(2022-05-18). US-Taliban deal biggest factor in collapse of Afghan forces, watchdog says. tribune.com.pk 
The biggest factor that led to the collapse of the Afghan military in August last year was the U.S. decision to withdraw forces and contractors from Afghanistan through an agreement with the Taliban signed by the Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, a U.S. watchdog report concluded. | The withdrawal "destroyed" the morale of the Afghan military as it was dependent on U.S. military support, according to an assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which was made public late Tuesday. | "SIGAR found that the single most important factor in the…
(2022-05-18). China Eastern crash probe eyes intentional action – sources. tribune.com.pk 
Investigators looking into the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet are examining whether it was due to intentional action on the flight deck, with no evidence found of a technical malfunction, two people briefed on the matter said. | The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that flight data from one of the Boeing 737-800's black boxes indicated that someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane, citing people familiar with the preliminary assessment of U.S. officials. | Boeing Co, the maker of the jet, and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) declined to comment and referred quest…
(2022-05-18). The GOP Is Attacking LGBTQ Rights in Schools. These Students Are Fighting Back. truthout.org 
For members of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, the tirade of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills upending state legislatures is a dangerous reaction to what they've worked so hard to build: visibility and safety for LGBTQ students. Gathered in the student union at the University of New Orleans, five members of the alliance described what it's like to grow up queer in southern Louisiana — and then face down legislation that seems to attack their very right to exist at school. | Jackson Downey, the lone senior in the crew of activists, has served as a…
(2022-05-18). Russian Army Destroyed Ukrainian Smerch Heavy Rocket Launcher In Pinpoint Artillery Strike (Video). southfront.org 
(2022-05-18). Oregon Starbucks Workers Go On Strike Against Union Busting. popularresistance.org Starbucks workers at a location in Eugene, Oregon went on strike on Tuesday to protest the union busting at their location and the unlawful firing of three organizers. | The workers at this Starbucks store voted 17-0 in favor of unionizing. They are part of the massive Starbucks unionization wave, with 70 other stores nationwide winning union elections and over 250 stores filing to unionize. Starbucks, however, is doing everything it can to stop this wave. As Starbucks Workers United described in a statement: "Starbucks has continued to cut workers' hours, coerce them into voting against union representation by m…
(2022-05-18). Rapid Grocery Delivery Service Buyk Accused Of Wage Theft. popularresistance.org In early March, 28-year-old Michael Perez received an alarming email from one of his co-workers at Buyk, the Russian-funded, New York City-based ultra-fast grocery app. | Because of the severe sanctions against Russia, the letter announced, the company had lost access to its investors and was forced to furlough 98 percent of its workforce. For Perez, the letter was just one more disappointment in a long string he had experienced working for the company. | "I was at a loss of words, to be honest," said Perez, who worked as a delivery person. "I try to make the best with the company, but I just kept getting disappo…
(2022-05-18). Toward a Theory of Impossibility: Column Upends Science. thesaker.is By Fred Reed for the Saker Blog In today's column, we will revolutionize science, and establish that much of what we believe, at least regarding living things, is at best…
(2022-05-18). Only A People's Monetary Reset Can Prevent A Feudalistic Technocracy. popularresistance.org Fortunately for the United States, our national debt is in U.S. dollars. As former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan once observed, "The United States can pay any debt it has because we can always print money to do that. So there is zero probability of default." | Paying government debt by just printing the money was the innovative solution of the cash-strapped American colonial governments. The problem was that it tended to be inflationary. The paper scrip they issued was considered an advance against future taxes, but it was easier to issue the money than to tax it back, and over-issuing devalued the curr…
(2022-05-18). Sri Lanka to default on debt, no money for fuel, minister says. tribune.com.pk Sri Lanka is expected to be placed into default by rating agencies on Wednesday after the non-payment of coupons on two of its sovereign bonds, while the energy minister said the country had run out of money to pay for fuel. | An economic crisis unprecedented in the country's history since independence in 1948 has led to a critical shortage of foreign exchange, that saw it miss two coupon payments on sovereign bonds on April 18. | Sri Lanka has already said it is unable to make the coupon payments, and a 30-day grace period ends on Wednesday. | S&P has said the ratings on the bonds, maturing in 2023 and 2028,…