Monthly Archives: March 2021

2021-03-03: News Headlines

Lambert Strether (2021-03-03). CDC school reopening guidance suppresses aerosols based on thin evidence and driven by budgetary concerns. mronline.org For a period of time after this article was originally published (February 18, 2021) it was scrubbed from Google's search index. When the author, Lambert Strether, realized the piece had been "censored," it was published a second time on March 1, 2021 with an analysis of the purging. Subsequently, the article magically reappeared in the search …

WSWS (2021-03-03). UK teachers denounce National Education Union's refusal to oppose schools reopening. wsws.org The response by the teaching unions to Johnson's announcement that this will the "last lockdown," despite resulting in "more infections, more hospitalisations and… more deaths" is to enforce it!

_____ (2021-03-03). How The Third Way Turned Its Back On Democracy. popularresistance.org The problem of democratic representation has always turned on the question of the 'have-nots' — that is, not only those without wealth and property, but also those marginalised on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, origin, religion, and education. Even in a world of fully-fledged democratic rights, the democratic game tends to break in favour of the 'haves'. They enjoy an easy affinity with political elites who are not so different from them, and they experience democratic politics as a hospitable and responsive place. When in doubt, they can back-channel, mobilise proxies and networks, and exchange cult…

news.un (2021-03-03). Equality in engineering crucial to achieving sustainable development: UN-backed report. news.un.org Regional disparities in engineering, especially in Africa, must be addressed if the world is to realize a common future where no one is left behind, according to a report issued on Wednesday by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and partners.

Vincent Emanuele (2021-03-03). Join the School for Social & Cultural Change (SSCC)! zcomm.org Amidst today's turmoil, a new project has come on the scene. An online educational tool and community called The School for Social and Cultural Change (SSCC)…

The Secret Teacher (2021-03-03). The Secret Teacher | Teachers want to teach. But not vaccinating us is a recipe for disaster. thecanary.co Monday 8 March. The big We are not admin assistants, ICT experts, secretaries, or call centre workers. As important as all of those jobs are, they are not what we signed up for. | We want to teach: | We are teac…

Joe Piette (2021-03-03). Community demands Sanctuary Schools in Philadelphia, a 'sanctuary city'. workers.org Erika Guadalupe Nuñez speaking, March 1. "Philadelphia has declared itself a 'sanctuary city,' but how can it be a sanctuary city without its schools being sanctuaries for all students?" asked Erika Guadalupe Nuñez of Juntos at a well-attended March 1 press conference outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters. . . . |

Children's Health Defense (2021-03-03). Investigation Links Fauci to Controversial Experiments that May Have Led to Pandemic. globalresearch.ca Fox News investigation says there's "reasonable grounds to suspect" that SARS-CoV-2, …

Tomdispatch (2021-03-03). The Real Threats to America are the Pandemic and Poverty; why Give Ever More Money to the Pentagon? juancole.com By Mandy Smithberger | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — This country is in a crisis of the first order. More than half a million of us have died thanks to Covid-19. Food insecurity is on the rise, with nearly 24 million Americans going hungry, including 12 million children. Unemployment claims filed since the pandemic began have …

Eds. (2021-03-03). The class character of the expansion of COVID-19: The case of Peru's Capital City Lima. mronline.org At the end of December 2019, the world was notified about the existence of a new coronavirus in the city of Wuhan in China. This virus, SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19), rapidly spread and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.

_____ (2021-03-03). Chris Hedges: The Age Of Social Murder. popularresistance.org The two million deaths that have resulted from the ruling elites mishandling of the global pandemic will be dwarfed by what is to follow. The global catastrophe that awaits us, already baked into the ecosystem from the failure to curb the use of fossil fuels and animal agriculture, presage new, deadlier pandemics, mass migrations of billions of desperate people, plummeting crop yields, mass starvation and systems collapse. | The science that elucidates this social death is known to the ruling elites. The science that warned us of this pandemic, and others that will follow, is known to the ruling elites. The scien…

Joseph Grosso (2021-03-03). Andrew Cuomo: Legend of a Fall. counterpunch.org Future historians will have a field day examining the daily commentary of the COVID pandemic. Early on there was Madonna sitting nude in a marble bathtub filled with rose petals proclaiming COVID 'the great equalizer.' Trump of course supplied his daily dose of schizophrenic fare so incoherent that even conservative TV hacks were unable to morph it into a convincing picture of brave leadership. Yet nothing tops the spectacle of Ellen Degeneres and Trevor Noah actually declaring themselves to be 'Cuomosexuals', in honor of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a term that was immediately plastered on various merchandise…

Joseph Grosso (2021-03-03). Andrew Cuomo: Legend of a Fall. counterpunch.org Future historians will have a field day examining the daily commentary of the COVID pandemic. Early on there was Madonna sitting nude in a marble bathtub filled with rose petals proclaiming COVID 'the great equalizer.' Trump of course supplied his daily dose of schizophrenic fare so incoherent that even conservative TV hacks were unable to morph it into a convincing picture of brave leadership. Yet nothing tops the spectacle of Ellen Degeneres and Trevor Noah actually declaring themselves to be 'Cuomosexuals', in honor of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a term that was immediately plastered on various merchandise…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-03-03). Arabic press review: Egypt tries to boost human rights credentials for Biden. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egypt tries to boost human rights credentials for Biden | Meanwhile, Jordan has reportedly received $1bn from the European Union to fight the pandemic, and Iraq's PM vows to crack down on militias | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 15: 03 | Watchtowers at the notorious Tora prison on the southern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo on 11 February 2020 (AFP) | Egypt concerned by US…

Staff (2021-03-03). Latinx Farmworkers Risk Their Lives During Pandemic. Many Now Struggle to Access Vaccines. democracynow.org There are about 2.5 million farmworkers around the U.S., many of them undocumented immigrants working under dangerous and exploitive circumstances without sick leave or healthcare. Despite their status as essential workers, however, many farmworkers are facing an uphill battle to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Estella Cisneros, legal director of the Agricultural Worker Program for California Rural Legal Assistance, says an uneven rollout in California as well as technical barriers have left many farmworkers unvaccinated. "There's been a lot of inequities that we've seen," she says. We also speak with Mary Jo Du…

Staff (2021-03-03). Latinx Farmworkers Risk Their Lives During Pandemic. Many Now Struggle to Access Vaccines. democracynow.org There are about 2.5 million farmworkers around the U.S., many of them undocumented immigrants working under dangerous and exploitive circumstances without sick leave or healthcare. Despite their status as essential workers, however, many farmworkers are facing an uphill battle to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Estella Cisneros, legal director of the Agriculture Worker Program for California Rural Legal Assistance, says an uneven rollout in California as well as technical barriers have left many farmworkers unvaccinated. "There's been a lot of inequities that we've seen," she says. We also speak with Mary Jo Dud…

Special to People's World (2021-03-03). The devastating, irreparable death of Aruká Juma. peoplesworld.org Manaus, Amazonas — The death of the last survivor of the Juma people, the warrior Amoim Aruká, from complications linked to COVID-19, is an incalculable tragedy. The Juma people suffered innumerable massacres throughout their history. There were 15,000 of them at the turn of the 20th century and by 2002 there were only five Jumas …

Raul Diego (2021-03-03). The Bits and Bytes of The Great Reset: COVID-19 and the Scaling Up of Data-Capitalism. mintpressnews.com The so-called Great Reset amounts to little more than a campaign to turn humanity into datasets, which the world's most powerful hedge funds and transnational corporations can use to create more profits for themselves and their clients.

Kareem Chehayeb (2021-03-03). Covid-19 in Lebanon: Health workers yet to receive vaccines as MPs jump the queue. middleeasteye.net Covid-19 in Lebanon: Health workers yet to receive vaccines as MPs jump the queue | After Lebanese lawmakers were controversially inoculated, half of the country's overwhelmed medical workers anxiously await their turn | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 10: 58 | A medic prepares a dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at Lebanon's American University Medical Centre in the capital Beirut, on 14 Februa…

RT (2021-03-03). You're not supposed to say that out loud! Covid-19 vaccines & 'return to normal' might hurt Facebook's bottom line, CFO admits. rt.com Facebook's CFO is concerned that as more people get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, they'll be less likely to click on Facebook ads and more likely to seek out travel and non-sedentary pursuits. | CFO David Wehner Speaking at the Morg…

RT (2021-03-03). Can we kick out immigrants like Denmark does? Critics snicker after AOC lauds McDonald's workers' wages in European nation. rt.com A time-tested talking point about wages of McDonald's workers in Denmark was invoked by AOC in a call for a minimum wage boost in the US. Her opponents asked if Washington should also adopt Copenhagen's harsh immigration policies. | The fact that paying workers a living wage is even up for debate is "embarrassing," progressive lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) tweeted on Tuesday as she called to override the Senate parliamentarian and push forward with the $15/hour minimum wage. The official ruled last Thursday that the proposal cannot be included in President Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 stimulus bill…

Global Research News (2021-03-03). Selected Articles: C.Y.A. and "Fraudulent Marketing": The Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine is an "Unapproved Product" globalresearch.ca By Pfizer Inc…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-03-03). C.Y.A. and "Fraudulent Marketing": The Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine is an "Unapproved Product" which is "Permitted for Use" globalresearch.ca Pfizer Inc, is currently involved in marketing its experimental mRNA vaccine …

Dr. Simone Gold (2021-03-03). Video: Dr. Simone Gold — The Truth About the COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Dr. Simone Gold of America's Frontline Doctors shared information about the …

Liberation Staff-Yakima (2021-03-03). Richland, Wash., protesters demand 'no kids in cages'. liberationnews.org Facilities used to cage children that were closed under Trump's administration are being reopened under Biden's administration.

Liberation Staff-Yakima (2021-03-03). Richland, Washington protesters demand 'No kids in cages'. liberationnews.org Facilities used to cage children that were closed under Trump's administration are being reopened under Biden's administration.

Climate Nexus (2021-03-03). Sky-High Levels of Fracking Chemicals Detected in Children's Bodies. globalresearch.ca While the hazards of

Rayhan Uddin (2021-03-03). Macron admits France tortured and murdered Algerian freedom fighter. middleeasteye.net Macron admits France tortured and murdered Algerian freedom fighter | Ali Boumendjel's death in 1957 was disguised as suicide, French president tells nationalist's grandchildren | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 12: 58 | Malika Boumendjel, the late widow of Algerian lawyer Ali Boumendjel, during an interview in May 2001 (AFP) | French President Emmanuel Macron has admitted that France's army "tortured and murdered"

Philip Giraldi (2021-03-03). Washington's Lopsided Bilateral Relationship with Israel. globalresearch.ca My

Howard Lisnoff (2021-03-03). What We Got in Biden. counterpunch.org The wrenching appeals by some on the political left to vote for Biden must sting for some of those who actually did cast their vote for him, or at least against Trump in November 2020. This is the game that plays itself out again and again and again, ad nauseam, in US politics, the politics

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-03). ICC prosecutor opens investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas. middleeasteye.net ICC prosecutor opens investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas | Fatou Bensouda formally begins her investigation after the International Criminal Court ruled it had jurisdiction in the Palestinian territories | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 14: 26 | Bensouda said the decision to begin an ICC investigation comes after a five-year preliminary inquiry (Reuters) | The International Criminal Court's pros…

Jamal Rich (2021-03-03). Solidarity rallies call for end to U.S.-backed dictatorship in Haiti. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON——On the morning of March 1 at the Embassy of Haiti, local D.C. organizers with Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) held a solidarity rally with the people of Haiti who are rising up against a U.S.-backed dictator. Jovenel MoàØse's term of office ended Feb. 7, but he has so far refused to relinquish power. MoàØse, …

Jan Oberg (2021-03-03). The A-symmetric West-Iran Conflict: Danger Ahead! globalresearch.ca With what right has the West, the US in particular, treated …

Rayhan Uddin (2021-03-03). Syria: Majority in opposition areas impacted by attacks on medical facilities. middleeasteye.net Syria: Majority in opposition areas impacted by attacks on medical facilities | New report documents devastating impact of a decade of assaults on health care in the country's northwest | Wed, 03/03/2021 – 16: 10 | An aerial view of a hospital reportedly hit by an air strike in the Syrian village of Shinan, 30 kilometres south of Idlib (AFP/File photo) | A majority of Syrians living in the country's e…

CP Editor (2021-03-03). Cornel West — "My Ridiculous Situation at Harvard" counterpunch.org

Sandra Plantier (2021-03-03). What the trees of Notre Dame have to tell us. peoplesworld.org On April 15, 2019, watching television footage of Notre Dame Cathedral burning, I wept like millions of other French people and others around the world. The flames which invaded the screen brought back memories of my first visit to the cathedral as a child, reading the novel by Victor Hugo (Notre Dame de Paris, 1831), …

The Conversation (2021-03-03). A common soil pesticide cut wild bee reproduction by 89% — here's why scientists are worried. juancole.com By Philip Donkersley | — When you think of bees, a hive humming with activity probably comes to mind. But most of the world's 20,000 bee species don't call a hive home. These wild species lead solitary lives instead, and around 70% of them build nests underground where they raise their offspring on the nectar …

Ed Rampell (2021-03-03). 'Back of the Moon': A Noirish apartheid-era South African film. peoplesworld.org Director/co-writer and Oscar nominee Angus Gibson's Back of the Moon is another example of why I love PAFF—the Pan African Virtual Film + Arts Festival. If not for this festival film buffs like moi probably would never have heard of, let alone had the opportunity to see, this highly entertaining South African movie. Moon is …

Eds. (2021-03-03). Debt relief with Chinese characteristics. mronline.org As China is poised to become the world's largest creditor, concerns about debt sustainability have grown. Yet considerable confusion exists over what is likely to happen when a government runs into trouble repaying its Chinese loans.

teleSUR Desk (2021-03-03). Ecuador: Indigenous organizations announce national strike. mronline.org Supporters of Indigenous presidential candidate Yaku Perez demand the recount of electoral records due to alleged electoral fraud.

Joyce Chediac (2021-03-03). 7 lies Amazon tells about the union. liberationnews.org In a historic development, 5,800 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, are right now voting on whether to be represented by the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Jenny Farrell (2021-03-03). Rosa Luxemburg at 150: Toward 'a social order worthy of the human race'. peoplesworld.org On March 5, 2021, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Rosa Luxemburg's birth. No one who wishes to get a sense of Rosa Luxemburg as a person, both political and private, will regret watching Margarethe von Trotta's meticulously researched 1986 film of the same name. It is available with English subtitles. The film begins on …

Christian Noakes (2021-03-03). The Bessemer front in the international class struggle. workers.org Bessemer, Ala., is now the site of a historic labor struggle between the majority-Black Amazon warehouse workers there and the $1.7 trillion international capitalist monopoly corporation. About 80% of the warehouse workers are African American, and almost half are women. Rally for Amazon workers, Bessemer, Ala., Feb. 6. In March . . . |

Mirinda Crissman (2021-03-03). Congelación de Texas: los ricos, más ricos mientras obreros sufren. workers.org Houston Una tormenta invernal sin precedentes azotó a Texas el 15 de febrero y trajo temperaturas bajo cero. Una semana después, grandes sectores de la población siguen sin electricidad, calefacción y/o agua. El horizonte de Houston brilla, mientras millones sufren sin calefacción ni agua en medio de cortes de energía . . . |

Martha Grevatt (2021-03-03). Support keeps building for #BAmazon union drive, Biden feels pressure. workers.org A people's movement against an anti-people corporation has intensified, backing the union drive at Amazon's Bessemer, Ala., warehouse. The courageous Southern union warriors are finally starting to get the support they need and deserve. People's Organization for Progress rally to support Amazon workers outside Whole Foods, Newark, N.J., Feb. 27. . . . |

Melvin Goodman (2021-03-03). Biden's Quandary: Proxy Wars and Endless Wars. counterpunch.org From the end of the Second World War until the administration of Ronald Reagan, there were very few American battlefield deaths in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Southwest Asia. Since the administration of George H.W. Bush, however, most American battlefield deaths have taken place in those regions. The turning point took place in 1979 with the Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Ted Kelly (2021-03-03). Biden pick for Secretary of Agriculture no friend of farmworkers or small farmers. workers.org President Joe Biden nominated former Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a job he held for the entire Obama administration from 2009 to 2017. Vilsack testified before the Senate on Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day — and was confirmed a few weeks later. Vilsack's . . . |

Melvin Goodman (2021-03-03). Biden's Quandry: Proxy Wars and Endless Wars. counterpunch.org From the end of the Second World War until the administration of Ronald Reagan, there were very few American battlefield deaths in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Southwest Asia. Since the administration of George H.W. Bush, however, most American battlefield deaths have taken place in those regions. The turning point took place in 1979 with the Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

ProPublica (2021-03-03). How Facebook Suppressed Kurdish Site for sake of its Business in Turkey. juancole.com By Jack Gillum and Justin Elliott | — ( ProPublica ) — As Turkey launched a military offensive against Kurdish minorities in neighboring Syria in early 2018, Facebook's top executives faced a political dilemma. Turkey was demanding the social media giant block Facebook posts from the People's Protection Units, a mostly Kurdish militia group the …

Staff (2021-03-03). Cuomo Must Go: Calls Grow to Remove NY Governor over COVID Nursing Home Cover-up & Sexual Harassment. democracynow.org New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing mounting calls from fellow Democrats and progressive organizations to resign or be impeached over sexual harassment allegations and his cover-up of thousands of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation after three women — two former aides and a woman who met Cuomo at a friend's wedding reception — accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. "Credible accusations of sexual harassment made by these courageous women coming forward show a clear pattern of Cuomo's abuse of power," says New York Assembly…

2021-03-02: News Headlines

Editor (2021-03-02). Is Harvard Denying Cornel West Tenure Over His Palestine Views? scheerpost.com Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0] By Juan Cole / 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 a custom of giving… |

Staff (2021-03-02). Headlines for March 2, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Director Warns Against States' Rollback of Coronavirus Public Health Measures, Donald and Melania Trump Were Secretly Vaccinated Against COVID-19 in January, Merck Strikes Deal to Produce COVID-19 Vaccine of Rival Johnson & Johnson, WHO Warns of Global Rise in Coronavirus Cases After Weeks of Declines, U.N. Warns of "Death Sentence" for Yemenis as Humanitarian Aid Drive Falls Short, Senate Confirms Miguel Cardona as Education Secretary, Will Vote on Merrick Garland for AG, Democrats Unveil Wealth Tax on Ultra-Millionaires and Billionaires, DOJ to Appeal After Trump-Appointed Judge Orders End to Eviction Morat…

Online News Editor (2021-03-02). South Korea begins new school year in hope of more in-person classes. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Mar 2 (efe-epa).- Schools in South Korea opened for the new session on Tuesday amid hopes that relaxed Covid-19 restrictions and the vaccination drive that began last week will allow students to attend more face-to-face classes in the second year of the pandemic. The Ministry of Education, in January, revised its health protocols for …

Online News Editor (2021-03-02). No child left behind: Portugal education initiative takes on Covid. laprensalatina.com Malpartida, Portugal, Mar 2 (efe-epa).- Marta Santos and Miguel Rito make house-to-house visits every week in Portugal's remote villages to distribute homework to students with no internet access, as part of an initiative to ensure that no child is left behind during the coronavirus pandemic. The closure of the face-to-face classrooms on Jan. 21 hit …

Ashiq Hussain Andrabi (2021-03-02). Educating Young People in Conflict Zones: an Interview With Nyla Ali Khan. counterpunch.org Ashiq Hussain Andrabi: Let's begin with your journey from a teacher who's sensitive to the diversity of cultural traditions, to a writer who critically observes the socio-political discourse in South Asia, particularly Kashmir, through an oblique focus from the margins. Nyla Ali Khan: As an academic, it is intellectually stimulating for me to observe my students think

WSWS (2021-03-02). Major US school districts reopen despite spread of more contagious and lethal COVID-19 variants. wsws.org Numerous school districts began reopening Monday as part of the bipartisan push to resume in-person learning at all schools, with the fulsome support of the teachers unions.

WSWS (2021-03-02). Sà£o Paulo teachers continue strike against deadly school reopenings despite union sabotage. wsws.org With Brazil and the state of Sà£o Paulo reaching the worst moment of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pseudo-lefts have advocated ending the teachers strike.

WSWS (2021-03-02). Australia: Walgett teachers walk off the job over staffing shortages. wsws.org The walkout in a remote rural town is a sign of deepening discontent among teachers nationally over unfilled vacancies and soaring workloads.

Online News Editor (2021-03-02). Paraguay school year begins with both virtual and in-person classes. laprensalatina.com Asuncion, Mar 2 (efe-epa).- Paraguay on Tuesday began its school year with a combination of virtual and in-person classes, a policy that has not convinced the teachers unions, who at a demonstration in the capital of Asuncion reiterated their rejection of the in-person aspect of instruction saying that the schools are not prepared to deal …

RT (2021-03-02). Newsweek forced to admit Buffalo schools teaching kids to blame 'all white people' is true, not 'HALF-TRUE' in big fact-check FAIL. rt.com After public schools in Buffalo, New York have been called out for blaming "all white people" for perpetuating systematic racism, "fact-checkers" tried to disprove it — only to be left red-faced when confronted with evidence. | Journalist Chris Rufo has been vindicated after fact-checkers accused him of misreporting the contents of a Black Lives Matter-themed curriculum being employed at Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) last month. The magazine quietly confirmed that BPS was, in fact, teaching its students to blame all white people for the suffering of others. | While Rufo showed the curriculum claimed that…

RT (2021-03-02). Italy shuts all schools in Covid-19 hotspots, toughens travel rules until after Easter amid spread of variants. rt.com The Italian government has ordered all schools to close in the areas with the highest Covid-19 infection rates as part of a series of new measures set to last until after Easter amid the threat of more contagious viral variants. | On Tuesday, Italy's new prime minister Mario Draghi signed an emergency decree that will see public health measures tightened in so-called 'red zones' from March 6 to April 6. | Under a new

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-02). Nearly 300 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls released. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 02 (MNA) — All 279 kidnapped students of Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe in the Nigerian state of Zamfara were released, Dr. Bello Matawalle, the state governor, said on Tuesday.

MEE, agencies (2021-03-02). Covid-19: Turkey reopens restaurants, schools as infection rates drop. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Turkey reopens restaurants, schools as infection rates drop | President Erdogan declares the beginning of 'controlled normalisation' policy with the coronavirus | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 07: 54 | A man feeds seagulls on the shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul during heavy snowfalls on 14 February 2021 (AFP) | Turkey is beginning to ease coronavirus restrictions from Tuesday in new guide…

WSWS (2021-03-02). 100,000 Spanish dead in pandemic: PSOE-Podemos regime ends restrictions. wsws.org While the National Institute of Statistics recorded over 100,000 excess deaths by last month, the PSOE-Podemos government's official death count was almost 40,000 less.

Staff (2021-03-02). Black People Face Higher COVID Infections & Deaths. Should They Have Lower Age Cutoffs for Vaccines? democracynow.org As the U.S. vaccine rollout continues to expand, health justice advocates worry about a racial gap in vaccinations. Black communities have been hard hit by the pandemic, but rates of vaccination in communities of color lag behind largely white communities across the country. Dr. Oni Blackstock, a primary care and HIV physician, argues that age cutoffs should be lowered or removed for Black people in order to speed up inoculations, noting that Black Americans are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as white Americans and also dying at rates similar to those of white Americans who are 10 years older. "These fixed-…

Staff (2021-03-02). Anti-Choice Forces Use Pandemic to Slash Abortion Access in Preview of Post-Roe v. Wade World. democracynow.org We look at how people across the U.S. have struggled to access abortions during the pandemic with reporter Amy Littlefield, who says that even before the COVID-19 outbreak, many states had restrictions, including three-day waiting periods and counseling sessions filled with misinformation. Then, many tried to use the pandemic as a pretext for banning abortion as a nonessential service. "Texas, in the early weeks of the pandemic, sort of gave us a dress rehearsal for what it could look like when states try to ban abortion entirely," says Littlefield. "We saw how half a century worth of attempts to whittle away at…

_____ (2021-03-02). Billionaire Wealth, U.S. Job Losses and Pandemic Profiteers. strategic-culture.org Check back for our regular updates on U.S. unemployment and billionaire wealth during the pandemic emergency. | By Chuck COLLINS | February 24, 2021 Update: US Billionaire Wealth Grows $1.3 trillion Since Mid-March 2020. | As the US crosses the threshold of half a million deaths from the Covid pandemic, the nation's billionaires continue to reap extraordinary financial gains. After 11 months of pandemic misery, where millions have lost their jobs, health and wealth, total US billionaire wealth increased $1.3 trillion since mid-March, 2020, an increase of 44 percent. | As of the market close on Friday, February…

Abbasi J. (2021-03-02). Researchers Investigate What COVID-19 Does to the Heart. jamanetwork.com This Medical News article discusses reports of myocardial injury and myocarditis among patients with COVID-19.

WSWS (2021-03-02). UK study challenges use of mental health impact to justify ending COVID-19 lockdown. wsws.org Those who had previously experienced mental health problems were hardest hit, but researchers noted the impact on the poor, the young, and those with small children at home.

Franklin Frederick (2021-03-02). O compromisso de Cuba com a saúde internacional. globalresearch.ca 'Eles descobriram armas inteligentes. Nós descobrimos algo mais importante: as pessoas pensam e sentem.' Fidel Castro | A crise COVID-19 tem revelado o fracasso da maioria dos países capitalistas ocidentais em suas políticas de saúde pública. Décadas de austeridade neoliberal, de …

Editor (2021-03-02). Raise the minimum wage to $15 — at least! workers.org A $15-per-hour minimum wage cannot be included in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill proposed by Congressional Democrats. So ruled the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth McDonough, on Feb. 25. This unelected official called it "irrelevant to budget legislation." This edict is a brutal blow to millions of struggling workers. Nevertheless, the . . . |

RT (2021-03-02). Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly opposes delaying second doses of Covid vaccines to inoculate more people. rt.com Dr. Anthony Fauci has disagreed with calls to delay the second dose of Covid-19 jabs to inoculate more Americans, rejecting the strategy adopted by the UK government and others to speed up their vaccine rollout. | America's top infectious disease official made the comments to the Washington Post, as he said the United States must stick to its current two-dose strategy for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. | Fauci warned that, while delaying second doses of the vaccines could allow health officials to provide more individuals with their first dose, it also presents risks, such as leaving people wit…

RT (2021-03-02). US won't share Covid-19 vaccines with Mexico as Americans must be inoculated first — White House. rt.com The Biden administration has rejected the idea of sharing Covid-19 vaccines with the hard-hit neighbor Mexico, White House press-secretary Jen Psaki said, adding that it can only be discussed after all Americans get their shots. | "The administration's focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated. And once we accomplish that objective we're happy to discuss further steps," Psaki said when asked about possible vaccine sharing during a briefing on Monday. | The comments came hours before the virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. | Also…

RT (2021-03-02). Johnson & Johnson's newly-approved Covid vaccine met with pushback as Catholic diocese condemns it for 'ties to abortion cells'. rt.com As Johnson & Johnson rolls out its freshly approved Covid-19 vaccine in the US, it faces a religious controversy as the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has labeled it "morally compromised" over links to abortion cells. | Catholics are advised not to receive the vaccine because Johnson & Johnson used cell lines derived from decades-old abortions in both testing and production of the new product, the Archdiocese Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have utiliz…

RT (2021-03-02). 'It is time!' Mississippi governor to end mask mandate & lift all Covid-19 business restrictions, following Texas' lead. rt.com Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said he will soon axe the state's mask mandate and end all coronavirus-related business restrictions, pointing to improved case and hospitalization numbers after Texas took a similar step. | "Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will be able to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules," Reeves said in a tweet on Tuesday. | Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccine is being rapidly distributed. It is time! | Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will…

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-02). Covid-19: Saudi Arabia says vaccine is a must for Hajj. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Saudi Arabia says vaccine is a must for Hajj | It is still unclear if Riyadh will allow people to travel to the kingdom for the annual pilgrimage this July | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 12: 57 | Saudi Arabia introduced social distancing rules to protect pilgrims from the coronavirus (AFP) | Saudi Arabia said pilgrims hoping to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage would need to be vaccinated against Covid-1…

RT (2021-03-02). 'Mass murder' and 'reckless': Texas ending mask mandates triggers Democrat meltdown. rt.com The announcement by Governor Greg Abbott that Texas will fully reopen next week is drawing backlash from mask mandate champions such as his California colleague Gavin Newsom and other Democrats — and counter-backlash as well. | Abbott marked the anniversary of the 1836 Texan independence on Tuesday by announcing that the state will reopen "100 percent" by next week in order to "restore livelihoods and normalcy." | Also on rt.com | | While Covid-19 has not disappeared,…

RT (2021-03-02). 'This is why Americans don't trust media': CNN's Cuomo ripped for claiming he 'obviously' can't cover brother's scandals. rt.com CNN's Chris Cuomo is igniting anger by claiming he cannot objectively cover the numerous sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against his brother, with critics pointing to past puffy interviews between the two. | Promising to "shoot straight" with his audience, Cuomo finally acknowledged the numerous scandals plaguing his brother Andrew Cuomo's administration on Monday evening. | "Obviously I am aware of what's going on with my brother," he said. "And obviously I can't cover it because he is my brother." | Cuomo promised his network would "extensively" cover the ongoing situations with the New York go…

RT (2021-03-02). Texas gov lifts mask mandate & OKs businesses to operate at 100% capacity. rt.com Texas Governor Greg Abbott has lifted many of the Covid-19 restrictions in his state, permitting businesses to operate at 100-percent capacity and repealing the requirement for people to wear face coverings. | Abbott delivered the "exciting news" during a speech to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, informing the assembled small business and community leaders that the mask mandate — in place since July — was no more. | pic.twitter.com/k5SZKnAUg5— Sarah Self-Walbrick (@SarahFromTTUPM) March 2…

RT (2021-03-02). Texas gov lifts mask mandate & OKs businesses to operate at 100% capacity. rt.com Texas Governor Greg Abbott has lifted many of the Covid-19 restrictions in his state, permitting businesses to operate at 100-percent capacity starting March 10 and repealing the requirement for people to wear face coverings. | Abbott delivered the "exciting news" during a speech to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, informing the assembled small business and community leaders that the mask mandate — in place since July — was no more. | "We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100 percent," Abbott said in a statement on Tuesday — Texas' Indepe…

Betsey Piette (2021-03-02). Protest demands freedom for Mumia, suffering COVID symptoms. workers.org Political prisoner and Black journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including difficulty breathing, Feb 26. Hearing this news, his family and supporters called a protest. Less than 24 hours later, about 70 people turned up outside the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to call for Abu-Jamal's immediate . . . |

Climate Nexus (2021-03-02). Sky-high levels of fracking chemicals detected in children's bodies. peoplesworld.org While the hazards of fracking to human health are well-documented, first-of-its-kind research from Environmental Health News shows the actual levels of biomarkers for fracking chemicals in the bodies of children living near fracking wells far higher than in the general population. The research fills a gap in the science between the health harms experienced by …

Children's Health Defense (2021-03-02). Whistleblower: 25% of Residents in German Nursing Home Died After Pfizer Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Reiner Fuellmich and Viviane Fischer, attorneys and founding members of …

RT (2021-03-02). Dr. Seuss canceled: Six of author's beloved books to cease publication over 'hurtful & wrong' racist imagery. rt.com Six books by the iconic children's author Dr. Seuss will cease publication after the publishing company said they contain stereotypes that are considered "hurtful and wrong" in the modern age. | In a

Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-02). War Mongering for Artificial Intelligence. counterpunch.org The ghost of Edward Teller must have been doing the rounds between members of the National Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The father of the hydrogen bomb was never one too bothered by the ethical niggles that came with inventing murderous technology. It was not, for instance, "the scientist's job to determine whether a hydrogen bomb

Rep. Ron Paul (2021-03-02). Biden's Syria Attack: An Actual Impeachable Offense. globalresearch.ca Last Thursday President Biden continued what has sadly become a Washington …

Mark Weisbrot (2021-03-02). Joe Biden Championed the Iraq War. Will that Come Back to Haunt Him Now? globalresearch.ca Below are relevant excerpts from an important article by Mark Weisbrot…

Chris Hedges (2021-03-02). Chris Hedges: The Age of Social Murder. mintpressnews.com Princeton, New Jersey ( The science that elucidates this socia…

Stephen Lendman (2021-03-02). US Foreign Policy: "War Is Peace". Plans to Partition Syria. globalresearch.ca Recall GWB: | "I just want you to know that, when we …

South Front (2021-03-02). Video: Escalation in the Middle East Appears Imminent: The Axis of Resistance on the Offensive. Or Not? globalresearch.ca Escalation in the Middle East appears imminent, due to various incidents …

Rima Najjar (2021-03-02). What Jordan's Prince Hassan Fails to Recognize: Palestinian Struggle Is an Advance Guard of the Arab Liberation Movement. globalresearch.ca It's déjà vu time for Palestine; we have lived through the …

Patrick Cockburn (2021-03-02). ISIS and the UK: the Case of Shamima Begum. counterpunch.org A former Isis fighter once complained to me that western volunteers who travelled to the so-called Islamic State in northeastern Syria were a burden because they did not speak Arabic, had no military experience, knew little about Islam and had often come because they were bored or unhappy at home. He said that their main

MEE staff (2021-03-02). US sanctions Houthi commanders in Yemen for 'worsening humanitarian crisis'. middleeasteye.net US sanctions Houthi commanders in Yemen for 'worsening humanitarian crisis' | In announcing sanctions, Washington also rebuked Iran's 'involvement' in protracted conflict | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 17: 24 | Houthi supporters in Sanaa protest against blockade imposed on Yemen by Saudi-led coalition, 26 February (AFP) | The Biden administration imposed sanctions on two Houthi commanders on Tuesday, accusing the Yemeni…

Jan Oberg (2021-03-02). Biden Bombs in Syria — Helping to Steal Its Oil but What Is There to Talk About? globalresearch.ca "At President Biden's direction, US …

Staff (2021-03-02). A New Form of Jim Crow: Ari Berman on the GOP's Anti-Democratic Assault on Voting Rights. democracynow.org The Republican-led House in Georgia has passed a sweeping bill to make it harder to vote, in a move aimed to prevent Democrats from winning future elections. The bill limits access to absentee ballots, limits weekend early voting hours and curbs ballot drop boxes, among other provisions. Across the U.S., Republican lawmakers have introduced more than 250 bills in 43 states aimed at restricting voting access. Ari Berman, author and reporter for Mother Jones, says Republicans are "breaking democracy" with their push to restrict voting. "The Republican Party has no interest in appealing to a majority of Americans. I…

RT (2021-03-02). Amazon revises new app logo after users liken it to Adolf Hitler's smirk. rt.com Amazon quietly changed the design of its app logo after social media users claimed the image of a box with tape on it bears a resemblance to Nazi Germany's dictator, Adolf Hitler. | The original logo, which Amazon rolled out in January, was meant to portray a brown Amazon box with a piece of jagged tape above the company's iconic smile icon. The combination of the smile and tape, however, ended up vaguely resembling Hitler's infamous toothbrush moustache. | Amazon's revised version of the logo has ditched the jagged tape for a more square piece of tape with a folded corner. | lmao I completely missed that amaz…

Philip Giraldi (2021-03-02). Biden's Journey: Change Is Imperceptible. globalresearch.ca The new White House Team has been in place for more …

Margaret Flowers (2021-03-02). Small Acts Can Become A Power No Government Can Suppress. dissidentvoice.org The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was passed in the House this past week and now heads to the Senate, where it will no doubt be changed before it becomes law some time in mid-March. The current unemployment benefits expire on March 14. While we don't know what the final bill will look like, at least …

Margaret Flowers (2021-03-02). Small Acts Can Become a Power No Government Can Suppress. globalresearch.ca The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was passed in the House this …

Devin Cole (2021-03-02). Nadezhda Krupskaya: Bolshevik revolutionary and educator. workers.org Feb. 14 is the birth date of Nadezhda Krupskaya — Bolshevik revolutionary, educator and library advocate. Although born to a formerly aristocratic family, her family had descended into poverty, which led her to study Marxism. She joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903. Nadezhda Krupskaya In 1905, Krupskaya . . . |