WSWS (2020-04-25). Minnesota meatpacking plant closes after two dozen workers test positive for COVID-19. wsws.org JBS USA, the largest meat processing company in Minnesota, shut down its pork plant in Worthington on Monday, resulting in the layoff of 2,000 workers, many of whom are immigrants.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-25). After the Lockdown: A Global Coronavirus Vaccination Program… globalresearch.ca The tendency is towards a Worldwide lockdown spearheaded by fear and media disinformation. Currently, hundreds of millions of people Worldwide are under lockdown. | What is the next step in the evolution of the COV-19 Crisis? A multibillion dollar coronavirus vaccination program to be implemented in the wake of the Lockdown.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-25). Fake Coronavirus Data, Fear Campaign. Spread of the COVID-19 Infection. globalresearch.ca Do not let yourself be misled by the fear campaign, pointing to a Worldwide coronavirus calamity with repeated \"predictions\" that hundreds of thousands of people are going to die. | According to the WHO, the death rate pertaining to Seasonal Influenza globally is between 6 to 12 times higher than COVID-19.

Aaron Maté (2020-04-25). US elites use Russiagate playbook to blame China and promote hostility. thegrayzone.com The US establishment is demonizing China over the COVID-19 crisis with a familiar Russiagate playbook of specious claims, fear-mongering, and…

WSWS (2020-04-25). Hong Kong arrests prominent pan-democrat activists. wsws.org Washington is attempting to exploit the arrests to further whip up tensions with Beijing and paint China as a threat.

teleSUR (2020-04-25). European Union Urges Libya Truce, Resumption of Peace Talks. telesurenglish.net The foreign affairs ministers of Germany, France, Italy, and the European High Representative for Foreign Affair made a joint call Saturday for a humanitarian truce in Libya, urging all sides must resume peace talks. | RELATED: | \"We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire,\" said the statement, signed by the EU\'s Josep Borrell, Fr…

WSWS (2020-04-25). Food delivery workers in Brazil join international strikes against unsafe conditions. wsws.org Over the past week, there have been strikes and protests in Brazil and other Latin American countries, including Ecuador and Argentina, as well as Spain.

RT (2020-04-25). \'Let me go to work!\' Hundreds of protesters demand removal of fence on Polish-German border amid Covid-19 lockdown (VIDEO). rt.com Protesters have demanded the reopening of the border between Poland and Germany, which was closed due the Covid-19 pandemic. The quarantine rules have left them unable to commute to work and see their families. | Hundreds gathered at both sides of the border crossing between the Polish town of Zgorzelec and the German town of Goerlitz on Friday. Protesters held signs saying \'Let me go to work!\' and \'Let me into my home\', demanding the removal of the border fence erected after the countries closed their borders in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. They also urged the Polish government to end the…

en.mehrnews (2020-04-25). VIDEO: Protesters leave body bags outside Trump Hotel in Washington. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 25 (MNA) — Demonstrators lay body bags outside the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to show their disapproval of how US President Donald Trump is handling the coronavirus in very graphic terms.

RT (2020-04-25). \'Can\'t erase history\': Putin & Stalin mosaic for military cathedral is \'appropriate,\' church says amid furor. rt.com President Vladimir Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin will both make a surprise, if minor, appearance inside the main cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, which is being decorated with historical scenes of the nation\'s glory. | Photos showing an incomplete mosaic with the likenesses of Putin, other key government figures, and seemingly random people celebrating with national flags made quite a stir in Russia after being leaked to the media on Friday. The artwork is reportedly part of the grandiose church under construction in Patriot Park near Moscow, which is to become the main place of worship for the R…

RT (2020-04-25). \'Can\'t erase history\': Putin & Stalin TEMPLE MOSAIC is \'appropriate,\' church says amid furor over Russian military cathedral decor. rt.com President Vladimir Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin will both make a surprise, if minor, appearance inside the main cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, which is being decorated with historical scenes of the nation\'s glory. | Photos showing an incomplete mosaic with the likenesses of Putin, other key government figures, and seemingly random people celebrating with national flags made quite a stir in Russia after being leaked to the media on Friday. The artwork was linked to the grandiose church being built in Patriot Park outside Moscow, which is to become the main temple of the Russian military. | &nda…

WSWS (2020-04-25). Amid warnings of famine and unrest in Venezuela, Maduro renews talks with US-backed opposition. wsws.org The timing of the renewed talks makes it clear that any settlement with US imperialism would be centrally aimed against a challenge from below.

RT (2020-04-25). Saudi Arabia to take on billions in debt to survive the oil price crisis. rt.com Saudi Arabia may have to borrow as much as $58 billion this year to cover a budget shortfall caused by the oil price slump, Bloomberg reports, citing Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan. | Al-Jadaan told media this week that the Kingdom might issue bonds worth $26.57 billion (100 billion riyals) this year in addition to an earlier issue of $31.88 billion (120 billion riyals) worth of debt. | Saudi Aramco, for its part, is considering a $10 billion sale in part of its pipeline business, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. | \"The kingdom went through similar crises in its history — maybe even worse — and w…

RT (2020-04-25). Example of Russia-US cooperation: Putin & Trump release rare JOINT statement on Elbe Day 75th anniversary. rt.com Russia\'s President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump have released a rare joint statement, marking the 75th anniversary of the historic meeting between Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River. | The meeting that occurred on April 25, 1945 \"heralded the decisive defeat of the Nazi regime,\" which was ultimately destroyed a couple weeks after. But most importantly, it clearly showed how the two nations can cooperate, the statement reads. | The \'Spirit of the Elbe\' is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. | On Elbe…

RT (2020-04-25). WATCH helicopter tail RIPPED OFF, rotor TORN TO PIECES during crash-landing in Siberia. rt.com The crash-landing of a Mi-26 transport helicopter has left eight people injured in Russia. The moment the aircraft plunged into the snowy ground and had both of its rotors obliterated in an instant was caught on camera. | The video shows the chopper slowly approaching the landing zone. But for some reason the pilot couldn\'t quite control the rotorcraft, with its tail seemingly hitting the ground and getting broken off. With the torque of the main rotor no longer in check, the rest of the body went into a spin and tilted, destroying the rotor blades. | –ö–∞–¥—Ä—…

RT (2020-04-25). St. Petersburg\'s Russian Museum marks 125th anniversary with empty halls… & RT\'s Ruptly gives you an exclusive tour (VIDEO). rt.com The State Russian Museum whose grand collection ranges from medieval icons to Kazimir Malevich\'s squares and circles is marking its 125th anniversary with empty halls due to Covid-19. But this Ruptly video takes you on a tour. | The largest depository of Russian fine arts was founded back in 1895 by Russia\'s last Emperor Nicholas II. Located in the grandiose Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, the museum is used to seeing droves of tourists daily but like many establishments worldwide it is currently closed due to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. | Ruptly has peeked into the empty halls of the museum, and a…

RT (2020-04-25). Russian legislators rush to get tested after two fellow MPs contract coronavirus. rt.com At least two Russian legislators have contracted the dreaded Covid-19 disease. While mandatory coronavirus testing is not expected for MPs, many of them have already been checked voluntarily after their colleagues fell ill. | Read more | | Top Russian officials had largely been spared by the coronavirus pandemic so far, but that situation changed on Saturday when two MPs were diagnosed with coronavirus. | Leonid Kalashnikov, head of the State Duma\'s committe…

RT (2020-04-25). Two Su-27s follow Belgian F-16 fighter jet flying near Russia's border in the Baltic Sea (VIDEO). rt.com A pair of Russian Su-27 fighter jets were quickly taken off a routine training flight to escort a Belgian warplane approaching the state border. | On Friday, the Russian military had spotted a Belgian F-16, which was heading towards the nation\'s border over the Baltic Sea. Two Su-27 fighter aircraft that were flying a training mission in the area were immediately sent to identify the foreign plane. | A cockpit video from one of the Russian jets shows how the Su-27s were maneuvering near the Belgian aircraft until it was escorted away from the country\'s border. | Russia frequently scrambles its military airc…

RT (2020-04-25). #KIMJONGUNDEAD is a rumor, but political jokes at North Korean leader\'s expense are already here. rt.com Rumors of North Korea\'s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un\'s declining health have inspired a bevy of mocking and agenda-driven tweets from both the left and right. | The hashtag #KIMJONGUNDEAD began trending on Twitter shortly after Reuters reported that China had dispatched a team of medical experts to the country to advise on his well-being. Although next to nothing is known for sure, social media went into a frenzy with memes and posts that had less to do with North Korea and more to do with US politics. | \'Dilbert\' creator and political author Scott Adams used the news to take a shot at former Vice President Joe…

Elijah Magnier (2020-04-25). Iraq facing a great US threat: China, al-Hashd and Iran out, or else… (1/2). thealtworld.com Iraq never before witnessed fragmentation of this magnitude, embodied by an unprecedented division between the various political blocs in a parliamentary system dependent on the consensus of the ruling parliamentary blocs. | The US administration, aware of the lack of Iraqi unity, is playing an important role in pouring oil on the fire. The Iraqi economy depends on sales of crude oil for 67 percent of its budget. Its value is now so low that it threatens the Iraqi economy, and it has become a contributory factor in endangering the integrity of the territory. The deterioration of the standard of living, an unstabl…

RT (2020-04-25). \'Iran will never initiate any conflict in the region,\' Rouhani says amid raging tensions with US. rt.com Tehran will not be the instigator of hostilities with the US in the region, Iran\'s President Hassan Rouhani has said. The countries traded military threats earlier this week. | Rouhani made his comments during a phone call with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on Saturday. \"The Islamic Republic of Iran closely monitors and tracks the activities and movements of the Americans, but will never initiate any conflict or tension in the region,\" he said. | At the same time, Rouhani reiterated that Tehran considers the US sanctions against the country illegal under international law, and said that they are…

Eds. (2020-04-25). \"Please Don\'t\": Doctors forced to speak out as Trump ponders aloud whether injecting disinfectants could treat COVID-19. mronline.org \"ALERT! Please do not ingest, inject, inhale, or otherwise use any disinfectant outside of its labeled instructions. And do not start using tanning beds or sunning without sunscreen.\"

RT (2020-04-25). Our Turn to Act: RT launches live map connecting volunteers & those needing help amid coronavirus. rt.com RT\'s charity project \'Our Turn to Act\' has launched a live map that brings together potential volunteers and those struggling to cope with coronavirus lockdowns on their own. | The live map makes it easier for people — primarily elderly persons forced to self-isolate in their homes amid global Covid-19 lockdowns — to get directly in touch with volunteers keen to help them see the crisis through. | To receive assistance or lend a helping hand to those stuck at home, the first step is to register on the project\'s

RT (2020-04-25). 'Just wash your damn hands!' Golf influencer Tisha Alyn's dance video warns fans to NOT DRINK BLEACH to 'cure' COVID-19 (VIDEO). rt.com Following news that a host of Americans have been taken ill after drinking disinfectant after US President Donald Trump\'s comments about killing COVID-19, golf influencer Tisha Alyn has issued her own public service announcement. | Alyn hopped onto her Instagram to warn her followers not to drink bleach and antibacterial products, using a rework of the DJ Casper hit, \"Cha Cha Slide\" to remind people to wash their hands instead. | \"This is a PSA – reminder that ingesting disinfectant/bleach is BAD for you. Just wash your damn hands!\" she declared. | \"Bringing out the Filipino in me with the line dances and m…

RT (2020-04-25). Global coronavirus death toll tops 200,000 fatalities. rt.com The global death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic reached over 200,000 on Saturday, with confirmed cases expected to top three million in the coming days. | More than half of the worldwide fatalities have come from the United States, Spain, and Italy. Eight percent of cases in the United States have resulted in death, with 10 percent of infections in Italy and Spain proving fatal. | Also on rt.com | | It took 91 days for the global death toll to top 100,000, but only another 16 for…

RT (2020-04-25). India eases Covid-19 lockdown, allowing some shops to reopen on limited basis as Modi preaches virtues of \'self-reliance\'. rt.com New Delhi has given the green light for small shops across India to open their doors under certain conditions, as the country begins to relax far-reaching lockdown measures brought to stop the spread of Covid-19. | The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order late on Friday night granting permission to \"non-essential\" shop owners to get back to work starting on Saturday, asking only that they continue to abide by social distancing guidelines and don masks and gloves in public to limit transmission of the lethal virus. | \"All registered shops under the Shops and Establishment Act …including shops in residenti…

RT (2020-04-25). \'Subtle cues\' make people SHARE more online, study says — what does this mean for a post-Covid-19 world? rt.com A new study suggests people may have privacy concerns when it comes to technology, but there are psychological temptations for them to divulge too much, a fact that could have repercussions during the Covid-19 pandemic. | In a

Kerry-anne Mendoza (2020-04-25). Coronavirus has already killed more British people than the Blitz. thecanary.co The UK government only reports deaths from coronavirus (Covid-19) that happen in hospitals. New research shows that the true number of people dying is more than double government reports. Figures prepared by the Financial Times (FT) show that

yenisafak (2020-04-25). Can pandemic catalyze diplomacy to end conflicts? yenisafak.com Governments in Yemen, the Philippines, Thailand, and Colombia and armed groups have heeded to the call of a cease-fire by the UN amid the coronavirus pandemic. But the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir is a far cry from peace.The New People\'s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, announced a cease-fire in its 50-year war in late March, to ensure that all citizens can access testing and treatment.In Colombia, a left-wing armed group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) declared a month\'s cease-fire starting on April 1. In southern Thailand, local armed groups decided to postpone hostili…

sputniknews (2020-04-25). NYT Reusing Russiagate Playbook on China. sputniknews.com Target workers announce strike actions; NYT reusing Russiagate playbook on China; Activists call for an end to prison imperialism…

The Canary (2020-04-25). Coronavirus test slots for key workers run out for second day in a row. thecanary.co Coronavirus tests for key workers through the government\'s new booking website have run out in England and Wales for a second day in a row.More than 10 million key workers and their households are now eligible for Covid-19 tests as officials race to hit their 100,000-a-day testing target by 30 April.However, home testing kits were listed as \"unavailable\" on the government\'s booking website just 15 minutes after it reopened on Saturday morning, according to the BBC.(PA Graphics)It was also not possible to book tests at drive-through regional sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by 10am on 25 April.Accordin…

Pete Tucker (2020-04-25). As Construction Continues Amidst Covid-19 in DC Area, Bezos\' WaPo Raises Few Objections. fair.org Marc Gunther (Medium, \"Insane.\" That\'s what Marc Gunther thought as he looked out of the window of his downtown Bethesda, Maryland, apartment. Below him, cramped construction crews were building a headquarters and adjoining hotel for Marriott, the world\'s biggest hotel chain. The $600 million project, which has received $60 million in public funding, is scheduled to be completed in 2022…

RT (2020-04-25). Masked staredown: Boxers face off in Nicaragua while wearing FACE MASKS as event goes ahead in Central America (PHOTOS). rt.com Despite the global sporting lockdown, there is one sporting event set to take place this weekend, with a boxing card set to take place Saturday night in Nicaragua. | The eight-bout fight card, which will feature a bout between local fighters Gabriel Escalante and Mario Mairena, will take place in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. | Also on rt.com | | And the two boxers made weight and faced off in front of the cameras, while wearing face masks.

Eds. (2020-04-25). Coronavirus: the need for a progressive internationalist response. mronline.org This pandemic health crisis exposes the injustices of the global economic order. It must be a turning point towards creating the systems, structures and policies that can always protect those who are marginalised and allow everyone to live with dignity.

Jeff Bryant (2020-04-25). How a Trump administration official is quietly exploiting the pandemic to advance her family business — and right-wing agenda. mronline.org As school districts reported huge problems with converting classroom learning into online instruction delivered to students\' homes, often due to lack of funding for internet-capable devices and Wi-Fi hotspots, charter school proponents spread the news of how their industry could take advantage of emergency aid.

RT (2020-04-25). Senator hands outrage culture a win, apologizes for wearing Confederate flag face mask after defending it only a day earlier. rt.com A Michigan state senator gave in to triggered critics by apologizing for wearing a mask resembling the Confederate flag. A day earlier he ardently defended it, saying history should be taught so as not to repeat itself. | Republican Dale Zorn was photographed wearing the mask while in the Michigan state chamber on Friday to vote on bills seeking to limit the emergency powers of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. | pic.twitter.com/uTOaBzweTO— Bryan Newland (@RealBNewland) April 25, 20…

RT (2020-04-25). \'It\'s kind of a rule of thumb\': Adviser reveals UK govt\'s 2-meter coronavirus distance instruction based on \'muddy science\'. rt.com The British public cannot be expected to just do as they\'re told by the government for long, since the guidelines are very disruptive and not as scientifically sound as officials make them seem to be, a government adviser said. | One example would be the instruction for people to keep two meters apart from other people to reduce the risk of infection, advice which was \"conjured out of nowhere,\" according to professor Robert Dingwall. | \"There\'s never been a scientific basis for two meters, it\'s kind of a rule of thumb. But it\'s not like there is a whole kind of rigorous scientific literature that it is founded…

RT (2020-04-25). Blast from the past: Recording of a call to Larry King bolsters Tara Reade\'s claim Joe Biden sexually assaulted her. rt.com The mainstream media\'s dismissal of Tara Reade\'s claims she was sexually assaulted by then-Senator Joe Biden just became more awkward after a video emerged of her mother\'s 1993 call into CNN\'s Larry King Live. | The minute-long clip that surfaced on Friday shows a female called into Larry King Live from San Luis Obispo, California on August 11, 1993, seeking advice about her daughter who just left Washington after having \"problems\" with \"a prominent senator.\" | BREAKING: Is this the mother of Joe Biden\'s accuser talking to CNN in 1993?

Eds. (2020-04-25). Joe Biden: no lesser, just evil. mronline.org The only thing Joe Biden and Donald Trump should be battling over is the top bunk of a prison cell. Instead, these two crooks are vying for the presidency of the United States. If Biden is this year\'s lesser evil, he is sorely testing the meaning of \"lesser\". No Democratic politician has worked longer and …

sputniknews (2020-04-25). Finnish Media Justify Creation of Concentration –°amps in East Karelia During World War II. sputniknews.com The Investigative Committee of Russia has launched a criminal probe into the mass atrocities committed against the Karelian population in the territory of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic, which was controlled by the Finnish army during 1941-44, which according to the organisation, can be classified as \"genocide\".

Peter Bolton (2020-04-25). As the dust settles over the Corbyn and Sanders era, we must remember one crucial reality. thecanary.co It seemed almost celestially ordained that Corbyn\'s term as leader of the Labour Party in the UK and Bernie Sanders\' 2020 presidential run in the US would come to

Noam Chomsky (2020-04-25). A Green New Deal Can Create Jobs and Livelihoods. zcomm.org On Labor, Climate, and the Long Way Forward…

Alan MacLeod (2020-04-25). \"Sanctioned Countries\" Are Now Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca After weeks of dismissing it as a liberal \"hoax\" designed to unseat the president, brushing the virus off as no big deal and under control, the Trump administration is clearly floundering in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite …

WSWS (2020-04-25). COVID-19 pandemic pushes UK charity sector into crisis. wsws.org Charities set to lose up to £4 billion over a 12-week period because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ecology Center in Berkeley (2020-04-25). How to use Social Media to Drive Environmental Change: Climate Change. indybay.org Online via Livestream…

Staff (2020-04-25). This Appalachian Collective Has Launched Its Own \"Green Stimulus\" truthout.org This story is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this week, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres

Climate One (2020-04-25). Empowering Women: The Climate Solution We Don\'t Talk About (Climate One). indybay.org Online…

Ryan Heath (2020-04-25). UN Chief Says There\'s a Bigger Threat than Coronavirus. zcomm.org In Earth Day speech, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres challenges President Donald Trump on fossil fuel subsidies and climate change…

Joshua Cho (2020-04-25). Corporate Media Deny Their Own Existence. zcomm.org Despite Driving Biden\'s Primary Victory…

WSWS (2020-04-25). Coronavirus sweeps through Russian medical facilities. wsws.org Hospitals and clinics in several cities have been placed under quarantine, as COVID-19 infects staff and patients alike.

Sasha Abramsky (2020-04-24). Once Again, Trump Shreds US Immigration Law. thenation.com Once Again, Trump Shreds US Immigration Law…

Vijay Prashad (2020-04-24). How the Chinese Authorities and the World Health Organization Handled the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org On April 14, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a news conference at the White House, where he said that his administration would \"halt [all] funding\" for the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO, founded in 1948, is the principal United Nations agency tasked with the improvement of the health of the world; it is also widely acknowledged as an agency that is best suited to deal with health emergencies.

Vijay Prashad (2020-04-24). Either socialism will defeat the louse or the louse will defeat socialism. mronline.org The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the Great Lockdown, which has no end date, could very well lead to a loss of $9 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product over the entirety of 2020 and 2021; this number is greater than the combined economies of Japan and Germany. This scenario, the Fund\'s managing director …

Santa Cruz News (2020-04-24). Libertarian Activist Organizes \"Re-Open\" Santa Cruz March, Calls Pandemic a Hoax. indybay.org Libertarian activist Sean Cutler is organizing a march to Santa Cruz City Hall on April 24 in support of re-opening the \"local economy\". An event listing posted to social media by Cutler promises \"speeches\" at City Hall, however it is unclear if the event is real or a stunt, as only one person is listed as attending. The event post for the march demands \"an end to the tyrannical quarantine\" and encourages participants to \"bring flags, banners, posters, and the loving spirit of freedom\". On March 16, Cutler posted on social media that the COVID-19 pandemic was, \"overblown, childish, and insane\". The pandemic is \"s…

Greta Thunberg (2020-04-24). Climate Activists Have Not Lost Hope Amid Pandemic. zcomm.org We\'re Changing How We Organize…

RT (2020-04-24). Taliban rejects call for Ramadan ceasefire in Afghanistan — spokesman. rt.com The Taliban has rejected an Afghan government call for a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and to let authorities focus on tackling the coronavirus, Reuters reports. | Hopes for an end to Afghanistan\'s decades of war were raised in late February when the Taliban and the US struck a deal on the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. The deal did not include a ceasefire, which has been left to the US-backed government to negotiate with the insurgents. | A Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, tweeted that a ceasefire would be possible if the peace process was b…

Alex Darocy (2020-04-24). Demonstrators Demand Santa Cruz Provide Hotel Vouchers for the Homeless. indybay.org Community members in Santa Cruz organized a \"physical distancing\" protest today to demand the City and County of Santa Cruz provide hotel vouchers for the homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The demonstration was organized following California Governor Gavin Newsom\'s statements made during a press conference on April 18 that cities and municipalities that are blocking the State\'s effort to provide hotels for the homeless will be \"judged\" by history.

Dave Lindorff (2020-04-24). Two Mentally Challenged Candidates to Choose Between for US President? counterpunch.org The US is hurtling into uncharted waters as a polity, with the two likely candidates for president this November both clearly suffering from significant cognitive impairment and evidence of continuing mental decline. Back in 1980, the American voters elected a man, Ronald Reagan, who unbeknownst to them already had the beginnings of Alzheimer\'s dementia. By

Ramzy Baroud (2020-04-24). A Machiavellian Fiasco: How \'Centrist\' Gantz Resurrected Netanyahu, Israel\'s Right. counterpunch.org It was intended to be a Machiavellian move, but the decision by Benny Gantz, leader of Israel\'s Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) coalition, to join a Benjamin Netanyahu-led government is likely to destabilize the political fabric of Israeli society for years to come. In a surprising move, Gantz has entered into precarious political compromises, whereby

Stephen Lendman (2020-04-24). Economic Collapse Far More Serious Than COVID-19 Contagion. globalresearch.ca The ongoing economic collapse combined with a public health crisis is unprecedented in modern memory. | The human toll from both mounts daily worldwide — a second 9/11 in new form that\'s likely to be far more devastating for ordinary people …

RT (2020-04-24). \'Death by meteorite\': Turkish researchers claim to have proof of world\'s first space-rock fatality. rt.com A group of researchers in Turkey are claiming to have come across the first credible records yet discovered of \'death by meteorite,\' dating from August 22, 1888. | They cite multiple official documents recovered from the General Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, which detail a meteorite strike that hit and killed one man and paralyzed another, in what is now Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. | The Earth endures near-constant bombardment by assorted meteorites and space rocks, at a rate of millions per day, most of which burn up harmlessly in our atmosphere. | For context, and accor…

RT (2020-04-24). New confirmed Covid-19 cases in Germany must drop to \'few hundred a day\' before easing lockdown — senior health official. rt.com The coronavirus is still spreading too rapidly to consider lifting quarantine measures in Germany, the deputy chief of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has warned. Chancellor Merkel earlier compared the pandemic to WWII. | Health officials have reported 2,337 new cases of Covid-19 across Germany, which is still a significant increase per day, RKI\'s Vice President Lars Schaade told reporters on Friday. | \"It is necessary for the number of cases to fall to a few hundred a day, so we could consider easing the lockdown,\" Schaade said. He added that it will take \"at least two weeks\" to see whether this step will hav…

Juan Humberto Urquiza García (2020-04-24). Covid-19: the pandemic of the Great Acceleration. mronline.org Many people around the world are familiar with this ancient Chinese proverb. Today, this lovely metaphor has materialized and taken the form of a pandemic, wreaking havoc on a system where few felt safe and most had become accustomed to merely surviving.

RT (2020-04-24). Cyprus flight ban extended to May 17. rt.com Cyprus extended a ban on commercial air traffic until May 17 on Friday to curb the spread of coronavirus. | The ban was first introduced on March 21 and authorities have extended it by decree since then. It will now be extended from April 30 to May 17, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos tweeted, citing a decision by the cabinet. | The island has recorded 795 cases of Covid-19 and 13 deaths as a direct result of the virus, according to data from the Health Ministry released on Thursday. | The country has imposed restrictions on movement, including a night curfew and allowing people to leave their homes only on…

Eds. (2020-04-24). Trump was given \'realtime updates\' over Covid-19 as the pandemic developed. mronline.org More than a dozen health experts working for the WHO in Geneva relayed regular information to Mr Trump about COVID-19, U.S. and international officials have confirmed.

RT (2020-04-24). China reports recovery of last severe Covid-19 patient in ground-zero city Wuhan. rt.com The last patient in Wuhan with severe Covid-19 has been cured, a health official has declared. The now-global disease was first detected in the Chinese city. | The patient, who was the last person in Wuhan and the whole of Hubei Province to experience difficulty overcoming the virus, was released from hospital on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a spokesman for the Chinese National Health Commission. | By Friday morning, there were 47 confirmed Covid-19 patients in the province, including the sole remaining serious patient. No new confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in the province in so…

RT (2020-04-24). \'No turning back\': Duterte threatens martial law after soldiers ambushed and killed during Covid-19 aid delivery. rt.com The Philippines\' president, Rodrigo Duterte, accused communist rebels of disrupting the government\'s efforts to help its citizens amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He said he is seriously considering imposing martial law. | \"I\'m warning everybody, and putting the armed forces and the police on notice, that I might declare martial law. There will be no turning back,\" Duterte said on Friday, threatening to take swift action against the Communist New People\'s Army (NPA), which has been active in the country since the late 1960s. | \"I have two more years. I will try to finish all of you — including you, the legal […

RT (2020-04-24). Crawl away if you dare? Indian official to be disciplined after cases filed against BABY & 3yo among lockdown violators. rt.com A city official in India has been admonished for cracking down on coronavirus lockdown offenders with perhaps a bit too much zeal, after a six-month-old baby and a toddler faced legal action for supposedly flouting the rules. | The punishment will be doled out to the town\'s Covid-19 magistrate after the two youths were hit with complaints, ANI reported, a discovery made after the District Magistrate for the town of Uttarkashi ordered an investigation into the bizarre incident. | Uttarakhand: Disciplinary&suspension action to be taken against COVID19 magistrate Uttarkashi over registration of a case under Juvel…

RT (2020-04-24). WHO adds 9 candidates for Covid-19 vaccine developed in Russia to global trial list. rt.com Russian scientists have developed nine possible Covid-19 vaccines to be used in a global trial backed by the World Health Organization (WHO). All nine are currently at a preclinical evaluation stage. | Vector, a Novosibirsk-based infectious diseases lab, produced six of the nine Russian submissions included on the WHO trial list. Its proposals are derived from platforms for treating Ebola, influenza and other viral infections. | The three other possible vaccines came from St. Petersburg and were developed by two research institutes and a major Russian biopharmaceutical company. They worked solo to make two of…

RT (2020-04-24). European markets sink on worries over EU stimulus, coronavirus drug delay. rt.com Stock markets in Europe opened lower on Friday as traders focused on the continued lockdown across the continent and reports that a study into a potential Covid-19 treatment was halted following inconclusive results. | The pan-European STOXX 600 was down more than one percent during early trading, with all sectors and major bourses in negative territory. German DAX, France\'s CAC 40 and Britain\'s FTSE 100 were losing around one percent during afternoon trading on Friday. | Asian markets were also broadly lower, with South Korea\'s Kospi Index leading the region\'s losses, down 1.4 percent. | The global markets\' s…

RT (2020-04-24). Global coronavirus death toll passes 190,000 — AFP tally. rt.com The global pandemic hit a grim new milestone on Friday, according to AFP, as the number of people who have lost their lives to the disease passed 190,00 and continues to rise, while countries battle to keep their populations safe. | The agency reports that a total of 190,089 people have passed away and 2,698,733 have been confirmed as infected since Covid-19 emerged in China in December. Europe has recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 116,221 people dying across the continent. | More than 1.2 million Europeans have been diagnosed with the disease, putting the mortality rate around 8.9 percent. | The…

RT (2020-04-24). US coronavirus fatalities jump as over 3,000 die in 24 hours in 2nd deadliest Covid-19 day nationwide. rt.com The US has reported over 3,100 fatalities related to the coronavirus pandemic within just 24 hours, as lethal cases leapt by more than 1,000 after a brief drop. The figures come as the nation slowly reopens. | Some 3,176 people died after having been infected with the coronavirus in the US in the space of a single day, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday. The staggering number fell short of breaking the record for the most daily coronavirus deaths in the US — which still stands at 4,591 — but the lethal cases soared in comparison to the previous day, when \"only\" 1,738 fatalities were recorded.

Eds. (2020-04-24). Trump, coronavirus, and climate change: using a pandemic to gut the EPA. mronline.org Under the guise of protecting workers and the public from the coronavirus, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two weeks ago that it will not issue fines against companies that violate certain water, air, and hazardous-waste-reporting requirements.

RT (2020-04-24). The oil market crash is far from over. rt.com US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices may have steadied somewhat after a wild couple of days, but the physical market for crude is still collapsing. | Energy stocks posted sharp gains on Thursday as WTI prices \"surged\" nearly 30 percent to…$17 per barrel. The nascent rebound in oil prices has eased the immediate crisis, but before Monday, WTI in the teens would have been considered catastrophic; now it seems downright reasonable. Amazing what negative $37 WTI will do to perceptions. | But the fact is that the global oil industry is still in dire straits. Refined products are grossly oversup…

RT (2020-04-24). Beijing says world \'should condemn\' cyberattacks on anti-pandemic institutions. rt.com China said on Friday that cyberattacks against institutions fighting the coronavirus pandemic should be condemned around the world. | Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks, commenting on a report by the US cybersecurity firm FireEye. | It had alleged that Vietnamese government-linked hackers had attempted to break into the personal and professional email accounts of staff at China\'s Ministry of Emergency Management and the government of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus emerged last year. | Vietnam\'s Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the report \"baseless.\" Geng did not comment directl…

RT (2020-04-24). \'Fast recovery\' possible as Hungary scraps curfew from early May, Orban says. rt.com Hungary plans to replace its current lockdown, which has imposed a blanket curfew on the population, with a more fine-tuned version from early May, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. | Orban told state radio that he expected the economy to recover rapidly from the effects of the pandemic. \"I am not among the most optimistic people, but neither am I a pessimist,\" he told state radio. \"I expect a fast recovery.\" | The month-long nationwide lockdown has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs in the country, and Orban said re-establishing these was his top priority. From next month, restrictions will be grad…

RT (2020-04-24). China to ask \'Questions to Heaven\' with country\'s 1st mission to Mars later this year. rt.com China\'s space agency has announced the title for the country\'s inaugural mission to Mars. Tianwen-1, which translates roughly to \"Questions to Heaven,\" is expected to set off for Mars later in 2020. | The mission is to launch a Mars probe at some point later in 2020 while hoping for the trifecta of interplanetary exploration: orbiting, landing and roving all in a single mission. | The China National Space Administration (CNSA) used the country\'s annual Space Day, which began in 2016 as a means of celebrating the anniversary of the successful launch of China\'s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 in 1970, as an oppo…

sputniknews (2020-04-24). Assange\'s Lawyers to Ask Court to Postpone Extradition Hearing. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – The lawyers of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will ask the court next week to postpone the activist\'s extradition hearing, a statement by the campaign against Assange\'s extradition to the United States said Friday.

RT (2020-04-24). No-deal Brexit would be extra shock on top of coronavirus crisis — French minister. rt.com The new coronavirus outbreak crisis does not change European priorities in the Brexit negotiations, French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday. | She also told a French Senate hearing that a no-deal Brexit would be an extra shock on top of the Covid-19 crisis, but Britain would suffer the most, Reuters reported. | The UK government has repeatedly insisted it has no plans to extend…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-04-24). Roaming Charges: Killing Yourself to Live. counterpunch.org + Neoliberalism: an ideology of austerity, which contends that economics is a science and epidemiology is soothsaying. + One of the eternal axioms of American politics: When you don\'t know anything claim that you\'re right about everything and wrong about nothing. + This strategy pays off, time and time again. Consider that 3.5 years into

Sam Hitt (2020-04-24). A Light Against the Darkness. counterpunch.org Bernie Sanders claimed to have won the war of ideas in his unsuccessful quest for the Democratic Presidential nomination by introducing new concepts like class struggle to our political vocabulary and making universal health care and debt-free higher education subject to mainstream debate. If this is victory, then we have a long road ahead. America

sputniknews (2020-04-24). Biden Suggests Trump May Make Attempt to \'Kick Back\' 2020 Presidential Election. sputniknews.com Joe Biden remains the last presidential hopeful to challenge incumbent Donald Trump in the 3 November elections, after Senator Bernie Sanders wrapped up his bid for the Democratic Party\'s nomination earlier in April.

M.G. (2020-04-24). I Believe Tara Reade for the Reasons You Don\'t. counterpunch.org George Orwell wrote in his novel, 1984: \"If you want to keep a secret, you must hide it from yourself.\" There is a credible rape accusation against Joe Biden, a Democratic candidate for President of the United States. Again, with emphasis, there is a credible rape accusation against the man the Democratic Party\'s preferred choice

Jim Hightower (2020-04-24). The Deadly Economic Disease Behind COVID-19. zcomm.org While we\'re waiting in endless lines at food banks and unemployment offices, the elites sit in posh executive suites, still getting fat paychecks, total health care and platinum-level pampering…

WSWS (2020-04-24). Tyson poultry workers in Tennessee speak out on terrible health and safety conditions. wsws.org Workers describe a regime in the plant in Shelbyville, Tennessee where they are intimidated into silence over lax enforcement of health and safety even as COVID-19 is spreading widely.

WSWS (2020-04-24). COVID-19 deaths in Scotland 79 percent higher than official figures. wsws.org The impact of this deadly policy has fallen overwhelmingly on the poor, densely populated areas in deindustrialised centres of the working class.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Mayo Clinic Laboratories launches serology testing. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A new serology test from Mayo Clinic Laboratories is being used to identify the presence of immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The serology test is intended only to detect antibodies to the virus. It does not diagnose recent or active infection. Mayo Clinic Laboratories also offers a molecular test to diagnose very recent …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). When patients with COVID-19 need intensive care support. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Many people who contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms, but for others those symptoms may be severe and lead to hospitalization. Some of the most common complications from severe COVID-19 include respiratory problems like pneumonia, hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Dr. Daniel Brown, director of critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic, says these patients with severe illness …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-24). COVID-19 infects over 2.7mn people worldwide with 191K deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) — The worldwide death toll from the new coronavirus has surpassed 191,000 with about 2.7 million cases and more than 749,000 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). COVID-19: Mayo Clinic expert on what it\'s going to take to reopen the US. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Widespread stay-at-home efforts have forced many businesses to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. As talk of reopening the economy ramps up across the U.S., Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expert, answers questions about what it\'s going to take to get to that point. Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland answers questions on reopening after COVID-19 …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). Infographic: Understanding COVID-19 testing. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org For the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more information and COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Eve Ottenberg (2020-04-24). The World\'s Most Unfair Health Care System. counterpunch.org The elephant in the Covid-19 infected room is Medicare for All. Maybe it really, finally is time for it. With at least 26 million people suddenly unemployed and many of those losing their health coverage during a deadly plague — how are people supposed to pay for a doctor if they get sick? And many

Louis Proyect (2020-04-24). Smithfield and Our Troubled Future. counterpunch.org In 2009, there were suspicions that a Smithfield plant in Perote, Mexico might have triggered the Swine Flu epidemic. It was small potatoes compared to COVID-19. Only 1000 people were infected, with 68 deaths. The Mexico City newspaper La Jornada quoted health officials who concluded that the original carrier was in the \"clouds of flies\" that thrived in Smithfield\'s manure lagoons.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). Mitigating risk of hand injuries during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in another type of patient coming to the emergency departments. Dr. Sanjeev Kakar, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, says as a result of stay-at-home guidelines that have kept many adults and children home, there\'s been an increase of patients with injuries from household accidents, including more kitchen knife cuts and lacerations, table …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Combating allergies, asthma during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have significant pollen allergies and asthma. In the spring, I usually have sneezing, coughing and an occasional sore throat that coincides with the trees blooming. With COVID-19 concerns, I am wondering if I am at any increased risk for the virus or need to be concerned that I should be tested? …

Henry Giroux — Ourania Filippakou (2020-04-24). Militarization in a Time of Pandemic Crisis. counterpunch.org We live at a time when the terrors of life suggests the world has descended into darkness. The COVID-19 crisis has created a dystopian nightmare which floods our screens and media with images of fear. Bodies, doorknobs, cardboard packages, plastic bags, and the breath we exhale and anything else that offers the virus a resting place is comparable to a bomb ready to explode resulting in massive suffering and untold deaths. We can no longer shake hands, embrace our friends, use public transportation, sit in a coffee shop, or walk down the street without experiencing real anxiety and fear. We are told by politicians…

WSWS (2020-04-24). Tens of thousands of Nepali workers stranded abroad by COVID-19 disaster. wsws.org Nepal has a population of 28 million but so far only 8,763 people have been tested for the virus.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Myths and facts about COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have read many conflicting things about COVID-19, including how it spreads from person to person and how I might be able to reduce my risk of getting sick. Can you help me understand whether some things I\'ve heard are myth or fact because I do not want to spread the virus …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). How to safely care for someone with COVID-19 in your household. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Most people who get sick with COVID-19 should be able to recover at home without the need for hospitalization. Because of that, it\'s important to know what to do if someone in your household becomes infected. How can someone give that patient the care he or she needs without putting others in the household at …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-04-24). Coronavirus \'map\' identifies key virus entry points into the body. imperial.ac.uk Scientists are creating map of the human body to identify locations where the COVID-19 virus can enter human cells.