We Speak African: A Jazz Artist Speaks On U.S.-Cuba Relations

Arturo O’Farrill JazzTimes
A leader in the Afro-Cuban jazz movement, Arturo O'Farrill reflects on the tremendous potential he sees in the new opening to Cuba. “We will be forced to acknowledge that even though we have everything we are starving, and even though they have nothing they are gorging on the richest of all human achievements—love of pueblo, love of community.” Arturo is the son of legendary Cuban trumpeter/arranger Chico O’Farrill, who moved to New York from Havana in 1948.

Drama Turns to Farce in U.S.-Israeli Relations

Rami G. Khouri Daily Star (Lebanon)
Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress last week the tension between the Republican-dominated Congress and President Barack Obama has reached a near constitutional crisis. While this crisis may subside, the more lasting impact of these developments may well be a change in relationship between the Israeli government, the Republican Party, and the traditionally bipartisan U.S. consensus towards Israel and wider Middle Eastern issues.

Oklahoma Agency Linked Quakes to Oil But Kept Mum Under Industry Pressure

Mike Soraghan EnergyWire
Oklahoma's state scientists have suspected for years that oil and gas operations were causing a swarm of earthquakes, but under pressure from University of Oklahoma President David Boren and oil company executives, they publicly rejected the connection. While other states have shut down wells and imposed strict rules after earthquakes, Oklahoma continues to claim the tremendous growth in seismic activity is from "natural quakes."

Why Alberto Nisman Is No Hero for Argentina — or the Jews

Graciela Mochkofsky Jewish Daily Forward
It was widely believed special prosecutor Alberto Nisman died because he was about to expose a criminal pact between Argentine President Cristina Kirchner and the Iranian government to cover up the latter’s responsibility in the 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires’s Jewish community center. It now appears when the U.S. and Israeli governments rejected an agreement between Argentina and Iran that might have lead to solving the case, Nisman set about sabotaging it.

Obama Absurdly Declares Venezuela a Security Threat

Mark Weisbrot AlJazeera America
On Monday, the White House took the absurd step of declaring Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” Obama is channeling Ronald Reagan, adopting practices similar to those used against the Nicaraguan Sandinista government. But, the world has moved forward, even if Washington has not. Venezuela today has very strong backing from its neighbors against what almost every government in the region sees as an illegal attempt to destabilize the country.

Friday Nite Videos -- March 13, 2015

Portside
John Oliver: Guess Who Can't Vote? Anita Sarkeesian: What I Couldn't Say. Jimmy Kimmel: Message for the Anti-Vaccine Movement. Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief. Netanyahu Remix: Sit! Stand! Iran, Iran, Iran! .

John Oliver: Guess Who Can't Vote?

A set of Supreme Court decisions made over 100 years ago has left U.S. territories without meaningful representation. That’s weird, right?

Anita Sarkeesian: What I Couldn't Say

Anita Sarkeesian has been the subject of a relentless misogynist campaign since she called for improved images of women in video games. Here she speaks about that experience at the All About Women 2015 conference.
 

Jimmy Kimmel: A Message for the Anti-Vaccine Movement

Jimmy feels that all of this anti-vaccination silliness is starting to snowball, so he invited some real doctors to address it. These are actual medical professionals so hear them out and then decide for yourself.

Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief

Alex Gibney's documentary film (from HBO) casts a scathing eye on "the religion of the stars," which claims such prominent members as John Travolta and Tom Cruise. Gibney digs into the roots of Scientology's creation by scifi writer L. Ron Hubbard and recounts many reports of abusive Church practices.