2021-05-19: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-05-19). How the United States Helps To Kill Palestinians. counterpunch.org The U.S. corporate media usually report on Israeli military assaults in occupied Palestine as if the United States is an innocent neutral party to the conflict. In fact, large majorities of Americans have told pollsters for decades that they want the United States to be neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | But U.S. media and politicians betray their own lack of neutrality by blaming Palestinians for nearly all the violence and framing flagrantly disproportionate, indiscriminate and therefore illegal Israeli attacks as a justifiable response to Palestinian actions. The classic formulation from U.S. offic…

Fight Back (2021-05-19). Tucson organizes solidarity rally for Palestine. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – The Federal Building in downtown Tucson saw the largest rally since the pandemic, May 17, with over 300 people demanding an end to the Israeli bombing of Gaza. The demonstration, organized by the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance and the Tucson chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, drew protesters from the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities, along with other supporters of Palestine. | Palestinian flags flew and signs held by Palestinian children read: "End aid to Israel" and "Stop killing children!" | While a handful of armed and cowardly Patriot Movement reactionaries shouted from across th…

repost (2021-05-19). Labor for Palestine's Call for Nakba Day Support for Palestine. indybay.org U.S. Labor Must Stand With Palestine! | Labor for Palestine, Nakba Day, May 15, 2021 | As workers, labor, and anti-apartheid activists, we join millions around the world to unequivocally condemn Israel's genocidal attacks on the Palestinian people: mass evictions in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods of Jerusalem, storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, waves of state-sponsored violence throughout the West Bank and the '48 areas (stolen from Palestine in 1948), and merciless bombardment of Gaza that has already killed and wounded hundreds of people, many of them children.

Staff (2021-05-19). Death of FARC-EP's Jesús Santrich: Breaking News, False Positive, Uribismo Media Smokescreen or Colombian Violation of Venezuelan Territory? orinocotribune.com The alleged death "in combat" in Venezuelan territory of the Colombian guerrilla commander Jesús Santrich could end up being "breaking news" for Semana news magazine, but it is more likely that it will end up ranking in the top ten of fake news—which is saying a lot because the story concerns Colombia, a country where fabricating fake news, mounting false flag operations, and producing smokescreens is already part of the daily modus operandi of the ruling elite, inextricably associated with its media apparatus. | The alleged news is trending on social media networks and remains as such although, after twelv…

The Associated Press (2021-05-19). Colombia Rebel Group Claims Leader 'Jesús Santrich' Slain. latinorebels.com BOGOTàÅ, Colombia (AP) — A rebel leader who abandoned the 2016 peace accord with Colombia's government and had been at large for three years was killed by Colombian troops in Venezuela, his new armed group said Tuesday.

Kade Crockford (2021-05-19). When We Fight, We Win: Victories in the Fight Against Face Surveillance Keep Piling Up. aclu.org After years of advocacy, grassroots organizing, and on the cusp of the one-year anniversary of when hundreds of thousands of people joined in solidarity with Black organizers by marching to support Black lives and to divest from racist policing, we've reached a major milestone: Amazon has announced it will stop selling face recognition technology to police — indefinitely. | Amazon had previously announced a one-year moratorium on sales to police that was set to expire on June 10. The initial moratorium was issued weeks into renewed nationwide protests following the police murder of George Floyd in Minnea…

Answer Coalition (2021-05-19). Contribute to the Syringes Campaign for Cuba! Support Cuba's national vaccination drive! answercoalition.org &nbsp…

Staff (2021-05-19). Sunrise Activists Are Marching 400 Miles to Demand a Green New Deal Jobs Program. truthout.org On May 10, as a pounding Spring rain eased to an intermittent sun-dappled drizzle, New Orleans's Young PinStripe Brass Band played a supercharged fanfare of "We Got the Funk" to spur the first steps of the roughly 400-mile trek from the Superdome to Houston, Texas. Five activists from the Sunrise Movement, ages 17 to 31, are marching in support of the passage of a major jobs component of the Green New Deal. At a clip of 10 miles per day along their walkable route, the group is making stop…

Staff (2021-05-19). Venezuela Delivers 4th Report on Human Rights Cases in Venezuela to International Criminal Court. orinocotribune.com The Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, reported this Tuesday, May 18, that his office delivered a new report, the fourth, to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which adds to the information provided to the ICC prosecutor regarding controversial human rights cases in Venezuela. | "Once again we point out that we work blindfolded in terms of providing official information to the ICC," wrote Saab on his Twitter account, "but with a will to collaborate, based on the commitments assumed by the Venezuelan State in our visit to The Hague on #4Nov 2020. This fourth report presents a new list, an upda…

Anonymous669 (2021-05-19). Central Syria: Eight Pro-Government Fighters Killed In ISIS Ambush. southfront.org Illustrative image | Early on May 18, ISIS cells ambushed a convoy of pro-government forces in the southeastern countryside of Aleppo. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the deadly ambush took place to the south of the village of al-Mateyah in Maskanah desert."Five four-wheel-drive vehicles of the 25th Division and the Iranian militias were attacked in the area, while clashes took place between ISIS members and Iranian militias, which led to the death of eight members, including an Irania…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-05-19). Filipino social movements demand protection for human rights lawyers and their clients. peoplesdispatch.org A week after authorities named peace activists and political prisoners as "terrorists," raising alarm over continued crackdown, rights groups have called for court intervention to protect human rights lawyers…

Medea Benjamin, Nicholas J.S. Davies (2021-05-18). Why the United States has Blood on its Hands in Palestine. juancole.com ( Code Pink) -The U.S. corporate media usually report on Israeli military assaults in occupied Palestine as if the United States is an innocent neutral party to the conflict. In fact, large majorities of Americans have told pollsters for decades that they want the United States to be neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But U.S. …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-05-18). Trained by Years of Guerilla War, Yemen's Houthis Want to Export Thier Revolution to Palestine. mintpressnews.com Ansar Allah, who has enjoyed staggering success in staving off the wholesale invasion of their country by the U.S.-backed Saudi military, is eager to export its resistance mentality and battlefield knowledge to Palestine.

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-05-18). Trained by Years of Guerilla War, Yemen's Houthis Want to Export Their Revolution to Palestine. libya360.wordpress.com Ahmed Abdulkareem HODEIDA, YEMEN — Ayesh Atta arranges rings of long, light yellow Jasmine flowers into necklaces to give to the protesters and passers-by of his Mina Street flower shop in the coastal city of Hodeida. In the past, the 34-year-old Ayesh preserved the flowers in an icebox to sell in distant markets for Eid…

Medea Benjamin (2021-05-18). How the United States Contributes to the Killing of Palestinians. progressive.org As Gaza suffers, Congress has been slow to counteract President Joe Biden's plan to continue funneling military aid to Israel.

_____ (2021-05-18). Activists Push For Charges To Be Dropped Against Demonstrators For Black Lives. popularresistance.org At a press conference last month, members of the coalition stood in front of Travis County District Court in Austin with banners highlighting her case and calling for the dropping of charges against defendants criminalized during the uprisings across the country. The coalition formally presented a petition with over 2,000 signatures demanding that Travis County District Attorney José Garza drop the charges against people who protested for Black lives in Austin last year.

Editor2 (2021-05-18). Facebook, Social Media Giants Admit to Silencing Palestinian Voices Online. orinocotribune.com By Jessica Buxbaum — May 14, 2021 | Social media companies including Facebook have admitted to MintPress that pro-Palestinian posts were removed, blaming "technical bugs" and "spam filters." | OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM —In a video posted on activist organization Jewish Voice for Peace's Twitter account, Muna El-Kurd explained why social media is so vital for the Palestinian cause. | "We rely on the honorable people standing in solidarity with us, people who tweet #SaveSheikhJarrah everyday," Muna El-Kurd said. "Even a short tweet or post is a treasure." | "We rely on the honorable people standing in soli…

Stephanie Hedgecoke (2021-05-18). Syringes for Cuba: Campaign to send vital COVID supplies. workers.org During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade sent 53 contingents of volunteer health workers to over 40 countries — in addition to Cuban medical personnel already working in 58 countries. And more than 45 countries requested Cuba's Interferon Alpha 2B protocol to use for . . . |

slorinoco (2021-05-18). Venezuela Receives 25 Tons of Medical Supplies from China. orinocotribune.com Some 25 tons of medical supplies from China arrived in Venezuela as part of the air bridge established between the two countries to combat and treat COVID-19, reported Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado this Monday, May 17. | He emphasized that this air bridge between both nations reaffirms the strong bond of friendship that exists between China and Venezuela. |

Israel Shahak (2021-05-18). "Greater Israel": The Zionist Plan for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing wars on Syria and Iraq, the war on Yemen, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-05-18). 'Organizing Did This': Amazon Extends Moratorium on Police Use of Facial Recognition Tech. commondreams.org "This is a huge win for privacy and is the direct result of years of work by activists and advocates who have shed light on the dangerous use of this flawed technology." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2021-05-18). WEBINAR TOMORROW — Alex Saab's Lawyer: 'How the US Starves Venezuelans' (#SanctionsKill). orinocotribune.com (ESPAàëOL ABAJO) | Alex Saab's lawyer, Femi Falana, has agreed to participate in a webinar about this important case related to US "sanctions". | Caracas, May 16 (OrinocoTribune.com)— Alex Saab has been illegally held by Cape Verdean authorities in prison, and most recently in a unique form of house arrest. Saab was apprehended because of his attempts to bypass illegal US and European "sanctions" against the Venezuelan people. | Saab, a special diplomatic envoy of Venezuela at the time of his irregular detention, and currently ambassador of Venezuela to the African Union, was instrumental in procuri…

Steve Pleich (2021-05-18). Stay Away Ordinance Casts Long Shadow. indybay.org Activists Fear Increased Use of Stay Away Power…

NationofChange Staff (2021-05-18). Urge Biden administration to cancel student loan debt. nationofchange.org Let us join the organizations, activists and lawmakers out there and pressure the Biden administration to help the young adults of this nation be released from the debt acquired while furthering their educations.

Steve Lalla (2021-05-18). Colonialism & Imperialism are the Root of Venezuela's Economic Problems, Not Socialism, Says US Economist Michael Hudson (#SanctionsKill). orinocotribune.com May 16 (Special for OrinocoTribune.com)—The US oligarchy became wealthy by exploiting the labor and natural resources of peoples and lands across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. In our millennium, Venezuela's assets were seized by an empire in decline. As its economy continues to weaken, the US lashes out with increasingly desperate policies of economic "sanctions" against those that try to break out of its orbit. In the process, it drives its enemies together. | "Ironically, America's attempt to isolate other countries is turning into an attempt to isolate itself," said economist Michael Hudson recently. O…

Tom Engelhardt (2021-05-18). Tomgram: Andrew Bacevich, War as the Enemy of Reform. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. "A United States Coast Guard cutter fired 30 warning shots after 13 Iranian fast patrol boats menaced a group of American Navy ships sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the Pentagon said on Monday…" — so began a …

teleSUR (2021-05-18). Swiss Airline Edelweiss Resumes Zurich-Varadero Flights in July. telesurenglish.net From that month until October 2021, the airline will have between four and nine direct flights to the Cuban capital, which may increase their frequency for the last quarter of the year, with another nine planned for November, December, and early 2022. | To Varadero, in the western province of Matanzas, the airline announced scheduled departures for December and the first three months of next year. | RELATED: | Ed…

teleSUR (2021-05-18). Venezuela: National Assembly Names Reps to Mercosur Parliament. telesurenglish.net From the Federal Legislative Palace, Varela pointed out that they have put the names of the deputies who will integrate the commissions according to the regulations of the regional bloc, an activity that is part of the Venezuelan Chapter of the Mercosur Parliament. | RELATED: | "As part of a political work that we have been advancing, knowing the trajectory of our incursion to Mercosur, we must recognize why we are in the…

Daniela Jimenez (2021-05-18). Simonovis Resigns as Guaidó's Head of Security. orinocotribune.com The fugitive from Venezuelan justice, Iván Simonovis, presented his "resignation" as Commissioner of Security and Intelligence, a fictitious position to which Simonovis was appointed by former deputy Guaidó after he proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela. | Simonovis, who from the United States has participated in plans to overthrow Venezuela's legitimate government, did not provide a reason why he is leaving this position—one that lacked any legal recognition in any case. | It should be noted that his resignation arrives within the framework of Guaidó's newest announcement that he wishes to ente…

Carlos Arellán (2021-05-18). Change of Strategy Again: Capriles Recommends Opposition Participate in Regional Elections. orinocotribune.com In an interview published this Sunday, May 16, by the Spanish media outlet El País, Henrique Capriles Radonski challenged Juan Guaidó—without mentioning him directly—when Capriles revealed an imminent change of opposition strategy. According to the interview, Venezuela's far right now wishes to participate in the regional elections of November 2021. | The two-time loser in presidential elections remarked that voting is the ideal and most plausible alternative for an opposition that did not achieve anything in almost three years of a "maximalist" strategy. | Capriles concluded that the "all or nothing"

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