(2020-12-15). US Covid-19 relief package set to IMMUNIZE corporations from pandemic lawsuits, alarms worker advocates. rt.com 
A relief package being debated in Congress shields corporations from liability, forcing advocates for small businesses and workers to choose between aiding the needy and holding Big Business accountable. | The long-awaited second coronavirus relief package, revealed on Monday, is shot through with problematic aspects that favor large corporations, including liability protection if the employer was "trying to conform to public health standards and guidance." Opponents have argued this means letting the rich get away with murder as long as they can claim they meant well. | The liability shield for corporations h…
(2020-12-15). New documents reveal a 'high-level, coordinated and sustained' plot by British forces to 'deceive parliament'. thecanary.co 
In August 2020, The Canary
(2020-12-15). Biden calls election fraud claims 'baseless' in 1st speech after Electoral College designates him as president-elect. rt.com 
US President-elect Joe Biden said he would govern for "all Americans" during his first speech after the Electoral College confirmed his win in the 2020 race, while accusing the outgoing Trump administration of an "abuse of power." | Biden touted his election win in a speech from his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware on Monday, saying he struck a "clear victory" against the incumbent Trump, whose repeated allegations of voter fraud he rejected as "baseness claims." | "In America, politicians don't take power — people grant it to them. The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now…
(2020-12-15). Court-ordered audit concludes Dominion voting machines were intentionally designed to 'create systemic fraud' in Michigan. rt.com 
An audit of Dominion voting machines used in Michigan concluded that the systems are designed to perpetuate election fraud, supporting President Donald Trump's claims of irregularities. State officials have criticized the report. | The court-ordered forensic audit, carried out by Allied Security Operations Group (ASOG), found that Dominion systems in Antrim County, Michigan recorded a shocking 68 percent error rate while tabulating votes. The report noted that the faulty software far exceeds the "allowable election error rate" of 0.0008 percent set by the Federal Election Commission. | Shockingly, the auditors…
(2020-12-15). The Most Lethal Virus is Not COVID. It is War. counterpunch.org 
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Boris Johnson has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defence spending — a figure that would restore the under-resourced NHS many times over.
(2020-12-15). No Work, Little Work, Too Much Work, UBI/DIY/Gig Economies. dissidentvoice.org 
It's an unprecedented coalition of business networks that have come together to raise our ambition. Not just to help our individual CEOs succeed, we'll do that for sure. But to actually bring their voices together to help shift culture. So that the pushback on the BRT [Business Roundtable] from different business publications or other people …
(2020-12-15). Ben Shapiro branded a 'SNOB' for not being impressed with Jill Biden's doctorate, as Twitter mocks his 'tantrum'. rt.com 
Ben Shapiro was accused of "throwing a tantrum" over Jill Biden's education doctorate and how the Left rallied to defend her honorific from a tongue-in-cheek op-ed. He said only an actual MD deserves to be addressed as "doctor." | The conservative commentator addressed the surprise controversy over the future first lady's degree in the latest episode of his show, and critics were quick to pounce on him. | Some accused Shapiro of throwing a tantrum, quoting part of his monologue where he seemingly boasted about his own degree: "If you're not impressed by Harvard Law, then you certainly should not be impressed b…
(2020-12-15). Middle East countries amongst highest jailers of journalists in 2020. middleeasteye.net 
Middle East countries amongst highest jailers of journalists in 2020 | Reporters in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran detained this year, according to two new reports | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 13: 42 | Protesters hold signs outside a courthouse in Istanbul where seven jailed journalists were on trial in September 2020 (AFP/File photo) | Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were among the countries to jail the…
(2020-12-15). The Heat: U.S. politics and COVID-19. america.cgtn.com 
The Electoral College votes to confirm the next president of the United States. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 deaths passes 300,000 in the U.S. as the first vaccinations begin. Nearly six weeks after Americans cast their ballots to elect Joe Biden as the next president, …
(2020-12-15). Houstonians gather to stop highway expansion. liberationnews.org 
Historically, highway projects in Houston have been used to reinforce racial and class segregation. In the Third Ward's working-class Black neighborhoods, highways divide and dismember the community.
(2020-12-15). Defend Chich'il Bildagoteel! workers.org 
Apache clans and over 300 Indigenous nations are organizing to protect Chich'il Bildagoteel, the Oak Flat site in southeastern Arizona, from devastating copper mining extraction. Apache clan members and supporters rally to defend Chich'il Bildagoteel (Oak Flat) in December 2019.Credit: Sandra Rambler/Censored News The mining was given a federal go-ahead . . . |
(2020-12-15). The pandemic of capitalist profiteers. workers.org 
There is a new term to describe the super-rich: "centi-billionaires." They are individuals whose net worth comes to over $100 billion. Having added $67.2 billion to his net worth in 2020, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos tops the list of global centi-billionaires: $182.2 billion as of Dec. 13, according to the . . . |
(2020-12-15). Michael Gove holds talks as pressure grows to scrap easing of coronavirus rules at Christmas. thecanary.co 
Urgent talks are taking place between the leaders of the devolved administrations and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove as calls mount to scrap plans for an easing of coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions over Christmas.However, Wales' first minister Mark Drakeford described the four nations approach to the festive period as a "hard-won agreement" and said he will "not lightly put it aside".Opposition: The move comes as Labour leader Keir Starmer demanded an urgent review into the easing of rules after leading medical journals warned that a lessening of restrictions would "cost many lives".The planned fiv…
(2020-12-15). UAW settles with feds over scandal probe. peoplesworld.org 
DETROIT—In a major development that avoids a federal takeover, the Auto Workers reached agreement with the U.S. attorney in Detroit over moves to clean up the wide-ranging financial scandal that tarred the historic union. The settlement imposes a federal monitor on the UAW for up to six years, and the investigation will continue at GM …
(2020-12-15). Attorney General William Barr pushed out, will leave before Christmas. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies, is resigning amid lingering tension with the president over the president's baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into President-elect Joe Biden's son. Barr went Monday to the White House, where Trump said the attorney general submitted his letter of …
(2020-12-15). Immediate action is needed after review finds male doctors are paid more than female colleagues. thecanary.co 
A doctors' union is calling for immediate action after a review found that male doctors are still being paid more than their female colleagues.Gender gap: The British Medical Association (BMA) said that the review, which is due to be published on 15 December, showed that, based on full-time equivalent pay: | Female doctors in hospitals are paid nearly 9% less than their male counterparts. | Female GPs are paid 15% less. | Clinical academics 11.5% less. | The review is titled Department of Health and Social Care's Mend The Gap: The Independent Review Into Gender Pay Gaps In Medicine In England. It's been re…
(2020-12-15). How US sanctions will affect Turkey's defence industry. middleeasteye.net 
How US sanctions will affect Turkey's defence industry | Penalties over Ankara's S-400 purchase could hinder crucial projects for up to a year until Turkey finds replacements | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 14: 19 | Turkey's Hurjet light combat aircraft, which is produced by the Presidency for Defence Industries, will be affected by US sanctions (Turkish Aerospace) | US sanctions imposed on Turkey on Monday over the…
(2020-12-15). One person rushed to hospital after FBI-involved shooting reported on DC Metro train. rt.com 
Authorities are trying to piece together the events that led to a shooting involving an FBI agent on board a Washington, DC Metro train. One person was hospitalized with a gunshot wound. | Metro Transit Police were informed of "an FBI agent-involved shooting" on a Red Line train near the DC Metro's Medical Center station in Bethesda, Maryland on Tuesday morning, local media reported. | One gunshot victim was transported to the hospital, officials said. No details about the individual were provided. | Police are still looking into the incident. A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment when contacted by the…
(2020-12-15). As Johnson threatens UK's neighbours with gunboats, we revisit the lies underpinning the entire Brexit project. thecanary.co 
Prime minister Boris Johnson has reverted to 19th century
(2020-12-15). PM says no-deal Brexit remains 'most likely outcome' as talks continue. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson has said that leaving the European Union without a free trade agreement still remains the "most likely outcome" as talks continue in Brussels.Wheeler no-dealer: The prime minister told his cabinet that he was committed to continuing negotiations on the remaining areas of disagreement and re-emphasised the desire to strike a deal. But he said leaving without an agreement "remained the most likely outcome", according to Downing Street.A spokesperson insisted that there remained enough time to pass legislation if a deal is reached to come into force at the end of the transition period. Asked whe…
(2020-12-15). Moroccan authorities prevent protest against ties with Israel in Rabat. middleeasteye.net 
Moroccan authorities prevent protest against ties with Israel in Rabat | Heavy police presence backed by water cannons and anti-riot forces deployed in main avenue leading to parliament | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 08: 27 | A woman flashes the victory sign while security forces block an avenue in front of Morocco's parliament building on Monday (AFP) | Moroccan authorities on Monday prevented a pro…
(2020-12-15). No, an Israeli company can't hack into Signal on your phone. middleeasteye.net 
No, an Israeli company can't hack into Signal on your phone | Cellebrite said its product can crack the messaging app, but its technology is not 'groundbreaking' according to experts | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 14: 24 | Grafitti urging people to use Signal, a highly encrypted messaging app, is spray-painted on a wall during a protest in Berkeley, California, 1 February 2017 (AFP) | Journa…
(2020-12-15). Election Chaos Adds Fuel to Campaign for a National Popular Vote to Elect U.S. President. democracynow.org 
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris officially won the Electoral College Monday, as electors met in their respective state capitols to formalize their victory. President Trump continued to claim without evidence he was the victim of a massive conspiracy to rig the election. Republicans across the country attempted to undermine the election results, and right-wing supporters threatened violence. John Koza, chair of National Popular Vote, says the chaos of the 2020 election is further proof that the United States should abandon the Electoral College system as it is currently constituted…
(2020-12-15). Starmer's purge turns against Palestine solidarity. mronline.org 
The ongoing attack on the left in Labour is increasingly targeting those who are vocal in support for Palestine, writes Sybil Cock.
(2020-12-15). How the rich are cashing in on pandemic pain. mronline.org 
Millions of day labourers in India lost their jobs overnight earlier this year when Narendra Modi's central government hastily announced a national lockdown.
(2020-12-15). Menacing Methane — An Analysis. counterpunch.org 
"The story of methane really is a story of a very serious definitive threat to our future existence on this planet." (Peter Wadhams) Legendary Arctic explorers Sir James Clark Ross, who located the northern magnetic pole in 1831 and Sir William Edward Parry, who set a record in 1827 for the Farthest North exploration serve
(2020-12-15). Nature under settler colonialism in Palestine. workers.org 
By Rana Baker This slightly edited presentation was given by Rana Baker, a Palestinian PhD student at Columbia University, during the online Palestine Writes Festival, Dec. 5. Baker's research focuses on infrastructure and environmental resources as micro-sites of political struggle in colonial and anti-colonial contexts. A Palestinian incendiary kite crosses . . . |
(2020-12-15). Trump uses "artists" to stage a soft coup in Cuba too. peoplesworld.org 
Invasion gets bad press — those close-ups of foreign boots marching over a beach or a neighborhood like El Chorrillo in Panama in 1989, where they still don't know the total number of those who were killed. After more than a century of relentless experience, the military interventions of the United States in Latin America …
(2020-12-15). Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel | Family and activists have denounced Kinda al-Khatib's case as political because of her stance against parties in power | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 10: 23 | Prior to her arrest, Khatib had criticised Hezbollah on social media (Twitter) | Lebanon's military prosecution has sentenced prominent activist Kinda al-Khatib to three years…
(2020-12-15). Special advisers earn almost £10m, with Cummings paid six figures. thecanary.co 
Government special advisers were paid almost £10m last year, new figures have revealed, with Dominic Cummings among Downing Street staff on six-figure salaries.Big money: A Cabinet Office report detailed the £9.6m pay bill for the 102 special advisers — known as Spads — from April 2019 to March 2020.Former chief adviser Cummings, who is in the process of leaving his government post, was paid the equivalent of £140,000-£144,999 — up from £95,000-£99,999 last year.Lee Cain was paid the equivalent of £140,000-£144,999 last year (Victoria Jones/PA)…
(2020-12-15). The Big Push for Nukes in Space. counterpunch.org 
Last week a SpaceX rocket exploded in a fireball at the SpaceX site in Texas. "Fortunately," reported Lester Holt on NBC TV's Nightly News, "no one was aboard." But what if nuclear materials had been aboard? The nuclear space issue is one I got into 35 years ago when I learned—from reading a U.S. Department
(2020-12-15). Trump and coronavirus dealt major defeats on same day. peoplesworld.org 
If Dec. 7, 1941, was a day of infamy, then Dec. 14, 2020, may be recorded in U.S. history as a day of triumph and tragedy. The triumphs were the twin blows dealt against the deadly coronavirus pandemic and the fascistic coup attempts of Donald Trump. The tragedy came when the country passed the grim …
(2020-12-15). Court rejects Trump's drilling proposal in major victory for polar bears and climate. peoplesworld.org 
wildlife defenders celebrated Monday after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected the "This is a huge victory for polar bears and our climate,"
(2020-12-15). Our Youngest 'Self-Made' Billionaire, Our Wealthy's Oldest Bogus Claim. counterpunch.org 
Myths die hard, especially when the myths in question serve to prop up the legitimacy of the richest among us. And the myth these richest hold dearest: that their grand fortunes represent a fitting reward for smarts and hard work. Wall Street has just juiced this deeply cherished myth with a stock public offering that's
(2020-12-15). Move over Russia! Chinese Caribbean phone spying story gives hint of what's to come under Biden administration. rt.com 
A US telecoms expert believes China is snooping on Americans' mobile phones in a number of Caribbean countries. Gary Miller's claims are either proof of Beijing's malfeasance, or drumbeats in the US' march toward a new Cold War. | China allegedly used its second-largest telecoms operator — China Unicom — to send "tens of thousands" of so-called signaling messages to Americans in the Caribbean. These messages are usually used by operators to track phones and assess roaming charges, but Miller, a telecoms security consultant, told the Guardian on Tuesday that in some cases, they can be used for "tracki…
(2020-12-15). How NPR Divides and Conquers. counterpunch.org 
I listen to NPR a lot. I'm not going to go into all the reasons I do this, but there are many, and they are contradictory. Generally it's a combination of a desire to know what's going on from a news source that has actual reporters on the ground, and wanting to know how the liberal elite is spinning everything. Depending on the stories they're covering, my nickname for the news outlet changes — Nationalist Petroleum Radio, Nationalist Pentagon Radio, Nationalist Privilege Radio.
(2020-12-15). In Germany, cultural groups worry about conflation between BDS and antisemitism. middleeasteye.net 
In Germany, cultural groups worry about conflation between BDS and antisemitism | A 2019 resolution has inspired a 'McCarthyist' atmosphere in the country targeting those critical of Israel's occupation and treatment of Palestinians, activists warn | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 14: 57 | The Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on 9 January 2017 (AFP) | In a press conference which took place i…
(2020-12-15). Frederick Wiseman's 'City Hall': Let us now praise democracy. peoplesworld.org 
Director Frederick Wiseman has gifted us with a movie for our times. City Hall is all about democracy—how it works, who does it, and why it is so vital. In a time of authoritarian challenges, it could not be more important. Wiseman's documentary is a brilliant mosaic. He pieces together the work of civil servants …
(2020-12-15). Brexit Bluster Exposes the Waning of English Power. counterpunch.org 
I met pleased and gloomy people in the first half of last year when I travelled around the UK writing about the potential impact of Brexit. But by far the happiest of those I interviewed were veteran Irish republicans in Belfast, mostly present or past members of Sinn Fein, who had devoted their lives to
(2020-12-15). 2020: The Last American Election, or the Start of Something New? counterpunch.org 
In a recent article in The Atlantic, staff writer, George Packer, published an essay titled "A Political Obituary for Donald Trump." The subtitle: "The effects of his reign will linger. But democracy survived." In the last paragraph, Packer writes that the election didn't end Trump's lies and the fissures in American society, "but we learned
(2020-12-15). Trump retweets attorney Lin Wood's call for top Georgia officials to 'go to jail' & suggests Chinese ties. rt.com 
Donald Trump has retweeted a post by lawyer Lin Wood claiming that Georgia's Republican governor and secretary of state will "soon be going to jail" and implying that they are working on behalf of the Chinese government. | In the tweet posted on Tuesday, Wood praised the president as a "genuinely good man" who "does not really like to fire people." | "I bet he dislikes putting people in jail, especially 'Republicans'," the pro-Trump attorney wrote, adding that the president gave Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and State Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger "every chance to get it right." | "They refused. They wil…
(2020-12-15). William Barr Resigns as Attorney General After Acting as Trump's "Enabler-in-Chief" at DOJ. democracynow.org 
William Barr is resigning as attorney general, leaving his post after angering President Trump for not backing his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud more strongly. But despite their split, Barr has been one of Trump's staunchest allies, echoing much of the president's inflammatory rhetoric about Black Lives Matter and antifascist activists this year even while downplaying the threat posed by far-right extremists. In June, Barr reportedly personally ordered police to beat and tear-gas peaceful protesters gathered near the White House in order to clear a path for President Trump to walk to the nearby St. Jo…
(2020-12-15). Socialist election win masks deeper problems. mronline.org 
With a majority of the opposition boycotting and an abstention rate of almost 70%, the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) obtained 69% of the vote in the country's December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections.
(2020-12-15). Beirut explosion: Lebanon's investigation on edge following political backlash. middleeasteye.net 
Beirut explosion: Lebanon's investigation on edge following political backlash | Political figures have denounced the indictment of caretaker premier Hassan Diab and three former ministers in the legal inquiry into the August blast | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 16: 27 | A woman amid the rubble in her damaged house in Beirut on 6 August 2020, two days after a massive explosion shook the Lebanese capital…
(2020-12-15). As COVID Surges Behind Bars in California, Why Is San Quentin Transferring Hundreds of Prisoners? democracynow.org 
Prisons across the U.S. are facing their greatest swell in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly a quarter-million incarcerated people in the U.S. have been infected with COVID-19, according to the Marshall Project, and advocates are pushing for incarcerated people to be prioritized in the country's vaccine rollout. All of California's state prisons have active coronavirus cases, but the California Department of Corrections is continuing to transfer incarcerated people between institutions. San Quentin State Prison has begun the transfer of nearly 300 incarcerated people to other institutions…
(2020-12-15). Norway blocked Saudi request to give diplomatic immunity to suspicious 'security team'. middleeasteye.net 
Norway blocked Saudi request to give diplomatic immunity to suspicious 'security team' | Norwegian authorities alerted activist Iyad al-Baghdadi to incident, which came weeks before Khashoggi's murder, local media reports | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 12: 17 | Activist Iyad el-Baghdadi believes the request for diplomatic immunity was linked to his relationship with slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi (AFP) | Norway refused…
(2020-12-15). Holiday gifts and the yet-to-be-won shorter work week. workers.org 
This article was originally published in Workers World in 2012. Since then, job-destroying technology is even more advanced and the eventual switch to electric vehicles could eliminate thousands of union jobs in auto. Millions are unemployed since the pandemic hit, and there is no plan or comprehensive assistance from the . . . |
(2020-12-15). Ghislaine Maxwell offers $28.5mn bail package after lawyers allege dire prison conditions. rt.com 
Ghislaine Maxwell has proposed a bail deal worth nearly $30 million, according to her lawyers, who noted that the socialite — accused of procuring underage girls for sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein — still insists on her innocence. | Maxwell's attorneys filed a bail application with the US District Court in Manhattan on Monday, offering $28.5 million in exchange for her freedom, the majority of which would be secured by assets belonging to Maxwell and her husband. | "Ms. Maxwell wants to stay in New York and have her day in court so that she can clear her name and return to her family," her lawyers…
(2020-12-15). A look at Venezuela's National Assembly election. workers.org 
Venezuela's December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections overcame the prior pro-imperialist majority in that body and catapulted the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) into an overwhelming majority. President Nicolás Maduro, also of the PSUV, won big. Voting is smooth and fair in Venezuela. The imperialist politicians and corporate media, especially . . . |
(2020-12-14). US removes Sudan's designation as state sponsor of terrorism. middleeasteye.net 
US removes Sudan's designation as state sponsor of terrorism | Move comes amid reports Khartoum threated to pull out of normalisation deal with Israel if process not completed by year's end | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 09: 28 | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, is seen with with Sudan Sovereign Council Chair General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Khartoum in August (AFP) | The United States on Mo…
(2020-12-14). The number of homeless people dying rises for the fifth year in a row. thecanary.co 
The number of people dying while homeless in England and Wales has risen for the fifth year in a row, new data shows.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there were an estimated 778 deaths of homeless people in England and Wales registered in 2019.This is an increase of 7.2% from 2018 when there were 726 estimated deaths and the highest number since the data series began in 2013.The number of estimated deaths of homeless people has increased each year from 2014 when there were 475, the data shows.(PA Graphics)"These are not just statistics": Shelter's chief executive Polly Neate…
(2020-12-14). California legislators bring back more bills on police conduct. peoplesworld.org 
As California lawmakers gathered in Sacramento Dec. 7 to take their oaths of office in socially distanced settings and prepare for the 2021-22 legislative session, members of the state Senate and Assembly also took the opportunity to introduce new legislation on many topics, and to reintroduce bills which hadn't gotten all the way through the …
(2020-12-14). US sanctions Iran officials over ex-FBI agent's disappearance. middleeasteye.net 
US sanctions Iran officials over ex-FBI agent's disappearance | Washington formally accuses Iranian government of involvement in abduction and possible death of Robert Levinson | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 17: 36 | Robert 'Bob' Levinson's family released photos of him in an orange jumpsuit in 2013 (ADP/File photo) | The US administration has imposed sanctions on two Iranian officials for their alleged role in the abduc…
(2020-12-14). Twist in debate over 'Pelosi speakership for M4A vote' idea: People who push it must be RACIST, MSNBC's Reid agrees. rt.com 
There is a highly-debated idea to force Nancy Pelosi to hold a vote on Medicare for All (M4A), and its advocates are apparently racists who want to order around women of color, MSNBC host Joy Reid believes. | Next month, Nancy Pelosi needs a majority vote in the House to be confirmed for her next speaker term. Since the Democratic majority became very slim after the November elections, only a handful of votes not cast in her favor may block the nomination. Apparently, the scenario seemed probable enough for the party leadership to take action. Earlier this month, House Rules chair Jim McGovern warned possible…
(2020-12-14). Georgia runoffs are ground zero for workers and their allies. peoplesworld.org 
It's too bad Ray Charles, Hoagy Carmichael, and Stuart Gorrell aren't with us anymore. Their song, "Georgia On My Mind" is a perfect description of the Peach State's role as ground zero for control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress—a vital issue to workers nationwide. That's because unless Democrats Jon Ossoff and the …
(2020-12-14). Racehorse called 'Jungle Bunny' forced to change name after racism storm. rt.com 
The British Horseracing Authority has stepped in to demand that a horse called 'Jungle Bunny' change its name after it was branded "racist and offensive" by some racing fans – although others have been left bemused by the step. | The horse, which is a descendent of famed racehorse Bungle Inthejungle, came an ignominious sixth in Saturday's meet in Wolverhampton Racecourse – but, as soon as the race had finished, discussions about the supposed 'racial insensitivity' of the horse's name began to ignite on social media. | The term 'Jungle Bunny' is thought by some to be a racially insensitive way to refer to a bl…
(2020-12-14). S. Korea's MPs pass law to ban anti-Pyongyang leaflets, amid opposition protests. rt.com 
The National Assembly in Seoul has voted for a bill that prohibits the launching of anti-North Korea leaflets across its shared border with South Korea, as opposition activists protested the move. | The South Korean legislature revised the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, dubbed the anti-leaflet law, and barred any scattering of printed materials, goods and money across the heavily fortified border. Loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts were also restricted. | The scattering of leaflets critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, or the country's political system, across the border is now outlawed, with…
(2020-12-14). Saudi Arabia: Explosive boat hits oil tanker off Jeddah. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia: Explosive boat hits oil tanker off Jeddah | No claim of responsibility for blast but incident comes as Houthis rebels step up cross-border attacks | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 07: 34 | Last month, the Houthis said they struck a plant operated by Saudi Aramco Jeddah with a Quds-2 missile (AFP) | Saudi Arabia confirmed on Monday that a fuel-transport ship off the port city of Jeddah was…
(2020-12-14). In Australia, like rest of world, the 'gig' economy is killing workers. peoplesworld.org 
SYDNEY—Five young food delivery workers lost their lives in Australia in the space of just two months. No one has been held accountable or is likely to be. Their work is unregulated, underpaid, unsafe, and precarious in a climate where between one and two million unemployed are denied the federal government's JobKeeper wage subsidy program …
(2020-12-14). 'Support, not sanctions': Turkey's Erdogan dismayed at US punishing its NATO ally for purchasing S-400 system from Russia. rt.com 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hit out at new US sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of an S-400 missile defense system from Russia, saying that he expected backing from his country's NATO ally, not punishment. | In a speech on Monday, Erdogan said that Turkey would not be deterred in defending itself by either US sanctions, or those agreed by the EU in response to the country's gas drilling in Mediterranean waters claimed by Cyprus. | "We expect support from our NATO ally, America, in our fight against terrorist organizations and forces … not sanctions," Erdogan said. | Also on rt.com | | <...
(2020-12-14). Joe Biden wants racist servant of big business in charge of U.S. agriculture. liberationnews.org 
President-elect Joe Biden's recent nomination of Tom Vilsack to serve as the next Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is causing widespread outrage among food justice activists and Black farmers.
(2020-12-14). How to Cure America's Vaccine Paranoia. counterpunch.org 
The end is in sight, we are told. The cavalry has arrived in the form of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 on the verge of approval and being manufactured for widespread distribution. The stock market has surged in response to every pharmaceutical company's press release of its latest successful clinical trial. Americans are expecting
(2020-12-14). 'Congratulations WORLD': Trump celebrates as nurse & doctor become 1st in US to get Pfizer Covid jab. rt.com 
A doctor and nurse in New York are the first Americans to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, after the jab was awarded emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday. | The rollout of the first 2.9 million doses of the jab, developed by the US drugmaker and German firm BioNTech, began across the US on Sunday, with the vaccine departing in trucks from Pfizer's plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. | On Monday morning, Dr. Yves Duroseau of New York's Lenox Hill Hospital and nurse Sandra Lindsay of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center were given the vaccine during a livestream with…
(2020-12-14). Phase III trial reveals 91.4% efficacy for Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, with jab '100% effective' against severe cases. rt.com 
Following a large scale trial, Russia's pioneering Sputnik V vaccine has proven to be 91.4 percent effective overall against Covid-19, its creator said on Monday, as the country embarks on a national mass vaccination program. | In a statement, Moscow's Gamaleya Institute and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which funded the vaccine's development, cited data received from volunteers 21 days after they were inoculated with the first dose of the jab. The results confirmed a 91.4 percent efficacy rate overall and showed that it is "100 percent" effective against severe cases of the virus. | In practice this…
(2020-12-14). Vaccine Equity: Why Communities of Color & Incarcerated People Should Get Early Access to Shots. democracynow.org 
As the first shipments of a federally approved COVID-19 vaccine arrive across the United States, healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes will receive the first shipments, and epidemiologist Camara Phyllis Jones says communities of color with high rates of COVID-19 should also get consideration for early access. "I think that CDC got it right partially in terms of those overexposed because of their work or their living conditions, but they did not include our brothers and sisters in prisons, jails, detention centers, and they did not include those of us who are more exposed and less protected in our work…
(2020-12-14). Greta Thunberg: 5 Years After Paris Agreement, World Is "Speeding in the Wrong Direction" on Climate. democracynow.org 
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who launched the global Fridays for Future youth climate movement, issued a stark warning on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement that the world is not doing enough to keep global heating below 2 degrees Celsius — the target set in the landmark 2015 deal. "The gap between what we need to do and what is actually being done is widening by the minute. We are still speeding in the wrong direction," Thunberg said in a video message posted on social media.
(2020-12-14). Michigan Republican loses committee positions after promising Electoral College disruption, possible violence. rt.com 
Legislative leaders in Michigan have condemned comments from state representative Gary Eisen suggesting potential violence to disrupt voting on Monday by presidential electors. He has also lost his committee positions. | Eisen made waves on Monday morning when he described an upcoming "Hail Mary" attempt to turn the state's 16 electors in President Donald Trump's favor. | Eisen did not specify what this attempt would be, but he promised an "historic event" that would "be all over the news later on." | Asked whether he could guarantee that there would be no violence at the State Capitol in Lansing, Eisen said h…
(2020-12-14). We can't bank on climate action. mronline.org 
Bank of England forced to deny taking basic climate actions after hoax from laughtervists, the Yes Men.
(2020-12-14). Selected Articles: 48% Of U.S. Small Businesses Fear They May be Forced to "Shut Down Permanently" Soon. globalresearch.ca 
By What would the United States look like if we lost half of our small businesses? The reason …
(2020-12-14). New Covid-19 strain found in UK spreads FASTER, is already in nearly 60 local authority areas — health secretary. rt.com 
A rapidly spreading strain of the coronavirus has been identified in England, adding more than 1,000 cases to the UK's total count, the health secretary said, after confirming London is entering the top tier of Covid-19 measures. | The new variant has been located in southeastern England, Matt Hancock revealed on Monday, saying that scientists at Porton Down, the country's secretive military and public health research facility, had been analysing the new form of the virus. | "Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants," Hancock told MPs in the House of Commons. | A…
(2020-12-14). Trump says he is 'not scheduled' to take Covid-19 vaccine yet & White House staff will be vaccinated 'somewhat later'. rt.com 
President Trump has disavowed reports that White House staff will be among the first to receive Covid-19 vaccine jabs, saying that "unless specifically necessary" they will be vaccinated "somewhat later in the program." | The first wave of Pfizer vaccine inoculations across the US is supposed to be limited to frontline health care specialists and people in high-risk categories, such as the elderly, but the New York Times reported on Sunday that White House staff working close to Trump will cut in line. | According to President Donald Trump, however, he personally requested an "adjustment" to the timeline, so t…
(2020-12-14). Faith and the fight against climate change, Part 1. therealnews.com 
In Part 1 of this four-part series on interfaith approaches to climate change, Aman Azhar talks to Abdul Rehman Malik of Yale Divinity School about what counsel Islam has to offer on caring for the planet.
(2020-12-14). Will Biden's America Stop Creating Terrorists? counterpunch.org 
Joe Biden will take command of the White House at a time when the American public is more concerned about battling coronavirus than fighting overseas wars. But America's wars rage on regardless, and the militarized counterterrorism policy Biden has supported in the past—based on airstrikes, special operations and the use of proxy forces—is precisely what
(2020-12-14). Cat-astrophe! Wife of Russian hockey star posts gruesome picture of scars after run-in with family cat (PHOTO). rt.com 
Evgeniya Tikhonova, who is married to ex-NHL player Viktor Tikhonov, has revealed a photograph showing a series of scars on her face which she says came about as a result of being caught up in attack by her household cat. | The stunning Tikhonova says she is on a course of antibiotics and has received a tetanus shot after her cat, Sophia, lashed out at her after a passing dog "playfully" jumped on her cat in the incident left her with cuts and grazes to the left side of her face. | "When you think, 'well, 2020 has almost come to an end and soon everything will be great!' And then – BAM – it suddenly hits you i…
(2020-12-14). It's official: US electoral college certifies Joe Biden as next president. middleeasteye.net 
It's official: US electoral college certifies Joe Biden as next president | Electors confirm Biden's victory in US election last month, further blocking Donald Trump's attempts to overturn vote | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 22: 20 | Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in on 20 January (AFP/File photo) | US President-elect Joe Biden has secured a majority of the electoral college votes, formalising hi…
(2020-12-14). Evasions and Cover-ups by Western Governments over Funding of Terrorist Groups in Syria Start to Unravel. dissidentvoice.org 
Evidence of Dutch and British funding for extremists who've beheaded children & carried out ethnic-cleansing grows by the day. Yet most of the mainstream media — including the BBC — still try to keep this truth silent. Recently, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte effectively blocked a Parliamentary motion to allow an external independent investigation of …
(2020-12-14). Secret Amazon reports expose the company's surveillance of labor and environmental groups. mronline.org 
Dozens of leaked documents from Amazon reveal the company's use of Pinkerton operatives to spy on warehouse workers, labor unions and social movements.
(2020-12-14). Georgia State is ground zero for workers and their allies. peoplesworld.org It's too bad Ray Charles, Hoagy Carmichael, and Stuart Gorrell aren't with us anymore. Their song, "Georgia On My Mind" is a perfect description of the Peach State's role as ground zero for control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress—a vital issue to workers nationwide. That's because unless Democrats Jon Ossoff and the …
(2020-12-14). Shut It Down: Calls Grow to Close Fort Hood After Probe into Murders & Sexual Assaults at Army Base. democracynow.org 
The U.S. Army has fired or suspended 14 officers and soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, following an investigation into sexual assaults and murders at the base, including the bludgeoning to death of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillén, whose remains were found in July. "These are institutional failures at scale. And by the Army's own admission, and in this report, it's clear that this is not unique to Fort Hood," says Pam Campos-Palma, an Air Force veteran who leads the Vets for the People project at the Working Families Party. "The military is dealing with large-scale corruption and crime, and it should be…
(2020-12-14). As Electoral College votes Biden in, Michigan plays alternate 'black' national anthem, but keeps out alternate electors. rt.com 
Democrat electors in Michigan had the 'Black National Anthem' performed ahead of casting their votes for Joe Biden, as state police prevented Republican 'alternate' electors from entering the capitol. | Electoral Colleges across the US met on Monday to formally vote for president, following the November 3 election. Biden was declared winner in Michigan, over objections of President Donald Trump and the GOP, alleging voter fraud and other irregularities. | The Democrat electors that convened were told to remain standing for the US national anthem — as well as the "Black National Anthem," Breitbart News rep…
(2020-12-14). Jill Biden turns hysteria over 'Dr.' title into call to prevent world's 'daughters' from being 'diminished'. rt.com 
Jill Biden seemingly responded to a hotly-debated opinion piece questioning her using the title 'Dr.' with a message about "building" a world where women's accomplishments are "celebrated." | "Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished," Biden tweeted on Sunday. | Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) Many have taken…
(2020-12-14). "Myopia:" Moroccan Director/Actor Sanaa Akroud's Latest Screen Gem. counterpunch.org 
This film story by Sanaa Akroud is, like its title "Myopia", just too simple to carry the power of a deeply moving universal message. Fatem a hardy woman from a remote Moroccan mountain village is sent on a frivolous mission to the city where she is innocently swept up in a street protest. She finds
(2020-12-14). US elections 2020: Muslims in state of Georgia mobilise for Senate runoff. middleeasteye.net 
US elections 2020: Muslims in state of Georgia mobilise for Senate runoff | As early voting begins, the contest will have implications on issues of Islamophobia, police reform and systemic racism across US | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 20: 20 | Georgia is home to more than 100,000 Muslim residents, and of that number, more than 71,000 are registered to vote (AFP/File photo) | Ahead of the consequential US Se…
(2020-12-14). Explosion rocks Singapore-flagged tanker off Saudi port of Jeddah. middleeasteye.net Explosion rocks Singapore-flagged tanker off Saudi port of Jeddah | No claim of responsibility for blast but incident comes as Houthis rebels step up cross-border attacks | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 07: 34 | Last month, the Houthis said they struck a plant operated by Saudi Aramco Jeddah with a Quds-2 missile (AFP) | An explosion rocked a Singapore-flagged oil tanker off the Saudi port city of Jed…
(2020-12-14). 'State terrorism': Russian opposition figure Navalny names men he believes 'poisoned him' & accuses Kremlin of ordering hit. rt.com 
Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has named eight men he believes are responsible for poisoning him last August. They are employees of the Federal Security Service (FSB) who appear to have chemical or medical backgrounds. | "I know who wanted to kill me. I know where they live. I know where they work," Navalny wrote on Monday. "I know their real names. I know their fake names. I have photos of them." | According to Navalny, using his personal blog, of the eight suspected plotters, three — named as Alexey Alexandrov, Ivan Osipov, and Vladimir Panyaev — followed him to Tomsk, where he was allege…
(2020-12-14). UN climate report calls out global elite as cause of the crisis. mronline.org 
The UN Emissions Gap Report released on Dec. 9, shows how far off the mark we are for averting complete climate catastrophe. Current global emissions reduction policies have us on track for 3.5 C warming by 2100, which would be catastrophic for life on Earth.
(2020-12-14). Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabia uses tweets supporting women's rights as evidence. middleeasteye.net 
Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabia uses tweets supporting women's rights as evidence | Activist's support for women's right to drive and criticism of kingdom's guardianship system cited by prosecutor in terrorism court | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 14: 29 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul is being tried in a terrorism court (AFP) | The Saudi public prosecutor on Monday cited tweets about a campaign to let women drive…
(2020-12-14). Electoral college votes today to preserve democracy in America. peoplesworld.org 
President-elect Joe Biden will address the nation tonight on the results of the Electoral College's vote certification. In normal times, the vote by the Electoral College, making the election results official, passes with little or no notice. It is an automatic process free of any controversy. This year, however, it occurs after weeks of unprecedented …
(2020-12-14). Jade, For Hire! The Mystery of the Missing Worker. mronline.org 
Looking for work during a race and class war ain't easy, its hard enough already—why were they fired in the first place from… Jamazon.com! Find out this week in… Jade for Hire!
(2020-12-14). Hillary Clinton 'proud' to cast vote for Biden as elector while calling for Electoral College to be abolished. rt.com 
Hillary Clinton once again called for an end to the Electoral College, but happily participated in it on Monday when she cast her vote, along with her husband, for Joe Biden in New York. | "I believe we should abolish the Electoral College and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, same as every other office," Clinton tweeted. In 2016, the Democrat won the popular vote against now-President Donald Trump, but lost in the Electoral College by nearly 70 votes. | Despite her feelings on the process, Clinton added a photo of herself to the tweet on her way to cast a vote as an elector, something sh…
(2020-12-14). A Middle Finger Cost Me My Livelihood as a Woman Athlete. aclu.org 
It took a split second for my whole world to come crashing down. , , My teammates on the University of Connecticut's women's soccer team were jumping and screaming and hugging each other. We had just won a championship game. It was one of the happiest moments of my life — my first championship win at the collegiate level. Without thinking, I flashed a middle finger in celebration as I embraced teammates on camera. I couldn't have known that split-second, mindless gesture of celebration would cause UConn to suspend me from the NCAA tournament, revoke my scholarship, and completely upend my life as I…
(2020-12-14). Sam Blasucci Holiday Special. counterpunch.org 
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(2020-12-14). John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus is Not Covid-19. It is War. strategic-culture.org 
John PILGER | The names of more than 16,000 British servicemen and women are listed. The literature says they "died in operational theatre or were targeted by terrorists". | On the day I was there, a stonemason was adding new names to those who have died in some 50 operations across the world during what is known as "peacetime". Malaya, Ireland, Kenya, Hong Kong, Libya, Iraq, Palestine and many more, including secret operations, such as Indochina. | Not a year has passed since peace was declared in 1945 that Britain has not sent military forces to fight the wars of empire. | Not a year has passed when countries,…
(2020-12-14). El muro tiene que caer: Biden tiene que restaurar la frontera con urgencia. peoplesworld.org 
En la frontera con México, hemos visto algunos de los efectos más devastadores de la administración Trump. Ha completado más de 415 millas de nuevas barreras y refuerzos, usando fondos robados a las Fuerzas Armadas y destruyendo comunidades, hábitat y parajes silvestres. Trump anuló protecciones culturales y ambientales para construir su muro y ha permitido …
(2020-12-14). Detroit activists score win against water shutoffs and continue fighting. liberationnews.org 
The City of Detroit has announced an extension of the moratorium on water shutoffs in the city, put in effect under the COVID-19 emergency, through 2022. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown made the announcement Dec. 8. This extended moratorium is a victory won by persistent struggle by …
(2020-12-14). 'The Netherlands is closing down': Dutch PM announces 5-week lockdown after spike in Covid infections. rt.com 
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced the country will go into lockdown for at least the next five weeks, with few concessions being granted for celebrations over the coming Christmas period. | Under the new lockdown — the country's second so far during the pandemic — all schools and shops will shut from Tuesday until January 18, while public spaces and facilities including daycare centers, hairdressers, gyms, and cinemas are to close until January 19. Pharmacies, grocery stores, and banks are allowed to remain open, though restaurants and bars are not. | Rutte announced the move in a televis…
(2020-12-14). Lee Camp: Unemployment Skyrocketing? An Evolved Society Would Celebrate. mintpressnews.com 
Washington DC ( We all know times are irredeemably grim, and they're only getting worse. The unemployment level in America seems to be setting the record books aflame, and for some bizarre reason those numbers correlate nicely with the number of Americans under 40 living with their parents again. Understandably, the entire country is a little on edge. If I spend more than 30 minutes around my parents, on…
(2020-12-14). Netanyahu's Days May Be Numbered, but a Cadre of Far-Right Fanatics Wait in the Wings. mintpressnews.com 
While every society has had to deal with its own right-wing fanatics, Israel has provided them with a platform, funding, and weapons of mass destruction, sending them skyrocketing to the highest echelons of power.
(2020-12-14). Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu enters THIRD quarantine after contact with coronavirus patient. rt.com 
Benjamin Netanyahu is once again in isolation after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive for Covid-19, the Israeli PM's office announced on Monday. | Netanyahu will be isolating until Friday after contact with Likud Supreme Court President Michael Kleiner last week. Kleiner tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. | The prime minister returned two negative tests on Sunday and Monday, but in accordance with the guidance on the coronavirus, must isolate until Friday. | A spokeswoman announced that Netanyahu had canceled his engagements for Monday, including an appearance at a conference in J…
(2020-12-14). John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War. mintpressnews.com 
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Britain has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defense spending.
(2020-12-14). The decline of American Journalism. mronline.org 
The media is driven by the enormous profits made during election campaigns. Feeding the fury and the fear of all types is just good for business. Bob McChesney joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news podcast.
(2020-12-14). 'Leave her alone': New York Post scorched for 'trash' article exposing struggling NYC medic's OnlyFans account. rt.com 
The New York Post is facing a backlash over an article 'revealing' that a New York City paramedic has also been making money on the side through a 'racy' OnlyFans account. | In the article headlined "NYC medic helped 'make ends meet' with racy OnlyFans side gig,"
(2020-12-14). 'Safety concerns' ahead of Electoral College vote force Michigan legislative offices to close. rt.com 
The Michigan House and Senate are closing their offices out of fear for "security" and "safety" on the same day that electors are set to certify the state's election results in favor of Joe Biden. | "Due to safety and security concerns, the Senate and all Senate spaces in downtown Lansing will be closed Monday, December 14," the Senate notification about the shutdown said, "Only those needed for the Elector…
(2020-12-14). Two Russians jailed in France for attack at Euro 2016 which left England fan permanently disabled. rt.com 
Two Russian men, Mikhail Ivkin and Pavel Kosov, have been sentenced to prison in France for beating a British football fan during the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, with prosecutors qualifying the attack as an act of violence. | The incident took place in June 2016 when Russian and English football fans clashed on the streets of Marseille. | Following the brawl, UK citizen Andrew Bache was found unconscious with a severe head injury. The street brawl was captured on camera with prosecutors insisting that Ivkin and Kosov, who are seen on the video, brutally beat Bache, causing severe injuries which left him permane…
(2020-12-14). Rouhani accuses Israel of assassinating Iranian nuclear scientist to drag region into war. rt.com 
Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, has claimed that Israel assassinated Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in a daylight ambush to try and drag the region into war while Donald Trump is still US president. | The comments were made during a press conference in Tehran, where Rouhani was highlighting that Iran's key priorities are ensuring the security and stability of the region. | Accusing Israel of the scientist's assassination, Rouhani declared: "Waging instability and war in the final days of the Trump administration was the main aim of the Zionist regime in the assassination." | The Iranian leader…
(2020-12-14). US imposes sanctions on Iran officials over ex-FBI agent's disappearance. middleeasteye.net US imposes sanctions on Iran officials over ex-FBI agent's disappearance | Washington formally accuses Iranian government of involvement in abduction and possible death of Robert Levinson | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 17: 36 | Robert 'Bob' Levinson's family released photos of him in an orange jumpsuit in 2013 (ADP/File photo) | The US administration has imposed sanctions on two Iranian officials for their alleged role i…
(2020-12-14). Pornhub removes millions of videos after Mastercard & Visa cut ties over sexual exploitation exposé. rt.com 
Pornhub has cleansed its site of millions of unverified videos after Mastercard and Visa both announced that they would stop working with the company over cases of sexual exploitation being hosted on the platform. | In a statement on Monday, Pornhub announced that it had "suspended all previously uploaded content that was not created by content partners or members of the Model Program." Members of the Model Program are the platform's verified users. Pornhub's previous rules allowed anyone to upload a video to the site. | The new purge of content comes after both Mastercard and Visa cut ties with Pornhub over a…
(2020-12-14). Post-Trump: The struggle ahead. peoplesworld.org 
With Trump's defeat, the country stands on the threshold of a new political period. One phase of the anti-right struggle, the battle for the presidency and Congress, is almost complete. Another phase, the struggle for the soul of the nation, is now taking shape. Things are shifting, albeit slowly, even dangerously, but overall in a …
(2020-12-14). Does automation spell the end of capitalism? mronline.org 
Capitalism will not 'automatically' morph into some 'postcapitalist' or socialist system due to technology replacing the human workforce. As the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY explains, ending capitalism will require a conscious, collective action on the part of 'the many'—the working class.
(2020-12-14). Trump announces AG Barr's resignation, effective by Christmas, as Biden's victory certified. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has tapped a replacement for Attorney General Bill Barr, announcing the former AG's resignation as the Electoral College has moved to formally certify Democrat Joe Biden as the president-elect. | "Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House. Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job!" Trump said in a series of tweets on Monday, sharing a copy of Barr's resignation letter while adding: "Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family." | Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstandin…
(2020-12-14). 'Speaker for the God': Historical fiction about Jeremiah illuminates enduring social issues. peoplesworld.org 
Henry (Hank) Millstein is a long-time peace, interfaith, and labor activist living in Northern California. He's a fiction writer and journalist whose work often appears in People's World, and he's a longtime member of the National Writers Union. Staff writer Eric A. Gordon sat Hank down for a friendly chat about his newest book. People's …
(2020-12-14). Erdogan attracts Iran's rancour over nationalist Azerbaijani poem. middleeasteye.net 
Erdogan attracts Iran's rancour over nationalist Azerbaijani poem | Strong Iranian reaction over recitation perceived in Turkey as anxiety over Tehran's waning power in Caucusus and Nagorno-Karabakh | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 12: 45 | Iranian dailies have criticised Erdogan in their front pages since last week (Twitter) | Tehran's outrage over a nationalist Azerbaijani poem recited by Recep Tayyip Erdogan last…
(2020-12-14). Hillbilly Happy Days: Lil' Opie Lost in Appalachia. counterpunch.org 
J.D. Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy" was published in June of 2016. It purports to be a memoir of the author's childhood, but reads more like a polemic written by a right-wing elite, who grew up in poverty in Southern Ohio, was able to graduate from Yale—and became a vulture capitalist and low-rent Ayn Rand acolyte.
(2020-12-14). US Treasury & Commerce departments HACKED, internal emails reportedly monitored for MONTHS, in breach pinned on usual suspects. rt.com 
The US Treasury Department's internal emails have been compromised, allegedly through Microsoft's Office 365 service, with a pack of anonymous sources pinning the "sophisticated" intrusion on the omnipotent 'Russian hackers'. | Hackers targeted the US Treasury and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration — and there was concern among US intelligence agencies that the same perpetrators might have gained access to other government agencies' internal communications, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing sources "familiar with the investigation." | The intruders appare…
(2020-12-14). Rising Latino voters could be powerful in Georgia Senate races. peoplesworld.org 
LILBURN, Ga. (AP) — As Georgia heads into two key runoffs that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, Democrats are hoping to count on Latino voters who helped tilt the state blue in November. But President Donald Trump rattled Democrats by winning larger-than-expected shares of Hispanic votes in parts of the country, raising questions …
(2020-12-14). Indian hospital warns of rare & potentially DEADLY FUNGUS in some recovered Covid-19 patients. rt.com 
Doctors at New Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital have reported that more than a dozen recovered Covid-19 patients have been afflicted with a serious fungal infection that has already claimed five lives. | The mucormycosis fungus, which usually takes 15-30 days to spread, was registered growing in former coronavirus patients within just 2-3 days, the doctors warned. | The fungus can lead to various gruesome outcomes, depending on where it might spread in the body. In some cases, the infection could necessitate the removal of the nose and jawbone and can also cause permanent loss of eyesight. The mortality rate for…
(2020-12-13). 'Learn some discipline': Players decked as mass rampage on pitch creates bizarre finale to 'shamed' American football game (VIDEO). rt.com 
Players were thrown to the floor and an illegal touchdown was disallowed as an American football game descended from high tension to outright farce, with fans warning that the riotous ending was "asking for someone to get hurt". | Footage of the chaotic climax to the clash between Western Michigan and Ball State racked up more than two million views in less than 24 hours as followers tried to make sense of the stampede that spilled across the turf in the final allocated seconds of the showdown. | After Ball State decided they had secured the recovery needed to seal victory by a slender 30-27 margin, their exci…
(2020-12-13). Donald Trump and the Triumph of White Identity Politics. counterpunch.org 
The renowned historiographer E.H. Carr famously compared the historian with his facts to the fishmonger with fish on the slab; the historian collects the facts, takes them home, and cooks and serves them in whatever style appeals to him. Naturally, the historian will add spices and other ingredients to draw out the precise flavor needed
(2020-12-13). 'Inhumane treatment': Turkey accuses Greece of migrant 'pushbacks' into Turkish waters. rt.com 
The Greek Coast Guard has been sending illegal migrants stranded on islands in the Aegean back to Turkish territorial waters, Turkey's Interior Minister has said, accusing Athens of "torture." | The Greek coast guards have been engaged in "torture and inhumane treatment every day," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a Twitter post, addressing Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachi. | Dear Minister Your Coast Guard units are leveling up the torture and inhumane treatment everyday. | Watch your forces engaging…
(2020-12-13). Hospital bosses warn Boris Johnson that relaxing restrictions could 'trigger third wave'. thecanary.co 
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…
(2020-12-13). Russia's Forgotten Nuclear Disaster. counterpunch.org 
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
(2020-12-13). California judge orders release of prisoners from jails to prevent Covid-19 spread. rt.com 
Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson ruled on Friday that jails must reduce their populations by fifty percent amid the Covid-19 pandemic. | It comes after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) The ACLU celebrated the ruling, calling it a "victory" for the prisoners "who had the courage to speak out about Sheriff B…
(2020-12-13). More questions than relief: Brazil vaccination plan promises jab to less than quarter of population, no timetable set. rt.com 
Brazilian authorities have rolled out a vaccination plan which has been met with skepticism due to the lack of concrete data, and was even criticized by the researchers who helped to draw it up. | Local media noted that Brazil's plan has no specific launch date in mind for the vaccinations and does not detail the timetable of the supplies. The country's initial goal is to vaccinate some 51 million people, which is less than a quarter of the population. The document itself admits it's significantly lower than the number required to stop the spread of the coronavirus — at least 70 percent of the population.
(2020-12-13). Republican congressman renews call to pardon Snowden, says Trump is 'listening' to people pushing for it. rt.com 
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) is renewing a call for Edward Snowden to be pardoned and says President Donald Trump is paying attention to advocates pushing for the act. | "President Trump is listening to the many of us who are urging him to #PardonSnowden," Gaetz "It's the right thing to do," Gaetz added. | Snowden himself shared the Florida congressman's tweet, as well as another calling for a pardon from Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich…
(2020-12-13). NBC News reports evidence of alleged Hunter Biden corruption, gets flooded with excuses why it's not newsworthy. rt.com 
An email seen by NBC News indicates that Hunter Biden failed to pay taxes on profit from his Ukrainian board position. NBC was bombarded with comments explaining how the story is probably false and still irrelevant, if true. | According to the broadcaster, the son of presumed President-elect Joe Biden may have failed to include in his tax returns the $400,000 he received from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma in 2014. This is a conclusion from an email, received by NBC, which was sent to Hunter Biden in 2017 by his business partner, Eric Schwerin, who was then the president of Rosemont Seneca Partners. | "I…
(2020-12-13). British-Iranian academic jailed for nine years in Iran: Media. middleeasteye.net 
British-Iranian academic jailed for nine years in Iran: Media | Kameel Ahmadi, a renowned expert on female genital mutilation, was sentenced on charges of 'collaborating with a hostile government', according to his lawyer | Sun, 12/13/2020 – 19: 16 | Kameel Ahmadi had initially been detained in August 2019, but released on bail three months later (Facebook) | A court in Iran has handed dow…
(2020-12-13). What lies behind AstraZeneca's plan to team up with Russia's highly criticized Sputnik V? RT's Boom Bust gropes for an answer. rt.com 
Earlier this week, British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced a trial program to test if its experimental coronavirus vaccine can be combined with Russia's Sputnik V shot, which was previously bashed by the UK media. | Previously, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that foreign nations are using "dirty methods" to discredit the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, trying to block its access in other markets. | To many, up to now, the very idea of Russians and Brits working together to fight Covid-19 seemed implausible. Alex Mihailovich, correspondent for RT's Boom Bust, gets into the details…
(2020-12-13). Report reveals Democratic National Committee's 'intervention' to blame for chaos at 2020 Iowa caucuses. rt.com 
An audit commissioned by the Iowa Democratic Party has found that the national Democratic Party's "intervention" in the process led to the delayed and questioned results at the very beginning of the 2020 presidential election. | The Iowa caucuses should have kicked off a frontrunner in the race for the party's presidential nomination. Two of the candidates — South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders — were claiming they were winning the contest in a key state that often defines the eventual winner. However, inconsistencies in reporting results led many to question th…
(2020-12-13). 'It has run its course': Fans in hysterics as Premier League football aces forget to take a knee and crash into each other (VIDEO). rt.com 
Fans have rubbished the pre-match taking of the knee as "ridiculous" after Spurs hotshot Son Heung-Min and Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke forgot to make the gesture, charging towards each other at the start of a match. | Belgium forward Benteke and Son, the Premier League's second-top scorer, tangled as the referee blew his whistle to signal the taking of the knee before the match between Tottenham and Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday. | Thinking the game had started, Benteke flew forwards in an attempt to immediately move towards a potential goalscoring position, causing Son to react by attempting…
(2020-12-13). Bill Gates says bars and restaurants should 'sadly' be closed for 4-6 months, no return to 'normal' until 2022. rt.com 
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes a return to "normal" life is further down the road for the US than people expect, despite a Covid-19 vaccine being approved and distributed this week. | Conceding that by the summer of 2021, the US should be "way closer to normal than we are now," Gates, who has donated millions to vaccination efforts through his foundation, believes a full return to normal will likely not be possible until after 2022. | The billionaire told CNN on Sunday that "unless we help other countries get rid of this disease" and see "high vaccination rates" within the US, the "risk of reintroduc…
(2020-12-13). Covid-19: Bahrain approves vaccine from Chinese drug giant Sinopharm. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Bahrain approves vaccine from Chinese drug giant Sinopharm | Gulf country launches online registration scheme for all residents over 18 to receive the vaccine for free | Sun, 12/13/2020 – 17: 23 | China has four vaccines in development, three of which – including Sinopharm – use an inactivated form of the novel coronavirus to boost immunity (AFP) | Bahrain said on Sunday that it…
(2020-12-13). Sarah Fuller becomes 1st woman to score in P5 college football game, and some woke crusaders STILL don't know when they're winning. rt.com 
Rather than being a cause for celebration, Sarah Fuller's achievement of becoming the first women to score a point in a US Power Five college football game was seized on by eager feminists as a chance to bash men. | After making history at the end of November by becoming the first woman to appear in a Power Five game, Fuller followed up that accolade by registering her first points for the Vanderbilt Commodores by nailing two extra-point kicks during her team's 42-17 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday. | Other female footballers have scored points as kickers in college games in previous years, but in…
(2020-12-13). 'I feel good': Russian star Tuktamysheva reveals she lost sense of smell as she marks Covid recovery by dancing in kitchen (VIDEO). rt.com 
Ex-world and European figure skating champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva has celebrated recovering from her Covid-19 ordeal by dancing for fans in her kitchen, revealing that she will be eating sushi after her sense of smell returned. | The 23-year-old was hospitalized as she was forced out of training in November because of her illness, which seriously affected her lungs and robbed the Russian of her sense of smell. | After missing the fifth stage of the Cup of Russia in Moscow, Tuktamysheva moved to reassure fans that she was coping and has now produced a more convincingly energetic message as she continues to o…
(2020-12-13). Venezuela's Guaido-led opposition holds alternative vote and then BURNS BALLOTS after boycotting legislative elections. rt.com 
Venezuelan opposition led by US-backed 'interim president' Juan Guaido has held "popular consultations" to demonstrate rejection of the nation's government after boycotting parliamentary vote but ended up burning ballots instead. | The so-called "popular consultations" organized by the supporters of the self-styled "interim president" started online on Monday and concluded with an in-person participation on Saturday. The move was held after an official election held earlier this month handed control over the Venezuelan National Assembly to President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist PSUV party. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-12-13). America's FDA chief defends prolonged approval process for COVID-19 vaccine after Trump calls agency 'big, old, slow turtle'. rt.com 
Stephen Hahn, the US Food and Drug Administration commissioner, backed his agency's process for approving Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine after President Donald Trump publicly lambasted him online for being too slow. | After Hahn was asked on ABC News' This Week, Sunday, whether Trump is correct in saying that the vaccine could have been passed by the FDA a week earlier, the commissioner disagreed. | "We do not feel that this could have been out a week earlier," Hahn declared, claiming that they went through the proper process. | Hahn noted that the FDA had promised Americans that it would perform "a thorough review…
(2020-12-13). Assassinated Iranian nuclear scientist awarded top honour. middleeasteye.net 
Assassinated Iranian nuclear scientist awarded top honour | Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was killed in November, was given the Order of Nasr by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Sun, 12/13/2020 – 10: 10 | Vehicles drive by a billboard in honour of slain nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in the Iranian capital Tehran (AFP) | An assassinated nuclear scientists has been awarded Iran's top…
(2020-12-13). Iran summons French and German envoys over criticism of journalist's execution. middleeasteye.net 
Iran summons French and German envoys over criticism of journalist's execution | Ruhollah Zam was hanged on Saturday, convicted of helping to foment violence during 2017 protests in Iran | Sun, 12/13/2020 – 13: 54 | Former opposition figure Ruhollah Zam during his trial at Iran's Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Zam, who was sentenced to death in June, was executed on 12 December (AFP) | Ira…
(2020-12-13). San Diego Cancel the Rent Coalition calls for eviction moratorium extension. liberationnews.org 
In the early afternoon of Dec. 11 about 40 activists, tenants and organizers gathered outside of San Diego Evictions' law office in Normal Heights. San Diego's Cancel the Rent Coalition, of which the Party for Socialism and Liberation is a member, led calls to stop all evictions, extend the moratorium, and cancel all rents and …
(2020-12-13). 10 years in jail for stealing sweets? Thanks to Covid-19, it's a possibility in Slovakia, and people are puzzled. rt.com 
A man who stole two chocolate bars from a shop in Slovakia may be sent to jail for ten years. He is the latest person facing a surprisingly harsh punishment for petty crime due to the Covid-19 state of emergency. | The disturbing story of the man from northwestern Slovakia was reported this week by local media. His sister said she wrote to President Zuzana Caputova asking her to intervene on her brother's behalf. | "A ten-year sentence for a couple of chocolates is unconceivable. The situation today is so difficult and people have a hard life as it is," she said. Stealing is of course bad, but the punishment t…
(2020-12-13). 'It's not over,' Trump declares 1 day before Electoral College votes, claims US looks like '3rd world country'. rt.com 
With the Electoral College vote looming and enough states certifying their counts to clinch Joe Biden's victory, Donald Trump said "it's not over" and his campaign will continue pursuing legal avenues to flip the election results. | "We're going to speed it up as much as we can, but you can only go so fast," Trump told 'Fox & Friends' in an interview that aired on Sunday. The president cited "numerous local cases," including in Wisconsin, that could still help prove his allegations of voter fraud. | "They give us very little time. But we caught them, as you know, as fraudulent, dropping ballots, doing so many…
(2020-12-13). 'Tell your agent to keep his mouth shut then': Pogba pledges '1,000% involvement' at Man Utd — but fans demand action on Raiola. rt.com 
Paul Pogba has reaffirmed his commitment to Manchester United after a week in which questions were again raised over the Frenchman's future — but skeptical fans have urged the star to rein in super agent Mino Raiola. | Pogba played the duration of United's dour 0-0 derby draw with Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, and after the game posted a message of commitment to the Old Trafford club on social media. | "I've always fought and will always fight for [Manchester United], my teammates and the fans. Bla bla is not important," Pogba wrote to his Instagram following of 42.5 million. | "The…
(2020-12-13). 'Racist cowards': Fans and players horrified as Champions League winner and football ace girlfriend cop 'sickening' online abuse. rt.com 
Bayern Munich prodigy Alphonso Davies and Paris Saint-Germain star Jordyn Huitema have been barraged with vile racial abuse under an innocent holiday snap on Instagram, leading supporters and players to speak of their shock. | The photogenic pair were bombarded with racist comments under a shot they had shared of themselves posing on a boat in Ibiza, which 19-year-old Huitema affectionately described as a "baecation". | Almost four months after the picture had first been posted, a targeted campaign of poisonous comments appeared based around the colour of Davies's skin, variously calling the defender a "monkey…
(2020-12-13). Russia successfully tests hypersonic Zircon missile, flying EIGHT TIMES the speed of sound to hit ground-based target (VIDEO). rt.com 
The Russian Navy has successfully tested the anti-ship hypersonic Zircon missile, firing it from a frigate in the White Sea. The new weapon has been called a game-changer that could radically shift the naval balance of power. | In a video published by the Ministry of Defense on Friday, a Zircon can be seen being launched from the Admiral Gorshkov, a modern warship commissioned in 2018. Aiming at the Chizha training ground, a shooting range in Arkhangelsk Region, it successfully flew the required 350km. | Flying at Mach 8 — eight times the speed of sound — it was the first test of the missile being…
(2020-12-13). A short film made by a community is getting international recognition. thecanary.co 
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
(2020-12-13). Sudan's prime minister arrives in Ethiopia as refugee crisis continues. middleeasteye.net 
Sudan's prime minister arrives in Ethiopia as refugee crisis continues | Sudan has absorbed tens of thousands of refugees from Ethiopia's war-stricken Tigray region | Sun, 12/13/2020 – 12: 00 | A handout picture provided by Sudan's Foreign Media Council shows Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (R) meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed in Khartoum on 25 August 2020 (AFP) | S…
(2020-12-13). Man arrested for invading tarmac & climbing on wing of packed passenger airliner in Las Vegas (VIDEO). rt.com 
Astonished passengers noticed that an intruder had climbed onto a wing of a plane which was preparing for takeoff from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. | Video filmed by a passenger and first published by KTNV 13 Action News shows a man walking back and forth on a wing of Portland-bound Alaska Airlines passenger plane. At one point, the man gets down on one knee and makes a gesture known as a 'hand heart' to the sky. He then lies on his stomach and starts to slowly crawl. | Officers approach the aircraft, but the man only briefly raises his hands and continues to calmly lie down on the wing. "They'
(2020-12-13). GUNMAN opens fire outside St. John the Divine church in Manhattan after Christmas choir performance. rt.com 
Police have neutralized a gunman outside St. John the Divine Church in Manhattan, after the suspect fired rounds into the air and at cops at the end of a Christmas choir show. The shooter died of his wounds in a hospital.
(2020-12-13). GUNMAN opens fire outside St. John the Divine church in Manhattan during Christmas choir performance. rt.com 
Police have neutralized a gunman outside a Christmas choir show at St. John the Divine Church in Manhattan, after the suspect fired rounds into the air and at cops. The shooter has been rushed to a hospital with a gunshot wound.
(2020-12-13). 'Learn some discipline': Players decked as mass rampage on field creates bizarre finale to 'shamed' American football game (VIDEO). rt.com Players were thrown to the ground and a wild touchdown was disallowed as an American football game descended from high tension to outright farce, with fans warning that the riotous ending was "asking for someone to get hurt." | Footage of the chaotic climax to the clash between Western Michigan and Ball State racked up more than two million views in less than 24 hours as people tried to make sense of the stampede that spilled across the turf in the final seconds. | After Ball State decided they had secured a fumble recovery, sealing victory by a score of 30-27, their excited fans raced onto the field to celebr…
(2020-12-13). Dozens arrested in Paris protest against new security law. thecanary.co 
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…
(2020-12-13). Fighting returns to Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan claims some Armenian troops broke terms of armistice by remaining in region. rt.com 
Nagorno-Karabakh is in danger of flaring up again after Azerbaijan claimed it had carried out an operation in the disputed region on Saturday. Baku claims Armenian soldiers remained in the area in violation of last month's truce. | According to the Azerbaijani side, some Armenian troops refused to cooperate with the terms of the armistice, and had stayed put in forests near the village of Hadrut. In response, Baku says that they were forced to take retaliatory measures. | "After the signing of the November 10 joint statement on a ceasefire, Armenian armed units remained in the forests to the northwest of the H…
(2020-12-11). Kimberle Crenshaw on the Equity Gag Order. fair.org 
CounterSpin Kimberle Crenshaw Full Show (image: Breitbart, This week on CounterSpin: "This is a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue. Please report any sightings so we can quickly extinguish!" Donald Trump's disturbing September 5
(2020-12-05). Netflix to feature Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon in new documentary series. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Netflix, a leading streaming entertainment service featuring TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages, will soon begin airing a new documentary series, "The Surgeon's Cut," which features an episode about Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon. Filmed and produced by BBC Studios Production, "The …
(2020-12-04). US Slaps More Sanctions on Iran, Claiming Tehran Has Secret Chemical Weapons. theantimedia.com Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran in 1980s war while receiving support from the US.
(2020-12-04). "You Alone Can Save His Life": Snowden Urges Trump to Pardon Assange. theantimedia.com He's right, you know..
(2020-11-25). Indigenous Slavery and the Thanksgiving Difference. splcenter.org  …
(2020-12-15). Tuesday 12/15: Families Belong Together: Year in Review and Looking into 2021. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-12-15). NATO opposed to treaty on Prohibition of nuclear weapons. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — NATO said on Tuesday it is opposed to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as it does not fit in with the existing security architecture.
(2020-12-15). Imperial's research through a poetic lens. imperial.ac.uk Poet and spoken word artist Dan Simpson has come to the end of his innovative public engagement residency at Imperial College London.
(2020-12-15). Aleppo's Liberation Three Years Ago Today: Anybody Ashamed? globalresearch.ca December 12, 2017, marks the anniversary of the liberation — the West called it fall — of Aleppo in Syria. What happened is conveniently forgotten today by the West. | Some of us can't and won't forget what was both world, …
(2020-12-15). Changes in Outpatient Buprenorphine Dispensing During the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com This study examined outpatient buprenorphine dispensing patterns in Texas before vs after the Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily relaxed outpatient buprenorphine prescribing regulations in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-12-15). The Border Patrol Is Cracking Down on Humanitarian Aid. thenation.com The Border Patrol Is Cracking Down on Humanitarian Aid…
(2020-12-15). WHO sees 'strong commitment' from Pfizer on affordable COVID vaccine. yenisafak.com A World Health Organization senior official said on Tuesday that the agency was in talks with Pfizer to include its COVID-19 vaccine as part of an early global roll out.Bruce Aylward, WHO senior adviser, said that he saw a "strong commitment" on the part of its CEO Albert Bourla to set prices at levels appropriate to poorer populations. He expected some news on more manufacturers joining the list of providers to the COVAX vaccine facility in coming weeks, he added.
(2020-12-15). Iran+5 to start preparing ministerial meeting on nuclear deal. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Representatives of Iran and five international mediators will discuss preparations for a ministerial meeting on December 16 in a virtual meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA.
(2020-12-15). Letters From the December 28, 2020/January 4, 2021, Issue. thenation.com Letters From the December 28, 2020/January 4, 2021, Issue…
(2020-12-15). Chile: President Piñera Has No Intention To Pardon Protesters. telesurenglish.net Chile's President Sebastian Piñera on Monday announced he will reject a bill to pardon citizens who are in police custody due to their participation in the protests that took place in October 2019. | RELATED: | Claiming that the bill threatens public order, citizen security, and the rule of law, Piñera announced that if necessary, he will use his veto prerogatives to prevent the pardon's approval by the Senate. | S…
(2020-12-15). Sunday 12/20: Solstice eve Pole DANCING & candlelight CARAVAN to STOP 5G. indybay.org Berkeley – Dance/rally at 2020 BONAR // CARAVAN to MARIN TRAFFIC CIRCLE for 2nd rally/dance // Then to GRANT/UNIVERSITY AVE for 3rd rally/dance…
(2020-12-15). Republicans Will Take Their Assault on Democracy to Congress—and It Will Be Awful. thenation.com Republicans Will Take Their Assault on Democracy to Congress—and It Will Be Awful…
(2020-12-15). How Some Of America's Richest Towns Fight Affordable Housing. popularresistance.org Westport, CT – A dirt field overgrown with weeds is the incongruous entrance to one of America's wealthiest towns, a short walk to a Rodeo Drive-like stretch replete with upscale stores such as Tiffany & Co. | But this sad patch of land is also the physical manifestation of a broader turf war over what type of housing — and ultimately what type of people — to allow within Westport's borders. | It started when a developer known for building large luxury homes envisioned something different back in 2014 for the 2.2 acre property: a mix of single- and multifamily housing that would accommodate up to…
(2020-12-15). New data expose catastrophe of Turkey's "herd immunity" policy. wsws.org One of the world's biggest cover-ups of the pandemic is taking place in Turkey as part of a global, criminal "herd immunity" policy in the interests of the ruling class.
(2020-12-15). Warehouse Workers Are on the Front Lines of the Covid Crisis. zcomm.org They're Worried They'll Be Passed Over for the Vaccine…
(2020-12-15). Iran oil production grows in November. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — According to the latest data released by OPEC, Iran's monthly oil production witnessed an increase in November 2020.
(2020-12-15). Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Incident Cardiovascular Diseases. jamanetwork.com This international study pooled individual-participant data from several long-term prospective studies to evaluate the relationship between depressive symptoms and incident cardiovascular disease.
(2020-12-15). Addressing Medical Misinformation in the Patient-Clinician Relationship. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint describes why health misinformation spreads, characterizes a broader set of misinformation types, and discusses solutions to this problem.
(2020-12-15). Biden and the JCPOA: Lessons from Arab and Iranian Public Opinion. globalresearch.ca With Joe Biden as President-elect and Donald Trump soon leaving the White House, analysts are engaging in endless speculation about what this change in administrations will mean for the future of the JCPOA, the "nuclear deal" negotiated between the P5+1 …
(2020-12-15). Boko Haram in charge of kidnapping Nigerian students. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the abduction of over three hundreds of schoolboys in the northwestern state of Katsina.
(2020-12-15). W.E.B. Du Bois Is as Relevant as Ever. progressive.org Elvira Basevich's new book takes a look at the scholar's work through the lens of the Black Lives Matter movement.
(2020-12-15). Inadequate COVID Stimulus Is Pushing Cities and States to Make Draconian Cuts. truthout.org For the last nine months, as the COVID crisis has deepened, cities and states have stared down a growing financial apocalypse. In the first bloom of the crisis, those cities and states that had managed to put aside extra dollars during nearly a decade of economic growth used up their hard-won rainy-day funds; then they began juggling numbers, using accounting tricks to lower current spending obligations without actually reducing jobs and services; and then, when they ran through their grab b…
(2020-12-15). Top grocery chain eliminates 20 million individual pieces of holiday single-use plastic. nationofchange.org "It is an absolute priority of ours to remove and reduce the amount of plastic in our stores."
(2020-12-15). US Sanctions Directed against Turkey For Its Acquisition of Russia's S-400 Air Defense System. globalresearch.ca The recently imposed targeted sanctions against Turkey and the impending National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2021 ones mandating similar measures against it for its acquisition of Russia's S-400 air defense systems, while illegal in terms of international law and a …
(2020-12-15). Mass measles vaccination starts in Burundi. yenisafak.com The Burundian government on Tuesday started a measles vaccination campaign for children, the health minister announced.Thaddee Ndikumana officially launched a four-day campaign in Cankuzo province, 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the capital Bujumbura near the Tanzanian border."At least 570,466 children between six and 59 months will be vaccinated as part of the campaign," Ndikumana said.The campaign will start from Dec. 15 to Dec. 18 in 14 health districts across the country. The vaccination campaign is coupled with a wide distribution of nutritional supplements (vitamin A) to children aged between one and 14 ye…
(2020-12-15). President Erdogan receives credentials of 5 new envoys. yenisafak.com Turkey's president received credentials from envoys of five countries on Tuesday.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed new ambassadors of China, Japan, Luxembourg, Latvia, and Bangladesh at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.Liu Shaobin of China, Kazuhiro Suzuki of Japan, Angele Da Cruz of Luxembourg, Peteris Vaivars of Latvia, and Mosud Mannan of Bangladesh separately presented their credentials, according to Turkey's Presidency.Da Cruz previously served as charge d'affaires at the Luxembourg Embassy in Praia, Cape Verde, while Vaivars was Latvia's ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Mannan ser…
(2020-12-15). Australian Trotskyist Barry Jobson dies aged 78. wsws.org From the time he joined the Socialist Labour League, predecessor of the SEP, in 1974 Comrade Barry was a tireless fighter for the program of Trotskyism in the working class, particularly in the Elcar railway workshops in the Sydney suburb of Chullora where he worked for many years.
(2020-12-15). The 2020 Worldwide Corona Crisis: Destroying Civil Society, Engineered Economic Depression, Global Coup d'État and the "Great Reset" globalresearch.ca We are at the crossroads of one of the most serious crises in modern history. We are living history, yet our understanding of the flow of events since January 2020 has been blurred. Worldwide, people have been misled both by their governments and the media as to the causes and devastating consequences of the Covid-19 "pandemic".
(2020-12-15). To end the pandemic, WHO says $28 billion ACT project is 'the best deal in town'. news.un.org An international coalition aiming to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic needs $28 billion, a bargain price for stopping the damage done by a virus that has run rampant for the past year, a senior UN World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Tuesday.
(2020-12-15). Black Woman Sworn in as Governor in Bermuda. telesurenglish.net Rena Lalgie, the first black governor and woman in the history of the Bermuda archipelago, was sworn in at Government House in Hamilton city. | RELATED: | After arriving from the UK on Sunday, she said it was a privilege to star her service as governor of Bermuda, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. | Prime Minister David Burt, Chief Justice Narinder Hargun, and Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque attended th…
(2020-12-15). Amid Fears of Overwhelmed Medical Systems, Ample U.S. Hospital Capacity Nationwide. globalresearch.ca As fears persist of overwhelmed medical systems and at-capacity hospitals nationwide, data indicate that ample hospital space remains available for both COVID-19 patients and other medical needs, with one official at a major hospital network stating that the country is …
(2020-12-15). US Justice Department shuts down UAW corruption investigation, praises union "reforms" wsws.org The US attorney heading the five-year investigation into corruption in the United Auto Workers union joined UAW President Rory Gamble to announce the end of the federal probe while absurdly claiming the union is now free of corruption and suspicion.
(2020-12-15). Relief Package Gives Retroactive Immunity to Corporations From COVID Lawsuits. truthout.org One piece of a bipartisan Covid-19 relief package unveiled late Monday would give corporations sweeping and retroactive immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits, a top Republican priority that
(2020-12-15). Moqaddam's message on occasion of Cinema Verite inauguration. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Mohammad Hamidi-Moqaddam sent a message to the 14th Iran International Documentary Film Festival known as "Cinema Verite".
(2020-12-15). Climate Change Can be Addressed in Coronavirus Relief, Study Says Development Group Urges. indybay.org As countries address their debt crises, policy responses can reduce climate change, asserts a new study. "Linking Debt Relief and Sustainable Development: Lessons from Experience," examines previous debt relief processes to learn how debt and climate responses can work in tandem.
(2020-12-15). Midwest Dispatch: Beware of Proud Boys and Liability Shields. progressive.org We know racist violence runs rampant on the far-right, but it's also familiar in Congress.
(2020-12-15). Stop Destruction of San Francisco Restaurants. indybay.org We are now witnessing a second shut down of a major part of San Francisco's economy, its famous restaurants, and the reasons given do not hold up to scrutiny.
(2020-12-15). Trump Still Contesting Stolen Election 2020. globalresearch.ca "We wuz robbed" applies to US Election 2020 — decided by brazen fraud for losers Biden/Harris over winner Trump. | An illegitimate process prevailed over an open, free and fair one — the latter prohibited in all US federal elections for …
(2020-12-15). Wednesday 12/16: The Legacy of Police Violence Against the Black Panthers to the Attica Uprising. indybay.org Online event…
(2020-12-15). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Health care workers in Ontario, Alberta and other provinces have protested inadequate COVID-19 safety measures while the disease is once again infecting hundreds at meatpacking plants.
(2020-12-15). Iran reports over 7,700 new virus cases, 223 deaths. yenisafak.com Iran confirmed 223 more coronavirus-related fatalities on Tuesday, raising the nationwide death toll to 52,670, according to the country's Health Ministry.Some 7,704 more people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally over 1.12 million, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.She said that a total of 833,276 patients have recovered so far, while 5,704 remain in critical condition.Twelve Iranian districts have been classified as red zones with a high risk of coronavirus transmission, while 288 have been designated orange zones, and 148 yellow zones, Lari added.The ministry is curr…
(2020-12-15). Young Champions of the Earth: Indian's burning desire for energy. news.un.org An Indian engineer has been recognized by the United Nations for developing innovative technology which not only produces energy, but which helps to keep the air cleaner and reduce climate change.
(2020-12-15). Trijardy XR—A New 3-Drug Combination for Type 2 Diabetes. jamanetwork.com This Medical Letter compares a newly approved fixed-dose combination pill comprising the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin, the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor linagliptin, and extended-release metformin, with available formulations of each of the pill's individual components for oral treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults.
(2020-12-15). JAMA Network Articles of the Year 2020. jamanetwork.com This Medical News article discusses the top-viewed research articles published across the JAMA Network in the past year.
(2020-12-15). Conversational Agents in Health Care—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Darcy and colleagues from Woebot Health cite 2 references when suggesting that the CA field is more developed than our Viewpoint suggested. However, we find the use of these references as being off target for 2 reasons. First, both articles address symptom checkers. Symptom checkers typically ask patients preset questions and permit structured or limited free-text replies. Thus, we would not consider symptom checkers to be CAs. Our Viewpoint focused on technologies that accept and interpret a broad range of typed or spoken words, phrases, and sentences and that offer natural-sounding language response…
(2020-12-15). Experts warn 'rash' Christmas easing of coronavirus rules will 'cost many lives'. thecanary.co Pressure is increasing on the government to rethink the easing of coronavirus restrictions over the Christmas period after two leading medical journals warned the move would "cost many lives". | "Rash": | In a rare joint editorial, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and Health Service Journal (HSJ) called for the "rash" decision to relax social distancing measures over the festive period to be scrapped. | They said that the government "is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives". | London mayor Sadiq Khan also expressed concern about the five-day "Christmas window" which would a…
(2020-12-15). William Barr Resigns as Attorney General on Heels of Electoral College Vote. truthout.org Image Credit: Shealah Craighead / White House / Flickr | William Barr is resigning as attorney general, leaving his post after angering President Trump for not backing his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud more strongly. But despite their split, Barr has been one of Trump's staunchest allies, echoing much of the president's inflammatory rhetoric about Black Lives Matter and antifascist activists this year even while downplaying the threat posed by far-right extremists. In June, Barr repor…
(2020-12-15). Soleimani entered Gaza to repel Israeli attacks, blockade. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Firas Al Najim, a Canada-based human rights activist, points to the role of Martyred Lieutenant General Ghasem Soleimani in the fight against terrorism in West Asia, and his support for Palestinian resistance.
(2020-12-15). USPSTF Recommendation: Screening for Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults. jamanetwork.com This 2020 US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement recommends screening for HBV infection in adolescents and adults at increased risk for infection (B recommendation).
(2020-12-15). Trump's Last Chance to Snub the Deep State. globalresearch.ca Any semblance of rationality during the past dozen years in the United States regarding what the Republican and Democratic parties really stand for is hard to find, other than money, of course. | Political science courses used to teach that Republicans …
(2020-12-15). Israel detains 17, uproots olive trees in West Bank. yenisafak.com Israeli forces rounded up 17 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank on Tuesday, while military bulldozers destroyed dozens of olive trees in the occupied territory, according to a Palestinian NGO. | The Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement that 11 Palestinians were detained in Jerusalem, two in Ramallah, two in Bethlehem and two in Hebron. | Meanwhile, Israeli bulldozers destroyed 50 dunums (12.3 acres) of farmland, including olive trees, in Suba village, west of Hebron city, according to Ahmed Barbosh, the landowner's son. | On Monday, the Israeli authorities handed over orders to 12 Palestinians…
(2020-12-15). Effect of Intravitreous Aflibercept vs Vitrectomy With Panretinal Photocoagulation on Visual Acuity in Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy and Vitreous Hemorrhage. jamanetwork.com This randomized trial compares the effects of initial treatment with intravitreous aflibercept vs vitrectomy with panretinal photocoagulation on visual acuity over 24 weeks among adults with vitreous hemorrhage from proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
(2020-12-15). DeSantis Sued for Withholding White House Report Slamming His COVID Response. truthout.org Two Florida newspapers sued Gov. Ron DeSantis after the Republican withheld a White House Coronavirus Task Force report urging the state to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions amid a large spike in infections in the Sunshine State. | The Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
(2020-12-15). Provinces Crackdown On Indigenous Land Defenders. popularresistance.org Toronto – Months after a group of Haudenosaunee people set up camp on a construction site near Caledonia, Ontario, a provincial court granted Haldimand County an order permanently forbidding people from "interfering" with any public road. | A lawyer for the county argued that the injunction was the "only remedy" to keep roads open in the event of future blockades over disputed land. | "I kind of jokingly—but not jokingly—say, if you get a flat tire and are impeding traffic with that flat tire in any kind of way, you are now breaching that injunction," Skyler Williams, a spokesperson for the 1492 Land…
(2020-12-15). Tigray crisis: Humanitarian aid for children must be a priority, UNICEF says. news.un.org Providing aid to millions of children uprooted by the ongoing crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia must be a priority, the head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
(2020-12-15). Iraq to Sue US over Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons: Official. globalresearch.ca An adviser to the Iraqi parliament's foreign affairs committee said the Baghdad government is planning to lodge an international lawsuit against the US for using internationally-banned munitions in civilian areas. | Hatif al-Rikabi told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency in an interview …
(2020-12-15). Exome Sequencing as Part of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Diagnosis—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Doreille and colleagues share our opinion that a genetic disease diagnosis cannot be made on the basis of an exome-sequencing result alone but requires consideration of all of a patient's clinical features and consistency with the spectrum of clinical manifestations that occur in the disease being considered.
(2020-12-15). Canadian Guards Beat a Prisoner to Death Four Years Ago. Now They Have Impunity. truthout.org December 15 marks yet another anniversary in the calendar of carceral violence: the killing of Soleiman Faqiri, who was beaten to death by guards in an Ontario solitary confinement cell in 2016. This August — almost four years later — the Ontario Provincial Police Faqiri, known as Soli, was 30 years old. He had studied environmental enginee…
(2020-12-15). The discussion about Corona. indybay.org Corona can only become a kairos if we gain the theoretical capacity of recovery and create the conditions for a transformation. Taking the healthcare system away from the markets and obliging large companies to be oriented in the common good would be steps to infrastructure socialism.
(2020-12-15). Creating More Climate-Proof Health Care Facilities. jamanetwork.com Building more resilient and environmentally sustainable health care systems is essential to ensuring access to care as the world's climate continues to change, according to new guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO).
(2020-12-15). This Is What the Founding Fathers Wanted. thenation.com This Is What the Founding Fathers Wanted…
(2020-12-15). Rebuilding Trust and Relationships in Medical Centers. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses efforts that medical centers can take in rebuilding affordability-related trust and relationships with patients.
(2020-12-15). Conversational Agents in Health Care. jamanetwork.com To the Editor The Viewpoint by Dr McGreevey and colleagues drew attention to the increasing use of conversational agents (CAs) in health care. However, they suggested a less mature field than we find in practice, and their call for CA-specific regulations risks creating confusion.
(2020-12-15). Progressives cannot sit by and expect Biden or Democratics to do the right thing. zcomm.org If Democrats Want to Succeed, They Will Have to Implement Policies That Primarily Benefit the Working Class…
(2020-12-15). Russia Begins COVID-19 Vaccination Throughout Its Territory. telesurenglish.net Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Tuesday announced the start of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country, adding that his institution has settled a national network for the transportation of the Sputnik V vaccine. | RELATED: | Besides announcing that President Vladimir Putin's administration will seek to attract new companies for the production of the vaccine, he explained that the conservation of Sputnik V will b…
(2020-12-15). Jacksonville rallies for justice for Devon Gregory and community control of the police. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – On December 11, activists both locally and nationally joined the family of Devon Gregory, an 18-year-old Black man shot 35 times by four Jacksonville Sheriff's officers, in a day of action for Devon. | Earlier that day at around 11 a.m., Gregory's family was joined by their attorney, Kevin O'Conner, and organizers from various groups for a press conference on the steps of city hall. | The demands were for a federal investigation of the case, as well as an end to protections for killer cops that are currently in the Florida Officers' Bill of Rights, so that evidence such as the remaining body ca…
(2020-12-15). Over 21 kg of heroin seized in eastern Turkey. yenisafak.com In the eastern province of Van, police discovered over 21 kg of heroin hidden in a car's fuel tank. While the contraband was seized, the driver was held.Separately, police in the southern Adana province rounded up 26 suspects for alleged drug-trafficking.Meanwhile, in Istanbul, and the northwestern province of Tekirdag, police discovered highly-lethal methamphetamine, 8 kg and 1 kg respectively, and detained four suspects.* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk…
(2020-12-15). William Barr Achieved What He Set Out to Do — Grossly Expand Executive Power. truthout.org William Barr is going out a winner. | When I wrote my
(2020-12-15). Pakistan approves chemical castration of serial rapists. yenisafak.com Pakistan's President Arif Alvi on Tuesday approved the country's new anti-rape law that will ensure speedy trials and allow for chemical castration of convicted offenders.Under the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020, all cases related to rape will be wrapped up by the special courts within four months, according to a statement from the president's office.Anti-rape crisis cells will be established to conduct medico-legal examination of rape victims within six hours of the incident.A nationwide registry of repeated sexual offenders will also be established.The law also prohibits revealing a rape victim's identity, declaring…
(2020-12-15). Protest for Casey Goodson Jr., shot in the back, killed by Ohio cop. fightbacknews.org Columbus, OH – A crowd of 500 people took to the streets of Columbus, Ohio on December 11 to protest the police killing of Casey Goodson Jr. Hundreds of young people, led by Goodson's family, marched through the streets carrying signs and surrounded the Ohio Statehouse. | The march stopped in front of the Statehouse on South High Street long enough to shield protesters who painted a large mural on the street surface. Impassioned speakers addressed the gathering crowd. Police presence was heavy, as riot police staged in the surrounding buildings. However, the demonstration remained largely uninterrupted. | Tamala…
(2020-12-15). Western Sahara Is the "Reward" to Morocco for Recognizing Israel. globalresearch.ca President Donald Trump announced on December 10 that Morocco had joined UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan in recognizing Israel, with plans to reopen its liaison office in Tel Aviv, and joint overflight rights for airlines. The US, Israel, and Morocco triangle …
(2020-12-15). USPSTF Review: Screening for HBV Infection in Nonpregnant Adolescents and Adults. jamanetwork.com This systematic review to support the 2020 US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement on screening for hepatitis B virus infection summarizes published evidence on the benefits and harms of screening and interventions for hepatitis B infection in nonpregnant adolescents and adults.
(2020-12-15). Put me out of a job: UN refugee chief's challenge to world leaders. news.un.org The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has challenged world leaders to put him "out of a job" by addressing the root causes that drive millions to flee their homes due to war and insecurity.
(2020-12-15). Mark Zuckerberg, Venture-Capital Radical. strategic-culture.org The Facebook founder's unusual LLC philanthropy allows him to blur the lines between business, charity, and politics. | by Michael VOLPE | Imagine an organization that lobbies for progressive laws while providing venture-capital funding to techno-futurist endeavors. It gives to numerous charitable causes in its own region—funding homeless shelters, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other community organizations—while also participating in political advocacy and influence at the state and national levels. It spends a fortune every year on cutting-edge innovations in science and technology while funding a grad…
(2020-12-15). Stop weaponising antisemitism: 'Never again ever, for anyone!'. thecanary.co Dan Glass is the grandson of four Nazi Holocaust survivors, two from Germany and two from Poland. He says "the last thing I'm ever going to let happen is that my grandparents' story and what they went through, be weaponised to oppress other people". | You can watch the full Redfish documentary featured in this video Alongside the launch of this video, the following Q&A with Dan Glass and The Canary's
(2020-12-15). Smart toilets and managing natural disasters: designing cities of the future. imperial.ac.uk Imperial students have collaborated with students from Tsinghua University in Beijing to devise solutions for the smart cities of the future.
(2020-12-15). Why I supported the Newcastle Harbour blockade. greenleft.org.au Protests to demand jobs and a safe environment are still necessary or we face the recurring nightmare of last summer's bushfires, argues Steve O'Brien.
(2020-12-15). 15-year-old is assassinated while being treated in hospital in Mexico as homicides reach record levels. wsws.org Local, state, and federal authorities have demonstrated a complete indifference to the terrible conditions of the working class, exacerbated by the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-12-15). Tribal Territories Have the Right to Protect Their People Against the Pandemic. thenation.com Tribal Territories Have the Right to Protect Their People Against the Pandemic…
(2020-12-15). United Nations Sounds Alarms About Rising Violence in Colombia. telesurenglish.net The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday condemned the increase in violence in Colombia, urging President Ivan Duque's administration to take concrete actions to effectively protect the population. | RELATED: | Bachelet noted that the Indigenous Nasa community has been one of the most affected by the violence in 2020, with 66 of its members reported having been killed in the northern Cauca regi…
(2020-12-15). Trump Admin Continues Assault on Environmental Protections Post-Election. truthout.org In the aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, President Donald Trump has tried every trick in the book to avoid facing the reality of his loss. A barrage of lawsuits accompanied by disinformation campaigns has attempted to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election. | But a close look at regulatory actions and executive moves shows that, even as Trump makes a show of refusing to concede or transition power to the incoming Biden administration, his team is pushing through a slew of last-minute rules…
(2020-12-15). Iranian short film "Limbo" wins at Brazilian FilmFest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Iranian short film "Limbo" directed by Ghasideh Golmakani wins at Brazilian Film Festival.
(2020-12-15). Patient Consumerism, Healing Relationships, and Rebuilding Trust in Health Care. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses barriers to building trust between physicians and patients and offers recommendations to increase that trust, including minimizing emphasis on patient consumerism, promoting authentic partnerships, and accelerating select payment and delivery system reforms.
(2020-12-15). Police dismantle 2 drug-trafficking bands in S Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — The police forces of Hormozgan province, south of Iran have managed to dismantle two drug-smuggling gangs and seize over 1 ton of illicit drugs in the past 24 hours.
(2020-12-15). A Song for Gram—The Music of Grief. jamanetwork.com In this narrative medicine essay, a critical care fellow returning to the ICU after burying her grandmother learns that grief does not conform to clinical schedules and efficiencies, having instead its own pace and melody, like the songs on violin she loved to performed for her beloved Gram.
(2020-12-15). Screen Shot 2020-12-15 at 9.56.14 AM.png. progressive.org A wolf recovery program's failure shows how the Fish and Wildlife Service has lost its way.
(2020-12-15). Bernie Sanders and progressives in our winter of discontent. nationofchange.org Bernie Sanders was the catalyst for galvanizing the grassroots progressive power that propelled his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. As this century enters its third decade, the torch needs to be grasped by others to lead the way.
(2020-12-15). Yemeni army foils Saudi aggression in Dhale province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Yemeni army has reportedly thwarted an attack launched by the Saudi-led coalition in Dhale province.
(2020-12-15). Half of Buenos Aires lost income during pandemic: Study. yenisafak.com Nearly half of households in Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, or Greater Buenos Aires, lost income during the pandemic, according to a recent study.Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Argentina (INDEC) reveals 49.3% of households in the urban center lost their livelihoods due to restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.INDEC's latest report released Monday, which contains data from August-October, showed that four out of 10 households had at least one member with employment problems such as dismissal, suspension and decrease in income.Meanwhile, 33.8% of households had…
(2020-12-15). Who's Afraid of Glenn Greenwald? dissidentvoice.org The mosquitoes were getting bothersome. — Opening line of the last paragraph of Chapter 5 in Pnin, a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, 1953 Well, the weather report is in, as we transition from Trump's Titanic to Joe Biden's Adventure, and it looks like we're all in for a "dark winter" of the long knives; so, …
(2020-12-15). World Is "Speeding in the Wrong Direction" on Climate. zcomm.org "The gap between what we need to do and what is actually being done is widening by the minute"
(2020-12-15). Human-Centered Design and Trust in Medicine. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses how human-centered design (HCD) that involves all stakeholders can improve patient trust in physicians and health care systems, describes its methods, and provides examples of its successful application.
(2020-12-15). Rouhani Tells Biden How to Get the Iran Deal Back on Track. scheerpost.com Asia Society / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Iranian president Hassan Rouhani was asked Tuesday in an interview with a state-owned news outlet under what conditions Iran would return to the 2015 nuclear deal with the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5), including the U.S., plus Germany (+1) He replied, "A thing we are saying today is that if tomorrow morning the… |
(2020-12-15). Germany goes for a stricter semi-lockdown amid alarming COVID-19 spike. peoplesdispatch.org According to the new regulations, schools and non-essential shops will remain closed across Germany from December 16 till January 10. As of December 14, around 1,348,851 COVID-19 cases had been reported in Germany, with 22,607 deaths…
(2020-12-15). "Students are being treated as a source of profit by university managements" peoplesdispatch.org Peoples Dispatch spoke to Jude Percival, press officer for the 9K4WHAT? campaign group in the UK which is campaigning against higher tuition fees being charged by universities across the UK during the COVID-19 crisis…
(2020-12-15). Progressives Have a Bold Agenda. Biden Should Act on Their Priorities in His First 100 Days. thenation.com Progressives Have a Bold Agenda. Biden Should Act on Their Priorities in His First 100 Days.
(2020-12-15). Labor helps expand Australian spy agency's secret interrogation powers. wsws.org Pushed through parliament in one day, the bill extends ASIO's coercive questioning powers beyond terrorism to "foreign interference," "espionage" and "politically motivated violence."
(2020-12-15). People, planet on 'collision course', warns UN Development Programme. news.un.org Countries must redesign their development pathways to reduce damage to the environment and the natural world, or risk stalling progress for humanity overall, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned in a major new report.
(2020-12-15). Bezos, McConnell, and Covid capitalism. nationofchange.org The heinous resurgence of COVID makes clear that corporations need more — not fewer — incentives to protect their workers from the virus.
(2020-12-15). Exome Sequencing as Part of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Diagnosis. jamanetwork.com To the Editor The Viewpoint by Dr Friedman and colleagues on whole-exome sequencing claimed that the diagnosis of many genetic diseases cannot be based solely on molecular results but requires a multidisciplinary approach for a final diagnosis. The authors stated "Genomic variants classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic may be seen in healthy people." This phenomenon has been described for genetically related kidney diseases in particular. We agree with the authors about using a multidisciplinary approach in the field of adult genetically related kidney diseases, in which the pretest probability of a geneti…
(2020-12-15). Biden Urges To 'Turn the Page' After Electoral College Victory. telesurenglish.net U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday night urged the nation to "turn the page" to unite and heal after the Electoral College vote made his victory official. | RELATED: | The electors cast 306 votes for Biden and 232 for Donald Trump based on the 2020 election results in their respective states. To clinch the White House, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes of the 538 in total. | "I will be a president…
(2020-12-15). Green Left is turning 30 – Help us celebrate 30 years of people-powered media by posting a message to your socials using the hashtag #greenleft30. Tell us what Green Left means to you. Alternatively, you can send your message to editor@greenleft.org.au. greenleft.org.au Green Left is turning 30! | Help us celebrate by a short message, or posting it to your socials using the hashtag #greenleft30.
(2020-12-15). Threat of government legal action forces Greenwich Council to keep schools open. thecanary.co The leader of Greenwich Council has said he has "no choice" but to ask schools to remain open following threats of legal action from the government. | Threats: | The local authority has agreed to withdraw its advice to schools in the south-east London borough to move to online learning for the last few days of term amid rising coronavirus (Covid-19) rates in the capital. | The decision comes after education secretary Gavin Williamson told the Labour-run council on the evening of 14 December to keep schools open to all pupils until the end of term or it will face legal action. | Statement from Cllr Danny T…
(2020-12-15). Tuesday 12/15: S.F. Gray Panthers December 15 mtg: a look back; ahead; and at loneliness! indybay.org Zoom in: us02web.zoom.us/j/87088353876 | Phone in: 1 669 900 9128 (Meeting ID: 870 8835 3876)…
(2020-12-15). The most lethal virus is not COVID-19. It is war. greenleft.org.au Today the war drums have new and highly enthusiastic beaters in Britain, America and the 'West', writes John Pilger.
(2020-12-15). Transparency as a Trust-Building Practice in Physician Relationships With Patients. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint describes transparency practices that could help physicians build trust with patients and model professionalism for students and trainees: clear and consistent disclosure of financial relationships, conflicts of interest, credentials, disciplinary actions, performance metrics, and personal information or experiences oriented toward improving patient outcomes.
(2020-12-15). Why the Cleveland Indians Will Change Their Name. thenation.com Why the Cleveland Indians Will Change Their Name…
(2020-12-15). Turkish Cyprus urges US to retract sanctions. yenisafak.com The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Tuesday called the US to retract its "extremely wrong" sanctions on Turkey."It is extremely wrong to impose sanctions on Turkey just because it purchased S-400 missiles for its own stability and that of its region," Prime Minister Ersan Saner said in a written statement.Saner's remarks came after the US Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.The sanctions, coming under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), target the country's Defense Industries Presiden…
(2020-12-15). UN experts raise concern over charges against US indigenous leader and rights defender. news.un.org Independent UN human rights experts expressed serious concern on Friday over the arrest and charges brought against an indigenous leader, for peacefully protesting a political rally held last July at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, located on treaty lands of the Great Sioux Nation.
(2020-12-15). And Now, for Something Somewhat Different. cepr.net Dear Beat the Press Readers, It's that time of year again, when I hijack Dean's blog to ask you to consider making a year-end donation to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. As many of you know, Dean pretty much gives his work away for free, which is great for the public but not …
(2020-12-15). IMF austerity is strangling Ecuador — again. zcomm.org Members of the Progressive International's Debt Justice working group call on IMF President Georgieva to deliver on the promise of a just recovery…
(2020-12-15). UN documents 375 killings in Colombia in 2020, urges Government action. news.un.org The United Nations has recorded the deaths of 255 people in 66 massacres in Colombia this year, as well as the killing of 120 human rights defenders, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Tuesday.
(2020-12-15). Global Regulators Set Standards for Safe Vaccines. jamanetwork.com The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are collaborating to create standards that ensure safe and equitable access to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) medicines and vaccines.
(2020-12-15). Niger: UN gravely concerned for safety of refugees, following Boko Haram attack. news.un.org The United Nations voiced grave concern on Tuesday for the safety of thousands of refugees and internally displaced in the wake of a deadly attack on Toumour, a town in southeastern Niger's Diffa region, near the border with Nigeria.
(2020-12-15). Experts Discuss COVID-19: Vaccine Allocation, Placebo Groups, and More. jamanetwork.com This JAMA Live Highlights feature provides comments about the coronavirus 2019 pandemic from experts in clinical medicine, public health, and health policy expressed during livestream interviews with JAMA Network Editor in Chief Howard Bauchner, MD.
(2020-12-15). US sanctions on Turkey harm alliance: Defense minister. yenisafak.com The US decision to impose sanctions on Turkey has deeply shaken alliance values between the two countries, said the country's defense minister on Tuesday, denouncing the move."We condemn this decision, which does not comply with alliance, current military, or political realities," Hulusi Akar told Anadolu Agency.The US on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system."This sanction decision has shaken all values of alliance between our countries," Akar stressed.Highlighting the air and missile threats that Turkey faces, he said the country is taking all measures…
(2020-12-15). NATO chief attends EU Commission college meeting. yenisafak.com NATO chief on Tuesday attended a college meeting of the European Commission to discuss matters pertaining to cybersecurity, climate change, and resilience.Following the meeting, Jens Stoltenberg and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a news conference marking the first visit of a NATO secretary-general to a EU college meeting in the history."The European Commission, and NATO are good partners, but we could do more. We could be more strategic and we could prioritize better. So, it's about topics like cybersecurity and emerging technologies. It's about climate change and resilience," von der Leyen sa…
(2020-12-15). USPSTF Guideline: Screening for Hepatitis B in Nonpregnant Adolescents and Adults. jamanetwork.com This JAMA Patient Page reviews the US Preventive Services Task Force's 2020 recommendation to screen for hepatitis B infection in adolescents and adults at increased risk (B recommendation).
(2020-12-15). Headlines for December 15, 2020. democracynow.org First Americans Receive Coronavirus Vaccine as U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Top 300,000, More European Nations Enter Lockdown as Mexico Approves Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Accused of "Lethal Incompetence" over Lack of Vaccine Planning, Joe Biden Condemns Trump's "Abuse of Power" as Electoral College Affirms His Win, Rep. Paul Mitchell Leaves GOP, Blasting Trump's "Disgusting" Efforts to Overturn Election, Lawmakers Unveil Coronavirus Relief Package as 12 Million Face Loss of Jobless Benefits, Oil Tanker Hit by Explosives in Saudi Port Amid Houthi Rebel Attacks on Saudi Infrastructure, U.S. Remove…
(2020-12-15). Iran, Russia stress parliamentary, bilateral ties expansion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf held a phone conversation with the Chairman of Russia's State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin on the expansion of parliamentary ties and recent developments in region and world.
(2020-12-15). Warning! Seniors and Healthcare Workers First in Line to Get the Experimental COVID Vaccine! globalresearch.ca With the FDA giving emergency use authorization (EUA) for the experimental Pfizer COVID mRNA vaccine, doses are currently in route to all 50 States and U.S. Territories. | In most of these states it is being reported that the first doses …
(2020-12-15). Moroccan authorities use force to prevent pro-Palestine rally. peoplesdispatch.org The protesters were trying to take out a march opposing Morocco's deal to normalize its ties with Israel. In exchange for the deal, the US has agreed to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the occupied Western Sahara…
(2020-12-15). People Are Taking the Wrong Lesson From Trump's Failed Coup. thenation.com People Are Taking the Wrong Lesson From Trump's Failed Coup…
(2020-12-15). Paris Opera singers go digital after COVID keeps theatres closed. yenisafak.com So they decided to film their performance of works by a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and 18th century French composers Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Andre Gretry and offer it on a new video-on-demand portal launched last week by the Opera de Paris, which runs the Garnier and the Bastille opera venues."Of course it is sad, but we're very lucky to be able to film this concert, especially because some pieces of music that will be played have never been recorded", said French soprano Pauline Texier.France's government announced in November that a lockdown imposed at the end of October to tackle a second coronavirus…
(2020-12-15). Japan brings back world's 1st deep space gaseous sample. yenisafak.com Japan's space agency on Tuesday said one of its missions has brought back the world's first sample of a material in a gaseous state from deep space, local media reported.The Japanese government hopes the Hayabusa2 project will help uncover the mystery of the origin of life, because the capsule might contain sub-surface asteroid samples to reveal traces of the early solar system, Kyodo News reported.The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will now do a detailed analysis of the molecular and isotopic composition of the collected gas, the agency said.Last week, the Hayabusa2 carried a "substantial amount of so…
(2020-12-15). Caravan Carries Message: Trump, You Lost. Now Get the Hell Out! indybay.org Coronavirus hospitalizations have hit record highs in the Bay Area. While people are urged to avoid crowds and stay home as much as possible, one form of protest is seen as safe. Car caravan demonstrations featuring autos and vans decorated with banners continue to be held through the current lockdown period.
(2020-12-15). COVID's Covert Reengineering of Humanity. "Genetically Modified" Vaccines? globalresearch.ca The first Covid vaccines now being rushed onto the market are genetically modified products. However, they are not publicly referred to as such, because that would likely scare off a high percentage of would be recipients. | Nevertheless, the public …
(2020-12-15). Theodor Adorno and the Crises of Liberalism. thenation.com Theodor Adorno and the Crises of Liberalism…
(2020-12-15). 14th Iranian Documentary FilmFest. kicks off on Tuesday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — The 14th Iran International Documentary Film Festival known as "Cinema Verite" opened in Tehran on Tuesday.
(2020-12-15). Germany may begin COVID-19 vaccination next week. yenisafak.com Germany could begin COVID-19 vaccination before the end of this month if the European regulators approve BioNTech and Pfizer's vaccine next week, country's health minister said on Tuesday.Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Jens Spahn said media reports indicating that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) would grant a license for BioNTech's vaccine by Dec. 23 was a "good news" for all.He said German health authorities have made all the preparations and are ready to begin immunizations "between a maximum of two to four days" after the EMA's expected authorization.Developed in Germany, BioNTech and Pfizer's va…
(2020-12-15). 'Buy It or Else': Inside Monsanto and BASF's Moves to Force Dicamba on Farmers. globalresearch.ca Get poisoned or get on board. | That's the choice soybean farmers such as Will Glazik face. The past few summers, farmers near Glazik's central Illinois farm have sprayed so much of the weed killer dicamba at the same time that …
(2020-12-15). Protests grow to free, not move, detained refugees. greenleft.org.au A protest camp has sprung up outside the Mantra Hotel in Preston to try and prevent the detainees from being removed. Jacob Andrewartha reports.
(2020-12-15). The Enduring Importance of Trust in Leadership of Health Care Organizations. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the declining trust in the US health care system, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance that maintaining public trust should hold in the culture of health care organizations.
(2020-12-15). Border Patrol is Cracking Down on Humanitarian Aid. thenation.com Border Patrol is Cracking Down on Humanitarian Aid…
(2020-12-15). How Portland Radicalized Me. zcomm.org I am writing with urgency to tell you: this violence is not inevitable. It can be stopped…
(2020-12-15). Urgent Action Needed to Prevent Measles, Polio Resurgence. jamanetwork.com Leaders from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued an urgent call to prevent a worldwide resurgence of measles and polio as pandemic-related disruptions caused vaccination rates to fall to 50% in some areas.
(2020-12-15). Vosough Al-Dowleh Garden of Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — known as "Pomegranate Garden" because of its pomegranate trees, the Garden of Vosough Al-Dawlah was a private house and promenade during the Qajar era and today the garden is open to the public.
(2020-12-15). The Madness of Kook Donald. thenation.com The Madness of Kook Donald…
(2020-12-15). 'Grossly insufficient': ExxonMobil lambasted over emissions reduction plan that pledges no reduction in absolute emissions. nationofchange.org "Any company that fails to keep pace with what science demands threatens its future while endangering the rest of us with escalating climate impacts and systemic risks to the global economy."
(2020-12-15). From TMAP to Warp Speed: How Big Pharma Algorithms Fast-Track Unapproved Drugs and Vaccines. dissidentvoice.org Five of the pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines through the USA's Operation Warp Speed have paid out a total of nearly $6 billion to settle lawsuits charging them with fraud related to "off-label" marketing of atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants that were mandated through the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP), which evolved into President George W. …
(2020-12-15). Stephen Miller: Trump Can Still Win With "Alternate" Electoral College Electors. truthout.org On Monday, electors across the country participated in the Electoral College, the official mechanism for choosing the next president of the United States. But while the official voting was taking place, a group of Republicans supportive of President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud took part in an "alternate" version of the Electoral College, which is apparently supported by the White House itself. | Appearing on Fox News on Monday, Trump's senior adviser Stephen Miller explained…
(2020-12-15). Monday 12/14: Robert Reich's understandably tepid economic analysis. indybay.org Join Zoom Meeting | zoom.us/j/98433013005?pwd=dDA2L3pVZ2xkQn……
(2020-12-15). The Case for a Pardon of Edward Snowden by President Trump. globalresearch.ca A U.S. appellate court in September
(2020-12-15). Regardless of Who Occupies the White House, The Decadent Trajectory of Neoliberalism Continues. globalresearch.ca November 3rd has passed and slightly more than a third of the eligible electorate chose the Democrat, slightly less than a third the Republican, and the remaining third chose none of the above by either not voting or casting …
(2020-12-15). Editor of New Zealand's major corporate think tank exposed as a bigot. wsws.org Nathan Smith, chief editor of the New Zealand Initiative and a major writer for the National Business Review, ran a personal blog featuring anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim diatribes.
(2020-12-15). 'US impeding imports of Covid-19 vaccine to Iran'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — Explaining the details of financing the imports of the Coronavirus vaccine to Iran, the CBI Gov. Abdolnaser Hemmati said the US can revoke its permit to buy the vaccine at any moment it desires.
(2020-12-15). Outgoing Syria Envoy James Jeffrey Reflects on "What Everyone Got Wrong" globalresearch.ca In a long-ranging interview with Al-Monitor, James Jeffrey looks back on his efforts to incorporate fragments of Obama-era initiatives into a cohesive Middle East policy. | *** | In August 2016, former US Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey James Jeffrey
(2020-12-15). Biden staggers toward the White House. wsws.org In his remarks Monday night, Biden sought to cover over the collapse of American democracy with appeals for "unity."
(2020-12-15). How Gulf States became Business Partners in Israel's Occupation. dissidentvoice.org The professed rationale for the recent Abraham Accords, so-called "peace deals" signed with Israel by the UAE and Bahrain, was to stymie Israeli efforts to annex swaths of the West Bank. The aim was supposedly to neutralise another "peace" plan — one issued early this year by US President Donald Trump's administration — that approved …
(2020-12-15). Did You Think the New Laws Were Only About the Farmers? zcomm.org The laws contain among the most sweeping exclusions of a citizen's right to legal recourse in any law outside of the Emergency of 1975-77…
(2020-12-15). For U.S.-Mexico Relations, The Real Hope Lies with Energized Social Movements. zcomm.org The real hope doesn't lie with the governments but in recognizing the power and vision of progressive grassroots organizing…
(2020-12-15). Serenade Behind a Floating Stage. thenation.com Serenade Behind a Floating Stage…
(2020-12-14). Jacobin complains of being frozen out of Biden administration while promoting illusions in the Democrats. wsws.org The brazen indifference of Jacobin to the struggles and sufferings of the working class and the onslaught on democratic rights is a function of its class position and its right-wing, pro-capitalist politics.
(2020-12-14). Imperial launches Sustainability Strategy. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's new Sustainability Strategy sets out the roadmap to 2026 and beyond.
(2020-12-14). A Backdoor to Medicare For All. realprogressives.org Last week, Kyle Kulinski of Secular Talk did a segment on how it is possible for the president to give the American people full access to Medicare through executive order and do so by invoking a very important, if barely noticed piece of the Affordable Care Act, or the ACA — also known as Obamacare. | During negotiations while crafting Obamacare, Senator Max Baucus of Montana was under a lot of pressure to make the residents of the small town of Libby, Montana whole again. Many of the residents there had become sick because the vermiculite mine in the area was spewing massive amounts of deadly asbestos in…
(2020-12-14). Germany Unlikely to Pursue Independent Foreign Policy. Will Follow Biden. globalresearch.ca
(2020-12-14). New York Times smears COVID-19 whistleblower Rebekah Jones. wsws.org The Times is attempting to dig up completely irrelevant episodes from Jones' past in order to discredit her work in exposing the state cover-up of COVID-19 cases.
(2020-12-14). Venezuela vows war on US blockade in 2021: Deputy FM. yenisafak.com Despite having the world's largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela is waging a war of independence and survival against US sanctions and blockades, trying to save its rapidly devaluating currency, alleviate abject poverty and stop the brain drain.Venezuelans say 'Más raro que un perro verde' (stranger than a green dog) to describe weird situations such as this. Venezuela's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America Carlos Ron explained how the oil-rich country is facing so many challenges to Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.- Juan Guaido out of Venezuelan politicsRon said Venezuela's National As…
(2020-12-14). Iranian girls at intl. weightlifting c'ships for 1st time. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Iran's junior girls are to participate in the 2021 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Junior World Championships for the first time in the history of the country.
(2020-12-14). A Solar Eclipse Obscured Chile and Argentina. telesurenglish.net Chile and Argentina on Monday experienced a total solar eclipse that lasted about 2 minutes in the Argentine provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro. | RELATED: | While the eclipse could be seen across the Argentine territory, the moon covered only 60 percent of the solar diameter in the far-north provinces. In the central zone and in the north of Patagonia, however, the coverage percentage reached up to 99 percent. | Despite the mobility restrictions th…
(2020-12-14). Palestinians Can Now See Their Stolen Property in the Database We've Made Public. globalresearch.ca If US President Donald Trump's foreign policy worked heavily against multilateralism and the basic principles of a rules-based world order, when it came to Israel-Palestine, the focus was even more vicious. | Rather than just pushing pro-Israel positions, Trump fully endorsed …
(2020-12-14). Bağcılar Kombi Servisi. indybay.org Hava soğuk ve insanlar evlerini sıcak tutmak istiyor. Bu nedenlerle kazan bakımı gereklidir.
(2020-12-14). 13 Million More Girls Expected to Be Forced Into Marriage Due to Covid-19 Lockdowns and Economic Hardship. commondreams.org International children's rights advocates warned Monday that child marriage is on the rise in poor countries around the world. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Borrel says EU should find ways to return US to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, says the bloc should find a way with the Biden administration to return the US to its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
(2020-12-14). Poland faces real threat of pandemic third wave: minister. yenisafak.com Poland faces a real threat of a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said on Monday, adding he would recommend that current restrictions continue until at least Jan. 17.Poland's government is expected to adopt a national coronavirus vaccine plan on Tuesday.
(2020-12-14). Netherlands 'planning' strict lockdown to stem COVID-19. yenisafak.com The Netherlands is planning to introduce strict lockdown measures until Jan. 19 to stem the spread of coronavirus, a local media report claimed on Monday.According to Dutch public broadcaster NOS, the measures will take effect Tuesday midnight.Schools will be closed, and switch to online education, it said, citing a source in the government Hague, adding that Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to address the nation at 7 p.m. (1800GMT) tonight.The European country introduced a partial lockdown on Oct. 14, which is still in place. While restaurants and bars are closed, people are advised to work from home and av…
(2020-12-14). Warren Urges Raise in Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour for Federal Contract Workers. truthout.org Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Sunday urged President-elect Joe Biden to use his executive authority to raise the minimum wage for all federal contract workers to $15 an hour on his first day in office, echoing a demand pushed by "W…
(2020-12-14). Barcelona to clash with PSG in Champions League last 16. yenisafak.com Spanish football club Barcelona will face France's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.The last 16 draw was held in Switzerland.The upcoming phase in the Champions League will see a nail-biting showdown between Barcelona and PSG.Meanwhile, the 2020 champions, German powerhouse Bayern Munich will play against Italian club Lazio in the knockout stage.The last 16 will start in February and its second legs will take place in March.- Champions League last 16 pairings: Borussia Monchengladbach – Manchester CityLazio – Bayern MunichAtletico Madrid – ChelseaRB Leipzig – LiverpoolPorto – Juve…
(2020-12-14). MI Capitol Closes Due to Threats of Violence Before Electoral College Vote. truthout.org As electors within the Electoral College T…
(2020-12-14). Sanders on Manchin-Romney Deal: Congress Cannot Go Home Until Working Class Receives $1,200 Direct Payments. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). Dean Spade: 'Mutual Aid Always Pops Up Where Disasters Are'. progressive.org The author, activist, and teacher discusses his new book, the differences between mutual aid and charity, and his expectations for the Biden presidency.
(2020-12-14). US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not To Vote. mintpressnews.com It is not clear why the embassy decided to go back and delete its posting history, especially as undermining Venezuela's elections continues to be the official line of the US government.
(2020-12-14). The royal family's Christmas pudding recipe is here. salon.com The royal rendition features three alcohols: beer, dark rum and brandy…
(2020-12-14). First glimmer of hope in decades for Black Sea and Mediterranean fish stocks. news.un.org The number of fish stocks subject to overexploitation in the Mediterranean and Black Sea has fallen for the first time in decades, offering some hope that a dangerous decline can be turned around, according to a report published on Monday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
(2020-12-14). Bernie Sanders and Our Winter of Progressive Discontent. commondreams.org While Sanders is ill-positioned and uninclined to push back very hard against the evident trajectory of Biden's decisions, many progressives are starting to throw down gauntlets against the corporate and militaristic aspects of the incoming presidency. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Corporate Media Shills For Assassination Of Iranian Scientist. mintpressnews.com Corporate media features serial liars and pundits paid by the weapons industry to discuss the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist and Defense Minister Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Dan Cohen examines the propaganda campaign to drum up support for a war against Iran.
(2020-12-14). Baltimore Amazon workers form rank-and-file safety committee to defend workers and save lives. wsws.org We, the Amazonians of Baltimore, hereby announce the formation of an independent rank-and-file safety committee at the Amazon BWI2 Fulfillment Center. In launching the committee, our goal is to expose the conditions at our facility and the lies of management meant to cover them up. We are an organization of, for, and led by Amazon workers which will defend the rights and safety of our fellow employees.
(2020-12-14). Venezuelan Authorities Issued Arrest Warrants after Shipwreck. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan authorities explained on Monday that the Public Ministry has investigated a shipwreck that killed 20 people on Saturday. | RELATED: | Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported the capture of Venezuelan citizen Luis Alí Martínez, owner of the boat "Mis Recuerdos." The official recalled that there have been other incidents of this kind in the past. As a result, over 17 people remain imprisoned for the cr…
(2020-12-14). College of Saint Rose in New York slashes programs and tenured faculty positions. wsws.org By December 2021, 33 of 151 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty positions will be eliminated, as well as eight visiting faculty positions.
(2020-12-14). Kelly Loeffler's campaign condemns photo with longtime KKK member convicted of beating a Black man. salon.com The neo-Nazi was removed from a Loeffler campaign event in September by QAnon candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene…
(2020-12-14). How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System? thenation.com How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System?
(2020-12-14). 'US Leadership' — And Other Euphemisms For War. popularresistance.org Joe Biden doesn't become president for a month and a half, but already sections of the corporate media are calling on him to use US power to dominate the world. | Typically these calls are couched in benign-sounding euphemisms. For instance, CNBC (11/21/20) ran an article headlined, "How Biden Can Restore US Global Leadership After Trump's Retreat From International Institutions," which of course presumes that America ought to be planetary chief, despite the vast majority of those who live on Earth not being consulted. | Fred Kaplan of Slate (11/12/20) asserted that Biden's "main goal is to restore American leade…
(2020-12-14). New York University (NYU) Ignores Academic Freedom, Investigates Course Content. globalresearch.ca Mark Crispin Miller is a tenured professor in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University and has been on the faculty there for more than 20 years. He has been a vocal commentator on — and …
(2020-12-14). Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Asks City to Detail COVID-19 Safety Measures at Rikers Island. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). Brazil's Supreme Court Demands a COVID-19 Vaccination Calendar. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Court judge Ricardo Lewandowski Sunday gave President Jair Bolsonaro's administration 48 hours to publish details of the national vaccination campaign against the new coronavirus. | RELATED: | His decision comes after the Executive presented a vaccination plan that did not specify the dates for the beginning and the closure of a national campaign nor the steps for ensuring the vaccination of 70 percent o…
(2020-12-14). Pandemic Lessons for the Rest of Us. zcomm.org Or Vaccine Thinking Applied to All of American Life…
(2020-12-14). Report Details 'Staggering' Number of Attacks on US Journalists, Press Freedoms in 2020. commondreams.org "This report shows an unprecedented press freedom crisis engulfing the United States." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Belgian working class protests persecution of trade unionists. peoplesdispatch.org On International Human Rights Day, workers across Belgium appealed to revoke the sentences against 17 trade unionists for participating in a roadblock as part of a general strike in 2015…
(2020-12-14). How the Biden Administration Can Help Rejuvenate Journalism After Four Years of Carnage. commondreams.org It will require pressure from grassroots movements and concerned citizens to put these timely and urgent ideas on the agenda of the new administration. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Unemployment Skyrocketing? An Evolved Society Would Celebrate. scheerpost.com By Lee Camp / Original to ScheerPost Leaf blowers are everything wrong with capitalism. . . . I'll explain that in a minute. We all know times are irredeemably grim, and they're only getting worse. The unemployment level in America seems to be setting the record books aflame, and for some bizarre reason those numbers correlate nicely with the number of Americans under 40 living with their parents… |
(2020-12-14). Cautionary Tale: This COVID Vaccine Could Heighten HIV Risk for Some, Scientists Warn. globalresearch.ca In a The researchers — from the Fred Hutchinson …
(2020-12-14). Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Warned FDA About Ingredient in Pfizer COVID Vaccine that Likely Caused Life-Threatening Reaction in Two UK Healthcare Workers. globalresearch.ca An investigation this week identified polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the likely reason two people in the UK suffered anaphylaxis after receiving Pfizer's COVID vaccine. In September, CHD Chairman RFK, Jr. warned the FDA that PEG in COVID vaccines could lead …
(2020-12-14). Avert 'dire consequences' for women's health, UNFPA urges in appeal to prevent maternal deaths. news.un.org The UN agency dedicated to improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide (UNFPA) appealed on Monday for $2.5 billion by 2030 to help avert potential "dire consequences" surrounding pregnancies and maternal deaths.
(2020-12-14). It's Time We Called It What It Is: Fascism. commondreams.org The epic thrash we're witnessing is because the forces of capitalism, seeing a terminal economic crash approaching, are attempting to preemptively replace democracy with authoritarianism—fascism—so that they can control the outcome. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Imperialism 2.0: Notes from the Edge of the Narrative Matrix. globalresearch.ca The new imperialism doesn't look like old-school ground invasions, it looks like multi-front cold wars, economic warfare, blockades and starvation sanctions, drone strikes, arming proxy militias, CIA-backed coups, sprawling tech surveillance networks, mass psyops of unprecedented sophistication and narrative management …
(2020-12-14). Iran-Oman 7th Joint Strategic Consultation Committee held. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The 7th round of Iran-Oman Joint Strategic Consultation Committee was terminated with signing and sealing documents and agreements reached between the two sides in Omani capital Muscat on Monday.
(2020-12-14). UN human rights chief 'appalled' at Iran execution, questions trial process and verdict. news.un.org Iran's decision to hang media activist Ruhollah Zam on Saturday was an appalling violation of human rights that followed a deeply flawed trial process, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Monday.
(2020-12-14). As Millions Of People Face Evictions, Here Is How People Are Fighting Back. popularresistance.org The federal eviction moratorium is set to expire in December leaving an estimated 30 million people at risk of eviction. Members of Congress are still unable to reach an agreement on a relief bill that will extend the moratorium, as well as other important programs that were included in the CARES Act early in the year. I speak with two people about what is being done in their communities. They provide examples for others in similar situations. Joey Lankowski is with Food Not Bombs Las Vegas. They are building tiny home communities to keep people sheltered and physically separated when they have nowhere else to go…
(2020-12-14). An Opportunity to Normalize Relations with Cuba. counterpunch.org For the last two centuries, relations between the U.S. and the Latin American and Caribbean countries have been clouded by suspicion and resentment towards the U.S. It hasn't helped that U.S. governments have, intermittently, undermined democratic governments and promoted what can be euphemistically called "regime change". Nowhere has U.S. intervention been as relentless and damaging
(2020-12-14). Panama: Police Says 70% of Homicides Linked To Organized Crime. telesurenglish.net Panamanian Police reported on Monday that high-caliber weaponry, as well as $2,872,020, were found during an operation in a neighborhood near the capital. | RELATED: | According to the Chief Drug Prosecutor Javier Caraballo, this is a "major setback for organized crime." The police discovered 21 packages with chargers and ammunition and two containers with cartridges. | Un total de 2,872,020 balboas fueron hallados en el sector…
(2020-12-14). Maradona, worldwide soccer icon and outspoken anti-imperialist, dies at age 60. fightbacknews.org Diego Armando Maradona died November 25. One of the most universally known people in the world, Maradona passed away at age 60 while recovering from surgery. | Maradona, who wore number 10 on the Argentinian national soccer team, is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. At his peak he led Argentina to a 3-2 World Cup victory in 1986 over West Germany. And he nearly accomplished an incredibly rare back-to-back World Cup victory in the 1990 World Cup, leading Argentina back to the finals in a rematch between Argentina and West Germany. In that game Argentina lost to West Germany 1-0 on…
(2020-12-14). KFC's sexy Colonel Sanders Lifetime movie is the perfect distillation for this year's brand madness. salon.com For some, the mini movie was dumb fun. For others, it's a tiring reminder of why the "silence, brand" meme exists…
(2020-12-14). Have the Machines Already Taken Over? counterpunch.org "The planet groans every time it registers another birth" — Paul Simon, The Obvious Child According to Ron Milo and his colleagues at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, in 2020 the mass of artificial, human made objects on Earth is likely greater than the mass of all living things. The human-made world — steel,
(2020-12-14). ALBA-TCP member countries celebrate 16 years of regional integration. peoplesdispatch.org This December 14 marks 16 years since the creation of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America — People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP). The member countries of the organization held a virtual conference today to celebrate 16 years of regional integration. Heads of state and prime ministers of all member countries, among other representatives are participating in the 18th Summit of the organization. | During the meeting, themes such as the political situation of the region and the challenges to economic recovery of each nation in…
(2020-12-14). Netanyahu to enter quarantine until Friday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — After coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, Zionist regime Benjamin Netanyahu will enter quarantine until Friday.
(2020-12-14). Police officer receives probation after convicted of assault and battery. nationofchange.org "Our community and our criminal justice system rely on the integrity of police officers and we must hold accountable those who abuse their positions of power and trust."
(2020-12-14). Mayor of London, Bloomberg and Imperial join forces to tackle city's toxic air. imperial.ac.uk Imperial College London and the Mayor of London have launched a new partnership to fight the capital's air pollution.
(2020-12-14). GOP Under Fire for Blocking Necessary Funds as COVID Vaccine Distribution Begins. truthout.org As U.S. distribution of the newly approved Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine Facing large budget shortfalls due…
(2020-12-14). Headlines for December 14, 2020. democracynow.org Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Rolls Out Across the U.S. as Death Toll Tops 300,000, Gov't Funding Extended by One Week as Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Lingers in Congress, Harris County, Texas, Prisoners Can Now Attend Virtual Funerals During Pandemic, Germany Announces Hard Lockdown as Cases Surge in Japan, South Korea, Electoral College Electors Cast Their Votes, Further Cementing Biden's Win, Trump Rally in D.C. Turns Violent as Four People Stabbed, Protesters Attack Black Churches, Police Go After Protesters Outside Bergen County Jail, While a Car Rams into a NYC Solidarity Action, Indian Farmers Stage One-Da…
(2020-12-14). More brinksmanship in Brexit talks as deadline extended again. wsws.org The decision was made after hours of talks over the weekend in Brussels.
(2020-12-14). Wanna Win Georgia, Democrats? Go All-In for $15 Minimum Wage. commondreams.org As the Democratic party searches for a path forward after an underwhelming election, the answer should be clear. Double down on an issue that an overwhelming majority of Americans support. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Joe Biden Needs to Revive the Spirit of Tammany Hall. thenation.com Joe Biden Needs to Revive the Spirit of Tammany Hall…
(2020-12-14). Americans Are Drowning in Debt. Let's Forgive All of It. zcomm.org In the age of Covid-19, it's time to end our debt epidemic once and for all…
(2020-12-14). American documentarian to hold masterclass in Cinema Verite. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Acclaimed American documentarian James Longi will hold an online masterclass at Iran International Documentary Film Festival known as "Cinema Verite" in Tehran on Tuesday.
(2020-12-14). NYC Drivers Cooperative Aims To Smash Uber's Exploitative Model. popularresistance.org Ken Lewis grew up on the island of Grena ≠da, and wit ≠nessed the pro ≠gres ≠sive after ≠math of its 1979 rev ≠o ≠lu ≠tion. "I remem ≠ber the pow ≠er of coop ≠er ≠a ≠tives, peo ≠ple get ≠ting land, turn ≠ing places that were bar ≠ren into pro ≠duc ≠tive places," he says. That image stayed with him after he moved to New York City for grad school and start ≠ed dri ≠ving a taxi on the side. Now, sev ≠er ≠al decades lat ≠er, Lewis is final ≠ly get ≠ting a chance to put the pow ≠er of coop ≠er ≠a ≠tives into…
(2020-12-14). Over 1.7 tons narcotics confiscated in SE borders. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — The border commander of the NAJA announced the confiscation of 1.700 tons of various drugs by the border guards of Sistan and Baluchestan province.
(2020-12-14). UN rapporteur Nils Melzer demands Assange's immediate release after ten years' arbitrary detention. wsws.org Melzer's statement was issued amid a major coronavirus outbreak in Belmarsh Prison, that threatens the WikiLeaks publisher's life, and in the lead-up to a ruling on his extradition to the United States.
(2020-12-14). CureVac launches final trials for COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com German biotech company CureVac has launched the final stage of clinical trials for CVnCoV, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, it announced Monday.More than 35,000 volunteers from Europe and Latin America are expected to participate in the study, with the first participant already enrolled, the statement said.Participants age 18 or above will receive two-dose schedule of either the vaccine or placebo (substance with no therapeutic effect)."The clinical safety and immunogenicity data achieved to date look promising and we are hopeful that this trial will continue to demonstrate the impact of mRNA technology and our va…
(2020-12-14). ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on Kansas Voting Lawsuit. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). Armenia refutes reports about PM resignation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Pashinyan's press secretary Mane Gevorgyan dismissed rumors about Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation, stating that this issue has nothing to do with the real state of things.
(2020-12-14). Foreigners and US Presidential Pardons: Julian Assange Could be the Latest in a Distinguished Line. sputniknews.com Australian MP George Christensen is seeking clemency for Julian Assange who has been charged for publishing classified material and faces a prison sentence of nearly 175 years. Assange is currently detained in the UK's Belmarsh Prison, awaiting a final decision on his extradition to the United States.
(2020-12-14). South Korean auto workers set to intensify strike action. peoplesdispatch.org Automotive workers of Kia Motors Corp in South Korea are set to hold partial strikes till Thursday and a six-hour walkout on Friday. They have been protesting for over a month demanding better wages and working conditions…
(2020-12-14). Breeding world's rare parrots in Arak. en.mehrnews.com ARAK, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Rare parrots are bred in Arak, Markazi province. One of the great manifestations of the Creation is to understand and see birds and their beauty and to hear their voices.
(2020-12-14). Avert 'dire consequences', UN women's health agency appeals to global community. news.un.org The UN agency dedicated to improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide (UNFPA) appealed on Monday for $2.5 billion by 2030 to help avert potential "dire consequences" surrounding pregnancies and maternal deaths,…
(2020-12-14). Canada's first COVID-19 vaccinations set to start as soon as Monday. yenisafak.com Canada's first COVID-19 inoculations are set to begin as soon as Monday after some of the 30,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrived over the weekend, making Canada one of the few Western nations to start vaccinations.The United States is also expected to begin doling out doses of the vaccine on Monday after the UK started inoculations last week. Canadian officials said last week the first shots would be given on Monday or Tuesday.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced late on Sunday that a first batch had arrived.The hard-hit province of Quebec is prioritizing residents and staff in two care homes, a p…
(2020-12-14). India moves to strengthen strategic relations with Sri Lanka and the Maldives. wsws.org Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's trip to Sri Lanka was aimed at securing maritime cooperation to counteract Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean region.
(2020-12-14). New Analysis of Fracking Science (nearly 2,000 studies) Finds Grave Health, Environmental Justice, and Climate Impacts. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). CNN: 'Don't be Alarmed' if People Start Dying After Taking the Vaccine. globalresearch.ca In an article on the COVID vaccine rollout, CNN says that Americans shouldn't be alarmed if people start dying after taking the vaccine because "deaths may occur that won't necessarily have anything to do with the vaccine." | The advisory appeared …
(2020-12-14). Max Blumenthal Meets Rafael Correa In Venezuela. popularresistance.org Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. | Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. | Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of a left-wing victory in Ecuador's upcoming national elections, and what the US-backed government is doi…
(2020-12-14). The Ghosts of Christmas Present: GOP Kick the Most Vulnerable Amid Pandemic. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). SPJ Outraged After Execution of Iranian Journalist Ruhollah Zam. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). World Is "Speeding in the Wrong Direction" on Climate, Says Greta Thunberg. truthout.org Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who launched the global Fridays for Future youth climate movement, issued a stark warning on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement that the world is not doing enough to keep global heating below 2 degrees Celsius — the target set in the landmark 2015 deal. "The gap between what we need to do and what is actually being done is widening by the minute. We are still speeding in the wrong direction," Thunberg said in a video message posted on social me…
(2020-12-14). Time for Optimism, or More Despair? We Still Don't Know. thenation.com Time for Optimism, or More Despair? We Still Don't Know.
(2020-12-14). JCPOA disgraced Trump three times at UN: Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the JCPOA managed to stand up against the US President Donald Trump and disgraced him at the United Nations three times.
(2020-12-14). World Is "Speeding in the Wrong Direction" on Climate Says Greta Thunberg. truthout.org Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who launched the global Fridays for Future youth climate movement, issued a stark warning on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement that the world is not doing enough to keep global heating below 2 degrees Celsius — the target set in the landmark 2015 deal. "The gap between what we need to do and what is actually being done is widening by the minute. We are still speeding in the wrong direction," Thunberg said in a video message posted on social me…
(2020-12-14). Education min. inaugurates 58 student reasearch centers. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Iranian Education Minister Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei and VP for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari inaugurated 58 student research centers on Monday.
(2020-12-14). From 'Alternative Facts' to 'Alternate Electors': Stephen Miller Pushes Absurd New Strategy in Face of Trump Loss. commondreams.org "They're actively attempting a coup. It's extremely stupid. But that is what it is and it's beyond troubling." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Coalition Lawsuit: Science Says Wolverines Need Protection. counterpunch.org MISSOULA, MONTANA Today, WildEarth Guardians, and a coalition of wildlife advocates, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to deny protections to imperiled wolverines under the Endangered Species Act. This is the second time the Fish and Wildlife Service has prioritized politics over science for wolverines, which number only about 300 in the contiguous U.S. The groups in
(2020-12-14). As Vaccine Gains Approval, Hospitals Scramble Over Which Workers to Prioritize. truthout.org If there's such a thing as a date with destiny, it's marked on Dr. Taison Bell's calendar. | At noon Tuesday, Bell, a critical care physician, is scheduled to be one of the first health care workers at the University of Virginia Health System to roll up his sleeve for a shot to ward off the coronavirus. | "This is a long time coming," said Bell, 37, who signed up via hospital email last week. "The story of this crisis is that each week feels like a year. This is really the first time that th…
(2020-12-14). Yet Another Major Escalation In Establishment Internet Censorship. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | YouTube, whose corporate owner Google is YouTube's
(2020-12-14). Starmer urges leaders to try to keep schools open as Khan backs early closure. thecanary.co Keir Starmer has urged leaders to keep schools open. But the London mayor has called on the government to consider closing London schools early for Christmas, amid a surge in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases. | Sadiq Khan wants all secondary schools and colleges in London to close a few days early and reopen later in the new year due to "significant outbreaks" among 10 to 19-year-olds. | The mayor is also calling for all schools in London to get priority testing from today. And he's asking for for extra resources to support online learning. | But Labour leader Starmer said he would urge Khan to speak to the governmen…
(2020-12-14). At the UN, Syria Denounces Turkey's 'Crimes' in Its Territory. telesurenglish.net In two separate letters addressed on Monday to the United Nations Secretariat and the presidency of the Security Council, the Syrian Foreign Ministry warned of "Turkey's violations and its dangerous and frequent aggression against Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity." | RELATED: | Damascus, in particular, repudiated how Turkish troops and armed and extremist groups continue to support the "systematic" crime of cutting of…
(2020-12-14). US retail giants shut off pandemic hazard pay to workforce while funneling billions into share buybacks. wsws.org The Brookings Institution found that over a dozen of the US's most profitable retailers could have quadrupled their hazard pay to workers and still made a handsome profit during the pandemic.
(2020-12-14). We Want a More Democratic University—Until Then, We Won't Pay. zcomm.org Over 2,000 students across Columbia's institutions are demanding to be included in decisions over how their money is spent. And if not, they won't pay…
(2020-12-14). How Right-Wing Conservatives Have Laid Waste to America for 50 Years. commondreams.org Thanks to a half century of insidious "trickle-down" philosophy—which astoundingly continues to be preached by many of the super-rich—inequality has stretched our nation nearly to the breaking point. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). As Trump denies electoral defeat, Democrats preach bipartisanship. wsws.org The New York Times, which serves as the main mouthpiece for the Democratic leadership, elaborated the case for bipartisanship in a lengthy editorial Sunday, under the headline, "Build on Common Ground."
(2020-12-14). Iran pursuing resistance strategy against enemies. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Iran Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Ebrahim Raeisi said that the Islamic Republic of Iran pursues the strategy of resistance against the enemies.
(2020-12-14). 'The Actual Scandalous Headline Is Medics Need Two Jobs to Survive': AOC Defends Paramedic Outed by NY Post. commondreams.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday night was among those who came to the defense of a New York City paramedic who the New York Post outed and attempted to shame in a recent article about her decision to earn extra money via nude modeling. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Puerto Rico 2021: A Shift In Perspective, A New Opposition. popularresistance.org One of the things often taken for granted by the independence and socialist movement is knowing when to claim a victory. As a consequence of suffering so many blows throughout its history, the movement has become reflexively cynical when having to assess some kind of partial victory or progress. Let's recall, among other signature chapters, in 1976 the Puerto Rican Independence Party received 80,000 votes, which, when combined with those of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party, equaled nearly 100,000 votes. Or the founding and progress of the Workers United Movement (MOU), which managed to bring together the country'
(2020-12-14). 'Can Anybody Still Deny That We Are Facing a Dramatic Emergency?'. zcomm.org UN Chief at Climate Summit: "If we don't change course, we may be headed for a catastrophic temperature rise of more than 3 degrees this century."
(2020-12-14). The 126 GOP House Reps Who Tried to Overthrow Democracy Must Not Be Seated. truthout.org Merriam-Webster defines the word "treason" as "the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance." There are 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who did just that in broad daylight last week. | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's absurd attempt to overthrow the 2020 elections was flatly rejected on Friday night by the Supreme Court. Coming hard after that court's equally unequivocal dismissal of a Pennsylvan…
(2020-12-14). White Nationalists Sought Resumes for Trump White House, Emails Show. splcenter.org Activists linked to the white nationalist hate group VDARE sought resumes to fill out White House administration jobs days after media outlets declared Donald J. Trump the winner of the 2016 election, leaked emails show.
(2020-12-14). Vaccine Thinking Applied to All of American Life. scheerpost.com Marco Verch Professional Photographer / CC BY 2.0] By Liz Theoharis / TomDispatch Martin Luther King, Jr., offered this all-too-relevant comment on his moment in his 1967 speech "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?": "The contemporary tendency in our society is to base our distribution on scarcity, which has vanished, and to compress our abundance into the overfed mouths of the upper… |
(2020-12-14). [UPDATED] Venezuela Investigates Maritime Accident on Migrant Route. venezuelanalysis.com An estimated twenty died presumably travelling to Trinidad and Tobago in a small boat.
(2020-12-14). Trump's Morocco-Israel Deal Legitimizes Land Theft & Occupation. zcomm.org Morocco is the fourth Arab nation to establish ties with Israel since August, part of a diplomatic push by the outgoing Trump administration to shore up international support for Israel…
(2020-12-14). US imposes sanctions on two Iranian nationals. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on two Iranian nationals on Monday.
(2020-12-14). "Myopia": A Universal Message by Morocco's Film Director Sanaa Akroud's Latest Screen Gem. globalresearch.ca This film story by Sanaa Akroud is, like its title "Myopia", just too simple to carry the power of a deeply moving universal message. | Fatem a hardy woman from a remote Moroccan mountain village is sent on a frivolous mission …
(2020-12-14). Coronavirus Protocols as Tools of Repression. globalresearch.ca Covid-19 is a convenient excuse for governments to ban or restrict activities they don't like. | Whatever the scientific truths about coronavirus, state measures to control it undoubtedly have great potential for justifying state repression and surveillance. A friend of mine …
(2020-12-14). NLRB says Google illegally spied on and fired workers in 2019. wsws.org A complaint filed by the San Francisco office of the NLRB has charged Google with violating the National Labor Relations Act by interfering with, disciplining and firing employees who were engaged in legally protected organizing activities.
(2020-12-14). London to move into Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions. thecanary.co London will move into the highest tier of coronavirus restrictions from Wednesday as a result of soaring case rates. | Health secretary Matt Hancock will set out the move, which is also expected to apply to parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, in a Commons statement. | MPs briefed on the plans said a sharp rise in cases meant Hancock was unable to wait until the scheduled review of England's tiers on Wednesday. | One MP said they were told that cases are doubling every seven days in the capital. | Hancock is expected to use his statement to outline the financial support available to the Tier 3 areas. | It follows wa…
(2020-12-14). 'It Never Had to Be Like This': 300,000 Dead in US From Covid-19 Under Donald J. Trump. commondreams.org "It is equal to a 9/11 attack every day for more than 100 days." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Venezuelan Gold Seized by the Bank of England: British Court Accepts Guaidó's Appeal. globalresearch.ca Thursday December 10 the British Supreme Court accepted the appeal issued by the lawyers of the opposition for exiting deputy Juan Guaidó, and ruled in favor of hearing his appeal regarding control of Venezuela's gold reserves, valued at $1.3 …
(2020-12-14). Memorial ceremony of Karabakh martyrs held in Shahr-e-Rey. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The first memorial ceremony of the Karabakh martyrs was held on Monday afternoon in the presence of a group of Iranian state and military officials in Shah Abdol Azim Shrine in Shahr-e-Rey.
(2020-12-14). Julian Assange: COVID Risks and Campaigns for Pardon. counterpunch.org Before the January 4 ruling of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser in the extradition case of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks publisher will continue to endure the ordeal of cold prison facilities while being menaced by a COVID-19 outbreak. From November 18, Assange, along with inmates in House Block 1 at Belmarsh prison in south-east London, were
(2020-12-14). Syria: Weapons Found, Including Israeli Made Ones, and a Drone Left Behind by Terrorists in Syria's Southern Region. globalresearch.ca Syrian authorities on Sunday found a quantity of weapons and ammunition, including Israeli-made weapons as well as a drone left behind by terrorists in Syria's southern region, SANA reporter said on Sunday, citing a source from authorities. | The source told …
(2020-12-14). Who gets vaccinated for COVID-19 next (and who won't). salon.com Healthcare workers started receiving the approved Pfizer vaccine Monday…
(2020-12-14). Ron DeSantis sued for withholding White House report slamming his "inadequate" response to COVID. salon.com The White House Coronavirus Task Force warned of Florida's "unrelenting community spread and inadequate mitigation"
(2020-12-14). New York hospital administers state's first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com New York State began on Monday administering COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers, marking a pivotal turn in the nation's effort to curb the deadly virus.Intensive Care Unit nurse Sandra Lindsay received the first shot at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
(2020-12-14). South Asian women community health workers demand labor rights and occupational safety. peoplesdispatch.org On the International Day for Universal Health Coverage, Public Services International brought together Community Health Workers from India, Pakistan and Nepal for the launch of the campaign "Community Health Work is Work"
(2020-12-14). Nothing Was Delivered: Trump's Antiwar Deception. counterpunch.org President Donald Trump seems uninterested in ending any "endless wars." Before leaving office, he could and should do so in Afghanistan, for example, where U.S. forces—while losing the longest war in our history—have led a brutal occupation for nearly 20 years. Afghanistan is just one of the places where Donald Trump has set records for
(2020-12-14). Cambridge Academics Have Just Won an Important Battle for Free Speech. globalresearch.ca Academics at Cambridge won a cheering victory for free speech today when they voted by an overwhelming majority to reject plans from the vice-chancellor to change the rules governing debate at the university. | They rejected the university's proposals to insist …
(2020-12-14). Wall Street Vultures Are Ready To Get Rich From Water Scarcity. popularresistance.org Bloomberg reported on Sunday that California water futures are now officially on the Wall Street markets, with the United States—based CME Group heading up the 2021 contracts connected to the state's billion-dollar water market. The "commodity" was most recently going for $496 per acre-foot with the main purchasers of the futures—which were first announced by CME in September—expected to be large-scale water consumers, chiefly utility companies and the states' Big Ag corporations. (California is home to the largest agriculture market in the nation.) "Climate change, droughts, population growth,…
(2020-12-14). Canadian Politics: Time to Refocus from Hong Kong to Haiti. globalresearch.ca For those who support a truly just foreign policy comparing Canadian politicians' reactions to protests in Hong Kong and the slightly more populous Haiti is instructive. It reveals the extent to which this country's politicians are forced to align with …
(2020-12-14). Russian Vaccine Sputnik V Has Over 90 Percent Effectiveness. telesurenglish.net Russia's Gamaleya Institute announced on Monday that the Sputnik V vaccine reached a 91,4 percent effectiveness. This, after a study of 26,000 volunteers who receive the first dose and 21,000 who received the second. | RELATED: | During a press conference, the Gamaleya Institute Director Alexander Gintsburg said that the "results the Sputnik V vaccine has demonstrated during the Phase III clinical trials support our confidence in its high…
(2020-12-14). Ignore the Spin, The Hague's ICC Ruling on British War Crimes in Iraq Is Damning. globalresearch.ca The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court recently reported that there was "reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in Iraq. She declared that there was evidence of crimes including unlawful killing, rape, torture and inhumane treatment …
(2020-12-14). The UN and NATO Exploit the Refugee Crisis to Promote the Rhetoric of Peace and Security. strategic-culture.org The UN excels in statistical data, most of it derived from its complicity in allowing human rights violations to thrive. "We are now surpassing another bleak milestone that will continue to grow unless world leaders stop wars," the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, declared. In the first half of 2020, over It is indeed one of the biggest contradic…
(2020-12-14). COVID Whistle Blower Raided with Gestapo Tactics! dissidentvoice.org  …
(2020-12-14). Greta Thunberg: Five years after Paris 'we are speeding in the wrong direction'. greenleft.org.au Five years on from the Paris Climate Agreement, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has slammed governments for wasting time. Based on the science, the climate and ecological crisis cannot be solved without system change, she argues.
(2020-12-14). NJ Lawmaker Wants Mandatory Corona Shot for All Kids Without Exemption. globalresearch.ca A State Senator in New Jersey wants the coronavirus vaccine made mandatory for all school age children, despite them being the least at risk group. | Middlesex Democrat Senator Joseph Vitale also wants to eliminate exemptions that have been used in …
(2020-12-14). School students in Germany protest and enforce online teaching to combat coronavirus infection. wsws.org "With our pupils' strike, we have achieved more‚ÄÜprotection against infection with a few hours of preparation than all of the measures taken by Bremen's politicians in recent months."
(2020-12-14). New York City halts indoor dining but keeps schools open as second coronavirus wave accelerates. wsws.org Even as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths climb to levels not seen in months, state and local governments headed by Democrats have reopened schools and kept most businesses open.
(2020-12-14). Guinean President Conde to be sworn in on Tuesday. yenisafak.com Newly re-elected Guinean President Alpha Conde is set to be sworn in on Tuesday after winning the elections held on Oct. 18.Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlàºt Cavu≈üoƒülu is also set to attend the swearing-in ceremony in the capital Conakry, among other esteemed invitees from over 28 countries who will be in attendance.Representatives from the United Nations and the African Union will also be present during the ceremony.Guinean President Alpha Conde was re-elected for a third term after winning the country's presidential elections held on Oct. 18 with 59,49% of the vote.The results were an…
(2020-12-14). Alphabet's YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive services hit by outage. yenisafak.com All services from Alphabet Inc, including YouTube, Gmail and Google Drive, were down for thousands of users across the globe on Monday.Google's own website that logs outages showed that all of the company's services were suffering from outages since about 7: 00 a.m ET."We are aware that many of you are having issues accessing YouTube right now — our team is aware and looking into it," company's video platform said in a tweet. "We'll update you here as soon as we have more news."According to outage monitoring website DownDetector, more than 12,000 YouTube users were affected in various parts of the world, inc…
(2020-12-14). Coronavirus Fact-Check #9: Is the Vaccine Safe? globalresearch.ca There are
(2020-12-14). Sudan Is Removed From List of Countries Sponsoring Terrorism. telesurenglish.net Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Monday welcomed the announcement that the United States has removed his country from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSTL) list. | RELATED: | "After 3 decades of global isolation on the SSTL, Sudan officially rejoins the international community as a peaceful nation supporting global stability. This achievement comes with numerous opportunities for Sudan's development," Hamdok tweet…
(2020-12-14). Assange's Partner Decries 'Atrocious' Prison Conditions in Appeal for Australian Intervention. commondreams.org "The Australian government should just pick up the phone and speak to its closest allies and show its concern and secure his safe release," said Stella Morris. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Help Us Protect the Future of GlobalResearch.ca. globalresearch.ca Dear Readers, | We have been bringing you independent news and analysis for over 19 years. Our intention is to continue to relentlessly promote independent voices that speak out on issues too often neglected by the corporate media. There are no …
(2020-12-14). 32nd Gilan Provincial Theater Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The 32nd Gilan Provincial Theater Festival kicked off in Rasht on Monday after a three-week delay due to COVID-19 restrictions.
(2020-12-14). Iranians repelled over 444 imposed wars throughout history. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister said that all Iranians have together repelled over 444 wars imposed on them throughout history.
(2020-12-14). Trudeau Chooses Big Pharma's Rights over Health of Billions. globalresearch.ca The Canadian government is choosing corporate property rights over the health of billions. | The World Trade Organization is currently discussing a proposal by India and South Africa calling for a waiver of certain rules on intellectual property rights to allow …
(2020-12-14). International Law vs. Eternal Recurrence. counterpunch.org The 21st century may prove decisive for both the human race and the planet. The environment needs the enforcement of regulations reducing greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The human race needs the reenergizing and enforcement of international law. Chances are good that the environment will get more attention now that the egocentric and nearsighted U.S.
(2020-12-14). 'They Don't Care About the Little Guy': Progressives Take Aim at Greed of GOP Senators in Crucial Georgia Runoffs. commondreams.org To win on January 5, organizers say, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock should focus on getting direct economic relief to struggling Americans, raising the minimum wage, and the greed of the Republican Party. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). South Korean Kia workers strike again as GM and union push vote on rejected contract. wsws.org The autoworkers' struggles are continuing even though the Korean Metal Workers Union has isolated the negotiations and strikes at the three major auto companies.
(2020-12-14). Thousands attend joint opposition rally in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org The rally was the third organized under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, a coalition of 11 opposition parties, which was founded in September. They are demanding the resignation of prime minister Imran Khan…
(2020-12-14). Hunter Biden Fails to Report $400,000 in Income Received From Ukraine's Burisma – Reports. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Hunter Biden has failed to report some $400,000 in income that he received from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, Fox News reported on Monday.
(2020-12-14). Sweden's "herd immunity" policy produces disaster. wsws.org Sweden's response to the pandemic, which involved allowing schools and businesses to stay open while most of the world enacted lockdowns, was hailed as a model by all sections of the US and European political establishment.
(2020-12-14). Antisemitism Claims Mask a Reign of Political and Cultural Terror Across Europe. globalresearch.ca The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has run a fascinating
(2020-12-14). Independent investigation – Recommendations, action plan and next steps. imperial.ac.uk Imperial is publishing the actions it is taking in response to an independent investigation into allegations of bullying and a dysfunctional culture.
(2020-12-14). Turkish charities send aid to northern Syria. yenisafak.com Seven truckloads of humanitarian aid by Turkey's Diyanet Foundation were sent to northern Syria on Monday.The provincial mufti's Office and Turkey's Diyanet Foundation branch in Sanliurfa launched "Share Your Bread, Get Closer to Your Brother" campaign for Syrian families.The aid, which will be distributed among families in the Operation Peace Spring area, contains flour.Sanliurfa's Mufti Mehmet Tastan said: "Our people and officials didn't forget Syrian victims and oppressed brothers and sisters even during the pandemic. Our brothers mobilized before the winter for Syrians to have food on their tables."He also…
(2020-12-14). Civilian Control Means More Than Just Wearing a Suit to Work. thenation.com Civilian Control Means More Than Just Wearing a Suit to Work…
(2020-12-14). Video: Ron Paul: This Worries Me Much More than Covid. globalresearch.ca If you're concerned about the overreach of government in juicing asset prices to dangerous levels, picking economic winner and losers, and constraining our personal freedoms — you have very good right to be. | So says lifelong champion of free markets, …
(2020-12-14). Biden's choice for US trade representative signals anti-China stance. wsws.org President-elect Joe Biden has made clear that he will continue the aggressive confrontation with Beijing that was launched by the Obama administration a decade ago and stepped up under Trump.
(2020-12-14). Silica the best environmental alternative to plastic microbeads, finds study. imperial.ac.uk Following bans on plastic microbeads in wash-off cosmetics, a new study weighs up the environmental costs of alternatives.
(2020-12-14). What is marzipan? Plus, how to make it from scratch. salon.com "If you're going to make your own marzipan . . . you're going to find the flavor is much nicer"
(2020-12-14). Radical De-Globalization: Finding Back Our Freedom and Sovereignty: Tyrants Don't Create Tyranny. Your Obedience Does. globalresearch.ca People are waking up. | Art is being applied to protests. As very well demonstrated in Germany the Netherlands and Denmark — see video " It is not without reference tongue-in-cheek …
(2020-12-14). ALBA-TCP Celebrates XVIII Summit Virtually. telesurenglish.net The XVIII Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People's Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), is being held this Monday in a virtual manner and in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, coordinator of the event, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opened the event by means of vituar interventions transmitted from the Twitter account of the pres…
(2020-12-14). 8 MN Legislators Speak Out Against Line 3 During Sunday Visit to Construction Site. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). Hundreds protest in Columbus, Ohio to demand justice for Casey Goodson, victim of police shooting. wsws.org More than 200 protesters gathered in front of the state capitol on Saturday to demand justice for the 23-year-old African-American man gunned down by a sheriff's deputy on December 4.
(2020-12-14). Communism Is a Convenient Fifth Column for Justifying the Expansion of the National Security State. globalresearch.ca The tendency of the American establishment to treat communists like international criminals is borne of a desire to fiercely police them. Through genocidal sanctions and covert agendas to exclude them from the diplomatic order, Washington wilfully, knowingly deprives communist countries …
(2020-12-14). US removes Sudan from state terrorism sponsors blacklist. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The US has removed Sudan from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism after nearly three decades.
(2020-12-14). Iran's Haratian proud of appointing ACL medical officer. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Dr. Zohre Haratian, AFC and FIFA medical and doping control officer, who has been in Qatar since the beginning of the AFC Champions League East Zone competitions, is proud of being appointed as the first women Medical Officer.
(2020-12-14). Macron government authorizes police documentation of political views of French population. wsws.org At the beginning of the month, the Macron government quietly released far-reaching changes to its police intelligence guidelines.
(2020-12-14). Open schools and businesses in Germany are leading to record infections and mass death. wsws.org The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported the second consecutive daily record of the pandemic on Friday, with almost 30,000 new infections registered in 24 hours and almost 600 COVID-19 patients dying again in one day.
(2020-12-14). President Maduro Calls on the US To Probe Opposition Lawmakers. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday called on U.S. lawmakers to investigate the use of billion of dollars assigned by President Donald Trump's administration to opposition politicians in order to promote destabilization actions against the Bolivarian nation. | RELATED: | Maduro noted that the U.S. Congress will find thefts, scams, and lies by opposition representatives Leopoldo Lopez, Julio Borges, and Juan…
(2020-12-14). Russia's Rosatom Presents Project of Modernized Floating Nuclear Power Plant. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The economic characteristics of the Russian project of a modernized floating nuclear power plant make it competitive in the global market, the head of Atomenergomash, a mechanical engineering division of state corporation Rosatom, Andrey Nikipelov said on Monday.
(2020-12-14). Electoral College Follows the Will of The American People. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). China-US Relations: Here's How China Survived and Thrived During Four Years of Donald Trump. globalresearch.ca The past four years of US President Trump's time in office were very challenging for China, ye the country managed to not only survive, but even thrive despite the American leader's best efforts to thwart its rise. It's important to …
(2020-12-14). Resisting Amazon Is Not Futile. popularresistance.org It seems eons ago, the youth-led climate strike of September 20, 2019 that brought four million people onto the streets worldwide. I was on the sidewalk outside Seattle City Hall, watching thousands of school-skippers march by. And then behind the teens came waves of exuberant people, no more than a decade or two older, their homemade signs held aloft: tech workers, including hundreds of Amazon workers who had stepped out of their comfortable cubicles and palatial glass towers to join the global walkout. | They had every right to step lightly. Just a day earlier, the budding Amazon Employees for Climate Justice h…
(2020-12-14). Lavrov underlines need for dialogue on Persian Gulf security. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow's readiness to provide the grounds for dialogue among the Persian Gulf countries over security concerns.
(2020-12-14). Thousands are facing famine in Yemen due to continuing war and lack of foreign aid. thecanary.co Thousands of people in Yemen are on the brink of According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 13.5m people in Yemen are facing high food insecurity. From analysis during October to December, the IPC found that about 16,500 people are facing a "catastrophe" level of food insecurity. | The IPC projected this to increase in 2021, leading to around 47,000 people enduring the highest level of food insecurity by June.
(2020-12-14). Red Scare and Love Scare: Two-Pronged McCarthyism Afflicts Indian Democracy. zcomm.org All protesters are being branded 'Maoists', and those who dare to love beyond the boundaries of their faith 'jihadists'
(2020-12-14). Warren Joins Chorus Urging Biden to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour for Federal Contract Workers on Day One. commondreams.org "While the president cannot—without Congress—increase the federal minimum wage, the president can, through executive power, increase the minimum wage of workers on federal contracts." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). 7 books every activist needs to read. nationofchange.org Activism can be a long and exhausting road but there are so many sources of inspiration out there. From indigenous protesters to LGBTQ heroes, recharge your activism with these essential stories of standing up to power.
(2020-12-14). Turkish president hails OECD's 60th anniversary. yenisafak.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday hailed the 60th anniversary of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).In a video message, Erdogan said international cooperation should prioritize developing countries, refugees, and displaced people. "I believe that OECD should play a pioneering role in this," he said."As Turkey, we have displayed active cooperation and solidarity in the OECD towards its goals of securing balanced economic growth and development, as well as raising prosperity and employment," underlined the president.Noting the organization's role in treaties, standard-s…
(2020-12-14). Israel's Isolation of Palestinian Child Prisoners Amounts to Torture. globalresearch.ca Israeli authorities routinely detain Palestinian children in isolation solely for interrogation purposes, a practice that amounts to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, Defense for Children International — Palestine said in a report released today. | The 73-page …
(2020-12-14). As Brexit Talks Enter Final 48 Hours UK Threatens to Deploy No-deal Gun Boats. globalresearch.ca Ministers are set to beef up patrol powers by bringing in legislation to allow the Navy to board foreign vessels and arrest fishermen if there is no agreement, in scenes reminiscent of the 1970s Cold Wars. | *** | The UK has …
(2020-12-14). As COVID Rages, We Are Experiencing Mass Abandonment Amid Abundance. truthout.org Martin Luther King, Jr., "The contemporary tendency in our society is to base our distribution on scarcity, which has vanished, and to compress our abundance into the overfed mouths of the upper classes until they gag with superfluity. If democracy is to have breadth of meaning, i…
(2020-12-14). Water, hygiene woes at health facilities putting lives at risk: UN report. news.un.org Lack of basic water and sanitation services at health facilities has put around 1.8 billion health workers and patients at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and other diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have said.
(2020-12-14). Yankee Detectives Are Always on the TV. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including Pastor Mark Burns announcing on Twitter the pardoning of Julian Assange by President Trump, the Electoral College counting votes for the President, and the Washington Post announcing Russia's alleged hacking of US agencies.
(2020-12-14). Next up: The pretend president in exile—Trump's survival scam against defeat and dishonor. nationofchange.org Behold! Our new normal is having two presidents, a weathered veteran and a self-anointed, undisciplined pretender.
(2020-12-14). Autumn leaving Kar Salar village in December. en.mehrnews.com MAZANDARAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) — The Karsalar village, in Savadkuh county of Mazandaran province enjoys exciting landscapes during the last days of autumn in mid-December.
(2020-12-14). Iran's 'nuclear nationalism' can't be assassinated. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The fact that Iran has overcome technological obstacles in developing nuclear programs is a source of pride for Iranians, and Iran's nuclear knowledge will not be lost by the assassination of one of its scientists.
(2020-12-14). Human Rights Day car caravan rolls through Minneapolis. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 100 cars stretched for over a half mile, honking horns in unison and shouting protest chants from rolled-down windows as they slowly drove through the Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhoods on December 12. The occasion was Human Rights Day, with car-caravanning protesters demanding respect for human rights at home and abroad from the U.S. government. | | The action was organized by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), which has held annual Human Rights Day events for decades. This year it took place during a dramatic spike in infections of the COVID-19 pandemic. A short-range FM ra…
(2020-12-14). 'The Will of the American People': Official Electoral College Vote Finalizes That Biden Won and Trump Lost. commondreams.org Despite a "cacophony of lies and disinformation" from the outgoing president, said one campaigner, the results are clear. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Public Distrust in Science Made COVID Worse. It Will Also Harm Climate Policy. truthout.org Earlier this year, when the coronavirus pandemic led to a global wave of lockdowns, the world saw
(2020-12-14). Ron Johnson Brings Fringe Science to the US Senate. thenation.com Ron Johnson Brings Fringe Science to the US Senate…
(2020-12-14). Felt weaving in Shahrekord. en.mehrnews.com SHAHREKORD, Dec. 14 (MNA) — One of the main handicraft products of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province is felt, which has its own special uses from the past until now.
(2020-12-14). Building Global Unity through Tolerance and Universal Rights. zcomm.org For our continued existence on our home planet and for a potential interstellar existence, we must realize what it means to be world citizens who exercise tolerance in all aspects of our lives…
(2020-12-14). Thinsplaining is real: Science says permanent weight loss is rare, and thin people don't get it. salon.com "It has nothing to do with willpower": A majority of people who lose weight will not be able to keep it off…
(2020-12-14). Smart Ass Cripple: When a Good Name Is Not Enough. progressive.org The Keeping All Students Safe Act seems like something everyone would support, so why is there opposition to it?
(2020-12-14). Trump Administration Helped GOP Donors "Score a Deal for Syrian Oil" globalresearch.ca The State Department's special envoy for Syria at a congressional hearing on Wednesday admitted to helping Republican donors score a deal for Syrian oil. | Sen. Lindsey Graham (R—S.C.) first announced in July that U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led forces had granted an American …
(2020-12-14). Business Secretary visits Imperial as Government announces new energy plans. imperial.ac.uk Business Secretary Alok Sharma MP visited Imperial to learn about carbon capture research.
(2020-12-14). Poultry Workers Walk Out In Arkansas To Protest COVID-19 Conditions. popularresistance.org On the morning of Dec. 8, about 30 workers at a George's poultry plant in Springdale, Arkansas, staged a walkout to protest their working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The family-owned company, one of the 10 biggest poultry producers in the U.S., is headquartered in Springdale and also operates processing plants in Virginia and Missouri as well as a prepared foods division in Tennessee, with more than 4,800 employees across all locations. The plant that workers walked out of is one of the company's three plants in Springdale and is not unionized. | The Springdale walkout, which the workers plan to cont…
(2020-12-14). This week in history: December 14-20. wsws.org On December 14, 1970, Polish workers in the port city of Gdansk walked off the job protesting the announcement by the Stalinist government, led by Władysław Gomułka, that there would be a major increase in food and fuel prices.
(2020-12-14). US Republicans Four Times Likely Than Democrats to Refrain From Taking COVID-19 Vaccine – Poll. sputniknews.com On Monday, some people in the United States, the world's biggest pandemic hotspot, began receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, developed in cooperation between the US-based Pfizer and the German-based BioNTech SE companies, after the emergency use of the shot was authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday.
(2020-12-14). Kiwi exports from Iran's Mazandaran province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Mazandaran province, located along the Caspian Sea coastline, is Iran's biggest producer and exporter of Kiwi. Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries are traditional customers of Iranian kiwis.
(2020-12-14). Thursday 12/17: FREE ASSANGE Stand for US HR 1175/1162: Drop Charges Against Assange & Snowden. indybay.org Vineyard Shopping Center -Grass Area- in Morgan Hill…
(2020-12-14). US recognizes Morocco's annexation of Western Sahara. wsws.org President Donald Trump's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara was the quid pro quo for Morocco's formal recognition of Israel.
(2020-12-14). More Than 1 Million Voters in Georgia Request Absentee Ballots for Runoff Races. truthout.org Millions of voters in Georgia have already requested absentee ballots for next month's Senate runoff races, with around 1-in-6 ballots having already been returned, indicating that the race will see a historic voter turnout. | The races pit Republican incumbents Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue against Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. The outcome of the races could determine which political party controls the United States Senate. If both Warnock an…
(2020-12-14). "Fish Wars" and Brexit. European Fishing Vessels in British Waters. globalresearch.ca Warring over fish in the twenty-first century might seem an unlikely proposition. But the deployment of four Royal Navy ships to deter European fishing vessels from encroaching on British waters in the event of a no-deal Brexit has tongues wagging. …
(2020-12-14). Cuba: Lawmakers Discuss Changes in Subnational Institutions. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Parliament Monday continued the debates regarding two bills set to arrange the organization of provincial and municipal institutions. This task is part of the reforms established in the new Constitution approved in 2019. | RELATED: | Lawmakers will also discuss the programs for the substituti…
(2020-12-14). Over 1.2 Million Georgia Voters Request Mail-In Ballots Ahead of Critical Senate Runoff Elections. sputniknews.com Early voting for Georgia's Senate runoff elections began on Monday. While runoff races have historically resulted in weaker voter participation, Georgia residents are positioned to cast a historic number of ballots in the January 5, 2021, election.
(2020-12-14). How conservatives have laid waste to America for 50 years. nationofchange.org Conservatism has made 'social' a dirty word. Here are some of the details of fifty years of damage inflicted on America…
(2020-12-14). ILO study finds migrants earn much less than locals, and the gap is widening. news.un.org The gap between wages paid to migrant and national workers is big and growing, and may widen further because of the pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Monday.
(2020-12-14). The Pharmaceutical Conspiracies: GcMAF — Lynda Thyer — Big Pharma and the Little Scientist. globalresearch.ca There is no evidence that Lynda Thyer is a witch — quite the opposite — but she is the victim of a witch-hunt. If you do not know who Lynda Thyer is, you are not alone, especially if you live …
(2020-12-14). Chile: Deal on Indigenous People's Seats To Write Constitution. telesurenglish.net The Chilean Senate's Joint Commission reached an agreement on the number of seats reserved for the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples in the convention that will draft the new constitution. | RELATED: Chile: | The final proposal established 17 seats for the Indigenous peoples and 1 for the Afro-descendant population, all within the 155 quotas already convened. | It was also included that each political alliance must…
(2020-12-14). Mumia for Pacifica Democracy; Court Attack on Pacifica Fails. indybay.org Mumia has come out against the centralized corporate bylaws being pushed in large part by a faction that controls KPFA. They recently tried to get a court to take-over Pacifica so they can break up the foundation and sell and shutdown other stations in the network. | They have secret millionaire backers who have hired a law firm that changes more than $300 an hour and submitted an 800 page document to the Court in Los Angeles for the court to seize Pacifica. This same group has been suing Pacifica for years and also pushed for voluntary bankruptcy.
(2020-12-14). Invisible Ink Could Reveal Whether Kids Have Been Vaccinated. globalresearch.ca Excerpt of Scientific American article published on December 18, 2019. | Keeping track of vaccinations remains a major challenge in the developing world, and even in many developed …
(2020-12-14). Julian Assange Is a Conscientious Objector. Time Will Vindicate Him. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange today, but the press is united in wilful ignorance of his plight. The dearth of stories about his show trial in a kangaroo court in London is evident. It has never been easier …
(2020-12-14). Left and Right Unite in Calls for Snowden Pardon Amid Speculation of a Trump Decision. mintpressnews.com While the idea of pardoning one of the most prolific whistleblowers of our era drew together an alliance of those on the left and right, the centrist establishment reacted with predictable vitriol to the idea.
(2020-12-14). Actions in SF, Oakland & San Jose To Demand Dropping Of Charges Against Assange/Snowden. indybay.org Speak-outs were held at the Congressional offices of Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren and the home of Nancy Pelosi on December 10 /11 to call for support for Congressional Resolutions 1175 and 1162 which called for dropping the charges against Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. A statement was already read by fomer OSHA WPP Investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman representing Whistleblowers United.
(2020-12-14). Over 5,000 Women Were Reported Missing in Peru This Year. telesurenglish.net Peru's Ombudsman's Office reported that at least 5,016 women, girls, and teenagers have been reported missing between January and November this year. | RELATED: | The Office noted that 1,506 adult women and 3,510 girls and teenagers have disappeared in eleven months while adding that the "alarming" figures could even double, as the cases of some victims are not reported. | In November, 190 adult women and 390 minor…
(2020-12-14). Bretton Woods 3.0. The Great Lockdown, The Great Reset, and The Great Paradigm Shift. globalresearch.ca "The transformation is both symbolically and visibly expressed by the de facto appearance of the first-ever global capital. That capital city, however, is not New York, the place where the General Assembly of all nation-states periodically convenes. New York …
(2020-12-14). Tehran keen on expanding Persian languages courses in Italy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) —Deputy Director of Iran's CISSC and first secretary of the Cultural and Press Section of the Italian Embassy in Tehran, discussed the expansion of Persian language courses in Italian Universies.
(2020-12-14). 'What a Failed State Looks Like': GOP Under Fire for Blocking Necessary Funds as Covid Vaccine Distribution Begins. commondreams.org "The end of a tragic, crippling pandemic is in sight and Senate Republicans can't get around to authorizing any money to complete the job." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Indigenizing petchem catalysts to ease surge in production. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — As the Iranian economy is moving away from reliance on external sources towards self-sufficiency, many of the country's economic sectors are taking serious measures for meeting their technological needs from domestic sources.
(2020-12-14). YPG/PKK raids villages, detains protesters in E. Syria. yenisafak.com YPG/PKK terrorist organization on Monday raided villages in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria to detain participants in demonstrations against the terror group, according to local sources.The terrorist organization rounded up some 50 Syrian citizens in the last 40 days and placed them in a prison in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, the sources said.Since August, Arab residents of Deir ez-Zor province have staged demonstrations against the YPG/PKK terrorist group to protest discrimination against the local population, as well as poor living conditions and rampant corruption in the region.Two civilians were kill…
(2020-12-14). US Invests Millions in Failed Attempts at "Democracy" in Cuba. telesurenglish.net "An extensive network of groups financed by the US government sends cash to Cuba to thousands of 'democracy activists', journalists and dissidents every year"—with that initial note, journalist Tracey Eaton, a specialist in Cuba related issues, focuses on the underlying reality of the subversive programs promoted by the United States on the island, some so secret that the recipients of the funds are never published.
(2020-12-14). FAO supports Iranian experts in developing green projects. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — FAO provides another training opportunity for Iranian experts to scale up climate investment for the agricultural and rural development sectors.
(2020-12-14). US Electoral College Expected to Elect Biden as New President. telesurenglish.net The 538 delegates of the Electoral College on Monday convene to vote for the new president of the United States, who will be Joe Biden, according to the results of the November 3 elections. | RELATED: | Their meeting will put an end to weeks of uncertainty generated by outgoing President Donald Trump and his followers who deployed various political and legal maneuvers to prevent confirmation of the Democratic candidate's…
(2020-12-14). 'Unreasonable in the Extreme': Wisconsin Supreme Court Rejects Yet Another Trump Attempt to Undo Biden Victory. commondreams.org The state's high court dismissed the Trump campaign's challenge as "meritless on its face." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). UN chief calls for immediate release of abducted children in Nigeria. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of hundreds of boys, believed abducted by suspected bandits, after an attack on their school in northwest Nigeria.
(2020-12-14). Will Biden's America Stop Creating Terrorists? commondreams.org We hope Biden will finally renounce hare-brained, militarized policies that destroy societies and ruin people's lives for the sake of unattainable geopolitical ambitions, and that he will instead invest in humanitarian and economic aid that really helps people to live more peaceful and prosperous lives. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Pandemic Failure, Vaccine Success Indict American Monopoly Capitalism. commondreams.org This vaccine victory is bittersweet. We have lost so many Americans to the virus, who didn't have to die. Many of them died because of stubbornly pro-capitalist public policy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). What's in Haiti's New National Security Decrees: An Intelligence Agency and an Expanded Definition of Terrorism. cepr.net On November 26, 2020, the Haitian government published two decrees on national security. The first creates a new national intelligence agency, while the second greatly expands the definition of terrorism. Haitian president Jovenel Moise has been ruling by decree since January when the terms of parliament expired, and has used that power to consolidate the …
(2020-12-14). Biden Administration To Face China's Presence in Latin America. telesurenglish.net China has been increasing its investments and business associations across vast areas of Latin America during the Trump administration, a fact that the administration of President-elect Joe Biden will have to contend with, as it deals with the resource-rich region once considered the United States's backyard. | RELATED: | A Reuters investigation, which includes interviews with current and former officials and advisers, a…
(2020-12-14). India's Farmers Intensify Protests Against Pro-Corporate Laws. telesurenglish.net After 19 days of protests on a row, India's farmers on Monday intensified their mobilizations with new roadblocks and hunger strikes to show their rejection of three laws that place the agricultural sector in the hands of big corporations. | RELATED: | "These laws not only negatively affect farmers. They will also jeopardize the nation's food security," the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said and stressed that "repeal of thes…
(2020-12-14). Enemies deafeated by Iran's 'active resistance'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The Head of Iran's Passive Defense Organization said the 'active resistance' of the country has defeated its enemies.
(2020-12-14). Watchdog Calls on President-Elect Biden to Immediately Reverse the Trump Administration's Damage to Public Lands. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). What if Scientists Already Know How to Prevent the Next Pandemic? thenation.com What if Scientists Already Know How to Prevent the Next Pandemic?
(2020-12-14). Iran Not To Accept Renegotiations of 2015 Nuclear Deal. telesurenglish.net Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Monday said that his country will not accept renegotiations of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). | RELATED: | He made these remarks with reference to the likelihood of the next U.S. administration's return to the nuclear deal and subsequent negotiations over the mutual issues. | U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and re-imposed old and new…
(2020-12-14). Pfizer, Moderna to earn $32B from vaccine sales in 2021. yenisafak.com Three major pharmaceutical companies are estimated to make a total of around $32 billion in revenue from their COVID-19 vaccines next year, according to a report on Monday.US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer is expected to generate $19 billion revenue from the vaccine in 2021, American multinational investment bank and financial services company Morgan Stanley said in its report.Pfizer will split its revenues from vaccine sales with its German partner BioNTech.While Pfizer is projected to have $975 million in vaccine revenue this year alone, the report said it is estimated to have $9.3 billion combined revenue in 2022…
(2020-12-14). Pakistan and the Question of Recognizing Israel. globalresearch.ca The changing geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East have re-opened an old debate in Pakistan; should Pakistan re-examine its policy towards Israel? This is not the first time that Pakistanis are discussing this issue pertaining to the recognition of Israel, …
(2020-12-14). COVID-19 Exposes Need For Radical Policies To Tackle Inequality. popularresistance.org In the run-up to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris taking office on January 20, a key debate raging now is about what kind of change they will usher in. Some say it is clear from those two leaders' biographies that they herald the bold transformations needed to tackle the inequalities that scar society. Others say it is clear from their biographies that they will not. History suggests, however, that neither of those arguments gets it quite right. That key to what happens is what we do, together. | For my new book, How to Fight Inequality, I looked at what we could learn from how inequality had been tackled in the past.
(2020-12-14). ILO Praises Mexico for Labor Reforms Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic. telesurenglish.net The International Labor Organization (ILO) praised the Mexican government over its labor reforms, which the organization qualifies as the "most important advance in the field of labor rights" amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | ILO's Office Director for Mexico and Cuba Pedro Américo Furtado de Oliveira highlighted that the government policies prioritize "guaranteeing collective bargaining, strengthening freed…
(2020-12-14). Europe's Anti-Russia Sanctions Result in Extensive Economic Losses and Growing Tensions with Russia. globalresearch.ca New data out this week indicates that the European Union has suffered aggregate economic losses amounting to over €120 billion due to its policy of imposing sanctions against Russia. That's according to figures
(2020-12-14). Trump, the Proud Boys and the Kraken: Is the #EndofDemocracy just a meme — or the real thing?>. salon.com Did Trump and his flunkeys "really" try to stage a coup? Is it really over? Those aren't even the right questions…
(2020-12-14). US Implements Enforcement Measures on Two Iranian Officials. telesurenglish.net The US Department of the Treasury (US) published on Monday a communiqué in which it revealed the application of unilateral coercive measures against two high officials of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security of Iran (MOIS), for the alleged "kidnapping and detention" of the ex-agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Robert A. "Bob" Levinson. | RELATED: | The US entity detailed that Levinson was allegedly arrested on March 9 2007 on Kish…
(2020-12-14). "Wild Mountain Thyme" review: John Patrick Shanley delivers the year's most demented rom-com. salon.com An Irish rom-com so insanely over the top it makes Richard Curtis seem like Raymond Carver…
(2020-12-14). Tuesday 1/5: "Caregiver: A Love Story": Screening & Talk on the Family Caregiver Burden w/ MD Filmmaker. indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-12-14). New York City May Face Full Lockdown as COVID-19 Surge Outpaces Vaccine Rollout, Mayor Says. sputniknews.com NEW YORK (Sputnik) – New York City could see another full lockdown because it might be overwhelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, despite the start of vaccinations for the virus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.
(2020-12-14). Proud Boys' party is over: Trump fans throw tantrums because they've lost more than an election. salon.com Right-wing anger is exploding because they know they're losing — not just the election, but the larger culture war…
(2020-12-14). "Digital Vaccine Passports": Yes, Bill Gates Said That. Here's the Proof. globalresearch.ca Gates and his minions insist the billionaire never said we'd need digital vaccine passports. But in a June 2020 TED Talk, Gates said exactly that. Someone edited out the statement, but CHD tracked down the original. | *** | Some chiseler altered…
(2020-12-14). Proud Boys Vandalize Churches And Clash With Antifascists In DC. popularresistance.org Washington DC-A night of confrontations and violent clashes followed a day-long rally of MAGA, the followers of the defeated Trump Administration. Proud Boy hate groups led roving groups of pro-Trump MAGA followers through downtown DC, looking to vent their frustration over a lost Presidential election. | Proud Boys tore down Black Lives Matter signs on several churches and businesses and attempted to penetrate police lines to attack anti-fascist opposition. Confrontations began early in the day at Black Lives Matter Plaza where an anti-fascist group, Black Lives Matter Civil Rights organizations, and allied grou…
(2020-12-14). 'Thinking Machiavelli, Acting Mussolini'. strategic-culture.org Earlier this month, the Lebanese al-Manar TV aired footage of Israeli bases in Upper Galilee, which were filmed by a Hizbullah drone. An Israeli base in Brannite and a command centre in Rowaysat al-Alam in northern Israel can be seen in the footage. According to Southfront, whose military expertise is highly regarded, Hizbullah
(2020-12-14). Climate Change Can be Addressed in Coronavirus Relief, Study Says. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-14). Russia trials COVID-19 vaccine for domestic animals, including mink. yenisafak.com The Federal Centre for Animal Health began developing the vaccine in spring after the authorities established the virus could be passed from humans onto some domestic animals.Russia became the first country to give regulatory approval to a human vaccine — Sputnik V — in August, and is in the process of rolling it out across the country. Over 150,000 people have already received it.The Russian animal vaccine is aimed at rabbits, mink, cats and some other animals. Clinical trials will end in January and the approval process is likely to begin at the end of February, Yulia Melano, an aide to the head of the agricu…
(2020-12-14). Sanders Says Congress 'Cannot Go Home for Christmas Holidays' Without Delivering $1,200 Direct Payments. commondreams.org "Congress should be working 24 hours, seven days a week until we pass a bill that provides emergency assistance to the American people in their time of need." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-14). Jamie Oliver's Christmas tree Camembert appetizer is the gooey gift we deserve. salon.com All we have to say is: We want to be as happy as Oliver is eating his Camembert…
(2020-12-14). Barack Obama Is Not My Hero. progressive.org His politics have always been that of a cautious centrist.
(2020-12-13). Mutual-aid Organizing For Food Security Puts Solidarity Over Charity. popularresistance.org Since May, Justice for Migrant Workers (Justicia) has delivered over 2,000 boxes of fresh produce to migrant farm workers across the province. | Each of the FoodShare food boxes feed two to four people, meaning that thousands of workers have been relying on these deliveries. Co-ordinating weekly food box drop-offs to farms where workers are quarantining as a result of the massive number of COVID-19 outbreaks has become a mainstay of Justicia's work over the past eight months. | Justicia's shift toward mutual aid efforts is not unique. We have seen initiatives like these cropping up across Toronto since the outset…
(2020-12-13). Protesters in London march against police atrocity against Black teenager. peoplesdispatch.org On Friday, December 11, anti-racism groups in the UK protested police atrocity against a Black teenager in North London. Video footage which shows a police officer punching the teenager in the head while he was pressed against a police car, was widely circulated on social media on Thursday night and triggered widespread outrage across the UK. Scores of people under the leadership of Black Lives Matter Movement and Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) marched to North London's Tottenham police station and protested the police brutality and demanded punishment for the officers involved in the incident. | According to a Mornin…
(2020-12-13). Self Proclaimed "Interim President" Juan Guaidó, Donald Trump and the European Union. globalresearch.ca Before the 23 of January 2019, Juan Guaidó was an unknown entity. He acquired notoriety due to a series of coincidences … and decisions made in Washington. The practice of annually rotating the National Assembly's presidency among the parties holding …
(2020-12-13). Turkey neutralizes 68 terrorists in past month. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces have neutralized a total of 68 terrorists in domestic and cross-border anti-terror operations over the past month, the National Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.Spokeswoman Lt. Col. Sebnem Aktop told a news conference that the Turkish Armed Forces continued their operations against terror groups, including PKK, YPG — the PKK's Syrian branch — and Daesh/ISIS, saying a total of 33 operations have been conducted.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Aktop said Ankara has been following developments closel…
(2020-12-13). AZ educators organize sickout amid highest rate of COVID-19. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – When the Chandler Unified School District governing board decided to stay with in-person instruction as Arizona continues to experience another spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths, some educators organized their resistance in the form of a sickout. Over 100 educators in CUSD called in sick on Friday, December 11 to express their opposition to the negligent board. The local union, Chandler Education Association (CEA) had issued a number of demands that include: educator representation on the district COVID committee, use of the more stringent county health metrics, and creating a COVID Task Force of ed…
(2020-12-13). Police drop probe into Tory MP accused of rape who's been conducting parliamentary duties from home. thecanary.co 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…
(2020-12-13). Watching Newsmax, the Fox News challenger: Like home shopping TV for dangerous far-right fantasies. salon.com On this TV catalog masquerading as a right-wing news outlet, the dull repetitiveness is stupefying—and intentional…
(2020-12-13). Perfecting Tyranny: Mumia's New Book Hot Off the Press! globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). Around the world in 8 minutes: Argentina's moment of reckoning. peoplesdispatch.org After decades of struggle, Argentine feminists are on the brink of a historic victory and the abortion rights bill has passed the lower house of parliament and heads to the Senate next…
(2020-12-13). Important Addition to Edsall Column on the Politics of Resentment: Downward Mobility Was by Design. cepr.net Thomas Edsall had an interesting piece last week on the politics of resentment. The gist being 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 readers: …
(2020-12-13). Why agriculture shouldn't be left to free market. peoplesdispatch.org 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…
(2020-12-13). Why Donald Trump is failing at making his dictator dreams a reality. salon.com Trump's autocratic designs are disturbingly forthright and blatant. We're lucky he's not better at building power…
(2020-12-13). New COVID-19 cases in Netherlands jump by almost 10,000. yenisafak.com The number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has jumped by almost 10,000 in the past 24 hours, data released by national health authoriites showed on Sunday, marking their biggest jump since the end of October.The increase continues a rising trend seen over the previous week, as the effects of a partial lockdown which has been in effect since Oct. 13 seem to have waned.The Dutch government has convened an emergency meeting for Sunday to discuss extra measures to limit the spread of the disease. It is expected to make an announcement of possible further measures on Tuesday.
(2020-12-13). Reopening embassy in Tehran key step in fight against US. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Bolivian Foreign Minister announced that his country will reopen its embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(2020-12-13). The Handmaid's Tale: making a drama out of a crisis. news.un.org The Handmaid's Tale, a critically acclaimed television series which has won 38 Emmy awards, may be about a fictional "alternative reality", but the show's creators have gone to great lengths to ensure that references to themes such as climate change, human rights abuses, and refugees, are as real and accurate as possible, by collaborating closely with UN experts.
(2020-12-13). Voter Fraud Never Happens! (Except in These 10,000 Cases). strategic-culture.org Ann COULTER | The media have been lying about voter fraud for 20 years. The New York Times and The Washington Post will tell you: Let's get something straight. There are only two cases of voter fraud in history and they were both Republicans. | NEVER? No voter fraud ever? | Nope! | That's your first clue they're lying. Liberals don't try to say partial-birth abortion never happens. They don't say black men killing cops never happens. They don't say immigrants ripping off government programs never happens. Only voter fraud NEVER HAPPENS. | John Ashcroft absolutely had a Senate seat stolen from him in 2000 when a s…
(2020-12-13). "There is no vaccine to save the planet" indybay.org 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.
(2020-12-13). Araghchi meets with Afghan FM to discuss bilateral ties. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary Is Everything That's Wrong With Democratic Party. zcomm.org Our planet and rural communities cannot afford four more years of Vilsack's aggressive corporatism…
(2020-12-13). US Supreme Court Backs "Grand Theft" Election 2020. globalresearch.ca 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. …
(2020-12-13). Lighter Coal Regulations May Mean More Covid-19 Deaths. commondreams.org Addressing emission standards, pollution, and environmental protections are necessities now. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). The most memorable chicken recipes always have vinegar. salon.com What is it about this dynamic duo? Let's find out…
(2020-12-13). Go Vote Yourself a Raise, Georgia — You've Long Earned It. zcomm.org The Democrats must instead appeal to the white, blue-collar voters, whom for years, the Party has left behind for Republican Party deceivers to win over…
(2020-12-13). Britain, EU agree to go 'extra mile' and press ahead with trade talks. yenisafak.com Britain and the European Union agreed on Sunday to "go the extra mile" and continue talks on a post-Brexit trade deal."Our negotiating teams have been working day and night over recent days. And despite the exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations, despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over we think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile," Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement."We have accordingly mandated our negotiators to continue the talks and to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage…
(2020-12-13). Rafael Correa on Venezuela, Assange, and 'preventing the total destruction of our homeland'. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of …
(2020-12-13). Run-Down Schools in Low-Income Communities Face Long-Term Closures Amid COVID. truthout.org Yvette Alston-Johnson was seething when she got the news. Children in Paterson, New Jersey would not be allowed to go to school in person this fall, while many of their peers in predominantly white and affluent suburbs would return. | Alston-Johnson attended Paterson public schools, as did her five children, and she has watched the buildings fall steadily into disrepair over the years. She is now the primary caregiver for her grandson Rayahn, who is in eighth grade at the Dr. Martin Luther Ki…
(2020-12-13). How The Pandemic Revealed Cracks In Global Supply Chains. popularresistance.org At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans were shocked at the sight of empty shelves in stores as global supply chains sputtered to keep up with the demand for a variety of products. | But even the end of the pandemic is unlikely to solve many of the issues with global supply chains, said Benjamin McKean, associate professor of political science at The Ohio State University. | "The fragility of these supply chains has suddenly become evident to a lot of Americans who expect them to always operate seamlessly," McKean said. | "Of course, they usually do operate seamlessly, but at a cost that many people…
(2020-12-13). Germany's Merkel: Every opportunity to reach Brexit deal highly welcome. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that everything should be done to reach a trade deal between the European Union and Britain."Every opportunity to reach a deal is highly welcome," she said at a news conference in Berlin.
(2020-12-13). Two Small Steps: US 'Artemis' Lunar Mission Team Selected As SpaceX Tests Starship Prototype. sputniknews.com As the United States is eager to return to sending human beings to the surface of celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars, Elon Musk's development using technology in the private sector may eventually provide the most effective means of space travel to date.
(2020-12-13). Will Facebook have to give up WhatsApp and Instagram? peoplesdispatch.org 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…
(2020-12-13). How to Wear a Face Mask and Still Show Dissent Against Tyranny. globalresearch.ca I'm not fond of grocery shopping. Doubly so when our …
(2020-12-13). Bangladesh inks vaccine contract with Indian pharma. yenisafak.com Bangladesh will get five million shots each month after the vaccine is approved for mass use, Bangladesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said at the official ceremony held in the capital Dhaka.Doses are expected to first arrive in January, he added.On Nov. 5, the Health Ministry inked an MoU with Beximco Pharmaceuticals of Bangladesh and Serum Institute of India to purchase 30 million doses of the vaccine. It will be available for 15 million people as two shots are needed per person.A study published in the Lancet medical journal has confirmed that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine works in an avera…
(2020-12-13). Bolivia Moves to Rebuild Ties with Iran, Cuba and others. telesurenglish.net Bolivia wants to rebuild the relationships with Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Nicaragua, Iran and Russia. Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta reported that the Bolivian State must interact with all the countries of the world within the framework of respect for sovereignty and said that a plan is already in motion with Caracas. | RELATED: | Mayta received his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza, in November during Luis…
(2020-12-13). Leading Scientist Says Hunger Is a Deliberate Choice by Those in Power. zcomm.org "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."
(2020-12-13). Renters still left out in the cold despite temporary coronavirus protection. realprogressives.org Emergency relief for renters across America may protect them from the threat of eviction during the coronavirus crisis — but it won't last for long. | The economic shutdown necessitated by COVID-19 has undermined the ability of millions…
(2020-12-13). Gov't plans to vaccinate 70% of Malaysians, says PM. yenisafak.com The government is planning to buy more COVID-19 vaccines to immunize as many as 70% of Malaysians, the country's prime minister said on Sunday."As for Malaysia, we have already got 30%. I have instructed Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba along with Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar (Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation) to negotiate and increase it from 30% to 60% or 70%," Muhyiddin Yassin told a gathering in Johor, Malaysia.Muhyiddin said suppliers have been asked to expedite delivery of the vaccine, which is expected to arrive early next year.In late November, he said the government plans to procure…
(2020-12-13). Spain could develop coronavirus herd immunity by end of summer 2021, minister says. yenisafak.com Salvador Illa said a vaccination programme will start in January and by the end of the summer more than two thirds of the population of 47 million should be vaccinated."In Europe, even if it is not the final end, we will be in a very different stage. That is why I think we are at the beginning of the end with this time horizon that I say, from five to six months," he told Publico newspaper.Asked if this meant that Spain would achieve herd immunity, Illa replied: "Yes. It is what the technicians call that, that people have immunity either because they are vaccinated or because they have had the disease."However, I…
(2020-12-13). Nothing To See Here, Just Marauding Neo-Fascists Wearing Frocks. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). British Medical Journal (BMJ): Conflicts of Interest Among the UK Government's COVID-19 Advisers. globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). Four stabbed after Proud Boys, told by Trump to "stand back and stand by," descended on DC for march. salon.com Several people were stabbed near Harry's Bar, a Proud Boys "gathering point," reports the Washington Post…
(2020-12-13). Strengthening country's defense power on Parl.'s agenda: MP. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). Brexit an 'unforgivable act of economic sabotage to Scotland' as no-deal looms. thecanary.co 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
(2020-12-13). The Arctic Ocean Is a Russian Lake. strategic-culture.org In 2007 a
(2020-12-13). 4 civilians killed in bomb blast in Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — As local sources reported, four civilians have been killed in Afghanistan's Nangarhar.
(2020-12-13). Armenia, Azerbaijan accuse each other of ceasefire violation. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). COVID-19: Germany tightens lockdown before Christmas. yenisafak.com Germany on Sunday announced stricter lockdown measures amid soaring COVID-19 cases and fatalities.Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference in Berlin that all non-essential shops will shut down as of Wednesday, schools and daycares will also be closed until at least Jan. 10 in most of the federal states."The measures we put in place on Nov. 2 were not effective enough. For a while, we were able to stop the exponential growth, had a plateau movement. But now we're seeing a new rise in infections," Merkel said, as the country's seven day average of COVID- 19 cases stands above 20,000."We're close to exceeding…
(2020-12-13). Liverpool's Jota Out for Up to Two Months After Injuring Knee, Club Manager Klopp Says. sputniknews.com According to Klopp, the injury is not as bad as they had initially feared, since doctors said Jota will not be required to undergo surgery.
(2020-12-13). 48% Of U.S. Small Businesses Fear that They May be Forced to "Shut Down Permanently" Soon. globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). The upcoming battle over US student debt cancellation. zcomm.org President-elect Biden will be able to cancel nearly all student debt without congressional approval. If he refuses, organized debtors are preparing to strike…
(2020-12-13). To Win Georgia and the Senate, Democrats Need to Go All-In on $15 Minimum Wage. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). Empire Files: Myth And Fact In Venezuela's Latest Election. popularresistance.org We've all heard the same things about Venezuela coming from every corporate news outlet. Venezuela's a dictatorship and Maduro is a dangerous tyrant further consolidating power though fraudulent elections. Weirdly enough, not many dictatorships have elections, certainly not over 20 in the last 20 years like Venezuela has. And there's a funny thing about how the US media and political establishment views Venezuela's elections. They're illegitimate except when the US-backed opposition party has major victories, which they have twice very recently. One of those was the 2015 National Assembly election where they won…
(2020-12-13). TV's first crop of queer Christmas movies range from saccharine fun to superficial flops. salon.com Despite some strides made in onscreen representation, white men still dominate these queer Christmas rom-coms…
(2020-12-13). The Solutions Are Obvious, But It Will Take A Revolution To Win Them. popularresistance.org The United States has reached a severe crisis point and the next few months will determine how we address it. The COVID-19 pandemic is raging across the country and some areas are struggling to provide enough hospital beds and staff to care for people. The recession is deepening as unemployment benefits and the moratorium on evictions run out. Yet, members of Congress cannot even agree to pass a weak version of the CARES Act they passed last March when the situation was less serious. | This is our moment. This is the time to make demands that the government take action to address the people's needs. Even the most…
(2020-12-13). Araghchi departs for Tehran after talk with Afghan officials. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). 10 Syrian Druze residents of Golan Heights injured in protest against wind turbines. peoplesdispatch.org 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…
(2020-12-13). Jeremy Corbyn announces a new, global project for peace and justice. thecanary.co 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 The Peace and Justice Project will back campaigns, commission reports and develop…
(2020-12-13). Brazil's Bolsonaro Branded as 'Homicidally Negligent' Over COVID-19 Vaccine Planning, Reports Say. sputniknews.com Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly been accused of ignoring the experimental Chinese COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac for what many suspect are political reasons.
(2020-12-13). You don't have to be a skilled decorator to make these cute, flavorful holiday shortbread cookies. salon.com Pistachios, dried cranberries and golden raisins make these buttery cookies pop with red, green and gold…
(2020-12-13). Over 30 People Arrested in Washington DC Over Weekend Amid Protests, Reports Say. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A total of at least 33 people were arrested between Saturday and Sunday morning in Washington DC amid protests in support of US President Donald Trump and counter-rallies, US media report.
(2020-12-13). President Luis Arce Travels to Brazil for Medical Check-up. telesurenglish.net 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: | "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…
(2020-12-13). US President Trump Says Supreme Court 'Chickened Out' After It Blocked Texas Lawsuit. sputniknews.com The lawsuit challenged the election results in four battleground states – Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – where state officials have certified Democrat Biden as the winner.
(2020-12-13). Social Researcher Receives 9-Year Imprisonment in Iran, Report Says. sputniknews.com TEHRAN (Sputnik) РAn Iranian court has sentenced Kameel Ahmady, a social researcher and citizen of both Iran and the United Kingdom, to nine years of imprisonment and a €600,000 ($728,237) fine, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
(2020-12-13). Message of Chiledoc's head to Iranian Cinema Verite. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Head of Chile Documentary Film Center (Chiledoc) Diego Pino Anguita sent a message to the 14th Iran International Documentary Film Festival known as "Cinema Verite" which is slated to be held online on 15-22 December.
(2020-12-13). Science Magazine Report Praises China's COVID-19 Vaccine. popularresistance.org The Science magazine website has just published a report praising a Covid-19 vaccine China has developed and referred to its "outstanding efficacy data" as a relevant feature, compared to the other vaccines out in the market. The vaccine, developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group (CNPG), had been under phase III trials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since June, involving 31,000 volunteers from 125 countries and regions. | The UAE announced on Wednesday the official registration of the Chinese company's COVID-19 vaccine. According to a statement issued by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, th…
(2020-12-13). Secretary Of Defense Lloyd Austin: A Certain Kind Of Diversity. popularresistance.org America's first black presumptive secretary of defense grew up in the same town — Thomasville, GA — as the first black West Point graduate, Henry O. Flipper. I actually took select cadets from my civil rights history class to visit the southwest Georgia city on an academic trip in the summer of 2016. In fact, I vaguely remember the owner and namesake of the local Jack Hadley Black History Museum mentioning that President-elect Biden's somewhat surprising nominee for Pentagon chief, retired General Lloyd Austin, also hailed from Thomasville. But whereas Flipper was unfairly cashiered out of the U.S. Ar…
(2020-12-13). 'Khatemeh' wins award at Herat Intl. Women's Film Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Iranian documentary 'Khatemeh' has won Earrings Statue for Best International Feature Documentary Film at the 6th edition of the Herat International Women's Film Festival in Afghanistan.
(2020-12-13). Labour says Boris Johnson is 'playing Russian roulette' with people's livelihoods over Brexit. thecanary.co 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…
(2020-12-13). Turkish NGOs pursue aid drive for Palestinian refugees. yenisafak.com By Mahmut GeldiBEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – Turkish charities have been providing various aid to hundreds of Palestinian refugee families living under difficult conditions in camps in different regions of Lebanon.The Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) distributed diesel fuel to more than 350 families living in the Burj al-Barajnah camp in the capital Beirut and al-Jalil camp in Baalbek.Also, the charity provided food and personal care items to 250 families and financial support for many unemployed refugees in those camps.Ahmad Ebu Husain, who had been unemployed for over a year and recently started to…
(2020-12-13). Challenging US Aggression On China. popularresistance.org In the West, we rarely hear from those on the Chinese left who broadly support their government, who don't openly advocate for Western-style capitalist democracy, who aren't some flavor of "dissident," usually elevated by Western media. And we virtually never hear what original insights they may have about American politics. This kind of intellectual gatekeeping is hugely counterproductive. With our translations of writings by Tù Zh«îxí (Chairman Rabbit) on U.S. electoral politics, by Jƒ´liú on the George Floyd uprising, and by Z«ê Qiú on the U.S. pandemic response, we aim to st…
(2020-12-13). 'We Need To Get Off The Current Road To Hell'. popularresistance.org A group of four former United Nations climate chiefs say it's "unthinkable" for the world to continue its business-as-usual approach to climate action, warning that without ramped-up ambition, humanity is headed down a "road to hell." | The assessment is laid out in an article published on Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Climate Policy. | "Drawing on hardening IPCC science and building on the foundations of the 1992 Convention, the last 30 years of international cooperation have established a clear understanding of the need to prevent dangerous climate change…
(2020-12-13). UK has made huge preparations for no deal: British PM. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). Fear and loathing as colleges face another season of red ink. salon.com Schools are forced to choose between keeping students at home or grapple with the consequences of closed campuses…
(2020-12-13). The New Normal: One Step Closer to Dystopia. New Covid Outbreaks, People are "Living in Extreme Fear" globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). A Roadmap for the Biden-Harris Administration: Redesigning Farm Systems for the Climate Crisis. commondreams.org 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……
(2020-12-13). Chicago Teachers Union car caravan presses mayor to bargain enforceable safety standards. fightbacknews.org 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…
(2020-12-13). No, Obama, we do mean "defund the police": It's not a snappy slogan, it's a demand for justice. salon.com The former president thinks the "snappy slogan" is turning people off. I know someone he should meet and listen to…
(2020-12-13). Italian Sardinia FilmFest to host Iranian 'The Cycling Wind'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — The Iranian animation "The Cycling Wind" directed by Nazanin Sobhan Sarbandi will be screened at the 15th Sardinia International Film Festival in Italy.
(2020-12-13). "Corona Procurements": Tory Corruption Is Eroding UK Democracy. globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). Philippines: Labor movement demands release of Human Rights Day 7. fightbacknews.org 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)…
(2020-12-13). Armed group abducts nearly 400 male students in Nigeria. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). Iranian photographer shines at Armenian Intl. Photo Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Iranian photographer Mahboubeh Faraj Elahi has managed to take part in the Armenian International Photo Festival entitled "Covid 19, Politics in Art".
(2020-12-13). Paper Ballots Played a Key Role in Defending the Integrity of the 2020 Election. truthout.org If Donald Trump ever does leave the White House, we can in large part thank paper ballots. | Trump's desperate assault on 2020's popular vote has drawn justifiable contempt. But had this election predominantly been conducted on the computerized touchscreen machines that have dominated our electoral process since Florida in 2000, Trump could well be headed for a stolen second term. | Hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots have long been at the core of the U.S.'s rising election protecti…
(2020-12-13). The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a "Test" To Lock Down Society. globalresearch.ca 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,…
(2020-12-13). If Democrats Want to Succeed, They Will Have to Implement Policies That Primarily Benefit the Working Class. commondreams.org Progressives cannot just sit by and expect Biden or the Democratic Party to do the right thing. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). OSHA Is Helping Employers Get Away With Underreporting Health Care Worker Deaths. truthout.org 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…
(2020-12-13). On Contact: Wrecking The left. popularresistance.org On the show this week, Chris Hedges talks to journalist Diana Johnstone about the betrayal of the left with its historical role as the champion of social justice and peace now replaced with the boutique activism of identity politics, political correctness and what has become known as humanitarian intervention, the justification of US and NATO adventurism and wars on the specious belief it would liberate the women of Afghanistan or the peoples of Iraq. | Diana Johnstone's memoir is 'Circle in the Darkness: Memoir of a World Watcher'. Johnstone was the European editor of In The Times from 1979 to 1990, and her work…
(2020-12-13). 'Ridiculous': Anti-LGBTQ Groups and Businesses Got Millions in Federal Coronavirus Relief, Analysis Reveals. commondreams.org "Now, the government is doing even more to help hate groups by handing them millions of dollars in forgivable loans." | flickr.com/photos/taedc/36022635602/in/p……
(2020-12-13). EU's Charles Michel says we must do everything possible to reach a Brexit deal. yenisafak.com European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday welcomed the decision of Britain and the European Union to continue with negotiations on a Brexit trade deal.Michel, who chairs European Union summits, told France Inter Radio: "We must do all we can for a deal to be made possible. We must support a good deal."
(2020-12-13). ICE Is Targeting Women in Sanctuary With Obscure Laws and Retaliatory Fines. truthout.org 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…
(2020-12-13). "In Case There Was Any Doubt Regarding 'Stand By'": Four People Stabbed After Pro-Trump DC Rally. commondreams.org "This is all on you, Republicans. You have enabled all of this." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). Venezuela, An Operational Stage For Russia And Iran To Challenge The USA. popularresistance.org Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and his team ended President Donald Trump's dream of overthrowing the ruling governing democratic system in Venezuela by scoring a KO punch—an overwhelming victory in the National Assembly elections with over 67% in favour of Maduro's ruling party. "Washington's boy", Juan Guidó, henceforth belongs to the forgotten memories of history- like any person who lobbies for the intervention of foreign forces in his own country and, in this case, for the US to maintain and increase sanctions on Venezuela.
(2020-12-13). Antioquia: Colombia Counts 83rd Massacre of 2020. telesurenglish.net At dawn, a group of about 50 people with rifles raided in the Cuturú village, in the rural area of Caucasia of Lower Cauca Antioquia. Three men were murdered while they conversed and five others, among them two women, were injured. | RELATED: | As quoted by Noticias Caracol, Antioquia Police Commander Colonel Jorge Cabra indicated that armed men arrived at the scene in boats an…
(2020-12-13). GOP Lawmaker Claims 'Trump Is Listening to the Many of Us Who Are Urging Him to #PardonSnowden'. commondreams.org The NSA whistleblower has used his platform to pressure the president to pardon someone other than himself: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). Inauguration of over 10,000 hospital beds in Iran exceptional. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — Iranian Health Minister said that more than 10,000 hospital beds inaugurated in Iran under the severe US sanctions and in the Covid-19 crisis which is exceptional in recent decades.
(2020-12-13). Bolivia Returns as ALBA-TCP Holds XVIII Summit Virtually. telesurenglish.net The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this Saturday that the 18th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), will take place virtually as travel remains limited in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, the Summit will be led by the Head of State Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, on Monday, December 14.
(2020-12-13). With Gigs Canceled and No Relief, Musicians Form a Nationwide Union. zcomm.org UMAW differentiates itself from similar unions through its vast scope, seeking systemic shifts industry-wide, inclusive of various genres and practices…
(2020-12-13). America's Political Divide: A Modest Proposal. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). Cookies make the best holiday gifts: Here are a top pastry chef's tips for shipping your baked goods. salon.com Easily send homemade desserts as gifts with these expert tips, no-fuss recipes and fool-proof shipping checklist…
(2020-12-13). 24 films with coronavirus theme to be shown in Cinema Verite. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — At least 24 films with the theme of coronavirus will be displayed in the 14th Iran Intl. Documentary Film Festival known as "Cinema Verite" which is scheduled to be organized totally online from December 15 to 22 in Tehran.
(2020-12-13). Bill Gates: Lockdowns Should Be Prolonged Until 2022, With Restaurants Closed for Another Six Months. sputniknews.com The American billionaire and Microsoft founder has been repeatedly warning that the country would see "lots of additional" coronavirus-related deaths if the nation does not followÔªø restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the dangerous disease.
(2020-12-13). Guatemalans Protest for Fourth Straight Weekend. telesurenglish.net 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: | 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…
(2020-12-13). Let Everybody Vote, Even If They're Incarcerated. commondreams.org What value is a democracy that actively seeks to silence the voices of its most vulnerable citizens? | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-12-13). Chabahar, a city for all seasons. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). New Book Highlights Need for Solidarity for Humans to Survive Global Collapse. truthout.org 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…
(2020-12-13). Biden Could Easily Cancel Student Debt, But Will He? scheerpost.com Quinn Dombrowski / CC BY-SA 2.0] By Sarah Anderson and Margot Rathke / OtherWords Washington is abuzz with ideas for actions the Biden-Harris administration could take that would not require congressional approval. One of the buzziest: canceling student debts owed to the federal government. The Department of Education owns about 92 percent of the $1.6 trillion in student loans Americans owe. |
(2020-12-13). COVID-19: A Fabricated Second "Tidal Wave" of Poverty and Injustice. globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). Former Presidential Candidate Capriles Calls On US To End 'Interim Presidency'. popularresistance.org Former two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles has demanded a change of strategy for the Venezuelan opposition. | In an interview with the BBC, Capriles argued for a "reconstruction" of the opposition following last Sunday's government victory in National Assembly (AN) elections. He claimed that the current plan led by US-backed Juan Guaido is "finished" and stressed that Washington's stance will be "crucial." | "The new [Biden] administration has to understand that this plan has run its course and it cannot keep the status quo: the [Guaido] 'interim presidency'," Capriles said, adding that the oppositi…
(2020-12-13). Boosting bilateral trade, main goal of Iran-EU Business Forum. en.mehrnews.com 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.
(2020-12-13). Rundown Schools in Low-Income Communities Face Long-Term Closures Amid COVID. truthout.org Yvette Alston-Johnson was seething when she got the news. Children in Paterson, New Jersey would not be allowed to go to school in person this fall, while many of their peers in predominantly white and affluent suburbs would return. | Alston-Johnson attended Paterson public schools, as did her five children, and she has watched the buildings fall steadily into disrepair over the years. She is now the primary caregiver for her grandson Rayahn, who is in eighth grade at the Dr. Martin Luther Ki…
(2020-12-13). Video: Rocco Galati on COVID Lockdown Measures. Crimes against Humanity. Lawsuit against Government of Canada. globalresearch.ca "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 …
(2020-12-13). As farmers intensify protests in north India, working-class anger erupts in Karnataka in the south. wsws.org Both the farmers and the Karnataka telecom manufacturing, Toyota, and bus transport workers are resisting the attempts of India's capitalist elite, spearheaded by the Modi government, to exploit the pandemic to intensify the exploitation of India's workers and toilers.
(2020-12-13). Failing Students Need Support, Not Blame. commondreams.org 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… …
(2020-12-13). US Media, Pols Rage After Venezuelans Defy US Empire to Re-elect Socialists. globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-12-13). Coles workers take to the streets to save their jobs. greenleft.org.au Several hundred Coles workers and supporters marched through Sydney's streets, calling on the public to boycott Coles this Christmas. Jim McIlroy reports.
(2020-12-13). Pandemic claims additional 17 lives in Palestine. yenisafak.com Palestine confirmed additional 17 fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday. | In a statement, Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said 11 deaths were reported in the occupied West Bank and six in the Gaza Strip. | She said 1,639 people tested positive for the virus, taking the overall tally to 124,641 cases, including 1,079 deaths, and 98,518 recoveries. | The Palestinian minister said 93 patients are still in intensive care units, of whom 30 are on ventilators. | Since starting in China in late December last year, the coronavirus pandemic has spread worldwide, claiming over 1.6 million lives in 191 countries…
(2020-12-13). Karens are everywhere. Where are the Kens?>. salon.com The "Karen" pejorative devolved into a sexist stereotype, disconnected from any larger racial or class discourse…
(2020-12-13). Azerbaijan says 4 servicemen killed in Nagorno-Karabakh as Armenia violates ceasefire. yenisafak.com Four Azeri servicemen were killed when their units were attacked in areas adjacent to the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijan's defence ministry said on Sunday.
(2020-12-13). Workers Speak Out In Defense Of COVID-19 Whistleblower Rebekah Jones. popularresistance.org On Monday, Florida state police forcefully entered the home of Rebekah Jones with guns drawn at her and her family. Jones is a data scientist and whistleblower who has faced backlash from the political establishment for aggregating and publishing data on the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country, including The COVID Monitor, the most comprehensive tracker of outbreaks in schools. Police took Jones' phone, computer and several hard drives in an effort to prevent her from continuing to publish data on COVID-19 outbreaks. | Video footage of the fascistic police raid has gone viral on social media and has been me…
(2020-12-13). Bankrolling blu klux klans? dissidentvoice.org 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 …
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] One Health or Planetary Health for pandemic prevention? — Authors' reply. thelancet.com One Health recognises the fundamental interconnectedness and complex interdependence of all living species and their shared environment.1 Thus, a view that One Health is focused on human—animal interaction alone, primarily addresses the risk of zoonotic events, and that these events occur as a result of urbanisation, land usage, and increasing human population density, therefore suggesting that One Health is sufficient to address pandemic risks, is flawed. Nevertheless, there is abundant evidence that disease agents of zoonotic origin account for over half of all emerging or re-emerging human infectious dis…
(2020-12-12). [Articles] First-attempt success rate of video laryngoscopy in small infants (VISI): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. thelancet.com Among anaesthetised infants, using video laryngoscopy with a standard blade improves the first-attempt success rate and reduces complications.
(2020-12-12). [World Report] Experts call to include prisons in COVID-19 vaccine plans. thelancet.com As some countries begin vaccination, experts are questioning the allocation and prioritisation lists. Nayanah Siva reports.
(2020-12-12). [World Report] Bolivia's new health minister promises universal health care. thelancet.com Once implemented, the system will guarantee free health care to Bolivians, but critics say more funding is needed. Amy Booth reports.
(2020-12-12). [Editorial] Facing up to long COVID. thelancet.com Multiorgan symptoms after COVID-19 are being reported by increasing numbers of patients. They range from cough and shortness of breath, to fatigue, headache, palpitations, chest pain, joint pain, physical limitations, depression, and insomnia, and affect people of varying ages. At the Lancet—Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences conference on Nov 23, Bin Cao presented data (in press at The Lancet) on the long-term consequences of COVID-19 for patients in Wuhan, and warned that dysfunctions and complications could persist in some discharged patients for at least 6 months.
(2020-12-12). [World Report] Cheaper HIV treatment for children. thelancet.com A new pricing agreement will bring the cost of treatment for children with HIV down from US$480 to less than $120. Talha Burki reports.
(2020-12-12). [Review] Retinal vascular occlusions. thelancet.com Acute retinal vascular occlusions are common causes of visual impairment. Although both retinal artery occlusions and retinal vein occlusions are associated with increased age and cardiovascular risk factors, their pathophysiology, systemic implications, and management differ substantially. Acute management of retinal artery occlusions involves a multidisciplinary approach including neurologists with stroke expertise, whereas treatment of retinal vein occlusions is provided by ophthalmologists. Optimisation of systemic risk factors by patients' primary care providers is an important component of the management of…
(2020-12-12). [Clinical Picture] Occult fracture in teenager's tibia revealed by MRI. thelancet.com A 13-year-old girl presented with a 2-week history of mild pain in her right knee. She reported no recent injury. x-rays showed a high-density linear abnormality with a periosteal reaction in the proximal right tibia (figure), which medical staff, at the hospital where she was first seen, thought might have been a tumour of the bone.
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] Maintaining a gendered perspective in scientific meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Several studies have pointed towards the COVID-19 pandemic's potential to negatively affect career paths of women in science.1,2 Although the impact on manuscript submissions and publications, as one career path mechanism, has been well documented,3 an area that is often difficult to elucidate as part of the mechanisms underlying differential progress of male and female researchers is that of invitations to give scientific talks and to chair scientific meetings. Here, the merit of such an invitation is not always transparent or as easy to assess as a publication record.
(2020-12-12). [Seminar] Primary biliary cholangitis. thelancet.com Primary biliary cholangitis is an autoimmune liver disease that predominantly affects women. It is characterised by a chronic and destructive, small bile duct, granulomatous lymphocytic cholangitis, with typical seroreactivity for antimitochondrial antibodies. Patients have variable risks of progressive ductopenia, cholestasis, and biliary fibrosis. Considerations for the cause of this disease emphasise an interaction of chronic immune damage with biliary epithelial cell responses and encompass complex, poorly understood genetic risks and environmental triggers.
(2020-12-12). [Obituary] Valerie Curtis. thelancet.com Engineer turned hygiene scientist and public health advocate. She was born in Seascale, UK, on Sept 20, 1958, and died of vaginal cancer in Haywards Heath, UK, on Oct 19, 2020, aged 62 years.
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] Preoperative intravenous iron for cardiac surgery. thelancet.com We read with much interest about the effect of ultra-short-term treatment of patients with iron deficiency or anaemia undergoing cardiac surgery and congratulate Donat Spahn and colleagues for this clinical work.1…
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] Association of SARS-CoV-2 renal tropism with acute kidney injury. thelancet.com In their report on the association of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) renal tropism with acute kidney injury, Fabian Braun and colleagues1 do not appear to have provided evidence for acute kidney injury as defined in the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) clinical practice guidelines—that is, an increase in serum creatinine (SCr) by 26 ∑5 Œºmol/L or more within 48 h; an increase in SCr to 1 ∑5 times or more from baseline, which is known or presumed to have occurred within the previous 7 days; or a urine volume of less than 0 ∑5 ml/kg per h f…
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] Cardiovascular preventive strategies are not conflicting. thelancet.com We agree with Michael Brainin and Karen Sliwa1 about the urgent need to improve the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease but would like to correct some other points they raise. Brainin and Sliwa suggest that we2 promoted high-risk approaches over population-based approaches; however, we stated that "Too often debate about prevention of cardiovascular disease is polarised between opposing evangelists for the high-risk and population-wide approaches. An agnostic approach based on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness is preferable.
(2020-12-12). [Articles] Genome-edited, donor-derived allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells in paediatric and adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: results of two phase 1 studies. thelancet.com These two studies show, for the first time, the feasibility of using allogeneic, genome-edited CAR T cells to treat patients with aggressive leukaemia. UCART19 exhibited in-vivo expansion and antileukaemic activity with a manageable safety profile in heavily pretreated paediatric and adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The results this study are an encouraging step forward for the field of allogeneic CAR T cells, and UCART19 offers the opportunity to treat patients with rapidly progressive disease and where autologous CAR-T-cell therapy is unavailable.
(2020-12-12). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Folegatti PM, Ewer KJ, Aley PK, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2: a preliminary report of a phase 1/2, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2020; 396: 467—78—The appendix for this Article has been corrected as of Dec 10, 2020.
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] One Health or Planetary Health for pandemic prevention? thelancet.com It is a well accepted narrative that the disruption of forests, rapid urbanisation, and population growth are driving zoonotic events simply by increasing close contact between people and animals.1 However, these predictor variables (eg, urbanisation, land usage, human population density) only explain about 30% of the total variation in zoonotic potential.2 With advancing technologies, it has been shown that vertebrate RNA viruses, despite transmitting between species, have co-evolved with their hosts for millions of years, which only strengthens the theory that zoonotic diseases caused by RNA virus spillover, su…
(2020-12-12). [Correspondence] Association of SARS-CoV-2 renal tropism with acute kidney injury — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Kay Choy for the nterest in our Correspondence,1 in which we described an association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) renal tropism and acute kidney injury in autopsy cases with COVID-19 diagnosis.
(2020-12-12). [Perspectives] Is my cough COVID-19? thelancet.com Imagine that even if you have no symptoms of COVID-19, the sound of your forced cough transmitted to your smartphone or smart speaker, processed by an algorithm, could provide a 98 ∑5% accurate diagnosis. That's what a study involving more than 4000 people suggested might be possible. And it could be done anytime, free of charge, with immediate turnaround of results. It's one of many proposed uses of artificial intelligence (AI) for COVID-19. However, such technology will clearly require further research and independent replication to be refined, accepted, or implemented.
(2020-12-12). [World Report] Humanitarian access deal for Tigray. thelancet.com Humanitarian groups will be allowed into Tigray, Ethiopia, where conflict has displaced thousands and strained health services. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-12-12). [Comment] Offline: The coming technocracy. thelancet.com As 2020 draws to a close, one trend among nations most severely hit by COVID-19 bears some discussion. It is that democracies are evolving into technocracies, by which I mean a form of governance where those with political power are appointed on the basis of their scientific expertise. It would be hard to deny that scientists have assumed a role in political decision making unparalleled in recent memory. The French public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy was the first to raise the issue of medical power.
(2020-12-12). [Perspectives] Protecting our second harvest. thelancet.com Among the saddest aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the laying bare of how older people are devalued by our politicians and the medical establishment. Although older people, and particularly those resident in care homes, were the demographic group most affected by mortality and morbidity from COVID-19, in the early stages of the pandemic advisory sites from many international and national medical organisations and professional bodies did not sufficiently prioritise effective prevention and management for older people in COVID-19 guidance documents and educational updates.
(2020-12-09). Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Hold Hearing on Haiti. cepr.net The follow is a guest post from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. On Thursday, December 10, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold a hearing on pervasive impunity and a lack of judicial independence in Haiti. The event will be broadcast live here. The Commission, a quasi‚Äêjudicial body of the …