(2021-03-08). Oil Spikes on Yemeni Houthi droning of Saudi Petroleum Cities, in Argument for Wind and Solar Power. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — According to Al Jazeera, the Saudi military acknowledged that the Helpers of God or Houthis [pronounced like Ruthie] of Yemen targeted the Saudi oil port of Ras Tanoura on Sunday with a drone and ballistic missiles. A drone hit Ras Tanoura from the Gulf and pieces of a ballistic missile …
(2021-03-08). Yemeni force target key military site at Saudi airport. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 08 (MNA) —Yemeni Armed Forces have launched an attack on a significant military site at Abha International Airport on Monday.
(2021-03-08). Yemen: UN fears many dead after fire in Sanaa migrant detention centre. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen: UN fears many dead after fire in Sanaa migrant detention centre | Houthis criticised the UN for not deporting migrants, thought to be mainly Ethiopians, detained in the centre | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 15: 21 | Ethiopians in 2018 waiting to be repatriated back to Djibouti from Yemen's Hodeidah (AFP) | Eight people are confirmed dead after a migrant detention centre in Sanaa caught fire on…
(2021-03-08). Oil prices soar over attack on Saudi oil facilities. yenisafak.com Oil prices shot up to break new records on Monday following tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and with the US Senate passing the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $70.54 per barrel at 0715 GMT for a 1.70% increase after closing Friday at $69.36 a barrel.American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $67.11 per barrel at the same time for a 1.54% increase after it ended the previous session at $66.09 a barrel.Oil prices closed last week with almost 7% weekly gains as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries,…
(2021-03-08). Qatari Emir receives message of Saudi King. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 08 (MNA) — The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, received a verbal message from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, on Monday.
(2021-03-08). Saudi Arabia's 'Programme HQ': Can Riyadh rival Dubai as a business hub? middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia's 'Programme HQ': Can Riyadh rival Dubai as a business hub? | Plans to make access to mega-project contracts conditional on companies establishing regional headquarters in the kingdom are ambitious but ambiguous | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 16: 29 | Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District in 2018. Saudi Arabia is seeking to persuade more multinational companies to set up shop in the kingdom (…
(2021-03-08). Saudi Arabia: Online campaign for the release of prominent scholar Safar al-Hawali. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia: Online campaign for the release of prominent scholar Safar al-Hawali | Seventy-year-old has been imprisoned for over 1,000 days and reportedly suffers from various health conditions | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 13: 15 | The Saudi scholar was arrested in 2018 and concerns have been raised about his deteriorating health (Screengrab/Twitter) | Activists have launched an online campaign calling for the…
(2021-03-08). US senator blames Biden's Iran policy for attacks on Saudi oil facilities. middleeasteye.net 
US senator blames Biden's Iran policy for attacks on Saudi oil facilities | Republican Bill Hagerty says 'Biden's desire to give Tehran sanctions relief' is emboldening Iran to attack US allies | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 16: 32 | Senator Bill Hagerty currently sits on the Foreign Relations Committee (AFP) | A prominent Republican senator has criticised President Joe Biden's "relaxed" policy on Iran, which he says pro…
(2021-03-08). US flies bombers over Middle East in apparent message to Iran. middleeasteye.net 
US flies bombers over Middle East in apparent message to Iran | Saudi, Israeli and Qatari jets accompanied two American B-52 bombers 'at different points during the flight', Pentagon says | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 20: 21 | US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress flying with Saudi F-15SAs during a mission, 27 January (AFP/US Air Force handout) | The US Air Force – in cooperation with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – flew je…
(2021-03-08). Govt-Linked CSIS Urges DC To Partner with Social Media Firms To "Promote Protests Movements" mintpressnews.com 
Widespread protests were a feature of 2020, engulfing 68 nations. However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a pro-regime-change think tank based in DC, is most preoccupied with those in China and Russia.
(2021-03-08). Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19. middleeasteye.net 
Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19 | Assad's office confirmed that the Syrian president and his wife had caught the novel coronavirus | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 12: 11 | A file handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on 4 November 2020 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Asad and his wife Asma, wearing face masks due to the Covid-19 pandemic (A…
(2021-03-08). Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19. middleeasteye.net 
Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19 | Assad's office confirmed that the Syrian president and his wife had caught the novel coronavirus | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 12: 11 | Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for An official statement confirme…
(2021-03-08). Why Big Pharma Shouldn't Have Any Control Over COVID-19 Vaccines. counterpunch.org 
At a recent virtual gathering of parents and faculty at my children's school, one parent who is a teacher and therefore eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine mentioned that she got her first Pfizer shot at a local pharmacy, and when she asked about a leftover dose that could be given to her husband rather
(2021-03-08). Did Racist Images in Dr. Seuss Books Contribute to War Crimes? counterpunch.org 
A friend delights in sending me news stories that demonstrate what he says are the excesses of liberalism. One recent article that arrived in my inbox concerned Dr. Seuss Enterprises' decision to halt publication of six childrens' books it now believes contain racist imagery. "I didn't realize Dr. Seuss made us all racists," he quipped.
(2021-03-08). Why Cornel West's tenure fight matters. mronline.org 
I wrote letters for West's hire and renewal at Harvard. The school's administrators completely miss the point of tenure. — ROBIN D. G. KELLEY…
(2021-03-08). International Women's Day: Women workers and Poor People's Campaign demand $15. peoplesworld.org 
The coronavirus pandemic and the economic depression it sparked have highlighted what women workers have known for a long time: The minimum wage is not a living wage. CEOs keep wages low while their own pay and corporate profits continue to skyrocket. Today, on International Women's Day, the Poor People's Campaign: A Call for Moral …
(2021-03-08). Women take the lead in fight to impeach Bolsonaro in Brazil. peoplesworld.org 
SAO PAULO—Today in Brazil, women are facing the advancement of predatory neoliberalism, imperialism, an anti-democratic state, the politics of death, and the extermination of the people, which has been escalating with the coronavirus pandemic. In 2016, women were the first to rise up and denounce the coup staged against the first female president elected in …
(2021-03-08). Millions Mark International Women's Day as Pandemic Deepens Inequality, Violence Around the World. democracynow.org 
Millions of women around the world are taking to the streets today to mark International Women's Day — in a year where women have been disproportionately impacted by rising poverty, unemployment and violence during the pandemic. We hear voices from protests in the Philippines, Mexico and Guatemala.
(2021-03-08). "Is This Who We Are?": Gitmo is America's Enduring Shame. dissidentvoice.org 
"That's certainly our goal and our intention." This was the non-committal answer given by White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, when, on February 12, she was asked by a reporter whether the new Joe Biden Administration intends to shut down the notorious Guantánamo Bay Prison by the end of the president's first term in office. …
(2021-03-08). 'Is This Who We Are?': Gitmo is America's Enduring Shame. mintpressnews.com 
Even if Biden is able to overcome pressure from the military, from the CIA, and from Congress to shut Guantánamo down, justice will still be absent, not only because of the numerous lives that are forever shattered but because America still refuses to learn from its mistakes.
(2021-03-08). NYT Fails to Examine Its Participation in Brazil's 'Biggest Judicial Scandal'. fair.org 
The Brazilian Supreme Court on March 8 dismissed all charges against former President Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva made during the Lava Jato investigation, a little over a month after the investigation was A small portion of the leaks, released slowly by the Intercept Brasil and local media partners in <...
(2021-03-08). Digital colonialism: the evolution of American empire. mronline.org 
American "Big Tech" corporations are gaining massive profits through their control over business, labor, social media and entertainment in the Global South.
(2021-03-08). Close Guantánamo: Ex-Prisoner & Torture Survivor Mohamedou Ould Slahi Calls on Biden to Shut Prison. democracynow.org 
President Joe Biden is facing new calls to close the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, an enduring symbol of U.S. abuses in the "war on terror." Since 2002, about 770 men and boys have been held at the prison, and only eight have been convicted of a crime. Three of the convictions were later overturned on appeal. Today the prison's population is down to 40, and shortly after Biden's inauguration, seven former prisoners penned an open letter to the new president pleading with him to finally close the facility. One of the seven authors was Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was held without cha…
(2021-03-08). "The Mauritanian": Film Tells Story of Innocent Man Held at Guantánamo for 14 Years Without Charge. democracynow.org 
A new feature film, "The Mauritanian," tells the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was held without charge for 14 years at the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo and repeatedly tortured. We speak with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who says the film is not just about his struggle. "This is not my movie. This is the movie of so many people," he says. "Some of the people who were kidnapped after 9/11 were tortured to death. They did not have a chance to tell their story." We also speak with Kevin Macdonald, director of "The Mauritanian"; Nancy Hollander, the lead lawyer for Mohamedou Ould Slahi; and actor…
(2021-03-08). Women organizing to win: 9to5 yesterday; the PRO Act today. peoplesworld.org 
If you've never had to make coffee for your boss, it's thanks to women who organized in the 1970s. And while the electric typewriter is no more, how women of that era organized is relevant—to current battles like organizing big tech, building care infrastructure, and winning labor reform by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act—so women …
(2021-03-08). The marvelous life of Marvel Cooke, pioneer Black woman journalist. peoplesworld.org 
At the intersection of African American History and Women's History months is a long list of Black women who have made history as civil rights, labor, and peace activists, educators, scientists, elected officials, physicians, astronauts, artists, and much more. Prominent among them, and combining several of those roles, is the journalist and activist Marvel Cooke. …
(2021-03-08). International Women's Day: A militant celebration. mronline.org 
Women's Day or Working Women's Day is a day of international solidarity, and a day for reviewing the strength and organization of proletarian women.
(2021-03-08). Biden's Hawkish Cabinet Portends Renewed US Militarism in Northeast Asia. counterpunch.org 
Although the Biden administration has yet to present its North Korea policy, the new president's cabinet includes many career diplomats and business lobbyists advocating the Cold War policy toward Asia and personnel from hawkish think tanks financed by the military industrial complex, leading many Korea experts to predict that an aggressive militaristic policy with respect
(2021-03-08). Rural Washington state rally demands: 'Stop the war on Black America'. liberationnews.org 
Some 50 assembled in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives Feb. 28 rally in Sequim, a small town in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
(2021-03-08). The Weekly Round-Up: Family Benefits and Domestic Abuse (pt. 2). ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In the news: The High Court will hear a case brought by a mother and her 11-month-old baby, who are arguing that they should not be excluded from the UK government's 'Healthy Start' scheme. The scheme provides vouchers for healthy food, nutritional advice, and vitamins to low-income families, but currently excludes many migrant families, including those who …
(2021-03-08). Celebrating International Women's Day. liberationnews.org 
To commemorate International Women's Day, we publishe excerpts from Kollontai's 1920 article, "International Women's Day," written just over two years after the October 1917 socialist revolution in Russia.
(2021-03-08). Republican governors rush to drop mask mandates, workers fear for safety. peoplesworld.org 
JACKSON, Mississippi (AP)—Leo Carney worries that bigger crowds and mask-less diners could endanger workers at the Biloxi, Mississippi, seafood restaurant where he manages the kitchen. Maribel Cornejo, who earns $9.85 an hour as a McDonald's cook in Houston, can't afford to get sick and frets co-workers will become more lax about wearing masks, even though …
(2021-03-08). Deep freeze just latest disaster to befall Houston's needy. peoplesworld.org 
HOUSTON (AP) — Ernest and Hester Collins already faced their share of hardships before last month's deadly winter storm plunged much of Texas into a deep freeze and knocked out power to millions of homes, including their modest rental in one of Houston's historically Black neighborhoods, Fifth Ward. The brother and sister were getting by …
(2021-03-08). Somalia: a Knotted Web of Causes. counterpunch.org 
In one translation of Seneca's Oedipus Rex, the unfortunate (anti)hero laments his dark fate by complaining of being 'tangled in the knotted web of causes'. The words have an aptness far beyond their origin. Somalia is a perfect expression of the metaphor. Its dysfunction has so many potential—nay, likely—causative factors that who the hell knows
(2021-03-08). Economy Adds 379,000 Jobs in February; Unemployment Edges Down to 6.2 Percent. counterpunch.org 
The establishment survey showed the economy added 379,000 jobs in February. In addition, the figures from December and January were revised up by 38,000. This brings the average job gain over the last three months to 79,700. Employment in the survey stands at 9,475,000 below its year-ago level. The household survey showed the unemployment edging
(2021-03-08). The Weekly Round-Up: Ministerial Maternity Leave, a New Offence and Guidance on Visiting Gran (pt. 1). ukhumanrightsblog.com 
On Monday the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021 came into force, allowing the Attorney General, Suella Braverman QC, to be the first minister to take maternity leave. The Act grants cabinet ministers six months' maternity leave whilst retaining their government post, whereas in the past MPs would have to resign to take time off to give …
(2021-03-08). Blinken Blinks on Human Rights. counterpunch.org 
On March 3, the US State Department has put on its website a hilarious statement titled The United States Opposes the ICC Investigation into the Palestinian Investigation. In a nutshell, the statement exposes that the Joe Biden Administration has blinked for a second time on the human rights situation in West Asia by refusing to
(2021-03-08). Public Fatigue, Distrust and Fear Taint Chauvin Trail Before it Even Begins. mintpressnews.com 
Jury selection in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was set to begin today, but a last-minute delay has added to the palpable tensions surrounding the case.
(2021-03-08). Rural Washington state rally demands: "Stop the war on Black America" liberationnews.org Some 50 assembled in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives Feb. 28 rally in Sequim, a small town in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
(2021-03-08). Oil Spikes on Yemeni Houthi droning of Saudi Petroleum Cities, in Argument for Wind and Solar Power. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — According to Al Jazeera, the Saudi military acknowledged that the Helpers of God or Houthis [pronounced like Ruthie] of Yemen targeted the Saudi oil port of Ras Tanoura on Sunday with a drone and ballistic missiles. A drone hit Ras Tanoura from the Gulf and pieces of a ballistic missile …
(2021-03-08). Funding cuts exacerbate suffering of Yemeni civilians. yenisafak.com A 7-year civil war and funding cuts are aggravating the suffering of millions of Yemeni civilians, who desperately need more aid to survive. | A virtual conference was held by the UN and co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland on March 1 to raise $3.85 billion to help civilians in Yemen fell far short of its aid goal. | The donor conference managed to secure only $1.7 billion for a country described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. | Describing the donation pledges as "disappointing", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "Millions of Yemeni children, women and men desperately need aid to live. Cutting…
(2021-03-08). The birth of Marxism in France: Remembering the Paris Commune and Jules Guesde. mronline.org 
Guesde (1845-1922) introduced Marxism to France and contributed to building the Socialist Party in the north of the country, where the left, socialism, and then later communism became very strong.
(2021-03-08). We're Stalked by the 4 Horsemen of Apocalyptic Media: Rush, Roger, Rupert, and The Donald May Ride Forever. juancole.com 
By Robert Lipsyte | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — The Four Horsemen of our media apocalypse — Rush Limbaugh, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, and Donald Trump — have ridden roughshod over us this past half-century leaving their hoofprints on our politics, our culture, and our lives. Two of them are gone now, but their legacies, including …
(2021-03-08). South Korea agrees to 'meaningful increase' in payouts for the privilege of hosting 28,500 US troops. rt.com 
The US and South Korea have finally reached an agreement on "sharing costs" for stationing American personnel, after talks stalled over demands by former president Donald Trump that Seoul quintuples its spending for the privilege. | Seoul currently pays Washington roughly $920 million a year to host some 28,500 American personnel on its soil, but back in 2019 Trump demanded an increase of annual payouts to $5 billion. With a new commander-in-chief in the White House, the US has moved to soothe disagreements with its military allies as part of Joe Biden's commitment to "reinvigorate" Washington's "democratic al…
(2021-03-08). Texas launches 'Operation Lone Star', sending National Guard & state troopers to secure border after Biden opened floodgates. rt.com 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking border security into his own hands, sending National Guard troops and state police to combat drug and people smuggling as Biden administration policies spur a surge in illegal immigration. | The new 'Operation Lone Star' initiative will send ground, air, marine and tactical security assets to high-threat areas of the state's border with Mexico to stop cartels and other smugglers from bringing drugs and illegal aliens into Texas. Abbott announced the strategy late on Saturday, one day after former president Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden for creating a "spiraling t…
(2021-03-08). Three police injured, SWAT vehicle damaged and local cars FLIPPED as Colorado university party turns violent (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Three SWAT team officers were injured as violent revellers bombarded first responders with bricks and rocks, setting off fireworks and flipping a car during a wild Colorado university street party which attracted up to 800 people. | The violence occurred in the University Hill neighborhood of Boulder, Colorado on Saturday night, as hundreds of partygoers shot off fireworks and flouted social-distancing rules and mask-wearing advice. | #Boulder police arrived pic.twitter.com/t1Yd7Xkclq— Mitchell Byars (@mitchellbyars) (2021-03-08). Where's Biden hidin'? EVEN CNN begins asking questions, as president goes record time without press conference with Q&A. rt.com 
Joe Biden has gone longer without giving a press conference with questions and answers than any US president in modern history. Now the elation of his inauguration's worn off, even his allied media are beginning to wonder why. | Monday marked Joe Biden's 47th day in office, and also his 47th without appearing before the press to take questions. The president has sat down to several taped interviews, and has given brief soundbites to reporters at events, but not a single proper Q&A session has materialized. | He has gone longer without holding a press conference than any of his 15 most recent predecessors, all…
(2021-03-08). WATCH: Minneapolis battens down the hatches with extreme security ahead of trial of George Floyd's alleged killer. rt.com 
Authorities in Minneapolis have erected steel fencing, barbed wire and concrete barricades outside the city's courthouse and local police stations ahead of the Derek Chauvin trial, set to begin Monday. | The former police officer will stand trial for the May 25 killing of George Floyd in an incident which rocked the US to its core and triggered months of unrest and billions of dollar's worth of damage. | An estimated 15 million to 26 million people participated in Black Lives Matter protests in the US in the aftermath of Floyd's death. | Armored personnel carriers have been deployed and local Minneapolis polic…
(2021-03-08). Biden preparing to launch series of 'clandestine' cyberattacks against Russia — NYT. rt.com 
The Biden administration is gearing up to carry out cyberattacks aimed at Russian networks, the New York Times has reported, describing the provocation as a retaliatory measure designed to send Moscow a message. | Citing officials familiar with the operation, the Times
(2021-03-08). Lebanon is next for visit, says Pope Francis. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon is next for visit, says Pope Francis | Head of Catholic Church tells reporters on his way back from historic Iraq tour that Beirut will be his next destination | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 14: 57 | Pope Francis speaks to reporters during a news conference while in the air aboard the Alitalia papal plane on his flight back from Iraq (AFP) | Pope Francis has said his next trip will be to Lebanon, which is sufferi…
