(2020-09-19). Damascus berates Dutch legal action on human rights record. middleeasteye.net 
Damascus berates Dutch legal action on human rights record | The Netherlands has launched a bid through international bodies to hold the Syrian government to account for abuses | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 13: 36 | The Syrian government stands accused of committing widespread human rights abuses (AFP) | The Syrian government berated the Netherlands on Saturday for launching a new bid through intern…
(2020-09-19). Mainstream US reporters silent about being spied on by apparent CIA contractor that targeted Assange. thegrayzone.com Despite being spied on and having their privacy invaded by the UC Global firm that targeted Assange, reporters from major US news outlets have said nothing in protest. Meanwhile, new evidence of that firm's CIA links has emerged. A Spanish security firm apparently contracted by US intelligence to carry out a campaign of black operations …
(2020-09-19). Mainstream US Reporters Silent About Being Spied On. popularresistance.org A Spanish security firm apparently contracted by US intelligence to carry out a campaign of black operations against Julian Assange and his associates spied on several US reporters including Ellen Nakashima, the top national security reporter of the Washington Post, and Lowell Bergman, a New York Times and PBS veteran. | To date, Nakashima and her employers at the Washington Post have said nothing about the flagrant assault on their constitutional rights by UC Global, the security company in charge of Ecuadorian embassy in London, which seemingly operated under the watch of the CIA's then-director, Mike Pompeo.
(2020-09-19). Venezuela: The 2016-2020 National Assembly — Part Of The Plan. popularresistance.org It's hard to decide which of all the actions of the Venezuelan opposition representatives was the most shameful. Was it Ramos Allup giving the legitimate elected President Nicolas Madura a 6-month deadline to leave office while removing the portraits of Simon Bolivar and of Comandante Chavez from the Federal Capitol? Or Julio Borges spreading letters throughout the world in which he called for an increase in the economic blockade against the Venezuelan people while he labeled us a plague in the region?
(2020-09-19). Uncertain future for migrant workers, in a post-pandemic world. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic has largely put a freeze on migration. But will the movement of people recover once the current crisis is over? In an interview with UN News, Gary Rynhart, a senior official at the UN labour agency, ILO, explains why a return to "normal" is unlikely, and migrants will probably face a very different job market.
(2020-09-19). Six teacher deaths at start of fall semester heighten public health concerns. liberationnews.org 
Reopening schools is by and large not a response to the needs of young people in the United States.
(2020-09-19). Iran's coronavirus death toll exceeds 24,000, says health ministry. middleeasteye.net 
Iran's coronavirus death toll exceeds 24,000, says health ministry | Health specialist says roughly half of all coronavirus patients being treated in Iran's intensive care units are dying | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 13: 11 | An Iranian woman stands next to a street bin urging people to follow anti-coronavirus health protocols in Tehran (AFP) | Iran's coronavirus death toll has topped 24,000, the h…
(2020-09-19). 'Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution' — a WW movie review. workers.org 
This year the award-winning movie "Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution" was released and can now be viewed on Netflix's streaming service. The movie follows Jimmy LeBrecht, a camper, who co-wrote and co-directed the movie, and Judy Heumann, a camp counselor who went on to co-found Disabled in Action. Bradley Lomax . . . |
(2020-09-19). US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies. therealnews.com 
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a stalwart liberal in the U.S. Supreme Court since 1993, died on Friday at age 87, the court said. Ginsburg's death gives President Donald Trump a chance to expand its conservative majority with a third appointment at a time of deep divisions in America. The presidential election is just 46 days away, and the inauguration of the next president 124 days away. | Ginsburg, a champion of women's rights, died at her home in Washington of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said in a statement. She was surrounded by her family. | "Our Nation has lost a jurist of histo…
(2020-09-19). Campus workers in Georgia defend Black and Brown lives. workers.org 
Atlanta This is a slightly edited version of a talk given at the Workers World Party Sept. 10 webinar, "Workers Defend Black Lives." View webinar at tinyurl.com/y6m9z593. In and around Atlanta, labor unions have been connecting the issues of labor to racial justice. Unions are recognizing that issues of labor . . . |
(2020-09-19). Stop repression of anti-racist organizers! Drop the charges! Justice for Elijah McClain! workers.org 
Workers World Party urgently endorses the call for solidarity with six anti-racist activists in Colorado who were arrested after leading mass mobilizations against the racist police murder of Elijah McClain. Four of those arrested are members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation in the Denver area. We want to . . . |
(2020-09-19). US army announces new deployments in Syria. middleeasteye.net 
US army announces new deployments in Syria | The move follows a collision between Russian and American vehicles which left seven American soldiers injured | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 10: 36 | Armoured vehicles have been sent as part of the reinforcements (AFP) | The US Army announced Friday it was stepping up its military deployment in northeastern Syria despite a push to limit its presence there,…
(2020-09-19). Yemen on Brink of Famine After U.S. Cuts Aid While Fueling War. zcomm.org The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening amid the pandemic and cuts to international aid from the United States and its allies, leaving millions of Yemenis facing famine after years of a brutal U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign that has devastated the country…
(2020-09-19). "The fate of humanity hangs in the balance" zcomm.org The means to manage the crisis are available. But not for long. One primary task of the Progressive International is to ensure that we all panic now — and act accordingly.
(2020-09-19). Saturday 9/19: Indigenous Peoples Town Hall with the Poor People's Campaign. indybay.org Online…
(2020-09-19). Trump's Climate Denial Gains Strength If We're in Denial About His Neo-Fascism. indybay.org The left could be crushed…
(2020-09-19). Talib Williams/ 'Imagine a world without prisons'. workers.org 
By Talib Williams Talib Williams spoke from Soledad prison Aug. 29 via a recording, introduced by his spouse Tasha Williams, at the webinar "Black Lives Matter: Justice for Peaceful Black Soledad Prisoners." Williams blows the whistle on injustice inside Soledad and reaches beyond the walls to report the truth, suffering . . . |
(2020-09-19). A Kenosha activist demands justice. workers.org 
By Katrina Miller This slightly edited talk was given at the Workers World Party Sept. 10 webinar, "Workers Defend Black Lives." View webinar at tinyurl.com/y6m9z593. Hello, everyone! I'm an activist in Kenosha, Wisconsin — a town that wouldn't be where it is without United Auto Workers Local 72. I'm a . . . |
(2020-09-19). The Heat: COVID-19 and Latin America. america.cgtn.com 
Latin America is now the region most affected by COVID-19. Meanwhile, in a stunning public rebuke, President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected the professional scientific conclusions of his own government about the prospects for a widely available coronavirus vaccine and the effectiveness of masks in …
(2020-09-19). Maduro names Pompeo's war-mongering' tour a 'failure'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Condemning the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Latin American countries, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro named it a "war-mongering" tour that has failed.
(2020-09-19). Johnson urged to act 'sooner rather than later' to curb coronavirus surge. thecanary.co 
The Prime Minister is considering fresh restrictions after a sharp rise in new infections. | By | Ministers need to act "sooner rather than later" if they are to prevent a new surge in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases leading to more deaths, a scientist has warned.Professor Neil Ferguson — whose modelling led the government to order the lockdown in March — said the UK was facing a "perfect storm" following the easing of controls over the summer.His warning came as Boris Johnson was spending the weekend in Downing Street considering new re…
(2020-09-19). 'Significant spike' in homeless deaths in Dublin. thecanary.co 
The figure to date in 2020 represents a rise from 34 across 2019 and 35 in 2018. | By | Concern has been expressed over a "significant spike" in deaths among homeless people in Dublin. The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive has recorded 39 deaths to date in 2020. That figure is higher than the number of deaths in the whole of 2019 (34) and 2018 (35).Aontu leader Peadar Toibin (Niall Carson/PA)"Shocking": Peadar Toibin, leader of the Aontu party, has urged the government to act: The figure to date in 2020 stands at 39, higher than previous…
(2020-09-19). 'You will see another angle of life here' — stories from refugees in Calais. thecanary.co 
Video project 'People of Calais' tells stories of refugees in northern France waiting to come to the UK | By | Mohamed is talented a writer, poet and rapper. He lives in desperate conditions in Calais, waiting to cross to the UK. He is one of thousands of refugees who have travelled from war-torn countries and settled in northern France."You will see another angle of life here," the 34-year-old says in a new video.Mohamed fled Sudan after being arrested for political writings. He travelled to Slovenia, where he was imprisoned, stripped and beat…
(2020-09-19). Thai protesters hold rally urging democratic reforms. thecanary.co 
As many as 50,000 people are expected to show up for a march seeking democratic reforms. | By | Protesters have gathered in Bangkok for the most ambitious rally so far in a pro-democracy campaign that has shaken the government and Thailand's conservative establishment.Mobilised support: Organisers predicted as many as 50,000 people will show up and march over two days in an area of the capital historically associated with political protests. An estimated 10,000 people turned out for the last major rally on 16 August. This time, oppositio…
(2020-09-19). As infection rate climbs, PM confirms second wave but still says no to national lockdown. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson says the second wave of the pandemic has now reached the UK. | By | Ministers are considering tough new coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions as Boris Johnson said the long-feared second wave of the pandemic has arrived in the UK.With new cases of the disease in England estimated to have doubled over the past week, the prime minister said they were keeping "everything under review"."Transmission at a faster rate" with deaths expected to rise: Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its latest estimate "shows…
(2020-09-19). Madrid residents facing localised lockdown doubt curbs will work. yenisafak.com A partial lockdown aimed at stemming a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases is set to begin in some of Madrid's poorer districts next week, but resident's of one of the worst-hit neighbourhood's said on Saturday they doubted the new measures would work.Vallecas, a southern district with a lower average income and higher immigrant population, has one of the highest infection rates in the Spanish capital – almost six times higher than in Chamberi, a wealthier, northern district."These restrictions are completely useless because we have to travel from one area which has a lot of cases to another which has less and we are go…
(2020-09-19). 'Like the Vietnam War': Witness describes mass shooting that left 16 shot, 2 dead in Rochester, New York. rt.com 
A gun battle in Rochester, New York has resulted in two fatalities, according to law enforcement. Sixteen people were shot in the incident. | The Rochester Police Department confirmed that one male and one female were killed in the early hours of Saturday. The shooting happened at a backyard party, law enforcement said. The force's mobile command unit is currently at the scene, as well as the New York State Police. Videos show numerous emergency vehicles assembled in the taped-off area. | Multiple RPD technician units leaving the scene.
(2020-09-19). Tulsi Gabbard goes OFF MESSAGE from fellow Dems again, introduces bipartisan bill to deter fraud with mail-in ballots. rt.com 
Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, branded a "Russian asset" by Hillary Clinton for her anti-war views, is again refusing to blindly follow her party's talking points — this time over fears of election fraud. | "Whether in the midst of a pandemic, as we are now, where mail-in voting is likely to drastically increase, or even in a normal election, no one should get in between a voter and the ballot box," the Hawaii congresswoman said Friday on Twitter. | Banning ballot harvesting is not a partisan issue. It's been used & abused in states like North Carolina and California & is ripe fo…
(2020-09-19). Obama urges GOP-led Senate to leave Supreme Court seat empty until after 2020 race following death of Justice Ginsburg. rt.com 
Former US President Barack Obama has called on the Republican-controlled Senate to delay its confirmation vote to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, citing the GOP's own playbook during his administration. | Celebrating Ginsburg's lengthy career on the court following her death on Friday, Obama said that even in her final days, the justice showed an "unwavering faith in our democracy and its ideals." Going forward, however, the former president said Ginsburg's empty seat should not be filled until after the 2020 election, pointing to a principle invoked by the Republicans following the death of…
(2020-09-19). Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border on Covid-19 fears. middleeasteye.net 
Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border on Covid-19 fears | Thousands of pilgrims enduring grim weather, without shelter, blame Israeli government for abandoning them | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 11: 31 | Hasidic Jews sleep outside on the ground at the Belarus-Ukraine border (supplied) | On the biggest Jewish holiday, proclaiming the start of a new year on the Hebrew calendar, thousands of H…
(2020-09-19). September 21: 'We Are Many' Global Virtual Premiere. popularresistance.org On February 15th, 2003, up to 30 million people, many of whom had never demonstrated before in their lives, came out in nearly 800 cities around the world to protest against the impending Iraq War. | We Are Many is the never-before-told story of the largest demonstration in human history, and how the movement created by a small band of activists changed the world. Eight years in the making, filmed in seven countries, and including interviews with John Le Carre, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Phyllis Bennis, Danny Glover, Mark Rylance, Richard Branson, Hans Blix and Ken Loach amongst others…
(2020-09-19). Venezuela Foils CIA Terror Plot; Pompeo On Regime Change Tour. popularresistance.org Venezuela's government has announced it has foiled a potential terror attack, arresting a former CIA operative while he was on a stakeout near the country's largest oil refining facility. | Matthew John Heath was arrested with three other Venezuelans outside the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state in the west of the country, reportedly carrying a submachine gun, a grenade launcher, four blocks of C4 explosives, a satellite phone, and stacks of U.S. dollars. He has been charged with terrorism and weapons trafficking.
(2020-09-19). [rewind] Filmmakers Behind 'RBG' on Justice Ginsburg's Life and Legacy. scheerpost.com [Eds. Note: With the tragic passing of feminist and progressive icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we highlight here a May 2018 conversation between Robert Scheer and the filmmakers of the excellent documentary on her life, "RBG." ] The documentary filmmakers discuss their film " RBG" on the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. While Justice Ginsburg did not grant access to… |
(2020-09-19). Socialist Strategy and the Biden Debate. zcomm.org The left forces whose strategy translates into sending the first message have much better prospects to grow their ranks and expand their influence, power and coalition relationships…
(2020-09-19). In Memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020). aclu.org Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court justice who first rose to national prominence as an ACLU lawyer fighting for equal rights for women, has died at 87 years old., , She began Harvard Law School as a young mother and one of only nine women in her class, and became the architect of a legal strategy to eradicate gender discrimination in the United States. She modeled her approach after that of Thurgood Marshall on race discrimination, planning for a series of cases at the Supreme Court, each precedent paving the way for the next that would further expand rights and protections. In 1993, she joined the court a…
(2020-09-19). Saturday 9/19: Candlelight Vigil for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Supreme Court & Nationwide. indybay.org U.S. Supreme Court and at courthouses across the nation…
(2020-09-19). Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg 1933-2020. indybay.org By now, we have seen the TV tributes and read the many thoughts on the Internet regarding Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg who died today at age 87. My favorite is from the ACLU at www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/in-memory-of-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-1933-2020/?initms_aff=nat&initms_chan=soc&utm_medium=soc&initms=200919_rbg_obit_tw&utm_source=tw&utm_campaign=rbg&utm_content=200919_obit&ms_aff=nat&ms_chan=soc&ms=200919_rbg_obit_tw…
(2020-09-19). Colorado police conduct militarized arrests of Party for Socialism and Liberation members. wsws.org The manner of the arrests and the overwhelming charges against the six protesters are a clear act of intimidation against all those determined to put an end to police violence and racism.
(2020-09-19). Argentinians commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Night of the Pencils. peoplesdispatch.org The night of September 16, 1976, was one of the bloodiest night of the last civic-military dictatorship in Argentina, when a group of high school students were kidnapped and tortured by the state security forces…
(2020-09-19). New Report: Private Health Insurers Overpay Hospitals. popularresistance.org Prices paid to hospitals nationally during 2018 by privately insured patients averaged 247% of what Medicare would have paid, with wide variation in prices among states, according to a new RAND Corporation study. | Some states (Arkansas, Michigan, and Rhode Island) had relative prices under 200% of Medicare, while other states (Florida, Tennessee, Alaska, West Virginia, and South Carolina) had relative prices that were above 325% of Medicare. | The study notes a steady increase in hospital prices, rising to the 2018 average level from an average of 224% of Medicare costs in 2016 and 230% of Medicare costs in 2017…
(2020-09-19). Neoliberal Death Knell for Indian Agriculture. dissidentvoice.org In a 2017 article, I asked what might a future India look like and concluded that, if current neoliberal policies continue, there could be dozens of mega-cities with up to 40 million inhabitants and just two to three hundred million (perhaps 15-20% of the population) left in an emptied-out countryside. And it could also mean hundreds of millions of displaced …
(2020-09-19). Biden in Minnesota: A phony "pro-worker" spin on a right-wing campaign. wsws.org On the basis of economic nationalism, Biden is doubling down on his ludicrous self-promotion as a "working stiff" from "hard-scrabble" Scranton, Pennsylvania.
(2020-09-19). What community land trusts can do for racial equity. nationofchange.org "Community land trusts are a form of permanently affordable housing based on shared equity."
(2020-09-19). New Zealand plans to become first country to require climate risk reporting. nationofchange.org New Zealand could be the first country in the world to require its major financial institutions to report on the risks posed by the climate crisis. This means that about 200 of the country's biggest companies and banks would have to report on the impact that extreme weather events or climate polices will have on …
(2020-09-19). Casualties of "herd immunity": Three new teacher deaths in one week as US schools reopen. wsws.org The deaths are a direct result of the criminal actions by Democratic and Republican governors, as well as the Trump administration.
(2020-09-19). Bolivia's de-facto president Jeanine àÅñez withdraws from October elections. peoplesdispatch.org Bolivia's coup appointed interim president, Jeanine àÅñez, on September 17, announced that she was withdrawing her candidacy for the general elections scheduled for October 18. Añez said she was pulling out from the electoral race to help unite the conservative vote and try to block the MAS presidential candidate and progressive former economic minister, Luis Arce, from winning. | In a recorded video message, accompanied by her running mate Samuel Doria Medina and other officials, àÅñez said that she decided to "put aside" her candidacy for the greater good, avoiding the situation in which "the vote g…
(2020-09-19). Survival of wildlife reserves under threat in Namibia. news.un.org After six months of lockdown, the Namibian government ended travel restrictions and curfews on Friday, in light of a drop in new COVID-19 cases. But Namibia's economy, which depends heavily on wildlife tourism, has taken a major hit during the period, and the future of the country's wildlife reserves, otherwise known as conservancies, is far from certain.
(2020-09-19). UIC workers march, call for Gov. Pritzker to support their demands. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Over 1000 University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) workers from SEIU Local 73 and the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) flooded the center of downtown Chicago, September 18, calling for Governor JB Pritzker to support their demands in the largest strike ever at the university. | The strike began last Saturday, September 12, when INA nurses walked out at UI Health, where UIC has refused to negotiate safe staffing limits. 4000 Local 73 workers bolstered the lines September 14, joining the strike, demanding safe working conditions, staffing and a living wage. Large rallies and lively picket lines have m…
(2020-09-19). Weekly News Review 13th — 19th September. truepublica.org.uk Editors Weekly Poke If you had said to friends in 2015 that you'd had a dream and that in about five years time the government would have deliberately and very dangerously divided the nation by instigating a nasty culture war, caused economic and political instability, threatened the Union, crashed its trading relationship with the biggest …
(2020-09-19). Trump Had Contemplated Ordering the Assassination of Bashar al-Assad. globalresearch.ca Donald Trump
(2020-09-19). Another Day of COVID, Another Failed Stimulus, Another Thousand Deaths. zcomm.org With an election looming just 47 tiny days away, fury at vicious Republican intransigence has begun to give way to something close to horrified awe…
(2020-09-19). Trump trade wars have led to lost US jobs and factories. zcomm.org Trump is making false claims about his record in struggling states like Ohio and Michigan. The jobs haven't come back. They've been offshored to China…
(2020-09-19). The Next American Revolution & Revolutionary Participatory Society 2044. zcomm.org Source: Politics Art Roots Culture — Media Michael Albert is an American economist, speaker, writer, and political critic. Since the late 1970s, he has published books, articles, and other contributions on a wide array of subjects. He is known for helping to develop the socioeconomic theory of participatory economics. In 1965, Albert was studying physics
(2020-09-19). Trump's Destruction of America Started With Reagan. zcomm.org If America is to recover from this hellscape that right-wing billionaires and their bought-off politicians have inflicted on us, it's going to require a massive, nationwide awakening and a nonstop multiyear effort.
(2020-09-19). Extinction Rebellion is showing Britain what real democracy could look like. zcomm.org The protest movement's call for meaningful participation highlights the failings of dysfunctional Westminster politics…
(2020-09-19). Workers vs. the Coronavirus Depression. zcomm.org This summer has seen two significant national strike actions—for Black Lives and for safe reopening of schools. These are hardly conventional strikes—indeed, they represent historically unprecedented forms of protest…
(2020-09-19). Internationalism or extinction. zcomm.org The Progressive International is convening its inaugural Summit this weekend to reclaim our shared future…
(2020-09-19). Trump's Scorched-Earth Doctrine. zcomm.org Trump is doing whatever he can to make it impossible for his successor to resolve some of the world's most intractable problems…
(2020-09-19). Karuk Tribe Declares State of Emergency due to Deadly Slater Fire. indybay.org The Karuk Tribe today declared a state of emergency in the wake of the deadly Slater Fire that has burned many homes of Karuk Tribe members in the Klamath River community of Happy Camp.
(2020-09-19). Why Did Death Rates Go Down When Doctors Struck. indybay.org In examination of doctors' strikes in several areas, it was found that the death rate went down. | Why has the death rate gone down in at least 5 sites in which physician strikes took place?>
(2020-09-19). Sunday 10/4: Berkeley #UNBOUND: Bay Area Book Festival Virtual Speakers Event. indybay.org Online…
(2020-09-19). Wednesday 9/30: Call to Action: Tell the US Army Corps of Engineers that Our Gulf is Not For Sale! indybay.org Online/virtual…
(2020-09-19). Fighting Fire With Fire: What Tribal People Know About Forest Ecosystems. indybay.org In more than 20 years of living in Southern California, I have never been in a potential fire evacuation zone—until now. The entire state is seemingly on fire with a record-breaking 2 million acres already burned this year alone, with months to go before the end of fire season. The situation is so dire that the state's fire officials are warning they "simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire."
(2020-09-19). Tuesday 9/29: Bi-Weekly Community Meeting On Police Brutality and the George Floyd Protests. indybay.org Willow Park | Oakland, CA 94607…
(2020-09-19). Saturday 10/3: Politics, Race, and the State of Play in our Nation w/ W. Kamau Bell & Steve Kerr. indybay.org Online/virtual…
(2020-09-19). IUOE39 Members Fight In Middle Of A Pandemic! SF Strike Rally For Striking Macy Workers. indybay.org Macy's is trying to weaken and force major concessions on IUOE Local 39 engineers. While giving their executives million dollar bonus they want to take away healthcare and force concessions on wages.
(2020-09-19). Monday 9/21: Call to Action: U.S. Digital 'March' & Kentucky Statewide Protest on Mitch McConnell. indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-09-19). White House Announces Puerto Rico Disaster Relief on Hurricane Anniversary. indybay.org The Federal Emergency Management Administration will award $13 billion in Puerto Rico disaster aid to rebuild the power grid and education facilities, announced the White House. The announcement comes near the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria slamming the island, taking 3000 lives and causing more than $100 billion in damage.
(2020-09-19). "These Are Climate Fires": Oregon Firefighter Ecologist Says Devastating Blazes Are a Wake-Up Call. indybay.org President Trump has said little about the wildfires raging in California, Oregon and Washington for three weeks, other than to suggest poor forest management was primarily to blame. But the states' governors are pushing back and directly linking the fires to the climate crisis. "These are climate fires," says Timothy Ingalsbee, an Oregon-based wildland fire ecologist and former wildland firefighter who now directs Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology. "Though some scientists hesitate to attribute a single event to climate change, these are exactly the conditions predicted by climatologists."
(2020-09-19). Sunday 9/20: Peaceful Poetry Protest. indybay.org Fort Mason, Building C Ramp, 2 Marina Boulevard…
(2020-09-19). Frame-up in Aurora, Colorado of Black Lives Matter Protesters. indybay.org Once again, as done in labor history and in the black liberation struggle, the State of Colorado is framing at least 4 organizers of protests on behalf of Elijah McClain, a black violinist, murdered by the police in Aurora, Colorado. See www.pscp.tv/w/1PlJQNLoPYXxE…
(2020-09-19). [World Report] Understanding Mexican health worker COVID-19 deaths. thelancet.com An Amnesty International report says that more health workers have died in Mexico than anywhere else. David Agren explores why.
(2020-09-19). [Correspondence] Mistreatment during childbirth — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Maria Helena da Silva Bastos and colleagues, Natasha Housseine and colleagues, and Caitlin Williams and José Belizán for their interest in our Article,1 in which we described how more than a third of women experienced mistreatment during childbirth, including physical and verbal abuse, discrimination, and non-consented procedures in four countries.
(2020-09-19). [Correspondence] The double burden of malnutrition—further perspective — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Saskia Osendarp and colleagues, Mohammad Sorowar Hossain and colleagues, and Christine Stewart and colleagues for their responses to the Lancet Series on the double burden of malnutrition. They make some relevant points that we would like to address here.
(2020-09-19). [Correspondence] The double burden of malnutrition—further perspective. thelancet.com We congratulate Corinna Hawkes and colleagues1 on their Series paper that proposes adoption of double-duty actions to combat all forms of malnutrition.However, we have concerns about the way that unhealthy foods are characterised and the description of potential risks associated with energy-dense micronutrient-fortified foods for the prevention or treatment of undernutrition.
(2020-09-19). [Editorial] COVID-19: a stress test for trust in science. thelancet.com Peer Review Week is the annual celebration of the importance of peer review, running Sept 21—25. The theme this year is trust in peer review, a particularly appropriate focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trust in research and its role in political decision making and policy changes have never been more at the forefront of public discussion and scrutiny than during the current public health crisis. But what is everyone's role in strengthening this trust?
(2020-09-19). [Obituary] Peter Nicholas Kazembe. thelancet.com Influential paediatrician in Malawi. He was born in Nkhotakota, Malawi, on Aug 28, 1954, and died of cholangiocarcinoma in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug 11, 2020, aged 65 years.
(2020-09-19). [Perspectives] A history of herd immunity. thelancet.com As many countries around the world recognised the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2020, some seemed to put their faith in herd immunity. UK pandemic adviser Graham Medley, for example, said that "We are going to have to generate what we call herd immunity", which would require "a nice big epidemic". When the idea received furious criticism, British officials denied that herd immunity had ever been part of their plan. A run at herd immunity in Sweden prompted mathematician Marcus Carlsson to object: "we are being herded like a flock of sheep toward disaster".
(2020-09-19). [Comment] Preprints with The Lancet are here to stay. thelancet.com We started our collaboration with the freely accessible preprint platform SSRN in June, 2018.1 From then on, we asked all authors of research papers across Lancet journals at submission stage whether they would like to post their paper as a preprint. We started this as a trial to learn more about uptake and the perceptions of the medical and health community, particularly as a latecomer to the preprint concept.
(2020-09-19). [Correspondence] Mistreatment during childbirth. thelancet.com We laud Meghan Bohren and colleagues1 for using standardised structured direct labour observations, triangulated with survey data, in a multinational study to measure mistreatment during childbirth. Their findings showed that 41 ∑6% of women experienced a type of abuse during labour.1 Direct observations offer a unique opportunity to assess quality of care because they can capture the structure, clinical perspective, and experience of care dimensions.2—4 However, the Article could have benefited from a discussion about how patients' rights and welfare were upheld during observations.
(2020-09-19). [Perspectives] Human rights parables for a post-pandemic world. thelancet.com Before the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the structural inequalities across societies, there were diverging parables in human rights. One narrative identified the populist challenge to human rights and juxtaposed it with the cosmopolitan ideal of a multilateral order. An alternative narrative viewed populism as the symptom of democratic failure more than the cause and argued that the crisis of legitimacy facing the neoliberal, multilateral order was inextricably connected to a world where capitalist democracies have become "mere faàßade democracies", as Jàºrgen Habermas has asserted.
(2020-09-19). [Commentary] Towards characterized convalescent plasma for COVID-19: The dose matters. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of COVID-19, remains a global health crisis with limited treatment options. While randomized controlled trials have demonstrated some efficacy of the antiviral agent remdesivir and the corticosteroid dexamethasone in COVID-19 treatment, any beneficial role of convalescent plasma (CP) has been less clear [1,2]. Since the early 20th century convalescent blood products and their antibody derivatives have been used for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
(2020-09-19). [Correspondence] Brazil's COVID-19 response. thelancet.com Partisan politics during the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered any efforts of working together with science for the greater good of Brazil. As a Brazilian who values life, I do not know what scares me more: contracting COVID-19, or Bolsonaro's Government trying to belittle the disease, forcing us out of the door to confront it, even when they know that we have not done enough as a country to make it safe for us to do so. Although COVID-19 is showing us all that we still have a long way to go to overcome this crisis, which, at the time of writing, has killed approximately 1000 people a day over the past 3 months, the…
(2020-09-19). [World Report] Brazilian doctors condemn new rules on abortion. thelancet.com Experts say that the new rules for health workers will discourage access to health services and increase the risk of unsafe abortion. Lise Alves reports from Sà£o Paulo.
(2020-09-19). [Correspondence] Seeking clarity on retinal findings in patients with COVID-19. thelancet.com Paula M Marinho and colleagues1 described hyper-reflective lesions in ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images from 24 eyes of 12 adults who had symptoms of COVID-19. Marinho and colleagues argued that these lesions could be associated with COVID-19-related neurological events in humans.2 On the basis of the fundamental principles of OCT, we hold different views as to how the hyper-reflective foci were generated and their relevance to COVID-19.
(2020-09-19). [Comment] Offline: Remembering the scientists. thelancet.com One of the most frightening aspects of reading Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year (1722), his imaginative account of the 1665 Great Plague, is his depiction of the total terror that enveloped London. No one, physicians included, had the slightest clue about the cause of "the Distemper". The best that could be done was to paint a red cross on the doors of those afflicted, padlock them shut, and place watchmen outside to ensure nobody escaped. As bodies accumulated, giant pits were filled with infected corpses.
(2020-09-19). Tehran-Istanbul flights to be resumed. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — An Iranian airline revealed that Tehran-Istanbul flights will be resumed on Tue. Sept. 22.
(2020-09-19). 2 killed, 14 injured in Rochester shooting: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — A shooting incident in the city of Rochester, located in the US state of New York, left 2 people dead and 14 others injured in the early hours of Saturday.
(2020-09-19). Russia once again rules out activation of snapback. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov questioned the possibility of the United States using snapback to impose new sanctions on Iran and once again blamed Washington.
(2020-09-19). 'The Eleventh Step' goes to South Korean festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Iranian animation 'The Eleventh Step', directed by Maryam Kashkulinia, has been accepted into the 16th edition of Indie-AniFest in South Korea.
(2020-09-19). Trump's abuse of JCPOA not to help in his re-election: MP. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Deputy Chairman of the Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission believes that Trump's hasty moves in abusing the JCPOA to reach his domestic goals on the eve on the US 2020 election are doomed to failure.
(2020-09-19). Energy ministry delegation to embark for Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — A delegation from the Iranian ministry of energy will leave for Afghanistan on Sunday to develop mutual relations and discuss joint ventures in electricity sector.
(2020-09-19). IAEA asked for no more access into Iran nuclear activity. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, says the International Atomic Energy Agency has asked for no further probes except for the two cases agreed between Theran and the Agency last month.
(2020-09-19). Iranian, Chinese uni. professors to hold literary webinar. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Iranian and Chinese academic scholars will hold a joint literary webinar in October.
(2020-09-19). China, Russia next targets if US wins in undermining Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Pointing to US unlawful move to reimpose sanctions against Iran and importance of confronting its unilateralism, Cartalucci said China and Russia are next targets of the US if it will be successful in undermining of Iran.
(2020-09-19). Police dismantles drug-trafficking band in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — The police forces of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, southeastern Iran, have dismantled a drug-trafficking band and seized over 1 ton of illegal drugs in Saravan County.
(2020-09-19). GOP's Strategy for 2020 Election Looks Like an All-Out Assault on Voting Rights. truthout.org The Republican Party and its allies have relied on voter suppression tactics for decades, but this year they are pulling out all the stops. | "
(2020-09-19). Hospitals Serving the Poor Close as Investors and Electeds Refuse to Rescue Them. truthout.org Victor Coronado felt lightheaded one morning last month when he stood up to grab an iced tea. The right side of his body suddenly felt heavy. He heard himself slur his words. "That's when I knew I was going to have a stroke," he said. | Coronado was rushed to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, the hospital nearest his home on Chicago's South Side. Doctors there pumped medicine into his veins to break up the clot that had traveled to his brain. | Coronado may outlive the hospital that saved…
(2020-09-19). Anti-police crimes group demands Green Bay Packers honor memory of Jonathon Tubby. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement issued by the Wisconsin Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (WAARPR) in conjunction with the Tubby family. | Green Bay, WI – The resurgent movement for Black lives and against police crimes, sparked by the public execution of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, is maintaining momentum as summer draws to a close. This is because the police continue to kill Black men and other people. 288 people have been killed by police since Floyd's murder. | Like many other aspects of life in the U.S., sports have been impacted by…
(2020-09-19). Taiwan travellers take sightseeing 'flight to nowhere'. yenisafak.com A Taiwanese airline carried around 120 passengers on a "flight to nowhere" on Saturday to view the South Korean resort island of Jeju, before flying straight back home, the latest gimmick to give people a glimpse of normality during the COVID-19 pandemic.Tough border restrictions to keep the coronavirus under control have led to a 97.5% plunge in international travel in the region, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.Many frequent flyers miss getting on planes and airlines including Taiwan's EVA Airways Corp and Japan's ANA Holdings Inc, desperate for revenue and to keep their pilots' licences c…
(2020-09-19). At least nine still missing after Beirut port blast: Lebanon army. yenisafak.com The Lebanese army said on Saturday that nine people were still missing after last month's explosion at the Beirut port.A military statement said that two Syrian nationals were among those still missing after the port blast."This file will not be closed as long as investigations continue," the statement said.On Aug. 4, a huge explosion in the port of Beirut rocked the city, killing 192 people and injuring over 6,000 people.The blast caused damage estimated at $15 billion, according to official figures.The explosion occurred as Lebanon was experiencing its worst economic crisis, including a dramatic drop in the val…
(2020-09-19). Belarus warns EU against inviting Lukashenko's rival to meeting. yenisafak.com The foreign ministry in Belarus said on Saturday that it saw the possible participation of opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an EU ministerial meeting as an interference in domestic affairs, the Belta state news agency reported.Tsikhanouskaya has led the biggest challenge to President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule in Belarus.The foreign ministry said it had informed European diplomats about its view.Russian state news agencies reported earlier that Tsikhanouskaya is expected to take part in a meeting of European foreign ministers next week.
(2020-09-19). UK's Labour ties with Conservatives for first time since 2019, YouGov poll finds. yenisafak.com Britain's opposition Labour Party has caught up with the governing Conservatives for the first time since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July last year, a YouGov opinion poll showed.Data released late on Friday showed the Conservatives and Labour both on 40% support, based on online polling of 1,618 adults conducted on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17.A previous YouGov poll on Sept. 9 showed the Conservatives on 42% and Labour on 37%.This is the first time YouGov, one of Britain's main polling organisations, has shown Labour level with the Conservatives since May 2019, just before Theresa May said she would resign a…
(2020-09-19). Bangladesh, India agree to curb border killings. yenisafak.com Bangladesh and India on Saturday agreed to launch joint border patrols to curb killings and crimes."Both sides have agreed to extend joint border patrolling, mass awareness programs and necessary socio-economic development activities with a view to downing the incidents of murders, injuries and attacks on unarmed civilians of both countries to zero level," said a joint statement issued after a four-day conference attended by border forces of both countries in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.A Bangladesh-based rights watchdog in a report earlier in July said that at least 25 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the Ind…
(2020-09-19). Former Turkish PM tests negative for virus. yenisafak.com The former Turkish prime minister recovered from COVID-19 and now tested negative.Binali Yildirim said on Twitter his test results came negative about two weeks after contracting the novel coronavirus.Yildirim hailed those who asked about his health status during quarantine days and supported him, saying: "May Allah bless you all."Wishing remedy for all patients going through COVID-19 treatment, he praised healthcare staff working day and night, making many sacrifices from their personal lives.He concluded that people should stick to adopting measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, and personal hygiene…
(2020-09-19). Turkey overcoming pandemic's economic effects, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey's production levels continued to rise in the third quarter as the country has overcome a significant part of the coronavirus pandemic's economic effects, the Turkish president said on Saturday."The number of people employed has been rising since April, when the impact of the pandemic was felt the hardest," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the inauguration of a new section of the North Marmara Motorway.Erdogan, who addressed the ceremony via video link, said Turkey's employment rate will increase further over the coming months, adding that he was hopeful that the third quarter will end with a "growth rate that…
(2020-09-19). Attack foiled as explosives-laden car found in NW Syria. yenisafak.com A potential terrorist attack was thwarted as authorities seized a vehicle rigged with explosives in northwestern Syria on Saturday.A car found in Syria's Afrin region was fitted with 75 kilograms (165 pounds) of explosives connected to mobile phones for remote detonation, according to a statement by the governor's office of Turkey's southern Hatay province.Police in Afrin received intelligence reports that a bomb-laden vehicle prepared in the Tal Rifat region, under the control of the PYD/YPG/PKK terrorist organization, was sent to the Operation Olive Branch area in Afrin for an attack on security forces or civil…
(2020-09-19). Is the Athletes' Revolt a Threat to Trump? scheerpost.com GoArmy / CC BY-NC 2.0] By Robert Lipsyte / TomDispatch Last year, when LeBron James described some of President Trump's public statements as "laughable and scary," Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham ordered the basketball superstar to "shut up and dribble." LeBron responded thoughtfully by saying that her comment "resonated with me, but I think it resonated with a lot of people to be able to feel… |
(2020-09-19). The Reason Why Italy Deploys Its Fighters in Lithuania. globalresearch.ca In Europe civil air traffic is expected to drop by 60% this year compared to 2019, due to Covid-19 restrictions, putting more than 7 million jobs at risk. On the other hand, military air traffic is growing. | On Friday, August …
(2020-09-19). With the onset of a second wave, university staff speak out about their fears. thecanary.co The restart of university teaching across UK campuses will see students and staff travelling for face-to-face learning that risks compromising public health. Teaching unions … | By | The restart of university teaching across UK campuses will see students and staff travelling for face-to-face learning that risks compromising public health. | Teaching unions and scientific groups have e…
(2020-09-19). Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Dying Wish: DISSENT! thenation.com Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Dying Wish: DISSENT!