(2021-02-23). Biden and the Iran nuclear deal: what to expect from the negotiations. juancole.com 
By Ali Bilgic | — As Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, speculation was rife that one of the first things his administration would do would be to seek re-entry to the Iran nuclear deal that had been quit by his predecessor in the White House. The Joint …
(2021-02-23). South Florida activists hold rally against sanctions, war on Iran. fightbacknews.org Fort Lauderdale, FL – A dozen activists from the South Florida area joined together outside of the Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon, February 20, to denounce U.S. sanctions and any U.S. aggression against Iran, and to urge President Biden to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action without any added stipulations. | This event was part of the "No War on Iran National Days of Action" called for by Youth Against Empire (YAE), the newest formation within the United National Antiwar Coalition. YAE is part of a national initiative by leading anti-war organizations within UNAC to place yo…
(2021-02-23). Iran's Khamenei Issues Non-Binding Legal Opinion That Female Cartoon Characters Must Wear Hijab. sputniknews.com Wearing the Muslim headscarf — the hijab — and covering all parts of the body was made mandatory for women in Iran after the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, with those who fall foul of the rules targeted by the morality police, known as Gasht-e Ershad.
(2021-02-23). Iran limits nuclear checks but says IAEA cooperation will continue. laprensalatina.com Tehran, Feb 23 (efe-epa).- Iran has limited international monitoring of its nuclear program but will continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the foreign minister said Tuesday. "Obliged by law, we halted voluntary implementation of Additional Protocol," Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter, referring to regulation passed by Iran's parliament to stop voluntary …
(2021-02-23). Iran's Stubbornness on Enrichment Is Understandable, but Not Wise If It Wants to Return to the JCPOA. strategic-culture.org It's easy to understand why Iran wants to play hardball with Biden now after the suffering of years of Trump's sanctions. The problem is that Biden has to see a halt to enrichment as a crucial gesture. Is there a compromise? | The news that Joe Biden took steps recently to withdraw the specific actions by Donald Trump which led the U.S. to quit the JCPOA deal signed in 2015 is welcome by anyone who hopes for peace in the Middle East, but in many respects is nothing more than a diplomatic stunt with nothing really to glean from either side. | Most keen analysts knew that this was likely and Iranian officials were…
(2021-02-23). Conference on Legal-Intl. Claims of Holy Defense in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — International Conference on the Legal-International Claims of the Holy Defense was held in the presence of the head of Iran's Judiciary Ebrahim Raisi, Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohamad Bagheri.
(2021-02-23). Iran, Tajikistan explore avenues to broaden security coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — Visiting Iranian Minister of Interior Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli met and held talks with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon in Tajik capital Dushanbe on Tuesday to strengthen bilateral cooperation in security field.
(2021-02-23). Iran making 20% enriched uranium in line with plan: IAEA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — The International Atomic Energy Agency announced that Iran has produced 17.6 kg of uranium enriched to up to 20 percent.
(2021-02-23). Iran not having expansionist view of its military component. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — Iranian President maintained that the Islamic Republic does not have an expansionist view of its defensive and military power components.
(2021-02-23). Chinese, US envoys discuss Iran, JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu held a telephone conversation with Rob Malley US Special Envoy for Iran's Affairs on Tue. regarding Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
(2021-02-23). Tehran, Dushanbe stress coop. in fight against terrorism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) —The interior ministers of Islamic Republic of Iran and Tajikistan stressed cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and cybercrime.
(2021-02-23). Neutralizing sanctions best way to aid Iranian nation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — The Iranian lawmakers said in a statement that the best way to serve the Iranian nation is to neutralize sanctions and ignore empty threats of foreign countries.
(2021-02-23). Bolivian envoy submits credentials to Foreign Min. Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — Bolivia's new ambassador to Iran Romina Pérez Ramos submitted a copy of her credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Sunday meeting in Tehran.
(2021-02-23). E3 reacts to Iran's suspension of Additional Protocol. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — The foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany issued a statement on the suspension of voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol by Iran.
(2021-02-23). Iranian Dep. FM discuss JCPOA with Chinese counterpart. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (MNA) — In a telephone conversation, the Iranian and Chinese Deputy Foreign Ministers discussed the JCPOA and ways to resolve issues around the Iranian nuclear deal.
(2021-02-23). Erbil attack a warning to Iraqi Kurds, not the US, say Shia commanders. middleeasteye.net 
Erbil attack a warning to Iraqi Kurds, not the US, say Shia commanders | With tensions over Sinjar sky high, Iran-backed groups say they are happy to see the Kurdish authorities under pressure but not sure who fired the rockets | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 09: 22 | A gun and bullets belonging to a Yazidi militia affiliated with the PKK in the border area near Sinjar in 2016 (Reuters) | The recent miss…
(2021-02-23). Reviving Iran deal is 'most urgent' priority, says EU's Josep Borrell. middleeasteye.net 
Reviving Iran deal is 'most urgent' priority, says EU's Josep Borrell | Top European official rejects push to expand nuclear deal beyond its current scope to address other issues with Iran | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 18: 46 | Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) welcomes EU's Josep Borrell in Tehran on 3 February 2020 (AFP/File photo) | Top EU foreign policy official Josep Borrell has called reviving the Iran nuclear deal "th…
(2021-02-23). Republicans oppose the American Rescue Plan at their peril. peoplesworld.org 
With Republicans scrambling to block emergency economic assistance to millions, the Democratic-led House of Representatives is moving quickly to approve the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) this week. The measure, which links the pandemic, economic crisis, and racial justice, then goes to the Senate. The Democratic majority is expected to pass it via the …
(2021-02-23). 'Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me' at Pan African Film Festival. peoplesworld.org 
Undaunted, the pandemic can't stop the Pan African Film Festival. In that immortal show biz tradition, the show must go on! Albeit virtually, as this year, in order to stay cinematically safe, America's largest and best annual Black-themed filmfest since 1992 is moving online and starting later than usual, kicking off on the last day …
(2021-02-23). Amazon faces a day of reckoning for its treatment of workers. therealnews.com 
Amazon workers and their allies rallied last weekend to support the union drive at the Bessemer, Alabama, facility. Workers say the company has failed to protect worker safety or improve working conditions even while Amazon and Jeff Bezos profited from the pandemic.
(2021-02-23). Matt Hancock's audacity is off the scale as he refuses to apologise for breaking the law. thecanary.co 
It should no longer come as a surprise, watching Matt Hancock give himself a pat on the back for how he's handled the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It should also come as no surprise that he accepts zero responsibility for almost But Hancock's audacity flew off the chart on 23 February when he insisted that his team should be thanked, and that there had been no national shortage of PPE. Does Hancock think that a successful roll-out of vaccines…
(2021-02-23). Meghan McCain calls for firing of Fauci for 'inconsistent messaging' on Covid, gets roasted for calling vaccine rollout a disaster. rt.com 
Meghan McCain was taken to the woodshed online after demanding Anthony Fauci be fired for his "inconsistent messaging" on the Covid-19 pandemic, while complaining that she — a TV host — doesn't know when she'll be vaccinated. | The pundit took aim at Fauci during a Monday segment on 'The View' over a recent appearance on CNN, where the health expert suggested those who've received an immunization may still have to practice social distancing. | "I was very frustrated when I saw this clip," she said. "The fact that Dr. Fauci is going on CNN and he can't tell me that if I get the vaccine, if I'll be a…
(2021-02-23). 'The containers offer privacy!' Biden under fire for opening child detainment center, but some liberals jump to defend him. rt.com 
The first child immigration detainment facility under President Joe Biden opened this week, prompting Democrats who had attacked former President Donald Trump for maintaining similar facilities to go on the defensive. | A former oil field worker camp in Carrizo Springs, Texas, it was briefly used as a detainment facility by the Trump administration in 2019 before being closed down, but is now back in operation to hold "up to 700 children," with the Biden administration saying it was needed since capacity has been cut at other facilities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | Immigration activists were saddened to hea…
(2021-02-23). The Fake Debate Over a Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org 
Capitalism's "conservative" defenders yet again oppose raising the minimum wage. They fought raising it in the past much as they tried to prevent the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) that first mandated a U.S. minimum wage. The major argument opponents have used is this: setting or raising a minimum wage threatens small employers. They may collapse or else fire employees; either way, jobs are lost. What is conveniently assumed here is a necessary contradiction between minimum wages and small business jobs. That assumption enables opponents to claim that not setting a legal minimum wage, like not raising it, saves…
(2021-02-23). Remembering Octavia Butler: Black Sci-Fi Writer Shares Cautionary Tales in Unearthed 2005 Interview. democracynow.org 
As Democracy Now! marks 25 years on the air, we are revisiting some of the best and most impactful moments from the program's history, including one of the last television interviews given by the visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. She spoke to Democracy Now! in November 2005, just three months before she died on February 24, 2006, at age 58. Butler was the first Black woman to win Hugo and Nebula awards for science-fiction writing and the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur "genius" fellowship. Her best-known books include the classics "Kindred," as well as "Parable of the Sowe…
(2021-02-23). U.S. COVID Death Toll Hits 500,000 as Rich Nations Hoard Vaccines, Leaving Poorer Nations Without Any. democracynow.org 
The United States has passed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, by far the highest toll in the world. The morbid milestone comes as new COVID-19 cases continue to fall across the country amid an accelerating vaccine rollout, but the head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries not to undermine efforts to get vaccines to poorer nations by buying up billions of doses — in some cases ordering enough to vaccinate their populations more than once. "The inequities that we've seen here are just absolutely stunning," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia Uni…
(2021-02-23). adrienne maree brown: Octavia Butler's Visions of the Future Have Transformed Generation of Readers. democracynow.org 
The visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler died 15 years ago on February 24, 2006, but her influence and readership has only continued to grow since then. In September, Butler's novel "Parable of the Sower" became her first to reach the New York Times best-seller list. We speak with adrienne maree brown, a writer and Octavia Butler scholar, who says Butler had a remarkable talent for universalizing Black stories. "She wrote about Black women and about Black feminism, about Black futures, but she wrote in a way that appealed to all human beings," says brown.
(2021-02-23). Die Twilight Zone: Covid, das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) und Eugenik. globalresearch.ca 
All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | àúbrsetzt aus dem Englischen von Global Research: | |
(2021-02-23). Capitol Riots were a Dark Day for American Journalism. counterpunch.org 
What is reported matters and particularly so when it risks exaggerating violence or deepening fear and a sense of threat. If the US government really was the target of an armed insurrection, then this will be used to justify repression, as it was after 9/11, and not just against right wing conspiracy theorists. By becoming partisan instruments for spreading fake news, the media undermines its own credibility.
(2021-02-23). 'Haven't thought about that': Biden's AG nominee Garland dodges question whether illegal immigration should remain a crime. rt.com 
Former judge Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the Justice Department, seemed to say "I don't know" a lot at his Senate confirmation hearing, including when asked about illegal immigration. | Also on rt.com | | Senators questioned Garland on Monday ahead of the floor vote on his nomination, which appears to be a foregone conclusion. Time and again, however, he would not commit to things such as safeg…
(2021-02-23). Covid-19: Israel donates vaccines to countries that moved embassies to Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Israel donates vaccines to countries that moved embassies to Jerusalem | Czech Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, and Palestinian Authority will receive symbolic amount of vaccines, local media report | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 16: 57 | Israel is facing mounting criticism for not inoculating Palestinians in occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip (AFP) | The Czech Republic, Guatemala and Honduras, which have all move…
(2021-02-23). Part II — Western Capital's Long Chinese Mission: From Opium to COVID Vaccine Credentials. mintpressnews.com 
We examine the virtually unbroken history between American power-brokers and the highest echelons of power in China — a history that harkens back to the earliest days of capitalism, slavery, and the opium trade.
(2021-02-23). Demographic characteristics of people receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States. mronline.org 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with states to provide more information on the demographic characteristics of vaccinated people.
(2021-02-23). Mourning Dr. Agha Saeed, Celebrating his Life. counterpunch.org 
Dr. Agha Saeed , a towering American-Muslim figure has passed away today in a nursing home at the age of 72, due to complications from Covid-19. He had also been silently suffering from Parkinson's for over eight years. The history of American Muslims will be incomplete and extremely inadequate without recognizing Dr. Saeed's life achievements
(2021-02-23). The Vaccine (Dis)Information War. dissidentvoice.org 
So, good news, folks! It appears that GloboCap's Genetic Modification Division has come up with a miracle vaccine for Covid! It's an absolutely safe, non-experimental, messenger-RNA vaccine that teaches your cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response, just like your body's immune-system response, only better, because it's made by corporations! OK, technically, …
(2021-02-23). Experts urge the UK to follow a zero-Covid strategy to prevent more mutations. thecanary.co 
Stamping out coronavirus (Covid-19) means that the virus which causes the disease will have less chance to mutate, MPs have heard. | Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that he could not understand why the government had decided not to follow the path of eliminating the virus — or a zero-Covid approach — and instead accepted that it will become endemic in society. | Prof McKee said having a situation where infection rates are "yo-yoing" up and down was just creating uncertainty for the public and for the economy. | It comes afte…
(2021-02-23). #FireFauci trends as he tells vaccinated people to remain under lockdown, blames Trump's 'denial' for massive death count. rt.com 
Calls for White House adviser Anthony Fauci to be fired have intensified as he continues pushing lockdown restrictions and criticizing former President Donald Trump over Covid-19 deaths. | After cautioning vaccinated individuals from resuming normal activities like dining out or attending large group events, Fauci tried clarifying his stance in a Tuesday interview with CNN, saying more relaxed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be coming "soon." | The agency, Fauci said, needs to "sit down, talk about it, look at the data and then come out with a recommendation based on the…
(2021-02-23). Pfizer and Moderna pledge to Congress to ramp up Covid-19 vaccine production as US death toll tops 500,000. rt.com 
Pfizer and Moderna have prepared written testimonies to the US Congress, promising to boost vaccine production in the coming months, as the country's death toll from Covid-19 recently exceeded 500,000. | The companies' executives are scheduled to speak before the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday. | According to Pfizer Chief Business Officer John Young's written testimony, the company will have 120 million doses of the vaccine available for shipment by the end of March and an additional 80 million doses by the end of May. Pfizer expects that all 300 million contracted dose…
(2021-02-23). Covid-19 in Lebanon: World Bank threatens to stop funding vaccinations after violations. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19 in Lebanon: World Bank threatens to stop funding vaccinations after violations | Lebanon's vaccine committee said on Tuesday that a number of lawmakers had received the jab without its approval | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 14: 02 | People receive Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines at the Lebanese American University Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon, on 16 February 2021 (Reuters) | The head…
(2021-02-23). How do you market sex work? therealnews.com 
We're back with Part II of our special mini-series on work and politics in the sex industry, guest-hosted by friend of the show Jessie Sage. Jessie is a writer, podcaster, phone sex operator, clip artist, and co-owner of Peepshow Media. In this rich and expansive two-part series, Jessie interviews sex worker, activist, writer, undocumented migrant, and DACA recipient from Honduras, Maya Morena. In Part II of their conversation, Maya and Jessie pick up where they left off last week and discuss the day-to-day labor that goes into being a sex worker, the images that sex workers have to maintain, and much more.
(2021-02-23). Qatar: More than 6,500 south Asian migrant workers have died since 2011, says report. middleeasteye.net 
Qatar: More than 6,500 south Asian migrant workers have died since 2011, says report | Data compiled from government sources reveals thousands dead since Qatar awarded Fifa World Cup in December 2010 | Tue, 02/23/2021 – 08: 14 | Migrant workers are seen walking next to a construction site in the Qatari capital Doha on 6 December 2016 (AFP) | At least 6,500 migrant workers from south Asian countries have died i…
(2021-02-23). Notes on Black History Month, 2021: No More Black Messiahs, Please. counterpunch.org 
The sign in the window of my neighborhood food store reads, "Black Lives Matter." I have shopped there at least once a week over the past year. I have never seen a Black person in the store or a Black person working there. That is not strange or unusual. There aren't many Black people in all of northern California. Indeed, there are fewer Blacks in the Bay Area than there were in the 1940s and 1950s. They've been pushed out.
(2021-02-23). From the People's World archives: W.E.B. DuBois joins the Communist Party. peoplesworld.org 
Editor's Note: Dr. William E. Burghhardt DuBois was born Feb. 23, 1868. Near the end of his life, in 1961, he applied for membership in the Communist Party USA. His letter, and the response from Gus Hall, leader of the party at that time, were published for the first time in the pages of The …
(2021-02-23). Conservative Democrat Joe Manchin playing a dangerous game. peoplesworld.org 
The press is talking about how a conservative Democratic senator from West Virginia is now allegedly one of the most powerful movers and shakers in the nation's capital. Sen. Joe Manchin has been an enormous headache for President Joe Biden by threatening to sink the $15 minimum wage and by promising to vote down Biden's …
(2021-02-23). Corporations, lawmakers collude in new multi-state 'right to work' offensive. peoplesworld.org 
Dave Dell Isola, the son and grandson of union members, grew up grateful for the family-sustaining wages and benefits that organized labor won for working people. But he never fully grasped the might of solidarity until he and his wife, Barbara, and their two sons lost everything in an apartment fire. Dell Isola's brothers and …
(2021-02-23). What coronavirus taught us about the ruling class. mronline.org 
If half a million people in the United States were murdered by an evil cult, the leaders of which said that they would keep killing thousands a day to satisfy their rapacious urge for power and money, what do you think the response would be?>
(2021-02-23). The Race to Save the Vaquita Porpoise From Extinction. counterpunch.org 
San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. The long-running global struggle to prevent extinction of the world's most endangered marine mammal claimed its first human life here on Jan. 2, in the conflict between illegal fishing and conservation of the vaquita porpoise. Fisherman Mario Garcia Toledo, 56, died after suffering massive injuries when his skiff collided with
(2021-02-23). Rohingya: The Sufis of Arakan. counterpunch.org 
'It was absolutely shocking, how children aged five or six were hunted down and had their throats slit. I was thinking 'this is ISIS-type stuff'. I told Aung San Suu Kyi 'you have moral standing in this country. You have to stop this. Why are you hiding it?' She said [the United Nations] needed to
(2021-02-23). Crediting Xenophobia—rather than organizing—with raising workers' wages. mronline.org 
The Economist (2/15/20) ran a brief article last year with a startling headline: "Immigration to America Is Down. Wages Are Up. Are the Two Related?" Maybe, the article's anonymous author answered, at least for the short term.
(2021-02-23). Amazon mysteriously pulls book critical of transgender movements, gets accused of 'digital book burning'. rt.com 
Author Ryan T. Anderson has blasted Amazon for removing his latest book on the rise of the transgender movement without explanation, a move that has many criticizing the company for playing politics and accusing it of censorship. | "I hope you've already bought your copy, cause Amazon just removed my book 'When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment' from their cyber shelves…. my other four books are still available (for now)," Anderson 'When Harry Became Sally' had p…