(2021-11-18). President Maduro as 21N Elections Approach: 'This is Venezuelan Democracy'. orinocotribune.com 
As the protagonist of an intense and permanent battle in defense of the rights of oppressed peoples, President Nicolás Maduro defines the progressive forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Now, President Maduro is in the midst of the electoral process to choose regional and local offices. | The president addressed the issue this Wednesday, November 17, during his participation, via video-conference, in the World Day in Defense of Democracy and the Truth of Venezuela. The event was attended by more than 300 international guests of Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) who arrived in Venezuel…
(2021-11-18). Pfizer gets new $5.3bn boost over Covid. rt.com 
US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has agreed a $5.29 billion deal with the American government to provide 10 million doses of its new Covid-19 oral antiviral drug, Paxlovid. | "This promising treatment could help accelerate our path out of this pandemic by offering another life-saving tool for people who get sick with Covid-19," Xavier Becerra, secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, said on Thursday. | Read more | | Under the deal, Pfizer is to deliver some 10 mil…
(2021-11-18). Pfizer bullies governments worldwide in COVID-19 vaccine contracts: report. ecns.cn U.S. multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation Pfizer has been bullying governments around the world in COVID-19 vaccine contracts, said a recent report.
(2021-11-18). Why It's So Hard to Tax Billionaires. scheerpost.com 
By Christopher Orlet / CounterPunch A recent NPR story attempted to explain why it is so hard to tax billionaires. The expert NPR interviewed for the story ticked off the usual ways the 1 percent avoids paying its fair share of taxes: Billionaires have the best accountants who know all the loopholes. Their wealth isn't in income, …
(2021-11-18). The Russia-China-Iran Alliance. dissidentvoice.org NATO, the U.S. Government, and all other "neoconservatives" (adherents to Cecil Rhodes's 1877 plan for a global U.S. empire that would be run, behind the scenes, by the UK's aristocracy) have been treating Russia, China, and Iran, as being their enemies. In consequence of this: Russia, China, and Iran, have increasingly been coordinating their international …
(2021-11-18). Anti-Communism, Anti-Blackness, and Imperialism. libya360.wordpress.com Dr. Charisse Burden Stelley In this talk prepared for the Albuquerque Anti-War Coalition's Anti-Communism & Imperialism panel discussion, Dr. Charisse Burden Stelley discusses how anti-communism and anti-Blackness are intrinsically intertwined structures of white supremacist and capitalist control. Transcript Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Charisse Burden Stelley and I am a professor of Africana studies in political science…
(2021-11-18). Kamala Harris is no border czar, Texas Democrat says. rt.com 
A long-time Texas congressman representing a district along the US-Mexico border said he has "moved on" from Vice President Kamala Harris when it comes to illegal immigration and now wishes the US had a proper border czar. | "I've moved on from the vice president to say, 'OK, let's work with the ambassadors and let's work with the State Department. Let's work with the homeland secretary'," Representative Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told reporters on Wednesday. | "I wish we had a border czar. We've had border czars under different administrations," he added. | Though the media has "put a lot of focus on the vice pr…
(2021-11-18). Boston bus drivers take contract struggle to the street. workers.org 
WW photo credit: Steve Kirschbaum Executive Board, USW Local 8751 Boston, Nov. 14 — Banging drums and chanting "No contract, no work," hundreds of Boston school bus drivers from far-flung yards converged on their employer Transdev's office during their Nov. 9 morning break. With a week to go until their . . . |
(2021-11-18). COP26: Youth demand change, politicians protect fossil fuel industry. workers.org 
Two weeks of high-profile negotiations, against a background of climate catastrophes, ended Nov. 13 with little to show for the 26th "Conference of the Parties." Proposals included that "countries agree to accelerate the phasing out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels — a potential first acknowledgment of fossil fuels' . . . |
(2021-11-18). Congress censures Republican Gosar for 'violent' anime video with Biden. rt.com 
US lawmakers have voted to censure Republican Representative Paul Gosar over a spoof video parodying a popular Japanese cartoon that featured his character attacking Democrats, including Joe Biden, over the border crisis. | The House of Representatives voted 223-207 to pass the censure resolution on Wednesday, with Representatives Adam Kinzinger (Illinois) and Liz Cheney (Wyoming) the only Republicans to break with their party and side with Democrats across the aisle. Ohio Republican David Joyce voted 'present', declining to take a position. | With the measure passed — the first formal censure in Congress…
(2021-11-18). Washington Post calls for a COVID-19 cover-up. wsws.org The commission advocated by the Washington Post will be aimed at shielding the government and corporate officials responsible for the deaths of more than one million Americans, while scapegoating China for the pandemic.
(2021-11-18). Bolivia and Cuba: Protagonists and Events in the Heat of the Imperial Offensive. libya360.wordpress.com Misión Verdad Cuban police cars were rammed by violent demonstrators in Havana on July 11, 2021 (Photo: Yamil Lage / AFP) The onslaught of the Global North, led by the United States and its battery of unconventional warfare methods, continues to impact the stability of countries that are not aligned with the interests of domestic…
(2021-11-18). A Dirty Occupation: The UN's Criminal Enterprise and Ecological Catastrophe in Haiti. libya360.wordpress.com Jemima Pierre UN tanker truck offloading the raw sewage of MINUSTAH Peacekeepers at Morne Cabrit sewage treatment plant in January 2013. Photo: Isabeau Doucet What are the environmental and ecological impacts of large-scale military occupations by the United Nations "peacekeeping" missions? The deadly cholera epidemic unleashed on the Haitian people by UN soldiers is an…
(2021-11-18). So Said, Not So Easily Done. libya360.wordpress.com Steve D. Whittaker, PhD, MSc Since the 2020 storm season started, the Caribbean region has seen (perhaps) unprecedented downpours disrupt the daily lives of many communities and citizens. Even the most unorganized of cyclonic systems resulted in substantial damages* to infrastructure in Dominica, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Trinidad…
(2021-11-18). Anti-China propaganda gone mad: The bizarre case of the "Corgi killers" wsws.org A minor incident in China involving the death of a pet, while no doubt distressing to its owner, has been inflated for political purposes out of all proportion in the American and international media.
(2021-11-18). From Pegasus to Blue Wolf: How Israel's "Security" Experiment in Palestine Became Global. dissidentvoice.org 
The revelation, a few years ago, that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been conducting mass surveillance on millions of Americans has reignited the conversation on governments' misconduct and their violation of human rights and privacy laws. Until recently, however, Israel has been spared due criticism, not only for its unlawful spying methods on …
(2021-11-18). Sri Lankan teachers' unions shut down all protests. wsws.org Contrary to the unions' claims, the deal is a betrayal of the teachers, with a paltry wage increase that has already been wiped out by rampant inflation and the government's removal of price controls on all essentials.
(2021-11-18). Sri Lankan SEP/IYSSE to hold online meeting on Rajapakse government's austerity budget. wsws.org World Socialist Web Site readers, workers, youth and intellectuals are invited to participate in this crucial meeting and discussion on how to fight Colombo's brutal social attacks.
(2021-11-17). Rittenhouse judge: Media coverage of trial 'irresponsible' and 'frightening'. rt.com 
The Wisconsin judge presiding over Kyle Rittenhouse's murder trial is rethinking whether he will allow future cases to be televised, citing "grossly irresponsible" and "scary" media coverage. | "When I talked about problems with the media when this trial started . . . , we're there, in part — not fully, but in part — because of grossly irresponsible handling of what comes out of this trial," Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder told lawyers in the Rittenhouse case on Wednesday. | Judge in Rittenhouse trial comments on the media's "grossly irresponsible handling of what comes out of this…
(2021-11-17). 'Media narrative' could sway Rittenhouse verdict, Harvard law professor tells RT. rt.com 
The US corporate press may have had undue influence on Kyle Rittenhouse's murder trial, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz told RT, warning that media bias could sway the jurors' verdict. | Speaking to RT on Wednesday, as the jury continued their second day of deliberations in the Rittenhouse case, Dershowitz argued that media coverage of the trial and an outpouring of commentary online would be virtually impossible for jurors to ignore, potentially tainting their decision over the 18-year-old's fate. | "In this case, the jury wasn't even sequestered, so they know what's going on outside. They are told not…
(2021-11-17). NATO, EU military staffs meet against backdrop of Belarus-Poland, Ukraine-Russia crises. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The NATO International Military Staff hosts the EU Military Staff for second edition of joint meeting On 16 November 2021, the Director General of the NATO International Military Staff (IMS), Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann welcomed the Deputy Director General of the European Union Military Staff (EUMS), Lieutenant General Giovanni Manione and his staff to NATO …
(2021-11-17). $285 Billion Tax Cut for the Rich Is Now 2nd Most Expensive Piece of Build Back Better. scheerpost.com 
By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams A $285 billion tax cut that would predominantly flow to rich households is now the second most expensive component of the Build Back Better Act after corporate Democrats succeeded in slashing funding for a number of key progressive priorities—and removing other programs entirely. With the House of Representatives preparing to vote later this week …
(2021-11-17). Mali's people mobilize against imperialism. workers.org 
Although French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that his government is winding down its intervention in Mali, French imperialism is still carrying out an active policy of raids and assassinations. Mali's people are resisting. Africans target imperialist intervention through MINUSMA. The United States is supplying France with intelligence and logistical . . . |
(2021-11-17). FBI & CDC investigate 'smallpox' vials at big pharma facility — media. rt.com 
The FBI and CDC have launched a probe after several "questionable vials" labeled as "smallpox" were discovered in a freezer at a lab near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to an alert obtained by Yahoo News. | The 15 mysterious vials were found on Tuesday night at a Merck laboratory,
(2021-11-17). School Bus Drivers In Nationwide Strikes Over Poor Pay And Covid Risk. popularresistance.org Yellow school buses are part of the American streetscape, familiar to families across the US and an easily recognizable symbol the world over. | But the drivers of the vehicles that shuttle America's children to and from school are now caught up in the wave of labor unrest sweeping across the US in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. | Strikes, walkouts, protests or sick-outs among school bus drivers have taken place this fall in many states including North Carolina, New Mexico, Maryland, Florida, Indiana, Georgia Pennsylvania and New York among others. | Some school districts have periodically closed schools due…
(2021-11-17). US School Bus Drivers In Nationwide Strikes Over Poor Pay And Covid Risk. popularresistance.org Strikes, walkouts, protests or sick-outs among school bus drivers have taken place this fall in many states including North Carolina, New Mexico, Maryland, Florida, Indiana, Georgia Pennsylvania and New York among others. Some school districts have periodically closed schools due to bus driver shortages or changed school schedules to accommodate the shortage. Other districts have raised pay and offered sign-on bonuses to try to lure workers into vacant school bus driver positions.
(2021-11-17). COP26: India Ends Up as Fall Guy. asia-pacificresearch.com
(2021-11-17). Indigenous pride, power and protest: Strong as ever at National Day of Mourning. workers.org 
By K. James What are the United States' foundational myths? Who created them, and who do they erase and harm? Plymouth, Massachusetts, November 2019 For the past 51 years, United American Indians of New England (UAINE) and supporters have gathered on so-called Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to ask these . . . |
(2021-11-17). COP26: Taking forward agenda of developed countries? peoplesdispatch.org NewsClick's editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and D. Raghunandan of Delhi Science Forum talk about the hits and misses of the COP26 summit and how the developed countries may have emerged as the winners yet again…
(2021-11-17). As farmers protest in Sri Lanka after fertilizer ban, experts warn of food crisis. peoplesdispatch.org Fresh protests by farmers took place on November 10 in the aftermath of the Rajapaksa government's ban on chemical fertilizers earlier this year which has added to the country's ongoing economic crisis…
(2021-11-17). Inflation Is Complicated, But Making It Better Doesn't Have to Be. otherwords.org Many Americans are noticing the rising price of goods from sour cream to carburetors as politicians sound the alarm on an inflation crisis. | You may be wondering what single force would cause the cost of a dairy product to go up at the same time as the cost of a car part. The truth is that not all inflation is the same. Each sector has its own issues. | And none of it is solved by less government funding for our safety net, as some politicians have proposed. | Some of it is what we can call pandemic inflation. Because our economy bounced back quicker after the COVID-19 shutdowns than anyone predicted — tha…
(2021-11-17). Sociology Can Help the Climate Crisis. otherwords.org The recent COP26 climate summit in Glasgow was the 26th attempt to get the nations of the world to fix the climate crisis. During the summit, the We've known about the climate crisis for decades. But in these ways and more, we've seen a painful, frustrating failure to meaningfully coordinate action on global scale. Still, that doesn't have to mean that real cooper…
(2021-11-17). In OtherWords: November 17, 2021. otherwords.org We're still a week out of Thanksgiving, but many of us have gotten an early start on holiday shopping. Why? Because even with the economy recovering and the pandemic easing, inflation, supply chain unpredictability, and expected postal delivery delays could make this year's giving season more difficult than usual. | This week in OtherWords, we tackle a few sides of the problem. | First, Domenica Ghanem explains the causes of inflation — from pandemic disruptions to plain old greed — and explains why passing the administration's jobs and infrastructure package is the simplest solution in sight. Then, S…
(2021-11-17). Republican AG sues school district over CRT records. rt.com 
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has sued school officials in Springfield for demanding exorbitant fees to respond to his request for records on their teaching of critical race theory (CRT). | The Springfield Public Schools has…
(2021-11-17). Biden's mental fitness increasingly worries voters — poll. rt.com 
Nearly half of American voters don't think President Joe Biden's firing on all cylinders. At nearly 80 years old, Biden's low approval rating has been linked with his apparently declining mental faculties. | A Politico/Morning Consult Some 46% of voters reckoned that Biden is mentally fit, while 48% disagreed, another huge drop since l…
(2021-11-17). Drug overdose deaths in US hit all-time record. rt.com 
A record 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. The soaring death count was driven by the availability of highly toxic fentanyl and social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Some 100,306 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in the 12 months leading up to April 2021, according to
(2021-11-17). Capitol Riot's 'QAnon Shaman' gets prison sentence. rt.com 
Jacob Chansley, better known as the 'QAnon Shaman,' has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in the January 6 US Capitol riot. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official government proceeding. | Wearing a horned helmet, furs and facepaint, Chansley became one of the most prominent faces of the riot on the day Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 election. He turned himself in to police on January 9 and was indicted on six counts, including civil disorder and "parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol building." The other charges were dropped as part of his plea agreemen…
(2021-11-17). Pentagon's top general reveals whether China can hit US first. rt.com 
US Air Force General John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the Pentagon is "very concerned" about China's recent hypersonic missile test. He called it a "first use" weapon in a potential nuclear clash. | "That's a very significant capability that has the potential to change a lot of things," Hyten told CBS News in an exclusive interview aired Tuesday evening. According to him, China launched a long-range missile that "around the world, dropped off a hypersonic glide vehicle that glided all the way back to China," where it made an impact. | Asked if the warhead hit the target, Hyten repli…
(2021-11-17). Alec Baldwin wasn't scripted to fire gun in 'Rust' scene — lawsuit. rt.com 
The script supervisor who called 911 after Alec Baldwin shot and killed a woman on the 'Rust' movie set has accused the actor of recklessness in practicing for a scene that didn't even call for him to fire his gun. | "Alec Baldwin intentionally, without just cause or excuse, cocked and fired the loaded gun even though the upcoming scene to be filmed did not call for the cocking and firing of the firearm," script supervisor Mamie Mitchell said in a
(2021-11-17). Nasal vaccine for Alzheimer's to be tested on people. rt.com 
A Boston hospital will conduct human trials to test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine to counter Alzheimer's disease next month. It will mark the first clinical trial of a nasal vaccine for the dementia-causing disorder. | In a
(2021-11-17). Biden admin suspends vaccine mandate for businesses. rt.com 
Enforcement of President Joe Biden's Covid-19 vaccine mandate for large employers has been suspended, 11 days after a US appeals court froze the order on "grave statutory and constitutional issues." | The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has posted a notice on its website, saying the agency
(2021-11-17). Who Is America's Real God? scheerpost.com 
[ By William Astore | Who is America's god? The Christian god of the beatitudes, the one who healed the sick, helped the poor, and preached love of neighbor? Not in these (dis)United States. In the Pledge of Allegiance, we speak proudly of One Nation under God, but in the aggregate, this country doesn't serve or worship Jesus Christ, or Allah, or any other god of justice and mercy. In truth, the deity America believes in is the five-sided on…
(2021-11-17). 451 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians since early 2020, says new B'Tselem report. mronline.org 
The Israeli human rights group said that these settler attacks are used as a "major informal tool" by the state of Israel to displace Palestinians in order to confiscate and annex their lands.
(2021-11-17). American Fascism on Trial in Kenosha. scheerpost.com 
The Kenosha County Courthouse and Jail in Kenosha, Wisconsin. ( By Paul Street / Never forget the inspiring righteousnes…
(2021-11-17). Fake 'shoplifting surge' is just the latest in crime wave propaganda. mronline.org 
The issue has become one of the key fronts in the development of law and order rhetoric. It is part of the backlash from pro-police elements of society to prevent any changes at all to the country's hyper militarized, mainly ineffective, racist, and brutal system of policing and the accompanying system of mass incarceration.
(2021-11-17). The eco-politics of the sublime: nature, environmentalism, and Covid-ecology. mronline.org 
A conception of the sublime, liberated from its racist, sexist and domineering classic form, should form a part of any ecosocialist imaginary.
(2021-11-17). US state representatives vote to compensate 'vaccine-related injuries' due to mandates. rt.com 
The Idaho state house passed legislation that would enable people to receive workers' compensation if they fall ill due to a mandated Covid-19 shot, with the bill finding bipartisan support in the Republican-dominated state. | Approved overwhelmingly in a 67-3 "If the empl…
(2021-11-17). New film on Attica uprising shows a fight for human rights. workers.org 
The Prisoners Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party will be sponsoring a free zoom showing Dec. 10 of the new documentary, "Attica," directed by Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry, which premiered on Showtime. One of the surviving participants of the rebellion and a member of the Young Lords, Che . . . |
(2021-11-17). 'Reckless' FDA and Big Pharma Greed Blamed for Medicare Premium Hike. scheerpost.com 
By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams Medicare Part B recipients will soon be hit with one of the biggest premium increases in the history of the government program, a hike driven in large part by the Food and Drug Administration's scandalous approval of a costly—and, according to many experts, dubious—Alzheimer's drug. "Medicare's inability to negotiate lower drug prices means that Big …
(2021-11-17). Dozens Risk Arrest to Protest Ongoing Post-Fire Logging In Breitenbush Watershed. itsgoingdown.org Report on mass community action in Oregon in defense of post-fire clear-cutting in the Breitenbush watershed. Detroit, OR — This morning, community organizers defied a closure order and are occupying a road leading to public forest slated for clearcutting in the Willamette National Forest. The organizers are holding a concert and teach-in, discussing the ecology and rich history of…