WSWS (2020-04-16). Working-class immigrants terrorized by Trump administration avoid COVID-19 testing, treatment. wsws.org Reports from doctors, immigration lawyers and community organizations reveal that a significant number of immigrants, despite showing symptoms associated with COVID-19, have avoided getting tested.

yenisafak (2020-04-16). Arab League warns of virus risk in Syria refugee camps. yenisafak.com The Arab League warned Wednesday that a humanitarian disaster could occur if the coronavirus pandemic spreads in refugee camps in Syria.A statement by the bloc\'s 22 Arab nations came after a meeting between its Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.They discussed the dangerous consequences of the spread of the virus among refugees and asylum seekers, and the importance of an Idlib cease-fire agreement, inked March 5 between Turkey and Russia, to prevent the military escalation in the region.The statement said many of those who live in camps do so in poor health condition…

Anya Parampil (2020-04-16). Andrew Cuomo is NOT bae: exposing the governor\'s thuggish record with Randy Credico. thegrayzone.com Millions of dollars of free earned advertising from his brother on CNN can not cover up the real record of…

Ben Norton (2020-04-16). Bolivian coup leader freaks out on The Grayzone for \'fascist\' label in complaint to OAS \'human rights\' arm. thegrayzone.com The director of far-right Bolivian coup leader Camacho\'s presidential campaign threw a slander-laced tantrum against The Grayzone in a letter…

Kevin Zeese (2020-04-16). The Decade of Transformation: Being in Balance with Nature. globalresearch.ca This is the fourth newsletter in our series on the 2020s as a decade of transformation See

Max Blumenthal (2020-04-16). Coronavirus stimulus bill funds State Dept/USAID operations that once helped trigger polio outbreak in Syria. thegrayzone.com A look at recent USAID schemes from Pakistan to Syria shows US empire can be very hazardous to your health….

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-16). Video: Coronavirus: Economic and Social Collapse: Mass Unemployment, Bankruptcy, Poverty and Despair. globalresearch.ca 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 developing countries, poverty and despair prevail. …

RT (2020-04-16). German court rules blanket ban on demonstrations \'UNCONSTITUTIONAL\' as Merkel plans easing of Covid-19 restrictions. rt.com Covid-19 health concerns are not grounds for a general ban on public demonstrations, a German court has ruled, after activists took a case arguing that Berlin\'s current restrictions on public gatherings are unconstitutional. | If they adhere to social distancing rules, Germans should have the right to hold political protests, the Constitutional Court said in the Thursday ruling. | Activists in Giessen, a town in the federal state of Hesse, had planned a protest march to denounce new rules that ban gatherings of more than two people in public, arguing that they were in breach of the country\'s constitution and c…

Staff (2020-04-16). Pandemic Is a Portal: Arundhati Roy on COVID-19 in India, Imagining Another World & Fighting for It. democracynow.org Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how \"The Pandemic Is a Portal.\" She says, \"You have the sense that you\'re sitting on some kind of explosive substance,\" and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents.

Staff (2020-04-16). India\'s Prime Minister Is Using Pandemic to Repress Dissent, Says Arundhati Roy. truthout.org Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how \"The Pandemic Is a Portal.\" She says, \"You have the sense that you\'re sitting on some kind of explosive substance,\" and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its…

RT (2020-04-16). What about Beslan? Russian Human Rights Council fears change in WWII end date may overshadow anniversary of massacre. rt.com Most of the world recognizes September 2, 1945 as the day World War II concluded. Following Victory Day in Europe that May, the conflict continued in Asia for four more months, until Japan formally surrendered. | In Russia, a plan to move the date has upset some activists. On Tuesday, the national parliament (State Duma) passed a law changing the final day of the Second World War to September 3. However, this coincides with another devastating tragedy – the Beslan School Massacre. | According to Chairman of the State Duma\'s Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov, moving the date matches the reality in the Soviet…

Tom Engelhardt (2020-04-16). History is More or Less Bunk: Coronavirus as Peacemaker? counterpunch.org Let me quote a Trumpian figure from long ago, Henry Ford. That\'s right, the bigot who created the Ford Motor Company (and once even ran for president). Back in 1916, in an interview with a Chicago Tribune reporter, he offered this bit of wisdom on the subject of history: \"Say, what do I care about

Kanoh Nishizawa (2020-04-16). The Coming Revolt – and the peaceful solidarity for a Just World Society. indybay.org As capitalism gets exposed for its savagery, there will be tumult, and revolt of the oppressed. In this new environment, we should express peaceful solidarity if we want a chance at a Just World Society.

yenisafak (2020-04-16). Azerbaijani leader thanks Turkey for show of solidarity. yenisafak.com A top Azerbaijani leader on Wednesday praised Turkey over a recent mutual display of solidarity against coronavirus.\"I express my deep gratitude to fraternal Turkey. Our countries always stand by each other, on both joyful and difficult days,\" First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva said on Instagram.She added: \"This is our unity, our strength. I wish our peoples the best of health, and our countries peace and prosperity. May Almighty God bless our world!\"Over the last week, Turkey and Azerbaijan lit up iconic buildings in Ankara and Baku, their respective capitals, with both countries\' flags, honoring their cooper…

teleSUR (2020-04-16). Colombia: Red Rags on Windows to Protest Amid Quarantine. telesurenglish.net Faced with the inability of President Ivan Duque administration to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, Colombians are displaying red cloths on windows to express their dissatisfaction. | RELATED: | ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã\"They said to take out red rags if people needed help. Today the red rag seems to be the new flag in the most humble neighborhoods. Hunger is…

WSWS (2020-04-16). Australian police use COVID-19 emergency powers to ban refugee detention protest. wsws.org The police action, which state Premier Daniel Andrews\' Labor government must have authorised, constitutes a direct attack on the right to protest.

Staff (2020-04-16). Headlines for April 16, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Pushes to Reopen Economy by May as Doctors and CEOs Object, 22 Million U.S. Workers File for Unemployment in Just Four Weeks, Tax Loopholes in Coronavirus Relief Bill to Overwhelmingly Benefit the Wealthiest, New York Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 11,500 as Governor Orders Wearing of Masks in Public, Medical Workers Demand More Safety Measures as COVID-19 Deaths Mount, Michigan Protesters Defy Social Distancing Rules, Demanding End to Quarantine, Mexico Faces Shortage of Medical Workers as COVID-19 Spreads, French Aircraft Carrier Evacuated as Nearly 700 Sailors Test Positive for COVID-19, Swedish COVID-19 Ca…

Jaime Chu (2020-04-16). Watching Hong Kong Cop Movies After 10 Months of Tear Gas. thenation.com Watching Hong Kong Cop Movies After 10 Months of Tear Gas…

350.org Bay Area & many others (2020-04-16). #ClimateStrike: Virtual Protest Against Chase Bank to #Stop The Money Pipeline. indybay.org Online protest actions…

yenisafak (2020-04-16). UN sends humanitarian aid to Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com The United Nations on Thursday sent 63 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, the northwestern Syrian province where millions remain in desperate need of assistance.The aid trucks entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border in Turkey\'s southern Hatay province, which borders Idlib.The supplies will be distributed to people in Idlib city and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million remain displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a d…

Stephen Lendman (2020-04-16). Elizabeth Warren Joins the Biden Bandwagon, Betrays Supporters. globalresearch.ca Judge them by their actions, never their rhetoric, a rule of thumb in evaluating others, notably politicians. They all lie with the rarest of rare exceptions. | Warren\'s sellout to Dem party bosses followed Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders going the …

Stephen Lendman (2020-04-16). Trump Regime Immunity Certificates for Mass Vaxxing and Population Control. globalresearch.ca Orwellian control over the lives and welfare of ordinary people would pose the greatest threat to free and open societies. | They\'d no longer exist if the worst of it was imposed, notably by manipulating the public mind to accept the …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-16). Sanders-sponsored forum advocates new worker-centered economy after COVID-19. peoplesworld.org Though the nation, and the world, are still in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic and the global recession it\'s produced, five progressive leaders, marshalled by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ind-Vt., are thinking ahead on to how to build a new economy that works for workers, not the rich, out of the ruins. Sanders and the …

David Swanson (2020-04-16). Now That Charlottesville Can Remove Monuments, Should It? counterpunch.org News reports proclaim that the Governor of Virginia has signed into law a bill allowing localities in Virginia to remove Confederate statues. In reality, this new law allows Virginia cities and counties to remove, alter, or relocate any war monuments — something Virginia law had forbidden for 15 wars, including the U.S. Civil War. The law up

David Swanson (2020-04-16). Is American Exceptionalism Shaping Our Scientific Response to the Coronavirus? mintpressnews.com While New York City suffers through coronavirus, it\'s worth recalling that in the name of science in 1966, the U.S. government released bacteria in the New York subways. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Mike Whitney (2020-04-16). The Russia-Saudi Oil-Price War Is a Fraud and a Farce. globalresearch.ca The Russia-Saudi oil-price war is a fabrication concocted by the media. There\'s not a word of truth to any of it. Yes, there was a dust up at an OPEC meeting in early March that led to production increases and …

Yara Hawari (2020-04-16). In Palestine, COVID-19 Meets the Israeli Occupation. globalresearch.ca The first measures taken against COVID-19 in the West Bank occurred in early March after the confirmation of seven cases in Bethlehem that were linked to a Greek tourist group. The Palestinian Authority (PA) declared a state of emergency and …

Zero Hedge (2020-04-16). \"Major Blow To US\": Large Group Of US-Backed Fighters \'Defect\' To Assad Forces. iranian.com The brutal proxy war in Syria, which has had the deep involvement of American intelligence and the Pentagon, has been wrapping up after grinding on for nine years. With the coronavirus pandemic now completely taking over the news cycle, and as Washington struggles to contain both the virus and devastating economic fallout, Syria has taken a …

teleSUR (2020-04-16). Bachelet: Countries Must Allow Safe Return of Its Citizens. telesurenglish.net Latin American governments must allow the return of their countries\' citizens despite the COVID-19, urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, on Thursday. | RELATED: | Even though the borders of many nations in the world and Latin America are closing, to stop the advance of COVID-19, \"everyone has the right to refresh their country of origin,\" Bachelet said. | Bachelet\'s statements c…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-04-16). Coronavirus Pandemic Has Shown that Mediterranean Europe Does Not Need THE EU. globalresearch.ca Germany\'s long history of wanting to rule the entirety of Europe extends back to both World Wars in the 20th Century, and perhaps even earlier. The German political structures believed that through war and conquest it could dominate the continent …

Prof. Marjorie Cohn (2020-04-16). Intensifying Sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, Trump Is Weaponizing Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca As the entire world grapples with the most devastating pandemic of the modern era, the United States is pouring kerosene on the fire in Iran and Venezuela. The U.S. government has maintained punishing sanctions against the people of Iran and …

teleSUR (2020-04-16). Brazil: Bolsonaro Fails to Manage COVID-19 Crisis. telesurenglish.net The Federal Supreme Court (STF) on Thursday validated the autonomy of State and Municipal governments in making decisions to contain the new coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | The STF\'s decision acknowledges that President Jair Bolsonaro has been unable to take the necessary measures to contain COVID-19 in the country, which has been hit hardest by the pandemic in Latin America. | \"The STF\'s verdict is a defeat for…

Ajamu Baraka (2020-04-16). Coronavirus and the Crisis of African American Human Rights. globalresearch.ca Pushing workers back to work and attempting to \"normalize\" the economy was the growing consensus among the capitalist class, not just Trump. | \"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and …

RT (2020-04-16). Trump unveils 3-phase plan for reopening US from Covid-19 lockdowns. rt.com Some Americans might come out of lockdown by May 1, under a gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions across the US envisioned by the White House and dubbed \"Opening Up America Again.\" | President Donald Trump announced the plan in a White House press conference on Thursday evening. The three-phase roadmap is supposed to be implemented by state governors and regional authorities, with federal support. | \"America wants to be open and Americans want to be open,\" Trump said, noting that a national shutdown is \"not a sustainable and long-term solution.\" | We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a tim…

Steve Sweeney (2020-04-16). Vietnam ships 450,000 protective suits for U.S. health care workers. peoplesworld.org Vietnam has sent 450,000 protective suits to the U.S. as part of the country\'s support in the \"global effort\" to contain the coronavirus package, the government said. The shipment was provided to help U.S. medical teams who face a severe shortage of equipment as the number of cases of COVID-19 there continues to spiral. Vietnam\'s …

RT (2020-04-16). 'Recipe for DISASTER': Public health expert warns of potential catastrophe if Tour de France is held as planned in August. rt.com Devi Sridhar, a health expert currently guiding Scotland\'s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, says that officials have \'no choice\' but to cancel the Tour de France given the significant risk to public health it represents. | The annual race was pushed back to August from its usual start date in June after French president Emmanuel Macron banned all large public gatherings in the country until at least July 11. | But Sridhar says that the logistics of the large-scale race would further the spread of coronavirus throughout France, potentially leading to further lockdown measures being announced by the end of sum…

Jonathan Matthews (2020-04-16). COVID-19: a Wake-Up Call for Biosafety. counterpunch.org Like many of our readers, we may be sheltering-in-place, but please don\'t think we\'re taking our eye off the ball. Although other issues may not seem so important at the moment, the COVID-19 virus will subside one day, yet we will still be facing huge threats such as the so-called \"extinction crisis\" (the collapse of

RT (2020-04-16). France launches probe into Covid-19 outbreak on its only aircraft carrier as 20 sailors remain in hospital, 1 in intensive care. rt.com The French military has opened an investigation into a Covid-19 outbreak on board its sole aircraft carrier, \'Charles de Gaulle,\' as 20 of its 668 infected crewmembers remain in hospital. | \"As of today, the majority of sailors don\'t show signs of concern. Twenty sailors have been hospitalized, and one of them is in an intensive care unit,\" French Navy spokesperson Eric Lavault told reporters on Thursday. | The Defense Ministry has launched an investigation to determine how the disease spread onto the nation\'s sole aircraft carrier. | Overall, 668 of the ship\'s crew of 1,767 have tested positive for Covid-19.

RT (2020-04-16). \'We acted in the same way\': Moscow says will accept US offer to ship ventilators to Russia if needed. rt.com The offer to send ventilators to Russia made by US President Donald Trump is a \'show of a responsible approach\' to fighting Covid-19, a senior Russian diplomat said. The suggestion caused a meltdown among Trump critics. | \"We take this confirmation that the American side may provide us such assistance, should we need it,\" Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said of Trump\'s offer to send ventilators. | He added the offer showed \"a responsible approach in our common fight with the pandemic\" and that Russia had \"acted in the same way\" when it sent aid to the US last month. | Offering help was a natural thing t…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-04-16). As pandemic rages, U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba are getting deadlier. peoplesworld.org We know that for almost 60 years the U.S. government has blockaded Cuba and, in the process, has damaged Cuba\'s economy and threatened the health and safety of the Cuban people. We know that the Cuban people are now defending themselves against the COVID-19 virus and know, too, that COVID-19 often causes death. We know …

RT (2020-04-16). \'Flawless work\': Italian doctors thank Russian colleagues for help in tackling Covid-19 epidemic. rt.com Doctors working in Bergamo, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, have thanked Russian specialists for their help in treating some of the most difficult cases. | The work of the Russian medical staff has been \"extremely effective,\" said Oliviero Valoti, chief medical officer at one of the hospitals in the northern Italian city. Valoti added that he and his colleagues had to entrust some patients in \"quite grave condition\" to the Russian physicians, who have done their job \"flawlessly.\" | Moscow sent 15 transport planes with 100 military virologists and epidemiologists to Italy in late Mar…

RT (2020-04-16). China rejects news report about Covid-19 origin, says WHO found \'no evidence\' virus was made in lab. rt.com China\'s Foreign Ministry has said that claims about the novel coronavirus originating in a lab are not based on science, citing the WHO as it rebuked the latest news story on Covid-19 \'patient zero.\' | \"I want to remind you that the head of the [World Health Organization] has repeatedly stated that there is no evidence that the novel coronavirus has been produced in the laboratory,\" Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Thursday. | He added that \"many well-known medical experts in the world also believe that the claims about the so-called leak [of the virus] from a laboratory are not base…

RT (2020-04-16). \'Lock your doors\': Manhunt underway in Wisconsin for two violent escaped inmates who fled MAX-SECURITY prison. rt.com A major manhunt is underway in Portage, Wisconsin after two inmates — each convicted of violent felonies — escaped from the maximum-security Columbia Correctional Institution. Nearby residents have been urged to lock their doors. | Portage Police Department has warned the public to stay alert following a jailbreak by convicts James Newman, 37, and Thomas Deering, 46, on Thursday morning. It\'s not clear exactly how the pair made their escape. | www.facebook.com/PortagePD/posts/4021919677848630 | With the majority of the American population already on lockdown due to Covid-19, police are reit…

RT (2020-04-16). Lifting UK lockdown now would allow coronavirus to \'run rampant\' — Health Minister. rt.com The UK is yet to pass the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic, so the time to lift the lockdown has not yet arrived, Health Minister Matt Hancock has said. Otherwise, efforts to stop the virus thus far would have been for nothing.

Michael Barker (2020-04-16). COVID-19: How Big Pharma and Big Philanthropy Consume the World. counterpunch.org Under capitalism, disease is an immensely profitable industry, and huge pharmaceutical corporations excel at extracting enormous amounts of wealth from our public health. Of course, big pharma would have us believe that without their investments in scientific research, millions of people would not benefit from the dizzying array of drugs they sell us, but the

The Canary (2020-04-16). Three more weeks of coronavirus lockdown expected. thecanary.co The coronavirus lockdown will be extended for another three weeks, the government is expected to announce.Ministers will agree the prolonged social distancing controls in a cabinet meeting on 16 April. It comes after the number of people who have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) reached almost 13,000, with growing concern over increasing deaths in care homes. | The victims included a pregnant nurse whose baby, a little girl, was delivered successfully and is said to be doing well. | Speaking at the daily No 10 press conference on 15 April Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there…

Subin Dennis (2020-04-16). Kerala is a model state in the Covid-19 fight. mronline.org This overlooked region of India is a beacon to the world for taking on the coronavirus, with the leftist government setting the bar for testing, tracing and treatment standards.

RT (2020-04-16). \'Let me finish the answer!\' UK Health Secretary loses it with BBC host amid Covid-19 lockdown \'exit strategy\' talk. rt.com UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock lost his temper with the BBC on Thursday, after accusations the government is giving mixed messages on Covid-19 and calls for clarity on an \'exit strategy\' from the current lockdown. | During an interview with Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4\'s Today program, Hancock was pressed on

Staff (2020-04-16). \"Pure Baloney\": Zoologist Debunks Trump\'s COVID-19 Origin Theory, Explains Animal-Human Transmission. democracynow.org With the largest one-day death toll in the U.S. yet — 2,400 in just 24 hours — President Trump is trying to deflect attention from his handling of the pandemic by waging a war on public health experts and science, threatening to cut World Health Organization funding and fueling a theory that the coronavirus came from a lab in Wuhan, China. We speak to a zoologist who has been sounding the alarm about a coming pandemic for years. \"The idea that this virus escaped from a lab is just pure baloney,\" says Peter Daszak, disease ecologist and the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit that works global…

RT (2020-04-16). Abramovich & Chelsea to provide 78,000 free meals to NHS workers as UK battles Covid-19. rt.com Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will donate 78,000 free meals through the club to National Health Service (NHS) workers throughout hospitals in London and vulnerable areas in the community during the coronavirus pandemic. | An initial 13,000 meals will be distributed free of charge over a period of six weeks to local hospitals including Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, St Mary\'s Hos…