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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-04-01

Voices, The Peoples News

April 1, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

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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
Native American and Indigenous immigrant groups unite to fight hunger in NYC https://thecounter.org/native-american-indigenous-immigrant-groups-fight-hunger-nyc/

The ‘slow-motion genocide’ of the Chinook Indian Nation. As time moves on, elders pass and children grow up, tribal members fight for federal recognition while mired in bureaucracy.
https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.4/indigenous-affairs-the-slow-motion-genocide-of-the-chinook-indian-nation

# Animals / Pets / Food Recalls
Fearless, Friendly Behavior in Black Bears Concerns Biologists https://www.ecowatch.com/friendly-bear-behavior-disease-2651289161.html

Study finds wildfire caused massive bird die-off. Research using crowdsourced data found a correlation with the birds’ deaths, nearby fires and toxic air https://patch.com/us/across-america/study-finds-wildfire-cause-massive-bird-die

# Border / Immigration
Video Shows Smuggler Dropping Toddler Girls From 14-Foot Border Wall.
The scene was caught on camera by a Border Patrol agent who then rescued the girls and took them to a hospital.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/video-shows-smuggler-viciously-dropping-two-young-girls-from-14-foot-border-wall

# CoronaVirus
Vaccine Suspended in Canada and Germany too… AstraZeneca admitted Thrombosis’ Risks, so changed Serum’s name https://www.gospanews.net/en/2021/03/30/vaccine-suspended-in-canada-too-astrazeneca-admitted-tombosiss-risks-so-changed-serums-name/

Company Behind J&J Vaccine Debacle Was Cited for Mold Issues. The FDA has cited the company in the past for multiple violations including damaged vials and inadequately trained employees.
https://apnews.com/article/virus-vaccine-johnson-and-johnson-emergent-biosolutions-d9edd171f8013e17c0be8b13a6db7fed

Pfizer Vax Effective for 6 Months, Works on Variant: The promising new study marks another step towards full FDA approval for the Pfizer jab.
https://www.livescience.com/pfizer-vaccine-effective-six-months.html

White House asks governors for help with Johnson & Johnson vaccine https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/546064-white-house-asks-governors-for-help-with-johnson-johnson-vaccine

Rich Countries Are Using Vaccines as a Power Play — and Everyone Could Suffer The U.S., U.K., EU and Israel are hoarding vaccines. To beat COVID, we need true global cooperation instead.
https://truthout.org/articles/rich-countries-are-using-vaccines-as-a-power-play-and-everyone-could-suffer/

# Economy / Trade
The White House is pushing an infrastructure bill that could reshape the discussion around capitalism as it seems to re-establish the federal government as a primary driver of how the economy should grow and function.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/545836-white-house-moves-to-reshape-role-of-us-capitalism

The IRS will send out refunds in May to people eligible for the tax exemption on unemployment benefits, who had already filed before the COVID relief bill passed.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/31/10200-unemployment-tax-break-irs-refunds-will-start-in-may-.html

# Education / Schools
Sebastian Gorka Is Still in His Trump-Appointed Education Post. Why?
After 60-plus days in power, the Biden White House has yet to toss Gorka out or replace him.
https://www.salon.com/2021/04/01/why-hasnt-biden-fired-sebastian-gorka-from-trump-appointed-education-post/

Biden has canceled over $2 billion in student debt. Here’s what that means https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/biden-has-canceled-over-2-billion-in-student-debt-heres-what-that-means/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals California’s rooftop solar program collides with equity concerns
https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/03/31/californias-rooftop-solar-program-collides-with-equity-concerns-1369173

The oil well next door: California’s silent health hazard https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-oil-well-next-door-californias-silent-health-hazard

Noem Is ‘Shocked’ by Infrastructure Funding Going to ‘Pipes’. “I was shocked by how much doesn’t go into infrastructure,” Noem said on Wednesday. “It goes into research and development. It goes into housing and pipes.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/south-dakota-governor-kristi-noem-is-shocked-by-infrastructure-funding-going-to-housing-and-pipes

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Biden’s big bet: Tackling climate change will create jobs, not kill them https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-27/biden-says-climate-policies-will-add-u-s-jobs-improve-health

President Biden’s $2 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan will address some of the country’s most pressing problems, including damaged bridges, unequal broadband access, climate change and care for people with disabilities and older people.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/31/joe-biden-american-jobs-plan/

The President introduced the first part of his economic program, involving airports and bridges. The second, which invests in “human infrastructure,” could define his Administration.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-populism/bidens-new-deal-and-the-future-of-human-capital

# Environment / Climate / Interior / Global Canada’s environmental workforce adds 34,600 jobs during pandemic:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/new-green-jobs-added-1.5969629

Barrier Reef doomed as up to 99% of coral at risk, report finds https://nativenewspost.com/news/health/barrier-reef-doomed-as-up-to-99-of-coral-at-risk-report-finds/

East Africa deploys huge volumes of ‘highly hazardous’ pesticides against locust plague https://news.mongabay.com/2021/04/east-africa-deploys-huge-volumes-of-highly-hazardous-pesticides-against-locust-plague/

# Gov / Political
The Texas Senate passed several voting restrictions that focus on banning local officials from widening ballot access. Senate Bill 7 would limit extended early voting hours, prohibit drive-thru voting and make it illegal for local election officials to proactively send applications to vote by mail to voters, even if they qualify.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/01/texas-voting-restrictions-legislature/

361 voter suppression bills have already been introduced this year.
Republicans in state legislatures are dramatically escalating their efforts to restrict voting rights https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/361-voter-suppression-bills-have-already-been-introduced-this-year/

We Need Diplomacy, Not War. Time to Ramp Up the Pressure on Biden. We have no laurels to rest on with Mr. Biden in the White House.
https://truthout.org/articles/we-need-diplomacy-not-war-time-to-ramp-up-the-pressure-on-biden/

No, Mitch McConnell, the Filibuster Isn’t Necessary to Protect Democracy. McConnell’s defense of the filibuster is meant to convince the public that doom will follow any attempt at change.
https://truthout.org/articles/no-mitch-mcconnell-the-filibuster-isnt-necessary-to-protect-democracy/

The Creepy, Disturbing Case That Ensnared Matt Gaetz. Think the drama surrounding the Trumpy congressman is twisted? Wait ‘til you read about the case of Joel Greenberg.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/30/us/politics/matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-investigation.html

# Law Enforcement
Texas Deputy on Desk Duty After Clip Shows Him Punching Teen. The GoPro footage shows the aggressive unidentified deputy ask for the teenager’s licence before turning violent.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/deputy-under-investigation-video-shows-231251351.html

Ex-Celebrity Sheriff Charged for Deleting Vid of Man’s Death. Robert Chody, a regular on the “Live PD” reality TV show, allegedly tampered with video of Javier Ambler being tased by deputies until his heart stopped.
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/03/31/austin-javier-ambler-williamson-county-grand-jury-indict/4813414001/

# LGBTQ
# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a marijuana legalization bill into law. Some provisions, including the legalization of possession, took effect immediately.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-york-governor-signs-marijuana-legalization-bill-hours-after-lawmakers-put-it-on-his-desk/

New Mexico lawmakers sent bills to legalize marijuana and expunge cannabis convictions to the desk of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), who has pledged to sign them into law.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-mexico-marijuana-legalization-bill-heads-to-governors-desk/

# Other News
The mystery of post-presidency Trump. Former President Trump is back in the political fray. But the bigger question hanging over it all is stark — what does Trump really want?
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/545881-the-memo-the-mystery-of-post-presidency-trump

# Science
EPA chief dismisses dozens of key science advisers picked under Trump.
EPA Administrator the decision to remove members from two important panels, the Science Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, a move many career officials within the agency as well as outside environment groups had hoped for.
https://www.dailynews.com/2021/03/31/epa-to-remove-dozens-of-trump-appointed-advisers/

# Technology
Strong leadership needed to fight growing cybersecurity threats. UTSA is bringing information security heavyweights from around the nation together to fight cybercrime and educate the cyber warriors of tomorrow.
https://www.texastribune.org/paid-post/strong-leadership-needed-fight-growing-cybersecurity-threats/

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-31

Voices, The Peoples News

March 31, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous
Indigenous food sovereignty movements are taking back ancestral land.
From fishing rights off Nova Scotia, to grazing in Oklahoma and salmon habitats on the Klamath River, tribal groups are reclaiming their land https://civileats.com/2021/03/31/indigenous-food-sovereignty-movements-are-taking-back-ancestral-land/

# Border / Immigration
‘I consider it human trafficking.’ California foster parents are being asked to take in ’26 or more’ migrant children as social services scramble to place a ‘record number’ of unaccompanied minors crossing the border –Travis, who along with his wife runs a non-profit fighting against human trafficking in California, believes this is just the tip of a sinister iceberg https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9397697/California-foster-parents-asked-26-plus-migrant-children.html

HHS asks Pentagon to house migrant children at two Texas bases https://thehill.com/policy/defense/544574-hhs-asks-pentagon-to-house-migrant-children-at-two-texas-bases

500 Migrant Kids Crammed in Plastic ‘Pods’ Made for Just 32. Journalists got their first glimpse inside the crowded border tent facility Tuesday, as hundreds of unaccompanied minor kids cross the border each day.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/500-migrant-kids-crammed-into-plastic-pods-meant-for-32-people?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition

A Closer Look at Biden’s Immigration Plan for Central America. Biden’s plan actually promotes an old economic development model that has long benefited U.S. corporations. It also aims to impose a distinctly militarized version of “security” on the people of that region.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/03/30/closer-look-bidens-immigration-plan-central-america

# CoronaVirus
Covid pandemic likely started from human exploitation of wildlife, WHO finds. A team of WHO scientists went to China and looked at the causes of the pandemic. This is their much-anticipated report.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/covid-pandemic-likely-started-from-human-exploitation-of-wildlife-who-finds/

COVID Tracking Apps Have Eerie Echoes of Chinese Surveillance System:
Joe Biden’s COVID team appears to have entertained an electronic test-and-trace program pioneered by the University of Illinois that would have let businesses deny service to patrons based on their health data https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/covid-tracking-apps-have-eerie-echoes-of-chinese-surveillance-system/

GOP lawmakers warn against vaccine passports –‘Vaccine Passports are unconstitutional. Period,’ Rep. Lauren Boebert tweeted https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/coronavirus-vaccine-passports-republicans-warn

DeSantis vows to take executive action against ‘vaccine passports’
DeSantis said in Tallahassee. …”It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply participate in normal society.”
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/545445-desantis-vows-to-take-executive-action-against-vaccine-passports

Nation’s first ‘vaccine passport’ coming to New York. The New York State Excelsior Pass will allow residents to enter certain venues and businesses. NYS Governor’s Office https://nypost.com/2021/03/26/nations-first-covid-vaccine-passport-coming-to-new-york/

Dozens in Central Florida contract COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, they’re called COVID-19 breakthrough cases, people who have been fully vaccinated yet still contract the virus more than 14 days after their second shot.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/03/29/dozens-in-central-florida-contract-covid-19-after-being-fully-vaccinated/

Germany Hits Pause Again on AstraZeneca After 31 Reports of Rare Blood Clots, 9 Deaths https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/germany-astrazeneca-blood-clots-deaths/

AstraZeneca Rebrands COVID-19 Vaccine After Public Becomes Aware of Its Dangerous Side. They are calling their vaccine “Vaxzevria.” Although the packaging may be different, the contents of the vaccine will remain the same.
https://bigleaguepolitics.com/astrazeneca-rebrands-covid-19-vaccine-after-public-becomes-aware-of-its-dangerous-side-effects/

68-Year-Old Dies After Anaphylactic Reaction to COVID Vaccine as CDC Continues to Ignore Inquiry Into Increasing Number of Deaths. VAERS data released today showed 44,606 reports of adverse events following COVID vaccines, including 2,050 deaths and 7,095 serious injuries between Dec.
14, 2020 and March 19, 2021
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaers-covid-vaccine-reactions-deaths-increasing/

Experts Warn Failure to Rapidly ‘Vaccinate the World’ Creates Dangerous Opening for Covid-19 Mutations
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/30/experts-warn-failure-rapidly-vaccinate-world-creates-dangerous-opening-covid-19

US joins 13 countries in raising ‘concerns’ with data in WHO team’s virus report The U.S. and 13 other countries on Tuesday released a statement raising “concerns” with a report from a World Health Organization-convened team into the origins of coronavirus, saying it lacked full access to the information it needed.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/545571-us-13-countries-raise-concerns-with-data-in-who-teams-virus-report

Children Videotaped Crying in Overpacked CPB Jail in Donna, Texas https://www.axios.com/photos-overcrowded-border-patrol-migrant-tents-0525a96b-0dc8-473f-b59c-38b0b3e52760.html

Future shipments of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have been halted while the Food and Drug Administration investigates, after human error at a manufacturing plant ruined 15 million doses https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/545856-shipments-of-johnson-johnson-vaccine-halted

The fourth surge is upon us. This time, it’s different. A deadlier and more transmissible variant has taken root, but now we have the tools to stop it if we want.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/03/fourth-surge-variant-vaccine/618463/

Biden wants to give the nation hope. But a jump in Covid cases is complicating things.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/31/biden-coronavirus-case-increase-478718

The U.S. government doesn’t have patent rights to Gilead’s remdesivir, despite investing millions in research https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2021/03/31/gilead-remdesivir-patents-covid19-veklury/

Spoiled vaccines from Texas winter storms top 3,000 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/03/31/spoiled-covid-vaccines-texas-winter-storms-february-top-3-000/4807780001/

With statewide mask mandate set to end, Indiana COVID map shows spread increasing again https://www.indystar.com/story/news/health/2021/03/31/indiana-covid-map-cases-increase-state-mask-mandate-set-end/4823053001/

The new normal in N.Y.: high virus rates and a steady stream of cases https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/03/31/covid-19-cases-will-remain-high-until-summer-in-current-hotspot-of-new-jersey/?sh=27508c33380a

# Economy / Trade
Jayapal Calls on Biden to Fire Trump Social Security Holdovers for ‘Appalling’ Relief Check Sabotage. “The American people should be able to trust that the senior leadership of the Social Security Administration will advocate on their behalf—not needlessly and cruelly obstruct the delivery of survival checks.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/30/jayapal-calls-biden-fire-trump-social-security-holdovers-appalling-relief-check

White House Dramatically Increased Tax Proposal as It Sought to Address Tensions Over Next Big Spending Plan
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2021/03/29/everything-we-know-about-bidens-massive-infrastructure-plan-coming-this-week/?sh=138f39b64e88

# Employment / Labor
The US Labor Board isn’t strong enough to protect workers from Amazon.
Some union organizers want to go around it.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolineodonovan/amazon-union-labor-violations-nlrb

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals Will this legislation be enough? Both the Texas Senate and House are advancing bills that attempt to prevent another massive power failure in extreme temperatures.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/30/power-grid-texas-legislature-prevention/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
A US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report urges the US government to launch a federal research programme to explore the controversial field of solar geoengineering.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00822-5#:~:text=Released%20on%2025%20March%2C%20the,injected%20into%20Earth’s%20stratosphere%20behave.

Watch live: Biden delivers remarks on the economy, infrastructure plan President Biden on Wednesday will deliver remarks on the American economy from Pittsburgh.
https://thehill.com/video/administration/545736-watch-live-biden-delivers-remarks-from-pittsburgh-on-the-economy

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
64% of World’s Farmland at Risk From Pesticide Pollution, Study Finds https://www.ecowatch.com/pesticide-pollution-global-farmland-2651257427.html

# Food Recalls / Alerts
Salmon burgers sold at Costco recalled for risk from metal pieces https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/salmon-burgers-sold-at-costco-recalled-for-risk-from-metal-pieces/

USDA says E. coli O157:H7 outbreak likely linked to ground beef https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/usda-says-e-coli-o157h7-outbreak-likely-linked-to-ground-beef/

FDA test leads to Sabra hummus recall for Salmonella risk https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/fda-test-leads-to-sabra-hummus-recall-for-salmonella-risk/

# Global Politics and other news
How Bellingcat Unmasked Putin’s Assassins. The collective’s innovation has been to recognize that the digital-age panopticon actually works in two directions https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/how-bellingcat-unmasked-putins-assassins

# Gov / Political
Pressed by Sanders, Democrats Aim to Lower Medicare Eligibility Age in Recovery Package https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/30/pressed-sanders-democrats-aim-lower-medicare-eligibility-age-recovery-package

High anxiety over Trump in Georgia GOP: Georgia Republicans are growing anxious that former President Trump’s continued influence within the GOP and the party’s deepening internal divisions could undermine their standing in critical races in 2022.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/545661-high-anxiety-over-trump-in-georgia-gop

Here’s what is in Biden’s $2 trillion plan, spread out over eight years.
https://money.yahoo.com/biden-infrastructure-plan-details-113700242.html

Biden Picks Kamala Harris to Carry the Carrot and Stick in Central America. With Kamala Harris now riding herd, the stage is set for a massive tech overhaul of the migrant crisis.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/biden-picks-kamala-harris-to-carry-carrot-stick-central-america-migrant-crisis/276510/

# Law Enforcement
Capitol Police Officers Sue Trump for Directing Jan. 6 Mob. The two say in a complaint filed Tuesday that the former president “inflamed, encouraged, incited, directed, and aided and abetted” the insurrectionists.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-waste-no-time-burying-meanest-person-matt-gaetz-after-teen-sex-allegation

Convicted Murderer Charged for Stomp on Asian American Woman. A man was caught on surveillance video kicking the 65-year-old to the ground and then repeatedly stomping on her body.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nypd-arrests-suspect-in-brutal-beating-on-65-year-old-asian-woman/2973656/

Texas Life Coach and QAnon-Loving BF Nabbed for Capitol Riot. “Storming the Capitol. Pray for us all,” Bradley Bennett wrote in a Facebook post provided to federal authorities by a tipster.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-lifestyle-coach-elizabeth-rose-williams-boyfriend-bradley-bennett-nabbed-for-capitol-riot

Former deputies arrested after man dies in police custody. “While we can never take away the pain of the Ambler family, the grand jury has sent a clear message that no one is above the law.”
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/03/31/former-deputies-arrested-after-man-dies-in-police-custody/

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Eleven judicial nominees announced today, and I’m still seeing a tilt toward BigLaw; the former public defenders are current judges or law partners.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/30/president-biden-announces-intent-to-nominate-11-judicial-candidates/

Medic: I Was ‘Desperate to Help’ Floyd but Cops Blocked Me. “I should have called 911 immediately,” Genevieve Hansen reflected on the stand Tuesday.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/emt-bystander-testifies-in-derek-chauvin-trial-that-she-was-desperate-to-help-george-floyd

NYC Prosecutors Subpoena Trump Org CFO’s Records: The Manhattan DA’s office has also subpoenaed company ledgers of daily expenses in its probe of property valuations.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/manhattan-prosecutors-subpoena-trump-org-cfo-allen-weisselbergs-bank-records-report?via=newsletter&source=CSPMedition

# LGBTQ
# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
New Mexico lawmakers advanced bills to legalize marijuana and expunge prior cannabis convictions in a special session called by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D). The goal is to get the legislation to her desk by week’s end.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-mexico-lawmakers-advance-marijuana-legalization-and-equity-bills-on-first-day-of-special-session/

The Nebraska legislature’s Judiciary Committee approved a bill to legalize medical marijuana.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nebraska-lawmakers-approve-medical-marijuana-legalization-bill/

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) filed a new bill to triple the concentration of THC that can legally be in hemp and to make other changes to federal rules for the crop to address industry concerns.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-senate-bill-would-triple-thc-limit-for-hemp-and-address-other-industry-concerns/

# Medical / Health
The Sackler Family’s Bankruptcy Scheme. Even though they have billions to spare, the Sacklers want a bankruptcy judge to let them off the hook for personal liability in the OxyContin scandal.
https://prospect.org/justice/sackler-familys-bankruptcy-scheme/

Senate committee kills Medicaid expansion bill https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/senate-committee-kills-medicaid-expansion-bill/article_383a6576-835d-5dbc-a708-f56240655328.html

# Military / DOD
Pentagon Reverses Trump Anti-Trans Military Policy. The Pentagon announced new rules that allow transgender people to enlist in the military, and moved to expand transgender healthcare access to assist with gender transitions.
https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-releases-new-transgender-policy-6ed9c78fe8caecc696f337147dbe7ea0

# Military / Global
NATO fighter jets launched a flurry of intercepts Monday stretching from the Arctic to southern Europe as allies countered a “an unusual peak” of flights by Russian warplanes, the alliance said.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/2021/03/31/nato_planes_shadow_russian_bombers_from_arctic_to_black_sea_770616.html

# Security
DHS Preparing to Use Private Contractors to ‘Scour Public Data and Social Media’ to Compile Dissident Citizens for Watch List and No Fly Lists. From the description it appears DHS is going to pay “big tech”
(Google, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter, etc.), via contracts, to hire and organize internal monitoring teams to assist the government by sending information on citizens they deem “dangerous.”
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2021/03/26/dhs-preparing-to-use-private-contractors-to-scour-public-data-and-social-media-to-compile-dissident-citizens-for-watch-list-and-no-fly-lists/

# Space
The Collapse of Puerto Rico’s Iconic Telescope. The uncertain future of the Arecibo Observatory, and the end of an era in space science.
https://www.space.com/arecibo-observatory-telescope-loss-for-puerto-rico

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-30

Voices, The Peoples News

March 30, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

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Sit back and relax as you take a short aerial tour of Antarctica accompanied by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
This wonderful video was filmed and edited by nature and wildlife photographer and UAV pilot Richard Sidey.
https://biggeekdad.com/2021/03/above-antarctica/
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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
Fracking brings pollution, not wealth, to Navajo land. Two wells, two accidents — but no answers.
https://capitalandmain.com/fracking-brings-pollution-not-wealth-to-navajo-land-0329

Reclaiming abandoned mines: Turning coal country’s toxic legacy into assets New legislation could help states and tribes clean up decades-old mining liabilities and restore the environment while creating needed jobs.
https://therevelator.org/abandoned-mines-legislation/

Indigenous Activists Criminally Charged in South Dakota over Keystone XL Pipeline Resistance https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/08/two-native-americans-arrested-over-keystone-xl-protests

# Border / Immigration
70 Child Asylum Seekers Test Positive for COVID-19 in San Diego Convention Center https://www.kusi.com/70-total-unaccompanied-migrant-teens-at-the-convention-center-test-positive-for-covid-19/

U.S. Military Intervention in Latin America Fuels Migration and Instability. Decades of military intervention in Central America have contributed to the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the border.
https://truthout.org/video/the-ongoing-epidemic-of-u-s-foreign-policy-fuels-migration-and-instability/

# CoronaVirus
Scientists reverse-engineered the Moderna vaccine, post RNA sequence online for free https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/scientists-reverse-engineered-the-moderna-vaccine-post-rna-sequence-online-for-free/

COVID Vax ‘Highly Effective’ in Real-World Conditions: CDC: Not only do the shots prevent 90 percent of infections, they also provide powerful protection against new variants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/world/pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccines-infection.html

Covid is a Scientists’ Killer… Who Discovered SARS Viruses Died!
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/03/30/covid-is-a-scientists-killer-who-discovered-sars-viruses-died/?mc_cid=a771b497b9&mc_eid=3f7488d454

Computational Biologist Bing Liu Dies in Suspected Murder The University of Pittsburgh scientist, who was studying SARS-CoV-2, was shot to death in his home.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/computational-biologist-bing-liu-dies-in-suspected-murder-67521

Scientists find killer chemical for virus behind SARS and MERS. A team of European researchers has identified a novel compound that stops coronaviruses from replicating.
https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-killer-chemical-for-virus-behind-sars-and-mers-27269

Profile of a killer: Unraveling the deadly new coronavirus https://apnews.com/article/science-b7276f8610822ba9a57a26a486f4fe6c

Ban on US water shutoffs could have prevented thousands of Covid deaths – study Researchers say half a million infections might have been stopped if more states had suspended disconnections during pandemic.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/26/water-shutoffs-moratorium-covid-pandemic-study

Numerous Hand Sanitizers Test Positive for Dangerous Carcinogen. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about potentially toxic hand sanitizers.
https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/fda-warns-of-potentially-toxic-hand-sanitizers

HBO’s ‘Last Cruise’ reveals the ‘Diamond Princess’ as floating metaphor for the whole pandemic. The new documentary explores the luxury cruise that harbored an early COVID-19 outbreak, and how it anticipated all the class issues that followed.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90620173/hbos-last-cruise-reveals-the-diamond-princess-as-floating-metaphor-for-the-whole-pandemic

US cases of COVID-19 are rising again, sparking fear of a fourth major surge https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/cdc-cases-warning-fourth-surge

The data shows lockdowns end more lives than they save https://nypost.com/2021/03/22/the-data-shows-lockdowns-end-more-lives-than-they-save/

WHO Says COVID-19 Pandemic Likely Began in Animal Hosts, Rather Than Laboratory Escape https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/coronavirus-lab-escape-theory.html

EU, WHO and Dozens of World Leaders Endorse Plan for Future Pandemic Treaty “No single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone,” a joint letter from world leaders states.
https://truthout.org/articles/eu-who-and-dozens-of-world-leaders-endorse-plan-for-future-pandemic-treaty/

Doctors Rage at Signs of New, ‘Preventable’ COVID Surge. Vaccines are everywhere. So is the deadly virus Americans just can’t seem to shake.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/healthcare-workers-rage-at-signs-of-fresh-coronavirus-wave

# Economy / Trade
Justice Department Takes Action Against COVID-19 Fraud. Historic level of enforcement action during national health emergency continues https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud

Biden wants massive infrastructure package approved over summer.
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-bills-united-states-coronavirus-pandemic-edcf505e7f189411e842b8644ab0e644

White House dramatically increased tax proposal as it sought to address tensions over next big spending plan.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2021/03/29/everything-we-know-about-bidens-massive-infrastructure-plan-coming-this-week/?sh=52ac553b4e88

Democrats look to impose capital gains tax passed on at death.
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/545469-democrats-look-to-impose-capital-gains-tax-passed-on-at-death

# Employment / Labor
Florida’s only lead factory didn’t protect workers. Regulators didn’t
either. Federal inspectors haven’t been to Gopher Resource in five
years, while violations and problems mounted.
https://www.yahoo.com/now/hundreds-workers-exposed-poisons-inside-164800133.html

Amazon’s union vote: What you need to know
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/consumers-know-amazons-union-vote-202447765.html

Amazon Union Drive Builds on Decades of Black Radical Labor Activism in
Alabama
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/02/amazon-unionize-alabama-operation-dixie-organizing-south

Descendants of FDR and His Cabinet Urge Biden to Embrace Public Jobs
Program.
An open letter urges Biden to embrace a “New Deal-scale” public jobs
program to set the stage for an equitable recovery.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/30/descendants-fdr-and-his-cabinet-urge-biden-embrace-new-deal-scale-public-jobs

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals
‘I felt I killed my children’: lead poisons California community – and
fills kids’ teeth
A battery recycling plant blanketed Latino communities with chemicals –
and thousands of properties remain toxic
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/29/i-felt-i-killed-my-children-lead-poisons-california-community-and-fills-kids-teeth

Biden takes aim at reducing emissions of super-polluting methane gas,
with or without the Republicans
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29032021/biden-emissions-abandoned-wells-methane/

Wind and solar generation spiked 15% last year, an analysis shows, but
it’s so far not enough to replace coal as the world’s power demand keeps
growing.
https://news.yahoo.com/wind-solar-power-aren-t-124321617.html

# Environment / Climate / Interior
How The West Lost Its Mind — And Why It Must Regain It Fast Now To Survive
https://beforeitsnews.com/health/2021/03/how-the-west-lost-its-mind-and-why-it-must-regain-it-fast-now-to-survive-3038649.html

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Climate change has direct negative impacts on farmworker health. We’re
all susceptible to worsened health from climate change. But for farm
workers who can’t escape the weather and its effects, things are even
more dire.
https://thecounter.org/climate-change-direct-negative-impacts-farmworker-health/

# Global Politics and other news
Singapore Company’s Bid to Buy Military Tech Firm Raises National
Security Concerns. “Should we raise an eyebrow over a transaction like
this? Absolutely,” says Michael James Barton of Hyatt Solutions, a
cybersecurity consulting company.
https://insidesources.com/singapore-companys-bid-to-buy-military-tech-firm-raises-national-security-concerns/

# Gov / Political
Cop Allegedly Lied About Living in Baltimore for Mayoral Bid
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-gonzalez-charged-election-20210329-pnkvx2s5jja3lczmzatnxrcpje-story.html

Trump’s heir? Pence reemerges, lays groundwork for 2024 run.
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-03-30/trumps-heir-pence-reemerges-lays-groundwork-for-2024-run

Congress looks to rein in Biden’s war powers.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/545485-congress-looks-to-rein-in-bidens-war-powers

Civil Rights Groups File Second Legal Challenge to Georgia Voter
Suppression Bill
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/03/30/civil-rights-groups-including-aclu-naacp-sue-georgia-over-voting-law/?sh=4b095cf86139

# Law Enforcement
State Police Take Over Virginia Beach Shooting of Black Man. Donovan
Lynch was shot by a Virginia Beach Police Department officer on Friday
night.
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-03-30/state-police-to-probe-deadly-virginia-beach-police-shooting

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Biden to Nominate Eleven Judicial Candidates in First Attempt to Put
Imprint on Federal Judiciary
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/30/president-biden-announces-intent-to-nominate-11-judicial-candidates/

Dominion Builds Legal Beast to Drain Trumpland of Billions. Dominion
Voting Systems is adding a new team of lawyers as they prepare for their
current lawsuits—and another potential round.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dominion-builds-legal-behemoth-to-drain-trumpland-of-billions

# LGBTQ
S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem Signs Two Anti-Trans Executive Orders. Noem signed
the orders after a lot of legislative wrangling, while America’s first
bill outlawing trans teens’ access to health care passed in Arkansas.
https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/03/29/rebuked-lawmakers-noem-aims-executive-orders-transgender-participation-sports/7054726002/

Arkansas Anti-Trans Bill Would Deny Gender-Affirming Healthcare to Minors
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/29/arkansas-transgender-healthcare-ban-minors

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
Three New York Senate and Assembly committees are scheduled to take up a
marijuana legalization bill that was filed just before midnight on
Saturday, with floor votes expected to follow soon after.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-york-marijuana-legalization-bill-moves-fast-with-three-committee-hearings-and-possible-floor-votes-tuesday/

The Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee voted to approve a
medical marijuana bill. Its next stop is the House floor.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/kansas-lawmakers-approve-medical-marijuana-legalization-bill-clearing-it-for-floor-vote/

Global Cannabis Reform: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back. Despite steps
towards legalization, the federal U.S. government’s prohibition on the
interstate and international cannabis business restricts U.S. banks from
participating in the larger global market.
https://insidesources.com/global-cannabis-reform-two-steps-forward-one-step-back/

# Medical / Health
Texas Senate has given initial approval to a half-dozen bills that would
restrict access to abortion, including a priority measure that could ban
abortions before many women know they are pregnant.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/29/texas-senate-abortion-heartbeat/

Boy Brain Dead After TikTok ‘Blackout Challenge’: Family: “I’m praying
for him every day… It’s just heartbreaking to see him laying on the
bed,” the Colorado boy’s father said.
https://www.newsweek.com/tiktok-blackout-choking-challenge-leads-12-year-old-boy-becoming-brain-dead-1579927

# Other News
Trump’s new website to help him stay in touch with supporters includes
the most absurdly glowing review of his presidency ever written.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-website/an-official-website-of-trump-launched-to-stay-connected-with-supporters-idUSKBN2BM0FC

Birx Gently Dings Trump, Gets Repaid With Unhinged Rant. The former
president released an angry—and untrue—statement lambasting his White
House coronavirus task force coordinator as “a proven liar with very
little credibility left.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/deborah-birx-gently-dings-trump-gets-repaid-with-unhinged-rant

Trump’s New Official Website Attempts to Rewrite History and Gain Online
Clout
The site omits Trump’s many scandals and impeachments and deflects blame
for his mishandling of the pandemic.
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-new-official-website-attempts-to-rewrite-history-and-gain-online-clout/

# Social
Biden Takes New Steps to Crack Down on Anti-Asian Violence. The new
measures include a $49.5 million program to provide services to AAPI
victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-takes-new-steps-to-crack-down-on-anti-asian-violence

# Space
More ‘Difficult to Explain’ UFO Sightings to Be Declassified, Says
Former Trump Intel Chief
https://www.newsweek.com/former-dni-more-ufo-sightings-declassified-unexplained-1577595

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-29

Voices, The Peoples News

March 29, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous
When an oil company profits from a pipeline running beneath tribal land without consent, what’s fair compensation? A Marathon Petroleum subsidiary was ordered to pay $187 million for trespassing, but in January a Trump official reduced the judgement to $4 mill https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28032021/oil-pipeline-tribal-land-fort-berthold-reservation-north-dakota/

# Animals / Pets / Food Recalls
Earthborn Holistic (this is its first-ever recall), Sportmix, Pro Pac and more.
Full details on this recall, including all brands affected, at the following link:
https://www.petful.com/recalled/earthborn-holistic-propac-sportmix/

Midwestern Pet Foods is recalling multiple brands of dog and cat food due to possible contamination with Salmonella bacteria.
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/midwestern-pet-foods-dog-cat-food/

# Border / Immigration
What so many people are getting wrong about the “border crisis.” And why it’s time for the US government to stop getting caught off guard and going into crisis mode every few years.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/03/top-border-crisis-misunderstandings-biden-messaging-trump-backlog/

861 criminals, 92 sex offenders encountered at Texas border in past few days, agent says https://www.kulr8.com/news/national/861-criminals-92-sex-offenders-encountered-at-texas-border-in-past-few-days-agent-says/article_ab93c59c-1e03-5e22-adb5-e1b9620788fa.html

# CoronaVirus
How did the pandemic start? The fine line between truth and conspiracy.
Theory or conspiracy theory? It’s important to separate facts from fiction.
https://www.zmescience.com/other/pieces/how-pandemic-started-theories-29032021/

President Biden is set to announce that 90 percent of U.S. adults will be eligible for vaccination and will have a vaccination site within 5 miles of where they live by April 19
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/545418-biden-to-announce-90-percent-of-adults-eligible-for-vaccine-by-april-19

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of “impending doom” over rising coronavirus cases, telling the public that even though vaccines are being rolled out quickly, a fourth surge could happen if people don’t start taking precautions.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/545375-cdc-director-warns-of-impending-doom-on-potential-new-covid-surge

Stop the COVID Shaming! AIDS taught us that shame can be deadly. The coronavirus pandemic can’t repeat those same mistakes.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/03/stop-the-covid-shaming-public-health-aids-crisis/

Protests Against COVID Lockdowns Flare Up in 2021 Around the World https://thevaccinereaction.org/2021/03/protests-against-covid-lockdowns-flare-up-in-2021-around-the-world/

Woman dies after receiving COVID-19 vaccine at Cal Poly Pomona https://thevaccinereaction.org/2021/03/woman-dies-minutes-after-getting-covid-19-vaccine-at-cal-poly-pomona/

Obituary: Kansas Woman Died After Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine https://nypost.com/2021/03/25/family-claims-kansas-woman-died-from-covid-19-vaccine-reaction/

Understanding the toll of long COVID: A comprehensive review of the current literature reveals the prolonged effects of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, also called long COVID. COVID-19 usually lasts no more than
4 weeks from the onset of symptoms, but some people experience complications such as fatigue, shortness of breath, ‘brain fog’ and chest pain for some time afterwards.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01283-z?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=d5a18a3501-briefing-dy-20210329&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-d5a18a3501-43812897

President Biden urged state and local officials to reconsider lifting coronavirus restrictions and to reinstate mask mandates that have lapsed as the U.S. faces an increase in cases.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/545426-biden-calls-on-states-to-keep-mask-mandates-pause-reopenings

Dozens of States Report COVID Surges as Precautions Ditched. Over two dozen states are reporting at least a 10 percent increase of new cases compared to the week before.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dozens-of-states-report-coronavirus-surges-as-safety-measures-are-ditched

# Economy / Trade
Whose interests are really being served with US anti-China alliance?
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/03/28/whose-interests-are-really-being-served-with-us-anti-china-alliance/

# Education / Schools
Florida and West Virginia put students first; other states should follow their lead https://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2021/03/29/florida_and_west_virginia_are_putting_students_first_other_states_should_follow_their_lead_110557.html

Colleges Are Using COVID as a Pretext to Make Draconian Cuts to the Humanities
COVID-19 is being used as a pretext to eviscerate departments at both public and private colleges throughout the U.S.
https://truthout.org/articles/colleges-are-using-covid-as-a-pretext-to-make-draconian-cuts-to-the-humanities/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals Donnel Baird wants to bring green energy to America’s poorest neighborhoods. Solar panels and clean heat shouldn’t be limited to the wealthy, says Donnel Baird, who’s bringing green power to low-income neighborhoods https://announce.today/home/announce/AeZd70OQnsqSYJo9BMms

Enbridge Line 5 pipeline dispute, explained. Scientists, conservationists and Indigenous people have been calling for the 65-year-old pipeline to be retired for year https://thenarwhal.ca/enbridge-line-5-dispute-explained/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Louisiana Activists May Be Winning a Battle Against Environmental Racism. Analysts say the massive petrochemical complex proposed by Formosa Plastics is ‘financially unviable.’
https://truthout.org/articles/in-louisiana-activists-may-be-winning-a-battle-against-environmental-racism/

# Global Politics and other news
Faced with ICC Investigation, Apartheid Israel Asserts Moral Superiority Over The Victims of Its Terror https://www.mintpressnews.com/faced-with-icc-investigation-israel-asserts-moral-superiority-over-victims/276490/

# Gov / Political
President Biden’s Trustbusters Aren’t Just Experts on Tech. They Know About Big Ag. The new administration is signaling it might take on the massive agricultural groups.
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2021/03/president-bidens-trust-monopoly-tech-big-ag/

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is looking at whether he could pass a third bill this year through reconciliation, an arcane budget process that lets Democrats avoid the legislative filibuster.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/545331-schumer-eyes-bypassing-filibuster-for-third-bill

# Law Enforcement
Poll: Half of Correctional Officers Do Not Want COVID-19 Vaccine https://thevaccinereaction.org/2021/03/poll-half-of-correctional-officers-do-not-want-covid-19-vaccine/

Body cam video shows officers threatening and handcuffing 5-year-old.
The child’s mother subsequently filed a civil lawsuit accusing the officers of assault, false arrest, and emotional distress.
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/03/29/body-cam-video-shows-officers-threatening-and-handcuffing-5-year-old/

Two Teenage Girls Charged With Murder After Alleged Carjacking, Assault of UberEats Driver in DC https://nypost.com/2021/03/28/uber-eats-driver-death-part-of-teen-carjacking-trend-in-dc/

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
The Legal Line That Ties the Chicago Seven to Jan. 6 Rioters. The government should be very careful about using sedition charges or the H.
Rap Brown Law against insurrectionists, lest it hand those insurrectionists a valuable propaganda tool.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-legal-line-that-ties-the-chicago-seven-to-jan-6

The trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing George Floyd, begins today at 10:30 a.m. The jury will hear opening arguments
https://www.startribune.com/derek-chauvin-trial-represents-a-defining-moment-in-america-s-racial-history/600039431/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=37944

Derek Chauvin Trial. Find all of our trial coverage on our landing page and watch the daily live streams from court.
https://unicornriot.ninja/derek-chauvin-trial/

911 Dispatcher Knew ‘Something Was Wrong’ With Floyd Arrest https://www.startribune.com/concerned-911-dispatcher-asked-supervisor-to-respond-to-floyd-scene-tapes-say/571267242/

# LGBTQ
Corporate Media Biases Threaten the Passage of Landmark LGBTQ Protections Corporate media have marginalized the Equality Act, while social media platforms have spread disinformation about it.
https://truthout.org/articles/corporate-media-biases-threaten-the-passage-of-landmark-lgbtq-protections/

# Media
‘Way past time to fire Mr. DeJoy’ says Sanders after House Dems unveil bill to stop assault on USPS. “The only way to begin to defend the post office is to fire DeJoy.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/27/way-past-time-fire-mr-dejoy-says-sanders-after-house-dems-unveil-bill-stop-assault

Trump Family Officially Merges With Fox News Via Lara. The Trump daughter-in-law joins Fox as a paid contributor even as she openly weighs a run for Senate in North Carolina.
https://www.startribune.com/concerned-911-dispatcher-asked-supervisor-to-respond-to-floyd-scene-tapes-say/571267242/

# Medical / Health
Inflammatory bowel disease treatment linked to reduced COVID-19 antibody response https://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2021/03/29/florida_and_west_virginia_are_putting_students_first_other_states_should_follow_their_lead_110557.html

NSA Suggests It Should Spy on Domestic Internet Use. The establishment of the NSA’s twin, Cyber Command, also created a Chekhov’s gun: broad access to the American internet. Now the SolarWinds hack has NSA’s finger on the trigger.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/nsa-suggests-it-should-spy-on-domestic-internet-use-to-stop-hacks

# Military / DOD
Trials begin for veterans in massive lawsuit over 3M’s military-issued earplugs. A lawsuit involving more than 229,000 veterans with hearing problems that they claim are linked to faulty earplugs issued by the military begins its first trial Monday in a Florida federal courtroom.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/29/trials-begin-veterans-massive-lawsuit-over-3ms-military-issued-earplugs.html

# Other News
The large ship stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal was freed this morning, reopening traffic through one of the world’s most-used canals. The
latest: https://nyti.ms/31uFKwQ

Trump Crashes Mar-a-Lago Wedding to Whine About Elex Loss. In a two-minute clip obtained by TMZ, the former U.S. president laid out his own personal grievances for the happy couple.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-crashes-mar-a-lago-wedding-to-whine-about-2020-election-loss

Trump Could Face Defamation Lawsuit From Dominion, Company Lawyer Says Trump made a series of accusations against the company, falsely alleging it had “switched” votes in the 2020 election.
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-could-face-defamation-lawsuit-from-dominion-company-lawyer-says/

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-28

Voices, The Peoples News

March 28, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Border / Immigration
The Wall Is Literally Crippling People. Does Biden Care? That’s not a political mistake; it’s by design. Biden now joins a long tradition of presidents who’ve added to the immigration enforcement strategies of border militarization and prevention through deterrence.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-wall-is-literally-crippling-people-does-biden-care?ref=home

Republicans criticize Texas launch of COVID-positive unlawful
immigrants: ‘Cease these people’
https://thedailypoliticalpress.com/republicans-criticize-texas-launch-of-covid-positive-unlawful-immigrants-cease-these-people/

Biden and the Blame Game at the Border. The issues involved are nearly impossible to settle as long as policymakers regard decency as a political weakness rather than as a moral strength.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-14/u-s-taps-fema-in-response-to-migrant-surge-at-mexican-border

White House says it will give press access to border facilities. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that reporters would gain access in the near future to Border Patrol facilities being used to house unaccompanied minors who migrated to the U.S https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/545267-white-house-says-it-will-give-press-access-to-border-facilites

U.S.-Mexico Vax Deal Is Inciting a Brutal Migrant Crackdown: With increased pressure from the U.S. and the promise of a 2.5 million vaccine dose delivery, Mexico is ramping up its crackdown on migrants journeying to the southern border.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-us-mexico-vaccine-deal-is-inciting-a-brutal-migrant-crackdown

How Ted Cruz and the GOP Are Using the Border as a Prop: Texas congresswoman Veronica Escobar joins The New Abnormal to talk about what Biden can (and can’t) do to solve the immigration debate and how Latinos in her state can be pro-ICE.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-ted-cruz-and-the-gop-are-using-the-border-as-a-prop

Trump Claims ICE, Border Patrol Invited Him to Visit Border. “I feel I sort of owe it to them,” he said.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-claims-ice-and-border-patrol-are-asking-him-to-visit-the-border

# CoronaVirus
Why COVID Policies Are A War Against Humanity https://www.activistpost.com/2021/03/why-covid-policies-are-a-war-against-humanity.html

Feds spotlight Miami as capital of COVID-19 fraud, from business to employee benefits. A year ago, Congress agreed to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on benefits for small businesses and employees devastated by the corornavirus pandemic. Con artists saw an opportunity to fleece the federal relief program to get rich quick.
https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article250235410.html

# Economy / Trade
House Democrats want to know why some $1,400 direct payments have been delayed https://thehill.com/homenews/house/544429-house-democrats-demand-answers-on-slow-1400-checks

# Employment / Labor
Cops Hired by Amazon Are Intimidating Workers and Supporters of the Union Drive The police chief of Bessemer, Alabama, says off-duty cops have been hired by Amazon as “security” for the facility.
https://truthout.org/articles/cops-hired-by-amazon-are-intimidating-workers-and-supporters-of-the-union-drive/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals Donald Trump’s Parting Gift to the People of St. Croix: The Reopening of One of America’s Largest Oil Refineries https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21032021/trump-st-croix-virgin-island-oil-refinery/

The Biden EPA Withdraws a Key Permit for an Oil Refinery on St. Croix, Citing ‘Environmental Justice’ Concerns https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25032021/biden-epa-limetree-oil-refinery-virgin-islands-permit/

In Louisiana, Activists May Be Winning a Battle Against Environmental Racism Analysts say the massive petrochemical complex proposed by Formosa Plastics is “financially unviable.”
https://truthout.org/articles/in-louisiana-activists-may-be-winning-a-battle-against-environmental-racism/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Global
Why a big mining project could wipe out rural villages in Indonesia. A mine tailings dam planned for a seismically unstable area of Sumatra’s rainforest would be at high risk of failure, experts warn.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/mining-project-could-wipe-out-rural-villages-indonesia

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Make it rain: US states embrace ‘cloud seeding’ to try to conquer drought. Cloud seeding involves adding small particles of silver iodide to clouds to spur rainfall – but will it work?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/23/us-stated-cloud-seeding-weather-modification

Biden invites Russia, China to first global climate talks https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article250253275.html

White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated Sunday that the Biden administration would pursue two pieces of legislation as part of its push to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/545270-white-house-confirms-infrastructure-plan-will-be-in-two-parts

# Environment / Climate / Interior / Global Nearly half the Amazon’s intact forest is on Indigenous-held lands: The forests occupied by Indigenous communities in the region hold more carbon than all of the forests in either Indonesia or the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to the next two biggest swaths of tropical forest after Brazil.
https://news.mongabay.com/2021/03/nearly-half-the-amazons-intact-forest-on-indigenous-held-lands-report/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Gates’ Plan To Control World’s Seeds, Agriculture, Food
https://www.naturalblaze.com/2021/03/gates-plan-to-control-worlds-seeds-agriculture-food.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+naturalblaze+%28Natural+Blaze%29

# Global Politics and other news
China has placed sanctions on a handful of U.S. and Canadian officials in a tit for tat response amid growing tensions over the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang province.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/545237-china-sanctions-wife-of-joe-manchin-other-us-and-canadian-officials

# Gov / Political
US tensions with China risk fueling anti-Asian harassment at home https://thehill.com/policy/international/545133-us-tensions-with-china-risk-fueling-anti-asian-harassment-at-home

Devin Nunes’ Mom F*cked Up His Campaign Finance Reports https://www.thedailybeast.com/devin-nunes-mom-fcked-up-his-campaign-finance-reports

Democrats see Georgia as opening salvo in war on voting rights.
Republican state legislators engaged in a nationwide effort to rewrite ballot access laws after the highest-turnout, most secure election in history scored their first major achievement
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/545147-democrats-see-georgia-as-opening-salvo-in-war-on-voting-rights?rnd=1616790336&rl=1

Kristi Noem Was Rising Fast—Until This Bill Landed on Her Desk https://www.thedailybeast.com/kristi-noem-the-gops-rising-star-fades

Companies sidestep self-imposed bans on GOP donations. Major corporations are finding ways to sidestep their pledges from January to withhold campaign contributions for GOP lawmakers who objected to the
2020 presidential election results.
https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/545188-companies-sidestep-self-imposed-bans-on-gop-donations

Boehner throws support behind Republican who backed Trump impeachment https://thehill.com/homenews/house/545242-boehner-throws-support-behind-republican-who-backed-trump-impeachment

Senate Democrats are planning to use their legislative authority to roll back just a handful of Trump-era regulations, disappointing some activists who hoped they would be more aggressive in using maneuvers to topple the former president’s legacy.
https://thedailypoliticalpress.com/democrats-disappoint-by-not-going-after-more-trump-regs-with-cra/

Trump is already deeply involved in the 2022 midterm elections, headlining fundraisers and backing primary challengers, but he has yet to weigh in on one of this November’s few races: the vote for Virginia’s next governor.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/545171-trump-the-x-factor-in-virginia-governor-race

Trump says he’ll likely visit the U.S.-Mexico border soon amid an influx of migrants.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/545251-trump-says-hell-likely-visit-southern-border-soon

Trump can still hold both parties hostage: At the end of the day, Donald Trump will do what Donald Trump believes is in the best interests of Donald Trump — and that petrifies the Republican and Democratic leadership.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/544968-trump-can-still-hold-both-parties-hostage

President Biden’s announcement that he plans to run for reelection has frozen the field of potential Democratic contenders for 2024 and could potentially mean a late start to the primary process if he changes his mind.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/545178-bidens-plan-for-reelection-freezes-democratic-field

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Pentagon linguist pleads guilty to sharing classified info to romantic interest linked to Hezbollah. Mariam Taha Thompson was arrested last year in an espionage case that investigators said put the lives of American military members and confidential sources at risk.
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/pentagon-linguist-pleads-guilty-to-sharing-classified-info-to-romantic-interest-linked-to-hezbollah-1.667467

Pastor Fears Jury Won’t Convict Cop for Floyd Killing. The figure from the heart of of the Minneapolis Black community says “we’ve seen this movie before,” and suggested things could get ugly.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/minneapolis-minister-fears-jury-wont-convict-cop-over-george-floyds-death

# Medical / Health
Sanders Plans Push to Expand and Enhance Medicare Through the Infrastructure Bill The Vermont senator wants to lower the eligibility age and expand coverage to include services like dental work.
https://truthout.org/articles/sanders-will-push-to-expand-and-enhance-medicare-through-the-infrastructure-bill/

U.S. Travelers From West Africa Being Monitored for Ebola https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article250234060.html

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-26

Voices, The Peoples News

March 26, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Indigenous / Global
Tahltan Nation evicts Doubleview Gold from territory over refusal to respect Indigenous law https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/03/24/tahltan-nation-evicts-doubleview-gold-from-territory-over-refusal-to-respect-indigenous-law.html

# Border / Immigration
President Joe Biden has announced plans to speed up the processing of migrant children traveling alone to the United States, but said his policy of returning most families to Mexico remains unchanged.
https://www.tpr.org/border-immigration/2021-03-25/no-easy-answer-biden-vows-to-take-in-migrant-children-but-says-most-families-will-be-turned-away

# CoronaVirus
‘I can feel your breath’: when COVID-19 and environmental racism collide. “And environmental policies are created by members of the elite, mostly white people, who hold perceptions about who matters and who does not matter.”
https://thenarwhal.ca/covid-19-environmental-racism-canada/

# Economy / Trade
Trump Appointees Are Sabotaging Biden’s Stimulus Checks, Will he let them sabotage Social Security as well?
https://prospect.org/politics/trump-appointees-sabotaging-bidens-stimulus-checks/

Will Trump’s Holdover IRS Chief Sink Biden’s Child Tax Credit?
Commissioner Chuck Rettig disingenuously claims he can’t meet the program’s July launch deadline.
https://prospect.org/politics/will-trumps-holdover-irs-chief-sink-bidens-child-tax-credit/

# Education / Schools
San Francisco School Board Ditches VP for Anti-Asian Tweets. Nearly
5,000 people signed a petition calling for Collins to go—and, on Thursday, they at least got part of their wish.
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/03/21/mayor-breed-leads-chorus-of-officials-calling-for-school-board-vps-resignation-over-anti-asian-tweets/

Rutgers University Will Force Students to Get COVID Vaccine to Attend In-person Classes https://www.blackenterprise.com/rutger-university-forces-its-students-to-get-vaccinated-to-attend-in-person-classes/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals Executives at billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy are pitching to spend over $8 billion to build 10 new natural gas power plants in Texas. In return, lawmakers would agree to create a revenue stream for Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway through an additional charge on Texans’ power bills.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/25/warren-buffett-texas-power-plants/

The U.S. chemical safety board was slashed by Trump. Its backlog is piling up. The board’s final report on the 2019 release of a potentially lethal chemical at a Philadelphia refinery is among 19 awaiting approval.
https://publicintegrity.org/environment/chemical-safety-agency-backlog-refinery-explosion/

Oil companies are winning approval to build massive crude tanks, largely in communities of color, despite states’ clean energy pledges.
https://capitalandmain.com/despite-climate-commitments-health-concerns-states-approve-giant-fuel-tanks-0325?utm_source=Energy+News+Network+daily+email+digests&utm_campaign=f9a59c24e0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_11_11_46_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_724b1f01f5-f9a59c24e0-89260183

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Global
The EPA revokes a permit for an oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands, citing years of air and water pollution affecting the largely Black and Hispanic surrounding community.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25032021/biden-epa-limetree-oil-refinery-virgin-islands-permit/

# Global Politics and other news
Saudi accused of threat to Khashoggi UN investigator is human rights chief Awwad al-Awwad, former aide of crown prince, denies threatening to ‘take care of’ Agnès Callamard https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/25/saudi-accused-of-threat-to-khashoggi-un-investigator-is-human-rights-chief

# Gov / Political
Not Very Slow Joe Biden Destroys the GOP on Deficits. “All of a sudden many of them have rediscovered fiscal restraint and the concern for the deficits. But don’t kid yourself, this approach will come with a cost:
more pain for more people for longer than it has to be.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/537548-biden-rips-gop-for-all-of-a-sudden-showing-fiscal-restraint

GA Pols Sign Voter Suppression Bill Under Pic of Plantation. The photo of white lawmakers celebrating a bill that will disenfranchise Black voters went viral on Thursday night.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a35951372/georgia-voting-bill-jim-crow/

Threat of Authoritarianism Is No Longer on the Horizon: It’s Arrived in the GOP To counter the fascist politics in the GOP, we need liberatory forms of education to expand the public imagination.
https://truthout.org/articles/threat-of-authoritarianism-is-no-longer-on-the-horizon-its-arrived-in-the-gop/

Georgia Republicans Just Passed a Law to Make It Easier to Overturn Elections The bill hands the GOP-controlled legislature far-reaching control over election administration and who gets to vote.
https://truthout.org/articles/georgia-republicans-just-passed-a-law-to-make-it-easier-to-overturn-elections/

Georgia Rep. Arrested for Knocking on Kemp’s Door as He Signed Voter Suppression Bill. Georgia State Rep. Park Cannon was reportedly charged with two felonies for knocking on the governor’s office door.
https://truthout.org/articles/ga-rep-arrested-for-knocking-on-kemps-door-as-he-signed-voter-suppression-bill/

Georgia’s new voter suppression law is hit with its first lawsuit https://www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2021/03/georgia-voter-suppression-law-lawsuit-stacey-abrams-marc-elias/

It is now illegal to give you a bottle of water while in line to vote in Georgia https://truthout.org/articles/georgia-bill-would-criminalize-giving-water-to-voters-waiting-in-long-lines/

The Companies Already Bankrolling Insurrectionists Again. They said they wouldn’t be giving to Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election. They’re already donating again.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/these-mega-businesses-are-already-back-to-bankrolling-insurrectionists

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
House launches probe into intelligence failures preceding Capitol insurrection “The Committees will conduct robust oversight to understand what warning signs may have been missed,” the House committee leaders said in a letter.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/16/house-probe-capitol-riot-459883

Cops Drag GA Rep From Capitol for Voter-Suppression Protest. In a video, Rep. Park Cannon can be seen knocking on the door to the governor’s office before she’s forcibly removed by two police officers.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/park-cannon-georgia-lawmaker-arrested-and-dragged-from-capitol-for-protesting-new-voter-restrictions

Jacob Blake Sues Cop Who Shot Him Seven Times in the Back. The shooting sparked several nights of unrest in the Wisconsin city of Kenosha and the deaths of two protesters.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jacob-blake-lawsuit-excessive-force-rusten-sheskey-kenosha-officer/

# LGBTQ
Arkansas Governor Signs Anti-Trans Sports Bill Into Law. “This is simply a politically motivated bill for the sake of discrimination itself,” HRC President Alphonso David said, after the anti-trans Senate Bill 354 was signed into law.
https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2021/3/25/arkansas-governor-signs-anti-transgender-sports-bill-law

# Media
Senator Demands Firing of Postmaster General Over 10-Year Plan to Weaken USPS https://truthout.org/articles/senator-demands-firing-of-postmaster-general-over-10-year-plan-to-weaken-usps/

# Medical / Health
‘Mystery chemicals’ found in pregnant Bay Area women. Forty-two “mystery chemicals” were found in the blood of 30 Bay Area pregnant women https://www.ehn.org/unknown-chemicals-in-people-2651205715.html

# Social
Landlord Took $1M in Relief Then Moved to Evict 350 Tenants. Half the properties that got money from an eviction-prevention fund in Arizona filed to toss tenants.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/arizona-landlord-took-dollar1-million-in-covid-19-relief-then-moved-to-evict-350-tenants

This Son of the Confederacy Gets Paid to Lock Up Black Men. He’s been at the center of a national scandal and a half-dozen local ones, but none of that has made the state do anything other than note it is “aware of the concerns raised.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-is-north-carolina-paying-this-proud-son-of-confederate-veterans-to-lock-up-black-men

# Weather
TX Winter Storm Toll Was Actually Twice as High: Officials: The new number of fatalities is now 111 and is expected to rise as investigations continue.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/texas-power-grid-failures/

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-25

Voices, The Peoples News

March 25, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Border / Immigration
EPA: GEO Group Used Pesticide as COVID Disinfectant Inside Immigration Jail Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency have found that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, operated by the private prison company GEO Group, has been poisoning detained immigrants for nearly a decade.
https://americanindependent.com/epa-geo-group-immigration-private-prison-company-poisoned-immigrants-at-ice-facility-adelanto/

# CoronaVirus
AstraZeneca Releases New Vaxx Data After Fauci Scolding. Just like the numbers from earlier this week, the new set showed that the vaccine is
100 percent effective in preventing severe disease.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/24/astrazeneca-vaccine-477946

Brighter outlook for U.S. as vaccinations rise and deaths fall.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-03-24/us-outlook-improving-as-vaccinations-rise-and-deaths-fall

The U.S. surpassed 30 million cases of COVID-19, highlighting the continued threat of the virus even as the country makes progress on vaccinations. While new cases per day have decreased significantly from their peak in January, positivity totals remain high, at around 55,000 cases per day.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/544764-us-records-over-30-million-coronavirus-cases?rnd=1616627854

Aides Warned Trump About Anti-Vax MAGA Fans. He Did Nothing. “I have practically begged him to get out there constantly and make videos calling on his supporters who are hesitant to get their shots,” one person close to Trump said.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-knew-maga-fans-wouldnt-trust-the-vax-he-kept-quiet-anyway

21 GOP-Led States Threaten to Sue to Use COVID Relief on Tax Cuts. The Biden administration wanted to ensure the money was invested in local economies, not used to underwrite tax cuts.
https://truthout.org/articles/21-gop-led-states-threaten-to-sue-to-use-covid-relief-on-tax-cuts/

After a Year Under Lockdown, Will Our Freedoms Survive the Tyranny of COVID-19? The danger of the government’s growing addiction to power.
http://www.gilmermirror.com/view/full_story/27797109/article-After-a-Year-Under-Lockdown–Will-Our-Freedoms-Survive-the-Tyranny-of-COVID-19-?instance=home_news_bullets

Evidence is growing that the SARS-CoV-2 variants that are evolving around the world share similar combinations of mutations, writes evolutionary microbiologist Vaughn Cooper.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-coronavirus-variants-dont-seem-to-be-highly-variable-so-far/

The future of variant-proof vaccines. New data show that people infected with the B.1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2, first identified in South Africa, develop immune responses that can fend off multiple variants.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00722-8

# Economy / Trade
Trump Holdovers Accused of ‘Sabotaging’ Effort to Get Checks to 30 Million Social Security Recipients. “President Biden can’t stand for this any longer. He must protect Social Security beneficiaries by firing Saul and Black immediately.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/25/trump-holdovers-accused-sabotaging-effort-get-checks-30-million-social-security

U.S. Billionaires Like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Saw Wealth Grow by $1.3 Trillion. The massive gains come as pressure grows on lawmakers to impose new taxes on the top 1 percent.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/367826

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bills to Fix the “Corrupt and Rigged Tax Code.” As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders has introduced bills to tax corporations and the wealthy while helping the working class https://truthout.org/articles/bernie-sanders-introduces-bills-to-fix-the-corrupt-and-rigged-tax-code/

# Employment / Labor
Bernie Sanders Is Heading to Bessemer During Last Days of Amazon Union Vote.
If the workers successfully unionize, Sanders has said it would be a “shot heard around the world.”
https://truthout.org/articles/bernie-sanders-is-heading-to-bessemer-during-last-days-of-amazon-union-vote/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals
Watch: U.S. House committee hearing on Texas’ massive power outages during deadly winter storm https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/24/texas-power-outages-congress/

Florida’s only lead smelter exposed hundreds of workers to high lead levels. Hundreds of workers at a Tampa lead smelter have been exposed to dangerous levels of the neurotoxin. The consequences have been profound.
https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2021/investigations/lead-factory/gopher-workers/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
The Paraquat Poisoning Problem: A former Syngenta scientist calls the failures to heed his warnings about the deadly pesticide “a conspiracy within the company to keep this quiet.”
https://theintercept.com/2021/03/24/paraquat-poisoning-syngenta/

Environmental racism in Chicago will be made worse by General Iron facility. In this op-ed, Chicago high school students talk about why they’re fighting the construction of a new industrial facility in their neighborhood https://www.teenvogue.com/story/environmental-racism-chicago-southeast-side-protest

Thousands of U.S. locales where lead poisoning is worse than in Flint. A Reuters examination of lead testing results across the country found almost 3,000 areas with poisoning rates far higher than in the Michigan city. These lead hotspots are receiving little attention or funding.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-lead-testing/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Michigan warns of PFAS levels in Lake Superior rainbow smelt. Michigan health officials want people to limit intake of a popular fish from Lake Superior due to concerning levels of toxic “forever chemicals https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/03/michigan-warns-of-pfas-levels-in-lake-superior-rainbow-smelt.html

# Gov / Political
30 Lawmakers Urge Biden Staff Reform After Daily Beast Story. The members of Congress wrote they were “dismayed to learn” about the action taken against staffers who had previously used marijuana.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/30-members-of-congress-urge-biden-personnel-rule-change-after-daily-beast-marijuana-story

Schumer sharply criticizes GOP on voting rights: Schumer, testifying before the Senate Rules Committee on an elections reform bill, accused Republicans of trying to “disenfranchise” voters after losing the 2020 election. “Shame on them. … This is infuriating. I would like to ask my Republican colleagues: Why are you so afraid of democracy,” Schumer said.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/544701-schumer-sharply-criticizes-gop-on-voting-rights-shame-shame-shame?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=37857

Watch live: Biden holds first formal press conference
https://thehill.com/video/administration/544882-watch-live-biden-holds-his-first-formal-press-conference?userid=154982

Shameless Creep Eric Greitens Is Ready for His Comeback. He resigned as governor after Republicans found he’d cheated on his pregnant wife with a woman he blackmailed and abused. Now, he’s blaming the left and running for Senate.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/shameless-creep-eric-greitens-is-ready-for-his-comeback?source=articles&via=rss

There’s a Path to Ending the Filibuster, If Democrats Move Wisely. It’s time to clear a path to improve people’s lives with historic progressive legislation. The filibuster must go https://truthout.org/articles/theres-a-path-to-ending-the-filibuster-if-democrats-move-wisely/

# Law Enforcement
Secret Service Intervened in Hunter Biden Gun Case: The Secret Service told Politico it has no record of its agents being involved in the bizarre case of Hunter Biden’s missing firearm in a Delaware incident.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/25/sources-secret-service-inserted-itself-into-case-of-hunter-bidens-gun-477879

FBI Arrests Proud Boy Brothers on Capitol Riot Charges. Matthew Klein and Jonathanpeter Klein face six counts of destruction of government property, conspiracy, and entering a restricted building.
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/03/24/oregon-brothers-arrested-fbi-us-capitol-violence/

Teen Girls, 13 and 15, Charged With Murder in DC Carjacking. The girls allegedly used a stun gun on the Uber Eats driver, causing the car to flip and killing him.
https://nypost.com/2021/03/24/two-teen-girls-charged-with-murder-in-carjacking-death-of-uber-eats-driver/

Virginia Bans the Death Penalty. The state is the first among the former Confederate states to repeal capital punishment.
https://apnews.com/article/ken-paxton-austin-texas-crime-f8413d14842d848e69cf81bb4d2e87e2

After Atlanta and Colorado mass shootings, Texas GOP leaders double down on protecting gun owners https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/24/texas-gop-gun-laws/

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Ken Paxton refuses to release messages about attendance at pro-Trump rally before Jan. 6 insurrection. The Texas attorney general’s office is attempting to withhold all messages Ken Paxton sent or received while in Washington D.C., for the pro-Donald Trump rally that devolved into a riot at the U.S. Capitol.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/25/texas-ken-paxton-trump-insurrection/

# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden won’t step up and end the policy of firing staff for marijuana until it is federally legalized.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/biden-wont-end-marijuana-related-white-house-firings-until-federal-legalization-press-secretary-says/

The Delaware House Health and Human Development Committee voted to approve a marijuana legalization bill that was just introduced last week.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/delaware-lawmakers-approve-marijuana-legalization-bill-in-committee-vote/

The Minnesota House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee approved a bill to legalize marijuana that’s sponsored by the majority leader and speaker.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/minnesota-marijuana-legalization-bill-approved-in-first-committee-vote/

Congressional Researchers Analyze 280E Marijuana Tax Penalty And Legislative Solutions https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressional-researchers-analyze-280e-marijuana-tax-penalty-and-legislative-solutions/

# Social
#StopAsianHate: We invite our allies to join us in solidarity, and participate in the Vigil being hosted by the Korean American Coalition-Metro Atlanta chapter and live-streamed on www.326vigil.org.
Please visit the website for more info and encourage others to show support. If you’d like to add your organization’s name to the list of supporting organizations, please email me back with your organization name. You can also fill out the form here: https://326vigil.org/

New Docs: Jan 6. Violence Wasn’t Enough for Oath Keeper Boss: Hours after the riot, as the full picture of destruction and death came into view, Stewart Rhodes allegedly told the Oath Keepers it was their Boston Tea Party moment.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/24/oath-keepers-proud-boys-alliance-capitol-riot-477741

# Water
State officials link drinking water contamination with elevated rates of childhood cancer in Wilmington, MA https://www.mass.gov/news/state-study-suggests-link-between-elevated-rates-of-childhood-cancer-in-wilmington-in-the-1990s-and-formerly-contaminated-public-water-supply

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-23

Voices, The Peoples News

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

# Animals / Pets / Food Recalls
More than half of Florida’s manatees exposed to weed killer, study finds. Researchers found the weed-killer glyphosate, the world’s most-used pesticide, in more than half of all Florida manatees the study sampled.
https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2021/03/22/more-than-half-floridas-manatees-have-herbicide-glyphosate-their-bodies-new-study/4798339001/

# Border / Immigration
Migrants, including children, face cramped conditions at South Texas Border Patrol facility: Photos released by the office of U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, show dozens of migrants cramped together in a Border Patrol facility in South Texas. The images give a rare glimpse of the conditions many migrants face in Border Patrol detention centers https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/22/donna-border-patrol-facility-photos/

Border Patrol in Rio Grande Valley considering releasing illegal crossers into US without court date. Such a decision would be unprecedented if enacted and would place the responsibility of seeking an asylum hearing on the migrants https://americansecuritytoday.com/border-patrol-releasing-illegal-crossers-into-us-without-court-date/

Children crowded in a room in a Customs and Border Protection temporary outflow facility in Donna, Texas. A lawyer who met with children held in Border Patrol custody describes the urgency of expediting their release.
https://www.axios.com/photos-overcrowded-border-patrol-migrant-tents-0525a96b-0dc8-473f-b59c-38b0b3e52760.html

# Children / Youth
CPS Reform with ‘Racist’ Amendment Backfires: A GOP member of the Texas House went rogue with an anti-immigrant amendment, and it wasn’t pretty.
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-republican-wants-cry-gop-colleagues-attempt-hijack-cps-reform-immigration-amendment/

More Children 14 and Under Are Murdered Than Die of COVID-19 https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/03/18/more-children-14-and-under-are-murdered-than-die-of-covid-19/

# CoronaVirus
AstraZeneca is planning to request authorization for use in the U.S.
after a study released Monday found its vaccine was 79 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19.
https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/astraz/media-centre/press-releases/2021/astrazeneca-us-vaccine-trial-met-primary-endpoint.html

High vitamin D levels may protect against COVID-19, especially for Black people, study suggests. In a retrospective study of individuals tested for COVID-19, vitamin D levels above those traditionally considered sufficient were associated with a lower risk of COVID-19 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210322175028.htm

Long-haul COVID: Physicians review what’s known. With more patients complaining of lingering and chronic effects from COVID-19, experts review what’s known and why care for long-haulers requires an interdisciplinary approach.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210322175018.htm

U.S. Health Officials Say AstraZeneca Data Seems ‘Outdated.’ Federal health officials released a rare statement early Tuesday that appears to cast some doubt on AstraZeneca’s encouraging vaccine trial results.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-health-officials-say-astrazeneca-may-have-relied-on-outdated-information-over-covid-19-trial-11616484192

The Johnson and Johnson experimental COVID “vaccine” is not an mRNA “vaccine,” it is an “adenovirus” vaccine. Intelligent people vs.
powerful psychological conditioning
https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/people-now-dying-following-the-experimental-johnson-and-johnson-covid-injections/

Banned Videos of Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated Children Restored https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/banned-videos-of-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated-children-restored-on-health-impact-news/

Our immune systems can cope with Covid-19, it’s our politicians who can’t. Previous studies have shown that Sars-Cov-2 infection induces robust T-cell responses. Interestingly, some people who have never had
Covid-19 have memory T-cells from prior common-cold coronavirus infections that cross-react with Sars-Cov-2, suggesting that there may be some existing protection in the population https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/15/immune-systems-covid-19-politicians-virus

The latest developments with the AstraZeneca vaccine. In a trial involving more than 32,000 volunteers, about two-thirds of whom received the vaccine, the shots had a 79% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/03/astrazeneca-reports-powerful-covid-19-protection-new-vaccine-trial

U.S. Health Officials Raise Concerns Over AstraZeneca Vaccine Data.
Officials raised concerns just after AstraZeneca announced that its US study indicated the shot was safe and effective.
https://www.politico.eu/article/us-health-agency-casts-doubt-on-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-data/

Private Prison Company Poisoned Immigrants at Adelanto for A Decade. GEO Group Claims That Practices Were Suitable for “Animal Premise Disinfectant.”
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/03/22/private-prison-company-poisoned-immigrants-adelanto-decade

# Economy / Trade
House Democrats demand answers on slow $1,400 checks. A group of House Democrats is calling for answers on reported delays in getting the current round of $1,400 direct payments under the recently passed $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus plan to people who do not have to file a tax return, including veterans and some Social Security beneficiaries.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/544429-house-democrats-demand-answers-on-slow-1400-checks

The 1 Percent Owes Billions in Unpaid Taxes. The IRS Should Reclaim It for Infrastructure. Want to cause a real ruckus, President Biden? Draft a bill to overhaul the IRS and tax trillions stashed by the rich.
https://truthout.org/articles/1-percent-owes-billions-in-unpaid-taxes-irs-must-reclaim-it-for-infrastructure/

White House Eyes Funding Free Community College With Tax Increase on the Rich The White House is discussing tax increases for corporations and the wealthy to fund a $3 trillion infrastructure bill.
https://truthout.org/articles/1-percent-owes-billions-in-unpaid-taxes-irs-must-reclaim-it-for-infrastructure/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals Evidence of Fracking Chemicals Found in Bodies of Pennsylvania Children.
One 9-year-old had 91 times the average level of biomarkers for toluene, a chemical that can damage livers and kidneys.
https://truthout.org/articles/evidence-of-fracking-chemicals-found-in-bodies-of-pennsylvania-children/

Cancellation of Fracking Project in Texas Shows Power of Grassroots Organizing The project was one of three proposed fracked natural gas terminals in the Rio Grande Valley.
https://truthout.org/articles/cancellation-of-fracking-project-in-texas-shows-power-of-grassroots-organizing/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte Breaks State Rule to Kill Wolf. He got a warning and was allowed to keep the animal’s skull and hide.
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/montana-governor-given-written-warning-after-trapping-killing-yellowstone-wolf#stream/0

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Court ruling clears way for hydroponics to join National Organic Program https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/court-ruling-clears-way-for-hydroponics-to-join-national-organic-program/

Utah adopts cage-free law with 2025 start date https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/utah-adopts-cage-free-law-with-2025-start-date/

# Food Recalls / Alerts
Turkey wraps now on recall list because of Listeria fears: MG Foods is expanding its recall of dozens of sandwiches to include three turkey wraps because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/turkey-wraps-now-on-recall-list-because-of-listeria-fears/

# General Recalls / Alerts
FDA Says Don’t Drink ‘Real Water’—Which, Thankfully, Is a Brand of Water The alkaline water brand has been tied to a number of cases of hepatitis.
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/fda-real-water-warning-hepatitis

# Gov / Political
The High Cost of Georgia’s Restrictive Voting Bills: Racist policies are bad for business, as the state’s own history can attest.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/541810-advocates-warn-restrictive-voting-bills-could-end-Georgias-record-turnout

Widening political rift in U.S. may threaten science, medicine. While much attention has been given to Black people’s distrust in the medical system and research in particular, the current study, published in Scientific Reports, is the first to demonstrate the effect of political ideology on willingness to trust science and participate in medical research https://phys.org/news/2021-03-widening-political-rift-threaten-science.html

Georgia Races to Suppress Black Votes Amid MAGA Civil War. The secretary of state has done everything in his power to suppress Black votes—and his own party is still trying to push him out for being insufficiently loyal and cruel.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/georgia-gop-goes-all-out-to-suppress-black-votes-amid-maga-civil-war

Video: US Escalates New Cold War as Diplomatic Gloves Come Off, with Carl Zha US aggression against China and Russia sets the tone of the Biden administration’s Cold War doctrine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ3O-RBPstg

Once Upon a Time, the GOP Actually Backed More People Voting. Fifty years ago today, the House voted to lower the voting age to 18. Nixon backed it. But eventually, the right learned that Republicans do better when fewer people vote.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/once-upon-a-time-the-gop-actually-backed-more-people-voting

The urgent need for a Biden-Putin summit. If the leaders of the two countries with more than 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads can’t have a summit meeting and talk with each other, we’re in trouble.
Real trouble.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/03/23/urgent-need-biden-putin-summit

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
The prosecutor who led the criminal investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol breach told “60 Minutes” on Sunday night that former President Trump could be found criminally culpable for instigating the riot. Watch Michael Sherwin’s interview here: http://cbsn.ws/2NEoaTx

Sidney Powell Now Argues “No Reasonable Person” Would Believe Her Voter Fraud Lies Were “Fact”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/trump-lawyer-sidney-powell-dominion-lawsuit

# Media
Louis DeJoy’s about to release his plan to cut post office hours, raise prices, and slow down first-class mail. Anytime we want to confirm a board that wants to can him would be good https://truthout.org/articles/postmaster-general-louis-dejoy-plans-to-roll-out-slower-mail-higher-prices/

# Social
North Texas remains a focus of the investigation into the Capitol insurrection after 19 local residents have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, according to federal authorities. That’s one of the largest numbers in any place in the country.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/22/capitol-siege-jan-6-north-texas-arrested/

We are living through a time of fear – not just of the virus, but of each other This is a bill designed to outlaw the right to conduct any demonstration beyond the most feeble and ineffective kind.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/56492.htm

Attacks on Asian Women Are Fueled by Criminalization, War and Economic Injustice. The mass shooting in Georgia also exposes the violence of imperialism, economic exploitation and immigration policy.
https://truthout.org/articles/attacks-on-asian-women-are-fueled-by-criminalization-war-and-economic-injustice/

‘Black and Asian unity’: attacks on elders spark reckoning with racism’s roots. A spate of pandemic-era violence has shined a light on anti-Asian bias, stoking concerns of division between two minority communities https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/21/black-and-asian-unity-attacks-on-elders-spark-reckoning-with-racisms-roots

# Technology
Amnesty International: Facebook Plan To Target Children “Incompatible With Human Rights.” Facebook itself “poses one of the biggest threats when it comes to children’s privacy,” according to the human rights organization.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/instagram-facebook-children-human-rights/276355/

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-22

Voices, The Peoples News

March 22, 2021
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 To Inform and Educate

# Border / Immigration
DHS secretary says border is closed: ‘The message is quite clear, do not come’
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/544201-dhs-secretary-the-message-is-quite-clear-do-not-come

DHS secretary blames Trump administration for current border crisis.
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/544198-dhs-secretary-blames-trump-administration-for-current-border

President Biden’s secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, clashed Fox News host Chris Wallace over press access to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) facilities where migrant children are housed before being transferred to Health and Human Services (HHS) housing.
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/544202-dhs-secretary-clashes-with-fox-host-over-press-access

GOP representative predicts 1 million migrants at the border by summertime. “It’s gonna get worse. It’s gonna get a lot worse springtime, summer, more and more come over,” Rep. Michael McCaul
(R-Texas) told host Martha Raddatz on ABC’s ‘This Week.’
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/544205-gop-representative-predicts-a-million-migrants-at-the-border-by

Biden Admin Inks $86M Deal to Put Migrants in Hotels: Hotels in border area states like Texas and Arizona will help host migrant families overnight, as part of a newly signed contract with a Texas company.
https://www.axios.com/ice-hotel-rooms-border-migrant-families-7682092b-952c-428e-ae3b-f8b2d4072c0a.html

A new temporary overflow facility for unaccompanied migrant children is opening in Pecos and may potentially house 2,000 youths.
https://www.kxan.com/border-report/new-overflow-facility-in-west-texas-may-house-2000-unaccompanied-migrant-children/

# CoronaVirus
U.S. AstraZeneca Study Shows Vaxx Totally Stops Severe COVID. The findings will now be sent to the Food and Drug Administration to support an emergency authoritzation application.
https://us.cnn.com/2021/03/22/health/astrazeneca-vaccine-efficacy-us-based-clinical-trial/index.html

Kent Taylor, the 65-year-old founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse chain, died by suicide after battling ongoing “long COVID” symptoms that included unbearable tinnitus.
https://nypost.com/2021/03/21/texas-roadhouse-ceo-kent-taylor-commits-suicide-amid-covid-battle/

Israelis Cry Out to the World to Stop Mandatory COVID Injections as Lawsuit is Filed in International Criminal Court Over Nuremberg Code Violation https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/israelis-cry-out-to-the-world-to-stop-mandatory-covid-injections-as-lawsuit-is-filed-in-international-criminal-court-over-nuremberg-code-violation/

Moderna expects to rake in $18.4bn (£13bn) of sales from its coronavirus vaccine this year, marking a huge turnaround in the fortunes of the US biotech firm.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/25/moderna-forecasts-18bn-in-sales-of-covid-vaccine-this-year

Doubting the dose, what the science says about 7 common COVID-19 vaccine myths No, the vaccine development process didn’t cut corners, even though it happened in record time.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90614102/what-the-science-says-about-7-common-covid-19-vaccine-myths

Studies suggest COVID-19 may cause hearing loss https://www.zmescience.com/medicine/studies-suggest-covid-19-may-cause-hearing-loss/

Since the pandemic began, advocates and congressional leaders have been raising concerns about the safety of incarcerated people in federal prisons and questioned the management and policies of the Bureau of Prisons.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryancbrooks/prisons-coronavirus-biden

Pandemic whistleblower: we need a non-political way to track viruses.
Rick Bright exposed former president Donald Trump’s political meddling.
Now he’s spearheading a privately funded initiative to rapidly contain coronavirus variants and other outbreaks.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00760-2

# Economy / Trade
Our Taxes Subsidize as Much as 74 Cents of Every Dollar Donated by a Billionaire. Our system subsidizes the “generous” donations of billionaires in the form of lost tax revenue.
https://truthout.org/articles/our-taxes-subsidize-as-much-as-74-cents-of-every-dollar-donated-by-a-billionaire/

The Biden administration is preparing a massive spending proposal on infrastructure and other domestic priorities like child care and drug costs that could put fights over hot-button issues like climate change and taxes front and center.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/544400-white-house-eyes-sweeping-3t-spending-proposal

# Education / Schools
Biden reverses Devos cruelty with MAJOR change https://www.ajc.com/news/bidens-education-department-will-move-fast-to-reverse-devos-policies/WBJTNVJGEFFJLF45C6D3DBD2II/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals The coal plant next door: Near America’s largest coal-fired power plant, toxins are showing up in drinking water and people have fallen ill.
https://www.propublica.org/article/coal-ash-georgia-power

Why frack wastewater injected underground doesn’t always stay there.
Consider porous sandstone, which has tiny spaces in the rock. Liquid under high pressure like fracking wastewater can find spaces in the sandstone and travel underground. And if the wastewater meets a well, it can rush up to the surface.
https://www.alleghenyfront.org/why-frack-wastewater-injected-underground-doesnt-always-stay-there/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Global
Line 3: Stopping the Next Big Climate Threat Crossing the U.S.-Canada Border https://www.ecowatch.com/enbridge-line-3-climate-threat-2651088475.html

# Environment / Climate / Interior / Global He tried to save a rare parrot. It cost him his life. Armed groups and criminals are targeting environmentalists as Colombia’s moment of shaky peace slips away.
https://www.pehalnews.in/he-tried-to-save-a-rare-parrot-it-cost-him-his-life/636050/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
Supreme Court Case on Farmworker Protections Could End Up Harming All Regulation. A legion of well-funded right-wing think tanks is leading the charge to dismantle these protections.
https://truthout.org/articles/supreme-court-case-on-farmworker-protections-could-end-up-harming-all-regulation/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals / Global
Biden Pushes Colombia to Restart Glyphosate Spraying Program. After a six-year halt, Colombia plans to restart the toxic aerial spraying of glyphosate on coca crops as early as next month—drawing “most welcome”
support from U.S.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/20/biden-pushes-colombia-restart-glyphosate-spraying-program

# Gov / Political
Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have effectively hit the pause button on two potentially competitive Senate races that could help determine which party controls the upper chamber through the next presidential election.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/544088-johnson-grassley-indecision-freezes-key-senate-races

Former Top Capitol Riot Prosecutor: Maybe Trump Is Culpable: The federal prosecutor who initially led the Justice Department’s inquiry into the Jan. 6 insurrection has spoken about what might happen next.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/21/politics/capitol-riot-prosecutor-michael-sherwin-donald-trump/index.html

Democrats are warning they won’t tolerate GOP stonewalling as they try to make good on their pledge to enact a “bold” agenda and avoid Obama-era missteps https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/544117-democrats-vow-to-go-bold-with-or-without-gop

Texas Republicans begin pursuing new voting restrictions as they work to protect their hold on power. Hearings are set to begin today on the first major bill in a push by Republican lawmakers to further tighten the state’s already restrictive voting rules and raise new barriers for some voters.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/22/texas-republicans-voting-restrictions/

D.C. Statehood Bill, Supported by Majority of Americans, to Get Hearing on Monday.
A recent poll shows that 54 percent of Americans back making Washington, D.C. the 51st state in the U.S.
https://truthout.org/articles/dc-statehood-bill-supported-by-majority-of-americans-to-get-hearing-on-monday/

Trump ramps up activities, asserts power within GOP: Former President Trump is reemerging on the political scene after a months-long hiatus and Trump world insiders expect him to ramp up his activity even more as the midterm elections get closer.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/544382-trump-ramps-up-activities-asserts-power-within-gop

How Right-Wing Dark Money Is Trying to Kneecap the Biden DOJ. A shadowy group is fighting DOJ appointees Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke. Their crime? Their desire to use their skills to defend Americans’ right to vote.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-right-wing-dark-money-is-trying-to-kneecap-the-biden-doj

# Law Enforcement / Incarceration
6-Year-Old Texas Girl Shot Dead Over Clogged Toilet. The murder comes days after the girl’s four cousins were killed in a car crash.
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article250103139.html

Kentucky Mom Charged With Murder After Toddler’s Fentanyl OD. The 2-year-old died after taking the drug, which he allegedly found in his mother’s purse, while she was sleeping.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article250080659.html

Cops Failed ‘Nationwide’ During George Floyd Protests: An analysis of nine after-action reviews concludes police were “poorly trained, heavily militarized and stunningly unprepared” for the scale of the protests after Floyd’s death.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/04/george-floyd-protests-riots-rebellion

# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Can Merrick Garland Uncover Trump’s Role in the Capitol Riot? The ongoing federal criminal inquiry is the most promising route to the truth.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democratic-leader-ag-trump-capitol-riot-probe/story?id=76087308

DOJ Official Says Trump, Capitol Breach Attackers May Be Charged With Sedition Sedition is defined as conspiring to “overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States.”
https://truthout.org/articles/doj-official-says-trump-capitol-breach-attackers-may-be-charged-with-sedition/

# LGBTQ
# Marijuana / Hemp / CBD Oil
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) said she will call lawmakers into a special session this month to work on marijuana legalization after the Senate failed to act on a House-passed cannabis bill by Saturday’s end of the regular session.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-mexico-governor-plans-special-session-on-marijuana-as-legalization-bill-stalls-on-final-stretch/

Democratic members of Congress are pushing back against the Biden administration’s move to fire or otherwise punish White House staffers over past marijuana use.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-related-firings-in-biden-white-house-represent-antiquated-response-congressman-says/

# Medical / Health
Progressives Demand Repeal of Paygo Law as Automatic Medicare Cuts Loom.
Statutory Paygo requires deficit spending to be offset by cuts to government programs. The leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is calling for permanent repeal of a notorious 2010 law that is threatening to inflict deep, automatic cuts to Medicare and other safety net programs following passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan earlier this month.
https://truthout.org/articles/progressives-demand-repeal-of-paygo-law-as-automatic-medicare-cuts-loom/

20 Rural Hospitals Closed in 2020. 13 Were in the South. The closures will leave many rural communities without their primary employer and main economic infrastructure.
https://truthout.org/articles/20-rural-hospitals-closed-in-2020-13-were-in-the-south/

# Military / DOD
Jockeying over defense funding is heating up amid expectations President Biden will request an essentially flat Pentagon budget for next year.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/544126-battle-heats-up-over-pentagon-spending-plans

# Social
This is where 150 years of ignoring anti-Asian racism got us. For so long, we’ve thought keeping our heads down and being invisible in America might help us gain acceptance, but the recent wave of racist violence has shattered that myth.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/asian-american-invisible-hate-crimes

# Technology
President Biden is coming under increasing pressure from lawmakers and other officials to nominate a White House cyber czar as the government starts formulating its response to two major foreign cyberattacks.
https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/544124-biden-under-growing-pressure-to-nominate-cyber-czar?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=37748

# Water
Trump rule imperils more than 40,000 waterways. More than 70% of U.S.
waterways reviewed under a controversial Trump-era rule could be permanently damaged. Wetlands and streams that are not given federal protections can be damaged and destroyed forever, along with their abilities to sequester carbon and protect downstream water quality.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063727993

Massachusetts has awarded $3 million in grants to 17 public water supply systems to support efforts to address elevated levels of so-called PFAS https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/03/21/massachusetts-awards-3m-to-towns-to-fight-water-pollution

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Voices, The Peoples News No. 2021-03-21

Voices, The Peoples News

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

# Animals / Pets / Food Recalls
Murder Hornet season is coming: Scientists worried about honey bees ask public for help https://www.ecowatch.com/murder-hornet-season-honey-bees-2651148157.html

# Border / Immigration
Biden admin considering flying Latin American migrants to states near Canadian border: It is not clear whether CBP will be able to provide warmer clothing for families https://nypost.com/2021/03/19/biden-admin-weighs-flying-migrants-to-canadian-border-amid-surge/

Biden administration limits what Border Patrol can share with media about migrant surge at border. Restrictions on what border agents can share with the media were passed down verbally, say officials.
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/543608-border-patrol-prevented-from-talking-to-media-report

House OKs path to citizenship for millions, including ‘Dreamers’
https://nypost.com/2021/03/18/house-oks-path-to-citizenship-for-millions-including-dreamers/

# CoronaVirus
1,739 DEAD as CDC Adds Another 200+ Recorded Deaths this Week Following COVID Experimental “Vaccines”
https://www.algora.com/Algora_blog/2021/03/19/1739-dead-as-cdc-adds-another-200-recorded-deaths-this-week-following-covid-experimental-vaccine-s

Animal Testing Is Useless for Determining COVID Vaccine Effectiveness in Humans The future of vaccine development must move away from ineffective animal testing and focus on human biology.
https://truthout.org/articles/animal-testing-is-useless-for-determining-covid-vaccine-effectiveness-in-humans/

Can we fight COVID-19 without animal testing?
https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/research-medical-benefits/can-we-fight-covid-19-without-animal-testing/

Scientists Worldwide Work to Fight COVID-19 Without Hurting Animals https://www.peta.org/blog/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-non-animal-tests/

Professor Resigns from Israel’s COVID Vaccine Committee Over Decision to Vaccinate Pregnant Women https://hfaculty.news/professor-resigns-from-israels-covid-vaccine-committee-over-decision-to-vaccinate-pregnant-women/

Coroner calls for audit as people who recovered 9 months ago counted as COVID deaths https://thefreethoughtproject.com/coroner-calls-for-audit-as-people-who-recovered-9-months-ago-counted-as-covid-deaths/

Prosecutors launch manslaughter investigation in Italy as teacher dies hours after getting AstraZeneca vaccine https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/italy-opens-manslaughter-case-teacher-140353740.html

Italy Seizes Nearly 400K AstraZeneca Doses, Starts Investigation After Man Dies Following Shot
https://www.newsweek.com/italy-seizes-nearly-400k-astrazeneca-doses-starts-investigation-after-man-dies-following-shot-1576560

Like it or not, vaccine passports are coming soon to an airport near you https://fortune.com/2021/03/19/covid-vaccine-passports-coming-soon-airport-near-you/

China Demands to be in Charge of Global ‘Vaccine Passport’ System https://theohiostar.com/2021/03/15/china-demands-to-be-in-charge-of-global-vaccine-passport-system/

Fully Vaccinated People Testing Positive for COVID – So How Does the “Benefit” of Experimental Vaccines “Outweigh the Risk”? This “fact sheet” (one exists for each experimental COVID shot on the FDA.gov
website) is supposed to be given to everyone before receiving one of the experimental shots. It clearly states that this is not an approved vaccine, that it “may not protect everyone,” and that “the duration of protection against COVID-19 is currently unknown.”
https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/fully-vaccinated-people-testing-positive-for-covid-so-how-does-the-benefit-of-experimental-vaccines-outweigh-the-risk/

12 Times Simone Gold and the Frontline Doctors Misled You About the
COVID-19 Vaccine
https://medshadow.org/frontline-doctors/

# Economy / Trade
GOP picks fight over states’ rights in coronavirus relief. Republicans are aiming to stir up a legal battle over Biden’s pandemic relief bill, targeting a provision in the American Rescue Plan they say is an unconstitutional infringement on states’ ability to devise their own tax policies.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/544111-gop-picks-fight-over-states-rights-in-coronavirus-relief

# Employment / Labor
Garment Workers Win $22 Billion in Historic Victory Against Wage Theft.
PayUp is one of the most successful labor rights campaigns in the fashion industry in modern times.
https://truthout.org/articles/garment-workers-win-22-billion-in-historic-victory-against-wage-theft/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Chemicals As Oil Demand Rebounds, Nations Will Need to Make Big Changes to Meet Paris Goals, Report Says https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18032021/oil-demand-surge-coronavirus-pandemic-paris-agreement/

Al Gore Describes a ‘Well-Known Playbook’ That Fossil Fuel Companies Employ to Win Community Support. The former vice president said the Byhalia Pipeline that would run through Black neighborhoods in Southwest Memphis poses a threat to the city’s water supply.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17032021/qa-al-gore-describes-a-well-known-playbook-that-fossil-fuel-companies-employ-to-win-community-support/

Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Resigns After Leaked Call Shows Effort to Help Banks Keep Overcharges https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/wall-street-profited-off-texas-blackouts/

# Environment / Climate / Interior
About 10.3 million people were displaced by climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts in the last six months https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/17/climate-crisis-displaced-over-10-million-people-past-six-months-red-cross

Long-lost Core Drilled to Prepare Ice Sheet to Hide Nuclear Missiles Holds Clues About a Different Threat. Plant remnants frozen beneath
4,000 feet of ice show that most of Greenland’s ice sheet melted about 1 million years ago, in a climate like today’s.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15032021/ice-core-greenland-ice-sheet-climate-change/

# Food / GMOs / Chemicals
The global pollination ‘trade’ reveals how crucial biodiversity is to food security Pollinators underpin the global food trade, and that makes rich nations highly dependent on conservation measures in tropical countries.
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2021/03/the-global-pollination-trade-reveals-how-crucial-biodiversity-is-to-food-security/

How Dirt Could Help Save the Planet: Farming practices that retain carbon in the soil, or return it there, would limit both erosion and climate change https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/how-dirt-could-help-save-planet

# Global Politics and other news
Putin Challenges Biden to a Live Publicly Broadcast Discussion; Russia Ups Challenge After Biden Silent
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-reaction/putin-offers-biden-public-talks-after-u-s-president-says-he-thinks-he-is-a-killer-idUSKBN2BA0S1

Jamal Khashoggi: Saudi crown prince ‘served with lawsuit’ accusing him of kidnap and assassination. Lawyers for the fiancee of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi say they have served the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a legal complaint – allowing proceedings against the Saudi royal to proceed.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jamal-khashoggi-mbs-murder-lawsuit-served-b1819922.html

Iraq Confirms Withdrawal of US Troops: All U.S. troops still stationed in Iraq are to leave the country, confirmed Iraqi President Barham Salih, after a decision adopted by the Iraqi Parliament.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Iraq-Confirms-Withdrawal-of-US-Troops–20210319-0019.html

# Gov / Political
President Biden is facing serious challenges as he grapples with the border crisis and confronts racial turmoil and domestic extremism in a country that has been torn apart by cultural differences.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/544125-new-challenges-emerge-for-biden-after-strong-start

Biden condemns anti-Asian violence, ‘ugly poison’ of racism. President Biden called on Americans to unite against hate and racism, condemning the rise in attacks against Asian Americans and the recent shootings in Atlanta during a trip to the area Friday.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/544114-biden-condemns-anti-asian-violence-ugly-poison-of-racism

Caught-Bought: Kentucky suffers as Oil Deal between McConnell and accused Russian Mobster-Murderer comes to light. Trump gave Russia the White House but Russia had to share with China as both paid off Mitch https://www.veteranstoday.com/2021/03/19/caught-bought-kentucky-suffers-as-oil-deal-between-mcconnell-and-accused-russian-mobster-murderer-comes-to-light/

Lindsey Graham Vows to Filibuster Voting Rights Bill Until He Collapses.
Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News that he “would talk ’til I fell over”
if Democrats revive the talking filibuster.
https://truthout.org/articles/lindsey-graham-vows-to-filibuster-voting-rights-bill-until-he-collapses/

US ties with Russia, China sink as Biden toes tough lines. Moscow and Beijing both fired back, setting the stage for months, if not more, of escalating tensions that are unlikely to be resolved without intense discussions at the leadership level and major concessions from all sides.
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-russia-vladimir-putin-china-national-security-550deda11d43e6bb7c1a8230ee8917ed

U.S. Aggressiveness Will Accelerate Its Demise. U.S. hostility is not restricted to Russia and China.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/03/us-aggressiveness-will-accelerate-its-demise.html

# Law Enforcement / Incarceration
# Legal / Judicial / DOJ
Former daughter-in-law of Trump Org CFO spoke ‘multiple times’ with Manhattan DA office over financial probe. Jennifer Weisselberg told NBC that Allen Weisselberg likely has the most complete understanding of the organization’s financial workings.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/543984-ex-daughter-in-law-of-trump-org-cfo-has-spoken-multiple-times-with-manhattan-da

The one weird court case linking Trump, Clinton, and a billionaire pedophile A woman suing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein’s underage sex ring claims she was first approached while working as a towel girl at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/04/jeffrey-epstein-trump-lawsuit-sex-trafficking-237983

Trump Vindicated as Judge Rules Michigan Secretary of State Violated Election Laws https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/judge-rules-michigan-sec-state-broke-law-absentee-ballot
The court’s conclusion:
https://www.scribd.com/document/498855479/Genetski-v-Benson-No-20-216-MM-in-the-Court-of-Claims-for-the-State-of-Michigan

# Nuclear / Radiation
The Terrifying $1.2 Trillion Plan That Could Kill 90% of Humanity. The US will soon review its nuclear weapons programme. Should it spend $1.2 Trillion extending & updating it?
https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2021/16/march/a-12-trillion-plan-could-kill-90-stephen-fry

# Other News
Spectators from abroad will be barred from the Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months, the IOC and local organizers said Saturday.
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31098579/spectators-abroad-barred-tokyo-olympics

U.S. charges Proud Boys with conspiracy in Capitol assault that turned deadly
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-03-19/us-charges-proud-boys-with-conspiring-to-impede-congress-on-january-6

# Space
Government Accountability Office to review decision to move Space Command out of Colorado. The decision to select Huntsville, Ala., was announced in mid-January. The GAO announced Friday that it will carry out a review.
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/19/us-space-command-relocation-review/

# Veterans / VA
Veterans Affairs chief orders probe into health records system at Spokane VA Medical Center https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/19/veterans-affairs-chief-orders-probe-into-health-re/

Doctors found jet fuel in veteran’s lungs; he can’t get full benefits https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/21/doctors-found-jet-fuel-veterans-lungs-he-cant-get-full-benefits.html

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