2021-03-15: News Headlines

Labor Video Project (2021-03-15). "My Working Conditions Are My Student's Living Conditions" SF UESF Teachers Caravan/Rally. indybay.org SF UESF teachers and supporters caravanned and rallied against the imposition of schedules that they say will harm the education of their students. They also charge the district has ignored their issues and those of the students.

Beth Geglia (2021-03-15). Cuba Working on a 'People's Vaccine': the US and the world should get behind it. counterpunch.org From my hospital bed, as the global emergency around me escalated, I witnessed how the Cuban government swiftly mobilized resources to protect its citizens from Covid-19: at-home testing for anyone with symptoms, door to door preventative education in the most vulnerable neighborhoods, and coordinated isolation when necessary. While deaths soared toward 100,000 in the U.S., Cuba was able to get the average daily Covid-19 related deaths close to zero for most of May-August.

WSWS (2021-03-15). Build rank-and-file committees to stop the drive to reopen schools across the West Coast! wsws.org Despite the claims of Democratic Party politicians and teachers unions across California, Oregon and Washington, there is no safe return to in-person instruction during a pandemic.

John Nichols (2021-03-15). Massachusetts's Governor Is Playing an Ugly Game of Covid Politics With Teachers' Lives. thenation.com Massachusetts's Governor Is Playing an Ugly Game of Covid Politics With Teachers' Lives…

WSWS (2021-03-15). K-12 schools identified as largest source of COVID-19 infections in Illinois. wsws.org Reopened schools in Chicago and throughout the state are driving infections as officials and the unions work to get as many students as possible back into buildings for the fourth quarter term.

Lindsey Tanner (2021-03-15). Long-haulers struggle with symptoms as scientists work to solve coronavirus mystery. peoplesworld.org (AP) There was no reason to celebrate on Rachel Van Lear's anniversary. The same day a global pandemic was declared, she developed symptoms of COVID-19. A year later, she's still waiting for them to disappear. And for experts to come up with some answers. The Texas woman is one of thousands of self-described long-haulers, patients […] | In the aftermath of the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, drone warfare is being touted as the latest breakthrough in military technology, a "magic bullet" that makes armored vehicles obsolete, defeats sophisticated anti-aircraft systems,…

Staff (2021-03-15). CDC Insisted Surgical Masks Were Enough. Caregivers of Color Suffered Most. truthout.org This story also ran on Since the start of the pandemic, the most terrifying task in health care was thought to be when a doctor put a breathing tube down the trachea of a crit…

Dr. Stephen Malthouse (2021-03-15). Video: Canadians Doctors Speak Out: Top Reasons Not to be Afraid of COVID-19. globalresearch.ca "As Canadian medical doctors, we're gonna tell you what the best …

James Bovard (2021-03-15). Lockdowns Wrecked Democracy Around the World. globalresearch.ca While the number of fatalities attributed to Covid-19 is carefully tracked …

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-15). Iranian COVID-19 vaccine starts clinical trial. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) — Phases two and three of clinical trials of the first Iranian corona vaccine, produced and manufactured by the domestic researchers at Execution of Imam Khomeini Order (EIKO), entitled COVO Iran Barakat" kicked off on Mon.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-15). Clinical trial of Iranian COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) — Clinical trials of the first Iranian corona vaccine, produced and manufactured by the domestic researchers at Execution of Imam Khomeini Order (EIKO), entitled COVIRAN Barekat" kicked off on Mon.

RT (2021-03-15). Zuckerberg unveils new Facebook feature aimed at helping people get their Covid vaccine. rt.com Facebook is rolling out a tool that will make it easier for people to find information about where and when they can receive a Covid-19 shot, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced, as the platform fights disinformation about the jab. | In a message posted to the social media platform, Zuckerberg said that Facebook was launching a feature that will show users places nearby that are offering the shot, and will also help them make an appointment for it. The tool, part of the platform's 'Covid Information Center,' could help "millions" of people make vaccination appointments, the CEO said. The tool will also be availa…

Staff (2021-03-15). "Huge Victory": Black Farmers Hail $5B in New COVID Relief Law to Redress Generations of Racism. democracynow.org A major provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aims to address decades of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers who have historically been excluded from government agricultural programs. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with about half of that amount set aside for farmers of color, and allocates extra federal funds to farmers who were "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group." The U.S. Department of Agriculture has faced accusations of racism for dec…

Ali Harb (2021-03-15). US lawmakers urge Israel to vaccinate Palestinians as 'occupying entity'. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers urge Israel to vaccinate Palestinians as 'occupying entity' | Seventeen House members call for 'continued pressure' on Israel to meet its obligations under international law | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 19: 12 | Israeli helicopter carrying PM Benjamin Netanyahu flies over demonstrators in the Palestinian village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, 14 March (AFP) | Progressive members of the US Congress renewe…

Channel News Asia (2021-03-15). Netherlands Halts Use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca The Netherlands will suspend the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine until …

Dr. Ronald B. Brown (2021-03-15). The Hidden Truth Behind the Too-Good-to-be True COVID-19 Vaccines: An Interview with Dr. Ronald B. Brown, PhD. globalresearch.ca "Draconian public health measures are imposed on society with little proof of effectiveness, and much proof of collateral damage, there is little debate covered in the commercial media about public health issues."

Brian Shilhavy (2021-03-15). Pakistanis Do Not Trust Western Vaccines — Why Should They? Experimental COVID "Vaccines" Unwelcome by Many in Pakistan. globalresearch.ca Ignorant, backwards, unscientific, religious fanatics: This is how the western corporate …

Brian Shilhavy (2021-03-15). CDC: 1,524 Dead 31,079 Injured Following Experimental COVID mRNA "Vaccines" globalresearch.ca The CDC added more data today into the Vaccine Adverse Event …

Children's Health Defense (2021-03-15). These 'Inactive' Ingredients in COVID Vaccines Could Trigger Allergic Reactions. globalresearch.ca COVID vaccine makers have not only introduced new primary ingredients to …

Staff (2021-03-15). Black Farmers Hail $5 Billion in COVID Relief to Redress Generations of Racism. truthout.org A major provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aims to address decades of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers who have historically been excluded from government agricultural programs. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with about half of that amount set aside for farmers of color, and allocates extra federal funds to farmers who were "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice bec…

Staff (2021-03-15). Congress Urged to Stop Debt Collectors From Snatching Relief Checks. truthout.org Direct payments from the newly approved coronavirus relief package began landing in people's bank accounts with Unlike the Covid relief bi…

Stephen F. Eisenman (2021-03-15). The Invisible Professor. counterpunch.org Three years ago, I informed my colleagues I would retire in 2021. That's when I became invisible. I'd never been invisible before. As the youngest of three children growing up in Forest Hills, Queens, I received extra attention from my parents, or so my sister and brother regularly tell me. In college, at SUNY Albany,

Jake Johnson (2021-03-15). Biden Urged to Force End to US-Backed Saudi Blockade After Chilling Report on Starving Yemeni Children. globalresearch.ca Progressive members of Congress are demanding that President Joe Biden bring …

RT (2021-03-15). Biden's border crisis: Number of kids detained soars past record levels as Dems blame Donald Trump. rt.com The surge of unaccompanied children across the US' Mexican border continues unabated, with more than 4,200 kids held in makeshift facilities. Democrats, who accused Donald Trump of caging kids, have blamed the former president. | More than 4,200 minors were being held in "jail-like" holding facilities near the US' southern border as of Sunday morning, according to a

Staff (2021-03-15). Headlines for March 15, 2021. democracynow.org FEMA to Deploy to U.S. Border Where 4,200 Migrant Children Are Being Held, States Open Up Vaccine Eligibility as Fauci Warns Flouting Health Measures Could Lead to New Surge, Italy Back in Lockdown, Germany Declares Third Wave, as Brazil Deaths and Cases Surge, More Countries Suspend Use of AstraZeneca Vaccine After Reports of Blood Clots, Burma Sees Deadliest Day of Anti-Coup Protests as U.S. Grants TPS Status to Burmese Nationals, Car Bomb in Afghanistan Kills at Least 8 as U.S. Seeks to Accelerate Peace Talks, Kosovo Opens Embassy, Czech Republic Opens Diplomatic Office in Jerusalem, 39 Students Missing After…

MEE staff (2021-03-15). Four-year-old Canadian girl released from Syrian detention camp. middleeasteye.net Four-year-old Canadian girl released from Syrian detention camp | The young child is on her way to Canada, but her mother has been left behind | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 15: 41 | More than 64,000 individuals, mostly women and children, are languishing in detention camps in Syria (AFP) | A four-year-old girl has been released from a detention camp in northeast Syria and is on her way to Canada without her mother, offi…

Lorri Nandrea (2021-03-15). Amazon alienation: Alabama union drive isn't just about wages. peoplesworld.org In a recent interview with The Real News Network, Amazon worker Darryl Richardson described his job as a picker in the Bessemer, Ala., fulfillment center. He clocks in, and a video stream tells him where to go. He logs in at his station, then waits until the robot comes. A video stream tells him what …

Staff (2021-03-15). U.S. Lawyer Steven Donziger Speaks from House Arrest in NYC After Suing Chevron for Amazon Oil Spills. democracynow.org Decades of reckless oil drilling by Chevron have destroyed 1,700 square miles of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but the company has refused to pay for the damage or clean up the land despite losing a lawsuit 10 years ago, when Ecuador's Supreme Court ordered the oil giant to pay $18 billion on behalf of 30,000 Amazonian Indigenous people. Instead of cleaning up the damage, Chevron has spent the past decade waging an unprecedented legal battle to avoid paying for the environmental destruction, while also trying to take down the environmental lawyer Steven Donziger, who helped bring the landmark case. Donziger, who…

The Palestinian Feminist Collective (2021-03-15). Press Release: Pledge that Palestine is a Feminist Issue. indybay.org Today the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC) launches a pledge and open letter asking US women and feminist organizations, social and racial justice organizations, and people of conscience to adopt Palestinian liberation as a critical feminist issue. The pledge lists six concrete steps and commitments the Collective proposes to advance a truly intersectional and decolonial feminist vision in Palestine. These include pledging support for Palestinian rights to free speech and political organizing, the rejection of the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, the endorsement of the Boycott, Divestment, and…

MEE staff (2021-03-15). Palestinians lambast Netanyahu's visit to archaeological site near settler outpost. middleeasteye.net Palestinians lambast Netanyahu's visit to archaeological site near settler outpost | The PA's foreign ministry says the visit will embolden settlers to attack Palestinians | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 14: 38 | Palestinian women chant slogans as Israeli soldiers stand guard during a protest in the Palestinian village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, 14 March 2021 (AFP) | Palestine's foreign affairs ministry on Monday…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-15). The University Deception: Rankings and Academic Freedom. globalresearch.ca Forget the global university rankings of any list. The global university …

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-03-15). Ten Problems With Biden's Foreign Policy — and One Solution. counterpunch.org The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it's not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed—or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama's New START Treaty with Russia and Secretary of State Blinken's

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-15). Thomas Piketty and Karl Marx: Two totally different visions of Capital. mronline.org MR Online

Dr. Vandana Shiva (2021-03-15). Women Who Build the Future: Towards a Non Violent Culture. Vandana Shiva. globalresearch.ca We open the series "

Judith Mirkinson (2021-03-15). The Lasalin Massacre and the Human Rights Crisis in Haiti. globalresearch.ca This report was originally published in 2019. | Introduction | On November 13, …

Dave Lindorff (2021-03-15). Let's Stop Pretending Russia and China Are Military Threats. globalresearch.ca Someone needs to say this, and it looks like it's gotta …

Eds. (2021-03-15). Women and nature: Towards an ecosocialist feminism. mronline.org MR Online

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-03-15). Quad: Say It Like Modi. asia-pacificresearch.com

Huitzilopochtli Marron (2021-03-15). 'Immigrants are welcome here,' San Diego protesters in solidarity with migrant caravan. liberationnews.org All revolutionary and progressive people should defend the freedom of movement for all people fleeing the horrors of U.S. imperialism regardless of their documentation status.

Adeyinka Makinde (2021-03-15). Israeli Attacks on Iranian Oil Tankers, US Strikes in Syria and Sanctions: The Legacy of a Failed Policy of Regime Change. globalresearch.ca The recent disclosure by the Wall Street Journal that Israel has …

Aaron Mate (2021-03-15). Five Former OPCW Officials Join Prominent Voices to Call Out Syria Cover-up. globalresearch.ca Prominent signatories and five former OPCW officials are calling on the …

RT (2021-03-15). US has 1,000 'off-the-books' troops in Afghanistan, some of whom work with the CIA — media. rt.com The US military's presence in Afghanistan is larger than the public has been led to believe, the New York Times has reported, as Washington mulls a full withdrawal from the country as part of a deal with the Taliban. | Citing US, European and Afghan officials, the Times

Richard Rhames (2021-03-15). Farming: A Dirty Truth. counterpunch.org These days it's common for in-crowd folks to adopt trendy and overused lingo. Maybe you've noticed that we don't have towns or cities anymore. We have "communities." "Problems" have been banished in favor of "challenges." Once upon a time there was a notion of "truth." Now everybody apparently has "their truth." Perhaps related is the

The Conversation (2021-03-15). Sudan's Progressive, Secular Revolutionary Government faces Food Riots and Ethnic Violence. juancole.com By Andrew E. Yaw Tchie | — Sudan's political transition is in a precarious phase. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's government is facing a wide variety of challenges, including protests over the price of goods and commodities, and a resurgence of violence in the country's Darfur region. If the situation continues to unravel, the country could …

John Wojcik (2021-03-15). GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin backs Jan. 6 insurrectionists. peoplesworld.org Over the past few days, we've seen yet again a major indication that top Republican lawmakers are defending and promoting the white supremacists who attempted to overthrow the government on Jan. 6. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has intensified his prior defense of the right-wing insurrectionists by saying that he had nothing to fear from them …

Julie Norris (2021-03-15). Bronx tenants to local politicians: 'Cancel the rents!'. liberationnews.org The tenant movement is growing more determined each day to expose and fight the injustice of housing under capitalism.

Erik Molvar (2021-03-15). Honor the Tribal Vision for Bears Ears National Monument. counterpunch.org President Obama's team lopped off more than half a million acres from the tribes' proposal in the final designation, including Wilson Mesa, lands between White Canyon and Red Canyon, and the eastern slopes of the Abajo Mountains. These changes were made to appease local concerns, following public meetings senior Obama administration officials held with area residents. In the end, the concessions were fruitless, and the political backlash was immediate.

Tim Wheeler (2021-03-15). Pat Barile: A century of devotion to workers, equality, and socialism. peoplesworld.org Pat Barile learned the meaning of the word devotion from the rank-and-file workers at the Sonotone Corporation plant in White Plains, N.Y. in the mid-1940s and 1950s. Repeatedly, they elected him president of United Electrical Workers Local 428 for ten years—even after Cold Warriors had branded him a Communist and instigated a witch hunt and …

Bezaleel Jupiter (2021-03-15). Why does Jackson, Mississippi have unsafe water? liberationnews.org The government—at the national, state, and city levels—is responsible for Jackson's water crisis and is also responsible for repairing the water system in its entirety.

Eds. (2021-03-15). Murdoch Paper gives away the game: Cuomo is on their side. mronline.org MR Online