taxpayer money, and the members of Congress who like to gin up fears among the voters so they'll keep voting for them have gotten everyone thinking that Russia is still hell bent on world communist takeover and that China it trying to replace the US as global hegemon. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
(2021-03-18). The Active Forest Management Scam. counterpunch.org 
There are daily news stories about the recent large wildfires in 2020. In nearly all of these media accounts, almost always attributed to a lack of active forest management. In other words, proponents of logging/thinning forests assert fuel reductions would diminish fire severity. The prevailing assumption is that fuels are the major cause of large
(2021-03-18). Jason Hickel introduces Degrowth — book review. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-18). New Cold War is built on humanitarian interventionist lies and dismissal of actual War Crimes. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-18). Interpreting contemporary imperialism: lessons from Samir Amin. mronline.org 
MR Online
(2021-03-18). No justice, no peace: Rapsody on art, activism, and the power of music. therealnews.com 
The professors invite Rapsody to discuss the legacy of the Black music tradition and how it continually reiterates itself within "new genres," creating a cultural archive.
(2021-03-18). Guangzhou 1927: The Paris Commune of the East. peoplesdispatch.org 
On the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Paris Commune, its legacy is remembered in the Guangzhou Uprising, when workers and peasants established a popular republic in the southern Chinese capital in 1927.
(2021-03-18). Unelected operatives play an outsized role in crafting foreign policy. peoplesworld.org 
It's probably safe to say that most Americans would hope the major foreign policy actions of the United States would be determined by their elected officials in Congress and the White House. In reality, much of the foreign policy of the U.S. is first crafted behind closed doors by individuals that the public never voted …
(2021-03-18). Profit Shares Fall to the Lowest Level Since 2009. counterpunch.org 
The Federal Reserve Board released an item of good news that might be missed. The Financial Accounts for the fourth quarter showed a decline in profit share of national income to 12.0 percent, the lowest annual share since 2009. It is far too early to know if this shift will be enduring, but it is
(2021-03-18). Syria needs Long-Term Housing for the Neediest, and the US needs to Stop Blocking it. juancole.com 
By Hany Al Banna | — ( Middle East Monitor ) — March 15, 2021, will mark a grim milestone—the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the popular uprising that led to the civil war still engulfing Syria. As we all grapple with the deadly crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world's …
(2021-03-18). UAE suspends Abu Dhabi Israel summit as frustration with Netanyahu grows. middleeasteye.net 
UAE suspends Abu Dhabi Israel summit as frustration with Netanyahu grows | Emirati officials are particularly angry at Israeli PM's pre-election trumpeting of $10bn UAE investment fund | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 12: 46 | An Emirati man, wearing a protective mask with the flags of the US, Israel and the UAE, upon the arrival of the first commercial flight from Israel, 31 August 2020 (AFP)…
(2021-03-18). NYT accused of 'fueling anti-Asian racism' over headline on Chinese vaccine 'made from hamster cells'. rt.com 
The New York Times was accused of "soft racism" after running a headline about how China's latest Covid-19 vaccine is "made from the ovary cells of hamsters" on the same day shootings in Georgia left six Asian women dead. | In the Tuesday
(2021-03-18). Suspected assailant of elderly Chinese woman in San Francisco ends up handcuffed to stretcher after she BEATS HIM UP with stick. rt.com 
The latest apparent case of unprovoked violence against vulnerable Asian-American people didn't end well for the alleged attacker, who required a trip to hospital after his intended target proved to be too tough for him. | The incident took place on Market Street in San Francisco on Wednesday morning and was first reported by the local CBS affiliate KPIX, whose sports director Dennis O'Donnell happened to be jogging nearby and filmed the aftermath of the altercation. | pic.twitter.com/5o8r0eeHE2— Dennis O'Donnell (@DennisKPIX) (2021-03-18). Obama joins chorus in dubbing massage parlor shootings as 'anti-Asian hate crime' as Democrats keep narrative on 'white supremacy'. rt.com 
Former President Barack Obama and other political and celebrity voices seized on a murder spree at Atlanta-area massage parlors as a call to dismantle "white supremacy" — despite the lack of any apparent anti-Asian hate motive. | "Although the shooter's motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end," Obama said Wednesday on Twitter. While also using the horrific shootings to argue for gun laws, he added that America must "root out the pervasive patterns of hatred and violence in our society." | Even as we've battled the pandemic, we…
(2021-03-18). John Kerry caught flouting Biden's mask mandate on flight, dismisses 'elite hypocrite' accusations as 'malarkey'. rt.com 
US special climate envoy John Kerry is under fire after he was spotted without a mask on board a flight, prompting American Airlines to investigate the matter as critics condemn the failed presidential candidate for hypocrisy. | A mostly maskless Kerry was photographed by a fellow passenger while on a flight from Boston to DC on Wednesday, with the image first
(2021-03-18). Stop Asian Hate: Connie Wun on Atlanta Spa Killings, Gender Violence & Spike in Anti-Asian Attacks. democracynow.org 
Deadly shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlors that left eight people dead have stoked outrage and renewed fears about rising anti-Asian racism in the United States, which has already seen a rise in violence directed at Asian Americans during the pandemic. Police say the shooting suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, denies a racial motive behind the killings, blaming "sex addiction" and a "really bad day" instead, but six of the eight victims are women of Asian descent. Connie Wun, co-founder of AAPI Women Lead and a researcher on violence against girls of color, says it's impossible to "disconnect rac…
(2021-03-18). "Immoral & Illegal": U.S. & U.K. Move to Expand Nuclear Arsenals, Defying Global Disarmament Treaties. democracynow.org 
The United States and the United Kingdom are facing international criticism for moving to expand their nuclear arsenals, defying a growing global movement in support of nuclear disarmament. The U.S. is planning to spend $100 billion to develop a new nuclear missile which could travel 6,000 miles carrying a warhead 20 times stronger than the one dropped on Hiroshima, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just announced plans to lift the cap on its nuclear stockpile, ending three decades of gradual nuclear disarmament in the U.K. "We're seeing this united, uniform response of nuclear-armed states to what t…
(2021-03-18). White supremacist propaganda increased in 2020, report says. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK (AP) — White supremacist propaganda reached alarming levels across the U.S. in 2020, according to a new report that the Anti-Defamation League provided to The Associated Press. There were 5,125 cases of racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ and other hateful messages spread through physical flyers, stickers, banners and posters, according to Wednesday's report. That's nearly double the …
(2021-03-18). One last failed bid to end the Forever War: Pentagon adviser dishes details of Trump's final failure to end Afghanistan quagmire. rt.com 
Despite an executive order in November mandating the withdrawal of all remaining troops in Afghanistan, Trump's promise to end the US' longest war collapsed — and was set up to fail, according to a senior Pentagon adviser. | Former US president Donald Trump made one last effort to prove he was sincere about prying the US military loose from its two-decade engagement in Afghanistan when he signed an executive order demanding all remaining troops be pulled from the country before the year's end — just days after November's election results suggested the American people had had enough of him. | Accordi…
(2021-03-18). Iranian press review: Khamenei advisor urges move to enrich uranium up to 60 percent. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Khamenei advisor urges move to enrich uranium up to 60 percent | Meanwhile, Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq threaten more attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad, and in northern Iran, thousands of migratory birds die due to environmental crisis | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 12: 04 | A handout picture released by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization on 6 November 2019 shows the…
(2021-03-18). Egypt faces backlash over response to UN criticism of human rights record. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt faces backlash over response to UN criticism of human rights record | A statement signed by 31 countries has prompted furious denials from Cairo, which in turn have been met with scorn | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 15: 10 | Policewomen stand outside al-Qanatir women's prison during a government guided tour (AFP) | Egyptian opposition figures and rights advocates have lashed out at Egypt's response to a rare…
(2021-03-18). Why Brazil is Losing the Global Race for Vaccines. counterpunch.org 
On January 17 nurse Monica Calazans became the first person vaccinated against COVID-19 in Brazil. The procedure took place during a much-awaited ceremony in Sà£o Paulo. However, after months of denial and heel-dragging from the government of President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's late entry into the global race for vaccines could prove to be fatal for
(2021-03-18). China and Russia Vaccines Defeat Cold War Virus. dissidentvoice.org 
A friend in need is a friend indeed, and several countries which may have previously sniffed at vaccines produced by China and Russia are finding truth in the old adage. China is ramping up supplies of its CoronaVac to Brazil and other Latin American countries where Covid-19 infections are threatening to overwhelm public health services. …
(2021-03-18). The Housing Crisis: One Year After Lockdown. counterpunch.org 
All the folks moving to Portland from California or New York and talking about how great the real estate prices are here may not know it (note: I was once one of them), but this city is the most rent-burdened city in the United States, and it exists within a country that, like this city, is undergoing multiple long-term crises, one of which is a housing crisis. The housing crisis, like so many other crises, got much worse one year ago this week, when the country, and much of the rest of the world, shut down.
(2021-03-18). Lorenzo Wolff — The Pearl (featuring Bartees Strange). counterpunch.org 
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(2021-03-18). Egypt: Protests break out after police officer allegedly beat man to death. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt: Protests break out after police officer allegedly beat man to death | A police officer reportedly crushed the skull of poultry shop owner Mohamed Youssef, sparking angry protests in his Nile Delta village | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 12: 59 | Mohamed Youssef, 34, was the owner of a poultry shop in the village of Monshaat el-Karaam in the Qalyubia governorate. He was reportedly beaten to death on 17 March by a po…
(2021-03-18). Yemen's Houthis renew call for end to Saudi-led blockade before ceasefire. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's Houthis renew call for end to Saudi-led blockade before ceasefire | The Iran-aligned fighters continue their push to take control of Marib, which is home to at least a million displaced people | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 10: 17 | Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government sit in the back of a pick-up truck during clashes with Houthi rebel fighters west of Taiz, on 16 March 2021 (AFP)…
(2021-03-18). Biden administration planning to 'reset' relations with Palestinians: Report. middleeasteye.net 
Biden administration planning to 'reset' relations with Palestinians: Report | State Department is reportedly mulling over plans to provide $15m in Covid-19 aid in addition to several other initiatives set to mend ties, according to draft memo | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 15: 07 | Palestinians react as Israeli authorities prepare to demolish a house located within a village south of Yatta in southern area of West Bank…
(2021-03-18). US warns China it will enforce sanctions on Iranian oil shipments: Report. middleeasteye.net 
US warns China it will enforce sanctions on Iranian oil shipments: Report | Shipments of oil from Tehran to Beijing have soared in recent months, reaching nearly 500,000 barrels a day in February | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 16: 34 | In 2019, the Trump administration stopped providing sanctions waivers to several countries that were importing oil from Iran (AFP) | The US has told China it will enforce Trump-era sanctio…
(2021-03-18). Syria: Hundreds gather in Daraa to celebrate anniversary of uprising. middleeasteye.net 
Syria: Hundreds gather in Daraa to celebrate anniversary of uprising | Daraa, currently under Assad control, was the centre of major demonstrations in the early days of the uprising in March 2011 | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 15: 36 | Still from video footage shared on social media (Twitter) | Hundreds reportedly gathered in the Syrian city of Daraa on Thursday to mark the tenth anniversary of the beginning of anti-gove…
(2021-03-18). EU halts planned sanctions on Turkey in indication of thawing tensions. middleeasteye.net 
EU halts planned sanctions on Turkey in indication of thawing tensions | As diplomatic relations warm, European Union calls off sanctioning members of Turkey's state-owned energy company | Thu, 03/18/2021 – 15: 26 | Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a meeting with EU Council President Charles Michel in Brussels (Reuters) | The European Union has halted plans to blacklist senior…
