ORION (2020-04-20). Free julian assange Nation wide Webinar event Panel. indybay.org zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xh2EsZbrTtOq1FZifgfIlw…

Ben Norton (2020-04-20). Human Rights Watch cabildea por sanciones letales contra Nicaragua y Venezuela, mientras arrecia la crisis de Covid-19. thegrayzone.com Human Rights Watch está orgullosamente asumiendo el crédito por sanciones devastadoras contra Nicaragua, mientras busca escalar la guerra económica en…

Prof. Vijay Prashad (2020-04-20). Colombia, the Oligarchs and Washington. globalresearch.ca Last year, on November 21, the Colombian people took to the streets in massive numbers to reject the policies of the government led by President Iván Duque. In particular, the people

Alan Macleod (2020-04-20). Man Who Filmed Police Murder of Eric Garner Says Prison Guards Deliberately Gave Him COVID-19. mintpressnews.com WeCopwatch, an activist organization dedicated to the nonviolent observation of police, says that corrections officers threatened to deliberately infect Ramsey Orta for weeks before he tested positive.

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center (2020-04-20). 2020 Youth Activist Grant. indybay.org Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center | 1035 Carol Lane | Lafayette, CA 94549…

graham (2020-04-20). The inevitable erosion of our civil liberty after the COVID-19 crisis. truepublica.org.uk It was only one month ago that Big Brother Watch, the Civil liberties group warned that the Coronavirus Bill contained the \"most draconian powers in peacetime Britain\" and urged close scrutiny from Parliamentarians. It was ushered through and became an Act of Parliament without scrutiny or protest. If the COVID-19 crisis vanished tomorrow the Act …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-20). Iran backs formation of inclusive government in Afghanistan: FM spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Iran says it supports the formation of an \"inclusive government\" in Afghanistan with the hope of reaching peace and stability in the country.

en.mehrnews (2020-04-20). Intervention of foreigners threatens regional peace, security: Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — In a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the intervention of foreigners especially the United States threatens the peace and security of the region.

Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center (2020-04-20). 2020 Art & Writing Challenge. indybay.org Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center | 1035 Carol Lane | Lafayette, CA 94549…

Global Research News (2020-04-20). Selected Articles: A Universal Basic Income Is Essential and Will Work. globalresearch.ca A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media \"NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize\", and where \"nuclear weapons and wars make us safer\" | | | If, like us, this is a …

RT (2020-04-20). Facebook deems protests \'harmful misinformation\' as citizens defy quarantine orders. rt.com Americans protesting their states\' coronavirus lockdown measures won\'t be able to organize protests on Facebook any longer, after the Silicon Valley firm declared them \"harmful misinformation.\" | Speaking to ABC\'s George Stephanopoulos on Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that anti-lockdown protests organized through his platform are considered \"harmful misinformation,\" and will be removed by moderators. | \"I think a lot of the stuff that people are saying that is false around a health emergency like this can be classified as harmful misinformation,\" Zuckerberg added. | @GStephanopoulos urges

WSWS (2020-04-20). Millions of internal migrant workers suffering under India\'s lockdown. wsws.org A police attack on a Mumbai protest has highlighted the fate of workers under the Modi government\'s measures.

Staff (2020-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Fatalities Top 40,000; Nursing Homes Hit Hard as Death Tolls Soar | , Trump and Governors at Odds over Coronavirus Testing as Uneven Reopening of States Commences, Right-Wing Groups Organize Anti-Lockdown Protests Around the Country | , New Deal on Relief for Small Businesses Could Be Imminent But May Lack Key Democratic Provisions, Immigrant Prisoners at Otay Mesa Launch Hunger Strike, Denounce Inhumane Treatment | , Michael Cohen to Be Released from Federal Detention as Prisoners Nationwide Face Mounting Coronavirus Risk, Italy Records Lowest Daily Death Toll in a Week; Spain & France Also Show Signs of Pr…

RT (2020-04-20). Bolsonaro hopes quarantine measures end this week in Brazil. rt.com Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday that he hoped this would be the last week of stay-at-home measures to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. | Bolsonaro has openly railed against lockdown measures to combat the coronavirus and has asserted that the economic risks of shutting down Brazil\'s economy outweigh the dangers posed by the disease. | Despite Bolsonaro\'s protests, many of Brazil\'s governors have more or less shut down their states. The president also fired his popular health minister last week after they clashed over social distancing measures. | Brazil has more cases of the new cor…

RT (2020-04-20). Anti-quarantine protesters inspired by Covid-19-denying former opera singer hurl stones, clash with police in Vladikavkaz. rt.com A group of protesters neglected social distancing and surrounded the local government\'s office in Vladikavkaz in Russia\'s south. They demanded the coronavirus quarantine to be lifted and scuffled with the police. | Videos from the Svoboda (Freedom) Square in the capital of Russia\'s Republic of North Ossetia showed the demonstrators trying to break police cordons and tossing stones at officers in full riot gear. | The unsanctioned rally began at noon on Monday with a group of people gathering outside the administration, with only a few wearing face masks and staying very close to each other. They were quite…

Michael Snyder (2020-04-20). What Will You Do if They Try to Extend Coronavirus Lockdowns into Next Year? globalresearch.ca We are seeing a massive backlash against the coronavirus lockdowns all over the United States, and it is likely that the protests against these lockdowns will only intensify in the days ahead. But some elected officials are doubling down and …

Fight Back (2020-04-20). Right-wing protest echoes Trump demand to restart economy, endangering workers\' lives. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – On April 17, hundreds of right-wing pro-Trump protesters flouted Minnesota's social distancing guidelines and shelter-in-place order to protest in front of the governor's mansion in Saint Paul. The protest\'s main demand was for Governor Tim Walz to reverse emergency public health-related measures implemented to slow the spread of the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus and to immediately reopen Minnesota's economy. | The protesters, on foot, were packed tightly together in front of the governor\'s mansion holding \"Trump 2020\" signs and flags, American flags and signs mocking Governor Walz,…

Staff (2020-04-20). Trump\'s Praise for Astroturf Protests Is a Divisive Reelection Strategy. truthout.org President Trump\'s daily coronavirus briefing rallies aren\'t even attempting to be relevant to the ongoing pandemic anymore. To the extent it even comes up, it\'s entirely Trump bragging about anything that\'s gone right and blaming others for everything that\'s gone wrong. If you want to know the latest information about the emergency, you\'ll need to look elsewhere. These are Trump campaign rallies done for the strict purpose of energizing his base. | If you\'re reading this, you have probably read and…

Jamal Rich (2020-04-20). Black youth stage Emancipation Day protest for D.C. inmates amid COVID-19 crisis. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Emancipation Day, a day recognizing the anniversary of the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act on April 16, 1862 which freed 3,000 slaves in the District of Columbia—remains a symbolic date, given that many Black people in the United States are still locked in cages. And on Emancipation Day this year, organizers from the No …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-04-20). Israelis condemn Netanyahu\'s anti-democratic COVID-19 measures. peoplesdispatch.org Scores of Israeli citizens gathered at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on April 19, Sunday, to participate in a \'Black Flag\' protest against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu\'s measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Protesters claim these measures are anti-democratic and violate privacy. Protesters also opposed Netanyahu\'s continuing as prime minister. Negotiations between Netanyahu\'s Likud party and the main opposition — Benny Gantz\'s Blue and White Alliance — reached a stalemate after no final decision could be reached regarding a potential power-sharing deal between the two. | Protesters on Sunday w…

WSWS (2020-04-20). Walkouts by Canadian transit workers protest lack of COVID-19 protections. wsws.org After walkouts by transit workers in Toronto and Montreal, rank-and-file workers in Edmonton are planning a work stoppage and circulating a petition.

RT (2020-04-20). Protesters gather in Russia\'s N. Ossetia-Alania to demand cancellation of self-isolation rules. rt.com Hundreds of protesters — most of them unmasked — gathered on Monday in Vladikavkaz, the capital of the southern Russian Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, to demand the cancellation of the self-isolation regime. The unauthorized meeting took place near the building of the local government despite restrictions, which will last till April 30. | A group of representatives was formed among the protesters and began negotiations with officials, TASS reported. The head of the republic, Vyacheslav Bitarov, spoke with some of the demonstrators earlier, saying that authorities will help everyone in need of aid.

RT (2020-04-20). 'I don't want to be forced to take one': Anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic speaks on fears of compulsory Covid-19 jabs. rt.com World number one Novak Djokovic says he could be forced into a corner over his anti-vaccination beliefs if players are required to take compulsory measures against coronavirus to compete once the season resumes. | Serb Djokovic is currently in lockdown with his family in Marbella, Spain, as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. | The men\'s ATP and women\'s WTA tours have been suspended until at least July 13, while Wimbledon has been canceled altogether and the French Open pushed back to September. US Open chiefs are still debating whether to go ahead with the tournament, which is schedu…

RT (2020-04-20). Factories, farming restart in rural India even as Covid-19 cases rise. rt.com Some shops and businesses opened in rural India on Monday as part of a staggered exit from a weeks-long lockdown that has left millions out of work and short of food. The development comes amid reports that coronavirus infections rose by more than 1,500 over the previous day. | India\'s population of 1.3 billion has been under one of the world\'s toughest lockdowns, with people forbidden from stepping out of their homes until May 3, except to buy food and medicines. | Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s government said some activities, including factories and farming, would be allowed from Monday in the hinterland, w…

The Canary (2020-04-20). Privacy must be at the heart of Covid-19 contact tracing apps, governments told. thecanary.co Contact tracing apps must be made with privacy at their heart and only keep data as long as necessary, governments have been told.Countries including the UK are looking to contact tracing technologies in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and a possible way to help end lockdown.As already seen in places like Singapore, this would use Bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of every person an individual has been in close contact with and alert them if one should test positive for Covid-19.While the technology has been welcomed as one potential solution to ease in a return to normality, it has also been met with…

RT (2020-04-20). Happiest place on Earth? Only if you\'re Bob Iger! Disney stops paying 100,000 workers while top exec takes 3% pay cut. rt.com The Walt Disney Company has said it will stop paying nearly half of its workforce this week. Disney theme parks and hotels have been shut in Europe and the US for almost five weeks due to worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns. | Scrapping payments for more than 100,000 of the so-called \'cast members\' will help the company save $500 million a month, according to the Financial Times. Disney said it will provide full healthcare benefits for staff placed on unpaid leave and urged its US employees to apply for government benefits through the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. | Disneyland and Disney World closed thei…

RT (2020-04-20). Spain\'s economy may dive 12.4% this year amid coronavirus lockdown uncertainty. rt.com The economy of Spain could contract between 6.8 percent and 12.4 percent in 2020 if the Covid-19 lockdown lasts eight or 12 weeks, the Bank of Spain said on Monday. | According to the \"The results of the different scenarios point to reductions in Spanish GDP in 2020 unpr…

RT (2020-04-20). Serbia to let some businesses, markets reopen in partial easing of lockdown. rt.com The Serbian government said on Monday it would allow some businesses and markets to reopen, in a cautious easing of its nationwide lockdown following signs of a fall in the rate of coronavirus infections. | Businesses allowed to reopen from Tuesday include food markets, small retail stores, car mechanics, tailors, cobblers and dry cleaners. The government also shortened a night curfew by one hour and said a 24-hour lockdown for people aged 65 and above would be eased, allowing them to leave their homes for 30 minutes on three evenings a week. | Authorities called on employers in the construction industry to re…

RT (2020-04-20). \'Hungary to have plan by May 3\': Orban speaks on gradual return to normal life. rt.com Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday he expected to present a plan early next month for a gradual return to normal life from the coronavirus lockdown. | The prime minister said in an interview with Catholic station Radio Maria that by May 3 Hungary would be prepared to handle any rise in infections. From that point onwards, the country could afford to seek ways to get back to normal life, step by step, MTI quoted him as saying. | Hungary has 1,984 confirmed infections and 199 deaths, according to Reuters. The country, which has a population of just under 10 million, has done 48,057 tests so far…

RT (2020-04-20). Zarif informs Assad that Iran, Russia, Turkey will discuss Syria constitutional committee soon. rt.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday that Iran, Russia, and Turkey will soon hold consultations on Syria\'s constitutional committee and the situation in Idlib. The statement was released by Iran\'s Foreign Ministry. | Assad and Zarif met in Damascus to discuss developments in the north of Syria and the political process in the country, including the constitutional committee. The Syrian president voiced regret that the coronavirus pandemic has become a subject of political investment by some states in the West, \"mainly the US, which continues to impose sancti…

RT (2020-04-20). Beijing rejects Australia\'s \'groundless questions\' on its handling of coronavirus. rt.com China has dismissed as \"groundless\" Australia\'s questioning of how Beijing handled the coronavirus pandemic, amid growing skepticism about the accuracy of its official death toll. | Australia\'s Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an international investigation into the origins and spread of the virus, joining a chorus of concern over how China tackled the virus that emerged in its central city of Wuhan last year, Reuters said. | A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, Geng Shuang, said on Monday that Payne\'s remarks were \"entirely without factual basis.\" Questioning China\'s transparency is unfoun…

RT (2020-04-20). Facebook\'s Zuckerberg touts users\' data as \'superpower\' as Covid-19 symptom survey set to roll out worldwide. rt.com A Facebook survey allowing US users to self-report coronavirus symptoms (and reveal their own \'presumed\' infection to the platform) is expanding globally, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg touts the data as a \"new superpower.\" | The social media giant\'s symptom-checker tool, developed with Carnegie Mellon University, released its first set of

RT (2020-04-20). S. Koreans return to work and shops as govt eases social distancing rules. rt.com South Koreans are returning to work as well as shopping malls, parks, golf courses and some restaurants, as Seoul relaxes social distancing rules amid a continued downward trend in coronavirus cases. | A growing list of companies have ended or eased their work from home policies in recent weeks, though many continue to apply flexible working hours and limit travel and face-to-face meetings. Parks, mountains and golf courses were flooded with visitors over the weekend, while shopping malls and restaurants are slowly returning to normal. | South Korea\'s ongoing recovery from the first major coronavirus outbreak…

RT (2020-04-20). Pope Francis tells politicians to put country before party amid anti-coronavirus fight. rt.com Pope Francis has urged politicians to put aside partisan differences and deal with the coronavirus crisis in a united way. Francis\' private morning Mass has been transmitted live on television for the past six weeks, ever since the outbreak took hold in Italy. | The Mass is attended by only a few close aides, instead of the usual several dozen guests. \"We pray today for men and women who have a political vocation,\" he said at the start of the Mass on Monday, adding that \"politics is a high form of charity.\" | \"[We pray] for the political parties of various countries, so that in this time of pandemic, they toge…

Staff (2020-04-20). Essential or Expendable? Gig Workers at Instacart & Grocery Stores Demand Safety Gear & Hazard Pay. democracynow.org Grocery stores are one of the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, with store workers and gig economy shoppers often working without protection, as demand for groceries soars and millions of Americans stay home. \"At first, when the adrenaline was still there, we were essential. We were prideful. And now, as we get more into it, that\'s wearing off, and it\'s seeming more like expendable,\" says Matthew Telles, a member of the Gig Workers Collective, who is a personal shopper who helped organize a strike by Instacart workers in March to demand the company implement appropriate safety measures and give them hazard…

RT (2020-04-20). US crude prices could record worst day ever with storage facilities running out of space. rt.com US oil prices crashed to $10 per barrel on Monday, hitting their lowest level since April 1986, as the coronavirus pandemic cripples global energy demand, sparking concerns that storage facilities will soon be full. | US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery tumbled over 43 percent and was on track to suffer its worst trading day on record. | Also on rt.com | | Meanwhile the most-active June contract for WTI, which expires on May 19, fell more than 11 percent to $22.07 pe…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-20). Progressive lawmakers push people first in coronavirus relief. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With events moving quickly towards yet another economic stimulus bill hitting Capitol Hill, progressive lawmakers and groups have banded together and are lobbying hard to ensure the measure puts people, not corporate interests, first. But they have one big obstacle to overcome: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is determined the next economic relief …

RT (2020-04-20). \'Dense!\' Tokyo governor\'s coronavirus catchphrase turned into viral video game that mocks Japan\'s mask plan. rt.com As leaders across the world plead with citizens to stay home to help fight the coronavirus, the catchphrase used by Tokyo\'s governor to warn the populace has itself inspired not one, but two viral video games. | Many of the Tokyo metropolitan area\'s 36 million residents will, by now, be familiar with Governor Yuriko Koike\'s \"mitsu desu!\" (meaning \"dense!\") finger-wagging catchphrase calling for social distancing. The soundbyte has become so embedded in the public\'s minds that game developers have created their own adventures in 2D and 3D. | The first game, published by Twitter user Gunjo Chikin, includes a cha…

Arlene Mejorado (2020-04-20). Putting Food on the Table During a Pandemic. thenation.com Photos from the grassroots food distribution networks that are keeping Los Angeles\'s undocumented communities afloat.

RT (2020-04-20). Czech president Milos Zeman says nation\'s borders should stay CLOSED for a YEAR to prevent second wave of Covid-19. rt.com The Czech Republic is about to start easing its coronavirus quarantine restrictions. The move is unlikely to cover foreign travel, however, as the nation\'s president says borders should stay closed for a long time. | The borders should remain closed for at least one year, Zeman told Czech radio station Frekvence 1, warning that people travelling abroad and returning home could bring the virus to the republic once again if they happen to visit areas where Covid-19 is still spreading. | Under the current restrictions, which have been in place since March 16, Czechs can only travel abroad in \"urgent cases.\" Zeman…

Victor Grossman (2020-04-20). Vigilance of all German anti-fascists required as coronavirus recedes. peoplesworld.org BERLIN — With the daily number of new COVID-19 figures slowly receding, Germany is limping back to some kind of \"normalcy.\" Auto and bike shops, book dealers, barbers and most shops less than 800 square meters can now re-open (with customers 5 feet apart). Bigger shops and department stores are squabbling: \"Why not us?\" So …

RT (2020-04-20). Dow drops 500 points amid coronavirus concerns & oil price collapse. rt.com US stocks dropped sharply to start the week on Monday as investors are focused on coronavirus news along with plunging crude prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 500 points at the opening bell on Wall Street. | The S&P 500 index of America\'s top-500 corporations slid 1.6 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was down just under one percent during early trading. | Stocks are headed lower as the price of US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crashed 43 percent to $10 a barrel, the weakest level since 1986. Oil is selling off as the May crude contract is set to expire, and suppliers a…

RT (2020-04-20). US crude prices suffer WORST COLLAPSE EVER with storage facilities running out of space. rt.com US oil prices crashed below $0 on Monday as the coronavirus pandemic cripples global energy demand, sparking concerns that storage facilities will soon be full. | US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery tumbled over 137 percent and was trading in negative territory for the first time in history. | Also on rt.com | | Meanwhile the most-active June contract for WTI, which expires on May 19, fell more than 11 percent to $22.07 per barrel. The gap between the two consecutive…

The Canary (2020-04-20). Reports suggest many have had coronavirus with no symptoms. thecanary.co New research suggests that far more people have had the coronavirus without any symptoms, fuelling hope that it will turn out to be much less lethal than originally feared.Based on known cases, health officials have said the virus usually causes mild or moderate flu-like illness.Now evidence is growing that a substantial number of people may have no symptoms at all.Scientists in Iceland screened 6% of its population to see how many had previously undetected infections and found that about 0.7% tested positive.So did 13% of a group at higher risk because of recent travel or exposure to someone sick.Aboard the airc…

The Canary (2020-04-20). Hospital workers angry at PPE delays as death toll tops 16,500. thecanary.co Anger over lack of supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers is growing as a desperately needed consignment of 400,000 gowns was delayed.The government has been under increasing pressure to ensure the safety of frontline health staff and one leading NHS figure revealed his \"bitter experience\" of the lack of basic items such as gowns in recent weeks.The number of hospital deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) passed 16,500. The figure does not include those who died in care homes. | The government scheme for workers who have been furloughed — given a temporary l…

RT (2020-04-20). WATCH Russian military lab in action on the forefront of Italy\'s Covid-19 battle. rt.com A rare video takes us behind the scenes of the Russian military\'s field laboratory set up outside Italy\'s coronavirus-hit Bergamo, revealing how absolute sterility is achieved and how the tests are done. | The clip from the Defense Ministry shows the full cycle of the lab\'s operations — from the arrival of the sample, which is placed in a sealed container and brought inside the facility through a special secure hatch, to the virologists in full protective gear opening the glass and using state-of-the-art equipment to perform a test. | | © Russia\'s Defense Ministry | The mobile laboratory, which is…

RT (2020-04-20). Europe needs ‚Ǩ1.5 TRILLION to recover or single market could \'break in two\' — EU economy commissioner. rt.com The European Union urgently requires financial injections to stay afloat and survive the coronavirus epidemic currently ravaging the continent, the European commissioner for economy, Paolo Gentiloni, has warned. | A whopping €1.5 trillion ($ 1.63 trillion) could be needed to \"deal with this crisis,\" Gentiloni told Der Spiegel ahead of the EU leaders summit on the crisis sparked by the outbreak of Covid-19. | The commissioner for economic and financial affairs said that Europe is going through the \"worst crisis\" since WWII, which threatens the very existence of the EU as a single economic and political ent…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-20). Appelbaum: Poultry plant workers \'are not expendable\' in coronavirus pandemic. peoplesworld.org CAMILLA, Ga.—The nation\'s big poultry producers \"are getting it wrong\" with slow and tardy responses to worker demands for protection from the spreading coronavirus pandemic, says the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents more than 10,000 of them in plants throughout the country. As a result, workers are sickening and dying from \"community …

RT (2020-04-20). Russia\'s aid to Italy is not just a \'one-way road\' — Putin. rt.com Moscow\'s assistance to Italy, which is gripped by the novel coronavirus epidemic, stems from mutually beneficial cooperation, President Putin explained, as some have called it a geopolitical PR stunt. | Russia\'s strong partnership with Italy is \"well-known,\" Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video conference with experts and officials on fighting the Covid-19 outbreak. Relations between the two nations became particularly close during the pandemic when Italy became the coronavirus hotspot on the continent and Moscow offered its assistance. | \"I would like to say that it is not a lopsided game, not…

Nicolás Maduro Moros (2020-04-20). President Maduro: Venezuela faces the COVID-19 With voluntary quarantine without curfew or State of Exception (Interviewed by Alfredo Serrano). mronline.org \"Without a doubt, the first measure to contain the transmission chains of Covid-19 is quarantine, and we took it in advance on March 16,\" Nicolás Maduro Moros, the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, told in the Argentinian multimedia show La Pizarra, led by Alfredo Serrano Mancilla.