Daily Archives: December 19, 2023

2023-12-19: News Headlines

Ben Norton (2023-12-19). Despite Biden's claims, Gaza health ministry death toll is accurate, say peer-reviewed scientific studies. geopoliticaleconomy.com US President Biden criticized Gaza's health ministry, but its statistics on Israel's killings of Palestinians are accurate, according to peer-reviewed articles in top medical journal The Lancet.

Samir Saul, Michel Seymour (2023-12-19). 2023 in Review: Reality Makes a Forceful Comeback. pressenza.com Three major issues dominated 2023: the conflict in Ukraine, the economy and the conflict in Palestine. The first two upheavals began in 2022, the third in 2023. In all three cases, developments brought about a head-on collision with largely concealed realities. A mental universe built on myths, fantasies, fables, "alternative facts", and "narratives", not to mention crass ignorance, self-delusion, and conceit, smashed against the reef of the real world. The shock was brutal, akin to a hard landing, and devastating for the storytelling in which the West has become accustomed to wallowing. It has now become harder…

The Independent (2023-12-19). Vibrant consumption fuels China's economic recovery. independent.co.ug NANCHANG | Xinhua | Despite external pressure and internal difficulties, China's economy has achieved a recovery and made solid progress in high-quality development in 2023, noted the annual Central Economic Work Conference held last week. Among various factors propelling growth, consumer spending is playing an increasingly important role, accounting for 83.2 percent of economic growth …

ecns.cn (2023-12-19). China purchases 90 million tons of autumn grain to strengthen food security: NDRC. ecns.cn China is stepping up autumn grain purchase, with state-owned enterprises in the country's major grain-producing areas buying over 90 million tons of grain as of December 15.

Dean Baker (2023-12-19). The National Debt, Tax Farming, and Patent Monopolies. cepr.net It increasingly looks like the Fed and the Biden administration have nailed the notoriously difficult soft landing, with inflation rapidly falling towards the Fed's 2.0 percent target and the unemployment rate still under 4.0 percent. All the signs are that the economy will continue to grow and create jobs at a healthy pace in 2024 …

presstv.ir (2023-12-19). The need to free Iran's economy from bondage of dollar. presstv.ir Iran's parliament has already come up with a plan to reduce the dependence of the economy on the dollar and pivot to national currencies in foreign trade.

Radhika Desai, Michael Hudson, Geopolitical Economy. (2023-12-18). Is Neoliberalism Really Dead? popularresistance.org Or does it live on like a zombie? Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson discuss neoliberalism, and the premature predictions about its demise.

Radhika Desai, Michael Hudson, Geopolitical Economy. (2023-12-18). Is Neoliberalism Really Dead? popularresistance.org t's happening again. Reports of the death of neoliberalism are once again proliferating. Just take a look at the UK Guardian. In the UK Guardian website, there is a whole series of stories whether it is "Neoliberalism is Dying," "The Rise and Fall of Neoliberalism," "Biden Just Declared the Death of Neoliberalism," "Is Neoliberalism Finally Over?," "Is Neoliberalism Finally Dead?" and "Is the Neoliberal Era Over Yet?" And of course there are also contrary views: "The National Institutes of Health Say Neoliberalism is Not Dead." And there is also a very interesting story in The Jacobin, which says "The Rumors are…

ecns.cn (2023-12-18). China unveils rules on supervision of non-bank payment institutions. ecns.cn China's State Council unveiled rules on the regulation of non-bank payment institutions on Sunday, in a move to prevent financial risks, regulate the industry's growth and protect consumers' interests amid the rapid development of the sector.

ecns.cn (2023-12-18). Chinese economy to keep its growth momentum in 2024 despite facing challenges: official. ecns.cn China's economy faces more opportunities than challenges in 2024, with economic growth remaining on the recovery trajectory and more factors contributing to high-quality growth.

cameron orr (2023-12-18). Democracy, peace, and equality: today's anti-racist imperatives. cpusa.org The following report was presented by Eric Brooks on behalf of the African American Equality Commission to the December 3, 2023 CPUSA National Committee meeting. | Thank you comrades for the opportunity to present this report. | The African American Equality Commission (AAEC) welcomes the current upsurge in people's struggle in the U.S. The massive union struggles and huge marches demanding a ceasefire in Palestine reflect large segments of the U.S. population, including youth, rising up to defend human dignity and demand peace and a just economy. | Fascism thrives on racism, sexism, and xenophobia. It fosters…

presstv.ir (2023-12-18). Yemeni army's operations have left significant economic impact on Israel: Ansarullah. presstv.ir Ansarullah says the Yemeni army's attacks against vessels headed to the occupied Palestinian territories have taken a big toll on the Israeli economy.

infobrics (2023-12-19). BRICS Expansion and Economic Fairness in Focus. infobrics.org Policy makers and experts from several countries speaking at the Doha Forum 2023 highlighted the potential of the BRICS group to establish trade and investment alliances, fostering economic and social development in a multipolar world…

Mauro Ramos (2023-12-19). Dedollarization: 95% of trade between China and Russia is no longer done in US currency. peoplesdispatch.org On a recent visit to China, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov stated that this year the use of the Russian ruble and Chinese yuan in trade between the two countries has already reached 95%. | At the same time, from January to October, 68% of all Russian trade was carried out in the two countries' currencies, according to Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov. | The yuan has also been used by Russia in commercial transactions with Mongolia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Tajikistan, and Singapore. | The debate about the need for de-doll…

Roger D. Harris, Popular Resistance. (2023-12-19). Year 2023 In Review For Latin American And The Caribbean. popularresistance.org December 2 marked the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, which proclaimed US dominion over Latin America and the Caribbean. Left-leaning governments in the hemisphere have had to contest a decadent but still dominant USA. Challenges in the past year include a world economic slowdown, a continuing drug plague, and a more aggressive hegemon reacting to a more volatile and disputed world order. | The progressive regional current, the so-called Pink Tide, slackened in 2023 compared to the rising tide of 2022, which had been buoyed by big wins in Colombia and Brazil.

ecns.cn (2023-12-19). China on way to meet 2023 economic growth targets. ecns.cn China is well-positioned to meet its annual economic growth targets for 2023, the country's top economic regulator said on Tuesday.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2023-12-19). Video: Fake Pandemic Triggers Worldwide Economic and Social Collapse. Michel Chossudovsky. globalresearch.ca

infobrics (2023-12-18). BRICS Expansion and Economic Fairness in Focus. infobrics.org Policy makers and experts from several countries speaking at the Doha Forum 2023 highlighted the potential of the BRICS group to establish trade and investment alliances, fostering economic and social development in a multipolar world…

Benjamin Velasco (2023-12-18). Silent pandemic: Mental health issues among informal transport workers in the Philippines. peoplesdispatch.org Workers in the informal transportation sector in the Philippines faced an upsurge in mental health issues due to increased economic precarity during the COVID-19 lockdown…

Edward Lozansky, Consortium News. (2023-12-18). War In Ukraine And The 'Crisis Of Western Civilization'. popularresistance.org The war in Ukraine has become a crisis of Western civilization. | Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerard Baker writes that the West is "losing our soul, our sense of purpose as a society, our identity as a civilization. We in the West are in the grip of an ideology that disowns our genius, denounces our success, disdains merit, elevates victimhood, embraces societal self-loathing, and enforces it all in a web of exclusionary and authoritarian rules, large and small." | Baker nevertheless reminds us that "liberal capitalism has done more for human prosperity, health and freedom than any other economic or polit…

Observer R (2023-12-18). The End of Ukraine. sonar21.com According to many reports, the population of Ukraine has declined by more than half, from 40+ million to 20- million, with death, injury, and destruction widespread in the country since February 2014. Let's look at some of the stages where this outcome might have been prevented: | Stage One—The Ukraine administration of Yanukovych had negotiated a better economic deal with China and Russia than what the West was offering. China was very much interested in helping Ukraine increase agricultural production, thereby increasing exports to China. However, Yanukovych was overthrown in the 2014 Maidan revolut…

ecns.cn (2023-12-18). Over 5,000 Chinese suspects of economic crimes fleeing overseas apprehended from over 100 countries and regions: Ministry. ecns.cn More than 5,000 Chinese suspects of economic crimes fleeing overseas have been caught and arrested from over 100 countries and regions by the public security organs across the country since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Roger D. Harris (2023-12-18). Year 2023 in review for Latin America and the Caribbean. dissidentvoice.org December 2nd marked the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, which proclaimed US dominion over Latin America and the Caribbean. Left-leaning governments in the hemisphere have had to contest a decadent but still dominant USA. Challenges in the past year include a world economic slowdown, a continuing drug plague, and a more aggressive hegemon reacting …

Ahmed Adel (2023-12-18). Devastating Economic and Social Crisis: A Majority of Germans Want A New Government and Early Elections. globalresearch.ca

Isaac Nellist (2023-12-19). Supermarket workers go on strike: 'All we want for Xmas is a living wage'. greenleft.org.au Workers at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets have ramped up their campaign for a living wage, secure jobs and safe workplaces with a Christmas #Superstrike. Isaac Nellist reports.

ecns.cn (2023-12-18). Gold gains traction among country's investment options. ecns.cn Gold holdings will increase among Chinese high net-worth individuals next year as uncertainties loom in capital markets, experts said, as wealth preservation and security top their asset management priorities.

William Bourke (2023-12-19). Universal basic income for a more prosperous Australia. independentaustralia.net

WSWS (2023-12-19). Clarence Thomas demanded more money just before receiving gifts from his ultra-rich supporters. wsws.org A new report from ProPublica says Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas campaigned publicly and privately for an increase in his salary and then suddenly dropped income complaints after he was showered with money and gifts from right-wing wealthy political supporters.

WSWS (2023-12-19). Record high for debt repayments by low-income nations. wsws.org Nearly half a trillion dollars was paid into the coffers of the banks and financial institutions, paid for by cuts in health, education and other vital facilities.

Daniel Johnston (2023-12-19). Labour leftists looking for a win should embrace the big green elephant in the room. thecanary.co

Simon Hooper (2023-12-18). Jewish man expelled by Labour claims discrimination over antisemitism accusation. middleeasteye.net Jewish man expelled by Labour claims discrimination over antisemitism accusation | Stephen Marks, a Labour member for more than 40 years, says accusation of antisemitism is 'repellent' and ignored his Jewishness and anti-Zionist beliefs | Mon, 12/18/2023 – 09: 54 | Stephen Marks warned that Labour leader Keir Starmer's refusal to support a ceasefire in Gaza would have political consequences for…

Labour Against the Arms Trade (2023-12-18). Toronto Picketers at Pratt and Whitney. socialistproject.ca On Tuesday morning of December 12, more than two hundred workers and union members from across the Toronto area picketed the Mississauga manufacturing plant of defence contractor Pratt & Whitney Canada. As Israel pursues its deadly assault on Gaza for a third month, the picket lines interrupted business as usual at an aerospace giant that makes engines for aircrafts that the Israeli military is using to carry out its bombing campaign against Palestinian lives and infrastructure. Encountering banners that read "Stop Arming Apartheid" and "Arms Embargo on Israel Now" as they arrived for morning shift, cars were…

A A (2023-12-18). They Can Wait at Leisure, Whilst Netanyahu Labours — and Errs. strategic-culture.su

JANET (2023-12-19). PFLP calls for weekly global strikes on Mondays. iacenter.org December 18, 2023 The following statement was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the Axis of Resistance on Dec. 17, 2023. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine calls for participation in the global strike, which was called for by forces in solidarity with our oppressed and struggling people for their freedom. The strike is scheduled for every Monday until the cessation of the aggression and genocide against our people. The Front invites labor unions, professional associations, progressive forces, and supporters of our people around the world to engage in every possible effort to make this strike succes…

WSWS (2023-12-19). SEP (Australia) holds speakout to promote meeting tomorrow in Sydney opposing Gaza genocide. wsws.org The meeting will discuss the need for a political struggle against the Labor government, which has backed the genocide, and the entire capitalist system that is responsible.

Jenny Brown, Labor Notes. (2023-12-19). 2023 In Review: Big Strikes, Bigger Gains. popularresistance.org Strikes and threats of strikes extracted contracts ranging from good to excellent from employers across the country this year. Half a million U.S. workers walked out—machinists, teachers, baristas, nurses, hotel housekeepers, and auto workers—with much of the motion coming from unions led by reformers. | The year started out with a squeaker of an election victory that turned out to be momentous. In late 2022, the Members United slate swept most top offices at the Auto Workers (UAW) on a platform of "No Concessions, No Corruption, No Tiers." March saw a presidential runoff pitting the old guard incumbe…

Rhoda Wilson (2023-12-19). Klaus Schwab wants to stop the retreat of globalisation and global governance with a new form of globalisation and global governance. expose-news.com Klaus Schwab and Thierry Malleret's book 'Covid-19: The Great Reset' identified "the global governance free fall" as an existential challenge and if we do not collaborate "we are doomed." "Nation states make …

Staff (2023-12-19). Colaboración entre Roswell Park y el CIM: Lo que aspiramos de las relaciones entre los pueblos de EEUU y Cuba. cubadebate.cu "Las posibilidades de intercambio científico, tecnológico, académico y cultural entre el pueblo cubano y el pueblo norteamericano tienen unas enormes potencialidades, y esta empresa es una expresión de ello", subrayó Díaz-Canel al recibir a varios directivos del Hospital Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, institución que junto al Centro de Inmunología Molecular de Cuba crearon la empresa mixta Innovative Immunotherapy Alliance SA (IIA).

Joseph Grosso (2023-12-19). A New Hope: The UAW Victory and Beyond. counterpunch.org If there has been a constant theme to Left discourse in the U.S. it has been that a labor revival is always just around the corner. While this has proved to be quite elusive, it can be said that this year has put workers rights squarely in the spotlight. There has been the continuing organizing

greenleft.org.au (2023-12-19). Labor's new punitive refugee laws criticised. greenleft.org.au

Labor Video Project (2023-12-19). Bay Area Unions & Thousands of Workers Rally & March for Palestine in Oakland. indybay.org Thousands of workers and unionists from throughout the Bay Area rallied in Oakland against the US supported Israel war on Gaza and the Palestinians. A growing number of unions are breaking from the pro-Zionist leadership including AFL-CIO president Liz Schuler and many of other union heads…

WSWS (2023-12-18). Australian protesters: "We need a general strike to stop the Gaza genocide!" wsws.org "The union leadership in this country is all led by the Labor Party, they all benefit from ties with Israel, they don't want to do anything that harms that."

WSWS (2023-12-18). Australian Labor government hails US passage of AUKUS legislation. wsws.org Beyond the issue of Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, the legislation seeks to consolidate a military block clearly aimed at preparing for war against China.

ecns.cn (2023-12-18). Closer global collaboration urged to reach UN goals. ecns.cn Prospects of achieving the United Nations' 2030 sustainable development goals are bleak, and countries need to make a much more concerted effort if progress is to be made, a top United Nations official says.

Dave DeCamp (2023-12-18). US Airstrike Reported in Somalia for First Time in Months. news.antiwar.com The US launched an airstrike in southern Somalia on Sunday as part of an operation in collaboration with the Mogadishu-based government, Voice of America reported. The US-backed government claimed the operation killed a senior al-Shabaab commander. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed the accuracy of the government's report to VOA, a US-state-funded media outlet, although AFRICOM …

WSWS (2023-12-18). Australian government tries to thwart High Court challenges to new detention laws. wsws.org The Labor government's manoeuvre underscores how far it is prepared to go, hand-in-hand with the Liberal-National Coalition, to override even the limited protections in the Australian Constitution against arbitrary detention by executive decree.

Julia Conley, Commondreams. (2023-12-18). Starbucks Ordered To Reopen 23 Stores. popularresistance.org Like its alleged intimidation tactics and firing of workers who have led unionization efforts, Starbucks' closure of at least 23 stores amid a nationwide workers' rights push last year did not go unnoticed by federal regulators, who ordered the global coffee chain to reopen the locations on Wednesday. | The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint saying that eight of the shuttered stores were among the more than 360 Starbucks locations that have voted to unionize, and that executives did not notify the union, Starbucks Workers United, about the closures ahead of time—robbing organizers of a…

krish-rad_ind (2023-12-18). The Fascist Movement's Biggest Threat: Labor Unions? inthesetimes.com

Mark Gruenberg (2023-12-18). UAW hits the gas on organizing effort at Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen. peoplesworld.org DETROIT—The United Auto Workers are stepping up their organizing drives at U.S. plants of foreign automakers Honda in Greensburg, Ind., Hyundai in Montgomery, Ala., and Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tenn., despite bosses' labor law-breaking and use of union-busters. "At the non-union automakers, it's a dictatorship," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a Facebook video. "The moment …

Binoy Kampmark (2023-12-18). Flirting With Nuclear Energy Down Under. counterpunch.org It was a policy that was bound to send a shiver through the policymaking community. The issue of nuclear energy in Australia has always been a contentious one. Currently, the country hosts a modest nuclear industry, centred on the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), nuclear medicine and laboratory products. But even this has created headaches in terms

greenleft.org.au (2023-12-18). Labor's new punitive refugee laws criticised. greenleft.org.au

Labor Video Project (2023-12-18). Bay Area Unions & Thousands of Workers Rally & March for Palestine in Oakland. indybay.org Thousands of workers and unionists from throughout the Bay Area rallied in Oakland against the US supported Israel war on Gaza and the Palestinians. A growing number of unions are breaking from the pro-Zionist leadership including AFL-CIO president Liz Schuler and many of other union heads…

Ron Jacobs (2023-12-19). Rich Kid's Resurrection in Annapolis—A Thought Experiment. counterpunch.org Marc Estrin's newest fiction is titled Et Resurrexit. The title is shared with a chorus from Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B minor (H-moll in the original German). A slim text, it begins with a male heir of the Vanderbilts—a young man whose perception of the world is certainly shaped by his family's wealth—rising from

_____ (2023-12-18). World Peace Is a Possibility. transcend.org Being on Earth is like being on a plane. We are all transients sharing a temporary flight. We may not have the best seats but will be landing somewhere else, so why quarrel? Those who have the best seats–fancy houses, wealth, prestige–will also have to give them up when the flight is over, at death.

Chauncey K. Robinson (2023-12-18). 'Wonka' review: A condemnation of wealthy elites the whole family can enjoy. peoplesworld.org Just in time for the holidays is a family movie that intertwines fun with a message targeting greed and capitalist monopoly. While the movie isn't shouting "Down with the system!" from the chocolate rooftops, dominant themes throughout Wonka are the battle against corrupt wealthy businessmen and the plight of the poor. The new musical fantasy …

Will Jones (2023-12-19). Audi Hits Brakes on Electric Vehicle Rollout as Demand Plummets. dailysceptic.org Audi will hit the brakes on its rollout of electric car models as consumer demand plummets in the face of high prices compared to petrol models.

WSWS (2023-12-18). German government finalizes its war budget. wsws.org Unlimited funds for war and armaments, cuts in social spending and higher energy prices—this is the core of the German government's 2024 budget.

Dean Baker (2023-12-18). Wages and Prices: Who Is Keeping Up with What? cepr.net Since President Biden took office, the media have run a constant stream of news stories about how high various prices were and telling their audiences that this has led to mass suffering. These stories appear less frequently now, although we still hear Republican politicians and people posting in social media that they are paying $5 …

Famine Early Warning System Network (2023-12-19). Chad – Key message update: In the Sahel, food consumption deficit is exacerbated by declining harvests and atypical food price increases, November 2023. reliefweb.int

Chloe Atkinson (2023-12-18). COP28 Agreement to Move Away From Fossil Fuels. counterpunch.org In what many see as a first-of-its-kind deal signaling the eventual end of the oil age, representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed on Wednesday to begin reducing global consumption of fossil fuels to avert the worst impact of climate change. In a demonstration of global solidarity, negotiators joined together at the COP28 climate summit in

World Bank (2023-12-19). Solomon Islands: World Bank Assistance Will Boost Solomons Islands' Public Financial Management, Private Sector Development, and Support Climate Resilience. reliefweb.int Country: Solomon Islands | Source: World Bank | WASHINGTON, December 19, 2023 —The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a US$20 million grant to support the Government of Solomon Islands in improving financial management, strengthen the business environment, and improve emergency preparedness. | The First Solomon Islands Resilience Development Policy Operation with a Catastrophe Drawdown Option will support the Solomon Islands government to increase tax revenue through the government's Value Added Tax Bill and the introduction of a new nickel royalty based on the value of the metal containe…

WSWS (2023-12-18). US financial system a "minefield of vulnerabilities" wsws.org The annual report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council has listed a wide range of potential problems in the financial system flowing from higher interest rates.

Ann Brown (2023-12-18). Fact Check: Millionaires Live In Relatively Smaller Houses, Only 2600 Square Feet, Mortgage Is Paid Off. moguldom.com When it comes to the lifestyles of millionaires, there are often misconceptions about their housing preferences and financial choices. A recent study conducted as part of the National Study of Millionaires done through Ramsey Solutions sheds light on where millionaires call home and how they manage their mortgages. Most don't have a mortgage. Millionaires—and even …

presstv.ir (2023-12-19). UK health crisis: Welsh junior doctors to go on strike amid 'grueling conditions'. presstv.ir Thousands of junior doctors in Wales will go on strike in January after being offered a below-inflation pay offer of 5 percent.

Ezio Boero (2023-12-19). Progress in the results of the strike of the workers of the large Californian hotels. pressenza.com Since the 4th of July holiday weekend, around sixty large hotels in Southern California, and especially in Los Angeles, have been affected by extensive strikes, mobile pickets and demonstrations. | 32,000 workers (room maids, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders and receptionists) are trying to renew their employment contracts which expired on June 30th. | They ask for an increase of 11 dollars in hourly wages over the course of the three-year contract (5 dollars/hour from the signing of the agreement), improvement of health care and pension benefits, reduction of workloads, possibility of access to work for people who…

Dave DeCamp (2023-12-18). White House Says US Can Only Fund One More Weapons Package for Ukraine. news.antiwar.com The White House said on Monday that a weapons package will be provided to Ukraine later this month, and after that, the US will be out of funds to arm Ukraine until Congress authorizes more spending on the proxy war. According to POLITICO, the Pentagon still has $4.4 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows …

National Homelessness Law Center (2023-12-19). Law Center Statement on 12% Increase in Homelessness. indybay.org Point in Time results must drive housing investments, not despair…

Chris Hedges, The Real News Network. (2023-12-18). 50 Years Of Mass Incarceration Has Devastated American Society. popularresistance.org Fifty years ago, the United States embarked on a path of mass incarceration that has led to a staggering increase in the prison population. Today, almost 2 million individuals—disproportionately Black Americans—are incarcerated in our nation's prisons and jails. The prison population has grown 500% since 1973, the year America began to sharply increase its prison population. "The social, moral, and fiscal costs associated with the large-scale, decades-long investment in mass imprisonment," The Sentencing Project notes, "cannot be justified by any evidence of its effectiveness. Misguided changes in sen…

Alasdair Baverstock (2023-12-18). Guanajuato: Mexico's industrial heartland. america.cgtn.com The world is living through what many are calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution. | Just as AI and modern technology are changing lives on an individual level, those advances are doing the same to industry and the assembly line. | CGTN's Alasdair Baverstock shows what this look like in Mexico's industrial heartland in Guanajuato state, in this first in a special series. | The state received more than $31 billion in foreign direct investment last year.

Alasdair Baverstock (2023-12-18). Mexico's Industrial Transformation. america.cgtn.com CGTN's Alasdair Baverstock brings us this special series of reports from Mexico's industrial heartland. | The world is living through what many are calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Just as AI and modern technology are changing lives on an individual level, those advances are doing the same to industry and the assembly line. CGTN's Alasdair Baverstock shows what this look like in Mexico's industrial heartland in Guanajuato state, in this first in a special series. The state received more than $31 billion in foreign direct investment last year.

National Homelessness Law Center (2023-12-18). Law Center Statement on 12% Increase in Homelessness. indybay.org Point in Time results must drive housing investments, not despair…

Derek Seidman (2023-12-18). These "Experts" Cheer on Gaza Siege Without Disclosing Ties to War Profiteering. truthout.org We might be in an age of social media, but cable news channels like Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN still have enormous influence in shaping mainstream narratives about war and U.S. foreign policy. Therefore, it's alarming that numerous "experts" that news channels bring on to explain war and conflict are actually — unbeknownst to news viewers — themselves cogs within the military-industrial complex… |

Sam Knight (2023-12-18). Build Back B.S. . levernews.com

Adriaan Alsema (2023-12-18). Colombia's ELN guerrillas agree to suspend kidnappings. colombiareports.com Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the ELN, agreed to suspend kidnapping people for profit in ongoing peace talks with the government. The agreement that was announced in Mexico comes days after…

Frank Cappello (2023-12-19). MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM: The Muppet Christmas Carol (w/ Wren Mack). levernews.com

The Independent (2023-12-18). Eating yogurt could reduce your risk of depression and anxiety, study finds. independent.co.ug ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | A new study in mice has found that the bacterium Lactobacillus helps the body manage stress, potentially preventing the onset of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. The results could pave the way for new therapies to treat anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Experts say these findings support a …

Margaret Flowers, Clearing the FOG. (2023-12-19). The Deadly Influence Of The Military Industrial Complex At COP28. popularresistance.org We hear about the growing influence of fossil fuel, nuclear and Big Agriculture corporations over the United Nations' Conference of Parties (COP) meetings, but hardly anything about the presence of weapons makers and NATO leaders. Clearing the FOG speaks with Canadian environmental lawyer and peace activist Tamara Lorincz, who reports about the meetings and outcomes of the recently-concluded COP28. She is part of an organizing effort to highlight the carbon footprint of Western militaries and the significant contributions of NATO countries to the climate crisis. Lorincz points out the great discrepancies between…

Rick Sterling, MintPress News. (2023-12-18). The JFK Assassination Was Good For Zionist Israel. popularresistance.org President John F. Kennedy was assassinated sixty years ago. If he had lived and won a second term, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have evolved differently. Possibly, the path toward Israeli apartheid and genocide in Gaza could have been avoided. | In his short time in office, Kennedy significantly changed U.S. foreign policy. As documented in the book "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Still Matters," JFK resisted the CIA and military-industrial complex in the policies he set regarding the Third World and the Soviet Union. The Vietnam War, the assassination of Indonesia's President Sukarno,…

_____ (2023-12-18). Regenerative Agroecology: The Necessary Solution to Counter Climate Change. transcend.org 12 Dec 2023 – Industrial agriculture sees the world as a machine, not as a self-organized living system, and has created devastation contributing to climate change. Our latest report, 'Regeneration is Life', presented at Cop28 in Dubai, analyzes the causes of climate change and the regenerative solutions vis-a-vis the false solutions by polluters.

EcoWaste Coalition (2023-12-19). Single-Use Food Packaging from 17 Countries Contains PFAS "Forever Chemicals" pressenza.com 19 December 2023, Gothenburg City, Sweden/Quezon City Philippines. A study released today by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and 18 IPEN member groups found toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals, including globally banned substances, in single-use, paper, cardboard, and plant-based molded fiber food containers and tableware purchased from 17 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. | PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, infertility, and endocrine disruption. Prior studies have shown that PFAS in food packaging can…

greenleft.org.au (2023-12-19). Housing activists organise national day of action for public housing, rent controls. greenleft.org.au

greenleft.org.au (2023-12-18). Housing activists organise national day of action for public housing, rent controls. greenleft.org.au

Editor (2023-12-18). Is Neoliberalism Really Dead? Or Does It Live on Like a Zombie? scheerpost.com

Angela (2023-12-19). Saturday 12/30: Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal. indybay.org Zoom (Registration link is below)…

_____ (2023-12-18). Merchants of Death… transcend.org are Making a Killing in Gaza, Ukraine, …

Angela (2023-12-18). Saturday 12/30: Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal. indybay.org Zoom (Registration link is below)…

Editor (2023-12-19). Lessons From One Unequal Society to Another. scheerpost.com

Liam Crisan (2023-12-19). Lessons From One Unequal Society to Another. fpif.org

isabella (2023-12-18). Lessons From One Unequal Society to Another. inequality.org

Sam Pizzigati (2023-12-18). In Our Deeply Unequal World, the Garbage Rises Ever Higher. counterpunch.org The summit of Mount Everest, in case you haven't heard, has become somewhat of a trash heap, a high-profile embarrassment that some have taken to calling the "world's highest garbage dump." A half-century ago, few would have expected this outcome. Back in 1976, Nepal, the Himalayan nation that counts Everest — Mount Sagarmatha — as

presstv.ir (2023-12-18). Iran: Palestinians definite winners of 'unequal battle' against Israel. presstv.ir The Iranian foreign minister said Israeli officials continue to commit crimes more heinous than those by Daesh.

WSWS (2023-12-19). The Israeli state's fascist ideology and the genocide in Gaza. wsws.org This lecture was given by World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board Chairman David North at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.

WSWS (2023-12-18). The lioness, the oak tree, the matron: In loving memory of my mother, Helen Halyard. wsws.org We are publishing here the tribute to Helen Halyard given by her son, Jamal, to a memorial meeting for Comrade Helen held by the Socialist Equality Party (US) and the International Committee of the Fourth International on December 3.

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