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Another morning, another day and, hopefully, more tranquility.
International Politics
Overall
– Interestingly, peer pressure is more effective than propaganda when getting recruits to join the Islamic State
Middle East
– The news for Iraq keeps getting worse as agriculture fell by 40 percent as a result of ISIS
– A Palestinian Authority official said going to the International Criminal Court to charge Israeli leaders with war crimes is more effective because constant talks with Israel do nothing
– Meanwhile, the ICC is now a political issue used by the right in Israel to promote their agenda in the Israeli elections
– Iran denounced the Israeli air strike that killed six Hezbollah soldiers and one Iranian commander in Lebanon
– A newspaper in Iran was suspended after showing solidarity with Charlie Hebdo in its paper
– The Syrian government is now destroying places used for production of chemical weapons
– An interview with the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations on the role of the U.N. in terms of Syria and his restrictions when traveling the U.S.
Asia and Oceania
– Indonesian authorities do not believe terrorists caused the crash of the AirAsia flight last month
– According to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, China stole plans for a F-35 stealth fighter. China said it was untrue.
Europe
– Ali Abunimah: “France begins jailing people for ironic comments”
– Part one of two with Leo Panitch, a professor, who talks about the role of SYRIZA in Greece
– Chris Hedges: “‘You Have a Mother’”
– As said before, the Charlie Hebdo killings can and will be used by fascist forces in Europe to promote their sick ideology
– Fighting in Ukraine escalated with dozens of deaths in eastern Ukraine as a result of artillery fire
– An anti-Islam group in Germany vowed not to stay silent after one of its protests was cancelled over a threat against an organizer
Latin America, Caribbean and Canada
– The prosecutor who accused the Argentinian government of covering up a bombing at a Jewish community center in 1994 was found with gunshot to the head.
– U.S. envoys will head to Cuba for the first time in 35 years to engage in talks with the government.
Surveillance Planet
– Documents from Snowden found GCHQ, Britain’s intelligence agency, took emails from The New York Times. And Washington Post. And BBC. And NBC. A lot of media outlets actually.
– Microsoft reported more users were worried about privacy last year as users in every country they surveyed, aside from India, said technologies affected their privacy.
Financial Matters
– Dean Baker: “Democrats Take on Wall Street With Financial Transactions Tax”
– Hold on to your seat. The top one percent in the world will have more money than the bottom 99 percent by next year; Next year. Wow, just wow.
– Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers: “How the People Will Stop Obama from Pushing Through A Disastrous Trade Deal”
– There’s money in keeping prisoners and, when that happens, there is no rehabilitation with a system failing prisoners and communities.
– Iraq hopes to improve trade with Iran and Turkey, which is now valued at $28 billion per year.
– Robert Reich: “The New Compassionate Conservatism and Trickle-Down Economics”
– After the Chinese government banned margin trading, where firms can invest with borrowed money, the stock market in Shanghai fell dramatically
– A former Saudi Arabia official said the country can deal with low prices; I’m not so sure
– Even the Iranian oil minister says the oil industry can withstand low oil prices even if they drop to $25 per barrel; Is this a joke?
Labor’s a-Brewing
– Uber believes it can provide employment in Europe through its services; Oh look, a capitalist firm thinking it can solve problems. This will end well!
– Workers at Kaiser Permanente who went on strike for better working conditions called off more strikes after getting a better contract
Politics US
Washington USA
– Protecting voting rights would be a good step to defend the legacy of Martin Luther King Junior; It is a good step, but we’re need a marathon
– The budget bill passed late last year by Congress will expand a prison in Illinois to place more inmates in solitary confinement
Anytown USA
– The role of police is not to clear up any problems in society as it only adds more problems.
– In Sentinel, Okla., a white man with a gun shot a black police chief four times. What happened to him? He wasn’t arrested. He’s actually free.
– John Kiriakou speaks with The Intercept about his remaining time at Loretto, torture and support from some CIA agents
– Two teenagers who committed a series of crimes were caught and we called in the media “Bonnie & Clyde.” Yes, they were white.
– Brian Sonenstein: “NYC’s new rules for solitary are not the reforms we’ve been looking for”
We Don’t Need No Education
– Evangelicals are pushing to place more churches in public schools where “religious entrepreneurs” work their magic to help out
– With issues like school closures affecting communities of color, it is indeed wise to push the Black Lives Matter movement into school-related issues
Health, Hunger and Homelessness
– A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency found chloropyrifos, a pesticide, can affect the health of workers who use it
Planet Earth
– Researchers found yields of wheat will decrease should climate change continue to make the climate warmer
– An interview with Estela Hernandez, a lawmaker in El Salvador, about community control and protecting the environment
Mixed Bag
– Cornel West: “[King’s] dream was for all poor and working people to live lives of decency and dignity”
– Martin Luther King Junior day is one where the message of King is twisted to serve the status quo rather than demolish it.
– An Irish official said he was gay after announcing it on a national radio station ahead of a referendum on same-sex marriage
– Dave Zirin: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali and What Their Secret Friendship Teaches Us Today”
Break Time
– Patricia [The Pillows]
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