Daily Archives: March 15, 2021

2021-03-15: News Headlines

Lindsey Tanner (2021-03-15). Long-haulers struggle with symptoms as scientists work to solve coronavirus mystery. peoplesworld.org (AP) There was no reason to celebrate on Rachel Van Lear's anniversary. The same day a global pandemic was declared, she developed symptoms of COVID-19. A year later, she's still waiting for them to disappear. And for experts to come up with some answers. The Texas woman is one of thousands of self-described long-haulers, patients […] | In the aftermath of the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, drone warfare is being touted as the latest breakthrough in military technology, a "magic bullet" that makes armored vehicles obsolete, defeats sophisticated anti-aircraft systems,…

WSWS (2021-03-15). Canadian health officials shut Amazon warehouse after mass COVID-19 outbreak. wsws.org The Heritage Road Fulfilment Centre is Amazon's largest warehouse in Canada, employing some 5,000 workers.

WSWS (2021-03-15). B.1.1.7 variants detected in Florida are approaching dangerous threshold. wsws.org The proportion of B.1.1.7 variants found in COVID-19 genetic tests in Florida has reached 50 percent. Many public health officials are concerned that lifting restrictions and spring break will cause a new surge in infections.

RT (2021-03-15). Zuckerberg unveils new Facebook feature aimed at helping people get their Covid vaccine. rt.com Facebook is rolling out a tool that will make it easier for people to find information about where and when they can receive a Covid-19 shot, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced, as the platform fights disinformation about the jab. | In a message posted to the social media platform, Zuckerberg said that Facebook was launching a feature that will show users places nearby that are offering the shot, and will also help them make an appointment for it. The tool, part of the platform's 'Covid Information Center,' could help "millions" of people make vaccination appointments, the CEO said. The tool will also be availa…

Staff (2021-03-15). Congress Urged to Stop Debt Collectors From Snatching Relief Checks. truthout.org Direct payments from the newly approved coronavirus relief package began landing in people's bank accounts with Unlike the Covid relief bi…

Staff (2021-03-15). Black Farmers Hail $5 Billion in COVID Relief to Redress Generations of Racism. truthout.org A major provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aims to address decades of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers who have historically been excluded from government agricultural programs. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with about half of that amount set aside for farmers of color, and allocates extra federal funds to farmers who were "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice bec…

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-15). Iran COVID-19 update: 100 deaths, 7,980 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 7,980 COVID-19 infections and 100 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-15). Iranian COVID-19 vaccine starts clinical trial. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) — Phases two and three of clinical trials of the first Iranian corona vaccine, produced and manufactured by the domestic researchers at Execution of Imam Khomeini Order (EIKO), entitled COVO Iran Barakat" kicked off on Mon.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-15). Clinical trial of Iranian COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) — Clinical trials of the first Iranian corona vaccine, produced and manufactured by the domestic researchers at Execution of Imam Khomeini Order (EIKO), entitled COVIRAN Barekat" kicked off on Mon.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-15). Iran to kick off production of 3mn doses of COVIRAN. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) — Head of Execution of Imam Khomeini Order (EIKO) informed that Iran will start producing three million doses of its anti-Covid-19 vaccine, COVIRAN, today.

Staff (2021-03-15). "Huge Victory": Black Farmers Hail $5B in New COVID Relief Law to Redress Generations of Racism. democracynow.org A major provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aims to address decades of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American farmers who have historically been excluded from government agricultural programs. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $10.4 billion for agriculture support, with about half of that amount set aside for farmers of color, and allocates extra federal funds to farmers who were "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group." The U.S. Department of Agriculture has faced accusations of racism for dec…

Ali Harb (2021-03-15). US lawmakers urge Israel to vaccinate Palestinians as 'occupying entity'. middleeasteye.net US lawmakers urge Israel to vaccinate Palestinians as 'occupying entity' | Seventeen House members call for 'continued pressure' on Israel to meet its obligations under international law | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 19: 12 | Israeli helicopter carrying PM Benjamin Netanyahu flies over demonstrators in the Palestinian village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, 14 March (AFP) | Progressive members of the US Congress renewe…

yenisafak (2021-03-15). Somalia receives first batch of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Somalia on Monday received the first shipment of 300,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the global COVAX initiative, the Health Ministry said.Somali Health Ministry Fawzia Abikar, other government officials and UN's especial envoy to Somalia James Swan were present at the airport to receive the shipment, said a ministry statement.According to the statement, the first shipment will target frontline workers, elderly and people with chronic health conditions."The arrival of the vaccine happens at a critical times as Somalia now experiencing a new wave of the pandemic. It can only be contained if all countr…

yenisafak (2021-03-15). AstraZeneca reiterates safety of vaccine amid concerns. yenisafak.com Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca issued a statement Sunday reiterating the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine based on scientific evidence amid concerns over reports of people developing blood clots after receiving it.The company said safety was of paramount importance for them and that they continually monitor the safety of the vaccine."A careful review of all available safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the EU and UK with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia, in any defined age group, gen…

Online News Editor (2021-03-15). India adds over 26,000 new Covid-19 cases, highest daily in 3 months. laprensalatina.com New Delhi, Mar 15 (efe-epa).- India on Monday added 26,291 new Covid-19 infections, registering the highest single-day spike in almost three months in a country where the everyday number had seen a steep decline. The federal health ministry data said showed 118 new deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours from Sunday …

Online News Editor (2021-03-15). West Bank reports record Covid-19 figures as fresh lockdown enforced. laprensalatina.com Jerusalem, Mar 15 (efe-epa).- Palestinian authorities in the West Bank on Monday registered record levels of Covid-19 infections as a new lockdown came into force with hospitals running at full capacity. The health ministry reported 2,123 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, which confirmed to Efe that it was the highest daily toll since the pandemic …

Beth Geglia (2021-03-15). Cuba Working on a 'People's Vaccine': the US and the world should get behind it. counterpunch.org From my hospital bed, as the global emergency around me escalated, I witnessed how the Cuban government swiftly mobilized resources to protect its citizens from Covid-19: at-home testing for anyone with symptoms, door to door preventative education in the most vulnerable neighborhoods, and coordinated isolation when necessary. While deaths soared toward 100,000 in the U.S., Cuba was able to get the average daily Covid-19 related deaths close to zero for most of May-August.

Dr. Ronald B. Brown (2021-03-15). The Hidden Truth Behind the Too-Good-to-be True COVID-19 Vaccines: An Interview with Dr. Ronald B. Brown, PhD. globalresearch.ca "Draconian public health measures are imposed on society with little proof of effectiveness, and much proof of collateral damage, there is little debate covered in the commercial media about public health issues."

Channel News Asia (2021-03-15). Netherlands Halts Use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca The Netherlands will suspend the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine until …

Children's Health Defense (2021-03-15). These 'Inactive' Ingredients in COVID Vaccines Could Trigger Allergic Reactions. globalresearch.ca COVID vaccine makers have not only introduced new primary ingredients to …

Brian Shilhavy (2021-03-15). CDC: 1,524 Dead 31,079 Injured Following Experimental COVID mRNA "Vaccines" globalresearch.ca The CDC added more data today into the Vaccine Adverse Event …

Brian Shilhavy (2021-03-15). Pakistanis Do Not Trust Western Vaccines — Why Should They? Experimental COVID "Vaccines" Unwelcome by Many in Pakistan. globalresearch.ca Ignorant, backwards, unscientific, religious fanatics: This is how the western corporate …

yenisafak (2021-03-15). Turkey to accept tourists based on vaccination, cases. yenisafak.com Before accepting tourists from a country, Turkey will take the daily coronavirus case tally into account along with the national vaccination program in place, the culture and tourism minister said Monday.Speaking to BBC One ahead of the tourism season, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Turkey will demand a negative PCR test from tourists who enter Turkey until April 15.The practice will be re-evaluated with Turkey's Health Ministry after April 15."We will look at the number of cases [in the countries] after April 15. If there is a decrease in the number of cases, we will not request negative PCR tests from people of those c…

Online News Editor (2021-03-15). More EU countries halt use of AstraZeneca vaccine. laprensalatina.com (Update: adds EMA and WHO statements, minor edits) Madrid Desk, Mar 15 (efe-epa).- France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Slovenia on Monday became the latest countries to suspend the distribution of the coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. At a joint press conference with the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, after a bilateral summit …

_____ (2021-03-15). Cuba Working on a 'People's Vaccine': the U.S. and the World Should Get Behind It. strategic-culture.org Cuba is now poised to play an important role in global efforts to curb the pandemic. New variants in South Africa and Brazil, all with yet unknown implications for vaccine effectiveness, have shown us that any effort to achieve herd immunity is only as good as it is accessible equitably across the globe. Yet, as predicted, the global north is outpacing the global south dramatically in vaccination.

Staff (2021-03-15). CDC Insisted Surgical Masks Were Enough. Caregivers of Color Suffered Most. truthout.org This story also ran on Since the start of the pandemic, the most terrifying task in health care was thought to be when a doctor put a breathing tube down the trachea of a crit…

Staff (2021-03-15). Headlines for March 15, 2021. democracynow.org FEMA to Deploy to U.S. Border Where 4,200 Migrant Children Are Being Held, States Open Up Vaccine Eligibility as Fauci Warns Flouting Health Measures Could Lead to New Surge, Italy Back in Lockdown, Germany Declares Third Wave, as Brazil Deaths and Cases Surge, More Countries Suspend Use of AstraZeneca Vaccine After Reports of Blood Clots, Burma Sees Deadliest Day of Anti-Coup Protests as U.S. Grants TPS Status to Burmese Nationals, Car Bomb in Afghanistan Kills at Least 8 as U.S. Seeks to Accelerate Peace Talks, Kosovo Opens Embassy, Czech Republic Opens Diplomatic Office in Jerusalem, 39 Students Missing After…

Beth Geglia (2021-03-15). Cuba Working on a 'People's Vaccine'. zcomm.org The US and the world should get behind it…

Huitzilopochtli Marron (2021-03-15). 'Immigrants are welcome here,' San Diego protesters in solidarity with migrant caravan. liberationnews.org All revolutionary and progressive people should defend the freedom of movement for all people fleeing the horrors of U.S. imperialism regardless of their documentation status.

Eds. (2021-03-15). Women and nature: Towards an ecosocialist feminism. mronline.org MR Online

Staff (2021-03-15). U.S. Lawyer Steven Donziger Speaks from House Arrest in NYC After Suing Chevron for Amazon Oil Spills. democracynow.org Decades of reckless oil drilling by Chevron have destroyed 1,700 square miles of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but the company has refused to pay for the damage or clean up the land despite losing a lawsuit 10 years ago, when Ecuador's Supreme Court ordered the oil giant to pay $18 billion on behalf of 30,000 Amazonian Indigenous people. Instead of cleaning up the damage, Chevron has spent the past decade waging an unprecedented legal battle to avoid paying for the environmental destruction, while also trying to take down the environmental lawyer Steven Donziger, who helped bring the landmark case. Donziger, who…

RT (2021-03-15). US has 1,000 'off-the-books' troops in Afghanistan, some of whom work with the CIA — media. rt.com The US military's presence in Afghanistan is larger than the public has been led to believe, the New York Times has reported, as Washington mulls a full withdrawal from the country as part of a deal with the Taliban. | Citing US, European and Afghan officials, the Times

Lorri Nandrea (2021-03-15). Amazon alienation: Alabama union drive isn't just about wages. peoplesworld.org In a recent interview with The Real News Network, Amazon worker Darryl Richardson described his job as a picker in the Bessemer, Ala., fulfillment center. He clocks in, and a video stream tells him where to go. He logs in at his station, then waits until the robot comes. A video stream tells him what …

MEE staff (2021-03-15). Palestinians lambast Netanyahu's visit to archaeological site near settler outpost. middleeasteye.net Palestinians lambast Netanyahu's visit to archaeological site near settler outpost | The PA's foreign ministry says the visit will embolden settlers to attack Palestinians | Mon, 03/15/2021 – 14: 38 | Palestinian women chant slogans as Israeli soldiers stand guard during a protest in the Palestinian village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, 14 March 2021 (AFP) | Palestine's foreign affairs ministry on Monday…

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-15). Thomas Piketty and Karl Marx: Two totally different visions of Capital. mronline.org MR Online

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-03-15). Ten Problems With Biden's Foreign Policy — and One Solution. counterpunch.org The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it's not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed—or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama's New START Treaty with Russia and Secretary of State Blinken's

Tim Wheeler (2021-03-15). Pat Barile: A century of devotion to workers, equality, and socialism. peoplesworld.org Pat Barile learned the meaning of the word devotion from the rank-and-file workers at the Sonotone Corporation plant in White Plains, N.Y. in the mid-1940s and 1950s. Repeatedly, they elected him president of United Electrical Workers Local 428 for ten years—even after Cold Warriors had branded him a Communist and instigated a witch hunt and …

Eds. (2021-03-15). Murdoch Paper gives away the game: Cuomo is on their side. mronline.org MR Online

Stephen F. Eisenman (2021-03-15). The Invisible Professor. counterpunch.org Three years ago, I informed my colleagues I would retire in 2021. That's when I became invisible. I'd never been invisible before. As the youngest of three children growing up in Forest Hills, Queens, I received extra attention from my parents, or so my sister and brother regularly tell me. In college, at SUNY Albany,

yenisafak (2021-03-15). Turkey to accept tourists based on vaccination, cases. yenisafak.com Before accepting tourists from a country, Turkey will take the daily coronavirus case tally into account along with the national vaccination program in place, the culture and tourism minister said Monday.Speaking to BBC One ahead of the tourism season, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Turkey will demand a negative PCR test from tourists who enter Turkey until April 15.The practice will be re-evaluated with Turkey's Health Ministry after April 15."We will look at the number of cases [in the countries] after April 15. If there is a decrease in the number of cases, we will not request negative PCR tests from people of those c…

Hayley Halpin (2021-03-15). Ireland: Weekly Vaccine Target Reduced by 30,000 Doses Due to Precautionary Pause in AstraZeneca Use. globalresearch.ca The number of doses to be administered in Ireland this week …

The Conversation (2021-03-15). Sudan's Progressive, Secular Revolutionary Government faces Food Riots and Ethnic Violence. juancole.com By Andrew E. Yaw Tchie | — Sudan's political transition is in a precarious phase. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's government is facing a wide variety of challenges, including protests over the price of goods and commodities, and a resurgence of violence in the country's Darfur region. If the situation continues to unravel, the country could …

Bezaleel Jupiter (2021-03-15). Why does Jackson, Mississippi have unsafe water? liberationnews.org The government—at the national, state, and city levels—is responsible for Jackson's water crisis and is also responsible for repairing the water system in its entirety.

John Clamp (2021-03-15). Myanmar: a Defiant Nation, Still Denied Justice. counterpunch.org Considering that the entire population of Myanmar, save the Tatmadaw and its shills, are now effectively prisoners to a politics anathema to all ordinary citizens, here's an update. The army are inveigling and paying villagers and retired military personnel to go and batter anti-coup protesters, in a darkly satirical take on astroturfing straight out of

Richard Rhames (2021-03-15). Farming: A Dirty Truth. counterpunch.org These days it's common for in-crowd folks to adopt trendy and overused lingo. Maybe you've noticed that we don't have towns or cities anymore. We have "communities." "Problems" have been banished in favor of "challenges." Once upon a time there was a notion of "truth." Now everybody apparently has "their truth." Perhaps related is the

Erik Molvar (2021-03-15). Honor the Tribal Vision for Bears Ears National Monument. counterpunch.org President Obama's team lopped off more than half a million acres from the tribes' proposal in the final designation, including Wilson Mesa, lands between White Canyon and Red Canyon, and the eastern slopes of the Abajo Mountains. These changes were made to appease local concerns, following public meetings senior Obama administration officials held with area residents. In the end, the concessions were fruitless, and the political backlash was immediate.

Jeremy Ross (2021-03-15). How a Colombian Ex-President Went to Bat for Trump in Florida. counterpunch.org Latin Americans are used to the US government interfering in their politics. Over the years, the US has helped orchestrate a number of coups throughout the hemisphere, most notoriously the 1954 ouster of Guatemala's Jacobo àÅrbenz, and the 1973 military coup against Chile's Salvador Allende. But there are far more recent examples of meddling, including

John Wojcik (2021-03-15). GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin backs Jan. 6 insurrectionists. peoplesworld.org Over the past few days, we've seen yet again a major indication that top Republican lawmakers are defending and promoting the white supremacists who attempted to overthrow the government on Jan. 6. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has intensified his prior defense of the right-wing insurrectionists by saying that he had nothing to fear from them …

Julie Norris (2021-03-15). Bronx tenants to local politicians: 'Cancel the rents!'. liberationnews.org The tenant movement is growing more determined each day to expose and fight the injustice of housing under capitalism.

Wayne Nealis (2021-03-15). Reflections on Chauvin jury selection: Can anyone really be impartial? peoplesworld.org The commitment and ability to maintain impartiality looms large in the jury selection process in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd. When the judge swears in a potential juror, he asks whether they can maintain impartiality and render judgment based on the facts, evidence, and the …