Are Cities Finished? Project Syndicate
The Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Be Meaningful After All Wired
What would a truly wild Ireland look like? BBC
When Engineers Were Humanists New York Review of Books
NYC backtracks on de Blasio’s plan to close Trump-owned ice rinks New York Post
Entire California School Board Resigns After Chewing Out Parents on Accidental Zoom Broadcast Gizmodo. Oops!
Boeing Calls for Global Grounding of 777s Equipped With One Engine Model NYT
A tale of two provinces: how coal mining plowed ahead in the B.C. Rockies while Alberta hit the brakes The Narwhal
#COVID-19
The Rural Alaskan Towns Leading the Country in Vaccine Distribution New Yorker
Covid-19: Hong Kong logs 20 new cases and officials hint at possibly reopening border if enough residents get vaccinated South China Morning Post
Five steps the Indian government must take to ensure an effective rollout of Covid-19 vaccines Scroll
A leaked report shows Pfizer’s vaccine is conquering covid-19 in its largest real-world test MIT Technology Review
Travel’s Covid-19 Blues Are Likely Here to Stay—‘People Will Go Out of Business WSJ
Dying on the Waitlist ProPublica
Top virologist warns Italy virus cases rising again Medical Xpress
Germany’s COVID infections rise again Deutsche Welle
Schools in England to reopen on March 8 under easing of lockdownFT
White House reiterates teacher vaccinations ‘not a prerequisite’ to reopening schools WaPo
Facebook political ad ban blocks pro-vaccine messages Politico
Texas Deep Freeze
Many Texans have died because of the winter storm. Just how many won’t be known for weeks or months. The Texas Tribune
Ocasio-Cortez fundraising for Texas relief reaches $4.7M The Hill
Texas utilities can’t stick customers with huge bills after storm: Abbott Reuters
Austin Energy says power has been restored to 100 percent of customers Austin American-Statesman
Big Brother IS Watching You Watch
Privacy faces risks in tech-infused post-Covid workplace France 24
Biden Transition
US-China tech war: calls for Biden to fund US semiconductors grow louder in Washington South China Morning Post
Katie Porter — one of Congress’ only single moms — has a plan to help caregivers AlterNet
Accomplice to Carnage Foreign Affairs Robert Malley and Stephen Pomper.
The US Empire Is An Abusive Narcissist: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix Caitlin Johnstone
Biden seems set to pick fight over Rahm Emanuel The Hill
Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland to face challenges that include links to Biden and Trump CNN
Beyond the standard Dem interest groups, Biden’s AG nominee, Merrick Garland, is receiving vocal support from police groups across the US. Obama chose him for the Court because he was known as being a very pro-police judge & thought GOP would approve him.https://t.co/lDqXFuAvza pic.twitter.com/7HqKrzv2fO
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 21, 2021
Class Warfare
Workers Should Take Back Control of Their Pension Funds Jacobin
Sanders ‘Confident’ $15 Minimum Wage Possible Through Senate Reconciliation Common Dreams
UK competition watchdog warns Big Tech of coming antitrust probes FT
Silicon Valley is not suffering a tech exodus, and money is flowing in at record rate — for a fortunate few MarketWatch
Brexit
Brexit red tape ramped up on British sausages destined for Northern Ireland Independent
The New Cold War
EU: Germany urges sanctions against Russia Deutsche Welle
Syraqistan
IAEA, Iran agree temporary deal for inspections with less access Al Jazeera
On Not Being a Princess Craig Murray
Myanmar
Myanmar’s largest garment worker union calls on all brands who produce in Myanmar:
▪️Denounce the coup
▪️Announce military regime will threaten future investment
▪️Cut ties with military-connected business
▪️Ensure no workers are dismissed for participating in CDMBrands below. pic.twitter.com/xR7onYEM7e
— Andrew TS (@AndrewTSaks) February 18, 2021
India
PM Modi’s plan to make a Singapore in Gujarat has fallen flat The Print
At BJP’s election strategy session, Modi asks party leaders to spread awareness on farm laws Scroll
How India’s Government is Weaponizing Twitter Columbia Journalism Review
Blue sheep, ibex, snow leopards – How this Ladakh village stopped hunting and took to tourism The Print
Antidote du Jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
