Daily Archives: January 4, 2021

2021-01-04: News Headlines

Dean Baker (2021-01-04). All in for $2K. counterpunch.org A few weeks ago I had exchanges with people on Twitter in which I argued against across the board payments to individuals. I was concerned that these were likely to come out of other provisions (most importantly unemployment insurance) in the pandemic relief package. Since most people have actually not seen their income cut from

Kayla Gogarty (2021-01-04). Conservatives Spent 2020 Accusing Facebook of Being Biased Against Them, but Engagement Data Tells a Different Story. commondreams.org In 2020, right-leaning Facebook pages consistently earned more interactions than ideologically nonaligned and left-leaning pages—again. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/facebook-google-privacy.jpeg

_____ (2021-01-04). The ABC's Of Google's New Union. popularresistance.org Google workers have organized for pay equity, opposed unethical uses of machine learning, protested sexual assault, and more. Our small team at Collective Action in Tech has been archiving these organizing events for years. Now the workers of Google's parent company, Alphabet, are building worker power through a non-contract union they've named The Alphabet Workers Union. | This isn't the first time Google workers are unionizing. In 2017, Security guards at Google and Facebook had their union recognized and fought through a long contract negotiation. In 2019, Google cafeteria staff employed by vendor Bon Appetit…

Online News Editor (2021-01-04). Australian woman activist arrested in Tanzania over social media post. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Jan 4 (efe-epa).- An Australian activist, who has renounced her Islamic faith and now campaigns for women's rights, has been arrested and charged in Tanzania over a social media post. The activist had criticized the president of the African country for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. A Foreign Ministry official told EFE …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-03). Morales hailes martyr Soleimani's braveries. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sunday, ex-Bolivian president Evo Morales hailed Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani's struggles against imperialism and in defense of the sovereignty of nations suffering from foreign aggression.

The Canary (2021-01-03). Greta Thunberg thanks birthday well-wishers and says she's headed to the pub. thecanary.co Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg has thanked well-wishers for their messages on her 18th birthday and joked she would be spending it in the pub exposing the "dark secrets" behind climate change conspiracy. | Drinking age: | In an interview to mark her birthday, Thunberg said she has stopped buying new clothes and holds no grudges against people who fly or decide to have children. | Posting on Twitter, she joked: | Thank you so much for all the well-wishes on my 18th birthday! | Tonight you will find me down at the local pub exposing all the dark secrets behind the climate- and school strike conspir…

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-03). Zionist minister reacts to Zarif's tweet on Israeli plots. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — The Israeli regime's so-called Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has reacted to recent remarks by the Iranian foreign minister about Tel Aviv's plots in Iraq.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-03). 'Our martyrs commanders & our commanders martyrs'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sun. Secretary-General of al-Nujaba said it is an honor to be a nation whose martyrs are commanders and its commanders are martyrs.

_____ (2021-01-03). Prayer Walk Demands Justice For Native Man Assaulted By US Feds. popularresistance.org Native groups have taken to Petroglyphs National Monument in Tiwa Territory, commonly known as Albuquerque, New Mexico, to demand justice for Darrell House, a native man who was brutally tasered by rangers of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), while he offered prayers on a hike with his sister and dog one week ago. | A prayer walk from Ogahpogeh (Santa Fe) arrived to the site on Saturday afternoon, as reported by The Red Nation's Nick Estes, who tweeted, "#JusticeforDarrell walk ended at Petroglyphs National Park. Askia Trujillo from Ohkay Owingeh led the prayer walk. Walkers are demanding the firing of the tw…

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-02). Zionists plotting attack against Americans: Zarif to Trump. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sat. Iranian FM Zarif warned the outgoing US President that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-02). US has crucial role in rise of terrorism in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — In a tweet on Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry named the US as one of the main reasons for the rise of terrorism in the region.

MEE staff (2021-01-01). Qatar tells UN Security Council of repeated Bahraini violations of its territory. middleeasteye.net Qatar tells UN Security Council of repeated Bahraini violations of its territory | Move is the second time in less than a week that Doha has informed the UN about such allegations against Manama | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 12: 31 | Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani, the Qatari permanent representative to the UN, called on top UN officials to put an end 'to the tendentious Bahraini violations' (Social media) | Qatar's Foreign M…

RT (2021-01-01). 'Keep the light on' Sturgeon tells EU, suggesting Scotland might SECEDE from post-Brexit UK 'soon'. rt.com Within minutes of Brexit taking effect, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a message to Brussels that Scotland might be rejoining the EU "soon," following up on a recent demand for another independence referendum. | "Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on," Sturgeon said as clocks struck midnight in Brussels and the UK's exit from the European Union became official on Friday. | | Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on üè¥Û ÅßÛ Å¢&Uci…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Peruvian Govt. Promises Actions Against Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Peru's Interior Minister Jose Elice Thursday assured authorities would radically reform the National Police after three people were killed due to police brutality during farmworkers' protests against the new Agrarian Law. | RELATED: | His announcement occurred after a picture of a police officer using a firearm to suppress protests went viral on social media. | "We cannot be sure that the policeman photographed is responsible for the deaths a…

_____ (2021-01-01). UK MPs Nominate Cuban Doctors For Nobel Peace Prize. popularresistance.org The Cuba Solidarity Campaign in the United Kingdom announced Thursday that four more members of the British Parliament have nominated the Cuban doctors for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. | According to a message spread through Twitter, MPs from Liverpool Paula Barker, Ian Byrne, Kim Johnson and Dan Carden joined other MPs and academics from the UK who had previously formally nominated the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade from Cuba for the award. | The online petition, published by the solidarity campaign on its website, had accumulated by November's end, more than 6,400 signatures of legislators, academics,…

Desiree Hellegers (2021-01-01). Victor Jara's Hands: An Anti-Fascist Memoir-festo and Brief Personal History of Neoliberalism. counterpunch.org You can easily carbon date your friends on Facebook based on where they were during any major milestone in U.S. history. As a university professor teaching now for decades at what we euphemistically call a "land grant" university, many of my students these days were born after 9-11—into the U.S.'s seemingly endless "War on Terror." It's a war that some of their family members died in, but one that few of them seem to know much about.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). 'Keep the Light On': Scottish FM Sturgeon Tweets to EU 'Scotland Will Be Back Soon'. sputniknews.com The Scottish Parliament rejected UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's post-Brexit trade deal on Wednesday, and last month the Conservative leader smeared Scotland's devolved power as a "disaster" for the country.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Alien Hunter Spots 'UFO' in WWII Iwo Jima Flag Raising Video. sputniknews.com The blogger claimed that up to 30 seconds are missing from the footage of the famous flag-raising operation.

Tom Phillips (2021-01-01). Argentina Legalizes Abortion in Landmark Moment for Women's Rights. zcomm.org The victory is the result of five years of mass protest marches by Argentina's grassroots women's movement, which began as a Twitter campaign against gender violence…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Scotland To Return To the EU Soon, First Minister Sturgeon Vows. telesurenglish.net The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon asked the European Union (EU) to "keep the light on" because "Scotland will be back soon." | RELATED: | The pro-independence politician tweeted that message after the Brexit transition period expired at 23: 00 GMT on December 31. | From that moment on, Scotland's trade relations and travel regulations with EU countries began to be ruled by the guidelines agreed in the new agreem…

Rayhan Uddin (2020-12-31). Saudi preacher Yousef al-Ahmad sentenced to four years in prison. middleeasteye.net Saudi preacher Yousef al-Ahmad sentenced to four years in prison | Charges against the Islamic scholar and academic said to include attending a book fair and visiting detainees in jail | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 13: 50 | Ahmad was detained by Saudi authorities in September 2017 as a part of a widespread crackdown on scholars and intellectuals (Screengrab/Twitter) | Saudi preacher Yousef al-Ahmad has been sen…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-31). "Our region lost a real peace hero": Iran Foreign Ministry. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (MNA) — Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a tweet on Thu. wrote that the region lost a real peace hero, referring to the 1st anniversary of martyrdom of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Thai authorities detain 14 suspected pro-democracy protesters. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Thai authorities on Thursday arrested 14 suspected members of the pro-democracy movement that in recent months has staged a wave of mass protests calling for political and royal reforms. The NGO Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said on Twitter that the detainees were accused of breaching the emergency law banning street …

2021-01-04: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

All in for $2K
Dean Baker | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-04
A few weeks ago I had exchanges with people on Twitter in which I argued against across the board payments to individuals. I was concerned that these were likely to come out of other provisions (most importantly unemployment insurance) in the pandemic relief package. Since most people have actually not seen their income cut from…
counterpunch.org/2021/01/04/all-in-for-2k/

NY gov Cuomo threatens hospitals with FINES if they don't vaccinate at maximum capacity
rt.com | 2021-01-04
Hospitals that don't use up their supply of Covid-19 vaccines within a week of receiving them will be punished with hefty fines and barred from receiving further doses, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared. | The governor warned hospitals that fail to deploy their vaccine stocks within a week of receiving them that they will not only be fined up to $100,000 but also be cut out of future vaccine distribution. He has repeatedly criticized the rollout of the jab as too slow. | t.co/hxul1gIfrM pic.twitter.com/6pYGrmvTWf– ABC News (@ABC)

Conservatives Spent 2020 Accusing Facebook of Being Biased Against Them, but Engagement Data Tells a Different Story
Kayla Gogarty | commondreams.org | 2021-01-04
In 2020, right-leaning Facebook pages consistently earned more interactions than ideologically nonaligned and left-leaning pages—again. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/facebook-google-privacy.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2021/01/04/conservatives-spent-2020-accusing-facebook-being-biased-against-them-engagement?cd-origin=rss

Conservatives Spent 2020 Accusing Facebook of Being Biased Against Them, but Engagement Data Tells a Different Story
Kayla Gogarty | commondreams.org | 2021-01-04
In 2020, right-leaning Facebook pages consistently earned more interactions than ideologically nonaligned and left-leaning pages—again. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/facebook-google-privacy.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2021/01/04/conservatives-spent-2020-accusing-facebook-being-biased-against-them-engagement?cd-origin=rss

The ABC's Of Google's New Union
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2021-01-04
Google workers have organized for pay equity, opposed unethical uses of machine learning, protested sexual assault, and more. Our small team at Collective Action in Tech has been archiving these organizing events for years. Now the workers of Google's parent company, Alphabet, are building worker power through a non-contract union they've named The Alphabet Workers Union. | This isn't the first time Google workers are unionizing. In 2017, Security guards at Google and Facebook had their union recognized and fought through a long contract negotiation. In 2019, Google cafeteria staff employed by vendor Bon Appetit…
popularresistance.org/the-abcs-of-googles-new-union/

Australian woman activist arrested in Tanzania over social media post
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-01-04
Sydney, Australia, Jan 4 (efe-epa).- An Australian activist, who has renounced her Islamic faith and now campaigns for women's rights, has been arrested and charged in Tanzania over a social media post. The activist had criticized the president of the African country for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. A Foreign Ministry official told EFE …
laprensalatina.com/australian-woman-activist-arrested-in-tanzania-over-social-media-post/

Morales hailes martyr Soleimani's braveries
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-01-03
TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sunday, ex-Bolivian president Evo Morales hailed Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani's struggles against imperialism and in defense of the sovereignty of nations suffering from foreign aggression.
en.mehrnews.com/news/168024/Morales-hailes-martyr-Soleimani-s-braveries

Greta Thunberg thanks birthday well-wishers and says she's headed to the pub
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2021-01-03
Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg has thanked well-wishers for their messages on her 18th birthday and joked she would be spending it in the pub exposing the "dark secrets" behind climate change conspiracy. | Drinking age: | In an interview to mark her birthday, Thunberg said she has stopped buying new clothes and holds no grudges against people who fly or decide to have children. | Posting on Twitter, she joked: | Thank you so much for all the well-wishes on my 18th birthday! | Tonight you will find me down at the local pub exposing all the dark secrets behind the climate- and school strike conspir…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2021/01/03/greta-thunberg-thanks-birthday-well-wishers-and-says-she-is-headed-to-the-pub/

Prayer Walk Demands Justice For Native Man Assaulted By US Feds
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2021-01-03
Native groups have taken to Petroglyphs National Monument in Tiwa Territory, commonly known as Albuquerque, New Mexico, to demand justice for Darrell House, a native man who was brutally tasered by rangers of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), while he offered prayers on a hike with his sister and dog one week ago. | A prayer walk from Ogahpogeh (Santa Fe) arrived to the site on Saturday afternoon, as reported by The Red Nation's Nick Estes, who tweeted, "#JusticeforDarrell walk ended at Petroglyphs National Park. Askia Trujillo from Ohkay Owingeh led the prayer walk. Walkers are demanding the firing of the tw…
popularresistance.org/prayer-walk-demands-justice-for-native-man-assaulted-by-us-feds/

'Our martyrs commanders & our commanders martyrs'
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-01-03
TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sun. Secretary-General of al-Nujaba said it is an honor to be a nation whose martyrs are commanders and its commanders are martyrs.
en.mehrnews.com/news/168017/Our-martyrs-commanders-our-commanders-martyrs

Zionist minister reacts to Zarif's tweet on Israeli plots
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-01-03
TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — The Israeli regime's so-called Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has reacted to recent remarks by the Iranian foreign minister about Tel Aviv's plots in Iraq.
en.mehrnews.com/news/168023/Zionist-minister-reacts-to-Zarif-s-tweet-on-Israeli-plots

Palestinian news platform QNN banned by TikTok
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-02
Palestinian news platform QNN banned by TikTok | Quds News Network slammed the move by the social media giant as politically motivated | MEE staff | Sat, 01/02/2021 – 10: 55 | Popular social media app Tik Tok removed Quds News Network without warning (AFP) | A popular Palestinian news platform said that it was removed from popular social media app TikTok without any notice, in a move it claimed to be connected to news con…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-titktok-quds-news-banned

US has crucial role in rise of terrorism in region
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-01-02
TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — In a tweet on Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry named the US as one of the main reasons for the rise of terrorism in the region.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167953/US-has-crucial-role-in-rise-of-terrorism-in-region

Zionists plotting attack against Americans: Zarif to Trump
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-01-02
TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sat. Iranian FM Zarif warned the outgoing US President that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167967/Zionists-plotting-attack-against-Americans-Zarif-to-Trump

Facebook and the Street
Ron Jacobs | zcomm.org | 2021-01-02
The fact of Facebook has created a situation where the Left often seems to have forgotten how to organize…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/facebook-and-the-street/

Victor Jara's Hands: An Anti-Fascist Memoir-festo and Brief Personal History of Neoliberalism
Desiree Hellegers | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-01
You can easily carbon date your friends on Facebook based on where they were during any major milestone in U.S. history. As a university professor teaching now for decades at what we euphemistically call a "land grant" university, many of my students these days were born after 9-11–into the U.S.'s seemingly endless "War on Terror." It's a war that some of their family members died in, but one that few of them seem to know much about.
counterpunch.org/2021/01/01/victor-jaras-hands-an-anti-fascist-memoir-festo-and-brief-personal-history-of-neoliberalism/

Facebook and the Street
Ron Jacobs | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-01
Ever since I signed onto Facebook twelve years ago, I've learned some interesting things about music, art, and sport. I've also engaged in intelligent and informative conversations with people about politics and the aforementioned topics. My original reason for signing up had to do with being able to see photos posted by family and friends.
counterpunch.org/2021/01/01/facebook-and-the-street/

'Keep the Light On': Scottish FM Sturgeon Tweets to EU 'Scotland Will Be Back Soon'
sputniknews.com | 2021-01-01
The Scottish Parliament rejected UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's post-Brexit trade deal on Wednesday, and last month the Conservative leader smeared Scotland's devolved power as a "disaster" for the country.
sputniknews.com/europe/202101011081623790-keep-the-light-on-scottish-fm-sturgeon-tweets-to-eu-scotland-will-be-back-soon/

'Keep the light on' Sturgeon tells EU, suggesting Scotland might SECEDE from post-Brexit UK 'soon'
rt.com | 2021-01-01
Within minutes of Brexit taking effect, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a message to Brussels that Scotland might be rejoining the EU "soon," following up on a recent demand for another independence referendum. | "Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on," Sturgeon said as clocks struck midnight in Brussels and the UK's exit from the European Union became official on Friday. | | Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on üè¥Û ÅßÛ Å¢&Uci…
rt.com/uk/511277-sturgeon-europe-referendum-soon/

UK MPs Nominate Cuban Doctors For Nobel Peace Prize
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2021-01-01
The Cuba Solidarity Campaign in the United Kingdom announced Thursday that four more members of the British Parliament have nominated the Cuban doctors for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. | According to a message spread through Twitter, MPs from Liverpool Paula Barker, Ian Byrne, Kim Johnson and Dan Carden joined other MPs and academics from the UK who had previously formally nominated the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade from Cuba for the award. | The online petition, published by the solidarity campaign on its website, had accumulated by November's end, more than 6,400 signatures of legislators, academics,…
popularresistance.org/uk-mps-nominate-cuban-doctors-for-nobel-peace-prize/

Scotland To Return To the EU Soon, First Minister Sturgeon Vows
telesurenglish.net | 2021-01-01
The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon asked the European Union (EU) to "keep the light on" because "Scotland will be back soon." | RELATED: | The United Kingdom Detaches From the European Union Today | The pro-independence politician tweeted that message after the Brexit transition period expired at 23: 00 GMT on December 31. | From that moment on, Scotland's trade relations and travel regulations with EU countries began to be ruled by the guidelines agreed in the new agreem…
telesurenglish.net/news/Scotland-To-Return-To-the-EU-Soon-First-Minister-Sturgeon-Vows-20210101-0005.html

Alien Hunter Spots 'UFO' in WWII Iwo Jima Flag Raising Video
sputniknews.com | 2021-01-01
The blogger claimed that up to 30 seconds are missing from the footage of the famous flag-raising operation.
sputniknews.com/viral/202101011081628936-alien-hunter-spots-ufo-in-wwii-iwo-jima-flag-raising-video/

Argentina Legalizes Abortion in Landmark Moment for Women's Rights
Tom Phillips | zcomm.org | 2021-01-01
The victory is the result of five years of mass protest marches by Argentina's grassroots women's movement, which began as a Twitter campaign against gender violence…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/argentina-legalizes-abortion-in-landmark-moment-for-womens-rights/

Qatar tells UN Security Council of repeated Bahraini violations of its territory
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-01
Qatar tells UN Security Council of repeated Bahraini violations of its territory | Move is the second time in less than a week that Doha has informed the UN about such allegations against Manama | MEE staff | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 12: 31 | Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani, the Qatari permanent representative to the UN, called on top UN officials to put an end 'to the tendentious Bahraini violations' (Social media) | Qatar's Foreign M…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/qatar-bahrain-un-security-council-violations-territory