Can the US learn from China’s determined response to Coronavirus?
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-12
Red Lines host Anya Parampil provides a global Coronavirus update, explaining how China suppressed the pandemic with a determined and…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/us-learn-chin…
Six Quick Points About Coronavirus and Poverty in the US
Bill Quigley | zcomm.org | 2020-03-12
The most vulnerable among us do not have the option to comply with suggestions to stay home from work or work remotely…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/six-quick-points-a…
Six Quick Points About Coronavirus and Poverty in the US
Bill Quigley | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
In the United States, tens of millions of people are at a much greater risk of getting sick from the coronavirus than others. The most vulnerable among us do not have the option to comply with suggestions to stay home from work or work remotely. Most low wage workers do not have any paid sick days and cannot do their work from home. The over two million people in jails and prisons each night do not have these options nor do the half a million homeless people.
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/six-quick-po…
Chelsea Manning Hospitalized After Reported Suicide Attempt
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Manning was unlawfully imprisoned last March (again in May after briefly released) for invoking her constitutional right of silence
Chelsea Manning hospitalized after attempting suicide in federal detention
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Manning, who has not been charged with a crime, has been subjected to imprisonment and punitive fines for the last year for refusing to testify against Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/chel…
International Bar Association condemns British attacks on Assange’s legal rights
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Michael Kirby, the co-chair of the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, branded Assange’s treatment as “shocking and excessive” and likened it to the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/ibah…
As Biden Racks up Delegates the Crisis Among Black Folks and Democrat Party Deepens
Ajamu Baraka | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
Biden wins key state of Michigan and the Democrat Party establishment can barely contain its joy. I am happy also but for a different reason. No matter what happens with this twisted Democrat Party nomination drama, I welcome this period as a period of absolute political clarity. Why? Because for the internal debate and struggles …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/as-biden-rack…
The Fed’s Baffling Response to the Coronavirus Explained
Ellen Brown | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
When the World Health Organization announced on February 24th that it was time to prepare for a global pandemic, the stock market plummeted. Over the following week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by more than 3,500 points or over 10%. In an attempt to contain the damage, on March 3rd the Federal Reserve slashed …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/the-feds-baff…
The US Federal Reserve’s Baffling Response to the Coronavirus Explained
Ellen Brown | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
When the World Health Organization announced on February 24th that it was time to prepare for a global pandemic, the stock market plummeted. Over the following week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by more than 3,500 points or …
globalresearch.ca/fed-response-coronavir…
Video: Great Idlib “Rebranding” and Al Qaeda “Turkish Victories” over Russian Air Defense
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Terrorist groups operating in Idlib are preparing for a new rebranding under Turkish patronage. According to Syrian sources, Hayat Tarir al-Sham (formerly the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Turkistan Islamic Party (an al-Qaeda-linked group), the National Front for Liberation …
globalresearch.ca/video-great-idlib-rebr…
Syria Chemical Attack: Douma Whistleblowers Respond to OPCW’s Attacks
Dave DeCamp | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Two whistleblowers that have been speaking out about a scandal within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have responded to the organization’s attempts to discredit them. The OPCW has been doing some serious damage control over its …
globalresearch.ca/douma-whistleblowers-r…
Syria Chemical Attack: Douma Whistleblowers Respond to OPCW’s Attempts to Discredit Them
Dave DeCamp | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Two whistleblowers that have been speaking out about a scandal within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have responded to the organization’s attempts to discredit them. The OPCW has been doing some serious damage control over its …
globalresearch.ca/douma-whistleblowers-r…
Turkey, Russia Reach Consensus on Syria’s Idlib
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Turkish and Russian military delegations who have been discussing the ceasefire in Idlib since Tuesday have reached an agreement “to a large extent,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday. | RELATED: | Syria: Sporadic Attacks Continue After the Ceasefire Agreement | “The attacks have halted, and the ceasefire continues at the moment. We are carefully and sensitively following the field,” Akar said during a visit to Turkey’s defense company ASELSAN. | There is no change…
telesurenglish.net/news/Turkey-Russia-Re…
Turkey’s Failed Gamble in Syria
Conn Hallinan | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest gamble in Syria’s civil war appears to have come up snake eyes. Instead of halting the Damascus government’s siege of the last rebel held province, Idlib, Turkey has backed off, and Ankara’s Syrian adventure is fueling growing domestic resistance to the powerful autocrat.
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/turkeys-fail…
Lack of Paid Sick Leave Prevents Workers From Complying With CDC Advice
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States passes 1,300 cases with 38 deaths, more than 30 million workers lack access to paid sick leave. President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night, saying he will expand sick leave as part of emergency response to the virus. But the same day, Republican senators blocked an attempt by Senate Democrats to quickly pass legislation requiring employers to grant paid sick leave. Meanwhile, Democrats in the House of Representatives will debate a pack…
truthout.org/video/lack-of-paid-sick-lea…
Australian health professionals speak on lack of preparation for coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
“There is a perception that the government does not care about the interests and safety of healthcare workers, and trust in authorities is low.”
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/auhe…
Coronavirus vs. the Mass Surveillance State: Which Poses the Greater Threat?
John W. Whitehead | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/coronavirus-…
Dow Sinks 8% as Sell-Off Slamming Global Markets Deepens
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-12
NEW YORK
Trump Calls COVID-19 “Foreign Virus” as US Fails to Curtail Its Spread
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
After downplaying the threat of coronavirus for days, President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, calling COVID-19 a “foreign virus” and announcing an unprecedented travel ban from most of Europe to the U.S. He also said he will expand sick leave. This comes as Senate Republicans blocked paid sick leave legislation. Robert Pollin, distinguished university professor of economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts…
truthout.org/video/trump-calls-covid-19-…
Coronavirus has reached the doorstep of the world’s worst refugee camp
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2020-03-12
The first case of coronavirus on the Greek island of Lesbos has been registered at the local hospital in Mytilene. A female supermarket worker has been placed in isolation after contracting COVID-19. | Around 20,000 people living in squalid conditions: | Meanwhile, refugees on the island are forced to live in squalid and crowded conditions. An…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/…
The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is “Agenda ID2020”
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
WHO has most likely received orders from “above”, from those people who also manage Trump and the “leaders” (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-causes-eff…
Riot police fire “pepper balls” at University of Dayton students ordered to evacuate campus housing within 24 hours
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Students have taken to social media to voice their outrage over the police crackdown after the university ordered an evacuation of student housing due to the coronavirus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/dayt…
Italy’s coronavirus epidemic surges as mass layoffs announced
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Not a single European Union country has responded to Italy’s appeal for desperately-needed emergency medical supplies.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/ital…
Why the Coming Economic Collapse Won’t be Caused by Coronavirus (Part 2)
Matthew J. L. Ehret | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
This week, the markets took a 1000 point hit which was more than a little startling for many investors since the last 1000 point fall only happened three days prior… all in all bringing the financial markets to lows not seen since April 2008, and veering dangerously close to a precipice which has 1929 written …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/why-the-comin…
Media Dutifully Report Trump’s Fiddling as Coronavirus Burns Through World
Neil deMause | fair.org | 2020-03-12
CNN ( 3/11/20) reported that Trump’s calling Covid-19 “a foreign virus aligns with how some Trump allies have described the coronavirus in recent days, which critics have called xenophobic.” | One of the drawbacks of much current media coverage is its reliance on official sources: If you’re a major public official, your chances of your every stray thought ending up published as fact are way higher than if you’re an average citizen, or even an expert in the subject at hand, if only because you’re putting out press stat…
fair.org/home/media-dutifully-report-tru…
Should I Quarantine Because of Coronavirus? It Depends on Who You Ask
Managing Editor | truthdig.com | 2020-03-12
Agencies, local authorities and national governments do not agree on who should be quarantined or what that should actually look like.
truthdig.com/articles/should-i-quarantin…
Governments must act to stop the coronavirus
Laurie Macfarlane | zcomm.org | 2020-03-12
If our aim is to protect human and environmental health, restoring the status quo is not good enough. Thankfully, there is an alternative…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/governments-must-a…
Trump’s coronavirus address: Ignorance, xenophobia and helplessness
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
In remarks consisting largely of self-praise, Trump proposed no measures that would slow the spread of the disease and mitigate its effects.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/pers…
Donald Trump Is Using the Coronavirus Crisis to Attack Social Security
Managing Editor | truthdig.com | 2020-03-12
The proposal to cut the payroll contribution rate would either undermine Social Security’s financing or employ general revenue, both of which would set the stage for future demands to cut Social Security. And it likely would not be temporary.
truthdig.com/articles/donald-trump-is-us…
Coronavirus COVID-19 in South Korea: Cult Sect, Corruption and Politics
Prof. Joseph H. Chung | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
In South Korea, on January 20, a woman of 35 years old from China was found to be infected and the corona-virus spread rapidly. But, owing to the rapid and efficient measures taken by the government of Moon Jae-in, …
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-covid-19-k…
On coronavirus, Merkel tells Europe: “Drop dead”
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Merkel stated that a central priority of her government is to ensure the health care system does not become “overloaded” by the task of caring for coronavirus patients.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/merk…
Should I Quarantine Because of Coronavirus? It Depends on Who You Ask
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-12
Agencies, local authorities and national governments do not agree on who should be quarantined or what that should actually look like.
truthdig.com/articles/should-i-quarantin…
Cuba Confirms Three Positive Cases of Coronavirus
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
The Cuban Ministry of Public Health confirmed Wednesday night that three Italian tourists who arrived on the Caribbean island last Monday tested positive for the new coronavirus. | RELATED: | Death Toll From COVID-19 Outside China Surpasses 1,000: WHO | Four Italian tourists from Lombardy were identified by the country’s health authorities on Tuesday, the day after their arrival, with respiratory symptoms. After conducting the pertinent tests, three of them tested positive for Covi…
telesurenglish.net/news/cuba-confirms-th…
Congress Tries to Sneak Through Dangerous Spying Bill Under the Cover of the Coronavirus Crisis
Free Press | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Leading members of the House of Representatives are rushing a vote on Wednesday to extend abusive government surveillance powers before they’re set to expire on March 15. | If approved, the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2020 would reauthorize Section 215 …
globalresearch.ca/congress-tries-sneak-t…
Wall Street sell-off resumes as Dow enters bear market territory
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Markets are set to plunge further today following US President Trump’s virulently nationalist address yesterday evening in which he labelled the coronavirus as a “foreign virus.”
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/mark…
Canada: Absence of sick pay and job security preventing at-risk and ill workers from staying home amid Coronavirus crisis
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
One Vancouver-based worker in the so-called gig economy told CBC, “I don’t think people really understand what it means to not be able to miss work. It’s the difference between eating or not, the difference between having a place to live or not.”
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/caco…
Autoworkers condemn lack of response by union and management to coronavirus emergency
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
The rapidly emerging coronavirus crisis is exposing the criminal contempt on the part of both the United Auto Workers and the major car companies for health and safety.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/intr…
Coronavirus response: Lawmakers prefer helping workers but Trump pushes tax cuts
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-12
WASHINGTON–With the coronavirus threat to the U.S., including the U.S. economy, spreading, lawmakers and GOP President Donald Trump went in two very different directions about how to help people nationwide. For lawmakers, especially the House’s ruling Democrats, the chief object was to make sure there are ways to both minimize the circumstances that could put …
peoplesworld.org/article/coronavirus-res…
March Madness Will Go On Without the Crowds
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-12
The buzzer-beaters, upsets and all the other shining moments of this year’s NCAA basketball tournaments will be played in mostly empty arenas. | Trying to avoid spreading the deadly coronavirus that has become a global pandemic, the NCAA has decided that the men’s and women’s tournament games will be off-limits to the general public. | NCAA President Mark Emmert said Wednesday that he made the decision to conduct both tournaments, which begin next week, with only essential staff and limited family in attendance. The decision comes after the NCAA’s COVID-19 advisory panel of medical experts recommended against pla…
truthdig.com/articles/march-madness-will…
Trump Promised No Coronavirus Treatment Copays. Insurers Say That’s Not True
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
In a prime-time televised address so filled with blatant errors that fact-checkers and the White House struggled to keep up and correct the record, President Donald Trump Wednesday night claimed that major U.S. insurance companies “have agreed to waive all copayments for coronavirus treatments” as the disease rapidly spreads across the nation. | A spokespe…
truthout.org/articles/trump-promised-no-…
As oil prices plunge and coronavirus spreads, Russian oligarchy seeks to keep Putin in power indefinitely
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
The Russian ruling class is trying to prepare for massive social and political unrest.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/russ…
Congressional doctor expects up to 150 million Americans to contract the coronavirus
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Without immediate and far-reaching measures to curb the spread of the infection, the United States will face a catastrophic scenario, with millions killed.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/covi…
Amid protests and crises, Lebanon defaults on Eurobond
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
The default comes amid a spiralling economic crisis, protests, increasing poverty and other signs of social disintegration, along with the first coronavirus deaths.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/leba…
New U.S. Travel Restrictions Drop Oil Prices by More Than 5%
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Oil prices fell by more than 5% on Thursday after the United States announced without warning restrictions on most flights from Europe to contain the spread of the new coronavirus in the country. | RELATED: | Oil Falls 30% As Saudi Arabia Slashes Prices, Sparks Price War | The sudden decision “caused a loss of confidence in governments and increased uncertainty about the real impact of the virus on the economy,” the head of oil markets at energy consulting firm Rystad Bjoernar T…
telesurenglish.net/news/new-us-travel-re…
Ecuador: EU, UN Launch Anti-Gender Violence Initiative
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) launched on Tuesday in Quito, Ecuador, their Spotlight Initiative, a program aimed at combating violence against women and girls in this Andean country. | RELATED: | Chile Denounces Government Repression During Feminist Strike | During the launch ceremony, held two days after the worldwide observation of International Women’s Day, the EU and UN unveiled their ac…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuador-EU-UN-La…
Elite Media Dismiss Voter Suppression on Grounds That It’s ‘Complicated’
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2020-03-12
Some voters–disproportionately black and brown ones–waited in line for several hours on Super Tuesday to cast their ballots in the Democratic primary, and media paid attention. But their love for a good visual doesn’t always correspond with a love for connecting the dots, and so most of the coverage downplayed any suggestion that there might be voter suppression going on in 2020. The New York Times ( 3/4/20) assured us that voting problems were not caused by “deliberate efforts to drive down turnout.” | “Why Did It…
fair.org/home/elite-media-dismiss-voter-…
Julian Assange must be supported
Ben Hillier | mronline.org | 2020-03-12
If the U.S. government succeeds in extraditing Julian Assange, it will be a major victory for U.S. imperialism–a promise that anyone getting in its way will ultimately pay the price. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/12/julian-assange-m…
Gaza: Murdering Children for Sport
Larry Romanoff | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Ayman Mohyeldin was an Egyptian reporter for al-Jazeera English who had covered dozens of major events in the Middle East for many American and other networks. His reputation was enormous, and his reporting on the Israeli assault on Gaza was …
globalresearch.ca/murdering-children-spo…
Greece: Covid-19 Case in Lesbos Spreads Fear Among Migrants
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Greece’s health authorities reported a first Covid-19 case on the Lesbos island where thousands of refugees are overcrowded in unsanitary conditions. | RELATED: | Turkey to Keep Its Border Open for Refugees to Go to the EU | The infected patient is a 40-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Israel and Egypt as a member of a pilgrimage group to the Holy Land. | Over the last week, more than 1,700 new ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Ä…
telesurenglish.net/news/Greece-Covid-19-…
The Trump Administration Is a Culmination of the Right’s Efforts to End “Roe”
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
The religious right has long awaited a president like Donald Trump who could potentially give them control within his administration. In this excerpt The End of Roe v. Wade: Inside the Right’s Plan to Destroy Legal Abortion, Robin Marty and Jessica Mason Pieklo describe how Trump’s dedication to anti-abortion views has made an opening for overturning Roe. | The Supreme Court decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt may have encouraged abortion rights activists eager to see restrictions f…
truthout.org/articles/the-trump-administ…
Chile: Church Criticizes Piñera’s Indifference to Social Demand
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Chile’s Episcopal Conference (CECh) Thursday criticized the indifference of President Sebastian Piñera’s administration to respond to the demands generated by citizens against inequality and the economic model. | RELATED: | Chile: Police Attack Protesters Demanding Piñera’s Resignation | “We perceive that the main social cries expressed since Oct. 18 ha…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Church-Cri…
Team Trump Tried to Bully the ICC IntoDropping War Crimes Probe But Failed
Marjorie Cohn | zcomm.org | 2020-03-12
Team Trump threatened to ban ICC judges and prosecutors from the U.S. and warned it would impose economic sanctions on the Court if it launched an investigation…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/team-trump-tried-t…
Saudi’s Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS
Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
This week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia’s 34-year-old de facto ruler, was on a tear. He arrested members of his own royal family and initiated an oil price war with Russia that has sent the price of oil–and the world’s stock markets–plummeting. Behind the headlines, however, another critical event will take place …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/saudis-brave-…
US House rams through Nicaragua regime-change bill with zero opposition
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-12
Not one member of the House of Representatives spoke up against a bipartisan bill sponsored by hardliners that ramps up…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/us-house-sanc…
Don’t Trust Anyone Over 30 (40?), Says This 70 Year Old
Manuel García, Jr. | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
The Sanders movement, the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), the BLM (Black Lives Matter) and BAR (Black Agenda Report) types,…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/dont-trust-a…
Brazil: Military Club Summons Members for Acts Against Congress
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Rio de Janeiro’s Military Club summoned its members to attend rallies against the National Congress and the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to be held on March 15, as Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro proposed on Feb. 26. | RELATED: | Brazil TV Series About Marielle Franco Sparks Racism Row | The military club summons to support Bolsonaro because it considers that the form…
telesurenglish.net/news/Brazil-Military-…
Feeling the Burn
José Tirado | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
There really wasn’t that much doubt about this. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 run sure looked good at the beginning and was catching some serious fire early on. Many people actually dared to believe that this time, he could actually win. But just before “Super Tuesday” it became crystal clear that the establishment Dems were having none…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/feeling-the-…
Resisting US Blockade, Cuba Embraces Change, Builds Socialism
W. T. Whitney | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
Any U.S. politician who says nice things about Cuba can expect abuse. That’s been so since the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Recently presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tried to ward off attacks as he praised Cuba’s 1961 literacy campaign. He labeled Cuba’s leadership as “authoritarian,” but it didn’t work. Senators Rubio and Menendez and other politicians, Democratic and Republican alike, lashed out. Democratic leaders in Florida joined in. Cuba matters there at voting time.
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/resisting-us…
Yemen Cancels UN Work in Country Amid Growing Armed Conflict
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
On Thursday, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry suspended the work of the United Nations (U.N.) country team, which was seeking to end the armed conflict that has been raging in the country since 2015. | RELATED: | ‘Yemen One of The Worst Places to Be a Child’: Unicef | The UN team will have to leave the port province of Hodeidah, which is the heart of the conflict between the Yemeni government and the insurgent group known as the Houthis, local sources said today. | The decision by the governme…
telesurenglish.net/news/yemen-cancels-un…
US Marines Arrive on Yemen’s Socotra Island to Back UAE Troops: Reports
Tasnim News Agency | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Sanaa Post reported that the American soldiers were received by the occupying UAE forces at their headquarters on the island. | There is speculation that the US intends to establish its own military base amid reports that America had sent military …
globalresearch.ca/us-marines-arrive-yeme…
Iraq: Three Killed in Rocket Attack Against U.S. Forces
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Two U.S. military personnel and a member of the British forces were killed on Wednesday in an attack on the Camp Taji military base near Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. | RELATED: | Barham Salih: Iraq Doesn’t Need Foreign Presence on Its Soil | During the attack on Camp Taji, the base that houses U.S. troops in Iraqi territory, 12 other people were injured, local media reported. | “About 15 small rockets hit the base at about 7: 35 p.m. local time. We are still investigating the exte…
telesurenglish.net/news/iraq-two-us-mili…
After ending oil workers strike in Brazil, union approves plant closure and layoffs
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
Instead of “resuming the historic strike,” as they had promised, the unions told workers to accept layoffs.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/braz…
Brazil: Congress Overturns Bolsonaro’s Social Benefit Law Veto
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Brazilian National Congress overruled President Jair Bolsonaro’s veto of the Continued Assistance Benefit (BPC), a legal provision that ensures social benefits. | Brazil: Military Club Summons Members for Acts Against Congress | The BPC is a plan that covers the less solvent, those affected by a disability and those over 65. The financial assistance to the needy is equivalent to a minimum wage and mostly supports women in situations of poverty. | The Bolsonaro administration re…
telesurenglish.net/news/brazil-congress-…
Top Saudi Intelligence Official ‘Chased’ to Canada by Crown Prince MBS
Dania Akkad | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
The Canadian government gave refuge to a powerful former Saudi intelligence official deemed a threat to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rule, three sources familiar with the matter have told Middle East Eye. | Saad al-Jabri, once a trusted …
globalresearch.ca/top-saudi-intelligence…
The Case of Professor Tariq Ramadan: Calling on France’s Minister of Justice to Cease “Masquerade of Justice”
International Movement for a Just World | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Madame Nicole Belloubet, Minister of Justice: | As international scholars, politicians and journalists, we are writing to you, the French Minister of Justice, to demand an immediate halt to the indictment of Tariq Ramadan case. | This process has gone on …
globalresearch.ca/calling-french-ministe…
Lebanon’s Political Elite Is Responsible for the Failure to Reform
Michael Jansen | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Lebanon’s decision to default on the repayment of a $1.2 billion Eurobond was inevitable. Prime Minister Hassan Diab was absolutely right to put d needs of the Lebanese over the timetable for paying the country’s debilitating debts to international creditors. …
globalresearch.ca/lebanons-political-eli…
Federal Court Hears Arguments on Funding for Trump’s Border Wall
Helen Christophi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
A conservative judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals signaled on Tuesday, March 10, that he will probably vote to let President Donald Trump use $3.6 billion in diverted military money to expand the border wall, even as construction …
globalresearch.ca/federal-court-hears-ar…
“Blue No Matter Who!”
Keith Harmon Snow | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
There is something profoundly offensive about this declaration and, worse, there is something profoundly insufferable about the sentiments and beliefs behind it. | First of all, it is a matter of extreme white privilege to be able to “Vote Blue No …
globalresearch.ca/blue-no-matter-who/570…
China Steadily Continues to Promote Influence on the African Continent
Lucas Leiroz de Almeida | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Every day the news about Chinese investments in the Africa are highlighted in newspapers around the world. On the one hand, western critics believe that Beijing is seeking to expand its area of influence outside Asian territory, and on the …
globalresearch.ca/china-steadily-continu…
Global COVID-19 Pandemic, This Is a Test: How Will the Constitution Fare During a Nationwide Lockdown?
John W. Whitehead | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
This is a test. | This is not a test of our commitment to basic hygiene or disaster preparedness or our ability to come together as a nation in times of crisis, although we’re not doing so well on any of …
globalresearch.ca/how-constitution-fare-…
The monster is finally at the door
Mike Davis | zcomm.org | 2020-03-12
COVID-19 is finally the monster at the door. Researchers are working night and day to characterize the outbreak but they are faced with three huge challenges…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-monster-is-fin…
Agribusiness would risk millions of deaths
Rob Wallace | zcomm.org | 2020-03-12
Interview about the dangers of Covid-19, the responsibility of agribusiness and sustainable solutions to combat infectious diseases…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/agribusiness-would…
Call to cancel dirty coal plant projects worldwide as clean renewables ‘out-compete’ on cost
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-12
Coal power developers risk wasting hundreds of billions of pounds as new renewables are now cheaper than new coal plants around the world, a report warns. | In all major markets from the US to Europe, China, India and Australia, it already costs less to generate power from installing new wind or solar farms than new coal plants, the latest study from think tank Carbon Tracker found. | And it could be cheaper to generate electricity by building new renewable facilities than to run existing coal-fired power stations in all markets by 2030, the researchers predict. | Already, four fifths (82%) of the UK’s remaining…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…
Freedom Rider: Corona Virus and the failed American State
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-03-12
The United States has none of the systems or infrastructure that would allow it to accomplish what China has done to fight mass infection. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/12/freedom-rider-co…
No to right-wing “anti-Semitism” lawsuit against NYU!
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
The state-led campaign against BDS and the lawsuit at NYU are an assault on democratic rights having nothing to do with the fight against anti-Semitism.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/zion…
No to right-wing “anti-Semitism” lawsuit against New York University!
wsws.org | 2020-03-12
The state-led campaign against BDS and the lawsuit at NYU are an assault on democratic rights having nothing to do with the fight against anti-Semitism.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/12/zion…
Joe Biden Pays Lip Service to Climate But Has Fallen Short on Action
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
As Joe Biden’s chances of clinching the Democratic nomination continue to rise, environmentalists are absorbing the possibility that they may eventually be faced with the challenge of trying to exert pressure on a nominee with deep ties to the fossil fuel industry. | Though awareness of the climate crisis among the public has reached a high, voters have failed to notice the meaningful differ…
truthout.org/articles/joe-biden-pays-lip…
Extraordinary Democratic Delusions and the Madness of the Crowd
M. G. Piety | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
Just when I am starting to think that the New York Review of Books is not irredeemably idiotic on political issues, they publish an article that is so conspicuously incoherent and outrageously out of touch with the political climate in the U.S. that it is destined to be anthologized in perpetuity in collections with “Clueless”
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/extraordinar…
Anti-Union Attorneys Love Joe Biden
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
In the week since his strong showing on Super Tuesday, Joe Biden has collected a raft of new labor union endorsements. As voters in more states head to the polls, it is worth remembering that Biden launched his campaign with a fundraiser co-hosted by the head of an anti-union law firm. | On April 24, 2019, Biden kicked off his presidential campaign at a union hall in Pittsburgh, full of members of the Teamsters, United Steelworkers and firefighters…
truthout.org/articles/anti-union-attorne…
Colombia: Another Ex-FARC Member Killed
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Edwin de Jesús Carrascal, a former member of the Colombian Alternative Revolutionary Force of the Common’s party (FARC), was assassinated on Tuesday in Coloso, a community in Sucre’s department. | RELATED: | Colombia: Council of State Returns Angela Robledo to Congress | The ex-combatant was at his residence when two armed men knocked at his door. The two hitmen asked for Carrascal and shot him after identifying him. According to other ex-guerrilla members, Carracascal died…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-another…
Tim Berners-Lee warns ‘web not working for women and girls’ on 31st anniversary
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-12
World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee has warned that “the web is not working for women and girls”, in an open letter to mark the 31st anniversary of its creation. | Berners-Lee said a continued lack of web access is fuelling discrimination against females, threatening global progress on equality. | It comes as new research from Berners-Lee’s Web Foundation
When the war on science really began
Tara Lohan | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-12
peoplesworld.org/article/when-the-war-on…
Happy National Tired and Grouchy Week
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
On Sunday, March 8, millions of Americans woke up an hour early, having set their clocks ahead by an hour the night before, and dug in for a week or so of bleary-eyed, irritable attempts to tweak their bodies’ natural sleeping and waking rhythms. This fatuous semi-annual “spring forward, fall back” ritual, called…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/happy-nation…
The Nature of the Military That Fights America’s Forever Wars
Nan Levinson | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
Bizarrely enough, the spate of phone calls from recruiters began a couple of years ago. The first ones came from the Army, next the Marines, and then other branches of the military. I’m decades past enlistment age. I’ve been publicly antiwar for most of that time and come from a family that was last involved…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/the-nature-o…
Remembering McCoy Tyner, iconic and influential jazz pianist
Combined Sources | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-12
McCoy Tyner, the groundbreaking and influential jazz pianist and the last surviving member of the John Coltrane Quartet, has died. He was 81. Tyner’s family confirmed the death in a statement released on social media on March 6. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of jazz legend, Alfred McCoy Tyner. McCoy …
peoplesworld.org/article/remembering-mcc…
The Final Chapter Has Still Not Been Written: Remembering The 2004 Coup in Haiti
Robert Roth | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
On February 29, 2004, the democratically elected government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti was overthrown by a violent coup. This was the second U.S.-sponsored coup against a popularly elected Aristide government, the first one taking place in 1991 after he had served only eight months in office. Orchestrated by the United States, France and…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/the-final-ch…
Inequality in a Globalized World Makes Pandemics and Financial Crises Inevitable
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
Whether you’re invested in the stock market or not, you’ve likely noticed that it’s been on a roller coaster lately. The White House and most of the D.C. Beltway crowd tend to equate the performance of the stock market with that of the broader economy. To President Trump’s extreme chagrin, $3.18 trillion in stock market value vaporized…
truthout.org/articles/inequality-in-a-gl…
Uruguay: Lacalle Pou Announces Increase in Taxes
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou announced Wednesday the increase in basic services taxres beginnng on April 1rst. | RELATED: | Uruguay Withdraws From Unasur and Returns to the US-Backed TIAR | The Uruguayan leader affirmed these increases are part of the measure to correct the tax deficit in the South American nation. Lacalle said he also hopes to save $900 million during his term. | Under this initiative, more than 10.5% of the current invoices price will be charged on…
telesurenglish.net/news/uruguay-lacalle-…
Argentina: Legalization of Abortion Bill in Hands of Congress
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Legal bills for legalization of abortion and protection of pregnant women was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, the legislative wing of the Argentine Congress, on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Argentina: Small Producers Back President’s Tax on Soy Exports | In his speech at the beginning of the legal year in Argentina, President Alberto Fernandez announced the delivery of this law, which will guarantee legal, safe and free abortion for Argentine women. Despite the presidential wil…
telesurenglish.net/news/argentina-legal-…
Battle Royale in Montana Senate Race
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
If reporting from CNN and the New York Times is right, Montana’s Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock has decided to reverse his earlier decision and jump in the race to challenge Montana’s Republican Sen. Steve Daines. Given the fact that it pretty much looked like Daines was going to have a cakewalk back to the Senate fueled by the $5…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/battle-royal…
Biden and His Supporters: “Shape Without Form, Shade Without Color”
Raouf Halaby | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
Who needs Russian interference in the American Presidential race when the Clintons, Obama, MSNBC, CNN, the NYT, The Atlantic and their numerous henchmen/women are covertly and overtly interfering in the Democrat’s Presidential election? For well over a year now the Democrat leadership (those corrupt and bought dealing/wheeling political bosses and their corporate masters and sweethearts)…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/12/biden-and-hi…
Transitioning ‘Ontologically:’ Liberating Liberals from Unconscious Class-shame
Kim C. Domenico | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-12
The subject of [people facing the prospect of sudden death] invites much speculation; for in every being’s idea of death, and his behavior when it menaces him, lies the best index to his life and faith.
Golden Anniversaries for Flawed Treaties: The NPT turns Fifty
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
In an era where agreements have been abandoned as “bad”, to use that favourite word of US President Donald Trump, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons continues to feature on the books of diplomacy. But age seems to be wearying it and decoding sober readings from hype-filled tat has been a testing task. …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/golden-annive…
We Need a President Who Cares If We Live or Die. Instead We Have Trump
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
So the kids they dance and shake their bones | And the politicians throwin’ stones | Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down | Ashes, ashes, all fall down… | –“Throwing Stones,” John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir | We have a bad national habit of allowing a low bar to be set for our leaders, especially when we already know their flaws. A bad politician in a debate, for example, can be said to have done well if they didn’t accidentally li…
truthout.org/articles/we-need-a-presiden…
In Stunning Bipartisan Rebuke of DeVos, Senate Overturns Anti-Student Rule
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-12
In a stunning bipartisan rebuke of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the Senate this week voted 53-42 to overturn a new Department of Education rule that would make it nearly impossible for students ripped off by their colleges to have their federal student loans cancelled. | Ten Republicans Senators
‘How can we trust these people?’ Anger as UK minister supposed to self-isolate is seen coughing in parliament
rt.com | 2020-03-12
Footage of a UK health minister coughing and wiping his nose in the House of Commons has provoked anger online after it emerged he’d been placed into self-isolation after dining with MP Nadine Dorries
Trump says trade will ‘in no way’ be affected by Europe travel ban in apparent about-face after markets crash
rt.com | 2020-03-12
US President Donald Trump said that trade in “no way” will be impacted by the 30-day Europe travel ban, despite saying less than an hour earlier the restrictive measures would apply to a “tremendous amount of trade and cargo.” | Trump has baffled traders and ordinary netizens after he took to Twitter in the wake of his national address earlier on Wednesday to assure the public that his order to suspend all travel from Europe pertains only to the movement of people, but not goods. | Hoping to get the payroll tax cut approved by both Republicans and Democrats, and please remember, very important for all countrie…
rt.com/usa/482893-coronavirus-europe-ban…
Mexico has no plans to close borders after US travel restrictions
rt.com | 2020-03-12
Mexico’s government is not planning to restrict international travel to the country or to close its borders due to the coronavirus outbreak, in spite of major curbs announced a day earlier by the US. | Standing alongside President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Thursday there was no scientific evidence that restricting access to ports of entry would play a significant role in protecting public health, Reuters reports. | “Restricting international travel to Mexico is not planned, nor is it being considered. Nor is closing borders or maritime ports,” Lopez-Gatell sa…
rt.com/newsline/482961-mexico-borders-op…
US Capitol closed to public as coronavirus hits Congress
rt.com | 2020-03-12
Officials ordered the US Capitol closed to much of the public on Thursday. The move comes one day after a staffer for a US senator from Washington state tested positive for the coronavirus. | Limited access to the Capitol would begin at 5pm ET (2100 GMT), the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms said in a statement. The Capitol Visitor Center will be closed and all public tours suspended. | Lawmakers, staff and visitors with official business would still be allowed entry, Capitol officials said. | Democratic US Senator Maria Cantwell on Wednesday said she would shutter her Washington, DC office after one of her s…
rt.com/newsline/482949-us-capitol-closed…
Trump says $200bn in tax relief, low-interest loans among new financial stimulus measures to soften coronavirus impact
rt.com | 2020-03-12
The Trump administration will take “unprecedented” action to give financial relief to Americans affected by the coronavirus, ordering tax exemptions for those infected or under quarantine, as well as low-interest loans for firms. | The measures include instructing the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide capital and liquidity to any firms impacted by the outbreak, as well as tax relief he said would inject some $200 billion of liquidity into the US economy. | “Effectively immediately, the SBA will begin providing economic loans in affected states and territories,” Trump said in a national address on…
rt.com/business/482891-coronavirus-finan…