(2021-01-30). 'Torturing the English language': Biden accused of twisting the truth with promise his Covid-19 stimulus plan 'finishes the job'. rt.com 
President Joe Biden is getting criticism from both the left and the right for claiming his American Rescue Plan will help Americans struggling during the pandemic by offering a $2,000 stimulus — an amount also pushed for by Trump. | "$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying your rent and putting food on the table," Biden tweeted on Saturday, referring to the $600 stimulus payment passed in the final weeks of Trump's presidency. | Biden went on to claim his $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan, which he has urged Congress to pass sooner rather than later, "finishes the job of getting…
(2021-01-30). Rebels invite UN envoys to assess famine in Yemen. yenisafak.com Yemen's Houthi group on Saturday invited envoys of the UN Security Council members to visit the war-torn country to assess the exacerbating humanitarian situation."We call on representatives of the Security Council member-states to visit Yemen to see the catastrophic situation, which has been termed as the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe," Mohammed al-Houthi, a member of the group's Supreme Political Council, said on Twitter.He called on the Council members to "play their humanitarian role to address the famine and the blockade imposed on Yemen".The Houthis blame the Saudi-led coalition for the humanitaria…
(2021-01-30). 'Loud & unmasked': Democratic rep moves office citing 'safety' concerns after accusing GOP upstart Taylor Greene of 'berating' her. rt.com 
Democratic Rep. Cori Bush said she was forced to move her office for her own safety after Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene allegedly "berated" her on Capitol Hill, a charge the GOP upstart has emphatically denied. | Bush (Missouri) said in a Friday Twitter post that Taylor Greene and her staff "berated" her "in a hallway" in the Capitol earlier this month, adding "I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety." | A maskless Marjorie Taylor Greene & her staff berated me in a hallway. She targeted me & others on social media. | I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety. | I've…
(2021-01-30). Billionaire & Mets owner Steve Cohen off Twitter after he helped GameStop-ravaged protege, branded Redditor investors 'jockeys'. rt.com 
Businessman Steve Cohen appears to have deleted his Twitter account amid uproar over the GameStop short squeeze debacle. The Mets owner's hedge fund drew suspicion after bailing out fellow financiers hit hard by small investors. | Steven Cohen's Point72 Asset Management helped his former protege, Gabriel Plotkin, after the latter's hedge fund Melvin Capital lost billions by betting against video game retailer GameStop. The rug was pulled from under Plotkin by a bunch of small dollar investors coming from a Reddit community called WallStreetBets. | This placed Cohen on the radar of people angry in the aftermath…
(2021-01-30). US stocks down 2% with new COVID-19 variant risks. yenisafak.com US stocks closed lower Friday to end the last trading day of January as new variants of the novel coronavirus increased perceived risks of investors for global economic recovery.The Dow Jones fell 620 points, or 2%, to 29,982, while the SP 500 declined 73, or 1.9%, to end at 3,714.The indexes posted their worst weekly plummet since October as they closed below their 50-day moving average for the first time since November.The Nasdaq fell 266 points, or 2%, to end at 13,070 with Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft sliding by 2% each. The tech-heavy index finished the week down 3.5% but was up 1.4% in January.The VIX v…
(2021-01-30). 'About half' of virus cases in Lisbon due to UK variant. yenisafak.com Hospitals in Portugal's capital Lisbon continued overflowing with patients on Friday, with nearly half of the COVID-19 infections in the worst-hit region thought to be caused by the coronavirus variant first detected in the UK.The highly contagious variant is responsible for more than 32% of cases nationwide and almost 50% of all cases confirmed in Lisbon, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Twitter late Thursday.Citing the same figures, Health Minister Marta Temido said the data may not paint a full picture as it is coming from just one laboratory.Portugal has been under lockdown for two weeks and ha…
(2021-01-30). Big Tech's Gravest Sin? Working With the Security State. strategic-culture.org Though they claim to champion privacy, companies like Google and Amazon are making a fortune contracting with the government. | By Ivan ELAND | The "de-platforming" of Donald Trump by Twitter, Facebook, and Google-owned YouTube—that is, Big Tech—recently garnered big headlines. Trump's change in status has raised cries among some conservatives of "censorship." Yet a more libertarian view holds that these are private companies that have a right to control their own content, just as private broadcast and print media do. The word "censorship" has been traditionally and more appropriately applied to go…
(2021-01-30). Hedge Fund Boss, NY Mets Owner Steve Cohen Quits Twitter Amid GameStop Stock Chaos. sputniknews.com Amid the rollercoaster trading earlier in the week, Steve Cohen found himself locked in a Twitter debate with celebrity day trader Dave Portnoy, founder of the sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports, over the restrictions on trading apps such as Robinhood that were hurting the novice investors behind the ballooning of GameStop's stock value.
(2021-01-30). Houthis hail Italy's block of arms sales to Saudi, UAE. yenisafak.com Yemen's Houthi rebels have welcomed an Italian decision to suspend the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)."Italy's announcement of halting arms sales to the countries that are engaged in an aggression on Yemen is a positive move," rebel spokesman Mohamed Abdel-Salam said on Twitter.He said the move would "contribute to protecting [Yemeni] civilians and support the peace process".On Friday, Italy's Foreign Ministry announced blocking exports of arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, following warnings by activists and lawmakers about the use of weapons in violation of human rights in Yemen…
(2021-01-30). Amnesty slams Houthi ban on Yemeni women. yenisafak.com Amnesty International has condemned a Houthi decision banning Yemeni women from working in restaurants, calling it "shameful and discriminatory".In a thread on its Twitter account, the human rights organization said it stands with all Yemeni women "in their fight for their rights"."Institutionalizing discrimination increases oppression on women and impedes the foundation for sustainable and gender-equitable recovery and reconstruction in Yemen," it said.Amnesty stressed that UN efforts to achieve a "peaceful reconciliation" in Yemen are impossible "without safeguarding and protecting women's rights".There was no…
(2021-01-30). Turkey 'neutralizes' three YPG/PKK terrorists in N.Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces "neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, in a protected area near Turkey's southern border, the National Defense Ministry announced Saturday.The terrorists were trying to infiltrate the area of Turkey's cross-border anti-terror operations — Peace Spring and Euphrates Shield — to disrupt peace and security in the region, the ministry said on Twitter.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations in northern Syria to prevent…
(2021-01-30). 'Untreated Schizophrenia': Twitter Explodes Over Rep. Greene's 'Jewish Laser Beam' Conspiracy Theory. sputniknews.com Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia's 14th congressional district, previously came under fire for espousing Qanon conspiracy theories, that the administration of former President Donald Trump was involved in fighting an elite group of Satan-worshippers and child abusers.
(2021-01-29). Demilitarizing Our Democracy: How the National Security State Has Come to Dominate a "Civilian" Government. juancole.com 
By Mandy Smithberger and William Hartung | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — This month's insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy. As the government reform group Public Citizen tweeted, …
(2021-01-29). The Left Should Oppose Censorship by Big Tech Companies. zcomm.org We should champion free speech online — and argue that the best way to protect it is with a socialist program that brings privatized social media platforms into public control…
(2021-01-29). Islamic State 'deputy caliph' killed in Iraq, PM Kadhimi says. middleeasteye.net 
Islamic State 'deputy caliph' killed in Iraq, PM Kadhimi says | Intelligence-led operation that killed Abu Yaser al-Issawi comes a week after IS claimed deadliest Iraq attack in three years
| Fri, 01/29/2021 – 10: 15 | A photo circulating online purportedly shows Abu Yaser al-Issawi (Twitter) | Iraqi security forces have killed the country's top Islamic State (IS) commander, who had cl…
(2021-01-29). Fauci optimistic about more vaccines coming soon. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The nation's top expert on the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is optimistic that more pharmaceutical companies will announce "within the next few days" that they, too, have vaccines to join the two whose anti-viral vaccines are already being injected into people's arms. "There's some light at the end of the tunnel" in the U.S.'s fight …
(2021-01-29). YouTube personality Jimmy Dore promotes fascist Boogaloo Boy. wsws.org The effort by YouTube personality and former comedian Jimmy Dore to promote the fascist Boogaloo Boys is a significant political episode that reveals the ignorant and reactionary character of middle class "left" politics in America.
(2021-01-29). Marjorie Taylor Greene Has Long Used Racism, Anti-Semitism to Get Famous. truthout.org 
Just days before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene faced a fresh round of calls to resign from Congress after CNN reported that her Facebook page had endorsed calls to execute top Democrats in 2018, the Republican from Georgia was starting her own social media buzz around articles of impeachment she filed against President Joe Biden. | Greene
(2021-01-29). 'If you don't have the police…things go a little crazy': Former SEC official compares GameStop buying frenzy to US Capitol riot. rt.com 
Eyebrows were raised on social media after former US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official Laura Unger made a "revealing" comment comparing the frantic buying of GameStop and other stocks to the US Capitol riot. | Unger, who became a commissioner at the SEC in 1997 and was made acting chairman by George W. Bush for half of 2001, joined CNBC's 'Closing Bell' on Thursday to give her thoughts on trading app Robinhood halting and then limiting the buying of stocks in companies such as GameStop and AMC, which saw significant boosts to their values after a buying frenzy by individuals motivated by a subr…
(2021-01-29). 'An exciting opportunity': Robinhood mocked after posting listing for lobbyist in DC amid GameStop saga. rt.com 
Eagle-eyed social media users spotted that the controversy-embroiled trading app, Robinhood, has posted a job listing for a Federal Affairs Manager in Washington, DC, as members of Congress call for a hearing into its actions. | "This role will focus on federal advocacy and government affairs related to legislative and regulatory matters," reads the Day-to-day task…
(2021-01-29). Robinhood imposes ONE share buy limit on DOZENS OF STOCKS amid GameStop scrutiny. rt.com 
The market insanity that began with short-selling drama at GameStop has escalated beyond day-traders' wildest nightmares, as the once-popular brokerage app Robinhood is now effectively preventing users from buying some 50 stocks. | Robinhood users angrily took to Twitter to display screenshots indicating the app was blocking them from buying more than a single stock of some companies. The trading lockdown on Friday wasn't limited to GameStop ($GME) — users were posting similar shots of failed efforts to trade other stocks of companies that seemed to have a richer future than a brick-and-mortar video game…
(2021-01-29). Facebook BANS 'Robinhood stock traders group' with 150k+ members over 'sexual exploitation' amid GameStop craze — reports. rt.com 
A popular stock trading chat group has been booted off Facebook due to alleged violations of its "sexual exploitation" rules, claims the page's founder, who accused "major institutions" of trying to avenge the GameStop debacle. | The Robinhood Stock Traders group boasted more than 157,000 members before it was taken offline on Wednesday, its 23-year-old founder, Allen Tran,
(2021-01-29). Facebook 'Supreme Court' Accepting Public Comment on Whether to Reinstate Trump Account. sputniknews.com The former US president, Donald Trump, was blocked on Facebook earlier this month after being accused of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. In a statement earlier this month, Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, stated that the risk of allowing Trump to continue to use the platform were "simply too great."
(2021-01-29). A Threshold for Bahrain: From a 'retweet island' to 'spoiler' of Saudi-led Gulf reconciliation? yenisafak.com The six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed a 'solidarity and stability' agreement on January 5, 2021, at the 41st GCC summit meeting to end a three-and-a-half-years blockade on Qatar. This is an important watershed for the inter-Gulf relations as it ended the Gulf Crisis. This crisis was the manifestation of the huge division between Qatar and the other members of the GCC on their regional vision and decision-making on alignment. After a three-and-a-half-year crack in the Gulf unity, with the dialogue initiatives of Saudi Arabia, the crisis came to an end with the Al Ula declaration and the bloc…
(2021-01-29). PKK suspect caught trying to illegally cross to Greece. yenisafak.com Turkey's northwestern border troops nabbed a terror suspect trying to flee to Greece, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday."A person trying to cross from our country to Greece illegally was caught by our border units in Ipsala district of Edirne," the ministry said on Twitter."The person, who was previously tried for aiding and abetting the PKK terrorist organization, was handed over to the Ipsala District Gendarme Station," it added.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU — has been responsible for the…
(2021-01-29). Another officer caught using lockdown rules to abuse police power. thecanary.co On Wednesday 27 January, a Twitter user shared a Caught o…
(2021-01-29). Video: Citron Research Says it Will Stop Publishing Short-Seller Reports Amid GameStop Squeeze. sputniknews.com Wall Street short-sellers have lost billions of dollars in recent days after a viral online movement of amateur online traders started buying shares and stock options in the company, prompting GameStop's market value to increase from $2 billion to $24 billion in just a matter of days.
(2021-01-29). How the National Security State Has Come to Dominate a "Civilian" Government. counterpunch.org This month's insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy. As the government reform group Public Citizen tweeted, "If you're spending $740,000,000,000 annually on 'defense' but fascists dressed for the
(2021-01-29). Quick Thoughts on the "Evils" of Share Buybacks. cepr.net This is a Twitter thread from a couple of months back. I thought I would post it here since there may be some interest. Someone sent me a diatribe from some progressive about the evil of share buybacks. I have a few thoughts. First the claims: they allow companies to inflate share prices, top management …
(2021-01-29). How Trump Exacerbated Corporate Censorship. realprogressives.org When Donald Trump was kicked off Twitter following the determination that his speech had fomented violence, a heated debate began: Was this something that should have been done earlier, or is it a horrifying display of "Big Tech's" power showing they can shut down political speech they don't like? | On one hand, Donald Trump's Twitter feed was perhaps the most notorious and destructive misinformation campaign in American history — and one that arguably did incite violent behavior. In the days following the Capitol being stormed by a misled mob, we were all justifiably worried Trump was attempting a real c…
(2021-01-29). What Does Free Speech Mean Online? aclu.org Nearly three weeks ago, former President Donald Trump was banned from nearly every social media platform because of his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Just before Congress was set to certify Joe Biden as the next president of the United States, Trump instructed his supporters to, "fight much harder" against "bad people" and "show strength" at the Capitol. | The social media bans on Trump and his supporters ignited a debate about whether these social media companies have too much power over the speech of their users. Should they have banned Trump sooner? Are these bans legal? What kind of precedent does…
(2021-01-29). Chinese Troops Don't Mass at Maine Border! counterpunch.org According to Military Times, a QAnon-backed Twitter handle reported that thousands of Chinese troops had massed on the Maine border. Though the article didn't specify, I presumed they meant the Maine-Canada border, not the Maine-New Hampshire border, and living only 122 miles from the Maine-Canada border, I thought I had better go check it out
(2021-01-29). GameStop, Reddit, and what we all should know about the stock market. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – The past few days have seen GameStop and Reddit become the meme-of-the-week and take significant headlines. Some media outlets are saying the recent turn of events "isn't funny; it's stupid" while celebrity billionaires like Elon Musk crack jokes on Twitter. Redditors are claiming that they are crashing Wall Street, and yet the market is bullish as ever. What should we be taking from all of this? In short, we must seize this moment to educate about how the stock market works, who it works for, and how we can institute true changes that benefit everyday people. | To understand what has happened, it i…
(2021-01-28). In the News: Democrats Get Ready for Failure. liberationnews.org 
This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On this week's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss …
(2021-01-28). The pendulum of internet censorship swings leftward again. mronline.org 
There has been a purge of left-wing accounts from social media, with socialist organizations being targeted on Facebook and multiple Antifa-associated accounts suspended from Twitter.
(2021-01-28). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Ted Cruz: 'You Almost Had Me Murdered… You Can Resign'. commondreams.org The Squad member once again implored Cruz to quit after he tweeted agreement with her call for a probe of the GameStop stock trading controversy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_13.jpg …
(2021-01-28). As pandemic continues in China, lack of resources provokes social media protests. wsws.org The government's COVID-19 prevention and control system is facing tremendous pressure and fuelling popular discontent.
(2021-01-28). Exiled Emirati dissident launches campaign to lift travel ban on sick son. middleeasteye.net 
Exiled Emirati dissident launches campaign to lift travel ban on sick son | Ahmed Al-Nuaimi demands to be reunited with his son, who suffers from cerebral palsy and needs specialist medical attention | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 12: 55 | The academic has launched a Twitter campaign to be reunited with his son and allow him the medical attention he needs (Screengrab/Twitter) | An Emirati academic and dissident liv…
(2021-01-28). Peru Deploys Army on Border With Ecuador to Block Migrants. telesurenglish.net President Francisco Sagasti's administration on Wednesday deployed hundreds of Peruvian officers throughout the border with Ecuador to prohibit immigrants from entering the country amid its second wave of COVID-19. | RELATED: | "We will keep the border blocked for as long as necessary to prevent the entry of immigrants infected with COVID-19," Peruvian Armed Forces Joint Command tweeted. | The joint decision "seeks t…
(2021-01-28). GameStop controversy put AOC & Trump Jr on SAME PAGE against Wall Street — but panicked MSM smears Reddit traders as ALT-RIGHT MOB. rt.com 
The GameStop stock rebellion is playing out like a revealing Rorschach test, drawing political figures as divergent as Donald Trump Jr. and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez together, and prompting legacy media to demonize the uprising. | The former president's son responded to ruling-class efforts to crush the rally, including Thursday's move by trading app Robinhood to ban its users from buying shares of GameStop and other stocks targeted by grassroots investors, by saying, "This is what a rigged system looks like." Trump Jr. tweeted: "It took less than a day for Big Tech, Big Government, and the corporate media to s…
(2021-01-28). AOC throws weight behind GameStop hedge fund massacre, takes a dig at Wall Street's 'long history of treating economy as a casino'. rt.com 
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has heaped mockery on Wall Street hedge funds who've taken a beating after a short-selling scheme on GameStop shares miserably backfired, accusing them of treating markets like a "casino." | The New York congresswoman took to Twitter on Wednesday night to poke fun at the "Wall Streeters" racking up major losses amid a push by online trolls to punish GameStop short-sellers, "Gotta admit it's really something…
(2021-01-28). Bolsonaro Unleashes His Foul Language Against Journalists. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday responded with foul language to journalists who denounced irregularities in costly public food purchases made amid the pandemic. | RELATED: | "When I see the press attacking me and saying I bought two and a half million cans of condensed milk, [my response is] go fu#% yourselves, shitty press," Bolsonaro said at a private event whose video was leaked to social media. | "Le…
(2021-01-28). US freeze on F-35s sale to Abu Dhabi won't hurt normalization between Israel & UAE — PM Netanyahu. rt.com 
The suspension by US President Joe Biden on selling F-35 fighter jets to the UAE won't derail normalization between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi, as the process has gone too far already, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted. | "It won't affect them," Netanyahu said, when asked about the possible impact of the announcement by Washington on relations between Israel and the UAE. | The mending of ties between the two former foes has "passed the point of no return," the prime minister insisted during a press conference broadcast on Facebook. | "Everyone understood that this [normalization deal] was a historic step…
(2021-01-28). Nicola Surgeon vows to 'tackle transphobia if it exists in my party'. thecanary.co 
Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to tackle transphobia within the SNP if it exists, insisting she takes on "bigotry" whenever she encounters it. | Broken promises?: | She was asked during First Minister's Questions on 28 January whether her government has broken its promises to transgender and nonbinary people. It came after she tweeted a video message on the issue, following reports of significant numbers of people leaving the SNP because they do not consider it to be a safe and tolerant place for trans people. | In the message posted on Wednesday evening, which she said was not scripted but "comes from my hear…
(2021-01-28). Facebook to expel 'political content' from its news feed to 'discourage divisive conversations,' Zuckerberg says. rt.com 
Facebook is set to make it harder for "political content" to permeate its news feed and make related groups less visible — all in the name of preventing heated discussions that sow division, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. | Zuckerberg took to his own platform on Wednesday with a vast 2,800-word
(2021-01-28). Childish drama? Vox pilloried for pearl-clutching saga about parents trying to cope with Instagram baby guru donating to Trump. rt.com 
Vox has been pelted with snarky social media retorts after publishing a story that explores the anguish felt by socially conscious parents upon learning that an Instagram mom, known for her baby sleep advice, gave money to Trump. | In a shining example of shoeleather journalism, the liberal outlet released a detailed analysis of the penetrating philosophical questions resulting from the discovery that Cara Dumaplin, founder of the popular Instagram account Taking Cara Babies, had donated a combined total of $1,078 to Donald Trump's 2016 and 2020 election campaigns. | Chatter about the political contributions f…
(2021-01-28). PETA declares meat-eaters 'human supremacists', Twitter cringes & bombs it with mockery. rt.com 
The animal rights group PETA, famous for its shock-tactics publicity stunts, has implied that all non-vegans have something Klanish in them, denouncing meat-eaters as "human supremacists." It certainly caught attention. | "Eating animals is speciesist," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
(2021-01-28). 'What are you doing?' Fans accuse UFC star Jorge Masvidal of betraying MMA over YouTube boxer Jake Paul's surprise footage (VIDEO). rt.com 
Viewers have rounded on Jorge Masvidal to accuse the UFC veteran of a lack of integrity after Jake Paul, the YouTuber who will take on one of his former victims next month, released footage of a training session between the pair.
(2021-01-28). UN chief 'particularly worried' about power of social media giants & calls for laws to keep them in check. rt.com 
Regulations are needed to reign in companies like Twitter so that their actions, such as the banning of former US president Donald Trump, are "in line with the law," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. | When asked during a press conference on Thursday if Twitter was "right" to permanently suspend Trump, then a sitting US president, Guterres did not answer directly. Instead, he suggested that social media behemoths should follow a clear set of rules rather than wielding unchecked power. | He called for "mechanisms, in which there's regulatory framework with rules that allow for that to be done," but sa…
(2021-01-28). Beware Corporate 'Democracy Washing'. zcomm.org Twitter, Trump, and the Danger of Privatizing the Fight Against Fascism…