2021-03-02: News Headlines

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-02). UK decision to reduce aid to Yemen criticized by activists and rights groups. peoplesdispatch.org Critics also point out that the UK's decision intensifies its crimes in Yemen due to its continued arms sales worth billions to Saudi Arabia and its allies responsible for the war and destruction in the country…

John Clamp (2021-03-02). Yemen, Where Pitiless Geopolitics is Causing Famine. counterpunch.org What is it about proxy wars that make them so very nasty? Is it really possible that at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, hard-by some of the richest kingdoms in the world, millions of children may starve to death in the worst famine of recent times? Are these questions linked? The region is

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

Human Rights Watch (2021-03-02). World Leaders, including President Biden, need to Step up on Yemen, before Millions Die. juancole.com Afrah Nasser | — ( Human Rights Watch) — Imagine what it is like to live in the world's worst humanitarian crisis: You are in a daily struggle for survival and you don't know where your next meal will come from. This is the reality for many in Yemen, where an unmitigated humanitarian emergency fueled …

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-02). US accuses Iran of escalating tensions in Yemen. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 03 (MNA) — Without referring to Saudi aggression against Yemen, the US Secretary of State claimed in a statement that Iran has escalated tensions in the country.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-02). US imposes sanctions on two top Yemeni Ansarullah commanders. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 02 (MNA) — In a hostile move, the US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on two Yemeni Ansarullah Movement's commanders.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-02). Sanaa condemns recent Israeli aggression against Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 02 (MNA) — An official of the Foreign Ministry of the Yemeni National Salvation Government in Sanaa condemned the recent Israeli regime's aggression on the outskirts of Damascus.

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

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

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-02). Khashoggi murder: Press watchdog files criminal complaint against Saudi crown prince. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Press watchdog files criminal complaint against Saudi crown prince | Reporters Without Borders pursues Mohammed bin Salman in German court following declassified US report into assassination | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 11: 28 | Jamal Khashoggi's murder in 2018 sparked an international outcry for justice (Screengrab) | A press freedom watchdog has filed a historic criminal complaint in Germany a…

The Canary (2021-03-02). Rights group files complaint against Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing. thecanary.co An international media rights group has filed a complaint with German prosecutors against Saudi Arabia's crown prince and four other senior officials accusing them of crimes against humanity over allegations they were involved in the killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, authorities said. | Reporters Without Borders: | The federal prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe told the Associated Press it received the complaint from Paris-based Reporters Without Borders on 1 March. | The complaint, relying partially on a newly declassified US intelligence report released on 26 February, identifies five primar…

Online News Editor (2021-03-02). RSF files lawsuit to charge Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi murder. laprensalatina.com Paris, Mar 2 (efe-epa).- The German branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Tuesday said it had filed a lawsuit accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of a crime against humanity for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi dissident journalist was killed in his country's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018. His …

Andrew Korybko (2021-03-02). US-Saudi Relations: Joe Biden Is "Playing Hardball" with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). globalresearch.ca The promulgation of the US' so-called "Khashoggi ban" in response to …

WSWS (2021-03-02). Biden administration cynically invokes Khashoggi murder to "recalibrate" Saudi ties. wsws.org Having issued a report finding Prince Mohammed bin Salman guilty of the gruesome killing, the White House has demonstratively refrained from imposing any sanctions against him.

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

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

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

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

E.L. Melrose (2021-03-02). Erie, PA: Residents skeptical towards corporation's 'green' promises. liberationnews.org The plight of this area has left the door open to the opportunism of "green" industry and it is currently being courted by International Recycling Group (IRG).

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

Robert Penner (2021-03-02). Struggle for justice forces reopening of two cases of police violence in Milwaukee. liberationnews.org The cases of Christopher Davis, killed by Milwaukee Deputy Juan Ortiz, and Jay Anderson, killed by Wauwatosa officer Joseph Mensah, have been re-opened in the Milwaukee area.

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

Kathy Kelly (2021-03-02). Blood for Oil. dissidentvoice.org Amid the ongoing horror, it's important to find ways to atone for war crimes —including reparations. Thirty years ago, when the United States launched Operation Desert Storm against Iraq, I was a member of the Gulf Peace Team. We were 73 people from fifteen different countries, aged 22 to 76, living in a tent camp …

Berry Craig (2021-03-02). Biden just proved to workers that he's got our backs. peoplesworld.org Going on 86 years ago, Franklin D. Roosevelt made the most pro-union statement ever uttered by an American president. Joe Biden just broke FDR's record. Said the 46th president in a video posted to Twitter: "…Workers in Alabama and all across America are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. This is vitally important—a vitally …

E.L. Melrose (2021-03-02). Erie, PA: Residents skeptical towards corporation's "green" promises. liberationnews.org The plight of this area has left the door open to the opportunism of "green" industry and it is currently being courted by International Recycling Group (IRG).

James Bovard (2021-03-02). The Afghanization of American Democracy? counterpunch.org Acrimony and recriminations continue to swirl around the 2020 presidential election. Three out of four Republicans believe that there was "widespread fraud" in the election, while Democrats have sought to turn into criticisms of the election into a "Big Lie" heresy against democracy. Senior congressional Democrats are pressuring the nation's largest cable providers to cease carrying conservative networks such as Fox News that raised too many questions about Biden's victory.

Ben Cowles (2021-03-02). At least 15 refugees dead in Mediterranean shipwreck. peoplesworld.org At least 15 people drowned in the central Mediterranean at the weekend while attempting to flee Libya, though the death toll could have been much higher if civilian rescuers had not intervened. Activist network Alarm Phone received a distress call early yesterday morning from a rubber boat carrying about 125 people. The boat was deflating, …

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

John Feffer (2021-03-02). The Claudius Presidency? counterpunch.org Caligula was by all accounts a nasty piece of work. During the nearly four years that he ruled over the Roman empire in the first century CE, Caligula was notorious for sexual predation and extravagant spending. Never one to sell himself short, he proclaimed early on that he was a god. He held the Senate

Staff (2021-03-02). Faith without workers is dead. therealnews.com Working in the Church is a lot like working for other nonprofits, according to Rev. Lindsey Joyce. The work is fulfilling, but it can also be exploitative, and we need to talk about it.

Phil Knight (2021-03-02). Yellowstone Wasn't Saved by Chance. counterpunch.org Yellowstone National Park, the original "Best American Idea", turns 149 on March 1 this year. We tend to take for granted that we have lots of great national parks and that ones like Yellowstone are protected. But Yellowstone was the first national park and we almost lost that wonderland. In the 1870s and '80s, opportunists

Jim Soliz (2021-03-02). Congressional Republicans Kevin McCarthy, Mike Garcia met with protests. peoplesworld.org SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Planned protests against two Congressional Republicans from Southern California, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (23rd C.D.) and Rep. Mike Garcia (25th C.D.) took place as scheduled on Fri., Feb. 26. The actions took place in the cities of Santa Clarita, Lancaster, and Bakersfield, three bulwarks of the far right in California, as …

The Conversation (2021-03-02). Decline of Coal shows Gov't Policy, Renewables crucial to Reducing Carbon Emissions: The Market isn't Enough. juancole.com By David Drake and Jeffrey York | — The big idea People often point to plunging natural gas prices as the reason U.S. coal-fired power plants have been shutting down at a faster pace in recent years. However, new research shows two other forces had a much larger effect: federal regulation and a well-funded activist …

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

Sam Pizzigati (2021-03-02). The Average American Pay Tax on Half of Their Wealth, Shouldn't Rich Americans? counterpunch.org Might the United States, home to the world's wealthiest people, sometime soon sport a tax on wealth? Media outlets the nation over have begunspeculating on just that question. But many of these reflections are missing the point: The United States already has a wealth tax. We call this already existing levy the "property tax," and

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

PAI (2021-03-02). Senate Democrats pull $15 wage from rescue package; progressives target filibuster. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Senate's barely ruling Democrats apparently have given up for now on raising the minimum wage, but the nation's unions, the New Poor People's Campaign, and their allies haven't. By a 219-212 vote after midnight on Feb. 27, the Democratic-run House approved the $1.9 trillion economic aid bill, called the American Rescue Plan. It includes …

Joe Sims (2021-03-02). Getting it right on Hampton, the Panthers, and 'Judas and the Black Messiah'. peoplesworld.org The young freedom fighters of the Black Panther Party, as brilliantly portrayed in the film Judas and the Black Messiah, were most certainly "uncompromising," as described in Brian W. Major's recent People's World review. The recently released film, directed by Shaka King and starring Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfiel, Dominique Fishback, and Martin Sheen, unfolds a …

Ian Cobain (2021-03-02). Labour faces legal challenge over recruitment of former Israeli spy. middleeasteye.net Labour faces legal challenge over recruitment of former Israeli spy | British Palestinian party member says ex-military intelligence officer's 'social listening' role raises questions about data security | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 12: 04 | Labour leader Keir Starmer has been criticised by other senior party figures over the appointment (Reuters) | The UK Labour Party is facing a legal challenge over its decision t…

Anand Naidoo (2021-03-02). The Heat: U.S. immigration reform. america.cgtn.com U.S. President Joe Biden pursues immigration reform as his first major legislative initiative. But can he deliver?>

MEE staff (2021-03-02). UN experts call on Israel to stop repeated demolition of rural Palestinian community. middleeasteye.net UN experts call on Israel to stop repeated demolition of rural Palestinian community | Special rapporteurs stress that Israel's justification that village lies within military firing zone does not meet requirements of international law | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 21: 32 | A resident reacts as Israeli forces demolish Bedouin tents and structures in Humsa area in northern Jordan valley, on 8 February (AFP/File photo)…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-02). Libya: Peace process threatened by vote-buying allegations. middleeasteye.net Libya: Peace process threatened by vote-buying allegations | Political rival and UN weigh in after claims delegates offered up to $500,000 to elect interim prime minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 16: 31 | A UN staff member empties a ballot box after delegates vote for Libya's new interim government during LPDF meeting on 5 February 2021 near Geneva (AFP/United Nati…

MEE staff (2021-03-02). Biden administration 'enthusiastically embraces' IHRA antisemitism definition: Report. middleeasteye.net Biden administration 'enthusiastically embraces' IHRA antisemitism definition: Report | Secretary of State sends letter to American Zionist Movement in support of controversial definition | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 18: 21 | US Secretary of State said he supported the antisemitism definition in a letter sent to American Zionist Movement President Richard Heideman (AFP) | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said t…

MEE staff (2021-03-02). Austria: Outrage after authorities target academic as part of 'terrorism' crackdown. middleeasteye.net Austria: Outrage after authorities target academic as part of 'terrorism' crackdown | Farid Hafez's house was raided at gunpoint in wake of Vienna terror attack as he was also accused of supporting the removal of Egypt's Sisi | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 11: 10 | Farid Hafez in a photo taken from social media (Twitter) | An Austrian academic's account of being interrogated at gunpoint over alleged "terrorist" sympathie…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-02). Morocco cuts contact with German embassy over diplomatic tensions. middleeasteye.net Morocco cuts contact with German embassy over diplomatic tensions | Officials say the suspension is a warning over Berlin's 'disregard' for Rabat on Western Sahara and Libya issues | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 11: 15 | German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita at the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) conference on 19 November 2019 in Berlin (AFP) | Morocco has s…

MEE correspondent (2021-03-02). Egypt: 'Homesick' journalist detained after return from exile in Turkey. middleeasteye.net Egypt: 'Homesick' journalist detained after return from exile in Turkey | Gamaal el-Gamal, who suffers five chronic illnesses, is at risk of death in custody, his friends warn | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 14: 24 | Gamaal el-Gamal, an Egyptian journalist and columnist, was detained at Cairo airport on 22 February (Social media) | Egypt has ordered the pre-trial detention of journalist and governm…

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

MEE staff (2021-03-02). US lawmakers ask Biden to push Turkey on 'human rights abuses'. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers ask Biden to push Turkey on 'human rights abuses' | In a bipartisan letter, 170 House lawmakers asked State Department to make 'the gross violation of human rights' in Turkey a foreign policy priority | Tue, 03/02/2021 – 14: 52 | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during an AK Party meeting in Ankara on 24 February (AFP/File photo) | One hundred and seventy bipartisan members…

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

Middle East Monitor (2021-03-02). Will the Khashoggi Killing stand in the way of Bin Salman acceding to the Throne of Saudi Arabia? juancole.com By Amira Abo el-Fetouh | — ( Middle East Monitor) — The Biden administration has finally authorised the Director of National Intelligence in Washington to release a report about the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Donald Trump blocked its release, challenged Congress and failed to implement the law proposed in this regard. In doing …