2020-07-18: News Headlines

The Lancet (2020-07-18). [Editorial] No more normal. thelancet.com Do you long for a return to normal after COVID-19?

Meletios Dimopoulos, Hang Quach, Maria-Victoria Mateos, Ola Landgren, Xavier Leleu, David Siegel, Katja Weisel, Hui Yang, Zandra Klippel, Anita Zahlten-Kumeli, Saad Z Usmani (2020-07-18). [Articles] Carfilzomib, dexamethasone, and daratumumab versus carfilzomib and dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (CANDOR): results from a randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 study. thelancet.com KdD significantly prolonged progression-free survival versus Kd in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and was associated with a favourable benefit—risk profile.

Ann Danaiya Usher (2020-07-18). [World Report] New funds proposed to prevent pandemics. thelancet.com A new fund to prevent future pandemics has been proposed by the US Senate, and another by the World Bank. But some global health leaders have criticised the plans. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.

Talha Burki (2020-07-18). [World Report] Cumberlege Review slams health care in England. thelancet.com The Review describes a culture of denial, institutional resistance to responding to safety concerns, and an absence of accountability. Talha Burki reports.

Yoshiko Iwai, Zahra H Khan, Sayantani DasGupta (2020-07-18). [Perspectives] Abolition medicine. thelancet.com Who do you serve, who do you protect? Doctors and nurses are not soldiers. Antibiotics are not bombs, hospitals are not the front lines, hard-working medical trainees are not "gunners", and neither disease nor patients are "the enemy". Militarised language valorises aggression and violence in medical training and the clinical encounter while obfuscating the loyalties of health workers who serve and protect individuals and communities in need.

Alparslan Turan, Andra Duncan, Steve Leung, Nika Karimi, Jonathan Fang, Guangmei Mao, Jennifer Hargrave, Marc Gillinov, Carlos Trombetta, Sabry Ayad, Manal Hassan, Andrew Feider, Kimberly Howard-Quijano, Kurt Ruetzler, Daniel I Sessler, DECADE Study Group (2020-07-18). [Articles] Dexmedetomidine for reduction of atrial fibrillation and delirium after cardiac surgery (DECADE): a randomised placebo-controlled trial. thelancet.com Dexmedetomidine infusion, initiated at anaesthetic induction and continued for 24 h, did not decrease postoperative atrial arrhythmias or delirium in patients recovering from cardiac surgery. Dexmedetomidine should not be infused to reduce atrial fibrillation or delirium in patients having cardiac surgery.

Lyudmila Nepomnyashchiy, Bernice Dahn, Rachel Saykpah, Mallika Raghavan (2020-07-18). [Comment] COVID-19: Africa needs unprecedented attention to strengthen community health systems. thelancet.com As the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Liberia, in March, 2020, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,1 among others,2 highlighted the need to adopt lessons learned from the response to the 2014—16 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in west Africa. Ebola claimed about 11‚Äà300 lives in 21 months across Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.3 Comparisons to Ebola benefit from remembering the key differences between the two viruses. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory virus and is infectious among asymptomatic carriers.

Raija Silvennoinen, Caroline A Heckman (2020-07-18). [Comment] A candid view of CANDOR. thelancet.com Investigations into new myeloma therapies have included combinations of up to four drugs containing a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulating agent, monoclonal antibody, and dexamethasone.1,2 However, increasing efficacy requires careful balance with toxicity. In The Lancet, Meletios Dimopoulos and colleagues3 report the initial results of the randomised, phase 3 CANDOR study, investigating a three-drug combination excluding an immunomodulator; carfilzomib, daratumumab, and dexamethasone (KdD) was compared with carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who had rec…

Richard Horton (2020-07-18). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the dangers of Sinophobia. thelancet.com One of the most productive experiences editors at The Lancet have had during the past 6 months has been the intense collaborations with medical and public health scientists in mainland China and Hong Kong. Cooperation began early in the pandemic. During the last week of January, The Lancet published five research papers from mainland China and Hong Kong describing the clinical presentation of patients with COVID-19, human-to-human transmission, genomic relatedness to the SARS coronavirus, and the risks of a global pandemic.

Esther Choo (2020-07-18). [Perspectives] Seven things organisations should be doing to combat racism. thelancet.com In the USA, the racial disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes collided with national conversations about racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. These events stimulated many organisations, including health-care institutions, to scramble to vocalise their stances on racial equity. The coming years will show if these statements translate into fundamental, lasting change. There are seven actions I hope to see from health-care organisations committed to addressing structural racism and building equitable environments.

Nicolien J Schepers, Nora D L Hallensleben, Marc G Besselink, Marie-Paule G F Anten, Thomas L Bollen, David W da Costa, Foke van Delft, Sven M van Dijk, Hendrik M van Dullemen, Marcel G W Dijkgraaf, Casper H J van Eijck, G Willemien Erkelens, Nicole S Erler, Paul Fockens, Erwin J M van Geenen, Janneke van Grinsven, Robbert A Hollemans, Jeanin E van Hooft, Rene W M van der Hulst, Jeroen M Jansen, Frank J G M Kubben, Sjoerd D Kuiken, Robert J F Laheij, Rutger Quispel, Rogier J J de Ridder, Marno C M Rijk, Tessa E H Rà∂mkens, Carola H M Ruigrok, Erik J Schoon, Matthijs P Schwartz, Xavier J N M Smeets, B W Marcel Spanier, Adriaan C I T L Tan, Willem J Thijs, Robin Timmer, Niels G Venneman, Robert C Verdonk, Frank P Vleggaar, Wim van de Vrie, Ben J Witteman, Hjalmar C van Santvoort, Olaf J Bakker, Marco J Bruno, Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group (2020-07-18). [Articles] Urgent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with sphincterotomy versus conservative treatment in predicted severe acute gallstone pancreatitis (APEC): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. thelancet.com In patients with predicted severe gallstone pancreatitis but without cholangitis, urgent ERCP with sphincterotomy did not reduce the composite endpoint of major complications or mortality, compared with conservative treatment. Our findings support a conservative strategy in patients with predicted severe acute gallstone pancreatitis with an ERCP indicated only in patients with cholangitis or persistent cholestasis.

Geoff Watts (2020-07-18). [Obituary] Bertram S Brown. thelancet.com Influential leader in US mental health. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, USA, on Jan 28, 1931, and died of cardiovascular disease in Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA, on May 14, 2020, aged 89 years.

Federico Bilotta, Francesco Pugliese (2020-07-18). [Comment] The evolving clinical use of dexmedetomidine. thelancet.com In patients having cardiac and non-cardiac surgery, new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation and postoperative delirium have been associated with several adverse long-term outcomes, including increased cardiovascular, renal, and cerebral complications, worsened postoperative cognitive function, increased mortality, longer length of stay in hospital, and increased medical costs.1—3 Identifying effective therapies and modifiable factors that might reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and postoperative delirium is paramount.

Ian Roberts, Haleema Shakur-Still (2020-07-18). [Correspondence] Tranexamic acid for traumatic brain injury — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank the many correspondents for their comments about the CRASH-3 trial.1…

Sebastian Bourn, Nick Dodds (2020-07-18). [Correspondence] Tranexamic acid for traumatic brain injury. thelancet.com We read about the CRASH-3 study1 with interest. The CRASH-3 collab ≠orators are to be congratulated for their endeavour and their integrated analysis. However, we ask, who exactly benefits from this treatment?

Harry Rutter, Richard Horton, Theresa M Marteau (2020-07-18). [Comment] The Lancet—Chatham House Commission on improving population health post COVID-19. thelancet.com The health of populations across the planet is in a perilous state during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 550‚Äà000 deaths worldwide as of July 10, 2020.1 The disease burden is falling mainly on the most disadvantaged groups worldwide and there are major impacts on health systems across high, middle, and low-income countries. In parallel with these direct health impacts, the economic effects of lockdowns are leading to an unprecedented global recession which will have ramifications well into the future.

Andre Vltchek (2020-07-18). U.K. and Hong Kong: Mutually Reinforced Ignorance. dissidentvoice.org Three years ago, I visited Old Supreme Court Building in Hong Kong, also known as The Court of Final Appeal, together with my friend, an Afghan-British lawyer, who was on a personal mission of 're-discovering Asia.' Coming from a prominent, highly educated family in Afghanistan, my friend was extremely well aware that both the United …

Naomi Klein (2020-07-18). Naomi Klein on Juice Podcast. zcomm.org Interview on the lessons we're learning during this historic period, Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, and why the liberals are going to get us all killed…

Jeremy Loffredo (2020-07-18). Why the Bill Gates Global Health Empire Promises More Empire and Less Public Health. Gates Foundation Owns the WHO! globalresearch.ca Behind a veil of corporate media PR, the Gates Foundation has served as a vehicle for Western capital while exploiting the Global South as a human laboratory. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to intensify this disturbing agenda. | *** | President Donald …

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-07-18). What Lies Ahead: Permanent Job Losses, Poverty in America, Financial and Political Instability. globalresearch.ca On July 6, 2020 I posted my extended view and analysis why the 3rd quarter US GDP would falter—and lead to a W-shape recovery, as it typical of all Great Recessions. The current recession's scenario was compared with 1929-30 and …

Eds. (2020-07-18). Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's regular press conference on July 15, 2020. mronline.org O'Brien should really read up on Marxist-Leninist works. The people's position is the fundamental political position of Marxist parties. People are the creators of history and the true driving force behind historical progress.

Eds. (2020-07-18). 1978: Ernest Mandel — Rosa Luxemburg and political economy. mronline.org The Accumulation of Capital was published in 1913, and it was probably only after completing her magnum opus that Luxemburg resumed writing her Introduction to Political Economy. Interrupted once again, now by the outbreak of war, she continued to work on the Introduction during her stay in prison in Wronke, in the German province of …

Eds. (2020-07-18). Paralysed companies rescued by an 'army' of volunteer workers. mronline.org The 2270-strong Productive Workers' Army has recuperated 14 state-run firms that had been run into the ground.

Vijay Prashad (2020-07-18). COVID-19: Rot exposed by pandemic augurs a future of fear. mronline.org Vijay Prashad raises deep questions about the exhaustion of the global capitalist system in a time of great human suffering.

RT (2020-07-18). Oregon attorney general files lawsuit against federal agencies amid reports that officers 'kidnapped' Portland protesters. rt.com Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is taking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies to court, after accusing federal officers of detaining Portland demonstrators without probable cause. | Rosenblum announced on Friday night that the Oregon Department of Justice had filed a lawsuit in federal court against the DHS, US Marshals Service, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Federal Protection Service. The suit claims federal law enforcement agencies have been wrongfully seizing protesters and seeks a temporary restraining order which would prohibit them from using such tactic…

RT (2020-07-18). Trump says 'seldom seen niece' Mary Trump 'violated NDA' & 'broke the law' in 1st comment about her tell-all book. rt.com US President Donald Trump has taken aim at his niece, Mary, soon after the publication of her highly critical book, insisting she made deceptive claims — and even ran afoul of privacy law — in his first comments on the memoir.

RT (2020-07-18). Leader of radical black-only militia NFAC 'believes in violence' & wants a real-life Wakanda for every black person in America. rt.com NFAC, the masked, armed black militia that recently marched through a park in Georgia, deems violence and killing an acceptable response to oppression. Their end goal is to break away from the US as their own black-only nation. | The NFAC (Not F*cking Around Coalition) grabbed plenty of attention on social media with a high-profile public debut on July 4. The sight of an all-black militia, clutching rifles and handguns, marching in the heartland of the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain caused plenty of ripples. | But very little is known about them, despite a frenzy of speculation. It's not even clear when they w…

RT (2020-07-18). As violent protests grip Portland for weeks, Dems call for an investigation of 'horrific' tactics by federal law enforcement. rt.com With Portland plagued by weeks of violent protests, including attacks on police, Oregon's leaders are demanding an investigation into federal officers who they branded an "occupying" force assaulting "peaceful protesters." | Four Democratic lawmakers from the state — US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as US House members Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici — called for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to probe the "violent actions of federal forces in Portland" on Friday. | Like Mayor Ted Wheeler, who said on Tuesday that his biggest wo…

RT (2020-07-18). Portland police 'retreat' after standoff with NAKED female protester (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com Police officers in Portland, Oregon were caught off guard after being approached by a nude female demonstrator, who lay down in the street and began performing yoga. The cops were then filmed "withdrawing." | A woman wearing nothing except a mask and a beanie approached a group of officers clearing out the downtown area in the early hours of Saturday. A line of police and federal agents were standing at an intersection when the naked woman seemingly appeared out of nowhere. | "Naked Athena appeared and the little boys didn't know what to do," joked Donovan Farley, a reporter on the ground who documented the ri…

RT (2020-07-18). CBP says Portland protester in viral 'kidnapping' clip was assault & vandalism suspect, denies officers wore no insignia. rt.com The US Customs and Border Protection agency has taken credit for a Portland protester's hot-button arrest this week, saying the man was a criminal suspect, while refuting claims he was 'kidnapped' by agents wearing no insignia. | The CBP sought to address the incident in a statement on Friday, noting that the protester arrested one day prior was suspected of vandalism and attacks on agents amid anti-police brutality demonstrations, which it said were organized by "violent anarchists." | "CBP agents had information indicating the person… was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of feder…

RT (2020-07-18). Rep. John Lewis, iconic civil rights leader, dead at 80. rt.com Longtime congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis has passed away at the age of 80 after a months-long battle with cancer, his family announced. | The Georgia Democrat, who served in Congress for more than three decades, was diagnosed in December with stage-four pancreatic cancer. "He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed," Lewis' family said in a statement announcing his death. | Lewis, a colleague of Martin Luther King Jr, was one of several keynote speakers at the 1963 March on Washington f…

_____ (2020-07-18). 'Putin Hacked Our Coronavirus Vaccine' Is the Dumbest Story Yet. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | Today mainstream media is reporting what is arguably the single dumbest Russiavape story of all time, against some very stiff competition. | "Russian hackers are targeting health care organizations in the West in an attempt to steal coronavirus vaccine research, the U.S. and Britain said," "Hackers backed by the Russian state are trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world, Britain's National Cyber…

The Canary (2020-07-18). Civil rights icon John Lewis dies aged 80. thecanary.co Civil rights hero John Lewis has died aged 80. It was Lewis's bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 that helped galvanise opposition to racial segregation,House speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis's passing late on Friday 17 July. She called the veteran politician "one of the greatest heroes of American history". Both Democrats and Republicans sent Lewis tributes when he announced in December 2019 that he had advanced pancreatic cancer.Civil rights activist: Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists. This was a group led by Martin Luther King Jr that had the…

The Canary (2020-07-18). Mayor demands that Trump remove federal police from Portland. thecanary.co The mayor of Portland has demanded that US president Donald Trump remove federal law enforcement from the city. Black Lives Matter protests have taken place in the city for nearly two months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May.Federal agents in green camouflage uniforms have reportedly arrested and detained protesters in the city. This happened after they were sent solely to protect federal property. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler told reporters: Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city.Federal officers deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd…

WSWS Repost (2020-07-18). SEP candidates respond to California state officials in ballot access lawsuit. indybay.org Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz respond to California officials who would have Socialist Equality Party (SEP) signature gatherers run a deadly COVID-19 "minefield" to gain them ballot access in November. In federal court they argued that putting the signature gatherers and the public at risk during the pandemic is unconstitutional and unacceptable.

Alleen Brown (2020-07-18). What If All Native Treaties Were Upheld? zcomm.org The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision last week that altered the map of Oklahoma. The eastern half of the state, including much of Tulsa, is now, for legal purposes, Indian country…

Tracy Keeling (2020-07-18). Major conservation charity drops a bombshell, putting the trophy hunting industry on very thin ice. thecanary.co A bombshell dropped by the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) UK section has put the trophy hunting industry on very thin ice. The Times A public rejecti…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Israel 'relieved' as ICC adjourns war crimes probe. yenisafak.com The Israeli government breathed a sigh of relief after a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to adjourn without opening an investigation against Tel Aviv over possible war crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to Israeli media.The ICC pre-trial was supposed to assess if the court's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has the authority to open an investigation into war crimes by Israel along with defining the territorial boundaries within which the investigation will take place.In May, Bensouda said that there is a basis to launch an investigation into war crimes committe…

WSWS (2020-07-18). US hits record 74,987 new daily COVID-19 cases. wsws.org The number of daily new cases in the United States has tripled from a month ago amid a massive resurgence of the pandemic.

Jill Richardson (2020-07-18). What If We Actually Listened? zcomm.org Here's what I learned when I stopped trying to convince anyone of anything…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-18). Unions thwart liquidation of South African Airways. peoplesdispatch.org The decision of stakeholders to approve a rescue plan for the crisis-ridden South African Airways ensures that it will not get liquidated as was feared earlier. Unions fought a long battle to prevent liquidation…

Kit Knightly (2020-07-18). The "Russian Vaccine Hack" Is a 3-for-1 Deal on Propaganda. globalresearch.ca The Guardian, and all the other predictable voices, are currently reporting that Russian At this stage they offer no substantiation, but it does serve as good …

George Wuerthner (2020-07-18). Periodic "devastation" necessary for forest health. zcomm.org The bottom line is that our forest health is dependent on episodic events that cause significant mortality. This is not only natural but required for "healthy forest ecosystems."

Ali Salam (2020-07-18). Several Palestinians Suffocate at Kufur Qaddoum, Nablus and Salfit Protests. imemc.org Three major demonstrations were held by Palestinians, on Friday, to express their objection to Israel's continued colonial settlement activities in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces opened fire, on Friday afternoon, towards Palestinians during a peaceful protest north of Nablus city, in Asira Ash-Shamaliyya town, northern West Bank, according to …

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (2020-07-18). A Multi-Racial Coalition Is Necessary For This Moment. zcomm.org Interview on seizing this moment with a broad-based, multi-racial movement to change an 'impoverished democracy.'

WSWS (2020-07-18). Australia: Hundreds of health workers in Victoria contract COVID-19. wsws.org A national survey of 500 healthcare workers found that half were experiencing PPE shortages and some were having to source their own supplies.

WSWS (2020-07-18). Brazil surpasses two million coronavirus cases as reopening drive continues. wsws.org "We cannot continue suffocating the economy," President Jair Bolsonaro said, as Brazil suffered the highest single day death toll in the world.

Sam Pizzigati (2020-07-18). Will the Biden-Sanders Economic Task Force Report Rattle the Rich? zcomm.org Wish-lists of progressive public policies never change the world. But they sometimes do excite the people who can…

Dan Friedman (2020-07-18). Federal Agents Invade Portland, Citing Trump's Executive Order Protecting Statues. zcomm.org The Border Patrol says it has authority to "conduct arrests" in Portland…

Robert Hunziker (2020-07-18). The Sky Is Falling: Yes? No? dissidentvoice.org The sky is falling is one of the more disturbing thoughts in society today, as to whether climate change is on a fast track collision course with doomsday amidst a collapsing society. In that regard, according to the details of a scathing review by ScientistsWarning.org ("SW") of Jem Bendell's wildly popular "Deep Adaptation" the answer …

WSWS (2020-07-18). US escalates economic warfare against Russia and China. wsws.org After securing a decision by the UK government to ban the Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G rollout, the US is pressuring the Merkel government in Germany to take the same decision.

news.un (2020-07-18). FROM THE FIELD: Frontline resilience in Somalia. news.un.org One hundred thousand households in Somaliland in northwest Somalia have better access to water, protecting them not just from the ravages of climate change but also against the spread of COVID-19, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme.

Nicole Hassoun (2020-07-18). Putting ethics before profits. zcomm.org Ending the pandemic will take global access to COVID-19 treatment and vaccines…

Jeremy Brecher (2020-07-18). Fighting the Great Depression From Below. zcomm.org The grassroots movements of workers and the unemployed formed a crucial part of the process that led instead to the emergence of the New Deal and the development of new and expanded forms of working-class organization…

teleSUR (2020-07-18). US: Trump Sends Undercover Police to Quell Portland's Protests. telesurenglish.net U.S. Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) Thursday denounced that President Donald Trump has deployed federal agents in Portland, Oregon, dressed in camouflage but without any visible insignia, to round up and detain U.S. citizens. | RELATED: | "Multiple videos released on digital platforms show federal officials approaching people, arresting them and leaving without any explanation to justify the arrest," OPB said in a statement. | Since at least July 14, officials have dr…

_____ (2020-07-18). Week in Review July 12th — 18th. truepublica.org.uk Editor's Review Of The Week It's difficult announcing the biggest story of the week nowadays when there's so much to report. Take for instance the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill that has just had its second reading in the Commons. To all intents and purposes — its a power grab by the Tories. If the Bill is …

Ali Salam (2020-07-18). 8 Palestinians Detained by Israeli Forces, All Former Detainees. imemc.org Israeli forces, Thursday evening, detained a Palestinian astro-physicist at the entrance of Anata town, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, said Palestinian WAFA News Agency correspondent. He reported that Israeli soldiers ordered Imad Barghouthi, 56, an astrophysics professor at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, out of his vehicle at the entrance …

news.un (2020-07-18). 'Inequality defines our time': UN chief delivers hard-hitting Mandela day message. news.un.org Inequality, an issue which "defines our time", risks destroying the world's economies and societies, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a hard-hitting speech on Saturday.

Mel Gurtov (2020-07-18). Trump's Occupy Portland Gambit. zcomm.org The protests against this federal deployment by Oregon's state and local leaders are fulsome, but will the governor act to remove these play soldiers and let Donald Trump know that his test run at military occupation cannot stand?>

WSWS (2020-07-18). Australian medical experts call for workplace and school shutdowns as Victoria's COVID-19 surge escalates. wsws.org Despite the highest spike in Australian coronavirus infections since the pandemic began, the Victorian Labor government has implemented a "lockdown" that leaves schools and most workplaces open.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). A different look at US recent fire incidents. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Since last week, the US has been a hotbed of major fire incidents, from the fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard to Utah wildfire, all of which large-scale yet with no cause yet mentioned.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Iranian researchers produce antivirus hospital clothing. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Iranian researchers in a knowledge-based company designed and produced isolated antivirus hospital clothing, applicable in the fight against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in particular.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Admitting defeat against Iran better than foolish bluffs. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said accepting defeat against powerful Iran is better than foolish bluffs.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). VIDEO: Explosion at 'ArcelorMittal Plant' in NW Indiana. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — An explosion rocked the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Burns Harbor, Indiana Thursday morning, sparking a fire and causing damage to equipment near a blast furnace.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Iran-China cooperation major challenge to US unilateralism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Chinese TV in a report described Iran-China 25-year cooperation roadmap as the result of US maximum pressure, stressing it has posed major challenge to the US unilateralism in the international community.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Iran-Syria military coop. to defeat Zionist Regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17(MNA) — An Iranian Lawmaker said that military cooperation agreements must be signed between Iran and regional countries including Syria to strengthen Iran and the axis of Resistance and to defeat the Zionist Regime and other enemies.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Sixth Indian shipment to Afghanistan arrives at Iranian port. en.mehrnews.com CHABAHAR, Jul. 18 (MNA) — India's sixth consignment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has arrived at Chabahar's Shahid Beheshti Port, the director-general of Sistan and Baluchestan Ports and Maritime Department said on Saturday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Economic benefits needed for Iran's full compliance to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that expecting Iran to fully comply with JCPAO obligations without having the country benefit from the economic advantages of the deal is not acceptable.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Parl. investigating withdrawal form UN 'additional protocol'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — An MP informed on Saturday that the Parliament is investigating a new plan to have Iran out of the United Nations' additional protocol.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Saudi sponsored TV channel showed utter obscenity: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to UK Hamid Baeidinjad reacted to the live broadcast of the gathering of MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) terrorist group on the Iran International Channel in his Twitter account.

John Malkin (2020-07-18). TALES of THE RESISTANCE – San Francisco Mime Troupe – Interview with Michael Sullivan. indybay.org Interview with actor, playwright, director Michael Sullivan on the 61st season of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. "Tales of the Resistance" is a series of nine radio play podcasts from July to October, 2020.

Refuse Fascism, Bay Area (2020-07-18). Saturday 7/18: Emergency protest! No Trump Gestapo in Portland! indybay.org S.F. Federal Building, 7th St. @ Mission St.

By Lynda Carson (2020-07-18). Housing wage for 2 bedroom unit is $43.06 for Oakland-Fremont area. indybay.org COVID-19 Guidance for Multifamily Residential Buildings:…

Alameda Health System SEIU & others (2020-07-18). Monday 7/20: Alameda County Strike for Black Health and Vitality. indybay.org ALAMEDA COUNTY: | Highland Hospital, 1411 E 31st St, Oakland, CA 94602 | Fairmont Hospital, 15400 Foothill Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94578…

Roland Rottenfuss (2020-07-18). The 9 coffin nails of democracy. indybay.org Democracy is an achievement and must be won anew, expanded and defended against attacks in every era… The political conformity of the mainstream press is a sad chapter. "Representative democracy" is a fine word, but who do the representatives actually represent today? Citizens want "representatives of the people."

The Fight for $15 (2020-07-18). Monday 7/20: Bay Strike for Black Lives in Oakland. indybay.org Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94609…

Orion the elder (2020-07-18). Friday 7/24: Orion's Awesome "Live No Jive Hamond b3 Organ Trio w Special Guests. indybay.org Alameda Dog Park 1302 8th street alameda…

Pika-Nonymous (2020-07-18). Military-garbed agents in unmarked vehicles at Martinez protest. indybay.org During the July 12th protest in Martinez there were military-garbed agents, who arrived and left in unmarked civilian-looking vehicles.It is unclear what agency they are part of.

Ramona du Houx (2020-07-18). Thousands of Elected Officials see a turning point, and rally against fossil fuel industry. indybay.org In this historic moment of reckoning for the energy future of America, elected officials join indigenous and front-lines organizers in celebrating victories over unjust and exploitative pipelines. With the tide of public opinion clearly opposed to carbon emissions and the oil industry's devastating reevaluations the vise-like grip of the fossil fuel industry's lobbying influence has begun to weaken.

UC Students & Workers (2020-07-18). Saturday 7/25: F*ck the UC: No cops, no firings, no layoffs. indybay.org UC Office of the President, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland CA 94607…

_____ (2020-07-18). Bolivians Take To The Streets Against The Añez Government. popularresistance.org Bolivia's Workers Central (COB) Tuesday called for tens of thousands of people to hold a mass protest in several cities against the coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez. | "The Bolivian people, the Indigenous groups, and educational organizations raised their voice of protest today," the COB Secretary-General Juan Carlos Huarachi said in La Paz. | One of the demonstrators' main calls is the definitive confirmation of the general elections for September 6. | "We ask for a democratically elected government that resolves the country's economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19," Huarachi added, adding that citize…

_____ (2020-07-18). Cops And Their Supporters Unite To Attack BLM Counterers. popularresistance.org George Floyd's murder, along with the murders of Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others, laid bare for the world how police are mandated by the state to terrorize people of color, especially Black people. The severe repression against protesters put this violence on display on a mass scale and showed the lengths the state is willing to go to keep its hold on "law and order." Yet, even as politicians, NGOs, and nonprofits try desperately to co-opt and pacify the movement, the most leftward expression of protesters' demands — from defunding and disbanding police departments to abolishing police a…

_____ (2020-07-18). Artists Install Anti-Trump Living Statues Around DC. popularresistance.org Living statues were installed around Washington, D.C. on Friday depicting President Trump as a "destroyer of civil rights and liberties." | A group of artists known as the Trump Statue Initiative is behind the installations, including one that depicts Trump holding up a Bible while Black Lives Matters protesters are beaten and another showing him telling a masked child to "go back to school" while holding a golf club. | "The concept is that the history he's painting of himself right now, where his narcissistic or racist or self-serving moments abound, this is what he's leaving us with," filmmaker Bryan Buckley to…

_____ (2020-07-18). The Pendulum Swings Again: the Desecration of Hagia Sophia. strategic-culture.org The Turkish President should have consulted the prophecies of St. Paisius of the Holy Mountain rather than whatever kitaps he was reading before embarking on his risky provocation. In plain Greek, several decades ago St. Paisius was educating Turkish leaders about

_____ (2020-07-18). How NATO-Member Turkey Reverted Back to Being an Islamic Dictatorship. strategic-culture.org The gradual process of Turkey's becoming an Islamic

Staff (2020-07-18). Trump Blocks CDC Experts From Testifying to Education Panel on School Reopenings. truthout.org The Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee

Staff (2020-07-18). Trump's Federal Police Are Kidnapping and Brutalizing Protesters in Portland. truthout.org On July 11, Donavan LaBella, 26, was shot in the head with an impact munition as he stood at a protest holding a speaker over his head. "It caused a pretty deep laceration, but he was bleeding from his nose, his mouth, his ears — it was pretty bad,"

Staff (2020-07-18). George Yancy: To Be Black in the US Is to Have a Knee Against Your Neck Each Day. truthout.org What drives the current rift between white and Black America, and how as individuals can we effectively contribute to the fight against the worldmaking of whiteness? | Philosopher

yenisafak (2020-07-18). US government executes third prisoner after 17-year hiatus. yenisafak.com The U.S. Department of Justice executed a convicted murderer on Friday in the third federal execution within a week after a 17-year hiatus, according to a reporter serving as a media witness.Dustin Lee Honken, 52, was a dealer in illegal methamphetamine when he and his girlfriend murdered five people in Iowa in 1993, including two girls aged 10 and 6. He was convicted in 2004.Honken was pronounced dead at 4: 36 p.m. EDT at the Justice Department's execution chamber at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, the media witness said.

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Protest held against Armenia's border attacks in Hungary. yenisafak.com The protest was organized by Azerbaijani associations based in Hungary.Carrying Azerbaijani, Turkish and Hungarian flags, the protesters chanted slogans.Ramiz Emirli, the head of the Azerbaijani-Hungarian Brotherhood Association, told Anadolu Agency that they organized the protests to announce in Europe that Armenia attacked Azerbaijan and martyred its soldiers.Armenian attacks since last Sunday have martyred a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers. However, they have since withdrawn after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for the "provocative" actions, with T…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Germany's military missing over 60000 rounds of ammunition. yenisafak.com More than 100 weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition have disappeared from the inventory of the German armed forces and police, the daily WELT newspaper reported Saturday.At least 60,000 rounds of ammunition have been unaccounted for in the German military and police force over the past 10 years.This figure does not include around 48,000 rounds that went missing from the army's elite Special Forces Command (KSK) unit, which lately made headlines after far-right extremism was exposed among its soldiers.The German Defense Ministry has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident.The exact r…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Ethiopian premier in Eritrea to discuss regional issues. yenisafak.com Ethiopia's prime minister arrived in Eritrea on an official visit on Saturday.Abiy Ahmed was welcomed in the capital Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and other senior officials.The two leaders will confer on bilateral and regional issues, according to a statement by the Ethiopian premier's office.Relations between the neighboring countries were restored in June 2018 after two decades of mistrust and tensions.They fought a bloody war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed around 70,000 lives.Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for leading efforts to normalize Ethiopia and Eritrea's ties and for making regional…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Libya's oil firm calls for foreign mercenaries to leave. yenisafak.com Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Saturday called for the immediate withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from oil facilities in the country.In a statement, the NOC condemned the deployment of Russia's Wagner Group and Syrian and Janjaweed mercenaries in Libyan oil installations, most recently at Es Sidra port."NOC demands their immediate withdrawal from all facilities," it said, calling the UN to "send observers to supervise the demilitarization in the areas of NOC operations across the country.""There are currently large numbers of foreign mercenaries in NOC facilities who do not share this wish," the state…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). US swoops down on Portland protesters after Trump order to protect monuments. yenisafak.com Federal law enforcement officers are cracking down on protesters in Portland, Oregon, under the Trump administration's new executive order to protect U.S. monuments in what the state's Democratic governor has called "political theater."Multiple videos posted online show camouflage-clad officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to transport arrested protesters."It's kidnapping people!" one person said off-camera, as officers marched a protester away.A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman said on Friday agents had been deployed to Portland to support a newly laun…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Azerbaijanis on border stay put despite Armenia attacks. yenisafak.com Despite living with the sights, sounds, and danger of attacks from the Armenian army, Azerbaijanis living in villages along the border with Armenia are not going anywhere.For nearly a week now Armenian forces' attacks on Azerbaijan have aimed at seizing strategic heights along the border and targeted not only soldiers but also civilians.Many houses in the region have become unusable after attacks by artillery and mortar on the border villages of Azerbaijan's Tovuz province, but local civilians have not fled.The Azizovs are one of the families living within earshot of gunfire.They lost their uncle Aziz Azizov, 76,…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). UK pauses daily coronavirus death toll update over data concerns. yenisafak.com Britain said on Saturday it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concerns the toll might have been exaggerated.Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures in England means they may be distorted compared to other parts of the United Kingdom."Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). UK coronavirus antibody test found to be a success. yenisafak.com Following successful trials, the British government is set to start distributing millions of free coronavirus antibody tests, local media reported on Saturday.The finger-prick tests can tell within 20 minutes if a person has been exposed to the virus and were found to be 98.6% accurate during human trials that took place in June.The test was developed under a partnership between Oxford University and leading diagnostics firms of the UK.Sir John Bell, professor of medicine at Oxford University and head of the government's antibody testing program, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying: "This rapid test appears to…