(2021-12-21). Next Phase in US Economic and Political Crisis Begins. popularresistance.org The response of Democrat leaders to Manchin's announcement killing the bill has been typically timid. Senator Sanders replied they should put the bill to a vote in the Senate to show West Virginians where Manchin stands. As if it was not already clear to everyone! Dick Durbin's reply was 'let's all go home for Xmas' and we'll all feel better when we return and maybe can get something done'. Such timidity reveals traditional Democrat political pusillanimity and a desperate 'too clever' spin that the bill isn't quite dead. Somehow the Zombie legislation can be resurrected. But Build Back Better is not only DOA, but…
(2021-12-21). Lithuania bets only on the U.S. moderndiplomacy.eu Lithuania has reached the highest level of cooperation with the United States. Contacts of the Lithuanian authorities with the US officials take place regularly. On 1 December in Riga, on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis met with the United States Secretary of State …
(2021-12-21). ´Mossa aggressiva ª russa: Mosca propone la pace. globalresearch.ca La Federazione Russa ha consegnato agli Stati Uniti d'America, il 15 dicembre, il progetto di un Trattato e di un Accordo per disinnescare la crescente tensione tra le due parti. I due documenti sono stati resi pubblici, il 17 dicembre, …
(2021-12-21). How do we stop the neocons from starting another disaster in Ukraine. mronline.org 
If anything, Washington's neoconservatives have an unerring instinct for survival.
(2021-12-21). The Self-determination Struggle in Russian Crimea and the Pro-autonomy Struggle in Donbas (formerly eastern Ukraine). dissidentvoice.org 
Dissident Voice has published an article by U.S. writer William Boardman on December 14 titled 'Ukraine is a problem only as long as the West makes it one'. The article is reprinted from Reader Supported News and warns of the dangerous consequences emanating from the military threats by the Western powers against Russia. The U.S. …
(2021-12-21). New York Times Reporting on Airstrikes Should Give Daniel Hale More Credit. popularresistance.org Hale used his first hand experience identifying targets for the drone program to highlight how it relies on faulty criteria, and as a result, kills civilians. Later, Hale worked for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where he had access to documents on how the drone program operates. Hale provided those documents to the Intercept which published them as The Drone Papers in 2015. While Hale's documents were not as comprehensive as the trove recently published by the New York Times, they did provide much of the same core revelations, particularly the faulty nature of how intelligence is gathered and the h…
(2021-12-21). Classified documents reveal Israeli government cover-up of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948. wsws.org The Akevot report reveals that testimonies about several massacres of Palestinians and war crimes committed by Israeli military forces during the 1948-49 war were presented to the cabinet in 1948.
(2021-12-21). New Program Is Secretly Privatizing Medicare. popularresistance.org A new program is placing Medicare recipients into private health insurance plans without their knowledge or consent in a final effort to fully privatize our national Medicare system. Known as "Direct Contract Entities (DCEs)," this program is putting more of our healthcare system into the hands of private equity to generate enormous profits at the expense of our health. Clearing the FOG speaks about this with Kay Tillow, a long time health care, civil rights and union activist. Tillow explains what these entities are, why they threaten the future of our entire healthcare system and how they block our ability to a…
(2021-12-21). Senior Economist At Moody's, Mark Zandi: I'm Lowering My Economic Forecast For US Due To Omicron Variant. moguldom.com Moody's Analytics is expected to downgrade its U.S. economic forecast by as much as one percentage point in the coming days due to the double blow from the intensifying pandemic and Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition to President Joe Biden's signature Build Back Better legislation. Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told CNN on Monday that …
(2021-12-21). Want to Know How to Beat COVID? Look at China. orinocotribune.com By Scott Scheffer — Dec 17, 2021 | The world is now nearing the end of the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has the highest death toll in the world — 823,390 as of Dec. 16. | With all the scientific resources available, and billions of dollars in the vaults of the richest capitalist class in history, the U.S. should have been able to succeed in a vaccination campaign and treat everyone before they were infected. Vaccines should have made their way throughout the world, including the global south where the challenges of poverty magnify the horrors of the pandemic. | Instead, the W…
(2021-12-21). United States and Israeli Intransigence vis-à -vis Iran. dissidentvoice.org 
In 2015, the United States signed what is popularly referred to as the JCPOA (the joint comprehensive plan of action) a deal involving Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) designed to limit the capacity of Iran to develop nuclear weapons. In exchange for their signature, the …
(2021-12-21). A Julian Assange Update Featuring Kevin Gosztola. projectcensored.org Independent journalist Kevin Gosztola of Shadowproof.com returns to the program to deliver another update about the Julian Assange extradition case in the UK, and its disturbing implications for press freedom. Then we hear a… | Project Censored's new annual volume, "State of the Free Press 2022," has just been released from The Censored Press. It includes the well-known 'Top 25' censored stories of the preceding…
(2021-12-21). Voting closes on concessions contract at Kellogg's, while union uses divide-and-conquer tactics to break strike. wsws.org The BCTGM is copying the UAW's method used to break the John Deere strike of dividing workers up by plant, seeking to isolate the more militant plants from the less militant.
(2021-12-21). UK Imperialism Tightens its Grasp on Venezuela's Gold. orinocotribune.com The case of the Venezuelan gold seized by the United Kingdom continues to develop as the UK Supreme Court ruled earlier today that the case should now be referred to the Commercial Court. The UK Supreme Court stated that it could not contradict the decision of the country's Executive, which alarmingly—and in a contradictory fashion—continues to recognize former deputy Juan Guaidó as "interim president." | The UK Supreme Court explained in its ruling that the UK courts cannot contradict the government, which claims to recognize the self-proclaimed president and not the Constitutional President, Nicolás…
(2021-12-21). Who Might Strike in 2022? Hundreds of Big Contracts Will Be Up. popularresistance.org Workers are already sensing their increased leverage in a tight labor market. They'll be feeling the squeeze of record inflation while their employers rake in profits. There's every reason to hold the line against concessions, or to win back what they gave away before. | A Bloomberg analysis in November found that nearly 200 large union contracts (covering at least 1,000 workers) would expire between then and the end of 2022. Together these contracts cover 1.3 million workers—and there are hundreds of thousands more covered under the hundreds of smaller contracts that are also expiring. Here are some of the…
(2021-12-21). Rally for Amazon workers! Dec. 22, New York City. workers.org 
New York City Amazon union organizing is accelerating, as Staten Island Amazon workers refile for union election. On Dec. 22 the Amazon Labor Union will resubmit its petition for a union vote at the facility, known as JFK8, to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers will hold a lunchtime walkout . . . |
(2021-12-21). The Path to Corruption in France. moderndiplomacy.eu Whereas Germany takes an extremely libertarian approach to corruption, and even allows foreigners to donate secretly and in any amount to support a candidate, France has one of the world's best anti-corruption legal systems, so that virtually the only pathway by which a person can legally perpetrate corruption of the French Government is indicated by …
(2021-12-21). "Shut Down Those Tanks": Anger Grows in Hawaii After U.S. Navy Fuel Site Contaminates Water. democracynow.org 
The United States Navy is facing growing calls to permanently shut down one of their fuel storage facilities in Hawaii after a petroleum leak contaminated the water supply that serves over 90,000 families around the naval base of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. The storage site, called the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, has long been protested by environmental activists in part because of its location just 100 feet above the primary groundwater aquifer for Honolulu and the rest of Oahu. We speak with two Native Hawaiian guests: civil rights lawyer Camille Kalama and Kamanamaikalani Beamer, a former comm…
(2021-12-21). The Arctic is warming much faster than thought earlier. peoplesdispatch.org The new finding comes at a time when we have already witnessed permafrost declining which has impacted Indigenous villages, caused vanishing of summer sea ice, and resulted in water washing down Greenland's ice sheets at a record amount…
(2021-12-21). Hospitality workers on strike in Cambodia's biggest casino. peoplesdispatch.org Despite pressure from authorities, more than 1,300 workers in Phnom Penh's NagaWorld have been on strike against mass lay-offs and wage cuts. The entire leadership of the Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld is among those laid off…
(2021-12-21). Israel closes investigation against security personnel accused of killing mentally ill Palestinian citizen. peoplesdispatch.org The family of Mustafa Younis (26) has appealed the verdict of the Israeli public prosecutor which justified the murder as the correct response to a "terrorist attack"
(2021-12-21). External pressure intensifies uncertainty over elections in Libya days before scheduled vote. peoplesdispatch.org The much awaited presidential elections in Libya scheduled for December 24 will most likely be postponed. The uncertainty is exacerbated by external pressures by countries such as Imad al-Sayeh, head of the High National Election Comm…
(2021-12-21). Venezuela Mourns Earle Herrera, Mentor for Journalists & Remarkable Chavista. orinocotribune.com 
Through his Twitter account, Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information Freddy àëáñez announced the passing of prominent journalist and remarkable Chavista Earle Herrera. "I am very sorry for the death of Earle Herrera, an institution in journalism, a lucid man and faithful to ideas," wrote àëáñez. "His articles accompanied us with humor and intelligence on sunny and rainy days, and now with his silence he will continue to demand more from us. Until we meet again, maestro." | Born in El Tigrito, Anzoátegui state, on April 23, 1949, Herrera was an outstanding professor at the Central Universit…
(2021-12-21). Gregory T. Cushman — 'Guano and the Opening of the Pacific World: A Global Ecological History'. mronline.org 
In the last two decades it has been common, in Marxist books on ecology, to find discussions of how capitalist agriculture developed an urgent need for fertilisers to solve the crisis of soil fertility in the 19th century.
(2021-12-21). LABOUR live at Metabolic Rift. mronline.org 
Titled Metabolic Rift, the month-long event series combined both an exhibition spread across Berlin's Kraftwerk venue and a series of concerts that captured the spirit of Berlin through site-specific interventions and live performance.
(2021-12-21). Property: Is it theft? Is it freedom or is it both? Merry Christmas! mronline.org 
Not long after Thanksgiving this year, I went to San Francisco's Japantown ("Jtown" to locals). Surrounded by commodities for sale and in a high rent district I was reminded of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's famous remark, "La propriété, c'est le vol!, which is usually translated as "Property is theft."
(2021-12-21). Man Thought To Be Cannibal Believed Eating Victim Would Cure Him. moguldom.com A man from Idaho who was arrested and charged with murder allegedly was a cannibal too, eating parts of his victim believing it would "cure his brain," the Bonners Ferry Herald reported. James David Russell, 39, was arrested in September and charged with first-degree murder after tissue belonging to 70-year-old David Flaget was found inside a …
(2021-12-21). Global Study: 4 In 10 With Covid Are Spreading It Unknowingly. moguldom.com Four out of 10 people who are infected with covid-19 are spreading the disease unknowingly, according to a global study. Findings of a study by researchers from Peking University showed that more than 40 percent of the tested population confirmed to be infected with coronavirus were asymptomatic, exhibiting no symptoms of the disease. The study, …
(2021-12-21). Harvard University Journal Retracts Fake Disinformation Criticism Of ADOS Reparations Organization. moguldom.com On Jan. 18, 2021, Harvard University's Harvard Kennedy School published an article entitled "Disinformation creep: ADOS and the strategic weaponization of breaking news" that was decidedly anti-ADOS. ADOS is an acronym for American Descendants of Slavery, a growing reparations movement started in 2016 by Yvette Carnell, formerly a board member of Progressives for Immigration Reform, and …
(2021-12-21). Moscow's digital ecosystem was awarded with Runet prize. moderndiplomacy.eu Projects of the Moscow Government received the Runet Prize in five nominations at once, in particular in "State and Society", "Creative Industries", "Development of Domestic Tourism" nominations and others. Among the laureates are the digital ecosystem of Moscow, the service of short-term rent of urban spaces "Together with Culture", the Russpass tourist service and the …
(2021-12-21). Iran, Saudi Arabia FMs hold brief meeting in Pakistan. moderndiplomacy.eu The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia held a brief meeting in Islamabad on Sunday on the sidelines of a regional summit on Afghanistan, the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said. Speaking during a presser on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh said, "The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia had a brief meeting on the …
(2021-12-21). A Climate Change Solution Direct from the Congo. moderndiplomacy.eu A revealing account authored by former US Diplomat and World Bank Group (IFC) official Oliver Griffith provides a compelling perspective on a scalable solution for climate change. Investigating the impact of UN backed projects that work to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+), Griffith makes his case for listening to the people on the …
(2021-12-21). Coal power's sharp rebound is taking it to a new record in 2021, threatening net zero goals. moderndiplomacy.eu The amount of electricity generated worldwide from coal is surging towards a new annual record in 2021, undermining efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially putting global coal demand on course for an all-time high next year, the International Energy Agency said in its latest annual market report. After falling in 2019 and 2020, …
(2021-12-21). The diplomatic waltz rounds of the United Arab Emirates. moderndiplomacy.eu Abu Dhabi sets aside differences between the seven United Arab Emirates (Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Dubai and Fujairah) for rapprochement with Iran, in line with its bilateral dialogue with other countries in the region. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated a process of rapprochement with Iran. In the …
(2021-12-21). Cyprus: Turkish Occupation and Unpunished Crimes Against Women and Children. moderndiplomacy.eu On December 16 and 17, Democracy Today, an NGO that focuses on human rights issues, organized its annual international conference in Armenia's capital of Yerevan. This was part of a cooperation with the Working Group (WG) on women and gender realities in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) region. This year's agenda …
(2021-12-21). The right to self-determination for the Kashmir "colony" moderndiplomacy.eu The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution, titled "Universal Realisation of the Right of the Peoples to Self-Determination". It unequivocally supports the right to self-determination for all peoples under subjugation, alien domination and foreign occupation". With close to nine lack troops, police constabulary and security sleuths deployed, the Indian-held Kashmir …
(2021-12-21). Even More Chronicles of the Taiwan Issue. journal-neo.org 
Last time the author left the Taiwan problem with a sense of faint hope for possible glimpses into the general gloom which has been lingering for a long time. But nothing particularly reassuring happened either then or as a result of subsequent contradictory events, which have been flowing around the almost central point of the …
(2021-12-21). US and Israel Oppose Rapprochement of UAE and Iran. journal-neo.org 
The aspiration of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become an essential independent geopolitical player in the Middle East is perceived with great wariness and jealousy in Washington and Tel Aviv, openly not wishing to release Abu Dhabi "from their ranks." Of particular concern to the USA and Israel was the announcement on November 30 …
(2021-12-21). Wet'suwet'en Evict Coastal Gaslink From Drill Site; Re-Establish Coyote Camp. itsgoingdown.org Report on re-occupation of drill site and area known as Coyote Camp and eviction of Coastal Gaslink workers on Wet'suwet'en territory. Gidimt'en land defenders and supporters have once again evicted Coastal Gaslink workers from a key pipeline drill site, protecting Wet'suwet'en headwaters and re-occupying the area known as "Coyote Camp." Early Sunday, in observance of…
(2021-12-21). There's Only One Essential Role Humans Have on Earth—A Humbler Perspective Could Save the World. independentmediainstitute.org 
While the world's oceans, nonhuman animals, and plants play starring roles in sustaining our ecosystem, why are we so bent on sabotaging it? By Captain Paul Watson, Independent Media Institute 6 min read This excerpt is from Urgent! Save Our Ocean to Survive Climate Change, by Captain Paul Watson (GroundSwell Books, 2021). This web adaptation …
(2021-12-21). The Totalitarian Moment: Woke Democrats are establishing "Social Justice" despotism. globalresearch.ca The Democrats have held the presidency and a majority of both houses of Congress for only eleven months, but they have already put their stamp on the transformation of the United States from top to bottom. In reaction to those …
(2021-12-21). In a Pennsylvania prison, a COVID-19 related death. workers.org 
A 52-year-old man, Melvin James Anderson IV, died while incarcerated in the Chester County Correctional Complex and Youth Center in Pocopson, Pennsylvania, Dec. 7. He was jailed while waiting to be tried for a charge of burglary, which he may or may not have committed. How did he die? He . . . |
(2021-12-21). Israel's cyberwarfare industry had a bad year. electronicintifada.net NSO Group may be on the ropes, but new spy firms are waiting in the wings.
(2021-12-21). The Year of the New Normal Fascist. dissidentvoice.org 
Nazis on holiday And so, as 2021 goose-steps toward its fanatical finish, it is time for my traditional year-end wrap-up. It's "The Year of the Ox" in the Chinese zodiac, but I'm christening it "The Year of the New Normal Fascist." And what a phenomenally fascist year it has been! I'm not talking amateur fascism. …
(2021-12-21). Why activists need art to create social change. nationofchange.org The authors of a new book on artistic activism discuss the importance of fighting on the terrain of popular culture to reach a mass audience.
(2021-12-21). Displaying 'inhuman disdain' for working families, Manchin said child tax credit would be used for drugs. nationofchange.org "Sen. Joe Manchin—who is a multimillionaire—doesn't think his poor constituents can be trusted with a little help."
(2021-12-21). Democratic legislators send scathing letter to Amazon inquiring about employee deaths. nationofchange.org "Amazon has proven time and time again that it views workers as disposable means to achieving greater profits."
(2021-12-21). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Teachers in two districts are planning walkouts over stalled contract talks while London, Ontario city workers are discussing work refusals amidst the latest COVID wave.
(2021-12-21). Tentative agreement to end Massachusetts nurses strike after intervention of Biden administration. wsws.org The Massachusetts Nurses Association is quick to explain that the deal contains "necessary" compromises. According to one of these, Tenet will reportedly allow the scabs it began hiring in May to permanently replace workers to remain on the job.
(2021-12-21). UK Tesco workers—reject USDAW-Unite pay sellout! wsws.org USDAW and Unite are recommending workers call off their offensive and accept an effective pay cut in conditions in which they occupy a powerful economic position and confront the serious dangers of COVID-19 in the workplace.