Daily Archives: March 9, 2021

2021-03-09: News Headlines

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

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

RT (2021-03-09). 'Huge middle finger': YouTube tells foreign creators they will soon be charged AMERICAN tax. rt.com YouTube has told its content creators and partners that they need to prepare for paying US taxes on their earnings — even if they live and work elsewhere. The already beleaguered video creators are taking it poorly. | The video platform, owned by Google, actually updated its terms of service to tax US creators shortly after the 2020 election, but the change went largely unnoticed in the uproar about censorship. On Tuesday, however, YouTube announced that the taxes will soon be taken out of earnings by creators outside the US. | Taxes will be deducted from earnings derived from US viewers through "ad view…

RT (2021-03-09). South Dakota passes bill banning biological males from participating in female sports to mark Women's Day. rt.com South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem vowed to sign the legislation that will ban biological males from competing in female sports, following other Republican-controlled states in sending a message on gender politics. | "We're celebrating International Women's Day by defending women's sports," Noem said Monday on Twitter, minutes after the South Dakota Senate passed the state's Women's Fairness in Sports legislation. "I'm excited to sign this bill very soon." | In South Dakota, we're celebrating

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEE, agencies (2021-03-09). Tunisian court sentences Ben Ali brother-in-law to ten years in prison. middleeasteye.net Tunisian court sentences Ben Ali brother-in-law to ten years in prison | Businessman Belhassen Trabelsi, the brother of ousted leader's wife, was also fined $14.51m over corruption charges | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 08: 32 | Belhassen Trabelsi, right, brother-in-law of ousted Tunisian president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, arrives with his lawyer on 19 June 2019 at the Aix en Provence courthouse in F…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-09). Israel signs Mediterranean energy agreements with Cyprus and Greece. middleeasteye.net Israel signs Mediterranean energy agreements with Cyprus and Greece | Development of Aphrodite gas field had been on hold since 2011 as Cyprus and Israel finally reach an understanding | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 14: 47 | A cyclist rides near Cyprus's southern port city of Limassol, while in the background is seen the Cyprus-flagged oil tanker Carmelia, 11 February 2021 (AFP) | Israel and Cyprus s…

Frank Andrews (2021-03-09). Clubhouse: Are users in the Middle East safe from digital authoritarianism? middleeasteye.net Clubhouse: Are users in the Middle East safe from digital authoritarianism? | Citizens and activists across the Middle East have flocked to the new social network. But it is not the safe haven many crave | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 09: 13 | In countries throughout the region, where digital authoritarianism has conditioned many to live in fear of constant surveillance, people have flocked to the app (Reuter…

Lily Galili (2021-03-09). Israel elections: As Netanyahu hits a wall with voters, this one is about the best of the rest. middleeasteye.net Israel elections: As Netanyahu hits a wall with voters, this one is about the best of the rest | For the first time, a right-wing prime minister could emerge from Likud's rivals — a scenario that promises neither stability nor progress | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 14: 06 | A waitress serves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a cafe in Jerusalem, as Israel eases coronavirus restrictions (Reuters) | What se…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-03-09). Arabic press review: Detained Saudi dissidents go on hunger strike. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Detained Saudi dissidents go on hunger strike | Meanwhile, Egypt raises drug prices by 60 percent, UN demands release of six Bahraini activists, and Kuwait is set to pardon a number of unidentified detainees | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 10: 36 | Detained Saudi economist Mohammed al-Qahtani has reportedly started a hunger strike at a Riyadh jail to protest his imprisonment (Front Line…

MEE staff (2021-03-09). Biden administration temporarily suspends drone strikes outside of war zones. middleeasteye.net Biden administration temporarily suspends drone strikes outside of war zones | Pentagon says any strikes planned outside of Afghanistan, Syria or Iraq will have to be approved by the White House | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 16: 01 | During his time in office, former President Donald Trump rolled back a number of limits on the use of drone strikes (AFP/File photo) | US President Joe Biden has temporarily suspended the u…

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

MEE staff (2021-03-09). Eli Cohen: Israel's Netanyahu confirms search for spy's remains underway in Syria. middleeasteye.net Eli Cohen: Israel's Netanyahu confirms search for spy's remains underway in Syria | This is the first time Israel has officially acknowledged it is trying to bring the remains of the former Mossad agent home | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 16: 10 | Mossad agent Eli Cohen was publicly hanged in 1965 after his cover was blown (AFP) | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Tuesday that a search was underway i…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-09). US sanctions complicate Syria's return to Arab League, UAE minister says. middleeasteye.net US sanctions complicate Syria's return to Arab League, UAE minister says | US sanctions on Syria have made it harder for the Arab League to normalise ties with Damascus, Emirati foreign minister says | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 18: 39 | The 22-member Arab League, which suspended Syria in November 2011, has been working on re-establishing ties with the Damascus government | The United Arab Emirates…

MEE staff (2021-03-09). Biden administration reinstates sanctions against Israeli mining tycoon. middleeasteye.net Biden administration reinstates sanctions against Israeli mining tycoon | Sanctions against billionaire Dan Gertler, levied for 'malign behavior' in the Democratic Republic of Congo, had been lifted during Trump's last days in office | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 15: 44 | US Treasury Department initially levied sanctions against Israeli mining tycoon Dan Gertler in 2017 (AFP/File photo) | The Treasury Department has rev…

Ali Harb (2021-03-09). US lawmakers implicitly criticise Iran deal in bipartisan letter. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers implicitly criticise Iran deal in bipartisan letter | Letter signed by 70 Democrats, 70 Republicans and praised by AIPAC calls on Biden administration to pursue 'comprehensive' approach to Iran | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 19: 09 | Iranians take part in a ceremony in Tehran marking 42nd anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution, 10 February (AFP/File photo) | US Congress members from both political parties have…

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

MEE staff (2021-03-09). US urges Iran to provide answers about ex-FBI agent's disappearance. middleeasteye.net US urges Iran to provide answers about ex-FBI agent's disappearance | On the 14th anniversary of disappearance of Bob Levinson, Washington calls on Tehran to release all US citizens in its custody | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 15: 38 | Robert 'Bob' Levinson's family released photos of him in an orange jumpsuit in 2013 (AFP/File photo) | The United States has renewed its call for Iran to share any information on the disa…

MEE staff (2021-03-09). US says visa applicants denied by Trump 'Muslim ban' can reapply. middleeasteye.net US says visa applicants denied by Trump 'Muslim ban' can reapply | Rights groups condemn decision to not extend this policy to diversity visa applicants, saying Biden 'cemented Trump's legacy of harm' | Tue, 03/09/2021 – 19: 41 | President Joe Biden overturned Trump's travel ban on 20 January, his first day in office (AFP) | Most US visa applicants who were denied because of former President Donald Trump's tra…

RT (2021-03-09). Football clubs urged to take action after fans use 'abhorrent' domestic abuse image in meme mocking Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. rt.com A survivor of domestic abuse has spoken of her ordeal after a photo of her was used in a "beaten at home throughout lockdown" social media post which appeared designed to poke fun at Liverpool's recent woes. | Sick fans created and shared a photograph showing a victim of domestic abuse alongside Reds manager Klopp, accompanied by the "beaten at home" caption. | The tasteless joke came days after the English Premier League champions suffered their sixth successive home defeat of the Premier League campaign against Fulham on Sunday. | Katie Walker, whose photo was used in the social media post, said the episode…

RT (2021-03-09). Fuming minister Nicola Sturgeon rages that football champs Rangers 'didn't do nearly enough' to stop fans' wild partying (VIDEO). rt.com Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has reserved some heavy scorn for title-winning Rangers, saying that the club didn't do enough to stop fans disregarding Covid restrictions to celebrate their first title win in a decade. | Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard's team confirmed their status as Scottish champions on Sunday when fierce local rivals Celtic could only manage a scoreless draw away to Dundee United as Rangers completed their journey from financial ruin back to the summit of the league — ending the Hoops' hopes of a record-breaking 10th successive title in the process. | In the hours after their…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-09). Brawling Over Vaccines: Export Bans and the EU's Bungled Rollout. counterpunch.org The European Union has been keeping up appearances in encouraging the equitable distribution of vaccines to combat SARS-CoV-2 and its disease, COVID-19. Numerous statements speak to the need to back the COVAX scheme, to ensure equity and that no one state misses out. And EU member states could be assured of a smooth vaccine rollout,