Staff (2021-10-11). Facebook 'fixing' Instagram after Haugen leak: Nudging teens away from bad content & making Section 230 conditional on censorship. rt.com Facing accusations of failing to protect children, Facebook wants to introduce more restrictions and coercion on the platform. It also wants reform of Section 230 so its protections apply only to well-moderated platforms. | Facebook has been subjected to an onslaught of criticism after its former employee Frances Haugen leaked internal company documents to the press, and accused the tech giant of putting profits before the wellbeing of its users. One of the specific charges was that using Facebook-owned Instagram could be harmful to some vulnerable teenagers, affecting their self-esteem or even causing suicida…

sputniknews (2021-10-11). 500 Bags Packed With School Supplies, Several Activists & One Hope for a Better Future in Gaza. sputniknews.com The economic situation in the Palestinian coastal enclave has always been fragile, but the crisis has deepened in the past couple of years primarily because of the outbreak of COVID-19.

Anonymous007 (2021-10-11). Thousands Rally In Tunisia In Support Of "Democracy" And Against President's Attempts To Fix Economic Collapse. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On October 10th, thousands of Tunisians took to the street to protest against incumbent leader, president Kais Saied. | The main opposition appears to be questionably rallied and calling for people to organize riots."The future in Tunisia is really scary to me. For now we don't know what we will have as institutions. We don't have a parliament, we don't have democracy in our country. I am really scared", said Raja Masmoudi, a teacher who took part in the demonstration in Tu…

Tom Morello (2021-10-11). 'We came within a baby's breath of a fascist coup in the US'. zcomm.org Poverty and hunger kill more people than anything else on the planet and they are human-made problems. Those are the things that we need to be digging into, rather than being sidetracked by this carnival barker bullshit…

WSWS (2021-10-11). New Zealand's Daily Blog attacks WSWS as "sectarian" wsws.org The pseudo-left Daily Blog contributor Chris Trotter objected to the WSWS's exposure of the blog's support for the Labour Party-led government's alignment with US imperialism, and its war propaganda against China.

Jeff Schuhrke (2021-10-11). Why Are Major Unions Undermining the Progressive Strategy on Reconciliation? zcomm.org Labor leaders from the AFL-CIO and AFT are undermining left Democrats in the reconciliation fight. But members are pushing back…

teleSUR, JGN (2021-10-11). Brigada médica cubana recibe Premio a la Paz de los Pueblos. telesurtv.net Durante la pandemia de la Covid-19, más de 50 destacamentos médicos cubanos han colaborado en unos 40 países.

Labor Video Project (2021-10-11). Italian S.I.Cobas FedEx Workers Face Attack As Leader Is Released & 10/11 Gen Strike On. indybay.org Italian SI Cobas FedEx workers are under attack and the government is also jailing their leaders. They celebrated as a leaders was released and prepared for a general strike on October 11, 2021. There will be a solidarity action at the Italian consulate in San Francisco.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-10-11). Science Saturday: A robotic GPS for targeting, delivering regenerative biotherapies. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A remote-controlled bronchoscope that acts like a GPS system hunts down hard-to-find lung masses and accurately biopsies them, according to a Mayo Clinic collaborative study. This multisite research, which is published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, lays the foundation for precisely finding early-stage cancer and targeting it with regenerative biotherapeutics needed to stimulate healing. Artificial intelligence gleaned from CT scans directs the robotic fiber optic cable, providing a GPS-like pathway to tiny nodules, or masses, that manual bronchoscopes…

Nikolaus Gietinger, Justus Cider (2021-10-11). Capitalist dilemmas and The Greed for More. indybay.org The overexploitation of nature did not remain without resistance. However, these were ignored by both the left and the right due to the hopelessness of the capitalist form of wealth. The "requirements of shipping and agriculture" destroy original functions of the floodplain landscapes. "And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself," said Greta Thurnberg…

WSWS (2021-10-11). Michigan educators and parents speak out about rising COVID-19 cases in schools. wsws.org Rising levels of COVID-19 cases in Michigan, largely driven by the recent full reopening of schools, threatens children's lives at the same time their parents are being financially devastated with the cutoff of meager social supports.

Editor (2021-10-11). Bellingcat funded by U.S. and UK intelligence contractors that aided extremists in Syria. mronline.org Supposedly "independent" website Bellingcat raked in money from scandal-ridden Western intelligence firms that wreaked havoc — and reaped massive profits — in Syria.

TASS (2021-10-11). Number of foreigners obtaining Russian citizenship in 2021 exceeds 656,000 — Ministry. tass.com According to Russian Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Gorovoy, such results have been reached thanks to legal regulation introduced within migrant policy…

Anonymous103 (2021-10-11). Guterres And The Great Reset: How Capitalism Became A Time Bomb. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Written by Matthew Ehret. | During the 76 session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2021, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lunged into a dire warning

Anonymous765 (2021-10-11). SouthFront Race For Survival! southfront.org DEAR FRIENDS, | : | we appeal to all our readers and viewers, to our constant supporters!: | In the current difficult conditions, we are forced to act as being in a besieged fortress. Without your regular participation in SF life, our activities will be stopped. | We stay still to save the vestiges of freedom of speech and to show you the real face of the world most dangerous crises. | Though, we are still in the crosshairs, and without your regular support, SouthFront is done for. | Today, you can send your donations via BTC or Bitcoincash. | In order to support the activities of SouthFront throu…

WSWS (2021-10-11). Socialist Equality Party (Australia) health workers' forum discusses fight for eradication of COVID-19. wsws.org SEP National Secretary Cheryl Crisp said any conception Australia had somehow escaped the worst of COVID-19 had been dispelled by 56,000 people being infected with the virus in the past four months.

Staff (2021-10-10). South Dakota Is a Major Global Tax Shelter, According to the Pandora Papers. truthout.org The Pandora Papers, a massive expose about the secret shell games and tax avoidance schemes of the world's ultra-wealthy, has just hit headlines around the globe. (See initial coverage here in Thi…

_____ (2021-10-10). Saving for a Very Rainy Day. strategic-culture.org By Eric MARGOLIS | The really wealthy, vexed by tax collectors, pesky relatives, ex-wives and just plain thieves, long ago learned the wisdom of hiding their money and property. This is twice true for politicians. | An investigation by an international consortium of journalists just examined a massive leak of 11.9 million records of offshore financial firms that have been evading taxes and financial disclosure for their many clients. The result of what is known as The Pandora Papers has been a cascade of scandals. | This column has long maintained that the US has been deeply involved in massive international corr…

Staff (2021-10-10). 16 October, Vancouver: Free Georges Abdallah! Free Palestine! Protest. samidoun.net Saturday, 16 October 2 pm Consulate of France in Vancouver 1130 W Pender Vancouver, BC, Canada Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/622303178937164/ Georges Abdallah, Lebanese Communist and struggler for Palestine, has been imprisoned in French jails for nearly 37 years, despite being eligible for release since 1999. Even when he has obtained rulings for his freedom through judicial processes, […] | The article

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-10-10). What is Imperialism and what can we do to stop it? anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion of the material and economic basis of imperialism as best as I can. I discussed briefly the historical development from early agricultural societies, to slave societies, to feudal society is, all the way up until capitalism as briefly and correctly as I can. I then discussed the "differences" between colonialism and imperialism, and argued that they are in fact two sides of the same coin. they both exist to exploit and oppressed the working people of the world, and they both do so for profits and power. Such is the capitalist, bourgeois system itself. This is why we need to…

Foreign Policy in Focus (2021-10-10). Collective Punishment as War Crime: 90% of Afghan Families Lack enough Food because the West is Punishing the Taliban. juancole.com By John Sifton | — ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) — Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UN …

_____ (2021-10-10). Street Response Effective At Resolving Non-Violent 911 Calls. popularresistance.org Portland, Oregon – The first six months of the Portland Street Response pilot project is meeting its lofty expectations, according to a Portland State University (PSU) study released Tuesday. | "Based on the findings… we feel very optimistic about the future of Portland Street Response and believe it is well on its way to becoming a citywide solution to responding to 911 and non-emergency calls involving unhoused people and people experiencing mental health crisis," reads the report, conducted by PSU's Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative. | The Portland Street Response (PSR) is an unarmed first respo…

Faiz Shakir (2021-10-10). America Is in the Midst of a Dramatic Labor Resurgence. zcomm.org As corporations fail to meet worker demands, they are increasingly encountering a labor force that isn't going to take it…

teleSUR, JGN (2021-10-10). Brigada médica cubana Henry Reeve recibe Premio a la Paz de los Pueblos. telesurtv.net Durante la pandemia de la Covid-19, más de 50 destacamentos médicos cubanos han colaborado en unos 40 países.

Staff (2021-10-10). SouthWest Airlines cancels over 1,800 flights in 2 days amid rumors of employee 'sickout' due to Covid-19 vaccine mandate. rt.com Thousands of passengers who booked Southwest Airlines flights for weekend travel have been left stranded in US airports after the airline canceled flights amid reports of a protest against the vaccine mandate. | SouthWest, known for its relatively low prices, canceled at least 1,018 flights on Sunday, that is in addition to 808 flights that were canceled on Saturday, US Today reported, citing flight tracking data. | In a statement on Saturday, SouthWest blamed the abnormal rate of cancellations on air traffic control issues and "disruptive weather," adding that they were working to "recover" the operation. | A…

_____ (2021-10-10). Three Ways To Cut $1 Trillion From The Pentagon. popularresistance.org Today the Congressional Budget Office released a new report, "Illustrative Options for National Defense Under a Smaller Defense Budget," that outlines three different options for cutting funding for the Department of Defense by $1 trillion, or 14 percent, over the next ten years. | The report makes clear that the United States has options for reducing spending on the Pentagon — without sacrificing security. It outlines three different options for how the United States could reallocate Pentagon resources to meet the current military strategy for less. | "The U.S. military budget is now higher than it was at…

sputniknews (2021-10-10). Wrongfully Convicted Man Sues Police After Spending 37 Years Behind Bars – Reports. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A man who spent 37 years in a US prison for rape and murder he did not commit is suing police officials and a forensic dentist involved in his wrongful conviction, the Tampa Bay Times newspaper reports.

Kit Klarenberg (2021-10-10). Bellingcat funded by US and UK intelligence contractors that aided extremists in Syria. thegrayzone.com Supposedly "independent" website Bellingcat raked in money from scandal-ridden Western intelligence firms that wreaked havoc — and reaped massive profits — in Syria. Since its launch in July 2014, the self-styled open-source investigations website Bellingcat has cemented itself as a darling of mainstream Western media, with its dives into alleged Syrian government chemical weapon attacks and Russian intelligence operations showered with praise, puff pieces, and glitzy awards. While vehemently insisting that it is independent of government influence, Bellingcat is funded …

Staff (2021-10-10). Loopholes Are Exempting Oil and Gas Industry's Radioactive Waste From Regulation. truthout.org Pittsburgh — In the wake of growing concerns over the oil and gas industry's handling of radioactive waste, activists and policymakers are working to change laws that exempt the industry from safety regulations. | For decades, national environmental organizations have tried unsuccessfully to close federal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry's radioactive waste — which has been linked to elevated cancer rates — from regulation. Industry and government reports

_____ (2021-10-10). 160,000 Metalworkers In South Africa Are On Strike. popularresistance.org On October 5, the South African National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) called for an indefinite strike (a strike without a set end date) to demand an 8-percent increase in wages — and 160,000 workers in the steel and engineering sector answered the call. The union, South Africa's largest, represents 400,000 workers in total. | The massive strike continues the tense social crisis that has rocked the country since riots broke out in July in two provinces over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma. | "We're suffering," Sapelo, a metallurgy technician, told Radio France International. "I've been at this jo…

Anonymous765 (2021-10-10). New Aerosol Ammunition To Protect Russian Battle Tanks From US Javelin Missiles. southfront.org | DEAR FRIENDS. IF YOU LIKE THIS TYPE OF CONTENT, SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK : | BITCOIN: bc1qv7k70u2zynvem59u88ctdlaw7hc735d8xep9rq : | BITCOIN CASH: qzjv8…

scorinoco (2021-10-10). Climate Justice, Jobs and Peace — Parts of the Same Struggle (Communist Party of Quebec Statement). orinocotribune.com By Parti communiste du Québec (PCQ-PCC) — Sep 30, 2021 | After a summer marked by oppressive heat, devastating forest fires and, above all, by the alarming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), September 24 saw worldwide mobilizations by environmental organizations, youth and students, unions and others to demand action for climate justice. In 2019, Quebec was the site of massive mobilizations—including 500,000 who marched in Montreal—and this year, the Parti communiste du Québec (PCQ-PCC) called for even larger demonstrations to defend the environment and build class st…

_____ (2021-10-10). Greek Youth Reiterate Resolve To Fight Fascism. popularresistance.org On the occasion of the first anniversary of the banning of Greek fascist party Golden Dawn, progressive sections organized massive mobilizations across the country on Thursday, October 7, resolving to strengthen the fight against fascism and the system that gives birth to it. The demonstrations, mainly called by student and youth organizations, included concerts and other cultural activities. Trade unionists from the All Workers Militant Front (PAME) and cadre of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) also participated in the mobilization in addition to people from all walks of life. Major mobilizations were witness…

Kit Klarenberg (2021-10-10). Bellingcat funded by US and UK intelligence contractors that aided extremists in Syria. thegrayzone.com Supposedly "independent" website Bellingcat raked in money from scandal-ridden Western intelligence firms that wreaked havoc — and reaped massive profits — in Syria. Since its launch in July 2014, the self-styled open-source investigations website Bellingcat has cemented itself as a darling of mainstream Western media, with its dives into alleged Syrian government chemical weapon attacks and Russian intelligence operations showered with praise, puff pieces, and glitzy awards. While vehemently insisting that it is independent of government influence, Bellingcat is funded …

Foreign Policy in Focus (2021-10-10). Collective Punishment as War Crime: 90% of Afghan Families Lack enough Food because the West is Punishing the Taliban. juancole.com By John Sifton | — ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) — Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UN …

Faiz Shakir (2021-10-10). America Is in the Midst of a Dramatic Labor Resurgence. zcomm.org As corporations fail to meet worker demands, they are increasingly encountering a labor force that isn't going to take it…

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-10-10). What is Imperialism and what can we do to stop it? anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion of the material and economic basis of imperialism as best as I can. I discussed briefly the historical development from early agricultural societies, to slave societies, to feudal society is, all the way up until capitalism as briefly and correctly as I can. I then discussed the "differences" between colonialism and imperialism, and argued that they are in fact two sides of the same coin. they both exist to exploit and oppressed the working people of the world, and they both do so for profits and power. Such is the capitalist, bourgeois system itself. This is why we need to…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-10-10). Science Saturday: A robotic GPS for targeting, delivering regenerative biotherapies. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A remote-controlled bronchoscope that acts like a GPS system hunts down hard-to-find lung masses and accurately biopsies them, according to a Mayo Clinic collaborative study. This multisite research, which is published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, lays the foundation for precisely finding early-stage cancer and targeting it with regenerative biotherapeutics needed to stimulate healing. Artificial intelligence gleaned from CT scans directs the robotic fiber optic cable, providing a GPS-like pathway to tiny nodules, or masses, that manual bronchoscopes…

teleSUR, JGN (2021-10-10). Brigada médica cubana Henry Reeve recibe Premio a la Paz de los Pueblos. telesurtv.net Durante la pandemia de la Covid-19, más de 50 destacamentos médicos cubanos han colaborado en unos 40 países.

sputniknews (2021-10-10). Wrongfully Convicted Man Sues Police After Spending 37 Years Behind Bars – Reports. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A man who spent 37 years in a US prison for rape and murder he did not commit is suing police officials and a forensic dentist involved in his wrongful conviction, the Tampa Bay Times newspaper reports.

Ben Norton (2021-10-09). Behind NATO's 'cognitive warfare': Western militaries are waging a 'battle for your brain'. thegrayzone.com Western governments in the NATO military alliance are developing tactics of "cognitive warfare," using the supposed threats of China and Russia to justify waging a "battle for your brain" in the "human domain," to "make everyone a weapon." NATO is developing new forms of warfare to wage a "battle for the brain," as the military alliance put it. The US-led NATO military cartel has tested novel modes of hybrid warfare against its self-declared adversaries, including economic warfare, cyber warfare, information …

Ben Norton (2021-10-09). Behind NATO's 'cognitive warfare': 'Battle for your brain' waged by Western militaries. thegrayzone.com Western governments in the NATO military alliance are developing tactics of "cognitive warfare," using the supposed threats of China and Russia to justify waging a "battle for your brain" in the "human domain," to "make everyone a weapon." NATO is developing new forms of warfare to wage a "battle for the brain," as the military alliance put it. The US-led NATO military cartel has tested novel modes of hybrid warfare against its self-declared adversaries, including economic warfare, cyber warfare, information …

Tania Glyde (2021-10-09). [Perspectives] Rebuilding happiness. thelancet.com It may seem courageous, even foolhardy, for a scientific and cultural institution to put on exhibitions dedicated to joy and tranquillity. Foolhardy because a joyful experience in western culture might well have been underpinned by someone else's labour in the Global South. And in the COVID-19 pandemic, joy and tranquillity, for many, have been hard to come by. The Joy and Tranquillity exhibitions at the Wellcome Collection, London, UK, are part of the On Happiness season, which aims to "celebrate the complexity of positive emotions".

WSWS (2021-10-09). Pandora Papers reveal finance minister profited from offshore account as misery ravages Brazil. wsws.org The revelations stand as a testimony to the rampant social inequality that is the defining trait of Brazilian capitalism, provoking deep nervousness within ruling circles.

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-10-09). How Facebook's Quest for Profits Is Paved on Hate and Lies. zcomm.org New revelations by a whistleblower prove that the world's largest social media platform understands clearly its negative impact on society, but that profits are a greater lure than preserving democracy…

Editor2 (2021-10-09). Haiti has the World's Second Largest Iridium Deposits. orinocotribune.com By Graham G. Henry — Oct 6, 2021 | As difficult to work with as it is rare, iridium is found in large quantities in Haiti's southeast, which has the second largest reserves in the world. This metal is today worth more than gold and Bitcoin. Its resistance to high temperatures and corrosion makes it almost indispensable in the manufacture of aircraft engines and deep water pipelines. Its exploitation could be a lever for the revival of the Haitian economy and the creation of millions of jobs, argues the economics professor, Dr. Henry Vixamar. | Haiti has one of the largest iridium reserves in the world. The c…

Staff (2021-10-09). Credit Suisse: Venezuela's GDP to Grow 5.5% in 2021. orinocotribune.com Credit Suisse investment bank has forecast that Venezuela's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 5.5% in the current year. | Among the factors driving the economic growth, the first to be recorded since 2013, "are the positive effects on income due to high oil prices and the widespread use of foreign currency in daily economic activities." According to Credit Suisse's latest report, Venezuela may be entering a "new phase." | "Our estimate for next year assumes the stability of oil production and non-oil GDP growth of approximately 4%," states the October report of Credit Suisse, the well-known bank headquart…

WSWS (2021-10-09). Financial parasitism and the decline of US industry. wsws.org A speech by US President Joe Biden this week was a chronicle of the decline of US industrial capacity as well as economic and social infrastructure.

Abdul Rahman (2021-10-09). Parliamentary elections will not address major concerns raised by popular protests in Iraq. peoplesdispatch.org The elections are taking place one year ahead of schedule following popular protests that broke out in October 2019 against the failure of successive governments to address the rising economic and political problems in the country…

Ulrich Thielemann (2021-10-09). Renaissance of the Social Market Economy. indybay.org A social market economy is based on two political pillars: (1) taming the market dynamics via regulation and (2) mitigating its consequences in distribution policy. (3) The development and care of an economic culture of moderation and fairness in dealing with one another forms the third, the cultural pillar of taming and civilizing market interactions.

Prabhat Patnaik (2021-10-09). Finance capital and the World Economy. mronline.org THE period of neo-liberalism witnesses an increase in the share of economic surplus in total output both in individual countries and also for the world as a whole.

_____ (2021-10-09). Month After Federal Unemployment Program Ended Was Worst for Job Growth of 2021. popularresistance.org Above Photo: Damian Dovarganes / AP Phot 'That's Progress' In the first month after the Biden administration allowed a pandemic-era unemployment benefit boost used by 8 million people to expire, the US economy recorded its slowest increase since US President Joe Biden took office in January. According to a new jobs report published by the US Department …

_____ (2021-10-09). Month After Unemployment Program Ended Was Worst For Job Growth. popularresistance.org The federal unemployment benefit wasn't the only pandemic aid program the Democrats let end, either. Federal bans on foreclosure and eviction were also allowed to lapse without renewal as well, along with a moratorium on student loan payments. | An end to unemployment benefits, with such a large percentage of recipients being long-term unemployed, means that millions more are now exposed to the danger of eviction. Already, 1.4 million Americans said they expect to be evicted in the next two months, with another 2.3 million saying it was "somewhat likely" they would soon lose their homes. Nationwide, an estimated…

Asa Winstanley (2021-10-09). Israel lobby takes back the Labour Party. electronicintifada.net Opponents of Palestinian rights at conference celebrate end of Corbyn "nightmare."

_____ (2021-10-09). Kaiser Permanente Employees May Strike Over Two-Tier Pay System. popularresistance.org For 13 years, registered nurse Kim Mullen has been part of a successful experiment: a collaborative partnership between the health care professionals at Kaiser Permanente and the executives who run the massive nonprofit. Decisions about the day to day delivery of care were shared among physicians, managers and employees. Workers' input was actively and continuously solicited. Staffing ratios, wages and benefits, patient care — all were subject to group-based discussion and problem solving. | "It's a model that puts patients first," says Mullen, who works at Kaiser's South Bay Medical Center in the Harbor Ci…

MEE, agencies (2021-10-09). Normalisation deals: Blinken to meet Israeli, UAE counterparts next week. middleeasteye.net Normalisation deals: Blinken to meet Israeli, UAE counterparts next week | The three top diplomats are set to discuss 'future opportunities for collaboration' as well as regional security, says US State Department | Sat, 10/09/2021 – 18: 16 | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (AFP/…

Labor Video Project (2021-10-09). Italian S.I.Cobas FedEx Workers Face Attack As Leader Is Released & 10/11 Gen Strike On. indybay.org Italian SI Cobas FedEx workers are under attack and the government is also jailing their leaders. They celebrated as a leaders was released and prepared for a general strike on October 11, 2021. There will be a solidarity action at the Italian consulate in San Francisco.

Nikolaus Gietinger, Justus Cider (2021-10-09). Capitalist dilemmas and The Greed for More. indybay.org The overexploitation of nature did not remain without resistance. However, these were ignored by both the left and the right due to the hopelessness of the capitalist form of wealth. The "requirements of shipping and agriculture" destroy original functions of the floodplain landscapes. "And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself," said Greta Thurnberg…

Julia Rock (2021-10-09). YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: Public Banking Takes On Financial Predators. dailyposter.com

Staff (2021-10-09). President Maduro: 50% of Population is now Vaccinated & 2.6 Million COVAX Vaccines Arrive on Saturday. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reported this Friday, October 8, that in Venezuela 50% of the population has already received at least one dose of immunization against COVID-19. | During a televised address broadcast by state-owned TV station VTV, the president stressed that the goal, which he announced last Sunday, was reached "by overcoming barriers, obstacles, and financial persecution"—a reference to the criminal hardship imposed on millions of Venezuelans by US and European illegal sanctions. | "Today in Venezuela we reached 50% of the population vaccinated," said the head of state. "We have a goal…

WSWS (2021-10-09). Wall Street cracks the whip and Senate passes short-term extension of debt ceiling. wsws.org When it comes to the basic financial interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy, and Wall Street gives the marching orders, partisan gridlock in Congress suddenly dissipates.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Biden downplays disastrous September jobs report, touts pandemic "success" wsws.org In the face of a report showing a gain of just 194,000 jobs in September, the president sought to change the subject, playing up the modest drop in new COVID-19 cases and "progress" on his spending bills.

Binoy Kampmark (2021-10-09). Sportswashing at Tyneside: Saudi Arabia moves into English Football. dissidentvoice.org The recent acquisition of the Newcastle United football club by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, along with financier Amanda Staveley and the billionaire Reuben brothers, was a source of much excitement for some former players. Old boy Alan Shearer did little to conceal it. "We can dare to hope again," he rejoiced. In The Guardian, …

Fight Back (2021-10-09). Memphis Kellogg's workers on the picket line. fightbacknews.org Memphis, TN – At midnight on Tuesday, October 5, workers at Kellogg's factories across the United States went on strike. Union workers in Memphis say the company made an unacceptable offer at contract time. | Rob Eafan, a member of the local union's leadership, said of the contract, "The company wants to have a permanent two-tier wage system, with reduced wages and benefits for our new employees. The bottom line: it's all about corporate greed. The company made record profits throughout this pandemic while working us record hours," he said. "And they had record bonuses of 158%." | The Bakery, Confectionery, Toba…

Editor (2021-10-09). Extracting Profits — imperialism, climate change and resistance in Africa. mronline.org 2018 seems like a lifetime ago. When 'Extracting Profit' came out that year, the COVID-19 pandemic was two years away. Since then, the world has been plunged into a devastating crisis, with 4.5 million lives lost globally, including close to 200,000 reported deaths on the African continent.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-09). In historic vote, 60,000 Hollywood workers authorize first ever countrywide strike. mronline.org Workers employed in major film and television production houses have complained of abysmal working conditions such as long hours, often exceeding 12 hours a day, low wages and low healthcare contributions from producers.

WSWS (2021-10-09). US unions ignore workers' demands during negotiations with auto parts maker Dana. wsws.org Even after workers voted for strike authorization, unanimously in some cases, the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers unions have downplayed any talk of industrial action.

Rick Rozoff (2021-10-09). Turkey plans to purchase 40 new, modernize 80 more U.S. F-16s. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Reuters: Turkey wants to buy 40 F-16 fighters from the USA Turkey has asked the United States to purchase 40 F-16 fighters, as well as modernize about 80 American fighters that Ankara has…. …the deal is estimated at billions of dollars, but is still being studied by the State Department and the relevant government agency …

ecns.cn (2021-10-09). Socialism with Chinese characteristics only correct path toward national rejuvenation: Xi. ecns.cn Socialism with Chinese characteristics has proven to be the only correct path to realize national rejuvenation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Video: SEP Electoral Members call on supporters to fight Australia's anti-democratic electoral laws. wsws.org "The Socialist Equality Party is the only political party that is warning workers and young people about the dangers of war."

WSWS (2021-10-09). Jacobin boosts Teamsters bureaucracy's campaign to "organize" Amazon workers. wsws.org Jacobin and the Democratic Socialists of America speak for a privileged upper middle-class layer that wants to block a rank-and-file movement of workers and prevent it from coming under the influence and leadership of genuine socialists.

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-10-09). The Propaganda War Against China. libya360.wordpress.com On Saturday 9 October 2021 (2pm Britain, 9am US Eastern, 9pm China), Friends of Socialist China are hosting an international webinar to discuss the intensifying information warfare being waged by the US and its allies against the People's Republic of China. We will discuss the relationship between this propaganda onslaught and the New Cold War;…

World Socialist Web Site, IWA-RFC (2021-10-09). Sunday 10/24: How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication. indybay.org International online webinar.

Ben Norton (2021-10-09). Behind NATO's 'cognitive warfare': 'Battle for your brain' waged by Western militaries. thegrayzone.com Western governments in the NATO military alliance are developing tactics of "cognitive warfare," using the supposed threats of China and Russia to justify waging a "battle for your brain" in the "human domain," to "make everyone a weapon." NATO is developing new forms of warfare to wage a "battle for the brain," as the military alliance put it. The US-led NATO military cartel has tested novel modes of hybrid warfare against its self-declared adversaries, including economic warfare, cyber warfare, information …

Ben Norton (2021-10-09). Behind NATO's 'cognitive warfare': Western militaries are waging a 'battle for your brain'. thegrayzone.com Western governments in the NATO military alliance are developing tactics of "cognitive warfare," using the supposed threats of China and Russia to justify waging a "battle for your brain" in the "human domain," to "make everyone a weapon." NATO is developing new forms of warfare to wage a "battle for the brain," as the military alliance put it. The US-led NATO military cartel has tested novel modes of hybrid warfare against its self-declared adversaries, including economic warfare, cyber warfare, information …

Tania Glyde (2021-10-09). [Perspectives] Rebuilding happiness. thelancet.com It may seem courageous, even foolhardy, for a scientific and cultural institution to put on exhibitions dedicated to joy and tranquillity. Foolhardy because a joyful experience in western culture might well have been underpinned by someone else's labour in the Global South. And in the COVID-19 pandemic, joy and tranquillity, for many, have been hard to come by. The Joy and Tranquillity exhibitions at the Wellcome Collection, London, UK, are part of the On Happiness season, which aims to "celebrate the complexity of positive emotions".

WSWS (2021-10-09). Pandora Papers reveal finance minister profited from offshore account as misery ravages Brazil. wsws.org The revelations stand as a testimony to the rampant social inequality that is the defining trait of Brazilian capitalism, provoking deep nervousness within ruling circles.

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-10-09). How Facebook's Quest for Profits Is Paved on Hate and Lies. zcomm.org New revelations by a whistleblower prove that the world's largest social media platform understands clearly its negative impact on society, but that profits are a greater lure than preserving democracy…

Editor2 (2021-10-09). Haiti has the World's Second Largest Iridium Deposits. orinocotribune.com By Graham G. Henry — Oct 6, 2021 | As difficult to work with as it is rare, iridium is found in large quantities in Haiti's southeast, which has the second largest reserves in the world. This metal is today worth more than gold and Bitcoin. Its resistance to high temperatures and corrosion makes it almost indispensable in the manufacture of aircraft engines and deep water pipelines. Its exploitation could be a lever for the revival of the Haitian economy and the creation of millions of jobs, argues the economics professor, Dr. Henry Vixamar. | Haiti has one of the largest iridium reserves in the world. The c…

Staff (2021-10-09). Credit Suisse: Venezuela's GDP to Grow 5.5% in 2021. orinocotribune.com Credit Suisse investment bank has forecast that Venezuela's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 5.5% in the current year. | Among the factors driving the economic growth, the first to be recorded since 2013, "are the positive effects on income due to high oil prices and the widespread use of foreign currency in daily economic activities." According to Credit Suisse's latest report, Venezuela may be entering a "new phase." | "Our estimate for next year assumes the stability of oil production and non-oil GDP growth of approximately 4%," states the October report of Credit Suisse, the well-known bank headquart…

Prabhat Patnaik (2021-10-09). Finance capital and the World Economy. mronline.org THE period of neo-liberalism witnesses an increase in the share of economic surplus in total output both in individual countries and also for the world as a whole.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Financial parasitism and the decline of US industry. wsws.org A speech by US President Joe Biden this week was a chronicle of the decline of US industrial capacity as well as economic and social infrastructure.

Ulrich Thielemann (2021-10-09). Renaissance of the Social Market Economy. indybay.org A social market economy is based on two political pillars: (1) taming the market dynamics via regulation and (2) mitigating its consequences in distribution policy. (3) The development and care of an economic culture of moderation and fairness in dealing with one another forms the third, the cultural pillar of taming and civilizing market interactions.

Asa Winstanley (2021-10-09). Israel lobby takes back the Labour Party. electronicintifada.net Opponents of Palestinian rights at conference celebrate end of Corbyn "nightmare."

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-10-09). Science Saturday: A robotic GPS for targeting, delivering regenerative biotherapies. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A remote-controlled bronchoscope that acts like a GPS system hunts down hard-to-find lung masses and accurately biopsies them, according to a Mayo Clinic collaborative study. This multisite research, which is published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, lays the foundation for precisely finding early-stage cancer and targeting it with regenerative biotherapeutics needed to stimulate healing. Artificial intelligence gleaned from CT scans directs the robotic fiber optic cable, providing a GPS-like pathway to tiny nodules, or masses, that manual bronchoscopes…

Labor Video Project (2021-10-09). Italian S.I.Cobas FedEx Workers Face Attack As Leader Is Released & 10/11 Gen Strike On. indybay.org Italian SI Cobas FedEx workers are under attack and the government is also jailing their leaders. They celebrated as a leaders was released and prepared for a general strike on October 11, 2021. There will be a solidarity action at the Italian consulate in San Francisco.

Nikolaus Gietinger, Justus Cider (2021-10-09). Capitalist dilemmas and The Greed for More. indybay.org The overexploitation of nature did not remain without resistance. However, these were ignored by both the left and the right due to the hopelessness of the capitalist form of wealth. The "requirements of shipping and agriculture" destroy original functions of the floodplain landscapes. "And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself," said Greta Thurnberg…

WSWS (2021-10-09). Wall Street cracks the whip and Senate passes short-term extension of debt ceiling. wsws.org When it comes to the basic financial interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy, and Wall Street gives the marching orders, partisan gridlock in Congress suddenly dissipates.

Staff (2021-10-09). President Maduro: 50% of Population is now Vaccinated & 2.6 Million COVAX Vaccines Arrive on Saturday. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reported this Friday, October 8, that in Venezuela 50% of the population has already received at least one dose of immunization against COVID-19. | During a televised address broadcast by state-owned TV station VTV, the president stressed that the goal, which he announced last Sunday, was reached "by overcoming barriers, obstacles, and financial persecution"—a reference to the criminal hardship imposed on millions of Venezuelans by US and European illegal sanctions. | "Today in Venezuela we reached 50% of the population vaccinated," said the head of state. "We have a goal…

WSWS (2021-10-09). Biden downplays disastrous September jobs report, touts pandemic "success" wsws.org In the face of a report showing a gain of just 194,000 jobs in September, the president sought to change the subject, playing up the modest drop in new COVID-19 cases and "progress" on his spending bills.

Binoy Kampmark (2021-10-09). Sportswashing at Tyneside: Saudi Arabia moves into English Football. dissidentvoice.org The recent acquisition of the Newcastle United football club by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, along with financier Amanda Staveley and the billionaire Reuben brothers, was a source of much excitement for some former players. Old boy Alan Shearer did little to conceal it. "We can dare to hope again," he rejoiced. In The Guardian, …

Fight Back (2021-10-09). Memphis Kellogg's workers on the picket line. fightbacknews.org Memphis, TN – At midnight on Tuesday, October 5, workers at Kellogg's factories across the United States went on strike. Union workers in Memphis say the company made an unacceptable offer at contract time. | Rob Eafan, a member of the local union's leadership, said of the contract, "The company wants to have a permanent two-tier wage system, with reduced wages and benefits for our new employees. The bottom line: it's all about corporate greed. The company made record profits throughout this pandemic while working us record hours," he said. "And they had record bonuses of 158%." | The Bakery, Confectionery, Toba…

Editor (2021-10-09). Extracting Profits — imperialism, climate change and resistance in Africa. mronline.org 2018 seems like a lifetime ago. When 'Extracting Profit' came out that year, the COVID-19 pandemic was two years away. Since then, the world has been plunged into a devastating crisis, with 4.5 million lives lost globally, including close to 200,000 reported deaths on the African continent.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-09). In historic vote, 60,000 Hollywood workers authorize first ever countrywide strike. mronline.org Workers employed in major film and television production houses have complained of abysmal working conditions such as long hours, often exceeding 12 hours a day, low wages and low healthcare contributions from producers.

WSWS (2021-10-09). US unions ignore workers' demands during negotiations with auto parts maker Dana. wsws.org Even after workers voted for strike authorization, unanimously in some cases, the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers unions have downplayed any talk of industrial action.

Rick Rozoff (2021-10-09). Turkey plans to purchase 40 new, modernize 80 more U.S. F-16s. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Reuters: Turkey wants to buy 40 F-16 fighters from the USA Turkey has asked the United States to purchase 40 F-16 fighters, as well as modernize about 80 American fighters that Ankara has…. …the deal is estimated at billions of dollars, but is still being studied by the State Department and the relevant government agency …

ecns.cn (2021-10-09). Socialism with Chinese characteristics only correct path toward national rejuvenation: Xi. ecns.cn Socialism with Chinese characteristics has proven to be the only correct path to realize national rejuvenation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Jacobin boosts Teamsters bureaucracy's campaign to "organize" Amazon workers. wsws.org Jacobin and the Democratic Socialists of America speak for a privileged upper middle-class layer that wants to block a rank-and-file movement of workers and prevent it from coming under the influence and leadership of genuine socialists.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Video: SEP Electoral Members call on supporters to fight Australia's anti-democratic electoral laws. wsws.org "The Socialist Equality Party is the only political party that is warning workers and young people about the dangers of war."

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-10-09). The Propaganda War Against China. libya360.wordpress.com On Saturday 9 October 2021 (2pm Britain, 9am US Eastern, 9pm China), Friends of Socialist China are hosting an international webinar to discuss the intensifying information warfare being waged by the US and its allies against the People's Republic of China. We will discuss the relationship between this propaganda onslaught and the New Cold War;…

World Socialist Web Site, IWA-RFC (2021-10-09). Sunday 10/24: How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication. indybay.org International online webinar.

El Faro English (2021-10-08). From EL FARO ENGLISH: Exposed by the Pandora Papers. latinorebels.com Central America, in Brief: The Pandora Papers, a global investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) involving more than 600 journalists in 117 countries, shed new light on how offshore banking shields the cash of Central America's wealthy and well-connected, including presidential candidates and former heads of state. While the practice doesn't prove illegal activity, it raises serious questions about transparency and economic inequality.

Paul Cochrane (2021-10-08). Pandora Papers: How London became a financial hub for Gulf rulers and the super-rich. middleeasteye.net Pandora Papers: How London became a financial hub for Gulf rulers and the super-rich | Many of the secretive structures used to hide wealth from scrutiny were created during the British Empire and involved the Middle East | Fri, 10/08/2021 – 12: 00 | A statue of a dragon marks the boundary of the City of London, the British capital's financial hub (Reuters) | Since leaving the European Union, the B…

The Socialist Program (2021-10-08). Government and Landlords Declare Class War Against Tenants: Who Will Win? liberationnews.org This interview is an episode of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker, a podcast providing news and views about the world for those who want to change it. You can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the massive scale of the eviction crisis and the urgent need …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-08). Venezuela condemns U.S. veto blocking access to IMF's COVID-19 funds and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org In today's episode of the Daily Round-up, we take a look the IMF's restrictions on Venezuela's access to 5 billion dollars in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) funds; the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq scheduled for October 10th following years of protests for political and economic reforms; the occupation of a pipeline facility of Peru's state-owned PetroPeru company by Indigenous activists protesting contamination by oil spills; and the ongoing strike against unsafe working conditions and low pay by health workers in Guinea-Bissau.

John Sifton (2021-10-08). How to Avert Afghanistan's Food and Economic Crises. counterpunch.org Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UNand several foreign governments are warning of an economic collapse and risks of worsening acute malnutrition and outright

Anonymous103 (2021-10-08). Taliban Lacks Necessary Finances To Deliver Functioning Government. southfront.org Click to see full-size imageAfghanistan has little economic prospects after 20 years of war. | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | The U.S. could not vanquish the Taliban, failed to defeat Al-Qaeda, and were unsuccessful in leaving behind a pluralistic, tolerant and economically-sustainable Afghan state. Washington failed to induce good governance in Afghanistan and to stop Pakistan's multifaceted support for the Taliban. After twenty years of war with the U.S., the Taliban now confronts the hard challenge of governing and managing the economy. | Formal legal incomes make up a small p…

Joris Leverink (2021-10-08). Anti-Capitalist Chronicles: Chinese Property Markets & Affordable Housing. roarmag.org Season 3, Episode 22 — Chinese Property Markets & Affordable Housing: | In this episode of ACC, Prof. David Harvey talks about the crisis of affordable housing on a global level, with particular emphasis on China and the US. Harvey argues that providing affordable housing for people cannot be accomplished by the private sector as it conflicts with the capitalist profit motive, and it therefore requires an anti-capitalist approach. | You can support this podcast on

WSWS (2021-10-08). 10,000 Alberta Superstore workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. wsws.org The poorly-paid grocery workers are outraged over poverty wages, the company's erratic scheduling practices and the virtual absence of COVID-19 protections in the workplace.

Robert Reich (2021-10-08). The Democrats' one chance to cut child poverty in half. nationofchange.org Poverty is a policy choice. Congress must make the Child Tax Credit permanent.

WSWS (2021-10-08). ISU graduate students vote on union-backed contract enforcing poverty wages. wsws.org The Illinois State University Graduate Workers Union is working to push through a sellout contract that enforces poverty-like conditions in a no-strike contract.

Karen Conner (2021-10-08). Mixed Jobs Report: Economy Adds Just 194,000 Jobs, but Unemployment Falls to 4.8 Percent. cepr.net The index of aggregate hours rose 0.9 in September, the largest rise since March. | The number of jobs added in September came in far below most forecasts, with the establishment survey showing just 194,000 new jobs. However, the household survey showed the unemployment rate falling by 0.4 percentage points to 4.8 percent. This decline was not due to people dropping out of the labor market, as the survey showed a rise in employment of 526,000, and the employment-to-population ratio rose 0.2 percentage points to 58.7 percent. | The Establishment Survey is Not as Bad as it First Appears | It is not clear that the w…

Staff (2021-10-08). Ending Unemployment Benefits Had Little Impact on Job Growth. truthout.org The number of jobs added in September came in far below most forecasts, with the establishment survey showing just 194,000 new jobs. However, the household survey showed the unemployment rate falling by 0.4 percentage points to 4.8 percent. This decline was not due to people dropping out of the labor market, as the survey showed a rise in employment of 526,000, and the employment-to-population ratio rose 0.2 percentage points to 58.7 percent. | The Establishment Survey Is Not as Bad as It First Appears

_____ (2021-10-08). Hope For Labor At The End Of History. popularresistance.org It was "the end of history": America in the 1990s. Francis Fukuyama published a book with that title in 1992. Things would continue to happen, according to the philosopher, but the underlying story line had come to a finish with the triumph of liberal democracy and capitalism. As the decade wore on, Fukuyama's prophecy seemed practically clairvoyant. At the turn of the millennium, Bob Dylan captured the zeitgeist: "I used to care, but things have changed." | Yet how could that be? Talk of a second Gilded Age of gross disparities in income and wealth was already commonplace. Homelessness, declining wages, a reemer…

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-10-08). Lisa Graves on the Fight for the Post Office, Stevana Sims on Saving Anti-Racist Education. fair.org (image via BillMoyers.com) | This week on CounterSpin: The thing about the US Postal Service: Low-income people get the same service as the rich; rural people get their prescriptions and paychecks and ballots in the same timeframe as those in big cities. The idea has always been that postal service is a public good, not to be mined for profit, and not tiered to give the wealthy yet another leg up. USPS is the second-largest employer in the country, traditionally offering opportunities for people of color—and unlike the number one employer, Walmart, it doesn't subsidize itself by paying wages so low that em…

Gideon Polya (2021-10-08). Open Letter to Australian Labor MPs re IHRA & Labor "Progressive Except Palestine" (PEP). dissidentvoice.org At the outset I must declare that I am an anti-racist Jewish Australian scientist and humanitarian writer with a sole allegiance to Australia. Coming from a famous Jewish Hungarian family near-eradicated from Hungary by the WW2 Jewish Holocaust, I am inescapably bound by the key moral imperatives from that catastrophe, to whit "zero tolerance for …

Rick Rozoff (2021-10-08). NATO on the Caspian: 30-year Azerbaijan-Turkey military collaboration reaches "even higher level" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Defence chief receives Turkey's new military attache Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has received Turkey's newly-appointed military attache Maj-Gen Zakaria Yalcin, the ministry reported on October 8. *** Along with other spheres, Azerbaijan and Turkey tightly cooperate in the military field and periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units. Military …

Bama Athreya (2021-10-08). Want a Working Democracy? Try Democratizing Work. counterpunch.org Google's well-known motto, "Don't be Evil," might imply the company expects employees will use their moral compass. Then again, maybe not. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently reviewed a case regarding Google's termination of several employees for applying their conscience at work. What the NLRB decides will have major implications for workplace rights. But

imperial.ac.uk (2021-10-08). Collaboration key for science Imperial Provost tells Conservatives conference. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's Provost Professor Ian Walmsley spoke at the Conservative Party conference this week on the importance of science advice within government.

Dave Lindorff (2021-10-08). The Rich are Different: They're Richer Than Us and Far Greedier. counterpunch.org F. Scott Fitzgerald is famously said to have once remarked to his pal Ernest Hemingway, "The rich are different from you and me, Ernest," to which Hemingway is said to have replied, "Yes, they have more money." Fitzgerald had it right. Particularly these days, when the wealthiest people in the US are not millionaires, or

WSWS (2021-10-08). Leaked details of UAW-Deere contract reveal attacks on pay, benefits. wsws.org The deal includes paltry wage increases which would fall far below the current rate of inflation of 5 percent.

Anonymous103 (2021-10-08). Legislation In Limbo. Dem Caucus In Disarray. southfront.org Illustrative Image | Written by William Stroock, observer, author of military fiction | With inflation rising, the border crisis worsening, and Americans still trapped in Afghanistan, President Biden's approval numbers are bad and getting worse. In a Quinnipiac poll released this week only 38% of those surveyed approved of the president's job performance. On the Economy Biden's approval rating is 39%, taxes 37%, immigration 25%, and foreign policy 34%. Of those polled only 42% believed the Biden Administration was competent. On the congressional front the Quinnipiac poll found that Americans favor Republicans ove…

George Wuerthner (2021-10-08). Lies the Timber Industry Tells. counterpunch.org An employee of RY Timber presented misleading commentary in his essay "Forest Service is Right to Restore Forest Health." First, keep in mind that the timber industry and forestry profession (both dependents on logging for their employment) have conveniently defined forest health. For example, the commentator suggests dead beetle-kill lodgepole pine represents an "unhealthy" forest.