(2021-03-01). Biden Jeopardizes Nuclear Talks With Iran by Bombing Militias in Syria. truthout.org 
Image Credit: 2021 Maxar Technologies (photo left) | The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 22 people died. The Pentagon called the assault a response to recent rocket attacks on U.S. forces in northern Iraq. Those attacks came more than a year after Iraq's parliament voted to expel U.S. troops [mda…
(2021-03-01). Biden "Illegally" Bombs Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria, Jeopardizing Nuclear Talks with Tehran. democracynow.org 
The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 22 people died. The Pentagon called the assault a response to recent rocket attacks on U.S. forces in northern Iraq. Those attacks came more than a year after Iraq's parliament voted to expel U.S. troops — an order ignored by both the Trump and Biden administrations. "Very quickly the Biden administration is falling into the same old patterns of before, of responding…
(2021-03-01). Top US Senate Republicans warn Biden against reviving Iran deal. middleeasteye.net 
Top US Senate Republicans warn Biden against reviving Iran deal | Leading Republicans on national security-related committees urge White House to engage Congress, Israel and Gulf partners on Iran | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 17: 12 | The letter was signed by key Senate Republicans, including (L-R) Jim Risch, Marco Rubio and Jim Inhofe (AFP/File photos) | Top US Senate Republicans have warned President Joe Biden against…
(2021-03-01). Paige Spiranac sermonises about being 'more real on social media' as golf stunner backs Max Homa over Tiger Woods tribute backlash. rt.com 
Golf stunner Paige Spiranac has hit out at fans who criticized Max Homa for not taking part in the "red-and-black" tribute to Tiger Woods following his severe injuries in a high speed car accident outside of Los Angeles last week. | Several top golfers, including Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Tommy Fleetwood, donned red and black gear in tribute to Woods' trademark colors at Sunday's final round of the WGC Championships event in Florida, with Woods himself later tweeting that he was "touched" at the wide-ranging gesture from several members of the field. | However, there are many sides to social media — and…
(2021-03-01). Tehran rejects Netanyahu's accusations over explosion of vessel in Gulf of Oman and is 'closely monitoring' Israeli actions. rt.com 
Tehran has dismissed claims made by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran was behind an attack on an Israeli merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman last Thursday, adding that security in the region is just as important for Iran. | "The Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman are Iran's immediate security areas," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on Monday, adding that Tehran would not allow these priorities to be undermined by Israeli accusations. | Khatibzadeh lambasted Israel for its "incorrect" claims that Iran was behind last Thursday's attack on the vessel. | Not only do we strongly reject…
(2021-03-01). Iran says not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship. middleeasteye.net 
Iran says not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship | Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has accused Tehran of attacking the ship in the Gulf of Oman last week | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 08: 01 | This picture taken on February 28, 2021 shows a view of the Israeli-owned Bahamian-flagged MV Helios Ray cargo ship docked in Dubai's Mina Rashid (Port Rashid) cruise terminal (AFP) | Iran strongly rejects I…
(2021-03-01). Supreme Court: Shamima Begum may be barred from UK. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Special Immigration Appeals Commission and Secretary of State for the Home Department v R (Begum) [2021] UKSC 7 Since 2019 when Shamima Begum was found in a camp in north Syria, her hopes of returning to the UK have ebbed and flowed (see here and here). Stripped of her British citizenship, she brought three sets …
(2021-03-01). Syria & Russia accuse US of funneling supplies on pretext of 'humanitarian aid' to militants in war-ravaged Middle Eastern nation. rt.com 
Washington is pressuring the United Nations to deliver international assistance to an overpopulated desert refugee camp but secretly planning to use the cargo to resupply armed militias it supports, Moscow and Damascus claim. | In a joint statement issued on Monday, the coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria insisted that their military coalition is "making significant efforts to restore peaceful life in the country and provide comprehensive assistance to Syrian citizens in voluntary and safe return to their homeland." | However, they add, the US is actively working to fuel fighting in the bloody civil…
(2021-03-01). Heterodox Properties with Lua Kamal Yuille. mronline.org 
Money on the Left is joined by Dr. Lua Kamal Yuille to discuss heterodox economics, property law & the politics of vulnerability. Dr. Yuille is professor of law and affiliated professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Kansas. Her work, which spans property theory, heterodox economics, business law, critical pedagogy, and …
(2021-03-01). Financial Reserves and the Racial Wealth Gap. counterpunch.org 
Why is it that the wealthiest country on earth has the highest death toll of any nation in the world? And why are Black and Latino people among those experiencing the greatest mortality and hardship during the pandemic? There is excellent research on how the Black-white wealth gap left Black households more vulnerable (see resources
(2021-03-01). After Mass Closures, Post-Pandemic Child Care Options Will Be Scarce. truthout.org 
Driving to work before dawn last winter, Valerie Norris heard an NPR report about a terrible disease spreading in China — a pandemic, people were starting to call it. It sounded sad but very far from Rocky River, Ohio, where she'd led the Rockport Early Childhood Center for 34 years. | A few weeks later, she knew better. | It was still dark on the chilly morning of March 13 when Norris pulled into the big parking lot at the Rockport United Methodist Church, where her school was based. She always…
(2021-03-01). Illinois Must End Youth Incarceration, Not "Transform" It. truthout.org 
Even amid a deadly pandemic, in the U.S., there are
(2021-03-01). Rep. Ro Khanna: Democrats Should Ignore the Senate Parliamentarian and Pass $15 Minimum Wage Hike. democracynow.org 
The House of Representatives has voted to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that includes an increase to the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour, which could now be stripped out in the final bill after the unelected Senate parliamentarian found it does not comply with budget rules. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have also said they'll oppose the measure. Congressmember Ro Khanna of California says the parliamentarian "misruled" in this case and that Democrats should pass the wage hike anyway. "I don't know any part of this count…
(2021-03-01). CYBERWAR is imminent & will affect ordinary Americans, claims CEO of company that 'discovered' SolarWinds hack. rt.com 
Cybersecurity firm FireEye has warned Americans that they'll be targeted by the next big cyberattack, whether they know it or not. Disrupted supply chains and the chaos of cellular and internet networks crashing will follow. | "The next conflict where the gloves come off in cyber, the American citizen will be dragged into it, whether they want to be or not. Period," FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia told Axios on HBO on Sunday. | "People don't even know all the things they depend on. All of a sudden the supply chain starts getting disrupted because computers don't work," he continued, threatening viewers with his descr…
(2021-03-01). Beijing accused of using Covid pandemic to control journalists — foreign media group report. rt.com 
The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) has accused Beijing of using Covid-19 as "yet another way to control journalists," curbing visas and surveilling reporters. China says it's protecting its citizens from the virus. | The FCCC, which is the professional association of Beijing-based journalists reporting on China, has argued that 2020 had seen a "rapid decline in media freedom," implemented under the cover of measures that were used to combat the spread of coronavirus. | In its annual report released on Monday the press group claimed these restrictions were placed on journalists to prevent them fro…
(2021-03-02). Small Acts Can Become A Power No Government Can Suppress. dissidentvoice.org 
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was passed in the House this past week and now heads to the Senate, where it will no doubt be changed before it becomes law some time in mid-March. The current unemployment benefits expire on March 14. While we don't know what the final bill will look like, at least …
(2021-03-02). Erie, PA: Residents skeptical towards corporation's "green" promises. liberationnews.org 
The plight of this area has left the door open to the opportunism of "green" industry and it is currently being courted by International Recycling Group (IRG).
(2021-03-02). Struggle for justice forces reopening of two cases of police violence in Milwaukee. liberationnews.org 
The cases of Christopher Davis, killed by Milwaukee Deputy Juan Ortiz, and Jay Anderson, killed by Wauwatosa officer Joseph Mensah, have been re-opened in the Milwaukee area.
(2021-03-02). Digamosle a Biden: °Deja de bombardear Siria! workers.org 
La administración de Biden solo tardó 36 días en el cargo para mostrar al mundo, a través de un bombardeo en Siria, que es beligerante, agresivo y empeñado en la guerra. Solo hubo un breve respiro de las viles palabras y acciones de Trump. Ahora tenemos que enfrentar los viles . . . |
(2021-03-02). Raise the minimum wage to $15 — at least! workers.org A $15-per-hour minimum wage cannot be included in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill proposed by Congressional Democrats. So ruled the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth McDonough, on Feb. 25. This unelected official called it "irrelevant to budget legislation." This edict is a brutal blow to millions of struggling workers. Nevertheless, the . . . |
(2021-03-01). U.S. exceptionalism surges again. Will it fly? mronline.org 
In a statement marking the "return" of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed that the Biden Administration is placing democracy and human rights at the centre of American foreign policy.
(2021-03-01). 'We've made this kind of war invisible'. therealnews.com 
The reality of war has become so distant and abstract for U.S. civilians that most have no idea how many wars we're actually engaged in. And that, as writer and combat veteran Danny Sjursen argues, is by design.
(2021-03-01). Oregon wolf makes historic journey to California, raising conservation hopes. peoplesworld.org 
An Oregon-born wolf named OR-93 has sparked conservation hopes with a historic journey into California. A young male, OR-93 traveled hundreds of miles from an area southeast of Mount Hood, Oregon, to California's central Sierra Nevada mountain range, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Friday. The agency said he traveled farther south …
(2021-03-01). Black mass incarceration in the so-called Free State. therealnews.com 
Maryland holds itself up as a progressive state when it comes to criminal justice, but a recent report highlights a stark reality: Maryland incarcerates Black people at more than twice the national rate.
(2021-03-01). Law Pod UK: AI and the Law. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In the latest episode of Law Pod UK Rosalind English talks to Matt Hervey, co-editor with Matthew Lavy of a new practitioner's text book on Artificial Intelligence. Matt is Head of Artificial Intelligence at Gowling WLG., and advises on all aspects of AI and Intellectual Property, particularly in relation to the life sciences, automotive, aviation, …
(2021-03-01). 'Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org 
Co-directors Royal Kennedy Rodgers and Kathy McCampbell Vance's Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story is a nonfiction biopic about the African-American talent who rose to become the so-called "Architect of the Stars" when Jim Crow was still the scourge of the land. Born 1894 in L.A., Paul Revere Williams's real-life story of overcoming adversity …
(2021-03-01). Parent company owes duty of care in transnational cases — Hague Court of Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
The Hague Court of Appeal has recently handed down a ruling that is of profound importance to environmental lawyers. It is not only the first case at the appellate level in Europe that has resulted in a victory on the merits for the victims, but also the first case to hold that a parent company …
(2021-03-01). SEIU Graduate Workers Union in stalled talks at Illinois State University. peoplesworld.org 
NORMAL, Ill.—In October 2018, Illinois State University's more than 400 graduate workers voted to officially unionize and be represented as SEIU Local 73. The long months of meetings, difficult one-on-one conversations, procedural documents, and learning the process of organizing a workplace paid off for the graduate workers involved. All unionizing efforts are difficult, and the …
(2021-03-01). Coup Leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi Betrayed Democracy in Burma. counterpunch.org 
What is taking place in Burma right now is a military coup. There can be no other description for such an unwarranted action as the dismissal of the government by military decree and the imposition of Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as an unelected ruler.
(2021-03-01). Family of Navy veteran murdered by Antioch police in George Floyd-style killing seeks justice. liberationnews.org 
Two members of the Antioch, California, Police Department murdered Navy veteran Angelo Quinto (age 30) in his home on Dec. 23, 2020, while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. Quinto's mother and sister, who witnessed the execution of their loved one, initially called the police believing they would help Quinto through his crisis. However, …
(2021-03-01). Pushing the Tempo at Mumbai's Farmer Sit-In. counterpunch.org 
Navshya Kuvra had just finished playing his dhumsi (drum) for about 40 protestors dancing at south Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Just as he sat down to rest, around 11 at night, three man approached him. "Is it a wedding? What date?" asked Navshya. They conversed, phone numbers were exchanged, and the three moved away. Navshya turned
(2021-03-01). New Haven youth target gun violence, inequality at Black history month march. peoplesworld.org 
NEW HAVEN, Conn.—A caravan of 20 cars and a group of 65 people took to the streets of New Haven on Feb. 20 to call for an end to gun violence and police brutality, taxing the rich, and to demand state and federal relief for communities of color impacted by COVID-19. The Annual Black History …
(2021-03-01). The "Murder" of John Hunt Morgan: "You Have Just Killed the Best Man in the Confederacy!" counterpunch.org 
John Hunt Morgan, the "Kentucky Cavalier," readily embraced the role he was born into. Raised in wealthy Lexington, a scion of Bluegrass planter aristocrats, famously expelled from Transylvania College for dueling, he had eagerly enlisted in the 1848 invasion of Mexico, where he had performed with honor and the requisite gallantry. After that that brief, one-sided conflict he had returned to Lexington, traded in slaves, hemp and wool, and unerringly faithful to the ideal of the Southern gentleman, gambled, drank, raced horses, hunted squirrels, charmed the ladies and defended his honor from rivals both real and i…
(2021-03-01). Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a Veteran For Peace. peoplesworld.org 
Many have been the obituaries and tributes to radical poet and civil libertarian Lawrence Ferlinghetti, including this one from City Lights Booksellers and Publishers. Ferlinghetti died on February 22 at 101 in his home in North Beach, the literary heart of San Francisco. Many readers may be unfamiliar with another facet of the writer's life. …
(2021-03-01). BJP begins to pay political price as farmers struggle completes three months. mronline.org 
IN the week before the historic nationwide farmers' struggle completed three months on February 26, the BJP has begun to pay a heavy political price for its pro-corporate adamancy.
(2021-03-01). A Modest Proposal for Establishing a Strategic Toddler Reserve. counterpunch.org 
For the purpose of maintaining adult friendships, protecting household pets, saving monkeys, and benefiting biomedical research — prompted by a recent, reckless article in the NYTimes (With Apologies to Jonathan Swift) How many times have we had the unfortunate experience of visiting the home of a dear friend or colleague, only to discover everything changed.
(2021-03-01). The Weekly Round-Up: Unconventional Harm Reduction and Shamima Begum's Final Appeal. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In the news: The UK has seen an increasingly falling rate in arrests and prosecutions for cannabis possession over recent years, as police forces no longer see the point in enforcement. The Liberal Democrats have campaigned for its legalisation since 2016, and the first medically-prescribed cannabis was permitted in the UK in 2018. However, crucial …
(2021-03-01). Ecosocialism versus degrowth: a false dilemma. mronline.org 
Ecosocialists and degrowthers need to map the many overlaps of their views to improve the effectiveness of their shared struggle for an ecologically-sound and socially-fair world free from patriarchal, racial and colonial legacy.
(2021-03-01). Hollywood's New Blackface. counterpunch.org 
Many more black faces on your movie screen. Same old shuck and jive from finance capital. AND . . . why are so many foreign Blacks impersonating African-Americans? I saw "Selma" six years ago. I could feel earnest sincerity radiating from the screen. It was pretty clear the filmmakers were trying to do justice to
(2021-03-01). Black Lives Matter vigil mourns Derek Hayden, shot by Seattle police. peoplesworld.org 
Scores of protesters joined a Black Lives Matter street-corner vigil in Sequim, Wash., Sunday, Feb. 28, several holding signs protesting the Feb. 16 slaying by Seattle police of Derek J. Hayden, who grew up in Sequim and had many friends and admirers here. Marion "Honeybee" Burns, held a sign, "Derek Hayden: His Life Matters" as …
(2021-03-01). Where does the 10 Million Tons of Plastic we put into the Oceans Annually actually go? juancole.com 
By Bruce Sutherland, Michelle DiBenedetto and Ton van den Bremer | — Of the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste we produce each year, it's estimated that around ten million tonnes enters the ocean. Roughly half of the plastics produced are less dense than water, and so they float. But scientists estimate that …
(2021-03-02). Protest demands freedom for Mumia, suffering COVID symptoms. workers.org 
Political prisoner and Black journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including difficulty breathing, Feb 26. Hearing this news, his family and supporters called a protest. Less than 24 hours later, about 70 people turned up outside the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to call for Abu-Jamal's immediate . . . |
(2021-03-02). Former CIA director John Brennan 'embarrassed to be a WHITE MALE'… and critics agree they're embarrassed he's a white male. rt.com 
John Brennan, the former CIA director and perjurer who's now an MSNBC contributor, apparently found a point on which he and his conservative critics can agree: Both sides are ashamed that he's a white male. | Responding to an MSNBC discussion Monday about Republican claims regarding the January 6 Capitol riot, Brennan said, "I'm increasingly embarrassed to be a white male these days, in light of what I see of my other white males saying." | John Brennan should be ashamed to be John Brennan
(2021-03-02). Attempt at civil discourse on 'Wokeism' ends in Clubhouse room 'coup,' Jewish prof shut down as 'SPICY WHITE' & demands for CASH. rt.com 
Evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein had to relive his Evergreen College moment whe he was attacked from all sides in a Clubhouse room hijacked by hostile "anti-racist" mob aghast at the idea of white people discussing "wokeism." | The room, dubbed "Is Clubhouse Obsessed with 'Wokeism'?" was created by independent journalist Michael Tracey, who said he thought the Clubhouse chats "almost inevitably evolve into a discussion of 'woke-ism'… but there's seldom anyone in the room who identifies enough with the ideology to give a defense of it." | His attempt to create a safe space for a civil discourse and let b…
(2021-03-02). US won't share Covid-19 vaccines with Mexico as Americans must be inoculated first — White House. rt.com 
The Biden administration has rejected the idea of sharing Covid-19 vaccines with the hard-hit neighbor Mexico, White House press-secretary Jen Psaki said, adding that it can only be discussed after all Americans get their shots. | "The administration's focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated. And once we accomplish that objective we're happy to discuss further steps," Psaki said when asked about possible vaccine sharing during a briefing on Monday. | The comments came hours before the virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. | Also…
(2021-03-02). 'We have to DO STUFF NOW': Biden adviser says White House to start redressing systemic racism, not just wait for reparations study. rt.com 
President Joe Biden will push ahead on making amends for America's "systemic racism," creating more opportunities for black people right away rather than waiting for a reparations study, a White House adviser said. | "We don't want to wait on a study," Cedric Richmond, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, said in an 'Axios on HBO' | White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on February 17 that Biden s…
(2021-03-02). Twitch reverts back to 'women' after tweet celebrating 'Womxn's History Month' savaged online. rt.com 
Streaming platform Twitch has returned to the conventional spelling for "women" after its social media post hailing "Womxn's History Month" — avoiding any "gender-binary language" — backfired and angered critics on all sides. | Though the company took to Twitter on Monday to inform users that "March is Womxn's History Month," using an alternative styling of "women" in a bid to include non-binary gender identities, it made an abrupt about-face just a few hours later, announcing that it would revert back to the standard spelling. | "While we originally wanted to use a word that acknowledges the short…
(2021-03-02). Nadezhda Krupskaya: Bolshevik revolutionary and educator. workers.org 
Feb. 14 is the birth date of Nadezhda Krupskaya — Bolshevik revolutionary, educator and library advocate. Although born to a formerly aristocratic family, her family had descended into poverty, which led her to study Marxism. She joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903. Nadezhda Krupskaya In 1905, Krupskaya . . . |
(2021-03-02). Johnson & Johnson's newly-approved Covid vaccine met with pushback as Catholic diocese condemns it for 'ties to abortion cells'. rt.com 
As Johnson & Johnson rolls out its freshly approved Covid-19 vaccine in the US, it faces a religious controversy as the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has labeled it "morally compromised" over links to abortion cells. | Catholics are advised not to receive the vaccine because Johnson & Johnson used cell lines derived from decades-old abortions in both testing and production of the new product, the Archdiocese Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have utiliz…
(2021-03-01). Iran says it is not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship. middleeasteye.net Iran says it is not behind blast on Israeli-owned ship | Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has accused Tehran of attacking the ship in the Gulf of Oman last week | Mon, 03/01/2021 – 08: 01 | The Israeli-owned Bahamian-flagged MV Helios Ray cargo ship docked in Dubai's Mina Rashid cruise terminal on 28 February (AFP) | Iran strongly rejects Israel's claim that Tehran was behind a blast aboa…