Monthly Archives: March 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 …

2021-03-14: News Headlines

RT (2021-03-14). US could reach 'certain' post-Covid 'degree of normality' by mid-summer, 'no exact date' for events like indoor weddings. rt.com White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci has expressed confidence in President Joe Biden's Covid-19 vaccination plan, but says he can give no timeline for a return to normal. | "There are two issues: getting enough doses, which we will have with the new contracts with the pharmaceutical companies. But once you get those doses, to get it into people's arms," Fauci told CNN on Sunday when discussing Covid-19 vaccine distribution plans. | Fauci expressed support for Biden's wish that the US would be able to mark "independence" from the pandemic by July 4 and gather without masks or social distancing for tradi…

Online News Editor (2021-03-14). A year after draconian lockdown, Spain pins hope on vaccines. laprensalatina.com By Antonia Méndez Ardila Madrid, Mar 14 (efe-epa).- A year after Spain was plunged into a draconian lockdown as Covid-19 first took hold, the country has just emerged from a third wave and its inhabitants are placing their hopes on the vaccine rollout, although millions have suffered the economic consequences of pandemic restrictions. On 14 …

Online News Editor (2021-03-14). Fresh restrictions as Covid cases climb in parts of Europe. laprensalatina.com Madrid Desk, Mar 14 (efe-epa).- Covid-19 infection rates are on the rise in several European nations, prompting fresh restrictions amid a relatively slow vaccination rollout and the rapid spread of new variants. German health authorities believe infection rates could return to maximum levels after the Easter period, which would require a pause in the country's …

Benjamin Wehrmann (2021-03-14). German Scientists: Without Drastic Climate Action, World could be headed to Dangerous 7.2 ∞ F. extra Heating. juancole.com By Benjamin Wehrmann | — ( Clean Energy Wire ) — Current emissions reduction efforts around the world are insufficient to limit global warming to up to 2 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, Germany's Meteorological Service (DWD) has said. Despite globally reduced mobility and depressed industrial production due to the coronavirus …

Martin Halpern (2021-03-14). Amazon, Labor Law, and the Biden Presidency. zcomm.org The presidency of Joe Biden represents an opportunity for the alliance of unions and a Democratic president to come to the aid of workers seeking more income, a greater say in their workplaces, and improved health and security…

RT (2021-03-14). Pelosi says Cuomo should 'look inside his heart' when asked whether he should resign over scandals. rt.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) came to fellow Democrat Andrew Cuomo's defense in a new interview, saying people should wait for the "results of the investigation" into an allegation he sexually assaulted a woman. | "I think we should see the results of the investigation," Pelosi told ABC's This Week when asked about the New York governor on Sunday. "Hopefully, this result will be soon." | Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, including former aides. The latest allegation found him accused of groping a woman. New York Attorney General Letitia James has opened an investigation…

Ben Debney (2021-03-14). Pathological Entitlement and the Supremacist Mindset. counterpunch.org In recent days, the CPAC conference has brought us a number of most unusual spectacles. It has brought us (1) the militantly tawdry respawning of Donald Trump, (2) the platform constructed using the serif odal rune shape of the SS, (3) the golden calf cult idol (and laughs for all eternity), and (4) the inclusion

Ahmed Diaa Dardir (2021-03-14). Barack Obama and the Cunning of American Exceptionalism. counterpunch.org Barack Obama's new memoir, A Promised Land, came out as the world was looking at the US with anticipation and mistrust. It was published as the world awaited the results of the US presidential elections, between the clownish Donald Trump and the visibly incompetent Joseph Biden. The book trumpets the American model as the "promised

The Conversation (2021-03-14). Against the odds, South Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse; and they're showing the world how to do it. juancole.com By Michael McGreevy and Fran Baum | — Less than two decades ago, South Australia generated all its electricity from fossil fuels. Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of the state's electricity supply. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis — so how did it happen? Our research set …

Liberation Staff (2021-03-14). Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe wins against 'not in my backyard' racists. liberationnews.org The tribe's goal is to set a new precedent for the way our society deals with the problem of addiction with a clinic in Sequim, Washington.

The Socialist Program (2021-03-14). Socialist Debates & Political Struggles in the Anti-War Movement: From Gulf War to Today. liberationnews.org Brian Becker reviews the history of heated debate within the socialist movement over the necessity of taking a principled, anti-imperialist position in opposition to the U.S. war machine.

Pete Dolack (2021-03-14). How the U.S. is Able to Dictate to the Rest of the World. counterpunch.org The United States government is able to impose its will on all the world's countries. The rest of the world, even some of the strongest imperialist countries of the Global North, lie prostrate at the feet of the U.S. What is the source of this seemingly impregnable power? Which of course leads to the next

MEE, agencies (2021-03-14). Palestinians condemn opening of Czech Jerusalem office. middleeasteye.net Palestinians condemn opening of Czech Jerusalem office | The Palestinian Authority and the Arab League accuse the Czech Republic of committing 'a flagrant violation of international law' | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 06: 30 | Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis hailed the new office as a "milestone in our co-operation" (AFP) | The Palestinian Authority and the Arab League on Saturday condemned the Cze…

Steve Topple (2021-03-14). Finally. The DWP £20 uplift is facing legal action. thecanary.co The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) £20 uplift to Universal Credit is facing a legal challenge. It's from people on so-called legacy benefits. And the case may open the floodgates for thousands of other claimants. | DWP uplift: one rule for workers: | The £20 uplift for Universal Credit from chancellor Rishi Sunak and the DWP has been

MEE, agencies (2021-03-14). British-Iranian Zaghari-Ratcliffe faces new charges in Tehran court. middleeasteye.net British-Iranian Zaghari-Ratcliffe faces new charges in Tehran court | A week after the end of a five-year sentence, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe attended a hearing over accusations of 'propaganda against the system' | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 09: 56 | Zaghari-Ratcliffe was recently released from a five-year sentence for espionage, a charge she has consistently denied (MEE/family handout) | British-I…

RT (2021-03-14). Woman arrested for creating NAKED 'deepfake' videos of daughter's cheerleading rivals. rt.com A Pennsylvania mother has been charged with multiple counts of cyber harassment after she was caught making and distributing deepfake videos and photos of her daughter's cheerleading rivals. | The deepfake photos and video, digitally manipulated media which superimposes one person's face on the body of another, depicted the teenage girls naked, drinking and smoking. | Also on rt.com | | Raffaela Spone, 50, reportedly sent the fake content t…

RT (2021-03-14). 'Die-in' in NYC & vandalism in LA as protesters mark 1yr anniversary of Breonna Taylor's death (VIDEOS). rt.com Protesters took to the streets in America's two largest cities to mark the one-year anniversary of the police shooting that killed Breonna Taylor. Her death became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. | Hundreds of people gathered in New York City's Times Square to participate in a 'die-in' to remember her killing. Footage from RT's video agency Ruptly shows people lying on the ground, with some holding signs reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Abolish the police." | Elsewhere in the city, demonstrators carrying signs and chanting Taylor's name shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. Similar protests were…

RT (2021-03-14). Portland police confiscate guns, hammers & other weapons after corralling 100 protesters during violent demonstration. rt.com Portland police seized numerous weapons, including firearms, after kettling dozens of protesters during a night of unrest in the Oregon city. | Law enforcement intervened in a march on Friday when a group of demonstrators began breaking windows in the downtown area. Officers responded by establishing a perimeter around the crowd and announcing that the protesters were being detained. | According to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), some of the demonstrators refused to comply and locked arms in an attempt to prevent officers from carrying out their orders. Around 100 people were identified and photographed as p…

RT (2021-03-14). Biden administration directs FEMA to help shelter child migrants amid claims it denied lawyers access to cramped border facility. rt.com As the number of migrant children in border detention facilities has swelled to a record high, the Biden administration has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help house them. | FEMA will help "safely receive, shelter and transfer" children who cross the southwestern border on their own, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced on Saturday, saying the assistance will last 90 days. | Today

RT (2021-03-14). 'Get right before you get left, boomer': Marines backtrack after jumping into Fox host Tucker Carlson's row with Pentagon. rt.com The US Marine Corps is adjusting its aim after facing public backlash over suggesting that men critical of the Pentagon's mission creep towards wokeness should serve, get pregnant, and only then speak on the issue. | "What it looks like in today's armed forces [Tucker Carlson], Get right before you get left, boomer," the Marines tweeted on Friday, accompanying the tweet with an image of a smiling female officer carrying a fellow officer. | What it looks like in today's armed forces Get right before you get left, boomer | &sbqu…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-14). Yemen: Houthi missile attack kills three children in Taiz. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Houthi missile attack kills three children in Taiz | A missile fired at a school where pro-government forces are based killed 15 soldiers and three children nearby | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 16: 04 | A Yemeni boy looks for bullet casings to sell as scrap metal in a Taiz street on 27 April 2019 (AFP) | Yemen's rebel Houthi forces fired a missile on Sunday at a school where pro-government fo…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-14). Oman blocks Clubhouse, citing 'lack of proper authorisation'. middleeasteye.net Oman blocks Clubhouse, citing 'lack of proper authorisation' | Blocking the audio app has prompted a backlash by free-speech advocates online | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 10: 29 | The iOS-only app has been at the top of many national download lists in the Middle East (Illustration by Hossam Sarhan/MEE) | Oman blocked the audio app Clubhouse on Sunday, citing "lack of proper authorisation," accordin…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-14). Kosovo inaugurates embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net Kosovo inaugurates embassy to Israel in Jerusalem | Kosovo joins US and Guatemala as only countries with embassies in city whose status is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 16: 01 | Kosovo government officials stand in front of Kosovar and Israeli flags during a ceremony at the foreign ministry in Pristina on 1 February 2021 as the two countries establish…

Sophian Aubin (2021-03-14). Syria war: Ten years on, Syrian Christians say Assad 'has taken us hostage'. middleeasteye.net Syria war: Ten years on, Syrian Christians say Assad 'has taken us hostage' | Members of Syria's Christian minority now in exile say president has manipulated the community while cracking down on dissent | Sun, 03/14/2021 – 14: 05 | An Assyrian Christian Syrian in the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, destroyed by the Islamic State group, in the village of Tal Nasri, south of Tal Tamr in northeas…

David Rovics (2021-03-14). Days of '49: Remembering Peekskill. dissidentvoice.org Tayo Aluko ∑ Paul Robeson's Love Song (trailer) A new radio play by Tayo Aluko based on events surrounding Paul Robeson's concert in Peekskill, New York in 1949, and the racist, anti-communist riots that came before and after it, drops on Paul Robeson's birthday — April 9th — and it seems more timely than ever. …

The Jamal Journal (2021-03-14). Mumia Abu-Jamal's Health Emergency: An interview with Dr. Ricardo Alvarez. indybay.org This new interview with consulting physician Dr. Ricardo Alvarez has just been released. Please help us by reposting and otherwise circulating this interview, and please sign the Color of Change petition…

Palestinian Feminist Collective, et al. (2021-03-14). Palestinian Mobilization for Mumia Abu Jamal calls for Mumia's Release. indybay.org This is a new statement of support for Mumia Abu-Jamal during this current health emergency, written by the Palestinian Mobilization for Mumia Abu Jamal.