(2020-10-10). Amid claims of racism, another federal execution set. workers.org 
The federal government has just set its eighth execution for 2020. U.S. Attorney General William Barr directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule the execution of Orlando Cordia Hall for Nov. 19 in Tennessee. If carried out, this would place federal executions ahead of those by the states for . . . |
(2020-10-10). Iran's rial hits new low against dollar as economy stumbles. middleeasteye.net 
Iran's rial hits new low against dollar as economy stumbles | Latest US-imposed sanctions on Iran's financial sector are another blow to the country's economy | Sat, 10/10/2020 – 11: 46 | Iranians gather inside the capital Tehran's Grand Bazaar in March 2020, as the Covid pandemic was starting to make an impact on the country (AFP) | The Iranian currency hit a new low against the US dollar…
(2020-10-10). Marxism and intersectionality. mronline.org 
Ashley Bohrer has provided this important piece of scholarship with her new book, Marxism and Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Class and Sexuality under Contemporary Capitalism.
(2020-10-10). Xinjiang: A report and resource compilation. mronline.org 
In the mid-2010s, China launched far-reaching de-radicalization and economic development programs in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
(2020-10-10). University and College Union moves to prevent strikes as COVID-19 cases surge on UK campuses. wsws.org Northumbria University's decision to move online prompted the University and College Union (UCU) leadership to call off strike action, while claiming a victory.
(2020-10-10). Keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman returns to outer space, progressive rock with The Red Planet. wsws.org Wakeman has released a new progressive rock album in advance of the 50th anniversary of the first successful orbit of Mars by a man-made probe.
(2020-10-10). Democrats and corporate media cover-up Trump's role in Michigan coup plot. wsws.org The silence of the Democratic Party and corporate media is giving Trump an opening to move forward with his plot to use fascist militia to overturn the outcome of the election.
(2020-10-10). Anger as UAW rams through 12-hour, 7-day schedule for FCA Sterling Heights Assembly skilled trades workers. wsws.org Skilled trades workers at the Fiat Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly Plant are livid over the move by the UAW to force them into an inhuman work schedule without the formality of a vote.
(2020-10-10). Wisconsin police conduct mass arrest of protesters, journalists after announcement of no charges against killer cop. wsws.org Relatively small protests in Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, have been met with the deployment of the National Guard and overwhelming unconstitutional police violence.
(2020-10-10). Trump intensifies conflict with big tech over Section 230 protections following censorship moves by Facebook and Twitter. wsws.org After Facebook and Twitter both censored Trump for falsely comparing the coronavirus to the flu, the president called for a repeal of the law protecting social media companies from liability for content posted on their platforms.
(2020-10-10). Trudeau admits US heading for post-election "disturbances," but won't condemn Trump. wsws.org The Canadian government, reports Reuters, is in consultations with the principal European imperialist powers about how they will respond to Trump's coup, which has already been set in motion.
(2020-10-10). Oppose the $900 million cuts in retroactive pay to New York City educators! wsws.org The withholding of $900 million in pay owed to NYC teachers from over ten years ago is a brazen act of blackmail and wage theft.
(2020-10-10). Pennsylvania educators, bus drivers and school workers launch rank-and-file safety committee to put an end to in-person instruction. wsws.org Educators across Pennsylvania have formed a new rank-and-file safety committee to mobilize the working class against the unsafe reopening of the commonwealth's schools.
(2020-10-10). COVID-19 sparks increased demand for mental health services: UNFPA. news.un.org While the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been staggering, the full impact on health has been far greater, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The agency said fear, isolation, grief, economic stress and shuttered support services have taken a toll on the mental well-being of people around the world.
(2020-10-10). Guatemalan and Mexican governments use pandemic to turn back refugee caravan. zcomm.org "People who are fleeing crime and searching for a better future shouldn't be treated like this". "But there is something that we have, as migrants. We don't give up, we do everything to achieve our goals."
(2020-10-10). This Tyrant Feeds Peacocks. zcomm.org India is burning. In the months from March to May the news and social media were flooded with heart rending stories and images of the trauma of out-of state workers who lost their livelihood overnight when the coronavirus lock down was imposed without adequate notice. With all modes of transportation brought to a halt they
(2020-10-10). Republicans Know They Can't Win If Everyone Casts a Ballot. zcomm.org The Republican Party's voter suppression efforts ahead of the November election, aimed primarily at Black and Brown voters, amount to "surgical racism with surgical precision."
(2020-10-10). Pence's Handling of COVID Is Straight Out of the Christian Right Playbook. zcomm.org Pence didn't need Trump to show him how to pursue an agenda through deception. In this case, the goal is power, and it appears Pence will apply all of the tricks in his playbook in order to hold on to it…
(2020-10-10). #CountOnUs: Youth Organizers Have a Plan to Mobilize If Trump Tries to Steal the Election. zcomm.org "Together, we're going to vote and organize like our communities and planet are at stake, because they are."
(2020-10-10). The GOP Is Pursuing a Public Slaughter Strategy, Known to Some as 'Herd Immunity'. zcomm.org People are acting shocked—shocked, I tell you!—that the Trump/GOP strategy on coronavirus is essentially one of promoting herd immunity with the possible downside of as many as 2.5 million dead Americans…
(2020-10-10). What comes next is up to us. zcomm.org What we're heading toward is a new world, and we're the ones about to create it…
(2020-10-10). Monday 10/12: Indigenous People's Day March San Jose: Dia De La Raza y Dia De La Resistencia. indybay.org March meetup: San Jose City Hall, 200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113 | NOTE: Masks and Social Distancing…
(2020-10-10). More pragmatism in dealing with Corona. indybay.org Pragmatic approaches are needed to find solutions to allow life without breaks. Scientists must make their contribution. It is more important than ever that we are not only stubbornly clinging to concepts, but that we are prepared to break new ground. Also new ways of communication. A Corona traffic light would make both possible as a first step.
(2020-10-10). Striking AHS SEIU 1021 & CNA Workers Hear Alameda Supervisors Promise To Fire AHS Bosses. indybay.org Hundreds of striking SEIU 1021 & CNA AHS workers rallied at the Alameda County Building to protest the union busting tactics of this group that runs the Alameda public health system. Two County supervisors promised to remove them from running the public healthcare system…
(2020-10-10). Tuesday 10/13: The Truth About Voting By Mail: Your Right to Vote Safely During COVID & the 2020 Election. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Is COVID-19 being used as a weapon against Indigenous Peoples in Brazil? thelancet.com To corroborate the Editors'1 appeal for Indigenous Peoples' right to self-determination as fundamental to ensure their health, we wish to draw attention to the dire situation faced by Indigenous populations in the Amazon, and mainly in Brazil.
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] COVID-19: leaving no one behind in Latin America. thelancet.com The pledge to leave no one behind has been essential in making the plight of refugees more visible1 and in highlighting the need to include migrants and refugees in national health-care systems.
(2020-10-10). Pelosi & husband invest up to $1 million in CrowdStrike, tech firm that launched Russiagate — report. rt.com 
Newly-filed financial disclosures show House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband have invested up to $1 million in CrowdStrike, American cybersecurity technology company and the originator of 'Russian hacking' claims. | Financial disclosures New from me: Financial disclosure forms show that Nancy and P…
(2020-10-10). Nearly 500,000 power outages reported across Texas & Louisiana as Hurricane Delta pummels gulf coast with 80mph gusts. rt.com 
Nearly a half-million residents in Texas and Louisiana have been left without power after Hurricane Delta made landfall along the US gulf coast, battering cities with winds up to 80 miles per hour. | Delta hit land in southwest Louisiana on Friday night, inflicting widespread damage and knocking out electricity for some 379,636 people in the state and another 108,402 in neighboring Texas, Footage circulating on social media showed powerful gust…
(2020-10-10). What ex-BBC Allegra Stratton's new job proves about the ruling class. thecanary.co 
The establishment revolving door is turning again. This time it's former BBC and ITV journalist Allegra Stratton who is benefitting. Stratton, as has been Stratton's appointment as press secretary to arguably the most right-wing government in my lifetime (I'm a child of Thatcher, by the way) captures some bleak truths about Britain today. Not least is Stratton's demonstrable contempt for working-class people. Although that does make her an ideal fit for her job as a Tory spokesperson.
(2020-10-10). Tuesday 10/13: Your Right to Vote, Voice Your Choice! Webinar (Disability Rights CA). indybay.org Online webinar…
(2020-10-10). Late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Canonized. indybay.org Celebration of Justice Ginsburg's Life…
(2020-10-10). Monday 10/12: MoveOn: Your Vote is Power in Action Rally! indybay.org Online via link, you must RSVP…
(2020-10-10). League of Women Voters Launches Essential Voter Resources to Help San Franciscans Vote. indybay.org Online programs, events, and materials continue LWVSF's 100-year tradition of nonpartisan voter services, despite the pandemic.
(2020-10-10). Friday 10/16: Community Discussion on Latinx Issues & Animal Agriculture. indybay.org Online. Email me for the link.
(2020-10-10). Moms 4 Housing Announces Future of Moms House. indybay.org Moms Joined by Oakland City Council Members, Labor Council and Oakland Community Land Trust…
(2020-10-10). [Clinical Picture] C4 root compression leads to phrenic nerve palsy with shortness of breath, chest pain, and elevated hemidiaphragm. thelancet.com A 50-year-old man presented to our emergency department complaining of sudden onset of shortness of breath and pain in the back of his right shoulder. Notably, he did not report any neck pain, numbness, or weakness in his arms or legs; he had no abdominal pain or fever.
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in New York City. thelancet.com Cummings and colleagues1 reported the epidemiology, clinical course, and outcomes of 257 critically ill adults with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to two hospitals in New York City. The primary outcome was the rate of in-hospital death, and each patient had at least 28 days of observation. The authors report that, as of April 28, 2020, 101 (39%) of 257 patients had died, 94 (37%) remained hospitalised, four (2%) were transferred to another hospital, and 58 (23%) were discharged alive. Surprisingly, the authors show in figure 1 of their Article1 a cumulative incidence of in-hospital death of approximately…
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Cancer and COVID-19. thelancet.com Nicole Kuderer and colleagues1 identified several independent prognostic factors to be conferring an increased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality: increased age, male sex, being a former smoker, multiple medical comorbidities, high Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score (‚â•2), and an active cancer. However, haematological malignancies, instead of increasing 30-day all-cause mor ≠tality, were associated with severe clinical outcomes, intensive care unit admissions, and meeting composite severe illness endpoints.
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Undermining breastfeeding will not alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic — Authors' reply. thelancet.com In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, questions regarding possible methods of virus transmission, including the safety of breastfeeding by mothers who are infected, are of great importance. We reported1 the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA (not viral particles, as incorrectly stated by Natalie Shenker and colleagues) in consecutive milk samples from an infected mother and interpreted our findings with the greatest caution. In particular, we did not claim that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via contaminated breastmilk or that breastfeeding should be discontinued by mothers with…
(2020-10-10). [Commentary] The menacing assaults on science, FDA, CDC, and health of the US public. thelancet.com While health authorities sounded early warnings concerning COVID-19 [1], the United States (US) government practised "pandemic politics" and escalated menacing assaults on science, including repeated denials of epidemic principles of mitigation and containment. The first on December 31, 2019 was that the virus would not enter the US. A second on January 20, 2020 following introduction of the first US case from Wuhan, China was that "the virus would not spread." A third on February 26 was that the 15 cases would "go away" when temperatures climbed [2].
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Cancer and COVID-19 — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Dimitrios Moris and col ≠leagues and Alexandre Malek and colleagues for their insightful commentary about the CCC19 study findings.1 We value the opportunity to further characterise mortality outcomes beyond our initial report.1…
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in New York City — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We agree with Daniele Piovani and Stephanos Bonovas that informative censoring, if present, could represent a potential source of bias in the survival analyses in our Article.1 However, sensitivity analysis suggests that any such bias is likely to be minimal.
(2020-10-10). [Viewpoint] From race-based to race-conscious medicine: how anti-racist uprisings call us to act. thelancet.com The brutalisation of Jacob Blake and murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless others—coupled with horrifying statistics about the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities—have forced the USA and the world to reckon with how structural racism conditions survival. Although clinicians often imagine themselves as beneficent caregivers, it is increasingly clear that medicine is not a stand-alone institution immune to racial inequities, but rather is an institution of structural racism.
(2020-10-10). [World Report] 2 ∑5 million more child marriages due to COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic's damage to education and the economy could reverse decades of progress on child marriage and pregnancy. Sophie Cousins reports.
(2020-10-10). [Perspectives] Barbara Stoll: China Medical Board's charismatic new President. thelancet.com "Taking on a new adventure" is how Barbara Stoll views her recent appointment as President of the China Medical Board (CMB), a US-based philanthropic foundation for health development in China and southeast Asia. "I'm incredibly lucky to be given this opportunity, and will try my best to fill the large shoes of outgoing CMB President Lincoln Chen, who has done an extraordinary job over the past 14 years, building partnerships and extending CMB's reach", she says. It was Chen who helped open Stoll's eyes to the wider world of global health, encouraging her to pursue research opportunities in Bangladesh early in he…
(2020-10-10). [Editorial] Mental health: time to invest in quality. thelancet.com The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day, on Oct 10, is increased investment in mental health. Why invest, and why now? The answer is simple. At the best of times, good mental health is needed for a society to thrive. During a pandemic, good mental health is more important than ever. Without a focus on mental health, any response to COVID-19 will be deficient, reducing individual and societal resilience, and impeding social, economic, and cultural recovery.
(2020-10-10). [Perspectives] COVID-19, comics, and the visual culture of contagion. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic is inescapable. From curtailing our daily social and professional interactions, locking down or physically distancing our communities, and drawing our anxious attention to daily updates of international case and death statistics, the lived experience of the pandemic is at once personal, local, and global. It is also a shared experience that emphasises, through the pandemic's pervasive disruption, the social interactions and behaviours that define our shared world. One cultural response to the disruption and uncertainty during an infectious disease outbreak is the construction of what Priscil…
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Undermining breastfeeding will not alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Breastfeeding offers numerous immunological, developmental, and psychological advantages to the infant—mother dyad. The risks posed to infant and maternal health through any loss of support for breastfeeding mean that public health messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic should be careful. As academic leads of human milk banks, we are acutely aware of the importance of understanding the risks posed by novel infectious pathogens in human milk and the mitigation of risk to susceptible infants.
(2020-10-10). [Comment] Offline: Reasons for hope. thelancet.com Fatigue. Despair. Misery. Cracks are beginning to appear in our mental resilience. 10 months of this calamity. How much more can we bear? It was always so. When the Bishop of Winchester died of plague in 1626, John Milton issued a searing cry of anguish in his Elegia Tertia. The great poet was just 17 years old, "sad…with no companion, and many sorrows clung to my soul". He sought to commemorate this "grim killing" of a revered literary figure, a "dreadful death, fearsome with her sepulchral torch".
(2020-10-10). US sanctions not to affect Iran-Swiss financial channel. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (MNA) — Chaiman of Iran-Switzerland Chamber of Commerce noted, "New sanctions of the US on 18 Iranian banks will not affect the Iran-Switzerland financial channel in terms of importing of cereals and pharmaceuticals."
(2020-10-10). Rouhani, Putin discuss Nagorno-Karabakh over phone. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation on Saturday discussing the latest developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
(2020-10-10). Iran registers 3,875 new COVID-19 infections, 195 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,875 COVID-19 infections and 195 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-10). Anxiety Mindfulness and the Natural Unity of Life. dissidentvoice.org Depression and anxiety are commonplace in contemporary societies, part of everyday life; celebrities and public figures, British Royalty even, talk openly about their struggles with conditions that were hidden and dismissed just a few years ago. Most of us either suffer from one of these debilitating diseases or know someone who does; for huge numbers …
(2020-10-10). Solidarity sent to Indonesian workers taking action against new law. greenleft.org.au …
(2020-10-10). Aged care royal commission calls for more staff. greenleft.org.au …