Daily Archives: December 17, 2020

2020-12-17: News Headlines

Ann Garrison (2020-12-17). "The Planet's Problem from Hell": Will Joe Biden Appoint Samantha Power to Head USAID? globalresearch.ca Just when it seemed that Joe Biden's coming administration couldn't be more of ahorror show,

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-17). Hoarding the Jabs: The Inequalities of Vaccine Distribution. globalresearch.ca Public health is no excuse to keep business and patriotism at bay. Not a very humanitarian sentiment, but then again, healing the sick and preserving the healthy can become parochial, nationalist objectives. The least convincing language of the pandemic has …

Alan MacLeod (2020-12-17). US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not to Vote. globalresearch.ca The United States embassy for Venezuela has been caught deleting tweets undermining the integrity of the "Tomorrow in Venezuela there will be …

South Front (2020-12-17). Video: Russian Forces Establish Presence on Syrian-Iraqi Border. globalresearch.ca Over the past weeks, the Syrian Army and its allies have intensified their operations against ISIS cells hiding in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert. | According to pro-government sources, during the past few days, Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias carried out …

Associated Press (2020-12-17). Baseball rewrites history, says Negro Leagues now a major league. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has reclassified the Negro Leagues as a major league and will count the statistics and records of its 3,400 players as part of its history. The league said Dec. 16 it was "correcting a longtime oversight in the game's history" by elevating the Negro Leagues on the centennial …

Global Research News (2020-12-17). Selected Articles: Vaccine Passports and Health Passes: Is Showing Your "Papers" the "New Normal?" globalresearch.ca By In case you have been living under a rock for the past several weeks, here are several instances where the "public …

RT (2020-12-17). Video 'made by Boko Haram' Islamist fighters claims to show kidnapped Nigerian schoolboys pleading for release. rt.com A video reportedly made by Boko Haram fighters has been released. It purports to show some of the 300 Nigerian schoolboys kidnapped by the Islamist militant group last week in the northwest of the country. | The six-minute video, published on Thursday by Nigerian news site HumAngle, apparently shows some of the children pleading with the government to free them by paying the ransoms demanded by the terrorists. | In the footage, a visibly upset child says he is among the hundreds of students taken by the Boko Haram group led by Abubakar Shekau, who oversaw the 2014 kidnapping of at least 200 schoolgirls in the…

Zero Hedge (2020-12-17). First Glitches Emerge in COVID-Vax Rollout; Alaska Health Worker Suffers 'Serious Allergic Reaction'. globalresearch.ca A healthcare worker in Alaska was hospitalized on Tuesday with a 'serious allergic reaction' after receiving Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, according to the The person, who had no known drug allergies, was still in the hospital on …

Center For Biological Diversity (2020-12-17). Trump Administration Finalizes Rule Limiting Habitat Protections for Endangered Species. globalresearch.ca The Trump administration Today's rule myopically defines "habitat" for the …

Jeanne Smits (2020-12-17). Accomplished Pharma Prof Thrown in Psych Hospital after Questioning Official COVID Narrative. globalresearch.ca Early on December 10, Jean-Bernard Fourtillan was taken from his home by a team of French law enforcement officers and forcibly placed in solitary confinement at the psychiatric hospital of Uzès. | *** | Early on December 10, Jean-Bernard Fourtillan, a …

Steve Watson (2020-12-17). Twitter Says It Will Remove All Posts Claiming Vaccines Can Harm People. globalresearch.ca Twitter has declared that it will remove all posts that suggest there are any "adverse impacts or effects of receiving vaccinations," despite reports already emerging of health workers getting sick from taking Pfizer's coronavirus shot. | Twitter

Dr. Meryl Nass (2020-12-17). Vaccines: Did Big Pharma Purchase California's Legislative Machinery? globalresearch.ca California has some of the most stringent vaccine mandate laws in the United States. Why is that? At first, it seemed that draconian vaccination laws were introduced in response to a measles outbreak that began in Disneyland in 2014. But …

Ahmed Elgazzar (2020-12-17). Do You Need A Vaccine? Efficacy and Safety of Ivermectin for Treatment and Prophylaxis of COVID-19 Pandemic. globalresearch.ca Abstract | Background: Up-to-date, there is no recognized effective treatment or vaccine for the treatment of COVID-19 that emphasize urgency around distinctive effective therapies. This study aims to evaluate the anti-parasitic medication efficacy "Ivermectin" plus standard care (azithromycin, vitamin C, Zinc, …

Shane Quinn (2020-12-17). History of World War I: German Colonialism in Central and Eastern Europe and the Fall of Tsarist Russia. globalresearch.ca When in February 1918, the German politician Prince Max of Baden asked his country's military dictator, Erich Ludendorff, what would happen if the latter's spring offensive failed, he replied, "Then Germany will just have to suffer annihilation". | General Ludendorff's …

Chuck Burr (2020-12-17). The Great Unraveling: The Corona 2020 Financial Crash. Devastating Consequences. globalresearch.ca The 2008 Crash was caused by collapse of mortgage-backed securities. Loans were given to non-credit worthy borrowers until the system collapsed. | What is happening today that may cause a greater multi-level crash? | Several trends are coming together that may create …

Robert Wheeler (2020-12-17). Vaccine Passports and Health Passes: Is Showing Your "Papers" the "New Normal?" globalresearch.ca Life cannot return to normal until there is a vaccine for COVID 19. | At least, that is what governments, corporations, and their mainstream propaganda media outlets have been incessantly arguing. Interestingly, the development of that vaccine was "warp speed," allegedly …

Children's Health Defense (2020-12-17). "Planned Surveillance and Control by Global Technocrats: A Big-Picture Look at the Current Pandemic Beneficiaries," globalresearch.ca An article by Children's Health Defense on how the pandemic facilitated a financial, tech, biopharmaceutical and military-intelligence push for centralized, technocratic control has been accepted by the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice and Research. | *** | "Planned Surveillance and Control …

WSWS (2020-12-17). Tennessee high school coach's death underscores dangers of school reopenings and sports. wsws.org David Picklesimer, a 55-year-old high school teacher and coach, is one of hundreds of educators that have died of COVID-19.

teleSUR (2020-12-17). Panama: Students Reject Cuts to Food Solidarity Program. telesurenglish.net Panamanians protested over President Laurentino Cortizo's decision to exclude people under 25 years of age from the "solidarity voucher", which provides US$100 per month to alleviate the impacts of the COVID-19-triggered crisis. | RELATED: | On Wednesday, students gathered in front of the Parliament to reject what they claimed as a "mishandling" of the COVID-19 health crisis by the government. | Besides condemning the…

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-12-17). No Flu this Year? Or Is Flu the Second Wave of Covid? globalresearch.ca Is there no flu this year or is flu "the second wave of Covid?" | Don't expect any honest answer from health authorities. They have the fear running strong, so strong that people are submitting to needless lockdowns that are causing …

Joseph Massad (2020-12-17). History: Israeli Propaganda on the 'Expulsion' of Arab Jews. globalresearch.ca Israeli propaganda about the "expulsion" of Arab Jews from Arab countries in the late 1940s and early 1950s continues without respite. Earlier this month, Israel's UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan,

Manlio Dinucci (2020-12-17). The US Plan to Dominate Space. globalresearch.ca Cape Canaveral (Florida), from where the Apollo mission rocket was launched by NASA in 1969, became the headquarters of the U.S. Space Force Station together with Patrick Base, also in Florida. At the inaugural ceremony on December 9, Vice President …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-12-17). Coronavirus spread during dental procedures could be reduced with slower drills. imperial.ac.uk Research from Imperial and King's College London has found that careful operation of dental drills can minimise the aerosol spread of COVID-19.

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-16). Pardon Julian Assange, under Article II, Section 2 of US Constitution. globalresearch.ca The US Constitution gave presidents "power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment (Article II, Section 2)." | Throughout US history, sitting presidents used this power thousands of times. | Jack Kennedy pardoned, …

Peter Koenig (2020-12-16). China's Economy of Peace. The End of Dollar Hegemony? globalresearch.ca Transcript of Peter Koenig's presentation to webinar Conference (14 December 2020), on "China's New Development Paradigm and High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation", China Center for Contemporary World Studies, and the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, …

Prof. Juan Cole (2020-12-16). Iran's Rouhani to Biden: We Will Fulfill Our Nuclear Obligations on Day One if You Return to 2015 Deal. globalresearch.ca

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-12-16). US Unemployed Rising, Evictions, Mortgages Crisis Brewing, Small Business Collapsing: Economic Consequences of a 2nd 'Mitigation' Bill. globalresearch.ca As of mid-December 2020 the US economy has begun showing increasing signs of an exceptionally weak 4th quarter, October-December, growth. After having collapsed -10.5% in the March-June 2020 period, followed by a partial 'rebound' (not sustained recovery) in the 3rd …

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-12-16). US Wants to Increase Special Agents in Latin America Under Anti-drug Speech. globalresearch.ca Washington's "war on drugs" is advancing in Latin America. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently asked the US Congress for a new budget, valued at more than 3 billion dollars, to improve its operations abroad and help to prevent narcotics …

Melanie McFarland (2020-12-16). "Education" culminates Amazon's "Small Axe" film series, finding beauty in the necessary struggle. salon.com The latest film, about a boy fascinated with astronomy, is the most autobiographical to filmmaker Steve McQueen…

_____ (2020-12-16). Indigenous-led Resistance To Enbridge's Line 3 Pipeline Threatens Big Oil. popularresistance.org When Dawn Goodwin went down to the bank of the upper Mississippi River on Dec. 4, she just wanted to spend some time honoring the traditions of her people. Goodwin was part of a small group of Mississippi Band Anishinaabe women visiting a traditional teaching lodge, or waaginoogan, near where Enbridge's proposed Line 3 oil pipeline would cross under the river. Upon reaching the waaginoogan, she was distressed to see the stumps of clear-cut trees and other damage where Enbridge had cut a path for the pipeline. Gazing at the destruction, Goodwin felt moved to act. | "I thought, I needed to pray here," Goodwin said.

Matt Sedlar (2020-12-16). The Absence of Universal Social Protections in the United States Harms Black Men. cepr.net In a recent post, researchers at the Brookings Institute noted that "[o]n many social and economic measures, Black men fare worse not only than white men, but white and Black women." They argue that what is needed is "a battery of specifically tailored policy interventions: a New Deal for Black Men, no less," and explain …

Areeb Ullah (2020-12-16). Family of Australian professor detained in Qatar say they fear for his life. middleeasteye.net Family of Australian professor detained in Qatar say they fear for his life | Professor Lukman Thalib told relatives that his blood pressure and heart rate had become dangerously low | Wed, 12/16/2020 – 14: 36 | Professor Lukman Thalib (right) received a teaching award at Qatar University in 2018. He is a public health expert and helped Qatar with its covid-19 response (Supplied) | The family of an Austr…

Reiner Fuellmich (2020-12-16). Video: "Crimes Against Humanity": The German Corona Investigation. "The PCR Pandemic" globalresearch.ca The German Corona Investigative Committee has taken testimony from a large number of international scientists and experts since July 10, 2020. | Scroll down for the Video and Full Transcript of Dr. Reiner Fuellmich's presentation. | . | Their …

McGill University (2020-12-16). Health Impacts of "Social Distancing" and Isolation: Scientists Show a Sort of Signature in the Brains of Lonely People. globalresearch.ca This holiday season will be a lonely one for many people as social distancing due to COVID-19 continues, and it is important to understand how isolation affects our health. A new study shows a sort of signature in the brains …

John C. A. Manley (2020-12-16). Scared to Stake a "No More Lockdowns" Sign on Your Front Lawn? globalresearch.ca Last month, my wife, Nicole, requested a lawn sign from Only problem: We don't have a lawn. We live in a three-storey apartment building. | Undaunted, I emailed my landlords, offering to "rent" …

Brian Shilhavy (2020-12-16). Unlike UK, U.S. FDA Allows Pregnant and Nursing Women to Receive Experimental Pfizer COVID Vaccine. globalresearch.ca The U.S. FDA has given emergency use authorization (EUA) to the experimental Pfizer COVID mRNA vaccine, a type of vaccine that has never before been authorized for use in humans. | The FDA's EUA for the Pfizer COVID vaccine follows an …

Editor (2020-12-16). Blueprint: How to Beat the Pro-Charter Billionaires. scheerpost.com " In nearly 20 years of privatization push into Oakland, this is the first time since 2003 that Oakland schools will be returned to local control by a school board that values and embraces authentic public education. Remaining hopeful for the future, and look forward to strengthening and improving Oakland's schools." Diane Ravitch By Ken Rice The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)… |

Gideon Bradshaw (2020-12-16). Local Sheriffs Are Pushing Back on Some of the Lockdown's Harsher Measures. globalresearch.ca The limits of the government's power to follow through with some of its public-health orders are being tested as states impose new restrictions on private gatherings because of COVID-19. | "You have due process," said Sheriff Richard Giardino, of Fulton …

Pieter Borger (2020-12-16). RT-PCR Test to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Reveals 10 Major Scientific Flaws at the Molecular and Methodological Level: Consequences for False Positive Results. globalresearch.ca Abstract | In the publication entitled "Detection of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR" (Eurosurveillance 25(8) 2020) the authors present a diagnostic workflow and RT-qPCR protocol for detection and diagnostics of 2019-nCoV (now known as SARS-CoV-2), which they claim to …

Almasdar News (2020-12-16). Will Israel Deploy Missile Defense Systems to Persian Gulf Amid Growing Tension with Iran? globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, a senior Israeli official expressed his country's readiness to cooperate in the future in the field of missile defense with Gulf states that share their concerns about Iran. | Moshe Patil, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Missile Defense …

sputniknews (2020-12-16). Twitter Will Start Removing Posts Promoting COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation Amid Pfizer Rollout. sputniknews.com Social media giant Twitter presently requires the removal of tweets that include a variety of false or misleading information regarding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19; its latest update is an extension of its current policy.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-16). 10th IST2020 kicks off at Iran's research institute for ICT. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 16 (MNA) — Hosted by Iran's Research Institute for Information and Communication Technology, the 10th International IST2020 symposiums kicked of virtually on Wednesday.

Staff (2020-12-16). Georgia's Senate Runoffs Set New Record for In-Person Voting on First Day. truthout.org As in-person voting begins for two Georgia senatorial runoff races, a surprising statistic has emerged: more people voted on the first day of in-person voting this week than on the first day of in-person voting for the general election earlier this year. |

Philip A Farruggio (2020-12-16). The Pandemic's Christmas Gift. "Ten Dollars in His Pocket" globalresearch.ca Bleak was something he could easily relate to, especially now. He didn't know which bothered him more, the bitter Detroit December cold, or his jobless situation. When he was going strong, along with the economy, being a massage therapist was …

WiRED-WIreless Radiation Education & Defense (2020-12-16). 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…

Mark Hertsgaard (2020-12-16). As 2020 Ends, It's Time for News Outlets to Declare a "Climate Emergency" commondreams.org Let 2021 be the year that we declare, in accordance with science, that humanity is facing a climate emergency—an emergency we promise to illuminate and, we hope, help humanity overcome. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Andrea Germanos (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."

A Guest Author (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 . . . |

Jan Oberg (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, …

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-12-15). Why We Need to Adopt Friedrich Engels' Thinking on Science in These Times. counterpunch.org Reflecting on the contributions of Friedrich Engels on his bicentenary brings three issues to mind. The first issue is, how do we read his writings today? A lot of his writings were polemics against defenders of the existing order, or those proposing theories that ran counter to Marx and Engels' views on the struggles of