Daily Archives: March 19, 2021

2021-03-19: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. counterpunch.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. dissidentvoice.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the …

Martha Grevatt (2021-03-19). In Ohio, solidarity with Amazon workers. workers.org University Heights, Ohio A demonstration outside a Whole Foods store March 13 brought out supporters for the Amazon union drive taking place in Bessemer, Ala. They came to this Cleveland suburb from throughout Northeast Ohio and from as far away as Columbus. Outside Whole Foods, University Hts., Ohio. March 13. . . . |

Callie McGrath (2021-03-19). Poor People's Campaign demonstrates for priorities in 30 state capitols. liberationnews.org Among the policies are "comprehensive, free, and just" COVID-19 relief; universal healthcare; redirection of the military budget to social needs; and many others.

Don McIntosh (2021-03-19). A Green New Deal Means a Labor New Deal. dsausa.org What does an "all hands" moment for DSA look like? Perhaps the campaign to pass the PRO Act, the first major campaign of 2021.

Hillary Lazar — Paul Messersmith-Glavin (2021-03-19). Love & Rage: The Eros Effect and Spontaneous Combustion. counterpunch.org "Today the fight for life, the fight for Eros, is the political fight." — Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization, 1966 "Eros is historically shaped but eternally emergent. Love binds us together, gives us the courage to make history, to stare down our fears . . . and gives us the nerve to be resolute .

Dianne Mathiowetz (2021-03-19). The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson. workers.org Atlanta A videotape shows 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson walking down a hallway and entering the gym in the Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga., eight years ago on Jan. 10, 2013. That night his mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, called the emergency number 911 to report that her son had not come . . . |

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-19). There are so many lessons to learn from Kerala. mronline.org MR Online

Eds. (2021-03-19). How Chesa Boudin is pursuing his promise to reduce incarceration. mronline.org MR Online

Mark Gruenberg (2021-03-19). With renewed union backing, House passes Dream Act. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With renewed labor backing, this time from the Union Veterans Council, the House voted 227-197 at 6 p.m. on March 18 to pass the Dream Act, formally legalizing and providing an eventual path to citizenship for the 700,000 "Dreamers," undocumented people brought to the U.S. as kids, who are Americans in all but their papers. …

Tom Engelhardt (2021-03-19). The Sports Pages of Death: Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened …

Robert Hunziker (2021-03-19). Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet From the Sea. counterpunch.org "The most toxic substance on Earth is separated from exposure to society by Ω" of steel encased in a canister." (Blanch) That eye-opener comes from renowned nuclear expert Paul Blanch in reference to spent fuel rods removed from San Onofre Nuclear Generation Plant buried near the sea on California's southern coastline 50 miles north of

Staff (2021-03-19). Battleground Baltimore: Brandon Scott sets a progressive path. therealnews.com In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Mayor Brandon Scott delivers his State of the City address, students and leaders look to end digital redlining, activists push for further cannabis reform, and more.

Robin Broad, John Cavanagh (2021-03-19). Water is Life, Can We Protect It? counterpunch.org From West Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, tens of millions of people struggled through late winter storms that froze pipes, broke water mains, and cut off electricity. They froze without showers, toilets, or washing machines — let alone drinking water — for days or even weeks. The irony that Texas, the state built on fossil fuels,

Vincent Emanuele (2021-03-19). The Iraq War: 18 Years Later. counterpunch.org 'You sit in your room, and you talk to the wall You're feeling small but still have a ball And you can't explain what's anyway in vain And you paint your face and dress in black Wear your shades and still can't express The way you feel about a lousy fill And you dance until

John Wojcik (2021-03-19). Biden's 'killer' comment about Putin reflects obsolete foreign policy. peoplesworld.org I want to start this critique of Biden's developing foreign policy by stating clearly and unequivocally that his $1.9 trillion rescue plan deserves total support from everyone in our country. It is nothing less than a dramatic disavowal of the right-wing era launched by Ronald Reagan some 40 years ago. Although Biden deserves praise for …

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-19). The Paris Commune of 1871, banks and debt. mronline.org MR Online

Mirinda Crissman (2021-03-19). Outrage over child detention center reopened over toxic dump. workers.org Plans to reopen a migrant detention facility on top of toxic military waste in Homestead, Fla., have sparked anger. Located just south of Miami, the closed facility was the largest center for unaccompanied migrant children — with 3,200 beds — before it was shut down in 2019 due to national . . . |

Emily Mossman Smiley (2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, Calif., police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.

ANSWER Coalition (2021-03-19). National Day of Action March 27: Call It What It Is, a Hate Crime! Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing! liberationnews.org The following national call to action was issued by the ANSWER Coalition Join the March 27 National Day of Action! Endorse the national day of action here Organize an event in your city — register your event here Initial list of cities, check back for updates! San Francisco, CA1 PMLocation TBD Atlanta, GATime & Location …

Eds. (2021-03-19). Ten years since beginning of failed regime-change operation against Syria. mronline.org MR Online

V. Copeland (2021-03-19). Sharpeville massacre: A turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle. workers.org The following article first appeared on the front page of the April 1, 1960, issue of Workers World. The original headline was "South African revolution has begun! General strike wins first victory! The mass murder of Africans was a boomerang; South African dictatorship faces abyss!" The article was written by . . . |

Jonah Raskin (2021-03-19). Art & Politics in San Francisco, 2021: Portraits of a City in Upheaval, Again. counterpunch.org Bay Area artist and teacher, Miranda Bergman, knows by heart the most famous lines in The Tempest. She ought to. Her Old Left parents named her after Shakespeare's feisty heroine who exclaims, "How amazing! How many wonderful creatures there are here! Mankind is so beautiful! Oh, what a wonderful new world that has such people

Eve Ottenberg (2021-03-19). How America Got the Vapors…Over ANTIFA. counterpunch.org It started last summer during the George Floyd Rebellion: alarming tales about left-wing terrorists, about hordes of antifa ready to invade dozy suburbs and burn down the local post office, Walmart and Starbucks. These wild fabrications percolated through right-wing media, causing a panicked spike in gun purchases, followed by announcements from red-blooded Amuricans in the Midwest and matrons from Florida that they were locked and loaded, ready to defend their real estate and SUVs from the battalions of communist terrorist antifa about to overrun their front lawns and trample azaleas, hydrangeas and any other be…

Ron Jacobs (2021-03-19). A People's History of the Civil Rights Movement. counterpunch.org The story of the Civil Rights movement is often told in a manner that glorifies certain Movement organizers and so-called leaders while ignoring the multitudes in the churches, the cotton fields, the hamlets of the South and the streets of the nation. This portrayal exists in spite of the ongoing reminders from those who have

Emily Mossman Smiley (2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, California police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.

Nyla Ali Khan (2021-03-19). Transnational and Transformative Movements: BLM, Kashmir, and Prison Reform in Oklahoma. counterpunch.org Considering electoral processes in my state of adoption, Oklahoma, are healthier than they are in my state of origin, Jammu and Kashmir, I remind millennials to identify important issues to them as voters, so they are inspired to make a significant difference by participating. I will not deny the feeling of hopelessness that sets in

John Catalinotto (2021-03-19). The Paris Commune's 150th anniversary — A blueprint for revolution. workers.org An uprising in Paris on March 18, 1871, toward the end of the Franco-Prussian War, burst open the structure of 19th-century European capitalist society. The 72-day social explosion in what would become the capital of the French Empire became the iconic blueprint for workers' revolution. Lessons of the Paris Commune, . . . |

Al Neal (2021-03-19). Case of Sarah Everard, kidnapped and murdered by cop, sparks reform in Britain. peoplesworld.org Walking home alone in the darkness of night is a regular experience for many—whether they live in the busiest cities or the quietest towns. It is such a norm that many people never stop to think about safety. But for women everywhere, this action is often fraught with fear and anxiety. Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old …

Devin Cole (2021-03-19). Linked struggles: Trans liberation, women's liberation — WW commentary. workers.org It's just two and a half months into 2021, and already over 25 blatantly anti-trans bills have been introduced in 28 state legislatures. In total, 91 bills are proposed in those states that, in some way, shape or form, attack trans people — some directly, some indirectly, but the destructive . . . |

Staff (2021-03-19). We can't erase the radicalism of the Rainbow Coalition. therealnews.com "Judas and the Black Messiah" has received much-deserved praise, but there are still many facets to the story of the Rainbow Coalition and Fred Hampton's murder that need to be told.

Staff (2021-03-19). Police union defends convicted cops keeping their jobs. therealnews.com Why is it so hard to reform the police, let alone hold police accountable for abusing their power? What are the legal and political protections that have put police above the very law they're supposed to enforce?

Don McIntosh (2021-03-19). TALKING SOCIALISM | Catching up with AOC. dsausa.org Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her way to speak at NYC's Women's March. [Photo by Corey Torpie] | Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, best known as AOC, is DSA's foremost socialist superstar. Her June 2018 primary win—a 29-year-old taqueria bartender defeating the third most powerful Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives—inspired up to 10,000 people to join DSA. : | The Netflix documentary

Craig Collins (2021-03-19). Villagers & Pillagers: Who Will Survive the Collapse? counterpunch.org Unless you live in a state of denial you're probably like me, troubled about the future. There's not much left of mine, but my daughter's generation and their children will have to survive the aftermath of fossil-fueled civilization on the ravaged, toxic planet we've left them. How will that look? Will democratic eco-settlements rise from

Bob Lord — Chuck Collins (2021-03-19). No, the Rich Aren't Paying Their Fare Share. counterpunch.org We hear it all the time: The wealthy must pay their fair share in tax. Many of the wealthy, and the members of Congress they sponsor, contend they already are. And they have all sorts of facts and figures to make that appear true. After all, for a billionaire, even a tiny tax payment in

David Yearsley (2021-03-19). Travelers, Sour and Sentimental. counterpunch.org "I hate traveling and explorers." —Claude Levi-Strauss, Tristes tropiques (1955) Texas loosens, Italy locks down. With the skies mostly still clear and quiet, one can hear the collective champing at the bit before the gates open and vacationers charge into their first getaway in more than year. As Airbnb bookings surge, it's worth asking what

The Conversation (2021-03-19). Startling Discovery of New Dead Sea Scrolls sheds light on Jewish Revolts against Imperial Rome. juancole.com By Gareth Wearne | — On Tuesday news broke of the discovery of fresh fragments of a nearly 2,000-year-old scroll in Israel. The fragments were said to come from the evocatively named Cave of Horror, near the western shore of the Dead Sea. The finds were announced with attention-grabbing headlines that these were new fragments …

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-03-19). Oakland joins West Coast cities mandating hazard pay for grocery workers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Cities around the Bay Area have joined, or on the road to joining, the growing list of West Coast cities requiring large grocery outlets to provide their workers hazard pay while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors now requires large grocers to pay their frontline workers $5 more …

Tom Engelhardt (2021-03-19). Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. counterpunch.org Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened the sports pages

Yaakov Rav (2021-03-19). Why is it still so hard to get vaccinated in Massachusetts? liberationnews.org Massachusetts has a reputation for progressive policies, especially in healthcare. So why is the Bay State's COVID-19 vaccine rollout one of the sloppiest?

Don McIntosh (2021-03-19). MEDICAL FRONT LINE | An EMT's Story. dsausa.org Most people who find out I'm an emergency medical technician think I'm first on the scene, saving lives, that sort of thing. There are people who do that, but that's not my job. I, like most EMTs, don't respond to 911 calls. We work for private companies, doing interfacility transports. On paper, it's things like bringing a psych patient from the emergency room to a mental health care center, or a heart attack victim to a hospital equipped for specialized surgery. In reality, it mostly means dumping patients—taking them from the pristine ERs of the private hospitals to the overstuffed, understaffed comm…

Don McIntosh (2021-03-19). Gaming the System: Why the Stock Market is Worthless. dsausa.org The drama that swirled around GameStop and the stock market earlier this year highlighted two things: The system is rigged against working people, and the stock market is useless. | The basic story was this: Some hedge fund investors took bets on GameStop's declining profitability through a process called "shorting." This means that investors borrow shares of the company. They then sell those stocks on the assumption that their price will fall. Once the price has fallen sufficiently, they buy back the stocks at a lower price, return the borrowed shares, and pocket the difference. Some day traders communicatin…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-19). Turkey's government moves court to disband opposition HDP. peoplesdispatch.org Turkey's chief prosecutor has filed a lawsuit in the constitutional court to disband the pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples Democratic Party on charges of having links with the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-19). Yemen's Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco oil refinery that sparked fire. middleeasteye.net Yemen's Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco oil refinery that sparked fire | The Houthis have escalated cross-border attacks in recent weeks, as fighting intensifies in Yemen's north | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 14: 09 | A man looks at a damaged silo a day after an attack at the Saudi Aramco oil facility in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea city of Jeddah, on 24 November 2020 (AFP) | A drone attack on an oil…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-03-19). 10 years ago U.S./NATO forces demolished Libya. workers.org Ten years ago, on March 19, 2011, U.S./NATO forces began the air and sea bombardment of Libya. The war was directed by the United States, first through its Africa Command, then through NATO under U.S. command. In seven months, the U.S./NATO air force carried out 30,000 sorties, 10,000 of which . . . |

RT (2021-03-19). Judge agrees to redact 'sensational and impure' details about Ghislaine Maxwell from public docket. rt.com A federal judge in New York has ruled on requests for redactions filed by the US government and Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged madam of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some parts of her private life will now not be made public.

RT (2021-03-19). Migrant children held in US custody soar to 14,000 as Biden press secretary accidentally acknowledges border 'crisis'. rt.com More than 14,000 migrant children are currently held in US custody, a senior administration official said, insisting there's no "crisis" at the border soon after Biden's press secretary invoked the very same term. | The official said the number of youths detained after attempting to cross the border had soared to 14,000 during a Thursday press briefing, noting that they are divided between facilities run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Border Patrol. | While the official argued that "Children presenting themselves at the border is not a national crisis," White House Press Secret…

RT (2021-03-19). Jack in the Box manager stabbed by homeless Texan after telling him to put on a coronavirus face mask — police. rt.com The manager of a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant in Texas was reportedly stabbed after telling a homeless customer to wear a coronavirus face mask. | According to League City Police Chief Gary Ratliff told re…

RT (2021-03-19). WATCH: Rand Paul challenges Fauci's ever-more-elaborate 'mask theatre' on Senate floor. rt.com US coronavirus czar Anthony Fauci has again butted heads with Republican senator (and fellow doctor) Rand Paul over the government's mask mandates. Paul got under Fauci's skin by denouncing current mask rules as "theater." | The Kentucky senator demanded Fauci explain why Americans who'd already been sick with Covid-19 and recovered, or received the vaccine should be "wearing masks well into 2022" during a Senate hearing on Thursday. Insisting there "no scientific studies arguing or proving that infection with Covid does not create immunity," Paul demanded the doctor cite "specific studies" to bolster his clai…

RT (2021-03-19). Biden administration staffers asked to RESIGN over past marijuana use, despite campaign support for decriminalization — reports. rt.com The Biden administration has been vigilant in weeding out staffers who have admitted to past marijuana use, despite the drug being increasingly legal across the US, a new report suggests. | Dozens of White House employees were asked to resign or join a "remote work program" this month after admitting to past marijuana use, the Daily Beast reported. | "It's exclusively targeting younger staff and staff who came from states where it was legal," one anonymous former staffer claimed. | Marijuana is now legal in 14 states and the District of Columbia, but it remains illegal at the federal level. Even staffers from…