Daily Archives: August 12, 2021

2021-08-12: News Headlines

Vijay Prashad (2021-08-12). Hunger is the story of our time. peoplesdispatch.org In May 1998, Cuba's President Fidel Castro attended the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. This is an annual meeting held by the World Health Organization (WHO). Castro focused his attention on hunger and poverty, which — he Two years…

Staff (2021-08-12). Asesinato de Jovenel MoàØse: Premeditación, participación de los EEUU y complicidad del personal de seguridad. cubadebate.cu El informe preliminar elaborado por las autoridades haitianas deja asentadas sus presunciones sobre el magnicidio: la premeditación de los mercenarios colombianos en el plan de asesinato, la participación de dos empresas con sede en EE.UU. y la complicidad del personal de seguridad del mandatario en los hechos porque, cuando se ejecutó el asalto a la residencia de MoàØse, "la puerta principal estaba abierta".

Staff (2021-08-12). Nicaragua: Encuesta confirma al FSLN como favorito a elecciones. cubadebate.cu Una encuesta publicada la víspera en Managua confirmó al gobernante Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) como favorito de cara a las elecciones generales del 7 de noviembre próximo.El estudio realizado solo en Managua reveló que el índice de predisposición política favorece al partido rojinegro, con el 62,7 por ciento.

Editor2 (2021-08-12). Targeting Cuba and China: Disinformation Against Communism. orinocotribune.com By Kim Petersen — Aug 10, 2021 | — Mike Pompeo, former US secretary of state on how the United States conducts its business | One of the filters in the Propaganda Model propounded by professors Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky was stoking a fear of communism. [1] The establishment's anti-communism has never abated in the United States. The elitists require a populace fearful of communism to protect their own misbegotten wealth accumulation. Thus, the bugaboo of communism must be op…

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). Nearly 1.4 billion covered by health insurance in China. ecns.cn China's healthcare plans had covered 1.36 billion residents by the end of last year after the country worked for decades to create a sturdier insurance safety net in the world's most populous nation, a white paper said on Thursday.

G. Dunkel (2021-08-12). Is the U.S. economy really improving? workers.org People wait in a food bank line, New York City, May 15, 2020. "Figures don't lie, but liars do figure" is a quip attributed to Mark Twain. Case in point: the figures in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report for July. These state an unemployment rate of 5.4% . . . |

RobertAlvarez (2021-08-12). One-off Emergency Tax on Billionaires' Pandemic Windfalls Could Fund COVID-19 Jabs for Entire World. ips-dc.org Governments across the world are massively under-taxing the wealthiest individuals and big corporations, which is undermining the fight against COVID-19 and poverty and inequality.

WSWS (2021-08-12). Workers at Motherson plant in southern India mount indefinite strike for decent food, better conditions. wsws.org The Maoist-led union at Motherson's plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu only sanctioned the strike to contain growing worker opposition over poverty wages and a brutal work regime.

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). China lifts nearly 99 mln rural poor out of poverty in 8 yrs: white paper. ecns.cn By the end of 2020, China had lifted all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty after eight years of efforts, according to a white paper.

Institute for Policy Studies (2021-08-12). Tax on Billionaires' Pandemic Windfalls Could Fund COVID-19 Jabs for World. zcomm.org Governments across the world are massively under-taxing the wealthiest individuals and big corporations, which is undermining the fight against COVID-19 and poverty and inequality…

RobertAlvarez (2021-08-12). Global Billionaires See $5.5 Trillion Pandemic Wealth Surge. ips-dc.org The world's billionaires have seen their wealth surge by over $5.5 trillion since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, a gain of over 68 percent. The world's 2,690 global billionaires saw their combined wealth rise from $8 trillion on March 18, 2020 to $13.5 trillion as of July 31, 2021, drawing on data from Forbes. | Global billionaire total wealth has increased more over the past 17 months of the pandemic than it did in the 15 years prior to the pandemic. Between 2006 and 2020, global billionaire wealth increased from $2.65 trillion to $8 trillion, a gain of $5.35 trillion. | Billionaires have reaped an…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-08-12). Silicon Valley, New Zealand and Pandemic Exceptionalism. counterpunch.org There are some crises that never touch the well-heeled. Money, like flab, insulates them from bruising. The generally applied laws of a state can be treated as meaningless jottings; the citizenry ignored with class contempt. But few can blame the world's sixth wealthiest person, Larry Page, for circumstances that were gifted to him. An opportunity

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). UNHCR objects to renewed U.S. expulsion flights of migrants under public health restrictions. ecns.cn The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concern on Wednesday over the resumption of the U.S. practice of flying non-Mexican asylum seekers and migrants to southern Mexico after expelling them under a U.S. health law regulation implemented last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

sputniknews (2021-08-12). US Civil Rights Groups Escalate Pressure on Biden to Keep Prisoners at Home Amid Pandemic. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Barrington M. Salmon – A coalition of criminal justice activists is upping its campaign to prevent the Biden administration from forcing thousands of inmates to return to prison as COVID-19 infections continue to surge, Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) President Kevin Ring said.

Staff (2021-08-12). Texas governor says anyone who defies state ban on mask mandates will be taken to court. rt.com Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked an appeals court to strike down a masking requirement imposed by a country judge and promised more lawsuits against officials who rebel against his ban on mask mandates. | Abbot and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that they had filed a petition asking the 5th Court of Appeals to strike down an order by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who instructed businesses, public schools, child daycare centers and government offices to require indoor mask-wearing. | The governor banned Texas officials from imposing any form of a mask mandate in May, under the threat of a f…

Staff (2021-08-12). Senator Rand Paul accused of 'insider trading' after he belatedly reveals wife invested in pharma firm in early days of Covid-19. rt.com Senator Rand Paul was accused of "insider trading" after he revealed that his wife bought stock in the firm that makes antiviral drug remdesivir in early 2020, disclosing the purchase more than a year after the reporting deadline. | The Kentucky Republican acknowledged the stock buy on Wednesday in a Senate filing, the Washington Post According to the filing, the senator's wife invested b…

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). Facts reveal U.S. failing in COVID-19 response: report. ecns.cn Furthermore, the "virus origin-tracing terrorism" that emerged in the country should be investigated as this is an attempt to manipulate "global public opinion," the authors said.

SAM (2021-08-12). The Climate Stat We Can't Afford to Overlook: CEO Pay. inequality.org

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). Unilateral sanctions against Venezuela "crime against humanity": FM. ecns.cn Imposing unilateral sanctions against Venezuela and other countries is "a crime against humanity" that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court must investigate, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said Wednesday.

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). Average life expectancy in China rises to 77.3 yrs: white paper. ecns.cn

ecns.cn (2021-08-12). China has over 1 mln medical, health institutions: white paper. ecns.cn The number of medical and health institutions in China skyrocketed from 170,000 in 1978 to over 1 million in 2020, according to a white paper.

Marzieh Rahmani (2021-08-12). Moscow to boost relations with Tehran based on mutual respect. en.mehrnews.com Iran is Russia's friend and neighbor, and the country will continue to strengthen relations based on mutual respect, the RussianEmbassy said.

teleSUR, JL (2021-08-12). Denuncian asesinato de líder social en el Meta, Colombia. telesurtv.net Indepaz señala que en lo corrido del 2021 se han asesinado 107 líderes sociales y 1.223 desde la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz en 2016.

sputniknews (2021-08-12). Awkward Moment: Biden –°onfuses Gov. Gretchen Whitmer With Energy Sec Jennifer Granholm – Video. sputniknews.com US President Joe Biden is no stranger to blunders and awkward behaviour: just earlier this week he seemingly took a cue from a Secret Service agent to follow the sidewalk path into the White House and followed the security officer across the lawn, prompting social media users to mock him for "getting lost in the bushes".

teleSUR, SH (2021-08-12). Reportan el asesinato de firmante de la paz en Nariño, Colombia. telesurtv.net Con José Harleyo Popayán serían 34 los firmantes de acuerdo de paz asesinados en 2021.

news.un (2021-08-11). Arrests of Palestinian rights defenders part of 'wider crackdown'. news.un.org Israel must safeguard human rights activists in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and within its borders, a UN-appointed expert said on Wednesday.

WSWS (2021-08-11). Ten years after the London riots: More cuts and state repression. wsws.org The riots blew the lid off a society wracked by poverty and inequality and the collapse of any concern for democracy in the ruling class. A decade later, both of Britain's main parties are led by politicians who cut their teeth in the mass repression of working-class youth which followed.

rebekah (2021-08-11). Global Billionaire Pandemic Wealth Gains Surge to $5.5 Trillion. inequality.org

_____ (2021-08-11). California Requires Covid-19 Vaccines or Tests for Teachers as US Education Secretary Backs Mandates. commondreams.org "The obscene levels of wealth gained from the pandemic by a handful of mega rich individuals should immediately be taxed at 99%―enough to fully vaccinate everyone on Earth and help millions of workers."

Staff (2021-08-11). Texan House speaker signs arrest warrant for 52 runaway Democrats after lawmakers fled state to block passage of Republican bill. rt.com A senior Texan lawmaker has signed an arrest warrant for 52 Democrats who fled the state to avoid voting on a controversial Republican bill which cannot be passed into law without the presence of five more lawmakers. | Late on Tuesday evening, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed the arrest warrants, understood to be civil not criminal, for 52 Democrat legislators who have avoided their duties in the assembly, according to US news agencies. | The move came after the Texas Supreme Court gave lawmakers permission to use law enforcement to compel the runaway Democrats to return to the House. According to The Da…

Staff (2021-08-11). NYPD spent $159mn on facial recognition, 'stingray' cellphone trackers & X-ray van spy tools using secretive fund, documents show. rt.com For years, the NYPD used a "surveillance slush fund" for a range of policing tech with no public oversight — under a shadowy deal with city officials that kept equipment used in "confidential operations" secret. | Newly released documents reveal the New York Police Department (NYPD) has spent at least $159 million in public money since 2007, through a "Special Expenses" fund, on potentially invasive surveillance tools like facial-recognition software, predictive policing programs, "stingray" cellphone trackers — and even vans fitted with X-ray machines to spot weapons. | That year, the force entered…

Staff (2021-08-11). ALL California teachers face Covid vaccine mandate or regular testing, Newsom announces. rt.com California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate or weekly testing for teachers and school staff, saying it is "the right thing to do" and making his state the first to pass such a requirement. | The mandate will apply to teachers, as well as "custodial staff, the bus drivers, folks that are critical to supporting the entire school ecosystem," Newsom said at a Wednesday press conference at Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland. | "We think this is the right thing to do," the governor continued, "and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the…

The Canary (2021-08-11). Assange is 'an innocent man accused of practising journalism'. thecanary.co Julian Assange's partner has described him as "an innocent man accused of practising journalism" as she arrived at a legal hearing which will see the US government challenge a judge's decision not to extradite him to the US on espionage charges. | Stella Moris, who has two children by Assange, stood in front of the steps of the High Court and told his supporters: "The US government is exploiting the inherently unfair arrangement between the US and the UK. | "They are exploiting the inherently unfair extradition arrangements with this country in order to arbitrarily prolong his imprisonment. The imprisonment of an…

news.un (2021-08-11). UNHCR alarmed over US 'expulsion flights' to southern Mexico. news.un.org The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) raised concern on Wednesday over a new policy by the United States, using public health orders linked to COVID-19, to expel some asylum-seekers and migrants by flying them to southern Mexico.

TASS (2021-08-11). North Korea eyes stronger cooperation with Russia to resist US — envoy. tass.com According to North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol, Pyongyang cannot ignore the threats it faces at the backdrop of the hostile policy that the US pursues against North Korea…

Moderator (2021-08-11). Secret IRS Files Reveal How Much the Ultrawealthy Gained by Shaping Trump's "Big, Beautiful Tax Cut" scheerpost.com NASA HQ PHOTO / Flickr) by Justin Elliott and Robert Faturechi / ProPublica This art icle was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.Series: The Secret IRS Files Inside the Tax Records of the .001% In November 2017, with the administration of President… |

Bill Hatch (2021-08-11). Remembering John Wesley Powell in a Dry Year. counterpunch.org How could 40 million Californians and the most productive corporate agriculture in the nation be wrong about anything? We have crushed the natural resources of the state or used them and left nothing but a few iconic viewscapes paid for by the government and wealthy land conservancies — some national parks and forests and fragments of pastureland, pretty beaches, mountain lakes, etc. The ecological crisis is now almost beyond description, which is why the press obsesses on the endless stream of grim scientific measurement—quantified data by the mile, the acre-foot, or parts per million of air pollutio…

sputniknews (2021-08-11). 'Absurd Inequality': Swedish Profs Against Booster Shots, Call to Vaccinate Poor Countries First. sputniknews.com According to Swedish professors, it is important to vaccinate globally both to save lives and to prevent the virus from mutating, as a broad spread is fraught with new strains. At the same time, it was conceded that vaccines are unlikely to provide lifelong protection.

news.un (2021-08-11). WHO supports Guinea after detection of first-ever case of Marburg disease. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Guinea following a confirmed death from Marburg virus disease, the first known case in the country and West Africa, the UN agency reported on Wednesday.

_____ (2021-08-11). Wealthiest Netted Billions From Trump Tax Cut They Helped Write: Report. commondreams.org "This disingenuous appeal should be dismissed by the court and President Biden should take the opportunity to drop these politically motivated charges."

news.un (2021-08-11). Punishment of 'innocent civilians' through government sanctions must end: UN experts. news.un.org Unilateral coercive measures by some governments are denying many people around the world the right to personal development, as well as holding back sustainable national development, four independent UN human rights experts said on Wednesday.

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