(2020-05-16). [Obituary] Martin Khor Kok Peng. thelancet.com Economist and champion of social justice and the Global South. He was born in Penang, Malaysia, on Nov 9, 1951, and died of cancer in Penang on April 1, 2020, aged 68 years.
(2020-05-16). [Comment] Immune checkpoint inhibition in urothelial carcinoma. thelancet.com Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as atezolizumab have had a major positive effect on the treatment of platinum-refractory advanced urothelial carcinoma.1 Non-randomised trials have shown efficacy in patients with front-line programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) biomarker-positive advanced urothelial carcinoma, but there has not yet been a transformative change to treatment because of insufficient randomised trial data.2—4 These insufficient data are not due to a lack of randomised studies—at least six are ongoing.
(2020-05-16). [Perspectives] Trial and error. thelancet.com Two decades ago, the estimation that a jumbo jet\'s worth of Americans were tumbling out of the skies every single day due to our medical errors grabbed headlines and jumpstarted the modern patient safety movement. To Err is Human—the seminal report on medical error from the Institute of Medicine, now the US National Academy of Medicine—detonated like a bomb. Ever since then, the medical world has been scrambling to find ways to decrease medical error and improve patient safety. Hospital systems have been redesigned.
(2020-05-16). [Comment] Increasing the visibility of older women in clinical research. thelancet.com By 2024, more than 20% of Canada\'s population will be 65 years or older, joining other countries in becoming a super-aged society.1,2 The USA and the UK are also among the high-income countries that will soon follow in becoming super-aged nations.2 In all three countries, the majority of those in this older age group will be women, with their proportion increasing with advancing age (figure).
(2020-05-16). [Articles] Atezolizumab with or without chemotherapy in metastatic urothelial cancer (IMvigor130): a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. thelancet.com Addition of atezolizumab to platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment prolonged progression-free survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The safety profile of the combination was consistent with that observed with the individual agents. These results support the use of atezolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy as a potential first-line treatment option for metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
(2020-05-16). [Comment] Offline: Don\'t let COVID-19 divert us completely. thelancet.com Dr Robert Spencer, a trustee of Dr Edward Jenner\'s House, Garden and Museum in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, UK, wrote to me last week on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox (May 8). He was polite but disappointed: \"On this day in 1980 the WHO announced the eradication of smallpox from the world. This infection, which probably caused more deaths than any other disease, was finally condemned to the history books. Sorry to see you had no space in this week\'s edition of The Lancet to commemorate this milestone, especially at a time of COVID-19 pandemic.\" Dr Spencer was right to admonish me.
(2020-05-16). [Perspectives] Computer vision\'s potential to improve health care. thelancet.com Artificial intelligence (AI) research for medical applications has largely focused on image pattern recognition or electronic health record (EHR) data. EHR data inputs include what clinicians order and what they document that they did. But the physical actions that comprise what clinicians actually did for patients can differ: one study showed almost half of physician medical record entries documenting the extent of their physical examinations of emergency room patients were not substantiated by an independent physician observer.
(2020-05-16). [Editorial] Reviving the US CDC. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen in the USA with 1 ∑3 million cases and an estimated death toll of 80‚Äà684 as of May 12. States that were initially the hardest hit, such as New York and New Jersey, have decelerated the rate of infections and deaths after the implementation of 2 months of lockdown. However, the emergence of new outbreaks in Minnesota, where the stay-at-home order is set to lift in mid-May, and Iowa, which did not enact any restrictions on movement or commerce, has prompted pointed new questions about the inconsistent and incoherent national response to the COVID-19…
(2020-05-16). [World Report] In the aftermath: the legacy of measles in Samoa. thelancet.com As Samoa recovers from a devastating measles outbreak, Jacqui Thornton reports on how the epidemic is having long-lasting effects on the country\'s health system.
(2020-05-15). \'The American friends\': New court files expose Sheldon Adelson\'s security team in US spy operation against Julian Assange. thegrayzone.com An exclusive investigation by The Grayzone reveals new details on the critical role Sheldon Adelson\'s Las Vegas Sands played in…
(2020-05-15). Starving Bolivian workers clash with troops deployed by coup regime. wsws.org Amid the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in Bolivia, Jeanine àÅñez\'s self-proclaimed \"interim government\" is escalating state repression.
(2020-05-15). 'Boogaloo Boy' Arrested in Texas, Charged With Plotting To Murder Cops on Facebook Live. splcenter.org \"Boogaloo Boys\" — individuals associated with an online community characterized by calls for civil strife and ownership of firearms and tactical gear — have advocated for an armed revolution online and at public rallies for months. On April 11, one self-proclaimed \"Boogaloo Boy\" allegedly used Facebook Live to show himself attempting to murder police.
(2020-05-15). Arabs, UN Must Move to Swiftly Protect the Status of Palestinian Refugees. counterpunch.org \'Heinous racism,\' is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. Lebanon\'s restrictions on its ever-diminishing population of Palestinian refugees is nothing new. However, this event is particularly alarming as it may be linked to a long-term official policy regarding
(2020-05-15). \"The Wuhan of the Americas\": U.S. Deports COVID-19-Positive Immigrants to Haiti & Guatemala. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/17/52617/w320/SEG1-Guatemala-Deportations-2.jpg\")
The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says \"U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are \'unconscionable,\'\" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.
(2020-05-15). Headlines for May 15, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Whistleblower Says U.S. Unprepared for Second Wave of Infections, The Lancet Assails Trump\'s \"Inconsistent and Incoherent\" COVID-19 Response, Trump Says Mass Coronavirus Testing May Be \"Overrated\", FDA Warns of Inaccurate Results from Rapid Coronavirus Test Used by White House | , Michigan Cancels Legislative Session as Armed Protesters Gather at State Capitol, California to Slash Billions from State Budget as Coronavirus Hammers Tax Revenues, Amazon to End $2-an-Hour Hazard Pay as CEO Jeff Bezos Gains $30 Billion During Pandemic, New York Police Tackle and Arrest Mother for Allegedly Wearing a Mask I…
(2020-05-15). Democracy At Stake: \"Faithless Electors\" SCOTUS Case Tests If Electoral College Members Can Go Rogue. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/18/52618/w320/SEG2-SCOTUS-Wide.jpg\")
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that could shape the outcome of future presidential elections. The question at hand was whether Electoral College members can \"go rogue\" and support candidates who did not win the state\'s popular vote. In 2016, one of Colorado\'s nine electors, Michael Baca, attempted to cast his Electoral College ballot for Republican John Kasich instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Colorado secretary of state at the time — a Republican — removed Baca as an elector. Colorado is one of 31 other states that has a law requiring presidential electors to vote for…
(2020-05-15). Trump\'s \"Operation Warp Speed\" for Mass Vaxxing. \"Big Bucks for Big Pharma\" globalresearch.ca Big Pharma is poised to cash in big from mass COVID-19 vaxxing — at the expense of human health and welfare. | Author of \"Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America\" Gerald Posner explained that drug companies \"view Covid-19 …
(2020-05-15). What Happens In the Wake of the COVID-19 Lockdown? Economic Destruction, Global Poverty, Bankruptcies, Mass Unemployment. Neoliberalism to the Rescue. globalresearch.ca In the wake of the lockdown: Bankruptcies and mass unemployment, the economic destabilization of entire countries. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. They are unable to pay their home mortgages. | In developing countries, poverty and …
(2020-05-15). Video: Coronavirus: Economic and Social Collapse: Mass Unemployment, Bankruptcy, Poverty and Despair. globalresearch.ca First published on April 16, 2020 | There is a serious health crisis which must be duly resolved. But there is another important dimension which has to be addressed. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. In …
(2020-05-15). \"My Job Is to Make Syria a Quagmire for the Russians\": CIA Doctrine Made Official Policy. globalresearch.ca Like with the disastrous Iraq quagmire years before the US war machine came to Syria under Obama, Washington\'s rationale and justification for occupying the Syrian Arab Republic has shifted and changed drastically multiple times over. | When ultimately what started …
(2020-05-15). Study: Coronavirus Has a Been a Massive Boon for America\'s Billionaires. mintpressnews.com A new study found that in the past eight weeks alone, the country\'s super wealthy have added a further $368.8 billion to their already enormous fortunes.
(2020-05-15). As US Reels From COVID-19, Trump Turns to Sanctions, War Making and Threats. mintpressnews.com The Trump admin has decisively chosen war over peace and conflict over cooperation. Yet it appears less able than ever to coerce the world into following its lead.
(2020-05-15). \"Faithless Electors\" SCOTUS Case Tests If Electoral College Members Can Go Rogue. truthout.org The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that could shape the outcome of future presidential elections. The question at hand was whether Electoral College members can \"go rogue\" and support candidates who did not win the state\'s popular vote. In 2016, one of Colorado\'s nine electors, Michael Baca, attempted to cast his Electoral College ballot for Republican John Kasich instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Colorado secretary of state at the time — a Republican —…
(2020-05-15). \'Matarife\': Colombia\'s narconovela of the decade? colombiareports.com Colombia\'s former President Alvaro Uribe is finally getting his own \"narconovela,\" courtesy of the journalist who got the Supreme Court to investigate his alleged rigging of the 2018 elections. More…
(2020-05-15). The Sanders Campaign Was About \"Us\"
(2020-05-15). Israel Perfecting Surveillance Tech. globalresearch.ca Israel\'s external spy organization Mossad and its internal espionage equivalent Shin Bet have reputations that are much larger than their actual successes, but the one area where they have excelled is electronic intelligence gathering. Recent electronic spying around the White …
(2020-05-15). COVID-19 Lockdown Is Liberalism Last Hurrah. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Ode_of_a_Liberal_7a6e4.jpg\")
Ode of a Liberal | They passed the USA PATRIOT Act—and I did nothing because I am a patriot. | They passed the USA Freedom Act—and I believe in freedom. | They nominated Hillary Clinton—and I voted for the lesser evil. | They declared medical marshal law—and I didn\'t want to kill grandma. | They said to wear a facemask—and I passively obeyed. | I believe in Joe Biden—because I am a liberal. | In 2010 Chris Hedges declared the liberal class as dead as a doornail. He was late. Liberalism had died decades earlier. All that remains is the separate components of the body of liberalism. The stinking comp…
(2020-05-15). In the Race for Immunity, Sweden Leads the Pack. globalresearch.ca In a pandemic, there is no substitute for immunity, because immunity provides the best protection against reinfection. That\'s why Sweden set its sights on immunity from the very beginning. They crafted a policy that was designed to protect the old …
(2020-05-15). Roaming Charges: Unmasked and Anonymous. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/IMG_3690.jpeg\")
I\'m hyped for some ObamaGate action, as long as its about things that matter: health care plan designed by Heritage Foundation, bailing out Wall Street, failing to close Gitmo, droning US citizens, Afghan surge, the jailing of whistleblowers and legal harassment of journalists, the Libyan and Honduran coups, mass surveillance, the funding and arming of proxy wars in Yemen and Syria, record deportations, Deepwater Horizon, new nukes (both power plants and weapons), etc…
(2020-05-15). \"Can Democracy Survive the Pandemic?\": Election Hangs in the Balance as Trump Attacks Mail-In Voting. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/19/52619/w320/SEG3-Voting-1.jpg\")
The coronavirus pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the November presidential election, as President Trump and the GOP capitalize on the moment to attack voting rights. We speak with Emily Bazelon, staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, whose new cover story examines the bureaucratic and political challenges of mobilizing widespread vote-by-mail by November. We also speak with Jena Griswold, secretary of state of Colorado, which already has universal vote-by-mail and the second-highest voter turnout in the country.
(2020-05-15). US-Backed Militants Steal a Bank of the Syrian State in Hasakah City then Hand It to US Forces. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Militants_Steal_a_Bank_in_Hasakah_62749.png\")
Armed groups of the US-backed \"Syrian Democratic Forces\" have stolen the Syrian Commercial Bank located within the security square of the Syrian state in Hasakah city. | Local sources from Hasaka said that during daylight hours, a large number of \"SDF\" militants attacked the bank and took control of the entire building after expelling the guards and employees from it and stealing the money and contents there. | The sources pointed out that after controlling the bank, the militants broke the iron fences and the walls surrounding it, then they stole its contents and transferred them to their centers before they…
(2020-05-15). How Economic Misery Helped Fuel the Syrian War. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/syrianproxy.jpg\")
Ever since the civil war began in Syria in early 2011, the left has largely ignored the social and economic circumstances that led to a conflict costing over a half-million deaths and the migration—internal and external—of half the population. The tendency was to see Syria as a piece on a global chessboard with \"the axis
(2020-05-15). MILLIONS of Americans dead from Covid-19? 85k jobs lost? What? Joe Biden commits gaffe after gaffe in confusing broadcast. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebe935d85f540108e50ca8e.JPG\")
Joe Biden has once again caught flak for his creative and often confusing oratory, this time after the former VP and presumptive Democratic nominee struggled to relay how many Americans have died from coronavirus. | Speaking during a \"virtual round table,\" Biden argued that playing the \"blame game\" during the ongoing health crisis would be counterproductive. But when it came time to relaying exactly what politicians might blame each other for, the presidential candidate faltered. | \"We\'re in the middle of a pandemic that has cost us more than 85,000 jobs as of today. Lives of millions of people, millions of pe…
(2020-05-15). \'We were totally helpless\': Russian woman jailed for SLAPPING 'abusive' Californian husband, mother tells RT. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebe7e082030272f9b5d6b98.jpg\")
What looked like an intercontinental fairytale romance turned into a story of domestic violence, when a Russian woman was arrested for slapping the American husband her mother says abused her. | When she married a Californian man last year, 30-year-old Krasnodar native Alina Alipatova couldn\'t have imagined that the line between romance and fear could be crossed so fast. She met her future husband while holidaying in Miami and quickly fell in \"big love\" with him, the woman\'s mother, Elena Gertsog, told RT this week. | Once engaged, the happy couple spent two months at the Californian\'s house in San Luis Obispo…
(2020-05-15). Venezuelan TV Exposed US Mercenaries\' Names, Photos and Incursion Plan a Month Before It Happened. anti-empire.com ![](\"https://www.anti-empire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/28028654-8288849-Luke_Denman_left_and_Airan_Berry_right_Two_arrested_US_mercenari-a-9_1588693215659.jpg\")
The Americans behind the failed Venezuelan coup went ahead with the ill-fated mission even though the country\'s ruling regime publicly exposed their plan on live TV more than a month earlier. | In footage unearthed by DailyMail.com Venezuelan state television claimed its government had infiltrated the \'mercenaries\' and even aired photographs of the coup\'s US leader, Jordan Goudreau. | They also appeared to have the names of the other two Americans captured and paraded on TV this week, ex Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry. | The revelation, alongside the apparent lack of funding and adequate equipment fo…
(2020-05-15). 'Disturbing': Messi freaks out fans with sloppy music video kiss with wife Antonela Roccuzzo (VIDEO). rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebeb6f820302746064cbab9.jpg\")
Lionel Messi can curl in free-kicks from 30 yards but his kissing skills leave a lot to be desired, if the reaction to a clumsy viral smooch with wife Antonela Roccuzzo is anything to go by. | Messi and partner Roccuzzo were filmed locking lips for the latest video by Puerto Rican rapper Residente. | The track – titled \'Before the World Ends\' – features couples canoodling all around the world, including famous faces such as Hollywood star Ben Affleck and actress partner Ana de Armas, and Mexican boxer Saul \'Canelo\' Alvarez and his beau Fernanda Gómez. | But it\'s the appearance of six-time Ballon d\'Or wi…
(2020-05-15). \'It would be best if intra-Afghan talks began while US still has significant military presence\' — envoy. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebed70d85f54035135580c3.JPG\")
The United States has heard positive reports about the formation of an inclusive Afghan government, US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said on Friday, adding that a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks is under discussion. | Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Khalilzad said it would be best if intra-Afghan talks began while there is still a significant US military presence in Afghanistan, Reuters reported. | The pace of prisoner releases and disagreements over the Afghan government\'s composition have both helped delay intra-Afghan talks, which were to begin on March 10 under a February 29 US-…
(2020-05-15). The Covid-19 Testing Fiasco. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/1920px-President_Trump_Delivers_Remarks_During_a_Coronavirus_Update_Briefing_49720569077.jpg\")
From the start, testing for Covid-19 in the U.S. has been abysmal. Experts agree that without adequate testing, the disease cannot be stopped. Poor testing means no idea how many are infected or how to trace and quarantine their contacts or how to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. There has been speculation that the Trump
(2020-05-15). Czech Republic to allow gatherings of up to 300 people. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebec5d485f54039f1275334.JPG\")
The Czech Republic will take major steps to relax its coronavirus lockdown measures from May 25, as the government seeks to jump-start the economy, health officials said on Friday. | The central European country of 10.7 million people has reported fewer than 100 new cases a day throughout May. As of Friday morning, it had recorded a total of 8,352 cases of which 5,249 have recovered. It has reported 293 deaths, Reuters said. | Indoor dining and hotel stays could resume on May 25 under strict hygiene rules, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said. \"After May 25, there won\'t be establishments in retail which would be…
(2020-05-15). US sailors return to coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier only to test positive AGAIN, despite months of containment efforts. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebe189a20302764c053b687.JPG\")
Five American sailors have tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time after resuming duty on board an aircraft carrier that saw a major outbreak in March, even after a full evacuation of its crew and months of deep cleaning. | Though the Navy imposed several layers of screenings before allowing sailors to re-board the ill-fated USS \'Theodore Roosevelt\' — where more than 1,000 personnel contracted the virus in March — the five seamen nonetheless tested positive again after returning to the ship, the military confirmed on Thursday. | \"Five [\'Theodore Roosevelt\'] sailors who previously tested Covid…
(2020-05-15). Bye-Bye TEACHERS, COPS And Government PENSIONS. anti-empire.com ![](\"https://www.anti-empire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/tiktok-teacher-coronavirus.jpg\")
Retail sales for April were 22% below last year\'s figures. | No stores open, no bars and restaurants open, nobody actually spending money. \"Oh, you can order out.\" Uh huh. The volume of business collapsed anyway. | That means no tax receipts. No sales taxes. | It means commercial property, which has property taxation at much higher rates than residences, is now wort…
(2020-05-15). India: Right wing uses COVID-19 to implement 12-hour workday, 72-hour week. peoplesworld.org ![](\"https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/pjimage-1-1-340x190.jpg\")
Some Indian states are using coronavirus as a pretext to attack working conditions. Many have increased the working day to 12 hours, while others have suspended or provided exemptions to labor law. State governments, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, have increased the workday to 12 hours and the standard workweek to …
(2020-05-15). Trump says govt will work at \'WARP SPEED\' to deliver vaccine BEFORE year\'s end. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebed86485f540108e50caee.JPG\")
President Donald Trump has promised to deliver a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year or earlier, saying that the government will invest in potential candidates. He added that, vaccine or no vaccine, America will reopen. | Speaking to reporters in the White House Rose Garden on Friday, Trump unveiled \"Operation Warp Speed,\" a public-private partnership aimed at accelerating the development of a vaccine for Covid-19, the deadly virus that has infected more than 4.5 million people worldwide and killed more than 300,000. | \"This is an endeavor unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project…
(2020-05-15). Define \'distribute\'! Trump mobilizing MILITARY to deliver Covid-19 vaccine \'assuming we get it,\' sparks conspiracy frenzy. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebddaa92030276597148863.jpg\")
US President Donald Trump said the military is gearing up to distribute a coronavirus vaccine when one is ready, unleashing a torrent of takes from conspiracy-minded netizens, many sounding alarms over mandatory inoculations. | American GIs are already being mobilized to parcel out a future vaccine to \"most of the population,\" Trump told Fox Business\' Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Thursday, giving a highly optimistic end-of-the-year time frame even as many experts suggest a remedy won\'t be ready for mass distribution for another 12 to 18 months. | \"We\'re mobilizing our military on the basis that we do hav…
(2020-05-15). Back to work, or else: Trump administration tells states to pull unemployment benefits. peoplesworld.org ![](\"https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/honeywell960-340x190.gif\")
WASHINGTON—GOP President Donald Trump\'s Labor Secretary, Eugene Scalia, and his #2 who runs the agency that oversees jobless benefits want employers to report—and states to bar benefits from—workers who fear returning to their old jobs because their employers won\'t protect them against the coronavirus. The memo, from John Pallasch, a GOP operative, an advocate for …
(2020-05-15). Whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright testifies winter could be \'darkest in modern history\'. peoplesworld.org ![](\"https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/whistleblower960-340x190.gif\")
Dr. Rick Bright, the top Health and Human Services official dumped by Trump for blowing the whistle on the administration\'s disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic, testified to Congress Thursday that essentially everything the president is saying about his administration\'s response to the pandemic is a lie. One of the most damaging of those lies, …
(2020-05-15). Ari Berman on Voter Suppression and Coronavirus. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Election-Focus-2020-Edge-e1581112550381.jpg\")
Media…
(2020-05-15). \'Worrying data\' reveals more than 12,500 people in care homes have now died with Covid-19. thecanary.co ![](\"https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/127112474a79add484785cb4629afa01Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTg5NjM1ODg3/2.53757590.jpg\")
More than 12,500 people living in care homes have now died with Covid-19, with the majority dying in their care home, new figures show.Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that just over one in four of all deaths of care home residents in England and Wales between March 2 and May 1 involved Covid-19.Of 45,899 care home residents who died during this period, 27% (12,526) had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate.Some 9,039 (72%) of the deaths occurred within a care home and 27% were in hospital.(PA Graphics)The latest data includes all care home residents who died with coronavirus eit…
(2020-05-15). Foreign Policy Sees \'Repression\' in Vietnam\'s Fight Against Coronavirus – In the US, government may surveill you, but at least it doesn't protect your health. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Foreign-Policy-Vietnam.png\")
Foreign Policy ( A recent piece in Foreign Policy (
(2020-05-15). Vast majority support Scottish government\'s lockdown strategy. thecanary.co ![](\"https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/ad27ca51100ad91cb4984e5cabcce506Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTg5NjMxNDMy/2.53696452.jpg\")
The majority of the public back the Scottish government\'s lockdown approach, according to polling announced by Nicola Sturgeon.At her daily coronavirus briefing on Friday, the first minister said government polling shows 84% support a \"slow and gradual\" lifting of restrictions, while 82% agree that before further significant changes to lockdown are made the impact of those already introduced should be assessed.The survey also found 86% said \"decisions on when and how to lift restrictions must be based on saving lives and protecting the NHS\".Nicola Sturgeon said she will outline her thoughts on easing lockdown nex…
(2020-05-15). Do the Most Severe Lockdowns Coincide to the Highest COVID-19 Death Rates? counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/49850199947_17ede62c29_c.jpg\")
The organization Our World in Data is running an article on the severity of government lockdown policies used to deal with the Covid-19 disease, \"How Are Governments Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic?\". It is shows rankings of the severity (\"stringency\") on nine measures of lockdown policies throughout the world; it also addresses testing and tracking.
(2020-05-15). The Fed Hasn\'t Spent a Dime Yet for Main Street Versus $735 Billion for Wall Street. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/Federal-Reserve-Disbursements-to-Benefit-Wall-Street-as-of-May-6-2020.jpg\")
The stimulus bill known as the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27. Among its many features (such as direct checks to struggling Americans and enhancing unemployment compensation by $600 per week for four months to unemployed workers so they could pay
(2020-05-15). Fake pandemic science and conspiracy theories a key part of far-right agenda. peoplesworld.org ![](\"https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/pjimage-15-1-340x190.jpg\")
When is science not actually scientific? One answer is that research which cherry-picks and manipulates facts to support a preconceived hypothesis is not truly scientific. Long after Galileo and Copernicus demolished the Ptolemaic theory, some highly educated scientists kept creating astronomical models showing that the sun, planets, and stars revolve around Earth. The sheer weight …
(2020-05-15). Up to Five Iranian Tankers en Route to Venezuela Carrying Much-Needed Gasoline. anti-empire.com ![](\"https://www.anti-empire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/shutterstock_188998622.jpg\")
An Iranian tanker loaded with gasoline has set sail for Venezuela, Reuters reports, citing tanker tracking data. The cargo should help alleviate a growing shortage of gasoline in the sanctions-stricken South American country. | The Clavel, a medium tanker, loaded in March at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and this week passed the Suez Canal, the data showed. | TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani confirmed the data to Oilprice.com, noting that there were several vessels en route from Iran to Venezuela, with the cargo all or mostly gasoline. |
(2020-05-15). Jordan\'s king warns Israel of \'massive conflict\' if it proceeds with West Bank annexation plans. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebedbc885f54033ce2c0bd8.JPG\")
Jordan\'s King Abdullah II warned Israel of a \"massive conflict\" if it proceeds with plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank. | Israel has vowed to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley. The move could spell the end of the long-stalled peace process by making it virtually impossible to establish a viable Palestinian state. | \"Leaders who advocate a one-state solution do not understand what that would mean,\" Jordan\'s king said in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel. | European Union foreign ministers met on Friday to discuss what action the bloc might take in response to Israe…
(2020-05-15). No Lockdowns: The Terrifying Polio Pandemic of 1949-52. anti-empire.com ![](\"https://www.anti-empire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/162810722-800x533-1.jpg\")
World War II had ended four years earlier and the U.S. was trying to return to peace and prosperity. Price controls and rationing were ended. Trade was opening. People were returning to normal life. The economy started humming again. Optimism for the future was growing. Harry Truman became the symbol of a new normacy. From Depression and war, society was on the mend. | As if to serve as a reminder that there were still threats to life and liberty present, an old enemy made its appearance: polio. It\'s a disease with ancient origins, with its most terrifying effect, the paralysis of the lower extremities. It mai…
(2020-05-15). Government £1.6bn bailout of TfL will be paid for by \'ordinary people doing the right thing\'. thecanary.co ![](\"https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/3adc015dcd9a0eedbf4a559e141db9c0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTg5NTc1NDYw/2.53561781.jpg\")
Public transport users in London will be hit by fare increases and restrictions on free travel due to the Government\'s £1.6 billion bailout of Transport for London (TfL).Mayor Sadiq Khan accused the Department for Transport (DfT) of \"making ordinary Londoners pay the cost for doing the right thing on Covid-19\".The department said it included a series of caveats as part of the funding package \"in order to safeguard services in the future\".Temporary measures consist of stopping free travel for children and only allowing people over 60 or with a disability to travel for free outside peak hours.London bus and t…
(2020-05-15). COVID-19 Planning: Is It Time to Nationalize Big Pharma? counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/04/IMG_8035-1-scaled.jpeg\")
Pharmaceutical corporations make billions providing drugs to help improve some people\'s lives, in much the same way that privately-run hospitals provide care to those who can afford to pay. But Big Pharma is not a caring industry. Big Pharma has done some truly despicable things over the past hundred years or so. This is why
(2020-05-15). Nord Stream 2 to challenge German regulator\'s decision denying waiver of 'discriminatory' EU rules for gas pipeline from Russia. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5eb2d0192030276d7255612c.jpeg\")
The company building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has vowed to appeal Germany\'s refusal to remove the multibillion-dollar project from the restrictions laid out in the \"discriminatory\" EU Gas Directive. | The latest amendment to the EU rules was greenlighted in April last year, long after Nord Stream 2 construction began. The legislature made the rules governing the European gas market apply to all pipelines to and from third countries. The new rule means Russia\'s Gazprom, which designed the project, will be allowed to use not more than 50 percent of the pipeline capacity while allowing third parties to use…
(2020-05-15). End Game for Green Utopia. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/IMG_3319-510x364.jpeg\")
On these two opposing types of responses to the movie \"Planet Of The Humans\": PRO: \"The key, however, is that all these [\'greenish\'] energy policies have to be carried out after capitalism has been wiped out and under conditions where production is based strictly on use.\" CON: \"This documentary is trashy fake news. It\'s Trumpian
(2020-05-15). Guaidó and the Failed Military Operation Against Venezuela: a Story of Betrayal and Financial Corruption. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/a-picture-containing-outdoor-road-building-man.jpeg\")
Now that we have had a few days to study the failed, illegal paramilitary incursion by a group of American and Venezuelan mercenaries into Venezuela, some key details have emerged in this incredible story. They reveal the internal dynamics of the fractured, demoralized, and financially corrupt nature of the hardline sectors of the opposition. Much
(2020-05-15). My Israeli Nemesis is Moving to America. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/Flickr_-_Israel_Defense_Forces_-_22Shield_of_the_Minister22_Award_Giving_Ceremony.jpg\")
My first run-in with Israeli politician Gilad Erdan took place on July 1, 2018, when I arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, passport and visa in hand. After seven hours of interrogation, I was told that Erdan had had my visa revoked and was sending me directly back to the U.S. \"We prevented
(2020-05-15). El Diego: the Two Lives of Maradona. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/towardforever.jpg\")
22 June 1986. A world cup quarter-final is about to play out in the Estadio Azteca stadium at the heart of Mexico City. Under the billowing blue skies and the streaming sunlight the pitch is shadowless and pastel green. The teams line up. The English in white. The Argentinians in blue. As the Argentine anthem plays, the camera moves across the team, before lingering momentarily on the solemn, stormy features of the captain — a small, squat man, a head shorter than his teammates, his dark, handsome features shadowed with determination. Diego. Armando. Maradona. Despite the blue, open vistas of the sky and th…
(2020-05-15). For Cuba and Venezuela, US Silence May Not Be Golden. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/1920px-Embassy_of_the_Republic_of_Cuba_in_Washington_D.C.jpg\")
The U. S. President and his Secretary of State frequently expound about the supposed failings of enemies abroad. Recently they\'ve blasted China\'s response to the pandemic, Venezuela\'s dictatorship, Cuba\'s \"slave doctors\" overseas, and even Iranian border guards beating up on Afghan migrants. But they\'ve been mostly silent about two recent disruptions of the imperialist status
(2020-05-15). Corruption and the Pandemic Bailout. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/vol-27-no-1-cover-500x631-1.jpg\")
Neil Irwin had an interesting New York Times piece on how concerns about moral hazard in the bailout may damage the recovery. The gist of the article is that the fear that bad actors will be wrongly rewarded will prevent us from spending enough money to get the economy back on its feet. Irwin\'s point
(2020-05-15). Workingman\'s Blues (COVID 19 Version). counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/04/IMG_8609-scaled.jpeg\")
I went back to work last week. Even though neither I most of my fellow workers are convinced library books are an essential service, the fact that we are once again loaning them out appeals to a certain pretense that they are. This is despite the fact that libraries—both public and academic—are often the first
(2020-05-15). Not Liberty, Happiness. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/1920px-Open_Ohio_Rally_IMG_0910_49799974031.jpg\")
In 1863, John Stuart Mill posited the utilitarian principle as the foundation of ethics. Even today this lets us weigh actions morally: the more happiness an action promotes, the more upright it is. But if this simple calculus allows us to determine the greatest good for the greatest number of people, then how do we
(2020-05-15). Dark Winter? Honey Badger Trump Don\'t Care. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/05/Screen-Shot-2020-05-15-at-1.49.40-PM.png\")
\"This coalition of the business elite, right-wing Christian evangelicals, and white nationalists and other white supremacists is very dangerous. Fascism is ultimately a death cult.\" — Jason Stanley , May 11, 2020 From the Annals of \"The Most Dangerous Criminal in Human History\" Despite timely alerts given by senior public health experts and warnings from
(2020-05-15). War and Plagues: Military Spending During a Pandemic. counterpunch.org ![](\"https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/dropzone/2020/04/EWO7NWoXQAElM4C.jpeg\")
Welcome to the world of the hypersonic weapons, devices that are not only superfluous, but which will almost certainly not work, They will, however, cost enormous amounts of money. At a time when countries across the globe are facing economic chaos, financial deficits and unemployment at Great Depression levels, arms manufacturers are set to cash in big.
(2020-05-15). Iran Is Not A Victim, It Is One of The Most Influential and Strong-Minded Nations on Earth. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Soleimani_Iran_Hero_26624.jpg\")
When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter how threatening they might be. | Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world, and it\'s precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments. | And one such moment is sadly, right now. | *** | US battleships are sailing right next to the Iranian territorial waters. One mistake, one false move, and war could erupt, engulfing the entire region in flames. Iran is a proud nation, and it takes its independence extremely seriously. | Right now, the countr…
(2020-05-15). \'Time to APOLOGIZE!\' Orban hits back at critics as he plans to hand back emergency Covid-19 powers that caused major spat with EU. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebeb43d20302762815b7f98.JPG\")
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has said emergency laws granting his government the right to rule by decree during the Covid-19 crisis will be rescinded soon and those who accused him of using it as a power grab should \"apologize. | Orban secured open-ended emergency powers from parliament at the end of March, angering the country\'s opposition and triggering a spat with Brussels. The move predictably ignited a fresh round of condemnation in Western media as the PM was accused of dismantling democracy and taking another step toward \"authoritarianism.\" | Now, having announced that he expects parliament will be able to…
(2020-05-15). Venezuela Shows World Under No Less Threat of War After Donald Trump\'s First Term. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Trump_Visits_Guaido_08437.jpg\")
When Donald Trump ran for president in the 2016 election, his criticisms of regime change presented a real opportunity for anti-war voices and organizations to demand an end to U.S. regime change wars abroad. That did not happen. In fact, the Trump administration has become even more bellicose amid the spread of the
(2020-05-15). New Yorkers confused as Gov. Cuomo extends NY Pause and stay-at-home orders to seemingly contradictory dates. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebee03785f540330c47d228.JPG\")
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the state\'s \"NY Pause\" economic shutdown until the end of May while stretching the stay-at-home order halfway into June, confusing residents already chafing under extended lockdown. | With both measures set to expire at midnight and five of the state\'s 10 economic regions entering the first phase of reopening, Cuomo poured cold water on any premature celebration by downstate residents on Friday, extending both Covid-19 executive orders by several weeks. | For those regions that haven\'t met the governor\'s stated criteria involving a decrease in hospital admissions, te…
(2020-05-15). 500,000 Germans apply to take part in Stuttgart lockdown protest, but police RESTRICT rally to 5,000 due to 'social distancing'. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebea0ee203027481f2deb03.jpg\")
The city of Stuttgart has reluctantly agreed to let a demonstration go ahead on Saturday, ordering that masks be worn on public transport and people stay apart, after dissent over the lockdown swept across Germany last weekend. | Five thousand protesters are set to hit the streets of the southwestern city to protest Covid-19 restrictions. And that\'s only one percent of the half a million who applied to take part in the rally against Covid-19 prevention measures. | The local government has permitted only a limited number of protestors, and also requires them to maintain social distancing. Anyone caught travelin…
(2020-05-15). Germany in recession with economy in worst plunge since global financial crisis. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebe95e285f54034270b0e1b.jpg\")
Germany\'s economy shrank by 2.2 percent in the first quarter compared to the final three months of 2019, preliminary official statistics have shown. It\'s the biggest slump in a decade for Europe\'s largest economy. | Figures for the final three months of 2019 were revised to show a contraction of 0.1 percent, which means German GDP growth has been negative for two consecutive quarters, the technical definition of a recession. | The numbers are expected to get worse; Germany\'s Statistical Office has forecast a ten percent plunge in GDP for the second quarter, depending on the success of lifting lockdown measures…
(2020-05-15). Trump salutes his \'keyboard warriors,\' but has he actually curtailed corporate online censorship? rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebeadc820302762393403c4.JPG\")
President Donald Trump has paid his respects to the legions of online meme-makers and \"keyboard warriors\" who helped him get elected. But among these netizens, many feel the president hasn\'t done enough to fight online censorship. | \"Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors,\" Trump tweeted on Friday. \"You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!\" | Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors. You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonald…
(2020-05-15). One week after promising health supplies to southeast Colombia, government vows aid to bury the dead. colombiareports.com ![](\"https://colombiareports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/puertohospital.jpg\")
Colombia\'s government vowed to send cement to build repositories of Covid-19 deaths in the southeastern Amazonas province after promised health supplies never arrived. The situation in Colombia\'s most remote province…
(2020-05-15). Musk\'s swarm of Starlink microsatellites to light up UK skies this weekend. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebe7da92030273cba3b09f0.JPG\")
Elon Musk\'s artificial constellation of Starlink microsatellites will stream across the night skies above the UK twice this weekend, providing some fodder for amatuer astronomers but some frustration for the pros. | Musk\'s SpaceX designed the fleet of microsats to provide cheap broadband internet to neglected areas of the globe. | While this is a noble goal, the swarm of microsatellites has divided the astronomy community: amateurs have added them to the list of casual targets for a night of stargazing while professionals and researchers bemoan the additional light pollution, lampooning Musk for \'destroying\' t…
(2020-05-15). The Japanese Art of Avoiding Your Relatives (Or Why Covid-19 Flopped in Japan). anti-empire.com ![](\"https://www.anti-empire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/photo_l.jpg\")
Let\'s say you do not get along with your mother-in-law and you do not wish to have contact with her like, ever. | Here are two possible methods you might employ. | The first is to burn down your house, fake your own death and move somewhere else under an assumed identity, or failing that to dig up the entire road between your place and hers, blow up her car and steal all her shoes. | This may discourage the urge to visit. | The other is to just not open the door when she knocks. | In many countries as we all well know, in order to avoid coming in contact with the dreaded Covid-19, which is possibly even more i…
(2020-05-15). Brazilian Health Minister Teich resigns after just weeks in job. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebecb6d85f54035135580bb.JPG\")
Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned on Friday after just weeks in the job. President Jair Bolsonaro had criticized Teich as being too timid in the push to reopen the economy and to advocate the use of anti-malarial drugs. | Military members of the Brazilian cabinet are pushing for deputy health minister Eduardo Pazuello, an army general on active duty, to become the new health minister, making permanent his interim role, Reuters reported, citing a government source. | Teich is the second health minister to resign amid the pandemic in Brazil. He replaced Nelson Mandetta, who was fired on April 16 fo…
(2020-05-15). Hunger gnaws at the edges of the World. mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/avdwrv.png\")
On 21 April, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley said that the world was experiencing a \'hunger pandemic\'. That day, the Global Network Against Food Crises and the Food Security Information Network released the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises.
(2020-05-15). Massachusetts Contact Tracing Program Handed to Clinton-Linked NGO with Questionable Past. mintpressnews.com ![](\"https://www.mintpressnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/diagram-01_edited.jpg\")
A new contact tracing program was recently unveiled in Massachusetts in partnership with Partners in Health, an NGO with links to US regime change operations, big pharma and the Clinton Foundation.
(2020-05-15). The American Genie — Engineering a Catastrophe. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Esper_Fort_Detrick_821bd.jpg\")
The first signs that something terrible had gone wrong with the security at the Fort Detrick bio-defence facility fifty miles north-west of Washington DC were when cases of a previously unknown and serious
(2020-05-15). First child dies in France from rare Kawasaki-like disease unwisely linked to Covid-19. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebedec885f540145666a626.JPG\")
A nine-year-old boy in France has died from the mysterious Kawasaki-like disease, which some medics link to Covid-19. It\'s the first such case in that country, but similar child fatalities were earlier recorded in the US and UK. | The cause of the boy\'s death was \"neurological injury related to a cardiac arrest,\" Fabrice Michel, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at La Timone hospital in Marseille, said. | The child was rushed to hospital with heart problems in early May. Doctors have been fighting for his life for a whole week, but the young patient passed away on Saturday. | While in hospital, the bo…
(2020-05-15). #Unis4all: An Open Letter to the U.S. Higher Education Community. mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Unis4all_Final-.jpg\")
Universities can immediately bypass feckless state & federal legislatures & finance themselves directly with \"Unis\" supported by the Federal Reserve For a growing majority of outspoken administrators and faculty, the economic fallout associated with the Covid-19 crisis threatens to catapult U. S. higher education into a draconian age of austerity, layoffs, and closures. The question, …
(2020-05-15). Jailing people who use Covid-19 as bioweapon would be \'discrimination.\' So better lock up everyone instead? rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebde06b85f54074672d2aae.jpg\")
Accidentally spreading Covid-19 is wanting grandma dead, say opponents of ending lockdowns. Yet activists now worry that proposed laws to punish those who threaten to spread it deliberately would discriminate against minorities. | A Florida man spat and coughed on a police officer responding to a domestic violence call, and faces up to five years in prison on a federal charge of biological weapons hoax (he was negative for Covid-19). Another man in Texas, who falsely claimed on Facebook that he paid someone to spread the virus at local grocery stores, was charged with the same thing. A Michigan man who wiped h…
(2020-05-15). Quarantined & lonely? Find a \'SEX BUDDY,\' Dutch government advises. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebef7a785f54034270b0e7e.JPG\")
Dutch authorities have decided that sex is a necessity, even in times of lockdown. Ever the pragmatists, they suggest that quarantined singletons \"make arrangements\" with a willing partner. | With more than 43,000 people infected with the coronavirus and a death toll of 5,600, the Netherlands has been on lockdown since late March. Citizens are allowed to have up to three visitors in their homes, provided they keep a distance of 1.5 meters from each other. Naturally, this precludes most sexual activity. | However, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has admitted that two se…
(2020-05-15). Give Peace a Chance: Saudi Arabia and the UAE Jostle for Position in War-Ravaged Countries for Contracts. strategic-culture.org Is the coronavirus, which has hit GCC countries quite hard, going to fuel proxy wars further with the economic objective of fortunes to be made, once the fighting stops? Or dig them in deeper? Don\'t overlook Russia in the scramble for reconstruction contracts. | The bigger they are, the harder they fall. This certainly applies to countries in the GCC which are attempting to pick themselves up again. It\'s a cruel irony, some might argue, that the UAE\'s diversification in its economy away from oil dependency, made it more vulnerable than Saudi Arabia\'s and so was hit harder by the virus. An economy dependent on tou…
(2020-05-15). A universal appeal for humanity to end militarism and stop war. peoplesdispatch.org On March 15, 1950, the World Peace Council sent out the Stockholm Appeal, a short text that called for a ban on nuclear weapons and that would eventually be signed by almost 2 million people. The appeal was made up of three elegant sentences: | -We demand the outlawing of atomic weapons as instruments of intimidation and mass murder of peoples. We demand strict international control to enforce this measure. | -We believe that any government which first uses atomic weapons against any other country whatsoever will be committing a crime against humanity and should be dealt with as a war criminal. | -We call on a…
(2020-05-15). Neither Iraq, nor Syria can afford to allow Daesh to Return as Major Challenge. globalresearch.ca Despite Covid-19, Iraqis have returned to the streets to demand an end to mismanagement, corruption and sectarianism as Mustafa Al Kadhimi was confirmed as the country\'s new prime minister. His first act was to mollify protesters by calling for the …
(2020-05-15). MI Legislature Cancels Work as \"Reopen\" Protesters Call for Whitmer\'s \"Lynching\" truthout.org The Michigan state legislature called off meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday as demonstrations were set to take place against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer\'s stay-at-home order. | According to state police,
(2020-05-15). Biden Can\'t Return Things to Normal, Because Trump Is a Normal US President. That\'s the Problem. strategic-culture.org To be clear, this is not a good thing. Trump has kept the bloodthirsty imperialism, corporate cronyism, Orwellian oppression, neoliberal exploitation and police militarization that holds the US empire together ticking along in basically the same way as his predecessors, in some ways more egregiously and in some ways less so.
(2020-05-15). Vice President Kamala Harris? counterpunch.org The Washington Post and other generally reliable sources of Washington (or is it Wilmington?) scuttlebutt report that Kamala Harris\'s chances of becoming Joe Biden\'s running-mate are on the rise. She wiped the floor with that doddering doofus in the debates, but they say that he doesn\'t care anymore. More likely, he doesn\'t remember. It could
(2020-05-15). Trump Unveils Plan That Would See Big Pharma Reap Massive Profits from COVID-19 Vaccine. mintpressnews.com President Trump has revealed a plan to mobilize the US military to deliver mass vaccinations across the country, coupled with Operation Warp Speed, a \"Manhattan project-style\" race to produce a COVID-19 vaccine.
(2020-05-15). The Virus, the Press, and the Comfortable Class. thenation.com The Virus, the Press, and the Comfortable Class…
(2020-05-15). \"Corona demonstrations\" in Germany: Neo-Nazis join hands with Free Democrats, Christian Democrats and Left Party. wsws.org The FDP\'s leader in Thuringia, Thomas Kemmerich, participated in a demonstration against the measures put in place to restrict the spread of the coronavirus. Like other such mobilisations in Germany, it was dominated by the extreme right.
(2020-05-15). US Deports COVID-Positive Immigrants to Haiti and Guatemala, Spreading Virus. truthout.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says \"U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are \'unconscionable,\'\" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: We turn now…
(2020-05-15). Rushed relaxation of coronavirus measures in Germany puts thousands of lives at risk. wsws.org With the general relaxation of the coronavirus measures, cases in schools, retirement homes, local transport, industry and the entire working population are inevitably on the rise again.
(2020-05-15). If They Walk Like Fascists and Talk Like Fascists… thenation.com If They Walk Like Fascists and Talk Like Fascists…
(2020-05-15). Confirmed known Covid-19 cases for 2,818 federal inmates. indybay.org Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic…
(2020-05-15). German auto bosses demand government subsidies and job cuts. wsws.org The German auto industry is using the coronavirus crisis to implement its long-planned transition to electro-mobility and digitalisation. Its main partner is the company union, the IG Metall.
(2020-05-15). Gaza Holds Its Breath as the Threat of Coronavirus Looms. thenation.com Gaza Holds Its Breath as the Threat of Coronavirus Looms…
(2020-05-15). Baseball\'s Plan to Reopen Is All Risk for the Players. thenation.com Baseball\'s Plan to Reopen Is All Risk for the Players…
(2020-05-15). If the media\'s on Starmer\'s side, you know something\'s very, very wrong. thecanary.co The last five years have been a nightmare. And as a result, we have a government whose handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has been To escape this nightmare, we need to learn from it. | Five years of establishment terror: | The political and econ…
(2020-05-15). The Trump administration vs. science. wsws.org The president\'s attack on his top coronavirus advisor, Anthony Fauci, is part of an appeal to the most backward and reactionary forces to support the deadly policy of \"reopening\" the US economy.
(2020-05-15). Russia ends federal COVID-19 shutdown measures as it surges to second place in infections worldwide. wsws.org There are now more coronavirus infections in Russia than anywhere else in the world, with the exception of the United States and Spain.
(2020-05-15). WHO special envoy sets out what\'s wrong with Johnson\'s timetable to end lockdown. thecanary.co The World Health Organisation\'s coronavirus special envoy has warned the government against releasing lockdown measures until a comprehensive testing, tracking and isolating system is in place. | Dr David Nabarro said rather than giving specific dates for individual measures to be lifted, the government should say they will release the lockdown \"when we know that we\'ve got the defence mechanisms in place\". | Nabarro added that the test, track and isolate strategy has \"been shown in other countries to be the key to living with the virus\". | He also stressed that a test, tracking and isolating defence system must b…
(2020-05-15). Rearranging Desires Amidst Climate Catastrophe, COVID Chaos, and Capitalist Calamity. counterpunch.org Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak states that her political goal is to rearrange desires. No goal is more pertinent to our present trying time. As Chuck Mertz refrains \"the future ain\'t what it used to be.\" The coronavirus has exposed much of what we knew to be true, but counted on avoiding. What has become plain as
(2020-05-15). UK universities prepare all-out assault on staff and students in wake of pandemic. wsws.org With the coronavirus pandemic leading to a drop in student numbers, up to 60,000 workers could lose their jobs as universities face a £2.5 billion funding black hole.
(2020-05-15). We Can\'t Go Back to Normal: A Moral Respnse to Coronavirus Town Hall (PPC). indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-05-15). USPS Reportedly Considering Price Hikes as Trump\'s Takeover Accelerates. truthout.org With the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service soon to be completely under the control of President Donald Trump\'s appointees, the agency has reportedly launched a review of its package prices and bulk delivery contracts as it faces the possibility of imminent collapse due in large part to the coronavirus crisis. |
(2020-05-15). Wearing \'smallpox blankets\' Lakota Dakota oppose casinos reopening. indybay.org Wearing \'smallpox blankets,\' Standing Rock Lakota and Dakota opposed the plan to re-open casinos. This comes as two coronavirus cases were reported after group testing at Standing Rock.
(2020-05-15). Democrats\' Relief Bill Would Let Lobbying Giants Access Small Business Aid. truthout.org House Democrats\' newest coronavirus relief proposal would allow influential Washington lobbying groups — funded by deep-pocketed corporations — to access forgivable small business loans. | House Speaker
(2020-05-15). Coronavirus outbreak calls for new era in our relationship with animals. thecanary.co As The Canary has Tim…
(2020-05-15). US Senator Richard Burr steps down as intelligence chairman amid investigation into pre-pandemic stock dump. wsws.org As part of an ongoing Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission\'s probe into insider trading, FBI agents have seized the North Carolina senator\'s personal cell phone.
(2020-05-15). Colombia\'s opposition filing criminal charges against 9 generals and Duque ally over illegal spying. colombiareports.com Colombia\'s opposition announced criminal charges against nine army generals and an ideologue of President Ivan Duque\'s far-right political party, which again found itself accused of having ties to the mafia….
(2020-05-15). U.S. Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System. indybay.org Zoom Meeting ID: 873 3950 1810 | Password: 795705 | Join Zoom meeting: | us02web.zoom.us/j/87339501810?pwd=cXJtNkwzYTBUUjI3eEphOW1BejZhZz09 | Call in: +1 669-900-9128 | Look up int\'l numbers: zoom.us/u/kcOFhaNgyn…
(2020-05-15). Simple Solution to California\'s Anticipated $54 Billion Budget Deficit. counterpunch.org The California Department of Finance recently projected that the state is facing a $54 billion deficit. There is hope for a bailout from the federal government. Given the current political make-up of the national government, does anyone want to count on what should be viewed as the goodwill of reactionaries such as Senate Majority Leader
(2020-05-15). Socialism and Collective Responses: Attacking Venezuela in a Pandemic. counterpunch.org That feeling of international solidarity. This pandemic has brought terror in daily life to many, including this home where a 79 year old with COPD resides. Global calls of \"we are all in this together\" have served to blunt the bleakness in the face of unprecedented threats to our collective health. However, the initial rush
(2020-05-15). Why Capitalism Can\'t Cure Global Pandemics. counterpunch.org We frequently hear that COVID-19 is the worst pandemic since the influenza of 1918. It is forgotten that another pandemic known as \"the third plague\" (because it was \"the third major bubonic plague outbreak to affect European society\") killed millions from the 1890s to the 1950s in Asia\'s southern, southeastern, and eastern regions, continuing well
(2020-05-15). Can We Simultaneously Oppose Bayer/Monsanto\'s Biotechnology and Support Cuba\'s Interferon Alpha 2B? counterpunch.org Genetically engineered crops are a form of food imperialism. This technology allows mega-corporations like Bayer/Monsanto to patent seeds, lure farmers into buying them with visions of high yields, and then destroy the ability of small farmers to survive. Genetic engineering produces an artificial combination of plant traits which often results in foods with less nutritional
(2020-05-15). Veterans Exposed in Cold War Bioweapons Testing Still Awaiting Answers — and Help. counterpunch.org On May 12, 2000, the CBS Evening News first reported that over 1,000 American sailors were unwittingly exposed to chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents in the 1960s and early 1970s as part of secret military experiments to study the vulnerability of US Navy ships to germ warfare attacks. The Pentagon responded to the report
(2020-05-15). My Birth Control Experience Is Why I\'m Fighting to Ensure Access for Everyone. truthout.org The issue of birth control is particularly important to me as a woman of color from an immigrant community in Pennsylvania. Beyond my own experience, I also understand the difficulties other marginalized communities face in obtaining this essential health care. | The first time I sought birth control, the provider lectured me based on stereotypes she had of people from my \"culture.\" She also insisted repeatedly that I choose a birth control method which I was not comfortable with because it w…
(2020-05-15). The 2003 SARS epidemic: How Canada\'s elite squandered the chance to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Canada\'s disastrous response to the pandemic is all the more criminal given the impact of SARS and the repeated government vows that the country\'s health system would be well-prepared for any future novel virus.
(2020-05-15). \"Truth in America R.I.P.\": In America there is only Official Truth, and It\'s a Lie. globalresearch.ca In \"freedom and democracy\" America there is only official truth, and it is a lie. A person or website that speaks real truth is shunted aside as a \"conspiracy theorist,\" \"Russian agent,\" \"racist,\" \"anti-semite,\" or other such name with the …
(2020-05-15). Breonna Taylor Was Murdered for Sleeping While Black. thenation.com Breonna Taylor Was Murdered for Sleeping While Black…
(2020-05-15). Is Universal Basic Income the Way Out of the Current Economic Crisis? globalresearch.ca Philip\'s third interview with Ellen Brown focused on the Universal Basic Income, which Philip believes is the ONLY way out of the current economic crisis. The social distancing forced by the COVID-19 epidemic has shut down the country, and one-time …
(2020-05-15). Video: Bill Gates\' and Rockefeller Foundation\'s Plan to Track Americans. globalresearch.ca Bill Gates — who
(2020-05-15). COVID-19: Construir os empregos do futuro AGORA! globalresearch.ca Reconstruir as economias depois da pandemia de COVID-19 parece ser uma tarefa impossível dado ao contrário do que sucede numa guerra convencional nà£o há infra-estruturas a reconstruir, o que criaria emprego e relanàßaria a economia. Ou será esta a oportunidade …
(2020-05-15). COVID-19: How Many are Really Unemployed and how Many British Companies are Going Bust. globalresearch.ca The total amount of people who are unemployed right now seems to something of a closely guarded secret as is the amount of financial support that is really being dished out by the government. I suspect this has something to …
(2020-05-15). Canadians Must Ask Questions About the Mercenary Raid on Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Details of the failed armed mercenary incursion on Venezuela are surfacing daily thanks to the prompt public information system from Venezuela and scant corporate media reports. The so-called Operation Gideon took off from Colombia on May 3 and was effectively …
(2020-05-15). Video: Ted Cruz to Zuckerberg: Is There Facebook Political Bias? globalresearch.ca Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pressed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on whether or not there is a political bias at the social media giant. | . | . | . …
(2020-05-15). As Corporations Adapt to a COVID-19 Economy, the Working-Class Prepares for a Paradigm Shift. mintpressnews.com As social distancing measures persist across the country, corporations are setting in a \"new normal\" where most people are safely squirreled away in their homes, with paradigm-shifting implications for the working classes.
(2020-05-15). Speak out against oil drilling in Brentwood. indybay.org Powerdrive Oil & Gas Company, LLC has submitted an application to drill for oil on agriculturally zoned land in unincorporated Brentwood. Contra Costa County officials have made an preliminary determination against requiring an EIR (Environment Impact Report).
(2020-05-15). Declassified Mueller investigation transcripts confirm no evidence WikiLeaks colluded with Russia. wsws.org The \"Russian connection\" was baldly asserted by the Democratic Party, US intelligence officials and the corporate media…
(2020-05-15). Essential Sanitary Workers Strike for Hazard Pay and PPE in New Orleans. truthout.org The severe outbreak of COVID-19 in southern Louisiana was the last straw for a group of sanitation workers who pick up trash in eastern New Orleans. Last week, they walked off the job and went on strike, demanding hazard pay and a $15 living wage. | Without \"hoppers,\" as the workers are known, garbage would pile up on the streets and contribute to the spread of disease and other public health problems. However, the group of hoppers in New Orleans say their employers did not provide them with hazar…
(2020-05-15). The positive side of Colombia: ambassador can eat two families\' monthly income in just one lunch. colombiareports.com Many Colombians may have no food, but that doesn\'t mean their Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, can\'t have lunch that could sustain two families for…
(2020-05-15). Citizens\' Climate Lobby: Virtual Climate Conference 2020 (Day 2). indybay.org Online/virtual conference…
(2020-05-15). Citizens\' Climate Lobby: Virutal Climate Conference 2020 (Day 1). indybay.org Online/virtual conference…
(2020-05-15). #Stop the Money Pipeline: Dump Climate Denier Lee Raymond from Chase Actionar. indybay.org Online via Zoom | Register now: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfu6grzkrG9BKn-nueHHbOJCCFNTn5W4B…
(2020-05-15). Intersection of the Climate Crisis & Social Justice Webinar (PPC & CRP). indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-05-15). US whistleblower warns premature return to work will bring \"unprecedented illness and fatalities\" wsws.org Dr. Rick Bright warned yesterday that the pandemic \"has the potential to eclipse the devastation wrought by the 1918 influenza, which globally claimed over 50 million lives.\"
(2020-05-15). War and Plagues: Military Spending During a Pandemic. strategic-culture.org Conn HALLINAN\"There have been as many plagues as wars in history, yet plagues and wars take people equally by surprise\" | — Albert Camus, \"The Plague\" | Camus\' novel of a lethal contagion in the North African city of Oran is filled with characters all too recognizable today: indifferent or incompetent officials, short sighted and selfish citizens, and lots of great courage. What not even Camus could imagine, however, is a society in the midst of a deadly epidemic pouring vast amounts of wealth into instruments of death. | Welcome to the world of the hypersonic weapons, devices that are not only superfluous,…
(2020-05-15). The drums of economic nationalism are beating louder. wsws.org A series of comments published in the New York Times in recent days points to the rise of economic nationalism within the US political establishment the logic of which is war against China.
(2020-05-15). In less than a month, Brazil sees two health ministers leave office. peoplesdispatch.org Oncologist Nelson Teich asked to step down from his position as Minister of Health on Friday morning May 15, according to the government. A press conference will be held in the afternoon. | Teich took over the position as Health Minister on April 17, after Luiz Henrique Mandetta was fired from the position. In Teich\'s speech when assuming the position, he affirmed that he would work to ease social isolation measures, but in a \"technical and scientific\" way. | As of now, the individual expected to take over the position is General Eduardo Pazuello, the current number two in the ministry. | History: | While…
(2020-05-15). Covid-19 changes to NHS services may lead to worsening health inequalities. imperial.ac.uk The decision to suspend non-urgent services at NHS hospitals in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will lead to worsening health inequalities.
(2020-05-15). Delta Tunnel Forges Ahead in Pandemic: Agreement in Principal Reached for SWP Contract Amendment. indybay.org It is very clear that the Department of Water Resources and water contractors don\'t really care what the public and the people most impacted by the Delta Tunnel think, based on their obsession with pushing the tunnel project through at this time.
(2020-05-15). How Biosecurity Is Enabling Digital Neo-Feudalism. strategic-culture.org Italian master thinker Giorgio Agamben has been on the — controversial — forefront examining what new paradigm may be emerging out of our current pandemic distress. | He recently called In
(2020-05-15). US grocery stores and retailers move to cut pandemic pay to workers. wsws.org Kroger, Starbucks and other companies plan to end hazard-related bonuses, including pay increases and paid work leave, even as the number of new COVID-19 infections and deaths in the US continues to rise.
(2020-05-15). Head of the Hydra: The Rise of Robert Kadlec. mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON DC (
(2020-05-15). Dispatch from the Frontlines: Gender Inequality and COVID-19 (CPCC). indybay.org Online livestream & Zoom…
(2020-05-15). After FCA Sterling Heights Assembly workers contract COVID-19, anger mounts over premature return to work. wsws.org Anxiety over a premature return to work has been heightened after reports that several workers in the Detroit area have already been sent home with suspected COVID-19 infections.
(2020-05-14). When Patients Die Alone, How Do Families and Health Workers Cope, Relieve Suffering? democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/97/52597/w320/SEG2-PalliativeCare-Covid-4.jpg\")
We look at the tremendous emotional toll the coronavirus is taking on families when loved ones are forced to battle COVID alone in hospitals or at home, with Dr. Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care and a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She helped start a 24-hour palliative care hotline for COVID-19 patients in New York City that served nearly 900 people in a four-week period.
(2020-05-14). Headlines for May 14, 2020. democracynow.org World Health Organization Says Novel Coronavirus \"May Never Go Away\", Whistleblower Warns U.S. Faces \"Darkest Winter\" Without Urgent Action on COVID-19, Trump Calls Dr. Anthony Fauci\'s Warning on COVID-19 and Schools \"Not an Acceptable Answer\", Wisconsin Stay-at-Home Orders Struck Down, Threatening New Wave of COVID-19 Deaths, Fed Reserve Chair Warns of Long Recession as Unemployment Claims Hit 36 Million, Trump Calls Democrats\' Coronavirus Relief Bill \"Dead on Arrival\", Native Americans Make Up Half of New Mexico Coronavirus Deaths; New Orleans Sanitation Workers Strike, China to Test 11 Million Wuhan Residents…
(2020-05-14). Coronavirus Pandemic Prompts Global Mental Health Crisis as Millions Feel Alone, Anxious & Depressed. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/96/52596/w320/SEG1-Depression-Covid-1.jpg\")
Is the coronavirus pandemic generating a mental illness crisis? Millions face isolation, poverty and anxiety. We speak with psychology professor and author Andrew Solomon, as the United Nations calls on governments to put mental health \"front and center\" in their response to the crisis.
(2020-05-14). \'Unlawful & invalid\': Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state\'s stay-at-home order. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebce63885f540231962fcf0.JPG\")
Measures purportedly enacted to stop the spread of coronavirus in Wisconsin have been overturned by the state\'s Supreme Court, which ruled that the orders violate the law and cannot be enforced. | The state\'s highest court issued a 4-3 ruling describing the restrictions as \"unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable.\" The decision comes after Republican lawmakers sued Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, after she unilaterally extended the state\'s \"Safer at Home\" emergency order in mid-April. The measures were first implemented in March and were set to expire on May 26. | Wisconsin has alrea…
(2020-05-14). \'Tyrannical\' Wisconsin court ruling puts lives in danger amid pandemic. peoplesworld.org ![](\"https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wisccovid960-340x190.gif\")
In a ruthless display of power, the right-wing-dominated Wisconsin Supreme Court threw the state\'s response to the COVID-19 pandemic into \"chaos,\" putting the lives of millions of residents in danger. The ruling, termed \"tyrannical\" by one dissenting justice, struck down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers\'s administration\'s ability to issue statewide emergency safer-at-home orders during the pandemic, …
(2020-05-14). Surveillance Tech: Leave It to the Mossad and Shin Bet to Profit Militarily and Financially from Coronavirus. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Israeli_Spy_Tech_dbbbd.jpg\")
Israel\'s external spy organization Mossad and its internal espionage equivalent Shin Bet have reputations that are much larger than their actual successes, but the one area where they have excelled is electronic intelligence gathering. Recent electronic spying around the White House and other federal buildings in Washington carried out by the Israeli Embassy demonstrates that Israel does not differentiate much between friends and enemies when it conducts espionage. In fact, spying targeting the U.S. is probably its number one priority due to the fact that the Jewish state is so heavily dependent on American su…
(2020-05-14). Biden Can\'t Return Things To Normal, Because Trump Is A Normal US President. That\'s The Problem. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Trump_and_Biden_76787.jpg\")
\"I am with Joe Biden all the way- let\'s get this country back to where it was before the orange man started destroying it!!!\", reads a This idea that Obama\'s vice president will restore normality to a nation that has been ruined by a highly abnormal president has been a very common sentiment among Democrats for a long time now, and it\'s silly for a number of reasons. | Firstly, wanting America to go back to how it was before Trump is wanting the conditions whic…
(2020-05-14). Western media concerned coronavirus 'hasn't killed more Russians'. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebdbefa2030276ac36fcf28.jpg\")
US and allied media outlets seem frustrated that the pandemic isn\'t killing more Russians, so they\'re claiming the death toll is higher, despite a lack of evidence — while insisting Moscow is the one spreading disinformation. | When the number of confirmed coronavirus cases started accelerating in Russia last month, Western media pounced, presuming the increase would be followed by the kind of spike in casualties seen in the US and many European countries. That hasn\'t happened, and the same outlets that were licking their lips waiting for the Russian body count to explode now seem to feel cheated. | A ne…
(2020-05-14). Health leaders say it will take months for NHS services to fully resume. thecanary.co ![](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/25aa.png\")
It will be months before the NHS is able to fully restart services in the face of coronavirus (Covid-19), health leaders say. | Experts from the Health Foundation, the King\'s Fund and the Nuffield Trust will tell MPs on 14 May of the significant challenges facing the health service as it tries to create a \"new normal\". | It comes as NHS waiting list data is due to be published which is expected to show the number of people waiting for treatment has swollen during the pandemic. | The waiting list for planned treatment stood at around 4.4 million before the coronavirus outbreak but is now expected to be much higher…
(2020-05-14). \'We\'ll cut off the whole relationship\' — Trump throws some signature shade at China in new interview. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebd64b62030273b647406ab.JPG\")
President Donald Trump has savaged the Chinese government\'s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. His threat to \"cut off the whole relationship\" with China is consistent with a new, hard line being pushed by his administration. | \"I\'m very disappointed in China,\" Trump said during an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday. \"We asked to go over and they said no,\" he continued, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\'s February offer of assistance to the virus-stricken city of Wuhan. | \"They didn\'t want our help. And I figured that was OK because they must know what they are doing. S…
(2020-05-14). Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines, making social distancing \'almost impossible\'. thecanary.co ![](\"https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/576332542f94cd76a2efc580434f1a42Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTg5NTMzMjU4/2.53741276.jpg\")
A strong typhoon has hit the Philippines after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the coronavirus (Covid-19) risks of overcrowding emergency shelters.The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon local time, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight Covid-19 outbreaks largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections. More than 11,600 infec…
(2020-05-14). \'Don\'t give 2 rats\' a**es about your cops\': NYC police unions call on health commissioner to resign after refusal to provide masks. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebce06b203027668f1ecbe3.JPG\")
Unions representing New York City police officers have demanded the dismissal of the city\'s health commissioner after she scoffed at a request to provide the force with surgical masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Dr. Oxiris Barbot refused to provide the city\'s police with 500,000 masks as Covid-19 began to spread in March, telling a high-ranking law enforcement official, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan: \"I don\'t give two rats\' asses about your cops.\" The conversation, first reported by the New York Post, was confirmed to the media by the NYC Health Department. Barbot has since apologized to Monaha…
(2020-05-14). WHO warns Covid-19 may \'never go away\' as Trump clashes with Fauci over US reopening. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebc8bcd2030271fc72e9eb6.JPG\")
US President Donald Trump has pushed for reopening schools, against the advice of his chief epidemiologist. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned that the coronavirus may become endemic and never really disappear. | After meeting with governors of Colorado and North Dakota in the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he won\'t consider any state fully open until the schools are back up and running. | \"I think you should absolutely open the schools. Our country has got to get back and it\'s got to get back as soon as possible, and I don\'t consider our country coming back if the schools are closed,\" T…
(2020-05-14). U.S. pandemic unemployment grows again, but so does the number of billionaires. peoplesworld.org ![](\"https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/closing0960-340x190.gif\")
WASHINGTON—Some 2.981 million more people filed for jobless benefits in the week ending May 7, the Labor Department said Thursday, bringing total unemployment insurance claims since the coronavirus pandemic-caused shutdowns began to 36.5 million. Progressive analysts at the Economic Policy Institute predict jobless figures will only get worse, especially for low-wage workers, women workers, and …
(2020-05-14). The jungle—pandemic edition. mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/sdvsdv.png\")
Like nursing homes, the U.S. meatpacking industry has become one of the hotspots of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-05-14). More than £30,000 raised for family of rail worker who died after being spat at. thecanary.co ![](\"https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/b7ac679c31588c7ec61dad75127bc340Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTg5NTM2Mzcz/2.53713300.jpg\")
A fundraising campaign for the family of a rail worker who died with coronavirus after being spat at on a station concourse has topped £30,000 as her union issued demands over staff safety.The gofundme initiative has received more than 1,700 individual donations following the shocked reaction to the death of Belly Mujinga.British Transport Police has launched an investigation after Mujinga died a fortnight after the incident at London\'s Victoria station.(Gofundme/PA)The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said many of its members were now fearful for their safety.Officials contacted Mujinga\'s emplo…
(2020-05-14). Richard Burr to step down as Senate intel chair during FBI\'s probe into suspicious stock dumps before Covid-19 market crash. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebd763b85f54075ff4f5853.JPG\")
Republican Senator Richard Burr will step down from his post as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee pending a probe into suspicious stock trades he made before the Covid-19 crisis hit US markets. | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that Burr had contacted him to say he would not remain in the role \"during the pendency of the investigation.\" | McConnell said it had been agreed that the decision was \"in the best interests of the committee\" and would be effective from the end of the day on Friday. | The decision comes hours after FBI agents seized the North Carolina senator\'s private…
(2020-05-14). FBI serves search warrant, seizes Sen. Richard Burr's phone amid probe into insider trading before Covid-19 market crash — reports. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebcb2182030273ae9656208.JPG\")
Federal agents have seized the private cell phone of Republican Senator Richard Burr, reportedly serving him with a search warrant amid a Justice Department probe into suspicious stock trades he made soon after Covid-19 hit the US | The North Carolina senator was presented with the warrant at his Washington-area residence on Wednesday night, the LA Times The move comes as the DOJ intensifies…
(2020-05-14). The Colombian Political System is Ravaged by Corruption: Pablo Beltrán. peoplesdispatch.org ![](\"https://peoplesdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/eln-coce.png\")
The ELN, took up arms in 1964. Since 1989, it has held peace talks with five administrations. The government of Juan Manuel Santos and the ELN advanced an agenda to end the conflict. The last round of negotiations was held in Havana, Cuba, where the ELN\'s Dialogue Delegation continues to work for a political solution to Colombia\'s armed conflict. | The government of Iván Duque Márquez, since taking office in August 2018, has ignored the Agenda for Peace Talks, including the security protocols and the return of the ELN to Colombia; and in January 2019 it terminated all dialogue. | Over 56 years, the armed conflict…
(2020-05-14). 3.5 billion people may face \'unlivable\' heat in 50 years. mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/14460634179_ced430e43e_c.jpg\")
Every degree of global warming will push a billion people out of the human survival zone.
(2020-05-14). How dare you… use CHINESE drones!? US lawmakers \'grill\' feds over spying on lockdown-violating Americans. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebcd058203027668f1ecbd4.JPG\")
A group of House Republicans has called on federal agencies to shed light on drones used by police across the country to surveil and enforce Covid-19 lockdowns, arguing that Chinese devices could compromise \"sensitive US data.\" | The 14 GOP representatives, all on the House Judiciary Committee, penned
(2020-05-14). US muscle-flexing threatens to open Arctic front in new Cold War with Russia. thealtworld.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/original/5ebdaa2385f54073b21925a8.jpg\")
The US Navy is on the cusp of conducting confrontational freedom of navigation operations in the Arctic that threaten Russian economic and national security interests. | The recent resumption by the US Navy of a Three American destroyers and a British frigate, accompanied by a supply ship, ventured into the Arctic body of water last week. The…
(2020-05-14). Why Xi Won\'t Repeat Ming Dynasty Mistakes. strategic-culture.org ![](\"https://i0.wp.com/asiatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/mondo_sinocentrico_edito_1118-2.jpg\")
China has learned from its own rich history and is applying those lessons to re-emerge as a major 21st century power | Pepe ESCOBAR | With hybrid warfare 2.0 against China reaching fever pitch, the New Silk Roads, or Belt and Road Initiative, will continue to be demonized 24/7 as the proverbial evil communist plot for economic and geopolitical domination of the \"free\" world, boosted by a sinister disinformation campaign. | It\'s idle to discuss with simpletons. In the interest of an informed debate, what matters is to find the deeper roots of Beijing\'s strategy — what the Chinese learned from their own rich…
(2020-05-14). The 1930s and now: Looking back to move forward. mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/49860766592_6aa3b95d70_c.jpg\")
While there are great differences between the crises and political movements and possibilities of the 1930s and now, there are also important lessons that can be learned from the efforts of activists to build mass movements for social transformation during the Great Depression. My aim in this paper is to illuminate the challenges faced and …
(2020-05-14). Reserve army—pandemic edition. mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/labor-share.jpg\")
In particular, the existence of a reserve army serves to discipline labor, keeping its wage demands in check, since employed workers are forced to compete with unemployed and underemployed workers for the available jobs.
(2020-05-14). \'We're in deep s**t\': Ousted \'whistleblower\' Dr. Bright becomes new anti-Trump hero pinning blame on White House. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebd922a85f54048e432900e.JPG\")
Mainstream media has elevated National Institutes of Health whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright to heroic status after his congressional testimony denounced Trump\'s Covid-19 response as borderline criminally negligent. | Bright, the director of the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) until he was unceremoniously dismissed last month, painted a disturbing picture of a government flying blindly into disaster on Thursday during his testimony on the administration\'s Covid-19 response before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. | \"We\'re in deep shit\"
(2020-05-14). Slovenian Left protests amendments to Nature Conservation Act. peoplesdispatch.org The amendments proposed by the Slovenian government make it more difficult for organizations to attain the status of a nature conservation organization in public interest. This is believed to be a step towards the sale of the country\'s resources…
(2020-05-14). Protests break out after paramilitary forces kill civilian for \"jumping a checkpoint\" in Kashmir. peoplesdispatch.org The killing of a 25-year-old civilian has triggered massive protests across central Kashmir. The security forces have responded by firing tear gas canisters and pellets, injuring scores of protesters…
(2020-05-14). Biden Can\'t Return Things To Normal, Because Trump Is A Normal US President. That\'s The Problem. thealtworld.com \"I am with Joe Biden all the way- let\'s get this country back to where it was before the orange man started destroying it!!!\", reads a This idea that Obama\'s vice president will restore normality to a nation that has been ruined by a highly abnormal president has been a very common sentiment among Democrats for a long time now, and it\'s silly for a number of reasons. | Firstly, wanting America to go back to how it was before Trum…
(2020-05-14). We shouldn\'t mourn the loss of high street fashion giants. They represent some of the worst aspects of globalization. thecanary.co On both sides of the Atlantic major retail clothing chains have been struggling in the midst of coronavirus-related (Covid-19) shutdown measures. Economic commentators have been
(2020-05-14). COVID-19 Response Fund: Cutting-edge technologies advance coronavirus fight. imperial.ac.uk Imperial researchers are driving forward the fight against coronavirus with new healthcare innovations and data insights.
(2020-05-14). After COVID-19 infection discovered, 300 workers walk out of Mississippi pillow factory. wsws.org Concern over a possible plantwide spread of the virus was mounting for days when a worker at the plant told supervisors that her husband—also employed at the factory—had tested positive for coronavirus.
(2020-05-14). Reopening: A Chronicle of Needless Deaths Foretold. thenation.com Reopening: A Chronicle of Needless Deaths Foretold…
(2020-05-14). America\'s Military Vaccine Mandate? Dept. of Defense Purchasing 500 Million ApiJect Syringes to Inject Every Person in America with Coronavirus Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Anyone who thought the US military was preparing to force vaccinate every American with a coronavirus vaccine has just found strong evidence to confirm the plan.
(2020-05-14). There Is Only One Way to Prevent Mass Deaths in Prisons: Let Them Out. thenation.com There Is Only One Way to Prevent Mass Deaths in Prisons: Let Them Out…
(2020-05-14). Undocumented Workers in Coronavirus Crisis. thenation.com Undocumented Workers in Coronavirus Crisis…
(2020-05-14). A Well-Planned Epidemic. globalresearch.ca Evidence demonstrates that the Coronavirus Operation started well before the \"lockdowns\" and the Fear campaigns. | Consider, for example, that whereas the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020 (1) the Coronavirus Aid Relief …
(2020-05-14). Local county officials in California bow before billionaire\'s demand to reopen Tesla factory. wsws.org Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk reopened his 10,000-employee factory in defiance of the orders of Alameda County health officials.
(2020-05-14). Pandemic Spending Will Force US Defense Budget Cuts—Some of Which Should Come From Nuclear Weapons Programs. globalresearch.ca Even supporters of increased US defense budgets expect that, because the US government will likely spend trillions of dollars trying to rescue the economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, military spending in the United States is likely …
(2020-05-14). Fruit pickers, garment workers strike as opposition grows to reopening US economy. wsws.org Migrant workers in the state of Washington and garment workers at a Mississippi pillow-making factory are striking as the number of job actions demanding safe conditions surpasses 200.
(2020-05-14). \'Zombie Neocon\': How This Iran Contra Architect Is Leading Trump Policy. strategic-culture.org Hawk Elliot Abrams, reborn as a U.S. envoy, is at the spear point of recent aggressive moves in Venezuela. | Barbara BOLAND | As we await answers on who funded the plot to Called the \"neocon zombie\" by officials at the State Department, Abrams is know…
(2020-05-14). US Should Release Occupational Data in COVID-19 Death Reports. cepr.net Earlier this week, the Guardian reported that UK women working in care occupations are two times as likely to die from COVID-19 as women in professional and technical occupations. In addition, UK men in low-paid, manual jobs are four times as likely to die from the virus as men in professional and technical jobs. The …
(2020-05-14). Zoom Stations of the Cross 2020 Script and Fr. Steve Kelly\'s Reflections for a Rosary for Disarmament. kingsbayplowshares7.org This is the script used in a virtual Stations of the Cross which was to have been done in Norfolk, VA during Holy Week, 2020 but was done online in the time of corona virus. Several of the KBP7 defendants participated. Station I: Jesus is Condemned (General Dynamics) READER
(2020-05-14). Truth in America R.I.P. thealtworld.com In \"freedom and democracy\" America there is only official truth, and it is a lie. A person or website that speaks real truth is shunted aside as a \"conspiracy theorist,\" \"Russian agent,\" \"racist,\" \"anti-semite,\" or other such name with the purpose of discrediting the message and the messenger. | For example, when I told the truth that Russiagate was a hoax, which it has proved to be, an anonymous website, possibly a CIA or NATO operation called \"PropOrNot,\" included this website among its fake list of 200 \"Russian agents/dupes.\" The Washington Post, a believed long-time CIA asset, hyped the PropOrNot revelation a…
(2020-05-14). Fed chief calls for more money for Wall Street and corporations. wsws.org Powell\'s remarks effectively poured water on the claim that once lockdowns are lifted, as being demanded by the \"return to work\" advocates, the American economy will immediately snap back in a so-called V-shaped recovery.
(2020-05-14). Education unions in Morocco prevent private schools\' profiteering from COVID-19 Crisis Fund. peoplesdispatch.org A federation of for-profit private schools, many of which are collecting fees during the lockdown without providing online classes or teachers\' pay, had sought financial assistance through the COVID-19 fund…
(2020-05-14). Corona-Crisis and Two Models of Capitalism. globalresearch.ca It is clear that we are entering worldwide an era of very grave social, political and international conflicts and we cannot exclude new wars, writes Dimitris Konstantakopoulos, former adviser to the Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and former Member …
(2020-05-14). Banking on the Nuclear Bomb Are Citi, Chase, BofA, Wells and Goldman Sachs. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2018. | Among the top ten investors in nuclear weapons are banks which stand to benefit from the de-regulatory bill
(2020-05-14). Unholy Shambles: Johnson\'s COVID Response Falling Apart at the Edges. globalresearch.ca As soon as they had to do anything, the whole thing fell down. From the slogan, to the statement, to the guidance, it is an unholy shambles, a near-ceaseless demonstration of cack-handed inadequacy. | It\'s not like they didn\'t have time …
(2020-05-14). Revealed: Secretive British Unit Planning for \'Reconstruction\' of Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the \'reconstruction\' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of …
(2020-05-14). UN economic commission backs guaranteed minimum income in Colombia. colombiareports.com The United Nations\' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) supports an urgent guaranteed minimum income (GMI) as proposed in Colombia\'s senate. The proposal was coined by some…
(2020-05-14). Toothless Congress Fails to Limit Presidential War Powers. strategic-culture.org Some weeks ago, the world woke up to the fact that World War III had just started without anyone being invaded or shots fired. It began when American President Donald J. Trump
(2020-05-14). America\'s Newest Wedge Issue and the Tale of the Bizarre 2020 Presidential Elections. strategic-culture.org The Covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate the news and life of the American Republic. With currently no end in sight it is not paranoid to wonder if and how the pandemic will affect the presidential elections coming up in November. Two World Wars, The Civil War, The Great Depression and the Spanish Flu were not enough to stop voting for some congressmen and the top executive of the United States as planned. Now for the first time there are
(2020-05-14). Corruption and the Pandemic Bailout. cepr.net (This piece was originally posted on my Patreon page.) Neil Irwin had an interesting New York Times piece on how concerns about moral hazard in the bailout may damage the recovery. The gist of the article is that the fear that bad actors will be wrongly rewarded will prevent us from spending enough money to …
(2020-05-14). \'God Friended Me\' Was the Strangest Show on TV. thenation.com \'God Friended Me\' Was the Strangest Show on TV…
(2020-05-14). COVID crisis in Puerto Rico worsened by US neglect. peoplesdispatch.org After hurricanes and earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic is the third major health crisis in Puerto Rico in three years. There have been around 2,300 COVID cases and around 115 deaths in the Caribbean island as of May 14. This crisis is exacerbated in the region because of the historical neglect and because of its colonial relationship with the United States.
(2020-05-14). Imperial MBBS medics deliver action plans for London GPs and local communities. imperial.ac.uk Third-year medical students have partnered with community, voluntary, health & social care leaders to respond to local needs in the era of COVID-19.
(2020-05-13). In banning Hezbollah, Germany responds to far-right, U.S. and Israeli pressure — not any security threat. thegrayzone.com Hezbollah has never been charged with any crimes in Germany nor does it have an official presence in the country….
(2020-05-13). From Lebanon to Syria, the Arab World is Failing Palestinian Refugees. mintpressnews.com Heinous racism. That is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. | Lebanon\'s restrictions on its Many were ta…
(2020-05-13). Naomi Klein: Healthcare Industry Sees \"Potential Bonanza\" of Profits in COVID-19 Crisis. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/73/52573/w320/SEG1-Naomi-Healtcare-Split.jpg\")
As the top infectious disease expert testifies to the Senate that needless death and suffering could result from reopening too quickly, author and journalist Naomi Klein says a \"pandemic shock doctrine\" is beginning to emerge. \"The fact that a large sector of the economy, the healthcare industry, sees a potential bonanza here … that\'s a win for them.\"
(2020-05-13). Screen New Deal: Naomi Klein on How Companies Like Google Plan to Profit in High-Tech COVID Dystopia. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/74/52574/w320/SEG2-Tech-Naomi-Split-1.jpg\")
In her new report for The Intercept on the \"Screen New Deal,\" Naomi Klein looks at how the coronavirus pandemic is more high-tech than previous disasters — and how the future we\'re being rushed into could transform our lives into a \"living laboratory for a permanent — and highly profitable — no-touch future.\" She joins us to discuss what she found, and says, \"I think we\'re going to see very incomplete so-called solutions … that massively benefit private tech interests.\"
(2020-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Anthony Fauci Warns Senators Reopening Too Soon Will Cause \"Suffering and Death\", House Democratic Leaders Unveil New $3 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package, Tesla CEO Elon Musk Defies Lockdown Order, Reopens California Auto Plant, L.A. Extends Lockdown for 3 Months as Cal State Cancels In-Person Fall Classes, CDC Estimates 5,000+ More New York City Coronavirus Deaths Than Officially Reported, Progressive Lawmakers Call on World Bank, IMF to Cancel Poor Countries\' Debts, Brazil Records Its Highest Daily COVID-19 Death Toll, London Transit Worker Dies After Man Claiming to Have COVID-19 Spits on Her, Aide to R…
(2020-05-13). Wall Street Will Likely Be the Only Winners in the Pandemic Housing Crisis. mintpressnews.com For most Americans, the $1,200 stimulus check didn\'t even cover rent and a third of American renters have even paid rent yet this month, meaning an ongoing de facto rent strike is likely already taking place.
(2020-05-13). American Weapons Manufacturers Are Thriving Even as the US Economy Suffers. mintpressnews.com The economy has crashed. A nationwide pandemic that has (officially) claimed some 84,000 Americans has also resulted in an estimated
(2020-05-13). Stamping Out the Outbreak of the Zionism Virus of the 1948 Nakba. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Palestine_Covid1948_2c8b4.jpg\")
Every day, I wait for Cuomo\'s briefing impatiently and watch while perched, tense and hyper-alert, at the edge of my seat, mesmerized by the shifting lines of his charts that, I swear, often morph into the outline of the map of Palestine. | My mind automatically sucks in Cuomo\'s words and echoes them back at the TV in an altered form. I am Muslim, but the dynamic gripping me is one akin to the relationship between a pastor and his congregation at a black church. Cuomo calls and I respond, sometimes aloud. I hold back from hollering and shouting at his image, so as not to scare my family. | I take in every word…
(2020-05-13). Flynn \'unmasking\' documents show involvement of senior Obama administration officials, including Joe Biden. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebc48f12030273ae96561e5.JPG\")
A newly published list of US officials who were interested in National Security Agency (NSA) records on Trump adviser Michael Flynn includes President Barack Obama\'s chief of staff, as well as Vice President Joe Biden. | Biden is listed as requesting the unmasking on January 12, 2017, the same day the Washington Post published a story claiming that Flynn had misreported his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, based on leaked NSA information. | Flynn unmasking documents f… by
(2020-05-13). Biden campaign reacts to Flynn unmasking revelations by attacking journalist & denouncing Republicans. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebc75d52030273ae9656200.JPG\")
After Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden was named as one of the Obama administration officials who asked for NSA information on General Michael Flynn, his campaign first targeted the messenger, then lashed out at the GOP. | The bombshell list of more than a dozen officials who asked the US spy agency for information about Flynn between the 2016 election of President Donald Trump and his inauguration included President Barack Obama\'s chief of staff, as well as Biden. It was a troubling disclosure for the candidate who has just denied any knowledge of the Flynn investigation, in a TV interview on Tuesday.
(2020-05-13). Pennsylvania Health Sec under fire after moving own mum OUT of nursing home while sending sick Covid-19 patients INTO them. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebc33de85f54020ce4f23a5.jpg\")
As Pennsylvania\'s health secretary faces harsh criticism and calls to resign over her policy ordering Covid-19 patients to return to nursing homes after leaving hospital, she has admitted to moving her own mum out of a care home. | Dr Rachel Levine revealed when asked by reporters that her mother was moved out of her personal care home when the pandemic began — though she defended herself by saying that she was simply following the wishes of the 95-year-old woman, who wanted to move. | WATCH: PA Secretary of Heath admits own mother left senior facility while coronavirus swept nursing homes. Gov Wolf nowhe…
(2020-05-13). Even the mainstream media\'s now suggesting UK death toll could surpass 50,000. thecanary.co ![](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2600.png\")
The BBC has published an article suggesting that the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) related deaths in the UK could be \"nearly twice as high\" as the official figure. This follows similar analysis by the Financial Times (FT). | Both media outlets expose the blatant dishonesty of the daily figures quoted by Boris Johnson\'s government. | More than 50,000 deaths?: | The government,
(2020-05-13). We are vulnerable and scared, say tragic railway worker\'s colleagues. thecanary.co ![](\"https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/8acb45bfd3104df444eb79186903a07fY29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTg5NDQ5OTEx/2.53713303.jpg\")
Colleagues of railway worker Belly Mujinga have described feeling \"scared\" and \"vulnerable\" after the Victoria station staff member died with coronavirus a fortnight after being spat at while on duty.It came as the government was urged to extend its coronavirus compensation scheme, offering £60,000 to families of NHS frontline staff and social care workers who die from the disease during the pandemic, to the transport sector.A police investigation is under way, launched more than a month after Mujinga and a colleague were attacked by a man claiming to be infected with Covid-19 on the concourse at the London…
(2020-05-13). \'Our Food System Is Very Much Modeled on Plantation Economics\' – CounterSpin interview with Ricardo Salvador on the coronavirus food crisis. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Ricardo-Salvador-Portrait.jpg\")
Janine Jackson interviewed the Union of Concerned Scientists\' Ricardo Salvador about the coronavirus food crisis for the Media…
(2020-05-13). FDA orders Bill Gates-funded program to HALT at-home Covid-19 self-testing. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebc884085f54020ce4f23d2.jpg\")
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered a Seattle-based Covid-19 testing project funded by Bill Gates to stop screening for the virus, putting the program on ice as it provided hundreds of at-home test kits each day. | The billionaire Microsoft icon announced the initiative in a
(2020-05-13). Hundreds of workers report employers for furlough fraud. thecanary.co ![](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/27a1.png\")
Hundreds of workers have reported their employers over claims that they are fraudulently taking furlough money from the government. | HMRC confirmed it has received 795 reports of potential fraud related to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. | It said it will now be \"assessing\" these cases in line with its usual procedures. | The scheme was introduced from March, with the government pledging to pay 80% of the wages of workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, in a bid to protect jobs. | On Tuesday, chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined plans to extend the furlough scheme until the end of October. | One stipulation…
(2020-05-13). Can we simultaneously oppose Bayer/Monsanto\'s biotechnology and support Cuba\'s Interferon Alpha 2B? mronline.org ![](\"https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/deliveryService.jpg\")
Technology reflects social factors throughout its development and use. Genetically engineered crops allow mega-corporations to patent seeds, lure farmers into buying them with visions of high yields, and then destroy small farmers. Cuba\'s drugs are shared throughout the world. Making a distinction between the biotechnology of agro-industry and Cuba requires understanding the difference between bioimperialism …
(2020-05-13). Senate votes down anti-surveillance amendment, as both parties back warrantless spying on Americans' browser history. rt.com ![](\"https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.05/thumbnail/5ebc601c2030271d1f4e1cde.JPG\")
The US Senate has voted down an amendment that would limit surveillance of Americans\' internet records. Apparently, the true divide in Washington is not between Democrat and Republican, but those for or against the police state. | The US Senate met on Wednesday to debate the reauthorization of some provisions of the USA Freedom Act, an expansive domestic surveillance bill that expired in March. As Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought the Act to the floor, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced an amendment that would explicitly bar law enforcement from snooping on Americans\' internet browsing and search…
(2020-05-13). Revealed: Secretive British unit planning for \'reconstruction\' of Venezuela. thecanary.co Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the \'reconstruction\' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of British business after a planned coup.UK support for coup attempt in Venezuela: Over the past 16 months, the UK government has consistently
(2020-05-13). The economic impact of coronavirus: analysis from Imperial experts. imperial.ac.uk Academics and researchers from Imperial College London have provided analysis of the economic impact of COVID-19.
(2020-05-13). Coronavirus will have bigger impact on world\'s most disadvantaged and vulnerable. imperial.ac.uk The coronavirus pandemic will have a greater impact on the world\'s most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, according to an Imperial report.
(2020-05-13). What\'s Changed Since the Virus Arrived? thenation.com What\'s Changed Since the Virus Arrived?
(2020-05-13). The Covid-19 Stimulus Debate Is a Pivotal Climate Story. thenation.com The Covid-19 Stimulus Debate Is a Pivotal Climate Story…
(2020-05-13). Watch as Ellis Howard breaks down, then tears apart, Boris Johnson\'s \"stay alert\" announcement. thecanary.co Watch more from Ellis, as well as other great Canary TV content, on our By
(2020-05-13). Results of tens of thousands of Covid-19 tests disappear into \'black hole\'. thecanary.co The results of tens of thousands of Covid-19 tests carried out by the government\'s network of testing centres are not being shared locally, stalling efforts to control the outbreak, it has emerged. | A leaked email, seen by the Health Service Journal (HSJ), said data from a new testing programme of non-NHS labs — managed by consultancy firm Deloitte — is not available. | Sent at the weekend from a regional NHS incident centre, the email said: \"No new national testing programme (NTP) data will be reported in this brief from 4 May until further notice. | \"This is due to the NTP testing numbers increasin…
(2020-05-12). Los New Yorkers: Essential, Underprotected Undocumented Immigrants Struggle to Survive in Epicenter. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/53/52553/w320/SEG3-Immigrants-Covid-NYC-2.jpg\")
As the coronavirus continues to devastate New York City communities, we hear the voices of undocumented New Yorkers about how they are surviving the pandemic. Their stories are told in a new ProPublica story headlined \"Los New Yorkers: Essential and Underprotected in the Pandemic\'s Epicenter.\" We speak with one of the story\'s reporters, Adriana Gallardo.
(2020-05-12). Headlines for May 12, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Fauci to Warn Lawmakers of \"Needless Suffering and Death\" If Lockdowns End Too Soon, European Countries Report New Spikes as They Reopen Economies, Trump Makes False Claim About Testing Capacity, Tells Reporter Weijia Jiang to \"Ask China\" About Coronavirus, PA Plant Canceled Trump Visit over Concern for Worker Health, New Study Finds Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Help COVID-19, Can Cause Heart Attacks, China Threatens \"Countermeasures\" for U.S. Journalist Visa Restrictions, Meatpacking Union Condemns Reopening of Factories Amid Pandemic, India Starts to Ease Lockdown as Cases Mount, Coronavirus Cases Mount in W…
(2020-05-12). \"Losing the Fabric of the City\": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/52/52552/w320/SEG2-COVID-African-Americans.jpg\")
We look at the coronavirus pandemic\'s disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago\'s first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago\'s population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report \"COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn\'t Have To.\" She says the story paints a picture of \"sophisticated structural racism\" in Chicago.
(2020-05-12). Trump\'s Ex-Security Company and Their Botched Plot to Overthrow the President of Venezuela. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Luke_Denman_Erin_Berry_212a0.jpg\")
Reports coming out of Venezuela and Miami, Florida in the United States are boarding on the hilarious. If you thought you had seen it all with Venezuela\'s hard right-wing opposition and their allies in the U.S. with their actions to overthrow the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro, well, think again. In recent days, images of two captured North American mercenaries have been flooding the air waves in the South American country of Venezuela where Maduro remains the president, despite harsh U.S. Accord…
(2020-05-12). Civilian Taxi Driver Shot and Killed by US Military in Deir Ezzor. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/Yasser_Aslan_1d7ce.jpg\")
Before the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, Yasser Aslan used to teach programming. With the war and ever-dwindling economy, Yasser, the only breadwinner in the family of six, had to look for additional sources of income. Like thousands of other Syrians, he turned his car – a KIA Rio – into a taxi, and drove along the dangerous roads of Deir Ezzor province in an attempt to make the ends meet for himself, his wife and four daughters (15-years-old teenager and 4-years-old triplets). | Deir-Ezzor, as well as other eastern provinces of Syria, still suffers from small-scale yet lethal attacks carried out by remnant…
(2020-05-12). Learning All the Wrong Lessons From the 2008 Financial Crisis – NYT should not fixate on debt as governments respond to the coronavirus pandemic. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NYT-Irwin.png\")
I recently wrote a piece for FAIR (
(2020-05-12). Etazini vle depà≤te yon gwo asasen an Ayiti. cepr.net ![](\"https://ayibopost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Image2.jpg\")
ayiboPost Al gade nan atik sou sit orijinal la An Anglè Pandan pandemi COVID-19 la, prèske tout fwontyè ak ayewopà≤ nan mond lan fèmen men avyon Imigrasyon leta Ameriken (ICE) kontinye vole. Chak 2 a 3 semèn, yon và≤l depà≤tasyon konpayi Swift Air, LLC opere, ateri nan ayewopà≤ Pà≤toprens. Apre youn nan và≤l sa yo …
(2020-05-12). A Breakdown of Academic Integrity at Universities, 9/11 to COVID-19. ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/vaccine-4932430_1280_ed807.jpg\")
The subject matter of Robin\'s letter below provides insight into a case study among many others that demonstrates the failure of the academy to put the quest for truth and understanding above political expediency and successful fund raising. The implications of this pervasive failure in the academy are slowly but surely making their way into venues of public discourse. | One of the precedents set in transforming universities into pawns of powerful lobbies, including the Israel lobby, has animated the continuing failure of academic institutions to protect realms of multi-faceted academic research, publication a…
(2020-05-12). [Research Paper] Mapping of variations in child stunting, wasting and underweight within the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2000—2017. thelancet.com CGF indicators have improved in India, but there are substantial variations between the districts in their magnitude and rate of decline, and the inequality between districts has increased in a large proportion of the states. The poor correlation between the national surveys for CGF estimates highlights the need to standardise collection of anthropometric data in India. The district-level trends in this report provide a useful reference for targeting the efforts under NNM to reduce CGF across India and meet the Indian and global targets.
(2020-05-12). Consumer Price Index Plunges 0.8 Percent, Core Falls 0.4 Percent. cepr.net Food prices rose 2.6 percent in April, reflecting a large increase in store-bought food. The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.8 percent in April, driven again by large price declines in sectors that were hit hard by pandemic-related shutdowns. Gas prices fell 20.6 percent, following a drop of 10.5 percent in March. They are …
(2020-05-11). Bombshell: Crowdstrike admits \'no evidence\' Russia stole emails from DNC server. thegrayzone.com Crowdstrike, the firm behind the Russian email hacking allegation at the core of Russiagate, makes a bombshell admission: \"We did…
(2020-05-11). Guaidó\'s mercenary hit contract on Venezuela\'s Maduro mirrors official US bounty, authorizes death squad killings. thegrayzone.com The leaked contract between Juan Guaidó and the Silvercorp USA mercenary firm closely resembles a DEA bounty placed on the…
(2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump\'s \"Chaotic\" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…
(2020-05-11). \"COVID-19 Has Been Racialized\": Black Scholar Jill Nelson Arrested for Chalking \"Trump = Plague\" democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/25/52525/w320/SEG1-Nelson.jpg\")
Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City\'s response to the spread of COVID-19. We speak with author and activist Jill Nelson, who was herself arrested by NYPD in April for writing \"Trump = Plague\" in chalk on an abandoned building in her Washington Heights neighborhood. The 67-year-old scholar was handcuffed, taken to the police station and held for five hours. Now she is speaking out. The president is \"telling us that as people of color, and older people, we should just die,\" says Nelson. \"It\'s ridiculous.\"
(2020-05-11). Trump Death Clock: Creator Eugene Jarecki Says \"Reckless Mishandling\" of COVID-19 Must Be Quantified. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/28/52528/w320/SEG3-Eugene-Clock-Split-2.jpg\")
As the death toll from COVID-19 in the United States surpasses 80,000, an unusual new billboard called the Trump Death Clock in New York City\'s Times Square keeps tally of lives lost to government inaction. \"What we found was that there was an amazing and very dark truth underlying the numbers that spoke to reckless mishandling of a pandemic by the president and his team, and we felt that ought to be quantified,\" says Eugene Jarecki, the award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and activist behind the project.
(2020-05-11). \"Weaponized and Racialized\": Police Departments Use COVID-19 to Target Black & Brown Communities. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/26/52526/w320/SEG2-NYPD-Covid-2.jpg\")
Viral images have shone a spotlight on uneven policing. Some show police officers distributing masks to White residents in crowded New York City parks — and apparently arresting no one. Meanwhile, videos have emerged of violent crackdowns on social distancing measures in Black and Latinx neighborhoods. We continue our look at how Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City\'s enforcement measures during the pandemic, and also discuss how officers have ordered protesters to disband, citing executive orders from the mayor and the governor that ban \"any non-ess…
(2020-05-11). Was the Latest Coup Plot Against Democratic Venezuela Made in the US? ahtribune.com ![](\"https://ahtribune.com/images/coup_venezuela_9dd27.jpg\")
UN Charter Article 2(4) states the following: | \"All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.\" | Since US grand theft of half of Mexican territory in the mid 19th century, long before the UN Charter\'s existence, the US time and again waged wars by hot and other means against nations threatening no one, including countless coups — seeking to control them and their resources. | Since establishment of Bolivarian V…
(2020-05-11). Saturday, May 16, Second Webinar, 12-1 PM EDT Disarm and Divest During Covid-19. kingsbayplowshares7.org Disarm & Divest During COVID19 Last KBP 7 Webinar Before Sentencing SATURDAY, MAY 16, 12-1pm. The Kings Bay Plowshares defendants will hold their final webinar before sentencing, this Saturday, May 16, 12-1 pm ET. Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of the Intercept, will host the defendants. Lead attorney Bill Quigley will join the webinar…
(2020-05-11). Accumulated environmental risk in young refugees — A prospective evaluation. thelancet.com Young refugees, arriving in hosting countries with alarming \'risk burden\', should be considered as highly vulnerable towards development of global functional deficits, behavioral abnormalities, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Rapid proactive integration or sustainable support of those who will return to rebuild their countries are mandatory.
(2020-05-11). Mothers on the Frontlines of a Pandemic Need More than Flowers. cepr.net Daily Press Online The Free Lance-Star See article on original site More than 30 million U.S. workers are employed in industries that put them on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They include grocery store clerks, nurses, cleaners, warehouse workers and bus drivers, among others. Nearly one-in-four frontline workers — 7.5 million — are also …
(2020-05-11). SPLC fights to keep children out of juvenile detention, other confined settings during pandemic. splcenter.org …
(2020-05-09). \'We Can Pool the World\'s Science to Develop Better Medical Tools\' – CounterSpin interview with Peter Maybarduk on Covid-19 and the drug industry. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Peter-Maybarduk-Portrait.jpg\")
Janine Jackson interviewed Public Citizen\'s Peter Maybarduk about the drug industry and Covid-19 for the Media…
(2020-05-09). Are People Getting Sick Staying Home Alone? That\'s Not What a Misinterpreted Survey Said. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CNBC-Cuomo.png\")
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says it\'s \"shocking\" that most Covid-19 hospital patients \"had been staying at home\" (CNBC, \"Who Are the New Covid-19 Hospitalizations in New York?\" asked a WNBC headline ( \"\'The People Were at Home\': Cuomo Details Surpri…
(2020-05-08). Silvercorp co-founder speaks with The Grayzone: What did State Department know about failed Venezuela invasion? thegrayzone.com The Grayzone speaks to Drew White — a close friend and business partner of Silvercorp mercenary firm founder and failed…
(2020-05-08). Russian journalists accuse NY Times of stealing stories that earned it Pulitzer Prize — for second time. thegrayzone.com The New York Times has apparently stolen its Pulitzer Prize-winning stories from Russian journalists — the same liberal anti-Putin reporters…
(2020-05-08). \"A Terrible Price\": Mardi Gras Story Lays Bare How COVID-19 Is Devastating Black America. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/06/52506/w320/SEG3-Covid-RacialDisparities-Medium.jpg\")
We look at the deadly disparate impact of the pandemic on African Americans as told through an in-depth story for The New York Times Magazine by writer Linda Villarosa in her new piece, \"\'A Terrible Price\': The Deadly Racial Disparities of Covid-19 in America,\" that tells what happened to the Zulu club, a Black social organization in New Orleans, during and after Mardi Gras. She reports that the experience is usually a joy, but the coronavirus made it a tragedy.
(2020-05-08). Headlines for May 8, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Pass 75,000 as Trump Sidelines Top Medical Experts, Trump to Be Tested for Coronavirus Daily After Valet Tests Positive, Vigil at White House Honors 88 Who Died from \"Trump\'s Abhorrent Failure to Protect Nurses\", U.S. Unemployment Claims Soar to 33.3 Million Amid Pandemic | , Democrats Promise \"Rooseveltian\" Coronavirus Relief Bill | , Mitch McConnell Prioritizes Judicial Confirmations as Senate Returns Amid Pandemic | , Data Shows 35 of 40 People Arrested in NY for Social Distancing Violations Are Black | , Texas Stops Jailing Lockdown Violators; Nebraska Ends Reporting on Meat Plant COVI…
(2020-05-08). As States Loosen Pandemic Restrictions, Dr. Leana Wen Warns \"We Are Not Ready for a Safe Reopening\" democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/09/52509/w320/SEG4-Wen-Reopening-Split-3.jpg\")
As more than 40 states begin to reopen, President Trump is downplaying the need for mass COVID-19 testing, even as he himself is now being tested every day for the virus. We speak with emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen, who says, \"Widespread testing is so critical. … Why shouldn\'t this testing be available to all Americans?\"
(2020-05-08). Trump Death Clock: Times Square Billboard Tallies Lives Lost to COVID-19 Inaction. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/07/52507/w320/SEG1-TrumpDeathClock-CloseUp.jpg\")
A 56-foot billboard called the Trump Death Clock was unveiled in Times Square in New York City. The tally of lives lost to government inaction was created by filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, who says, \"On behalf of all of those who needlessly lost their lives to this failed leadership in a pandemic, we need a symbol, a symbol that cries out not only for accountability, but also for more responsible and responsive stewardship, going forward.\" As of the Friday morning broadcast, the death toll count was nearly 47,000 and growing.
(2020-05-08). \"A Lynch Mob\": After Months of Inaction, 2 White Men Are Charged with Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in GA. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/08/52508/w320/SEG2-Arbery-Killers-Split.jpg\")
The two white men caught on camera shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African American man, were arrested and charged Thursday with murder. The arrests came two days after video of the attack in February was shared with the public, sparking widespread outrage. Today would have been Arbery\'s 26th birthday. We speak with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Arbery family and formerly represented Trayvon Martin.
(2020-05-08). New York State Tries to Suspend Democracy; NYT and WaPo Shrug. fair.org Blaming health risks due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the New York State Board of Elections announced last week that the state would simply cancel its Democratic presidential primary, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden to be proclaimed the victor without a vote. The response from the country\'s two most prominent newspapers? Meh. The Washington Post (
(2020-05-08). Ricardo Salvador on the Food System & Covid-19. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Idaho-Milk.png\")
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(2020-05-08). HIGH-FREQUENCY failure of combination antiretroviral therapy in paediatric HIV infection is associated with unmet maternal needs causing maternal NON-ADHERENCE. thelancet.com The success of early infant testing and cART initiation strategies is severely limited by subsequent cART non-adherence in HIV-infected children. Although there are practical challenges to administering paediatric cART formulations, these are overcome by mothers who themselves are cART-adherent. These findings point to the ongoing obligation to address the unmet needs of the mothers. Eliminating the particular barriers preventing adequate treatment for these vulnerable women and infants need to be prioritised in order to achieve durable suppression of viraemia on cART, let alone HIV cure/remission, in HIV-infecte…
(2020-05-08). Confronting the Actual Existential Threats by Sean Howard, Cape Breton Spectator, May 6, 2020. kingsbayplowshares7.org On February 8, as COVID-19 fast-approached a slow-moving British government, BBC World News aired a discussion among London-based foreign correspondents on the long-term global impacts of the crisis during which Maria Margaronis, contributing editor to The Nation, made an observation now haunting my locked-down self: was there a possible unconscious source (among others) of the…
(2020-05-07). How Russia Became the Next COVID-19 Hot Spot: Infection Rate Soars with 10,000 New Cases Each Day. democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/84/52484/w320/SEG1-Russia-COVID-1.jpg\")
We go to Moscow for an update on the pandemic in Russia, where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, with at least 10,000 new cases a day and the second-highest infection rate in the world, and more than 100 medical workers have died fighting the virus, and many have reported lack of personal protective equipment. Meanwhile, three Russian healthcare workers mysteriously fell from hospital windows over the past two weeks. Two died, and the one who is hospitalized had posted a video online to note the lack of medical equipment and said he had to keep working despite testing positive. We speak with Joshua Yaffa, Mos…
(2020-05-07). Profiting from the Pandemic: Will Pharmaceutical Giants Use Patents to Limit Access to COVID Drugs? democracynow.org ![](\"https://www.democracynow.org/images/story/83/52483/w320/SEG2-Patents-2.jpg\")
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide approaches 4 million and the pandemic could be with us for months or years, we look at who can access drugs like remdesivir, being developed by pharmaceutical giant Gilead, which has the patent for the drug and is poised to make massive profits. We look at how much drugs like remdesivir will cost, and who can access them, with writer Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project, which campaigns for access to medicines in India, Brazil and South Africa.
(2020-05-07). Reflections on the Coronavirus Economic Relief Bills. peoplespolicyproject.org ![](\"https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Screen-Shot-2020-05-07-at-1.03.11-PM.png\")
When coronavirus relief bills were being discussed a couple of months ago, I Paid Leave. Create a one-month sickness allowance for those who need to take leave from work because they contracted the virus. Create a family leave benefit for those who need to take leave from work because they need to take care of family, e.g. due to school closures. | Unemployment Insurance. Expand unemployment benefits by replacing 100 percent of prior earnings up to $8,…
(2020-05-07). [Correspondence] Calling for a COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition. thelancet.com Emerging from its ancestral bat host in December, 2019,1 possibly at a wildlife trading market in Wuhan, China,2 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had by mid-April, 2020, spread globally, infecting more than 2 million individuals and causing at least 130‚Äà000 deaths. Travel restrictions were imposed, borders sealed, schools and businesses closed, and more than half of humanity locked down, all to reduce the spread of this virus.
(2020-05-06). Ecuador\'s Moreno govt persecutes opponents as coronavirus catastrophe exposes its neoliberal war on public sector. thegrayzone.com Sentencing former President Rafael Correa and Jorge Glas to eight years in jail and barring them from public office for…
(2020-05-06). [Correspondence] COVID-19-associated nephritis: early warning for disease severity and complications? thelancet.com Among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), parameters for the prediction of the need for admission to intensive care units (ICUs) are urgently needed to enable appropriate resource allocation. Here we report that analysis of a urine sample on admission to hospital can be used to detect systemic capillary leak syndrome, which can be a predictor of fluid overload, respiratory failure, need for ICU admission, and death.
(2020-05-05). US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn. thegrayzone.com As the US government hunts Julian Assange, it refuses to extradite a CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn…
(2020-05-05). [Correspondence] Is the HScore useful in COVID-19? thelancet.com Puja Mehta and colleagues1 suggest using the HScore2 to detect hyperinflammatory states in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The HScore is validated for the diagnosis of secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), a condition that shares a similar cytokine profile to severe COVID-19.
(2020-05-05). [Correspondence] Acute limb ischaemia in two young, non-atherosclerotic patients with COVID-19. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020.1 As of May 3, 2020, Italy is one of the countries hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 28‚Äà884 confirmed deaths.2 In addition to pulmonary insufficiency, COVID-19 is associated with other life-threatening complications such as sepsis, heart failure, and pulmonary embolism.3,4 Here we describe patients with COVID-19 who presented with acute limb ischaemia but did not have atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, or pre-existing blood clotting disorders.
(2020-05-05). [Correspondence] SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus co-infection. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an international public health emergency.1—3 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mimics the influenza virus regarding clinical presentation, transmission mechanism, and seasonal coincidence.3 Thus, co-infection by both viruses is feasible. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of co-infection is known, although the diagnosis was sequential.4 Here, we present four cases of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza co-infection, diagnosed simultaneously.
(2020-05-05). [Letter] Pandemic-related excess mortality (COVID-19), public health measures and funerary rituals. thelancet.com Faced to COVID-19, the earliest public health recommendations in France [1] forbade washing of the body and mandated inhumation and cremation within 24 h, recommendations similar to those when case-patients were, more likely than non—case-patients, to have participated in funeral rituals. When a patient is hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2, family and friends were not allowed to be with him or her, and the farewells were done as the patient got into the ambulance. The grieving process, however, implies three phases [2]: viewing of the body, performing a collective ceremony to support those affected, and finally a…
(2020-05-05). Why White Supremacists Are Targeting Zoom Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic. splcenter.org White supremacists have harassed people through the video conferencing app Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a broader trend in which they exploit emerging online platforms to promote hate before companies can sufficiently adapt to their presence.
(2020-05-04). Anatomy of a fake news campaign: Media spreads lie from US govt-funded Korean outlet that Kim Jong-un died. thegrayzone.com Corporate media outlets spread fake news claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died. The lie originated with a Seoul-based…
(2020-05-04). Facebook Is Go-To Platform For Organizing Protests Against Social Distancing. splcenter.org As COVID-19 continues to pose a lethal threat worldwide, fringe, right-wing activists are using Facebook to mobilize protests of stay-at-home orders in several states.
(2020-05-04). [Correspondence] Obesity could shift severe COVID-19 disease to younger ages. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was first reported in China in late December, 2019, and has since evolved into a global pandemic. As of April 29, 2020, COVID-19 has been confirmed in more than 3 million individuals in 185 countries and regions, with an overall mortality rate of more than 6%.1 Severe disease involves bilateral interstitial pneumonia requiring intensive care unit (ICU) ventilatory support and can evolve into adult respiratory distress syndrome with high mortality.
(2020-05-04). [Correspondence] The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. thelancet.com We read with interest the World Report about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Venezuelan migrants.1 We concur wholeheartedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on Venezuelans who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.
(2020-05-04). [Comment] The COVID-19 response for vulnerable people in places affected by conflict and humanitarian crises. thelancet.com Next year I will have worked full time in the UK\'s National Health Service (NHS) for 40 years. I seem to be a survivor not only from the political rollercoaster that various governments have enacted on the NHS, but also from volunteering my surgical skills in places affected by conflict and natural disasters for the past 25 years. The experiences of the patients I have served whose lives have been impacted by war, injustice, and inhumanity during this time have given me insight into what life is really about.
(2020-05-04). Amid pandemic, poultry workers must be protected. splcenter.org Recently, there has been an outpouring of praise for essential workers on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-05-04). Anti-LGBTQ Group Pushes Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories Amid COVID-19. splcenter.org Family Research Council (FRC) has branched out of its usual anti-LGBTQ and anti-choice rhetoric to push longtime right-wing conspiracy theories about voting by mail. It\'s a narrative that is gaining popularity during COVID-19 restrictions with regard to public gatherings and social distancing.
(2020-05-03). [Letter] A reality check on the use of face masks during the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. thelancet.com Despite the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a pandemic, an \'east-west\' divide remains between the recommendations of different health authorities on the use of face masks in the community [1,2]. We respectfully differ from the WHO recommendation on its effectiveness [3]. In our opinion, mass masking in the community is one of the key measures that controls transmission during the outbreak in Hong Kong and China. Moreover, it would be futile to convince individuals who experienced the SARS or swine flu outbreaks, not to wear face masks for protection.
(2020-05-01). Jim Naureckas on Coronavirus False Choices, Peter Maybarduk on Pharmaceutical Price-Gouging. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Intercept-Pharma-Image.jpg\")
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(2020-04-30). [Correspondence] Considering BCG vaccination to reduce the impact of COVID-19. thelancet.com In addition to its specific effect against tuberculosis, the BCG vaccine has beneficial nonspecific (off-target) effects on the immune system that protect against a wide range of other infections and are used routinely to treat bladder cancer.1,2 This has led to the suggestion that vaccination with BCG might have a role in protecting health-care workers and other vulnerable individuals against severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
(2020-04-30). Cody Wilson Uses COVID-19 Crisis To Re-enter Extremist Movement. splcenter.org A registered sex offender and antigovernment icon is trying to use the current global pandemic to whitewash his image. A recent post on Jacobite magazine\'s website seeks to remind readers of Cody Wilson\'s past contributions to the movement and to cast doubt on the government responsible for his arrest and sentencing.
(2020-04-29). [Correspondence] Preventing major outbreaks of COVID-19 in jails. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections are now being found in jails throughout the USA. Conditions in jails are very conducive to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and social distancing is impossible. Therefore, there is widespread concern that there could be major outbreaks in jails and that jails could amplify transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in surrounding communities.
(2020-04-29). [Comment] Remdesivir for COVID-19: challenges of underpowered studies. thelancet.com In The Lancet, Yeming Wang and colleagues1 report a randomised trial of remdesivir (200 mg on day 1 followed by 100 mg on days 2—10, in single daily infusions) versus placebo for adults with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in ten hospitals in Wuhan, China. The authors report on 236 patients (140 [59%] men and 96 [41%] women; median age 65 years [IQR 56—71]), with inconclusive findings on the primary outcome of time to clinical improvement, defined as a two-point improvement on a 6-point ordinal scale,2 a hazard ratio of 1 ∑23 (95% CI 0 ∑87—1 ∑75; favouring remdesivir), and…
(2020-04-29). [Correspondence] Institutional, not home-based, isolation could contain the COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com In the absence of vaccines, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as physical distancing, intensive contact tracing, and case isolation remain frontline measures in controlling the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.1 In Wuhan, China, these measures were implemented alongside city lockdown, mass quarantine, and school closure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in January and February, 2020.2 Critical to Wuhan\'s success, cases identified through liberal testing, regardless of symptom profile, were immediately isolated in purpose-built shelters, as delays in isolation fro…
(2020-04-29). [Articles] Remdesivir in adults with severe COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. thelancet.com In this study of adult patients admitted to hospital for severe COVID-19, remdesivir was not associated with statistically significant clinical benefits. However, the numerical reduction in time to clinical improvement in those treated earlier requires confirmation in larger studies.
(2020-04-29). What are the underlying transmission patterns of COVID-19 outbreak? An age-specific social contact characterization. thelancet.com With an in-depth characterization of age-specific social contact-based transmission, the retrospective and prospective situations of the disease outbreak, including the past and future transmission risks, the effectiveness of different interventions, and the disease transmission risks of restoring normal social activities, are computationally analyzed and reasonably explained. The conclusions drawn from the study not only provide a comprehensive explanation of the underlying COVID-19 transmission patterns in China, but more importantly, offer the social contact-based risk analysis methods that can readily be appl…
(2020-04-27). Anti-Lockdown Rallies Are Providing an Opening for the Proud Boys and Other Far-Right Extremists. splcenter.org Protests against state-imposed stay-at-home orders have exploded across the country and attracted a wide array of right-wing supporters, including the Proud Boys.
(2020-04-27). [Comment] What policy makers need to know about COVID-19 protective immunity. thelancet.com About a third of the world is under lockdown as a public health measure to curb the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Policy makers are increasingly pressed to articulate their rationales and strategies for moving out of lockdown; the process of re-emergence is already cautiously starting in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Wuhan, and some US states. As the counterpoise between further disease spread and socioeconomic costs is debated, it is essential that policy makers in all affected countries have the best possible d…
(2020-04-24). [Research Paper] A study of type-specific HPV natural history and implications for contemporary cervical cancer screening programs. thelancet.com HPV type and persistence are the major predictors of progression to CIN3+; at a minimum, distinguishing HPV16 is clinically important. Dividing the other HPV types into three risk-groups is worth considering.
(2020-04-24). Trump's Immigration Order Was Drafted by Officials With Ties to Hate Groups, According to Report. splcenter.org Two officials with ties to anti-immigrant hate groups helped write President Trump\'s executive order blocking the issuance of new green cards, according to a report.
(2020-04-24). Fraihat v. ICE Community Resources. splcenter.org On April 20, 2020, a federal district court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take a number of important steps to protect medically vulnerable people in its custody from COVID-19.
(2020-04-23). [Editorial] Reflecting on World Asthma Day in the era of COVID-19. thelancet.com On May 2, 2020, World Asthma Day will again focus on the needs of people with asthma across the globe. Previous themes have included managing asthma and living with the disease. These themes resonate more than ever this year, as any discussions are likely to be dominated by current debates in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on asthma care and management.
(2020-04-23). [Commentary] Age, frailty and diabetes — triple jeopardy for vulnerability to COVID-19 infection. thelancet.com In December 2019, a pneumonia like illness was first reported in Wuhan-China caused by a new coronavirus named corona virus disease ‚àí2019 (COVID-19) which then spread to cause a global pandemic. The epidemiology of COVID-19 incidence, severity of illness and mortality seem to be shifted towards older people particularly those with multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease [1]. However, frailty, which affects more than one in five older people with type 2 diabetes, worsens prognosis in severe acute illness and is a better predictor of ICU (intensive car…
(2020-04-21). [Commentary] SARS-CoV-2 pandemic expanding in sub-Saharan Africa: Considerations for COVID-19 in people living with HIV. thelancet.com In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, started a global pandemic of respiratory illness, termed COVID-19 [1]. The spectrum of COVID-19 has ranged from a mild, self-limiting respiratory tract illness to severe progressive pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death [2]. Older patients and those with a weaker immune system appear to have a greater risk of death [3]. Thus far, the vast majority of deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in Italy, China, Iran, and Spain—all Northern hemisphere countries with good health care resources and a low HIV prevalence.
(2020-04-17). Naomi Walker on Covid-19 Relief, Johanna Bozuwa on the Last \'New Normal\'. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Johns-Hopkins-Covid-Map.png\")
The $150 billion designated for state, local and tribal governments as relief from the Covid-19 crisis is nowhere near what those governments will need—and not just that, but forcing them to cut budgets just as they need to be spending more is going to drive a cycle that only hurts more those already hurting.
(2020-04-17). \'The Only Logic of Trident is Omnicide\' Christopher Helali Interviews Peace Activist Martha Hennessy, Left Turn, Winter 2020. kingsbayplowshares7.org Martha Hennessey is a longtime anti-war activist and the granddaughter of Dorothy Day, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. She is 62, a retired occupational therapist, and grandmother of eight. She has been arrested and imprisoned protesting nuclear power, war, the use of drones, the torture of prisoners in Guantanamo and other prisons, and…
(2020-04-17). [Editorial] COVID-19: endgames. thelancet.com As of April 14, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has killed more than 120‚Äà000 people and led to nearly 2 million confirmed infections worldwide. At least a third of the global population is in some form of lockdown, treading the fine line between health services overwhelmed with rapidly rising infections and an economic recession with its own detrimental health consequences. Although this surreal situation might seem like a plot from the Avengers franchise, the hard reality is that the selfless actions of health-care workers will not alone restore the world to normality.
(2020-04-17). This Quarantined Holy Week I\'m Thinking of a Brother Jesuit in Jail by Billy Critchley-Menor, SJ, The Jesuit Post, April 8, 2020. kingsbayplowshares7.org It\'s because of Holy Week that we can approach the Coronavirus crisis with the hope we do. It\'s because of Holy Week that we approach death the way we do. It\'s because of Holy Week that Christians are anything at all. There is no doubt, and you will read this in so many tweets these…
(2020-04-16). [Correspondence] Blood transfusion strategies and ECMO during the COVID-19 pandemic — Authors\' reply. thelancet.com We thank David Koeckerling and colleagues for their correspondence calling for restrictive blood transfusion strategies in response to our Health-care Development report on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) services for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.1 The ideal transfusion trigger during ECMO support remains uncertain. Daily transfusion of the magnitude mentioned by Koeckerling and colleagues happens occasionally in patients receiving ECMO, but such requirements seldom happen in adult patients receiving venovenous ECMO managed in…
(2020-04-16). [Correspondence] Kidney transplant programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com We would like to express our concern about kidney transplant programmes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although we recognise the importance of kidney transplants for dialysis patients, we cannot ignore the potential safety issues during this pandemic.
(2020-04-16). [Correspondence] Blood transfusion strategies and ECMO during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Ramanathan and colleagues1 describe the provision of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) services for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We would like to make further comment.
(2020-04-16). Should Sanders Have Campaigned Like Warren? peoplespolicyproject.org In the past couple of weeks, supporters of Elizabeth Warren have
(2020-04-15). [Correspondence] Impact of COVID-19 on people with cystic fibrosis. thelancet.com Early and detailed characterisation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged principally through publications from China, where the disease was first identified.1 As the pandemic spread to Lombardia, Northern Italy and then globally,2 evaluating the impact on people with cystic fibrosis has become imperative, because the prevalence of this inherited condition is much higher in populations derived from Europe than in other populations.3 Since the beginning of the outbreak in Lombardia, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been reported in ten patients with cystic f…
(2020-04-14). An Incremental Expansion of Medicare Should Begin With Kids. peoplespolicyproject.org Joe Biden announced on Thursday his intention to When thinking about expanding Medicare, I believe it is useful to start with the below graph, which breaks down insurance status at every age. To produce this graph, I average every ag…
(2020-04-10). Mike Elk on Frontline Worker Rights, Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meat-Workers.jpg\")
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(2020-04-07). [Correspondence] POCUS in COVID-19: pearls and pitfalls. thelancet.com Danilo Buonsenso and colleagues1 described in their Correspondence how lung ultrasound could replace stethoscopes in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which could possibly reduce the risk of exposure.1 Indeed, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has an exemplary role in many specialties, especially emergency and critical care medicine. Nevertheless, this technology is still relatively new so we would like to highlight the pearls and pitfalls for POCUS users to use this tool to its full potential and ensure optimal patient care and safety.
(2020-04-06). April 2020 Update and Second Anniversary Video. kingsbayplowshares7.org ![](\"https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcan2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fdata%2F000%2F388%2F031%2Foriginal%2FKBP_group_2_signs_close.jpg&t=1586186296&ymreqid=01b65a8c-e0a8-c5f0-2fd7-96054e010000&sig=DcQ7FcsCDjD3OARtphhqKA--~C\")
Dear Friends, This April 4th marked the second anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 disarmament action. It\'s also a time of grave danger for people around the planet with the emergence of the novel corona virus, especially among the poor, the imprisoned, the homeless, the sick, communities of Color, the elderly, and the marginalized….
(2020-04-06). [Comment] Understanding pathways to death in patients with COVID-19. thelancet.com Since the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), were identified in China in December, 2019, we have witnessed increasing numbers of infections and associated deaths worldwide. Although the case fatality rate for SARS-CoV-2 infection (ie, the total number of deaths in patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 divided by the total number of people with a positive test) is not high, given the huge scale of the pandemic, the actual numbers of deaths are considerable.
(2020-04-04). Call Congress to commemorate the anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares Seven\'s nuclear weapons protest. kingsbayplowshares7.org ![](\"https://kingsbayplowshares7.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Letters-One-1024x576.jpg\")
Tell Congress that now, more than ever, it\'s time to wash our hands of Trident. On April 4, 2018, seven anti-nuclear activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, entered the Kings Bay Naval Base in Camden County in Georgia to protest the nuclear weapons based there. The Kings Bay Plowshares 7 carried out their…
(2020-04-03). Bama Athreya on Gig Economy & Covid-19. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Grocery-Store-Worker.jpg\")
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(2020-04-03). [Comment] Do chronic respiratory diseases or their treatment affect the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection? thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an acute respiratory disease that can lead to respiratory failure and death.1 Previous epidemics of novel coronavirus diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), were associated with similar clinical features and outcomes.2 One might anticipate that patients with chronic respiratory diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, would be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and more severe present…
(2020-04-03). Three Ways to Make Emergency Economic Responses Better. peoplespolicyproject.org In the most recent coronavirus relief bill, the government committed to sending $1,200 to each adult and $500 to each child, subject to a phase out for those with higher incomes. Yesterday we
(2020-04-02). [Comment] Monitoring the COVID-19 epidemic in the context of widespread local transmission. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019.1 Given the fast spread, the severity of disease, the increasing number of cases outside China, and the number of affected countries, WHO declared the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.2 The availability of reliable surveillance platforms is crucial to monitor the COVID-19 epidemic in a timely manner and to respond with adequate control measures.
(2020-04-01). [Comment] COVID-19 pandemic in west Africa. thelancet.com The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which started in the Hubei province of China in 2019, has now spread to all continents, affecting 177 countries by March 27, 2020.1 Successful efforts in containing the COVID-19 virus in Asia resulted in WHO declaring Europe as the epicentre of the disease on March 13.2 Whether warmer temperatures will slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a point of much speculation. This hypothesis has led some European countries to produce initial policies relying on decreased transmission rates during the…
(2020-03-31). [Comment] SARS-CoV-2: a time for clear and immediate action. thelancet.com I have spent a 33-year career studying respiratory RNA viruses, devising vaccine approaches against them, and unravelling the human immune response to these viruses and vaccines, as well as promoting policies to minimise their effects. Over the past 10 weeks, I and many others have been in the thick of explaining what we know about coronaviruses and other respiratory viruses, and extrapolating this knowledge to understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to many health-care providers, organisations, media, and lay people.
(2020-03-30). [Comment] Will financial innovation transform pandemic response? thelancet.com The mounting death toll from COVID-19 recently prompted The Guardian to declare, \"The World Bank\'s $500m pandemic scheme accused of \'waiting for people to die\'\".1 Similarly, as the number of deaths from Ebola increased in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there was outrage in prominent journals. \"The World Bank has the money to fight Ebola but won\'t use it\" wrote Garrett in Foreign Policy.2 Others3—7 too describe the malfeasance of the financial innovation called the pandemic bond. Hailed by former World Bank president Jim Kim as an instrument that \"would rapidly respond to future outbreaks by deliver…
(2020-03-27). Mary Grant on Water & Covid-19, David Cay Johnston on the Last Bailout. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Handwashing.jpg\")
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(2020-03-27). [Comment] Epidemic preparedness in urban settings: new challenges and opportunities. thelancet.com In recent decades, many emerging infectious diseases have been occurring at an increasing scale and frequency—i.e. Ebola virus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian and pandemic influenza, Middle-East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the recently emerged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The outbreaks of these diseases resulted in wide ranging socioeconomic consequences, including loss of lives and disruption to trade and travel. Preparedness is a crucial investment because its cost is small compared with the unmitigated impact of a health emergency.
(2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? thelancet.com Lei Fang and colleagues1 postulate that because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to facilitate host cell entry,2,3 disease severity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might be increased in patients taking angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, because the ACE2 receptor might be upregulated with use of ACEIs and ARBs.
(2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? thelancet.com Lei Fang and colleagues1 extrapolated results from a molecular study of coronaviruses, which showed that this group of viruses uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to target cells on the epithelium of the lungs, intestine, kidneys, and blood vessels.2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), would probably share these properties.
(2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? thelancet.com Lei Fang and colleagues1 suggest that clinicians should consider withholding angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) because of a potential increased risk of worse clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and they suggest calcium channel blockers as an alternative. The hypothesis behind this suggestion is that the entry point for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the ACE2 receptor and that ACEIs and ARBs have the potential to upregulate ACE2.
(2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? — Authors\' reply. thelancet.com We thank Joshua Brown, Kevin Lo and colleagues, and Christopher Tignanelli and colleagues for their responses to our Correspondence1, and we welcome the opportunity to reply.
(2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Considering inequalities in the school closure response to COVID-19. thelancet.com As COVID-19 is declared a pandemic and several countries declare nationwide school closures, these measures are affecting hundreds of millions of children.1 More countries are entering delay and mitigation phases of pandemic control, with an urgent need for proactive and multifaceted responses addressing children\'s social, economic, and health needs to avoid widening disparities and honour commitments to the UN Convention on Child Rights and Sustainable Development Goals.2…
(2020-03-25). [Comment] The role of CT in case ascertainment and management of COVID-19 pneumonia in the UK: insights from high-incidence regions. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the seventh pathogenic human coronavirus to be identified and the third with a predilection for causing potentially fatal pneumonia, after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection is highly transmissible but has a relatively low death rate (1 ∑0—3 ∑5%), except in older people (aged >70 years) with comorbidities.1,2 It is estimated that 15—20% of people infected develop severe pneumonia and 5—10% require critical care.
(2020-03-24). [Comment] Early in the epidemic: impact of preprints on global discourse about COVID-19 transmissibility. thelancet.com Since it was first reported by WHO in Jan 5, 2020, over 80‚Äà000 cases of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been diagnosed in China, with exportation events to nearly 90 countries, as of March 6, 2020.1 Given the novelty of the causative pathogen (named SARS-CoV-2), scientists have rushed to fill epidemiological, virological, and clinical knowledge gaps—resulting in over 50 new studies about the virus between January 10 and January 30 alone.2 However, in an era where the immediacy of information has become an expectation of decision makers and the general public alike, many of th…
(2020-03-24). [Comment] Management of pregnant women infected with COVID-19. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, has become a global public health threat.1 On Feb 28, 2020, WHO upgraded their assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at global level. By March 10, 2020, 116‚Äà166 cases have been reported globally, causing 4088 deaths. The epidemic has spread to 118 countries around the world.2…
(2020-03-23). How To Think About Corporate Bailouts Correctly. peoplespolicyproject.org As the negotiations over the economic response to the Coronavirus recession heat up, we are seeing more and more talk about how (or whether) to provide relief to corporations and industries that are facing bankruptcy due to the economic slowdown. Some of this talk is intelligent. A lot of it is not. So in this post, I hope to lay out what I believe is the correct way to think about corporate bailouts. | Due to an aversion to socialist rhetoric about \"capitalists\" or even \"the wealthy,\" American populist lingo tends to focus on \"corporations\" as the great evil. We talk about \"corporate power\" and \"corporate concen…
(2020-03-23). [Comment] SARS-CoV-2: virus dynamics and host response. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected more than 100‚Äà000 patients globally.1 COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has a case-fatality rate of 2 ∑3%, with higher rates among elderly patients and patients with comorbidities.2 Person-to-person transmission is efficient, with multiple clusters reported. Clinically, patients with COVID-19 present with respiratory symptoms, which is very similar to the presentation of other respiratory virus infections.
(2020-03-23). [Correspondence] COVID-19: mitigating transmission via wastewater plumbing systems. thelancet.com By its very design, the wastewater plumbing system is a harbinger of pathogenic microorganisms with, under some circumstances, the potential to enable airborne transmission of viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
(2020-03-20). Jim Naureckas on Covid-19, Dana Brown on Public Ownership of Pharmaceuticals. fair.org ![](\"https://fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Covid-19-Info.jpg\")
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(2020-03-20). [Comment] Treatment for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome from COVID-19. thelancet.com In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Kollengode Ramanathan and colleagues1 provide excellent recommendations for the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with respiratory failure from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The authors describe pragmatic approaches to the challenges of delivering ECMO to patients with COVID-19, including training health-care personnel, resolving equipment and facilities issues, implementing systems for infection control and personal protection, providing overall support for health-care staff, and mitiga…
(2020-03-20). [Comment] Rational use of face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the use of face masks has become ubiquitous in China and other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan. Some provinces and municipalities in China have enforced compulsory face mask policies in public areas; however, China\'s national guideline has adopted a risk-based approach in offering recommendations for using face masks among health-care workers and the general public.
(2020-03-20). [Correspondence] COVID-19 outbreak: less stethoscope, more ultrasound. thelancet.com In their Correspondence in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Jonathan Cheung and colleagues stressed the need to ensure staff safety in the airway management of patients with 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).1 This safety should be guaranteed from the patient\'s first assessment. In fact, maintaining the safety of the doctor, who meets many people during his daily activity, avoids the spread of the disease to other patients and the possible creation of new epidemic outbreaks. However, patients with fever and respiratory symptoms do still need to be seen.
(2020-03-19). [Correspondence] Use of antiviral drugs to reduce COVID-19 transmission. thelancet.com As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads, efforts are being made to reduce transmission via standard public health interventions based on isolation of cases and tracing of contacts. In their modelling study, Joel Hellewell and colleagues1 predict that such a strategy could contribute to reducing the overall size of an outbreak, but will still be insufficient to achieve outbreak control of COVID-19 when the basic reproduction number (R0) is higher than 1 ∑5 or the proportion of contacts traced is lower than 80%.
(2020-03-19). [Correspondence] Estimation of COVID-19 outbreak size in Italy. thelancet.com Italy is currently experiencing an epidemic of COVID-19 which emerged in the Lombardy region.1 During the interval between Feb 25—29, 2020, we identified 46 cases of COVID-19 reported in 21 countries in Europe, Africa, North America, and South America that were either in individuals with recent travel from Italy, or who had presumed infection by a traveller from Italy.2 In six cases, in four of the affected countries (Switzerland, France, Austria, and Croatia), land travel was a likely route of introduction, or was documented to have been the route of introduction.
(2020-03-18). [Correspondence] COVID-19 in Italy: momentous decisions and many uncertainties. thelancet.com On March 10, at 00: 30 h, the official news was posted on the website of the Italian Ministry of Health: a new decree effective until at least April 3 limits the movement of individuals in the whole Italian national territory unless strictly motivated (in written form) by reasons of work or health. Schools, museums, cinemas, theatres, and any other social, recreational, or cultural centre must stay closed. Any gathering in public spaces is forbidden, including sporting events and funerals. Most shops must stay closed.
(2020-03-16). Some Economic Responses to the Coronavirus Recession. peoplespolicyproject.org In response to the spread of COVID-19, the economy appears to be in recession. Lawmakers are scrambling to respond to the recession with many ideas floating around about how best to do so. Below, I outline a few responses that I think would be wise. | Welfare Expansion: | In a normal recession, the proper goal of a policy response is pretty simple: increase output and employment by directly or indirectly increasing aggregate demand. Many proposed responses to this recession have fallen into this typical model. But, strictly speaking, this model does not really make sense for our current situation. | Insof…
(2020-03-12). [Corrections] Correction to Lancet Glob Health 2020; 8: e123—33. thelancet.com NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)—Americas Working Group. Trends in cardiometabolic risk factors in the Americas between 1980 and 2014: a pooled analysis of population-based surveys. Lancet Glob Health 2020; 8: e123—33. In this Article, members of the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)—Americas Working Group have been indexed as authors in PubMed. This correction has been made as of March 12, 2020.
(2020-03-05). [Comment] Taking the right measures to control COVID-19. thelancet.com The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by WHO.1 By March 2, 2020, 80‚Äà026 confirmed cases had been reported in China, causing 2009 deaths, and the epidemic had spread to 25 countries around the world.2 On Jan 20, 2020, China declared the disease a second-class infectious disease but has introduced management measures for a first-class infectious disease (considered the most dangerous category of infection).
(2020-03-05). [Comment] A phage-based decolonisation strategy against pan-resistant enterobacterial strains. thelancet.com An outbreak of carbapenemase-producing and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was reported in north-east Germany in 2019.1 The alert raised by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Oct 28, 2019,1 emphasised that a pandrug-resistant K pneumoniae clone had spread in three hospitals and one rehabilitation clinic, with specimens recovered from 17 patients (six infected and 11 colonised).1 The strain showed a broad resistance pattern to most antibiotics; it was resistant to all beta-lactams (including ceftazidime-avibactam) because of co-production of two carbapenemases, NDM-1 and OXA-48.
(2020-03-05). [Comment] Progress in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. thelancet.com Pulmonary fibrosis encompasses a wide range of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with different underlying causes. In the past two decades, most focus has been on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most prevalent and relentlessly progressive type of fibrosing ILD.1,2 For other forms of fibrosing ILD, data on the proportion of patients who develop progressive pulmonary fibrosis are still scarce and depend on the disease studied and criteria used.3 Guidelines seem dedicated to assessing the likelihood of IPF versus another fibrosing ILD, as treatment, trial options, and prognosis differ.
(2020-03-05). [Comment] Transdisciplinary work against antimicrobial resistance. thelancet.com In 2015, WHO issued a Global Action Plan emphasising One Health as an essential approach to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR).1 One Health aims to bridge human, animal, and environmental sectors to address shared health concerns.2 One of the gaps in knowledge articulated by the Global Action Plan is scant understanding of social science and behaviour. In that context, One Health offers a potential for transdisciplinary collaborations, including between social and biomedical disciplines. WHO states that the role of social sciences in the One Health approach to AMR is dedicated to support effective antimicrobia…
(2020-03-04). [Correspondence] Covert COVID-19 and false-positive dengue serology in Singapore. thelancet.com Dengue and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are difficult to distinguish because they have shared clinical and laboratory features.1,2 We describe two patients in Singapore with false-positive results from rapid serological testing for dengue, who were later confirmed to have severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the causative virus of COVID-19.
(2020-03-04). [Correspondence] Outbreak investigation for COVID-19 in northern Vietnam. thelancet.com Two Vietnamese adults returned to their home province of Vinh Phuc in northern Vietnam on Jan 17, 2020, from Wuhan, China, where they had been living since Nov 15, 2019, for a business trip. They presented with mild respiratory symptoms to their local health facilities at 4 days and 8 days, respectively, after arrival in Vinh Phuc. Both individuals were initially placed into respiratory isolation in hospital. Case 1 tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative organism of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), on Jan 30, 2020, and remained in isolation until recove…
(2020-02-28). [Correspondence] A family cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infection involving 11 patients in Nanjing, China. thelancet.com Human infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global health concern.1,2 Currently, human-to-human transmission of the virus accounts for most infections worldwide.3 We report a family cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infection involving 11 patients in Nanjing, China.
(2020-02-20). [Comment] Efficient transmission of viral gastroenteritis in Dutch households. thelancet.com Community cohorts of acute gastroenteritis, such as the one presented by Franke Quee and colleagues1 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, provide a crucial opportunity to understand the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of different enteric viruses that could be targeted to prevent diarrhoea in vulnerable populations.
(2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a \"worst case scenario.\"
(2020-02-19). [Correspondence] Open access epidemiological data from the COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly across China, and as of Feb 16, 2020, had been reported in 26 countries globally. The availability of accurate and robust epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data early in an epidemic is important to guide public health decision-making.1 Consistent recording of epidemiological information is important to understand transmissibility, risk of geographic spread, routes of transmission, and risk factors for infection, and to provide the baseline for epidemiological modelling that can inform planning of response and containment efforts to reduce the burden…
(2020-02-19). [Correspondence] An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. thelancet.com In December, 2019, a local outbreak of pneumonia of initially unknown cause was detected in Wuhan (Hubei, China), and was quickly determined to be caused by a novel coronavirus,1 namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak has since spread to every province of mainland China as well as 27 other countries and regions, with more than 70‚Äà000 confirmed cases as of Feb 17, 2020.2 In response to this ongoing public health emergency, we developed an online interactive dashboard, hosted by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins Univ…
(2020-02-19). [Comment] Contact precautions: no benefits, no indication. thelancet.com In view of the global increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria, applying contact precautions during the care of affected patients seems, at first, a rational approach to decrease the spread of these organisms. Increasing the distance between sources of multidrug-resistant organisms and potential recipients and using disposable equipment, such as gloves and gowns, for any contact with the patient and their environment might appear to be logical and harmless precautions. However, as a growing body of evidence has shown, contact precautions do harm.
(2020-02-18). [Comment] Face-mask sampling or sputum to diagnose lung tuberculosis? thelancet.com More than a third of people estimated to have tuberculosis in 2018 were undiagnosed or detected but not notified.1 In India, a review of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control programme in 2013 estimated that 72% of individuals with tuberculosis reached a diagnostic centre, 60% were diagnosed, and 53% registered for treatment.2 To improve this situation, people who fear they might have tuberculosis should have access to cheap diagnostic tests, which can be posted or otherwise delivered to a laboratory and that provide sufficient information so the individual can receive the result and begin treatment if needed…
(2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director\'s Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
(2020-02-14). [Comment] Anti-interleukin-5 therapy in patients with severe asthma: from clinical trials to clinical practice. thelancet.com The development of monoclonal antibody therapy targeting the type 2 inflammatory pathway and the application of personalised medicine through the identification and management of treatable traits represent two major advances in the management of asthma within recent decades. These two approaches are intricately linked. Biomarkers are used to identify patients with a type-2-predominant endotype and select the likely responders to such therapeutic regimens. However, uncertainties exist that limit application in clinical practice.
(2020-02-14). [Comment] A conditional cash transfer programme in Brazil improves leprosy treatment outcomes. thelancet.com Despite advances in the past three decades in implementing multidrug therapy against leprosy, by the end of 2018 approximately 210‚Äà000 new leprosy cases globally have been reported to WHO.1 Brazil, in particular, has a high burden of neglected tropical diseases,2 including leprosy. The country has an important role in generating scientific evidence to achieve leprosy control, as it accounts for the second highest number of new leprosy cases worldwide notified by a single country. There have been about 30‚Äà000 new cases notified in Brazil in 2018, representing 93% of all case…
(2020-02-08). US Deploys \'Mini-Nukes\' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called \"mini-nukes\" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.
(2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.
(2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of \"making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians.\"
(2020-02-06). Embassy Protection Collective: \"We Are Not the Ones Who Violated the Law\" theantimedia.com In this exclusive interview, VA talks to the activists who defended the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC ahead of their trial.
(2020-02-06). Turkey Gives Assad Deadline to Pull Back or Face Military Action. theantimedia.com Turkey has given the Syrian government until the end of this month to withdraw from recently seized territory in Idlib province.
(2020-02-05). Trump Says War With Iran Was \"Closer Than You Thought\" Last Month. theantimedia.com Trump told reporters that the U.S. came \"closer than you thought\" to war with Iran last month.
(2020-02-04). [Comment] Towards protective immune responses against malaria in pregnant women. thelancet.com Plasmodium falciparum infection was estimated to affect around 11 million pregnancies in 2018 in 38 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Malaria-associated maternal anaemia is a major driver of low birthweight in newborn babies and WHO have estimated that malaria infections in pregnancy have resulted in an estimated 872‚Äà000 babies born with low birthweight in 2018.1 Low birthweight results in a higher risk of death, stunting, and poor cognitive development later in life.2 WHO recommends a combination of insecticide-treated nets and the use of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with ma…
(2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain\'t it grand?>