(2022-02-13). Three NATO aircraft carrier strike groups, 13 U.S. anti-missile ships in Mediterranean. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com On February 10 the U.S. Naval Institute website published a report that four more Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers had been sent to the Mediterranean Sea. The deployment, in addition to four (and soon to be six) of the warships permanently rotated out of the Naval Station Rota in Spain, was described by a Navy …
(2022-02-13). Canada: A right-wing, air-horn insurrection. workers.org 
Update — Saturday, Feb. 12, 2: 30 PM Ottawa: Even though Ottawa's premier, Doug Ford, declared a state of emergency on Friday, Feb. 11, threatening harsh penalties, and local police were reinforced with provincial and federal officers, the cops have not done much to unblock Canada's capital. Some truckers have removed . . . |
(2022-02-13). Thousands of New York City workers set to lose jobs over vaccine mandate. ecns.cn Around 3,000 New York City employees could lose their jobs Friday for failing to follow COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
(2022-02-13). Youth Day in Venezuela: Chavista Call to Venezuelan Youth, Two Demonstrations in Caracas. orinocotribune.com 
During the celebration of Youth Day in Venezuela, on Saturday, February 12, President Nicolás Maduro made an emotional call to the revolutionary youth of the nation, and assured that he and the Bolivarian government are committed to the fight against corruption, bureaucratism and criminality. The president made these remarks in a meeting with young people in Caracas, who marched from Petare (east Caracas) to Miraflores (center) to celebrate Youth Day. | "I have come to ask you, the youth, for help in the fight against corruption, crime, and bureaucratism. A sour, bitter fight," said the president in his speech.
(2022-02-13). Lao leader speaks highly of China-Laos railway. ecns.cn General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has spoken highly of the China-Laos Railway during his recent trip by the Lane Xang EMU train and inspection on the railway's operation.
(2022-02-13). Interview on The Black Book of Capitalism. indybay.org The book is: 1) a history of the three great industrial revolutions (introduction of the manufacturing system with the steam engine at the beginning of the 19th century, Fordist "self-mobilization" with the assembly line and the rationalization of the corporate economy during the first half of the 20th century, and the microelectronic revolution.
(2022-02-13). We Won't Rest in Defending the Revolution. orinocotribune.com By William Grigsby Vado — Feb 10, 2022 | Let us begin with the decision taken by the National Assembly at the request of the Ministry of the Interior to cancel the legal status of a handful of non-governmental organizations which in practice are fronts for European and North American interference in Nicaragua's internal affairs. I believe that the logic that must be understood in this type of decision is the logic of the defense of the power of the Nicaraguan people, the defense of revolutionary power. In other words, in this logic we must understand that these types of decisions are not capricious, they are…
(2022-02-13). Wednesday 2/16: Forced Motherhood Is Female Enslavement— We REFUSE to Let the Supreme Court Decimate Abort. indybay.org Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
(2022-02-13). Chile Decrees a State of Emergency in Four Northern Provinces. telesurenglish.net The Chilean government decreed a state of emergency and military deployment in the border sectors of four northern provinces, where there were road blockades and protests by truck drivers demanding security, following the death of a colleague in an incident in which migrants are blamed. | RELATED: | Prior to the decree, Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado met with regional authorities, police and truckers' unions. | Th…
(2022-02-13). Unionist: 'When we dare to struggle, we dare to win'. greenleft.org.au Adele Welsh argues that no matter how it is dressed up, the 'let it rip' approach to the pandemic has caused untold harm to families, workplaces and communities.
(2022-02-13). Beijing 2022 runs smoothly as it passes half-way point: organizers. ecns.cn The Beijing Olympics has been running smoothly going into its second week of competition, said Yang Shu'an, vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games (BOCOG).
(2022-02-13). Will Iran Strike at Global Oil Supply if Russia Invades Ukraine? dissidentvoice.org Following Russia's troop build-up along Ukraine's borders portending imminent invasion, Houthi rebels in Yemen backed by Iran, which is Russia's most dependable regional ally in the decade-long Syrian conflict, have significantly escalated missile strikes on the oil-rich Gulf States with a nod of approval from the Kremlin in order to take pressure off Russia in …
(2022-02-13). Saturday 3/19: Strike Debt Bay Area Book Group: The Dawn of Everything… by David Graeber et al. indybay.org Online. | Email strike.debt.bay.area@gmail.com a few days beforehand for the the online invite.
(2022-02-13). Fascism, Imperialism & Labor With Vermont AFL-CIO David Van Deusen. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews Vermont AFL-CIO president about the rise of fascism, imperialism and the role of labor.
(2022-02-13). Concord Promoting Controversial Hillsong and Bethel Concert. indybay.org One of the the events in the Concord Pavillion 2022 Concert Series is a collaboration between Hillsong and Bethel Churches. Both organizations are wrought with controversy. The Pavilion is city property, and the city of Concord's official Twitter and Facebook accounts are being used to promote the event.
(2022-02-12). Working Class In The UK Gears Up To Protest The Cost Of Living Crisis. popularresistance.org Broad sectors of the working class in the UK will take to the streets in cities across the country on February 12 against the rise in the cost of living. The protests are organized under the banner of the People's Assembly Against Austerity and have been endorsed by organizations such as the Communist Party of Britain (CPB), Young Communist League (YCL), Unite Trade Union, Socialist Appeal, Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Fuel Poverty Action, and others. Around 30 cities are expected to mobilize on this day of action.
(2022-02-12). 'Freedom Convoy': A Dangerous Movement for the Working Class, but Useful for the Ruling Class. orinocotribune.com By Communist Party of Canada — Feb 4, 2022 | The Communist Party of Canada views the "Freedom Convoy" as a public expression of the increasingly organized and assertive far right. The clear links between the organizers of the convoy and far-right networks indicate that this is not a spontaneous working-class demonstration. On the contrary, it is part of a global phenomenon: the rise and mainstreaming of the far right, which is demonstrated by the strong support (ideologically and financially) from the US far right and circles close to Donald Trump and the Jan. 6thinsurrection. The convoy is filled with Nazi…
(2022-02-12). Unite tries to corral opposition to Labour's strike breaking against Coventry bin workers. wsws.org Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham has threatened to consider withdrawing the union's funding to the Labour Party. This is a belated and insincere attempt to placate the 70 refuse drivers faced with a scabbing operation and to head off a broader rebellion by the working class against the Labour Party and its allies in the trade union bureaucracy.
(2022-02-12). Sri Lankan nurses defy court ban and remain on indefinite strike with other health workers. wsws.org The court ban on industrial action by health workers indicates that the Rajapakse government is moving into direct confrontation with the entire working class.
(2022-02-12). Dill Pickle Co-op Workers Walk Out Over Unsafe Conditions. itsgoingdown.org Report on recent job actions from Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) workers in so-called Chicago. Last month, workers at the Dill Pickle Food Co-op in Chicago walked out over unsafe working conditions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Workers at the grocery store are organized as the Dill Pickle Worker's Union with the Industrial…
(2022-02-12). Teamsters union denounces far-right so-called "trucker protest" liberationnews.org 
Representing 1.4 million workers mainly in the trucking industry in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is speaking out against the far-right "freedom convoy".
(2022-02-12). UAW, Detroit Democrats facilitate brutal exploitation of temp workers as pandemic decimates Stellantis workforce. wsws.org Detroit, once the center of the automotive industry, has become a focal point of predatory hiring by automakers, abetted by the UAW and Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan.
(2022-02-12). SCOTUS Again Rejects NYC Teachers' Appeal to Block COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate in Public Schools. sputniknews.com Public school employees in New York City are facing termination on Monday, February 14, unless they waive their right to continue litigation or drop their objection to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. As of Friday, almost 3,000 NYC municipal workers (0.8% of a roughly 370,000-person workforce) were eligible for layoffs.
(2022-02-12). [World Report] Escalating threats to health workers in Myanmar. thelancet.com Health workers are still under threat in Myanmar, 1 year on from a military seizure of power. Megan Tatum reports.
(2022-02-12). Mars-Wrigley announces closure of its West Side Chicago factory. wsws.org Mars-Wrigley announced the planned closure of its historic Westside Chicago factory with 280 workers to lose their jobs.
(2022-02-12). Drivers, delivery workers rally for union, higher pay. themilitant.com NEW YORK — More than 100 Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride and food-delivery workers and their supporters from New York City and Long Island rallied here Feb. 1 demanding higher pay, better working conditions, an end to arbitrary employer deactivations and for access to bathrooms and the right to form a union. | The rally was called to announce the formation of Justice for App Workers, a coalition of mainly local groups of drivers and delivery workers. Speakers addressed the rally in English, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Tibetan and Uzbek, reflecting the heavily immigrant workforce. | There are 100,000 or mor…
(2022-02-12). Unions push through sellout agreement to call off strike of Portland, Oregon municipal workers. wsws.org After 1,100 city workers rejected a nearly identical offer in January and were prepared to strike on February 10, the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) managed to achieve a narrow "yes" vote among the membership on Wednesday.
(2022-02-12). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org India: Andhra Pradesh government-sector workers strike; Tamil Nadu railway workers oppose extended hours; Thailand: Truck drivers protest high fuel costs; New South Wales Nurses vote to walk out; INPEX LNG workers to strike in Northern Territory…
(2022-02-12). Unite secures sell-out pay deal to end strikes at First Bus Manchester. wsws.org Speaking to the WSWS as they voted, workers said the pay increase was around 6 percent according to their calculations. This is a real-terms pay cut—with Unite citing the Retail Price Index measure of inflation which stands at 7.5 percent and rising.
(2022-02-12). Socialist Workers Party campaign offers working-class road forward. themilitant.com 
OAKLAND, Calif. — More than 300 people, way over the 65 required, have signed the petition to put Eleanor García, Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. Senate, on the California ballot. In addition, over $5,000 has been raised to pay the filing fee. | Over the weekend of Feb. 5-6, campaigners fanned out to cities in the Bay Area and southern California, knocking on doors and setting up tables at supermarkets, introducing the party's program and the Militant. Supporters of the campaign from Seattle, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, traveled here to participate. | "I like what you are doing," Jo…
(2022-02-12). °La solución a la desigualdad global es el socialismo! workers.org 
En todo el mundo, miles de millones de personas están sufriendo pérdidas increíbles como consecuencia de la incapacidad y la negativa del capitalismo a abordar seriamente la pandemia del COVID-19. Millones han perdido la vida o a sus seres queridos. Las familias se han quedado sin casa. Los trabajadores se . . . |
(2022-02-12). Celebrate International Women's Day, Resist Attacks on Reproductive Freedom. fightbacknews.org Across the world, March 8th honors the contributions of women to the people's struggle. This year, Freedom Road Socialist Organization will hold events to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD). | | IWD was founded to honor the sacrifices of heroes named and unnamed. Some capitalists have tried to sanitize and co-opt International Women's Day. The origins of this day are clearly anti-capitalist. Our celebrations will carry forward that spirit. | | Long History, Global Reach | | International Women's Day originates in the struggle of working women in New York City. In 1908 there was a determined battle…
(2022-02-12). From U.S. to Honduras: Socialism is Vital to Black Liberation. libya360.wordpress.com John Parker On Jan. 27, I was fortunate to be one of a handful of delegates from the U.S. to attend the historic inauguration of President Xiomara Castro in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Representing the Socialist Unity Party, I was part of an international delegation invited by President Castro and her Libre Party, founded by the National…
(2022-02-12). A Memorial for Dr. Luc Montagnier and the Coming Revolutions in Optical Biophysics. dissidentvoice.org 
On February 8, 2022, Nobel Prize winning virologist Dr Luc Montagnier passed away. Since the earliest moments of COVID-19's appearance, Montagnier was slandered and ridiculed for his challenges to the underlying assumptions of the disease's causes and remedies despite the constant slings and arrows of the deep state which sought to shut the door on …
(2022-02-12). Canada: Multi-Ethnic Protesters, Ottawa Residents, Challenge Mainstream Media and Counter-Revolutionary — COINTELPRO Left Claims of Racism. libya360.wordpress.com Jamil Jivani Jamil Jivani Stop Calling the Truckers Racist. Many Black Canadians Support Them! In fact, appropriate for the month of February, the trucker convoy is actually a Black history moment. Liberal politicians and mainstream media corporations want you to believe that the trucker convoy in Ottawa is racist. The first line of attack on…
(2022-02-12). Solidarity is the road to liberation. peoplesdispatch.org This is a lightly edited version of a speech given to an international meeting held on 1 February under the banner: Free Mumia Abu-Jamal and All Anti-Imperialist Freedom Fighters! Speakers included Abu-Jamal (via a recorded statement), Angela Davis and a number of trade unionists. | Around the world, imperialism — with its dehumanization and brute violence — has allowed for a small minority to permanently accumulate wealth at the expense of the masses of our people. In recent years, women and men have been killed — from Afghanistan and Iraq to South Africa and the prison archipelago of the US.
(2022-02-12). Minneapolis, St Paul teachers will march for schools students deserve. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Teachers and education assistants in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul will hold a joint march on February 12 to call for the safe and stable schools that their students deserve. The Minneapolis educators are members of the Minneapolis Teachers Union, and the Saint Paul educators are members of Saint Paul Federation of Educators. Both groups have been in bargaining over their next contract. | The march will start at the Wabun Picnic Area at Minnehaha Falls Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 12, and they are calling for educators as well as parents and community supporters to come out to show t…
(2022-02-12). US & European Partners Finalizing Anti-Russia Sanctions, SWIFT Ban Off Table – Reports. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States and its European partners are finalizing sanctions targeting major Russian banks should the Ukraine situation escalate, but banning Russia from the SWIFT financial system is off the table, Reuters reported citing US and European Union officials.
(2022-02-12). Statement on Repression of Mutual Aid Organizers in Asheville, North Carolina. itsgoingdown.org Statement from several people facing charges in Asheville, North Carolina for mutual aid organizing. For more background, check out this episode of the Final Straw. The following is a statement from 7 defendants facing charges in Asheville, NC as part of the city government's attempt to repress food sharing and mutual aid organizing: We, the defendants, understand…
(2022-02-12). Romania: U.S. F-16s, German Eurofighters added to NATO buildup along eastern flank. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATOAllied Air CommandFebruary 11, 2022 US aircraft heading to Romania to enhance NATO collective defence American fighter aircraft will arrive at Fetesti Air Base, Romania, February 11, to enhance NATO's collective defence posture and support the NATO Air Policing mission, joining Italian fighters already deployed in Romania. U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 52nd Fighter …
(2022-02-12). Military Situation In Yemen On February 12, 2022 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see the full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 156 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah in the past 24 hours; | On February 11, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 11 airstrikes on the Jubah district; | On February 11, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 2 airstrikes on the Wadi district; | On February 11, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 7 airstrikes on the Haradh district; | On February 11, w…
(2022-02-12). Casualties Reported Following New Turkish Drone Strike on Northeastern Syria (Video). southfront.org 
File image. | Late on February 12, a Turkish combat drone targeted a vehicle in the northeastern Syrian town of Amuda, which is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). | The vehicle was reportedly parked in the center of the town, next to an office of the People's Protection Units (YPG), when it was struck. The YPG, which is designated by Turkey as a terrorist group, is the core faction of the SDF. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, several people were wounded as a…
(2022-02-12). Central Syria: Russian Airstrikes Kill, Wound Scores Of ISIS Terrorists. southfront.org 
2712070 10/04/2015 Russian servicemen attach a Kh-25 high-precision missile to a Su-24 aircraft at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Dmitriy Vinogradov/RIA Novosti | At least 16 terrorists of ISIS were killed and more than 30 others were wounded in recent Russian airstrikes on Syria's central region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on February 12. | According to the London-based monitoring group, the airstrikes, which targeted different parts of the central region, took place between Febr…
(2022-02-12). Russia Assembles Unprecedented Grouping Of Warships In Black Sea. southfront.org 
Click to see the full-size image | As part of the fleet exercises in the Black Sea, an unprecedented grouping of Russian warships is being assembled for the first time in many years. | Excluding small landing craft, small missile, small anti-submarine ships, submarines and auxiliary ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, the naval strike group of Russia consists of: | Varyag Cruiser | Cruiser Moscow | Cruiser Marshal Ustinov | Frigate Admiral Grigorovich | Frigate Admiral Makarov | Frigate Admiral Essen…
(2022-02-12). [Comment] Offline: Complacency threatens progress against COVID-19. thelancet.com Hans Kluge, WHO's Regional Director for Europe, has been reported as saying that European nations could soon be entering a "long period of tranquillity" as the pandemic abates. Pointing out that mortality from COVID-19 seemed to be plateauing, he suggested the continent was approaching a "plausible endgame" and an "enduring peace". As WHO's chief spokesperson for the 53 countries that make up his regional responsibility, Kluge was no doubt seeking to strike an optimistic and encouraging note. But it is disappointing that he took such a narrow geographical perspective about a global pandemic.
(2022-02-12). Russia Has No Intention Of Invading Ukraine. southfront.org 
by Dr. Leon Tressell | Let's be clear about this: Russia is NOT going to invade Ukraine. A cursory study of the history of Ukraine since 2014 reveals how restrained Russia has been in the face of repeated provocations by the Kiev Junta and its American sponsor. | Since 2014 Presidents Poroshenko and Zelenko, both of whom represent the billionaire oligarchs who control Ukraine, have steadfastly refused to implement the Minsk 1 and Minsk 2 Peace Accords. Instead both Presidents have launched "anti terrorist" operations against the Russian speakers of the Donbass region leading to over 10,000 deaths. | The Kiev j…
(2022-02-12). Australian defence minister accuses Labor Party of "appeasing" China. wsws.org The attempt to whip up a wartime atmosphere flows from the government's deep crisis and Australia's frontline role in the US-led preparations for conflict with China.
(2022-02-12). [Comment] Another piece in the COVID-19 treatment puzzle. thelancet.com A new study1 from the RECOVERY Collaborative Group adds another piece to the puzzle of severe COVID-19 therapy. The RECOVERY trials have been pivotal in providing evidence on the efficacy of compounds within current treatment guidelines for COVID-19, such as dexamethasone, tocilizumab, and the casirivimab and imdevimab combination.1—3 In previous randomised trials, these monoclonal antibodies4 were effective in preventing infection and clinical progression when given in the early phase of infection.
(2022-02-12). [Articles] Casirivimab and imdevimab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial. thelancet.com In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, the monoclonal antibody combination of casirivimab and imdevimab reduced 28-day mortality in patients who were seronegative (and therefore had not mounted their own humoral immune response) at baseline but not in those who were seropositive at baseline.
(2022-02-12). AI could already be 'slightly conscious', expert claims. rt.com 
Other experts are skeptical, accusing the OpenAI researcher of "trolling" | The co-founder of a San Francisco-based AI research laboratory claimed in a Twitter post this week that "today's largest neural networks" could already be "slightly conscious." | Ilya Sutskever from OpenAI did not clarify what system or systems he was referring to, or how exactly he defines "slightly conscious." | It is possible he was referring to OpenAI's GPT-3 — an advanced language processing system developed for translation, question answering, and filling in missing words. | Sutskever's cryptic tweet quickly engendered a deb…