Chicago Teachers Union car caravan presses mayor to bargain enforceable safety standards
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-12-13
Chicago, IL — More than 100 teachers, parents and community members participated in a car caravan, December 12 for safety, equality and trust. Chicago Public Schools has rejected the union’s safety concerns at every turn, refused to bargain to consensus on safety needs, rejected improving its inhumane remote learning program despite months of pleas from parents, students and educators, and fallen woefully short on safety promises they’ve made. | The caravan traveled to city hall, where caravan members delivered pointed criticisms of CPS’ dangerous plan to accommodate the mayor’s insistence on reopening unsa…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/12/12/chicago…

US Supreme Court Backs “Grand Theft” Election 2020
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to hear arguments in what may be remembered one day as the most significant political dispute in US history. | Texas et al v. Pennsylvania et al was the judicial equivalent of Hollywood’s Godzilla v. …
globalresearch.ca/us-supreme-court-backs…

US Media, Pols Rage After Venezuelans Defy US Empire to Re-elect Socialists
Alan MacLeod | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
President Nicolas Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) are celebrating today, after a clear victory in yesterday’s National Assembly elections. The elections, boycotted by many major right-wing opposition groups, but still participated in by over 100 …
globalresearch.ca/us-media-pols-rage-ven…

Guatemalans Protest for Fourth Straight Weekend
teleSUR, ce | telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-13
Thousands of Guatemalans demonstrated for the fourth consecutive weekend in the country’s capital to demand the resignation of the president, Alejandro Giammattei, and more than 115 deputies allied to the ruling party. | RELATED: | El Salvador: 1981 El Mozote Massacre Survivors Pursue Justice | The protest this Saturday brought together music and poetry, with the presence of organizations including Otra Guatemala Ya, Gente Positiva, Coincidir, Marx Guatemala, Landivarianos, Jóven…
telesurenglish.net/news/guatemalans-prot…

Russia’s Forgotten Nuclear Disaster
Joshua Frank | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-13
It was a warm fall day on September 29, 1957, not much unlike any other in the deep Russian interior. Residents in the Chelyabinsk oblast cared for their crops of wheat and potatoes, others herded cattle. Women hung out their family’s clothes to dry as the winds picked up before the sun descended. In the…
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Important Addition to Edsall Column on the Politics of Resentment: Downward Mobility Was by Design
Dean Baker | cepr.net | 2020-12-13
Thomas Edsall had an interesting piece last week on the politics of resentment. The gist of that a large portion of non-college educated whites are voting based on their fear of losing their social status. While there is undoubtedly much truth to Edsall’s argument, there is an important point that Edsall leaves out. He tells …
cepr.net/important-addition-to-edsall-co…

How to Wear a Face Mask and Still Show Dissent Against Tyranny
John C. A. Manley | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
I’m not fond of grocery shopping. Doubly so when our local “natural” food store operates like a cross between a 21st century bio-contamination laboratory and a 1940’s Soviet food rationing depot. (It’s called Gentle Rain, but Stalin’s Reign would suit | …
globalresearch.ca/how-wear-face-mask-sho…

The New Normal: One Step Closer to Dystopia. New Covid Outbreaks, People are “Living in Extreme Fear”
Timothy Alexander Guzman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
On September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks took place on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon allegedly orchestrated by Al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden, and subsequently blamed it on Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party and then …
globalresearch.ca/new-normal-one-step-cl…

10 Syrian Druze residents of Golan Heights injured in protest against wind turbines
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-13
Syrian Druze residents of the occupied Golan Heights are opposing Israeli plans to build a wind turbine to supply power to nearby illegal settlements. The Golan Heights has been under occupation since 1981…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/13/10-syrian…

Perfecting Tyranny: Mumia’s New Book Hot Off the Press!
Prison Radio | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
Perfecting Tyranny by Mumia Abu-Jamal & Stephen Vittoria is a window into the soul of a nation from one of its most respected and feared captives. Getting this book to print took enormous resolve. We now turn to you to …
globalresearch.ca/perfecting-tyranny-mum…

Video: Rocco Galati on COVID Lockdown Measures. Crimes against Humanity. Lawsuit against Government of Canada
Rocco Galati | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
“Politicians have not put forward any persuasive evidence that lockdowns have actually saved lives. At the same time, there is no question that lockdowns have caused grave harm to millions of Canadians suffering unemployment, poverty, cancelled surgeries, suicides, isolation …
globalresearch.ca/video-rocco-galati-on-…

Will Facebook have to give up WhatsApp and Instagram?
Newsclick | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-13
Newsclick’s Prabir Purkayastha analyzes the latest antitrust case against Facebook. He looks at the growing global consensus on action against the tech giants, and talks about the situation in the developing countries…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/13/will-face…

Police drop probe into Tory MP accused of rape who’s been conducting parliamentary duties from home
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
Police have reportedly dropped their investigation into a Conservative MP and ex-minister who was arrested after a woman accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control. rape | The Metropolitan Police had said they received allegations on 31 July of sexual offences and assault. The allegations related to four separate incidents at addresses in London, including in Westminster, between July 2019 and January 2020. | Police arrested the Conservative MP on 1 August on suspicion of rape and took him into custody at an east London police station. They later released him on bail, the force added. | But the Sund…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/12/13/police-d…

Labour says Boris Johnson is ‘playing Russian roulette’ with people’s livelihoods over Brexit
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
Boris Johnson is playing Russian roulette with people’s jobs and livelihoods by threatening a no-deal Brexit, a Labour minister has said. | Disaster looming: | Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband warned that leaving the EU without a free trade agreement would be “a disastrous outcome”. And he accused the prime minister of being “cavalier” with the country’s national interests. | Labour’s communities secretary Steve Reed said the British people “cannot tolerate” a no-deal outcome. He urged Johnson to “get Brexit done” as the trade talks deadline loomed. | It came as Miliband confirmed that his party woul…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/12/13/labour-s…

ICE Is Targeting Women in Sanctuary With Obscure Laws and Retaliatory Fines
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-13
Around Thanksgiving, another letter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived for Hilda Ramirez at Austin, Texas’, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The federal immigration agency’s latest correspondence informed Ramirez that she was being fined $59,126 as a “civil penalty pursuant to section 274D of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).” Essentially, the federal immigration agency was once again warning the Indigenous Guatemalan asylum-seeker of a gigantic fine for not compl…
truthout.org/articles/ice-is-targeting-w…

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New Book Highlights Need for Solidarity for Humans to Survive Global Collapse
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-13
Is this the end? The end of capitalism? The end of the human species? | Anyone who has closely observed developments of the last 10 years can be forgiven a quick affirmative response. In a decade that has seen startling discoveries in climate science (none positive), unprecedented fires, and increasingly frequent and far more destructive tropical storms and hurricanes, the evidence is clearer than ever that our economic plunder of the planet’s natural bounty has gone too far. Add to that the…
truthout.org/articles/new-book-highlight…

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Jeremy Corbyn announces a new, global project for peace and justice
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
The wait is over. The announcement Jeremy Corbyn was due to make on Sunday 13 December at 2: 30pm has been revealed. He’s launching a new, global initiative. And you can get involved too. | The ‘Corbyn Project’: | The Project for Peace and Justice officially went live on Sunday 13 December. It says its mission statement is: To bring people together for social and economic justice, peace, and human rights, in Britain and across the world. | The Peace and Justice Project will back campaigns, commission reports and develop…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/12/13/jeremy-…

Armed group abducts nearly 400 male students in Nigeria
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — An armed group has abducted nearly 400 male students at a boarding school in northern Nigeria, local media outlets reported on Saturday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167124/Armed-group-…

Araghchi departs for Tehran after talk with Afghan officials
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) –Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, who arrived in Kabul for a three-day visit on Dec. 11 at the head of a delegation to discuss with Afghan officials on issues of mutual interest, left Kabul for Tehran this evening.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167127/Araghchi-dep…

Reopening embassy in Tehran key step in fight against US
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Bolivian Foreign Minister announced that his country will reopen its embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167128/Reopening-em…

Failing Students Need Support, Not Blame
Jill Richardson | commondreams.org | 2020-12-13
Students don’t fail because they are lazy. They fail because something is wrong in their lives—and right now, so much is wrong. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2020/12/13/failin…

Let Everybody Vote, Even If They’re Incarcerated
Patrick Stephens | commondreams.org | 2020-12-13
What value is a democracy that actively seeks to silence the voices of its most vulnerable citizens? | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2020/12/13/let-ev…

President Luis Arce Travels to Brazil for Medical Check-up
teleSUR, ce | telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-13
Bolivian President Luis Arce departed on Sunday morning to Brazil for a routine appointment, temporarily leaving the presidency in the hands of Vice President David Choquehuanca until Tuesday. | RELATED: | Bolivia: Lower Chamber Passes a Bill Taxing Large Fortunes | “Today, I am absent from Bolivia until Tuesday, December 15, to carry out my routine health check-up. I thank the Bolivian people for the love and well wishes that they have sent me,” Arce tweeted. | Before Arce’s trip t…
telesurenglish.net/news/president-luis-a…

From TMAP to Warp Speed: How Big Pharma Algorithms Fast-Track Unapproved Drugs and Vaccines
John Klyczek | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
Five of the pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines through the USA’s Operation Warp Speed have paid out “billions” (over the years) to settle lawsuits charging them with fraud related to “off-label” marketing of atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants that were mandated …
globalresearch.ca/tmap-warp-speed-big-ph…

Leading Scientist Says Hunger Is a Deliberate Choice by Those in Power
Ricardo Salvador | zcomm.org | 2020-12-13
“It’s important to remember that hunger does not always happen because of natural disasters. It is often the result of things that we do to each other deliberately.”
zcomm.org/znetarticle/leading-scientist-…

Philippines: Labor movement demands release of Human Rights Day 7
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-12-13
Fight Back News Service is circulating this December 11 joint statement from the Council of Global Unions Philippine affiliates. | PH affiliates of global unions demand release of HRD7, stop arrests of PH unionists | We strongly deplore the simultaneous raids of residences and the consecutive arrests of trade union organizers, Dennise Velasco of Defend Jobs Philippines, Romina Astudillo, Deputy Secretary-General of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Metro Manila, Mark Ryan Cruz, Regional Executive Committee of KMU-Metro Manila, Jaymie Gregorio Jr. of KMU-Metro Manila, Joel Demate of Solidarity of Labor Rights and Welfare (SOLAR)…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/12/12/philipp…

Why agriculture shouldn’t be left to free market
Prabhat Patnaik | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-13
The prices as well as the quantities of the agricultural produce in a free market would be far from socially optimal and are likely to be socially disastrous…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/13/why-agric…

“There is no vaccine to save the planet”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres | indybay.org | 2020-12-13
In the Arctic, 2020 has seen exceptional warmth, with temperatures more than 3 degrees Celsius above average – and more than 5 degrees in northern Siberia. Arctic sea ice in October was the lowest on record – and now re-freezing has been the slowest on record. Greenland ice has continued its long-term decline, losing an average of 278 gigatons a year.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/12/12/1883891…

Hospital bosses warn Boris Johnson that relaxing restrictions could ‘trigger third wave’
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
NHS bosses have warned the prime minister that relaxing restrictions could trigger a third wave of coronavirus (Covid-19) at the busiest time of year for hospitals.In a letter to Boris Johnson, NHS Providers urged “extreme caution” in moving any area of England to a lower tier, according to reports by the BBC.The first review of England’s tier allocation is due take place on Wednesday 16 December. This would be two weeks after the three-tier system was brought in after the end of lockdown.(PA Graphics)”The NHS simply won’t be able to cope”: But areas should be moved into the highest tier of restrictions “a…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…

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Chabahar, a city for all seasons
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Located in the southeast of Iran, Chabahar is one of the few areas of the country that is full of inimitable and unique natural and historical attractions.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167082/Chabahar-a-c…

“Corona Procurements”: Tory Corruption Is Eroding UK Democracy
Megan Sherman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
The UK’s governing Tory party is dishonestly flouting the rules of free and fair competition for Coronavirus related procurements, by unfairly selecting commissions, awarding contracts to class allies instead of the best or cheapest service provider. | The party frequently uses …
globalresearch.ca/tory-corruption-erodin…

OSHA Is Helping Employers Get Away With Underreporting Health Care Worker Deaths
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-13
As Walter Veal cared for residents at the Ludeman Developmental Center in suburban Chicago, he saw the potential future of his grandson, who has autism. | So he took it on himself not just to bathe and feed the residents, which was part of the job, but also to cut their hair, run to the store to buy their favorite body wash and barbecue for them on holidays. | “They were his second family,” said his wife, Carlene Veal. | Even after COVID-19 struck in mid-March and cases began spreading th…
truthout.org/articles/osha-is-helping-em…

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A Roadmap for the Biden-Harris Administration: Redesigning Farm Systems for the Climate Crisis
Ben Lilliston | commondreams.org | 2020-12-13
A just transition for farming must not only consider reforms to farm policy, but also aligned reforms in financial, trade, environmental, and competition policy. | www.flickr.com/photos/suziesfarm/1143803……
commondreams.org/views/2020/12/13/roadma…

With Gigs Canceled and No Relief, Musicians Form a Nationwide Union
Liz Pelly | zcomm.org | 2020-12-13
UMAW differentiates itself from similar unions through its vast scope, seeking systemic shifts industry-wide, inclusive of various genres and practices…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/with-gigs-canceled…

Strengthening country’s defense power on Parl.’s agenda: MP
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Spokesman for Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said that strengthening defense and disciplinary power of the country is on the top agenda of Parliament’s National Security Commission.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167125/Strengthenin…

UK has made huge preparations for no deal: British PM
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that despite the extension of trade negotiations, leaving the EU without a deal is still the most likely option.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167123/UK-has-made-…

COVID-19: A Fabricated Second “Tidal Wave” of Poverty and Injustice
David Skripac | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
Here we are at the end of a year filled with upheaval, facing yet another round of lockdowns, this time ostensibly intended to fight off a supposed “second wave of COVID-19.” | In the foreground, we have the completely co-opted mainstream …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-fabricated-se…

The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a “Test” To Lock Down Society
Dr. Pascal Sacré | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
The misuse of the RT-PCR technique is used as an intentional strategy by some governments, supported by scientific safety councils and by the dominant media, to justify the violation of a large number of constitutional rights, the destruction of the economy with the bankruptcy of entire active sectors of society,…
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-rt-pcr-how-to…

Araghchi meets with Afghan FM to discuss bilateral ties
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for the Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi met with Afghanistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Haneef Atmar in Kabul on Sunday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167126/Araghchi-mee…

British Medical Journal (BMJ): Conflicts of Interest Among the UK Government’s COVID-19 Advisers
Paul D Thacker | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
Little is known about the interests of the doctors, scientists, and academics on whose advice the UK government relies to manage the pandemic. Attempts to discover more are frequently thwarted, finds Paul D Thacker | *** | As the number of UK …
globalresearch.ca/conflicts-interest-amo…

48% Of U.S. Small Businesses Fear that They May be Forced to “Shut Down Permanently” Soon
Michael Snyder | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-13
What would the United States look like if we lost half of our small businesses? The reason I ask that question is because approximately half of all small business owners in the entire country believe that they may soon be …
globalresearch.ca/48-us-small-businesses…

Dozens arrested in Paris protest against new security law
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
Police in Paris have arrested dozens of people during a tense demonstration against a proposed security law.Arrests: Officers targeted protesters who they suspected might gather in violent groups, like those who vandalised shops and vehicles at previous demonstrations. The interior minister said 81 people had been arrested on Saturday 12 December.The proposed new law has sparked successive weekends of protests (Lewis Joly/AP)Riot police escorted the march through the streets of the French capital.The proposed security law has been met by successive weekends of protests. The most contested measure in the ne…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/12/1…

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Brexit an ‘unforgivable act of economic sabotage to Scotland’ as no-deal looms
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
Brexit has been described as an “unforgivable act of economic sabotage” as the prospect of leaving the EU without a deal looms. | Scotland’s constitution secretary Mike Russell urged prime minister Boris Johnson to ensure a no-deal Brexit is “taken off the table” during crunch talks on Sunday 13 December. But Russell described even leaving with a deal as “massively damaging”. | In recent days, the prime minister has hinted numerous times at the prospect of a no-deal. He’s said it’s “very, very likely” and asked people to prepare for an “Australia-style solution”. | A negative effect on jobs and the economy
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/12/13/brexit-a…

Armenia, Azerbaijan accuse each other of ceasefire violation
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned the violation of the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, calling it contrary to the ceasefire agreement and against the presence of Russian peacekeepers.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167120/Armenia-Azer…

A short film made by a community is getting international recognition
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-12-13
A short film about a community project in south London during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has gone global. It’s already picked up an award at an international film festival. And the film is being screened at several others.Surviving in Lewisham: Feeding Lewisham — Foodbanks In Crisis is a short film that centres around the work of a grassroots group. The group is called We Care Food Bank — Corona Community Support Network. It works out of Deptford, sou…
thecanary.co/feature/2020/12/13/a-short-…

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Bankrolling blu klux klans?
Raymond Nat Turner | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-13
Rhythms of red, white, blue ‘party’ lights flashing beneath screaming sirens; The rush of warm crimson drawing 2, 4, 6, 8, 10–and then some… Robotic legs, arms–possessed– punching, kicking a fetal fraction– prone red shirt; black face; fractured eye socket, exploding eyeball; broken ribs drowning in swarming blue savagery: The viral video sparks flashbacks to …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/bankrolling-b…

To the Barricades: The Red House and the Future of Eviction Defense
David Rovics | zcomm.org | 2020-12-13
Since the police raid, what was limited to one house is now a neighborhood-wide conflict…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/to-the-barricades-…

Boosting bilateral trade, main goal of Iran-EU Business Forum
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Adviser to the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) for Trade Contracts and Intl. Affairs said that increasing trade and economic interactions is the main objective behind organizing Iran-EU Business Forum.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167100/Boosting-bil…

Coles workers take to the streets to save their jobs