(2021-02-19). Democracy Now! Turns 25: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of Independent News on the Frontlines. democracynow.org 
Democracy Now! first aired on nine community radio stations on February 19, 1996, on the eve of the New Hampshire presidential primary. In the 25 years since that initial broadcast, the program has greatly expanded, airing today on more than 1,500 television and radio stations around the globe and reaching millions of people online. We celebrate 25 years of the War and Peace Report with an hour-long retrospective, including highlights from the show's early years, some of the most controversial interviews, and groundbreaking reports from East Timor, Standing Rock, Western Sahara and more.
(2021-02-19). Biden Offers Moderate Solutions to Radical Problems. counterpunch.org 
"Radical solutions require radical solutions," I wrote in my 2010 book "The Anti-American Manifesto," a polemic that calls upon us to save ourselves from imminent social, economic and political collapse by overthrowing the system and rebuilding society from the ground up. We currently face several radical problems. But we're not likely to rise to the
(2021-02-19). Immigration Activists Welcome Reform Bill But Warn of Long Fight Ahead. truthout.org 
Migrant justice activists and organizations welcomed the introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 this week but are warning that the bill faces a long and uphill battle before becoming law. | At the center of the comprehensive bill, which was introduced by Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Linda Sánchez, is a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The bill also includes key provisions that migrant justice activists have been demanding for dec…
(2021-02-20). Texas police looking for more than 100 illegal immigrants who fled smuggling truck amid winter freeze. rt.com 
Texas authorities are seeking a group of more than 100 illegal immigrants wandering through the freezing, storm-hammered state. They fled a packed smuggling truck, in which they were being transported in suffocating conditions. | Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters on Thursday that his department received a call from a truckload of illegal immigrants in San Antonio that evening. Their smugglers had sealed up the refrigerated truck and blocked air holes, and the migrants feared that they would suffocate inside. | Deputies in the area noticed movement around a truck parked at a gas station, and sa…
(2021-02-19). Sometimes Marx's Capital is a pillow, sometimes it obliges us to deepen our struggles. mronline.org 
In 1911, a young Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) arrived in France, which had colonised his homeland of Vietnam. Though he had been raised with a patriotic spirit committed to anti-colonialism, Ho Chi Minh's temperament did not allow him to retreat into a backward-looking romanticism.
(2021-02-20). Pensacola State College faculty demand protection. workers.org 
Occupied Muscogee Creek land On Feb. 16, over 30 drivers circled the Pensacola State College-Warrington Campus buildings for half an hour, laying on their horns. Signs saying "High Risk" and "Betrayal" were taped to their vehicles. This action was led by the Pensacola State College Faculty Association, a chapter of . . . |
(2021-02-20). Israeli Troops Attack Non-Violent Palestinian Rallies in Kufur Qaddoum, Beit Dajan. imemc.org 
Israeli forces attacked the weekly non-violent protest marches and rallies in several parts of the West Bank Friday, injuring three Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets and causing dozens to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation. In Kufur Qaddoum, in the northern West Bank, two Palestinian protesters were taken to the hospital with severe injuries …
(2021-02-20). Urgent Solidarity with Haiti is Needed. dissidentvoice.org 
A long-brewing crisis in Haiti, created through intervention by the United States, United Nations and allied western imperialist countries, has now come to a head. The Biden administration is openly backing a violent, corrupt and fraudulent leader, Jovenel MoàØse, and maintaining the policies of previous presidents, including Donald Trump, in Haiti. Activists in Haiti have …
(2021-02-20). Number of residential solar batteries increases by 50% in Germany. juancole.com 
By Sà∂ren Amelang | — The number of battery storage systems linked to a residential solar pv array rose by around 50 percent in Germany in 2020 for the third year in a row. The country's solar association BSW estimates there were 88,000 new residential installations, taking the total number of solar batteries in Germany …
(2021-02-20). Estados Unidos contra Cuba: El bloqueo es un crimen de lesa humanidad. globalizacion.ca 
Según la ONU, son crímenes contra la humanidad los que constituyen ataques generalizados o sistemáticos a la población civil. Son "crímenes de lesa humanidad" los exterminios, la esclavitud, la deportación o expulsión forzosa, la privación de la libertad física e…
(2021-02-20). Partners: China and Cuba. dissidentvoice.org 
In the 1960s, the main forms of the Chinese assistance offered to Cuba were preferential trade and interest-free loans. From 1961 to 1965, China gave Cuba an interest-free loan of 60 million U.S. dollars. The two sides signed the China-Cuba Economic Cooperation Agreement, Trade and Payment Agreement, and Technology Cooperation Protocol. According to the agreement, …
(2021-02-20). Madagascar: A Nation of Hunger. dissidentvoice.org 
Madagascar is in great pain. Theodore Mbainaissem, the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) sub-office in Ambovombe, southern Madagascar, says: "Seeing the physical condition of people extremely affected by hunger who can no longer stand…children who are completely emaciated, the elderly who are skin and bone…these images are unbearable… People are eating white clay …
(2021-02-20). How Democratic is China? dissidentvoice.org 
Like America, China is a republic and, like America, says it is democratic, but how democratic is China? A glance at history is always a good starting point The People are supreme, the state is secondary and the Ruler is the least important: only those who please the people can rule. Mencius1 In Roman politics, …
(2021-02-20). Letter from an incarcerated worker on the struggle in Alabama. workers.org 
The following letter from an incarcerated worker in the Pennsylvania prison system was sent by email on Feb. 17 to Joe Piette, a member of the Prisoners Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party. From SCI Pine Grove: Nina Simone famously said: "Alabama got me so upset; Tennessee made me lose . . . |
(2021-02-20). Mercenaries boss Erik Prince violated Libya weapons embargo: UN report. middleeasteye.net 
Mercenaries boss Erik Prince violated Libya weapons embargo: UN report | US media say the accusations against founder of security firm Blackwater could potentially lead to him facing sanctions | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 09: 39 | Erik Prince did not cooperate with the UN inquiry and his lawyer declined to comment to the New York Times (AFP) | Mercenaries boss Erik Prince pumped $80m in weapons and fighters into easter…
(2021-02-20). Turkey's Erdogan seeks 'win-win' relationship with US. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey's Erdogan seeks 'win-win' relationship with US | Turkish president reaches out to Biden administrations and says 'common interests of Turkey and the United States outweigh the differences' | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 21: 46 | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Earlier this week, Turkey had accused the US of supporting PKK 'terrorists' (AFP) | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said…
(2021-02-20). Iraq: Rockets target airbase north of Baghdad after clashes with IS. middleeasteye.net 
Iraq: Rockets target airbase north of Baghdad after clashes with IS | Attack on Al-Balad base injures a contractor and came hours after Iraqi security forces raided a nearby Islamic State hideout amid increasing tensions | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 19: 31 | A doctor treats a man wounded in a rocket attack on US forces at Erbil airport, northern Iraq, on 15 February (Reuters) | Four rockets hit the…
(2021-02-20). Russian air strikes 'kill 21 Islamic State fighters' in Syrian desert. middleeasteye.net 
Russian air strikes 'kill 21 Islamic State fighters' in Syrian desert | Russian jets launched 130 air strikes over 24 hours according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 11: 01 | Russian air power has backed Syrian forces clashing with Islamic State fighters (AFP) | Russia launched at least 130 air strikes in Syria over the past 24 hours, killing at least 21 Isla…
(2021-02-20). Algeria releases dozens of jailed pro-democracy activists after presidential pardons. middleeasteye.net 
Algeria releases dozens of jailed pro-democracy activists after presidential pardons | Pardons issued by President Tebboune ahead of second anniversary of Hirak uprising, with prominent journalist Khaled Drareni among those freed | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 20: 26 | Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni is greeted by supporters upon his release from Kolea prison, west of the capital Algiers, on 19 Fe…
(2021-02-20). Saudi Arabia to invest $20bn in domestic arms industry. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia to invest $20bn in domestic arms industry | Kingdom wants to shift towards manufacturing much of its own weapons over the next decade after US sales ban | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 15: 49 | Saudi Arabia wants to spend at least half of its military budget locally by 2030 (AFP) | Saudi Arabia has announced plans to pump $20bn into producing more of its own weapons and military systems o…
(2021-02-20). Israel purchased Russian Covid vaccine for Syria in exchange for captive: Reports. middleeasteye.net 
Israel purchased Russian Covid vaccine for Syria in exchange for captive: Reports | Order said to be part of a deal which freed an Israeli woman who crossed into Syria through Quneitra a few weeks ago | Sat, 02/20/2021 – 13: 45 | The Ynet news site reported on Saturday that Israel purchased more than $1m worth of doses of the Sputnik V vaccine (AFP) | Israel is said to have agreed to purch…
(2021-02-20). The Heat: G7 leaders' pledge on COVID-19 vaccines. america.cgtn.com 
Leaders from the Group of Seven Nations vow to work together to improve global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
(2021-02-20). US State Department Accusation of China "Genocide" Is Garbage Reliant on Data Abuse and Fraudulent Claims. anti-empire.com 
Both President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have endorsed former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's last-minute accusation of The US government's accusation of genocide against China stems from a single sour…
(2021-02-20). With No Compulsory Muzzling and Schools Open, Florida Ranks 11th Lowest in COVID Deaths per Capita Among Seniors. anti-empire.com 
There's a reason why the Biden regime is Dr. F…
(2021-02-20). 'DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHY': Madonna lashes out at shadowy cabal of men attempting to 'cut off her life force'. rt.com 
Pop icon Madonna has complained that a conniving cadre of scheming men has prevented her from reaching her full potential, but some believe that the obscenely wealthy and successful entertainer may be overreacting. | "The Patriarchy continues to try to crush my neck with their heavy boots, cut off my life force and take away my voice—Even those who call themselves artists…………..You know who you are!!! DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHY! Now and Forever," Madonna tweeted, including a photograph of herself wearing a glittering tiara. | The Patriarchy continues to try to crush my neck with their heavy boots, cu…
(2021-02-20). Google fires ANOTHER AI ethics researcher amid row over 'censorship & racism,' as team member accuses company of 'smear campaign'. rt.com 
Google has terminated the head researcher on its AI ethics team over what the tech giant deemed a violation of its "code of conduct," as the company faces an internal revolt over a previous firing of a black data scientist. | Margaret Mitchell, who led Google's Ethical AI unit, announced her termination in a brief tweet on Friday, saying only "I'm fired" without offering further detail. | I'm fired.— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) Google's own statement on the matter was also somewhat vague, confi…
(2021-02-20). Outage outrage: Texans see power bills as high as $17,000 after brutal storm pummels grid & leaves millions without electricity. rt.com 
In the wake of a fierce winter storm that knocked out power for millions of Texans, some residents are reporting colossal spikes in their electricity bills, with some asked to pay more than $17,000 for just a few weeks of service.
(2021-02-20). Biden declares 'major disaster' in Texas as state continues to battle power outages amid extreme cold. rt.com 
President Joe Biden has declared that "a major disaster" status is in effect in Texas, unlocking federal money for counties that have been suffering from an unusual and deadly cold wave. | His action allows for federal funding to dozens of Texan counties affected by the cold, the White House said. The money may be used for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans and other assistance to residents and business owners. | Also on rt.com | | Bide…
(2021-02-20). Beleaguered Texans forced to flee burning hotel as sprinkler system fails due to frozen pipes (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Guests at a four-story hotel in Texas were forced to flee into the freezing cold as a fire engulfed the entire building when the sprinkler system failed due to frozen pipes. | The fire broke out at the Hilton Garden Inn near Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas shortly before 9pm local time. The hotel had been serving as emergency accommodation for many stricken local residents, including several soldiers from the nearby Eyewitness footage from the scene purports to show the fire as it ripped through the hotel…
(2021-02-20). 'DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHY': Madonna lashes out at shadowy cabal of men attempting to 'cut off her life force'. rt.com (2021-02-20). Ten Years Ago: "Operation Libya" and the Battle for Oil: Redrawing the Map of Africa. globalresearch.ca Libya is among the World's largest oil economies with approximately 3.5% of global oil reserves, more than twice those of the US.
(2021-02-20). FCC Must Expand The E-Rate Program To Connect Students During Pandemic. popularresistance.org Yesterday, Public Knowledge joined Access Humboldt, Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, Consumer Reports, and New America's Open Technology Institute in filing comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice on the use of E-Rate funds to enable remote learning. Public Knowledge supports "off-campus" use of E-Rate funds to help students studying at home access the broadband they need to stay connected to classes, student services, and their families during the pandemic. | The following can be attributed to Greg Guice, Director of Government Affairs at Public Knowledge: | "As t…
(2021-02-20). The Pandemic is Sparking a Wave of Union Drives on College Campuses. zcomm.org In Arizona, two universities are spearheading an effort to unionize the entire state's higher education workforce…
(2021-02-20). Libya: When Historical Memory is Erased. globalresearch.ca It happened ten years ago: US-NATO's "humanitarian war" against Libya in support of so-called pro-democracy rebels. The On February 15, 2011, according to the official story "anti-government rallies were held in Benghazi calling upon Qadaffi to step down. US-NATO cam …
(2021-02-20). Russia registers its 3rd COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Russia has registered and its Health Ministry approved a third coronavirus vaccine for public use, the country's prime minister announced on Saturday.The vaccine, called CoviVac, was developed by the Chumakov Center for Research and Development of Immunobiological Drugs, Mikhail Mishustin said at a meeting with the government in Moscow."I want to start with some very good news: today, the third vaccine, CoviVac, was registered," he said, adding that by mid-March, "the first 120,000 doses will be launched into civil circulation."Strict controls will ensure that stepped-up production will in no case affect the vacc…
(2021-02-20). [Obituary] Gordon John McVie. thelancet.com Oncologist and tireless champion of cancer research. He was born in Glasgow, UK, on Jan 13, 1945, and died in Bristol, UK, with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and COVID-19 on Jan 20, 2021, aged 76 years.
(2021-02-20). First Person: The Colombian youth fighting for digital education for all. news.un.org Tania Rosas, a Colombian education advocate from an afro-indigenous background, is hoping to improve learning outcomes for disadvantaged communities in her country, with a digital application tailored to their specific needs.
(2021-02-20). Cuba — øCuál patria y cuál vida? globalizacion.ca La patria no está en los bolsillos en forma de moneda manoseada, ni escrita en contrato con la ruindad, ni en alianzas para denigrarla y destruirla. La vida no está en disfraces incapaces de ocultar la miseria espiritual, antesala…
(2021-02-20). Aufruf zum Widerstand gegen Tyrannei — das Vermà§chtnis Wolfgang Borcherts. Dann gibt es nur eins: Sag NEIN! globalresearch.ca Der deutsche Regimekritiker und Schriftsteller Wolfgang Borchert fordert in einem 1947 verfassten Manifest "Dann gibt es nur eins!" die Mitmenschen dazu auf, die Teilnahme an kàºnftigen Kriegen zu verweigern. Kurz darauf verstirbt der 26-Jà§hrige an den Folgen schwerer Kriegs-Verwundungen. | Der …
(2021-02-20). Cuba muestra importantes avances en la lucha contra el racismo y la discriminación. globalizacion.ca Intervención Reunión Ministerial sobre la Eliminación del racismo, la xenofobia y la discriminación. 18 de febrero de 2021 | Señor Presidente: | Este año conmemoramos el vigésimo aniversario de la histórica Conferencia Mundial contra el Racismo, la Discriminación Racial, la Xenofobia y…
(2021-02-20). Thursday 3/4: International Women's Day: Women in Science w/ CalAcademy. indybay.org Online event; FREE and no registration required…
(2021-02-20). Rally for accountability at the University of Texas at Arlington. fightbacknews.org Arlington, TX – On February 10, the Progressive Student Union held a rally for accountability at the University of Texas at Arlington. PSU held the rally to determine the current status of the commitments made by the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) administration over six months ago. | One of the commitments from UTA was scholarships for Black and brown students. Upon further inspection it is seen that the dispersal of the scholarships meant to benefit students doesn't begin until the fall of 2021. Given the current economic crisis, working families would find it extremely difficult to continue with school…
(2021-02-20). Protest against Article 112 outside Thai Parliament as PM survives vote. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Feb 20 (efe-epa).- Demonstrators protested outside the parliament building in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday to call for the repeal of legislation that criminalises anyone deemed to insult the country's powerful monarchy. Repeal of the lese majeste law, known as Article 112, is one of the core demands of the student-led protest movement …
(2021-02-20). Report: Young People In The United States Are Overrun With Student Debt. popularresistance.org Young Americans are overrun with student debt. This crisis is the culmination of waning government funding for higher education, wage stagnation, wealth inequality, and a misleading emphasis on obtaining high credentials—all leading to the financial gap between college prices and later earnings. In 2020, aggregate balances reached $1.66 trillion in 2019 dollars, 122% higher in real dollars than in 2010. Not surprisingly, the number of borrowers, the amount they owe, and the number of loans each borrower acquires, have all increased over the time period. In 2019, 18-35 year-olds with student loan debt owed n…
(2021-02-20). What Isn't In Judas And The Black Messiah Is Just As Important As What Is. popularresistance.org A movie that centers a political giant such as Fred Hampton is inevitably going to generate a kind of public and political discussion that is wholly anathema to the Hollywood corporate environment. The masses of people, especially young Black Americans and activists of all races rallying under the banner Black Lives Matter, are hungry for political education. Unfortunately, Judas and the Black Messiah is largely devoid of the most critical political content that characterized Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party. | Of course, the definition of political content is itself subject to political struggle. A new w…
(2021-02-20). [World Report] Research Focus: The Cleveland Clinic at 100. thelancet.com As the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, marks its centenary, Talha Burki looks at how it became a world-renowned centre for cardiology. (2021-02-20). [Perspectives] Sharrelle Barber: at the intersection of place, race, and health. thelancet.com Sharrelle Barber's research focuses on the intersection of place, race, and health. As Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health in Philadelphia, PA, USA, her work has been crucial in assessing the impact of structural racism on racial health inequities among Black people in the USA and Brazil. She sees segregation as a symbol of the economic, social, political, and racial divide in a city: "From Jackson, Mississippi, to Rio de Janeiro, segregation is one of the most visible manif…
(2021-02-20). [Correspondence] The Health Index for England. thelancet.com In the Chief Medical Officer for England's 2018 independent annual report, we called for the development of a composite health index.1,2 We are delighted that the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) has developed and published a beta version of such an index,3 alongside a useful Health Index Explorer tool.
(2021-02-20). Student loans continue to discriminate against Muslim students. thecanary.co Pop icon Madonna has complained that a conniving cadre of scheming men has prevented her from reaching her full potential, but some believe that the obscenely wealthy and successful entertainer may be overreacting. | "The Patriarchy continues to try to crush my neck with their heavy boots, cut off my life force and take away my voice—Even those who call themselves artists…………..You know who you are!!! DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHY! Now and Forever," Madonna tweeted, including a photograph of herself wearing a glittering tiara. | #riskwhatyouvalue (2021-02-20). Not very PC? Chelsea Clinton-funded 'trans' app urges transitioning people to budget their money & be nice to cops. rt.com 
A mobile app marketed at trans people that received funding from former first daughter Chelsea Clinton has been slammed by the internet as overtly patronizing. Even worse, the app urges users to be polite to the police. | Created in 2019, Euphoria has been billed as an app designed to help individuals navigate gender transition, as well as provide people with support once they complete the procedure. | Read more | | The platform hos…
To be Muslim in Britain means to be a part of a population of Interest is forbidden: | For young people venturing from college or sixth form into university, accepting a monstrous educational debt will always be a tricky decision. But for Muslims, deciding to take out a Student Finance Loan — or for that matter any loan which requires repayment with…