MPEN – Page 102 – Minority People's Email Network

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-23

Voices, The Peoples News

February 23, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This almost daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net
You can visit the website and leave your comments if you desire.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

# Indigenous
Standing Rock activist imprisoned for resisting grand jury. There are signs of hope for anti-pipeline movements, yet water protectors are still facing recriminations years after Standing Rock.
https://theintercept.com/2021/02/19/standing-rock-indigenous-water-protector-imprisoned/

# Indigenous / Global
Bad water sickens First Nations. But government doesn’t track the toll.
Data to identify and fix problems don’t exist. The ‘black hole,’ say critics, lets feds off the hook. A special report.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/02/22/Bad-Water-Sickens-First-Nations-Government-Track-Toll/

# Archaeology
# Border / Immigration
Biden Admin Reopens Trump-Era Migrant Child Center in Carrizo Springs, Texas. Government officials justified the move by saying there’s been a massive recent spike in unaccompanied children crossing the border.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/migrant-children-facility-immigration/index.html

Anti-Immigrant Racism Complicates COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in the South.
The aggressive anti-immigrant attitudes of the Trump era are hindering vaccination efforts among immigrant populations.
https://truthout.org/articles/anti-immigrant-racism-complicates-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-in-the-south/

# Bundy Rides Again
Far-Right Leader of Bundy Crew Busted for Wild Threats. A top player in a crew behind aggro COVID-19 protests got popped over a bizarrely personal beef with local law-enforcement.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/far-right-peoples-rights-leader-joshua-martinez-tied-to-bundy-family-busted-for-threats-in-vegas?ref=home

# CoronaVirus
What’s Safe After COVID-19 Vaccination? Don’t Shed Masks Yet
https://apnews.com/article/whats-safe-after-covid-19-vaccine-masks-f74a703c32fbfed6d8a2f066b9cda3f8

‘Why would anyone get the jab after this?’: AP criticized for saying Covid vaccination WON’T bring life back to normal https://www.npr.org/2020/12/11/945360045/dr-paul-offit-discusses-fda-panels-vote-on-pfizer-vaccine

Pandemic May Have Left 265 Million People With Acute Food Shortages in 2020. As Black and Latinx families experience disproportionate food insecurity, experts warn of famine in dozens of countries.
https://truthout.org/articles/pandemic-may-have-left-265-million-people-with-acute-food-shortages-in-2020/

World Health Organization Urges Rich Countries to Stop Undermining Efforts to Vaccinate Poorer Ones. Experts are urging advanced economies to share their vaccine stockpiles in order to end the pandemic sooner.
https://truthout.org/video/who-urges-rich-countries-to-stop-undermining-efforts-to-vaccinate-poorer-ones/

Held to ransom’: Pfizer demands governments gamble with state assets to secure vaccine deal. “Pfizer and BioNTech are firmly committed to working with governments and other relevant stakeholders to ensure equitable and affordable access to our Covid-19 vaccine for people around the world.”
https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2021-02-23/held-to-ransom-pfizer-demands-governments-gamble-with-state-assets-to-secure-vaccine-deal

# Economy / Trade
Trump Salary: Donation Was 0.1 Percent of Reported $1.6 Billion He Made in Office.
Financial disclosures show that Trump earned over $1.6 billion from his own properties, much of it at taxpayer expense.
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-salary-donation-was-0-1-percent-of-reported-1-6-billion-he-made-in-office/

# Education / Schools
Surge of Student Suicides Pushes Las Vegas Schools to Reopen. The spate of student suicides in and around Las Vegas has pushed the Clark County district, the nation’s fifth largest, toward bringing students back as quickly as possible https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/us/politics/student-suicides-nevada-coronavirus.html

# Employment / Labor
‘This is unacceptable’: Progressives reject Manchin plan to cut $15 minimum wage proposal to $11. The $15 minimum wage is overwhelmingly popular with the American people. One person should not be allowed to hold relief hostage.
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/02/23/this-is-unacceptable-progressives-reject-manchin-plan-to-cut-15-minimum-wage-proposal-to-11/

Big Texas Corporations Demand Storm Survivors Go Without Pay. A slew of big-time companies are slapping those reeling from historic devastation with an ugly choice: Use vacation days or go without pay.
https://news.yahoo.com/survived-hell-bosses-want-them-095052449.html

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
How Texas repeatedly failed to protect its power grid against extreme weather. Texas regulators and lawmakers knew about the grid’s vulnerabilities for years, but time and again they furthered the interests of large electricity providers.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/22/texas-power-grid-extreme-weather/

Texas Blackout Reveals Deep Impact of Environmental Racism, Aid Organizers Say Calls are growing for Texas to join national power grids — and for a broader reckoning on environmental justice.
https://thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/natural-disasters/539273-texas-blackouts-disproportionately-impact-low

Texas Electric Grid Board Members Resign After Mass Outages. ERCOT chairwoman Sally Talberg and at least three other board members announced their departures in a joint letter Tuesday.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/23/ercot-members-resign-texas/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Texas’ freeze was one part of a long disaster we’re still living through. It’s been just four years since Texas’ last “once in a century”
disaster, and it’s the latest in a long line of previously unthinkable climate catastrophes along the Gulf Coast region. After each one, the recovery effort seems to go slower, take longer, and leave more people in the cold.
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/02/texas-freeze-was-one-part-of-a-long-disaster-were-still-living-through/

As Millions in Texas Lack Safe Water, Activists Rally for Green New Deal. Youth leaders with the Sunrise Movement rallied at Texas’ capitol in response to the state’s cascading crises.
https://truthout.org/articles/as-millions-in-texas-lack-safe-water-activists-rally-for-green-new-deal/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is confirmed (again). After a 92-7 vote, the former governor of Iowa will reprise his role heading up USDA.
https://thecounter.org/secretary-of-agriculture-tom-vilsack-confirmed-biden-usda/

USDA is letting schools serve free meals during the pandemic. Officials fear an unintended funding gap.
https://thecounter.org/cdc-farm-workers-texas-florida-covid-19-vaccine/amp/

The CDC recommended states prioritize farm workers for the Covid-19 vaccine. Some large agricultural states have not.
https://thecounter.org/cdc-farm-workers-texas-florida-covid-19-vaccine/amp/

# General News
Trump campaign paid millions to Jan. 6 Capitol riot. “It was his duty as commander-in-chief to stop the violence. And he alone had that power because they believed that they were following his orders. They said so.”
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/02/23/trump-campaign-paid-millions-to-jan-6-capitol-riot/

# Global Politics and other news
Iran and IAEA reach ‘temporary’ agreement to maintain nuclear surveillance https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/21/un-nuclear-chief-in-iran-ahead-of-sanctions-deadline

FM Zarif: Iran expects compensation for $1 trillion damage inflicted by US sanctions: FM Zarif:: “Compensations will take the form of reparation, or the form of investment”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/21/us-sanctions-inflicted-1-trillion-damage-on-irans-economy-fm

# Gov / Politics
NATO’s expanding role hides the reality of a US empire in decline. The pivot toward defining Russia and China as potential adversary is drawn, from the insecurity of a U.S. in decline.
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/515981-nato-expanding-us-decline/

Escalating the new Cold War with Russia via Ukraine. A look at “Ukrainegate” and Joe Biden’s part in it.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/56354.htm

Congress Escalates Pressure on Tech Giants to Censor More, Threatening the First Amendment. House Democrats are getting closer and closer to the constitutional line, if they have not already crossed it.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/congress-escalates-pressure-on-tech

What Planet Is NATO Living On? Despite its recent failures in Afghanistan and Libya, NATO is turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/02/23/what-planet-nato-living

Watch live: Senate hearing on Capitol security breach: Two Senate committees are holding a joint hearing to examine the failures that led to the breach of the Capitol by a mob of former President Trump’s supporters on Jan 6.
https://thehill.com/video/senate/540016-watch-live-senate-hearing-on-security-breached-during-capitol-riot

# Law Enforcement
Police Probe Video of Cop With Arm Around Black Teen’s Neck. A short clip shared by the 13-year-old boy’s family shows him lying face up while the officer restrains him with one arm below his neck.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/23/us/baton-rouge-police-investigation-teen-arrest-video/index.html

Yet Another Proud Boy Charged With Conspiracy for Riots. Ryan Ashlock was caught on camera clad in tactical gear and pushing against police barriers as his fellow Proud Boys stormed the Capitol.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ryan-ashlock-another-proud-boy-charged-in-conspiracy-to-attack-the-capitol

Five charged with Proud Boys conspiracy in deadly U.S. Capitol attack https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-capitol-arrests/five-charged-with-proud-boys-conspiracy-in-deadly-u-s-capitol-attack-idUSKBN2AB24L

Ahmaud Arbery’s Estate Alleges Massive Police ‘Cover Up’: A lawsuit filed on the one-year anniversary of Arbery’s killing also alleges the men charged with his murder were unlawfully deputized by Glynn County cops.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ahmaud-arberys-estate-files-federal-civil-rights-suit-against-georgia-county-police-officers
See also: Arbery Lawsuit
https://www.scribd.com/document/495697752/Arbery-Lawsuit

The FBI Warned Congress of Right-Wing Violence Before Jan. 6th. Capitol Police Leaders Never Saw the Report. Former security officials pointed fingers at each other over failures that led to the insurrection.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/02/the-fbi-warned-congress-of-right-wing-violence-before-jan-6th-capitol-police-leaders-never-saw-the-report/

Jail Won’t Solve White Supremacist Violence. Here’s How to Truly Confront It. To fight white supremacist violence, we must abolish the systems that perpetuate it, like the prison-industrial complex.
https://truthout.org/articles/jail-wont-solve-white-supremacist-violence-heres-how-to-truly-confront-it/

All 7 Cops Off the Hook for Daniel Prude’s Suffocation Death. Prude was pinned on the ground as Rochester cops handcuffed him and put a mesh spit hood over his head.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/all-seven-rochester-cops-off-the-hook-for-daniel-prudes-suffocation-death

Police had no legal reason to stop or frisk Elijah McClain, an independent report found. The new independent review found it was the first in a series of unjustified and violent actions taken by officers that led to the 23-year-old Black man being placed in a chokehold and injected with ketamine before he died.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/22/elijah-mcclain-independent-investigation-police-colorado

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Officials charged with protecting the Capitol the day a mob overwhelmed police and forced the evacuation of lawmakers are expected to be grilled at a Tuesday hearing as Congress begins a public examination into the security lapses of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/539955-officers-set-for-grilling-over-mob-attack

The Republicans Finally Face Merrick Garland—and Act as if They Were the Ones Unfairly Treated.
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/merrick-garland-ag-confirmation-hearing-02-22-21/

Corporate Lawyers Line Up for Justice Department Top Slots. Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland defended hiring lawyers with Big Tech experience at yesterday’s confirmation hearing.
https://prospect.org/cabinet-watch/corporate-lawyers-line-up-for-justice-department-top-slots/

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
Feds Shouldn’t Waste Resources On Marijuana Enforcement In Legal States, Biden AG Pick Says https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-enforcement-is-a-perfect-example-of-racial-discrimination-biden-ag-pick-garland-says/

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) tweeted, “States that have legalized marijuana have seen a boom in business, tourism, and tax revenue, & a drop in incarceration. As a co-sponsor of the MORE Act, I hope to see New Mexico join them and help restore communities hurt by the failed War on Drugs.”
https://twitter.com/TeamHeinrich/status/1363933330291494917

# Space
# Technology
A new form of exploitation, known as “stakeholder capitalism,” is already being tested in many places around the world and prisons are among the main targets for its implementation, as they provide an ideal and literally captive market for its proof of concept.
https://mronline.org/2021/02/20/prisons-prime-testing-ground-for-dehumanizing-hi-tech-advances/

Facebook Ends Australia News Ban After Talks With Zuckerberg https://www.thedailybeast.com/facebook-ends-australia-news-ban-after-talks-with-zuckerberg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items:
j.selman.1234@livingston.net

The news that is reported is not necessarily the viewpoint of Voices, The Peoples News. Nothing within this message should be construed as endorsing, promoting or abetting any illegal or unethical activity.
Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

All copyrights belong to original publisher under Bill s.1618 Title III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress. This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-21

Voices, The Peoples News

February 21, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous
Urging Biden to Stop Line 3, Indigenous-Led Resistance Camps Ramp Up Efforts to Slow Construction. Biden has pledged to make environmental justice, including Native rights, a cornerstone of his climate policy, but his response to Line 3 remains uncertain.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16022021/biden-line-3-minnesota-enbridge-pipeline-indigenous-resistance/

# CoronaVirus
Robotic dogs, laughter therapy and mindfulness are some of the ways that might help people — particularly the elderly — cope with loneliness and social isolation while social distancing, say researchers.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/feb/17/mindfulness-laughter-and-robot-dogs-can-help-relieve-loneliness-study-says

Whistleblower Video Footage of Forced COVID Vaccines in German Nursing Homes Goes Public – Attorney: “We’re Dealing with Homicide, Maybe Even Murder”
https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/whistleblower-video-footage-of-forced-covid-vaccines-in-german-nursing-homes-goes-public-attorney-were-dealing-with-homicide-maybe-even-murder/

CDC: 929 Dead 15,923 Injured Reported Following Experimental mRNA COVID Injections https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/cdc-929-dead-15923-injured-reported-following-experimental-mrna-covid-injections/

Wuhan Lab Eligible to Receive US Taxpayer Funding Through 2024, NIH Confirms https://nypost.com/2021/02/19/china-lab-probed-for-covid-to-get-us-funds-until-2024-report/

Central N.Y. school district closes after many staff sick with side effects from COVID vaccine https://www.syracuse.com/schools/2021/02/central-ny-school-district-closes-after-many-staff-sick-with-side-effects-from-covid-vaccine.html

78-year-old woman dies at California vaccination site after being inoculated https://www.dailyhindnews.com/78-year-old-woman-dies-at-california-vaccination-site-after-being-inoculated/

House Resolution to Recognize the Significant Role Vitamin D Plays in the Fight Against COVID-19
https://clinicalmolecularallergy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12948-020-00139-0

# Education / Schools
Depression, anxiety, loneliness are peaking in college students. New nationwide survey data uncovers college students’ current mental health challenges and needs.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210219190939.htm

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
‘Man-Made Disaster’: Texas Death Toll Keeps Growing From Brutal Cold Snap. “When the dust settles, people deserve answers and accountability,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/10-dead-of-hypothermia-in-houston-area-alone

Billions in damage across the South prompts focus on who’s to blame, and who will pay https://oltnews.com/billions-of-damage-in-the-south-prompt-focus-on-who-is-to-blame-and-who-will-pay-washington-post

A Disillusioned ExxonMobil Engineer Quits to Take Action on Climate Change and Stop ‘Making the World Worse’
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08022021/a-disillusioned-exxonmobil-engineer-quits-to-take-action-on-climate-change-and-stop-making-the-world-worse/

Nevada lithium mine kicks off a new era of Western extraction. The hastily approved project went forward without comment from the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe.
https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.3/indigenous-affairs-mining-nevada-lithium-mine-kicks-off-a-new-era-of-western-extraction

‘He Is Lying. People Are Dying’: Calls for Texas Governor to Resign as He Blames Power Outages on Wind and Solar https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/17/he-lying-people-are-dying-calls-texas-governor-resign-he-blames-power-outages-wind

# Environment / Climate / Interior
The United States has Rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. Now Comes the Daunting Part.
https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-agreement-biden-us-rejoin-2650622946.html

Transforming to an Ecological Civilization: The Alternative Is Unthinkable. A society based on natural ecology might seem like a far-off utopia—yet communities everywhere are already creating it.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/02/19/transforming-ecological-civilization-alternative-unthinkable

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
3 technologies poised to change food and the planet
https://www.econotimes.com/3-technologies-poised-to-change-food-and-the-planet-1602599

# Food Recalls / Alerts
Ineligible French company sent pork pâté to U.S.; nationwide recall now underway https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/02/ineligible-french-company-sent-pork-pate-to-u-s-nationwide-recall-now-underway/

Listeria outbreak investigation leads to recall of soft, Queso style cheeses https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/02/listeria-outbreak-investigation-leads-to-recall-of-soft-queso-style-cheeses/

# General News
Cities Are Razing Homeless Encampments Despite Record Cold Weather and COVID. Municipalities are flouting CDC advice and carrying out forcible evictions of the unhoused during a record-cold winter.
https://truthout.org/articles/cities-are-razing-homeless-encampments-despite-record-cold-weather-and-covid/

# Gov / Politics
Republicans are worried that the battle between former President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could torpedo their efforts to win back majorities in the House and Senate in 2022.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/539658-gop-mcconnell-trump-civil-war-will-hurt-republicans

Cancun fallout threatens to deal lasting damage to Cruz. The political fallout from Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) ill-timed flight to Mexico this week is poised to last much longer than his 24-hour trip south of the border.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/539636-cancun-fallout-threatens-to-deal-lasting-damage-to-cruz

The elephant in the room: Trump’s lingering power. Americans should pause to talk about the elephant in the room: the continued political relevance of Donald Trump even though he no longer holds elected office.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/539195-the-elephant-in-the-room-trumps-lingering-power

New stars on the American flag? Fresh hope as Puerto Rico and DC push for statehood https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/20/puerto-rico-washington-dc-statehood-politics

Capitol assault a more sinister attack than first appeared
https://apnews.com/article/14c73ee280c256ab4ec193ac0f49ad54

Trump is set to speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) later this month in Orlando, Fla., his first public appearance since leaving the White House.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/539737-trump-to-speak-at-cpac-in-first-public-appearance-since-leaving-white

Donald Trump (R-Mar-a-Lago) Is the Republican Party Now. All it took for Republicans to fall back in line is the threat of death-by-primary, since for so many of them, political death is more frightening than the real thing.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-r-mar-a-lago-is-the-republican-party-now

Mar-a-Lago used to be an example of Trump’s corruption. Now it’s a pilgrimage destination for those who want an audience with a failed former president.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/mar-lago-becomes-center-republican-party-s-world-n1258363

Trump gears up for war with his own party. Cocooned in Mar-a-Lago, the newly acquitted ex-president is stepping up his political activities.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/20/trump-republican-party-midterms-470370

Republicans condemned Trump. Now they’re seeking his help.
https://apnews.com/article/gop-seeking-donald-trump-support-346c6ddc007807fa7221de4f34d4de43

Trump wants to help GOP win in 2022, McCarthy says after Mar-a-Lago meeting https://nypost.com/2021/01/28/trump-wants-to-help-gop-win-in-2022-after-mar-a-lago-meeting-mccarthy/

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appears poised to take on a high-profile ambassadorship for President Biden, a step likely to trigger contention with progressives who’ve balked at him taking a Cabinet role.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/539680-biden-seems-set-to-pick-fight-over-rahm-emanuel

The Temporary Collapse Of Texas Is Foreshadowing The Total Collapse Of The United States https://www.lewrockwell.com/2021/02/michael-snyder/the-temporary-collapse-of-texas-is-foreshadowing-the-total-collapse-of-the-united-states/

# Law Enforcement
Unprepared for COVID, Texas Women’s Prison Was Equally Unprepared for Uri. The recent winter storm left the nation’s only federal medical prison for women without heat or hot water.
https://truthout.org/articles/unprepared-for-covid-texas-womens-prison-was-equally-unprepared-for-uri/

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Oath Keeper Retirees Charged With Conspiracy in Capitol Riot https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/539658-gop-mcconnell-trump-civil-war-will-hurt-republicans

‘No Regrets’: PA Police Officer Charged in Capitol Riots. North Cornwall Township patrolman Joseph Fisher was charged after posting a video of himself rushing a line of police officers during the Jan. 6 siege.
https://www.businessinsider.com/pa-officer-charged-role-capitol-riot-has-no-regrets-2021-2

Six Capitol Police officers suspended, others investigated after Capitol riot https://thehill.com/homenews/news/539540-six-capitol-police-officers-suspended-others-investigated-after-capitol-riot

New York City tax agency subpoenaed in Trump criminal probe
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-investigation-subpoena-excl/exclusive-new-york-city-tax-agency-subpoenaed-in-trump-criminal-probe-idUSKBN2AK037

Cy Vance hires top RICO (‘Racketeering’) prosecutor for Trump family criminal investigation https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/02/19/cy-vance-hires-top-rico-prosecutor-for-trump-family-criminal-investigation/

‘He Wants Us To Make It WILD’: Feds Lay Out How Trump Rhetoric Fueled Oath Keepers. Six additional people associated with the Oath Keepers organization were arrested this week in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oath-keepers-trump-capitol-attack_n_60302260c5b6cc8bbf3b9304

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
Case Study Shows Cannabis Led to Remarkable Improvement in Childhood Autism Symptoms https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37570-y

# Media
Cruz Went to Cancun. This MC Gave Out Free Water to Houston. Amid rampant price-gouging and a certain U.S. senator being a jerk, A.J.
McQueen stood up.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ted-cruz-went-to-cancun-but-rapper-aj-mcqueen-gave-out-free-water-to-houston

# Medical / Health
Democrats are hoping 2021 will be the year they accomplish their long-held goal of reigning in rising prescription drug costs by allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/539724-democrats-plan-crackdown-on-rising-drug-costs

# Science
Scientists find unexpected animal life far beneath Antarctica’s floating ice shelves. The geologists used hot-water equipment to drill the borehole through more than half a mile of the ice shelf, on the southern edge of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. The discovery of what appear to be sponges in the pitch-black seawater beneath almost half a mile of ice has biologists baffled.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/scientists-find-unexpected-animal-life-far-antarcticas-floating-ice-sh-rcna285

Direct cloning method cartures novel microbial natural products https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210219190942.htm

# Weather
Texas power crisis points to challenges of renewable energy future https://news.yahoo.com/texas-power-crisis-points-challenges-110052216.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-18

Voices, The Peoples News

February 18, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Border / Immigration
Biden pushes expanded pathways to citizenship as immigration bill lands in Congress The Biden administration formally rolled out its major immigration bill, introducing legislation that would give 11 million people a path to U.S.
citizenship.
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/539336-biden-pushes-expanded-pathways-to-citizenship-as-immigration-bill

Tom Homan: ‘Biden has declared the entire country a sanctuary jurisdiction’
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2161274908609/tom-homan-biden-has-declared-the-entire-country-a-sanctuary-jurisdiction

# CoronaVirus
DeSantis Threatens to Pull Vaccine From Places That Complain. “I wouldn’t be complaining,” the Florida governor said.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2021/02/17/ron-desantis-threatens-to-pull-vaccines-from-florida-counties-that-criticize-distribution/

Why Politicians and Doctors Keep Ignoring the Medical Research on Vitamin D and Covid. Many doctors have ignored a growing body of evidence suggesting that Vitamin D can play a critically important role in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/02/17/why-politicians-and-doctors-keep-ignoring-medical-research-vitamin-d-and-covid

Florida Gov. DeSantis Prioritizes Vaccines for Rich White Residents, Then Threatens Critics https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-ron-desantis-vaccine-politics-20210217-cgew27q23fhknh7rpr3h4sf5dy-story.html

Mexico Denounces Vaccine Hoarding as U.N. Warns 130 Nations Have Yet to Receive Any Vaccines https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/18/wildly-unfair-un-says-130-countries-have-not-received-a-single-covid-vaccine-dose

Top Executives at Vaccine Manufacturers Sold $500 Million in Stocks Last Year https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/insiders-at-covid-19-vaccine-makers-sold-nearly-500-million-of-stock-last-year-11613637335300.html

Former Detroit TV Anchor Karen Hudson-Samuels Suddenly Dies One Day After Being Injected with Experimental mRNA COVID Shot https://nypost.com/2021/02/18/former-news-anchor-dead-one-day-after-receiving-covid-19-vaccine/

The US is deploying nearly 5,000 active-duty troops to vaccinate America for COVID-19 https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2021/02/troops-to-head-to-texas-to-help-with-vaccinations-in-wake-of-storm/

A small Georgia town was trying to play by the rules. The state seized its vaccines anyway.
https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2021/02/a-small-georgia-town-was-trying-to-play-by-the-rules-the-state-seized-its-vaccines-anyway/

Biden to commit $4 billion in funding to global vaccine initiative https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/539468-biden-to-commit-2-billion-in-immediate-funding-to-global-vaccine

# Economy / Trade
Democrats put the Biden stimulus on a 10-day fast track for a House vote.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-16/democrats-pivot-back-to-biden-s-stimulus-with-trump-s-trial-done

Ro Khanna Introduces Bill to End ‘Runaway Tax Evasion’ by US Millionaires and Billionaires. “The wealthiest 1% are responsible for roughly 70% of the ‘tax gap,'” said the California Democrat. “It’s time every American pay their fair share.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/18/ro-khanna-introduces-bill-end-runaway-tax-evasion-us-millionaires-and-billionaires?cd-origin=rss

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
‘People Are Greedy’: The Absurd Power Bills Slamming Texans. As millions of Texans remain in the dark amid power outages from a historic winter storm, wild swings in the price of power have left others with bills they simply can’t afford.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dollar5152-power-bill-texas-winter-storm-hell-only-gets-worse

Negligence and unjust policy decisions have left Black, brown and poor people in the United States disproportionately vulnerable whenever disaster strikes, as exemplified in Texas.
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/02/17/corruption-gop-built-a-fake-texas-power-grid-intended-to-fail-poor-and-minorities/

Dallas Judge: Three GOP Governors ran Texas like the Old Soviet Union…and now People are Dying. Gas pipelines are regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission A whopping 4.3 million in Texas are without power, as of this morning, with no real information about when power will be restored.
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/02/17/dallas-judge-three-gop-governors-ran-texas-like-the-old-soviet-union-and-now-people-are-dying/

Texas Is Running Out of Food, Water as Catastrophe Goes On. Some 400,000 North Texans are still without electricity three days into the crisis, and federal regulators are opening up an inquiry into what caused the outages.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/texas-food-supply-power-outage/

More than 3 million customers around the country are still without electricity as another winter storm system hits the eastern U.S. today.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/texas-winter-storm-power-outage-ercot/

First responders are seeing a surge in carbon monoxide poisoning cases as people use stoves and cars to keep warm, with at least two deaths in Texas and four in Oregon so far.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/16/texas-winter-storm-carbon-monoxide/

‘Blood Is on Abbott’s Hands’: Anger at GOP Leaders Surges as Food, Water Shortages Compound Texas Power Crisis https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/18/blood-abbotts-hands-anger-gop-leaders-surges-food-water-shortages-compound-texas

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Frontline Organizations Demand a Just Recovery After Millions are Left to Freeze in the Face of Another Climate Catastrophe in Texas & the Southeast https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/02/18/frontline-organizations-demand-just-recovery-after-millions-are-left-freeze-face?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Texas Is Still Powerless, Heatless, Waterless. But a Growing Group of Chefs Are Freely Distributing Food and Cash.
https://www.motherjones.com/recharge/2021/02/texas-is-still-powerless-heatless-waterless-but-a-growing-group-of-chefs-are-freely-distributing-food-and-cash/

‘Meat of the future’: KFC to ‘3D bioprint’ meat using ‘animal flesh cells’
https://nypost.com/2020/07/20/kfc-using-animal-flesh-cells-to-3d-print-chicken-meat-at-russian-lab/

# Gov / Politics
It’s a Grand Old Party of Thugs, Terrorists, Racists & Dopes. They don’t see the attempted insurrection of Jan. 6 as a crime, or even a loss of control to the most extreme elements of the party. They see it as a failure to seize control.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-gop-is-now-the-party-of-thugs-terrorists-racists-and-dopes

US sells $200m in weapons to Egypt despite human rights abuses https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/17/us-sells-200m-in-weapons-to-egypt-despite-human-rights-abuses

Biden plans to ‘recalibrate’ Saudi relations in shot at MbS – White House https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-usa-biden/biden-plans-to-recalibrate-saudi-relations-in-shot-at-mbs-white-house-idUSKBN2AG2AR

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) confirmed he flew to Mexico with family members Wednesday evening, responding for the first time to widespread backlash in his home state that’s been battered by a severe winter storm.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/539432-cruz-defends-flying-to-cancun-amid-texas-power-outages

The war between former President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is likely to turn into a battle over money as Republican donors will be forced to choose between Trump-backed and GOP-establishment candidates.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/17/trump-mcconnell-senate-469692

# Law Enforcement
Former prison officials plead guilty to bribery scheme. “Our Office will continue to seek equal justice under the law and hold accountable government officials who corrupt their oaths and betray the public’s trust.”
https://oig.justice.gov/news/press-release/two-former-bureau-prisons-officials-plead-guilty-bribery-scheme-federal-prison

6 Capitol Cops Suspended, 35 Under Investigation After Riot. The force has been criticized for allowing rioters to breach the Capitol on Jan. 6.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/6-capitol-police-officers-suspended-35-under-investigation-after-insurrection

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee approved a marijuana legalization bill that’s sponsored by the majority leader and speaker. The legislation is set to go through up to a dozen panels before hitting the floor https://www.marijuanamoment.net/minnesota-marijuana-legalization-bill-approved-in-first-committee-vote/

Hawaii Senate Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee approved a bill to legalize marijuana as well as another one to expand the state’s existing cannabis decriminalization law.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/hawaii-senate-panel-approves-bills-to-legalize-marijuana-and-increase-decriminalization-limit/

President Joe Biden said, at a CNN town hall, “No one should go to jail for a drug offense. No one should go to jail for the use of a drug. They should go to drug rehabilitation.”
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/joe-biden-town-hall-02-16-21/h_63e3cddcaed0d44992d5b981ac08c864

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted, “Cannabis justice is a racial justice issue. But, it’s not enough to just legalize cannabis. We need to invest in Black and brown entrepreneurs, expunge nonviolent criminal records, and use the tax money to fund social programs.”
https://twitter.com/BLeeForCongress/status/1361821665399885824

# Media
74 members of Congress ask Biden for an immediate filling of vacancies on the Postal Service Board of Governors, so they can dispatch Louis DeJoy. (House letter)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/02/17/80-house-democrats-tell-biden-to-fill-postal-service-board-vacancies-in-order-to-oust-louis-dejoy/?sh=73e997865542

# Medical / Health
Winter Storms Cause Dire Water Outages at Austin Hospitals. The health-care facilities are rescheduling elective surgeries, discharging patients, and telling staff to put human waste in biohazard bags.
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/st-davids-south-austin-no-water-winter-storm-texas/269-d4c86ccc-39a0-45b6-b6b2-09c0b3dcc160

Biden’s Health Plan Shifts Even More Public Dollars Into Private Hands.
Biden’s American Rescue Plan, like the Affordable Care Act, does not move us any closer toward a single-payer system.
https://truthout.org/articles/bidens-health-plan-shifts-even-more-public-dollars-into-private-hands/

# Military / DOD
A Third of Servicemembers Refuse to Be Vaccinated: Pentagon: Officials stressed that the vaccine is “clearly safe” but acknowledged a need for more education.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/17/troops-covid-vaccine-pentagon-469518

# Technology
BREAKING: Did Google Just Get Into Bed with Fox News? Google will start paying Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., parent of Fox News, for the use of its journalism in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/02/17/google-fox-news/?mc_cid=cfb0b14420&mc_eid=3f7488d454

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-17

Voices, The Peoples News

February 17, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# CoronaVirus
$1.4 Billion in COVID-relief payments sent to dead people by Internal Revenue Service. They’ve asked for it back, but dead people are notoriously bad about paying up.
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/25/883441640/nearly-1-4-billion-in-coronavirus-relief-payments-sent-to-dead-people

CDC Says Deep Freeze Is Already Screwing Up Vax Deliveries. Before the storm, 11 million doses were scheduled for delivery this week, but a lot of those are not going to happen now.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-officials-have-no-idea-when-millions-of-people-will-have-their-power-restored

Where things stand on the COVID-19 relief measure. Democrats are aiming to move quickly on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package and give President Biden a legislative accomplishment early in his tenure.
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/539124-where-things-stand-on-the-covid-19-relief-measure

# Education / Schools
L.A. Schools Defund Police, Ban Use of Pepper-Spray on Kids. Trustees of the Los Angeles Unified School District have approved a plan to remove
133 positions from the district’s 400-member police force.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/los-angeles-unified-school-district-defunds-police-bans-use-of-pepper-spray-on-students

Disadvantaged students are more likely to study online — and this could widen the achievement gap even further https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/disadvantaged-students-covid-09423/

President Biden said he doesn’t have the power to relieve $50,000 in student loan debt but said he would sign off on forgiving $10,000 per borrower. https://bit.ly/3jVJPSW

# Employment / Labor
NY AG Sues Amazon Over Coronavirus Workplace Safety Concerns. The suit alleges that the retail giant did not identify contacts of workers who tested positive for the virus, and fired a worker who organized a protest.
https://www.reuters.com/article/amazoncom-complaint/new-york-attorney-general-sues-amazon-over-covid-19-shortfalls-idUSL4N2KN0XC

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
Texas Officials Have No Idea When Millions Will Have Power. Gov. Greg Abbott is placing blame on energy providers, saying they’re failing to provide clear answers to him or to the public.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-officials-have-no-idea-when-millions-of-people-will-have-their-power-restored

“Your government failed you”: Texas lawmakers, mayors sound off on power outages.
https://www.expressnews.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/Texas-your-government-failed-you-15954206.php

Texas Officials Have No Idea When Millions Will Have Power. Gov. Greg Abbott is placing blame on energy providers, saying they’re failing to provide clear answers to him or to the public.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-officials-have-no-idea-when-millions-of-people-will-have-their-power-restored

Severe Winter Storm Kills 23 People, Cuts Power to Millions as Texas Energy System Fails https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/17/headlines/severe_winter_storm_kills_23_people_cuts_power_to_millions_as_texas_energy_system_fails

Texas Mayor Who Told Residents to “Sink or Swim” During Winter Crisis Resigns In a now deleted post, Mayor Tim Boyd also told residents of Colorado City, “I’ll be damned if I’m going to provide for anyone.”
https://truthout.org/articles/texas-mayor-who-told-residents-to-sink-or-swim-during-winter-crisis-resigns/

ERCOT to raise Texas energy prices, blaming high demand from winter storm. Your bills, that will already be higher because of the bitter cold, will stay that way beyond winter https://www.khou.com/article/weather/ercot-to-raise-texas-energy-prices-blaming-high-demand-from-winter-storm/285-76ea495b-b67b-4cb7-8f1a-47f0fb4b4234?fbclid=IwAR0p1YLTQUmBkRpCmIZLkGvguFdTx7JNj3gp0cN9Tvc7xhSi8afa5nLsGVM

Rick Perry volunteers millions of Texans to freeze in the dark in jab at Biden admin https://occupydemocrats.com/2021/02/17/rick-perry-volunteers-millions-of-texans-to-freeze-in-the-dark-in-jab-at-biden-admin/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Youth activism alone cannot save us: A case for intergenerational environmental coalitions
https://theconversation.com/young-activists-are-boosting-the-climate-movement-so-why-all-the-flak-124220

Cities are literally starting to sink under their own weight https://www.zmescience.com/science/cities-are-literally-starting-to-sink-under-their-own-weight/

# Gov / Politics
Riot probe to likely focus on McCarthy-Trump call: Wary of inflaming tensions within his own party, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy
(Calif.) is staying silent about his frantic Jan. 6 call to then-President Trump as rioters raided the Capitol.
But he may not have that luxury forever.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/539129-riot-probe-to-likely-focus-on-mccarthy-trump-call

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Lawsuit Filed by NAACP and Civil Rights Law Firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, Lawsuit Also Names Proud Boys and Oath Keepers https://naacp.org/latest/naacp-files-federal-lawsuit-accusing-trump-and-giuliani-of-inciting-u-s-capitol-riot/

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
North Dakota House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to expand marijuana decriminalization https://www.marijuanamoment.net/north-dakota-marijuana-decriminalization-bill-advances-as-activists-and-lawmakers-push-legalization-measures/

The Maryland House Judiciary Committee held the legislature’s first hearing on a bill to legalize marijuana in 2021.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/maryland-lawmakers-hold-first-committee-hearing-on-marijuana-legalization/

# Military / DOD
The Pentagon wants $1.7 trillion dollars to build an entire new generation of nuclear weapons and sustain the existing ones.
https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2017/10/31/americas-nuclear-weapons-will-cost-12-trillion-over-the-next-30-years/

# Social
Neo-Nazi ‘Base’ Terror Leader Worked for Homeland Security. Spokesman confirms Rinaldo Nazzaro, now believed to be hiding in Russia, worked for department from 2004-2006. The leader of terror group the Base once worked for an agency tasked with coordinating the U.S. government’s counterterrorism efforts.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epd7wa/department-of-homeland-security-confirms-neo-nazi-leader-used-to-work-for-it

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-16

Voices, The Peoples News

February 16, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

# CoronaVirus
Moderna Experimental mRNA Vaccine Trials being Extended to Children and 6-Month-Old Babies in Texas https://www.kxan.com/texas-coronavirus-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-trial-in-kids-as-young-as-6-months-old-may-come-to-austin-after-teen-trial/

Fascinating behind the scenes look. How scientists intervened to help save the vaccine process from political pressure: The full story, the competing pressures must have been overwhelming: https://bit.ly/3rXnHuf

TX County Scrambles to Give 8,000 Vaxes After Power Failure. Relentless storm knocked out a backup generator at Harris County’s health department, switching off a refrigerator where 8,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine were being kept.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/harris-county-texas-scrambles-to-give-out-8000-vaccines-after-power-failure-switches-off-refrigerator

COVID-linked syndrome in children is growing and cases are more severe https://www.childrensmovementflorida.org/covid-linked-syndrome-in-children-is-growing-and-cases-are-more-severe/

# Economy / Trade
“The tax-filing season is now underway after a delayed start, and it’s expected to bring challenges and confusion as taxpayers and the IRS navigate pandemic-related issues, including some pertaining to stimulus checks.” https://bit.ly/3jVGyDm

Jersey hotel offers ‘front seat’ to demo of ex-Trump Plaza. Trump at one point had four businesses in Atlantic City, but they’ve all been either sold or shut down.
https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2021/01/20/auction-planned-for-seats-to-view-demolition-of-trump-plaza-in-atlantic-city-1358737

$15 Minimum Wage Would Have Bigger Budget Impact Than GOP Tax Cuts, Says Congressional Budget Office. “I believe that we will succeed in including the minimum wage in the reconciliation bill,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
https://truthout.org/articles/15-minimum-wage-would-have-bigger-budget-impact-than-gop-tax-cuts-says-cbo/

# Education / Schools
The pandemic has made school lunch free for all public school students.
Advocates are hoping to make the change permanent. The policy would echo similar efforts in cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago.
https://thecounter.org/california-senator-nancy-skinner-introduces-bill-free-school-meals-for-all/

# Employment / Labor
Yes we need the $1.9 trillion stimulus: Real unemployment is 3 times what they’re telling us. Reliance on part-timers, erosion of the minimum wage, attacks on unions all have served to depress working class wages.
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/02/16/yes-we-need-the-1-9-trillion-stimulus-real-unemployment-is-3-times-what-theyre-telling-us/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
Why Won’t Joe Biden Let Ethanol Die Already? The biofuel’s clean promise has only led to dirtier air.
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/02/ethanol-emissions-joe-biden-biofuels/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
GOP Attacks Biden Nominee Deb Haaland for Role in Pipeline Protests.
Progressives say Haaland’s opposition to fossil fuels is what makes her the right pick for secretary of the interior.
https://truthout.org/articles/gop-attacks-biden-nominee-deb-haaland-for-role-in-pipeline-protests/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Revealed: Monsanto owner and US officials pressured Mexico to drop glyphosate ban https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/16/revealed-monsanto-mexico-us-glyphosate-ban

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals / Global
Hershey, Nestlé, Mars and Other Chocolate Makers Named in Child Slavery Class Action Lawsuit https://www.ecowatch.com/chocolate-companies-child-slavery-lawsuit-2650543250.html

# Gov / Politics
Speaker Pelosi Authorizes Independent Commission to Investigate Jan. 6 Insurrection https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/16/headlines/speaker_pelosi_authorizes_independent_commission_to_investigate_jan_6_insurrection

Nasrallah on Capitol Riots: Trump revealed the true face of the United States. The whole world has remained silent, as have many Americans, in the face of his atrocious crimes against other peoples.
https://resistancenews.org/2021/02/15/nasrallah-on-capitol-riots-trump-revealed-the-true-face-of-the-united-states/

# Law Enforcement# Legal / Judicial / DOJ NAACP, Rep. Bennie Thompson sue Trump, Giuliani over Capitol riot https://thehill.com/homenews/house/538969-naacp-rep-bennie-thompson-sue-trump-giuliani-over-capitol-riot

Trump’s Frivolous First Amendment Defense Won’t Shield Him in a Criminal Case Trump’s incitement of the mob that stormed the Capitol would not be deemed protected free speech in a criminal trial.
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-frivolous-first-amendment-defense-wont-shield-him-in-a-criminal-case/

Trump Faces First Civil Suit Over Role in Inciting Followers to Attack Capitol Rep. Bennie Thompson also names Rudy Giuliani, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys as co-defendants in the lawsuit.
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-faces-first-civil-suit-over-role-in-inciting-followers-to-attack-capitol/

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
The New Mexico House Health & Human Services Committee approved a bill to legalize marijuana, an issue that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) says is a priority for 2021.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-mexico-lawmakers-approve-marijuana-legalization-bill-in-committee/

Washington State House Public Safety Committee approved a bill to decriminalize drug possession—similar to the law that voters in neighboring Oregon approved in November.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/washington-lawmakers-approve-drug-decriminalization-bill-in-committee-vote/

Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), along with a coalition of marijuana advocacy groups, are calling on President Joe Biden to mass pardon people convicted of cannabis offenses https://www.marijuanamoment.net/lawmakers-and-advocates-urge-biden-to-grant-marijuana-clemency-in-presidents-day-push/

# Medical / Health
State Lawmakers Propose Tough New Bills to Curb Rising Drug Prices. The measures would set the rates paid by state-run and commercial health plans to a benchmark based on prices in Canada.
https://khn.org/news/article/as-drug-prices-keep-rising-state-lawmakers-propose-tough-new-bills-to-curb-them/

# Security
Opening the CIA’s Can of Worms. The corporate mainstream media are stenographers for the national security state’s ongoing psychological operations aimed at the American people.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/opening-the-cias-can-of-worms/5737393

# Social
Racist Trolls Disrupt Iowa Lawmakers’ Town Hall. It’s the second time in a week that anonymous callers have made vile and violent comments.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/15/iowa-lawmakers-town-hall-interrupted-people-shouting-racist-language/6750389002/

# Water
San Angelo water contaminated as winter storm hits Texas. In some areas of the West Texas city, the state found concentrations of benzene, a known carcinogen, to be 35 times the safe limit.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/12/san-angelo-water-contamination/?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)

# Weather
Frozen Chaos Across South: 5M in the Dark, No Water, No Heat https://www.thedailybeast.com/winter-storm-plunges-43-million-texas-homes-into-darkness?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-13

Voices, The Peoples News

February 13, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# CoronaVirus
CDC: 653 Deaths Now Recorded Following Experimental mRNA COVID Injections with 12,697 Reported Injuries.
https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/cdc-653-deaths-now-recorded-following-experimental-mrna-covid-injections-with-12697-reported-injuries/

4,393 (0.2%) adverse events after receipt of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine had been submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
(VAERS)
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7002e1.htm

Cuomo faces rising scrutiny over COVID-19 nursing home deaths https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/538676-cuomo-faces-rising-scrutiny-over-covid-19-nursing-home-deaths

Show Me Your Papers — Del Bigtree Discusses Vaccine Passports https://truthunmuted.org/show-me-your-papers-del-bigtree-discusses-vaccine-passports/

Florida Is a COVID Nightmare—Even for Vaccinated People https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-is-a-covid-nightmare-even-for-vaccinated-people

The S. Dakota Dem Trying to Save the Legislature From Itself. Six Republican lawmakers tested positive in four days. But only a Democrat seems willing to do something about it.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/south-dakota-rep-jamie-smith-begs-republican-colleagues-to-wear-covid-masks?ref=home

NY Rep. Tom Reed will file criminal complaint against Cuomo aide for alleged COVID-19 nursing home cover-up –State lawmaker also calling for the arrest of the aide, Melissa DeRosa https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/ny-rep-tom-reed-files-complaint-against-cuomo-aide-for-covid-19-nursing-home-cover-up

# Economy / Trade
President Biden’s proposed $1,400 coronavirus relief checks would allow
22.6 million Americans to pay their bills for at least four and a half months, according to a study from data and research company Morning Consult.
https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/a-1400-stimulus-check-will-allow-22-6-million-americans-to-pay-their-bills-in-full-through-mid-july-new-report-finds/articleshow/80889148.cms

# Education / Schools
CDC calls for schools to reopen with precautions. The guidance states it is “critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible,”
given the benefits of in-person learning.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

# Environment / Climate / Interior
The environmental threat you’ve never heard of. It’s called coastal darkening. The process of water darkening is well-studied in fresh water, but scientists are keying into the effects it may be having in coastal environments.
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/the-environmental-threat-youve-never-heard-of/

Fruit-eating, seed-pooping animals can help restore degraded forests. A new study shows that many species of mammals and birds will consume seeds inserted into fruits at feeders and then excrete the seeds over wide areas https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/fruit-eating-seed-pooping-animals-can-help-restore-degraded-forests/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Ocean acidification could wipe out shellfish industry: A new statewide report is urging fast action to address ocean acidification to avoid catastrophic effects on the region’s shellfish industry
https://www.capeandislands.org/post/ocean-acidification-could-wipe-out-shellfish-industry-report#stream/0

3D-Printed World’s First Cultivated Ribeye Steak Debuts, Seeks Approval https://www.technocracy.news/first-3d-printed-ribeye-steak-debuts-seeks-approval/

Coke’s newest bottle is made from paper. The company is testing alternatives to replace the millions of tons of plastic it uses every year.
https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2020/10/29/Coca-Cola-reveals-paper-bottle-prototype

# Gov / Politics
Breaking: Oath Keepers Were Trying to Seize Nuclear Football and Launch Codes Plus Pence and Family for Armageddon. Everything needed to launch a nuclear attack was there and the Pentagon never knew about it as they had been mysteriously ordered to stand down during the attack, just like they had on 9/11.
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/02/12/breaking-oath-keepers-were-trying-to-seize-nuclear-football-and-launch-codes-plus-pence-and-family-for-armageddon/

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) McConnell also suggested that Trump could face criminal prosecution for his actions. “There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it.
The people that stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president,” McConnell said.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538772-mcconnell-unloads-on-trump-morally-responsible-for-provoking-mob

Former President Trump declared victory on Saturday after Senate Republicans voted to acquit him for a second time, saying that his political movement has “only just begun” and that he would have more to share in the near future. Trump thanked his legal team for “upholding justice and defending truth.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/02/13/trump-says-maga-movement-has-only-just-begun-in-celebratory-post-acquittal-statement/?sh=57eb158656f4

Troop Deployments in Washington Are a Disaster Waiting to Happen.
Americans would be wise to recognize the growing perils of the militarization of American political disputes.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/11022021-troop-deployments-in-washington-are-a-disaster-waiting-to-happen-oped/

# Law Enforcement
Senate passes bill to award Capitol Police officer Congressional Gold Medal. The Senate on Friday passed legislation to award Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal for his actions responding to the violent Jan. 6 riot.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538694-senate-passes-bill-giving-capitol-police-officer-congressional-gold-medal

White House launches review of Guantanamo Bay prison. The Biden administration is launching a review of the prison at Guantanamo Bay Military Base in Cuba with the goal of shuttering the facility, the White House said Friday.
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/538648-white-house-launches-review-of-guantanamo-bay-prison

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
House Managers Rest Their Case in Donald Trump’s Senate Impeachment Trial https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/11/senate-trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/

Republican senators are facing a historic choice after both sides in the impeachment trial of former President Trump rested their case Friday.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/538699-the-memo-gop-senators-face-defining-vote-on-trump

Questions build over Trump’s knowledge of Capitol attack. Senate votes on whether he is guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” for “willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538712-questions-build-over-trumps-knowledge-of-capitol-attack

No. 2 GOP senator suggests he’s open to censuring Trump. Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator, indicated on Friday that he could be open to censuring former President Trump, depending on how the resolution was framed.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538627-no-2-gop-senator-suggests-hes-open-to-censuring-trump

Democrats call for Herrera Beutler to testify in Trump impeachment. News reports emerging Friday night raised new questions about precisely when Trump knew the Capitol breach had occurred, and whether he knew that his own vice president, Mike Pence, was being targeted by the mob.
https://www.pressherald.com/2021/02/13/trumps-speedy-impeachment-trial-heads-toward-senate-vote/?rel=related

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) said he will vote to acquit Trump, ending weeks of speculation about what he would do.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538730-mcconnell-says-hell-vote-to-acquit-trump

LIVE COVERAGE: Senate expected to deliver Trump verdict today. The Senate is expected to give its verdict in President Trump’s impeachment trial on Saturday after both sides deliver closing arguments. The Hill will be providing updates all day.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538721-live-coverage-senate-expected-to-deliver-trump-verdict-today

House impeachment managers, former President Trump’s legal team and top senators struck a deal on Saturday that will let the Senate bypass calling additional witnesses.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/13/trump-impeachment-trial-day-5-468985

Here’s Why Trump’s Fighting Words Are a High Crime. The First Amendment does not protect months of reckless, incendiary speech that foreseeably led to violence.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/heres-why-trumps-fighting-words-are-a-high-crime-worthy-ofWhat
Did Trump Know During the Capitol Riot?

What did Trump know during the Capitol riot? Reports of the former President’s calls to Republican congressmen during the assault changed the course of the impeachment trial.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/how-the-question-of-trumps-behavior-during-the-capitol-assault-upended-the-impeachment-trial

Senate Republicans handed former President Trump his second impeachment acquittal on Saturday, clearing him of charges that he incited the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538750-senate-gop-acquits-trump-for-second-time

# Medical / Health
Rethink Addiction: Can our brains drive us to addiction? Yes. Like other addictions, opioid addiction happens when a biological system in our brains, the Reward System, is hijacked by opioids.
https://www.rethinkopioidaddiction.com/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=36884

Biden officials move to begin rescinding Medicaid work requirements. The Biden administration on Friday moved to start the process of revoking Medicaid work requirements, one of the signature health care policies of the Trump administration
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/11/biden-withdraws-trump-medicaid-rules-468759

Medical groups ask Oklahoma Supreme Court to halt plan to outsource Medicaid. Five Oklahoma medical groups are suing the Oklahoma Health Care Authority over plans to partially privatize the state’s Medicaid program.
https://oklahoman.com/article/5682166/medical-groups-ask-oklahoma-supreme-court-to-halt-plan-to-outsource-medicaid

“Beyond Outrageous”: Big Pharma Using Loophole to Get Taxpayers to Fund Billions in Fines for Fueling Opioid Crisis. “The tax code is so rigged for the rich that even when they kill people they get a tax break.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/12/beyond-outrageous-big-pharma-using-loophole-get-taxpayers-fund-billions-fines

# Military / DOD
Why is U.S. getting a new $100 billion nuclear weapon? It will be able to kill hundreds of thousands of people in a single shot.
https://thebulletin.org/2021/02/why-is-america-getting-a-new-100-billion-nuclear-weapon/

# Nuclear / Radiation
Sea-level rise could threaten coastal nuclear waste facilities https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-level-rise-nuclear-waste-2650415400.html

# Social
A Tense Lunar New Year for the Bay Area After Attacks on Asian-Americans https://apnews.com/article/us-news-oakland-san-francisco-coronavirus-pandemic-cfd77ca7d4b0c63890f2a087c160d03a

Thieves nationwide are slithering under cars, swiping catalytic converters. The pollution-control gadgets are full of precious metals like palladium, and prices are soaring as regulators try to tame emissions.
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2161246664962/thieves-nationwide-are-slithering-under-cars-swiping-catalytic-converters

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-12

Voices, The Peoples News

February 12, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Border / Immigration
Biden Scraps Trump Policy, 25K Asylum-Seekers to Enter U.S.: The former president’s “Remain in Mexico” plan is dropped, with first entries coming Feb. 19.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-immigration-actions/biden-moves-to-reverse-trump-immigration-policies-too-slowly-for-some-idUSKBN2A212D

The Greening of Hate: Deregulation of polluting industries. Fossil fuel subsidies. Drilling and mining public lands. A wildlife-killing border wall. Immigration doesn’t cause climate change, but all of these things do.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2021/02/01/495228/extremist-campaign-blame-immigrants-u-s-environmental-problems/

# CoronaVirus
Another Medical Professional in the Prime of Life DEAD Weeks After Receiving the mRNA Experimental Injection as Memphis Mourns Loss of 36-Year-Old Doctor https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/another-medical-professional-in-the-prime-of-life-dead-weeks-after-receiving-the-mrna-experimental-injection-as-memphis-mourns-loss-of-36-year-old-doctor/

Big Tech and Big Pharma Team Up to Create Digital “Health Passports” for Global Travel. Microsoft, Epic, Mayo Clinic join effort to accelerate digital COVID-19 vaccine records https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/tech/microsoft-epic-and-mayo-clinic-join-effort-to-accelerate-digital-covid-19-vaccine-records

Cuomo Aide: We Hid Nursing Home Deaths Because ‘We Froze.’ The aide reportedly told lawmakers the state concealed nursing home COVID-19 deaths so that the numbers could not “be used against us.”
https://nypost.com/2021/02/11/cuomo-aide-admits-they-hid-nursing-home-data-from-feds/

Feds to Buy Enough COVID-19 Vaccine for Every American Adult. The United States will have enough doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to inoculate 300 million people.
https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-purchases-200-million-more-pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccine-doses-2021-2

# Education / Schools
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday released long-awaited guidance on safely reopening schools, emphasizing the importance of having schools open as long as proper safety precautions are followed https://www.axios.com/cdc-school-reopening-coronavirus-covid-5ccaadae-b7bd-47f0-8167-e964b97363ee.html

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
Shell says its oil production has peaked and is likely to decline https://www.ecowatch.com/shell-oil-production-peak-2650478989.html

Biden Cancelled the Keystone Pipeline
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/959335885/biden-s-cancellation-of-permit-for-keystone-xl-pipeline-faces-mixed-reactions

Dakota Access Pipeline Ruling Should Reaffirm the Regulatory Process—Not Undermine It https://insidesources.com/dakota-access-pipeline-ruling-should-reaffirm-the-regulatory-process-not-undermine-it/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Youth Climate Advocates Vow to Take Landmark Case to Supreme Court, Following 9th Circuit Rejection https://www.ecowatch.com/youth-climate-lawsuit-juliana-2650475474.html

EPA to Amazon: Stop Selling Illegal Pesticides https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/epa-again-orders-amazon-to-stop-selling-illegal-pesticides/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Global salmon farming harming marine life and costing billions in damage https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/11/global-salmon-farming-harming-marine-life-and-costing-billions-in-damage

# Global Politics and other news
Netanyahu’s Covid plan is even more racist than Trump’s. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now facing corruption charges, this time against the backdrop of his staggering mishandling of a pandemic.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/netanyahu-s-covid-plan-even-more-racist-trump-s-n1257283

# Gov / Politics
Pence’s Nuclear-Football Close Call Was News to Military. Strategic Command learned from TV footage that the Jan. 6 insurrectionists came within yards of Pence and an aide who was carrying his copy of the nation’s nuclear launch system.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/11/politics/military-officials-were-unaware-pence-nuclear-football-riot/index.html

# Law Enforcement
Cop Told Pepper-Sprayed Child: ‘You Did It to Yourself, Hon.’ If you thought it couldn’t get any worse than the video previously released, you were wrong.
https://apnews.com/article/rochester-archive-9a86bf7fca7399cb1602f577688c7f01

Incarcerated Organizer Airlifted to Hospital Following Attack by Prison Guards Worried loved ones staged a protest at the hospital demanding that family be allowed to visit — a demand still unmet.
https://truthout.org/articles/incarcerated-organizer-airlifted-to-hospital-following-attack-by-prison-guards/

D.C. Cop Who Killed Himself Was Struck by Pole in Riots. Jeffrey Smith “wasn’t the same” after the attack, his wife said. He took his own life the same day he was scheduled to return to duty.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-smith-capitol-cop-who-killed-himself-was-struck-by-metal-pole-in-riots

Outrage and disgust as charges dropped for Buffalo police officers who fractured skull of 75-year-old peaceful protester. “Despite the video evidence of the officers’ misconduct, a grand jury has dismissed the charges.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/12/outrage-and-disgust-charges-dropped-buffalo-police-officers-who-fractured-skull-75

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Punish Trump or risk a repeat, warn Democrats. The Democratic argument is, in essence, that the Senate needs to redraw the norms of American political life that Trump so repeatedly transgressed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-memo-punish-trump-or-risk-a-repeat-warn-democrats/ar-BB1dC6mV

Former President Trump’s legal team is looking to rebound at the impeachment trial Friday after a rough initial showing that was ridiculed by Senate Republicans.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538553-trump-lawyers-look-to-avoid-repeat-of-early-trial-stumbles

Even with acquittal, GOP sees trial ending Trump’s shot at future office https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538565-even-with-acquittal-gop-sees-trial-ending-trumps-shot-at-future-office

White Supremacy Should Also Be on Trial at Trump’s Impeachment https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/11/white_supremacy_should_also_be_on

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee scheduled the first hearing on a marijuana legalization bill sponsored by the majority leader and speaker for Wednesday.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/minnesota-marijuana-legalization-bill-gets-first-hearing-next-week/

Iowa Senate Judiciary subcommittee approved a bill to slash medical cannabis patient fees from $100 annually to just $10 every two years.
Fees on medical marijuana providers would also be cut.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/iowa-senators-approve-bill-to-slash-medical-marijuana-patient-and-provider-fees/

# Medical / Health
Biden Plans to Rescind Trump-Era Medicaid Work Requirements. The move has been lauded as a step toward reversing one of Trump’s most vicious attacks on the poor and vulnerable.
https://truthout.org/articles/biden-plans-to-rescind-trump-era-medicaid-work-requirements/

# Technology
Facebook hiring of a former NATO press officer for the role of intelligence chief. It’s difficult to distinguish where the deep state ends and the fourth estate begins and Ben Nimmo’s move from NATO to NATO-aligned think tank to Facebook is just another example of this phenomenon.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/facebook-nato-press-officer/

How paving with plastic could make a dent in the global waste problem.
Roads in which waste plastic is melted down and mixed with paving materials are becoming more common around the world.
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2161895903798/how-paving-with-plastic-could-make-a-dent-in-the-global-waste-problem

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-11

Voices, The Peoples News

February 11, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous
Why Indigenous Knowledge Matters to the Future of Fisheries https://therevelator.org/indigenous-fisheries-reid/

Bridging the digital divide in Indian Country. A new report focuses on internet infrastructure on tribal lands and how tribes can use it to strengthen their sovereignty.
https://www.hcn.org/articles/indigenous-affairs-technology-bridging-the-digital-divide-in-indian-country

# Animals / Pets / Food Recalls
New Mexico judge revokes protected lands for jaguars. Conservation groups vow to fight the ruling to help the cats reclaim their historic habitat.
https://www.newsbreak.com/colorado/durango/news/2161311665540/new-mexico-judge-revokes-protected-lands-for-jaguars

# Border / Immigration
Biden admin erects tent city in Texas to handle influx of illegal immigrants https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-tent-city-texas-illegal-immigrants

Biden terminates Trump emergency order used to construct border wall https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/538406-biden-terminates-trump-emergency-order-used-to-construct-border-wall

Proclamation on the Termination Of Emergency With Respect To The Southern Border Of The United States And Redirection Of Funds Diverted To Border Wall Construction https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/proclamation-termination-of-emergency-with-respect-to-southern-border-of-united-states-and-redirection-of-funds-diverted-to-border-wall-construction/

# CoronaVirus
Forty Percent of U.S. COVID Deaths Were Avoidable: The new study rips into former President Donald Trump, saying he resoundingly failed his pandemic test and “brought misfortune to the USA and the planet.”
https://www.newsweek.com/40-percent-us-covid-deaths-could-have-been-averted-if-it-werent-trump-report-1568403

Doc Charged With Stealing Vax Says He Gave Shots to At-Risk. The doctor said the vial he’s accused of stealing was about to spoil, so he scrambled to give shots to vulnerable people he could find before that deadline.
https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/texas-doctor-charged-with-stealing-covid-19-vaccine-doses/

Coronavirus vaccination may be cause of rare blood disorder in at least
36 people
https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/rare-blood-disorder-covid-vaccine-thrombocytopenia

Deaths of Elderly Who Recovered From COVID-19, But Died After Vaccine, Raise Questions
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/norway-reviewing-deaths-of-frail-and-elderly-patients-vaccinated-against-covid-19-1.5272547

95 Percent of Americans Killed by COVID-19 Were 50 or Older, Chronic conditions, aging immune systems increase vulnerability https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-deaths-older-adults.html

Elderly man collapses, dies shortly after getting COVID-19 vaccine at Javits Center https://nypost.com/2021/02/07/elderly-man-collapses-dies-shortly-after-getting-covid-19-vaccine-at-javits-center/

More Americans have died from COVID-19 in the last year than were killed during World War II and the Vietnam War combined.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/30/fact-check-us-covid-19-deaths-surpass-combat-fatalities-many-wars/5535450002/

Wisconsin Resident Doctor has Miscarriage 3 Days After Being Injected with Experimental COVID mRNA Shot https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/wisconsin-resident-doctor-has-miscarriage-3-days-after-being-injected-with-experimental-covid-mrna-shot/

Biden raises hopes for new course to jumpstart rapid COVID-19 tests https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/538349-biden-raises-hopes-for-new-course-to-jumpstart-rapid-covid-19-tests

501 Deaths + 10,748 Other Injuries Reported Following COVID Vaccine, Latest CDC Data Show https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/deaths-injuries-following-covid-vaccine-cdc/

New Lancet Report: 40 Percent of U.S. COVID Deaths Could Have Been Avoided The scathing new report is an indictment of both Trump and a health care system that values profit over human life.
https://truthout.org/articles/new-lancet-report-40-percent-of-us-covid-deaths-could-have-been-avoided/

WHO official derides US intelligence on COVID: WHO mission to China says US intelligence on the supposed origin of the coronavirus is not reliable.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/10/dont-rely-on-us-virus-intelligence-who-mission-member-says

# Education / Schools
‘Dangerous’ MIT Researcher Wanted in Yale Student’s Murder https://www.newsbreak.com/connecticut/new-haven/news/2161640386791/armed-and-dangerous-mit-researcher-wanted-in-yale-grad-students-murder

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
Chevron Refinery Dumps Oil Into San Francisco Bay https://www.ecowatch.com/chevron-oil-spill-san-francisco-bay-2650428922.html

Appalachia’s fracking boom has done little for local economies https://www.ehn.org/fracking-economics-2650429410.html

# Environment / Climate / Interior
U.S. and Russia sign new maritime pollution agreement, conduct joint Bering Sea patrol https://www.arctictoday.com/u-s-and-russia-sign-new-maritime-pollution-agreement-conduct-joint-bering-sea-patrol/

With PFAS everywhere, Minnesota calls for big new crackdown on the ‘forever chemicals.’ The state wants lawmakers to designate the entire PFAS class as a ‘hazardous substance’ in state statute, a list that includes arsenic https://m.startribune.com/with-pfas-everywhere-minnesota-calls-for-big-new-crackdown-on-the-forever-chemicals/600021420/

Study finds dangerous air pollution levels in subway systems in the US https://www.zmescience.com/science/study-finds-dangerous-air-pollution-levels-in-subway-systems-in-the-us/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
As Vermont farmers plant cover crops to reduce runoff, report says they also use more herbicides
https://www.vpr.org/post/farmers-plant-cover-crops-reduce-runoff-report-says-they-also-use-more-herbicides#stream/0

Nation’s first mandatory farmworker hazard bonus gains approval. Leaders of Coachella, California, mandated a $4-per-hour pay increase for local food workers. They included ag workers at the last minute.
https://thecounter.org/farmworker-hazard-pay-covid-19-coachella/

America’s biggest retailers and foodservice companies have already agreed not to sell GMO salmon. AquaBounty says its first bioengineered salmon will be harvested in March, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to buy.
https://thecounter.org/americas-biggest-retailers-foodservice-companies-gmo-salmon-aquabounty/

# General News
Can Biden save public transit from the pandemic? Ridership, and revenue are cratering. Will there be anything left once we’re vaccinated? The Biden administration and new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will have to act fast to give federal help so states and cities can turn things around.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90598206/can-biden-save-public-transit-from-the-pandemic

# Gov / Politics
Over 100 Anti-Trump Ex-GOPers Plot Breakaway Party: Some 120 powerful former Republicans gathered together on a Zoom call last Friday to discuss how to wrestle power away from Donald Trump.
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AB07P

Biden Calls China’s Xi 11 Months After Trump Cut Off Contact. According to the White House, Biden told Xi that his administration won’t accept China’s human-rights abuses and expansionism.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china/presidents-biden-and-xi-hold-first-phone-call-amid-tense-u-s-china-relations-idUSKBN2AB06A

Greene Replaces Trump as Democrats Fundraising Outrage Fuel. “Emotion opens emails,” said Jared Leopold, a longtime Democratic strategist.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/523501-gop-faces-fundraising-reckoning-as-democrats-rake-in-cash

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) isn’t pressuring fellow Republicans to acquit former President Trump as the impeachment trial appears poised to wrap as soon as this weekend.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538358-mcconnell-not-pressuring-gop-to-acquit-trump

Senators Were Part of ‘Trump’s Mob’? Senate Trial, Day Two: The dereliction was even worse than the incitement.
https://prospect.org/impeachment/how-many-republican-senators-were-part-of-trumps-mob/

Reps Would Have to Resign From Corporate Boards Under Democrats’ Ethics Bill At least 15 House reps currently sit on the boards of private companies.
https://prospect.org/power/reps-would-have-to-resign-from-corporate-boards-under-democrats-ethics-bill/

# Law Enforcement
MI Man Faces Hate Crime Charges in Attack on Black Teens. Lee Mouat, 42, faces two federal hate-crime charges in a bike lock attack that left an 18-year old with a facial fracture and several missing teeth.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan/articles/2021-02-11/man-charged-with-hate-crimes-for-attack-on-black-teen

Five Proud Boys Slapped With Conspiracy Charges in Riots. Prosecutors allege some of the individuals associated with the far-right group led crowds as they pushed through police lines to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6.
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2162175810674/five-proud-boys-slapped-with-conspiracy-charges-in-capitol-riots

Police Deployed Potentially Lethal Chemical During Black Lives Matter Protests The hexachloroethane smoke that police used against protesters can cause vomiting, respiratory distress and even death.
https://truthout.org/articles/police-deployed-potentially-lethal-chemical-during-black-lives-matter-protests/

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Barr Rejected Officer’s Guilty Plea for Floyd Killing: The former attorney general believed a plea deal would be seen as too lenient and too hasty without an investigation.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/02/william-barr-rejected-plea-deal-for-derek-chauvin-report.html

Dems Air Chilling Video, Dispatch Audio in Impeachment Trial. “We need some reinforcements up here now,” one officer yells, as he begs for backup. “They’re starting to pull the gates down. They’re throwing metal poles at us.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrats-air-chilling-dc-police-dispatch-in-trump-impeachment-trial

Eugene Goodman May Have Saved Romney’s Life: New Footage: In new surveillance footage played Wednesday during Trump’s impeachment trial, Goodman can be seen directing Romney to turn away from the direction of the mob.
https://www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2021/02/watch-officer-eugene-goodman-saves-mitt-romney-from-capitol-mob/

DA Opens Criminal Probe Into Trump’s Call to Raffensperger. Trump asked Georgia’s top elections official to “find” the votes necessary to overturn his loss in the state.
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/966332808/georgia-district-attorney-is-investigating-trumps-call-to-overturn-election

New riot footage stuns Trump trial: The presentation packed an enormous emotional punch. Its impact was visceral, even as most Americans need no reminder of a day that was a low-point in the nation’s history.
https://thehill.com/homenews/the-memo/538339-the-memo-new-riot-footage-stuns-trump-trial

LIVE COVERAGE: Democrats to conclude case against Trump: House Democratic impeachment managers will conclude their case on Thursday that former President Trump should be convicted for inciting a mob to attack the Capitol.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538404-live-coverage-democrats-to-conclude-case-against-trump

WATCH TODAY’S TRIAL — IT STARTED AT NOON: Here’s the C-SPAN live stream:
https://bit.ly/3tLFqGJ

WHAT TO EXPECT IN TODAY’S TRIAL PROCEEDINGS — TRUMP’S ‘LACK OF REMORSE’:
What to expect, via The Hill’s Mike Lillis: https://bit.ly/3afLqQx

Trump Attacked Pence on Twitter Minutes After Learning VP Was Evacuated from Capitol: Trump’s Tweet Attacking Pence Came Right After Learning His VP’s Life Was In Danger. A statement from Sen. Tommy Tuberville shows Trump turned his mob against Pence minutes after hearing his vice president had to be hustled from the Senate.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-pence-tweet-capitol-riot-impeachment-trial_n_6024b281c5b6b295bc045640

Democrats argue Trump will incite violence again. House Democrats pressing the Senate to convict former President Trump in his impeachment trial argued Thursday that an acquittal would raise the potential for him to incite violence again in the future.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/538494-democrats-argue-trump-will-incite-violence-again

Trump’s Senate Trial “Goes to the Heart” of Why Impeachment Was Created.
“This is the most important impeachment trial in American history,” says journalist John Nichols.
https://truthout.org/video/trumps-senate-trial-goes-to-the-heart-of-why-impeachment-was-created/

Trump Campaign Paid Millions to Organizers of Rally That Led to Capitol Rampage. The revelation lends credence to impeachment managers’ argument that Trump was responsible for the events of January 6.
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-campaign-paid-millions-to-organizers-of-rally-that-led-to-capitol-rampage/

Oath Keepers Planned to Deploy Armed Force to Capitol: Docs: As Jan. 6 and the inauguration approached, Ohio bartender and militia leader Jessica Watkins was “awaiting direction from President Trump,”
prosecutors say.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/oath-keepers-jessica-watkins-planned-to-deploy-armed-force-to-capitol-riot-prosecutors-allege

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
West Virginia House GOP Leader Polls Colleagues On Marijuana Legalization As Revenue Booster https://www.marijuanamoment.net/west-virginia-house-gop-leader-polls-colleagues-on-marijuana-legalization-as-revenue-booster/

New Mexico Marijuana Legalization Bills Get First Hearing This Week https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-mexico-marijuana-legalization-bills-get-first-hearing-this-week/

Cannabis Reduces Blood Pressure in Older Adults, According to Ben-Gurion University Researchers https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/aabu-crb020521.php

# Media
Fox News Cut Off an Impeachment Manager Mid-Sentence, Censoring the Trial On Wednesday, Fox News turned away from the trial while Rep. Eric Swalwell was introducing key evidence.
https://truthout.org/articles/fox-news-cut-off-an-impeachment-manager-mid-sentence-censoring-the-trial/

# Medical / Health
Gunfire at Allina clinic in Wright County leaves several seriously wounded, followed by explosion –A bomb exploded about 30 minutes later at the clinic, according to emergency dispatch audio.
https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/gunfire-at-minnesota-clinic-leaves-several-seriously-wounded/article_5e063d58-2a44-5e7c-966f-ecee90360215.html

Trump’s gruesome health legacy: What you need to know https://www.fastcompany.com/90603414/harvard-researchers-have-calculated-how-many-unnecessary-deaths-the-trump-administration-left-behind

# Science
New compound shows promise against hard-to-kill pancreatic and breast cancers, in mice. It doesn’t attack them directly, but strips tumors of their defense.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/new-compound-shows-promise-against-hard-to-kill-pancreatic-and-breast-cancers-in-mice/

# Social
Unity Lies with People, Not Politicians. Unity will be achieved by addressing problems that concern a broad swath of Americans and advancing solutions that are supported by a majority of them–including Democrats, independents, and some Republicans https://insidesources.com/unity-lies-with-people-not-politicians/

A timeline of the great reset agenda: From foundation to Event 201 and the pandemic of 2020. How the great reset ideology pitched its tent in the ‘new normal’ camp: perspective https://sociable.co/government-and-policy/timeline-great-reset-agenda-event-201-pandemic-2020/

After “Event 201” Coronavirus Simulation in 2019, World Economic Forum Now Plans “Cyber Pandemic” Simulation for July 2021 https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/after-event-201-coronavirus-simulation-in-2019-world-economic-forum-now-plans-cyber-pandemic-simulation-for-july-2021/

Bozeman’s sole multicultural enclave faces evictions amid a housing crisis. For some residents, the displacement signals the loss of affordable housing — and the only diverse neighborhood in the Montana city.
https://www.newsbreak.com/montana/bozeman/news/2162064622458/bozemans-sole-multicultural-enclave-faces-evictions-amid-a-housing-crisis

# Technology
The Florida Water Supply Hack Demonstrates Our Vulnerability to Cyberattacks https://apnews.com/article/business-water-utilities-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-utilities-e783b0f1ca2af02f19f5a308d44e6abb

# Things that make ya go ‘Hmmmm’
Listen to a 17,000-year-old musical instrument made from a seashell.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56017967

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-08

Voices, The Peoples News

February 8, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous
New ‘Cascadia’ Field Guide will use Indigenous Classification rather than Western Taxonomy https://oceanblueproject.org/literary-field-guide-indigenous-classification/

# Border / Immigration
Biden administration’s CBP revives ‘catch and release’ policy at border amid COVID concerns. Customs and Border Protection forced to return to controversial policy in Texas https://nypost.com/2021/02/05/biden-reinstates-catch-and-release-policy-at-southern-border/

Biden Sets Up Review of Trump’s Military Family Deportations: There’s no public record of exactly how many vets or dependents were removed by the Trump administration, but it’s thought to run into the hundreds.
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article249080870.html

Damage wrought by Trump’s border wall “will not ever be remediated or mitigated”
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/02/damage-wrought-by-trumps-border-wall-will-not-ever-be-remediated-or-mitigated/

# CoronaVirus
More than 35 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the country, but it is becoming increasingly clear that vaccinations have not been equitable for communities of color that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/537588-vaccine-inequity-prompts-calls-for-federal-response

New York climbs up list of states with highest COVID-19 nursing home mortality rate after true numbers revealed. Total nursing home deaths are now equal to about 14% of the state’s pre-pandemic nursing home population https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ny-high-covid-19-nursing-home-mortality

Virginia pastor dies shortly after receiving coronavirus vaccine. A Virginia minister died shortly after she received a coronavirus vaccination, authorities said Friday.
https://news.yahoo.com/virginia-woman-dies-shortly-receiving-180443242.html

As COVID-19 vaccines raise hope, cold reality dawns that illness is likely here to stay.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-vaccines-raise-hope-cold-reality-dawns-covid-19-is-likely-here-to-stay-11612693803

TRAGEDY! 9 Dead in Spanish Nursing Home Shortly After First Pfizer Shots but Second Doses Given Anyway – Religious Beliefs in Vaccines Causing Massive Senior Deaths?
https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/tragedy-9-dead-in-spanish-nursing-home-shortly-after-first-pfizer-shots-but-second-doses-given-anyway-religious-beliefs-in-vaccines-causing-massive-senior-deaths/

Are COVID-19 vaccines causing deaths? Online claims of coronavirus vaccines being lethal are rife following a string of deaths in care homes that vaccinated residents. DW looks into cases around the world and what was behind them.
https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-are-covid-19-vaccines-causing-deaths/a-56458746

U.K. COVID Variant Now Rapidly Spreading in U.S.: Study https://nypost.com/2021/02/07/uk-covid-19-variant-spreading-rapidly-through-us-study/

Moderna, Pfizer Test mRNA Experimental Biologics on Children https://thevaccinereaction.org/2021/02/moderna-pfizer-test-mrna-experimental-biologics-on-children/

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine Not Recommended for People Over 65 in Germany https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2021/01/28/Germany-AstraZeneca-COVID-19-vaccine-should-not-be-used-in-over-65s

# Economy / Trade
Congress mulls tightening income eligibility tied to proposed $1,400 stimulus checks.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537625-congress-mulls-tightening-eligibility-for-stimulus-checks

Why 10 Republican senators are negotiating with Biden on Covid-19 relief Biden and a group of Senate Republicans want two very different
Covid-19 relief bills.
https://www.vox.com/2021/2/1/22260253/republican-senators-negotiations-biden-covid-talks

Pfizer expects $15 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2021 https://money.yahoo.com/pfizer-expects-15-bln-covid-155806611.html

Democrats set to introduce bill that provides $3,600 per child for some
families: The success or failure of the legislation could have ramifications in the 2022 congressional elections.
https://newsvoice.com/i/16684382

The Superstar Research Driving the Checks Debate Has a Problem. It’s based on ZIP code-level data, which may not be as precise as the researchers contend https://prospect.org/first100/superstar-research-driving-checks-debate-has-problem-chetty-income-data/

# Education / Schools
In the Absence of COVID Safety Plans, Teachers Are Resigning and Retiring Early An unprecedented number of teachers and other school employees are leaving the field because of fears about COVID.
https://truthout.org/articles/in-the-absence-of-covid-safety-plans-teachers-are-resigning-and-retiring-early/

# Employment / Labor
Democratic legislators introduce COVID Whistleblower Protection Act. The bill seeks to institute stronger legal whistleblower protections for employees who work for entities that receive COVID-19 relief funds https://www.natlawreview.com/article/covid-whistleblower-protection-act-would-provide-robust-protection-disclosures-about

Labor policy expert: Drop in unemployment masked by bigger issues. A slight decrease in the unemployment rate during January – from 6.7 percent to 6.3 percent – was offset by how few new jobs were created in the private sector https://www.albanyherald.com/news/business/labor-policy-expert-drop-in-unemployment-masked-by-bigger-issues/article_c9dde3d7-8b28-5de4-923a-88edb39eb6a9.html

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining
‘Chemicals don’t just disappear’ — Persistence by researchers, residents uncovers pesticide contamination at Mead ethanol plant https://www.newsbreak.com/nebraska/mead/news/2159439213620/chemicals-dont-just-disappear-persistence-by-researchers-residents-uncovers-pesticide-contamination-at-mead-plant

Representatives of a dark-money political advocacy group sign a guilty plea admitting involvement in a major bribery scandal involving Ohio’s power plant subsidy law https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/02/05/ohio-former-house-speaker-larry-householder-dark-money-generation-now-guilty-plea-racketeering/4401901001/

Former FirstEnergy subsidiary Energy Harbor says it may decline the $1 billion in subsidies for two Ohio nuclear plants included in the scandal-tainted legislation.
https://www.wtap.com/2021/02/08/owners-of-two-ohio-nuclear-plants-may-decline-subsidies/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Keeping one mature street tree is far better for humans and nature than planting lots of new ones https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2156177191752/why-keeping-one-mature-street-tree-is-far-better-for-humans-and-nature-than-planting-lots-of-new-ones

# Environment / Climate / Interior Global Globally, sea levels are rising faster than our worst estimates. This could put millions of people in coastal communities at risk of flood and even displacement. It’s worse than even the most pessimistic estimates.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/climate-change-sea-levels-05022021/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Widely used neonic insecticides may be a threat to mammals, too.
Neonicotinoids, used on corn seed and other crops, are already accused of contributing to declines of insect pollinators.
https://thefern.org/2021/02/widely-used-neonic-insecticides-may-be-a-threat-to-mammals-too/

# Gov / Politics
Florida Governor DeSantis to Penalize Big Tech Companies for Unlawful Practices https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-desantis-tallahassee-news-conference-20210202-r4pdvos3rbcdnj7pgx2qupfdpa-story.html

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) touted a proposal that would allow tech companies to create local governments.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/537667-nevada-governor-touts-proposal-to-allow-tech-companies-to-create-local

Marjorie Taylor Greene Removed From All Her Committees, Multiple Republicans Vote to Remove Her
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-removed-from-house-committees-11-republicans-cross-aisle-in-vote-01612483101

Wyoming Republican party votes to formally censure Liz Cheney, demands she resign and hand back all state political donations after she voted to impeach Trump
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/06/wyoming-gop-censure-liz-cheney-466561

Democrat Introduces Gun Control Bill: Psych Evaluations, Ammo Bans, Federal Gun Registry https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-introduces-gun-control-bill-psych-evaluations-ammo-bans-federal-gun-registry

The Biden Administration Already is the Most Inclusive in American History. President Joe Biden has shown a greater commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in a few short weeks than perhaps any president before him.
https://insidesources.com/the-biden-administration-already-is-the-most-inclusive-in-american-history/

Report: The Trump campaign paid an Arizona lawmaker amid efforts to overturn state election results https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2021/02/06/arizona-rep-mark-finchem-paid-by-trump-campaign-during-election-challenge/4413949001/

Shelby Is Latest GOP Senator to Announce He Won’t Run Again. The Alabama Republican joins Sens. Portman, Burr, and Toomey in bowing out of whatever comes next for the GOP.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537813-shelby-wont-run-for-reelection

# Law Enforcement
Yale graduate student ID’d as victim of Saturday fatal shooting in New Haven Police are looking into the incident as a homicide.
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Yale-graduate-student-ID-d-as-victim-of-15931633.php?src=nhrhpdesecp

A last-minute Trump move threatens to send released prisoners back to prison after the pandemic https://www.justiceactionnetwork.org/news/mother-jones-a-last-minute-trump-move-threatens-to-send-released-prisoners-back-to-prison-after-the-pandemic

Georgia officials open inquiry into Trump efforts to overturn election results https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/537901-georgia-officials-open-inquiry-into-trump-efforts-to-overturn-election

Wave of departures leaves federal court seats for Biden to fill https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/537905-wave-of-departures-leaves-federal-court-seats-for-biden-to-fill

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Trump trial set to consume Capitol. Former President Trump’s second impeachment will consume Washington this week, putting the Trump era on trial and GOP divisions on full display.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537589-trump-trial-set-to-consume-capitol

Breaking With G.O.P., Top Conservative Lawyer Says Trump Can Stand Trial https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/07/us/politics/charles-cooper-trump-impeachment.html

Bank of America handed over customer data to feds following Capitol riot. At least one person was interviewed by agents based on info from America’s second largest bank https://nypost.com/2021/02/06/bank-of-america-under-fire-for-helping-feds-in-capitol-riot-probe/

A slim majority in a new poll say Trump should be convicted and barred from any future federal office.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/537732-most-in-new-poll-say-trump-should-be-convicted-barred-from-federal-office

Five ways Trump’s impeachment differs from a court trial.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537630-five-ways-trumps-impeachment-differs-from-a-court-trial?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=36731

Senate Republicans back Trump as impeachment trial nears.
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-censures-roger-wicker-trials-05bdcc3475e661077295627bac922ebd

144 constitutional lawyers call Trump’s First Amendment defense “legally frivolous.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/us/politics/trump-impeachment-defense.html

On Cusp of Impeachment Trial, Court Documents Point To How Trump’s Rhetoric Fueled Rioters Who Attacked Capitol https://www.allsides.com/news/2021-02-08-0741/cusp-impeachment-trial-court-documents-point-how-trump-s-rhetoric-fueled

Five ways Trump’s impeachment differs from a court trial. When Trump’s second impeachment trial gets underway on Tuesday, the Senate proceedings will differ from what typically unfolds in a courtroom.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537630-five-ways-trumps-impeachment-differs-from-a-court-trial

Senate leadership announced they have reached a deal on the framework for Trump’s impeachment trial, which will start on Tuesday.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537876-schumer-mcconnell-reach-deal-on-trump-impeachment-trial

# Media
Biden has gotten around to firing several Trump loyalists but Louis DeJoy is still postmaster general, because Biden has to overhaul the USPS Board of Governors to get to him.
https://slate.com/business/2020/12/louis-dejoy-postmaster-general-biden-postal-service.html

# Medical Alternatives / Herbology
Stroke Victims to Be Given Psychedelic Drug DMT in First-Ever US Clinical Trials https://www.naturalblaze.com/2021/02/stroke-victims-to-be-given-psychedelic-drug-dmt-in-first-ever-us-clinical-trials.html

# Nuclear / Radiation
New Mexico’s nuclear rush: A massive nuclear waste storage site proposed near Carlsbad is seemingly on a fast track. Can the company behind it be trusted?
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/new-mexicos-nuclear-rush-massive-waste-site-near-carlsbad-seemingly-on-fast-track/article_1f3e2e2c-671c-11eb-b9a1-ab3ec92c8a24.html?mode=comments

# Science
The month’s best science images: While taking aerial photos with his drone, Australian photographer Derry Moroney came across these massive, tree-like patterns in Lake Cakora in New South Wales. The colourful drainage channels form when water full of oil from the surrounding tea trees (Melaleuca alternifolia) runs into the lake.
https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-021-00095-y/index.html?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=6ada806177-briefing-dy-20210208&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-6ada806177-43812897

# Technology
The Trump Organization negotiated on behalf of then-president Trump to make Parler his primary social network, but it had a condition: an ownership stake in return for joining, according to documents and four people familiar with the conversations.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/trump-parler-ownership

Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Amy Klobuchar
(D-Minn.) on Friday introduced the Safeguarding Against Fraud, Exploitation, Threats, Extremism and Consumer Harms (SAFE TECH) Act to reform Section 230 and “allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, targeted harassment, and discrimination on their platforms.”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/democrats-seek-to-force-big-tech-to-police-content-more-tightly-in-section-230-reform-bill_3687451.html

# Things that make ya go ‘Hmmmm’
The ‘8th Continent’ Is a Floating Self-Sustainable Ocean Cleaner https://interestingengineering.com/self-sustainable-floating-continent-cleans-ocean-waste

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-02-05

Voices, The Peoples News

February 5, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous
Biden signs disaster declaration to help Navajo Nation with COVID-19 response. Sens. Romney, Sinema also introduce legislation to expand access to drinking water on tribal nations.
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/biden-signs-disaster-declaration-to-help-navajo-nation-with-covid-19-response/6001150/

# Indigenous / Global
Curing the ‘colonial hangover’: how Yukon First Nations became trailblazers of Indigenous governance https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/01/30/curing-the-colonial-hangover-how-yukon-first-nations-became-trailblazers-of-indigenous-governance.html

# Archaeology
Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a major, previously unknown kingdom. The large block’s hieroglyphics could be referring to the King Midas, of the ‘golden touch’ myth. “We had no idea about this kingdom,”
Osborne said. “In a flash, we had profound new information on the Iron Age Middle East.”
https://www.sciencealert.com/archaeologists-in-turkey-have-discovered-a-mysterious-ancient-kingdom-lost-in-history

# Border / Immigration
ICE union contract prompts fear of resistance to Biden: A union contract signed by the Trump administration on its last full day in office could enable Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to stall President Biden’s vision for a reimagined immigration system.
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/537387-ice-union-contract-prompts-fear-of-resistance-to-biden

U.S. Citizen Children Deported Under Pandemic Rule: US citizen newborns sent to Mexico under Trump-era border ban. At least 11 migrant women sent to Mexico border towns without birth certificates for newborns since last March https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/05/us-citizen-newborns-mexico-migrant-women-border-ban

# CoronaVirus
Wisconsin Guv Reissues Mask Mandate Minutes After GOP Repeal. The resolution passed 52-42, with seven Republicans voting with every Democrat in the heavily gerrymandered Assembly to oppose the measure.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-governor-mask-mandate-d8436b7f9a7539e9d1cd2589483916d8

Johnson & Johnson Asks FDA for Emergency Authorization of Single-Shot
COVID-19 Vaccine
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/04/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-single-dose-fda

CDC and TSA Form Federal Mask Police — Enforcement Is Up To Officer Discretion https://www.lewrockwell.com/2021/02/daisy-luther/cdc-and-tsa-form-federal-mask-policeand-enforcement-is-up-to-officer-discretion/

# Economy / Trade
Senate Democrats approved a budget resolution early Friday morning that will allow them to pass coronavirus relief without GOP support.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537482-senate-democrats-approves-budget-resolution-teeing-up-coronavirus-bill

VP Harris Casts Tie-Breaking Vote to Move Ahead with Democratic COVID Relief Bill https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/5/headlines/vp_harris_casts_tie_breaking_vote_to_move_ahead_with_democratic_covid_relief_bill

Biden Coronavirus Relief Plan Clears Senate Budget Hurdle After ‘Vote-a-Rama’
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/02/04/budget-vote-a-rama-begins-as-senate-grinds-toward-late-night/

Most reclaimed wood is used in one-off projects. This furniture company is thinking way bigger. Room & Board’s stunning furniture line uses 400-year-old wood.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90601167/most-reclaimed-wood-is-used-in-one-off-projects-this-furniture-company-is-thinking-way-bigger

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
https://www.brookings.edu/research/closing-the-racial-wealth-gap-requires-heavy-progressive-taxation-of-wealth/

# Employment / Labor
Senate Democrats are facing internal divisions over efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, which could result in the proposal being watered down or jettisoned from the coronavirus relief bill.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537464-minimum-wage-push-sparks-democratic-divisions

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining Global
Alberta’s ‘back door’ plan to free up billions of litres of water for coal mines raises alarm. Amid concerns about droughts, selenium pollution, at-risk species and Indigenous consultation, the Alberta government is poised to allow coal companies to undercut a functioning water market https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2155884135097/albertas-back-door-plan-to-free-up-billions-of-litres-of-water-for-coal-mines-raises-alarm

For decades B.C. failed to address selenium pollution in the Elk Valley.
Now no one knows how to stop it. There are no viable solutions to stop the tide of selenium leaching into Canadian and U.S. waters. Deformed fish, a potential fish population collapse and contaminated drinking water signal more trouble to come https://nativefishcoalition.org/blog/2020/5/14/for-decades-bc-failed-to-address-selenium-pollution-in-the-elk-valley-now-no-one-knows-how-to-stop-it

B.C. charges mining, fracking companies very little for water use, new research finds. Some of the province’s biggest water guzzlers are paying as little as 28 cents for an Olympic-sized swimming pool’s worth of freshwater https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-industrial-water-use-research/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Climate change is causing sea levels to rise faster than previously thought https://www.zmescience.com/science/climate-change-sea-levels-05022021/

Progressive lawmakers push President Joe Biden to declare a national emergency on climate change that would give him broader powers to act https://energynews.us/digests/dems-push-for-climate-emergency-clean-electricity-standard/

# Environment / Climate / Interior Global B.C. allows logging in nine ‘protected’ old-growth areas. Torrance Coste, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee, said it is “stunning” to now discover it will be business as usual in the second-growth forests included in the deferral areas.
https://kleanindustries.com/resources/environmental-industry-market-analysis-research/b.c-allows-logging-in-protected-old-growth-forest-areas/

French court convicts the government for not doing enough on climate change https://www.zmescience.com/science/climate-change-sea-levels-05022021/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
New report finds toxic heavy metals in popular baby foods. FDA failed to warn consumers of risk. Significant amounts of arsenic, lead, mercury, and other toxic heavy metals are in baby food made by the largest such companies in the U.S.
https://www.axios.com/baby-food-toxic-heavy-metal-661b8625-2c16-4361-a870-917d6beaf54f.html

Smithfield accused of false environmental marketing, advertising: A complaint filed against Smithfield Foods on Thursday alleges instances of false advertising related to the company’s sustainability effort https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/02/04/smithfield-foods-accused-false-environmental-marketing-advertising-meat-processor-ftc/4376126001/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals / Global
European Food Safety Authority accused of minimizing some effects of endocrine disruptors. Experts warn a new European draft report “could significantly delay restrictive measures against harmful chemicals.”
https://www.ehn.org/european-food-safety-authority-endocrine-disruptors-2650289466.html

Op-ed: European food regulators are pushing outdated science. Europe’s food safety regulators have an opportunity to bring a cleaner, safer future to the health of 450 million people https://www.ehn.org/european-food-regulators-endocrine-disruptors-2650289959.html

# General Recalls / Alerts
Hyundai has recently recalled 93,000 Hyundai Tucson cars due to their engine’s possibility of spontaneously bursting into flames.
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/256722/20210204/over-93-000-hyundai-tucson-cars-recalled-engine-possibly-bursting.htm

# General News
Atlantic Council Pens Anonymously Authored Expose Calling for Regime Change in China. The report outlines a plan for the United States to pursue a China without Xi Jinping, with a weakened Communist Party, and operating in a region dominated by the US and its allies.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/atlantic-council-pens-anonymously-authored-expose-calling-for-us-regime-change-in-china/275068/

To Counter China’s Rise, the U.S. Should Focus on Xi. A proposal for a full reboot of American strategy toward China.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/28/china-foreign-policy-long-telegram-anonymous-463120

The entire U.S.-China relationship is now in a dangerous downward spiral. Can the Trump-Xi meeting stabilize things?
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/06/26/can-the-u-s-china-crisis-be-stabilized/

Russia Is a Rogue, Not a Peer; China Is a Peer, Not a Rogue, Different Challenges, Different Responses https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE310.html

# Gov / Politics
House votes to kick Greene off committees over embrace of conspiracy theories https://thehill.com/homenews/house/537445-house-votes-to-kick-greene-off-committees-over-embrace-of-conspiracy-theories

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), said he may vote this month to convict former President Trump on an article of impeachment, is pushing back against possible retaliation from the Nebraska Republican State Central Committee by warning that his party must choose between “conservatism and madness.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/537476-gop-senator-warns-his-party-must-decide-between-conservatism-and-madness

We need a constitutional amendment defining “high crimes and misdemeanors https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/537398-we-need-a-constitutional-amendment-defining-high-crimes-and

Republicans who impeached Trump are already on the chopping block Candidates, donors and local party officials are organizing against the
10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/21/trump-revenge-gop-impeachment-backers-461189

Trump Plots Petty Revenge Tour Against GOP Critics: Former president is reportedly desperate to head off on a speaking tour specifically designed to drain support from Republicans who backed his impeachment.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-plotting-petty-revenge-tour-against-republicans-who-abandoned-him-says-report?ref=home

Cori Bush Demands Expulsion for Every Republican Who Incited the Capitol Siege Representative Bush called the January 6 Capitol breach a “blatant, heinous, vile white supremacist attack.”
https://truthout.org/articles/cori-bush-demands-expulsion-for-every-republican-who-incited-the-capitol-siege/

Former California mayor charged in corruption probe. “No one is above the law. Public officials should be working to benefit the people, not their own bank account.”
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/02/05/former-california-mayor-charged-in-corruption-probe/

In powerful speeches to Congress, AOC & Rashida Tlaib demand accountability for Capitol attack. “Some are already demanding that we move on or, worse, attempting to minimize, discredit or belittle the accounts of survivors.”
https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/5/alexandria_ocasio_cortez_rashida_tlaib

# Law Enforcement
Incarcerated Activist Kinetik Justice, Others, Severely Beaten in Alabama Prison DOJ Sued over Abuse https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/5/incarcerated_activist_kinetik_justice_others_severely

Austin Leads the Way in Cutting Police Funding and Using the Money for Housing https://truthout.org/articles/austin-leads-the-way-in-cutting-police-funding-and-using-the-money-for-housing/

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Trump hires impeachment lawyer, McConnell wants Senate trial in February for Capitol riot incitement charge https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/21/trump-not-prepared-for-senate-impeachment-trial-for-capitol-riots.html

# Murmurs of War
Head of Strategic Command: US Must Prepare for “Very Real Possibility”
of Nuclear War With China. In an era when international cooperation in the face of pandemics and climate change is essential, the world appears to be racing towards a new Cold War, and unfortunately, few except the military top brass are talking about it.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/strategic-command-us-must-prepare-nuclear-war-china-russia/275088/

# Nuclear / Radiation
New Mexico eyed for major nuclear waste storage facility. Critics say virtual meetings bypassed rural communities and raise concerns about the company behind the proposal.
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/experts-nuclear-waste-storage-a-concern-in-new-mexico-southwest/article_f360ee7a-2373-11eb-8e97-57673c219e98.html

# Social
U.S. Won’t Let Him in—Even Though His Docs Say He’s American. Under a controversial Trump administration COVID order that Joe Biden has left in place, Óscar Luis Cortes García is stuck in limbo.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-us-wont-let-him-ineven-though-his-documents-say-hes-american

# Technology
Instagram Bans Plum Accounts Obtained Through Extortion. The social media company targeted nine cybercriminals and the middlemen who helped them sell the valuable handles.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/instagram-bans-hundreds-of-coveted-accounts-stolen-through-hacking-and-extortion?source=cheats&via=rss

Apple’s First Virtual Reality Headset Will Feature 8k Screen for Each User’s Eye An 8K Display screen? That’s too big for a screen resolution but that is not impossible for Apple’s first virtual reality headset.
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/256732/20210205/apples-first-virtual-reality-headset-will-feature-8k-screen-each.htm

Tiktok to Begin Notifying Users of Misleading Content to Prevent Spread of Misinformation https://www.techtimes.com/articles/256730/20210204/tiktok-misleading-content-prompt-start-warning-users-fact-checking-explained.htm

Android 11 Update: From wireless auto, messaging feature to smart home features Android is up for an upgrade with Android 11 software. The new software promises better messaging features, wireless Android auto, beter media controls and more.
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/256709/20210204/android-11-update-better-messaging-feature-more-storage.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~