RT (2020-03-26). \'Covid-19 could be seasonal\': Fauci warns coronavirus is likely to return in \'CYCLES\', stresses need for vaccine. rt.com Even if the US and other nations battling Covid-19 succeed in beating it back, the illness may return in yearly cycles, warned Anthony Fauci, a top expert on the US coronavirus task force, urging for the fast rollout of a vaccine.

Andre Vltchek (2020-03-26). Eight Day Journey from Hong Kong to Chile, Covid-19 on my Tail. dissidentvoice.org Imagine that you are in Hong Kong, in a city where \"you are actually not supposed to be\", in the first place. You are ready to go home, to South America. But just two days before your departure, via Seoul and Amsterdam, your first Sky Team carrier, Korean Air, unceremoniously decides to cancel all flights …

RT (2020-03-26). London hospitals facing \'tsunami\' of Covid-19 patients, likely to be overwhelmed in days — hospitals chief. rt.com Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, is sounding the alarm that hospitals in London may collapse within days due to a \"continuous tsunami\" of Covid-19 patients, despite increasing critical care capacity sevenfold. | \"They are struggling with the explosion of demand in seriously ill patients. They are saying it\'s the number arriving and the speed with which they are arriving and how ill they are. They talk about wave after wave after wave,\" Hopson told BBC Radio 4\'s Today program. | \"The words that are used to me are that it\'s a continuous tsunami.\" | NHS Providers is a group which represents hos…

RT (2020-03-26). Iran\'s coronavirus death toll reaches 2,234 with 157 new fatalities. rt.com Covid-19 has now killed 2,234 people in Iran, with 29,406 infected, the health authorities said, as the country remains the worst-hit by the disease in the Middle East.

RT (2020-03-26). \'All new trips between cities are banned\': Iran shuts down internal travel to fight Covid-19. rt.com An intercity travel ban has now entered into force in Iran as the Middle East\'s worst-hit country fears another wave of coronavirus cases, with violators facing legal repercussions. | Hossein Zolfaghari, a member of Iran\'s national HQ for tackling coronavirus, said that those travelling for Iranian New Year celebrations should \"immediately return to their cities without making any stop in the cities on their way back home.\" | Iran has already shut down schools, universities, and suspended gatherings, but after largely unsuccessful measures, the government revealed that it would bring in harsher restrictions.

RT (2020-03-26). Covid-19 deaths pass 4,000 in Spain as Europe passes chilling 250,000 mark of those infected. rt.com Spain has reported a sharp rise in fatalities from coronavirus since the outbreak began. The overall number of infections has also soared by more than 8,000 over the past 24 hours, officials revealed.

RT (2020-03-26). (Cheesecake) Factory workers unite! Netizens cheer after California-based eatery says it won\'t pay rent amid virus-induced slump. rt.com While many imagined revolution might arise from a factory, few thought the Cheesecake Factory would fit the bill, but the firm has inspired scores of netizens after refusing to pay its landlords, some vowing to join in solidarity. | As Covid-19 brings swathes of the US economy to a standstill, workers and businesses alike have taken a beating, many facing layoffs and closed doors as the pandemic sweeps the country. The downturn has prompted the Cheesecake Factory — based out of California, among the states hit hardest by the virus — to declare that its landlords won\'t see a dollar when bills come due…

RT (2020-03-26). US braces for SHOCKING unemployment numbers as jobless claims could reach 4 MILLION. rt.com The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits is set to climb to historic highs after claims in Canada crushed the previous weekly record as Covid-19 brings businesses to a standstill. | New unemployment data is expected to reflect how hard the US economy has been hit by the Covid-19 outbreak. The minimum number of initial claims amounts to 250,000, according to a Reuters poll, while economists predict that the number of filings for last week could range from one to four million. | That would make the number of jobless claims higher than during the 2009 financial crisis or the 1982 recession. | Also…

RT (2020-03-26). Russia confirms 182 new Covid-19 cases, bringing total to 840. rt.com Russia has 182 new cases of coronavirus, according to the country\'s official tally. Most of the new cases were recorded in Moscow. This, as Russia shutters international flights to stop the spread of the virus. | The new infections bring the nation\'s tally to 840. The vast majority of the new cases, 136, were reported in Moscow. | The Russian government announced on Thursday that it would ban all regular and charter international flights starting Friday. Only flights bringing citizens home from abroad will be allowed. | Non-essential businesses in the Russian capital, including restaurants and cafes, will be c…

RT (2020-03-26). Germany has 4,954 new Covid-19 cases & 49 deaths — RKI Health Institute. rt.com Nearly 5,000 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute has reported. Forty-nine fatalities over the past 24 hours have brought the death toll to 198. | The number of confirmed cases increased by 4,954 to 36,508 on Thursday. From Tuesday to Wednesday, Germany recorded 4,118 new cases and 35 deaths, according to the health institute. | Germany imposed strict lockdown measures last week in an effort to contain the virus. It currently has one of the highest numbers of confirmed cases in Europe, second only to Italy and Spain. | Cases worldwide have surpassed 470,000, with m…

RT (2020-03-26). US military confirms 1st Covid-19 case INSIDE Pentagon after Marine tests positive. rt.com A US Marine has become the first confirmed carrier of the coronavirus within the Pentagon\'s walls, with the US military announcing that a serviceman has gone into self-isolation after testing positive this week. | The officer\'s test for Covid-19 came back positive earlier this week, Captain Monica Witt, a spokesman for the US Marine Corps, confirmed Wednesday, according to Defense One. | The Marine is believed to have contracted the deadly illness sweeping through all 50 American states from his spouse, who was displaying flu-like symptoms. Assigned to the plans, policy and operations office of the Marine Corp…

RT (2020-03-26). Moscow shuts down all non-essential shops & restaurants to stop spread of Covid-19. rt.com All restaurants, cafes, and shops, except food stores, will be closed in the Russia capital from March 28 to April 5. The mayor also advised Muscovites to refrain from visiting places of worship amid the Covid-19 epidemic. | Restaurants and cafes will still be able to provide take-away food and delivery service, the order by Mayor Sergey Sobyanin read. | The restrictions also include barber shops, spas, massage parlors, as well as baths and saunas. | Access to parks, including Gorky Park and the All-Russian Exhibition Center, will be barred during the upcoming week due to the epidemic. | \"I understand the feel…

RT (2020-03-26). Moscow bans all regular, charter flights starting March 27, except those bringing Russians home. rt.com The Russian government is banning all regular and charter international flights starting Friday, except those bringing citizens home, as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. | . | Russia\'s aerial borders will go on lockdown starting Friday, so far without a resumption date. | The cabinet also requested that the Foreign Ministry assist Russian citizens abroad until their return home. Russian embassies around the world will receive additional funds to provide support. | So far, 652 Covid-19 cases have been registered in Russia, with more than half of those infected in Moscow. | The ban on flig…

RT (2020-03-26). First of its kind \'Virtual G20\': Can world leaders agree on a global response to Covid-19 with online diplomacy? rt.com Heads of state will meet for a \'Virtual G20\' summit in a few hours to work out a global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes as markets crash, supply chains falter, and a worldwide economic downturn looms. | For the first time in history, there will be no government planes touching down in the host city, no police blocking roads, no hotels full to the brim with the bodyguards of world leaders — and no anti-globalist protesters lining the streets. | The question is — can an online meeting really work to deliver solutions? | Creative alternative: | A traditional in-person summit was or…

RT (2020-03-26). US coronavirus deaths top 1,000 as the country waits for $2.2 trillion economic rescue package. rt.com Deaths from Covid-19 have surpassed 1,000, according to a widely-cited tally, a worrying benchmark in the ongoing health crisis as Washington rushes to provide economic relief to the country\'s battered economy. | The United States saw its 1,000th fatality on Wednesday night, according to Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed cases have also continued to grow, reaching more than 69,000 by Thursday. The US reported its first case of the virus at the end of February. | The milestone coincided with a unanimous vote in the Senate to pass a $2.2 trillion bill designed to provide badly-needed economic aid to the countr…

RT (2020-03-26). Russia\'s unexpected advantage in the oil price war. rt.com The global economic downturn due to coronavirus and the breakup of OPEC+ has sent the ruble tumbling, which could give Russia an unexpected advantage in the oil price war. | While the ruble is now at its lowest level against the dollar in four years, the cheaper ruble has a silver lining for Russia\'s oil producers in the oil price war for market share with Saudi Arabia. The collapse of the OPEC+ deal and oil prices has hit Russia\'s financial markets and currency, leading to a sharp drop in the ruble versus the US dollar. The lower the ruble slides against the US dollar, the lower the production costs of Russia…

RT (2020-03-26). Senate passes $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill bogged down by days of partisan wrangling. rt.com US senators have passed a much-delayed $2 trillion stimulus bill, aimed at bolstering the economy while the country is rattled by coronavirus lockdowns. The mammoth package was approved after days of bitter partisan fighting. | Senators moved to vote on the bill late Wednesday night after the last hurdle preventing its passage — an amendment put forward by four Republican senators to curb the legislation\'s generous unemployment provisions — was eliminated, failing to gain the necessary 60 yeas. | Despite the days of political tug-of-war over the legislation, it was passed unanimously in the end, 96-0…

RT (2020-03-26). G20 leaders to convene remotely, discuss coronavirus pandemic, economic impacts. rt.com Leaders from the Group of 20 major economies will speak by video link on Thursday about combating the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impacts. Global infections top 471,000 with more than 21,000 dead, according to Reuters. | G20 finance ministers and central bankers agreed this week to develop an \"action plan\" to respond to the outbreak, which the International Monetary Fund expects will trigger a global recession. Few details, however, have been offered so far. | World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will address the leaders to seek support for ramping up funding and prod…

RT (2020-03-26). Troubled F-35 becomes latest coronavirus casualty after Pentagon puts the brakes on further tests. rt.com Tests being carried out on the delayed and over-budget F-35 have been suspended as part of a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Pentagon has announced. The fighter plane has already suffered a string of pricey setbacks. | Activities necessary to complete the F-35\'s operational test phase have been halted at Edwards Air Force Base in California, which has shut its doors to all non-essential personnel. | Flight tests have been indefinitely paused, but \"select lab and ground test activities are ongoing,\" said Brandi Schiff, a spokesperson for the F-35 joint program office. | The setback could also mark…

RT (2020-03-26). Global stock markets down on expectations of negative US jobs data. rt.com Global market sentiment has declined ahead of the latest US jobless claims data that is expected to show a massive spike in unemployment claims after businesses stateside shut down in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. | Some experts suggest record unemployment numbers in the US, with Citi as the most bearish, projecting roughly four million claims. | The pan-European Stoxx 600 dropped 1.5 percent in early trade on Thursday, with basic resources tumbling 2.7 percent to lead losses as all sectors and major bourses plunged into negative territory. | Britain\'s FTSE 100 index shed almost three percent a…

Colin Leys (2020-03-26). How market reforms made the NHS vulnerable to pandemics. mronline.org A 2014 report warned that reforms to the NHS would make it vulnerable to pandemics — by making staff redundant, undermining public health and defining spare capacity as waste. It was ignored.

Eds. (2020-03-26). Unions welcome government\'s decision to renationalise rail services. mronline.org However it should not have taken a pandemic to bring rail back into public ownership, trade unionists say.

WSWS (2020-03-26). First immigrant in ICE custody tests positive for coronavirus in New Jersey. wsws.org This development highlights the criminal lack of basic sanitation that the Trump administration maintains in immigrant detention centers, as well as the ruling class\' callous disregard for public health.

Conn Hallinan (2020-03-26). The Corona Virus & Immigration. zcomm.org How Austerity and Anti-immigrant Politics Left Italy Exposed…

news.un (2020-03-26). Helping migrant shipwreck survivors to deal with trauma. news.un.org Every year, migrants embarking on sea-crossings see their journey end in tragedy: those who survive and return home can struggle to cope with daily life, and need support. To help migrant returnees, the UN has a range of programs aimed at tackling the mental health side-effects of trauma.

WSWS (2020-03-26). Julian Assange\'s bail request denied despite coronavirus risk. wsws.org Judge Vanessa Baraitser\'s refusal came amid mounting calls for the release of vulnerable, low-risk prisoners from the UK\'s overcrowded and woefully unprepared prison systems during the coronavirus crisis.

Vijay Prashad — Suban Dennis (2020-03-26). An Often Overlooked Region of India is a Beacon to the World for Taking on the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org K.K. Shailaja is the health minister in the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala, the state in the southwest of India that has a population of 35 million people. On January 25, 2020, she convened a high-level meeting to discuss the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. What had particularly worried her is that there

Ajit Singh (2020-03-26). \"Forced labor\" stories on China brought to you by US government, NATO and arms industry to drive Cold War PR blitz. thegrayzone.com A new wave of media reports on Chinese forced labor relies almost entirely on a series of dubious studies by…

Peace Action Massachusetts (2020-03-26). Webinar: Coronavirus: Time to End US Sanctions on Iran. indybay.org Online webinar via ZOOM…

San Jose Peace & Justice Center (2020-03-26). Webinar: Decarceration in the time of COVID – 19 with Ivette Ale from JusticeLA. indybay.org Online event…

WSWS (2020-03-26). Strikes, protests spread as US workers demand protection from COVID-19. wsws.org Even as Trump rushes to resume full production, tens of thousands of workers in the US and around the world are refusing to die for the sake of corporate profits.

Peter Crowley (2020-03-26). The Shit Has Hit the Fan: Shut the Country Down to Save Lives. counterpunch.org All my life fear is all I\'ve heard. Fear the immigrant, Muslims, foreignness, black people protesting, black athletes kneeling during the Anthem, germs, foreign travel to non-Western countries, terrorism, etc., etc. Before 9/11, as a teen in the late 1990s, it was fear of marijuana, public welfare abuse and, as always, inclement weather. There is

Joe Emersberger (2020-03-26). Media Struggle to Defend Washington\'s Cruelty. zcomm.org U.S sanctions toward Venezuela and Iran continue as Coronavirus Spreads…

Ted Rall (2020-03-26). What the Government Must Do Now About Coronavirus. counterpunch.org Americans don\'t expect much from their government. But even by the standards of a nation with one of the flimsiest social safety nets in the Western world, the inability and unwillingness of both major political parties to manage and solve the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic is shocking. President Trump\'s lack of leadership is

Ali Abunimah (2020-03-26). West Bank woman is first Palestinian to die from COVID-19. zcomm.org Israel has not eased up on its abuses of Palestinians despite the pandemic. In one shocking incident on Monday, a Palestinian laborer with flu-like symptoms and a fever was dumped at a West Bank checkpoint by Israeli police…

WSWS (2020-03-26). How many must die for Wall Street? wsws.org Amid growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading through American workplaces, powerful representatives of finance capital are demanding that the country be \"open for business.\"

The Commonwealth Club (2020-03-26). Live Stream: Solutions to the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond. indybay.org Online event via live stream…

WSWS (2020-03-26). \"We are not going to die in our cubicles!\" — Wildcat strikes erupt at call centers across Brazil. wsws.org Workers have rebelled against unsafe conditions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging transnational corporations like AlmaViva.

Priti Gulati Cox — Stan Cox (2020-03-26). Climbing the Deadly Curves of COVID-19 and Capitalism. counterpunch.org Millions in the United States have been rendered especially vulnerable to the coronavirus\'s exponential growth by steep declines in workers\' rights, the lack of economic security for low-income and marginalized communities, and, of course, the absence of a universal health-care system. These failures have resulted from the pursuit of exponential growth in private wealth for the affluent minority through exploitation of the majority.

WSWS (2020-03-26). After downplaying COVID-19 pandemic, Japan forced to postpone Olympics. wsws.org Facing a growing public outcry over his indifference to public health, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the Olympics had been moved to the summer of 2021.

WSWS (2020-03-26). Warnings that hundreds of thousands of Indonesians may already have COVID-19. wsws.org There are fears that the archipelago may become \"the Italy of south-east Asia,\" with experts warning that 135 million may be infected by mid-May.

teleSUR Desk (2020-03-26). Venezuela: U.S. blocks flights to repatriate citizens amid COVID-19. mronline.org Arreaza reiterated that the request for humanitarian flights responds to a request made by Venezuelans themselves to the Venezuelan Attention System in the United States.

NLCHP (2020-03-26). CDC: Housing, Not Handcuffs Is the Way to Stop COVID-19 Amongst Homeless Populations. indybay.org Advocates Hail First Step, Call for More Help…

Wim Laven (2020-03-26). The Truth on COVID-19 is Ugly and the Lies are Deadly. counterpunch.org On March 19th, the gutless depravity of failed leadership found a new poster-boy. Republican Senator Richard Burr was found to have sold off his stock in what he knew would be losing value (hotels, travel industry) before the stock market started crashing from the pandemic COVID-19 while simultaneously toeing Donald Trump\'s line that everything was

WSWS (2020-03-26). Leaked government report warns of tens of thousands of deaths in one Canadian province. wsws.org An internal Saskatchewan Health Authority report has warned that the rapid spread of the coronavirus would overwhelm the province\'s health care system and result in 9,000 to 15,000 people dying due to COVID-19.

Santa Cruz News (2020-03-26). Santa Cruz Police Prohibit Food Distribution to Homeless at Town Clock. indybay.org Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andrew Mills has addressed a cease and desist letter to Keith McHenry, the co-founder of Food Not Bombs, demanding McHenry, \"cease feeding people at the clock tower immediately.\" Additionally, Police have issued a public notice to vacate the area of the Town Clock, which states that all personal belongings must be removed from the park by March 25 at 9 am. Since the Coronavirus/COVID-19 shelter in place order issued by the County took effect on March 17, Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs and the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Homeless Union have been sharing food in downtown Santa Cruz around the cl…

Nick Licata (2020-03-26). Trump\'s State of Denial, Not the Deep State, Kept Us Unprepared for the COVID-19 Pandemic. counterpunch.org President Donald Trump prides himself on being optimistic no matter how dire the situation. That is not necessarily a bad trait; it helps to get by in hard times. But deniability of past or repeated behavior when it results in harm to yourself or others, is not a positive trait. In fact, as president of

Nancy Mancias (2020-03-26). Black Rock Profits in a Time of Crisis. counterpunch.org With little government support and corporate accountability, humanitarian aid workers are scrambling to address the refugee crisis in the wake of the global pandemic, COVID-19 (coronavirus). The outbreak of the coronavirus comes at a time when there is a great influx of war and economic refugees migrating to Europe. Despite Turkey\'s efforts to host millions

WSWS (2020-03-26). Africa records over 2,400 cases of COVID-19. wsws.org An international and coordinated struggle against the spread of coronavirus on the African continent is an urgent necessity.

Workers World Party (2020-03-26). Webinar: Capitalism is Killing Us! COVID-19 and Wall Street Crash. indybay.org Online event…

RT (2020-03-26). \'Covid-19 could be seasonal\': Fauci warns coronavirus is likely to return in \'CYCLES\', stresses need for vaccine. rt.com Even if the US and other nations battling Covid-19 succeed in beating it back, the illness may return in yearly cycles, warned Anthony Fauci, a top expert on the US coronavirus task force, urging for the fast rollout of a vaccine.

RT (2020-03-26). Sanders threatens to hold up $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus over \'anti-worker\' bias. rt.com Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders says he is willing to stall the already much-delayed coronavirus stimulus plan if more restrictions are not placed on the \"$500 million corporate welfare fund.\" | Sanders says the \"anti-worker objections\" from several Republicans over proposed unemployment benefits in the bill have him ready to delay the whole process. | \"Unless these Republican Senators drop their objections, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill until stronger conditions are imposed on the $500 billion corporate welfare fund,\" Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday, responding to several GOP lawmakers who…

WSWS (2020-03-26). Peru deploys army in the streets to enforce COVID-19 curfew. wsws.org The quarantine and curfew imposed by President Vizcarra are aimed at protecting the interests of the wealthy and preparing the repression of a likely social explosion.

WSWS (2020-03-26). \"We are not going to die in our cubicles!\" — Wildcat strikes erupt at call centers across Brazil. wsws.org Workers have rebelled against unsafe conditions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging transnational corporations like AlmaViva.

WSWS (2020-03-26). Johnson\'s \"herd immunity\" strategy and the London Conference on Intelligence whitewash: Britain\'s ruling class and eugenics. wsws.org Innumerable posts on social media have drawn the connection between the reactionary ideology of eugenics and the British government\'s criminally delayed and negligent response to the pandemic.

WSWS (2020-03-26). Norwegian parties grant government emergency powers as coronavirus leads to record rise in unemployment. wsws.org The agreement, which suspends parliament for up to six months, means the right-wing coalition can make changes to laws without consulting deputies.

RT (2020-03-25). Is there a doctor in the house? Nevada state medical team that banned malaria drug for coronavirus lacks qualification. rt.com Nevada\'s top health officials lack the qualifications one might expect in leaders making public health recommendations for the US, but that hasn\'t stopped them from attacking a potential Covid-19 treatment. | Trump\'s detractors in the Nevada state health department have moved heaven and earth to stop doctors in the state from prescribing two drugs the president deemed promising for treatment of coronavirus, insisting he\'s not qualified enough for his opinion to outweigh a lack of medical consensus. However, a few Twitter detectives discovered on Wednesday that these \"professionals\" don\'t seem to have all the n…

RT (2020-03-25). France recalling troops from Iraq over coronavirus. rt.com Paris will remove all of its troops currently stationed in Iraq for the time being over concerns about the spread of Covid-19, the French military announced. | \"France has taken the decision to repatriate until further notice its personnel deployed in operation Chammal in Iraq,\" the Armed Forces Ministry said on Wednesday, adding that around 100 troops were in the country, and that air strikes against the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) would continue. | Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the spokesman for the caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi told the newspaper Al-Sabah on Wednesday that the French troops have alr…

RT (2020-03-25). Russia sends cargo ship with military ambulances toward Syria after virus outbreak — report. rt.com A cargo ship operated by the Russian Navy passed through Turkey\'s Bosphorus strait en route to Syria on Tuesday loaded with ambulances, Reuters said. | The Dvinitsa-50 ship, part of Russia\'s auxiliary fleet, was reportedly carrying at least three military ambulances along with a shipping container on its deck. | Russia operates a naval facility at Tartus in Syria and an airbase in Latakia. | The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday that an immediate nationwide ceasefire is needed across Syria to enable an \"all-out-effort\" to stamp out the coronavirus and prevent it fr…

RT (2020-03-25). US defense secretary issues order halting all travel & movement overseas for up to 60 days, Afghanistan withdrawal will proceed. rt.com US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has put forth a stop movement order halting all travel overseas for officials, but he insists the Afghanistan withdrawal will continue as planned. | Esper has told

Staff (2020-03-25). \"People Go Before Money. This Is About Saving Lives,\" Says San Juan Mayor on Pandemic in Puerto Rico. democracynow.org Puerto Rico announced a record $787 million financial package to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic Monday, as the island\'s death toll hits two with 39 cases reported. The pandemic follows a series of devastating earthquakes in Puerto Rico earlier this year and comes as the island continues to deal with fallout from Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico\'s infrastructure and killed at least 3,000. \"One of the things that I think is evident is that with the Trump administration and FEMA, we have to continue to remind them, time and time again, that we are people and that we deserve to be…

RT (2020-03-25). \'Failed liberalism left us without masks\': Covid-19 crisis exposed Western liberal democracy, brought back ideals of \'sovereignty\'. rt.com The Covid-19 pandemic lifted the veil on Western democracies\' failures, but the media has had no interest in exposing how liberalism and free-market ideologies are silent killers, French philosopher Michel Onfray told RT France. | RT France: Maybe a few more weeks of quarantine, it\'s not really a surprise; what is your reaction to that? | Onfray: It is obvious that the president of the Republic is stumbling around, that he is rowing here and there, that it is his slogan \"at the same time\" — at the same time to the left and to the right, to the right, to the left, we don\'t really know what we are doing. Th…

Staff (2020-03-25). Calls Grow for Sen. Burr to Resign After He Sold $1.7 Million in Stocks & Downplayed COVID-19 Risks. democracynow.org Calls are growing for Republican Senator Richard Burr to resign after he reportedly sold up to $1.7 million worth of stocks after receiving privileged briefings about the coronavirus\'s threat to the global economy. ProPublica reports Burr, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, unloaded his holdings on February 13 in 33 separate transactions. At the time, he had access to classified information about the coronavirus and was receiving daily intelligence briefings. The stock market began plummeting a week after Burr\'s sales and has since lost about 30% of its value. We speak with Derek Willis of ProPublica…

Staff (2020-03-25). Madrid\'s Ice Rink Turned to Morgue as Spain Exceeds China in Coronavirus Deaths. democracynow.org We go to Madrid, Spain, one of the epicenters of the pandemic in Europe, where health workers account for nearly 14% of the country\'s infections. Many face limited availability of protective equipment. So many people have died that Madrid\'s municipal funeral home has stopped collecting bodies. A large ice rink is now being used as a makeshift morgue, and the government plans to extend the state of emergency by another 15 days in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. \"If Madrid was a country, it would actually be fifth in terms of death rate in the entire world,\" says María Carrión, journalist and former De…

Staff (2020-03-25). Frontline NY Nurses Lack Protective Masks & Ventilators, Say Worst Yet to Come as COVID-19 Spreads. democracynow.org As the New York metro area has 60% of all the new coronavirus cases in the United States and is responsible for half the cases all over the country, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday the number of hospitalizations is expected to peak in the next 40 days as hospitals are already encountering shortages of equipment needed to protect medical workers and to keep patients alive when the city\'s COVID-19 cases peak in the coming weeks. We\'re joined by two people on the frontlines of the pandemic: Sean Petty, a registered nurse in the pediatric emergency room of a public hospital in the Bronx and member of the…

The Canary (2020-03-25). Wildflowers moving north as climate changes, citizen survey shows. thecanary.co Wildflowers are moving northwards as temperatures rise, prompting calls to manage landscapes to make space for plants in the face of climate change.Results from the first five years of the government-funded National Plant Monitoring Scheme, using data from 15,000 surveys by volunteer citizen scientists, already shows the impact of a warming world on the UK\'s plants.The data reveals that plants such as wild orchids are expanding their range northwards, experts said.The National Plant Monitoring Scheme looks at 30 different habitats, from woodland and hedgerows to blanket bogs and streams, with around 30 wild flowe…

RT (2020-03-25). Iran will impose restrictions on movement, adopt new measures against coronavirus — Rouhani. rt.com Iran\'s President Hassan Rouhani warned on Wednesday that his government is poised to introduce tough new measures against the coronavirus, AFP reports. | Rouhani said that the new measures, which could be adopted as soon as Wednesday evening, include Iran\'s first restrictions on movement to try and stem the spread of the virus, and are likely to be \"difficult\" for the public. So far, Iran has resisted imposing any lockdown, choosing instead to rely on verbal appeals for people to stay home, but those have been widely ignored. | \"There has been a long debate within the national committee for fighting the corona…

RT (2020-03-25). Bulgaria bans entry of trucks en route to Turkey as Ankara imposes Covid-19 restrictions. rt.com Bulgaria has imposed a temporary entry ban on trucks from more than 65 countries that plan to pass through the Balkan state en route to Turkey, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The decision was taken after Ankara imposed stringent coronavirus restrictions on truck drivers. | A 45-km long line of trucks has already built up at the Bulgarian-Turkish main border checkpoint of Kapitan Andreevo after Turkey banned entry of truck drivers coming from countries with large coronavirus outbreaks, Reuters reports. | Many of the drivers, who have to wait more than 72 hours to cross the border into Turkey, do not hav…

RT (2020-03-25). \'Whole of humanity\' at stake in Covid-19 pandemic, UN chief warns in urgent plea to \'fight back\'. rt.com UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that the \"whole of humanity\" is in danger of the coronavirus crisis, and we must all fight against it. | \"Global action and solidarity are crucial. Individual country responses are not going to be enough,\" Guterres said on Wednesday. | The secretary general said the Covid-19 crisis is unlike anything the UN has faced in its 75-year history and is pleading with the developed world to raise trillions of dollars to help poorer countries fight off the deadly viral scourge. | The UN is launching a $2 billion program to help the world\'s poor fight against the coronavi…

RT (2020-03-25). Paramushir Island in Russia\'s Kuril Islands evacuated after 7.2 earthquake causes small tsunami wave. rt.com Residents of Severo-Kurilsk, a small Russian town with a population of just over 2,500 on the northern end of the Kuril Islands, were evacuated to safety after an earthquake triggered a tsunami warning. | \"The safety of the people is the most important for us. It is necessary to make sure that there are no people in the area that may be affected by the wave,\" Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko said as he announced the evacuation on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the earthquake shook the town. | Residents of the town, which is 30m (100ft) above sea level, were led to higher ground. Students and st…

Marshall Auerback (2020-03-25). Germany Signals a Historic Shift From Austerity That Could Upend the Economy of Europe. counterpunch.org Until March 21, Germany\'s policymakers were like the Japanese soldiers who spent years lingering in the jungles of the Philippines, refusing to accept the reality that their country had lost World War II. In the case of Berlin, it was a case of the country stubbornly refusing to abandon six years of fiscal restraint, even

The Canary (2020-03-25). Doctors\' union warns that both staff and patients will die without proper protection. thecanary.co Doctors and patients will die without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) across the NHS, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned.It said doctors are risking serious illness and death due to a lack of stock, and it warned many more could go off sick unless immediate steps are taken.The BMA said there is \"growing evidence that thousands of GPs and hospital staff are still not being provided with the kit they need to properly protect themselves and their patients\", despite government assurances. The union said it has heard accounts of no stock, very small amounts of PPE, rationing and kit that doe…

RT (2020-03-25). Pompeo\'s focus on blaming China for coronavirus derails joint G-7 statement. rt.com G-7 leaders reportedly balked at US insistence that Covid-19 be called the \'Wuhan virus\' and blaming China for a \"disinformation campaign\" about it, letting the group\'s conference call end without a joint statement. | Following the hours-long teleconference with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK — since the physical meeting of the group has been canceled due to the pandemic — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured reporters that everyone was on board with his view of things. | \"Every one of the nations that were at that meeting this morning was deeply aware of the di…

RT (2020-03-25). Watch Russian Su-57 fire missile during NEAR-VERTICAL CLIMB as pilots master new jet\'s capabilities (VIDEO). rt.com Russian combat pilots have mastered the new capabilities of the fifth-gen Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets, the Defense Ministry reported. Footage of the test flights includes a rare firing of a missile while in a near-vertical climb. | The Su-57 is an advanced warplane which can speed straight up into the sky immediately after take-off, thanks to powerful engines and state-of-art controls needed to maintain stability during such a maneuver. | The extreme climb can be accompanied by a barrage of missiles launched at the enemy. A video released by Russia\'s Defense Ministry includes such a deployment among other act…

Hiroyuki Hamada (2020-03-25). Feudal Japan\'s Edo and the US Empire. dissidentvoice.org After the warlord period of 15th century, Japan was united by a few families and then by a shogun family. The period is called the Edo period. They disarmed civilians and established a mild caste system. The country was closed except for a few ports controlled by the central government, travel restrictions were put in …

Steve Sweeney (2020-03-25). Italian workers to strike after bosses put profits over health with coronavirus loopholes. peoplesworld.org Metalworkers in Italy\'s Lombardy region are set to walk out for 24 hours on Wednesday. The region\'s three main metalworker unions—FIOM, FIM, and UILM—warned that bosses are exploiting loopholes and exceptions in a government decree that forces businesses to close due to the coronavirus. They said that the government list \"has been excessively extended, covering …

RT (2020-03-25). White House and US senators reach late night deal on massive coronavirus stimulus package after days of talks. rt.com US senators and the Trump administration have finally reached an agreement on a massive rescue plan to help stem the impact Covid-19 is having on the country\'s economy. | The compromise bill directs around $2 trillion to help keep the economy afloat amid the massive shutdown of businesses in a bid to curb the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. | Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the proposal \"the largest rescue package in American history.\" | Schumer said that the bill is \"far from perfect, but we believe the legislation has been improved significantly to warrant its quick consideration…

The Canary (2020-03-25). Next offers staff 20% bonus for travelling to work despite lockdown. thecanary.co High street fashion chain Next is offering staff a 20% boost to their pay if they turn up to stores on Wednesday, despite government warnings to stay home.The retailer is asking workers to travel to shuttered sites and pick clothes for online orders \"to keep the company operating\", according to a letter seen by the PA news agency.But worried staff have questioned whether picking clothes is an \"essential\" job at the same time the government has called for all non-essential workers to temporarily avoid unnecessary travel.Prime minister Boris Johnson said on Monday night that the public \"must stay at home\" unless th…

RT (2020-03-25). 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocks Russia\'s Far East, sparks tsunami alert. rt.com A 7.2-magnitude quake has struck Russia\'s Far East region, striking off the Kuril Islands and prompting a tsunami warning for the sparsely populated region. | The quake was felt across the region on Wednesday afternoon local time, with a depth of 56.7km (35 miles). There are no reports of damage or casualties as of yet. | The earthquake triggered a tsunami alert in Hawaii, 5,600 kilometers away, but it was soon called off, with the US National Tsunami Warning Center concluding there was no danger to the small Pacific island chain. | Tsunami Info Stmt 2: M7.5 East Of Kuril Islands 1949PDT Mar 24: Tsunami NOT ex…

RT (2020-03-25). WATCH Russian military infection specialists heading for coronavirus-plagued northern Italy. rt.com Russian military specialists who arrived in Italy to help with the fight against coronavirus are heading towards the north of the country, which has been affected by the deadly epidemic the worst. | The convoy, composed of 22 trucks and other vehicles, set off for the northern Italian city of Bergamo early on Wednesday. The convoy, escorted by the Italian Carabinieri, has reached Florence, making a brief stop there, the Russian military says. | One hundred Russian military medics and disease specialists were airlifted to Italy over the weekend, landing at Pratica di Mare Air Base 30km (18.6 miles) from Rome…

RT (2020-03-25). Gunmen attack Sikh religious gathering in Afghan capital, Kabul, 25 people reportedly killed. rt.com Gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gathering in the heart of the Afghan capital\'s old city Wednesday morning. The Afghan interior ministry reports at least 25 people were killed and eight others injured in the attack. | One attacker has been shot and three others are still fighting with security forces, according to reports. | \"People are stuck inside the building and [security forces] are trying to rescue them,\" Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. | Defense forces arrived at the scene, blocked off the place of worship, known as a \'Gurdwara\', and engaged in a gun battle with the attackers. | \"

John Wojcik (2020-03-25). New York the \'canary in the coal mine\' for U.S. peoplesworld.org Doctors at New York hospitals are saying they fear that very soon they will have to make decisions about who lives and who dies because they do not have the equipment they need to treat all of their patients. In a desperate attempt to deal with an unprecedented pandemic, New York\'s leaders are warning that …

RT (2020-03-25). Not enough rooms in hospitals, \'many can\'t make it and die at home\', says mayor at epicenter of Covid-19 outbreak in Italy. rt.com Hospitals simply lack the space and resources to help everyone, confining many to die from Covid-19 at home, warned Giorgio Gori, the mayor of Bergamo in Italy\'s northern Lombardy region, which was hit hardest by the virus. | The healthcare system has been entirely overwhelmed by the outbreak, Gori told Il Messaggero on Wednesday, with everyone \"working from 8am till we collapse exhausted in the evening.\" | \"Too many people are arriving in hospitals late and in grave condition, requiring intubation in intensive care units,\" Gori said, adding that more than 300 people died last week in Bergamo region alone. | M…

RT (2020-03-25). ÔªøPutin proposes mortgage & loan holidays, new payments for families with children to tackle aftershocks of Covid-19. rt.com Russia\'s President Vladimir Putin has proposed a package of social and economic benefits, aimed at providing relief for citizens as the coronavirus outbreak keeps hammering the economy. | \"I suggest loan and mortgage holidays,\" Putin said Wednesday addressing the nation in a televised speech. The said steps also include new payments for families with children. | Families that have children aged three and younger will be eligible for an additional monthly payment of 5,000 rubles (some $63) per child for the next three months starting from April. | \"The Russian economy, like the economies of other countries,…

RT (2020-03-25). Two elderly coronavirus patients with pre-existing conditions die in Moscow — authorities. rt.com Russia\'s Covid-19 death toll rose to three on Wednesday evening after officials announced that two elderly coronavirus patients have died in Moscow. Both of them suffered from pneumonia and had pre-existing medical conditions. | The two deaths occurred in Moscow, and the deceased were aged 88 and 73 respectively. Both were diagnosed earlier with Covid-19. Last week, a 79-year-old patient, with a range of other illnesses, died after contracting coronavirus, although a postmortem showed the cause was ultimately detached blood clot. | The latest development comes as Russia experienced a major surge in reported in…

RT (2020-03-25). Saudi Arabia accepts UN call for coronavirus ceasefire in Yemen — reports. rt.com The Saudi-led coalition has reportedly agreed to a truce in Yemen — five years to the day of launching an intervention there — as part of a United Nations call for a global armistice among the Covid-19 pandemic. | Riyadh\'s decision to stand down follows the acceptance of the ceasefire by the pro-Saudi followers of ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels that have controlled the capital since January 2015. | Hadi government, Houthis and

RT (2020-03-25). Singapore \'not ruling out\' holding general election during Covid-19 outbreak. rt.com Singapore\'s government said on Wednesday it was not ruling out holding a general election during the coronavirus outbreak in the city-state, saying strong leadership was needed in a crisis. | Singapore, which must hold a ballot by early 2021, revised its electoral boundaries earlier this month, in a move typically seen as a precursor to calling a vote. Some opposition parties have urged against an election due to health risks. | Speaking in parliament, senior minister Teo Chee Hean said \"the present situation is not ideal\" but added that because the outbreak could go on for some time, the country could go for…

RT (2020-03-25). 'Did Covid-19 write this article?' Federalist raked through the coals for recommending 'voluntary infection' to fight coronavirus. rt.com An article in conservative outlet the Federalist has folks up in arms online over a recommendation for \"controlled voluntary infection\" to battle the spread of the deadly coronavirus. | In the

RT (2020-03-25). Julian Assange denied bail by London court. rt.com WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail by a London court after his lawyers argued that the Covid-19 pandemic posed a serious threat to his health in light of his pre-existing conditions. | Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that the global pandemic \"does not provide grounds\" for Assange\'s release. | Also on rt.com | | The judge also cited Assange\'s \"past conduct\" which she said \"shows the lengths he is prepared to go to avoid extradition…

RT (2020-03-25). Russians could face up to SEVEN YEARS in prison for violating coronavirus quarantine rules. rt.com At first glance, it either looks like a staggeringly severe punishment or a sign Moscow is taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously, depending on who you ask. But experts say its bark will likely be far worse than its bite. | On Wednesday, a draft law on criminal punishment for the violation of quarantine restrictions was submitted to the national parliament, the State Duma. Offenders face between three and seven years imprisonment if found guilty. The bill was co-authored by the body\'s Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin and the head of the committee on state building and legislation, Pavel Krasheninnikov. Both are mem…

Al Neal (2020-03-25). Settling equal pay lawsuit a top priority for new U.S. Soccer leadership. peoplesworld.org Slow weeks are the new normal (what is \'normal\' anyway?). The slow drag of time is also reinforced by the lack of sports—except for golf, which is not at all surprising. But it doesn\'t mean there can\'t be a bit of good sports news tucked behind all the Covid-19 pandemic bad news. The newly minted president …

RT (2020-03-25). London City Airport closing amid Covid-19 lockdown. rt.com All commercial and private flights from London City Airport will be suspended from Wednesday evening until the end of April, amid a three-week national lockdown imposed by the British government to tackle the Covid-19 crisis. | In a statement, the airport said the suspension of services was the \"right and responsible course of action\" for the safety and wellbeing of staff and passengers. | The airport said it had told the government that it would remain open and available to support \"emergency flights,\" the military or other government agencies. | It said the fundamentals of its business remain strong and that…

RT (2020-03-25). Putin calls for 15% tax on offshore funds as part of plan to stabilize Russian economy. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a range of measures on Wednesday to tackle the economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. They included making sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. | According to the Russian president, all income payments (as interest and dividends) leaving the country should be taxed adequately. Putin called on increasing tax on offshore funds to 15 percent. | \"Currently two-thirds of such funds, and, in fact, this is the income of specific individuals (as a result of various kinds of schemes of the so-called optimization), are subject to a real tax rate of only 2 percen…

RT (2020-03-25). 'I'm so happy I can barely speak': Trump responds to Romney's negative coronavirus, gets bashed for \'sarcasm\'. rt.com President Donald Trump says Senator Mitt Romney not having coronavirus is \"really great news,\" but he followed that up by slamming him as a \"RINO\" and \"terrible presidential candidate.\" | Romney announced this week he has tested negative for Covid-19 following a move into self-isolation in Utah after he discovered Senator Rand Paul — with whom he\'d had recent contact — had tested positive for the disease. | Trump took his usual swipes at his political adversary, though this time in a rather sarcastic fashion. | \"This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak,\" the president tweeted in…

RT (2020-03-25). Spain overtakes China virus toll with 3,434 deaths – government. rt.com Spain has now surpassed China in its number of fatalities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest government tally puts the number of deaths at 3,434. | The Spanish health ministry said it has registered 738 new coronavirus deaths since Tuesday. The overall number of cases in the southern European nation has soared to 47,610, from 39,673 the day before. | There have been 3,281 coronavirus death on mainland China so far, according to official statistics. | The country, where the global outbreak started, has managed to quash the Covid-19 epidemic with tight quarantine measures. It still gets its share of new ca…

RT (2020-03-25). Putin forced to delay key vote to reset presidential term limits due to Covid-19. rt.com The planned national vote on constitutional amendments in Russia will be postponed from April to a later date, President Vladimir Putin said, citing the threat of Covid-19. | Speaking in a televised address on Wednesday, Putin announced a number of measures to support the Russian people during the increasingly serious threat of coronavirus in the country. | The Russian government will postpone the vote on the constitution, which was scheduled for April 22. The changes involve, among other things, empowering Russia\'s Upper House, creating a new government body — the State Council — and restricting all…

RT (2020-03-25). Spain\'s Deputy PM Carmen Calvo tests positive for coronavirus. rt.com The Spanish government announced Wednesday that their Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo has contracted Covid-19, which was only revealed after she took her second test. | After Calvo\'s first test came back inconclusive, she underwent testing again on Tuesday. The 62-year-old is currently in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment. She had been hospitalized at the Ruber Hospital Complex in Madrid on Sunday with what the government reported to be a \"respiratory infection.\" | Calvo\'s condition is now \"progressing favorably,\" according to a government statement. | The politician recently came into cont…

RT (2020-03-25). Italy\'s coronavirus death toll DIPS to 683 in one day, rising above 7,500 in total. rt.com Health officials in Italy have reported a drop in the daily death toll from the Covid-19 outbreak following a spike in fatalities on Tuesday. The country has suffered the highest losses in the world from the pandemic. | Italy recently overtook China as the epicenter of the outbreak, with the number of deaths there from the rapidly-spreading novel coronavirus. On Saturday, single-day fatalities hit a new high at 793 before falling on Sunday and Monday, however it climbed again on Tuesday. | Overall, the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 rose to 74,386 on Wednesday, from 69,176 the day prior, Italy\'s Civil P…

RT (2020-03-25). China\'s Wuhan reports ZERO new cases of coronavirus as US sees deadliest day yet with 160+ fatalities. rt.com The city of Wuhan is coming back online, with no new cases of Covid-19 reported in the virus\' first epicenter and residents resuming business as usual. But as China recovers, the US has seen its worst day yet, tallying 163 deaths.

Jocelyn Sherman (2020-03-25). \'Imperative to take proactive steps\' to ensure farm worker safety. peoplesworld.org After carefully monitoring developments over coronavirus COVID-19, the United Farm Workers has sent an open letter to all agricultural employers and organizations urging them to take \"proactive steps to ensure the safety of farm workers, protect buyers and safeguard consumers.\" Those steps include extending \"state-required sick pay to 40 hours or more,\" removing \"caps on …