Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-05-16). Global Capitalism, \"World Government\" and the Corona Crisis. globalresearch.ca In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. | The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. (President Dwight D. Eisenhower …

RT (2020-05-16). Air traffic won\'t return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023 — IATA. rt.com Demand for air travel has plunged more than 90 percent in Europe and the United States since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said. | It warned that passenger traffic won\'t rebound to pre-crisis levels until at least 2023, noting that recovery will be even slower if lockdowns and travel restrictions are extended. | \"We are asking governments to have a phased approach to restart the industry and to fly again,\" Alexandre de Juniac, the IATA\'s director general and CEO, told CNBC, raising hopes that some flying will resume by summer. | According to him, the…

The Canary (2020-05-16). Senior police officer accused of \'one rule for him, and one rule for the rest of us\' after travelling to family home. thecanary.co A senior British Transport Police (BTP) officer has come under fire after he travelled from Glasgow to his family home in Yorkshire during lockdown.BTP confirmed chief superintendent Eddie Wylie returned to Yorkshire from his rented flat in Glasgow on two occasions between 21 March and 13 May, but said he did not breach Covid-19 regulations.It said that on both occasions he travelled home alone and by car to minimise any possible exposure to others.But Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the journeys suggest Wylie \"believes there is one rule for him, and one rule for the rest of us\", and the officers has…

RT (2020-05-16). Biggest change in 231 years: Citing Covid-19, US House of Representatives adopts proxy votes & remote meetings in party-line vote. rt.com The US House of Representatives will allow members to cast votes for up to 10 others and hold hearings remotely. Billed as temporary due to the coronavirus outbreak, the rule change is the most radical in over two centuries. | The new rules passed on Friday evening in a 217-189 vote, with three Democrats and one Independent joining the Republicans in bipartisan opposition. | Democrats, who currently control the chamber, pushed for the change this week, calling it \"a common-sense solution to an unprecedented crisis that demands our ingenuity and adaptability as an institution,\" in the words of House Majority Le…

RT (2020-05-16). House Democrats push through $3 TRILLION Covid-19 relief bill as GOP puts up resistance to \'progressive wishlist\'. rt.com Democratic lawmakers have passed a massive $3 trillion coronavirus aid package, the largest bill to ever move through Congress, but the Senate is likely to block the law, with Republicans deeming it a progressive \"wishlist.\" | The 1,800-page bill passed 208-199 on Friday in a vote largely along party lines, with all but 14 Democrats voting in its favor, joined by a single GOP rep — Peter King of New York. | Introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) without consultation from lawmakers across the aisle, the expansive law will provide financial relief for state and local governments, hazard pay…

RT (2020-05-16). War-loving \'propaganda machine\' & \'neoliberal economics\' driving humanity toward \'omnicidal destruction,\' Roger Waters tells RT. rt.com Mankind is headed for annihilation unless societies reject unjust economic systems and media war propaganda, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters told RT, noting that the Covid-19 crisis could serve as a much-needed wake-up call. | \"Clearly what Covid-19 has told us all is that in order to face a common enemy, like a virulent virus, we\'re going to need to cooperate, to act together… as a global community,\" Waters told RT\'s Rick Sanchez on Friday. | If we don\'t cooperate, we\'re all dead. The planet\'s over. We\'re heading for the cliff of omnicidal destruction of everything. So will this be a wake-up call? I hope…

RT (2020-05-16). \'Propaganda machine says it's OK for there to be Bezos & Zuckerberg\': Roger Waters tells RT how media shields Covid-19 villains. rt.com Mankind is headed for annihilation unless societies reject unjust economic systems and media war propaganda, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters told RT, noting that the Covid-19 crisis could serve as a much-needed wake-up call. | \"Clearly what Covid-19 has told us all is that in order to face a common enemy, like a virulent virus, we\'re going to need to cooperate, to act together… as a global community,\" Waters told RT\'s Rick Sanchez on Friday. | If we don\'t cooperate, we\'re all dead. The planet\'s over. We\'re heading for the cliff of omnicidal destruction of everything. So will this be a wake-up call? I hope…

RT (2020-05-16). Moscow hits lowest daily Covid-19 cases mark since early May, with 3,505 infections recorded. rt.com The Russian capital, which accounts for a half of all Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country, has reported the lowest new daily infections number since early May. | Some 3,505 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Moscow on Saturday. This has become the minimum daily rate in the city since the beginning of May, the capital\'s operational headquarters for monitoring the pandemic reported. | The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the capital has now reached 138,969. According to the officials, in the third decade of April, an average of 2,700 to 2,800 cases were recorded every day in Moscow. As the t…

RT (2020-05-16). \'Camera off, mask off?\' CNN reporter blasted for removing mask seconds after end of WH press briefing. rt.com CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins has been accused of Covid-19 theatrics, as she was caught hastily removing her face mask after a White House briefing. Collins has criticized Donald Trump for not wearing masks in public. | Despite the president\'s \'masks are optional\' policy at White House briefings, the CNN journalist, like most of her colleagues, wore one during the press event on Friday. | However, when Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany walked off the podium, Collins wasted no time in taking off the protective item as she brushed past other people in the room — a social distancing faux pas in the age of…

RT (2020-05-16). Russia\'s biggest automaker to jump-start production next week. rt.com Major Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ has announced that after more than a two-week shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic it will resume production on May 18. | \"Due to the virus situation, work will be organized according to a safe schedule to avoid crowds of people in transport and at checkpoints. The start of shifts on the assembly lines and office staff work schedules will be timed,\" the company said. Starting from June 29, AvtoVAZ will switch over to a four-day work week. | Production of cars at AvtoVAZ was suspended from April 29 due to the spread of coronavirus infection in Russia, which led to a drop…

teleSUR Desk (2020-05-16). U.S. blocks vote on UN\'s bid for global ceasefire amid COVID-19. mronline.org The U.S. veto trashes the UN\'s efforts to convince armed factions in more than a dozen countries to call for temporary truces as the world battles the pandemic.

Glen Ford (2020-05-16). Leftists jump the Corporate Democratic ship, leaving Sanders behind. mronline.org History may record that the corporate duopoly dike was finally broken in the Time of Plague, with the defection of Bernie\'s former sheep from the Democratic Party.

RT (2020-05-16). Italy to lift international and domestic travel restrictions in June. rt.com Italy will allow international travel, as well as transit between the country\'s regions, from June 3, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Saturday. | The authorities, however, have not ruled out curbing travel again in some areas — but only in the event that there is a new spike in infections. | The European state, one of the hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, has begun to slowly ease restrictions that were put in place to stop the spread of the illness following a steady decline in the number of new cases recently. | Factories and parks opened in early May, while shops and restaurants are se…

RT (2020-05-16). \'Unreliable for allies, dangerous for rivals\': Tehran blasts \'mindless\' trio of Trump, Pompeo & US Iran envoy. rt.com A high-ranking Iranian politician has unloaded on three of the top US officials, saying their \"mindless\" behavior paints the US government as being dangerous for rivals, unreliable for allies and incompetent for the people. | Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran\'s Supreme National Security Council took aim at US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook in a series of tweets on Friday. | \"The rule of the incompetent and mindless is only a source of danger,\" Shamkhani said before proceeding to call the Americans by name. | The Trump-Pompeo-Hook triangl…

RT (2020-05-16). Intelsat, launcher of 1st commercial communications satellite, files for bankruptcy… it\'s a friend we didn\'t know we had. rt.com Born in the Cold War, powered by rivalry and unhindered by free-market restrictions, Intelsat linked the planet with its satellites — but hardly anyone knew about it. Now, it struggles to stay afloat. | Anyone who remembers television in the late 20th century will remember the thrill of watching international broadcasts. The grainy pictures of faraway and foreign places, with their strange road signs, adverts and people. The sound delayed and crackled like a long-distance phone call. | Now we live in an age where a crystal-clear conversation with multiple people on multiple continents using a device ligh…

RT (2020-05-16). POLAND would gladly host American nukes if Germany refuses, US envoy claims, fanning \'Cuban missile crisis 2.0\'. rt.com As the US ambassador to Germany — and acting spy chief — tried persuading Berlin to keep hosting US nuclear weapons, his colleague in Warsaw suggested Poland would be willing to take them instead, an act sure to provoke Moscow. | \"If Germany wants to diminish nuclear capability and weaken NATO, perhaps Poland — which pays its fair share, understands the risks, and is on NATO\'s eastern flank — could house the capabilities here,\" Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher tweeted on Friday. | If Germany wants to diminish nuclear capability and weaken NATO, perhaps Poland – which pays its fair share, un…

RT (2020-05-16). Trump vows to strip \'radical left\' of \'TOTAL COMMAND\' over FB, IG, Twitter & Google. rt.com President Donald Trump has vowed to break the \"radical left\'s\" apparent control of social media platforms. Earlier, the president thanked his \"keyboard warriors\" for their support, as they accused the tech firms of censorship. | \"The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google,\" Trump tweeted on Saturday. \"The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tuned, and send names & events.\" | t.co/ZQfcfD3Hk9— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

RT (2020-05-16). \'We surrender!\' Roscosmos chief taunts Trump for bragging about \'super-duper\' US missile. rt.com The head of Russia\'s space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, fired off a tongue-in-cheek tweet in response to Donald Trump\'s brag about the uber-powerful missile that he alleges leaves Russian or Chinese analogues far behind. | While unveiling the flag of the Space Force in the Oval Office on Friday, US President Donald Trump made some headline-grabbing remarks. | \"We have no choice. We have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there…I call it the super-duper missile, and I heard the other night [it\'s] 17 times faster than what they have right now,\" Trump bragged. | The US president didn\'t give away a single clu…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-16). On Nakba Day, Palestinians vow to continue resistance. peoplesdispatch.org May 15 is the anniversary of the Nakba, which means catastrophe or disaster. The day marks the forced exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes during the formation of Israel in 1948. This year, despite the COVID-19 quarantine, Palestinians across the world will mark the Nakba. Despite Netanyahu\'s apartheid policies and Trump\'s fradulent deal of the century, the resistance of the people of Palestine continues.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Iran to hold online intl. conf. on Quds to as replacement to rallies. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — According to Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, head of the Islamic Seminaries of Iran, a two-day online international conference will be held on the issue of Palestine.

Peter Koenig (2020-05-16). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is \"Agenda ID2020\" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from \"above\", from those people who also manage Trump and the \"leaders\" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

The Lancet (2020-05-16). [Editorial] Reviving the US CDC. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen in the USA with 1 ∑3 million cases and an estimated death toll of 80‚Äà684 as of May 12. States that were initially the hardest hit, such as New York and New Jersey, have decelerated the rate of infections and deaths after the implementation of 2 months of lockdown. However, the emergence of new outbreaks in Minnesota, where the stay-at-home order is set to lift in mid-May, and Iowa, which did not enact any restrictions on movement or commerce, has prompted pointed new questions about the inconsistent and incoherent national response to the COVID-19…

Richard Horton (2020-05-16). [Comment] Offline: Don\'t let COVID-19 divert us completely. thelancet.com Dr Robert Spencer, a trustee of Dr Edward Jenner\'s House, Garden and Museum in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, UK, wrote to me last week on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox (May 8). He was polite but disappointed: \"On this day in 1980 the WHO announced the eradication of smallpox from the world. This infection, which probably caused more deaths than any other disease, was finally condemned to the history books. Sorry to see you had no space in this week\'s edition of The Lancet to commemorate this milestone, especially at a time of COVID-19 pandemic.\" Dr Spencer was right to admonish me.

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-05-16). Protest at Fort Mason Against CCSF Cuts. indybay.org People young and old protest CCSF cuts in programs that benefit seniors, immigrants and working people.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). MP warns about relocation of ISIL terrorists to Iraq. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — A senior member of the Iraqi parliament\'s security and defense commission has warned about the growing number of ISIL terrorists entering the Iraqi soil by the help of foreign troops.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Washington places Cuba and Venezuela on \"terror\" list. wsws.org After fostering an abortive mercenary invasion aimed at overthrowing Venezuela\'s government and murdering its president, the US placed Caracas on a list of governments deemed uncooperative in the \"war on terrorism.\"

Finian Cunningham (2020-05-16). Trump Wants to Cut Off China in Guilt-Projection Meltdown. thealtworld.com China involved in pandemic cover-up? That\'s the most audacious American guilt-projection since the \"War on Terror\". | So President Trump, the self-declared business genius, wants to cut off the whole relationship with China and \"save America $500 billion a year\". That\'s what he told Fox News this week in an

Poor People\'s Campaign, Climate Reality Proj. (2020-05-16). Intersection of the Climate Crisis & Social Justice Webinar (PPC & CRP). indybay.org Online via Zoom…

#StopTheMoneyPipeline and others (2020-05-16). #Stop the Money Pipeline: Dump Climate Denier Lee Raymond from Chase Actionar. indybay.org Online via Zoom | Register now: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfu6grzkrG9BKn-nueHHbOJCCFNTn5W4B…

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2020-05-16). Citizens\' Climate Lobby: Virtual Climate Conference 2020 (Day 1). indybay.org Online/virtual conference…

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2020-05-16). Citizens\' Climate Lobby: Virtual Climate Conference 2020 (Day 2). indybay.org Online/virtual conference…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Mississippi: Workers at Brentwood Originals pillow factory continue walkouts. wsws.org The walkouts at the Mississippi pillow factory are part of a wave of wildcat strikes and other job actions across the United States and internationally by workers demanding protection from COVID-19.

WSWS (2020-05-16). With private prison outbreak, Tennessee county leads US in per capita COVID-19 cases. wsws.org More than half of the 2,400 inmates at the CoreCivic Trousdale Turner Correctional Center have tested positive for coronavirus.

WSWS (2020-05-16). The murderous pseudoscience of \"herd immunity\" wsws.org Foreign Affairs has published an article endorsing a policy of allowing large portions of the world\'s population to be infected with COVID-19.

Staff (2020-05-16). Cuba\'s Resilience Through Economic Crisis Prepared It for COVID Health Crisis. truthout.org In times of crisis, who we are is revealed. That is true of people and of nations. What COVID-19 has exposed — not created — is a deeply flawed and inequitable society. The truths of how race and class intersect to shorten the existence of some in our society are now laid bare for all to see. The collapse of structures that were barely holding on have revealed how inadequate they were to begin with. The failure of many states to prevent, protect against and help contain an illness…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Covid-19 infects above 4.6mn globally. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — On Saturday, the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic reached 308,676, while 4,629,407 cases of the infection have been detected.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Ctr & others (2020-05-16). Dispatch from the Frontlines: Gender Inequality and COVID-19 (CPCC). indybay.org Online livestream & Zoom…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Worsening conditions at Hirdaramani garment plants in Sri Lanka. wsws.org Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers have responded to the COVID-19 crisis with a wave of wage and job cuts and the imposition of increased working hours and productivity targets.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Talks underway between Iran, Iraq to reopen Mehran border crossing amid pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — The Director-General of Ilam Customs Office Rouhollah Gholami said on Sat. that Iranian and Iraqi customs officials are in talks with each other for reopening Mehran Border Crossing with the aim of resuming trade activities halted due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Iran condemns US\' coronavirus blame game against China. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi has condemned American officials\' COVID-19 related blame game against China, noting that these measures are being taken to divert attention from Trump administration\'s incompetency to fight the outbreak.

Staff (2020-05-16). Hospital Workers Report Failures by Management to Notify Them of COVID Exposures. truthout.org Dinah Jimenez assumed a world-class hospital would be better prepared than a chowder house to inform workers when they had been exposed to a deadly virus. | So, when her boyfriend, an employee of a popular seafood restaurant in Seattle, received a call from his boss on a Sunday in late March telling him a co-worker had tested positive for COVID-19 and that he needed to quarantine for 14 days, she said she assumed she\'d get a similar call from the University of Washington Medical Center. A…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Trump threatens to cut all ties with China. wsws.org The US president\'s phony allegations—that China failed to prevent COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic—have been integrated into Washington\'s trade war measures.

WSWS (2020-05-16). One dead and more than 600 Irish meat processing workers infected with coronavirus. wsws.org There are 23,956 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland and 1,518 deaths—one of the highest death ratios in the world. In Northern Ireland, 4,317 people have tested positive, with 469 deaths.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Overwhelming opposition to reopening of UK schools amid worsening COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The closure of schools is a key measure recommended by medical experts internationally to reduce the infection and death rate from the coronavirus.

Wayne Madsen (2020-05-16). Lack of Empathy Equates to a Lack of Leadership Skills. thealtworld.com Trump never has and never will experience empathy and thousands of Americans and others have died and are dying because of it, Wayne Madsen writes. | U.S. Army Field Manual 6-22, titled \"Leadership Development,\" states that the ability to show empathy toward others is a key factor in exhibiting Army leadership qualities. Donald Trump, who is ordering all 1000 graduating U.S. Army cadets at West Point back to campus on June 13 from sheltering at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not possess the leadership skills that have been drilled into each of the new Army Second Lieutenants who will be present for Tr…

WSWS (2020-05-16). COVID-19: Military steps up repression in war-ravaged northern Sri Lanka. wsws.org The government and the military are nervous about the growing unrest among workers and poor against the draconian social conditions.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Iran\'s COVID-19 cases surpass 118,000. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — More than 118,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus in Iran with the death toll exceeding 6,900, a senior health official said.

Andrea Mazzarino (2020-05-16). How Covid-19 Is Affecting Military Families. thenation.com How Covid-19 Is Affecting Military Families…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Hundreds of workers walk out at six fruit packing plants in Washington state. wsws.org Located in the county with the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the state, the agricultural workers are demanding companies provide adequate personal protective equipment, hazard pay and safe working conditions.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Herd immunity policy in Turkey risks thousands of new deaths. wsws.org The government is launching a \"normalization\" policy forcing employees back to work over opposition from medical experts.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Woody Allen\'s A Rainy Day in New York: A little more of an edge than usual. wsws.org Disgracefully, A Rainy Day in New York has been suppressed in the US. The film was completed in 2018, but Amazon Studios refused to distribute it.

John McEvoy (2020-05-16). Venezuela calls on UK government to \'abandon coup-mongering plans\' after The Canary\'s investigation. thecanary.co Following an investigation by The Canary, the Venezuelan government has Venezuela Reconstruction Unit: | On 13 May, The Canary

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Al-Nujaba calls on Iraqi emulation sources to condemn Saudis\' insult to Shahid al-Muhandis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — The spokesman of al-Nujaba Islamic Resistance has responded to the insult made by the Saudi MBC TV channel to the commander of the IPMF, Shahid Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis.

Michael Otto (2020-05-16). Ecuador\'s pandemic — Part 1: Rightist regime fails to confront crisis. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador May 9 — During March and April, U.S. and European media spewed out shocking images from Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador and capital of the province of Guayas on the Pacific Coast. No one in the port city of 2.9 million is untouched by the death of . . . |

WSWS (2020-05-16). Chile\'s government deploys troops in the streets as coronavirus cases soar. wsws.org Ultra-right President Sebastian Piñera has responded to the pandemic, and signs of growing popular resistance, by increasing repressive powers in Chile.

WSWS (2020-05-16). US House passes $3 trillion coronavirus \"relief\" bill. wsws.org In a near party-line vote, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a fourth stimulus bill that has no chance of being approved by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Gary Younge (2020-05-16). Can Britain Survive Boris Johnson? thenation.com Can Britain Survive Boris Johnson?

Kate Zeller (2020-05-16). World Health Assembly Wrestles with Coronavirus. indybay.org As the global coronavirus death toll tops 300,000 people, the leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO) prepare to hold their leadership meetings virtually from May 18th – 19th.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Coronavirus crisis exposes devastating conditions in the German meat processing industry. wsws.org German slaughterhouses have become coronavirus hotspots, with hundreds of workers, most of them sub-contracted from Eastern Europe, infected with the virus.

WSWS (2020-05-16). California State University, the largest public university system in the US, closes campuses for the fall semester. wsws.org In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, universities and colleges throughout the US are grappling with the new economic and social reality as uncertainty mounts over reopening campuses in the fall.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Schools reopened in Hamedan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — According to the direct order of the National Committee on Combating Coronavirus, schools in Iran have been reopened as of May 16. These pictures depict school students in the western Iranian province of Hamedan.

Poor People\'s Campaign & MoveOn (2020-05-16). We Can\'t Go Back to Normal: A Moral Respnse to Coronavirus Town Hall (PPC). indybay.org Online via livestream…

Staff (2020-05-16). House Passes $3 Trillion Relief Package, But Progressives Say More Must Be Done. truthout.org The Democrat majority House of Representatives passed a massive, $3 trillion coronavirus relief stimulus package known as the HEROES Act roughly along party lines on Friday night despite progressive concerns over the bill\'s provisions. | \"The truth is that while a significant step in the right direction, the bill does not go far enough to provide urgently needed economic relief to the millions of people who lost their income and whose families are now standing in food lines,\" Ana Maria Archi…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Leader, university studesnts to meet via videoconference. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — On the 22nd day of the holy month of Ramadan (May 17), the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will meet with a group of university students and the representatives of students associations via videoconference, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-05-16). Revolutionary Boiling Point, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com ~ | Arresting people for future crimes is called \"pre-crime\", and it\'s the stuff of dystopian horror fiction. | Violently dominating an entire planet because another country might hurt yours in the future is called \"US foreign policy\", and it\'s the stuff of mainstream news punditry. | ~ | Saying a US politician is bad on foreign policy but good on domestic policy is a bit like saying \"Yeah my boyfriend murders hitchhikers, but he cooks.\" | ~ | Dominant revolutionary thought consistently fails to adequately appreciate the power of oligarchic propaganda and its ability to manipulate the way people think, act…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Front pages of Iran international dailies on May 16. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Here are the front pages of Iran-based international newspapers on Saturday, May 16.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Nuclear deal opponents helpless, ignorant: Ulyanov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Russia\'s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov termed the opponents of the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as Iran deal, ignorant and helpless.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). The CORONAREVAYAT Festival invites public to submit \'corona narrative\' in a variety of forms. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — The Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran has started and called for a big documentation project in order to record and archive the lasting moments in corona management.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Zarif main online speaker of intl. Quds Day on May 22. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif is to deliver an online speech on the International Quds Day on Instagram, when the world chides the cruelties of the Zionist regime on last Friday of Ramadan (this year May 22).

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Headlines of Iranian dailies on May 16. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Mehr News takes a look at the headlines of Iranian dailies on Saturday, May 16.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Parl. National Security Committee ratifies anti-Zionism motion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, on Saturday, approved a motion which obliges the Iranian government to take certain measures against hostile measures of the Israeli regime.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Resistance will terminate fake Israeli regime\'s existence: Amir-Abdollahian. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker\'s Special Aide for International Affairs said on Friday that the Resistance movement will end the Israeli regime\'s presence in the region.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Iran\'s OPEC governor passes away after brain haemorrhage. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iran\'s veteran OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili has died of a brain haemorrhage two weeks after slipping into a coma.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Zarif, Zanganeh offer condolences on passing of Iran OPEC governor. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh have offered commiserations on the passing of Iran\'s OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Eid al-Fitr prayers to be held all across Iran: Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced on Saturday that the Eid al-Fitr prayers (on May 24) will be held in all mosques across the country by observing health protocols.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). \'incompetent\' Trump-Pompeo-Hook triangle is only a source of threat: Shamkhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — The Secretary of Iran\'s Supreme National Security Council [SNSC] Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said that the triangle of the Trump, Pompeo & Hook has created an image of the US administration that its allies consider it \'unreliable\'.

IFCSS (2020-05-16). U.S. Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System. indybay.org Zoom Meeting ID: 873 3950 1810 | Password: 795705 | Join Zoom meeting: | us02web.zoom.us/j/87339501810?pwd=cXJtNkwzYTBUUjI3eEphOW1BejZhZz09 | Call in: +1 669-900-9128 | Look up int\'l numbers: zoom.us/u/kcOFhaNgyn…

The hills are alive (2020-05-16). Speak out against oil drilling in Brentwood. indybay.org Powerdrive Oil & Gas Company, LLC has submitted an application to drill for oil on agriculturally zoned land in unincorporated Brentwood. Contra Costa County officials have made an preliminary determination against requiring an EIR (Environment Impact Report).

WSWS (2020-05-16). UK government ties Transport for London bailout to \"back to work\" drive. wsws.org TfL, which runs the London Underground, bus and rail services, faced bankruptcy, threatening the Johnson government\'s efforts to restore corporate profits.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Canadian unions cement anti-worker corporatist alliance with government and big business. wsws.org The unions\' alliance with big business was epitomized by a joint statement from the Canadian Labour Congress and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Project Censored (2020-05-16). Episode 84 — The History of 420 and Teaching in Quarantine with Ben Boyington (Vice President of ACME). projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Prices for basic foods soar in the US as pandemic disrupts supply chains. wsws.org Grocery prices in the country rose 2.6 percent in April, the largest increase in a single month since 1974.

Dan Bacher (2020-05-16). Delta Tunnel Forges Ahead in Pandemic: Agreement in Principal Reached for SWP Contract Amendment. indybay.org It is very clear that the Department of Water Resources and water contractors don\'t really care what the public and the people most impacted by the Delta Tunnel think, based on their obsession with pushing the tunnel project through at this time.

WSWS (2020-05-16). Unemployment soars in New Zealand. wsws.org Having handed tens of billions of dollars to big business, the Labour Party-led government is presiding over an increase in unemployment and social misery on a scale not seen in generations.

Larry Holmes (2020-05-16). Pandemia ha acelerado etapa final del capitalismo — °El resto depende de nosotros! — un análisis. workers.org La semana pasada, los trabajadores celebraron el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores 2020. No ha habido otro momento en nuestras vidas en que el mensaje del Primero de Mayo, —la solidaridad global de los trabajadores en la lucha contra el capitalismo— haya sido más urgente. Hemos entrado en un período . . . |

(2020-05-16). Sekou Odinga: \'The right to struggle by any and all means\'. workers.org These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the \"U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners\" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. By Sekou Odinga I\'m a representative of . . . |

(2020-05-16). Marc Lamont Hill: \'Outside the logic of the prison\' on Mumia\'s birthday. workers.org By Marc Lamont Hill These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the \"U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners\" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. Marc Lamont Hill . . . |

a guest author (2020-05-16). Rashid Johnson: \'Prison has always served a particular political function\'. workers.org Remarks were given April 24 at the \"U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners\" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. Kevin Rashid Johnson, currently incarcerated in the Pendleton Correctional Facility . . . |

WSWS (2020-05-16). Autoworkers express growing opposition on eve of industry restart. wsws.org New cases of the virus have already emerged at FCA\'s Sterling Heights Assembly this week, even before the plants officially reopen Monday.

Staff (2020-05-16). US University Leading COVID Response Leaves Black Workers Behind. truthout.org On May Day, food service workers led a socially distanced

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-05-15). What Happens In the Wake of the COVID-19 Lockdown? Economic Destruction, Global Poverty, Bankruptcies, Mass Unemployment. Neoliberalism to the Rescue. globalresearch.ca In the wake of the lockdown: Bankruptcies and mass unemployment, the economic destabilization of entire countries. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. They are unable to pay their home mortgages. | In developing countries, poverty and …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-05-15). Video: Coronavirus: Economic and Social Collapse: Mass Unemployment, Bankruptcy, Poverty and Despair. globalresearch.ca First published on April 16, 2020 | There is a serious health crisis which must be duly resolved. But there is another important dimension which has to be addressed. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. In …

Staff (2020-05-15). Democracy At Stake: \"Faithless Electors\" SCOTUS Case Tests If Electoral College Members Can Go Rogue. democracynow.org The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that could shape the outcome of future presidential elections. The question at hand was whether Electoral College members can \"go rogue\" and support candidates who did not win the state\'s popular vote. In 2016, one of Colorado\'s nine electors, Michael Baca, attempted to cast his Electoral College ballot for Republican John Kasich instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Colorado secretary of state at the time — a Republican — removed Baca as an elector. Colorado is one of 31 other states that has a law requiring presidential electors to vote for…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). \'Matarife\': Colombia\'s narconovela of the decade? colombiareports.com Colombia\'s former President Alvaro Uribe is finally getting his own \"narconovela,\" courtesy of the journalist who got the Supreme Court to investigate his alleged rigging of the 2018 elections. More…

Paul Street (2020-05-15). Dark Winter? Honey Badger Trump Don\'t Care. counterpunch.org \"This coalition of the business elite, right-wing Christian evangelicals, and white nationalists and other white supremacists is very dangerous. Fascism is ultimately a death cult.\" — Jason Stanley , May 11, 2020 From the Annals of \"The Most Dangerous Criminal in Human History\" Despite timely alerts given by senior public health experts and warnings from

Staff (2020-05-15). \"Faithless Electors\" SCOTUS Case Tests If Electoral College Members Can Go Rogue. truthout.org The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that could shape the outcome of future presidential elections. The question at hand was whether Electoral College members can \"go rogue\" and support candidates who did not win the state\'s popular vote. In 2016, one of Colorado\'s nine electors, Michael Baca, attempted to cast his Electoral College ballot for Republican John Kasich instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Colorado secretary of state at the time — a Republican —…

Jamie Henn (2020-05-15). Our Greener, Climate-Friendly Future Is Going to Be Amazing—It\'s Our Job to Tell That Story. commondreams.org The Green New Deal is a brilliant vision of sweeping, national change, but there\'s still more work to be done to translate that vision down to an individual level. (Photo: iStock/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/green_future.jpg …

Staff (2020-05-15). \"The Wuhan of the Americas\": U.S. Deports COVID-19-Positive Immigrants to Haiti & Guatemala. democracynow.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says \"U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are \'unconscionable,\'\" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.

Staff (2020-05-15). Headlines for May 15, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Whistleblower Says U.S. Unprepared for Second Wave of Infections, The Lancet Assails Trump\'s \"Inconsistent and Incoherent\" COVID-19 Response, Trump Says Mass Coronavirus Testing May Be \"Overrated\", FDA Warns of Inaccurate Results from Rapid Coronavirus Test Used by White House | , Michigan Cancels Legislative Session as Armed Protesters Gather at State Capitol, California to Slash Billions from State Budget as Coronavirus Hammers Tax Revenues, Amazon to End $2-an-Hour Hazard Pay as CEO Jeff Bezos Gains $30 Billion During Pandemic, New York Police Tackle and Arrest Mother for Allegedly Wearing a Mask I…

Staff (2020-05-15). \"Can Democracy Survive the Pandemic?\": Election Hangs in the Balance as Trump Attacks Mail-In Voting. democracynow.org The coronavirus pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the November presidential election, as President Trump and the GOP capitalize on the moment to attack voting rights. We speak with Emily Bazelon, staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, whose new cover story examines the bureaucratic and political challenges of mobilizing widespread vote-by-mail by November. We also speak with Jena Griswold, secretary of state of Colorado, which already has universal vote-by-mail and the second-highest voter turnout in the country.

Lawrence Wittner (2020-05-15). Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, America\'s Billionaires Thrive and Prosper. dissidentvoice.org Although most Americans currently face hard times, with unemployment surging to the levels of the Great Depression and enormous numbers of people sick or dying from the coronavirus pandemic, the nation\'s super-rich remain a notable exception. Financially, they are doing remarkably well. According to the Institute for Policy Studies, between March 18 and April 28, …

Philip Giraldi (2020-05-15). Israel Perfecting Surveillance Tech. globalresearch.ca Israel\'s external spy organization Mossad and its internal espionage equivalent Shin Bet have reputations that are much larger than their actual successes, but the one area where they have excelled is electronic intelligence gathering. Recent electronic spying around the White …

WSWS (2020-05-15). Starving Bolivian workers clash with troops deployed by coup regime. wsws.org Amid the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in Bolivia, Jeanine àÅñez\'s self-proclaimed \"interim government\" is escalating state repression.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-05-15). 'Boogaloo Boy' Arrested in Texas, Charged With Plotting To Murder Cops on Facebook Live. splcenter.org \"Boogaloo Boys\" — individuals associated with an online community characterized by calls for civil strife and ownership of firearms and tactical gear — have advocated for an armed revolution online and at public rallies for months. On April 11, one self-proclaimed \"Boogaloo Boy\" allegedly used Facebook Live to show himself attempting to murder police.

commondreams (2020-05-15). Senator Bernie Sanders Says We Must Be \"Flexible and Aggressive\" to Save Small Businesses. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Stansfield Smith (2020-05-15). China\'s International Solidarity Aid to the World During the Corona Pandemic. dissidentvoice.org China\'s worldwide assistance and medical aid to other countries to combat the coronavirus is barely covered in the corporate press. Instead, the US has ramped up its anti-China campaign to cover up its own incompetence in combating the virus. As John Pilger shows in his Obama era film The Coming War on China, this is no …

RT (2020-05-15). From US to Easter Island \'everyone is in same situation\': RT Documentary embarks on WORLD TOUR of Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com As coronavirus paralyzes the planet, RT documentary channel RTD has gone on an online world tour to learn from locals about the common dreads and unique problems caused by the pandemic faced by the world\'s nations. | Documentary filmmaker Natalya Karachkova was just recently tracking polar bears and Siberian tigers with her crew — but now she has found herself stuck in lockdown in her Moscow apartment. Thankfully, the internet allowed her to reach out to faraway countries, connecting with journalists and heroes of RTD\'s earlier films in order to feel the weakened pulse of the planet, heavily hit by the de…

RT (2020-05-15). Brazilian Health Minister Teich resigns after just weeks in job. rt.com Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned on Friday after just weeks in the job. President Jair Bolsonaro had criticized Teich as being too timid in the push to reopen the economy and to advocate the use of anti-malarial drugs. | Military members of the Brazilian cabinet are pushing for deputy health minister Eduardo Pazuello, an army general on active duty, to become the new health minister, making permanent his interim role, Reuters reported, citing a government source. | Teich is the second health minister to resign amid the pandemic in Brazil. He replaced Nelson Mandetta, who was fired on April 16 fo…

ahtribune (2020-05-15). COVID-19 Lockdown Is Liberalism Last Hurrah. ahtribune.com Ode of a Liberal | They passed the USA PATRIOT Act—and I did nothing because I am a patriot. | They passed the USA Freedom Act—and I believe in freedom. | They nominated Hillary Clinton—and I voted for the lesser evil. | They declared medical marshal law—and I didn\'t want to kill grandma. | They said to wear a facemask—and I passively obeyed. | I believe in Joe Biden—because I am a liberal. | In 2010 Chris Hedges declared the liberal class as dead as a doornail. He was late. Liberalism had died decades earlier. All that remains is the separate components of the body of liberalism. The stinking comp…

Jeffrey A. Tucker (2020-05-15). No Lockdowns: The Terrifying Polio Pandemic of 1949-52. anti-empire.com World War II had ended four years earlier and the U.S. was trying to return to peace and prosperity. Price controls and rationing were ended. Trade was opening. People were returning to normal life. The economy started humming again. Optimism for the future was growing. Harry Truman became the symbol of a new normacy. From Depression and war, society was on the mend. | As if to serve as a reminder that there were still threats to life and liberty present, an old enemy made its appearance: polio. It\'s a disease with ancient origins, with its most terrifying effect, the paralysis of the lower extremities. It mai…

Winslow Wheeler (2020-05-15). Do the Most Severe Lockdowns Coincide to the Highest COVID-19 Death Rates? counterpunch.org The organization Our World in Data is running an article on the severity of government lockdown policies used to deal with the Covid-19 disease, \"How Are Governments Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic?\". It is shows rankings of the severity (\"stringency\") on nine measures of lockdown policies throughout the world; it also addresses testing and tracking.

RT (2020-05-15). Czech Republic to allow gatherings of up to 300 people. rt.com The Czech Republic will take major steps to relax its coronavirus lockdown measures from May 25, as the government seeks to jump-start the economy, health officials said on Friday. | The central European country of 10.7 million people has reported fewer than 100 new cases a day throughout May. As of Friday morning, it had recorded a total of 8,352 cases of which 5,249 have recovered. It has reported 293 deaths, Reuters said. | Indoor dining and hotel stays could resume on May 25 under strict hygiene rules, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said. \"After May 25, there won\'t be establishments in retail which would be…

Staff (2020-05-15). The Secretive Police Commission The Justice Department Doesn\'t Want You To Notice. therealnews.com PAR learns about life under lockdown with COVID-19 from a guest just released from 10 months of incarceration, and examines the secretive police commission created by Attorney General Barr.

RT (2020-05-15). New Yorkers confused as Gov. Cuomo extends NY Pause and stay-at-home orders to seemingly contradictory dates. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the state\'s \"NY Pause\" economic shutdown until the end of May while stretching the stay-at-home order halfway into June, confusing residents already chafing under extended lockdown. | With both measures set to expire at midnight and five of the state\'s 10 economic regions entering the first phase of reopening, Cuomo poured cold water on any premature celebration by downstate residents on Friday, extending both Covid-19 executive orders by several weeks. | For those regions that haven\'t met the governor\'s stated criteria involving a decrease in hospital admissions, te…

RT (2020-05-15). As evidence mounts for Covid-19 lockdown causing additional deaths, answers seem no closer. rt.com Around 8,000 more people than usual have died in the UK in their homes since the beginning of the pandemic and four fifths of them from non-Covid causes. Apparently, coronavirus isn\'t the only killer on the loose these days. | The Guardian recently conducted their own

RT (2020-05-15). Germany in recession with economy in worst plunge since global financial crisis. rt.com Germany\'s economy shrank by 2.2 percent in the first quarter compared to the final three months of 2019, preliminary official statistics have shown. It\'s the biggest slump in a decade for Europe\'s largest economy. | Figures for the final three months of 2019 were revised to show a contraction of 0.1 percent, which means German GDP growth has been negative for two consecutive quarters, the technical definition of a recession. | The numbers are expected to get worse; Germany\'s Statistical Office has forecast a ten percent plunge in GDP for the second quarter, depending on the success of lifting lockdown measures…

RT (2020-05-15). 500,000 Germans apply to take part in Stuttgart lockdown protest, but police RESTRICT rally to 5,000 due to 'social distancing'. rt.com The city of Stuttgart has reluctantly agreed to let a demonstration go ahead on Saturday, ordering that masks be worn on public transport and people stay apart, after dissent over the lockdown swept across Germany last weekend. | Five thousand protesters are set to hit the streets of the southwestern city to protest Covid-19 restrictions. And that\'s only one percent of the half a million who applied to take part in the rally against Covid-19 prevention measures. | The local government has permitted only a limited number of protestors, and also requires them to maintain social distancing. Anyone caught travelin…

The Canary (2020-05-15). Vast majority support Scottish government\'s lockdown strategy. thecanary.co The majority of the public back the Scottish government\'s lockdown approach, according to polling announced by Nicola Sturgeon.At her daily coronavirus briefing on Friday, the first minister said government polling shows 84% support a \"slow and gradual\" lifting of restrictions, while 82% agree that before further significant changes to lockdown are made the impact of those already introduced should be assessed.The survey also found 86% said \"decisions on when and how to lift restrictions must be based on saving lives and protecting the NHS\".Nicola Sturgeon said she will outline her thoughts on easing lockdown nex…

Staff (2020-05-15). Climate Crisis: KXL Ruling, Unity Task Force, California Pollution, and TRNN\'s New Climate Reporter. therealnews.com Climate activists get a big court win on Keystone XL as the Biden and Sanders camps unite. California has delayed air pollution rules at the behest of industry during COVID-19 as polluting oil tankers line its coast.

The Canary (2020-05-15). Government £1.6bn bailout of TfL will be paid for by \'ordinary people doing the right thing\'. thecanary.co Public transport users in London will be hit by fare increases and restrictions on free travel due to the Government\'s £1.6 billion bailout of Transport for London (TfL).Mayor Sadiq Khan accused the Department for Transport (DfT) of \"making ordinary Londoners pay the cost for doing the right thing on Covid-19\".The department said it included a series of caveats as part of the funding package \"in order to safeguard services in the future\".Temporary measures consist of stopping free travel for children and only allowing people over 60 or with a disability to travel for free outside peak hours.London bus and t…

Michael Barker (2020-05-15). COVID-19 Planning: Is It Time to Nationalize Big Pharma? counterpunch.org Pharmaceutical corporations make billions providing drugs to help improve some people\'s lives, in much the same way that privately-run hospitals provide care to those who can afford to pay. But Big Pharma is not a caring industry. Big Pharma has done some truly despicable things over the past hundred years or so. This is why

Eve Ottenberg (2020-05-15). The Covid-19 Testing Fiasco. counterpunch.org From the start, testing for Covid-19 in the U.S. has been abysmal. Experts agree that without adequate testing, the disease cannot be stopped. Poor testing means no idea how many are infected or how to trace and quarantine their contacts or how to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. There has been speculation that the Trump

RT (2020-05-15). Define \'distribute\'! Trump mobilizing MILITARY to deliver Covid-19 vaccine \'assuming we get it,\' sparks conspiracy frenzy. rt.com US President Donald Trump said the military is gearing up to distribute a coronavirus vaccine when one is ready, unleashing a torrent of takes from conspiracy-minded netizens, many sounding alarms over mandatory inoculations. | American GIs are already being mobilized to parcel out a future vaccine to \"most of the population,\" Trump told Fox Business\' Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Thursday, giving a highly optimistic end-of-the-year time frame even as many experts suggest a remedy won\'t be ready for mass distribution for another 12 to 18 months. | \"We\'re mobilizing our military on the basis that we do hav…

RT (2020-05-15). MILLIONS of Americans dead from Covid-19? 85k jobs lost? What? Joe Biden commits gaffe after gaffe in confusing broadcast. rt.com Joe Biden has once again caught flak for his creative and often confusing oratory, this time after the former VP and presumptive Democratic nominee struggled to relay how many Americans have died from coronavirus. | Speaking during a \"virtual round table,\" Biden argued that playing the \"blame game\" during the ongoing health crisis would be counterproductive. But when it came time to relaying exactly what politicians might blame each other for, the presidential candidate faltered. | \"We\'re in the middle of a pandemic that has cost us more than 85,000 jobs as of today. Lives of millions of people, millions of pe…

ahtribune (2020-05-15). The American Genie — Engineering a Catastrophe. ahtribune.com The first signs that something terrible had gone wrong with the security at the Fort Detrick bio-defence facility fifty miles north-west of Washington DC were when cases of a previously unknown and serious

RT (2020-05-15). Corona-hounds: UK launches trials for \'Covid-19 SNIFFER DOGS\'. rt.com Trials have begun in the UK to find out if dogs can be trained to detect Covid-19. If successful, the bio-detection canines could be used as a \"non-invasive\" way to identify people sick with coronavirus. | Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) will carry out the first phase of the trial, working with the charity Medical Detection Dogs and Durham University. It will be funded by money from a £500 million ($605 million) UK government pot set up to assist \"innovative schemes\" in the fight against Covid-19. | Dogs are famous for their incredible sense of smell and have fo…

RT (2020-05-15). Trump says govt will work at \'WARP SPEED\' to deliver vaccine BEFORE year\'s end. rt.com President Donald Trump has promised to deliver a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year or earlier, saying that the government will invest in potential candidates. He added that, vaccine or no vaccine, America will reopen. | Speaking to reporters in the White House Rose Garden on Friday, Trump unveiled \"Operation Warp Speed,\" a public-private partnership aimed at accelerating the development of a vaccine for Covid-19, the deadly virus that has infected more than 4.5 million people worldwide and killed more than 300,000. | \"This is an endeavor unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project…

RT (2020-05-15). First child dies in France from rare Kawasaki-like disease unwisely linked to Covid-19. rt.com A nine-year-old boy in France has died from the mysterious Kawasaki-like disease, which some medics link to Covid-19. It\'s the first such case in that country, but similar child fatalities were earlier recorded in the US and UK. | The cause of the boy\'s death was \"neurological injury related to a cardiac arrest,\" Fabrice Michel, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at La Timone hospital in Marseille, said. | The child was rushed to hospital with heart problems in early May. Doctors have been fighting for his life for a whole week, but the young patient passed away on Saturday. | While in hospital, the bo…

IndustriALL (2020-05-15). India: Right wing uses COVID-19 to implement 12-hour workday, 72-hour week. peoplesworld.org Some Indian states are using coronavirus as a pretext to attack working conditions. Many have increased the working day to 12 hours, while others have suspended or provided exemptions to labor law. State governments, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, have increased the workday to 12 hours and the standard workweek to …

Ash Warren (2020-05-15). The Japanese Art of Avoiding Your Relatives (Or Why Covid-19 Flopped in Japan). anti-empire.com Let\'s say you do not get along with your mother-in-law and you do not wish to have contact with her like, ever. | Here are two possible methods you might employ. | The first is to burn down your house, fake your own death and move somewhere else under an assumed identity, or failing that to dig up the entire road between your place and hers, blow up her car and steal all her shoes. | This may discourage the urge to visit. | The other is to just not open the door when she knocks. | In many countries as we all well know, in order to avoid coming in contact with the dreaded Covid-19, which is possibly even more i…

The Canary (2020-05-15). \'Worrying data\' reveals more than 12,500 people in care homes have now died with Covid-19. thecanary.co More than 12,500 people living in care homes have now died with Covid-19, with the majority dying in their care home, new figures show.Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that just over one in four of all deaths of care home residents in England and Wales between March 2 and May 1 involved Covid-19.Of 45,899 care home residents who died during this period, 27% (12,526) had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate.Some 9,039 (72%) of the deaths occurred within a care home and 27% were in hospital.(PA Graphics)The latest data includes all care home residents who died with coronavirus eit…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). One week after promising health supplies to southeast Colombia, government vows aid to bury the dead. colombiareports.com Colombia\'s government vowed to send cement to build repositories of Covid-19 deaths in the southeastern Amazonas province after promised health supplies never arrived. The situation in Colombia\'s most remote province…

Maxximilian Seijo (2020-05-15). #Unis4all: An Open Letter to the U.S. Higher Education Community. mronline.org Universities can immediately bypass feckless state & federal legislatures & finance themselves directly with \"Unis\" supported by the Federal Reserve For a growing majority of outspoken administrators and faculty, the economic fallout associated with the Covid-19 crisis threatens to catapult U. S. higher education into a draconian age of austerity, layoffs, and closures. The question, …

Ron Jacobs (2020-05-15). Workingman\'s Blues (COVID 19 Version). counterpunch.org I went back to work last week. Even though neither I most of my fellow workers are convinced library books are an essential service, the fact that we are once again loaning them out appeals to a certain pretense that they are. This is despite the fact that libraries—both public and academic—are often the first

RT (2020-05-15). US sailors return to coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier only to test positive AGAIN, despite months of containment efforts. rt.com Five American sailors have tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time after resuming duty on board an aircraft carrier that saw a major outbreak in March, even after a full evacuation of its crew and months of deep cleaning. | Though the Navy imposed several layers of screenings before allowing sailors to re-board the ill-fated USS \'Theodore Roosevelt\' — where more than 1,000 personnel contracted the virus in March — the five seamen nonetheless tested positive again after returning to the ship, the military confirmed on Thursday. | \"Five [\'Theodore Roosevelt\'] sailors who previously tested Covid…

RT (2020-05-15). \'Time to APOLOGIZE!\' Orban hits back at critics as he plans to hand back emergency Covid-19 powers that caused major spat with EU. rt.com Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has said emergency laws granting his government the right to rule by decree during the Covid-19 crisis will be rescinded soon and those who accused him of using it as a power grab should \"apologize. | Orban secured open-ended emergency powers from parliament at the end of March, angering the country\'s opposition and triggering a spat with Brussels. The move predictably ignited a fresh round of condemnation in Western media as the PM was accused of dismantling democracy and taking another step toward \"authoritarianism.\" | Now, having announced that he expects parliament will be able to…

Raul Diego (2020-05-15). Massachusetts Contact Tracing Program Handed to Clinton-Linked NGO with Questionable Past. mintpressnews.com A new contact tracing program was recently unveiled in Massachusetts in partnership with Partners in Health, an NGO with links to US regime change operations, big pharma and the Clinton Foundation.

ahtribune (2020-05-15). Venezuela Shows World Under No Less Threat of War After Donald Trump\'s First Term. ahtribune.com When Donald Trump ran for president in the 2016 election, his criticisms of regime change presented a real opportunity for anti-war voices and organizations to demand an end to U.S. regime change wars abroad. That did not happen. In fact, the Trump administration has become even more bellicose amid the spread of the

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-15). Guaidó and the Failed Military Operation Against Venezuela: a Story of Betrayal and Financial Corruption. counterpunch.org Now that we have had a few days to study the failed, illegal paramilitary incursion by a group of American and Venezuelan mercenaries into Venezuela, some key details have emerged in this incredible story. They reveal the internal dynamics of the fractured, demoralized, and financially corrupt nature of the hardline sectors of the opposition. Much

Irina Slav (2020-05-15). Up to Five Iranian Tankers en Route to Venezuela Carrying Much-Needed Gasoline. anti-empire.com An Iranian tanker loaded with gasoline has set sail for Venezuela, Reuters reports, citing tanker tracking data. The cargo should help alleviate a growing shortage of gasoline in the sanctions-stricken South American country. | The Clavel, a medium tanker, loaded in March at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and this week passed the Suez Canal, the data showed. | TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani confirmed the data to Oilprice.com, noting that there were several vessels en route from Iran to Venezuela, with the cargo all or mostly gasoline. | twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1261022167669…

Ryan Parry (2020-05-15). Venezuelan TV Exposed US Mercenaries\' Names, Photos and Incursion Plan a Month Before It Happened. anti-empire.com The Americans behind the failed Venezuelan coup went ahead with the ill-fated mission even though the country\'s ruling regime publicly exposed their plan on live TV more than a month earlier. | In footage unearthed by DailyMail.com Venezuelan state television claimed its government had infiltrated the \'mercenaries\' and even aired photographs of the coup\'s US leader, Jordan Goudreau. | They also appeared to have the names of the other two Americans captured and paraded on TV this week, ex Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry. | The revelation, alongside the apparent lack of funding and adequate equipment fo…

W. T. Whitney (2020-05-15). For Cuba and Venezuela, US Silence May Not Be Golden. counterpunch.org The U. S. President and his Secretary of State frequently expound about the supposed failings of enemies abroad. Recently they\'ve blasted China\'s response to the pandemic, Venezuela\'s dictatorship, Cuba\'s \"slave doctors\" overseas, and even Iranian border guards beating up on Afghan migrants. But they\'ve been mostly silent about two recent disruptions of the imperialist status

RT (2020-05-15). \'It would be best if intra-Afghan talks began while US still has significant military presence\' — envoy. rt.com The United States has heard positive reports about the formation of an inclusive Afghan government, US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said on Friday, adding that a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks is under discussion. | Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Khalilzad said it would be best if intra-Afghan talks began while there is still a significant US military presence in Afghanistan, Reuters reported. | The pace of prisoner releases and disagreements over the Afghan government\'s composition have both helped delay intra-Afghan talks, which were to begin on March 10 under a February 29 US-…

RT (2020-05-15). Jordan\'s king warns Israel of \'massive conflict\' if it proceeds with West Bank annexation plans. rt.com Jordan\'s King Abdullah II warned Israel of a \"massive conflict\" if it proceeds with plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank. | Israel has vowed to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley. The move could spell the end of the long-stalled peace process by making it virtually impossible to establish a viable Palestinian state. | \"Leaders who advocate a one-state solution do not understand what that would mean,\" Jordan\'s king said in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel. | European Union foreign ministers met on Friday to discuss what action the bloc might take in response to Israe…

Tony McKenna (2020-05-15). El Diego: the Two Lives of Maradona. counterpunch.org 22 June 1986. A world cup quarter-final is about to play out in the Estadio Azteca stadium at the heart of Mexico City. Under the billowing blue skies and the streaming sunlight the pitch is shadowless and pastel green. The teams line up. The English in white. The Argentinians in blue. As the Argentine anthem plays, the camera moves across the team, before lingering momentarily on the solemn, stormy features of the captain — a small, squat man, a head shorter than his teammates, his dark, handsome features shadowed with determination. Diego. Armando. Maradona. Despite the blue, open vistas of the sky and th…

Dean Baker (2020-05-15). Corruption and the Pandemic Bailout. counterpunch.org Neil Irwin had an interesting New York Times piece on how concerns about moral hazard in the bailout may damage the recovery. The gist of the article is that the fear that bad actors will be wrongly rewarded will prevent us from spending enough money to get the economy back on its feet. Irwin\'s point

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2020-05-15). The Fed Hasn\'t Spent a Dime Yet for Main Street Versus $735 Billion for Wall Street. counterpunch.org The stimulus bill known as the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27. Among its many features (such as direct checks to struggling Americans and enhancing unemployment compensation by $600 per week for four months to unemployed workers so they could pay

Conn Hallinan (2020-05-15). War and Plagues: Military Spending During a Pandemic. counterpunch.org Welcome to the world of the hypersonic weapons, devices that are not only superfluous, but which will almost certainly not work, They will, however, cost enormous amounts of money. At a time when countries across the globe are facing economic chaos, financial deficits and unemployment at Great Depression levels, arms manufacturers are set to cash in big.

Manuel García, Jr. (2020-05-15). End Game for Green Utopia. counterpunch.org On these two opposing types of responses to the movie \"Planet Of The Humans\": PRO: \"The key, however, is that all these [\'greenish\'] energy policies have to be carried out after capitalism has been wiped out and under conditions where production is based strictly on use.\" CON: \"This documentary is trashy fake news. It\'s Trumpian

Louis Proyect (2020-05-15). How Economic Misery Helped Fuel the Syrian War. counterpunch.org Ever since the civil war began in Syria in early 2011, the left has largely ignored the social and economic circumstances that led to a conflict costing over a half-million deaths and the migration—internal and external—of half the population. The tendency was to see Syria as a piece on a global chessboard with \"the axis

Ariel Gold (2020-05-15). My Israeli Nemesis is Moving to America. counterpunch.org My first run-in with Israeli politician Gilad Erdan took place on July 1, 2018, when I arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, passport and visa in hand. After seven hours of interrogation, I was told that Erdan had had my visa revoked and was sending me directly back to the U.S. \"We prevented

A. Majumdar (2020-05-15). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism\'s end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

ahtribune (2020-05-15). US-Backed Militants Steal a Bank of the Syrian State in Hasakah City then Hand It to US Forces. ahtribune.com Armed groups of the US-backed \"Syrian Democratic Forces\" have stolen the Syrian Commercial Bank located within the security square of the Syrian state in Hasakah city. | Local sources from Hasaka said that during daylight hours, a large number of \"SDF\" militants attacked the bank and took control of the entire building after expelling the guards and employees from it and stealing the money and contents there. | The sources pointed out that after controlling the bank, the militants broke the iron fences and the walls surrounding it, then they stole its contents and transferred them to their centers before they…

John Wojcik (2020-05-15). Whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright testifies winter could be \'darkest in modern history\'. peoplesworld.org Dr. Rick Bright, the top Health and Human Services official dumped by Trump for blowing the whistle on the administration\'s disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic, testified to Congress Thursday that essentially everything the president is saying about his administration\'s response to the pandemic is a lie. One of the most damaging of those lies, …

Janine Jackson (2020-05-15). Foreign Policy Sees \'Repression\' in Vietnam\'s Fight Against Coronavirus – In the US, government may surveill you, but at least it doesn't protect your health. fair.org Foreign Policy ( A recent piece in Foreign Policy (

Karl Denninger (2020-05-15). Bye-Bye TEACHERS, COPS And Government PENSIONS. anti-empire.com Retail sales for April were 22% below last year\'s figures. | No stores open, no bars and restaurants open, nobody actually spending money. \"Oh, you can order out.\" Uh huh. The volume of business collapsed anyway. | That means no tax receipts. No sales taxes. | It means commercial property, which has property taxation at much higher rates than residences, is now wort…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-15). Back to work, or else: Trump administration tells states to pull unemployment benefits. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—GOP President Donald Trump\'s Labor Secretary, Eugene Scalia, and his #2 who runs the agency that oversees jobless benefits want employers to report—and states to bar benefits from—workers who fear returning to their old jobs because their employers won\'t protect them against the coronavirus. The memo, from John Pallasch, a GOP operative, an advocate for …

CounterSpin (2020-05-15). Ari Berman on Voter Suppression and Coronavirus. fair.org Media…

Mirinda Crissman (2020-05-15). Andrea Circle Bear and six centuries of genocide. workers.org Andrea Circle Bear, of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation near Eagle Butte, S.D., was the 29th federal inmate to die due to the coronavirus in Bureau of Prisons custody. She was sentenced to serve 26 months. Circle Bear was being held at Tripp County Jail in South Dakota up until . . . |

ahtribune (2020-05-15). Iran Is Not A Victim, It Is One of The Most Influential and Strong-Minded Nations on Earth. ahtribune.com When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter how threatening they might be. | Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world, and it\'s precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments. | And one such moment is sadly, right now. | *** | US battleships are sailing right next to the Iranian territorial waters. One mistake, one false move, and war could erupt, engulfing the entire region in flames. Iran is a proud nation, and it takes its independence extremely seriously. | Right now, the countr…

RT (2020-05-15). Trump salutes his \'keyboard warriors,\' but has he actually curtailed corporate online censorship? rt.com President Donald Trump has paid his respects to the legions of online meme-makers and \"keyboard warriors\" who helped him get elected. But among these netizens, many feel the president hasn\'t done enough to fight online censorship. | \"Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors,\" Trump tweeted on Friday. \"You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!\" | Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors. You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonald…

RT (2020-05-15). \'We were totally helpless\': Russian woman jailed for SLAPPING 'abusive' Californian husband, mother tells RT. rt.com What looked like an intercontinental fairytale romance turned into a story of domestic violence, when a Russian woman was arrested for slapping the American husband her mother says abused her. | When she married a Californian man last year, 30-year-old Krasnodar native Alina Alipatova couldn\'t have imagined that the line between romance and fear could be crossed so fast. She met her future husband while holidaying in Miami and quickly fell in \"big love\" with him, the woman\'s mother, Elena Gertsog, told RT this week. | Once engaged, the happy couple spent two months at the Californian\'s house in San Luis Obispo…

RT (2020-05-15). 'Disturbing': Messi freaks out fans with sloppy music video kiss with wife Antonela Roccuzzo (VIDEO). rt.com Lionel Messi can curl in free-kicks from 30 yards but his kissing skills leave a lot to be desired, if the reaction to a clumsy viral smooch with wife Antonela Roccuzzo is anything to go by. | Messi and partner Roccuzzo were filmed locking lips for the latest video by Puerto Rican rapper Residente. | The track – titled \'Before the World Ends\' – features couples canoodling all around the world, including famous faces such as Hollywood star Ben Affleck and actress partner Ana de Armas, and Mexican boxer Saul \'Canelo\' Alvarez and his beau Fernanda Gómez. | But it\'s the appearance of six-time Ballon d\'Or wi…

Kimball Cariou (2020-05-15). Fake pandemic science and conspiracy theories a key part of far-right agenda. peoplesworld.org When is science not actually scientific? One answer is that research which cherry-picks and manipulates facts to support a preconceived hypothesis is not truly scientific. Long after Galileo and Copernicus demolished the Ptolemaic theory, some highly educated scientists kept creating astronomical models showing that the sun, planets, and stars revolve around Earth. The sheer weight …

Vijay Prashad (2020-05-15). Hunger gnaws at the edges of the World. mronline.org On 21 April, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley said that the world was experiencing a \'hunger pandemic\'. That day, the Global Network Against Food Crises and the Food Security Information Network released the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises.

RT (2020-05-15). \'But will it fly at ludicrous speed?\' Trump teases mysterious \'SUPER DUPER MISSILE\' at Space Force flag unveiling ceremony. rt.com US President Donald Trump has offered a sneak peak into the future of American military tech, talking up what he called a \"super duper missile,\" but his scientific terminology was simply too much for some netizens to take. | The comment came during an Oval Office ceremony to unveil the official flag of the Space Force on Friday, with Trump taking a brief detour into state-of-the-art hardware under development at the Pentagon. | \"We have, I call it the Super Duper Missile. And I heard the other night [it\'s] 17 times faster than what they have right now,\" Trump said. | TRUMP: \"We have, I call it the \'Super Duper…

RT (2020-05-15). Musk\'s swarm of Starlink microsatellites to light up UK skies this weekend. rt.com Elon Musk\'s artificial constellation of Starlink microsatellites will stream across the night skies above the UK twice this weekend, providing some fodder for amatuer astronomers but some frustration for the pros. | Musk\'s SpaceX designed the fleet of microsats to provide cheap broadband internet to neglected areas of the globe. | While this is a noble goal, the swarm of microsatellites has divided the astronomy community: amateurs have added them to the list of casual targets for a night of stargazing while professionals and researchers bemoan the additional light pollution, lampooning Musk for \'destroying\' t…

Staff (2020-05-15). HEROES Act Includes Utility Shutoff Ban, $4 Billion For Broadband Access. therealnews.com Republicans oppose the HEROES Act provision to expand broadband, but students and educators say lack of internet access is a major roadblock to learning in low income and rural communities.

RT (2020-05-15). Nord Stream 2 to challenge German regulator\'s decision denying waiver of 'discriminatory' EU rules for gas pipeline from Russia. rt.com The company building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has vowed to appeal Germany\'s refusal to remove the multibillion-dollar project from the restrictions laid out in the \"discriminatory\" EU Gas Directive. | The latest amendment to the EU rules was greenlighted in April last year, long after Nord Stream 2 construction began. The legislature made the rules governing the European gas market apply to all pipelines to and from third countries. The new rule means Russia\'s Gazprom, which designed the project, will be allowed to use not more than 50 percent of the pipeline capacity while allowing third parties to use…

Sue Harris (2020-05-15). The struggle and personal growth. workers.org What motivates some people to dominate and/or destroy, based on their illusory sense of superiority, even when it is against their own interests? Who are these people who profess to be acting in the name of \"freedom and individual liberty,\" while gathering together and refusing to wear protective masks in . . . |

Lyn Neeley (2020-05-15). Portland, Ore.: \'U.S. mail not for sale\'. workers.org Over 20 cars lined up to cheer postal workers during the afternoon shift change on May 8 at the Portland, Ore., United States Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center. Messages of solidarity were plastered over the cars and Elvis Presley\'s \"Return to Sender\" was playing. Portland, Ore., car caravan shows . . . |

a guest author (2020-05-15). Political Prisoners Teach-In: \'We got out because of the people\'. workers.org These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the \"U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners\" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. By Janet Africa On the Move! Happy . . . |

(2020-05-15). Political Prisoners Teach-In: \'We got out because of the people\'. workers.org These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the \"U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners\" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. By Janet Africa On the Move! Happy . . . |

Editor (2020-05-15). Malcolm X, Ho Chi Minh °presente! workers.org This editorial first appeared on workers.org on May 18, 2018. We celebrate on May 19 the birthdays of two world-bending revolutionaries, Ho Chi Minh and Malcolm X. Born in 1890 in central Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh was the Marxist-Leninist communist who forged and led a people\'s movement and army that . . . |

RT (2020-05-15). Jailing people who use Covid-19 as bioweapon would be \'discrimination.\' So better lock up everyone instead? rt.com Accidentally spreading Covid-19 is wanting grandma dead, say opponents of ending lockdowns. Yet activists now worry that proposed laws to punish those who threaten to spread it deliberately would discriminate against minorities. | A Florida man spat and coughed on a police officer responding to a domestic violence call, and faces up to five years in prison on a federal charge of biological weapons hoax (he was negative for Covid-19). Another man in Texas, who falsely claimed on Facebook that he paid someone to spread the virus at local grocery stores, was charged with the same thing. A Michigan man who wiped h…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-05-15). Roaming Charges: Unmasked and Anonymous. counterpunch.org I\'m hyped for some ObamaGate action, as long as its about things that matter: health care plan designed by Heritage Foundation, bailing out Wall Street, failing to close Gitmo, droning US citizens, Afghan surge, the jailing of whistleblowers and legal harassment of journalists, the Libyan and Honduran coups, mass surveillance, the funding and arming of proxy wars in Yemen and Syria, record deportations, Deepwater Horizon, new nukes (both power plants and weapons), etc…

RT (2020-05-15). Quarantined & lonely? Find a \'SEX BUDDY,\' Dutch government advises. rt.com Dutch authorities have decided that sex is a necessity, even in times of lockdown. Ever the pragmatists, they suggest that quarantined singletons \"make arrangements\" with a willing partner. | With more than 43,000 people infected with the coronavirus and a death toll of 5,600, the Netherlands has been on lockdown since late March. Citizens are allowed to have up to three visitors in their homes, provided they keep a distance of 1.5 meters from each other. Naturally, this precludes most sexual activity. | However, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has admitted that two se…

Max Blumenthal (2020-05-15). \'The American friends\': New court files expose Sheldon Adelson\'s security team in US spy operation against Julian Assange. thegrayzone.com An exclusive investigation by The Grayzone reveals new details on the critical role Sheldon Adelson\'s Las Vegas Sands played in…

Zero Hedge (2020-05-15). \"My Job Is to Make Syria a Quagmire for the Russians\": CIA Doctrine Made Official Policy. globalresearch.ca Like with the disastrous Iraq quagmire years before the US war machine came to Syria under Obama, Washington\'s rationale and justification for occupying the Syrian Arab Republic has shifted and changed drastically multiple times over. | When ultimately what started …

Alan Macleod (2020-05-15). As US Reels From COVID-19, Trump Turns to Sanctions, War Making and Threats. mintpressnews.com The Trump admin has decisively chosen war over peace and conflict over cooperation. Yet it appears less able than ever to coerce the world into following its lead.

Alan Macleod (2020-05-15). Study: Coronavirus Has a Been a Massive Boon for America\'s Billionaires. mintpressnews.com A new study found that in the past eight weeks alone, the country\'s super wealthy have added a further $368.8 billion to their already enormous fortunes.

Mike Whitney (2020-05-15). In the Race for Immunity, Sweden Leads the Pack. globalresearch.ca In a pandemic, there is no substitute for immunity, because immunity provides the best protection against reinfection. That\'s why Sweden set its sights on immunity from the very beginning. They crafted a policy that was designed to protect the old …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-05-15). DeVos\'s Channeling of CARES Act Funds Seen as Boosting \'Perennial Goal\' of Advancing Voucher Program. commondreams.org New reporting on the Education Secretary's directing of the money follows concern by a House Democrat that DeVos may be hampering \"the response of public school systems in the states most severely impacted by the coronavirus crisis.\" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/devos-cares-voucher.jpg …

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-15). Trump\'s \"Operation Warp Speed\" for Mass Vaxxing. \"Big Bucks for Big Pharma\" globalresearch.ca Big Pharma is poised to cash in big from mass COVID-19 vaxxing — at the expense of human health and welfare. | Author of \"Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America\" Gerald Posner explained that drug companies \"view Covid-19 …

Abdallah El Harif (2020-05-15). A universal appeal for humanity to end militarism and stop war. peoplesdispatch.org On March 15, 1950, the World Peace Council sent out the Stockholm Appeal, a short text that called for a ban on nuclear weapons and that would eventually be signed by almost 2 million people. The appeal was made up of three elegant sentences: | -We demand the outlawing of atomic weapons as instruments of intimidation and mass murder of peoples. We demand strict international control to enforce this measure. | -We believe that any government which first uses atomic weapons against any other country whatsoever will be committing a crime against humanity and should be dealt with as a war criminal. | -We call on a…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-15). Give Peace a Chance: Saudi Arabia and the UAE Jostle for Position in War-Ravaged Countries for Contracts. strategic-culture.org Is the coronavirus, which has hit GCC countries quite hard, going to fuel proxy wars further with the economic objective of fortunes to be made, once the fighting stops? Or dig them in deeper? Don\'t overlook Russia in the scramble for reconstruction contracts. | The bigger they are, the harder they fall. This certainly applies to countries in the GCC which are attempting to pick themselves up again. It\'s a cruel irony, some might argue, that the UAE\'s diversification in its economy away from oil dependency, made it more vulnerable than Saudi Arabia\'s and so was hit harder by the virus. An economy dependent on tou…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Puebla Group Discusses Peace in Colombia and Pandemic Crisis. telesurenglish.net The Puebla Group today is discussing the peace process in Colombia, the health crisis, and the regional economy, during a new virtual meeting that brings together progressive leaders from Latin America. | RELATED: | Colombia is the host of the new virtual meeting, in the voices of former President Ernesto Samper and former Minister of Labor Clara Lopez Obregon. | \"Peace measures are the level of civilization of a country,\" sa…

Fight Back (2020-05-15). Tampa students demand COVID-19 relief for undocumented students. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On May 14, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a car protest at the University of South Florida (USF) to demand COVID-19 relief funds for undocumented students. USF has offered no financial help for undocumented students during the pandemic and the only COVID-19 aid for students is the CARES Act Fund, for which DACA and undocumented students are ineligible. | Students and SDS members parked near the USF president\'s mansion on campus for socially-distanced speeches and chants demanding that USF provide relief for undocumented students. Simon Rowe, a member of SDS stated, \"DACA stude…

Michael Jansen (2020-05-15). Neither Iraq, nor Syria can afford to allow Daesh to Return as Major Challenge. globalresearch.ca Despite Covid-19, Iraqis have returned to the streets to demand an end to mismanagement, corruption and sectarianism as Mustafa Al Kadhimi was confirmed as the country\'s new prime minister. His first act was to mollify protesters by calling for the …

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Ecuador: Human Rights Organizations Denounce Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Ecuador\'s Human Rights organizations Thursday denounced that police force abuse against pacific protesters in Guayaquil. Claimers denounced the negligence of health authorities in corpses counting and handling. | RELATED: | Protesters gathered at Centenary Park for a sit-in demonstration against both President Lenin Moreno\'s budget cuts and lack of economic aid for those in need. | \"We are mourning and resisting,\" was their protest\'s maxim. Cit…

Staff (2020-05-15). MI Legislature Cancels Work as \"Reopen\" Protesters Call for Whitmer\'s \"Lynching\" truthout.org The Michigan state legislature called off meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday as demonstrations were set to take place against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer\'s stay-at-home order. | According to state police,

Ed Sykes (2020-05-15). If the media\'s on Starmer\'s side, you know something\'s very, very wrong. thecanary.co The last five years have been a nightmare. And as a result, we have a government whose handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has been To escape this nightmare, we need to learn from it. | Five years of establishment terror: | The political and econ…

Macdonald Stainsby (2020-05-15). Socialism and Collective Responses: Attacking Venezuela in a Pandemic. counterpunch.org That feeling of international solidarity. This pandemic has brought terror in daily life to many, including this home where a 79 year old with COPD resides. Global calls of \"we are all in this together\" have served to blunt the bleakness in the face of unprecedented threats to our collective health. However, the initial rush

Brasil de Fato (2020-05-15). In less than a month, Brazil sees two health ministers leave office. peoplesdispatch.org Oncologist Nelson Teich asked to step down from his position as Minister of Health on Friday morning May 15, according to the government. A press conference will be held in the afternoon. | Teich took over the position as Health Minister on April 17, after Luiz Henrique Mandetta was fired from the position. In Teich\'s speech when assuming the position, he affirmed that he would work to ease social isolation measures, but in a \"technical and scientific\" way. | As of now, the individual expected to take over the position is General Eduardo Pazuello, the current number two in the ministry. | History: | While…

The Canary (2020-05-15). Psychiatrists fear a \'tsunami\' of mental illness following pandemic. thecanary.co Mental health services could be overwhelmed by a \"tsunami\" of referrals when coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown measures end, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has warned. | A survey by the College found almost half (45%) of psychiatrists had seen a reduction in routine mental health appointments. Its led to fears that patients are avoiding support until they reach crisis point. | Meanwhile, 43% of psychiatrists had seen an increase in their urgent and emergency caseloads, where patients were showing the most serious conditions. | Professor Wendy Burn, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: We are alr…

The Canary (2020-05-15). WHO special envoy sets out what\'s wrong with Johnson\'s timetable to end lockdown. thecanary.co The World Health Organisation\'s coronavirus special envoy has warned the government against releasing lockdown measures until a comprehensive testing, tracking and isolating system is in place. | Dr David Nabarro said rather than giving specific dates for individual measures to be lifted, the government should say they will release the lockdown \"when we know that we\'ve got the defence mechanisms in place\". | Nabarro added that the test, track and isolate strategy has \"been shown in other countries to be the key to living with the virus\". | He also stressed that a test, tracking and isolating defence system must b…

Michelle Chen (2020-05-15). Prisons Are Using the Pandemic to Impose Lockdowns. commondreams.org New Jersey Department of Corrections. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-05-15_at_12.12.25_pm_1.png …

Nick Pemberton (2020-05-15). Rearranging Desires Amidst Climate Catastrophe, COVID Chaos, and Capitalist Calamity. counterpunch.org Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak states that her political goal is to rearrange desires. No goal is more pertinent to our present trying time. As Chuck Mertz refrains \"the future ain\'t what it used to be.\" The coronavirus has exposed much of what we knew to be true, but counted on avoiding. What has become plain as

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2020-05-15). Citizens\' Climate Lobby: Virutal Climate Conference 2020 (Day 1). indybay.org Online/virtual conference…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Bolivia: Añez Backs Down, Annuls Decree Against Speech Freedom. telesurenglish.net Due to pressure stemming from human rights defenders, Bolivia\'s coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez Thursday was forced to repeal a decree allowing it to extend restrictions on freedom of expression during the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äãdecree issued on May 7 aimed at…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Because cancer treatments can weaken the immune system, cancer patients are at increased risk of complications from COVID-19. Despite these concerns, cancer patients often still need treatment, including going to the clinic or to the hospital, and many have questions about whether cancer should be treated differently during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the Mayo Clinic …

Raul Diego (2020-05-15). As Corporations Adapt to a COVID-19 Economy, the Working-Class Prepares for a Paradigm Shift. mintpressnews.com As social distancing measures persist across the country, corporations are setting in a \"new normal\" where most people are safely squirreled away in their homes, with paradigm-shifting implications for the working classes.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-15). Covid-19 changes to NHS services may lead to worsening health inequalities. imperial.ac.uk The decision to suspend non-urgent services at NHS hospitals in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will lead to worsening health inequalities.

Bill Lueders (2020-05-15). Still in the Dark in Wisconsin. progressive.org Health officials don\'t have an up-to-date count of people who got COVID-19 after attending a \'large gathering.\'

WSWS (2020-05-15). The 2003 SARS epidemic: How Canada\'s elite squandered the chance to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Canada\'s disastrous response to the pandemic is all the more criminal given the impact of SARS and the repeated government vows that the country\'s health system would be well-prepared for any future novel virus.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic receives $26 million from BARDA for COVID-19 convalescent plasma expanded access program. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic was awarded a $26 million contract today from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The financial support is for the Expanded Access Program (EAP) for convalescent plasma to fight COVID-19. …

Ellen Brown (2020-05-15). Is Universal Basic Income the Way Out of the Current Economic Crisis? globalresearch.ca Philip\'s third interview with Ellen Brown focused on the Universal Basic Income, which Philip believes is the ONLY way out of the current economic crisis. The social distancing forced by the COVID-19 epidemic has shut down the country, and one-time …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Spring cleaning takes on a new importance during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released reopening guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes. Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, suggests taking a practical approach to spring cleaning. If no one in your household has been infected, he says standard spring cleaning practices …

commondreams (2020-05-15). Nurses Say: Guaranteed Health Care Is Fundamental to COVID-19 Response. commondreams.org ______________________________…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 research at Mayo Clinic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Thanks to its combination of practice, education, and research, Mayo Clinic has a strong foundation to respond quickly to a medical crisis such as COVID-19. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread worldwide, a research task force was formed at Mayo Clinic to review and approve research proposals related to the virus and the disease it causes. …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Why you need to keep your child\'s vaccine schedule during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Millions of children may be at risk of missing or delaying their routine childhood vaccines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine specialist, says she understands being thoughtful about taking your children outside the home for doctor\'s visits during this time. \"The current situation with the novel coronavirus shows us how scary …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic launches radio campaign to encourage recovered patients of COVID-19 to donate plasma. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic is collaborating with Entercom Communications to launch a radio campaign that raises awareness in Detroit, New York City, Miami and Chicago of the federally-sponsored national Expanded Access Program (EAP) for Convalescent Plasma. The Food and Drug Administration announced Mayo Clinic as the lead site for the EAP program to speed access and increase availability of investigational convalescent plasma for hospitalized patients …

Staff (2020-05-15). US Deports COVID-Positive Immigrants to Haiti and Guatemala, Spreading Virus. truthout.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says \"U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are \'unconscionable,\'\" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: We turn now…

Derrick Broze (2020-05-15). This U.S. State Has Already Established Legal Means for Mandatory Vaccinations. thelastamericanvagabond.com While the U.S. government and global health \"authorities\" debate how quickly they can roll out Contact Tracing surveillance programs and fast track vaccines, Americans are left wondering and debating over whether the vaccinations programs for COVID-19 might end up being mandatory. It is true that Donald Trump has acknowledged that, \"We are looking for a …

Raul Diego (2020-05-15). Trump Unveils Plan That Would See Big Pharma Reap Massive Profits from COVID-19 Vaccine. mintpressnews.com President Trump has revealed a plan to mobilize the US military to deliver mass vaccinations across the country, coupled with Operation Warp Speed, a \"Manhattan project-style\" race to produce a COVID-19 vaccine.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). VIRUS: COVID-19 registry first to track global ICU experience to shed light on trends in care of critically ill patients. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic expands in-person care on all campuses. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic will expand in-person care on all of its campuses as COVID-19 executive orders are lifted for elective procedures by governors in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. \"Our patients\' health and safety is always our top priority,\" says Amy Williams, M.D., Mayo Clinic Executive Dean for Practice. \"We have taken several extra precautions to …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). New collaboration on COVID-19 response to include new serology test. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced it will expand its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing a total antibodies test in collaboration with WuXi Diagnostics and Mayo Clinic. The new test is the result of ongoing collaboration between all three organizations, including clinical evaluation and support from Mayo Clinic. Thermo Fisher will seek U.S. FDA …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Packing on pounds during COVID-19 and how to turn it around. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org If you\'ve gained weight during the COVID-19 pandemic, you aren\'t alone. The \"Quarantine 15\"

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). FDA issues emergency use authorization for algorithm designed to improve detection of heart failure during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization to Eko, a digital health company, for the heart screening algorithm developed by Mayo Clinic. The AI-driven algorithm can detect weak heart pump, which is commonly detected by echocardiogram, a test that is not normally conducted during a physical exam, requires specially trained technicians to record, and requires prolonged contact with …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Masking your kids during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Do you or don\'t you wear a mask? If you do, what material is best? And what about children? Questions around masks during the COVID-19 pandemic abound, especially in light of the recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that all Americans wear masks in public settings. \"The direction around face masks has …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). National Nurses Day: Not all heroes wear capes. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Photo and article are courtesy of Mayo Clinic News Center andMayo Clinic Employee Facebook. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear scrubs, protective equipment and step out in difficult times to be there for others. As COVID-19 continues to spread and people heed notices to socially distance themselves and hunker down in their homes, there …

WSWS (2020-05-15). Russia ends federal COVID-19 shutdown measures as it surges to second place in infections worldwide. wsws.org There are now more coronavirus infections in Russia than anywhere else in the world, with the exception of the United States and Spain.

Fight Back (2020-05-15). UPS Teamsters plan call-in to demand hazard pay. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – UPS Teamsters are working extremely long hours in hazardous conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting themselves and their families at risk with no hazard pay. UPS was late to provide sufficient personal protective equipment for workers and only did so after workers demanded it. Still, many areas lack the appropriate PPE to stay safe at work. The Teamsters union has not put hazard pay on the negotiating table for UPS Teamsters; workers are organizing on the shop floor to win their demand. UPS recently announced their quarterly profits at almost $1 billion. | \"UPS is making hundreds of…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Finland: Schools Reopen Despite Health Situation. telesurenglish.net Finland\'s Education Ministry reopened Thursday schools after a two-month closure period due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Pre-school and elementary school children were the first to return their activities. | RELATED: | \"Experts affirm schools reopening would have a minimal impact on the pandemic, but grand benefits for children,\" Education Minister Li Andersson said, adding that her office instructed municipality authorities to enforce p…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Convalescent plasma advocate donates at Mayo Clinic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A recovered COVID-19 patient who has become a strong nationwide advocate for the Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program made a plasma donation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Chaim Lebovits became involved with the program in March and since then has rallied thousands, who have also recovered, to donate.The initiative, which Mayo Clinic is leading, studies …

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Chile Digs Thousands of Graves to Face COVID-19 Deaths Surge. telesurenglish.net Santiago city\'s general cemetery is digging thousands of graves to deal with the possible increase in deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The alarms went off when Chile recorded 2,660 infections in a single day on Wednesday. \"So far, about 1,000 graves have been set up,\" the general cemetery director Rashid Saud said. | Although the cemetery clears unclaimed graves every year, it is the first time this…

Lynda Carson (2020-05-15). Confirmed known Covid-19 cases for 2,818 federal inmates. indybay.org Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic…

Joe Amon (2020-05-15). Plan Now for Vaccination Decisions to Come. progressive.org Who should be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine once it is available?

WSWS (2020-05-15). After FCA Sterling Heights Assembly workers contract COVID-19, anger mounts over premature return to work. wsws.org Anxiety over a premature return to work has been heightened after reports that several workers in the Detroit area have already been sent home with suspected COVID-19 infections.

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-05-15). Why Capitalism Can\'t Cure Global Pandemics. counterpunch.org We frequently hear that COVID-19 is the worst pandemic since the influenza of 1918. It is forgotten that another pandemic known as \"the third plague\" (because it was \"the third major bubonic plague outbreak to affect European society\") killed millions from the 1890s to the 1950s in Asia\'s southern, southeastern, and eastern regions, continuing well

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Possible neurological effects of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Originally identified as a respiratory disease, some COVID-19 patients exhibit neurologic symptoms including stroke, loss of consciousness, headache, and even the loss of taste and smell. What\'s unknown is whether these are direct effects of the virus entering the nervous system, or consequences of the disease\'s effect on the body. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, …

True Publica (2020-05-15). COVID-19: How Many are Really Unemployed and how Many British Companies are Going Bust. globalresearch.ca The total amount of people who are unemployed right now seems to something of a closely guarded secret as is the amount of financial support that is really being dished out by the government. I suspect this has something to …

Derrick Broze (2020-05-15). Trump Appoints Big Pharma Exec Connected to Bill Gates to Head Vaccine Developments. thelastamericanvagabond.com On Friday, Donald Trump announced his appointment of Moncef Slaoui, a former executive with vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, to lead \"Operation Warp Speed\", Trump\'s plan to fast track the development of vaccines for COVID-19. Slaoui will serve in a volunteer position, assisted by Army Gen. Gustave Perna, the commander of United States Army Materiel Command. According …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 news briefing. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic\'s Vaccine Research Group, covers the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Poland discusses how the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is changing, and how scientists and researchers are rapidly gaining new knowledge about the virus and the disease that it …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-15). Night of Qadr observed in Abadan. en.mehrnews.com ABADAN, May 16 (MNA) — On the 21st night of holy month of Ramadan, people in Abadan marked Laylat al-Qadr [Night of Decree] as limited by observing health protocols following the outbreak of coronavirus, COVID-19, in the country.

Flávio Gonàßalves (2020-05-15). COVID-19: Construir os empregos do futuro AGORA! globalresearch.ca Reconstruir as economias depois da pandemia de COVID-19 parece ser uma tarefa impossível dado ao contrário do que sucede numa guerra convencional nà£o há infra-estruturas a reconstruir, o que criaria emprego e relanàßaria a economia. Ou será esta a oportunidade …

WSWS (2020-05-15). US grocery stores and retailers move to cut pandemic pay to workers. wsws.org Kroger, Starbucks and other companies plan to end hazard-related bonuses, including pay increases and paid work leave, even as the number of new COVID-19 infections and deaths in the US continues to rise.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-15). Mayo Clinic\'s comprehensive COVID-19 research. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org \"At Mayo, we\'ve developed a comprehensive research portfolio, or what we call a COVID-19 research task force, in order to respond to every area that we need to learn more about this virus. We have scientists doing research in epidemiology. We have people doing research in immunology and vaccine development, in virology, in translational work, in …

teleSUR (2020-05-15). South Africa To Protect Groundwater From Massive Burials. telesurenglish.net The South African Cemeteries Association (SACA) Friday warned that burial land could not be sufficient given the current spreading rate of the COVID-19. | RELATED: | Because of the likely proliferation of makeshift cemeteries, bacteria, decomposition resulting substances, and the virus could seep into underground water reserves. | Sanitary authorities must take into account circumstances such as grave depth, buries…

Staff (2020-05-15). Essential Sanitary Workers Strike for Hazard Pay and PPE in New Orleans. truthout.org The severe outbreak of COVID-19 in southern Louisiana was the last straw for a group of sanitation workers who pick up trash in eastern New Orleans. Last week, they walked off the job and went on strike, demanding hazard pay and a $15 living wage. | Without \"hoppers,\" as the workers are known, garbage would pile up on the streets and contribute to the spread of disease and other public health problems. However, the group of hoppers in New Orleans say their employers did not provide them with hazar…

Raul Diego (2020-05-15). Head of the Hydra: The Rise of Robert Kadlec. mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON DC (

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-05-15). \"Truth in America R.I.P.\": In America there is only Official Truth, and It\'s a Lie. globalresearch.ca In \"freedom and democracy\" America there is only official truth, and it is a lie. A person or website that speaks real truth is shunted aside as a \"conspiracy theorist,\" \"Russian agent,\" \"racist,\" \"anti-semite,\" or other such name with the …

Nino Pagliccia (2020-05-15). Canadians Must Ask Questions About the Mercenary Raid on Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Details of the failed armed mercenary incursion on Venezuela are surfacing daily thanks to the prompt public information system from Venezuela and scant corporate media reports. The so-called Operation Gideon took off from Colombia on May 3 and was effectively …

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). The positive side of Colombia: ambassador can eat two families\' monthly income in just one lunch. colombiareports.com Many Colombians may have no food, but that doesn\'t mean their Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, can\'t have lunch that could sustain two families for…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). The positive side of Colombia: ambassador can eat two families\' monthly income in just one lunch. colombiareports.com Many Colombians may have no food, but that doesn\'t mean their Ambassador to Geneva can\'t have lunch that could sustain two families for a month for lunch. One cannot form…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). Colombia\'s opposition filing criminal charges against 9 generals and Duque ally over illegal spying. colombiareports.com Colombia\'s opposition announced criminal charges against nine army generals and an ideologue of President Ivan Duque\'s far-right political party, which again found itself accused of having ties to the mafia….

Rick Baum (2020-05-15). Simple Solution to California\'s Anticipated $54 Billion Budget Deficit. counterpunch.org The California Department of Finance recently projected that the state is facing a $54 billion deficit. There is hope for a bailout from the federal government. Given the current political make-up of the national government, does anyone want to count on what should be viewed as the goodwill of reactionaries such as Senate Majority Leader

Andrew Levine (2020-05-15). Vice President Kamala Harris? counterpunch.org The Washington Post and other generally reliable sources of Washington (or is it Wilmington?) scuttlebutt report that Kamala Harris\'s chances of becoming Joe Biden\'s running-mate are on the rise. She wiped the floor with that doddering doofus in the debates, but they say that he doesn\'t care anymore. More likely, he doesn\'t remember. It could

Brett Wilkins (2020-05-15). Veterans Exposed in Cold War Bioweapons Testing Still Awaiting Answers — and Help. counterpunch.org On May 12, 2000, the CBS Evening News first reported that over 1,000 American sailors were unwittingly exposed to chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents in the 1960s and early 1970s as part of secret military experiments to study the vulnerability of US Navy ships to germ warfare attacks. The Pentagon responded to the report

teleSUR (2020-05-15). \'Together We\'ll Overcome\' ANC Leader Tells the World\'s Peoples. telesurenglish.net The RELATED: | \"We are proud and much encouraged that young…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Lebanon\'s Govt. to Inquire Into Causes of Currency Devaluation. telesurenglish.net Lebanon\'s Prime Minister Hassan Diab Friday announced that his government will investigate the devaluation of the Lebanese pound, which has brought the country\'s economy to its most critical point. | RELATED: | \"The people have the right to know the causes of the increase in the price of the dollar and who is behind the devaluation our national currency,\" Diab stressed. | Currently, the dollar is quoted at 4,000 Lebanese…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). China: 5 Five Vaccines to Go Into Large-Scale Testing by July. telesurenglish.net China\'s National Health Commission (NHC) predicts that five coronavirus vaccines that have entered the second phase of clinical trials will pass that phase in July. | RELATED: | \"We have registered none serious adverse effects on the volunteers during the tests. If everything goes as planned, the projects would finish the second part of their tests in July,\" the NHC deputy director Zeng Yixin said. | China has five…

WSWS (2020-05-15). The Trump administration vs. science. wsws.org The president\'s attack on his top coronavirus advisor, Anthony Fauci, is part of an appeal to the most backward and reactionary forces to support the deadly policy of \"reopening\" the US economy.

WSWS (2020-05-15). German auto bosses demand government subsidies and job cuts. wsws.org The German auto industry is using the coronavirus crisis to implement its long-planned transition to electro-mobility and digitalisation. Its main partner is the company union, the IG Metall.

Staff (2020-05-15). Democrats\' Relief Bill Would Let Lobbying Giants Access Small Business Aid. truthout.org House Democrats\' newest coronavirus relief proposal would allow influential Washington lobbying groups — funded by deep-pocketed corporations — to access forgivable small business loans. | House Speaker

Ahmed Abu Artema (2020-05-15). Gaza Holds Its Breath as the Threat of Coronavirus Looms. thenation.com Gaza Holds Its Breath as the Threat of Coronavirus Looms…

Dave Zirin (2020-05-15). Baseball\'s Plan to Reopen Is All Risk for the Players. thenation.com Baseball\'s Plan to Reopen Is All Risk for the Players…

Brenda Norrell (2020-05-15). Wearing \'smallpox blankets\' Lakota Dakota oppose casinos reopening. indybay.org Wearing \'smallpox blankets,\' Standing Rock Lakota and Dakota opposed the plan to re-open casinos. This comes as two coronavirus cases were reported after group testing at Standing Rock.

The Canary (2020-05-15). Low-paid workers more likely to have lost jobs since coronavirus crisis began — study. thecanary.co Almost a third of the country\'s lowest-paid workers have been furloughed or lost their jobs altogether, a new study suggests. | The Resolution Foundation said a survey of 6,000 adults showed that Britain\'s lowest-paid employees are paying the heaviest economic price in the current crisis. | Among the lowest-paid fifth of earners before the crisis, 5% have lost their job, and a further 25% have been furloughed, said the report. In contrast, less than one in 10 of the top fifth of earners have lost work or been furloughed. | Across the workforce as a whole, almost one in five workers have lost work or been furlough…

Sasha Abramsky (2020-05-15). If They Walk Like Fascists and Talk Like Fascists… thenation.com If They Walk Like Fascists and Talk Like Fascists…

Peter Bolton (2020-05-15). Coronavirus outbreak calls for new era in our relationship with animals. thecanary.co As The Canary has Tim…

Michael Massing (2020-05-15). The Virus, the Press, and the Comfortable Class. thenation.com The Virus, the Press, and the Comfortable Class…

WSWS (2020-05-15). UK universities prepare all-out assault on staff and students in wake of pandemic. wsws.org With the coronavirus pandemic leading to a drop in student numbers, up to 60,000 workers could lose their jobs as universities face a £2.5 billion funding black hole.

WSWS (2020-05-15). \"Corona demonstrations\" in Germany: Neo-Nazis join hands with Free Democrats, Christian Democrats and Left Party. wsws.org The FDP\'s leader in Thuringia, Thomas Kemmerich, participated in a demonstration against the measures put in place to restrict the spread of the coronavirus. Like other such mobilisations in Germany, it was dominated by the extreme right.

The Canary (2020-05-15). Matt Hancock refuses to commit to a pay rise for nurses. thecanary.co Matt Hancock has refused to promise a pay rise for nurses after the coronavirus crisis. He\'s said that he would fight for them to have \"fair reward\" but without making specific commitments. | Speaking at the Downing Street press conference, the health secretary said he agreed \"very strongly\" with the statement that nursing is a \"highly skilled profession and it deserves decent pay\". | But he stopped short of making any promises, saying only: We put up nurses\' pay last month and in fact last year we had the biggest rise in pay, especially for nurses when they were starting their career, the lowest paid nurses got a…

WSWS (2020-05-15). Rushed relaxation of coronavirus measures in Germany puts thousands of lives at risk. wsws.org With the general relaxation of the coronavirus measures, cases in schools, retirement homes, local transport, industry and the entire working population are inevitably on the rise again.

Dr. Pascal Sacré (2020-05-15). The Real Coronavirus Victims: Relations between People. globalresearch.ca \"Only touch, medicine and speech can truly heal. ª | — Hippocrates, 5th century B.C. | Some say the world is going to change. For me, it has already changed in March 2020. | A \"coronavirus\" world | A better world? | That depends….

Staff (2020-05-15). USPS Reportedly Considering Price Hikes as Trump\'s Takeover Accelerates. truthout.org With the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service soon to be completely under the control of President Donald Trump\'s appointees, the agency has reportedly launched a review of its package prices and bulk delivery contracts as it faces the possibility of imminent collapse due in large part to the coronavirus crisis. |

Elie Mystal (2020-05-15). Breonna Taylor Was Murdered for Sleeping While Black. thenation.com Breonna Taylor Was Murdered for Sleeping While Black…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-15). \'Not their business\': Iran slams US threats to reimpose UN sanctions. peoplesdispatch.org The US has threatened to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran if its draft resolution to extend the arms embargo is vetoed in the UN Security Council…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-15). Iran\'s sponge iron production vol. exceeds 2.5mn tons in 1st month of current year. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 15 (MNA) — The production volume of sponge iron [Direct Reduction Iron, DRI] in large mining and mineral companies and also subsidiary companies to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization [IMIDRO] in the first month of the current year [from March 21 to April 19] topped 2.5 million tons.

WSWS (2020-05-15). Declassified Mueller investigation transcripts confirm no evidence WikiLeaks colluded with Russia. wsws.org The \"Russian connection\" was baldly asserted by the Democratic Party, US intelligence officials and the corporate media…

commondreams (2020-05-15). Immigrant Rights Groups Call on Governors, Health Officials to Release People in Immigration Detention. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Heather Vogell, ProPublica (2020-05-15). Whistleblower: Wall Street Has Engaged in Widespread Manipulation of Mortgage Funds. commondreams.org Securities that contain loans for properties like hotels and office buildings have inflated profits, the whistleblower claims. As the pandemic hammers the economy, that could increase the chances of another mortgage collapse. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/whistleblower-mortgage-funds-propublica.jpg …

Fight Back (2020-05-15). Chicagoland area Arabs and Muslims continue to fight racist, incompetent, township board during pandemic. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On May 11, over 30 Arab and Muslim community members and their allies joined a Palos Township online meeting to continue demanding the resignation of the racist trustee, Sharon Brannigan. | Since the global pandemic forced the state of Illinois and its functions to be moved to digital forms, the Palos Township started to hold its monthly general meetings via Zoom. | The #ResignBrannigan coalition, which has been demanding the resignation of Brannigan since July of 2017, refused to let the quarantine get in the way of their campaign and took the fight to Zoom. | The meeting, like usual, became heated…

WSWS (2020-05-15). US Senator Richard Burr steps down as intelligence chairman amid investigation into pre-pandemic stock dump. wsws.org As part of an ongoing Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission\'s probe into insider trading, FBI agents have seized the North Carolina senator\'s personal cell phone.

WSWS (2020-05-15). US whistleblower warns premature return to work will bring \"unprecedented illness and fatalities\" wsws.org Dr. Rick Bright warned yesterday that the pandemic \"has the potential to eclipse the devastation wrought by the 1918 influenza, which globally claimed over 50 million lives.\"

commondreams (2020-05-15). Congress Must Guarantee Health Coverage During Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-15). How Biosecurity Is Enabling Digital Neo-Feudalism. strategic-culture.org Italian master thinker Giorgio Agamben has been on the — controversial — forefront examining what new paradigm may be emerging out of our current pandemic distress. | He recently called In

Mike Ervin (2020-05-15). The Sound and Fury of \'America Strong\'. progressive.org What\'s the best way to honor medical professionals during a pandemic? Why, with a public display of militarism, of course!

Fight Back (2020-05-15). Almost 3 million more applied for Unemployment Insurance last week. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, May 14, the Labor Department reported more bad news, saying that almost 3 million people applied for unemployment insurance in the previous week ending May 9. This means that over the last eight weeks more than 36 million people applied after losing jobs and income. Another 3.5 million are collecting the federal government\'s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, which goes to the self-employed. This brings the total number of recently unemployed people to about 40 million. | This report was worse than mainstream economists expected, with a drop of only 200,000 from the week before,…

commondreams (2020-05-15). Six Essential Questions for Trump\'s \'Warp Speed\' Vaccine Program. commondreams.org ______________________________…

WSWS (2020-05-15). The drums of economic nationalism are beating louder. wsws.org A series of comments published in the New York Times in recent days points to the rise of economic nationalism within the US political establishment the logic of which is war against China.

commondreams (2020-05-15). Sanders, Gillibrand, Booker, Warren, Markey, Merkley, Harris Introduce Emergency Health Care Guarantee Act. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Sarah Lahm (2020-05-15). Billionaires Are the Biggest Threat to Public Schools. commondreams.org Given Gates\'s track record of expensive failures in the realm of education reform, this partnership is understandably drawing criticism from teachers and parents, as well as allegations from progressives that it is disaster capitalism at work. (Photo: Michael Cohen/Getty Images/The New York Times) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/billgates.jpg …

Diane Archer (2020-05-15). The Best Way to Ensure Unemployed Workers Get Health Care? Pay for It Through Medicare. commondreams.org The Medicare Crisis program offers far more generous benefits than the COBRA proposal, the Worker Health Coverage Protection Act. Still, according to the economists at PERI, the cost to the federal government of the Medicare Crisis program based on coverage for 38.7 million people is $22.3 billion less than the full cost of care under the COBRA proposal, $47.5 billion vs. $69.8 billion for three months of coverage. (Photo: @AngryVoters / Twitpic) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/we_need_medicare_for_all.jpg …

Amee Chew (2020-05-15). Stop the $2 Billion Arms Sale to the Philippines. commondreams.org A street under quarantine in Iriga City, Philippines (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/shutterstock_1691913814.jpg …

Staff (2020-05-15). My Birth Control Experience Is Why I\'m Fighting to Ensure Access for Everyone. truthout.org The issue of birth control is particularly important to me as a woman of color from an immigrant community in Pennsylvania. Beyond my own experience, I also understand the difficulties other marginalized communities face in obtaining this essential health care. | The first time I sought birth control, the provider lectured me based on stereotypes she had of people from my \"culture.\" She also insisted repeatedly that I choose a birth control method which I was not comfortable with because it w…

Dr. Joseph Mercola (2020-05-15). Video: Bill Gates\' and Rockefeller Foundation\'s Plan to Track Americans. globalresearch.ca Bill Gates — who

Mark Zuckerberg (2020-05-15). Video: Ted Cruz to Zuckerberg: Is There Facebook Political Bias? globalresearch.ca Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pressed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on whether or not there is a political bias at the social media giant. | . | . | . …

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-05-15). Former Inslee Staffers Urge Biden and House Dems to Embrace $1.2 Trillion Green Stimulus as Part of Covid-19 Recovery. commondreams.org Advisers who helped develop Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's widely-praised climate action plan during his 2020 presidential run are now calling on congressional Democrats to adopt the bold initiatives Inslee proposed in order to include a shift to a renewable energy economy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/jay_inslee_0.jpg …

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-05-15). Steny Hoyer Ripped by Progressive Primary Challenger for Backing Fossil Fuel Bailout in Covid-19 Bill. commondreams.org \"This is not the time to invest in dirty energy through federal petroleum purchases.\" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hoyer.jpg …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-05-15). \'The Future We Want\': London Joining Global Trend of Car-Free Streets to Cut Pollution, Fight Covid-19. commondreams.org Following in the footsteps of leaders in Milan and New York City who are heeding global calls to #BuildBackBetter from the coronavirus pandemic, London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday unveiled plans to create \"one of the largest car-free zones in any capital city in the world\" to improve local air quality and encourage more walking and cycling. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12127988601.jpg …

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-05-15). Calling on Americans to Vote Trump Out, The Lancet Eviscerates US President Over \'Incoherent\' Covid-19 Response. commondreams.org Esteemed medical journal The Lancet on Friday took an unusual step towards calling on American voters to remove President Donald Trump from office in November, condemning the Trump administration's \"incoherent\" response to the coronavirus pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1223495095_1.jpg …

RT (2020-05-14). \'Unlawful & invalid\': Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state\'s stay-at-home order. rt.com Measures purportedly enacted to stop the spread of coronavirus in Wisconsin have been overturned by the state\'s Supreme Court, which ruled that the orders violate the law and cannot be enforced. | The state\'s highest court issued a 4-3 ruling describing the restrictions as \"unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable.\" The decision comes after Republican lawmakers sued Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, after she unilaterally extended the state\'s \"Safer at Home\" emergency order in mid-April. The measures were first implemented in March and were set to expire on May 26. | Wisconsin has alrea…

John Bachtell (2020-05-14). \'Tyrannical\' Wisconsin court ruling puts lives in danger amid pandemic. peoplesworld.org In a ruthless display of power, the right-wing-dominated Wisconsin Supreme Court threw the state\'s response to the COVID-19 pandemic into \"chaos,\" putting the lives of millions of residents in danger. The ruling, termed \"tyrannical\" by one dissenting justice, struck down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers\'s administration\'s ability to issue statewide emergency safer-at-home orders during the pandemic, …

Ruth Conniff (2020-05-14). Hell No, You Can\'t be Safer at Home. progressive.org Wisconsin Supreme Court, in act of \'blatant . . . judicial activism,\' strikes down state rules meant to curb spread of COVID-19.

Staff (2020-05-14). When Patients Die Alone, How Do Families and Health Workers Cope, Relieve Suffering? democracynow.org We look at the tremendous emotional toll the coronavirus is taking on families when loved ones are forced to battle COVID alone in hospitals or at home, with Dr. Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care and a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She helped start a 24-hour palliative care hotline for COVID-19 patients in New York City that served nearly 900 people in a four-week period.

Staff (2020-05-14). Headlines for May 14, 2020. democracynow.org World Health Organization Says Novel Coronavirus \"May Never Go Away\", Whistleblower Warns U.S. Faces \"Darkest Winter\" Without Urgent Action on COVID-19, Trump Calls Dr. Anthony Fauci\'s Warning on COVID-19 and Schools \"Not an Acceptable Answer\", Wisconsin Stay-at-Home Orders Struck Down, Threatening New Wave of COVID-19 Deaths, Fed Reserve Chair Warns of Long Recession as Unemployment Claims Hit 36 Million, Trump Calls Democrats\' Coronavirus Relief Bill \"Dead on Arrival\", Native Americans Make Up Half of New Mexico Coronavirus Deaths; New Orleans Sanitation Workers Strike, China to Test 11 Million Wuhan Residents…

Staff (2020-05-14). Coronavirus Pandemic Prompts Global Mental Health Crisis as Millions Feel Alone, Anxious & Depressed. democracynow.org Is the coronavirus pandemic generating a mental illness crisis? Millions face isolation, poverty and anxiety. We speak with psychology professor and author Andrew Solomon, as the United Nations calls on governments to put mental health \"front and center\" in their response to the crisis.

RT (2020-05-14). How dare you… use CHINESE drones!? US lawmakers \'grill\' feds over spying on lockdown-violating Americans. rt.com A group of House Republicans has called on federal agencies to shed light on drones used by police across the country to surveil and enforce Covid-19 lockdowns, arguing that Chinese devices could compromise \"sensitive US data.\" | The 14 GOP representatives, all on the House Judiciary Committee, penned

RT (2020-05-14). \'Don\'t give 2 rats\' a**es about your cops\': NYC police unions call on health commissioner to resign after refusal to provide masks. rt.com Unions representing New York City police officers have demanded the dismissal of the city\'s health commissioner after she scoffed at a request to provide the force with surgical masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Dr. Oxiris Barbot refused to provide the city\'s police with 500,000 masks as Covid-19 began to spread in March, telling a high-ranking law enforcement official, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan: \"I don\'t give two rats\' asses about your cops.\" The conversation, first reported by the New York Post, was confirmed to the media by the NYC Health Department. Barbot has since apologized to Monaha…

Patricia Gorky (2020-05-14). Bay Area car caravan: Stop state executions by COVID-19! liberationnews.org More than 80 cars drove around San Quentin prison in Marin County, California on Sat. May .

RT (2020-05-14). Richard Burr to step down as Senate intel chair during FBI\'s probe into suspicious stock dumps before Covid-19 market crash. rt.com Republican Senator Richard Burr will step down from his post as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee pending a probe into suspicious stock trades he made before the Covid-19 crisis hit US markets. | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that Burr had contacted him to say he would not remain in the role \"during the pendency of the investigation.\" | McConnell said it had been agreed that the decision was \"in the best interests of the committee\" and would be effective from the end of the day on Friday. | The decision comes hours after FBI agents seized the North Carolina senator\'s private…

The Canary (2020-05-14). Health leaders say it will take months for NHS services to fully resume. thecanary.co It will be months before the NHS is able to fully restart services in the face of coronavirus (Covid-19), health leaders say. | Experts from the Health Foundation, the King\'s Fund and the Nuffield Trust will tell MPs on 14 May of the significant challenges facing the health service as it tries to create a \"new normal\". | It comes as NHS waiting list data is due to be published which is expected to show the number of people waiting for treatment has swollen during the pandemic. | The waiting list for planned treatment stood at around 4.4 million before the coronavirus outbreak but is now expected to be much higher…

The Canary (2020-05-14). Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines, making social distancing \'almost impossible\'. thecanary.co A strong typhoon has hit the Philippines after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the coronavirus (Covid-19) risks of overcrowding emergency shelters.The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon local time, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight Covid-19 outbreaks largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections. More than 11,600 infec…

RT (2020-05-14). WHO warns Covid-19 may \'never go away\' as Trump clashes with Fauci over US reopening. rt.com US President Donald Trump has pushed for reopening schools, against the advice of his chief epidemiologist. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned that the coronavirus may become endemic and never really disappear. | After meeting with governors of Colorado and North Dakota in the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he won\'t consider any state fully open until the schools are back up and running. | \"I think you should absolutely open the schools. Our country has got to get back and it\'s got to get back as soon as possible, and I don\'t consider our country coming back if the schools are closed,\" T…

RT (2020-05-14). FBI serves search warrant, seizes Sen. Richard Burr's phone amid probe into insider trading before Covid-19 market crash — reports. rt.com Federal agents have seized the private cell phone of Republican Senator Richard Burr, reportedly serving him with a search warrant amid a Justice Department probe into suspicious stock trades he made soon after Covid-19 hit the US | The North Carolina senator was presented with the warrant at his Washington-area residence on Wednesday night, the LA Times The move comes as the DOJ intensifies…

Staff (2020-05-14). Israel Strips Financial Aid From Palestinian Prisoners, Leaving Them To Face COVID-19 Alone. therealnews.com Calls and visits are denied to many of Israel\'s Palestinian prisoners, leaving their fate in the pandemic unknown.

RT (2020-05-14). \'We're in deep s**t\': Ousted \'whistleblower\' Dr. Bright becomes new anti-Trump hero pinning blame on White House. rt.com Mainstream media has elevated National Institutes of Health whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright to heroic status after his congressional testimony denounced Trump\'s Covid-19 response as borderline criminally negligent. | Bright, the director of the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) until he was unceremoniously dismissed last month, painted a disturbing picture of a government flying blindly into disaster on Thursday during his testimony on the administration\'s Covid-19 response before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. | \"We\'re in deep shit\"

Makasi Motema (2020-05-14). Working class democracy and centralism. workers.org Painting shows V. I. Lenin speaking to soldiers and civilians. We are taught in school that the United States is a democracy, but this claim is completely divorced from the reality of class struggle. The wealthy ruling class, which owns the greater proportion of our economy through the stock market . . . |

Sasha Yumbila Paz (2020-05-14). The Colombian Political System is Ravaged by Corruption: Pablo Beltrán. peoplesdispatch.org The ELN, took up arms in 1964. Since 1989, it has held peace talks with five administrations. The government of Juan Manuel Santos and the ELN advanced an agenda to end the conflict. The last round of negotiations was held in Havana, Cuba, where the ELN\'s Dialogue Delegation continues to work for a political solution to Colombia\'s armed conflict. | The government of Iván Duque Márquez, since taking office in August 2018, has ignored the Agenda for Peace Talks, including the security protocols and the return of the ELN to Colombia; and in January 2019 it terminated all dialogue. | Over 56 years, the armed conflict…

David Ruccio (2020-05-14). The jungle—pandemic edition. mronline.org Like nursing homes, the U.S. meatpacking industry has become one of the hotspots of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

PAI (2020-05-14). U.S. pandemic unemployment grows again, but so does the number of billionaires. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Some 2.981 million more people filed for jobless benefits in the week ending May 7, the Labor Department said Thursday, bringing total unemployment insurance claims since the coronavirus pandemic-caused shutdowns began to 36.5 million. Progressive analysts at the Economic Policy Institute predict jobless figures will only get worse, especially for low-wage workers, women workers, and …

The Canary (2020-05-14). More than £30,000 raised for family of rail worker who died after being spat at. thecanary.co A fundraising campaign for the family of a rail worker who died with coronavirus after being spat at on a station concourse has topped £30,000 as her union issued demands over staff safety.The gofundme initiative has received more than 1,700 individual donations following the shocked reaction to the death of Belly Mujinga.British Transport Police has launched an investigation after Mujinga died a fortnight after the incident at London\'s Victoria station.(Gofundme/PA)The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said many of its members were now fearful for their safety.Officials contacted Mujinga\'s emplo…

ahtribune (2020-05-14). Surveillance Tech: Leave It to the Mossad and Shin Bet to Profit Militarily and Financially from Coronavirus. ahtribune.com Israel\'s external spy organization Mossad and its internal espionage equivalent Shin Bet have reputations that are much larger than their actual successes, but the one area where they have excelled is electronic intelligence gathering. Recent electronic spying around the White House and other federal buildings in Washington carried out by the Israeli Embassy demonstrates that Israel does not differentiate much between friends and enemies when it conducts espionage. In fact, spying targeting the U.S. is probably its number one priority due to the fact that the Jewish state is so heavily dependent on American su…

RT (2020-05-14). Western media concerned coronavirus 'hasn't killed more Russians'. rt.com US and allied media outlets seem frustrated that the pandemic isn\'t killing more Russians, so they\'re claiming the death toll is higher, despite a lack of evidence — while insisting Moscow is the one spreading disinformation. | When the number of confirmed coronavirus cases started accelerating in Russia last month, Western media pounced, presuming the increase would be followed by the kind of spike in casualties seen in the US and many European countries. That hasn\'t happened, and the same outlets that were licking their lips waiting for the Russian body count to explode now seem to feel cheated. | A ne…

RT (2020-05-14). \'We\'ll cut off the whole relationship\' — Trump throws some signature shade at China in new interview. rt.com President Donald Trump has savaged the Chinese government\'s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. His threat to \"cut off the whole relationship\" with China is consistent with a new, hard line being pushed by his administration. | \"I\'m very disappointed in China,\" Trump said during an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday. \"We asked to go over and they said no,\" he continued, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\'s February offer of assistance to the virus-stricken city of Wuhan. | \"They didn\'t want our help. And I figured that was OK because they must know what they are doing. S…

Mirinda Crissman (2020-05-14). U.S. global prison model: white supremacy on display. workers.org The United States has institutionalized white supremacist violence at home and abroad through its use of police and prisons. This does not come as revelation, but as a call to action. Whether we examine photographs coming out of El Salvador\'s prisons, or surveillance software used by U.S. police and Immigration . . . |

ahtribune (2020-05-14). Biden Can\'t Return Things To Normal, Because Trump Is A Normal US President. That\'s The Problem. ahtribune.com \"I am with Joe Biden all the way- let\'s get this country back to where it was before the orange man started destroying it!!!\", reads a This idea that Obama\'s vice president will restore normality to a nation that has been ruined by a highly abnormal president has been a very common sentiment among Democrats for a long time now, and it\'s silly for a number of reasons. | Firstly, wanting America to go back to how it was before Trump is wanting the conditions whic…

David Ruccio (2020-05-14). Reserve army—pandemic edition. mronline.org In particular, the existence of a reserve army serves to discipline labor, keeping its wage demands in check, since employed workers are forced to compete with unemployed and underemployed workers for the available jobs.

Roger D. Harris (2020-05-14). US Uses \"Humanitarian Intervention\" to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests. dissidentvoice.org No More War focuses on the one nation in recent times that has been continuously engaged in wars of aggression. In fact, that nation has been engaged in wars or military occupations in all but five years since its founding in 1776. Author and professor of human rights law at the University of Pittsburgh, Dan …

Martin Hart-Landsberg (2020-05-14). The 1930s and now: Looking back to move forward. mronline.org While there are great differences between the crises and political movements and possibilities of the 1930s and now, there are also important lessons that can be learned from the efforts of activists to build mass movements for social transformation during the Great Depression. My aim in this paper is to illuminate the challenges faced and …

Ian Angus (2020-05-14). 3.5 billion people may face \'unlivable\' heat in 50 years. mronline.org Every degree of global warming will push a billion people out of the human survival zone.

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). Why Xi Won\'t Repeat Ming Dynasty Mistakes. strategic-culture.org China has learned from its own rich history and is applying those lessons to re-emerge as a major 21st century power | Pepe ESCOBAR | With hybrid warfare 2.0 against China reaching fever pitch, the New Silk Roads, or Belt and Road Initiative, will continue to be demonized 24/7 as the proverbial evil communist plot for economic and geopolitical domination of the \"free\" world, boosted by a sinister disinformation campaign. | It\'s idle to discuss with simpletons. In the interest of an informed debate, what matters is to find the deeper roots of Beijing\'s strategy — what the Chinese learned from their own rich…

Olujimi Alade (2020-05-14). You have to experience everything. workers.org My life today is completely different than it was four years ago: I am a college graduate and now a member of the workforce — although that could change. Sitting here in the early months of 2020, it is clear to see that we are headed toward a crisis that . . . |

Walter Smolarek (2020-05-14). Why China is not the aggressor. liberationnews.org The war hawks want you to believe that China is bullying and threatening the United States. Don\'t fall for it

(2020-05-14). In the hearts and minds of Nicaraguan people Augusto Sandino, °presente! workers.org By Camilo Mejía Nicaraguan-born antiwar organizer and Iraq war resister Camilo Mejía gave a talk on Feb. 21 at the United National Antiwar Coalition meeting at The People\'s Forum in New York. Below is an excerpt from his remarks in tribute to General Augusto Nicolás Calderón de Sandino y José . . . |

Scott Ritter (2020-05-14). US muscle-flexing threatens to open Arctic front in new Cold War with Russia. thealtworld.com The US Navy is on the cusp of conducting confrontational freedom of navigation operations in the Arctic that threaten Russian economic and national security interests. | The recent resumption by the US Navy of a Three American destroyers and a British frigate, accompanied by a supply ship, ventured into the Arctic body of water last week. The…

Staff (2020-05-14). Who\'s Fighting The War Against Cash? therealnews.com Mastercard, Visa, and Bill Gates are all pushing for polices to make it harder to use cash, hoping to keep closer tabs on the population through the trail of electronic transactions.

teleSUR (2020-05-14). President Maduro: New Mercenary Groups are Formed in Colombia. telesurenglish.net Venezuela\'s president, Nicolas Maduro, denounced this Thursday that \"new groups of mercenaries are being formed in Colombia\" under the complicity of the Ivan Duque government, with the purpose of attempting new attacks against his country. | \"New groups of hitmen, mercenaries and terrorists are being formed in Colombia; We have the names, the place where they are, those who protect them and everything points to Ivan Duque again \", denounced the president while leading the day with the health sector to evaluate the protocols implemented in the combat of Covid-19. | The head of state asserted that those who pro…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Bolivia: Scholastic Organizations Join Hunger Protests. telesurenglish.net Bolivia\'s educators joined on May 13 the strikes against coup born government, after massive layoffs amidst the ongoing pandemic due to the Covid-19 outbreak. | RELATED: | According to the Confederation of Urban Education Workers of Bolivia (CETUB) leader, Vladimir Laura, about 800 professors and education specialists who were instructing other teachers were dismissed in early May. Laura stressed their employers breached the…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Tense Calm in Montenegro After Day of Mass Protests. telesurenglish.net Montenegro was under a cloak of tense calm on Thursday, after mass protests in several cities, which were strongly repressed by the police and during which people were arrested and injured, including minors. | RELATED: | The origin of the situation was the detention of Orthodox Archbishop Joanikij and eight other clergymen who were saying mass in honor of Saint Vasilije Ostrovski on May 12, when thousands of people…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-14). Slovenian Left protests amendments to Nature Conservation Act. peoplesdispatch.org The amendments proposed by the Slovenian government make it more difficult for organizations to attain the status of a nature conservation organization in public interest. This is believed to be a step towards the sale of the country\'s resources…

Umer Beigh (2020-05-14). Protests break out after paramilitary forces kill civilian for \"jumping a checkpoint\" in Kashmir. peoplesdispatch.org The killing of a 25-year-old civilian has triggered massive protests across central Kashmir. The security forces have responded by firing tear gas canisters and pellets, injuring scores of protesters…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Brazil: Face Masks Are Mandatory in Rio de Janeiro. telesurenglish.net Brazil\'s Legislative Assembly in Rio de Janeiro (Alerj) decreed on Thursday that mask-use is mandatory and a preventive measure against Covid-19. The 92 Rio de Janeiro municipalities will enforce this norm. | RELATED: | According to the bill, mask-use is legally required. If police and authorities catch a citizen with an uncovered face, the offender will receive a warning. In case of a recurrence, violators will…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Brazil: Coronavirus Kills Historic Leader of Amazonian Peoples. telesurenglish.net Messias Kokama, the main Indigenous leader of the Manaus city, died a victim of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on Wednesday. His community mourns his departure without being able to pay homage to him with their traditional rituals. | RELATED: | \"We lost a man who dreamed of the first Indigenous neighborhood inside a city. Today he leaves us his example of persistence, struggle, and courage in the face of conflicts and obstacl…

Mark Taliano (2020-05-14). A Well-Planned Epidemic. globalresearch.ca Evidence demonstrates that the Coronavirus Operation started well before the \"lockdowns\" and the Fear campaigns. | Consider, for example, that whereas the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020 (1) the Coronavirus Aid Relief …

WSWS (2020-05-14). Fed chief calls for more money for Wall Street and corporations. wsws.org Powell\'s remarks effectively poured water on the claim that once lockdowns are lifted, as being demanded by the \"return to work\" advocates, the American economy will immediately snap back in a so-called V-shaped recovery.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-14). Education unions in Morocco prevent private schools\' profiteering from COVID-19 Crisis Fund. peoplesdispatch.org A federation of for-profit private schools, many of which are collecting fees during the lockdown without providing online classes or teachers\' pay, had sought financial assistance through the COVID-19 fund…

Michelle Chen (2020-05-14). Prisons Are Using the Pandemic to Impose Lockdowns. progressive.org Advocates say the extreme restrictions on movement are punitive and dangerous.

Surangya (2020-05-14). COVID crisis in Puerto Rico worsened by US neglect. peoplesdispatch.org After hurricanes and earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic is the third major health crisis in Puerto Rico in three years. There have been around 2,300 COVID cases and around 115 deaths in the Caribbean island as of May 14. This crisis is exacerbated in the region because of the historical neglect and because of its colonial relationship with the United States.

teleSUR (2020-05-14). China Says They are Not Stealing US Data on COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net China\'s Foreign Ministry called the allegations made by the United States defamatory, saying that Beijing-backed hackers are trying to steal data related to advances in the new coronavirus vaccine from the country. | RELATED: | \"China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition to such defamation,\" ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a press conference. | The U.S. \"has conducted the world\'s largest cyber-robbery o…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). \'Major\' Mental Health Crisis Looming Due to COVID-19: UN. telesurenglish.net The COVID-19 outbreak risks sparking a major global mental health crisis, the United Nations warned Thursday, calling for urgent action to address the psychological suffering brought on by the pandemic. | RELATED: | While protecting physical health has been the primary concern during the first months of the crisis, it is also placing substantial mental strains on large swathes of the global population, the U.N. sai…

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-14). COVID-19 Response Fund: Cutting-edge technologies advance coronavirus fight. imperial.ac.uk Imperial researchers are driving forward the fight against coronavirus with new healthcare innovations and data insights.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-14). US Should Release Occupational Data in COVID-19 Death Reports. cepr.net Earlier this week, the Guardian reported that UK women working in care occupations are two times as likely to die from COVID-19 as women in professional and technical occupations. In addition, UK men in low-paid, manual jobs are four times as likely to die from the virus as men in professional and technical jobs. The …

Peter Bolton (2020-05-14). We shouldn\'t mourn the loss of high street fashion giants. They represent some of the worst aspects of globalization. thecanary.co On both sides of the Atlantic major retail clothing chains have been struggling in the midst of coronavirus-related (Covid-19) shutdown measures. Economic commentators have been

teleSUR (2020-05-14). COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Ready Within a Year: EU. telesurenglish.net The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that a coronavirus vaccine could be ready for approval within a year in an \"optimistic scenario\". | RELATED: | \"I don\'t think a vaccine could be ready by September of this year,\" EMA vaccine department chief Marco Cavaleri said at a press conference. | For Cavaleri, the world could look on the optimistic side that the vaccine will be ready within a year, in 2021. | C…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). First COVID-19 Case at Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh. telesurenglish.net A Rohingya refugee has become the first person to test positive for COVID-19 in the vast camps in Cox\'s Bazar, Bangladesh, that house almost a million people, officials said Thursday. At the same time, humanitarian groups have warned the infection could devastate the crowded settlement. | RELATED: | The local health coordinator, Abu Toha Bhuiyan, initially said two refugees had been put into isolation. The World Health Organ…

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-14). AI-Powered Medical \"Pre-Crime\" Is Officially Here To \"Fight COVID-19\" thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/13/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-14). Imperial MBBS medics deliver action plans for London GPs and local communities. imperial.ac.uk Third-year medical students have partnered with community, voluntary, health & social care leaders to respond to local needs in the era of COVID-19.

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Trump Threatens to Break Ties With China Over COVID-19 Issues. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump further hardened his rhetoric towards China Thursday, saying he no longer wishes to speak with Xi Jinping and warning that he might cut ties over the rival superpower\'s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Tensions have ratcheted up between Washington and Beijing as they trade barbs over the origin of the pandemic —which first appeared in late 2019 in the Chinese city of…

Lawrence Korb (2020-05-14). Pandemic Spending Will Force US Defense Budget Cuts—Some of Which Should Come From Nuclear Weapons Programs. globalresearch.ca Even supporters of increased US defense budgets expect that, because the US government will likely spend trillions of dollars trying to rescue the economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, military spending in the United States is likely …

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). America\'s Newest Wedge Issue and the Tale of the Bizarre 2020 Presidential Elections. strategic-culture.org The Covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate the news and life of the American Republic. With currently no end in sight it is not paranoid to wonder if and how the pandemic will affect the presidential elections coming up in November. Two World Wars, The Civil War, The Great Depression and the Spanish Flu were not enough to stop voting for some congressmen and the top executive of the United States as planned. Now for the first time there are

teleSUR (2020-05-14). At Least 100,000 Health Workers Contracted COVID-19 Worldwide. telesurenglish.net The International Council of Nurses (ICN) Thursday informed that at least 100,000 health workers have contracted COVID-19 so far and asked governments to publish more complete figures on this worrying situation. | RELATED: | In some European countries, over 10 percent of coronavirus-infected people are health workers. In Spain, the proportion of affected reached 19 percent, although the ICN stressed that international c…

WSWS (2020-05-14). After COVID-19 infection discovered, 300 workers walk out of Mississippi pillow factory. wsws.org Concern over a possible plantwide spread of the virus was mounting for days when a worker at the plant told supervisors that her husband—also employed at the factory—had tested positive for coronavirus.

John McEvoy (2020-05-14). Revealed: Secretive British Unit Planning for \'Reconstruction\' of Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the \'reconstruction\' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of …

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). \'Zombie Neocon\': How This Iran Contra Architect Is Leading Trump Policy. strategic-culture.org Hawk Elliot Abrams, reborn as a U.S. envoy, is at the spear point of recent aggressive moves in Venezuela. | Barbara BOLAND | As we await answers on who funded the plot to Called the \"neocon zombie\" by officials at the State Department, Abrams is know…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). UN economic commission backs guaranteed minimum income in Colombia. colombiareports.com The United Nations\' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) supports an urgent guaranteed minimum income (GMI) as proposed in Colombia\'s senate. The proposal was coined by some…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Guatemala: Doctors Demand Better Working Conditions. telesurenglish.net Guatemalan health workers demanded May 13 better working conditions, medical supplies, and biosafety equipment. | RELATED: | According to local news media, doctors in the station hospital located in Industrial Park sai they don ¥t have necessary equipment and health supplies to cover their daily necessity. | As they said, authorities gave them trash bags as makeshift protective suits. Furthermore, they stated food portions are not e…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). US: Nearly 3 Million Newly Unemployed Ask for Subsidies. telesurenglish.net Nearly 3 million U.S. workers filed for jobless benefits last week, bringing the total number of people applying for unemployment since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in March to 36 million. | RELATED: | The U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday that 2.98 million people have applied for unemployment benefits in the country. | This brings the total number of unemployed people in the nation who took advantage o…

Daniel Fernandez (2020-05-14). There Is Only One Way to Prevent Mass Deaths in Prisons: Let Them Out. thenation.com There Is Only One Way to Prevent Mass Deaths in Prisons: Let Them Out…

Mike Adams (2020-05-14). America\'s Military Vaccine Mandate? Dept. of Defense Purchasing 500 Million ApiJect Syringes to Inject Every Person in America with Coronavirus Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Anyone who thought the US military was preparing to force vaccinate every American with a coronavirus vaccine has just found strong evidence to confirm the plan.

Sasha Abramsky (2020-05-14). Undocumented Workers in Coronavirus Crisis. thenation.com Undocumented Workers in Coronavirus Crisis…

Gregg Gonsalves (2020-05-14). Reopening: A Chronicle of Needless Deaths Foretold. thenation.com Reopening: A Chronicle of Needless Deaths Foretold…

Dimitris Konstantakopoulos (2020-05-14). Corona-Crisis and Two Models of Capitalism. globalresearch.ca It is clear that we are entering worldwide an era of very grave social, political and international conflicts and we cannot exclude new wars, writes Dimitris Konstantakopoulos, former adviser to the Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and former Member …

Erin Schwartz (2020-05-14). \'God Friended Me\' Was the Strangest Show on TV. thenation.com \'God Friended Me\' Was the Strangest Show on TV…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). Toothless Congress Fails to Limit Presidential War Powers. strategic-culture.org Some weeks ago, the world woke up to the fact that World War III had just started without anyone being invaded or shots fired. It began when American President Donald J. Trump

WSWS (2020-05-14). Local county officials in California bow before billionaire\'s demand to reopen Tesla factory. wsws.org Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk reopened his 10,000-employee factory in defiance of the orders of Alameda County health officials.

Jeff Abbott (2020-05-14). The Other Americans: Trump is Spreading the Virus. progressive.org Deportations of migrants are exacerbating already weakened health care systems in Latin America.

WSWS (2020-05-14). Fruit pickers, garment workers strike as opposition grows to reopening US economy. wsws.org Migrant workers in the state of Washington and garment workers at a Mississippi pillow-making factory are striking as the number of job actions demanding safe conditions surpasses 200.

Matthew Russell Lee (2020-05-14). Banking on the Nuclear Bomb Are Citi, Chase, BofA, Wells and Goldman Sachs. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2018. | Among the top ten investors in nuclear weapons are banks which stand to benefit from the de-regulatory bill

Ian Dunt (2020-05-14). Unholy Shambles: Johnson\'s COVID Response Falling Apart at the Edges. globalresearch.ca As soon as they had to do anything, the whole thing fell down. From the slogan, to the statement, to the guidance, it is an unholy shambles, a near-ceaseless demonstration of cack-handed inadequacy. | It\'s not like they didn\'t have time …

Staff (2020-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Anthony Fauci Warns Senators Reopening Too Soon Will Cause \"Suffering and Death\", House Democratic Leaders Unveil New $3 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package, Tesla CEO Elon Musk Defies Lockdown Order, Reopens California Auto Plant, L.A. Extends Lockdown for 3 Months as Cal State Cancels In-Person Fall Classes, CDC Estimates 5,000+ More New York City Coronavirus Deaths Than Officially Reported, Progressive Lawmakers Call on World Bank, IMF to Cancel Poor Countries\' Debts, Brazil Records Its Highest Daily COVID-19 Death Toll, London Transit Worker Dies After Man Claiming to Have COVID-19 Spits on Her, Aide to R…

Staff (2020-05-13). Naomi Klein: Healthcare Industry Sees \"Potential Bonanza\" of Profits in COVID-19 Crisis. democracynow.org As the top infectious disease expert testifies to the Senate that needless death and suffering could result from reopening too quickly, author and journalist Naomi Klein says a \"pandemic shock doctrine\" is beginning to emerge. \"The fact that a large sector of the economy, the healthcare industry, sees a potential bonanza here … that\'s a win for them.\"

Staff (2020-05-13). Screen New Deal: Naomi Klein on How Companies Like Google Plan to Profit in High-Tech COVID Dystopia. democracynow.org In her new report for The Intercept on the \"Screen New Deal,\" Naomi Klein looks at how the coronavirus pandemic is more high-tech than previous disasters — and how the future we\'re being rushed into could transform our lives into a \"living laboratory for a permanent — and highly profitable — no-touch future.\" She joins us to discuss what she found, and says, \"I think we\'re going to see very incomplete so-called solutions … that massively benefit private tech interests.\"

RT (2020-05-13). FDA orders Bill Gates-funded program to HALT at-home Covid-19 self-testing. rt.com The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered a Seattle-based Covid-19 testing project funded by Bill Gates to stop screening for the virus, putting the program on ice as it provided hundreds of at-home test kits each day. | The billionaire Microsoft icon announced the initiative in a

RT (2020-05-13). Pennsylvania Health Sec under fire after moving own mum OUT of nursing home while sending sick Covid-19 patients INTO them. rt.com As Pennsylvania\'s health secretary faces harsh criticism and calls to resign over her policy ordering Covid-19 patients to return to nursing homes after leaving hospital, she has admitted to moving her own mum out of a care home. | Dr Rachel Levine revealed when asked by reporters that her mother was moved out of her personal care home when the pandemic began — though she defended herself by saying that she was simply following the wishes of the 95-year-old woman, who wanted to move. | WATCH: PA Secretary of Heath admits own mother left senior facility while coronavirus swept nursing homes. Gov Wolf nowhe…

The Canary (2020-05-13). We are vulnerable and scared, say tragic railway worker\'s colleagues. thecanary.co Colleagues of railway worker Belly Mujinga have described feeling \"scared\" and \"vulnerable\" after the Victoria station staff member died with coronavirus a fortnight after being spat at while on duty.It came as the government was urged to extend its coronavirus compensation scheme, offering £60,000 to families of NHS frontline staff and social care workers who die from the disease during the pandemic, to the transport sector.A police investigation is under way, launched more than a month after Mujinga and a colleague were attacked by a man claiming to be infected with Covid-19 on the concourse at the London…

Tom Coburg (2020-05-13). Even the mainstream media\'s now suggesting UK death toll could surpass 50,000. thecanary.co The BBC has published an article suggesting that the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) related deaths in the UK could be \"nearly twice as high\" as the official figure. This follows similar analysis by the Financial Times (FT). | Both media outlets expose the blatant dishonesty of the daily figures quoted by Boris Johnson\'s government. | More than 50,000 deaths?: | The government,

The Canary (2020-05-13). Hundreds of workers report employers for furlough fraud. thecanary.co Hundreds of workers have reported their employers over claims that they are fraudulently taking furlough money from the government. | HMRC confirmed it has received 795 reports of potential fraud related to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. | It said it will now be \"assessing\" these cases in line with its usual procedures. | The scheme was introduced from March, with the government pledging to pay 80% of the wages of workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, in a bid to protect jobs. | On Tuesday, chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined plans to extend the furlough scheme until the end of October. | One stipulation…

Janine Jackson (2020-05-13). \'Our Food System Is Very Much Modeled on Plantation Economics\' – CounterSpin interview with Ricardo Salvador on the coronavirus food crisis. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed the Union of Concerned Scientists\' Ricardo Salvador about the coronavirus food crisis for the Media…

RT (2020-05-13). Flynn \'unmasking\' documents show involvement of senior Obama administration officials, including Joe Biden. rt.com A newly published list of US officials who were interested in National Security Agency (NSA) records on Trump adviser Michael Flynn includes President Barack Obama\'s chief of staff, as well as Vice President Joe Biden. | Biden is listed as requesting the unmasking on January 12, 2017, the same day the Washington Post published a story claiming that Flynn had misreported his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, based on leaked NSA information. | Flynn unmasking documents f… by

RT (2020-05-13). Biden campaign reacts to Flynn unmasking revelations by attacking journalist & denouncing Republicans. rt.com After Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden was named as one of the Obama administration officials who asked for NSA information on General Michael Flynn, his campaign first targeted the messenger, then lashed out at the GOP. | The bombshell list of more than a dozen officials who asked the US spy agency for information about Flynn between the 2016 election of President Donald Trump and his inauguration included President Barack Obama\'s chief of staff, as well as Biden. It was a troubling disclosure for the candidate who has just denied any knowledge of the Flynn investigation, in a TV interview on Tuesday.

Don Fitz (2020-05-13). Can we simultaneously oppose Bayer/Monsanto\'s biotechnology and support Cuba\'s Interferon Alpha 2B? mronline.org Technology reflects social factors throughout its development and use. Genetically engineered crops allow mega-corporations to patent seeds, lure farmers into buying them with visions of high yields, and then destroy small farmers. Cuba\'s drugs are shared throughout the world. Making a distinction between the biotechnology of agro-industry and Cuba requires understanding the difference between bioimperialism …

RT (2020-05-13). Senate votes down anti-surveillance amendment, as both parties back warrantless spying on Americans' browser history. rt.com The US Senate has voted down an amendment that would limit surveillance of Americans\' internet records. Apparently, the true divide in Washington is not between Democrat and Republican, but those for or against the police state. | The US Senate met on Wednesday to debate the reauthorization of some provisions of the USA Freedom Act, an expansive domestic surveillance bill that expired in March. As Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought the Act to the floor, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced an amendment that would explicitly bar law enforcement from snooping on Americans\' internet browsing and search…

ahtribune (2020-05-13). Stamping Out the Outbreak of the Zionism Virus of the 1948 Nakba. ahtribune.com Every day, I wait for Cuomo\'s briefing impatiently and watch while perched, tense and hyper-alert, at the edge of my seat, mesmerized by the shifting lines of his charts that, I swear, often morph into the outline of the map of Palestine. | My mind automatically sucks in Cuomo\'s words and echoes them back at the TV in an altered form. I am Muslim, but the dynamic gripping me is one akin to the relationship between a pastor and his congregation at a black church. Cuomo calls and I respond, sometimes aloud. I hold back from hollering and shouting at his image, so as not to scare my family. | I take in every word…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-05-13). From Lebanon to Syria, the Arab World is Failing Palestinian Refugees. mintpressnews.com Heinous racism. That is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. | Lebanon\'s restrictions on its Many were ta…

Denijal Jegiƒá (2020-05-13). In banning Hezbollah, Germany responds to far-right, U.S. and Israeli pressure — not any security threat. thegrayzone.com Hezbollah has never been charged with any crimes in Germany nor does it have an official presence in the country….

Alan Macleod (2020-05-13). Wall Street Will Likely Be the Only Winners in the Pandemic Housing Crisis. mintpressnews.com For most Americans, the $1,200 stimulus check didn\'t even cover rent and a third of American renters have even paid rent yet this month, meaning an ongoing de facto rent strike is likely already taking place.

Alan Macleod (2020-05-13). American Weapons Manufacturers Are Thriving Even as the US Economy Suffers. mintpressnews.com The economy has crashed. A nationwide pandemic that has (officially) claimed some 84,000 Americans has also resulted in an estimated

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.

Fight Back (2020-05-13). Georgia politicians, activists demand action for poultry workers. fightbacknews.org Gainesville, GA – COVID-19 virus is spreading quickly among poultry workers and their families in Georgia. In Hall County, northeast of Atlanta, there is a hotspot with over 2000 cases and 29 deaths as of May 12. With roughly 16,500 workers employed by 14 chicken plants across Georgia, and most immigrant families living with two or three generations in one house, the situation is code red. There needs to be an emergency response from the government and the corporations. | Chicken processing is dirty, demanding and dangerous work done mainly by immigrants from Mexico, many of whom are women. The big corporations,…

Fight Back (2020-05-13). WFTU announcement about the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in Arab countries. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following May 13 statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions. | The World Federation of Trade Unions follows the developments about the situation of workers of Arab countries, which is being deteriorated due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Except for the consequences on their health, the workers are called to pay the price for the consequences that the Pandemic and the lockdowns have brought upon to the economies of their countries. | In Algeria, Air Algeria plans to reduce the salaries of its employees. In Jordan, the government reduced the salaries of 100.000 wor…

Mark Hertsgaard (2020-05-13). The Covid-19 Stimulus Debate Is a Pivotal Climate Story. thenation.com The Covid-19 Stimulus Debate Is a Pivotal Climate Story…

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-13). The economic impact of coronavirus: analysis from Imperial experts. imperial.ac.uk Academics and researchers from Imperial College London have provided analysis of the economic impact of COVID-19.

Jonathan Cook (2020-05-13). Why is Mike Pompeo risking a One-day Trip to Israel Amid the Pandemic? dissidentvoice.org As part of its battle against Covid-19, Israel has closed it borders to foreigners and imposed a two-week quarantine on anyone entering the country. There are also strict requirements to wear masks in public places. Israel, however, has thrown the rules — and caution — to the wind in approving the arrival on Wednesday of …

Sarah Lahm (2020-05-13). Billionaires Are the Biggest Threat to Public Schools. progressive.org For education \"disruptors\" like Bill Gates and Betsy DeVos, COVID-19 isn\'t a crisis—it\'s an opportunity.

The Canary (2020-05-13). Results of tens of thousands of Covid-19 tests disappear into \'black hole\'. thecanary.co The results of tens of thousands of Covid-19 tests carried out by the government\'s network of testing centres are not being shared locally, stalling efforts to control the outbreak, it has emerged. | A leaked email, seen by the Health Service Journal (HSJ), said data from a new testing programme of non-NHS labs — managed by consultancy firm Deloitte — is not available. | Sent at the weekend from a regional NHS incident centre, the email said: \"No new national testing programme (NTP) data will be reported in this brief from 4 May until further notice. | \"This is due to the NTP testing numbers increasin…

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-13). Coronavirus will have bigger impact on world\'s most disadvantaged and vulnerable. imperial.ac.uk The coronavirus pandemic will have a greater impact on the world\'s most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, according to an Imperial report.

Fight Back (2020-05-13). Reading Dickens during the pandemic. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – I have lived into my sixties without giving really serious thought to 19th century English literature. My Catholic school teachers like Sister Irene and Sister Bridget continuously tried, but 45 years ago I was living the life of Eric Forman from That 70s Show. Younger and hipper lay teachers successfully introduced me to African American authors like Claude Brown, Richard Wright, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin. As a result, at the time I consumed Charles Dickens\' literature largely through a series of second-rate movies, cartoons and uneven theatrical performances that typically undermined the a…

Edward Hunt (2020-05-13). U.S. Officials Chart a Course for Greenland\'s Future. progressive.org Trump\'s talk of buying the island fits a broader pattern of efforts to keep the island under U.S. influence.

Ellis Howard (2020-05-13). Watch as Ellis Howard breaks down, then tears apart, Boris Johnson\'s \"stay alert\" announcement. thecanary.co Watch more from Ellis, as well as other great Canary TV content, on our By

Carly Larsson (2020-05-13). What\'s Changed Since the Virus Arrived? thenation.com What\'s Changed Since the Virus Arrived?

Staff (2020-05-12). Headlines for May 12, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Fauci to Warn Lawmakers of \"Needless Suffering and Death\" If Lockdowns End Too Soon, European Countries Report New Spikes as They Reopen Economies, Trump Makes False Claim About Testing Capacity, Tells Reporter Weijia Jiang to \"Ask China\" About Coronavirus, PA Plant Canceled Trump Visit over Concern for Worker Health, New Study Finds Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Help COVID-19, Can Cause Heart Attacks, China Threatens \"Countermeasures\" for U.S. Journalist Visa Restrictions, Meatpacking Union Condemns Reopening of Factories Amid Pandemic, India Starts to Ease Lockdown as Cases Mount, Coronavirus Cases Mount in W…

Staff (2020-05-12). \"Losing the Fabric of the City\": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org We look at the coronavirus pandemic\'s disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago\'s first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago\'s population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report \"COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn\'t Have To.\" She says the story paints a picture of \"sophisticated structural racism\" in Chicago.

Staff (2020-05-12). Los New Yorkers: Essential, Underprotected Undocumented Immigrants Struggle to Survive in Epicenter. democracynow.org As the coronavirus continues to devastate New York City communities, we hear the voices of undocumented New Yorkers about how they are surviving the pandemic. Their stories are told in a new ProPublica story headlined \"Los New Yorkers: Essential and Underprotected in the Pandemic\'s Epicenter.\" We speak with one of the story\'s reporters, Adriana Gallardo.

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-05-12). Pivot To Peace Must Replace US Pivot To War With China. dissidentvoice.org US and Chinese Fists and Weapons face-off (from the Financial Times) The Trump administration, in seeking to divert attention from its bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic and mishandling of the economic collapse, is escalating the bipartisan anti-China policy, which has a long history. This increases the potential of military conflict and economic war between …

Staff (2020-05-12). Stir Crazy! Episode #32: Don\'t Make Us Regret This! therealnews.com On today\'s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, co-host of \"By Any Means Necessary\" Jacqueline Luqman, and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown.

ahtribune (2020-05-12). A Breakdown of Academic Integrity at Universities, 9/11 to COVID-19. ahtribune.com The subject matter of Robin\'s letter below provides insight into a case study among many others that demonstrates the failure of the academy to put the quest for truth and understanding above political expediency and successful fund raising. The implications of this pervasive failure in the academy are slowly but surely making their way into venues of public discourse. | One of the precedents set in transforming universities into pawns of powerful lobbies, including the Israel lobby, has animated the continuing failure of academic institutions to protect realms of multi-faceted academic research, publication a…

Staff (2020-05-12). Trump Is Using COVID-19 As An Excuse To Let Polluters Destroy The Earth. therealnews.com Trump\'s former coal lobbyist EPA administrator is letting oil, gas, and coal take advantage of the global pandemic.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-12). Etazini vle depà≤te yon gwo asasen an Ayiti. cepr.net ayiboPost Al gade nan atik sou sit orijinal la An Anglè Pandan pandemi COVID-19 la, prèske tout fwontyè ak ayewopà≤ nan mond lan fèmen men avyon Imigrasyon leta Ameriken (ICE) kontinye vole. Chak 2 a 3 semèn, yon và≤l depà≤tasyon konpayi Swift Air, LLC opere, ateri nan ayewopà≤ Pà≤toprens. Apre youn nan và≤l sa yo …

ahtribune (2020-05-12). Trump\'s Ex-Security Company and Their Botched Plot to Overthrow the President of Venezuela. ahtribune.com Reports coming out of Venezuela and Miami, Florida in the United States are boarding on the hilarious. If you thought you had seen it all with Venezuela\'s hard right-wing opposition and their allies in the U.S. with their actions to overthrow the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro, well, think again. In recent days, images of two captured North American mercenaries have been flooding the air waves in the South American country of Venezuela where Maduro remains the president, despite harsh U.S. Accord…

ahtribune (2020-05-12). Civilian Taxi Driver Shot and Killed by US Military in Deir Ezzor. ahtribune.com Before the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, Yasser Aslan used to teach programming. With the war and ever-dwindling economy, Yasser, the only breadwinner in the family of six, had to look for additional sources of income. Like thousands of other Syrians, he turned his car – a KIA Rio – into a taxi, and drove along the dangerous roads of Deir Ezzor province in an attempt to make the ends meet for himself, his wife and four daughters (15-years-old teenager and 4-years-old triplets). | Deir-Ezzor, as well as other eastern provinces of Syria, still suffers from small-scale yet lethal attacks carried out by remnant…

Nina Eichacker (2020-05-12). Learning All the Wrong Lessons From the 2008 Financial Crisis – NYT should not fixate on debt as governments respond to the coronavirus pandemic. fair.org I recently wrote a piece for FAIR (

Andre Vltchek (2020-05-12). On May Day, the \"Opposition\" Again Acted Foolishly and Irresponsibly. dissidentvoice.org May Day in Hong Kong, and here it happened again! Several media outlets reported that \"hundreds of protesters did gather in small groups at a shopping mall in the town of Sha Tin, chanting slogans and holding protest flags\". A few other groups of rioters were spotted at various other locations in the city. They …

Ajamu Baraka (2020-05-12). Trump wins! Completing Obama\'s Pivot to Asia and the Confrontation with China. dissidentvoice.org Even before becoming the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump had one consistent foreign enemy — China. Partly fueled by his intrinsic white supremacy and his antipathy for the liberal elite \"globalists\" who evoked his personal inferiority complex, Trump has never waivered from his fierce opposition to what he saw as the \"yellow …

ISDBICC (2020-05-12). [Research Paper] Mapping of variations in child stunting, wasting and underweight within the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2000—2017. thelancet.com CGF indicators have improved in India, but there are substantial variations between the districts in their magnitude and rate of decline, and the inequality between districts has increased in a large proportion of the states. The poor correlation between the national surveys for CGF estimates highlights the need to standardise collection of anthropometric data in India. The district-level trends in this report provide a useful reference for targeting the efforts under NNM to reduce CGF across India and meet the Indian and global targets.

Project Censored (2020-05-12). Kent State 50th with Mickey Huff. projectcensored.org 50 years have passed since Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on Kent State University students protesting the Vietnam War. Four students were killed and nine wounded. On this week\'s…

Sinha A. (2020-05-12). King Lear Under COVID-19 Lockdown. jamanetwork.com This Arts and Medicine feature draws lessons from William Shakespeare\'s King Lear about our collective disorientation and obligations to each other in the midst of the first-wave coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Farooque Chowdhury (2020-05-12). COVID-19 Pandemic: Time for Bold programs from the Left to Help the People. dissidentvoice.org Fred Magdoff, Professor Emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and author of many articles and books on ecology, agriculture and economy, frequent Monthly Review contributor and closely associated with struggles of the working people, discusses the coronavirus pandemic in light of capitalism and agriculture in the following interview conducted on …

Bauchner H, Sharfstein J. (2020-05-12). Medical Students and Public Health Service for the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com Over the next few months it is likely that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has surged in New York City, Seattle, New Orleans, and Detroit will move from city to city and state to state. After the initial peak, absent highly effective medical interventions, the US will likely experience outbreaks of lingering disease for months and potentially years to come. As the US enters the next phase of COVID-19, critical questions will involve the nation\'s capacity to respond to outbreaks, protect high-risk populations, and limit community spread.

Rubin R. (2020-05-12). The Challenge of Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Correctional Facilities. jamanetwork.com This Medical News feature examines steps that correctional facilities are taking to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Project Censored (2020-05-12). The Censorship of Inequality in the Covid-19 Era: How Corporate and Market-Based Metrics Rule the News, and Why it Matters. projectcensored.org By Anthony DiMaggio The old adage that \"the more things change the more they stay the same\" seems particularly appropriate to media coverage in the Covid-19 crisis. Old patterns of media…

Fight Back (2020-05-12). Minneapolis vigil honors Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia, first person to die of COVID-19 in ICE detention. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – After dark on Monday, May 11, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held a candlelight vigil at the Minneapolis Federal Courthouse to remember Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia. He is the first person reported to die of COVID-19 while in jail detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The speakers at the vigil called on people to remember Carlos and called on government officials to free all ICE detainees. | Because of COVID-19, all vigil participants wore a mask and maintained social distance. | During the vigil, Escobar-Mejia\'s name was also projected on a large wall o…

Omer SB, Malani P, del Rio C. (2020-05-12). The COVID-19 Pandemic in the US: A Clinical Update. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint provides a summary update of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the US, discussing case-fatality rates, interpretation of polymerase chain reaction test results, duration of immunity, reinfection, and more.

Sanders JM, Monogue ML, Jodlowski TZ, et al. (2020-05-12). Pharmacologic Treatments for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). jamanetwork.com This narrative review summarizes what is currently known about how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells and causes disease as a basis for considering whether chloroquine, remdisivir and other antivirals, or other existing drugs might be effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-12). Mountains Of Evidence Show COVID-19 Was All Over The World Oct/Nov 2019, Why Is It Being Ignored? thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/12/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Michael K. Smith (2020-05-12). Joe Biden Suffers Massive Stroke! dissidentvoice.org Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden suffered a massive brain hemorrhage today as he practiced reciting the days of the week for upcoming debates with President Trump. Campaign staff members say it will not affect his work, and insist he has no plans to withdraw from the presidential contest, unless \"something serious happens.\" \"We\'ve been through …

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-12). Consumer Price Index Plunges 0.8 Percent, Core Falls 0.4 Percent. cepr.net Food prices rose 2.6 percent in April, reflecting a large increase in store-bought food. The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.8 percent in April, driven again by large price declines in sectors that were hit hard by pandemic-related shutdowns. Gas prices fell 20.6 percent, following a drop of 10.5 percent in March. They are …

Kuehn BM. (2020-05-12). Despite Gains, Progress Toward TB Elimination Has Slowed. jamanetwork.com Although the US incidence of tuberculosis (TB) reached an all-time low in 2019, CDC researchers expressed concern in a recent report that the rate of decline has slowed in recent years.

Colin Todhunter (2020-05-12). The Scourge of Authoritarianism in the Age of Pseudoscience. dissidentvoice.org Following the court decision in the US to award in favour of Dewayne Johnson (exposure to Monsanto\'s Roundup weed killer and its active ingredient, glyphosate, caused Johnson to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma), attorney Robert Kennedy Jr said at…

Staff (2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump\'s \"Chaotic\" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…

Staff (2020-05-11). \"COVID-19 Has Been Racialized\": Black Scholar Jill Nelson Arrested for Chalking \"Trump = Plague\" democracynow.org Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City\'s response to the spread of COVID-19. We speak with author and activist Jill Nelson, who was herself arrested by NYPD in April for writing \"Trump = Plague\" in chalk on an abandoned building in her Washington Heights neighborhood. The 67-year-old scholar was handcuffed, taken to the police station and held for five hours. Now she is speaking out. The president is \"telling us that as people of color, and older people, we should just die,\" says Nelson. \"It\'s ridiculous.\"

Staff (2020-05-11). Trump Death Clock: Creator Eugene Jarecki Says \"Reckless Mishandling\" of COVID-19 Must Be Quantified. democracynow.org As the death toll from COVID-19 in the United States surpasses 80,000, an unusual new billboard called the Trump Death Clock in New York City\'s Times Square keeps tally of lives lost to government inaction. \"What we found was that there was an amazing and very dark truth underlying the numbers that spoke to reckless mishandling of a pandemic by the president and his team, and we felt that ought to be quantified,\" says Eugene Jarecki, the award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and activist behind the project.

Staff (2020-05-11). \"Weaponized and Racialized\": Police Departments Use COVID-19 to Target Black & Brown Communities. democracynow.org Viral images have shone a spotlight on uneven policing. Some show police officers distributing masks to White residents in crowded New York City parks — and apparently arresting no one. Meanwhile, videos have emerged of violent crackdowns on social distancing measures in Black and Latinx neighborhoods. We continue our look at how Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City\'s enforcement measures during the pandemic, and also discuss how officers have ordered protesters to disband, citing executive orders from the mayor and the governor that ban \"any non-ess…

ahtribune (2020-05-11). Was the Latest Coup Plot Against Democratic Venezuela Made in the US? ahtribune.com UN Charter Article 2(4) states the following: | \"All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.\" | Since US grand theft of half of Mexican territory in the mid 19th century, long before the UN Charter\'s existence, the US time and again waged wars by hot and other means against nations threatening no one, including countless coups — seeking to control them and their resources. | Since establishment of Bolivarian V…

David Quinn-Jacobs (2020-05-11). Saturday, May 16, Second Webinar, 12-1 PM EDT Disarm and Divest During Covid-19. kingsbayplowshares7.org Disarm & Divest During COVID19 Last KBP 7 Webinar Before Sentencing SATURDAY, MAY 16, 12-1pm. The Kings Bay Plowshares defendants will hold their final webinar before sentencing, this Saturday, May 16, 12-1 pm ET. Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of the Intercept, will host the defendants. Lead attorney Bill Quigley will join the webinar…

Aaron Maté (2020-05-11). Bombshell: Crowdstrike admits \'no evidence\' Russia stole emails from DNC server. thegrayzone.com Crowdstrike, the firm behind the Russian email hacking allegation at the core of Russiagate, makes a bombshell admission: \"We did…

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-11). Guaidó\'s mercenary hit contract on Venezuela\'s Maduro mirrors official US bounty, authorizes death squad killings. thegrayzone.com The leaked contract between Juan Guaidó and the Silvercorp USA mercenary firm closely resembles a DEA bounty placed on the…

Martin Begemann, Jan Seidel, Luise Poustka, Hannelore Ehrenreich (2020-05-11). Accumulated environmental risk in young refugees — A prospective evaluation. thelancet.com Young refugees, arriving in hosting countries with alarming \'risk burden\', should be considered as highly vulnerable towards development of global functional deficits, behavioral abnormalities, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Rapid proactive integration or sustainable support of those who will return to rebuild their countries are mandatory.

Paul Dobson (2020-05-11). Western Venezuela Rocked by Rolling Blackouts. venezuelanalysis.com Low water levels at hydroelectric dams, \"terrorist sabotage\" and damaged infrastructure have been blamed for the power cuts.

Linda Wiggins-Chavis (2020-05-11). We Also Face a Pandemic of Racism. progressive.org COVID-19 sheds light on America\'s systemic oppression of people of color.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-11). Mothers on the Frontlines of a Pandemic Need More than Flowers. cepr.net Daily Press Online The Free Lance-Star See article on original site More than 30 million U.S. workers are employed in industries that put them on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They include grocery store clerks, nurses, cleaners, warehouse workers and bus drivers, among others. Nearly one-in-four frontline workers — 7.5 million — are also …

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-11). Doctors Speak Out About COVID 19 & The Violent Suppression Of Your Rights. thelastamericanvagabond.com The only question, is whether We The People have the courage to stand for what we know to be right, or if we will allow ourselves to be scared into passively accepting the \"new normal,\" a locked down controlled society that was prepped for, planned out, and designed years ago. I for one, will never …

Derrick Broze (2020-05-11). This Is Why You Can\'t Trust The Fact Checkers. thelastamericanvagabond.com For the last eight years I have worked as a writer, researcher, and investigative reporter for many well-known American independent media outlets. I have spent my time investigating digital surveillance technology, attacks on indigenous communities, and the overall growth of the government and corporate power. As someone working in this field, writing about topics which …

splcenter (2020-05-11). SPLC fights to keep children out of juvenile detention, other confined settings during pandemic. splcenter.org …

Eleanor J. Bader (2020-05-11). College Faculty Are Speaking Out Against Billionaire Donors. progressive.org Resignations from a growing number of professors bring attention to the undue influence of deep-pocketed donors like Charles Koch.

Vincent Tsai and Camden Goetz (2020-05-10). New York pandemic spending favors wealthy over workers. liberationnews.org New York politicians have recently barreled forward with plans for massive cuts to public spending.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-10). [UPDATED] Venezuela Makes Fresh Arrests as Opposition Splinters over Failed Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Trump said the operation \"was not a good attack,\" again denying any US involvement.

Staff (2020-05-09). As Oil Price Plummets, Call to Nationalize Industry Rises. therealnews.com The price of oil dropped below zero, prompting new subsidies from the Federal Reserve. Progressive voices in the U.S. and Canada have a different idea: nationalization as a way to wind down the sector, tackle the climate crisis and create a just economic transition.

Staff (2020-05-09). Largest Public Utility To Outsource Hundreds Of Jobs Amid Covid-19. therealnews.com Despite Trump\'s \'America First\' policy, the Tennessee Valley Authority is outsourcing hundreds of federal jobs overseas.

Janine Jackson (2020-05-09). \'We Can Pool the World\'s Science to Develop Better Medical Tools\' – CounterSpin interview with Peter Maybarduk on Covid-19 and the drug industry. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Public Citizen\'s Peter Maybarduk about the drug industry and Covid-19 for the Media…

Staff (2020-05-09). Women In Prisons Say They\'re Being Punished For Speaking Out About COVID-19 Risks. therealnews.com Women say they\'re being punished for contacting people outside about their living conditions. Activists are planning an action May 23 at Jessup Correctional Facility in response.

Jim Naureckas (2020-05-09). Are People Getting Sick Staying Home Alone? That\'s Not What a Misinterpreted Survey Said. fair.org Gov. Andrew Cuomo says it\'s \"shocking\" that most Covid-19 hospital patients \"had been staying at home\" (CNBC, \"Who Are the New Covid-19 Hospitalizations in New York?\" asked a WNBC headline ( \"\'The People Were at Home\': Cuomo Details Surpri…

Staff (2020-05-09). HBO Docuseries Points To Many Suspects In Atlanta Child Murders, Including The Klan. therealnews.com Atlanta\'s mayor re-opened the 40-year-old case of 30 missing and murdered Black children in Atlanta. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation operated a secret investigation that pointed towards a Klan member for at least one of the murders.

I.V. Sta (2020-05-09). Eyewitness: Russia\'s 70th V-Day. liberationnews.org In addition to beautiful parades, fireworks and concerts, I was able to witness multitudes of people sharing with each other something wholly priceless: the gratitude of being alive thanks to those who fought fascism.

Project Censored (2020-05-09). Episode 83 — Shelter-in-Place Protests; Implicit Bias and Medical Schools During COVID-19 with Robin Andersen and Colleen Sweeney. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and…

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-09). \"Gene-Edited\" Future Justified By COVID-19 & France Admits Athletes Infected At Wuhan Military Games. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/8/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Derrick Broze (2020-05-09). \"We Need An Army Of Contact Tracers\" — Meet The Enforcement Arm Of The \"New Normal\" thelastamericanvagabond.com As the people of the world grapple with a pandemic that is demonstrably less deadly than originally reported, the public is being primed to accept an exponential increase in invasions of personal liberty and privacy. Every day the public grows more weary of lock downs which seem to never end, and the bankrupting of individuals …

Staff (2020-05-08). Headlines for May 8, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Pass 75,000 as Trump Sidelines Top Medical Experts, Trump to Be Tested for Coronavirus Daily After Valet Tests Positive, Vigil at White House Honors 88 Who Died from \"Trump\'s Abhorrent Failure to Protect Nurses\", U.S. Unemployment Claims Soar to 33.3 Million Amid Pandemic | , Democrats Promise \"Rooseveltian\" Coronavirus Relief Bill | , Mitch McConnell Prioritizes Judicial Confirmations as Senate Returns Amid Pandemic | , Data Shows 35 of 40 People Arrested in NY for Social Distancing Violations Are Black | , Texas Stops Jailing Lockdown Violators; Nebraska Ends Reporting on Meat Plant COVI…

Staff (2020-05-08). \"A Terrible Price\": Mardi Gras Story Lays Bare How COVID-19 Is Devastating Black America. democracynow.org We look at the deadly disparate impact of the pandemic on African Americans as told through an in-depth story for The New York Times Magazine by writer Linda Villarosa in her new piece, \"\'A Terrible Price\': The Deadly Racial Disparities of Covid-19 in America,\" that tells what happened to the Zulu club, a Black social organization in New Orleans, during and after Mardi Gras. She reports that the experience is usually a joy, but the coronavirus made it a tragedy.

Staff (2020-05-08). Trump Death Clock: Times Square Billboard Tallies Lives Lost to COVID-19 Inaction. democracynow.org A 56-foot billboard called the Trump Death Clock was unveiled in Times Square in New York City. The tally of lives lost to government inaction was created by filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, who says, \"On behalf of all of those who needlessly lost their lives to this failed leadership in a pandemic, we need a symbol, a symbol that cries out not only for accountability, but also for more responsible and responsive stewardship, going forward.\" As of the Friday morning broadcast, the death toll count was nearly 47,000 and growing.

Staff (2020-05-08). As States Loosen Pandemic Restrictions, Dr. Leana Wen Warns \"We Are Not Ready for a Safe Reopening\" democracynow.org As more than 40 states begin to reopen, President Trump is downplaying the need for mass COVID-19 testing, even as he himself is now being tested every day for the virus. We speak with emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen, who says, \"Widespread testing is so critical. … Why shouldn\'t this testing be available to all Americans?\"

Staff (2020-05-08). \"A Lynch Mob\": After Months of Inaction, 2 White Men Are Charged with Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in GA. democracynow.org The two white men caught on camera shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African American man, were arrested and charged Thursday with murder. The arrests came two days after video of the attack in February was shared with the public, sparking widespread outrage. Today would have been Arbery\'s 26th birthday. We speak with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Arbery family and formerly represented Trayvon Martin.

Staff (2020-05-08). Climate Crisis: False Techtopia, Tariffs Accounting, Orphan Wells, And The Dead Cow. therealnews.com Recent studies debunk the false techtopianism in climate science models, U.S. import tariffs failed climate accounting, and Argentina\'s shale industry is flailing. As fracking goes bust, what happens to orphaned wells?

Staff (2020-05-08). Stir Crazy! Episode #31: Cancel Corporate Media. therealnews.com On today\'s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, The Progressive Army founder Ben Dixon, and TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.

Julie Hollar (2020-05-08). New York State Tries to Suspend Democracy; NYT and WaPo Shrug. fair.org Blaming health risks due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the New York State Board of Elections announced last week that the state would simply cancel its Democratic presidential primary, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden to be proclaimed the victor without a vote. The response from the country\'s two most prominent newspapers? Meh. The Washington Post (

Aviva Levine (2020-05-08). U.S. to roll back infection control rules in nursing homes in midst of pandemic. liberationnews.org Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of long-term care facilities were failing to maintain appropriate standards of hygiene and disease prevention.

CounterSpin (2020-05-08). Ricardo Salvador on the Food System & Covid-19. fair.org Media…

Staff (2020-05-08). Palestinians And Israelis Remember Casualties Together. therealnews.com The alternative memorial service organized by peace organizations in Israel/Palestine challenges the racist official memorial services of the State of Israel in which only Israeli casualties are remembered.

Vincent Tsai (2020-05-08). In NYC pandemic used as excuse to crackdown on the homeless. liberationnews.org This follows incitement by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo against the homeless.

Anya Parampil (2020-05-08). Silvercorp co-founder speaks with The Grayzone: What did State Department know about failed Venezuela invasion? thegrayzone.com The Grayzone speaks to Drew White — a close friend and business partner of Silvercorp mercenary firm founder and failed…

Ben Norton (2020-05-08). Russian journalists accuse NY Times of stealing stories that earned it Pulitzer Prize — for second time. thegrayzone.com The New York Times has apparently stolen its Pulitzer Prize-winning stories from Russian journalists — the same liberal anti-Putin reporters…

Reese Erlich (2020-05-08). Foreign Correspondent: Biden vs. Trump on Foreign Policy. progressive.org The differences are not as great as you might suspect, but there is a clear winner.

Jane R. Millar, Nomonde Bengu, Rowena Fillis, Ken Sprenger, Vuyokazi Ntlantsana, Vinicius A. Vieira, Nisreen Khambati, Moherndran Archary, Maximilian Muenchhoff, Andreas Groll, Nicholas Grayson, John Adamson, Katya Govender, Krista Dong, Photini Kiepiela, Bruce D. Walker, David Bonsall, Thomas Connor, Matthew J. Bull, Nelisiwe Nxele, Julia Roider, Nasreen Ismail, Emily Adland, Maria C. Puertas, Javier Martinez-Picado, Philippa C. Matthews, Thumbi Ndung\'u, Philip Goulder, the Ucwaningo Lwabantwana Consortium (2020-05-08). HIGH-FREQUENCY failure of combination antiretroviral therapy in paediatric HIV infection is associated with unmet maternal needs causing maternal NON-ADHERENCE. thelancet.com The success of early infant testing and cART initiation strategies is severely limited by subsequent cART non-adherence in HIV-infected children. Although there are practical challenges to administering paediatric cART formulations, these are overcome by mothers who themselves are cART-adherent. These findings point to the ongoing obligation to address the unmet needs of the mothers. Eliminating the particular barriers preventing adequate treatment for these vulnerable women and infants need to be prioritised in order to achieve durable suppression of viraemia on cART, let alone HIV cure/remission, in HIV-infecte…

Sarah Anderson (2020-05-08). Let\'s Save the Postal Service. progressive.org The coronavirus-related plunge in mail revenue is threatening to bankrupt USPS—Trump doesn\'t want to help.

Staff (2020-05-07). UK Supreme Court Reverses BDS Ban. therealnews.com The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the largest British Palestinian solidarity group, successfully petitioned to reverse a 2016 ban preventing local governments divesting from companies involved in the Israeli occupation.

Staff (2020-05-07). Profiting from the Pandemic: Will Pharmaceutical Giants Use Patents to Limit Access to COVID Drugs? democracynow.org As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide approaches 4 million and the pandemic could be with us for months or years, we look at who can access drugs like remdesivir, being developed by pharmaceutical giant Gilead, which has the patent for the drug and is poised to make massive profits. We look at how much drugs like remdesivir will cost, and who can access them, with writer Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project, which campaigns for access to medicines in India, Brazil and South Africa.

Staff (2020-05-07). How Russia Became the Next COVID-19 Hot Spot: Infection Rate Soars with 10,000 New Cases Each Day. democracynow.org We go to Moscow for an update on the pandemic in Russia, where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, with at least 10,000 new cases a day and the second-highest infection rate in the world, and more than 100 medical workers have died fighting the virus, and many have reported lack of personal protective equipment. Meanwhile, three Russian healthcare workers mysteriously fell from hospital windows over the past two weeks. Two died, and the one who is hospitalized had posted a video online to note the lack of medical equipment and said he had to keep working despite testing positive. We speak with Joshua Yaffa, Mos…

Neal Sweeney (2020-05-07). How capitalism and racism hold back a COVID-19 cure. liberationnews.org In a few short months, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has swept the world without any proven treatment or vaccine.

Staff (2020-05-07). Women In Prison Need More Than Cuomo\'s Order To Help Against COVID-19. therealnews.com Incarcerated women still face inadequate testing and an inability to self-isolate, and few will be helped by Cuomo\'s announcement releasing pregnant and elderly women.

Staff (2020-05-07). Sanders Is Back On The NY Primary Ballot. therealnews.com Before the ruling was announced, TRNN spoke with Norman Solomon and Marcus Ferrell about how the split between establishment Democrats and progressives could help hand Trump the November election.

Matt Bruenig (2020-05-07). Reflections on the Coronavirus Economic Relief Bills. peoplespolicyproject.org When coronavirus relief bills were being discussed a couple of months ago, I Paid Leave. Create a one-month sickness allowance for those who need to take leave from work because they contracted the virus. Create a family leave benefit for those who need to take leave from work because they need to take care of family, e.g. due to school closures. | Unemployment Insurance. Expand unemployment benefits by replacing 100 percent of prior earnings up to $8,…

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-05-07). US Investigating Ex-Green Beret, Denies \'Direct\' Involvement in Failed Venezuela Coup. venezuelanalysis.com New documents confirm that the Venezuelan opposition signed a contract with Florida-based Silvercorp to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.

John H Amuasi, Christian Walzer, David Heymann, Hélène Carabin, Le Thi Huong, Andrew Haines, Andrea S Winkler (2020-05-07). [Correspondence] Calling for a COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition. thelancet.com Emerging from its ancestral bat host in December, 2019,1 possibly at a wildlife trading market in Wuhan, China,2 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had by mid-April, 2020, spread globally, infecting more than 2 million individuals and causing at least 130‚Äà000 deaths. Travel restrictions were imposed, borders sealed, schools and businesses closed, and more than half of humanity locked down, all to reduce the spread of this virus.

Project Censored (2020-05-07). Episode 82 — The COVID Chronicles #4: New York City. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Staff (2020-05-06). California And Trump Push Geoengineering—A Fraught Climate Crisis Fix. therealnews.com California has endorsed the use of direct air capture to reverse engineer the climate crisis with technology. The controversial method already has Big Oil\'s support—and the Trump administration\'s.

Bratton Young (2020-05-06). Clase dominante a los obreros: tu labor o tu vida. liberationnews.org Los trabajadores de todo el país se preparan para un regreso prematuro a sus trabajos a pesar de las advertencias de salud pública de un segundo aumento en las infecciones por el Coronavirus. Un total de 23 estados, con una población combinada de 120 millones de personas, han emitido órdenes de \"regreso al trabajo\" que entrarán en vigencia en los próximos días.

Bratton Young (2020-05-06). Ruling class tells workers: your job or your life. liberationnews.org Workers across the country are bracing for a premature return to their jobs despite public health warnings of a second spike in Coronavirus infections.

Staff (2020-05-06). Stir Crazy! Episode #29: Our Headline Writers are Still Recovering From Cinco de Mayo. therealnews.com On today\'s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, Chinatown Collective founding member Leandro Lagera, and writer and organizer Jesse Myerson. Hosted by Kim Brown…

Denis Rogatyuk (2020-05-06). Ecuador\'s Moreno govt persecutes opponents as coronavirus catastrophe exposes its neoliberal war on public sector. thegrayzone.com Sentencing former President Rafael Correa and Jorge Glas to eight years in jail and barring them from public office for…

Oliver Gross, Onnen Moerer, Manfred Weber, Tobias B Huber, Simone Scheithauer (2020-05-06). [Correspondence] COVID-19-associated nephritis: early warning for disease severity and complications? thelancet.com Among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), parameters for the prediction of the need for admission to intensive care units (ICUs) are urgently needed to enable appropriate resource allocation. Here we report that analysis of a urine sample on admission to hospital can be used to detect systemic capillary leak syndrome, which can be a predictor of fluid overload, respiratory failure, need for ICU admission, and death.

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-06). Horrifying Glimpse Into How DARPA Will \"Save\" You From COVID-19 & Venezuela Coup Tied Back To Trump. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/6/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-06). A Massive \"COVID-19\" Cover Up Is Underway & \'US Mercenaries\' Caught In Venezuelan Coup Attempt. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Asher Luberto (2020-05-06). Straight to Streaming: Recently Released Movies to Watch During Quarantine. progressive.org Here\'s a list of new films to watch on streaming services—the closest we can get to a movie theater right now.

Nicolas J S Davies (2020-05-06). Trump Must Choose Between a Global Ceasefire and America\'s Long Lost Wars. progressive.org Despite a U.N. call for ceasefire and his promise to bring troops home, Trump is continuing U.S.\'s unwinnable wars.

Sunil Freeman (2020-05-05). New PSL book: \'Climate Solutions: Beyond Capitalism\'. liberationnews.org \"It is a small book, but expansive in outlook in a way that echoes the holistic eco-socialist society we will need…\"

Annika Lee (2020-05-05). Detainees put at high risk for COVID-19 at Madison, Wi., jail. liberationnews.org To protect them from COVID-19, incarcerated people must be freed.

Nic de la Riva (2020-05-05). Paramilitary invasions in Venezuela: Made in USA. liberationnews.org Attempted invasion taken care of swiftly and efficiently by the Venezuelan government.

Aaron Maté (2020-05-05). US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn. thegrayzone.com As the US government hunts Julian Assange, it refuses to extradite a CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn…

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-05). Venezuela: Two US Citizens Captured in Botched Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com Two former green berets were arrested in a second failed assault on Venezuelan shores on Monday.

Paolo Perini, Bilal Nabulsi, Claudio Bianchini Massoni, Matteo Azzarone, Antonio Freyrie (2020-05-05). [Correspondence] Acute limb ischaemia in two young, non-atherosclerotic patients with COVID-19. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020.1 As of May 3, 2020, Italy is one of the countries hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 28‚Äà884 confirmed deaths.2 In addition to pulmonary insufficiency, COVID-19 is associated with other life-threatening complications such as sepsis, heart failure, and pulmonary embolism.3,4 Here we describe patients with COVID-19 who presented with acute limb ischaemia but did not have atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, or pre-existing blood clotting disorders.

Elena Cuadrado-Payán, Enrique Montagud-Marrahi, Manuel Torres-Elorza, Marta Bodro, Miquel Blasco, Esteban Poch, Alex Soriano, Gaston J Piñeiro (2020-05-05). [Correspondence] SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus co-infection. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an international public health emergency.1—3 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mimics the influenza virus regarding clinical presentation, transmission mechanism, and seasonal coincidence.3 Thus, co-infection by both viruses is feasible. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of co-infection is known, although the diagnosis was sequential.4 Here, we present four cases of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza co-infection, diagnosed simultaneously.

Eric Crubézy, Norbert Telmon (2020-05-05). [Letter] Pandemic-related excess mortality (COVID-19), public health measures and funerary rituals. thelancet.com Faced to COVID-19, the earliest public health recommendations in France [1] forbade washing of the body and mandated inhumation and cremation within 24 h, recommendations similar to those when case-patients were, more likely than non—case-patients, to have participated in funeral rituals. When a patient is hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2, family and friends were not allowed to be with him or her, and the farewells were done as the patient got into the ambulance. The grieving process, however, implies three phases [2]: viewing of the body, performing a collective ceremony to support those affected, and finally a…

David L Leverenz, Teresa K Tarrant (2020-05-05). [Correspondence] Is the HScore useful in COVID-19? thelancet.com Puja Mehta and colleagues1 suggest using the HScore2 to detect hyperinflammatory states in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The HScore is validated for the diagnosis of secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), a condition that shares a similar cytokine profile to severe COVID-19.

splcenter (2020-05-05). Why White Supremacists Are Targeting Zoom Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic. splcenter.org White supremacists have harassed people through the video conferencing app Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a broader trend in which they exploit emerging online platforms to promote hate before companies can sufficiently adapt to their presence.

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-05). Dr. Andrew Kaufman Interview — The COVID-19 Theory That You Are Not Allowed To Hear. thelastamericanvagabond.com Joining me today is Dr. Andrew Kaufman to discuss a topic that, despite being rooted in facts, evidence and years of research, has been suppressed, censored and ignored by the entirety of the mainstream medical and scientific community. (d.tube/c/tlavagabond) Bitcoin Donations Are Appreciated: www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/bitcoin-donation (3FSozj9gQ1UniHvEiRmkPnXzHSVMc68U9f)…

Ben Norton (2020-05-04). Anatomy of a fake news campaign: Media spreads lie from US govt-funded Korean outlet that Kim Jong-un died. thegrayzone.com Corporate media outlets spread fake news claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died. The lie originated with a Seoul-based…

Whitney Webb (2020-05-04). Coronavirus Gives a Dangerous Boost to DARPA\'s Darkest Agenda. thelastamericanvagabond.com Technology developed by the Pentagon\'s controversial research branch is getting a huge boost amid the current coronavirus crisis, with little attention going to the agency\'s ulterior motives for developing said technologies, their potential for weaponization or their unintended consequences. In January, well before the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis would result in lockdowns, quarantines and economic devastation …

Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi, Emilia M Sordillo, Marilianna C Márquez-Colmenarez, Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales (2020-05-04). [Correspondence] The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. thelancet.com We read with interest the World Report about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Venezuelan migrants.1 We concur wholeheartedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on Venezuelans who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

David A Kass, Priya Duggal, Oscar Cingolani (2020-05-04). [Correspondence] Obesity could shift severe COVID-19 disease to younger ages. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was first reported in China in late December, 2019, and has since evolved into a global pandemic. As of April 29, 2020, COVID-19 has been confirmed in more than 3 million individuals in 185 countries and regions, with an overall mortality rate of more than 6%.1 Severe disease involves bilateral interstitial pneumonia requiring intensive care unit (ICU) ventilatory support and can evolve into adult respiratory distress syndrome with high mortality.

David Nott (2020-05-04). [Comment] The COVID-19 response for vulnerable people in places affected by conflict and humanitarian crises. thelancet.com Next year I will have worked full time in the UK\'s National Health Service (NHS) for 40 years. I seem to be a survivor not only from the political rollercoaster that various governments have enacted on the NHS, but also from volunteering my surgical skills in places affected by conflict and natural disasters for the past 25 years. The experiences of the patients I have served whose lives have been impacted by war, injustice, and inhumanity during this time have given me insight into what life is really about.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-05-04). Facebook Is Go-To Platform For Organizing Protests Against Social Distancing. splcenter.org As COVID-19 continues to pose a lethal threat worldwide, fringe, right-wing activists are using Facebook to mobilize protests of stay-at-home orders in several states.

Project Censored (2020-05-04). Special Guests Nicholas Baham, III, Anthony DiMaggio. projectcensored.org This week\'s program focuses on the media\'s response to the current Covid-19 pandemic. Mickey\'s first guest is ethnic studies professor Nicholas Baham, III, who outlines his \"Covid Chronicles,\" a continuing…

Carmen Martinez (2020-05-04). Amid pandemic, poultry workers must be protected. splcenter.org Recently, there has been an outpouring of praise for essential workers on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Dobson (2020-05-04). Venezuela: 45 Killed in Guanare Prison Riot. venezuelanalysis.com The government pledged to investigate the May 1 riot, which it described as an attempted breakout.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-05-04). Anti-LGBTQ Group Pushes Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories Amid COVID-19. splcenter.org Family Research Council (FRC) has branched out of its usual anti-LGBTQ and anti-choice rhetoric to push longtime right-wing conspiracy theories about voting by mail. It\'s a narrative that is gaining popularity during COVID-19 restrictions with regard to public gatherings and social distancing.

Victor CW Tam, Shing Yau Tam, Wai Kwong Poon, Helen Ka Wai Law, Shara WY Lee (2020-05-03). [Letter] A reality check on the use of face masks during the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. thelancet.com Despite the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a pandemic, an \'east-west\' divide remains between the recommendations of different health authorities on the use of face masks in the community [1,2]. We respectfully differ from the WHO recommendation on its effectiveness [3]. In our opinion, mass masking in the community is one of the key measures that controls transmission during the outbreak in Hong Kong and China. Moreover, it would be futile to convince individuals who experienced the SARS or swine flu outbreaks, not to wear face masks for protection.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-03). Venezuelan Armed Forces: Paramilitary Incursion Neutralized. venezuelanalysis.com Former US green beret Jordan Goudreau, reported to have led preparations for a coup, confirmed the operation.

Joyce Chediac (2020-05-02). OSHA abandons essential workers. liberationnews.org Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has ignored the pleas of scores of trade unions to protect workers.

Preston Wood and Michael Prysner (2020-05-02). In memoriam: Dr. Roh Kil-nam, beloved fighter for reunification of Korea. liberationnews.org \"Ken Roh embodied the spirit of eternal optimism in the long road of struggle of the Korean people for freedom and reunification.\"

Brianna Griffith (2020-05-02). During pandemic, Austin, TX police kill Mike Ramos days after damning city report. liberationnews.org As with so many police shootings, the Austin PD\'s first instinct was to spin the story and criminalize the victim.

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-02). Former US Special Ops Soldier Led Plot to Invade Venezuela: Sources. venezuelanalysis.com AP reports that the Venezuelan opposition and Colombian authorities were aware of the plan.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-05-01). PSL condemns terrorist attack on Cuban Embassy. liberationnews.org Cuba is not alone. The world stands with Cuba.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-05-01). PSL denuncia ataque terrorista a Embajada Cubana. liberationnews.org Cuba no está sola. El mundo está con Cuba.

CounterSpin (2020-05-01). Jim Naureckas on Coronavirus False Choices, Peter Maybarduk on Pharmaceutical Price-Gouging. fair.org Media…

Project Censored (2020-05-01). Episode 81 — The Biden Veepstakes and The Media\'s COVID War Rhetoric and Bernie Coverage with Dr. Robin Andersen. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Yang S, Hu J, Li Q. (2020-05-01). Not All Hypertension Is a Lifelong Disease. jamanetwork.com This Teachable Moment encourages clinicians to be aware of the high prevalence of primary aldosteronism and to consider screening in appropriately selected patients.

Redberg RF. (2020-05-01). JAMA Internal Medicine —The Year in Review, 2019. jamanetwork.com Clearly, 2020 is another year full of interesting health care issues and new (and not so new) health care proposals that we look forward to discussing on these pages. In addition to a wide range of clinical topics in internal medicine, we will continue to cover issues such as drug pricing, surprise billing, bundled payments, Medicare for all, and transparency issues, to name a few. We are now in the tenth year of the Less Is More series and are pleased to see international attention to the harms of overdiagnosis and overtreatment and on programs to increase high-value care. Of course, our work is far from done, a…

Luo M, Li P, Niu W. (2020-05-01). Concerns Remain Regarding Long-term Ozone Exposure and Respiratory Outcomes. jamanetwork.com To the Editor We read with great interest the article by Paulin et al, who examined the association between long-term ozone exposure and the respiratory health of smokers, finding that higher ozone exposure was significantly associated with lower lung function and more emphysema and air trapping. The findings of this article underscore the need for enhanced meteorological monitoring on ground ozone concentrations as well as the need for early detection and targeted intervention of respiratory diseases in vulnerable members of society to reduce the escalating burden of respiratory diseases worldwide. However, from…

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-04-30). US to Mobilize Military Reservists in \'Anti-Drug\' Operation Against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com The Trump administration is also targeting oil-for-food deals involving the Venezuelan government and Mexican companies.

Nigel Curtis, Annie Sparrow, Tedros A Ghebreyesus, Mihai G Netea (2020-04-30). [Correspondence] Considering BCG vaccination to reduce the impact of COVID-19. thelancet.com In addition to its specific effect against tuberculosis, the BCG vaccine has beneficial nonspecific (off-target) effects on the immune system that protect against a wide range of other infections and are used routinely to treat bladder cancer.1,2 This has led to the suggestion that vaccination with BCG might have a role in protecting health-care workers and other vulnerable individuals against severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Project Censored (2020-04-30). Episode 80 — The COVID Chronicles #3: Washington D.C. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Ryan Cristián (2020-04-30). Dismantling The Superficial \"China Did It\" Narrative (Origin Unknown) & CDC \"Suspends\" Flu Reporting. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (4/29/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Hatewatch Staff (2020-04-30). Cody Wilson Uses COVID-19 Crisis To Re-enter Extremist Movement. splcenter.org A registered sex offender and antigovernment icon is trying to use the current global pandemic to whitewash his image. A recent post on Jacobite magazine\'s website seeks to remind readers of Cody Wilson\'s past contributions to the movement and to cast doubt on the government responsible for his arrest and sentencing.

Borame L Dickens, Joel R Koo, Annelies Wilder-Smith, Alex R Cook (2020-04-29). [Correspondence] Institutional, not home-based, isolation could contain the COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com In the absence of vaccines, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as physical distancing, intensive contact tracing, and case isolation remain frontline measures in controlling the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.1 In Wuhan, China, these measures were implemented alongside city lockdown, mass quarantine, and school closure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in January and February, 2020.2 Critical to Wuhan\'s success, cases identified through liberal testing, regardless of symptom profile, were immediately isolated in purpose-built shelters, as delays in isolation fro…

Yeming Wang, Dingyu Zhang, Guanhua Du, Ronghui Du, Jianping Zhao, Yang Jin, Shouzhi Fu, Ling Gao, Zhenshun Cheng, Qiaofa Lu, Yi Hu, Guangwei Luo, Ke Wang, Yang Lu, Huadong Li, Shuzhen Wang, Shunan Ruan, Chengqing Yang, Chunlin Mei, Yi Wang, Dan Ding, Feng Wu, Xin Tang, Xianzhi Ye, Yingchun Ye, Bing Liu, Jie Yang, Wen Yin, Aili Wang, Guohui Fan, Fei Zhou, Zhibo Liu, Xiaoying Gu, Jiuyang Xu, Lianhan Shang, Yi Zhang, Lianjun Cao, Tingting Guo, Yan Wan, Hong Qin, Yushen Jiang, Thomas Jaki, Frederick G Hayden, Peter W Horby, Bin Cao, Chen Wang (2020-04-29). [Articles] Remdesivir in adults with severe COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. thelancet.com In this study of adult patients admitted to hospital for severe COVID-19, remdesivir was not associated with statistically significant clinical benefits. However, the numerical reduction in time to clinical improvement in those treated earlier requires confirmation in larger studies.

Justin T Okano, Sally Blower (2020-04-29). [Correspondence] Preventing major outbreaks of COVID-19 in jails. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections are now being found in jails throughout the USA. Conditions in jails are very conducive to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and social distancing is impossible. Therefore, there is widespread concern that there could be major outbreaks in jails and that jails could amplify transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in surrounding communities.

John David Norrie (2020-04-29). [Comment] Remdesivir for COVID-19: challenges of underpowered studies. thelancet.com In The Lancet, Yeming Wang and colleagues1 report a randomised trial of remdesivir (200 mg on day 1 followed by 100 mg on days 2—10, in single daily infusions) versus placebo for adults with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in ten hospitals in Wuhan, China. The authors report on 236 patients (140 [59%] men and 96 [41%] women; median age 65 years [IQR 56—71]), with inconclusive findings on the primary outcome of time to clinical improvement, defined as a two-point improvement on a 6-point ordinal scale,2 a hazard ratio of 1 ∑23 (95% CI 0 ∑87—1 ∑75; favouring remdesivir), and…

Yang Liu, Zhonglei Gu, Shang Xia, Benyun Shi, Xiao-Nong Zhou, Yong Shi, Jiming Liu (2020-04-29). What are the underlying transmission patterns of COVID-19 outbreak? An age-specific social contact characterization. thelancet.com With an in-depth characterization of age-specific social contact-based transmission, the retrospective and prospective situations of the disease outbreak, including the past and future transmission risks, the effectiveness of different interventions, and the disease transmission risks of restoring normal social activities, are computationally analyzed and reasonably explained. The conclusions drawn from the study not only provide a comprehensive explanation of the underlying COVID-19 transmission patterns in China, but more importantly, offer the social contact-based risk analysis methods that can readily be appl…

Ryan Cristián (2020-04-29). Israel Attacks Syria, US OKs Annexation, OPCW Caught Again & Impending (Already Here) Bio False Flag. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (4/28/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Whitney Webb (2020-04-28). Douglas Valentine Interview — How The COVID-19 Police State Was Born In Vietnam. thelastamericanvagabond.com Interview Transcript: Whitney: Today I am joined by the legendary author and researcher Doug Valentine, whose books, including \"The CIA as Organized Crime,\" among several others, are essential reading for understanding how covert and illegal intelligence operations have shaped, and continue to shape, conflict and policy in the U.S. and beyond. In this interview, we …

Daniel M Altmann, Daniel C Douek, Rosemary J Boyton (2020-04-27). [Comment] What policy makers need to know about COVID-19 protective immunity. thelancet.com About a third of the world is under lockdown as a public health measure to curb the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Policy makers are increasingly pressed to articulate their rationales and strategies for moving out of lockdown; the process of re-emergence is already cautiously starting in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Wuhan, and some US states. As the counterpoise between further disease spread and socioeconomic costs is debated, it is essential that policy makers in all affected countries have the best possible d…

Cassie Miller (2020-04-27). Anti-Lockdown Rallies Are Providing an Opening for the Proud Boys and Other Far-Right Extremists. splcenter.org Protests against state-imposed stay-at-home orders have exploded across the country and attracted a wide array of right-wing supporters, including the Proud Boys.

Project Censored (2020-04-27). Peter Kuznick and The Global Covid 19 Solidarity Manifesto. projectcensored.org Historian Peter Kuznick, co-author with Oliver Stone of \"The Untold History of the United States,\" returns to the Project Censored Show to discuss his latest project: working with a team of other…

Venezuelanalysis (2020-04-27). Venezuela Rolls out Cabinet Change, Economic Measures to Combat Inflation. venezuelanalysis.com Measures include a 60 percent wage increase and a push to bring food prices under control.

Ryan Cristián (2020-04-26). Evidence US Gov Knew Of COVID Before November 2019 & Anti-China Talking Points Expose CV Cover Up. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (4/25/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Project Censored (2020-04-25). Episode 79 — The News Stories Buried by COVID-19 and Terrorism with Dr. Ashley Larson. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Project Censored (2020-04-25). Their Second Recession: For the Second Time in Their Lives, Millennials Will Head to the Polls with an Economic Depression Looming. projectcensored.org By Nolan Higdon On Election Day 2020, millennials face a difficult choice: vote or stay home. Either way, their decision will need to be accompanied by wide-spread activism, something they…

Maria Demarco, Noorie Hyun, Olivia Carter-Pokras, Tina R. Raine-Bennett, Li Cheung, Xiaojian Chen, Anne Hammer, Nicole Campos, Walter Kinney, Julia C. Gage, Brian Befano, Rebecca B. Perkins, Xin He, Cher Dallal, Jie Chen, Nancy Poitras, Marie-Helene Mayrand, Francois Coutlee, Robert D. Burk, Thomas Lorey, Philip E. Castle, Nicolas Wentzensen, Mark Schiffman (2020-04-24). [Research Paper] A study of type-specific HPV natural history and implications for contemporary cervical cancer screening programs. thelancet.com HPV type and persistence are the major predictors of progression to CIN3+; at a minimum, distinguishing HPV16 is clinically important. Dividing the other HPV types into three risk-groups is worth considering.

Ryan Cristián (2020-04-24). Dr. Rashid Buttar Interview — Why COVID-19 Is Not What You Think. thelastamericanvagabond.com Joining me today to discuss further some of the very relevant and important points we went over during our recent roundtable (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO2Fh3ThKoE) is Dr. Rashid Buttar. We discuss the very obvious way in which it seems we are all being deceived, and the many and varied ways in which that deception is taking place. (d.tube/c/tlavagabond) …

splcenter (2020-04-24). Fraihat v. ICE Community Resources. splcenter.org On April 20, 2020, a federal district court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take a number of important steps to protect medically vulnerable people in its custody from COVID-19.

Michael Edison Hayden and Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-24). Trump's Immigration Order Was Drafted by Officials With Ties to Hate Groups, According to Report. splcenter.org Two officials with ties to anti-immigrant hate groups helped write President Trump\'s executive order blocking the issuance of new green cards, according to a report.

Project Censored (2020-04-24). Episode 78 — The COVID Chronicles #2: with Dr. Andrew Chan (Massachusetts) and the COVID Symptom Tracker App. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-23). Venezuela: Guaido to Use Funds Frozen in US to Pay Loyalists $5000 Monthly Salaries. venezuelanalysis.com Pro-Guaido lawmakers and diplomats will take nearly a third of an $80 million \"Liberation Fund.\"

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (2020-04-23). [Editorial] Reflecting on World Asthma Day in the era of COVID-19. thelancet.com On May 2, 2020, World Asthma Day will again focus on the needs of people with asthma across the globe. Previous themes have included managing asthma and living with the disease. These themes resonate more than ever this year, as any discussions are likely to be dominated by current debates in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on asthma care and management.

A.J. Sinclair, A.H. Abdelhafiz (2020-04-23). [Commentary] Age, frailty and diabetes — triple jeopardy for vulnerability to COVID-19 infection. thelancet.com In December 2019, a pneumonia like illness was first reported in Wuhan-China caused by a new coronavirus named corona virus disease ‚àí2019 (COVID-19) which then spread to cause a global pandemic. The epidemiology of COVID-19 incidence, severity of illness and mortality seem to be shifted towards older people particularly those with multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease [1]. However, frailty, which affects more than one in five older people with type 2 diabetes, worsens prognosis in severe acute illness and is a better predictor of ICU (intensive car…

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-04-22). Trump Administration Orders Chevron to Shutter Venezuela Operations. venezuelanalysis.com The latest measures followed reports of fresh dialogue between the government and the opposition.

Whitney Webb (2020-04-22). Is Trump\'s \"Shoot Down And Destroy\" Tweet About Boosting Oil Prices Or A Harbinger Of War With Iran? thelastamericanvagabond.com Trump\'s recent tweet to \"shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships\" has sparked concern over a new war in the Middle East. However, the more immediate effect of Trump\'s tweet has been a big boost in oil prices and a rise in the stock market. Was that Trump\'s …

Ryan Cristián (2020-04-22). \"Artificial Intelligence Plan\" That Became \"Coronavirus Plan\" & \"China Did It\" Narrative Is WMDs 2.0. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (4/21/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Paul K. Drain, Nigel Garrett (2020-04-21). [Commentary] SARS-CoV-2 pandemic expanding in sub-Saharan Africa: Considerations for COVID-19 in people living with HIV. thelancet.com In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, started a global pandemic of respiratory illness, termed COVID-19 [1]. The spectrum of COVID-19 has ranged from a mild, self-limiting respiratory tract illness to severe progressive pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death [2]. Older patients and those with a weaker immune system appear to have a greater risk of death [3]. Thus far, the vast majority of deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in Italy, China, Iran, and Spain—all Northern hemisphere countries with good health care resources and a low HIV prevalence.

Whitney Webb (2020-04-20). Techno-Tyranny: How The US National Security State Is Using Coronavirus To Fulfill An Orwellian Vision. thelastamericanvagabond.com Last year, a government commission called for the US to adopt an AI-driven mass surveillance system far beyond that used in any other country in order to ensure American hegemony in artificial intelligence. Now, many of the \"obstacles\" they had cited as preventing its implementation are rapidly being removed under the guise of combating the …

Paul Dobson (2020-04-20). US \'Plunders\' $342m of Venezuelan Funds as COVID-19 Hotspot Breaks Out at Baseball Academy. venezuelanalysis.com The money has been transferred from a Venezuelan Central Bank account at Citibank to an account at the US Federal Reserve.

Project Censored (2020-04-20). Andy Lee Roth, April Anderson, and Peter Obstler Discuss LGBTQ Issues. projectcensored.org For the first half of the program, sociologist Andy Lee Roth describes his latest work with research librarian April Anderson indicating that Google and other internet giants are filtering out material…

CounterSpin (2020-04-17). Naomi Walker on Covid-19 Relief, Johanna Bozuwa on the Last \'New Normal\'. fair.org The $150 billion designated for state, local and tribal governments as relief from the Covid-19 crisis is nowhere near what those governments will need—and not just that, but forcing them to cut budgets just as they need to be spending more is going to drive a cycle that only hurts more those already hurting.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2020-04-17). [Editorial] COVID-19: endgames. thelancet.com As of April 14, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has killed more than 120‚Äà000 people and led to nearly 2 million confirmed infections worldwide. At least a third of the global population is in some form of lockdown, treading the fine line between health services overwhelmed with rapidly rising infections and an economic recession with its own detrimental health consequences. Although this surreal situation might seem like a plot from the Avengers franchise, the hard reality is that the selfless actions of health-care workers will not alone restore the world to normality.

Project Censored (2020-04-17). Episode 77 — The History of Quarantines and Using Media During the Shelter in Place with Dr. Allison Butler. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Francesca Martino, Mario Plebani, Claudio Ronco (2020-04-16). [Correspondence] Kidney transplant programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com We would like to express our concern about kidney transplant programmes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although we recognise the importance of kidney transplants for dialysis patients, we cannot ignore the potential safety issues during this pandemic.

Kollengode Ramanathan, Graeme MacLaren, Alain Combes, Daniel Brodie, Kiran Shekar (2020-04-16). [Correspondence] Blood transfusion strategies and ECMO during the COVID-19 pandemic — Authors\' reply. thelancet.com We thank David Koeckerling and colleagues for their correspondence calling for restrictive blood transfusion strategies in response to our Health-care Development report on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) services for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.1 The ideal transfusion trigger during ECMO support remains uncertain. Daily transfusion of the magnitude mentioned by Koeckerling and colleagues happens occasionally in patients receiving ECMO, but such requirements seldom happen in adult patients receiving venovenous ECMO managed in…

David Koeckerling, Daniel Pan, N Lakmal Mudalige, Oluwatobiloba Oyefeso, Joseph Barker (2020-04-16). [Correspondence] Blood transfusion strategies and ECMO during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Ramanathan and colleagues1 describe the provision of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) services for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We would like to make further comment.

Matt Bruenig (2020-04-16). Should Sanders Have Campaigned Like Warren? peoplespolicyproject.org In the past couple of weeks, supporters of Elizabeth Warren have

Ricardo Vaz (2020-04-16). Venezuelan Crude Production Falls amid Coronavirus Crisis. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country has seen worsening gasoline shortages as the US ramps up secondary sanctions.

Carla Colombo, Pierre-Régis Burgel, Silvia Gartner, Silke van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel, Lutz Naehrlich, Isabelle Sermet-Gaudelus, Kevin W Southern (2020-04-15). [Correspondence] Impact of COVID-19 on people with cystic fibrosis. thelancet.com Early and detailed characterisation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged principally through publications from China, where the disease was first identified.1 As the pandemic spread to Lombardia, Northern Italy and then globally,2 evaluating the impact on people with cystic fibrosis has become imperative, because the prevalence of this inherited condition is much higher in populations derived from Europe than in other populations.3 Since the beginning of the outbreak in Lombardia, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been reported in ten patients with cystic f…

Project Censored (2020-04-15). Episode 76 — The COVID Chronicles #1: Mobile, Alabama. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Matt Bruenig (2020-04-14). An Incremental Expansion of Medicare Should Begin With Kids. peoplespolicyproject.org Joe Biden announced on Thursday his intention to When thinking about expanding Medicare, I believe it is useful to start with the below graph, which breaks down insurance status at every age. To produce this graph, I average every ag…

Project Censored (2020-04-14). Mickey Talks With Dr. Steve Macek. projectcensored.org Mickey\'s guest for the hour is media scholar Dr. Steve Macek of North Central College in suburban Chicago. Macek, a long time contributor to Project Censored\'s annual volume, compiled Chapter 4 of…

Paul Dobson (2020-04-13). Venezuela Extends COVID-19 Quarantine as Pope Criticizes Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com This is the first time the Pontiff has spoken out against the measures.

Project Censored (2020-04-11). Episode 75 — The CDC\'s Lackluster COVID-19 Recommendations and teaching in quarantine journalist Justin Tatum. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today\'s episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

CounterSpin (2020-04-10). Mike Elk on Frontline Worker Rights, Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions. fair.org Media…

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-08). European Left Slams EU Support for Trump\'s Venezuela \'Transition\' Plan. venezuelanalysis.com The European Union took \"positive note\" of Washington\'s initiative.

Jonathan Chun-Hei Cheung, Koon Ngai Lam (2020-04-07). [Correspondence] POCUS in COVID-19: pearls and pitfalls. thelancet.com Danilo Buonsenso and colleagues1 described in their Correspondence how lung ultrasound could replace stethoscopes in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which could possibly reduce the risk of exposure.1 Indeed, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has an exemplary role in many specialties, especially emergency and critical care medicine. Nevertheless, this technology is still relatively new so we would like to highlight the pearls and pitfalls for POCUS users to use this tool to its full potential and ensure optimal patient care and safety.

VINS (2020-04-06). Senate Bill Challenges Online Encryption, Constitutional Rights to Speech and Privacy. projectcensored.org A Senate bill, the EARN IT Act of 2020, introduced by Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in March 2020, appears to revise regulations aimed at preventing online sexual…

Jean-Louis Vincent, Fabio S Taccone (2020-04-06). [Comment] Understanding pathways to death in patients with COVID-19. thelancet.com Since the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), were identified in China in December, 2019, we have witnessed increasing numbers of infections and associated deaths worldwide. Although the case fatality rate for SARS-CoV-2 infection (ie, the total number of deaths in patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 divided by the total number of people with a positive test) is not high, given the huge scale of the pandemic, the actual numbers of deaths are considerable.

Paul Dobson (2020-04-06). Venezuela Braces for Migrant Return as Coronavirus Rattles Latin America. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country\'s 159 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths is considerably lower than its neighbours' tallies.

Project Censored (2020-04-06). Media Scholar Victor Pickard Explains the Historical Roots of the Current News Crisis. projectcensored.org Mickey\'s guest for the full hour is media scholar and author, Victor Pickard. Pickard is associate professor in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. They discuss…

Roxanne George (2020-04-04). Call Congress to commemorate the anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares Seven\'s nuclear weapons protest. kingsbayplowshares7.org Tell Congress that now, more than ever, it\'s time to wash our hands of Trident. On April 4, 2018, seven anti-nuclear activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, entered the Kings Bay Naval Base in Camden County in Georgia to protest the nuclear weapons based there. The Kings Bay Plowshares 7 carried out their…

CounterSpin (2020-04-03). Bama Athreya on Gig Economy & Covid-19. fair.org Media…

David M G Halpin, Rosa Faner, Oriol Sibila, Joan Ramon Badia, Alvar Agusti (2020-04-03). [Comment] Do chronic respiratory diseases or their treatment affect the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection? thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an acute respiratory disease that can lead to respiratory failure and death.1 Previous epidemics of novel coronavirus diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), were associated with similar clinical features and outcomes.2 One might anticipate that patients with chronic respiratory diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, would be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and more severe present…

VINS (2020-04-03). Unions Disregard Call for Large Scale Climate Action Strikes. projectcensored.org Students are leading the way with Global Climate Strikes across the country to persuade the government and leaders of the country to take impactful action to remedy the current climate…

VINS (2020-04-03). Capitalism Drains America\'s Blood Banks as Exports Bring in $1.4 Billion. projectcensored.org Hospitals are desperate for blood donors: more than 4,000 blood drives were canceled in the US because of the coronavirus, according to the American Association of Blood Banks. This situation,…

Matt Bruenig (2020-04-03). Three Ways to Make Emergency Economic Responses Better. peoplespolicyproject.org In the most recent coronavirus relief bill, the government committed to sending $1,200 to each adult and $500 to each child, subject to a phase out for those with higher incomes. Yesterday we

VINS (2020-04-03). Military-Grade Drones to Operate over San Diego in 2020. projectcensored.org As tensions between Iran and the United States remain high, the US military is preparing to conduct test flights of drones over major American cities, Truthout reported in January 2020….

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-04-02). US Sends Navy Ships to Caribbean in \'Anti-Drug\' Mission Targeting Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela denounced an attack on one of its naval vessels in recent days.

Alberto L García-Basteiro, Carlos Chaccour, Caterina Guinovart, Anna Llupià , Joe Brew, Antoni Trilla, Antoni Plasencia (2020-04-02). [Comment] Monitoring the COVID-19 epidemic in the context of widespread local transmission. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019.1 Given the fast spread, the severity of disease, the increasing number of cases outside China, and the number of affected countries, WHO declared the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.2 The availability of reliable surveillance platforms is crucial to monitor the COVID-19 epidemic in a timely manner and to respond with adequate control measures.

Melisa Martinez-Alvarez, Alexander Jarde, Effua Usuf, Helen Brotherton, Mustapha Bittaye, Ahmadou L Samateh, Martin Antonio, Joan Vives-Tomas, Umberto D\'Alessandro, Anna Roca (2020-04-01). [Comment] COVID-19 pandemic in west Africa. thelancet.com The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which started in the Hubei province of China in 2019, has now spread to all continents, affecting 177 countries by March 27, 2020.1 Successful efforts in containing the COVID-19 virus in Asia resulted in WHO declaring Europe as the epicentre of the disease on March 13.2 Whether warmer temperatures will slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a point of much speculation. This hypothesis has led some European countries to produce initial policies relying on decreased transmission rates during the…

Lucas Koerner (2020-03-31). Venezuela Blasts US 'Transition' Plan as 'Tutelage'. venezuelanalysis.com Washington has threatened to \"increase\" crippling sanctions until Caracas accepts the deal.

Gregory A Poland (2020-03-31). [Comment] SARS-CoV-2: a time for clear and immediate action. thelancet.com I have spent a 33-year career studying respiratory RNA viruses, devising vaccine approaches against them, and unravelling the human immune response to these viruses and vaccines, as well as promoting policies to minimise their effects. Over the past 10 weeks, I and many others have been in the thick of explaining what we know about coronaviruses and other respiratory viruses, and extrapolating this knowledge to understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to many health-care providers, organisations, media, and lay people.

Susan L Erikson, Leigh Johnson (2020-03-30). [Comment] Will financial innovation transform pandemic response? thelancet.com The mounting death toll from COVID-19 recently prompted The Guardian to declare, \"The World Bank\'s $500m pandemic scheme accused of \'waiting for people to die\'\".1 Similarly, as the number of deaths from Ebola increased in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there was outrage in prominent journals. \"The World Bank has the money to fight Ebola but won\'t use it\" wrote Garrett in Foreign Policy.2 Others3—7 too describe the malfeasance of the financial innovation called the pandemic bond. Hailed by former World Bank president Jim Kim as an instrument that \"would rapidly respond to future outbreaks by deliver…

Paul Dobson (2020-03-30). Rosneft Dodges US Sanctions by Transferring Venezuela Operations to Russian State Firm. venezuelanalysis.com Moscow insists that its support for the Venezuelan government and role in its oil industry will remain unchanged.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-29). Former Venezuelan General Hands Himself over to US Authorities. venezuelanalysis.com Cliver Alcala had recently confessed to plotting a coup against the Venezuelan government.

CounterSpin (2020-03-27). Mary Grant on Water & Covid-19, David Cay Johnston on the Last Bailout. fair.org Media…

Vernon J Lee, Marc Ho, Chen Wen Kai, Ximena Aguilera, David Heymann, Annelies Wilder-Smith (2020-03-27). [Comment] Epidemic preparedness in urban settings: new challenges and opportunities. thelancet.com In recent decades, many emerging infectious diseases have been occurring at an increasing scale and frequency—i.e. Ebola virus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian and pandemic influenza, Middle-East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the recently emerged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The outbreaks of these diseases resulted in wide ranging socioeconomic consequences, including loss of lives and disruption to trade and travel. Preparedness is a crucial investment because its cost is small compared with the unmitigated impact of a health emergency.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-27). [UPDATED] Venezuela Registers First Coronavirus Deaths. venezuelanalysis.com There are 113 diagnosed cases as of Friday evening.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-26). Venezuela Dismisses US Justice Department \'Narco-terrorism\' Accusations. venezuelanalysis.com Cliver Alcala, also indicted, confessed to organizing a coup plot against the Maduro government.

Lei Fang, George Karakiulakis, Michael Roth (2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? — Authors\' reply. thelancet.com We thank Joshua Brown, Kevin Lo and colleagues, and Christopher Tignanelli and colleagues for their responses to our Correspondence1, and we welcome the opportunity to reply.

Joshua D Brown (2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? thelancet.com Lei Fang and colleagues1 extrapolated results from a molecular study of coronaviruses, which showed that this group of viruses uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to target cells on the epithelium of the lungs, intestine, kidneys, and blood vessels.2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), would probably share these properties.

Richard Armitage, Laura B Nellums (2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Considering inequalities in the school closure response to COVID-19. thelancet.com As COVID-19 is declared a pandemic and several countries declare nationwide school closures, these measures are affecting hundreds of millions of children.1 More countries are entering delay and mitigation phases of pandemic control, with an urgent need for proactive and multifaceted responses addressing children\'s social, economic, and health needs to avoid widening disparities and honour commitments to the UN Convention on Child Rights and Sustainable Development Goals.2…

Christopher J Tignanelli, Nicholas E Ingraham, Matthew A Sparks, Ronald Reilkoff, Tamara Bezdicek, Bradley Benson, Timothy Schacker, Jeffrey G Chipman, Michael A Puskarich (2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? thelancet.com Lei Fang and colleagues1 suggest that clinicians should consider withholding angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) because of a potential increased risk of worse clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and they suggest calcium channel blockers as an alternative. The hypothesis behind this suggestion is that the entry point for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the ACE2 receptor and that ACEIs and ARBs have the potential to upregulate ACE2.

Kevin Bryan Lo, Peter A McCullough, Janani Rangaswami (2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Antihypertensive drugs and risk of COVID-19? thelancet.com Lei Fang and colleagues1 postulate that because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to facilitate host cell entry,2,3 disease severity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might be increased in patients taking angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, because the ACE2 receptor might be upregulated with use of ACEIs and ARBs.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-25). UN, EU Urge Venezuela Sanctions Relief as Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies. venezuelanalysis.com The South American nation has 91 reported COVID-19 cases so far.

Felix Chua, Darius Armstrong-James, Sujal R Desai, Joseph Barnett, Vasileios Kouranos, Onn Min Kon, Ricardo José, Rama Vancheeswaran, Michael R Loebinger, Joyce Wong, Maria Teresa Cutino-Moguel, Cliff Morgan, Stephane Ledot, Boris Lams, Wing Ho Yip, Leski Li, Ying Cheong Lee, Adrian Draper, Sze Shyang Kho, Elisabetta Renzoni, Katie Ward, Jimstan Periselneris, Sisa Grubnic, Marc Lipman, Athol U Wells, Anand Devaraj (2020-03-25). [Comment] The role of CT in case ascertainment and management of COVID-19 pneumonia in the UK: insights from high-incidence regions. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the seventh pathogenic human coronavirus to be identified and the third with a predilection for causing potentially fatal pneumonia, after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection is highly transmissible but has a relatively low death rate (1 ∑0—3 ∑5%), except in older people (aged >70 years) with comorbidities.1,2 It is estimated that 15—20% of people infected develop severe pneumonia and 5—10% require critical care.

Yongwen Luo, Kai Yin (2020-03-24). [Comment] Management of pregnant women infected with COVID-19. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, has become a global public health threat.1 On Feb 28, 2020, WHO upgraded their assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at global level. By March 10, 2020, 116‚Äà166 cases have been reported globally, causing 4088 deaths. The epidemic has spread to 118 countries around the world.2…

Maimuna S Majumder, Kenneth D Mandl (2020-03-24). [Comment] Early in the epidemic: impact of preprints on global discourse about COVID-19 transmissibility. thelancet.com Since it was first reported by WHO in Jan 5, 2020, over 80‚Äà000 cases of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been diagnosed in China, with exportation events to nearly 90 countries, as of March 6, 2020.1 Given the novelty of the causative pathogen (named SARS-CoV-2), scientists have rushed to fill epidemiological, virological, and clinical knowledge gaps—resulting in over 50 new studies about the virus between January 10 and January 30 alone.2 However, in an era where the immediacy of information has become an expectation of decision makers and the general public alike, many of th…

Matt Bruenig (2020-03-23). How To Think About Corporate Bailouts Correctly. peoplespolicyproject.org As the negotiations over the economic response to the Coronavirus recession heat up, we are seeing more and more talk about how (or whether) to provide relief to corporations and industries that are facing bankruptcy due to the economic slowdown. Some of this talk is intelligent. A lot of it is not. So in this post, I hope to lay out what I believe is the correct way to think about corporate bailouts. | Due to an aversion to socialist rhetoric about \"capitalists\" or even \"the wealthy,\" American populist lingo tends to focus on \"corporations\" as the great evil. We talk about \"corporate power\" and \"corporate concen…

Yu Chen, Lanjuan Li (2020-03-23). [Comment] SARS-CoV-2: virus dynamics and host response. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected more than 100‚Äà000 patients globally.1 COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has a case-fatality rate of 2 ∑3%, with higher rates among elderly patients and patients with comorbidities.2 Person-to-person transmission is efficient, with multiple clusters reported. Clinically, patients with COVID-19 present with respiratory symptoms, which is very similar to the presentation of other respiratory virus infections.

Michael Gormley, Thomas J Aspray, David A Kelly (2020-03-23). [Correspondence] COVID-19: mitigating transmission via wastewater plumbing systems. thelancet.com By its very design, the wastewater plumbing system is a harbinger of pathogenic microorganisms with, under some circumstances, the potential to enable airborne transmission of viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Paul Dobson (2020-03-23). Venezuela Suspends Rent Payments, Protects Wages as Coronavirus Cases Rise to 77. venezuelanalysis.com The economic measures come as the country enters its seventh day of national lockdown.

CounterSpin (2020-03-20). Jim Naureckas on Covid-19, Dana Brown on Public Ownership of Pharmaceuticals. fair.org Media…

Michael A Matthay, J Matthew Aldrich, Jeffrey E Gotts (2020-03-20). [Comment] Treatment for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome from COVID-19. thelancet.com In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Kollengode Ramanathan and colleagues1 provide excellent recommendations for the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with respiratory failure from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The authors describe pragmatic approaches to the challenges of delivering ECMO to patients with COVID-19, including training health-care personnel, resolving equipment and facilities issues, implementing systems for infection control and personal protection, providing overall support for health-care staff, and mitiga…

Danilo Buonsenso, Davide Pata, Antonio Chiaretti (2020-03-20). [Correspondence] COVID-19 outbreak: less stethoscope, more ultrasound. thelancet.com In their Correspondence in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Jonathan Cheung and colleagues stressed the need to ensure staff safety in the airway management of patients with 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).1 This safety should be guaranteed from the patient\'s first assessment. In fact, maintaining the safety of the doctor, who meets many people during his daily activity, avoids the spread of the disease to other patients and the possible creation of new epidemic outbreaks. However, patients with fever and respiratory symptoms do still need to be seen.

Shuo Feng, Chen Shen, Nan Xia, Wei Song, Mengzhen Fan, Benjamin J Cowling (2020-03-20). [Comment] Rational use of face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the use of face masks has become ubiquitous in China and other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan. Some provinces and municipalities in China have enforced compulsory face mask policies in public areas; however, China\'s national guideline has adopted a risk-based approach in offering recommendations for using face masks among health-care workers and the general public.

Oriol Mitjà , Bonaventura Clotet (2020-03-19). [Correspondence] Use of antiviral drugs to reduce COVID-19 transmission. thelancet.com As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads, efforts are being made to reduce transmission via standard public health interventions based on isolation of cases and tracing of contacts. In their modelling study, Joel Hellewell and colleagues1 predict that such a strategy could contribute to reducing the overall size of an outbreak, but will still be insufficient to achieve outbreak control of COVID-19 when the basic reproduction number (R0) is higher than 1 ∑5 or the proportion of contacts traced is lower than 80%.

Ashleigh R Tuite, Victoria Ng, Erin Rees, David Fisman (2020-03-19). [Correspondence] Estimation of COVID-19 outbreak size in Italy. thelancet.com Italy is currently experiencing an epidemic of COVID-19 which emerged in the Lombardy region.1 During the interval between Feb 25—29, 2020, we identified 46 cases of COVID-19 reported in 21 countries in Europe, Africa, North America, and South America that were either in individuals with recent travel from Italy, or who had presumed infection by a traveller from Italy.2 In six cases, in four of the affected countries (Switzerland, France, Austria, and Croatia), land travel was a likely route of introduction, or was documented to have been the route of introduction.

Marzia Lazzerini, Giovanni Putoto (2020-03-18). [Correspondence] COVID-19 in Italy: momentous decisions and many uncertainties. thelancet.com On March 10, at 00: 30 h, the official news was posted on the website of the Italian Ministry of Health: a new decree effective until at least April 3 limits the movement of individuals in the whole Italian national territory unless strictly motivated (in written form) by reasons of work or health. Schools, museums, cinemas, theatres, and any other social, recreational, or cultural centre must stay closed. Any gathering in public spaces is forbidden, including sporting events and funerals. Most shops must stay closed.

Matt Bruenig (2020-03-16). Some Economic Responses to the Coronavirus Recession. peoplespolicyproject.org In response to the spread of COVID-19, the economy appears to be in recession. Lawmakers are scrambling to respond to the recession with many ideas floating around about how best to do so. Below, I outline a few responses that I think would be wise. | Welfare Expansion: | In a normal recession, the proper goal of a policy response is pretty simple: increase output and employment by directly or indirectly increasing aggregate demand. Many proposed responses to this recession have fallen into this typical model. But, strictly speaking, this model does not really make sense for our current situation. | Insof…

thelancet (2020-03-12). [Corrections] Correction to Lancet Glob Health 2020; 8: e123—33. thelancet.com NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)—Americas Working Group. Trends in cardiometabolic risk factors in the Americas between 1980 and 2014: a pooled analysis of population-based surveys. Lancet Glob Health 2020; 8: e123—33. In this Article, members of the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)—Americas Working Group have been indexed as authors in PubMed. This correction has been made as of March 12, 2020.

Yonghong Xiao, Mili Estee Torok (2020-03-05). [Comment] Taking the right measures to control COVID-19. thelancet.com The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by WHO.1 By March 2, 2020, 80‚Äà026 confirmed cases had been reported in China, causing 2009 deaths, and the epidemic had spread to 25 countries around the world.2 On Jan 20, 2020, China declared the disease a second-class infectious disease but has introduced management measures for a first-class infectious disease (considered the most dangerous category of infection).

Marlies Wijsenbeek (2020-03-05). [Comment] Progress in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. thelancet.com Pulmonary fibrosis encompasses a wide range of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with different underlying causes. In the past two decades, most focus has been on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most prevalent and relentlessly progressive type of fibrosing ILD.1,2 For other forms of fibrosing ILD, data on the proportion of patients who develop progressive pulmonary fibrosis are still scarce and depend on the disease studied and criteria used.3 Guidelines seem dedicated to assessing the likelihood of IPF versus another fibrosing ILD, as treatment, trial options, and prognosis differ.

Alena Kamenshchikova, Petra F G Wolffs, Christian J P A Hoebe, Klasien Horstman (2020-03-05). [Comment] Transdisciplinary work against antimicrobial resistance. thelancet.com In 2015, WHO issued a Global Action Plan emphasising One Health as an essential approach to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR).1 One Health aims to bridge human, animal, and environmental sectors to address shared health concerns.2 One of the gaps in knowledge articulated by the Global Action Plan is scant understanding of social science and behaviour. In that context, One Health offers a potential for transdisciplinary collaborations, including between social and biomedical disciplines. WHO states that the role of social sciences in the One Health approach to AMR is dedicated to support effective antimicrobia…

Laurent Poirel, Patrice Nordmann, José Manuel Ortiz de la Rosa, Mzia Kutateladze, Sà∂ren Gatermann, Mario Corbellino (2020-03-05). [Comment] A phage-based decolonisation strategy against pan-resistant enterobacterial strains. thelancet.com An outbreak of carbapenemase-producing and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was reported in north-east Germany in 2019.1 The alert raised by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Oct 28, 2019,1 emphasised that a pandrug-resistant K pneumoniae clone had spread in three hospitals and one rehabilitation clinic, with specimens recovered from 17 patients (six infected and 11 colonised).1 The strain showed a broad resistance pattern to most antibiotics; it was resistant to all beta-lactams (including ceftazidime-avibactam) because of co-production of two carbapenemases, NDM-1 and OXA-48.

Hai Nguyen Thanh, Truong Nguyen Van, Huong Ngo Thi Thu, Binh Nghiem Van, Binh Doan Thanh, Ha Phung Thi Thu, Anh Nguyen Thi Kieu, Nhung Nguyen Viet, Guy B Marks, Greg J Fox, Thu-Anh Nguyen (2020-03-04). [Correspondence] Outbreak investigation for COVID-19 in northern Vietnam. thelancet.com Two Vietnamese adults returned to their home province of Vinh Phuc in northern Vietnam on Jan 17, 2020, from Wuhan, China, where they had been living since Nov 15, 2019, for a business trip. They presented with mild respiratory symptoms to their local health facilities at 4 days and 8 days, respectively, after arrival in Vinh Phuc. Both individuals were initially placed into respiratory isolation in hospital. Case 1 tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative organism of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), on Jan 30, 2020, and remained in isolation until recove…

Gabriel Yan, Chun Kiat Lee, Lawrence T M Lam, Benedict Yan, Ying Xian Chua, Anita Y N Lim, Kee Fong Phang, Guan Sen Kew, Hazel Teng, Chin Hong Ngai, Li Lin, Rui Min Foo, Surinder Pada, Lee Ching Ng, Paul Anantharajah Tambyah (2020-03-04). [Correspondence] Covert COVID-19 and false-positive dengue serology in Singapore. thelancet.com Dengue and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are difficult to distinguish because they have shared clinical and laboratory features.1,2 We describe two patients in Singapore with false-positive results from rapid serological testing for dengue, who were later confirmed to have severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the causative virus of COVID-19.

Rui Huang, Juan Xia, Yuxin Chen, Chun Shan, Chao Wu (2020-02-28). [Correspondence] A family cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infection involving 11 patients in Nanjing, China. thelancet.com Human infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global health concern.1,2 Currently, human-to-human transmission of the virus accounts for most infections worldwide.3 We report a family cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infection involving 11 patients in Nanjing, China.

Paul A Gastañaduy, Umesh D Parashar (2020-02-20). [Comment] Efficient transmission of viral gastroenteritis in Dutch households. thelancet.com Community cohorts of acute gastroenteritis, such as the one presented by Franke Quee and colleagues1 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, provide a crucial opportunity to understand the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of different enteric viruses that could be targeted to prevent diarrhoea in vulnerable populations.

Jason Ditz (2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a \"worst case scenario.\"

Bo Xu, Moritz U G Kraemer, Open COVID-19 Data Curation Group (2020-02-19). [Correspondence] Open access epidemiological data from the COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly across China, and as of Feb 16, 2020, had been reported in 26 countries globally. The availability of accurate and robust epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data early in an epidemic is important to guide public health decision-making.1 Consistent recording of epidemiological information is important to understand transmissibility, risk of geographic spread, routes of transmission, and risk factors for infection, and to provide the baseline for epidemiological modelling that can inform planning of response and containment efforts to reduce the burden…

Ensheng Dong, Hongru Du, Lauren Gardner (2020-02-19). [Correspondence] An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. thelancet.com In December, 2019, a local outbreak of pneumonia of initially unknown cause was detected in Wuhan (Hubei, China), and was quickly determined to be caused by a novel coronavirus,1 namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak has since spread to every province of mainland China as well as 27 other countries and regions, with more than 70‚Äà000 confirmed cases as of Feb 17, 2020.2 In response to this ongoing public health emergency, we developed an online interactive dashboard, hosted by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins Univ…

Lena M Biehl, Maria J G T Vehreschild (2020-02-19). [Comment] Contact precautions: no benefits, no indication. thelancet.com In view of the global increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria, applying contact precautions during the care of affected patients seems, at first, a rational approach to decrease the spread of these organisms. Increasing the distance between sources of multidrug-resistant organisms and potential recipients and using disposable equipment, such as gloves and gowns, for any contact with the patient and their environment might appear to be logical and harmless precautions. However, as a growing body of evidence has shown, contact precautions do harm.

Graham H Bothamley, Viktoria Spong (2020-02-18). [Comment] Face-mask sampling or sputum to diagnose lung tuberculosis? thelancet.com More than a third of people estimated to have tuberculosis in 2018 were undiagnosed or detected but not notified.1 In India, a review of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control programme in 2013 estimated that 72% of individuals with tuberculosis reached a diagnostic centre, 60% were diagnosed, and 53% registered for treatment.2 To improve this situation, people who fear they might have tuberculosis should have access to cheap diagnostic tests, which can be posted or otherwise delivered to a laboratory and that provide sufficient information so the individual can receive the result and begin treatment if needed…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director\'s Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Alberto Novaes Ramos, Jorg Heukelbach, Maria Leide Wand-Del-Rey Oliveira (2020-02-14). [Comment] A conditional cash transfer programme in Brazil improves leprosy treatment outcomes. thelancet.com Despite advances in the past three decades in implementing multidrug therapy against leprosy, by the end of 2018 approximately 210‚Äà000 new leprosy cases globally have been reported to WHO.1 Brazil, in particular, has a high burden of neglected tropical diseases,2 including leprosy. The country has an important role in generating scientific evidence to achieve leprosy control, as it accounts for the second highest number of new leprosy cases worldwide notified by a single country. There have been about 30‚Äà000 new cases notified in Brazil in 2018, representing 93% of all case…

Richard Beasley, James Harper, Matthew Masoli (2020-02-14). [Comment] Anti-interleukin-5 therapy in patients with severe asthma: from clinical trials to clinical practice. thelancet.com The development of monoclonal antibody therapy targeting the type 2 inflammatory pathway and the application of personalised medicine through the identification and management of treatable traits represent two major advances in the management of asthma within recent decades. These two approaches are intricately linked. Biomarkers are used to identify patients with a type-2-predominant endotype and select the likely responders to such therapeutic regimens. However, uncertainties exist that limit application in clinical practice.

Strategic Culture (2020-02-08). US Deploys \'Mini-Nukes\' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called \"mini-nukes\" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.

Tyler Durden (2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.

Middle East Eye (2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of \"making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians.\"

Venezuela Analysis (2020-02-06). Embassy Protection Collective: \"We Are Not the Ones Who Violated the Law\" theantimedia.com In this exclusive interview, VA talks to the activists who defended the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC ahead of their trial.

Middle East Eye (2020-02-06). Turkey Gives Assad Deadline to Pull Back or Face Military Action. theantimedia.com Turkey has given the Syrian government until the end of this month to withdraw from recently seized territory in Idlib province.

Jason Ditz (2020-02-05). Trump Says War With Iran Was \"Closer Than You Thought\" Last Month. theantimedia.com Trump told reporters that the U.S. came \"closer than you thought\" to war with Iran last month.

Claudia A Daubenberger (2020-02-04). [Comment] Towards protective immune responses against malaria in pregnant women. thelancet.com Plasmodium falciparum infection was estimated to affect around 11 million pregnancies in 2018 in 38 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Malaria-associated maternal anaemia is a major driver of low birthweight in newborn babies and WHO have estimated that malaria infections in pregnancy have resulted in an estimated 872‚Äà000 babies born with low birthweight in 2018.1 Low birthweight results in a higher risk of death, stunting, and poor cognitive development later in life.2 WHO recommends a combination of insecticide-treated nets and the use of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with ma…

Tyler Durden (2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain\'t it grand?>