Daily Archives: February 24, 2021

2021-02-24: News Headlines

Peter Koenig (2021-02-24). Identificación del "paquete de vacunas" implantado: El Parlamento de Alemania ha ratificado la "Agenda ID2020" digital de GAVI. globalizacion.ca Noticias alarmantes. En Alemania, el Parlamento (Bundestag) ratificó el 29 de enero de 2021 la implementación de la Agenda ID2020. | Se trata de una recopilación de datos electrónicos generalizados y centralizados de cada ciudadano a la que tendrían acceso todas…

The Socialist Program (2021-02-24). In the News: Capitalism Kills. liberationnews.org On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the COVID death toll in the United States topping 500,000, the winter storm that has left millions without power in zero degree temperatures in Texas, a new independent report that further exposes the police in Aurora Colorado for the brutal murder of Elijah McClain, and more.

Dean Baker (2021-02-24). The Green New Deal Threatens Republicans' Bread and Butter (It's not Just Competition in the Battle of Ideas). counterpunch.org Naomi Klein has an interesting piece in the New York Times on the implications of the Texas disaster. I would disagree with some parts, which attack the Texas approach to energy as "free market." To my view, this is far too generous. Even Texas' deregulated energy market is still highly regulated. It is possible to

United Health Professionals (2021-02-24). Mensaje de Alerta sobre la COVID-19. Profesionales de la Salud Unidos. globalizacion.ca Llamamos la atención de nuestros lectores, este importante comunicado internacional de profesionales de la salud, médicos y científicos, que ha sido enviado a los gobiernos de treinta países. | A continuación se muestra el texto completo que se envió a los…

Rajan Menon (2021-02-24). Covid-19 Demonstrated How This Country Fails Its Most Vulnerable: A Field Guide to Our Threadbare Social Safety Net. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Economic crises shine a spotlight on a society's inequities and hierarchies, as well as its commitment to support those who are most vulnerable in such grievous moments. The calamity created by Covid-19 is no exception. The economic fallout from that pandemic has tested the nation's social safety net as never before. Between …

Will Solomon (2021-02-24). Cuomo's Cover-up Will be Most Effectively Weaponized by the Right. counterpunch.org On February 11, news broke that the Cuomo administration intentionally hid data on COVID-related nursing home deaths from the federal government and New York state legislators, ostensibly for fear of a Department of Justice investigation and potential federal prosecution. The revelation was fairly shocking, but hardly out of character. Cuomo's mishandling of the pandemic—coupled with

Staff (2021-02-24). FDA May Approve Johnson & Johnson Vaccine for US Use as Early as Saturday. truthout.org The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective in a briefing document on Wednesday morning, lending support to its emergency use authorization. | The vaccine's trial data results are "consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA's guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19,"

Staff (2021-02-24). In What Universe Is a $15 Wage "Too High"? Joe Manchin's. truthout.org Economic justice organizers may soon triumph in their fight for a $15 minimum wage. Thanks to their years of effort, President Biden (and every Democratic contender during the primary debates) vowed to hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour. In keeping with that promise, Biden attached a wage bill to his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. | Although Republicans and their political allies are firmly opposed to the measure, the Senate could approve it. But Democratic holdouts like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin could do…

Betsey Piette (2021-02-24). COVID-19 vaccine patents: Private property vs. public health. workers.org Among the many controversies surrounding vital COVID-19 vaccines, the issue of patent bans gets far less attention than how vaccines are being distributed or who is able to receive them. Yet the patent laws protecting intellectual property (IP) in the U.S. and European Union give the world's wealthiest countries unfair . . . |

Chauncey K. Robinson (2021-02-24). Biden immigration bill has shortcomings, but shows promise on several fronts. peoplesworld.org The Biden administration has introduced a sweeping new immigration bill that stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's four years of attacks on undocumented workers and their families. The new bill is being seen by many as a bold step in a better direction, but some immigrant rights activists are pointing out shortcomings in the …

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Cancels "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Left Waiting. truthout.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in,…

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Waiting in Squalid Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…

Staff (2021-02-24). Biden Canceled Trump's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, But Asylum Seekers Still Wait in Squalid Refugee Camps. democracynow.org One of the most controversial Trump-era immigration policies — the so-called Remain in Mexico program, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols — left about 25,000 asylum seekers stranded on the other side of the border while their cases progressed through U.S. courts. President Joe Biden has suspended that program, but immigrant advocates say his administration needs to move more quickly to undo the damage. Although dozens of asylum seekers have been allowed to trickle in, many thousands are still waiting in dangerous conditions for their chance to cross the border, including in the Matamor…

Liaquat Ali Khan (2021-02-24). First English, Then American, and Now Muslim Francophobia. counterpunch.org Francophobia has been a persistent part of French history, transmitted and modulated through several centuries. 17thcentury England constructed the first significant layer of Francophobia. The Americans may have borrowed Francophobia from England and then developed its version in the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Muslim world has begun to manufacture its variety of

John Wojcik (2021-02-24). In plain sight, GOP senators show sabotage is their game. peoplesworld.org Republican senators exposed their true colors at separate Senate hearings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and those colors are not ones that would typically be shown by anyone interested in "bipartisanship." The nation was treated to the spectacle in hearings on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol of Senate leaders of that right-wing insurrection …

Royal Thomas II (2021-02-24). Rush Limbaugh and the rise of the far right. liberationnews.org Photo: Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump speaking at a 2019 event hosted by Turning Point USA. Credit — Gage Skidmore After more than three decades assaulting airwaves and television screens with his vicious right-wing rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, the bigoted and imperialist radio personality, died last week from a year-long battle with lung cancer. With his …

Eds. (2021-02-24). Does the West repeating claims of China committing genocide in Xinjiang reify it? mronline.org The Jewish Virtual Library quotes Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as having said: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Mirinda Crissman (2021-02-24). Texas freeze — Rich get richer, workers suffer. workers.org Houston An unprecedented winter storm hit Texas Feb. 15, bringing subfreezing temperatures. One week later, huge sections of the population are still without power, heat and/or water. Houston skyline glows, while millions suffer subfreezing temperatures without heat or water amidst preventable power outages, Feb. 15 Across major cities — such . . . |

Beau Peters (2021-02-24). The Ethics of Healthcare Marketing. dissidentvoice.org Spend an evening watching television on any network in pretty much any town in America and you'd probably think that Big Pharma had already created a pill for anything that might ail ya. And, of course, in some ways, that's not entirely wrong. Today we have a world of therapies to extend our lives and …

The Conversation (2021-02-24). Saving the Planet: Why a net-zero future depends on the ocean's ability to absorb carbon. juancole.com By Anya M. Waite, Brad deYoung, Chris Milley, and Ian G. Stewart | — Most of us growing up along Canada's East Coast never worried about hurricane season. Except for those working at sea, we viewed hurricanes as extreme events in remote tropical regions, seen only through blurred footage of flailing palm trees on the …

Michael Otto (2021-02-24). Ecuador elections — The calm before the storm. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador's presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough . . . |

Berry Craig (2021-02-24). Republicans' working class hero re-branding isn't fooling anyone. peoplesworld.org So far, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Jim Jordan haven't taken up Chris Hayes's challenge. On his show a while back, the MSNBC host laughed out loud when Sen. Cruz—aka The Cancun Kid—Sen. Josh Hawley, and Rep. Jim Jordan claimed the GOP was the born-again blue-collar party. The host of "All in With Chris Hayes" dared the …

David Rosen (2021-02-24). Confronting the Digital Divide: New York City vs. Verizon. counterpunch.org The United States is a divided nation, one expressed in all-too-many ways as evident by the 2020 presidential election and the failed January 6th insurrection. Unfortunately, one of its most telling expressions is the digital divide, in which more well-to-do urban and suburban locals get superior if over-priced telecom services while whole swaths of urban

Dan Cohen (2021-02-24). The Empire's Hidden Hand: How The US Established, Sustains and Benefits From Morocco's Occupation of Western Sahara. mintpressnews.com Over the decades, the Moroccan settler population expanded while the United States and European Union have illegally exploited the Western Sahara's resources, mining phosphates, fishing in its waters, and in recent years, drilling for oil and gas.

Eds. (2021-02-24). Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries. mronline.org The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus.

MBNJSD (2021-02-24). What Planet Is NATO Living On? dissidentvoice.org NATO headquarters in Brussels (Photo: NATO) The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme …

Editor (2021-02-24). FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. workers.org Join us Saturday, March 6, from 2-4 p.m. EST, for a Global Virtual Street Meeting for Mumia Abu-Jamal: FREEDOM HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE. Join organizers, artists, supporters and educators as they shine a light on the important history of this international movement to #FreeMumia along with a summary . . . |

Ben Slowey (2021-02-24). Milwaukee protesters demand real change from Biden administration. liberationnews.org Around 50 protesters congregated in the cold outside Milwaukee City Hall Feb. 16 to make their demands heard, as President Joe Biden arrived for a town hall conversation with CNN.

Frank Lara (2021-02-24). San Francisco teachers struggle for a safe reopening. liberationnews.org The following was a presentation at the Feb. 20, 2021, Reds in Ed webinar. Afternoon fellow educators, my name is Frank Lara and I am a public-school teacher of 10 years in San Francisco's historic Mission District. I am also on the Executive Board of our union, the United Educators of San Francisco, a 6,500-member …

Rosalío Muñoz, Janice Rothstein (2021-02-24). Labor and allies pressure Congress to pass American Rescue Plan. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES—The urgency and historic significance of the American Rescue Plan are being amplified by the gamut of civic and community groups around the country, from labor to civil rights, health care, education, child, senior, unemployed, disability, homeless, and other advocacy groups. Momentum is building for mass public pressure to get the strongest measure passed …

Marlanna Bullock (2021-02-24). Tri-Cities, WA's Katie Barton: 'She wanted to see equal rights for the community, not just herself'. liberationnews.org This article is part of Liberation's commemoration of Black History Month, 2021. T…

Elizabeth Keyes (2021-02-24). Compartmentalizing Woody Allen … or Not. counterpunch.org I missed the first round of talk about the New York Times' publication of a moving and forthright letter by Woody Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan, regarding his alleged sexual molestation of her over two decades ago. Woody Allen is an American icon as well as a human being capable of all things human, perhaps including

Ed Rampell (2021-02-24). 'Executive Order': A futuristic 'final solution' to the Brazilian 'race problem' at PAFF. peoplesworld.org Director/co-writer Lázaro Ramos's award-winning Executive Order (Medida Provisória) exemplifies what I love most about the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF): It gives movie buffs the opportunity to see films, often from far-flung destinations around the globe, that we might otherwise never have the chance to watch. Often these are worthy, well-made productions that PAFF is …

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2021-02-24). GameStop Hearing Exposes a Sick Business Model Destined to Exacerbate Wealth Inequality in America. counterpunch.org The most striking revelations in yesterday's House Financial Services Committee hearing on the wild trading action in New York Stock Exchange-listed shares of GameStop came when Congresswoman Cindy Axne of Iowa questioned Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood, the trading app being increasingly used by young people to trade stocks and options on their mobile

W. Alphaeus Hunton (2021-02-24). Harlem's 1946 fight against South African starvation foreshadowed anti-apartheid struggle. peoplesworld.org People's World is happy to reprint below an article from the Jan. 3, 1946 issue of the Daily Worker by W. Alphaeus Hunton, then the educational director of the Council on African Affairs (CAA). Hunton, considered "one of the most neglected African-American intellectuals" in U.S. history, partly due to his membership in the Communist Party …

Mike Walter (2021-02-24). The Heat: Afghanistan-What's next? america.cgtn.com The war in Afghanistan rages on as a major deadline looms for U.S. forces to leave the country.

Media Lens (2021-02-24). 20 Years Of Media Lens: A Selection Of Remarkable Replies From Journalists. dissidentvoice.org The Insiders In a 2002 interview with the Observer, the BBC's John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE of Kabul, to give him his full name and title, was asked to define the 'essential qualities' of a journalist. Simpson responded with typical left-field quirkiness: There's something slightly wrong with most of us, don't you feel? We're damaged goods, …

CP Editor (2021-02-24). Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine. counterpunch.org

Staff (2021-02-24). Calls Rise for Louis DeJoy's Removal and for Major Postal Reforms. truthout.org On Wednesday, February 24, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a

Staff (2021-02-24). Romney Says Trump Will Be GOP Nominee If He Runs in 2024. truthout.org Speaking about the future of the Republican Party on Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said it's very likely that former President Donald Trump would win the nomination for president if he decided to run again in 2024. | "I don't know if he'll run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I'm pretty sure he will win the nomination," Romney said Romney also acknowledged that "a lot can happen between now…

Staff (2021-02-24). Cori Bush Grills Postmaster DeJoy About USPS's Board of "Millionaire White Boys" truthout.org During Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) noted that, despite the fact that people of color make up a sizeable share of United States Postal Service (USPS) employees,…

RT (2021-02-24). Home addresses, social security numbers & sensitive medical data on 500,000 French patients leaked online after hack — reports. rt.com Sensitive medical records on nearly 500,000 patients in France have been stolen in a major cyber attack on dozens of healthcare labs, landing online after an alleged dispute between the hackers, according to media reports. | A file containing names and contact details on 491,840 people has made the rounds online since at least earlier this month, according to French cybersecurity journalist Damien Bancal, who runs the Zataz blog. The data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, social security numbers and other sensitive medical information pertaining to medications, pregnancy and diseases such as HIV.

Staff (2021-02-24). Pro-Fossil Fuel Senators Grill Deb Haaland as She Bids to Become First Indigenous Cabinet Secretary. democracynow.org Indigenous communities across the United States are closely following the Senate confirmation hearings of Congressmember Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Interior Department, who would become the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary if she is confirmed. Haaland is a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, and the prospect of an Indigenous person leading the federal department with broad oversight of Native American affairs has galvanized support for her in Indian Country. Several Republican senators have grilled Haaland over her past comments opposing fracking, the Keystone XL oil…

Yossi Melman (2021-02-24). Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too. middleeasteye.net Israel is worried about the Palestinian elections. It believes Abbas is too | The Israeli security services have no wish to rock the boat, but they have few measures to influence the upcoming polls | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 17 | An electoral worker leaves the Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza City (Reuters) | From the perspective of the Israeli security establishment, it would ha…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison. middleeasteye.net UN rights experts urge Biden to address rights violations at Guantanamo Bay prison | A panel of rights experts welcome administration's goal of closing prison, but say it must ensure 'crimes committed there will not remain unpunished' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 16: 41 | There are currently 40 detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison (AFP/File photo) | A panel of UN rights experts said the Biden administration's current rev…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections. middleeasteye.net Israeli watchdog calls out Netanyahu's bid to gain Palestinian support in elections | The Prime Minister's Office has been in contact with Palestinian authorities to drum up backing among Palestinian citizens of Israel | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 15: 59 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on a visit to Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, 20 February 2021 (AFP) | An Israeli watchdog on Wednesday called for a cri…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says. middleeasteye.net US to seek place on UN Human Rights Council, chief diplomat says | But Secretary of State Antony Blinken says body needs to eliminate agenda item on rights abuses in occupied Palestinian territories | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 19: 23 | Blinken said the US was seeking support for its election to the UNHRC for the 2022-2024 term (AFP) | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the Biden administration…

MEE staff (2021-02-24). Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president. middleeasteye.net Pope's visit to Iraq will send message of coexistence, says Iraqi president | Barham Salih says meeting between Pope Francis and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani will be 'profound statement about moderation in religion' | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 21: 11 | Pope Francis is set to visit Iraq on 5 March, and travel to areas previously under the control of the Islamic State group (AFP/File photo) | Iraqi President Barham Salih ha…

Alex MacDonald (2021-02-24). Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict. middleeasteye.net Syria: Government official Eyad al-Gharib sentenced in Germany in landmark torture verdict | Intelligence officer sentenced to four and a half years in prison over complicity in crimes against humanity | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 09: 28 | Eyad al-Gharib, accused of crimes against humanity in the first trial of its kind to emerge from the Syrian conflict, arrives to hear the court's verdict on 24 Februar…

A Guest Author (2021-02-24). COVID inside: Release prisoners! Lisa Strawn interview, part 2. workers.org The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted incarcerated people in the U.S. In California, during the early days of the pandemic, the transfer of prisoners into San Quentin sparked a massive outbreak of COVID that spread to over two-thirds of the prison population there, causing the death of 27 prisoners, including . . . |

2021-02-24: 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.)

Twitter's Attempt to Suppress Grayzone Reporting Backfires as Warning Label Becomes Meme
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2021-02-24
"The new Twitter scare label illustrates the threat our kind of factual reporting presents to a national security state that must employ social media censorship to conceal its agenda from the public." — The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal…
mintpressnews.com/twitter-attempt-suppress-grayzone-reporting-backfires-warning-label-becomes-meme/275616/

Twitter called out for 'double standards' after it singles out report on UK influence op in Russia with 'hacked materials' label
rt.com | 2021-02-24
Twitter has added a warning to a bombshell expose revealing a covert UK program to plant pro-government narratives in foreign media, telling users the piece may be based on "hacked material," despite letting similar stories slide. | A story published late last week by Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal showed how major news agencies like Reuters and the BBC worked in secret with the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office to cultivate a group of foreign reporters — many based in Russia and Russ…
rt.com/usa/516415-twitter-hacked-materials-grayzone/

Amnesty International No Longer Considers Navalny Prisoner of Conscience
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-24
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Canadian-US journalist Aaron Mate has posted on Twitter a screenshot of a letter stating that human rights organization Amnesty International no longer considers Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny a prisoner of conscience.
sputniknews.com/world/202102241082166662-amnesty-international-no-longer-considers-navalny-prisoner-of-conscience/

Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution'
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-24
Ahmad Erekat: Killing of Palestinian by Israel was 'extrajudicial execution' | New investigation also denounces the lack of medical treatment given to the Palestinian man and the degrading treatment of his body | MEE staff | Wed, 02/24/2021 – 14: 35 | Ahmad Erekat was killed at an Israeli checkpoint on his sister's wedding day last year (Facebook) | The killing of Palestinian Ahmad Erekat at an Israeli checkpoint on his s…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-ahmed-erekat-killing-extrajudicial-execution

Refriended in Defeat: Australia Strikes a Deal with Facebook
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2021-02-24
The Australian Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, was unconvincing in his efforts to summon up courage. The Australian government had been left reeling in the wake of Facebook's decision to scrap and block Australians from sharing and posting news items on hosted pages. The company's target of opprobrium: the News Media Bargaining Code. The Code's ostensible purpose …
dissidentvoice.org/2021/02/refriended-in-defeat-australia-strikes-a-deal-with-facebook/

Refriended in Defeat: Australia Strikes a Deal with Facebook
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2021-02-24
All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The Australian Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, was unconvincing in his efforts …
globalresearch.ca/australia-strikes-deal-facebook/5738210

Twitter Deletes Dozens of Russian Accounts for "Undermining Faith in NATO"
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2021-02-24
A propaganda system is far more effective — and dangerous — when those inside are unaware of it and believe themselves to be free from influence.
mintpressnews.com/twitter-deletes-accounts-for-undermining-faith-in-nato/275641/

How do you do, fellow kids? Biden White House leaves followers baffled after tweeting out-of-touch meme with Canadian PM
rt.com | 2021-02-24
The Biden administration has taken a popular meme and mutilated it, leaving what appears to be praise for Canada's Justin Trudeau but which was hard to understand either way. | Biden's White House Twitter account posted two images in a row captioned "How it started. How it's going" on Wednesday. The first showed Biden and Trudeau walking side by side down a hallway lined with flags, apparently from Biden's term as Vice President under Barack Obama. The second featured a large screen on which Trudeau was projected, with Biden turned towards it, seemingly in mid-speech, clearly taken during the pandemic. | How i…
rt.com/usa/516502-biden-trudeau-meme-fail-reax/

The Real Threat To Free Speech? Florida's Courts
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2021-02-24
Gov. Ron DeSantis and some other Florida Republicans are worked up over a perceived threat to the freedom of speech of politicians, but they're ignoring a more significant threat to the public's right to speak. | They're upset that Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms have begun to suppress posts they deem flagrantly false or socially offensive, particularly those from their favorite ex-president. | But that isn't a First Amendment issue. Those are private corporations, not government entities. | The legitimate First Amendment threat they are ignoring is the misuse of Florida's courts to suppress a…
popularresistance.org/the-real-threat-to-free-speech-floridas-courts/

What about student loans, water or the homeless? Outrage follows report $1.7 trillion F-35 program is now considered a failure
rt.com | 2021-02-24
A tacit admission by the US Air Force that the F-35 has failed its main mission has triggered an outpouring of outrage from Americans who think the stealth fighter's gargantuan budget could have been better spent on other things. | Frustration with Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth jet flooded Twitter on Wednesday, after Forbes magazine published a story about how USAF commissioning a study into a new, cheaper and lighter fighter amounts to "a tacit admission that the F-35 has failed." | | t.co/fDhBTf4Cyd

Facebook Remains a Threat to Democracy
Jeet Heer | thenation.com | 2021-02-24
Facebook Remains a Threat to Democracy…
thenation.com/article/society/facebook-regulation-democracy-australia/

'Cancel them before they cancel us': Gab CEO says banks have banned platform due to media smears
rt.com | 2021-02-24
Three banks have refused to do business with Gab, a Twitter competitor outspoken about free speech, in recent weeks, the company's chief executive revealed. Andrew Torba blamed the development on mainstream media hit pieces. | The third bank to sever its relationship with the company in three weeks told Torba on Monday that they were doing so because of "all the bad things the press has written about Gab," he said in an interview published by the conservative outlet National File. | Speaking to @NationalFile, Gab CEO Andrew Torba revealed that…
rt.com/usa/516412-gab-banks-refusal-media/

Conservative host posts about his investigation into voter fraud claims, gets blocked, challenges Twitter to disprove his findings
rt.com | 2021-02-24
BlazeTV host Steven Crowder had his Twitter account restricted after posting about a video investigative piece claiming numerous voter addresses in the 2020 presidential election were faked. | "DOZENS of voter names, addresses, and pictures proving they don't exist. Period. Today I'm tired of this s**t. Mass voter fraud is real and I can prove it," Crowder tweeted on Tuesday. | Twitter quickly restricted the tweet and did not allow anyone to like, retweet, or respond to it "due to a risk of violence." Twitter also temporarily locked Crowder'…
rt.com/usa/516504-steven-crowder-twitter-fraud/

The UC Berkeley Chancellor is Lying About People's Park
In Defense of People's Park | indybay.org | 2021-02-24
UC Chancellor Carol Christ is lying to you about People's Park. | Share this article on social media with the hashtag: #SavePeoplesPark | Support People's Park by sending a message. | Email the UC Chancellor: chancellor@berkeley.edu | Call the Chancellor: (510) 642-7464…
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/22/18840220.php

Sweden, Denmark Preparing 'Australian-Style' Laws That Will Press Facebook to Pay for News Content
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-24
The new legislation is meant to strengthen the position of publishers and ensure fair competition. In the words of the Danish culture minister, failure to comply and losing quality news content will result in Facebook devolving into a gathering of "tinfoil hats and conspiracy theorists".
sputniknews.com/europe/202102241082167136-sweden-denmark-preparing-australian-style-laws-that-will-press-facebook-to-pay-for-news-content/

Amazon mysteriously pulls book critical of transgender movements, gets accused of 'digital book burning'
rt.com | 2021-02-23
Author Ryan T. Anderson has blasted Amazon for removing his latest book on the rise of the transgender movement without explanation, a move that has many criticizing the company for playing politics and accusing it of censorship. | "I hope you've already bought your copy, cause Amazon just removed my book 'When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment' from their cyber shelves…. my other four books are still available (for now)," Anderson tweeted about the removal. | 'When Harry Became Sally' had p…
rt.com/usa/516390-amazon-transgender-book-ban/

As Australia Reaches Deal With Facebook Following News Blackout, Critics Warn Corporate Power Plays Won't Save Journalism
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2021-02-23
"It shouldn't be up to Facebook and Google to cherry pick and groom publishers it deems acceptable for side deals." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook-agrees-lift-news-blackout-australia.jpeg
commondreams.org/news/2021/02/23/australia-reaches-deal-facebook-following-news-blackout-critics-warn-corporate-power?cd-origin=rss

'I pray he somehow finds help': Troubled NFL ace who was shamed by Covid breaches & car crash is savaged after quitting on Twitter
rt.com | 2021-02-23
Isaiah Wilson has been blasted as one of the worst first-round picks in NFL history after swiftly deleting a tweet claiming he was "done" with Tennessee Titans, coming after a series of run-ins with the law and two Covid breaches. | Despite being the 29th overall pick at the start of the 2020 season, troubled Wilson had a campaign to forget and was put on the Non-Football Injury list in December after finding himself on the Covid-19 list twice for breaching safety rules. | The 22-year-old offensive tackle was involved in a bizarre incident when Tennessee State University police found him at an off-campus party…
rt.com/sport/516392-isaiah-wilson-titans-tweet/

World Bank's emergency cash for Lebanon may stop amid reports MPs queue-jumping for Covid vaccine, regional chief warns
rt.com | 2021-02-23
Millions of dollars in World Bank funding for Lebanon's Covid-19 vaccine rollout could be halted due to alleged queue-jumping for the jab by the country's MPs, the financial institution's regional director said on Tuesday. | According to local media, Lebanese MPs and parliamentary staff over age 75 were to be vaccinated on Tuesday without needing to register in advance, although journalists were not to be allowed to observe. | "This is not in line with the national plan agreed with [the] World Bank," the organization's Middle East chief, Saroj Kumar Jha, said on Twitter. | "Upon confirmation of violation, [the…
rt.com/news/516384-world-bank-lebanon-funding-warning/

Bolivia to receive 500,000 doses of vaccine from China
yenisafak.com | 2021-02-23
A special plane of the Bolivian national airline is making its way to bring Sinopharm's coronavirus vaccines from China to its homeland, President Luis Arce has announced."We report that a [Boliviana de Aviacion] Boeing 767 plane is heading to Beijing to bring half a million Sinopharm vaccines to our country," Arce tweeted on Monday. "We appreciate President Xi Jinping's support in fighting the pandemic."The South American country has recorded more than 243,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 11,500 related deaths, according to the latest data by its Health Ministry.The country already began inoculation in late January…
yenisafak.com/en/world/bolivia-to-receive-500000-doses-of-vaccine-from-china-3561354

EU Commission asks Germany again not to close borders
yenisafak.com | 2021-02-23
The European Commission will again remind EU member states not to close borders between member states, an EU commissioner said on Tuesday. | "The Commission wants to recall to the European member states that it is a necessity to go back to a coordinated approach on all the measures taken in relation to the free movement of people and goods," Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders explained in a video message posted on social media ahead of a virtual meeting of EU ministers. | The ministers are expected to debate the bloc's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including border closures and the vaccination campaign…
yenisafak.com/en/news/eu-commission-asks-germany-again-not-to-close-borders-3561376

Join the tweet storm now opposing Neera Tanden
Repost | indybay.org | 2021-02-23
Roots Action and Norman Solomon are asking everyone with a tweeter account to tweet their Senators opposing Neera Tandens OMB nomination.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/22/18840213.php

Facebook and Australian govt strike deal, to insert amendments to media code
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2021-02-23
The government has agreed to four amendments to the contentious News Media Bargaining Code, allowing platforms like Google and Facebook to bypass the code…
peoplesdispatch.org/2021/02/23/facebook-and-australian-govt-strike-deal-to-insert-amendments-to-media-code/

Workers and youth speak out against Facebook's Australian news ban and corporate media cash grab
wsws.org | 2021-02-23
"The creation and distribution of news is controlled by a few corporations, ruthless in promoting their class interests."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/23/face-f23.html

A Defense of Neera Tanden's Tweets (but Not of Neera Tanden)
David Klion | thenation.com | 2021-02-23
A Defense of Neera Tanden's Tweets (but Not of Neera Tanden)…
thenation.com/article/politics/neera-tanden-omb/

'Jeep Grand Christopher sounds good': Twitter split after Cherokee Nation chief asks carmaker to stop 'honoring' his tribe
rt.com | 2021-02-23
Naming a vehicle after a Native American tribe is wrong even if the intentions were good, the Cherokee Nation principal chief has said, and Twitter has some ideas for what to call Jeep SUVs instead. | Jeep Cherokee SUVs have been produced since 1974, and in the early 1990s, Chrysler (now part of the Netherlands-based company Stellantis) added the luxury Jeep Grand Cherokee model line to its range. Chuck Hoskin, who heads the largest of the three federally-recognized Cherokee tribes in the US, believes his people's name should not be "plastered on the side of a car," regardless of the motives for putting it the…
rt.com/usa/516343-jeep-cherokee-name-change/

America Re-canceled? Black activist Young Pharaoh booted from anti-censorship themed CPAC event for 'reprehensible views'
rt.com | 2021-02-23
The Conservative Political Action Conference has barred activist Young Pharaoh from speaking at its 'America Uncanceled' event, citing his "reprehensible" remarks on Judaism. The rapper denounced the move as "censorship." | CPAC organizers took to Twitter on Monday to declare that the rapper and lecturer would no longer be welcome at this year's conference, noting they had "just learned" of controversial comments he'd made in the past. While they did not offer any specifics on what he might have said, Young Pha…
rt.com/usa/516323-cpac-conference-cancels-speaker/

'Blacklist' site asks people to report everyone who voted for Trump to 'unmask' them
rt.com | 2021-02-23
Conservatives are up in arms over a website that is asking people to report any acquaintance who voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. | "This is insane. The Founders are rolling over in their graves," RealClearPolitics cofounder Tim Bevan tweeted on Tuesday, including a link to the site in a subsequent tweet. | This is insane. The Founders are rolling over in their graves. pic.twitter.com/w5BSlPkO36– Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) February 23, 2021 | According…
rt.com/usa/516405-trump-voter-list-website/

Outcry in Kuwait over suicide of stateless Bidoon child
Nadda Osman | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-23
Outcry in Kuwait over suicide of stateless Bidoon child | Thousands of people are highlighting the case online and demanding an end to the community's marginalisation | Nadda Osman | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 07 | An illustration of the child has been shared online with the caption 'you have returned to God, the most merciful, Ali' (Screengrab/Twitter) | Reports of a 12-year-old child's suicide from Kuwait's stateless pop…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/suicide-stateless-bidoon-child-kuwait-prompts-outcry-online

UAE-backed STC forces accused of torturing Yemeni journalist
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-23
UAE-backed STC forces accused of torturing Yemeni journalist | Adel al-Hasani produced a CNN report critical of the UAE's activities in Yemen, which a source says is the reason behind his detention | MEE staff | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 12: 04 | Hasani is an investigative journalist, producer and fixer for international journalists, based in the southern Yemeni city of Aden (Social media) | Yemen's UAE-backed Southern Transition…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-uae-stc-journalist-adel-hasani-tortured

Campaigners call for the strengthening of Welsh language rights as people globally stand up for oppressed mother languages
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2021-02-23
Sunday 21 February was International Mother Language Day, and people around the world took the opportunity to stand up for oppressed mother tongues. | The International Mother Language Day is a global event intended to highlight the need to protect linguistic diversity. And as activists stood up for oppressed languages around the world, there's also a need to stand up for linguistic freedom closer to home. | Kurdistan: | Commentators on Twitter highlighted the continued o…
thecanary.co/trending/2021/02/23/campaigners-call-for-the-strengthening-of-welsh-language-rights-as-people-globally-stand-up-for-oppressed-mother-languages/

The UC Berkeley Chancellor is Lying About People's Park
In Defense of People's Park | indybay.org | 2021-02-23
UC Chancellor Carol Christ is lying to you about People's Park. | Share this article on social media with the hashtag: #SavePeoplesPark | Support People's Park by sending a message. | Email the UC Chancellor: chancellor@berkeley.edu | Call the Chancellor: (510) 642-7464…
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/22/18840220.php

Picnic Video Exposes Both Faces of Israeli Apartheid
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2021-02-23
A short video taken by a family as they picnicked in the West Bank this month may be the best field guide yet to Israel's complex apartheid system of state-sponsored Jewish supremacy. In the clip posted to Facebook, armed Jewish settlers arrive unexpectedly to break up the picnic of a Palestinian family — including grandparents …
dissidentvoice.org/2021/02/picnic-video-exposes-both-faces-of-israeli-apartheid/

Iran limits nuclear checks but says IAEA cooperation will continue
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-23
Tehran, Feb 23 (efe-epa).- Iran has limited international monitoring of its nuclear program but will continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the foreign minister said Tuesday. "Obliged by law, we halted voluntary implementation of Additional Protocol," Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter, referring to regulation passed by Iran's parliament to stop voluntary …
laprensalatina.com/iran-limits-nuclear-checks-but-says-iaea-cooperation-will-continue/

Facebook Wins a Battle with Aussies But May Lose the War in Long-Term, Observers Say
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-23
The Australian government has struck a deal with Facebook under which Canberra has agreed to make amendments to its landmark media bargaining legislation, while the tech firm will restore news to Australian pages in the next few days. But the question remains, who gains to gain the most from the pact?
sputniknews.com/asia/202102231082163043-facebook-wins-a-battle-with-aussies-but-may-lose-the-war-in-long-term-observers-say/

Turkey condoles death of Italian diplomat in attack
yenisafak.com | 2021-02-23
The Turkish foreign minister on Monday offered his condolences on the death of an Italian diplomat in an attack on a UN convoy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.In a tweet, Mevlut Cavusoglu tagged his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio and wrote: "Deeply shocked and saddened by the demise of Ambassador Luca Attanasio of #Italy and a Carabinieri officer in a horrific attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Heartfelt condolences to friendly Italy, bereaved families and the Italian nation."Attanasio, 43, was among three people killed in the attack on a UN convoy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Italian polic…
yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-condoles-death-of-italian-diplomat-in-attack-3561329

At least 11,000 doses of Ebola vaccine arrive in Guinea: WHO
yenisafak.com | 2021-02-23
A supply of over 11,000 Ebola vaccines have reached Conakry, the capital of Guinea, the WHO said on Tuesday."The cargo was transported from Senegal by government plane after bad weather caused a stop-over in Dakar. Timely vaccination will be crucial in curbing the Ebola outbreak," WHO Africa Region tweeted.Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's Africa director, said a vaccination team has been deployed to N'Zerekore, the country's second-largest city, and is ready to rollout vaccinations soon.Last week, the WHO said more than 100 workers are expected to be part of the Ebola response team in Guinea by the end of February.A n…
yenisafak.com/en/world/at-least-11000-doses-of-ebola-vaccine-arrive-in-guinea-who-3561352

'Publish your emails instead': Hillary Clinton's plans to pen 'political thriller' met with groans on social media
rt.com | 2021-02-23
An announcement that former presidential candidate and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is planning to write a "political thriller" with author Louise Penny has been met with groans and eyerolls on social media. | Axios reported on Tuesday that the book, to be titled 'State of Terror', will be published in October by Simon & Schuster and St. Martin's Press. | The story will follow a "novice Secretary of State" who "joins the administration of her rival" a president who was inaugurated "after four years of American leadership that shrank from the world stage" — perhaps a not-so-thinly-veiled reference…
rt.com/usa/516377-hillary-clinton-louise-penny-book/

'They destroyed our dreams': Israel's bulldozers target Palestinian women farmers
Shatha Hammad | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-22
'They destroyed our dreams': Israel's bulldozers target Palestinian women farmers | The Palestinian women workforce faces a 'direct threat', as Israeli forces raze their agricultural lands | Shatha Hammad | Mon, 02/22/2021 – 11: 05 | On 6 December 2020, Israeli bulldozers carried out one of the largest tree uprooting operations to date in the West Bank, destroying 3,400 olive trees in one day (Social media/Daoud A…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-women-farmers-bulldozers

Why Didn't Speaker Pelosi Want Witnesses?
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-22
Democratic leaders told the House managers to huddle privately with Trump's defense lawyers to strike a deal. They did. They would place a mere statement from Rep. Beutler into the trial record and call no witnesses. The Republicans couldn't have been more delighted, knowing that the Democratic leadership wanted the trial over that day before Congress went on a week-long vacation.
counterpunch.org/2021/02/22/why-didnt-speaker-pelosi-want-witnesses/

Why Didn't Speaker Pelosi Want Witnesses?
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-22
On the morning of February 13, 2021, just before the Senate impeachment trial abruptly ended with Trump's acquittal, Constitutional law specialist Bruce Fein and I sent the following plea to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: More than 240 years of heroic sacrifices by our forebearers to plant the seeds of a government of the people, by the people, for the people are not being furthered by…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/22/why-didnt-speaker-pelosi-want-witnesses/

The U.S. Empire Is an Abusive Narcissist
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2021-02-22
By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | Americans: healthcare please | Government: Sorry did you say a new military base in northeastern Syria? | Americans: no, healthcare | Government: Alright you drive a hard bargain but here's a new military base in northeastern Syria. | * | Sorry we're not going to be able to do the $2000 checks thing, or the cancelling student debt thing, or the $15 minimum wage thing. Would you accept payment in the form of social media "dunking" on Senate Republi…
strategic-culture.org/news/2021/02/22/us-empire-is-an-abusive-narcissist/

Facebook Unfriends Australia: The Triumph of Epistemic Chaos
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-22
Creepy and ruthless Facebook has again impressed with its steely indifference to civic responsibility, as if a company established by a sociopath could ever be a model of human improvement. On February 18, Mark Zuckerberg's antisocial company took aim at Australia by blocking those in that country from sharing local and international content. As the…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/22/facebook-unfriends-australia-the-triumph-of-epistemic-chaos/

Join the tweet storm now opposing Neera Tanden
Repost | indybay.org | 2021-02-22
Roots Action and Norman Solomon are asking everyone with a tweeter account to tweet their Senators opposing Neera Tandens OMB nomination.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/22/18840213.php

WHO Busts Wuhan Myths: Pandemic started with wild Animal, not Lab, and Wet Market wasn't Ground Zero
The Conversation | juancole.com | 2021-02-22
By Dominic Dwyer | — As I write, I am in hotel quarantine in Sydney, after returning from Wuhan, China. There, I was the Australian representative on the international World Health Organization's (WHO) investigation into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Much has been said of the politics surrounding the mission to investigate the viral …
juancole.com/2021/02/pandemic-started-animal.html

Facebook shuts down group with 90,000 cruise ship crew members
wsws.org | 2021-02-22
On Friday, Facebook removed without explanation a group with 90,000 members who work in the international cruise ship industry.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/22/crew-f22.html

GOP Offers Preview of Brutal Climate Policies in Texas
Sonali Kolhatkar | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-22
As Texas battles a severe snowstorm and mass power outages this winter, Tim Boyd, the now-former Republican mayor of Colorado City, revealed his party's plan for the deadly extreme temperatures linked to climate change. In a lengthy Facebook post that was deleted soon after it went viral, then-Mayor Boyd told his residents that they were…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/22/gop-offers-preview-of-brutal-climate-policies-in-texas/

Nathan Robinson speaks about losing his Guardian column after criticizing Israel
Staff | therealnews.com | 2021-02-22
Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan Robinson tweeted a joke satirizing U.S. support of Israel, and The Guardian newspaper cancelled his regular op-ed column. Now he speaks with TRNN about facing accusations of anti-Semitism for criticizing Israeli power on Capitol Hill.
therealnews.com/nathan-robinson-speaks-about-losing-his-guardian-column-after-criticizing-israel

'I'm not going down WITHOUT A FIGHT': Actress Gina Carano vows to overcome cancel mob & 'Disney bullies'
rt.com | 2021-02-22
Actress Gina Carano said she was motivated to fight back against cancel culture and Hollywood bullying because she wanted to make it safe for others to freely speak their minds in a world of increasing left-wing intolerance. | The former MMA fighter, who was fired from the Disney+ TV series 'The Mandalorian' earlier this month because of her social media posts, said she couldn't back down and issue a disingenuous apology after watching other actors steamrolled for politically incorrect views. She anticipated her firing, after months of attacks from the cancel mob, and decided to "go down swinging." | "My body'…
rt.com/usa/516247-carano-disney-bullies-shapiro-interview/

Octogenarian Indian activist gets bail 30 months after his arrest
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-22
New Delhi, Feb 22 (efe-epa).- A court on Monday granted bail to an ailing octogenarian activist on medical grounds two and a half years after India's anti-terror probe agency arrested him on charges of inciting caste violence. "Varavara Rao gets bail," lawyer Indira Jaising tweeted, shortly after the decision by the Bombay High Court in …
laprensalatina.com/octogenarian-indian-activist-gets-bail-30-months-after-his-arrest/