Daily Archives: February 25, 2021

2021-02-25: News Headlines

Fight Back (2021-02-26). Black prisoners don't matter to Leon County jails. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – You are just a worthless Black prisoner, and we don't care about you. | That is the message that the white power structure in Leon County is sending to the prisoners in the Leon County jail. Your lives simply don't matter. | If you die from COVID-19, good riddance. It will save the public the expense involved in taking care of you. | Neither Tallahassee Mayor John Daily, County Commission Chair Rick Minor, County Administrator Vince Long, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) CEO Mark O'Bryant, the Leon County Health Department Director Claudia Blackburn, nor any lobbyist or membe…

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20 percent of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

G. Dunkel (2021-02-25). COVID crisis drags down U.S. life expectancy. workers.org The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States is now over 500,000. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. life expectancy dropped by a full year from the first six months of 2019 to the first six months of 2020. This is the biggest drop . . . |

Vincent Emanuele (2021-02-25). Dr. Osterholm's Warning: COVID Hurricane on the Horizon. counterpunch.org Twelve months ago, Dr. Michael Osterholm was interviewed on the Joe Rogan Program. At the time, he warned that anywhere from 400,000 to 1.5 million Americans would die of COVID and that the pandemic would last for many years and significantly impact our lives. So far, his predictions have been eerily accurate. Today, Dr. Osterholm is warning that a "Category 5 COVID-hurricane" is on the horizon, with the B117/UK Variant posing the greatest threat.

David Cavendish (2021-02-25). It's time to shorten the workday—and the workweek. peoplesworld.org It's been nearly a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced people in our society to "shelter in place," social distance, and wear masks. Most social activities, such as sporting events, concerts, and parades were canceled. Schools and businesses closed, forcing nearly 50 million people onto the unemployment rolls. And while in recent months the numbers …

Chris Banks (2021-02-25). Half a million dead: What's the difference between Biden's and Trump's COVID plans? liberationnews.org The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has now surpassed half a million people — approximately 20% of all COVID-19 deaths on the planet, according to official statistics. The United States continues to lead the world in coronavirus deaths, with January ranking as the United States' deadliest month yet. Reflecting this monumental death toll, …

Jomo Kwame Sundaram (2021-02-25). Developing Countries struggling to cope with COVID-19. mronline.org SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting most developing countries disproportionately, especially the United Nations' least developed countries (LDCs) and the World Bank's low-income countries (LICs).

Chris Hartmann (2021-02-25). To 'Build Back Better,' listen to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. peoplesworld.org Though often ignored, communities know best what ails them. I am reminded of this often because I hear it in my classroom. I heard it before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I hear it louder now as the pandemic rages on. At the end of last term, amidst the surge in cases after Thanksgiving, I asked …

United Health Professionals (2021-02-25). The Covid Outbreak: "Biggest Health Scam of the 21st Century." Report by 1500 Health Professionals. globalresearch.ca "We are health professionals of the international collective : United Health Professionals, composed of more than 1,500 members (including professors of medicine, intensive care physicians and infectious disease specialists) from different countries of Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Oceania and, …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-25). Minorities and the poor are the worst affected by COVID-19 in the US. peoplesdispatch.org The COVID-19 death toll in the US not only outstrips the fatalities of other badly affected nations, but also outnumbers the annual death rate of the most devastating wars and epidemics of the 19th and 20th century…

teleSUR (2021-02-25). The US To Study COVID-19 Long-Term Health Effects. telesurenglish.net The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a major new initiative to study the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the means of prevention and treatment of individuals who have been sickened by COVID-19 but do not recover fully over a long period of time. | RELATED: | Large numbers of patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 continue to experience a constellation of symptoms long pas…

_____ (2021-02-25). Build New Infrastructure For A Broader Movement. popularresistance.org The huge upswing in worker organizing in 2020 often had union support, but with an experimental twist. | Over the first few months of the COVID-19 epidemic, workers from bridal shops to pizza places to supermarkets were organizing to get Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and winning. They used tools like the coworker.org site, which helps anyone start up a petition in their workplace and make demands. Groups like the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC), a project of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the United Electrical Workers Union (UE) supported those workers taking independent act…

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-02-25). Cuba is one step closer to launching its own anti-COVID vaccines. peoplesdispatch.org Cuba is the only country in the Latin American and the Caribbean region that is working to develop its own vaccines against COVID-19. The country has four vaccine candidates. Two of them, Soberana 02 of the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) and Abdala of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), will begin the third phase of clinical trials in March…

Online News Editor (2021-02-25). Bolivia extends Covid-19 vaccination to chronically ill people. laprensalatina.com Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- President Luis Arce traveled to Bolivia's largest city on Thursday to see the Covid-19 vaccine administered to people with underlying health conditions, such as cancer or kidney failure, along with medical personnel who were not inoculated in the first phase of the vaccination effort. The start of expanded vaccination …

Online News Editor (2021-02-25). Altetico Madrid's stadium becomes Covid-19 vaccination hub. laprensalatina.com Madrid, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- The home stadium of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid opened its doors Thursday as authorities in the Spanish capital started to vaccinate teachers, police officers, firefighters and civil defense personnel against Covid-19. Teachers aged over 55 years can also receive their doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at healthcare centers in addition …

Online News Editor (2021-02-25). 40 minutes a jab, Portugal speeds up vaccine process amid delay fears. laprensalatina.com Oeiras, Portugal, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- Stand in line, get the jab and wait to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction — it takes a total of 40 minutes to get a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at one of Portugal's most efficient centers. The rhythm of the vaccination campaign has picked up speed …

Online News Editor (2021-02-25). Merkel says EU to have Covid-19 vaccine passport by summer. laprensalatina.com Berlin, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- The European Union plans to institute a Covid-19 vaccine passport by summer with an eye toward enabling travel within the 27-member bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said here Thursday. The bloc's executive arm, the European Commission, has been given three months to define the technical parameters for an immunization passport, she …

Online News Editor (2021-02-25). Qantas pushes resumption of international flights to October. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- Qantas Airways Ltd. announced Thursday that it will resume international flights to and from Australia at the end of October, almost four months later than estimated. "The date change aligns with the expected timeframe for Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be effectively complete," the airlines said in a statement. Australia, …

Online News Editor (2021-02-26). Biden: US has administered 50 mn anti-Covid vaccine doses. laprensalatina.com Washington, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed the fact that the US has now administered 50 million doses of the vaccines against Covid-19, an achievement he said was an enormous milestone in defeating the virus. "In five weeks, America's administered the most shots of any country in the world, with among the …

imperial.ac.uk (2021-02-25). Single dose of vaccine acts as 'booster' in those with prior COVID-19 infection. imperial.ac.uk Two new studies have revealed insights into the immune protection provided by a single dose of COVID-19 vaccination.

Rep. Barbara Lee (2021-02-25). Friday 2/26: Virtual Town Hall: Vaccines & the Impact of COVID-19 on the Black Community. indybay.org Virtual town hall via FB livestream…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities. middleeasteye.net Israel approves bill allowing names of unvaccinated to be shared with authorities | Legislation allows government to share identities of people not vaccinated against Covid-19 with other authorities, raising privacy concerns for those opting out of inoculation | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 16: 54 | A plenary session at the Israeli parliament in 2019 (AFP) | Israel's parliament approved a law on Wedn…

Staff (2021-02-25). COVID Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for Blind People. truthout.org Many covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a KHN investigation has found. | Across the country, people who use special software to make the web accessible have been unable to sign up for the vaccines or obtain vital information about covid-19 because many government websites lack required accessibility features. At l…

Staff (2021-02-25). Over 100 Countries Push to Loosen Rules on Vaccine Patents as US Blocks the Way. truthout.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over…

Dr. Sadaf Gilani (2021-02-25). Synthetic mRNA COVID Vaccines: A Risk-Benefit Analysis. 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). | *** | With a "vaccine" based on untested technology, and safety trials still …

Staff (2021-02-25). 100+ Countries Push to Loosen WTO Rules on Vaccine Patents. Why Is the U.S. Still Blocking the Way? democracynow.org As the pandemic's death toll nears 2.5 million, stringent rules around intellectual property rights could be preventing much of the world from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. Over 45 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the United Nations, while 130 other countries have not received any vaccines at all, leading to what some describe as "vaccine apartheid." At the World Trade Organization, South Africa and India are leading a push by over 100 nations to waive intellectual property rules that give pharmaceutical companies monopolistic control over vaccines they…

Staff (2021-02-25). Headlines for February 25, 2021. democracynow.org Biden and VP Harris to Mark 50 Million Shots Since Start of Admin, FDA Moves Closer to Approval of Single-Dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine, Manchin Will Vote to Confirm Rep. Haaland for Interior Sec. as Neera Tanden's Bid for OMB in Peril, Biden Admin to Release Intel Report on Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 Murder, 6,500 Migrant Workers Have Died in Qatar Since It Was Named Host of 2022 World Cup, At Least 41 Migrants Drown in Mediterranean After Boat Capsizes, Amnesty Revokes Alexei Navalny's "Prisoner of Conscience" Status over Hateful Remarks, 79 Prisoners Killed in Ecuador in Gang-Related Violence, Angola, Lo…

Global Research News (2021-02-25). Selected Articles: The Covid Outbreak: "Biggest Health Scam of the 21st Century." globalresearch.ca By We are health professionals of the international collective :…

RT (2021-02-25). Flu gets the cold shoulder: Influenza now virtually non-existent in US as Covid-19 spread continues. rt.com The coronavirus-battered US has enjoyed an unusually calm flu season, showing the lowest figures in decades. The lack of influenza likely stems from enduring restrictions — or Covid-19 wrestling out weaker germs, experts believe. | The ongoing pandemic has had an unexpected effect on the US healthscape, with the conventional flu being almost completely wiped out. Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a sharp drop in influenza cases occurred last April — and the figures remain extremely low ever since. | The 2020-21 flu season has essentially not even happened at a…

sputniknews (2021-02-25). Philippines Offering to Deploy Additional Nurses to Britain, Germany in Exchange for COVID Vaccines. sputniknews.com Carlito Galvez, a former general leading the Philippine government's COVID-19 novel coronavirus response, announced in January that the country is seeking to purchase "at least 148 million doses from seven manufacturers," but procurement will be dependent on global supply.

sputniknews (2021-02-25). French Experts Warn Jab Pace Too Slow to Dodge Third Spring Wave of COVID-19. sputniknews.com France has avoided a third nationwide lockdown, tightening restrictions to stave off a new surge of virus cases, yet with an average number of new daily infections at about 20,000 and a slow-moving vaccine rollout linked to the EU's struggle to secure a consistent supply of jabs.

Staff (2021-02-25). "Not Ready to Give Up": Democrats Push Senate to Keep Popular $15 Minimum Wage in Stimulus Bill. democracynow.org As the House of Representatives prepares to pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, a fight is brewing over the inclusion of an increase to the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The measure is at risk in the Senate, where conservative Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema oppose its inclusion in the relief bill or suggest a lower amount. Congressmember Jan Schakowsky of Illinois says Congress must pass the minimum wage hike to help address inequality in the United States. "The current minimum wage, federally, is $7.25. Now, you can't live on that. You can't raise a family…

Eds. (2021-02-25). Human nature is no barrier to socialism. mronline.org Of all the reasons to be angry during the pandemic—the profit-first response of governments, the neglected state of the health system, the environmental crisis underpinning the disaster, the millions dead—it has been people buying extra toilet paper that has elicited the most outrage.

_____ (2021-02-25). West's Cold War Paranoia Limiting Global Pandemic Vaccination. strategic-culture.org What is thwarting an effective global strategy is a cynical Cold War mindset expressed by the likes of Ursula von der Leyen who would rather deny their own populations protection from the disease than to see Russia and China as partners… | United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has Western "big pharma" profit imper…

Workers World Party (2021-02-25). PDF of February 25 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Texas freeze: Rich get richer, workers suffer 50+ actions: Solidarity with #BAmazon workers BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Washerwomen Strike Steelworker resistance ALSO: Free Mumia! UAW in crisis Police repel hungry people U.S. life expectancy drops Vaccine patents = profits Editorial: Whole world is watching GLOBAL: Who is Navalny? . . . |

Jon Skolnik (2021-02-25). DeSantis touts lack of vaccine plan as study finds more than 95,000 Floridians may die without one. salon.com Gov. Ron DeSantis defended Florida's open-ended vaccine plan. Then a data firm predicted "complete chaos"

Lee Siu Hin, Immigrant Solidarity Network (2021-02-25). 2/23: Vaccine Imperialism: China vs. the Western WorldÔºöÔºö. indybay.org Vaccine Racism: How wealthy nations stockpile life-saving vaccines while poor countries and poor people within these countries are ignored. How western countries criticize China, despite China's success in containing the virus and providing vaccines to the world.

RT (2021-02-25). 700+ children remain in detention at US border, 200 for over 48 hours, amid spike in unaccompanied crossings — media. rt.com Hundreds of unaccompanied minors have been held at the US border waiting to be processed, Axios reported. Almost a third of them have been lingering in detention for more than two days, as the backlog piles up. | Around 700 minors who crossed into the US on their own were kept in Border Patrol Custody as of Sunday, Axios By that time, around 200 children had already been held up for over 48 hours, a…

_____ (2021-02-25). Letter: On The Matter Of Assange's Lawyers Considering A Cross Appeal. popularresistance.org Julian Assange's lawyers are considering bringing a cross appeal to the High Court in London disputing parts of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser's Jan. 4 judgment not to extradite Assange to the United States, according to a report by journalist Tareq Haddad. | Baraitser refused the U.S. request on narrow grounds, saying Assange's extradition would put his life and health at risk. But Baraitser sided with the U.S. on every other point of law and fact, making it clear that in the absence of the life and health issues she would have granted the U.S. request. | That opens the way for the U.S. government to seek the…

_____ (2021-02-25). Democracy Now Amplifies State Department Propaganda Campaign Against China Behind Progressive Cover. strategic-culture.org By Danny HAIPHONG | While Democracy Now hosts US gov't-funded pundits to spread humanitarian interventionist propaganda about Xinjiang, an analysis by The Grayzone found most of the outlets's China coverage is sharply negative | The U.S. has claimed a humanitarian "Responsibility to Protect" to justify military operations in the name of saving civilian lives from evil dictators. Most notable have been the brutal U.S.-led wars in Libya and Syria which destabilized entire regions in the name of "civilian protection" and "promoting democracy." These operations relied heavily on self-described human rights NGO's and…

RT (2021-02-25). Trump hands over 'MILLIONS of pages' of tax returns to Manhattan DA — reports. rt.com Former president Donald Trump has reportedly handed over his tax returns to prosecutors in New York. With Trump describing the investigation as a "fishing expedition," sifting through the "millions of pages" may take time. | The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump's lawyers may no longer shield the ex-president's tax returns from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who is investigating whether Trump and the Trump Organization committed any financial crimes, including his alleged inflating of property values to secure loans. | Trump's lawyers immediately handed over the returns, CNN reported on Thu…

William Boardman (2021-02-25). How Rational Can the US Be in Dealing with Yemen and Iran? dissidentvoice.org We're also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen — a war which has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe. I've asked my Middle East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks…. And to underscore our commitment, …

MEE and agencies (2021-02-25). Yemen: UN aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert 'man-made' famine. middleeasteye.net Yemen: UN aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert 'man-made' famine | Mark Lowcock made the appeal ahead of a virtual pledging conference, highlighting a big drop off in aid support in 2020 | Thu, 02/25/2021 – 08: 36 | The United Nations describes Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 80 percent of the people in need (AFP) | UN aid chief Mark Lowcock urged Gulf sta…

Viviana Weinstein (2021-02-26). Denver protest: 'No war on Iran!'. workers.org Feb. 20, Denver.Denver Students for a Democratic Society, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Denver Peace Council held a demonstration Feb. 20 at the state capital, in cooperation with the national call to prevent Washington from instigating a war against Iran. Threats the U.S. warships would move into the Persian/Arabian . . . |

A Guest Author (2021-02-26). Denver protest: 'No war on Iran!'. workers.org By Vivian Weinstein Denver Students for a Democratic Society, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Denver Peace Council held a demonstration Feb. 20 at the state capital, in cooperation with the national call to prevent Washington from instigating a war against Iran. Threats the U.S. warships would move into the . . . |

Staff (2021-02-25). Republicans Think Commission to Investigate January 6 Needs More Republicans. truthout.org Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) The commission will be tasked with investigating the events of the at…

Staff (2021-02-25). "Decades in the Making": How Mainstream Conservatives & Right-Wing Money Fueled the Capitol Attack. democracynow.org As more details emerge about those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, it's becoming clearer that the insurrection was not the work of a "fringe" group, but rather the result of a decades-long conservative effort to undermine democracy, according to author Brendan O'Connor. "The events of January 6 were not just months, but years, decades, in the making," says O'Connor, who notes that major Republican donors and prominent conservative groups were connected to the Trump rally that immediately preceded the Capitol riot.

Ted Kelly (2021-02-26). Biden sends B-1 bombers to Norway, threatens Russia. workers.org The U.S. Air Force announced during February that it is sending four B-1 bombers and at least 200 personnel to Orland Air Base on the central coast of Norway. Pentagon officials made no secret of the fact that the deployment is meant as a threat to Russia, which is well . . . |

A Guest Author (2021-02-26). Black rage: a new 'reconstruction' in the U.S. workers.org The following letter from an incarcerated worker at SCI Pine Grove was received by Workers World Feb. 24. By Wesley Massey How do we make a paradigm shift to change how Blacks are viewed with pessimism, and on a good day cautious optimism? How do we change the culture in . . . |

sputniknews (2021-02-25). 'The EU's Vaccine Rollout Has Been an Advert For Brexit', Political Commentator Says. sputniknews.com In a world where they say that anything is possible, there are still many things that we think we'll never live to see. Germany's number one newspaper BILD declaring 'Dear British We Envy You' emblazoned on their front page, was certainly one such thing.