Friday News in Late December of 2021.

 

 

The situation of our democracy is real. There should be peaceful action to make real change real. People want the 1965 Voting Rights Act to be fully strengthened (especially after the Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act back in 2013), we want the end to the filibuster, and we want the Build Back Better plan to be passed by Congress. The Build Back Better bill has provisions in it that will help the poor, families, and other human beings in incredible investments. We want anti-racism books to not be banned in our schools. We desire the minimum wage to increase federally to $15 an hour. We want the For the People Act to be passed. We desire protections to immigrants, and the Apache site of Oak Flat maintained. We believe in reparations for black Americans too. We have the rise of authoritarianism in America. We have the greatest crisis of our democracy since the American Civil War. This is not hyperbole or an exaggeration. This is very much real. A far-right coup was almost successful on January 6, 2021. That's why the Golden Rule dictates that living wages, voting rights, health care, a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, and justice for black people remain true concepts for us to embrace.

 

The Civilian Casualty Files document from the New York Times shown information of the thousands of civilians killed by U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. This document showed massive war crimes by Western imperialism. These crimes existed among many administrations, including the Obama and Trump administrations. The lead author of the report is Azmat Khan, an assistant professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She filed a FOIA or a Freedom of Information Act to get the reports of the Pentagon's internal review process. Her investigation found that more than 120 civilians were killed in a single airstrike in July 2016 in the hamlet of Tokhar in northern Syria. We have seen evidence once again how vicious imperialism during the war on terror is not only unjust. It's evil period. 

 

Today, we know that Kim Potter was found guilty in the Daunte Wright shooting. This signified a just verdict involving the unjust killing of a young man. Potter was found guilty of first and 2nd degree manslaughter. The shooting took place in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. In this epidemic of black people being killed by the police, we realize this verdict by the jury as historic. No human has the right to take the life of an innocent human being. Judge Regina Chu denied a request by Potter's defense lawyers to let her go home before sentencing. It has been very emotional for Wright's mother and family to watch their son being slandered by the defense team. Yet, the truth was known that an officer, with tons of years of experience, should know the difference between a gun and a taser. A human life shouldn't be taken lightly. There is only one life to live, and Potter should experience accountability to taking the life of a loved one. It's just that plain to see. There are never any excuses of Potter's deeds. We have a long way to go with voter suppression laws, anti-democratic policies, and attacks on the teaching of real black history in American society too. Like always, Black Lives Always Matter.

 

There are a lot of events doing on involving the January 6th committee. Congressman admitted to calls to Trump on January 6th, 2021. So, Thompson wrote a letter to Congressman Jordan to request a meeting to discuss his communications with Trump (and possibly his associates on and around January 6). Scott Perry was asked by the committee to provide information in the effort to install Jeffrey Clark as acting attorney general. Perry denied the request. Roger Stone asserted his 5th Amendment rights (which cites the policy to prevent people from self-incrimination) to refuse to answer questions. This shows some guilt, because an innocent person wouldn't act in this fashion. The committee is learning from the Mueller investigation and finding ways to find the truth. Trump could be indicted by the Justice Department if more evidence comes out in 2022. That is why Trump is trying to stall the committee's procedures.

There are a lot of news today about omicron. Recently, America had 288,579 new COVID-19 cases which is the 2nd highest daily case total ever. There are early studies suggesting that there is a reduced risk of hospitalization when people are infected with omicron compared to Delta. Yet, people should still use precautions, be careful, and take this illness seriously. One study says that there is a 2/3 reduction in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization as compared with Delta. In America, there are growing cases in many places of America. Some have been in long lines to be tested. These studies are early, and more studies need to be shown plus evaluated to figure out how omicron acts against the populace. We know that omicron spread more than the other variants. We know that more governmental resources are needed to help hospitals which are running out of ICU units. In 2020, the COVID-19 virus was the third leading cause of death in America which is why life expectancy in the USA has declined from 78.8 years to 77 years. In South Africa, cases with omicron have declined. 

 

By Timothy