(2021-02-24). The Ethics of Healthcare Marketing. dissidentvoice.org 
Spend an evening watching television on any network in pretty much any town in America and you'd probably think that Big Pharma had already created a pill for anything that might ail ya. And, of course, in some ways, that's not entirely wrong. Today we have a world of therapies to extend our lives and …
(2021-02-24). How Capitalism Fails US. realprogressives.org 
Hello internet, I'm Jackie Fox and I'd like for you to join me in a thought experiment. Imagine an ideal world. What do you see? How do you know it's ideal? If you're anything like me, you're imagining a world without homelessness or hunger, where life expectancy increases along with quality of life, everyone has access to healthcare, the world is healthy and our ecosystem isn't on the verge of collapse. Following the logic of Capitalism though, you'd really just want a strong stock market and around three percent market growth per year; everything else is just icing on the cake. | The problem is that while th…
(2021-02-24). Home addresses, social security numbers & sensitive medical data on 500,000 French patients leaked online after hack — reports. rt.com 
Sensitive medical records on nearly 500,000 patients in France have been stolen in a major cyber attack on dozens of healthcare labs, landing online after an alleged dispute between the hackers, according to media reports. | A file containing names and contact details on 491,840 people has made the rounds online since at least earlier this month, according to French cybersecurity journalist Damien Bancal, who runs the Zataz blog. The data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, social security numbers and other sensitive medical information pertaining to medications, pregnancy and diseases such as HIV.
(2021-02-24). Cuomo's Cover-up Will be Most Effectively Weaponized by the Right. counterpunch.org 
On February 11, news broke that the Cuomo administration intentionally hid data on COVID-related nursing home deaths from the federal government and New York state legislators, ostensibly for fear of a Department of Justice investigation and potential federal prosecution. The revelation was fairly shocking, but hardly out of character. Cuomo's mishandling of the pandemic—coupled with
(2021-02-24). Covid-19 Demonstrated How This Country Fails Its Most Vulnerable: A Field Guide to Our Threadbare Social Safety Net. juancole.com 
( Tomdispatch.com) — Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. Between …
(2021-02-24). Ecuador elections — The calm before the storm. workers.org 
Ibarra, Ecuador Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador's presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough . . . |
(2021-02-24). Universality or Fighting Over Scraps. counterpunch.org Why should rich people get pandemic survival checks? Why shouldn't descendants of enslaved people get reparations payments? Why should someone who doesn't go to college pay taxes to make college free? Why should smokers get health coverage? Why should someone get out of their student debt when I didn't? I don't claim to have a
(2021-02-24). How do you do, fellow kids? Biden White House leaves followers baffled after tweeting out-of-touch meme with Canadian PM. rt.com 
The Biden administration has taken a popular meme and mutilated it, leaving what appears to be praise for Canada's Justin Trudeau but which was hard to understand either way. | Biden's White House Twitter account posted two images in a row captioned "How it started. How it's going" on Wednesday. The first showed Biden and Trudeau walking side by side down a hallway lined with flags, apparently from Biden's term as Vice President under Barack Obama. The second featured a large screen on which Trudeau was projected, with Biden turned towards it, seemingly in mid-speech, clearly taken during the pandemic. | How i…
(2021-02-24). Is Harvard denying Tenure to Cornel West over his views on Palestine? juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Maximilien Alvarez writing at The Chronicle of Higher Education interviews eminent Black philosopher Cornel West on the latter being denied tenure at Harvard University. West is convinced that his views on the Palestine issue are the real reason for which Harvard will not give him a permanent job. Universities have …
(2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter (It's not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas). counterpunch.org 
Naomi Klein has an interesting piece in the New York Times on the implications of the Texas disaster. I would disagree with some parts, which attack the Texas approach to energy as "free market." To my view, this is far too generous. Even Texas' deregulated energy market is still highly regulated. It is possible to
(2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Wait in Squalid Refugee Camps. democracynow.org 
One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…
(2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Waiting in Squalid Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…
(2021-02-24). Pro-Fossil Fuel Senators Grill Deb Haaland as She Bids to Become First Indigenous Cabinet Secretary. democracynow.org 
Indigenous communities across the United States are closely following the Senate confirmation hearings of Congressmember Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Interior Department, who would become the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary if she is confirmed. Haaland is a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, and the prospect of an Indigenous person leading the federal department with broad oversight of Native American affairs has galvanized support for her in Indian Country. Several Republican senators have grilled Haaland over her past comments opposing fracking, the Keystone XL oil…
(2021-02-24). In the News: Capitalism Kills. liberationnews.org 
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the COVID death toll in the United States topping 500,000, the winter storm that has left millions without power in zero degree temperatures in Texas, a new independent report that further exposes the police in Aurora Colorado for the brutal murder of Elijah McClain, and more.
(2021-02-24). In plain sight, GOP senators show sabotage is their game. peoplesworld.org 
Republican senators exposed their true colors at separate Senate hearings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and those colors are not ones that would typically be shown by anyone interested in "bipartisanship." The nation was treated to the spectacle in hearings on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol of Senate leaders of that right-wing insurrection …
(2021-02-24). Republicans' working class hero re-branding isn't fooling anyone. peoplesworld.org 
So far, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Jim Jordan haven't taken up Chris Hayes's challenge. On his show a while back, the MSNBC host laughed out loud when Sen. Cruz—aka The Cancun Kid—Sen. Josh Hawley, and Rep. Jim Jordan claimed the GOP was the born-again blue-collar party. The host of "All in With Chris Hayes" dared the …
(2021-02-24). GameStop Hearing Exposes a Sick Business Model Destined to Exacerbate Wealth Inequality in America. counterpunch.org 
The most striking revelations in yesterday's House Financial Services Committee hearing on the wild trading action in New York Stock Exchange-listed shares of GameStop came when Congresswoman Cindy Axne of Iowa questioned Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood, the trading app being increasingly used by young people to trade stocks and options on their mobile
(2021-02-24). Rush Limbaugh and the rise of the far right. liberationnews.org 
Photo: Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump speaking at a 2019 event hosted by Turning Point USA. Credit — Gage Skidmore After more than three decades assaulting airwaves and television screens with his vicious right-wing rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, the bigoted and imperialist radio personality, died last week from a year-long battle with lung cancer. With his …
(2021-02-24). Mensaje de Alerta sobre la COVID-19. Profesionales de la Salud Unidos. globalizacion.ca 
Llamamos la atención de nuestros lectores, este importante comunicado internacional de profesionales de la salud, médicos y científicos, que ha sido enviado a los gobiernos de treinta países. | A continuación se muestra el texto completo que se envió a los…
(2021-02-24). Saving the Planet: Why a net-zero future depends on the ocean's ability to absorb carbon. juancole.com 
By Anya M. Waite, Brad deYoung, Chris Milley, and Ian G. Stewart | — Most of us growing up along Canada's East Coast never worried about hurricane season. Except for those working at sea, we viewed hurricanes as extreme events in remote tropical regions, seen only through blurred footage of flailing palm trees on the …
(2021-02-24). Milwaukee protesters demand real change from Biden administration. liberationnews.org 
Around 50 protesters congregated in the cold outside Milwaukee City Hall Feb. 16 to make their demands heard, as President Joe Biden arrived for a town hall conversation with CNN.
(2021-02-24). Biden immigration bill has shortcomings, but shows promise on several fronts. peoplesworld.org 
The Biden administration has introduced a sweeping new immigration bill that stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's four years of attacks on undocumented workers and their families. The new bill is being seen by many as a bold step in a better direction, but some immigrant rights activists are pointing out shortcomings in the …
(2021-02-24). Tri-Cities, WA's Katie Barton: 'She wanted to see equal rights for the community, not just herself'. liberationnews.org 
This article is part of Liberation's commemoration of Black History Month, 2021. T…
(2021-02-24). San Francisco teachers struggle for a safe reopening. liberationnews.org 
The following was a presentation at the Feb. 20, 2021, Reds in Ed webinar. Afternoon fellow educators, my name is Frank Lara and I am a public-school teacher of 10 years in San Francisco's historic Mission District. I am also on the Executive Board of our union, the United Educators of San Francisco, a 6,500-member …
(2021-02-24). First English, Then American, and Now Muslim Francophobia. counterpunch.org 
Francophobia has been a persistent part of French history, transmitted and modulated through several centuries. 17thcentury England constructed the first significant layer of Francophobia. The Americans may have borrowed Francophobia from England and then developed its version in the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Muslim world has begun to manufacture its variety of
(2021-02-24). Confronting the Digital Divide: New York City vs. Verizon. counterpunch.org 
The United States is a divided nation, one expressed in all-too-many ways as evident by the 2020 presidential election and the failed January 6th insurrection. Unfortunately, one of its most telling expressions is the digital divide, in which more well-to-do urban and suburban locals get superior if over-priced telecom services while whole swaths of urban
(2021-02-24). Labor and allies pressure Congress to pass American Rescue Plan. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—The urgency and historic significance of the American Rescue Plan are being amplified by the gamut of civic and community groups around the country, from labor to civil rights, health care, education, child, senior, unemployed, disability, homeless, and other advocacy groups. Momentum is building for mass public pressure to get the strongest measure passed …
(2021-02-24). Compartmentalizing Woody Allen … or Not. counterpunch.org 
I missed the first round of talk about the New York Times' publication of a moving and forthright letter by Woody Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan, regarding his alleged sexual molestation of her over two decades ago. Woody Allen is an American icon as well as a human being capable of all things human, perhaps including
(2021-02-24). FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. workers.org 
Join us Saturday, March 6, from 2-4 p.m. EST, for a Global Virtual Street Meeting for Mumia Abu-Jamal: FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. Join organizers, artists, supporters and educators as they shine a light on the important history of this international movement to #FreeMumia along with a summary . . . |
(2021-02-24). Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries. mronline.org 
The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus.
(2021-02-24). Texas freeze — Rich get richer, workers suffer. workers.org 
Houston An unprecedented winter storm hit Texas Feb. 15, bringing subfreezing temperatures. One week later, huge sections of the population are still without power, heat and/or water. Houston skyline glows, while millions suffer subfreezing temperatures without heat or water amidst preventable power outages, Feb. 15 Across major cities — such . . . |
(2021-02-24). Does the West repeating claims of China committing genocide in Xinjiang reify it? mronline.org 
The Jewish Virtual Library quotes Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as having said: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
(2021-02-24). 'Executive Order': A futuristic 'final solution' to the Brazilian 'race problem' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org 
Director/co-writer Lázaro Ramos's award-winning Executive Order (Medida Provisória) exemplifies what I love most about the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF): It gives movie buffs the opportunity to see films, often from far-flung destinations around the globe, that we might otherwise never have the chance to watch. Often these are worthy, well-made productions that PAFF is …
(2021-02-24). What Planet Is NATO Living On? dissidentvoice.org 
NATO headquarters in Brussels (Photo: NATO) The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme …
(2021-02-24). The Empire's Hidden Hand: How The US Established, Sustains and Benefits From Morocco's Occupation of Western Sahara. mintpressnews.com 
Over the decades, the Moroccan settler population expanded while the United States and European Union have illegally exploited the Western Sahara's resources, mining phosphates, fishing in its waters, and in recent years, drilling for oil and gas.
(2021-02-24). Harlem's 1946 fight against South African starvation foreshadowed anti-apartheid struggle. peoplesworld.org 
People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Jan. 3, 1946 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African-American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist Party …
(2021-02-24). Victory for campaigners as richest Cambridge college promises to divest from fossil fuels. thecanary.co 
After four years of student campaigning, Cambridge's Trinity College has promised to divest fully from fossil fuels in the next 10 years. | The college has vowed to end all direct investment into fossil fuels by the end of 2021, and all indirect investment within 5-10 years. | Trinity is only the third Cambridge college to promise full divestment. The university as a whole has
(2021-02-24). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine. counterpunch.org 
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(2021-02-24). 20 Years Of Media Lens: A Selection Of Remarkable Replies From Journalists. dissidentvoice.org 
The Insiders In a 2002 interview with the Observer, the BBC's John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE of Kabul, to give him his full name and title, was asked to define the 'essential qualities' of a journalist. Simpson responded with typical left-field quirkiness: There's something slightly wrong with most of us, don't you feel? We're damaged goods, …
(2021-02-24). Ice and blood in Texas. mronline.org 
Avoidable deaths, not avoided.
(2021-02-24). FDA May Approve Johnson & Johnson Vaccine for US Use as Early as Saturday. truthout.org 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective in a briefing document on Wednesday morning, lending support to its emergency use authorization. | The vaccine's trial data results are "consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA's guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19,"
(2021-02-24). Calls Rise for Louis DeJoy's Removal and for Major Postal Reforms. truthout.org 
On Wednesday, February 24, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a
(2021-02-24). Cori Bush Grills Postmaster DeJoy About USPS's Board of "Millionaire White Boys" truthout.org 
During Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) noted that, despite the fact that people of color make up a sizeable share of United States Postal Service (USPS) employees,…
(2021-02-24). In What Universe Is a $15 Wage "Too High"? Joe Manchin's. truthout.org 
Economic justice organizers may soon triumph in their fight for a $15 minimum wage. Thanks to their years of effort, President Biden (and every Democratic contender during the primary debates) vowed to hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour. In keeping with that promise, Biden attached a wage bill to his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. | Although Republicans and their political allies are firmly opposed to the measure, the Senate could approve it. But Democratic holdouts like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin could do…
(2021-02-24). Biden Cancels "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Left Waiting. truthout.org 
One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in,…
(2021-02-24). Romney Says Trump Will Be GOP Nominee If He Runs in 2024. truthout.org 
Speaking about the future of the Republican Party on Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said it's very likely that former President Donald Trump would win the nomination for president if he decided to run again in 2024. | "I don't know if he'll run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I'm pretty sure he will win the nomination," Romney said Romney also acknowledged that "a lot can happen between now…
(2021-02-24). Identificación del "paquete de vacunas" implantado: El Parlamento de Alemania ha ratificado la "Agenda ID2020" digital de GAVI. globalizacion.ca 
Noticias alarmantes. En Alemania, el Parlamento (Bundestag) ratificó el 29 de enero de 2021 la implementación de la Agenda ID2020. | Se trata de una recopilación de datos electrónicos generalizados y centralizados de cada ciudadano a la que tendrían acceso todas…
(2021-02-24). The Heat: Afghanistan-What's next? america.cgtn.com 
The war in Afghanistan rages on as a major deadline looms for U.S. forces to leave the country.
(2021-02-24). COVID-19 vaccine patents: Private property vs. public health. workers.org 
Among the many controversies surrounding vital COVID-19 vaccines, the issue of patent bans gets far less attention than how vaccines are being distributed or who is able to receive them. Yet the patent laws protecting intellectual property (IP) in the U.S. and European Union give the world's wealthiest countries unfair . . . |
(2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org 
The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted incarcerated people in the U.S. In California, during the early days of the pandemic, the transfer of prisoners into San Quentin sparked a massive outbreak of COVID that spread to over two-thirds of the prison population there, causing the death of 27 prisoners, including . . . |
