(2022-02-21). Ukraine crisis spurs demand for world's oldest asset. rt.com 
Gold is set for the third straight week of gains as traders assess the geopolitical risks | The price of gold has risen to a nearly eight-month high of $1,902.20 per ounce, driven by safe-haven demand from nervous investors amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine. | The precious metal is set for a third straight weekly gain, which is its longest run this year. The prices fell to $1,897 per ounce later on Monday on the news of an expected meeting between Russian and US presidents this week to halt the escalation of tensions in Ukraine. | Data from Refinitiv Lipper shows investors put m…
(2022-02-21). With Its Doomsday Clock at 100 Seconds to Midnight, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Calls for Escalating US Aggression against Russia. transcend.org 15 Feb 2022 – Citing the Atlantic Council, the US-based think tank for NATO, the Bulletin explains that the sanctions they advocate would cause the Russian economy to "experience significant chaos." Instead of supporting peaceful measures in the Ukraine, it has become a cheerleader for Washington. From an organization run by scientists, the current governing board of the Bulletin has hardly a scientist in sight.
(2022-02-21). US Preparing Sanctions That Would Target Russian Banks, Reports Say. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The administration of US President Joe Biden could block US financial institutions from processing transactions for Russian banks as part of a sanctions package that will be implemented if Moscow decides to "invade" Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing anonymous sources.
(2022-02-21). There will be blood, and, yes, we do need stinkin' badges. dissidentvoice.org 
This is a little soft-shoe pissed off blathering from me, so apologies up front. No big news on the Ukraine Invasion front, or the Gates Owning All the Farms front, or the Climate-Wall Street-Chronic Illness front. Nothing related to the MICIMATT (Military-Industrial-Congressional-MEDIA-Academia-Think-Tank) front. Just plain old burnt toast and spilled milk from a radical who …
(2022-02-21). Iran nuclear deal overshadows Russia worries on oil market radar. rt.com 
Oil prices have made their first weekly drop since the beginning of the year before recovering on Monday | Global crude prices dropped for the week ending Sunday for the first time this year. The slide came amid reports of a US-Russia summit on Ukraine and hopes of reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran. Both Russia and Iran are major global energy suppliers. | However, the price drop was short-lived as global benchmark Brent crude gained on Monday to trade above $93 per barrel by 10: 00 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading around $91 per barrel. | Both benchmarks reached multiple-year highs las…
(2022-02-21). US plans to impose restrictions on international transactions of Russian banks — Reuters. tass.com The final list of banks subject to sanctions is yet to be formed…
(2022-02-21). 'Politics as Usual' Will Never Be a Solution to the Current Climate Threat (or to Nuclear War). transcend.org 17 Feb 2022 – There is an ever-growing consensus that the climate crisis represents humanity's greatest problem. Indeed, global warming is more than an environmental crisis — there are social, political, ethical and economic dimensions to it. (Commentary added by Roger Kotila)…
(2022-02-21). ELN announces economic shutdown throughout Colombia. colombiareports.com Guerrilla group ELN announced its first economic shutdown since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The "armed strike" that will begin on Wednesday, the ELN said on a guerrilla website…
(2022-02-21). Australia urged to stop 'maliciously spreading disinfo'. rt.com 
Canberra claimed that Beijing's vessel directed a laser at an Australian aircraft | Beijing has accused Australia of spreading fake news after Canberra claimed that a Chinese vessel had directed a military laser at an Australian warplane within the latter's exclusive economic zone. | Speaking in a regular press briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the country's ship was abiding by international law and had not committed any wrongdoing against the Australian warplane. | "The Chinese vessel sailing in the high seas complies with relevant international law and international…
(2022-02-21). CA SEIU Tops Pushing Union Busting 2 Tier "Non-Profits" Like HealthRight360 Harming Workers. indybay.org Top SEIU California officials are pushing a statewide privately run "non-profit" health system called HealthRight 360 which is undermining thousands of SEIU public healthcare workers. They are supporting a two tier healthcare system with lower wages and benefits than those in the public sector. They are doing the same work as public worker with lower pay, benefits and rights.
(2022-02-21). Oakland ILWU. OEA, Students & Community Rally To Stop Privatization & Union Busting. indybay.org Hundreds of ILWU Longshoreman, OEA teachers, students, labor and community activists rallied against the privatization of the Port Of Oakland Howard Terminal to the GAP A's billionaire owner John Fisher for a stadium and 3,000 condos and also against the closure of public schools in Oakland.
(2022-02-21). Eco-Justice, People Power, Documentary Premiere- "We Still Here" indybay.org CubaCaribe announces a special community screening of We Still Here / Nos Tenemos, the latest documentary by award winning filmmaker by Eli Jacobs-Fatauzzi in collaboration with Defend Puerto Rico, FistUpTV and Clenched Fist Productions. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Bay Area filmmakers Eli and Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi along with a dynamic live music and dance performance by Aguacero.
(2022-02-21). Surging inflation could hurt Biden in lead up to U.S. midterm elections. ecns.cn With many Americans having difficulty making ends meet when food, housing and gasoline have risen substantially, the incumbent U.S. president could feel the pain in this year's congressional midterm elections.
(2022-02-21). Canadian teacher sues Israel lobby group. electronicintifada.net Javier Davila fights back against B'nai Brith's false accusations of anti-Semitism.
(2022-02-21). Credit Suisse Slams 'Concerted Effort to Discredit Bank' by Failed Due Diligence Claims in Data Leak. sputniknews.com The massive trove of data on more than 18,000 bank accounts, opened between the 1940s and the 2010s, was leaked by a self-described whistleblower to the German newspaper Sàºddeutsche Zeitung, which shared it with a nonprofit journalism group, the Organsed Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
(2022-02-21). What is Marxism-Leninism? Introducing a new series on The Science of Revolution. fightbacknews.org This is the beginning of a new series on Marxist-Leninist theory. Fight Back! News is publishing this series of short articles in the interest of furthering the critical task of fusing Marxism with the workers' movement. Marx stressed that the purpose of theory is to understand the world so as to change the world, and this series hopes to help give activists in the people's struggles a better grasp of these theoretical tools. But let's begin with an overview: when we say we are Marxist-Leninists, what does that mean? What is Marxism-Leninism, and why is it important? | In the essay Three Sources and Three Compone…
(2022-02-21). Lee Camp: New Data Shows US Government Has Been Bought For $14 Billion. mintpressnews.com 
No wonder the latest polls show both corporate parties are thoroughly disliked. It's time to acknowledge that our system has been 100% purchased by the One Percent, and that even the best candidate on their best day is still no better than a Zungenwurst.
(2022-02-21). Malcolm's Growing Socialist, Anti-imperialist, Anti-Zionist and Pan-African Outlook Made Him Target of the "Deep State"—Like So Many Others Under COINTELPRO. covertactionmagazine.com Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has now cleared Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam who were wrongfully convicted of Malcolm's …
(2022-02-21). Friday 2/18: Black History Month: Almost 2 years after the George Floyd uprising, what's at stake? indybay.org Virtual event. Register: bit.ly/struggle-continues…
(2022-02-21). Cuba's Díaz-Canel: 'We All Have a Moral Obligation to Provide Haiti Substantial and Unconditional Cooperation'. orinocotribune.com Statement by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, and President of the Republic of Cuba, during the International Conference for the Financing of the Reconstruction of the Southern Peninsula of Haiti, February 16, 2022, Year 64 of the Revolution. | (Transcript: Presidency of the Republic) | His Excellency Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti; | Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; distinguished guests: Once again, what brings us together here is the human drama Haiti is facing, the poorest nation in…
(2022-02-20). Documents: US Government Spent $22M Promoting Anti-Russia Narrative. popularresistance.org Kiev, Ukraine — Amid soaring tensions with Russia, the United States is spending a fortune on foreign interference campaigns in Ukraine. Washington's regime-change arm, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), has spent $22.4 million on operations inside the country since 2014, when democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown and replaced by a successor government handpicked by the U.S. Those operations included propping up and training pro-Western political parties, funding pliant media organizations, and subsidizing massive privatization drives that benefit foreign multinational c…
(2022-02-20). Ukraine's Western partners made billions on military hysteria – Ukrainian oppositioner. tass.com According to Viktor Medvedchuk, the media campaign of fake reports about an imminent Russian invasion cost $12 billion to the economy of Ukraine…
(2022-02-20). West fueling Ukraine crisis to justify 'painful' sanctions on Russia. multipolarista.com US and European leaders are preparing "painful" sanctions on Moscow, which could include sabotaging Germany's Nord Stream 2 pipeline and hitting Russian gas giant Gazprom. Putin says the Ukraine crisis is being used as an excuse for the economic attack.
(2022-02-20). Researcher reveals dangers of Ukraine's proposed nuclear weapons program. rt.com 
Acquiring an arsenal by Ukraine risks setting off a chain reaction in proliferation, an expert told RT | Kiev has recently hinted that it may try to get its own nuclear weapons amid tensions with Russia. However, not even Ukraine's allies in the West would support this move, Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO), told RT on Sunday. Ukraine can be considered a nuclear threshold state, however, meaning it has the potential to build its own nuclear weapons, he said. | "Ukraine has the industry that, in theor…
(2022-02-20). EU warns of Russia sanctions blowback. rt.com 
Brussels will have to pay a heavy price for imposing new sanctions on Moscow, says senior Eurocrat | Brussels is committed to imposing new sanctions on Moscow if Russia attacks Ukraine, even though there would be an enormous cost for EU nations, the president of the European Council said on Sunday. | Speaking to the Munich Security Conference, Charles Michel admitted that economic measures imposed on the Kremlin would not be painless for EU citizens. | "One thing is certain: if there is further military aggression, we will react with massive sanctions. The cost for Russia must be, and will be, severe. But let'
(2022-02-20). Campaign Seeks to Abolish the Subminimum Wage in 25 States by 2026. truthout.org 
As the economy recovers from a global pandemic, many business owners are pointing to labor shortages caused by the "Great Resignation" as a source of frustration. | The term refers to the more than
(2022-02-20). Peru Is Engaged In A Political War. popularresistance.org The political landscape in Peru is pretty complicated these days. The country has been living a political crisis for years due to the desire of a small minority to control the country both economically and politically. From 2016 until today, five people have occupied the presidential chair. All of them have faced tremendous resistance from Congress, which impeached two of them and threatened to do it with the other two, including the current President Pedro Castillo. | The last remarkable event of these tireless attempts by Congress to impeach Castillo was unveiled by the weekly "Hildebrandt en sus Trece". Accord…
(2022-02-20). Border Militias Set Up Fake Humanitarian Stations in the Desert to Trap Migrants. truthout.org 
The growth of the militia movement the past several years has left many of our communities reeling from intimidation, harassment and violence. Donald Trump's tacit endorsement of the far right "patriot" subculture has given it a pass to grow and recruit, often manipulating the dispossession that many rural and blue-collar workers are facing in our current economic tumult. Trump's rhetoric about immigration, particularly the conspiratorial fear-mongering around the border, has played to a…
(2022-02-20). National Lawyers Guild Calls for the Immediate Release of Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab (Statement). orinocotribune.com By National Lawyers Guild International Committee — Feb 16, 2022 | The National Lawyers Guild International calls for the immediate release of Venezuelan Special Envoy Alex Saab, imprisoned in a Miami federal prison by the United States in a violation of diplomatic norms and protections. The arrest, extradition and continued imprisonment of Saab is a reflection of the extent to which the US government will go in order to enforce its unilateral coercive measures and economic sanctions against Venezuela, Iran and other targeted nations. | Illegal Detention and Extradition (Kidnapping) of Alex Saab | The US gov…
(2022-02-20). Venezuela Pulls Plug on Lie that Alex Saab is DEA "Informer" orinocotribune.com Venezuela has pulled the plug on a false claim which circulated Wednesday that diplomat Alex Saab is working as an "informer" or "collaborator" of the United States and specifically of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). | President of the National Assembly Jorge Rodríguez When asked by a reporter following a press conference, Rodríguez called it strange that the United S…
(2022-02-20). Venezuela Offers Brazil Assistance for Petrópolis Disaster. orinocotribune.com 
On Friday, February 18, the government of Venezuela expressed solidarity with Brazil for the catastrophe caused by torrential rains in the city of Petrópolis (southeast), in which 138 people have been reported dead so far. | The Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that the Venezuelan government is ready to collaborate with the Brazilian authorities in whatever way possible in order to help the people affected by the disaster. | El Presidente Nicolás Maduro Moros, en nombre del Gobierno de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela manifiesta su absoluta solidaridad con el hermano pueblo del Brasil (1/4)…
(2022-02-20). On Contact: John Brown, Abolitionist. popularresistance.org The painter Jacob Lawrence, in his 22-piece series 'The Legend of John Brown', first exhibited in 1941, chronicles in each of his panels a seminal stage in the life of the abolitionist John Brown. The first panel depicts Brown as Christ nailed to a cross, blood flowing from his nailed feet to the ground. The next scenes portray Brown as a man of exceptional religious conviction, willing to suffer financial failure and hardship in his fight for abolition. The middle compositions tell the story of Brown's plans to free slaves, including his raids that massacred pro-slavery settlers in Kansas, his failed attack on t…
(2022-02-20). Is the Press Too Big to Fail? tomdispatch.com Everyone knows this story, though fewer and fewer read it on paper. There are barely enough pages left to wrap fish. The second paper in town has shut down. Sometimes the daily delivers only three days a week. Advertising long ago started fleeing to Craigslist and Internet points south. Subscriptions are dwindling. Online versions don't bring in much ad revenue. Who can avoid the obvious, if little covered question: Is the press too big to fail? Or was it failing long before it began to falter financially? In the previous century, there was a brief Golden Age of American journalism, though what glittered like gol…
(2022-02-20). Chinese currency share in global payments rising. rt.com 
The yuan ranks as the world's fourth most popular currency in cross-border payments | China's national currency, the yuan, retained its position as the fourth most actively used currency for global transactions in January, according to data from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT). | Payments using the yuan soared to a record 3.2% of market share, breaking through its previous high set in 2015 and ranking behind the US dollar, the euro, and the British pound. | The dollar, which kept the top spot in January, saw a drop in market share, declining to about 39.9% from 40.5% re…
(2022-02-20). European Union Prefers Corporate Profits Over Global Health. popularresistance.org As the summit between the African Union and European Union (EU-AU summit) came to a close on February 18, the EU's dedication to ensuring equitable access to Covid-19 products remained murky. While Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated that the two unions had a very constructive discussion on the TRIPS waiver, the meeting resulted in little more than a tepid statement and a new deadline for reaching an agreement on intellectual property rights during the pandemic. Von der Leyen also stated, "We share the same goal. We have different ways to reach that goal." | In reality, it would see…
(2022-02-20). WEEKEND READER: Profit-Driven Health Care Will Not Save Us. dailyposter.com 
(2022-02-20). SNB 61: Cocodrilos de Matanzas mandan otra vez. cubadebate.cu En una jornada donde los bates bajaron la temperatura en la mayoría de los estadios, los Cocodrilos matanceros se volvieron a apoyar en sus lanzadores para escalar otra vez a la cima de esta Serie Nacional, aprovechando el resbalón de las Avispas en patio ajeno. Altas presiones se ubicaron esta tarde-noche encima del estadio Latinoamericano, para que los Huracanes de Mayabeque soplaran con fuerza y arrastraran por la arcilla a los Industriales de la capital, hasta rendirlos 6-4.