Personal use of all recreational drugs should be decriminalised, experts argue
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2021-01-08
Non-violent criminals serving time for drug use or possession should be freed and personal use of recreational drugs decriminalised, experts have said, arguing that the 'war on drugs' is fuelling racism. | "Costly and ineffective": | Personal use of all recreational drugs should be decriminalised immediately, followed by legalisation, regulation, and restrictions on age, advertising and licensing, according to more than 60 international experts. | The group — including bioethicists, drug experts, criminal justice researchers, and psychologists — say prohibition and criminalisation has been "co…
thecanary.co/uk/2021/01/08/personal-use-of-all-recreational-drugs-should-be-decriminalised-experts-argue/

White Rioters Are Treated Differently than BLM Protesters
Iliana Hagenah | progressive.org | 2021-01-08
On January 6, MAGA insurrectionists overtook the Capitol. Meanwhile, states are criminalizing nonviolent Black Lives Matter protests.
progressive.org/dispatches/white-rioters-treated-differently-blm-hagenah-210108/

"Forbidden Weapons" Used Against Gaza Strip Palestinians. Israel Deliberately Targets Palestinian Civilians
Dr. Zuhair Sabbagh | globalresearch.ca | 2021-01-08
The following research article will explore three forbidden weapons that were and are still being used against the Palestinian civilians of the besieged Gaza Strip. These weapons are the DIME, the Flechette Shells and the Vacuum Bomb. Furthermore, this research …
globalresearch.ca/forbidden-weapons-used-against-gaza-strip-palestinians-israel-deliberately-targets-palestinian-civilians/5733924

Requiring Men but not Women to Register for the Draft is Sex Discrimination
Ria Tabacco Mar | aclu.org | 2021-01-08
The requirement that only men — but not women — register for the draft is one of the last examples of overt sex discrimination written into our federal law. Today, we joined two young men and the National Coalition For Men (NCFM) to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to it., , Under the 1948 Military Selective Service Act, men in this country are required to mark their 18th birthdays by registering for the Selective Service System, the list of people who could be called up for military service if the government au…
aclu.org/news/womens-rights/requiring-men-but-not-women-to-register-for-the-draft-is-sex-discrimination

Saturday 1/9: Fightback Town Hall Meeting On Palestine & The Attacks On Pacifica
Pacifica Fightback | indybay.org | 2021-01-08
Meeting Registration | us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtc-i……
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/08/18839278.php

2021: Palestine's Chance of Fighting Back
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-08
2020 will go down in history as the year that terminated the American-sponsored 'peace process'. While 2021 will not reverse the monumental change in the US attitude and objectives in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, the new year presents Palestinians with the opportunity to think outside the American box. The previous year began with…
counterpunch.org/2021/01/08/2021-palestines-chance-of-fighting-back/

Israel: Netanyahu hearing postponed amid Covid-19 lockdown
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-08
Israel: Netanyahu hearing postponed amid Covid-19 lockdown | The attorney-general also announces he intends to file criminal charges over tax offences against Interior Minister Aryeh Deri | MEE and agencies | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 11: 18 | Deri, left, was appointed as interior minister in Netanyahu's, right, cabinet in January 2016 (AFP) | A planned court appearance next week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin N…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-netany…

Is Israel practicing vaccine leadership or medical apartheid?
Ariel Gold | peoplesdispatch.org | 2021-01-08
The media is abuzz these days with headlines such as "How Israel Became a World Leader in Vaccinating Against Covid-19." While the US has vaccinated only 1.67% of its population against COVID-19 so far, Israel has already given the vaccine to more than 16% of…
peoplesdispatch.org/2021/01/08/is-israel-practicing-vaccine-leadership-or-medical-apartheid/

Is Israel Practicing Vaccine Leadership or Medical Apartheid?
Ariel Gold | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-08
Israel has a population of around 9 million. About 20 percent of Israel's population are Palestinian citizens of Israel. These people can vote in elections, have representation in the Knesset, and are being vaccinated against COVID-19. But, there are another around 5 million Palestinians who live under Israeli rule, without rights, and like the rest of the world, are suffering from the pandemic.
counterpunch.org/2021/01/08/is-israel-practicing-vaccine-leadership-or-medical-apartheid/

The fascist coup of January 6
WSWS Repost | indybay.org | 2021-01-08
David North, Chairman of the Socialist Equality Party, makes sense of the the chaos that engulfed Washington D.C. this Wednesday.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839253.php

The Real Story: Fascist Takeover in DC Isolates Trump
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2021-01-08
The following discussion was broadcast Jan. 7 on The Socialist Program podcast.
liberationnews.org/the-real-story-fascist-takeover-in-dc-isolates-trump/

The real story: Fascist takeover in D.C. isolates Trump
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2021-01-08
The following discussion was broadcast Jan. 7 on The Socialist Program podcast.
liberationnews.org/the-real-story-fascist-takeover-in-dc-isolates-trump/

Jackson, Miss., schools 'Smart Restart' pushed by capitalism, not families
Liberation staff, Mississippi | liberationnews.org | 2021-01-08
JPS leaders are making the decision to reopen campus because our racist capitalist system refuses to prioritize public health and safety, even during a global pandemic.
liberationnews.org/jackson-miss-schools-smart-restart-pushed-by-capitalism-not-families/

Jackson, Miss. schools 'Smart Restart' pushed by capitalism, not families
Liberation staff, Mississippi | liberationnews.org | 2021-01-08
JPS leaders are making the decision to reopen campus because our racist capitalist system refuses to prioritize public health and safety, even during a global pandemic.
liberationnews.org/jackson-miss-schools-smart-restart-pushed-by-capitalism-not-families/

Five police officers in specialist unit sacked for 'abhorrent' conduct
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2021-01-08
Five out of six members of a "toxic" specialist police unit have been sacked for their "shameful" discriminatory language. | The officers from the Serious Organised Crime Unit (Socu) in Basingstoke, Hampshire, were recorded making racist, sexist, ableist and other inappropriate comments. | An anonymous complaint about their behaviour prompted Hampshire Constabulary to launch an investigation and the unit's office was bugged. | A disciplinary tribunal found the six officers had committed gross misconduct with their "abhorrent" comments. | Detective sergeant Oliver Lage, detective sergeant Gregory Willcox and Pc Ja…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2021/01/08/five-police-officers-in-specialist-unit-sacked-for-abhorrent-conduct/

Caravan Counter-Protest in San Francisco Reacts to MAGA Insurrectionists in DC
RR | indybay.org | 2021-01-08
Activists from a coalition of groups are calling for people to wake up to the reality of the unprecedented behavior of a sitting president who has legitimized the lie of a stolen election in the eyes of many millions of his supporters and mobilized white supremacist MAGA mobs to rampage, terrorize, and intimidate anyone who stands in their way.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839238.php

Saturday 1/9: Car Caravan — No Fascist Coup!
Refuse Fascism Bay Area | indybay.org | 2021-01-08
Starts at City Hall• 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102 | then follows a route through the Castro and Mission districts. Lasts about 1.5 hours but you don't have to do the entire route.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/07/18839264.php

60 High School Seniors Refuse To Serve In The Israeli Army
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2021-01-08
Sixty Israelis of eligible draft age have signed a letter declaring their refusal to serve in the military because of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. | Departing from previous letters of this kind, the signatories call out the country's education system for various issues, such as encouraging enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces and emphasizing the Jewish narrative in Bible and history classes. | They also draw attention to issues they say the curriculum ignores, such as the expulsion of Arabs in 1948 and the current violation of human rights in the occupied territories. | In a letter sent…
popularresistance.org/60-high-school-seniors-refuse-to-serve-in-the-israeli-army/

UK minister criticised for demanding universities adopt IHRA antisemitism definition
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-08
UK minister criticised for demanding universities adopt IHRA antisemitism definition | Group of lawyers and retired judges say Secretary Gavin Williamson's initiative to require universities adopt resolution is 'legally and morally wrong' | MEE staff | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 19: 52 | Britain's Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said if majority of universities fail to adopt IHRA definition by December, he may start cutting f…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-education-…

'Horrifying beyond words': China embassy tweet on Uighur women rebuked online
Nadda Osman | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-08
'Horrifying beyond words': China embassy tweet on Uighur women rebuked online | A tweet from Beijing's embassy in the US saying detained Uighur women were now 'emancipated' condemned as misrepresenting 'genocide' and 'forced sterilisation' | Nadda Osman | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 12: 26 | A demonstrator wears a mask painted with the colours of the East Turkestan flag and a hand bearing the colours of the Chinese flag in a pr…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/china-uighur-…

What's the difference between modern Zionism and white supremacy?
Gershon Baskin | zcomm.org | 2021-01-08
I no longer call myself a Zionist. I don't know what it means to be a Zionist anymore. Is building settlements in the West Bank Zionism? Is building more homes in settlements a Zionist response to Palestinian violence?>…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/whats-the-difference-between-modern-zionism-and-white-supremacy/

The Threat of Fascism Rears its Head in Washington
Pete Dolack | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-08
Let's not mince words: Wednesday's storming of the United States Capitol building was the work of fascism. That it didn't and couldn't succeed, and that Donald Trump is days from being out of the White House, should not blind us to the reality of larger social forces at work. The Orange Menace possibly finished off…
counterpunch.org/2021/01/08/the-threat-of-fascism-rears-its-head-in-washington/

Capitol siege underscores need for bold action to create truly just and equitable nation
splcenter.org | 2021-01-08
&nbsp…
splcenter.org/news/2021/01/08/capitol-siege-underscores-need-bold-action-create-truly-just-and-equitable-nation

Far-Right Insurrectionists Organized Capitol Siege on Parler
Hannah Gais and Freddy Cruz | splcenter.org | 2021-01-08
Parler, a conservative alternative to Twitter that has become a haven for far-right extremism of all stripes, proved to be a haven for recruitment and promotion for the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol building.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2021/01/08/far-right-insurrectionists-organized-capitol-siege-parler

WorkWeek On Labor & The Threat Of A Coup & Fascism, Racism At CCSF & Julian Assange
WorkWeek | indybay.org | 2021-01-07
WorkWeek looks at the threat of a coup and also the role of labor with the David Van Deusen. His Vermont Labor AFL-CIO had called for a general strike to prevent a coup. WorkWeek also looks at the systemic racism in San Francisco and an action at the British Consulate in San Francisco to demand the freedom of journalist Julian Assange.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839235.php

Colombia Sets Protocol Against Police Brutality
telesurenglish.net | 2021-01-07
President Ivan Duque's administration approved a new protocol setting out the conduct to be followed by Colombian police forces while controlling protests. | RELATED: | Colombia: Former Attorney General Linked to Corruption Scandal | The protocol responds to a ruling by the Supreme Court that condemned the "systematic, violent, arbitrary and disproportionate" use of force by the police. Establishing the obligation to report acts of violence committed by police officers, the pr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Sets-Protocol-Against-Police-Brutality-20210107-0007.html

2021: Palestine's Chance of Fighting Back
Ramzy Baroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2021-01-07
2020 will go down in history as the year that terminated the American-sponsored 'peace process'. While 2021 will not reverse the monumental change in the US attitude and objectives in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, the new year presents Palestinians with the opportunity to think outside the American box. The previous year began with …
dissidentvoice.org/2021/01/2021-palestines-chance-of-fighting-back/

The fascist coup of January 6
WSWS Repost | indybay.org | 2021-01-07
David North, Chairman of the Socialist Equality Party, makes sense of the the chaos that engulfed Washington D.C. this Wednesday.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839253.php

France Grants Citizenship to Immigrant Essential Workers as Protests Against Racist "Security" Laws Grow
Danica Jorden | globalresearch.ca | 2021-01-07
The government of France has decided to recognize the contributions of essential workers from other countries working within its borders during the pandemic by offering them French citizenship. On 22 December 2020, the day of the announcement, 74 immigrants were …
globalresearch.ca/france-grants-citizenship-immigrant-essential-workers-protests-against-racist-security-laws-grow/5733758

Racist police killings:Year ends on a note of outrage
Martha Grevatt | workers.org | 2021-01-07
Peoples Conference, Dec. 23, Columbus. Cleveland — Three days before Christmas, Andre Hill visited the home of a family friend on Dec. 22 to drop off some holiday cash. Police, called to the neighborhood for an unrelated situation, shot and killed the 47-year-old Black father and grandfather. Hill, whose family . . . | Continue reading Racist police killings: Year ends on a note of outrage at Workers.org…
workers.org/2021/01/53633/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=racist-police-killingsyear-ends-on-a-note-of-outrage

Ted Cruz tried to defend Trump's coup. He then praised the white supremacist Compromise of 1877
Matthew Rozsa | salon.com | 2021-01-07
Cruz praised the compromise that ended the 1876 election even though it involved imposing white supremacy…
salon.com/2021/01/07/ted-cruz-tried-to-defend-trumps-coup-he-then-called-for-a-return-to-a-white-supremacist-comprise/

Wednesday 1/6: MAGA Insurrectionists Have Violently Breeched Capitol in DC, Caravan Counter-Protest in SF
Refuse Fascism | indybay.org | 2021-01-07
In front of San Francisco City Hall, Polk St. side | Press conference for about 15 to 30 minutes then caravan takes off on a route that may last as long as 2 hours.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839232.php

Caravan Counter-Protest in San Francisco Reacts to MAGA Insurrectionists in DC
RR | indybay.org | 2021-01-07
Activists from a coalition of groups are calling for people to wake up to the reality of the unprecedented behavior of a sitting president who has legitimized the lie of a stolen election in the eyes of many millions of his supporters and mobilized white supremacist MAGA mobs to rampage, terrorize, and intimidate anyone who stands in their way.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839238.php

Nazis, 'Commies', etc (Part 1)
Nikos Raptis | zcomm.org | 2021-01-07
So, on the basis of my experience on Nazis and on assorted dictators, my guesstimate as to the number of Nazis and crypto-Nazis in any given population is: around 30 %…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/nazis-commies-etc-part-1/

New Israeli Aggression Against Syria Results in Three Deaths
telesurenglish.net | 2021-01-07
At least three people were killed, and 11 others were injured Wednesday night in a missile attack launched by Israel against positions of Syrian forces and their allied militias in the south of the Arab country. | Syria's anti-aircraft defense forces repelled the missile attack launched by Israel Wednesday night. | RELATED: | Israel Bombs Syria on Christmas Eve | While Syrian antiaircraft defenses shot down several of the projectiles, others hit the rural areas of the southern province of Al Sueida and o…
telesurenglish.net/news/New-Israeli-Aggression-Against-Syria-Results-in-Three-Deaths-20210107-0018.html

FROM THE FIELD: The genocide survivor helping others avoid starvation
news.un.org | 2021-01-07
During the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda, Liberee Kayumba avoided starvation thanks to emergency rations from the World Food Programme (WFP). Today, she is helping to ensure that Burundian refugees in the country have enough to eat.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2021/01/1081532

The Coup in Washington: Why is Anyone Surprised by Trump's Fascist Politics?
Anthony DiMaggio | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-07
As I write this, pro-Trump protesters have stormed the U.S. Capitol building seeking to impose Trump's attempted coup on America. Trump's hand in stoking the coup is apparent on multiple fronts. He's been disseminating and mainstreaming baseless electoral fraud conspiracies for months — years really. He encouraged these protesters to head over to Capitol Hill. Once the attacks on and invasion of the Capitol began, he refused to condemn them. And then in his first address to the nation, he poured more fuel on the fire by continuing to traffic in electoral fraud conspiracies. To be perfectly clear, this is no…
counterpunch.org/2021/01/07/the-coup-in-washington-why-is-anyone-surprised-by-trumps-fascist-politics/

An Open Letter to Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys (cc: Antifa)
David Rovics | dissidentvoice.org | 2021-01-07
Have you ever found yourself surrounded by masked rioters being chased by flag-waving patriots and thought, I've seen this movie before? I woke up this morning dreaming that I was speaking at one of your rallies. I thought then, well, if I probably won't be getting an invitation to speak at one of them, what …
dissidentvoice.org/2021/01/an-open-letter-to-patriot-prayer-and-the-proud-boys-cc-antifa/

Riot in Washington DC: This is America!
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2021-01-07
Eugene Puryear talks about the lack of concern about the impact of fascist mobilization and possibilities of collusion between the rioters and law and order personnel. He also examines the narrative put forward by some sections that the violence does not represent the United States.
peoplesdispatch.org/2021/01/07/riot-in-washington-dc-this-is-america/

Sudan's transitional government signs Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2021-01-07
According to the deal Sudan will recognize Israel and will "normalize" relations with it. The UAE and Bahrain had signed the deal in September last year…
peoplesdispatch.org/2021/01/07/sudans-transitional-government-signs-abraham-accords-normalizing-ties-with-israel/

Resistance is not Futile
Steve Lalla | dissidentvoice.org | 2021-01-07
Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has inspired fear within the Empire through both armed struggle and its success in electoral politics. For effectively wielding this double-edged sword, the "Party of God" has been vilified by countless politicians and media outlets. From its birth as an armed resistance to Israeli attacks on Lebanon over 35 years ago, …
dissidentvoice.org/2021/01/resistance-is-not-futile/

Joe Biden Should End the US Pretence over Israel's 'Secret' Nuclear Weapons
Desmond Tutu | globalresearch.ca | 2021-01-07
Every recent US administration has performed a perverse ritual as it has come into office. All have agreed to undermine US law by signing secret letters stipulating they will not acknowledge something everyone knows: that Israel has a nuclear …
globalresearch.ca/joe-biden-should-end-us-pretence-israel-secret-nuclear-weapons/5733781

The fascist coup of January 6
wsws.org | 2021-01-07
The fascist insurrection in Washington DC is a turning point in the political history of the United States.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/01/07/pers…

Middle East: Again on the Brink. Israel and "Intra-imperialist" Games
Dimitris Konstantakopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2021-01-07
"To understand the situation, figure out that now, in Washington, the main obstacle to war is a man called Mad Dog." | This answer was given to me three years ago by Ray McGovern, when I asked him about the situation …
globalresearch.ca/middle-east-again-brink-israel-intra-imperialist-games/5733771

WorkWeek On Labor & The Threat Of A Coup & Fascism, Racism At CCSF & Julian Assange
WorkWeek | indybay.org | 2021-01-06
WorkWeek looks at the threat of a coup and also the role of labor with the David Van Deusen. His Vermont Labor AFL-CIO had called for a general strike to prevent a coup. WorkWeek also looks at the systemic racism in San Francisco and an action at the British Consulate in San Francisco to demand the freedom of journalist Julian Assange.
indybay.org/newsitems/2021/01/06/18839235.php

"Miscarriage of Justice": No Charges Against White Kenosha Officer Who Shot & Paralyzed Jacob Blake
Staff | democracynow.org | 2021-01-06
In Kenosha, Wisconsin, District Attorney Michael Graveley has announced that no charges will be filed against the white police officer who fired seven shots at Jacob Blake, paralyzing the 29-year-old Black man in August. Officer Rusten Sheskey fired the shots at point-blank range into Blake's back as he leaned into his car, with his three children, aged 3, 5 and 8, inside the vehicle. Prosecutors maintain the shooting was in self-defense because Blake had a small knife in the car. Video of Blake's shooting sparked an uprising in Kenosha in August against systemic racism and police brutality. Blake's family denoun…
www.democracynow.org/2021/1/6/jacob_blak…

Covid-19: Palestinians left in limbo as Israel vaccinates
Adam Khalil | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-06
Covid-19: Palestinians left in limbo as Israel vaccinates | As Israelis tout record numbers of jabs, the occupied territories are still scrambling to obtain the coronavirus vaccine | Adam Khalil | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 12: 48 | A Palestinian youth wearing a face mask rides his bicycle past a mural painting of a nurse injecting a vaccine to a COVID-19 virus in Gaza City, on 31 December 2020 (AFP) | Israel has boasted that…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/covid-palesti…

In 2021, the Best Way to Fight Neofascist Republicans is to Fight Neoliberal Democrats
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-06
The threat of fascism will hardly disappear when Donald Trump moves out of the White House in two weeks. On Capitol Hill, the Republicans who've made clear their utter contempt for democracy will retain powerful leverage over the U.S. government. And they're securely entrenched because Trumpism continues to thrive in much of the country. Yet,…
counterpunch.org/2021/01/06/in-2021-the-best-way-to-fight-neofascist-republicans-is-to-fight-neoliberal-democrats/

Palestinian activist Issa Amro defiant over 'baseless' conviction by Israeli court
Akram Al-Waara | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-06
Palestinian activist Issa Amro defiant over 'baseless' conviction by Israeli court | An Israeli military court convicted Amro on charges dating back to 2010, which the activist says is an attempt to silence all resistance against the occupation | Akram Al-Waara | Wed, 01/06/2021 – 14: 47 | Palestinian activist Issa Amro speaks to journalists after he was released on bail by a Palestinian court, in the West Bank…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-isr…

Meet DLive: The Livestreaming Platform Used by Trump's Capitol Insurrectionists
splcenter.org | 2021-01-06
Far-right extremists livestreamed on the fringe, youth-targeted gaming website DLive on Wednesday during an unprecedented breach of the U.S. Capitol building that left at least four people dead and others wounded. One of the extremists livestreamed on DLive from the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Hatewatch observed while monitoring the events.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2021/01/07/meet-dlive-livestreaming-platform-used-trumps-capitol-insurrectionists