Daily Archives: February 1, 2021

2021-02-01: News Headlines

Leah Douglas (2021-02-01). After enduring 'complete hell' during pandemic, food workers face obstacles getting COVID-19 vaccinations. nationofchange.org "Vaccinating our essential farmworkers will ensure the safety of their workplaces, their homes, their families, our food supply, and the vital services that they perform."

RT (2021-02-01). Austria to ease Covid-19 lockdown by opening schools and shops, while tightening borders to hinder arrival of new variants. rt.com Schools and non-essential shops in Austria will reopen next week as the country loosens its lockdown, though border measures will be tightened to stop Covid-19 variants coming in, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said. | From February 8, schoolkids will have to furnish negative coronavirus test results in order to attend their classes, while shoppers will have to wear the higher-grade FFP2 face masks, which are already mandatory on public transport and in essential shops. | Austria will also reopen museums, galleries, libraries and zoos, and will switch from its current 24-hour ban on movement to overnight curfew…

Staff (2021-02-01). The Assassination of Fred Hampton: New Documents Reveal Involvement of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. democracynow.org Newly unearthed documents have shed new light on the FBI's role in the murder of the 21-year-old Black Panther leader Fred Hampton on December 4, 1969, when Chicago police raided Hampton's apartment and shot and killed him in his bed, along with fellow Black Panther leader Mark Clark. Authorities initially claimed the Panthers had opened fire on the police who were there to serve a search warrant for weapons, but evidence later emerged that told a very different story: The FBI, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and the Chicago police had conspired to assassinate Fred Hampton. FBI memos and reports obtaine…

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Power is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Powers is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

splcenter (2021-02-01). The Year in Hate and Extremism 2020: Hate groups became more difficult to track amid COVID and migration to online networks. splcenter.org &nbsp…

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Mexican immigration agents to be probed for potential role in massacre. laprensalatina.com Mexico City, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Mexico's government said Monday that immigration agents will be investigated for their alleged involvement in a massacre in a rural area of the country's northeast. News of the probe comes 10 days after the charred remains of 19 people — among them Guatemalan citizens — were discovered in the state …

Leah Douglas (2021-02-01). After Enduring "Complete Hell" During Pandemic, Food Workers Face Obstacles Getting Covid-19 Vaccinations. commondreams.org There are still unanswered questions about how and whether the vaccines will actually get to a workforce that ranks among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/farmworkers2.jpg

Staff (2021-02-01). Biden Is Acting to Undo Trump's Toxic Immigration Legacy. Now Congress Must Act. truthout.org Since January 20, President Joe Biden has made it a political priority to rapidly dismantle as many of Trump's signature anti-immigration policies as possible.

RT (2021-02-01). WATCH Thai police clash with opponents of military coup outside Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok. rt.com Thai police have broken up a protest rally staged by the opponents of a military coup in neighboring Myanmar. The activists gathered outside the country's embassy in Bangkok. | Some 200 Myanmarese expats and local Thai activists gathered for a spontaneous protest outside Myanmar's embassy, the Bangkok Post reported, citing police. They held flags of Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD), whose leader Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested by the military on Monday, as well as photos of Suu Kyi. | Students were seen distributing leaflets denouncing the coup. The Myanmarese constitute the largest migrant group in…

RT (2021-02-01). Facebook leak: Zuckerberg admits having TOO MUCH POWER but cheers new administration, seeks to WORK WITH BIDEN on key issues. rt.com Project Veritas has posted leaked videos exposing internal talks at Facebook lamenting the company's admittedly excessive power but at the same time seeking to use its influence to "work with" President Joe Biden's administration. | "These were all important and positive steps," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said of the executive orders on immigration, Covid-19 and other issues that Biden signed right after being inaugurated on January 20. "And I am looking forward to opportunities where Facebook is going to be able to work together with this new administration on some of their top priorities, starting with Cov…

RT (2021-02-01). Russia ramps up natural gas supplies to China via Power of Siberia mega-pipeline. rt.com Russian energy major Gazprom pumped more gas to China in January via the Power of Siberia pipeline than it had initially planned, boosting daily supplies by as much as 2.5 percent. | "The export of gas to China through the Power of Siberia gas pipeline continues to grow. Supplies regularly exceed Gazprom's daily contractual obligations," the company said in a statement, adding that the volume of gas delivery last month "was 2.9 times higher than in January 2020." | The 3,000km (1864 mile) cross-border pipeline started official deliveries of Russian natural gas to China in 2019. The so-called eastern route's ca…

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Biden Asks US Supreme Court to Suspend Trump Immigration Cases. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Biden administration has asked the US Supreme Court to cancel oral arguments scheduled in the coming weeks on Trump-era cases concerning border wall funding and the so-called "Remain in Mexico" asylum program, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), court documents revealed.

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Argentina extends anti-coronavirus measures amid slow vaccine rollout. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Argentina on Monday extended a raft of measures aimed at combating the novel coronavirus, including the closure of its borders to international tourism. The move comes amid the nation's slower-than-projected Covid-19 vaccine rollout and concerns that the crisis will worsen with the onset of autumn in March. In a decision …

Gary M. Kramer (2021-02-01). In "At the Ready," teens' path to Border Patrol & law enforcement is "akin to military recruitment" salon.com Maisie Crow spoke to Salon about her new documentary that helps explain how many Latinx join the Border Patrol…

Staff (2021-01-31). Latinx Farmworkers Are Purchasing Failing Farms From White Owners. truthout.org The next generation of farmers in the United States might not be whom we expect. If the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the importance of farmworkers in our food system, the story left out a rising class of farmworkers who now own their craft with the help of incubator programs across the country. Latinx farm owners stand at the intersection of racial justice and food justice and offer new hope in the future of sustainable farming in the U.S. | Latinx farmers bring a wealth of historic knowledge to our food…

Online News Editor (2021-01-31). Spain, Portugal restore border checks as Covid cases soar. laprensalatina.com Madrid, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Spain and Portugal have temporarily restored checks along their shared border until at least 10 February as authorities in Lisbon scramble to bring surging Covid-19 cases under control. The new measures, introduced Sunday after Portugal voted to extend its state of emergency, only allow people to cross the border for work …

RT (2021-01-30). 'Not a trivial offense': Austrian police discover dozens of foreign revelers flouting lockdown to get to top ski resort. rt.com Austria's police have found almost 100 people from Europe and beyond, who found a way to circumvent the nation's strict Covid-19 lockdown and relax at one of its top ski resorts despite a ban on foreign tourist activities. | A Friday police raid in the town of St. Anton am Arlberg — one of Austria's most popular alpine ski resorts — has ended up with law enforcement officers discovering 96 foreign ski lovers in breach of the existing Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Now, the festive revelers could face a fine of up to €2,180 ($2,650) in addition to getting PCR tests and staying in quarantine for s…

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). Judges allow US to resume expulsion of unaccompanied minors at border. laprensalatina.com Los Angeles, US, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- United States officials may resume the expulsion of unaccompanied migrant children entering the country through the southern border without processing them under the usual protocols, a panel of judges in Washington DC ruled Friday. DC Circuit Court Judges Gregory Katsas, Neomi Rao and Justin Walker — all appointees of …

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Bosnia urges EU to help resolve migrant crisis. yenisafak.com Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday urged the European Union to be more involved in finding a solution to the migrant crisis in its territory."The whole country should fight against the migrant crisis. Our borders should be strengthened as soon as possible and the entry of immigrants should be prevented. The EU needs to participate more strongly in resolving the migrant crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic.Turkovic's remarks came after meeting her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.Meanwhile, Dendias said that as an EU member, Greece supports Bosnia an…

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Mafia-Like EU 'Cocked up Big Time' Over 'Trumpian' Move to Block COVID Jabs From Entering UK. sputniknews.com Earlier, Brussels introduced export controls on COVID-19 vaccines, affecting countries like the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, while temporarily overriding Brexit deal terms enabling goods to flow across the Northern Irish border, only to swiftly backtrack on what was branded by Northern Ireland as an "incredible act of hostility."

Dean Obeidallah (2021-01-30). Maz Jobrani doesn't miss Trump jokes: He wasn't just bad for America, he was bad for comedy. salon.com The stand-up appeared on "Salon Talks" to discuss his special shot in Dubai, Islamophobia, and censorship in comedy…

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). EU performs U-turn on vaccine controls at Irish-UK border. laprensalatina.com Brussels, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- The European Union has backed down on its plan to subject vaccine exports to checks on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The European Commission on Friday implemented a mechanism to track the export of vaccines manufactured on EU soil amid a contract dispute with Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical …

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Turkey 'neutralizes' three YPG/PKK terrorists in N.Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces "neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, in a protected area near Turkey's southern border, the National Defense Ministry announced Saturday.The terrorists were trying to infiltrate the area of Turkey's cross-border anti-terror operations — Peace Spring and Euphrates Shield — to disrupt peace and security in the region, the ministry said on Twitter.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations in northern Syria to prevent…

sputniknews (2021-01-30). 'Pro-Khalistan' Canadian MP Urges Trudeau to Condemn 'Violence' Against Indian Farmers. sputniknews.com Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana states, have been protesting at Delhi's borders – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since 26 November for revocation of new farms laws, passed in Indian parliament last September. The government has alleged Khalistan supporters have joined the protests.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-30). Big haul of illicit drugs seized in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) — Commander of the Border Guards of Iran Police announced the success of the border guards of Sistan and Baluchestan province in confiscating a big haul of illicit drugs in southeastern borders of the country.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-30). Choghakhor Wetland during winter. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) — Choghakhor Wetland in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province is hosting migratory birds during the winter. Choghakhor is considered as one of the most important habitats for the endemic Zagros pupfish, aka Aphanius vladykovi.

A Guest Author (2021-01-29). Demonstrators support ICE hunger strikers in Batavia, N.Y. workers.org by Arjae Red In November 2020, immigrants imprisoned at Bergen County Jail in New Jersey began a hunger strike to protest the filthy and inhumane conditions they were being housed in. Prisoners were experiencing a denial of access to water, medical care, heat and cleaning supplies. The facility had a . . . |

Medea Benjamin and Nicholas J.S. Davies (2021-01-29). Will the Biden Administration End America's Global War on Children? juancole.com Most people regard Trump's treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy with humane immigration policies and a program to quickly find the children's families …

Rohollah Faghihi (2021-01-29). Signal is blocked in Iran and no one will admit to ordering it. middleeasteye.net Signal is blocked in Iran and no one will admit to ordering it | Restrictions on messaging app placed after huge migration from WhatsApp, as government and judiciary blame each other for decision | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 15: 01 | Iranian women use mobile phones west of Tehran (Reuters) | Like many people across the globe, Iranians have been spooked by WhatsApp's recent announcement that it woul…

RT (2021-01-29). France SHUTS borders to ALL TRAVEL to and from non-EU countries in push to control Covid spread. rt.com The French government will shut the state's borders to all traffic to and from countries outside of the EU as of Sunday, Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced, in an effort to ward off yet another Covid lockdown in France. | Speaking in a televised address after meeting with President Emmanuel Macron and senior ministers, Castex said that officials had decided against introducing a new national lockdown in a drastic bid to curb new Covid infections. Instead, tighter border controls are being introduced alongside tougher action against covid rule-breakers. | "We know the grave impact [lockdown has]. Tonight,…

Site Administrator (2021-01-29). DOJ Rescinds "Zero Tolerance" Immigration Rule. laprensalatina.com WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a "zero tolerance" enforcement policy for immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson issued the new memo to federal prosecutors across the nation on Tuesday, January 26, saying the department would return …

yenisafak (2021-01-29). PKK suspect caught trying to illegally cross to Greece. yenisafak.com Turkey's northwestern border troops nabbed a terror suspect trying to flee to Greece, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday."A person trying to cross from our country to Greece illegally was caught by our border units in Ipsala district of Edirne," the ministry said on Twitter."The person, who was previously tried for aiding and abetting the PKK terrorist organization, was handed over to the Ipsala District Gendarme Station," it added.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU — has been responsible for the…

sputniknews (2021-01-29). Tear Gas Shells Fired to Control Clashes Between Locals and Farmers at Delhi's Singhu Border – Video. sputniknews.com Tens of thousands of Indian farmers, mainly from the Punjab and Haryana states, have been protesting at Delhi borders — Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri – since 26 November, demanding the government revoke three new farm laws that were passed in the parliament in September 2020.