2021-03-10: News Headlines

_____ (2021-03-10). The Next Neocolonial Gold Rush? popularresistance.org Planning documents for the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit shed new light on the agenda behind the controversial food summit that hundreds of farmers' and human rights groups are boycotting. The groups say agribusiness interests and elite foundations are dominating the process to push through an agenda that would enable the exploitation of global food systems, and especially Africa. | The documents, including a background paper prepared for summit dialogues and a draft policy brief for the summit, bring into focus "plans for the massive industrialization of Africa's food systems," said Mariam Mayet, execu…

_____ (2021-03-10). The Biden Administration Is Greenlighting Haiti's Descent Into Dictatorship. popularresistance.org As thousands of Haitians protest each Sunday against Jovenel MoàØse, their embattled and increasingly authoritarian president, their protest signs and songs exhort the U.S. ambassador and the head of the United Nations mission in Haiti, who is also a career U.S. diplomat, "to stop supporting a dictatorship." The protests reflect a broad consensus among politicians, intellectuals, lawyers and others in Haiti, supported by human rights experts and members of the U.S. Congress, that the Biden administration is propping up MoàØse and preventing the emergence of a Haitian-led solution to the political cr…

Nadda Osman (2021-03-10). Bahrain: Detained children abused, threatened with rape and electrocution. middleeasteye.net Bahrain: Detained children abused, threatened with rape and electrocution | A report details how children arrested in protest-related cases have been prosecuted as adults and abused while in detention in the Gulf country | Wed, 03/10/2021 – 15: 05 | Riot police near the British embassy in Manama prior to an anti-government protest in support of Bahraini human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, 16 Febr…

Fight Back (2021-03-10). Chicago march on opening day of trial for cop who murdered George Floyd. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Hundreds marched in Chicago to demand Justice for George Floyd, March 8, as part of a national day of solidarity with Minneapolis on the opening day of the trial of killer cop Derek Chauvin. Led by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the protest also called for community control of the police. After rallying at Federal Plaza, the marchers went to the State of Illinois Building to demand that Governor Pritzker pardon Gerald Reed and other prisoners who are survivors of torture at the hands of the Chicago police.

Staff (2021-03-10). Bloody Sunday in the Philippines: 9 dead, 6 arrested in crackdown on activists. therealnews.com The killings came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered police and soldiers to kill communist insurgents in all encounters.

MEE staff (2021-03-10). Israel arrests imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque Ekrima Sabri. middleeasteye.net Israel arrests imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque Ekrima Sabri | Former grand mufti detained as he prepared his Friday sermon, says his wife | Wed, 03/10/2021 – 14: 34 | Ekrima Sabri is the former grand mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, and the imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Twitter)
| Israeli authorities on Wednesday arrested the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Shiekh Ekrima Sabri, at his home in occupied East Jerusalem, his fa…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-03-10). Joe Biden y los idus de marzo del Pentágono: øEl mejor mes para lanzarse a la guerra? globalizacion.ca Una versión anterior de este artículo se publicó el 13 de marzo de 2013 | Actualizado el 5 de marzo de 2020 y febrero de 2021 | *** | Nota del autor: | Actualmente existen amenazas militares de Estados Unidos y la Organización del…

The Socialist Program (2021-03-10). In the News: The Role of Slave Labor in American Capitalism Before and After the Civil War. liberationnews.org This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the …

Jomo Kwame Sundaram (2021-03-10). Prioritise pandemic relief, recovery: No time for debt buybacks. mronline.org Developing country governments are being wrongly advised to use their modest fiscal resources to pay down accumulated debt instead of strengthening pandemic relief and recovery. Thus, debt phobia risks deepening and extending COVID-19 recessions by prioritizing buybacks.

Eds. (2021-03-10). On Covid and the plague of Capital. mronline.org Industrial agriculture, habitat destruction, global commodity chains and the travel network have set up this perfect storm of conditions, not just for COVID, but also for future pandemics.

Leila Rafei (2021-03-10). Meet the Activists Fighting to Free People from LA Jails. aclu.org Over the last year, the criminal legal system's many injustices dominated mainstream discourse as people took to the streets to grieve and protest the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police, and COVID-19 took a devastating toll on people in jails and prisons. These events galvanized many people into action — in the streets, at statehouses, and online — inspiring them to join activists who have challenged the criminal legal system's disproportionate and often tragic impact on communities of color.
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| One of the organizations at the forefront of this movement is the Youth Justic…

Ariel Bentes (2021-03-10). Abandoned by governments, Indigenous people create their own health post in Manaus. peoplesworld.org Manaus, Brazil (Feb. 26, updated March 4) — With the public health system collapsing and the oxygen crisis, Amazonas has had more than 290,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the second and worst wave of the pandemic. The crisis has dramatically affected the inhabitants of Park of Tribes, located in the urban zone of Manaus, …

Jason Tschantre (2021-03-10). Detroit workers rally in support of Amazon unionization efforts. liberationnews.org In addition to their support for the Alabama Amazon workers, the protesters called attention to unsafe working conditions inside Detroit Whole Foods, where 24 workers contracted COVID-19 in late February.

Raul Diego (2021-03-10). Digital Health Pass: IBM and Moderna Hook Up to Capitalize on COVID Reset. mintpressnews.com Using what have already become clichéd industry buzzwords like "transparency," "trust," and even "privacy," IBM's Digital Health Pass marketing describes the mass tracking app as a "smart way to return to society" that allows people to "return to the activities and things they love."

Derek Ford (2021-03-10). "Coronacare Hawai'i" continues despite private security team's harassment. liberationnews.org Coronacare is a mutual aid network organizing to address the unmet needs of their community, whose conditions have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their efforts this past year have focused on delivering food and household supplies to thousands of community members, including expecting mothers, elders, immunocompromised people, and other working families across the entire …

Staff (2021-03-10). Mumia has COVID-19, supporters demand his release. therealnews.com Mumia Abu-Jamal has been in prison since 1982. Already plagued by health issues, including hepatitis C, Mumia was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, and supporters are demanding he be released.

_____ (2021-03-10). Nazi Healthcare Revived Across the Five Eyes: Killing Useless Eaters and Biden's COVID Relief Bill. strategic-culture.org The individual most responsible for reviving Obamacare and the associated "Independent Payment Advisory Board" of cost-effectiveness "experts" under Joe Biden is the same figure who crafted the original Affordable Care Act in 2009. | "The ill-conceived `love of thy neighbor' has to disappear, especially in relation to inferior or asocial creatures. It is the supreme duty of a national state to grant life and livelihood only to the healthy and hereditarily sound portion of the people in order to secure the maintenance of a hereditarily sound and racially pure folk for all eternity…" | — Dr. Arthur Guett, Na…

Betsey Piette (2021-03-10). Mumia has COVID-19 — the only treatment is his freedom! workers.org Word has come that Pennsylvania political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal has tested positive for COVID-19. Supporters learned of the diagnosis March 3, as they were gathered in front of the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to call for Abu-Jamal's release and that of all incarcerated people over 50, who . . . |

MEE staff (2021-03-10). Israel's Netanyahu set to visit UAE on Thursday. middleeasteye.net Israel's Netanyahu set to visit UAE on Thursday | Trip marks first visit by Israeli prime minister since signing of a normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates in September | Wed, 03/10/2021 – 14: 42 | Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a visit to a health centre in the Arab-Israeli village of Abu Ghosh near Jerusalem, as an Israeli citizen receives the Covid-19 vaccine (AFP) | Israeli Prime Minister Benj…

RT (2021-03-10). 'Borat' star Sacha Baron Cohen gets called out as satire-blind comedian after demanding Facebook censor Bill Gates-vaccine joke. rt.com Sacha Baron Cohen, an actor known for satirical comedy, apparently couldn't spot the satire in an image portraying Bill Gates as a sinister vaccine conspirator and blasted Facebook for failing to censor the joke. | "Mark Zuckerberg, how do you sleep at night?" the "Borat" creator asked Tuesday on Twitter. "This is on Facebook's Instagram right now. Your algorithms are still recommending lies about Covid and vaccines. How many people have to die before you act?" | Mark Zuckerberg, how do you sleep at night? | This is on Facebook's Instagram right now. | Your algorithms are STILL recommending lies about Covid an…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-10). COVID-19 Vaccines, Access and the Intellectual Property Wars. counterpunch.org By now, anybody speaking about vaccine equality and equity of access must surely be coming across as slightly deranged. In the field of COVID-19, traditional proprietorial instincts remain. Add to this the disparity in terms of manufacture, bureaucracy and the nasty flavour of politics, and we would all be entitled to long draughts of cynicism.

Staff (2021-03-10). In Rejection of Austerity, Democrats Push Forward Landmark $1.9 Trillion Relief Package. democracynow.org As President Joe Biden prepares to sign the sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID relief package into law, we speak with economist Stephanie Kelton, author of "The Deficit Myth," about how the bill could help cut child poverty in half and provide a historic economic boost to the poorest people in the United States. "This is a piece of legislation that recognizes the immense pain that exists all across this country, and it delivers help," says Kelton, a professor at Stony Brook University and former adviser to Bernie Sanders.

news.un (2021-03-10). COVID contributed to 'starvation', executions in DPR Korea, Rights Council hears. news.un.org Disturbing reports have emerged from North Korea – officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) – that people have starved or been executed because of COVID-19 restrictions, a leading rights expert said on Wednesday.

Jerry Goldberg (2021-03-10). Amazon pays little in taxes, makes record profits. liberationnews.org The union drive of Bessemer, Alabama, Amazon workers has shed the light on the oppressive, unsafe working conditions and low wages for Amazon workers at its warehouses, fulfillment centers and Whole Foods markets.

Editor (2021-03-10). Migrant deaths: Who's the REAL culprit? workers.org It didn't have to happen. But, tragically, it did. And most likely, it may not be the last time. On March 2, 12 people were killed instantly when the SUV they traveled in was hit broadside by a tractor-trailer truck on a California highway. The accident happened on the outskirts . . . |

Umer Beigh (2021-03-10). Rohingya refugees detained for violating Foreigners Act in India. peoplesdispatch.org Close to 170 Rohingya refugees in Jammu were taken into the Hiranagar sub-jail on March 7 after being declared as "illegal migrants" under Section 3 (2) e of the Foreigners Act. The move has instilled fear in thousands of refugees living in the region…

_____ (2021-03-10). The View From Inside America's Child Immigrant Detention Shelters. popularresistance.org Above photo: The interior of a CBP facility in McAllen, Texas. U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Rio Grande Valley Sector via AP. NOTE: This article was originally published by WSWS in 2018, but given the rise of migrant youth being imprisoned at the border, it seems appropriate to remind ourselves of the brutal treatment they …

MEE, agencies (2021-03-10). Mediterranean: Dozens dead after two migrant boats capsize off Tunisia. middleeasteye.net Mediterranean: Dozens dead after two migrant boats capsize off Tunisia | At least 39 migrants are dead as numbers attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean continue to rise | Wed, 03/10/2021 – 10: 56 | A member of the Tunisian coastguard during a patrol of the area near Tunisia's northern town of Bizerte on 30 March 2017 (AFP) | At least 39 migrants have died after two boats…

Staff (2021-03-10). "A Big Deal": Bill McKibben on Rutgers Fossil Fuel Divestment & the Future of Climate Justice. democracynow.org Rutgers University has voted to begin divesting from fossil fuels, following a campaign by the student-organized Endowment Justice Collective that grew out of the Global Climate Strike in 2019. The organizing efforts led to a referendum vote in 2020 in which 90% of students supported divestment. About 5% of Rutgers's $1.6 billion endowment is invested in fossil fuels, and under the terms of the agreement, it will now cease new fossil fuel investment and divest from passive index funds with fossil fuel investments. It said it also plans to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency and that the school's inve…

Staff (2021-03-10). Too Radical for Harvard? Cornel West on Failed Fight for Tenure, Biden's First 50 Days & More. democracynow.org The prominent scholar and activist Cornel West has announced he is leaving Harvard Divinity School after he was denied consideration for tenure, and will rejoin the faculty of Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he started his teaching career more than 40 years ago. West had left Harvard once before in 2002 and returned to a nontenured position at Harvard in 2017. The news about the denial of West's request for tenure has led to an outpouring of support and incited conversation about diversity in academia. "There's too much Harvard dishonesty, too much Harvard hypocrisy, in terms of mistreating too…

Rebecca Gordon (2021-03-10). Can Biden-Harris make a Counter-Revolution against Reaganism and Restore Dignity to Work? juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — A year ago, just a few weeks before San Francisco locked itself down for the pandemic, I fell deeply in love with a 50-year-old. The object of my desire was a wooden floor loom in the window of my local thrift shop. Friends knowledgeable on such matters examined photos I took …

Glenn Greenwald (2021-03-10). Biden's Protection of Murderous Saudi Despots Shows the Hidden Reality of U.S. Foreign Policy. zcomm.org That the U.S. opposes tyranny is a glaring myth. Yet it is not only believed but often used to justify wars, bombing campaigns, sanctions, and protracted conflict…

Rayhan Uddin (2021-03-10). Khashoggi documentary and Palestinian film nominated for BAFTAs. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi documentary and Palestinian film nominated for BAFTAs | Mauritanian Guantanamo detainee film also recognised, among surprisingly diverse shortlist for British award ceremony | Wed, 03/10/2021 – 14: 02 | Khashoggi murder documentary 'The Dissident', and British-Palestinian film about checkpoints earn BAFTA nominations (The Dissident/The Present) | A documentary about the murder of Saudi journ…

Staff (2021-03-10). Brazil: Lula strikes back. therealnews.com In a huge win for the left and for democracy, Brazil's Supreme Court has annulled corruption convictions against former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, making it possible for Lula to challenge Jair Bolsonaro for the presidency in the next election.

RT (2021-03-10). Senate confirms Merrick Garland, once snubbed for Supreme Court, as Biden's attorney general. rt.com Merrick Garland, a federal judge whose nomination for the US Supreme Court was blocked by Republicans in 2016, was easily confirmed as President Joe Biden's attorney general in a 70-30 Senate vote. | Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who led the effort to ignore President Barack Obama's nomination of Garland following the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia, was one of the votes in favor of confirming him as the new head of the Justice Department on Wednesday. | "I'm voting to confirm Judge Garland because of his long reputation as a straight shooter and a legal expert," McConnell said…

Michael Berkowitz (2021-03-10). 'Blinding of Isaac Woodard': 1946 racist police violence case gets fresh attention. peoplesworld.org Writer-director Jamila Ephron's new PBS film The Blinding of Isaac Woodard shows how great consequences can be ignited by smaller acts. In this case, the small act was one of a history of cruel injustices. The consequence was a sea change in public opinion and a movement which shaped the future of a country. On …

Dean Baker (2021-03-10). The Environment Versus How Many Jobs? counterpunch.org The Washington Post had an article on concerns among unions about job loss due to various measures from the Biden administration to promote clean energy. The article noted concerns that Biden's agenda may lead to the loss of good-paying jobs in the fossil fuel sector. It would have been helpful to point out how many

Kenneth Surin (2021-03-10). The Future of Gerrymandering in Virginia. counterpunch.org Indexes, such as the Democracy Index published by The Economist's Intelligence Unit, have to be taken with a grain of salt— one suspects that neoliberal western countries get a somewhat easier ride from The Economist. In any event, the Democracy Index is fraught with anomalies. In the 2020 Index, the US is ranked 25thout of

Greta Anderson (2021-03-10). Wolves Will be Wolves, So Let's Manage the Humans. counterpunch.org Let's start with some facts: 1) The majority of New Mexicans want to see Mexican wolves recovered. 2) Public lands livestock are a leading source of conflict for the wolf recovery program. 3) Livestock on public lands displace native wildlife through competition for food and driving them out of preferred habitats. 4) Public lands livestock

Global Research News (2021-03-10). Selected Articles: The Collapse of Trust in Public Health. globalresearch.ca By Corporate news sources are reporting that Austria has suspended their roll-out of the experiment…

Eds. (2021-03-10). Report: U.S. preparing cyberattack against Russia over SolarWinds hack. mronline.org Sources told The New York Times that the first major actions are expected sometime in the next three weeks.

Prensa Latina (2021-03-10). Lula afirmó ser víctima de mayor mentira jurídica en Brasil. peoplesworld.org Brasilia, 10 mar (Prensa Latina) El expresidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva afirmó hoy que resultó víctima de la mayor mentira jurídica en 500 años de historia de Brasil, en su primer pronunciamiento tras la anulación de sus condenas. 'Sé que fui víctima de la mayor mentira jurídica contada en 500 años de historia (de …

Eugene Puryear (2021-03-10). Stimulus and struggle: Congress short-changes the working class. liberationnews.org The amended version of the Biden administration's stimulus plan was passed by the House of Representatives today, the last step before it goes to the president's desk to be signed into law. It took over two months to approve the bill which, by any measure, does not meet the scale of the grave economic and …

Eds. (2021-03-10). 100 days of revolt, & still raring to go. mronline.org As the farmers' protest against farm laws enters the summer season, they brave high temperatures and the paucity of basic necessities…

John Wojcik (2021-03-10). Portugal's Communists know how to party—and how to govern. peoplesworld.org When I was 19 and went to the Woodstock music festival in upstate New York, I thought I was at the ultimate festival—there had never been anything like it and never would be again, I was sure. Three years ago, however, I attended what had to be the greatest Communist festival in the world, the …

B. R. Gowani (2021-03-10). Sahir at 100: Raising Socio-Political Awareness Through Poetry. counterpunch.org Sahir was a brilliant poet who devoted his poetry to raise awareness of the common folks to the reality of the prevailing social and political issues. His poignant and often heart wrenching words also echoed the intense love and loss of humans in relationships. His great and undying love for his mother created in him

Dan Corjescu (2021-03-10). Reason, Sociability, and Ethics. dissidentvoice.org Aristotle famously said that man was a social animal: Œ∂·ø∑ŒøŒΩ œÄŒøŒªŒπœÑŒπŒ∫œåŒΩ. He also strongly implied that what distinguished man from all other animals was his rationality. Today this description seems to make more sense than ever. Human beings, contrary to the contract theorists such as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, were never lone beings in search …

W. T. Whitney, Jr. (2021-03-10). Recurring political crisis in Haiti connects with U.S. racism. mronline.org Haiti faces serious political crisis. The country has experienced great political difficulties ever since gaining independent nationhood in 1804. Impaired governance stems in large measure from U.S. meddling over many years. We examine the current crisis and the basis for U.S. zeal to curtail Haiti's future.

Monica Moorehead (2021-03-10). One year after her death — Remembering Breonna Taylor. workers.org At first, few people knew of the heinous crime carried out by three white Louisville, Ky., police officers responsible for the murder of a 26-year-old African American emergency medical technician, Breonna Taylor, on March 13, 2020. Breonna Taylor was honored with a 7,000-square-foot mural in Annapolis, Md. Taylor was shot . . . |

Deirdre Griswold (2021-03-10). Remembrances of a warehouse order picker. workers.org Think 1956. That's 65 years ago — the year this writer dropped out of college and took a full-time job in a warehouse to get a more important education: learning what it was to be a worker. Warehouse pickers. In these intervening years, millionaires have gone on to . . . |

2021-03-09: News Headlines

WSWS (2021-03-09). Nine activists murdered by police in Bloody Sunday raids in the Philippines. wsws.org The killings took place after President Duterte delivered a speech instructing the police to "kill all communists and don't mind human rights."

_____ (2021-03-09). World's Worst Humanitarian Disaster Triggered By Weapons From US And UK. popularresistance.org United Nations – The United Nations has rightly described the deaths and devastation in war-ravaged Yemen as the "world's worst humanitarian disaster"— caused mostly by widespread air attacks on civilians by a coalition led Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). | But rarely, if ever, has the world denounced the primary arms merchants, including the US and UK, for the more than 100,000 killings since 2015— despite accusations of "war crimes" by human rights organizations. | The killings are due mostly to air strikes on weddings, funerals, private homes, villages and schools. Additionally, ov…

Emma Guy (2021-03-09). UK abortion services amounted to 'torture' and 'breached human rights'. thecanary.co As part of the #OurLivesOurStories series, The Canary has spoken to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) after it launched legal proceedings against the devolved government over a failure to fund abortion services. | Following Before…

yenisafak (2021-03-09). W.Bank settler population up 42% since 2010: Report. yenisafak.com The settler population in the occupied West Bank has risen 42% since 2010, a new Israeli report found on Tuesday.There are now 440,000 settlers in the occupied territory, added the report by Israeli human rights groups B'Tselem and Kerem Navot."Various state authorities encourage Jews to move to settlements and develop financial ventures in and around them," the report said."The state offers a slew of benefits and incentives to settlers and settlements, through both official and unofficial channels — extensively reviewed here. Housing benefits are the most significant, allowing families that lack capital or…

MEE staff (2021-03-09). Biden administration sanctions two Iranian officials over rights abuses. middleeasteye.net Biden administration sanctions two Iranian officials over rights abuses | US State Department spokesman downplays link between sanctions and diplomatic efforts with Islamic Republic | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 21: 04 | Antony Blinken says Washington will 'impose costs on those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Iran' (AFP/File photo) | The US imposed visa bans on two Iranian officials over human rig…

news.un (2021-03-09). Philippines: UN rights office appalled over simultaneous killings of 'red-tagged' activists. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday that it was "appalled" by what appears to be the simultaneous arbitrary killings of nine activists in the Philippines during police-military operations in provinces surrounding the metropolitan area of the capital, Manila.

WSWS (2021-03-09). An interview with Mohamedou Ould Salahi, detained and tortured by the US military, CIA. wsws.org Salahi, now living in Mauritania, was kind enough to answer a number of questions by email recently.

_____ (2021-03-09). Biden Iran Envoy Boasted of Depriving Civilians of Food, Driving Up Iranian Inequality in Sadistic Sanctions Manual. strategic-culture.org Richard Nephew has taken personal credit for depriving Iranians of food and driving up their unemployment rates, celebrating the economic destruction he caused as "a tremendous success." Under Biden, he will help direct policy on Iran. | By Max BLUMENTHAL | The Joseph Biden administration has named

Max Blumenthal (2021-03-09). Biden Iran Envoy Boasted of Depriving Civilians of Food, Driving Up Iranian Inequality in "Art of Sanctions" Manual. globalresearch.ca Richard Nephew has taken personal credit for depriving Iranians of food …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-09). 'Is This Who We Are?': Gitmo is America's Enduring Shame. counterpunch.org "That's certainly our goal and our intention." This was the non-committal answer given by White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, when, on February 12, she was asked by a reporter whether the new Joe Biden Administration intends to shut down the notorious Guantánamo Bay Prison by the end of the president's first term in office.

Sara Flounders (2021-03-09). Mass pressure stops Amazon Censorship. workers.org Stopping Amazon censorship is news. Good news. The Amazon corporate conglomerate is notorious for using its power to surveil and control every minute of workers' lives, to dominate labor rates, control local governments and demand huge tax rebates. Its management threatens to close facilities if its demands remain unmet. Amazon . . . |

Minnie Bruce Pratt (2021-03-09). Workers are not robots! Racism, high-tech speedup and the Amazon union drive. workers.org A historic organizing drive is underway in Bessemer, Ala., at the Amazon BHM1 warehouse. Almost 6,000 majority-Black workers — almost half women — are deciding whether to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Voting is continuing until March 29. December 12th Movement rally at Harlem's Whole . . . |

George Wuerthner (2021-03-09). Wilderness and Grazing: Time to Send the Cows Home. counterpunch.org Cows in designated wilderness areas? Does that seem like an oxymoron? Wilderness Areas are supposed to be places where natural processes and native species are given priority. With the election of the Biden administration, it may be time to reconsider grazing in designated wilderness, especially in light of the 30 x 30 goal of protecting

Raul Diego (2021-03-09). Massive Secret UK Propaganda Campaign in Former Soviet Republics Seeds Contempt. mintpressnews.com From the Skripal affair to Navalny's rise to the Russian Olympic doping scandal, these damning revelations should be enough to dispel any notions of truth in what the UK and allies tell their citizens through mainstream media outlets and the social media landscape they control.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-09). Women's groups across Europe mark International Women's Day. peoplesdispatch.org On March 8, Monday, feminist organizations and women's groups across Europe hit the streets to mark International Women's Day. The raging pandemic, job loss and other distress due to the lockdown, rise in femicide, misogyny, conservative laws fueled by the far-right has worsened the situation of many women over the last year. Braving all odds, women across Europe made their mark by raising the flags of women's emancipation and liberation on March 8 on the streets and workplaces. | On Monday, in Poland, women under the leadership of National Women's Strike (Strajk Kobiet) demonstrated across the country raising th…

Patrick Cockburn (2021-03-09). The Internal Feud That May Doom Scottish Nationalism. counterpunch.org Most nationalist movements wait until they have achieved independence before having a civil war over who runs the country. But Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond have jumped the gun by opening hostilities while Scottish self-determination is still well over the horizon. Could it remain an unattainable goal thanks to the open warfare between the past

Eds. (2021-03-09). Tutors replacing teachers: A failed privatization plot returns. mronline.org The pandemic showed that for students to get quality instruction, especially poor children of color, America must invest in real teachers, smaller class sizes, and better working conditions, including improved school facilities.

Wayne Nealis (2021-03-09). Protests build as jury selection begins in Chauvin trial. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—Spirited, determined protesters greeted day one of The People vs. Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. "The whole world is watching" read the main banner behind which an estimated 1,000 people had gathered by 8 a.m., one hour before the trial formally opened. A spokesperson for the National Alliance Against Racist and Political …

Sameena Rahman (2021-03-09). Trial of killer cop for murder of George Floyd begins as authorities prepare massive repression. liberationnews.org Chauvin, a former cop with the Minneapolis Police Department who brutally killed George Floyd on May 25, is charged with second degree "unintentional" murder and second degree manslaughter.

C.J. Hopkins (2021-03-09). The New Normal (Phase 2). dissidentvoice.org So, we're almost a year into the "New Normal" (a/k/a "pathologized totalitarianism") and things are still looking … well, pretty totalitarian. Most of Western Europe is still in "lockdown," or "under curfew," or in some other state of "health emergency." Police are fining and arresting people for "being outdoors without a valid reason." Protest is …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-09). Women across Latin America and the Caribbean rise up against patriarchy, femicides and capitalism. peoplesdispatch.org From Argentina to Mexico, millions of women took to the streets to demand equality in the most unequal region of the world, and to proclaim that they refuse to continue being marginalized, discriminated against, excluded, and murdered…

John Feffer (2021-03-09). The Talented Mr. Bin Salman. counterpunch.org Mohammed bin Salman is a charming fellow. The tall, dark, and handsome Saudi prince known as MbS has seduced world leaders and eager pundits left and right. To his supporters, MbS became first in line to the Saudi throne by championing reform in a deeply conservative Gulf kingdom, taking on corruption, confronting religious extremists, and

Yanis Iqbal (2021-03-09). Notes on revolutionary hope. mronline.org Humanity stands at a dangerous crossroads: a conflict between making profits and saving human life is clearly emerging, with the latter being sacrificed by the ruling class for the former.

Pedrosa Neto (2021-03-09). For Afro-Brazilian 'quilombolas,' pandemic is synonymous with abandonment, racism, and 'necropolitics'. peoplesworld.org MOJU, PARàÅ, Brazil— "We are not even getting access to the basic necessities," says Raimundo Magno, the leader of the Africa quilombola community in Moju, Pará, his face grim with anguish. Magno's complaint points to the abandonment felt in the quilombolas, communities of descendants of Africans brought to Brazil as enslaved laborers. The sense they've …

Nick Licata (2021-03-09). The Inspired Terrorists Who Invaded the Capitol Were Your Neighbors! counterpunch.org The major networks and cable news channels largely ignored research findings showing who the people that were "incited" to invade the Capitol. Instead, they focused on those who had "planned" the violent break-in. While the FBI considers both groups to be domestic terrorists, research shows the "incited" people may be your neighbors. Instead of describing

Eric A. Gordon (2021-03-09). 'From the Plough to the Stars: Working People's Prose from Contemporary Ireland'. peoplesworld.org Frequent People's World contributor Jenny Farrell, based in Ireland, has just edited an important new volume, From the Plough to the Stars: An Anthology of Working People's Prose from Contemporary Ireland. It is a successor to a similar recent book she also edited of contemporary Irish working-class poetry. Farrell includes some 50 Irish writers, a …

Eds. (2021-03-09). Discourses of Distrust: Conspiracy Theories and the Critique of Ideology. mronline.org Here the main question is not what is said but why it is said. And this question of why is not related to the personal situation, interests, or discursive strategies of the speakers. Men cannot know what is good for them; they very often profess ideologies that are directly detrimental to their interests.

Sara Flounders (2021-03-09). Stopping Amazon censorship with mass pressure. Good news. workers.org Stopping Amazon censorship is news. Good news. The Amazon corporate conglomerate is notorious for using its power to surveil and control every minute of workers' lives, to dominate labor rates, control local governments and demand huge tax rebates. Its management threatens to close facilities if its demands remain unmet. Amazon . . . |

Wayne Nealis (2021-03-09). Weekend events prepared 'the people's case' against Derek Chauvin. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—A weekend of marches, rallies, and news conferences kicked off the fight for justice for George Floyd and the conviction of former MPD officer Derek Chauvin charged with murdering Floyd. This overview and photos of the events from Friday to Sunday show a level of commitment to justice by a coalition of groups intent on …

C.J. Atkins (2021-03-09). Communist Party unveils 'Emergency Relief Unity Program' to confront crisis. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—A moratorium on evictions or foreclosures, millions of new green jobs through an immediate infrastructure building spree, abolition of student debt, compensation for historical and ongoing racism, a $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All, and new taxes on the rich. All that and more is in a new emergency relief program just issued by …

Global Research (2021-03-09). The Globalization of War & The Globalization of Poverty: Two Important Titles by Michel Chossudovsky. globalresearch.ca These two titles from Global Research Publishers are available in PDF (e-book) format delivered directly to your inbox, as well as in print format. | . | . | . | The Globalization of War: America's "Long War" against Humanity | by Michel Chossudovsky |

Ed Rampell (2021-03-09). Life and death: Two shorts explore a taboo and new romance at PAFF. peoplesworld.org Undaunted, the pandemic can't stop the Pan African Film Festival, and in that immortal show biz tradition, the show must go on! Albeit virtually, as this year in order to stay cinematically safe, America's largest and best annual Black-themed filmfest since 1992 has moved online. This year's 29th annual Pan African Virtual Film + Arts …

Charles Pierson (2021-03-09). Yemen's Death Sentence. counterpunch.org "Disappointing" was how UN Secretary-General António Guterres described last week's donor conference for Yemen. The fifth UN Virtual High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Yemen resulted in pledges of only $1.7 billion. That's just half of the $3.85 billion called for by the secretary-general. Nor is there any guarantee that donors will make

The Conversation (2021-03-09). Iran's leaders signal interest in new nuclear deal, but U.S. must act soon. juancole.com By James Devine | — On the campaign trail, Joe Biden pledged that if elected he would quickly return the United States to the Joint Collective Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. But negotiations have been slow to materialize, and with Iran's presidential elections scheduled to take place in June, …

Emile Schepers (2021-03-09). Chicago joins list of U.S. cities denouncing Cuba blockade. peoplesworld.org For 60 years, the United States has done everything within its power to destroy socialist Cuba. The tactics used have included a failed invasion, violent sabotage, attempted assassinations of Cuban leaders, and an endless and relentless barrage of lies in corporate-controlled media, academia, and other ideology-forming institutions. Cuban socialism, however, has survived all these assaults. Today, …

John Wojcik (2021-03-09). American Rescue Act: Government of, by, and for the people. peoplesworld.org Ever since the days of the Ronald Reagan presidency, the defining narrative in Washington has been that big government is an unruly animal that has to be tamed. With the passage of the American Rescue Act in the Senate and the expected second passage in the House today and signing of it into law by …

PAI (2021-03-09). Avalanche of progressive legislation on the move in the House. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Worker rights. The right to vote. Free and open elections. Partial controls on who can buy guns. And of course, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Act. All that is on the congressional plate this week. There will be two big-deal votes in the House alone. One comes March 9 on Democratic President Joe Biden's rescue …

Robert Lipsyte (2021-03-09). Rush, Roger, Rupert, and The Donald May Ride Forever. counterpunch.org The Four Horsemen of our media apocalypse — Rush Limbaugh, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, and Donald Trump — have ridden roughshod over us this past half-century leaving their hoofprints on our politics, our culture, and our lives. Two of them are gone now, but their legacies, including the News Corporation, the Fox News empire, and

Kuveni Scanlan (2021-03-09). Abortion ban repealed in New Mexico after years of struggle. liberationnews.org Radical and progressive activists recently led the way to an important victory for working class women in New Mexico.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-09). 'Is This Who We Are?': Gitmo is America's Enduring Shame. zcomm.org While offering the world's most miserable detention conditions to hundreds of potentially innocent men, Guantánamo also offers career opportunities, high military perks and honors…

RT (2021-03-09). Capitol security review urges beefed-up surveillance, permanent 'mobile fencing' & 850 new officers to fill manpower gaps. rt.com The US Capitol's policing and surveillance measures are woefully inadequate, a security review launched in the wake of the January 6 riot concluded, calling for hundreds of new officers and a permanent barrier around the building. | Commissioned by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following the Capitol riot and published on Monday, the

RT (2021-03-09). As migrants pour over US border, White House won't admit Biden's dealing with a crisis. rt.com The fruits of Joe Biden's border policies are already apparent: a tripling of children detained at the border, and crossings set to hit record levels. Yet the administration refuses to acknowledge it has a crisis on its hands. | The number of unaccompanied migrant children detained along the southern US border has tripled in the last two weeks to more than 3,250, the New York Times

RT (2021-03-09). CNN anchor raises eyebrows after revealing video of him not wearing pants during live appearance. rt.com CNN's Brian Stelter received criticism for proudly airing a clip that showed him without pants on during his live coverage of then-President Donald Trump's Twitter ban. | On his show Reliable Sources on Sunday, Stelter brought up the viral 2020 moment when ABC News' Will Reeve had been caught reporting from home without pants on, during a Covid-19 lockdown. | Stelter then followed by saying he could "relate" to Reeve's situation, airing an old video of himself reporting live without pants on, after being given "just two minutes' notice" to appear on the network to discuss Trump's ban. | Shortly after the segme…

RT (2021-03-09). HALF of Americans question Biden's physical & mental health, concerned over lack of press conferences — poll. rt.com A new poll has found that 50 percent of Americans are questioning President Biden's mental fitness, and over half are concerned about his lack of solo press conferences. | Asked "how confident are you that Joe Biden is physically and mentally up to the job of being president of the United States," 50 percent of respondents in a Rasmussen poll conducted among 1,000 likely US voters in the first week of March, responded that they were "not confident." | Only 48 percent responded that they were "confident" or "very confident" about Biden's physical and mental fitness. | A track record of public gaffes and verbal…

RT (2021-03-09). Joe Biden's media-celebrated dogs are SENT HOME to Delaware after one bites a White House security staffer — reports. rt.com The return of dogs to the White House, cheered by the MSM as an added benefit of Donald Trump's ouster, was short-lived, as Biden's German Shepherds have reportedly been sent packing after one bit a security aide. | Champ and Major were returned to the Biden family home in Wilmington last week, the media reported on Tuesday. CNN blamed the move on Als…

RT (2021-03-09). Police & FBI investigate after student 'accidentally' detonates explosive device in CLASS, injuring 4 students. rt.com A blast ripped through a classroom at a Michigan high school, injuring five students and prompting all county schools to lock down. Police believe the explosive device was brought by a student and detonated in a freak accident. | The explosion took place inside a classroom, shortly after lessons began at Newaygo High School at around 9am on Monday local time. The blast injured at least five people, including a 16-year-old student, who is believed to have brought the device to school in the first place. | to the school. The device detonated in the classroom, injuring the 16-year-old and four additional classmat…

RT (2021-03-09). 'The guy who runs that outfit': Biden suspected of forgetting his own defense secretary's name in latest verbal fumble (VIDEO). rt.com Joe Biden avoided using Defense Secretary Llyod Austin's name during an event at the White House. The apparent gaffe left many on social media wondering if Biden had suffered a memory lapse. | The president was announcing the nomination of two female generals assigned to lead US military commands when he suddenly lost his train of thought. | "I want to thank the former general. I keep calling him general, but my — the guy who runs that outfit over there," Biden said, presumably referring to Austin and the Pentagon. He then thanked "the secretary" for recommending the two women for the command posts. | . <...

RT (2021-03-09). Gab goes offline after refusing to pay hackers, accuses Biden admin & 'oligarch tyrants' of wanting to shut them down. rt.com The social media site Gab blamed "oligarch tyrants" who keep the US "under occupation" for being forced offline, after they refused to pay a ransom in bitcoin to a hacker who had pilfered gigabytes of user data through an exploit. | "We took the site down to investigate a security breach," Gab "Banks are banning us. Hackers are attacking us. Journalists are libe…

RT (2021-03-09). Teen Vogue publisher under fire for chief editor pick: a black female journo who posted homophobic & anti-Asian tweets in college. rt.com The new editor-in-chief once posted insensitive tweets about Asians and gays, angering members of staff at the magazine, who feel hiring her would be inappropriate. The problematic old posts first came to public attention in 2019. | The pick of Alexi McCammond to lead Teen Vogue was announced by parent company Condé Nast last week. The 27-year-old former Axios reporter "embodies the best of our next generation of leaders," and is to take charge of the publication, which recently took a tilt to being more political, starting March 24. Some of her future subordinates already foresee a problem with their n…

RT (2021-03-09). Twitter sues Texas AG over state's investigation into banning Trump, says it's attempt to 'intimidate' & 'harass' company. rt.com Twitter is attempting to stop Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's investigation into its moderation practices, calling the probe "retaliation" for its suspension of former president Donald Trump. | "Twitter seeks to stop AG Paxton from unlawfully abusing his authority as the highest law-enforcement officer of the State of Texas to intimidate, harass, and target Twitter in retaliation for Twitter's exercise of its First Amendment rights," Twitter said in its court filing on Monday. | Twitter said the investigation comes down to the platform making "editorial decisions" Paxton disagrees with, including suspendin…