Monthly Archives: February 2021

2021-02-27: News Headlines

Naomi Klein (2021-02-27). India Targets Climate Activists With the Help of Big Tech. zcomm.org Tech giants like Google and Facebook appear to be aiding and abetting a vicious government campaign against Indian climate activists…

Unmasking the Anti-Maskers (2021-02-27). One of the Anti-Maskers who Stormed Trader Joe's Said She Carries a Knife. indybay.org Staci Lares, who is one of the anti-mask protesters who stormed Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz on February 13, has stated that she carries a knife. "Mask nazis @ Tar J Know me & my knife now," Lares stated on social media in December, referring to a previous anti-mask protest she helped organize at a Trader Joe's in Santa Clara County. Lares' post about carrying a knife was made to David Rodriguez's Santa Cruz Voluntaryists Facebook group, where the protest at Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz was informally discussed and then organized among members. One of the Santa Cruz Voluntaryists asked on the group post for clarifica…

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

RT (2021-02-27). NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise for Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post. rt.com New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A

sputniknews (2021-02-27). James Charles Denies 16-Year-Old's 'Grooming' Allegations, Admits to Receiving 'Lewd' Pics From Teen. sputniknews.com Earlier on Friday, an alleged 16-year-old posted a Twitter thread, entitled "my situation with James Charles," in which the user alleged that the popular social media influencer and beauty blogger, James Charles, had sent unsolicited, lewd photos and requested "hot" photos in return.

Eds. (2021-02-27). We have to change our suicidal ways and reconcile with nature to tackle climate crises and pandemics. mronline.org Every day, entrepreneurs in Brazil cut down more of the Amazon to produce cheap soybeans for animals in Europe and America. Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia tear up their forests to produce cheap coffee and palm oil for the world.

RT (2021-02-27). Boston halts advanced school program over 'equity' concerns after study finds it has too many 'white and Asian' students. rt.com Public schools in Boston, Massachusetts are suspending new enrollment in an advanced study program citing concerns over "inequities" that supposedly emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to be more "anti-racist." | Fourth-graders hoping to get into the Advanced Work Classes (AWC) program are out of luck, after Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius called for a one-year hiatus for the program this week. The district's

Walter Smolarek (2021-02-27). Deciphering Biden's excuse to abandon the Fight for $15. liberationnews.org President Biden received a major political gift from an obscure, unelected official called the Senate parliamentarian Feb. 25 when she ruled that the provision in the administration's stimulus plan that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour must be removed from the bill. Unless this maneuver is defeated, millions of workers who could have …

Reem Zubaidi (2021-02-27). Exposing Israel's vaccine apartheid in West Bank & Gaza. liberationnews.org Five million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza are excluded from vaccine rollouts while Israeli citizens, even those living in illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories, are prioritized.

Jason Hickel (2021-02-27). Is the world poor, or unjust? mronline.org Social media has been ablaze with this question recently. We know we face a crisis of mass poverty: the global economy is organized in such a way that nearly 60% of humanity is left unable to meet basic needs. But the question at stake this time is different.

The Conversation (2021-02-27). Gulf War: As Biden bombs Iraqis, 30 years on the consequences of Desert Storm are still with us. juancole.com By Lorena De Vita and Amir Taha | — It was a short message to end a short war. On February 26 1991, Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz put his signature to a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council: I have the honour to notify you that the Iraqi Government reaffirms its agreement …

John Catalinotto (2021-02-27). 'Rubin never lost a case' — Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021. workers.org Some younger Workers World Party members met Rubin Kanowitz for the first time when he was a communist elder, still confronting cops on recent demonstrations chanting, "Black Lives Matter." Older ones knew him from when he first joined the party in 1965. All grieved as they learned he died this . . . |

Clean Energy Wire (2021-02-27). By the End of the Year, Germany will have a Million Electric Cars on the Road out of 4.7 mn Total. juancole.com By Sà∂ren Amelang | — Germany will probably reach its target of having one million fully electric or plug-in hybrid cars on the road this year, government advisors have said. The head of the country's National Platform Future of Mobility (NPM), Henning Kagermann, told business daily Handelsblatt he was pleased "that it appears we will …

Eds. (2021-02-27). FBI, NYPD exposed: Deathbed confession shines new light on assassination of Malcolm X. mronline.org Without any training, Wood's job was to infiltrate civil rights organizations and encourage leaders and members to commit felonious acts. He was also tasked with ensuring that Malcolm X's security detail was arrested days prior to the assassination, guaranteeing Malcolm X didn't have door security while at the Audubon Ballroom.

Joe Piette (2021-02-27). Mental health effects of COVID lockdown in prison: Interview from inside SCI Albion. workers.org This telephone interview with Demitrius Grant, imprisoned at SCI Albion near Erie, Pa., was conducted by Joe Piette for Workers World newspaper on Feb. 16. Demetrius Grant: We're going to be covering the issue of COVID-19 today, as to how it impacts prisoners' mental health. About a week ago, a . . . |

Shabbir Manjee (2021-02-27). Chicago City Council passes unanimous resolution to end the blockade on Cuba. liberationnews.org All 50 aldermen voted to oppose the blockade, adding that normalizing relations can benefit the economic conditions of both Cubans and Chicagoans.

Michael Kowalchuk (2021-02-27). Sojourner Truth's Massachusetts days. liberationnews.org Sojourner Truth, born into slavery in New York as "Isabella Baumfree" in 1797, was one of the most important abolitionists and feminists of the nineteenth century.

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-02-27). U.S. bombs Syria and ridiculously claims self defense. mronline.org On orders of President Biden, the United States has launched an airstrike on a facility in Syria. As of this writing the exact number of killed and injured is unknown, with early reports claiming "a handful" of people were killed.

RT (2021-02-27). Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package narrowly passes US House, $1,400 stimulus checks included. rt.com The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The package is now headed to the Senate, where the bill is expected to be stripped of its minimum wage hike provision. | President Joe Biden's relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, was passed by the House early on Saturday in narrow 219-212 vote. No Republicans have voted for the legislation, while two Democrats broke ranks and voted against it. | The legislation includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, as well as billions for state and local governments, schools and businesses. The package wou…

Mike Walter (2021-02-27). The Heat: U.S. intelligence report on Khashoggi's death. america.cgtn.com A U.S. intelligence report concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation to murder a prominent journalist. And U.S. President Biden orders airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian-backed militias.

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-27). Khashoggi murder: Oxfam calls on Britain to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Oxfam calls on Britain to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia | Demand follows release of report in which CIA determines that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind murder of Jamal Khashoggi | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 13: 49 | Britain is the second-largest seller of weapons to Saudi Arabia (AFP) | The release of a CIA report blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering th…

_____ (2021-02-27). 'No one cares if we die': Ex-Syrian rebels recount Nagorno-Karabakh nightmare as 'disposable force for Turkey'. strategic-culture.org Repurposed into a mercenary force by Erdogan's Turkey, the remnants of Syria's armed opposition were sent off to fight for Azerbaijan with promises of sweet paychecks. They met abuse, humiliation, and death instead. | By Lindsey SNELL | In the first week of October 2020, Ahmad Hadad* and more than 20 other fighters from the Hamza Division faction of the so-called Syrian National Army stood in the middle of a mountain range in Azerbaijan near the Iranian border. They were lost. | After the Armenian army unleashed a bout of heavy bombardment on the mountains, the Azerbaijani soldiers who had been positioned behind…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-27). Khashoggi murder: Bahrain, UAE reaffirm support for Saudi Arabia after CIA report. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Bahrain, UAE reaffirm support for Saudi Arabia after CIA report | US intelligence report blames Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 10: 19 | Protesters in London demonstrate against former president Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia and the UAE (MEE/Kaamil Ahmed) | Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stoo…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-27). Tunisia's Ennahda holds large street protest, fuelling government crisis. middleeasteye.net Tunisia's Ennahda holds large street protest, fuelling government crisis | The protest is seen as an attempt to mobilise popular backing against President Kais Saied | Sat, 02/27/2021 – 12: 15 | Supporters of Tunisia's biggest political party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, march during a rally in opposition to President Kais Saied in Tunis on 27 February (Reuters) | Tunisia's biggest poli…

RT (2021-02-27). 'Safely recovered': Lady Gaga's stolen bulldogs brought to LA police after pop star offers $500k reward with no strings attached. rt.com Two French bulldogs have been safely returned to pop star Lady Gaga after robbers stole the animals at gunpoint from her dog walker, who was shot in the struggle, according to LA police. | The pups were brought to an LAPD station north of downtown on Friday evening by a woman believed to be "uninvolved and unassociated" with the theft and shooting earlier this week, police captain Jonathan Tippett Both of Lady Gaga's dogs have been…

RT (2021-02-27). Biden admin to charge White House reporters $170 per Covid test amid concerns smaller outlets will be squeezed out — reports. rt.com The Joe Biden administration is reportedly set to charge White House correspondents $170 a pop for daily coronavirus tests, stoking anger among reporters, some noting the move could cost struggling newsrooms thousands per week. | The White House press office will begin charging for the tests next week, the Washington Post

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-27). Former Ofsted chief calls on teachers to 'sacrifice their lives', but the teachers are having none of it. thecanary.co During an Wilshaw told Emily Maitlis: You have to compare this with the medical emergency over the last year and the commitment on the part of medical professionals, and nurses, and doctors. They've gone the extra mile at great cost to themselves, and their families, their…

Christine Johnston, Elizabeth R. Brown, Jenell Stewart, Helen C.Stankiewicz Karita, Patricia J. Kissinger, John Dwyer, Sybil Hosek, Temitope Oyedele, Michael K. Paasche-Orlow, Kristopher Paolino, Kate B. Heller, Hannah Leingang, Harald S. Haugen, Tracy Q. Dong, Anna Bershteyn, Arun R. Sridhar, Jeanne Poole, Peter A. Noseworthy, Michael J. Ackerman, Susan Morrison, Alexander L. Greninger, Meei-Li Huang, Keith R. Jerome, Mark H. Wener, Anna Wald, Joshua T. Schiffer, Connie Celum, Helen Y. Chu, Ruanne V. Barnabas, Jared M. Baeten, for the COVID-19 Early Treatment Study Team (2021-02-27). [Research Paper] Hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for treatment of early SARS-CoV-2 infection among high-risk outpatient adults: A randomized clinical trial. thelancet.com Neither HCQ nor HCQ/AZ shortened the clinical course of outpatients with COVID-19, and HCQ, but not HCQ/AZ, had only a modest effect on SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding. HCQ and HCQ/AZ are not effective therapies for outpatient treatment of SARV-CoV-2 infection.

WSWS (2021-02-26). Facebook censors WSWS article exposing Wuhan lab conspiracy theory. wsws.org Facebook has labeled the WSWS Perspective column, "Washington Post's 'Wuhan Lab' conspiracy theory stands exposed," as "misinformation" and blocked users from sharing it.

The Conversation (2021-02-26). Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web. juancole.com By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-02-26). Refriended in Defeat: Australia Strikes a Deal with Facebook. counterpunch.org 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

Online News Editor (2021-02-26). Facebook lifts ban on news pages in Australia. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Feb 26 (efe-epa).- Facebook on Friday lifted the ban it had imposed last week on the publication of news on its platform in Australia. Facebook's decision came a day after the approval by the Australian government of a law that requires technology companies to pay media for the content they publish on their …

Staff (2021-02-26). Big Tech Shouldn't Be the Arbiter of Our Free Speech Rights. truthout.org Business corporations don't need free speech rights. Nor should they have the power to deny free speech to others. But leading up to and following the 2020 election, we saw both undemocratic realities on display. | The 2020 election was largely "democratic." Due to the pandemic, more voters had more ways to cast their ballots than ever, and the elections were overall free and fair. H…

Pip Hinman (2021-02-26). Real media diversity won't come when corporations dictate the terms. greenleft.org.au Facebook's "Zucker" punch successfully forced the federal government's hand. It is another reason why we need to fight for real public interest journalism, argues Zebedee Parkes.

RT (2021-02-26). Vaccine race: 88-year-old Frenchman caught speeding at 191 km/h says he was late for Covid-19 jab. rt.com An 88-year-old man in France had his license seized for exceeding the speed limit by more than 90 km/h. The veteran driver told the police that he was hitting the gas because he was late for his vaccination appointment. | The man was travelling at 191 km/h when he was pulled over by the officers in the northeastern region of Bas-Rhin on Thursday. The speed limit of the country road he was driving on is 110 km/h. | The driver "gave as a reason for his speeding that he was late for his anti-Covid vaccine," the police said in a Facebook post. | Unsurprisingly, the officers determined that this was no excuse for r…

teleSUR (2021-02-26). Ecuador's Health Minister Resigns Amid Vaccination Scandal. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos Friday resigned from office amid criticism for his mismanagement of the pandemic and the uneven national vaccination campaign. | RELATED: | "I resigned due to the political situation the country is going through. My decision is irrevocable," Zevallos wrote in a letter that President Lenin Moreno shared on his Twitter account. | "Health policies will allow the vaccination campaign t…

RT (2021-02-26). Russian Foreign Ministry says Twitter no longer independent social media, but a tool of 'digital diktat' under control of West. rt.com Twitter is rapidly changing from an independent platform into a tool of Western countries to impose a dictatorship over the internet. That's according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, following a recent ban of Russian accounts. | Speaking on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova blasted the US tech giant for removing 100 accounts allegedly linked to the Kremlin. On Tuesday, the site's owners announced that 69 were deleted for "undermining faith in the NATO alliance," with a further 31 banned for "targeting the United States and European Union." | "We once again can't help but notice that Twitte…

Kaity Assaf (2021-02-26). A "Twitter troll come to life": Meghan McCain slaps down Marjorie Taylor Greene for anti-trans diss. salon.com "We are sitting in a place where people like Marjorie Taylor Greene are just doing it for the clicks"

Staff (2021-02-26). Rep. Mary Miller's Husband Owns Three Percenters Truck Seen at Capitol Breach. truthout.org A truck seen January 6 on Capitol grounds sporting a far right militia's symbol belongs to the husband of Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois), Chris Miller, the Daily Beast has confirmed. | Twitter users were the first to

sputniknews (2021-02-26). Netizens Spotlight Psaki's Old 'Sovereign Country' Tweet After US Airstrikes in Syria. sputniknews.com Earlier in the day, the Pentagon confirmed that the United States had carried out airstrikes targeting "Iranian-backed" militia assets on Syrian territory, on the order of President Joe Biden, asserting that the purpose of the strikes was to "de-escalate" the situation in Eastern Syria and Iraq.

RT (2021-02-26). 'Stunning and brave?' Oreo Cookie called out for marketing ploy after tweeting 'Trans people EXIST'. rt.com Oreo Cookie may have been trying to signal a boldly virtuous statement for social justice by proclaiming that "Trans people exist," but while the message struck a chord with some, it fell flat with many denouncing it as a PR move.

RT (2021-02-26). Mars trip 'can only be understood through black Americans,' NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building. rt.com The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed a planned return to the Moon. | Long merely called 'NASA Headquarters', the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads a…

RT (2021-02-26). Mars trip 'can only be understood through Black Americans', NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building. rt.com The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed the planned return to the moon. | Long merely called "NASA Headquarters," the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads…

Henry Tufnell (2021-02-26). High Court: Covid self-employed support scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against women. ukhumanrightsblog.com R (The Motherhood Plan and Anor) v HM Treasury [2021] EWHC 309 (Admin) — read judgment In a judgment handed down on 17 February 2021, the High Court has ruled that the Self Employment Income Support Scheme ("the Scheme") introduced during the coronavirus pandemic does not indirectly discriminate against self-employed women who have taken a …

Eds. (2021-02-26). The Pandemic: Half a million lives lost in U.S., more than the two World Wars and Vietnam War combined. mronline.org Over half a million people have died of coronavirus in the U.S. Grasping the enormity—half a million people gone—is difficult to visualize.

Mike Walter (2021-02-26). The Heat: One scientist's fight against disease & Racism against Asian-Americans. america.cgtn.com As the pandemic continues to take its toll, we'll talk to one of America's leading science pioneers. Plus — what's behind the alarming rise in violence against Asian Americans?>

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-26). Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules. middleeasteye.net Shamima Begum not allowed to return to UK, Supreme Court rules | Londoner who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State as a teenager argued she should be able to appeal stripping of citizenship in UK | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 09: 45 | Shamima Begum, photographed in her tent at the al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria in February 2020 (Screenshot) | The UK's Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum, a British wo…

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-26). Imagining Palestine: On Barghouti, Darwish, Kanafani and the Language of Exile. counterpunch.org For Palestinians, exile is not simply the physical act of being removed from their homes and their inability to return. It is not a casual topic pertaining to politics and international law, either. Nor is it an ethereal notion, a sentiment, a poetic verse. It is all of this, combined. The death in Amman of

Roger Harris (2021-02-26). Joe Biden's US Foreign Policy: Return to the Old Normal? counterpunch.org US President Biden bellicosely proclaimed, "American is back," in his major foreign policy priorities speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 19. Repeated twice for effect, Biden signaled the end of the Trump interregnum. No more assuring words could have been uttered for George W. Bush's former Defense Secretary Colin Powell and the 70 odd Republican national security officials, who wrote an open letter endorsing Biden out of fear that Trump would upset the bipartisan foreign policy consensus of regime change, forever wars, and the NATO alliance. Republican neo-cons now shelter in the Democrat's big…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-26). Covid-19: Israel freezes programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Israel freezes programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny | Bid to garner international goodwill suspended after attorney general said to be seeking clarification about its legality | Fri, 02/26/2021 – 10: 32 | Palestinians have accused Israel of ignoring its duties as an occupying power by not including the Palestinians in its inoculation programme (AFP) | Israel has…

2021-02-27: 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.)

NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise for Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post
rt.com | 2021-02-27
New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A 900-word post by Brooks appeared on a company blogging platform on Tuesday, stressing the importance of "trust" in online communities in a thinly-veiled promotion of Facebook's "Groups" feature. The piece coincid…
rt.com/usa/516732-david-brooks-facebook-post/

NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post
rt.com | 2021-02-27
New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A 900-word post by Brooks appeared on a company's blogging platform on Tuesday, stressing the importance of "trust" in online communities in a thinly veiled promotion of Facebook's "Groups" feature. The piece coinc…
rt.com/usa/516732-david-brooks-facebook-post/

NYT columnist faces conflict of interest accusations after singing praise of Facebook 'Groups' feature in tech giant's blog post
rt.com | 2021-02-27
New York Times writer David Brooks has come under fire for a potential conflict of interest after penning a blog post for Facebook's corporate site while a project he helped to found accepted money from the social media giant. | A 900-word post by Brooks appeared on a company's blogging platform on Tuesday, stressing the importance of "trust" in online communities in a thinly veiled promotion of Facebook's "Groups" feature. The piece coinc…
rt.com/usa/516732-david-brooks-facebook-post/

One of the Anti-Maskers who Stormed Trader Joe's Said She Carries a Knife
Unmasking the Anti-Maskers | indybay.org | 2021-02-27
Staci Lares, who is one of the anti-mask protesters who stormed Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz on February 13, has stated that she carries a knife. "Mask nazis @ Tar J Know me & my knife now," Lares stated on social media in December, referring to a previous anti-mask protest she helped organize at a Trader Joe's in Santa Clara County. Lares' post about carrying a knife was made to David Rodriguez's Santa Cruz Voluntaryists Facebook group, where the protest at Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz was informally discussed and then organized among members. One of the Santa Cruz Voluntaryists asked on the group post for clarifica…
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/25/18840294.php

India Targets Climate Activists With the Help of Big Tech
Naomi Klein | zcomm.org | 2021-02-27
Tech giants like Google and Facebook appear to be aiding and abetting a vicious government campaign against Indian climate activists…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/india-targets-climate-activists-with-the-help-of-big-tech/

James Charles Denies 16-Year-Old's 'Grooming' Allegations, Admits to Receiving 'Lewd' Pics From Teen
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-27
Earlier on Friday, an alleged 16-year-old posted a Twitter thread, entitled "my situation with James Charles," in which the user alleged that the popular social media influencer and beauty blogger, James Charles, had sent unsolicited, lewd photos and requested "hot" photos in return.
sputniknews.com/viral/202102271082202162-james-charles-denies-16-year-olds-grooming-allegations-admits-to-receiving-lewd-pics-from-teen/

[Research Paper] Hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for treatment of early SARS-CoV-2 infection among high-risk outpatient adults: A randomized clinical trial
Christine Johnston, Elizabeth R. Brown, Jenell Stewart, Helen C.Stankiewicz Karita, Patricia J. Kissinger, John Dwyer, Sybil Hosek, Temitope Oyedele, Michael K. Paasche-Orlow, Kristopher Paolino, Kate B. Heller, Hannah Leingang, Harald S. Haugen, Tracy Q. Dong, Anna Bershteyn, Arun R. Sridhar, Jeanne Poole, Peter A. Noseworthy, Michael J. Ackerman, Susan Morrison, Alexander L. Greninger, Meei-Li Huang, Keith R. Jerome, Mark H. Wener, Anna Wald, Joshua T. Schiffer, Connie Celum, Helen Y. Chu, Ruanne V. Barnabas, Jared M. Baeten, for the COVID-19 Early Treatment Study Team | thelancet.com | 2021-02-27
Neither HCQ nor HCQ/AZ shortened the clinical course of outpatients with COVID-19, and HCQ, but not HCQ/AZ, had only a modest effect on SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding. HCQ and HCQ/AZ are not effective therapies for outpatient treatment of SARV-CoV-2 infection.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00053-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Is the world poor, or unjust?
Jason Hickel | mronline.org | 2021-02-27
Social media has been ablaze with this question recently. We know we face a crisis of mass poverty: the global economy is organized in such a way that nearly 60% of humanity is left unable to meet basic needs. But the question at stake this time is different.
mronline.org/2021/02/27/is-the-world-poor-or-unjust/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-the-world-poor-or-unjust

Facebook censors WSWS article exposing Wuhan lab conspiracy theory
wsws.org | 2021-02-26
Facebook has labeled the WSWS Perspective column, "Washington Post's 'Wuhan Lab' conspiracy theory stands exposed," as "misinformation" and blocked users from sharing it.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/26/pers-f26.html

Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web
The Conversation | juancole.com | 2021-02-26
By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …
juancole.com/2021/02/facebooks-australia-swallowing.html

Facebook's news blockade in Australia shows how tech giants are swallowing the web
The Conversation | juancole.com | 2021-02-26
By Jennifer Grygiel | — When Facebook disabled Australians' access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web — the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Though the …
juancole.com/2021/02/facebooks-australia-swallowing.html

Refriended in Defeat: Australia Strikes a Deal with Facebook
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/26/refriended-in-defeat-australia-strikes-a-deal-with-facebook/

Vaccine race: 88-year-old Frenchman caught speeding at 191 km/h says he was late for Covid-19 jab
rt.com | 2021-02-26
An 88-year-old man in France had his license seized for exceeding the speed limit by more than 90 km/h. The veteran driver told the police that he was hitting the gas because he was late for his vaccination appointment. | The man was travelling at 191 km/h when he was pulled over by the officers in the northeastern region of Bas-Rhin on Thursday. The speed limit of the country road he was driving on is 110 km/h. | The driver "gave as a reason for his speeding that he was late for his anti-Covid vaccine," the police said in a Facebook post. | Unsurprisingly, the officers determined that this was no excuse for r…
rt.com/news/516697-france-elderly-speeding-late-vaccine/

One of the Anti-Maskers who Stormed Trader Joe's Said She Carries a Knife
Unmasking the Anti-Maskers | indybay.org | 2021-02-26
Staci Lares, who is one of the anti-mask protesters who stormed Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz on February 13, has stated that she carries a knife. "Mask nazis @ Tar J Know me & my knife now," Lares stated on social media in December, referring to a previous anti-mask protest she helped organize at a Trader Joe's in Santa Clara County. Lares' post about carrying a knife was made to David Rodriguez's Santa Cruz Voluntaryists Facebook group, where the protest at Trader Joe's in Santa Cruz was informally discussed and then organized among members. One of the Santa Cruz Voluntaryists asked on the group post for clarifica…
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/25/18840294.php

Facebook lifts ban on news pages in Australia
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-26
Sydney, Australia, Feb 26 (efe-epa).- Facebook on Friday lifted the ban it had imposed last week on the publication of news on its platform in Australia. Facebook's decision came a day after the approval by the Australian government of a law that requires technology companies to pay media for the content they publish on their …
laprensalatina.com/facebook-lifts-ban-on-news-pages-in-australia/

Real media diversity won't come when corporations dictate the terms
Pip Hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2021-02-26
Facebook's "Zucker" punch successfully forced the federal government's hand. It is another reason why we need to fight for real public interest journalism, argues Zebedee Parkes.
greenleft.org.au/content/real-media-diversity-wont-come-when-corporations-dictate-terms

Real media diversity won't come when corporations dictate the terms
Pip Hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2021-02-26
Facebook's "Zucker" punch on February 18, disabling large sections of Facebook in protest at the federal government's news media bargaining code (NMBC), which led to amendments and the bill becoming law on February 25, reveals the enormous power of the media corporations.
greenleft.org.au/content/real-media-diversity-wont-come-when-corporations-dictate-terms

Russian Foreign Ministry says Twitter no longer independent social media, but a tool of 'digital diktat' under control of West
rt.com | 2021-02-26
Twitter is rapidly changing from an independent platform into a tool of Western countries to impose a dictatorship over the internet. That's according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, following a recent ban of Russian accounts. | Speaking on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova blasted the US tech giant for removing 100 accounts allegedly linked to the Kremlin. On Tuesday, the site's owners announced that 69 were deleted for "undermining faith in the NATO alliance," with a further 31 banned for "targeting the United States and European Union." | "We once again can't help but notice that Twitte…
rt.com/russia/516694-twitter-tool-digital-diktat/

A "Twitter troll come to life": Meghan McCain slaps down Marjorie Taylor Greene for anti-trans diss
Kaity Assaf | salon.com | 2021-02-26
"We are sitting in a place where people like Marjorie Taylor Greene are just doing it for the clicks"
salon.com/2021/02/26/a-twitter-troll-come-to-life-meghan-mccain-slaps-down-marjorie-taylor-greene-for-anti-trans-diss/

Kaity Assaf | salon.com | 2021-02-26
"We are sitting in a place where people like Marjorie Taylor Greene are just doing it for the clicks"
salon.com/2021/02/26/a-twitter-troll-come-to-life-meghan-mccain-slaps-down-marjorie-taylor-greene-for-anti-trans-diss/

Ecuador's Health Minister Resigns Amid Vaccination Scandal
telesurenglish.net | 2021-02-26
Ecuador's Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos Friday resigned from office amid criticism for his mismanagement of the pandemic and the uneven national vaccination campaign. | RELATED: | Ecuador To Allow Private Purchases of COVID-19 Vaccines | "I resigned due to the political situation the country is going through. My decision is irrevocable," Zevallos wrote in a letter that President Lenin Moreno shared on his Twitter account. | "Health policies will allow the vaccination campaign t…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuadors-Health-Minister-Juan-Carlos-Zevallos-Resigns-20210226-0013.html

Rep. Mary Miller's Husband Owns Three Percenters Truck Seen at Capitol Breach
Staff | truthout.org | 2021-02-26
A truck seen January 6 on Capitol grounds sporting a far right militia's symbol belongs to the husband of Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois), Chris Miller, the Daily Beast has confirmed. | Twitter users were the first to find the truck, which displayed a decal from the Three Percenter militia in footage taken during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. The truck was also identified in earlier photos carrying campaign poste…
truthout.org/articles/rep-mary-millers-husband-owns-three-percenters-truck-seen-at-capitol-breach/

Netizens Spotlight Psaki's Old 'Sovereign Country' Tweet After US Airstrikes in Syria
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-26
Earlier in the day, the Pentagon confirmed that the United States had carried out airstrikes targeting "Iranian-backed" militia assets on Syrian territory, on the order of President Joe Biden, asserting that the purpose of the strikes was to "de-escalate" the situation in Eastern Syria and Iraq.
sputniknews.com/viral/202102261082191545-netizens-spotlight-psakis-old-sovereign-country-tweet-after-us-airstrikes-in-syria/

Mars trip 'can only be understood through Black Americans', NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building
rt.com | 2021-02-26
The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed the planned return to the moon. | Long merely called "NASA Headquarters," the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads…
rt.com/usa/516729-nasa-black-engineer-building-woke/

Mars trip 'can only be understood through black Americans,' NASA tweets, celebrating renaming of HQ building
rt.com | 2021-02-26
The US space agency has renamed its DC headquarters after NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson, celebrating with a poem about "going to Mars" even as the agency delayed a planned return to the Moon. | Long merely called 'NASA Headquarters', the Washington, DC building was officially renamed in honor of Jackson on Friday. She became the space agency's first black female engineer in 1958, seven years after joining its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). | "The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans." — Poet and educator Nikki Giovanni reads a…
rt.com/usa/516729-nasa-black-engineer-building-woke/

'Stunning and brave?' Oreo Cookie called out for marketing ploy after tweeting 'Trans people EXIST'
rt.com | 2021-02-26
Oreo Cookie may have been trying to signal a boldly virtuous statement for social justice by proclaiming that "Trans people exist," but while the message struck a chord with some, it fell flat with many denouncing it as a PR move. | …
rt.com/usa/516612-oreo-cookies-trans-people/

Dem operative turned Facebook comms director apologizes for 'hate speech' label on congresswoman's video with transgender flag
rt.com | 2021-02-25
Rep. Marie Newman (D-Illinois) was outraged after Facebook briefly flagged a video of her putting a transgender flag outside the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Georgia) as "hate speech." | "Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labeled it as 'hate speech,'" Newman tweeted on Thursday. | She blasted the social media platform for censoring her content — typically a complaint from conservatives — but allowing Taylor-Greene's own "transphobic" fo…
rt.com/usa/516597-marie-newman-transgender-flag-facebook/

Facebook reaches deal with Australian government
wsws.org | 2021-02-25
The deal involved an amendment to government legislation, backed by the opposition Labor party, that requires Facebook to pay news outlets for content under a bargaining code…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/25/aust-f25.html

Australia Forces Tech Giants To Pay News Publishers with Law
telesurenglish.net | 2021-02-25
On Thursday, the Australian parliament passed an unprecedented law that forces tech companies to pay publishers for news content on their platforms. | RELATED: | Australian Forests Will Not Recover From Fires Easily | The legislation "will ensure that news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a statement. These giants such as Facebook and Google have firmly rejected the initiative. | This is precisely what Facebook was…
telesurenglish.net/news/Australia-Forces-Tech-Giants-To-Pay-To-News-Publishers-by-Law-20210225-0030.html

Australia Passes Law Requiring Google, Facebook Pay For News
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-25
Google Australia Managing Director Melanie Silva told Aussie senators last month that the news media bill, as it stood at the time, would result in a revocation of the country's access to Google Search. In recent weeks, Facebook also responded to the legislation by blocking the sharing of news on Facebook and Instagram in Australia.
sputniknews.com/us/202102251082178604-australia-passes-law-requiring-google-facebook-pay-for-news/

At least 8 killed in Myanmar violence as Facebook bans military accounts
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-25
Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- At least eight people have been killed in Myanmar, including three shot by police, due to violence after the coup on Feb. 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners While the official number of deaths stands at three, which includes those protesters that have been shot dead with …
laprensalatina.com/at-least-8-killed-in-myanmar-violence-as-facebook-bans-military-accounts/

Australia passes law for Google and Facebook to pay local media
Online News Editor | laprensalatina.com | 2021-02-25
Sydney, Australia, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- Australia approved Thursday a pioneering law for Google and Facebook to pay local media for the publication of their journalistic content, a week after the platform led by Mark Zuckerberg was banned from publishing news in the country. The law "will ensure media receive fair remuneration for the content they …
laprensalatina.com/australia-passes-law-for-google-and-facebook-to-pay-local-media/

Twitter Testing Paid 'Super Follows' Feature in Bid to Double Profits by 2024
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter users have often joked they "can't believe this website is free," but the tech giant's model of profiting by selling data licenses and targeted advertising services doesn't seem to be capable of delivering the robust cashflow desired by its high-powered investors.
sputniknews.com/science/202102251082190172-twitter-testing-paid-super-follows-feature-in-bid-to-double-profits-by-2024/

As Telegram and Parler gain traction, Twitter tries to keep users by introducing PAID Super Followers
rt.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter has announced upcoming massive changes to their platform, including allowing users to get paid by followers and the ability to create groups based on certain subjects. | Users will soon be able to get paid by what is referred to as Super Followers access to bonus content, such as a newsletter subscription or bonus tweets. Direct paid subscription features have been successful on other social media platforms, though Twitter has not revealed what sort of fee they will be taking once the feature is finally added to their service. | There will also be a new group feature added to the service called Communi…
rt.com/usa/516605-twitter-super-followers/

'Thanks Jack!': Twitter's 'Hacked' Documents Warning Backfires, Leading to Exposé Going Viral
sputniknews.com | 2021-02-25
A few days after a major exposé of a UK government funded influence campaign targeting Russia, which also implicated Reuters, Bellingcat and the BBC, Twitter applied a warning label to any post sharing the article via the social media giant's platform.
sputniknews.com/news/202102251082184874-thanks-jack-twitters-hacked-documents-warning-backfires-leading-to-expos-going-viral/

As leaks expose UK op to 'weaken' Russia, suppression of Grayzone reporting backfires
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter added an unprecedented "warning" to Max Blumenthal's Grayzone article about explosive leaks revealing a massive UK government anti-Russia propaganda operation involving Reuters, BBC, and Bellingcat. Instead of suppressing the article, it went viral. After The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal reported on newly leaked documents exposing a massive UK government propaganda campaign against Russia, Twitter added an unprecedented warning label that the material "may have been obtained through hacking." Although Twitter may have intended to restrict the article, the warning had …
thegrayzone.com/2021/02/25/as-leaks-expose-uk-op-to-weaken-russia-suppression-of-grayzone-reporting-backfires/

As leaks expose UK op to 'weaken' Russia, suppression of Grayzone reporting backfires
Max Blumenthal | thegrayzone.com | 2021-02-25
Twitter added an unprecedented "warning" to Max Blumenthal's Grayzone article about explosive leaks revealing a massive UK government anti-Russia propaganda operation involving Reuters, BBC, and Bellingcat. Instead of suppressing the article, it went viral. After The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal reported on newly leaked documents exposing a massive UK government propaganda campaign against Russia, Twitter added an unprecedented warning label that the material "may have been obtained through hacking." Although Twitter may have intended to restrict the article, the warning had …
thegrayzone.com/2021/02/25/as-leaks-expose-uk-op-to-weaken-russia-suppression-of-grayzone-reporting-backfires/

US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants
Simon Hooper | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-25
US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem banned from reporting by Syrian militants | Idlib-based reporter cannot appear on social media for six months following release by HTS, according to his own news network | Simon Hooper | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 12: 02 | Bilal Abdul Kareem stands in front of a mural in Idlib showing George Floyd, an American man killed by police, in 2020 (Twitter) | An American journalist based in Syria's o…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-journalist-bilal-abdul-kareem-banned-reporting-syrian-militants

300,000+ Demand Biden Stop Line 3 and Dakota Access Pipelines to 'Secure the Livable Future We All Deserve'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2021-02-25
"If we're going to build back better, as Biden says, we'll need to end dangerous pipeline construction, prevent all new fossil fuel infrastructure, and Build Back Fossil Free." | twitter.com/indivisible_nmh/status/1362241112900071424/photo/1
commondreams.org/news/2021/02/25/300000-demand-biden-stop-line-3-and-dakota-access-pipelines-secure-livable-future-we?cd-origin=rss

Israel suspends sending its Covid vaccine doses to other countries amid legal scrutiny & defense minister's objections
rt.com | 2021-02-25
The office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has halted the sending of Covid-19 jabs to other countries after the move sparked questions from the state attorney general and angered Defense Minister Benny Gantz. | The suspension was announced on Thursday, shortly after Israel's attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, asked National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat for clarification on the program. | Gantz has welcomed the freeze, writing on Twitter that Netanyahu's order to send the surplus of Israeli vaccines to foreig…
rt.com/news/516590-gantz-netanyahu-israel-vaccine/

Republican Hypocrisy is No Reason to Support Neera Tanden
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2021-02-25
Most corporate media outlets have depicted President Biden's effort to win Senate confirmation of Neera Tanden as a battle to overcome Republican hypocrisy about her "mean tweets," name-calling and nasty partisanship. But there are very important reasons to prevent Tanden from becoming the Office of Management and Budget director. They have nothing to do with…
counterpunch.org/2021/02/25/republican-hypocrisy-is-no-reason-to-support-neera-tanden/

US must NOT ask Iran to stop remedies under Article 36: Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2021-02-25
TEHRAN, Feb. 25 (MNA) — In a tweet on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif underscored that the US must NOT ask Iran to stop remedies defined under Article 36 of the JCPOA.
en.mehrnews.com/news/170388/US-must-NOT-ask-Iran-to-stop-remedies-under-Article-36-Zarif

Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash
MEE correspondent | middleeasteye.net | 2021-02-25
Iranian press review: MP's tweet supporting Princess Latifa sparks online backlash | Meanwhile, conservatives squeeze Rouhani to prevent breakthrough in talks with UN nuclear watchdog and timber traffickers use cars to avoid police detection | MEE correspondent | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 09: 56 | Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (L) having a meal with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland,…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-uae-princess-latifa-support-online-backlash-press-review

Guardian Columnist's Firing Over Israel Joke Highlights Paper's Rightward Drift
Ari Paul | zcomm.org | 2021-02-25
The Guardian has fired one of its columnists for its US edition, Nathan Robinson, because Robinson jokingly tweeted about US military aid to Israel…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/guardian-columnists-firing-over-israel-joke-highlights-papers-rightward-drift/