(2021-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2021. democracynow.org Severe Winter Storm Kills 23 People, Cuts Power to Millions as Texas Energy System Fails, Storm Creates Havoc for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout as Biden Seeks Support from Public for Stimulus, NAACP Files Lawsuit Against Trump, Giuliani over Jan. 6 Insurrection, French Assembly Approves Bill Accused of Targeting Muslim Communities, Chad Sending Troops to Sahel, France Will Maintain Military Presence, as Conflict Claims More Lives, Protests Erupt over Spanish Rapper Arrested for Anti-Monarchy Lyrics and Tweets, Biden Directs DHS to Stop Using Word "Alien" to Refer to Immigrants and Asylum Seekers, Biden Received $5 Mil…
(2021-02-17). Texas disaster is what happens when you DON'T pursue a Green New Deal — AOC. rt.com 
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) has blasted Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state's infrastructure planning, claiming her Green New Deal would better prepare areas for extreme weather conditions. | "The infrastructure failures in Texas are quite literally what happens when you *don't* pursue a Green New Deal," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday. | The message appeared to be in response to Abbott criticizing a potential Green New Deal due to many renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines failing in the state's historically cold weather. In an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday ev…
(2021-02-17). Playing politics while Texans freeze? Gov. Abbott grilled after blaming Green New Deal for his state's power woes. rt.com 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has singled out renewable energy as the culprit behind his state's devastating power outages, sparking accusations that he is trying to skirt responsibility for the crisis. | Frigid temperatures have shut down some of Texas' wind turbines and solar panels, as well as natural gas infrastructure in the Lone Star state. As a result, millions of residents have been left in freezing conditions without power, resulting in numerous deaths. | Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday, Abbott suggested that the failure of so-called "sustainable" energy sources such as wind and solar…
(2021-02-17). Vulture Funds plan to use the Pandemic to pillage the Global Economy. mronline.org 
Before the pandemic, private equity had amassed $2.5 trillion—more than the GDP of Italy—in 'dry powder,' waiting for distressed assets to plunder. Covid-19 provided them with the perfect opportunity.
(2021-02-17). COVID-19 Has Made Americans Lonelier Than Ever — Here's how AI can Help. realprogressives.org 
"How does that make you feel?" | In the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are missing a sympathetic ear. Would a response like that make you feel heard, less alone, even if it were a machine writing back to you? | The pandemic has contributed to
(2021-02-17). The Expiration of the CARES Act Could Force Thousands Back into Federal Prisons. aclu.org The Trump Department of Justice spent its final days putting thousands of people at greater risk of catching COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. On Jan. 15, the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel issued a memo arguing the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will be legally obligated to return thousands of people released on home confinement back to federal prisons while the pandemic still ravages correctional facilities. With the memo's March return date growing closer — and public health officials indicating that we will not be out of the pandemic woods by then — the Biden administration must take swift actio…
(2021-02-17). "David vs. Goliath": Warehouse Workers in Alabama Fight Amazon for the Right to Unionize. democracynow.org 
Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are continuing to vote on whether to become the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the United States. Their demands include stronger COVID-19 safety measures and relief from impossibly high productivity standards that leave many unable to take bathroom breaks. "We want to be heard. We want to be treated like people and not ignored when we have issues," says Jennifer Bates, a worker at Amazon's BHM1 facility who has been part of the union drive from the beginning. We also speak with Michael Foster, a poultry plant worker, union member and member-organizer with RWDSU. "Amazon h…
(2021-02-17). Teacher Unions: We Want to Reopen Schools as Well, But We Need Vaccines & Resources to Do It Safely. democracynow.org 
As school districts across the U.S. debate how to safely bring children into the classroom, we speak with two leaders of the teachers' union movement on what's at stake as schools reopen. Stacy Davis Gates, executive vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, says years of underfunding and privatization have left many school districts ill-equipped to meet the needs of students, as well as educators. "It's not just the context of opening schools. It's reopening schools safely with the resources that are necessary to keep people safe," she tells Democracy Now! We also speak with Randi Weingarten, president of th…
(2021-02-17). 'We're not a charity case, we're under occupation'. therealnews.com 
Telling Israel to be a kinder occupying force does nothing to address the structural violence of Israeli occupation, which has been laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-02-17). Venezuela to Launch Its COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Wednesday informed his country will start its vaccination campaign with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine this Thursday. | RELATED: | "We will begin immunizing health workers with the 100,000 doses that arrived in the country on Feb. 15," he said, adding that the government will guarantee the health and lives of the people "thanks to cooperation between Russia and Venezuela." | Law enforcemen…
(2021-02-17). In Some States, Child Care Workers Won't Get the Covid Vaccine for Months. thenation.com In Some States, Child Care Workers Won't Get the Covid Vaccine for Months…
(2021-02-17). Paraguay to Receive First Batch of Sputnik V Vaccines. telesurenglish.net Paraguay's President Mario Abdo on Wednesday thanked Russia's President Vladimir Putin for supplying his country with Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines. | RELATED: | "I hold an excellent telephone conversation with President Putin. We agreed to push for a shipment schedule for more COVID-19 vaccine batches as soon as possible," Abdo tweeted. | The first 4,000 Sputnik V doses should arrive in this South American country early Friday mo…
(2021-02-17). Strengthen 'One Health approach' to prevent future pandemics — WHO chief. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates "intimate" linkages between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems, as zoonotic diseases spread between animals and people, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Wednesday.
(2021-02-17). COVID infections drop 16% worldwide in one week: WHO. news.un.org In its latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that although the number of global infections have fallen by 16 per cent in a week — 500,000 fewer cases — regions, including Europe, are still in the grip of the virus whose variants are spreading.
(2021-02-17). COVID-19 vaccination 'wildly uneven and unfair': UN Secretary-General. news.un.org International partners working to achieve equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines appealed on Wednesday for the UN Security Council to ensure people caught in conflict have access to these lifesaving treatments.
(2021-02-17). 'Breathing is optional': Internet groans after NYC requires double-masking inside federal court buildings. rt.com 
Two masks will now be required for those who want to enter a federal court building in Manhattan — but the new Covid-19 guidance has provoked more mockery than applause on social media. | The Southern District of New York
(2021-02-17). 'Verbal stumble' or blatant lie? Biden says US had no vaccine when he took office as new admin criticizes Trump's jab rollout. rt.com 
Joe Biden, who was fully vaccinated before his inauguration, has been accused of playing loose with the facts after stating that there was no Covid-19 shot when he entered office. But some insist it was a harmless verbal slip. | Read more | | Speaking with CNN's Anderson Cooper at a town hall event on Tuesday, the US president explained in a rather disjointed way that the United States lacked both vaccines and health workers capable of administering…
(2021-02-17). Japan begins Covid-19 vaccination drive with healthcare workers. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 17 (efe-epa).- Japan began its vaccination campaign against Covid-19 on Wednesday, in a first phase in which it aims to inoculate 40,000 healthcare workers. The first doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, the only one approved so far in Japan, were administered at a public hospital in Tokyo and will be expanded …
(2021-02-17). Mexico's vaccine rollout reaching seniors in remote areas. laprensalatina.com By Jose de Jesus Cortes Cuicatlan, Mexico, Feb 17 (efe-epa).- Mostly hopeful but also dealing with a certain degree of anxiety, senior citizens in this small town in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca are being administered their first doses of a long-awaited Covid-19 vaccine. Accompanied by his daughter and clutching a wooden cane, Eustaquio …
(2021-02-17). For the sake of democracy, kill off the Senate filibuster. peoplesworld.org 
The nation's economic outlook is worsening, and new, more contagious COVID-19 variants worry public health officials. In response, the Democratic-led House and Senate are moving quickly to pass President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan (ARP) through the process of budget reconciliation. This process requires a simple majority vote in the U.S. Senate. Budget reconciliation is …
(2021-02-17). Covid-19: Mass medic migration leaves Iran in pandemic panic. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Mass medic migration leaves Iran in pandemic panic | The pandemic has driven Iran's doctors and nurses to foreign countries that offer better financial and workplace incentives, as well as respect for the healthcare profession | Wed, 02/17/2021 – 14: 42 | As Iran struggles with the coronavirus outbreak, many Iranian doctors and nurses have chosen to emigrate for better pay and…
(2021-02-17). COVID-19 vaccine Q&A – latest news, antibody tests and tackling new variants. imperial.ac.uk Professor Robin Shattock, head of the Imperial COVID-19 vaccine project, and Dr Katrina Pollock, clinical lead, discuss latest developments.
(2021-02-17). Biden promises vaccines available to all Americans by end of July, 'significantly' less social distancing & masks a year from now. rt.com 
President Biden has predicted a "very different circumstance" for the US' Covid-19 outbreak by Christmas, saying some 600 million vaccine doses will be ready by July while noting that he's been advised against 'over-promising.' | Biden waxed optimistic about the ongoing viral outbreak during a CNN town hall event on Tuesday, declaring that "by next Christmas, I think we'll be in a very different circumstance, God willing, than we are today." He said the improvement would be further helped along if an inoculation developed by Johnson & Johnson receives FDA approval, as it is expected to sometime this month. | "
(2021-02-17). South Africa starts COVID-19 vaccination. yenisafak.com South Africa on Wednesday started vaccinating health workers against the coronavirus.President Cyril Ramaphosa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and a group of health workers were the first recipients of the vaccine."Taking the vaccine was quick, easy and not so painful. I urge all our healthcare workers to register to receive their vaccinations as they are our first line of defense against the coronavirus pandemic," Ramaphosa said shortly after receiving his jab at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town this afternoon.South Africa received its first batch of the Johnson Johnson vaccine Tuesday night, two we…
(2021-02-17). What VAERS Data Reveal About Cardiac-Related Reactions to COVID Vaccines. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | We are exactly two months into the
(2021-02-17). 46 Residents in Spanish Nursing Home Die after Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Forty-six nursing home residents who had received their first dose of …
(2021-02-17). The Iran Deal: Biden and Blinken, Wynken and Blynken. counterpunch.org 
Trump's attack on the Iran Deal was based on his ego, but done in tandem with apartheid-Israel and rogue state Saudi Arabia, whose vile leaders advised him to bomb Iran; he was reportedly on the verge of starting a war (in June 2019 and November 2020) when his more level-headed advisors checked him. (We must always recall that however sickening the Trump years they did not produce another criminal war.) Meantime Trump deeply annoyed the Europeans, such as the Deal's co-signers Germany, Britain and France, by thwarting major investment projects in the Islamic Republic. These included a factory to produce much need…
(2021-02-17). The Iran Deal: Biden and Blinken, Wykan and Blynkin. counterpunch.org Trump's attack on the Iran Deal was based on his ego, but done in tandem with apartheid-Israel and rogue state Saudi Arabia, whose vile leaders advised him to bomb Iran; he was reportedly on the verge of starting a war (in June 2019 and November 2020) when his more level-headed advisors checked him. (We must always recall that however sickening the Trump years they did not produce another criminal war.) Meantime Trump deeply annoyed the Europeans, such as the Deal's co-signers Germany, Britain and France, by thwarting major investment projects in the Islamic Republic. These included a factory to produce much need…
(2021-02-17). The Arab Spring Failed But the Rage Against Misery and Injustice Continues. counterpunch.org 
Ten years ago, people across the Middle East and North Africa rose up in protest against their rulers, demanding freedom and democracy. Despotic rulers were toppled or feared that power was being torn from their grasp in countries across the region, as millions of demonstrators surged through the streets, chanting that "the people demand the fall of the regime".
(2021-02-17). The "Return" of America: Biden's Maiden Foreign Policy Speech. counterpunch.org 
Few could have been slack-jawed at the first significant foreign policy speech of US President Joe Biden. It can easily be filed under the "America is back" label. Back as well, as if the previous administration had been incapable of it, was a promise for that practice unflatteringly called jaw-jaw. "Diplomacy," the President states from
(2021-02-17). Tyranny by Propaganda Is Tyranny by Force. strategic-culture.org 
By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | As people became more educated and more aware of what's going on in their world, they began to decide that they didn't much like being attacked by the ruler's goon squad whenever they stepped out of line. Because there are a lot more ordinary people than rulers, this forced an end to the practice of rule by overt brute force tyranny in some parts of the world. | So a few things changed. First, we began to see rulers shipping their violent goon squad enforcers overseas. While it is now taboo to openly butcher members of your citizenry who oppose you, it is considered perfectly acceptable to…
(2021-02-17). From electric vehicles to corruption — UAW faces huge challenges. workers.org 
General Motors CEO Mary Barra raised more than a few eyebrows Jan. 28, when she announced GM would have an all-electric product line by 2035. This planned phaseout of fossil fuel-burning vehicles represents a serious departure from four years ago, when GM joined the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in calling . . . |
(2021-02-17). Whose Rights Matter in Pandemic America? Not Those of Poor Americans, That's For Sure. juancole.com 
By Liz Theoharis | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — In June 1990, future South African President Nelson Mandela addressed a joint session of Congress only months after being released from 27 years in a South African apartheid prison. He reminded the political leadership of the United States that "to deny people their human rights is …
(2021-02-17). Wednesday 2/17: San Francisco Car Caravan Protest for Gig Drivers' Pandemic Health & Safety. indybay.org Meet at SAFEWAY, 2300 16th St, San Francisco 94103; then we'll car caravan to Uber Headquarters at 1455 Market St. | MASKS AND SAFETY-DISTANCING REQUIRED…
(2021-02-17). "Work Won't Love You Back": Sarah Jaffe on Toxic U.S. Work Culture & the Fight Against Inequality. democracynow.org 
Amid the economic crisis and precarious working conditions for millions of people during the pandemic, we look at a new book by Sarah Jaffe, an independent journalist and author who covers labor and economic justice. "Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone" looks at the unsustainable expectations of fulfillment around work and how the "labor of love" myth has contributed to the rise of toxic workplaces. Jaffe says the pandemic has shown that work can always get worse, and that more and more people are pushing back. "It's not just that it's a bad, grinding, slow…
(2021-02-17). Small businesses saved? Biden helped struggling firms 'first & foremost' with female nominee, press sec Psaki says. rt.com 
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki kicked off a wave of criticism after suggesting the Joe Biden administration was helping out struggling companies "first and foremost" by tapping a woman to lead the Small Business Administration. | Psaki was asked what the president intended to do to assist small business during a virtual Q&A on Tuesday, as many independent companies continue to languish under a raft of state-level shutdown policies and other restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. | "First and foremost, he nominated a woman to lead the Small Business Administration, who formerly worked there," Psaki said…
(2021-02-17). Italy's new premier unveils ambitious reform program. yenisafak.com Italy's prime minister on Wednesday unveiled in parliament his ambitious reform platform that focused on leading the country out of a devastating pandemic and a daunting recession, as his Cabinet faces two key confidence votes.Mario Draghi — a former central banker and highly regarded technocrat — was called in by Italian President Sergio Mattarella this month to solve a chaotic political crisis, which risked plunging Italy into further political uncertainty just as it battles an unprecedented health and economic crisis.Draghi and his new government — born last week after complex negotiations am…
(2021-02-17). Twitch.tv: A new frontier for the Left. dsausa.org 
Will Twitch hold an active role in the next campaign cycle? Will the Left be able to utilize this platform not only for electoral politics, but for direct action too?
(2021-02-17). THIS is why 'deregulation' is deadly. therealnews.com 
Millions of Texans are struggling to keep warm and survive Winter Storm Uri. Meanwhile, Republicans like Texas Gov. Greg Abbot are rushing to save their own asses, pushing the blame for power grid failures onto anyone but themselves; but they, and years of market-serving conservative governance, caused this mess.
(2021-02-17). Leading from the front: The role of women in Farmers' movement. mronline.org 
As lakhs of farmers continue their protest against the new farm legislations introduced by the Modi government, a remarkable number of women are not only braving the rough weather by participating in these demonstrations but are also leading from the front.
(2021-02-17). To Normalize US-Cuban Relations, Restore Working Embassies. counterpunch.org 
The new Biden administration may soon ease regulations enforcing the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba. However, if Oregon Senator Ron Wyden's new bill, the U.S.-Cuba Trade Act of 2021, becomes law, the blockade itself will disappear. Meanwhile, the two countries' embassies in Havana and Washington are dysfunctional. No normal relations will obtain until they are
(2021-02-17). Execution cruelty hidden by Trump officials to speed up death sentences. peoplesworld.org 
CHICAGO (AP)—Executioners who put 13 inmates to death in the last months of the Trump administration likened the process of dying by lethal injection to falling asleep and called gurneys "beds" and final breaths "snores." But those tranquil accounts are at odds with reports by The Associated Press and other media witnesses of how prisoners' stomachs rolled, …
(2021-02-17). Solidarity accelerates with Amazon workers' union drive in Alabama. workers.org 
Solidarity with the struggle of 5,800+ Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., to unionize continues to grow, following the heroic lead of this majority-Black workforce fighting for justice on the job. Walking the Powder Plant Road approach to the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala.,where a union drive is underway by the . . . |
(2021-02-17). Israelis, In God's Name, Why? counterpunch.org 
"The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is a time to mourn those who disappeared and to reflect upon the choice of the individuals and governments that allowed this genocide to unfold. It is also a call for vigilance and for action, to address the root causes of hatred
(2021-02-17). Congressional Budget Office Not Competent to Assess Economics of Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org 
A Congressional Budget Office Report on the Raise the Wage Act of 2021 underpins a February 11 Washington Post editorial headlined, "Democrats Must Listen to the Data."
(2021-02-17). Texas infrastructure nears complete collapse as capitalist neglect meets climate change-driven winter storms. liberationnews.org 
Four million or more Texans are without power. Outages that were initially called "rolling outages" are now lasting several days. The private non-profit corporation that oversees the electric grid is now admitting that they are "unable to predict" when conditions will stabilize.
(2021-02-17). Texans freeze as fossil-fuel power grid fails, but conservatives blame wind turbines. peoplesworld.org 
While Texans suffer from freezing temperatures and extensive power outages, frozen wind turbines are being used as a ploy to spread skepticism on the reliability of renewable energy. This week, a relentless winter storm pummeled through parts of the southern and central U.S., causing people to crank their electric heating systems. In Texas, the energy demand became too high for …
(2021-02-17). Big Oil Spent $10 million Lobbying California Officials in 2020. counterpunch.org 
The powerful oil industry lobby in California in 2020 spent less on lobbying in California than it did in 2019, but still managed to defeat legislation it opposed and getting CalGEM, the state's gas and oil regulatory agency, to double the number of new oil production well permits approved in the state. The top four oil industry lobbyist employers — the Western
(2021-02-17). Trump's right-wing Egyptian allies attack Biden administration and Dems. peoplesworld.org 
Egypt's miserable record on human rights has resulted in two Democrats launching a congressional group to deal with the situation. On Jan. 25, Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Don Beyer of Virginia announced the formation of the "Egypt Human Rights Caucus." Egyptian human rights organizations and activists in the U.S. have responded …
(2021-02-17). Fight for $15: Is Biden trying to sabotage key provision of his own stimulus bill? liberationnews.org 
One of the biggest unanswered questions regarding the stimulus package is whether or not it will include a provision to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.