(2021-03-22). Leaks show CIA pressured Yemen to release al-Qaeda leader and agency asset Anwar al-Awlaki. thegrayzone.com Explosive recordings released by the Houthi government of Yemen provide fresh evidence of Washington's support for the same jihadist militants it has claimed to be waging war on. (This report was originally published at Alex Rubinstein's Substack page.) The Moral Guidance Department, a branch of the Yemeni Armed Forces of the revolutionary Houthi government of Yemen, published a batch of secret documents and phone calls from the former regime of longtime president Ali Abdullah Saleh this March. Two phone calls …
(2021-03-22). Calling out white supremacy: Labor responds to Atlanta massacre. workers.org 
The racist, misogynistic massacre of eight massage parlor workers — six Asian, all women — immediately prompted strong statements from organized labor. Majority union crowd at Harlem rally, March 20. WW PHOTO: Toni Arenstein "Hate is hate. White supremacy is white supremacy," the California Labor Federation tweeted. "Calling it anything . . . |
(2021-03-22). China and the Perils of Bi-Partisanship. counterpunch.org 
Not a single congressional Republican voted for the recent $1.9 trillion stimulus package. Not even the so-called moderate Republicans, the handful that backed the second impeachment of Donald Trump, deigned to support an economic package that helps Americans hardest hit by the pandemic. The entire Republican caucus didn't just snub the Democrats. They ignored the
(2021-03-22). The EPA reduced enforcement during COVID-19, researchers are assessing the damage. peoplesworld.org 
As the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon the U.S. in mid-March, the head of the nation's most powerful oil and gas industry group wrote to President Trump. The American Petroleum Institute CEO, Michael Sommers, asked for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exempt his industry from so-called routine reporting and monitoring requirements, a set …
(2021-03-22). "We Are Here Because You Are There": Viet Thanh Nguyen on How U.S. Foreign Policy Creates Refugees. democracynow.org 
Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses why he chooses to use the term "refugee" in his books, and speaks about his own experience as a refugee. His new novel tells the story of a man who arrives in France as a refugee from Vietnam, and explores the main character's questioning of ideology and different visions of liberation. Titled "The Committed," the book is a sequel to "The Sympathizer," which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2016. Nguyen says his protagonist is "a man of two faces and two minds" whose ability to see beyond Cold War divisions makes him the perfect fi…
(2021-03-22). Viet Thanh Nguyen on Roots of Anti-Asian Hate from U.S. Colonialism to Anti-China Political Rhetoric. democracynow.org 
Protests condemning hate crimes against Asian Americans continue, following the deadly shootings in Atlanta where a white gunman attacked three Asian-owned spas and killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Georgia state Capitol in Atlanta and around the U.S. demanding an end to anti-Asian racism and honoring the lives of the eight people who were killed: Xiaojie Tan, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Suncha Kim, Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Daoyou Feng and Paul Andre Michels. Anti-Asian hate in the United States is "not anything new," says Viet Thanh Ng…
(2021-03-22). Ten years on, Syria is almost destroyed. Who's to blame? mronline.org 
In George Orwell's novel Animal Farm, the ruling pigs led by Napoleon constantly rewrote history in order to justify and reinforce their own continuing power. The rewriting by the western powers of the history of the ongoing conflict in Syria leaps out of Orwell. | Newswire…
(2021-03-22). Boston bomber Tsarnaev may have DEATH SENTENCE restored after US Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal filed by Trump administration. rt.com 
Donald Trump is no longer president, but he may yet get his way over the punishment of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal seeking reinstatement of the death penalty. | The US' highest court on Monday
(2021-03-22). 'Terrible conditions for the children': New photos show life in Biden's border detention facilities. rt.com 
Photos from a Border Patrol detention tent show children held in squalid conditions. With the Biden administration keeping the press out, the photos offer a rare glimpse at facilities once dubbed "inhumane" by Biden himself. | More than 15,000 unaccompanied migrant children are currently in custody at the US' southern border with Mexico, with more than 5,000 held in temporary Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities
(2021-03-22). Police standards and protocols not up for questioning at Chauvin trial. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS—As the March 29 evidentiary phase of the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd approaches, two legal issues loom large. In delivering his ruling on a series of motions Friday, the presiding judge, Peter Cahill, laid out the first, saying "Clearly there is a cause of death issue here, in fact it …
(2021-03-22). Shattered Lands: A Short History of the Syrian Conflict. counterpunch.org 
When the Arab Spring came to the Middle East ten years ago, most on the left welcomed the protests, except in Libya and Syria largely out of geopolitical concerns. If the world was made up of opposing camps, you had to support Washington's enemies even if their secret police were torturers and their governments little
(2021-03-22). Workers report COVID-19 health violations at iconic Seattle-area burger chain. liberationnews.org 
Dick's Drive-In did not provide workers with any training on coronavirus symptoms or prevention and pressured them to come to work while waiting for COVID-19 test results.
(2021-03-22). Meditations from the Greater Gila: On the Possibility of Wolves, the Actuality of Dark Skies, and Actualizing the Possible. counterpunch.org 
Everywhere in the Gila, there's the possibility of wolves. I wake early. The thermometer in the rental car reads 15 degrees. A flock of dark-eyed juncos, earlier risers, flit about in the frozen grass, indifferent to my stomps and claps as I attempt to return feeling to my hands and feet. It's the middle of February in the San Francisco mountains. And there's the possibility of wolves.
(2021-03-22). Scandals, elections and emergencies. mronline.org 
Germany, once viewed as an exaggerated model of exactitude and discipline, is currently in a muddle. | Commentary…
(2021-03-22). Calling Putin a 'killer' with 'no soul' is not exactly diplomatic finesse. mronline.org 
Meanwhile, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the "killer" jab a "very bad statement by the U.S. president," that indicated "he doesn't want to normalize relations." | Newswire…
(2021-03-22). Lilia D. Monzó's "A Revolutionary Subject: Pedagogy of Women of Color and Indigeneity" mronline.org 
A Book review symposium on Lilia D. Monzó's "A Revolutionary Subject: Pedagogy of Women of Color and Indigeneity" (2019, Peter Lang Publishing) by Kitonga, Macrine, Magill, and Rodriguez — Editors | Newswire…
(2021-03-22). 'Rocks': Just enough for the city. peoplesworld.org 
Into the filmic world of interchangeable, comic book super-powered protagonists, Director Sarah Gavron has released "Rocks", a more modest and vastly more worthy heroine for our time. Her superpowers are love, responsibility, creativity, loyalty, and overcoming adversity. Olushola's life in London's working-class East End is not easy. The precocious adolescent Black girl lives with her …
(2021-03-22). Progressive lawmakers step up push to end filibuster. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Just after 10 a.m, on Dec. 10, 2010, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ind.-Vt., got up on the Senate floor to talk…and talk…and talk…and talk some more. And he didn't sit down for eight and a half hours. Sanders was employing a classic Senate device, the filibuster—which Republicans have long since abused—to halt legislation he didn't like. …
(2021-03-22). Jack Ma is not the problem. mronline.org 
Broadly speaking, beneath these diverse incidents lies a single force. A great teacher and his generation warned of and suppressed it, but it has sprouted once more since the 1980s. After 40 years, it has taken root in multiple facets of our lives, including thought, society, reality and power. | Newswire…
(2021-03-22). "Rocks": Just enough for the city. peoplesworld.org Into the filmic world of interchangeable, comic book super-powered protagonists, Director Sarah Gavron has released "Rocks", a more modest and vastly more worthy heroine for our time. Her super powers are love, responsibility, creativity, loyalty and overcoming adversity. Olushola's life in London's working class East End is not easy. The precocious adolescent Black girl lives …
(2021-03-22). La OMS confirma que la prueba de PCR defectuosa: Las estimaciones de "casos positivos" no tienen sentido. El confinamiento no tiene base científica. globalizacion.ca 
La prueba de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa con transcripción inversa en tiempo real (rRT-PCR) fue adoptada por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) el 23 de enero de 2020 como un medio para detectar el virus SARS-COV-2,…
(2021-03-22). Biden's New Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is Unprecedented…More for Her Climate Warrior Politics Than Her Identity. counterpunch.org 
In her farewell address to the House of Representatives, New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland said to her colleagues about her new role as interior secretary, "I have the opportunity to make a real difference for communities everywhere by addressing climate change, protecting voting rights, [and] fighting for racial, environmental, and economic justice." It was a
(2021-03-22). Coronavirus mess, scandal contribute to right-wing defeats in Germany. peoplesworld.org 
BERLIN—Germany, once viewed as an exaggerated model of exactitude and discipline, is currently in a muddle. Above all, it's the Covid mess. Seen last spring as a model of swift, effective response, Germany is now torn by controversy, with its sixteen states and dozens of politicians squabbling about when to send which kids (if any) …
(2021-03-22). America the Usual. counterpunch.org 
Though the assault on the Capitol was over two months ago, I continue to be haunted by not only what I saw in the news reports, but also in the overall meaning that was on stage for the world to see. Much more than a horrible insurrection and assault on democracy, what I saw, and have been continually reminded of, was that what happened on that fateful day was America, the usual.
(2021-03-22). Reefer Madness: Biden White House Director's Cut. counterpunch.org 
"Dozens of young White House staffers have been suspended, asked to resign or placed in a remote work program," The Daily Beast reports, "due to past marijuana use." Or, rather, due to having truthfully disclosed that marijuana use when applying for their jobs. It's a felony to lie on forms like the Office of Personnel Management's
(2021-03-22). A message from Mumia Abu-Jamal. workers.org 
In late February, political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal tested positive for COVID-19 and was treated for congestive heart disease. He had previously been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver from untreated hepatitis C, and he suffers from severe dermatitis. His supporters from around the globe flooded the phone lines and emails . . . |
(2021-03-22). 2022 election discussions begin in California's 25th Congressional District. peoplesworld.org 
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Discussions regarding the coming 2022 election have begun among Democrats in this sprawling area of North Los Angeles County. The discussions promise to lead ultimately to a serious challenge to the Republican establishment that has dominated the political control of this part of one of California's largest counties. Four prominent Democrats …
(2021-03-22). The blame game. workers.org 
Of the two big-business political parties in the United States, the Democrats for more than half a century have been seen as the more "liberal," the Republicans as more reactionary. But when it comes to their attitude toward People's China, they both drip hostility. The Biden administration is extending what . . . |
(2021-03-22). As the media fixates on Bristol, don't forget thousands took to the streets this weekend to #KillTheBill. thecanary.co 
As the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill languishes in the But while the escalation at the Bristol protest has dominated the headlines, let's not forget that thousands of people took to the streets to protest the bill across the country at the weekend. | The bill will give the police increased
(2021-03-22). You don't defeat fascism with a conga line. thecanary.co 
The hostile reaction to the Bristol protest shows how unprepared English people are for what's coming. You don't shut down a fascist uprising with a conga line. And no, the suffragettes didn't win the vote with a tap dance. Every struggle against oppression requires a fight, because oppressors will injure, imprison and kill you to advance their interests. The UK government is
(2021-03-22). Brazilian State of Maranhà£o obtains 4.5 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine. peoplesworld.org 
The Governor of the Brazilian State of Maranhà£o, Flávio Dino, a member of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), signed a contract on March 17 with the Sovereign Russian Fund authorizing the acquisition of 4.582 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to combat the coronavirus. This vaccine, produced by the Gamaleya laboratory, has …
(2021-03-22). Vacuna AstraZeneca suspendida en toda Europa. "Posibles reacciones autoinmunes, coagulación sanguínea, accidente cerebrovascular y hemorragia interna" globalizacion.ca 
ACTUALIZACIàìN | Francia, Alemania e Italia, que habían suspendido la vacuna AstraZeneca, reanudaron su aplicación "después de que los funcionarios de salud intentaron disipar las preocupaciones de que pueda provocar coágulos de sangre" (Informe VA) | Esta decisión fue tomada tras las…
(2021-03-22). 'Satisfied few, frustrated many': Rushed Covid-19 vaccine rollout backfired in some US states, according to new study. rt.com 
A new analysis has found that the high speed vaccination strategy introduced in the US appears to have backfired in many states which opened up eligibility prematurely. | The drive to open up vaccination programs to larger swaths of the population appears to have caused a surge in demand beyond the capacity of the medical infrastructure in states like South Carolina and Florida, researchers found. | An erratic vaccine supply which oscillated between too many or too few vaccines, combined with vaccination websites and phone lines crashing hampered the overall effort to vaccinate the population, the analysis fou…
(2021-03-22). Free DONUT deal for Covid-vaccinated reignites debate over Americans' massive lockdown weight gains. rt.com 
A ploy to encourage vaccinations by giving away donuts is weighing heavily on some Americans, already worried about unwanted weight gains during the lockdowns, even as obesity is recognized as a major risk factor for Covid-19. | The chain Krispy Kreme announced on Monday that customers who bring in a valid vaccination card — showing they received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson one — will be given a free donut. Not just once, mind you, but every day for the rest of 2021! | While one must show up in person to claim the deal, it's valid in the dr…
(2021-03-22). NY councilor wants to keep 'weaponized robot' dogs out of police hands after 'successful' tests. rt.com 
One New York councilor wants to ban armed robotic dogs, after the NYPD successfully trialed one of the four-legged devices at a crime scene. However, the dogs' manufacturer insists its devices are friendly. | Introduced last week by Council Member Ben Kallos, the No Killer Robots
(2021-03-22). Sidney Powell says 'no reasonable person' would take her election fraud claims as fact as she calls to toss $1.3bn Dominion suit. rt.com 
Former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell has asked a judge to scrap a $1.3 billion defamation suit filed over her claims of election fraud, insisting her assertions were mere political rhetoric protected by the Constitution. | Powell's attorneys called for dismissal in a Monday
(2021-03-22). Miami Beach extends state of emergency, curfew & road closures for 3 weeks as police struggle to contain wild parties (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The Miami Beach City Commission unanimously voted to extend the state of emergency in South Beach until April 12, following yet another night of wild partying, after the Florida governor declared the state an "oasis of freedom." | The commission granted Interim City Manager Raul Aguila the authority to extend the restrictive measures for up to three more weeks if needed, following an emergency meeting on Sunday. The emergency curfew will remain in place for parts of South Beach until 6am Monday, and extended as authorities see fit, while inbound traffic will also remain restricted on the three main causeways c…
(2021-03-22). Asian-American woman attacked in possible hate crime while ON THE WAY TO A PROTEST against anti-Asian violence. rt.com 
An Asian-American woman in New York City was traveling to a protest against anti-Asian violence when she became the victim of such crime — a man allegedly assaulted her on the street for no apparent reason other than her race. | The 37-year-old woman was walking in lower Manhattan near midday on Sunday, on her way to a Columbus Park rally against anti-Asian hate crimes, when a man took her sign and tried to put it in a garbage can, police said. He then stomped on the sign. When the woman asked him why he did it, he allegedly punched her in the face twice with a closed fist. | WANTED for HATE CRIME ASSAUL…
(2021-03-22). US has secret evidence of 'quite a few more' UFO sightings than have been made public, says former intel chief. rt.com 
With the June 1 deadline fast approaching for the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies to submit their reports on UFO sightings, a former senior official has stated there are "quite a few more than have been made public." | A former director of national intelligence under the Trump administration, John Ratcliffe, recently spoke with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, lamenting that his office wasn't able to get more of the report to an unclassified format before he left his post. | "And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have been seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked…
(2021-03-22). Saudi Arabia issues Yemen ceasefire initiative; Houthis say it's 'not serious'. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia issues Yemen ceasefire initiative; Houthis say it's 'not serious' | Saudi proposal calls for UN-monitored ceasefire and opening Sanaa airport to a 'number of regional and international direct flights' | Mon, 03/22/2021 – 13: 49 | Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government in the northwestern Hajjah province, 11 March (AFP/File photo) | Saudi Arabia announced a ceasefire initiative to halt the…
(2021-03-22). ACTIVE SHOOTER at grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. rt.com 
Police in Boulder, Colorado have surrounded a grocery store after reports of shots fired. An active shooter is believed to be inside, and reportedly opened fire at police. 'Multiple' people are reportedly down. | The police have identified the location as a King Soopers supermarket in the Table Mesa neighborhood. | ALERT: Active Shooter at the King Soopers on Table Mesa. AVOID THE AREA. PIO is en-route.— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) Initial scanner traffic from the scene suggested that…
(2021-03-22). Already showered with awards & media adulation, Dr. Fauci scores a new honor: Children's book proclaiming him 'AMERICA'S DOCTOR'. rt.com 
Dr. Anthony Fauci is coming off a year of unprecedented media fawning, awards and political praise, but his latest honor — a children's book that bestows him the title "America's doctor" — may push his star even higher. | Simon & Schuster plans to publish a picture book biography of Fauci, titled 'Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor,' with the "Here's a little bit of a…
(2021-03-22). Nuclear Energy in the World 10 Years After Fukushima. strategic-culture.org 
The March 2011 Fukushima disaster was the most severe nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Its terrifying consequences led some countries to reconsider their attitude to nuclear energy with states like Germany deciding to phase out the technology. However, elsewhere, nuclear power continues to be a major source of electricity supply. | (Click on the image to enlarge)…
(2021-03-22). Abortion in Northern Ireland: at the interface between politics and law. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Abortion reform in Northern Ireland has had a fraught history, to say the least. Matters appeared to finally come to a head when in 2019, the UK Parliament enacted the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019 (2019 Act), which created a duty on the Secretary of State to implement abortion reform by following the …
(2021-03-22). Israel prepares for Capitol siege-style attack on Knesset after election — reports. rt.com 
Security agencies fear that January's events at the US Capitol, which was stormed by Donald Trump's supporters after the election, may repeat themselves at the Knesset and are training to avert such a scenario, local media said. | Tensions are running high as the Israelis are expected to go to the polls for the fourth time in two years on Tuesday. | The Knesset Guard and security agencies are even considering the possibility that those unhappy with the results of the vote may try attacking the Israeli legislature in West Jerusalem. | The scenario, which resembles the Capitol siege, was one of several included…
(2021-03-22). The Republican Party…Beyond the Pale. counterpunch.org 
Mitch McConnell, fine gentleman that he is, let us know he plans to launch a "scorched earth" policy if Democrats kill the filibuster. To be accurate though, he's just planning to maintain the scorched earth policy he has been practicing ever since he became Majority Leader in 2015. He has done everything in his power to block any
(2021-03-22). Statement on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. war on Syria. workers.org 
The following slightly edited statement was released on March 12, 2021 by the Syria Solidarity Movement — including the International Action Center — on the 10th anniversary of the continuing U.S. war on Syria. Workers World Party has participated in three solidarity delegations to Syria during this 10-year period. Contact . . . |
(2021-03-22). Turkey: Lira tumbles and Istanbul stock exchange briefly suspended after sharp fall. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey: Lira tumbles and Istanbul stock exchange briefly suspended after sharp fall | Markets have reacted strongly over shock sacking of central bank chief after just four months in the job | Mon, 03/22/2021 – 08: 12 | A woman walks past an information screen displaying rates in front of an exchange office in Istanbul, on October 26, 2020 (AFP) | The Istanbul stock exchange briefly suspen…
(2021-03-22). Israel takes 'VIP border pass' from Palestinian minister following ICC meeting. middleeasteye.net 
Israel takes 'VIP border pass' from Palestinian minister following ICC meeting | Palestinian Authority foreign minister Riad al-Maliki had pass taken from him after meeting with international court's lead prosecutor | Mon, 03/22/2021 – 11: 15 | PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki gestures during a press conference organised by Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU) on…
(2021-03-22). Egypt's pro-Sisi media to temper criticism of Turkey amid warming ties. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt's pro-Sisi media to temper criticism of Turkey amid warming ties | The development comes as Cairo and Ankara appear to be patching up relations after years of hostility | Mon, 03/22/2021 – 14: 55 | Egypt's Minister of Information Osama Heikal said Egypt-based media would be expected to "adhere to calm". 14 June 2020. (Khaled Desouki/AFP) | Cairo has welcomed recent Turkish demands that Istanbul-based Egy…