Daily Archives: March 19, 2021

2021-03-19: News Headlines

RT (2021-03-19). Migrant children held in US custody soar to 14,000 as Biden press secretary accidentally acknowledges border 'crisis'. rt.com More than 14,000 migrant children are currently held in US custody, a senior administration official said, insisting there's no "crisis" at the border soon after Biden's press secretary invoked the very same term. | The official said the number of youths detained after attempting to cross the border had soared to 14,000 during a Thursday press briefing, noting that they are divided between facilities run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Border Patrol. | While the official argued that "Children presenting themselves at the border is not a national crisis," White House Press Secret…

RT (2021-03-19). Dropping off migrants with unchecked health & criminal history 'like opening Pandora's box' — Arizona border town mayor to RT. rt.com The mayor of a small border town in Arizona has told RT that federal agents did not provide crucial information about the migrants that are being released in the US after the White House relaxed border policies. | "The number of migrants that come across on foot has ramped up substantially in just the last few weeks," Chris Riggs, the mayor of Gila Bend, an Arizona border town of 2,000, told RT. | Mayor Riggs said he began worrying after the town was notified that border control officials will be releasing migrants in the local community after processing them quickly. At the same time, federal agencies did not…

No Migrant Child Detention Here or Anywhere (2021-03-19). Protest Outside Federal Facilities in Mountain View. indybay.org On March 15 SIREN (Services, Immigration Rights, and Education Network) led a protest against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' consideration of Moffett Federal Airfield as a shelter for unaccompanied migrant children.

Aída Chávez (2021-03-19). Border State Voters Support Humane Immigration Reform. thenation.com Border State Voters Support Humane Immigration Reform…

John Catalinotto (2021-03-19). The Paris Commune's 150th anniversary — A blueprint for revolution. workers.org An uprising in Paris on March 18, 1871, toward the end of the Franco-Prussian War, burst open the structure of 19th-century European capitalist society. The 72-day social explosion in what would become the capital of the French Empire became the iconic blueprint for workers' revolution. Lessons of the Paris Commune, . . . |

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-03-19). Oakland joins West Coast cities mandating hazard pay for grocery workers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Cities around the Bay Area have joined, or on the road to joining, the growing list of West Coast cities requiring large grocery outlets to provide their workers hazard pay while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors now requires large grocers to pay their frontline workers $5 more …

Dianne Mathiowetz (2021-03-19). The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson. workers.org Atlanta A videotape shows 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson walking down a hallway and entering the gym in the Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga., eight years ago on Jan. 10, 2013. That night his mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, called the emergency number 911 to report that her son had not come . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-19). Turkey's government moves court to disband opposition HDP. peoplesdispatch.org Turkey's chief prosecutor has filed a lawsuit in the constitutional court to disband the pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples Democratic Party on charges of having links with the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)…

Martha Grevatt (2021-03-19). In Ohio, solidarity with Amazon workers. workers.org University Heights, Ohio A demonstration outside a Whole Foods store March 13 brought out supporters for the Amazon union drive taking place in Bessemer, Ala. They came to this Cleveland suburb from throughout Northeast Ohio and from as far away as Columbus. Outside Whole Foods, University Hts., Ohio. March 13. . . . |

Staff (2021-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2021. democracynow.org House Holds First Hearing in Decades on Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans, European Nations Resume Using AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine After Blot Clot Fears, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Challenged by Sen. Rand Paul, Declares "Masks Are Not Theater" , Senate Confirms Xavier Becerra to Lead HHS, William Burns as CIA Director, Deb Haaland Sworn In as Interior Secretary, Becomes First Native American Cabinet Member, House Passes Bills with Path to Citizenship for Farmworkers & DACA Recipients, 14,000+ Unaccompanied Children Held by U.S. as One Texas Facility Reports Over 50 COVID Cases, 12 GOP Lawmakers Oppose Medals for U.S…

A Guest Author (2021-03-19). Palestine liberation leader sentenced by Israeli military tribunal. workers.org By Mayana Ashley-Carner Khalida Jarrar is a Palestinian politician, elected representative to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), and a member of the Marxist-Leninist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The Israeli government has been holding her in "administrative detention" since October 2019. Recently, she was sentenced to . . . |

Mark Gruenberg (2021-03-19). With renewed union backing, House passes Dream Act. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With renewed labor backing, this time from the Union Veterans Council, the House voted 227-197 at 6 p.m. on March 18 to pass the Dream Act, formally legalizing and providing an eventual path to citizenship for the 700,000 "Dreamers," undocumented people brought to the U.S. as kids, who are Americans in all but their papers. …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. dissidentvoice.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the …

Austin Fisher — David Correia (2021-03-19). How AFSCME and ACLU Gutted New Mexico's Proposed Ban on Chemical Weapons, Attack Dogs, Rubber Bullets. counterpunch.org If police reform could fix what's wrong with policing in the United States, it would have already happened in Albuquerque. No police department in the U.S. has undergone more reform, over more years, than the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). None of it has worked. New Mexico consistently ranks among the states with the highest rate

John Wojcik (2021-03-19). Biden's 'killer' comment about Putin reflects obsolete foreign policy. peoplesworld.org I want to start this critique of Biden's developing foreign policy by stating clearly and unequivocally that his $1.9 trillion rescue plan deserves total support from everyone in our country. It is nothing less than a dramatic disavowal of the right-wing era launched by Ronald Reagan some 40 years ago. Although Biden deserves praise for …

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-19). There are so many lessons to learn from Kerala. mronline.org MR Online

Bob Lord — Chuck Collins (2021-03-19). No, the Rich Aren't Paying Their Fare Share. counterpunch.org We hear it all the time: The wealthy must pay their fair share in tax. Many of the wealthy, and the members of Congress they sponsor, contend they already are. And they have all sorts of facts and figures to make that appear true. After all, for a billionaire, even a tiny tax payment in

Nyla Ali Khan (2021-03-19). Transnational and Transformative Movements: BLM, Kashmir, and Prison Reform in Oklahoma. counterpunch.org Considering electoral processes in my state of adoption, Oklahoma, are healthier than they are in my state of origin, Jammu and Kashmir, I remind millennials to identify important issues to them as voters, so they are inspired to make a significant difference by participating. I will not deny the feeling of hopelessness that sets in

Eve Ottenberg (2021-03-19). How America Got the Vapors…Over ANTIFA. counterpunch.org It started last summer during the George Floyd Rebellion: alarming tales about left-wing terrorists, about hordes of antifa ready to invade dozy suburbs and burn down the local post office, Walmart and Starbucks. These wild fabrications percolated through right-wing media, causing a panicked spike in gun purchases, followed by announcements from red-blooded Amuricans in the Midwest and matrons from Florida that they were locked and loaded, ready to defend their real estate and SUVs from the battalions of communist terrorist antifa about to overrun their front lawns and trample azaleas, hydrangeas and any other be…

Callie McGrath (2021-03-19). Poor People's Campaign demonstrates for priorities in 30 state capitols. liberationnews.org Among the policies are "comprehensive, free, and just" COVID-19 relief; universal healthcare; redirection of the military budget to social needs; and many others.

Robert Hunziker (2021-03-19). Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet From the Sea. counterpunch.org "The most toxic substance on Earth is separated from exposure to society by Ω" of steel encased in a canister." (Blanch) That eye-opener comes from renowned nuclear expert Paul Blanch in reference to spent fuel rods removed from San Onofre Nuclear Generation Plant buried near the sea on California's southern coastline 50 miles north of

The Conversation (2021-03-19). Startling Discovery of New Dead Sea Scrolls sheds light on Jewish Revolts against Imperial Rome. juancole.com By Gareth Wearne | — On Tuesday news broke of the discovery of fresh fragments of a nearly 2,000-year-old scroll in Israel. The fragments were said to come from the evocatively named Cave of Horror, near the western shore of the Dead Sea. The finds were announced with attention-grabbing headlines that these were new fragments …

Emily Mossman Smiley (2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, California police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.

Ron Jacobs (2021-03-19). A People's History of the Civil Rights Movement. counterpunch.org The story of the Civil Rights movement is often told in a manner that glorifies certain Movement organizers and so-called leaders while ignoring the multitudes in the churches, the cotton fields, the hamlets of the South and the streets of the nation. This portrayal exists in spite of the ongoing reminders from those who have

Eds. (2021-03-19). How Chesa Boudin is pursuing his promise to reduce incarceration. mronline.org MR Online

ANSWER Coalition (2021-03-19). National Day of Action March 27: Call It What It Is, a Hate Crime! Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing! liberationnews.org The following national call to action was issued by the ANSWER Coalition Join the March 27 National Day of Action! Endorse the national day of action here Organize an event in your city — register your event here Initial list of cities, check back for updates! San Francisco, CA1 PMLocation TBD Atlanta, GATime & Location …

Tom Engelhardt (2021-03-19). The Sports Pages of Death: Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened …

David Yearsley (2021-03-19). Travelers, Sour and Sentimental. counterpunch.org "I hate traveling and explorers." —Claude Levi-Strauss, Tristes tropiques (1955) Texas loosens, Italy locks down. With the skies mostly still clear and quiet, one can hear the collective champing at the bit before the gates open and vacationers charge into their first getaway in more than year. As Airbnb bookings surge, it's worth asking what

Robin Broad, John Cavanagh (2021-03-19). Water is Life, Can We Protect It? counterpunch.org From West Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, tens of millions of people struggled through late winter storms that froze pipes, broke water mains, and cut off electricity. They froze without showers, toilets, or washing machines — let alone drinking water — for days or even weeks. The irony that Texas, the state built on fossil fuels,

Hillary Lazar — Paul Messersmith-Glavin (2021-03-19). Love & Rage: The Eros Effect and Spontaneous Combustion. counterpunch.org "Today the fight for life, the fight for Eros, is the political fight." — Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization, 1966 "Eros is historically shaped but eternally emergent. Love binds us together, gives us the courage to make history, to stare down our fears . . . and gives us the nerve to be resolute .

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-19). The Paris Commune of 1871, banks and debt. mronline.org MR Online

Staff (2021-03-19). Police union defends convicted cops keeping their jobs. therealnews.com Why is it so hard to reform the police, let alone hold police accountable for abusing their power? What are the legal and political protections that have put police above the very law they're supposed to enforce?

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. counterpunch.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the

Staff (2021-03-19). Battleground Baltimore: Brandon Scott sets a progressive path. therealnews.com In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Mayor Brandon Scott delivers his State of the City address, students and leaders look to end digital redlining, activists push for further cannabis reform, and more.

Eds. (2021-03-19). Ten years since beginning of failed regime-change operation against Syria. mronline.org MR Online

Emily Mossman Smiley (2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, Calif., police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.

Jonah Raskin (2021-03-19). Art & Politics in San Francisco, 2021: Portraits of a City in Upheaval, Again. counterpunch.org Bay Area artist and teacher, Miranda Bergman, knows by heart the most famous lines in The Tempest. She ought to. Her Old Left parents named her after Shakespeare's feisty heroine who exclaims, "How amazing! How many wonderful creatures there are here! Mankind is so beautiful! Oh, what a wonderful new world that has such people

Craig Collins (2021-03-19). Villagers & Pillagers: Who Will Survive the Collapse? counterpunch.org Unless you live in a state of denial you're probably like me, troubled about the future. There's not much left of mine, but my daughter's generation and their children will have to survive the aftermath of fossil-fueled civilization on the ravaged, toxic planet we've left them. How will that look? Will democratic eco-settlements rise from

Vincent Emanuele (2021-03-19). The Iraq War: 18 Years Later. counterpunch.org 'You sit in your room, and you talk to the wall You're feeling small but still have a ball And you can't explain what's anyway in vain And you paint your face and dress in black Wear your shades and still can't express The way you feel about a lousy fill And you dance until

Simon Hooper (2021-03-19). UK court restores citizenship to three British-Bangladeshis who travelled to Syria. middleeasteye.net UK court restores citizenship to three British-Bangladeshis who travelled to Syria | Court found trio had been left stateless because they were not Bangladeshi nationals and said home secretary 'had no power to make orders with that effect' | Fri, 03/19/2021 – 11: 23 | The UK government has used citizenship-stripping powers extensively against British nationals who travelled to Syria since the start o…

Tom Engelhardt (2021-03-19). Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. counterpunch.org Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened the sports pages

Staff (2021-03-19). We can't erase the radicalism of the Rainbow Coalition. therealnews.com "Judas and the Black Messiah" has received much-deserved praise, but there are still many facets to the story of the Rainbow Coalition and Fred Hampton's murder that need to be told.

Al Neal (2021-03-19). Case of Sarah Everard, kidnapped and murdered by cop, sparks reform in Britain. peoplesworld.org Walking home alone in the darkness of night is a regular experience for many—whether they live in the busiest cities or the quietest towns. It is such a norm that many people never stop to think about safety. But for women everywhere, this action is often fraught with fear and anxiety. Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old …

AFSCME en Español (2021-03-19). Ley de ayuda por COVID evita miles de despidos en Hawái. peoplesworld.org Hacia finales de 2020, oficiales estatales de Hawái enfrentaban un déficit presupuestario de mas de $2 mil millones en gran parte por la pandemia del coronavirus. El Gobernador David Ige dijo que se podría ver obligado a despedir o descansar a miles de empleados estatales, muchos de ellos miembros de AFSCME, a partir de julio. …

RT (2021-03-19). Taliban threatens with 'reaction' if US does not pull out troops by May deadline. rt.com The Taliban warned the Biden administration to honor a Trump-era agreement and pull US and NATO troops out of Afghanistan by May 1, warning a "retaliation" if the deal is violated. | "They should go," Suhail Shaheen, a member of the Taliban negotiation team, told reporters in Moscow on Friday. Troop presence beyond May 1, Shaheen warned, will qualify as a "violation of the agreement" struck with the Trump administration and will warrant a "reaction." | "We hope that this will not happen, that they withdraw and we focus on the settlement, peaceful settlement of the Afghan issue, in order to bring about a perman…

RT (2021-03-19). Judge agrees to redact 'sensational and impure' details about Ghislaine Maxwell from public docket. rt.com A federal judge in New York has ruled on requests for redactions filed by the US government and Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged madam of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some parts of her private life will now not be made public.

RT (2021-03-19). Proud Boys members charged with conspiring to block Congress from certifying Biden victory during January 6 riot. rt.com A federal grand jury has charged four prominent members of the far-right Proud Boys movement with conspiring to impede Congress in certifying Joe Biden's presidential victory on January 6. | The charges were revealed in a superseding indictment unsealed on Friday, according to multiple reports. | Federal investigators continued their crackdown on those involved in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol and identified members of the Proud Boys as being chief instigators in the day's events, which led to five deaths, including that of a police officer. | FBI agents arrested Charles Donohoe, a Proud Boys leader fro…

RT (2021-03-19). #ChickenJoe trends on Twitter after Biden avoids debate with Putin following 'killer' accusation. rt.com US President Joe Biden has landed in the deep fryer after bragging he called out Vladimir Putin for having "no soul" — a claim that led many to cry foul when the politician refused to talk to his Russian counterpart on the phone.

RT (2021-03-19). US accuses Beijing of sabotaging 'rules-based' world order & decries 'protocol violation' after Chinese hit back at Alaska talks. rt.com A war of words erupted as talks between US and Chinese officials kicked off in Alaska, with Secretary of State Tony Blinken accusing Beijing of undermining the global order, prompting a harsh rebuttal from his counterpart. | Blinken opened Thursday's summit with a series of charges against Beijing, voicing "deep concerns" about alleged "economic coercion" against US allies, rights abuses within China and the threat the country poses to the "rules-based order that maintains global stability." | The secretary's aggressive tone was soon matched by China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, seeing the first face-to-fa…

RT (2021-03-19). Biden falls THREE times as he climbs Air Force One stairs, sends critics & supporters into frenzy (VIDEOS). rt.com President Joe Biden struggled to climb the stairs to Air Force One on Friday, stumbling multiple times, leading to a wave of mockery — and sympathy — over the unfortunate moment, which was caught on video. | The president fell three times while ascending the stairs on Friday, at one point dropping to his knee while still holding the railing. | President Joe Biden trips climbing the stairs to Air Force 1