[Editorial] COVID-19: learning from experience
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30686-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19 cacophony: is there any orchestra conductor?
Antoine Flahault | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently invading the world, and several countries are now struggling to fight it or trying to delay its start to help smooth its peak size for the purpose of lowering morbidity and mortality, and thereby reduce the overall tension on their health-care system. China’s first major outbreaks of COVID-19 happened in January, 2020. Then South Korea, Iran, and Italy entered into this Ravel’s Bolero-like epidemic in late February and early March, 2020, and many other countries are preparing to play the same rhythmic pattern in the coming days and weeks.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30491-8/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the NHS–“a national scandal”
Richard Horton | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
“When this is all over, the NHS England board should resign in their entirety.” So wrote one National Health Service (NHS) health worker last weekend. The scale of anger and frustration is unprecedented, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the cause. The UK Government’s Contain–Delay–Mitigate–Research strategy failed. It failed, in part, because ministers didn’t follow WHO’s advice to “test, test, test” every suspected case. They didn’t isolate and quarantine. They didn’t contact trace. These basic principles of public health and infectious disease control were ignored, for reasons that r…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30727-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] WHO launches crowdfund for COVID-19 response
Ann Danaiya Usher | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
For the first time, WHO is asking the general public and private donors for support. The project is a test run for the WHO Foundation, to be launched later this year. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30719-4/fulltext?rss=yes

[Perspectives] The suffragette surgeons of Endell Street
Wendy Moore | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
When war swept through Europe in August, 1914, more than 1000 medical men were mobilised with the British Army to France and several hundred more male doctors signed up to support the Allied war effort. Dozens of British women doctors volunteered their services too. On Aug 14, 1914, just 10 days after Britain declared war on Germany, the UK’s Association of Registered Medical Women compiled a list of more than 60 members who declared themselves “willing to serve”. Yet their help was bluntly declined.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30641-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Perspectives] Despair, democracy, and the failures of American capitalism
Michael Marmot | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
A third of the children who used to ride the number 6 bus to school in Yamhill, OR, USA, in the 1970s died before their time, mostly by suicide or from drugs, alcohol, or reckless accidents. Nicholas Kristof, columnist for The New York Times, is one of the survivors. He recalls one family of five siblings, four of whom succumbed as adults: Farlan died of liver failure from drink and drugs; Rogena died of hepatitis linked to drug use; Zealan burned to death in a house fire while passed out drunk; and Nathan blew himself up cooking meth.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30640-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30687-5/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] Leadership changes at USAID
Susan Jaffe | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Mark Green, the respected head of the US Agency for International Development, has resigned. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30721-2/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] PrEP finally approved on NHS in England
Tony Kirby | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
After years of wrangling, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention will finally be available on the National Health Service in England. Tony Kirby reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30720-0/fulltext?rss=yes

[Perspectives] Leadership bid
Aarathi Prasad | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
The Perfect Candidate, director Haifaa Al-Mansour’s second film based in Saudi Arabia, opens with a scene of an old man on a stretcher, bloodied and groaning after a collision with a truck brings him to the only emergency room in the area. Once the under-resourced clinic staff have heaved him through the only route into the building–a mud-clogged and flooded road–he opens his eyes to what for him is an even greater horror: the face of the only doctor qualified to treat him. Through her niqab, a pair of determined eyes examine him, as Dr Maryam expertly turns the patient’s body to palpate his spine.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30637-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Building on the PrEP victory
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
On March 15, the UK Department of Health and Social Care announced funding to make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication available on the National Health Service in England for HIV prevention. This decision will be met, finally, with a sense of achievement by HIV activists and care providers, who have fought long and hard to make tenofovir-based PrEP drugs widely accessible in the UK, 8 years after the US Food and Drug Administration approved them and more than 4 years after WHO recommended their use for people at high risk of acquiring HIV.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30688-7/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Why WHO needs a feminist economic agenda
Asha Herten-Crabb, Sara E Davies | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
In September, 2019, Alan Donnelly and Ilona Kickbusch called for a chief economist at WHO.1 Such a position, they argued, would enable WHO to better advocate for greater recognition of, and thus action on, the interdependency of health and the economy. We support this proposal: recognition of the interdependence of health and the economy is vital for WHO to achieve its mandate: “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health…without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition”.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30110-0/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Reduction in global alcohol-attributable harm unlikely after setback at WHO Executive Board
Sally Casswell, Jàºrgen Rehm | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
A decision emerged after many hours of informal consultation at the WHO Executive Board in February, 2020, on the next steps for global governance of harmful use of alcohol. Clear evidence of increased alcohol consumption and attributable harm in many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs),1 and predictions of more harm to come if effective policy is not adopted,2 led a group of representatives from LMICs to propose a working group “to review and propose the feasibility of developing an international instrument for alcohol control”.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30476-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] Venezuelan migrants “struggling to survive” amid COVID-19
Joe Parkin Daniels | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Humanitarian organisations are concerned that border closures and health-care shortages are amplifying the challenges posed by COVID-19. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30718-2/fulltext?rss=yes

The Italian war-like measures to fight coronavirus spreading: Re-open closed hospitals now
Alessandro Miani, Ernesto Burgio, Prisco Piscitelli, Renato Lauro, Annamaria Colao | thelancet.com | 2020-03-27
As recently highlighted by The Lancet, the Covid-19 outbreak started in Northern Italy has shocked Europe, while it has been questioned if China benefits from an authoritarian advantage in disease response [1,2]. In Italy, after the shutdown of the educational system (schools and Universities will remain closed at least for one month) and the collapse of the touristic sector (90% of travels and reservations cancelled), the Government officially locked down residents of all the region of Milan (Lombardia) and other 11 provinces.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PI…(20)30064-X/fulltext?rss=yes

2 Florida poll workers test positive for coronavirus, elections office urges in-person voters to ‘seek medical advice’
rt.com | 2020-03-27
Local officials in Florida have advised some residents who cast ballots in the state’s primary to see their doctors after two poll workers tested positive for Covid-19, despite authorities insisting there was no risk to voters. | The two election staffers manned separate polling stations in Broward County

In light of the Global pandemic, focus attention on the people
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-03-27
SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, now declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has begun to wreak havoc in large parts of the world, with other parts waiting in anticipation. We are in a real struggle, which needs total mobilisation; a struggle that needs to put life before profit.
mronline.org/2020/03/26/in-light-of-the-…

‘Covid-19 could be seasonal’: Fauci warns coronavirus is likely to return in ‘CYCLES’, stresses need for vaccine
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/usa/484116-fauci-coronavirus-seas…

US Govt Grants Exclusive Status on Promising COVID-19 Drug
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
As healthcare providers across the United States desperately attempt to treat a rapidly growing number of patients with COVID-19, a pharmaceutical company with ties to President Donald Trump’s task force has been granted exclusive status for a drug that was being tested to treat the virus. | RELATED: | US Senate Passes $2 Trillion Bill to Front COVID-19 Crisis | The Intercept reported on Monday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Gilead Sciences “orphan” drug status…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Govt-Grants-F…

US Senate passes massive economic “rescue” bill
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
The $2 trillion bill allocates the bulk of its funds to loans and grants to corporations and businesses, with some emergency aid to workers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/bill…

The Tories choose a ‘longtime’ associate’s company to manufacture crucial ventilators
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
The mass production of ventilators is required to help those who contract coronavirus (Covid-19) and develop respiratory problems. The UK estimates that it requires an additional 20,000 ventilators to cope with the pandemic. | But it seems the Conservative government has chosen a ‘longtime’ associate’s company to manufacture them. | “Nothing”: | The…
thecanary.co/discovery/analysis-discover…

‘Too timid’: Italy rejects EU economic proposal, says it doesn’t go far enough as coronavirus deaths surge past 8,000
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the European Union proposal to mitigate the economic fallout of the Covid-19 outbreak was nowhere near enough, and that more was needed to help the country hardest-hit by the virus. | Conte’s office released a statement as the teleconference with EU leaders was still ongoing on Thursday, saying that Italy “does not accept” the proposed financial stimulus and that “innovative financial instruments” were needed. | He said he gave Brussels ten days to come up with a better solution, without elaborating what Italy might do if that does not happen. | Italy, Spain and Franc…
rt.com/news/484207-italy-eu-coronavirus-…

The Senate Has Passed the Largest Corporate Bailout in US History
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-26
By a vote of 96-0, the United States Senate Wednesday night passed an enormous coronavirus stimulus package that would provide some desperately needed economic relief to struggling workers and the unemployed while establishing a $4.5 trillion fund to bail out large corporations

Walmart, Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Craigslist cited for pandemic price gouging
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-26
HARRISBURG, Pa.–Why are we not surprised by this? Thirty-three state Attorneys General from both parties, led by Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and including Minnesotan Keith Ellison, Kwame Raoul of Illinois and Maryland’s Brian Frosh, are going after five big businesses who let outside sellers use those firms’ online platforms for price-gouging consumers harmed or scared by …
peoplesworld.org/article/walmart-amazon-…

Julian Assange’s bail request denied despite coronavirus risk
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/assa…

Black Rock Profits in a Time of Crisis
Nancy Mancias | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/black-rock-p…

Technology of Death: The Not-So-Shocking Report on Israeli Weapons Exports
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
The Middle East region, battered by wars and adjoining humanitarian crises that have left millions of people stateless, hungry and diseased, is in urgent need for peace, security and reconstruction. Thanks to the US, Russian, French, Israeli and other weapons manufacturers, however, it is now the dumping ground for military hardware, an ominous sign for…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/technology-o…

Venezuela: U.S. blocks flights to repatriate citizens amid COVID-19
teleSUR Desk | mronline.org | 2020-03-26
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.
mronline.org/2020/03/26/venezuela-u-s-bl…

Democracy in Brazil Would Not Be Normal, Bolsonaro Threatens
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro Wednesday affirmed that democracy runs the risk of “ending” if the crisis caused by the coronavirus leads to “chaos.” | RELATED: | Brazil: ‘Covid-19 Can Decimate Indigenous Peoples’ Doctor Warns | “What happened in Chile is going to be a ‘trifle’ compared to what can happen in Brazil. We are all going to pay a price that…
telesurenglish.net/news/Democracy-in-Bra…

‘Huge Victory’ for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, DAPL Violated Law
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
A Washington DC court handed down Wednesday a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota, ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by approving federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). | RELATED: | Examined: Indigenous Resistance To Major Oil Pipelines | The court granted a request by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which had petitioned to nullify federal permits for the Dakota Access…
telesurenglish.net/news/Huge-Victory-for…

First immigrant in ICE custody tests positive for coronavirus in New Jersey
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/berg…

The Corona Virus & Immigration
Conn Hallinan | zcomm.org | 2020-03-26
How Austerity and Anti-immigrant Politics Left Italy Exposed…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-corona-virus-i…

Helping migrant shipwreck survivors to deal with trauma
news.un.org | 2020-03-26
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.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1…

How Austerity and Anti-Immigrant Politics Left Italy Exposed
Conn Hallinan | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
Italy has the fourth largest economy in the European Union, and in terms of health care, it is certainly in a better place than the US. Per capita, Italy has more hospital beds–so-called “surge capacity”–more doctors and more ventilators. Italians have a longer life expectancy than Americans, not to mention British, French, Germans, Swedes and Finns. The virus has had an especially fatal impact on northern Italy, the country’s richest region. There are a number of reasons why Italy has been so hard-hit, but a major one can be placed at the feet of former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini of the xenopho…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/how-austerit…

The Shit Has Hit the Fan: Shut the Country Down to Save Lives
Peter Crowley | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/the-shit-has…

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, CARES Act Is Business Giveaway, “Handout” to Monied Interests
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
On Wednesday, the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act was unanimously passed by the Senate. | It’s scheduled to be voted on and adopted by House members on Friday, Trump to sign it into law. Its provisions are largely …
globalresearch.ca/the-coronavirus-aid-re…

As the World tackles the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. raises the pressure on Venezuela
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-03-26
In a press conference on March 26, it was almost comical how little evidence the U.S. Department of Justice provided when it accused Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and several of the leaders of his government of narco-trafficking. The U.S. offered $15 million for the arrest of Maduro and $10 million for the others. Maduro, U.S. …
mronline.org/2020/03/26/as-the-world-tac…

Colombian prisoners ask for medical help and receive bullets
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-26
The National Prison Movement (Movimiento Nacional Carcelario) and other prisoner rights groups called a demonstration in Colombian prisons on March 21, to protest the lack of protection against the COVID-19 virus and the general lack of decent healthcare in the Colombian prisons. Twelve Colombian prisons answered the call for a ‘cacerolazo,’ a protest where one bangs on pots and pans to make enough noise so that the protest is heard. | The protest in the prison Carcel Nacional Modelo de Bogotá began at 9 p.m. on March 21. The prisoners were mostly on lockdown in their cells and began banging on their pots and pan…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/26/colombia…

First of its kind ‘Virtual G20’: Can world leaders agree on a global response to Covid-19 with online diplomacy?
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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

Strikes, protests spread as US workers demand protection from COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/work…

Eight Day Journey from Hong Kong to Chile, Covid-19 on my Tail
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-26
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 …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/eight-day-jou…

Washington brings NARCO-TERRORISM charges against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The US has indicted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on “narco-terrorism” charges. The play is a familiar one, as Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega was slapped with similar charges before a US invasion 30 years ago. | Maduro and 14 current and former Venezuelan government and military officials were indicted on Thursday by courts in Florida, New York and Washington DC. According to the Justice Department, Maduro and his cohorts conspired with Colom…
rt.com/news/484184-us-justice-department…

Venezuela’s Coronavirus response might surprise you
Leonardo Flores | mronline.org | 2020-03-26
Within a few hours of being launched, over 800 Venezuelans in the U.S. registered for an emergency flight from Miami to Caracas through a website run by the Venezuelan government. This flight, offered at no cost, was proposed by President Nicolás Maduro when he learned that 200 Venezuelans were stuck in the United States following …
mronline.org/2020/03/26/venezuelas-coron…

Rogue General Admits Plot Against Venezuela From Colombia
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
The former major general of the Venezuelan Army, Cliver Alcala Cordones, confessed that he organized from Colombia the plan denounced by the Venezuelan government this Wednesday that foresaw a series of selective murders, including that of President Nicolas Maduro. | RELATED: | The U.S. Harasses Venezuela Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic | Alcala Cordones was identified as the coordinator of all efforts to commit terrorist acts and assassinations against Venezuela, which would be carried…
telesurenglish.net/news/Rogue-General-Ad…

‘New way of staging a coup’: Venezuelan FM blasts US for narco-terrorism charges against Maduro
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Washington’s decision to indict Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on drug charges is “a new form of coup d’etat,” as well as a move to win over hispanic voters in Florida, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has claimed. | The US Justice Department unsealed indictments against Maduro and more than a dozen Venezuelan political and military leaders on Thursday, accusing them of “narco-terrorism,” and implicating them in a plot to “flood the United States with cocaine.” Additionally, the State Department announced a $15 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan leader, and rewards of up…
rt.com/news/484209-coup-venezuela-maduro…

Hard pass on the Noriega remix? US narcotrafficking charges against Maduro straight out of Panama playbook
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The US indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his subordinates on narcotrafficking charges echoes the rationale used to invade Panama and kidnap its leader

US State Dept offers $15 MILLION REWARD for help arresting Venezuela’s Maduro after indictments
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The US State Department is dangling millions of dollars in reward money in exchange for information that could be used to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his VP, or other senior officials on drug trafficking charges. | The eye-popping reward of up to $15 million is being offered for “information related to Nicolas Maduro Moros” with regard to his alleged involvement in “international narcotics trafficking,” the State Department announced on Thursday, signaling a hard shift in its regime-change policy against the socialist nation. | Tips leading to the narcotrafficking arrest or conviction of Nation…
rt.com/news/484186-us-reward-arrest-conv…

Can social distancing hide Biden from voters until November?
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Democratic Party front-runner Joe Biden has rejected the possibility of holding a televised debate with challenger Bernie Sanders, raising questions about his campaign’s strategy going forward. | Asserting that “we’ve had enough debates,” the former vice president claimed that he is focused on combating the coronavirus outbreak. “My focus is just dealing with this crisis right now,” Biden said on Wednesday, when asked if he wanted another de…
rt.com/usa/484169-joe-biden-november-ele…

Media Struggle to Defend Washington’s Cruelty
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-03-26
U.S sanctions toward Venezuela and Iran continue as Coronavirus Spreads…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/media-struggle-to-…

Blood couriers take action over lack of protective equipment when ferrying coronavirus samples
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
The UK government only outlined what coronavirus crisis support it will be providing to self-employed and gig economy workers on 26 March. Officials laid out plans to support employed workers a week ago. | The government’s slowness in offering help to the some five million Britons in th…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/03/26/bloo…

Accelerating Albania and North Macedonia Membership EU Tries to Save Face Amidst Coronavirus Debacle
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
The European Union’s decision to open negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania is a propaganda act from Brussels that attempts to reassure members of the Union that countries, even in the midst of the epidemic, want to become members of …
globalresearch.ca/albania-north-macedoni…

Israel, Palestine See Coronavirus Cases Increase Significantly
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Israel has risen to 2,495, the Israeli Ministry of Health said Thursday. The number has surged almost tenfold since March 16 when the confirmed cases were only 250. | RELATED: | Palestine Demands Israel Release Prisoners Amid Virus Outbreak | According to the ministry, 41 coronavirus patients are in serious condition and 68 in moderate condition. | In addition, 1,265 of the patients are treated in home quarantine, 327 in hotels converted…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israel-Palestine…

What the Government Must Do Now About Coronavirus
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/what-the-gov…

West Bank woman is first Palestinian to die from COVID-19
Ali Abunimah | zcomm.org | 2020-03-26
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…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/west-bank-woman-is…

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

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

A Humanist Response, as a Self-Conscious Philosophy, to Pandemics
Nyla Ali Khan | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
On March 13, the Government of India announced that it would cancel all visas until April 15 in an attempt to restrict international travel. The federal government did, however, make exceptions for those with diplomatic passports, work visas, and emergency visas. A few days later, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir declared that no…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/a-humanist-r…

Covid-19 deaths pass 4,000 in Spain as Europe passes chilling 250,000 mark of those infected
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/news/484155-spain-4000-deaths-cor…

Troubled F-35 becomes latest coronavirus casualty after Pentagon puts the brakes on further tests
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/usa/484139-f-35-coronavirus-test-…

Pop star Britney Spears social media posts go viral after telling public to “re-distribute wealth” and “strike”
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
The Instagram post has been shared millions of times in a widespread reaction to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts by the ruling elite to dump the crisis on the back of the working class.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/brit…

Cuba’s Coronavirus Response Is Putting Other Countries to Shame
Ben Burgis | zcomm.org | 2020-03-26
Cuba is caricatured by the Right as a totalitarian hellhole. But its response to the coronavirus pandemic

Australia unprepared for surge as coronavirus infections, fatalities mount
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
Even before a dramatic spike in hospitalisations, there are shortages of protective masks and other essential equipment.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/auvi…

Virtual G20 Summit Ends With Vague Promises, Sparks Critics
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
The group of 20 (G20) comprising the 20 most prosperous and large economies held Thursday a virtual summit chaired by Saudi Arabia, at the end of which the member nations expressed their confidence that the world “will overcome” the global coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | US Surpasses China in Number of COVID-19 Cases | G20 leaders, whose countries account for more than 80 percent in the world’s GDP, issued a statement following the two hours video meeting saying they will present “a united…
telesurenglish.net/news/Virtual-g20-Summ…

There’s a big catch in the government’s plan to help businesses through coronavirus
John Ranson | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
The government is gradually announcing measures to help the country cope with the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. One plan, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), is the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). But questions have already arisen over just how helpful this scheme will actually be. | Government support for SMEs?: | The government describes its assistance as: A package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/03/26/ther…

Business as Usual: Coronavirus, Iran and US Sanctions
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
Never discount the importance of venality in international relations. While pandemics should provide the glue for a unified front in response

‘All new trips between cities are banned’: Iran shuts down internal travel to fight Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/news/484136-iran-intercity-travel…

US military confirms 1st Covid-19 case INSIDE Pentagon after Marine tests positive
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/usa/484117-pentagon-coronavirus-c…

Has Saudi Arabia Shot Itself in the Foot With Its Oil Price War?
Darius Shahtahmasebi | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-26
The impact of coronavirus has destroyed the demand for oil and neither Saudi Arabia, Russia or the United States will escape the resulting price war unscathed.
mintpressnews.com/saudi-arabia-shot-foot…

Russia’s unexpected advantage in the oil price war
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/business/484130-russia-saudi-oil-…

GPs demand ‘urgent clarity’ over protective equipment guidance
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
GPs have raised concerns over carrying out patient consultations during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic as they believe some equipment is providing inadequate protection.Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to demand “urgent clarification” on whether they should now wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to examine all patients.He said family doctors on the front line are concerned about the quality of the PPE

‘Russia to Halt Covid-19 in 3 Months at Most’, President Putin
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Thursday said that his country will halt the Covid-19 pandemic in the next three months at most thanks to the joint work between the state, society, and business. | RELATED: | Russia Suspends Constitutional Referendum to Fight Covid-19 | “We will deal with the coronavirus in two or three months. This is already a good prognosis b…
telesurenglish.net/news/Russia-to-Halt-C…

8 Nations Address Letter to UN Chief Urging Sanctions Be Lifted
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Venezuela has joined Wednesday China, Russia, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, and Nicaragua in their plea to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge the United States (U.S.) to remove its illegal economic sanctions on these countries amid the coronavirus global pandemic. | RELATED: | Iran: Campaign to Lift US Sanctions Gets Around 100K Signatures | “Today we have a common enemy. As you’ve already recognized, it’s a time to prepare, to step up and incre…
telesurenglish.net/news/8-Nations-Addres…

Global stock markets down on expectations of negative US jobs data
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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…
rt.com/business/484135-european-markets-…

Better dead than vegan: The foods panic buyers ignore even during a viral pandemic
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Panic-stricken shoppers have stripped supermarket shelves bare across the western world, ignoring ‘social distancing’ rules to snap up supplies. But there are apparently some foods not even a global pandemic can make appetizing. | As the Covid-19 coronavirus spread exponentially throughout the world this month, political leaders advised the public not to stockpile food. Supply lines, they said, would hold, and shortages would be quickly rectified. | Shoppers didn’t listen. Panic buying set in, and reports of fights, looting, and hoarding emanated from virtually every affected country. However, not even the imm…
rt.com/news/484208-panic-buying-vegan-fo…

Fear triggered by coronavirus hype may kill its victims faster than the pandemic
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Irrational and all-encompassing fear of the coronavirus pandemic is racking up its own body count, sometimes faster than the disease. An Italian nurse has joined the growing ranks of coronavirus-triggered suicides. | Daniela Trezzi, an intensive care nurse at the San Gerardo Hospital in Italy’s hard-hit Lombardy region who was diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this month, killed herself on Sunday. She was terrified that she had infected some of the very people she was trying so desperately to help, the National Federation of Nurses of Italy said in a statement on Tuesday confirming her death. Trezzi had been…
rt.com/news/484205-coronavirus-suicide-d…

States largely fend for themselves in race against coronavirus pandemic
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-26
CHICAGO –Despite increasingly frantic pressure from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and other governors, Trump refuses to use the Defense Production Act (PDA) to acquire tens of millions of testing kits, N95 masks, ventilators, and other vital medical supplies. Pritzker has repeatedly criticized Trump for not leading a “singular, national, robust” response to the accelerating coronavirus …
peoplesworld.org/article/states-largely-…

Spain extends coronavirus lockdown to April 12, says its ‘at war’ in China market to buy medical supplies
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Spain extended its coronavirus lockdown on Thursday to at least April 12. Europe’s second-worst hit country has fought “a real war” procuring medical supplies in an overheated Chinese market that officials said was rife with fraud and speculative deals. | The death toll rose by 655 overnight to 4,089. That was down from 738 deaths the previous day when Spain overtook China by the total number of deaths since the outbreak began. Health Minister Salvador Illa cautiously told parliament the data “make us think we are starting a stabilization phase.” | Spain has ordered $471.4 million of masks, gloves and testing…
rt.com/newsline/484173-spain-lockdown-ch…

Moscow bans all regular, charter flights starting March 27, except those bringing Russians home
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/russia/484121-moscow-bans-flights…

Russian experts warn of increase in domestic violence & other crimes during coronavirus quarantine
rt.com | 2020-03-26
With people all around the world ordered to stay at home to protect themselves from Covid-19, focus has now switched to the potential side effects of so many being confined for an unknown period of time. | Many of the downsides to self-isolation are also clear, including loneliness, potential mental health problems, and the inevitability of an increase in families who can’t make ends meet. However, another issue is also front-and-center in the era of pandemic panic

‘Sick and wrong on so many levels’: Irish broadcaster lambasted for ‘Operation Covid Nation’ show pitch
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The Irish state broadcaster RTE’s bid to combine reality TV and its coverage of the coronavirus crisis has been met with sheer horror online by a viewing public appalled at the title choice

Coronavirus and Climate Change: 6 Ways the Trump Administration Has Botched Responses to Both
Dawn Stover | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
Here in Washington state, a spokesman for the nursing home that is the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak said on Sunday that he and his colleagues “had seen some residents go from no symptoms to death in just a matter …
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-climate-ch…

White Supremacists See Coronavirus as an Opportunity
Cassie Miller | splcenter.org | 2020-03-26
Far-right extremists believe the intense uncertainty surrounding the outbreak of COVID-19 will aid their ability to recruit new members into their movement.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/26/white…

Venezuela’s Coronavirus Response Might Surprise You
Leonardo Flores | zcomm.org | 2020-03-26
Venezuelans waiting to go home understand that their chances of surviving the coronavirus

WFTU statement on the attacks against workers
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-26
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 24 statement of the World Federation of Trade Unions. | THE WFTU STANDS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH WORKERS AND THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD AGAINST THE ATTACKS AT THE EXPENSE OF WORKERS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC | The World Federation of Trade Unions, its 100 million members and friends of militant workers around the world, we express our internationalist solidarity and support to workers and the peoples of all countries affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. | What is once more reaffirmed is that in difficult times, such as during extreme natural phenome…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/26/wftu-sta…

Africa records over 2,400 cases of COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
An international and coordinated struggle against the spread of coronavirus on the African continent is an urgent necessity.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/afri…

China drastically reduces international flights in move to curb imported coronavirus cases
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced Thursday that it will drastically cut its international flight routes in an effort to contain the growing number of imported Covid-19 cases. | The body issued a notice on Thursday. | “Each Chinese airline is only allowed to maintain one route to any specific country with no more than one flight per week,” it reads, while “each foreign airline is only allowed to maintain one route to China with no more than one weekly flight.” | The announcement comes after a spike in imported coronavirus cases in the country this week, prompting the authorities to implement…
rt.com/news/484171-china-reduce-flights-…

US unemployment shatters record, surpassing 3 MILLION claims
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The US Labor Department reported on Thursday a record number of jobless claims which surged to 3.28 million. The number shatters the Great Recession peak of 665,000 in March 2009 and the all-time mark of 695,000 in October 1982. | The surge in unemployment comes amid a global economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as businesses across the US are on lockdown in an effort to contain the outbreak. | March will go down as one of the most bizarre months in history: socially and economically. US initial jobless claims rose 3.3 million last week, almost five times as much as the previous record back in…
rt.com/business/484160-us-weekly-unemplo…

Weekly jobless claims skyrocket to 3.28 million, breaking all records
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-26
WASHINGTON–Due to coronavirus pandemic shutdowns, weekly jobless claims skyrocketed in the week ending March 21 to 3.283 million, shattering all records since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started collecting such data. The enormous rise also left the 48 Republican senators who voted against extended unemployment benefits with political egg on their faces, or worse

Moscow shuts down all non-essential shops & restaurants to stop spread of Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/russia/484133-moscow-shops-restau…

The Federal Reserve’s Coronavirus crisis actions, explained (Part 1)
Nathan Tankus | mronline.org | 2020-03-26
The Federal Reserve has taken an extraordinary amount of actions over the past two weeks (most of which have happened over the course of 8 days from March 15th to March 23rd) to calm financial markets and sustain the flow of credit to households and businesses to respond to the coming Coronavirus-induced depression.
mronline.org/2020/03/26/the-federal-rese…

Amidst Coronavirus, It’s Time to Heal the U.S.’s Domestic and International Reputation
Greta Zarro | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
It is in times of crisis, like the growing coronavirus pandemic, that deep structural inequities and the U.S. government’s mismanagement of funds are starkly revealed. Half of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Half a million Americans sleep out on the streets. Thirty million Americans don’t have health insurance. Forty-five million are burdened with $1.6…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/amidst-coron…

Nashville, Tennessee mayor issues business-friendly “safer at home” order in face of coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
The state’s Governor Bill Lee also suggested that workers and their families seek solace in prayer during the growing public health disaster.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/tenn…

DISPERSE! Russian memes teach importance of social distancing using high art
rt.com | 2020-03-26
While the international internet might be dominated by the English language, there is one area where anglophones have to yield: memes. There can be almost no doubt that the kings of this genre reside on the RuNet. | Making the best out of a bad situation seems to be a vital component of the Russian spirit, and it is, therefore, no surprise that coronavirus has spurred the creative juices of Russia’s finest online minds. | President Vladimir Putin’s appeal to Russians to “stay at home” led to another wave of memes flooding the internet

US coronavirus deaths top 1,000 as the country waits for $2.2 trillion economic rescue package
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/usa/484129-coronavirus-us-deaths-…

As the World Turns Its Attention to the Pandemic, Israel Is Moving Forward with Military Raids
Lucas Leiroz de Almeida | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
The West Bank situation is becoming increasingly complicated amid the coronavirus pandemic and territorial disputes between Palestinians and Israelis. At first, the Palestinian Authority and Israel showed signs of cooperation in combating the pandemic. A few weeks ago, joint measures …
globalresearch.ca/world-turns-attention-…

Postcard from Krasnodar: How is Russia doing in an era of Western sanctions?
Thomas Egan | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-26
This visit and the article based on it took place before the outbreak of the current coronavirus pandemic. KRASNODAR, Russia–This was my first trip to Russia. I’ve had prior invitations that I couldn’t accept. I had taken enough credit hours in college to major in Russian, but college was over 45 years ago, and before …
peoplesworld.org/article/postcard-from-k…

US response to coronavirus is exposing its sociopathically warped priorities
Peter Bolton | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
Having first played down the severity of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Donald Trump’s government is now reacting. But as we might expect, pushing major social reform to improve the lives of ordinary people hasn’t exactly been its top priority. Instead, it’s been exposing its truly sociopathic tendencies by exploiting the crisis to further regime-change efforts abroad and corporate welfare at home. | Corporate handouts: | On 28 February, Trump suggested the coronavirus crisis was a “hoax” to hurt…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/…

Putin to G20: ‘Green corridors’ of sanctions-free trade needed during Covid-19 crisis
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the creation of ‘green corridors’ to transport essential goods and technologies without sanctions as the world continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. | Speaking to a video-summit of G20 leaders on Thursday, Putin said a common plan was needed to support the global economy. Right now, he pointed out, many countries are taking a major hit amid the coronavirus crisis. | The Russian leader said joint research between all G20 countries would quicken the process of finding a successful vaccine for the novel coronavirus. | He also said the main risk of the pandemic would…
rt.com/russia/484187-putin-covid19-g20-s…

Strikes mount across Europe against official response to coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
There is growing mistrust and social anger among workers against governments, trade unions and financial markets trying to force them back to work amid the pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/euro…

Russia confirms 182 new Covid-19 cases, bringing total to 840
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/russia/484137-russia-coronavirus-…

Bolivia: TSE Gives Possible Date for Presidential Elections
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal announced a possible date for the next presidential elections. The elections were supposed to be held on May 3, but were postponed due to the threat of Covid-19. | RELATED: | Bolivian Regime Rejects Cuba’s Offer to Help Fight Coronavirus | On its official Twitter profile, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal published a statement announcing the date of the elections between Sunday, June 7 and Sunday, September 6, 2020. | According to t…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-tse-give…

Poll: 100% of Americans Expect to Get Coronavirus
Steve Watson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
A new survey has discovered that every single American is convinced they will get the coronavirus, highlighting just how entrenched the message about the crisis has become in the US. | The poll by Survey USA finds that 100 percent of …
globalresearch.ca/poll-100-americans-exp…

New data shows poverty figures had reached a record high before coronavirus hit
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
Half a million more people including children are living in poverty, as the number of low-income households reaches a record high. | Data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimated that the number of people living in a relative low-income household after housing costs had risen to 4.5 million in 2018/19 from four million the year before. | It is the highest number of people living in poverty in the UK since figures were collated in 2002. | This includes an increasing number of children estimated to be living below the poverty line

Tiempo de coronavirus y el internet
| peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-26
Nota introductoria: La economía capitalista ha producido un ser humano que, en los momentos de crisis, como en esta coyuntura de coronavirus (COVID-19) es capaz de comprar todo, dejando sin nada a otros que necesitan de los mismos artículos. –Dagoberto Gutiérrez. Estos son tiempos difíciles y complicados para los cuales nadie estaba preparado. De la …
peoplesworld.org/article/tiempo-de-coron…

US overtakes China as country with highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases – Johns Hopkins University
rt.com | 2020-03-26
The US has topped the list of nations with the most coronavirus cases, as the number of the infected within the country crept past 82,000 cases, according to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. | The grim milestone was achieved on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, which puts the US at 82,404 cases of the virus, surpassing Italy at 80,589 and China at 81,782. | With 150 new fatalities reported so far on Thursday alone, Covid-19 has killed a total of 1,177 Americans to date.Thursday also saw cases worldwide soar beyond half a million, with more than 525,000 infections r…
rt.com/usa/484212-coronavirus-cases-us-l…

Leaked government report warns of tens of thousands of deaths in one Canadian province
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/caco…

Russian military medical convoy makes 600km march to the heart of Italy’s Covid-19 outbreak (PHOTO, VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Russian military medics have made a lengthy journey from Rome to Bergamo where they’re going to be helping Italy in its fight against the coronavirus. | Some 22 trucks, loaded with equipment and one hundred Russian military disease specialists were flown to Italy over the weekend as the country remains the worst-hit among European nations. | The khaki-colored trucks, with stickers, reading “From Russia with love,” have covered some 600 kilometers from the capital to the city of Bergamo in the northern province of Lombardy in the very epicenter of the epidemic. | | © Russia’s Defense Ministry | The convo…
rt.com/news/484161-russia-military-medic…

Truth or Consequences
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
As calls ramp up for the nation’s leaders to deal with the coronavirus pandemic as if we were at war, it’s worth remembering the advice Aeschylus, the Greek tragedy playwright, gave nearly 2,500 years ago: “In war, truth is the first casualty.” Indeed, if there’s been one thing notoriously lacking in the months since the…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/truth-or-con…

(Cheesecake) Factory workers unite! Netizens cheer after California-based eatery says it won’t pay rent amid virus-induced slump
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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

‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’: UK hospital staff shows solidarity with colleagues battling Covid-19 amid protective kit shortages
rt.com | 2020-03-26
As the UK government faces a barrage of accusations that they’re failing to provide enough protective equipment and testing during the coronavirus pandemic, NHS staff in one hospital showed their comradery. | After a number of reports claiming the healthcare system in the UK was struggling amid the Covid-19 crisis

‘Models don’t match reality’: White House coronavirus chief rejects doomsday predictions as US tops Covid-19 case count
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Even as the US overtook China in the official number of Covid-19 cases, the top physician leading the White House effort urged Americans not to panic, as models predicting the death of millions keep being proven wrong everywhere. | “The predictions of the models don’t match the reality on the ground in neither China, South Korea nor Italy,” Dr. Deborah Birx told reporters on Thursday. She noted that the alarmist statistics about the spread of the virus said Italy would reach 400,000 deaths by now, but the actual death toll was nowhere near that. | Italy, which has been the hardest-hit in terms of deaths from C…
rt.com/usa/484213-coronavirus-models-rea…

“In a Week We Will Be Italy,” Says New York ER Doctor About COVID-19 in the US
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-26
As New York hospitals see a surge in coronavirus cases, medical workers report growing shortages of protective gear, and a nurse who tested positive after treating patients with the highly contagious disease has died. “It’s pretty dire inside New York City hospitals right now,” says New York City emergency room doctor Craig Spencer. “We have a growing number of patients coming in every day with coronavirus. We have people young and old, with complications, without complications, who get put on…
truthout.org/video/in-a-week-we-will-be-…

G20 leaders to convene remotely, discuss coronavirus pandemic, economic impacts
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/newsline/484134-g20-leaders-conve…

Iran’s coronavirus death toll reaches 2,234 with 157 new fatalities
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/news/484147-iran-coronavirus-deat…

Indian prime minister’s coronavirus lockdown threatens social disaster for millions
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
Modi has not outlined any comprehensive program to deal with enormous difficulties that millions of workers and rural poor will face.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/indi…

COVID-19: Two Major ‘Waves’ of Global Infection, Towards Global Contamination?
Larry Romanoff | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
The US State Department and media are heavily promoting as theology that COVID-19 is “a Chinese virus and China spread it around the world”, demanding apologies and more. One American law firm in Florida filed a class action lawsuit against …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-two-major-wav…

Nicaragua: Advancing Social Equality and Food Sovereignty
Carissa Brands | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
In February, Friends of the Association of Peasant Workers (ATC) and the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ) organized an agroecology and Sandinismo solidarity delegation to Nicaragua. Led by Friends of the ATC’s Coordinator and co-International Relations Secretariat, Erika Takeo, …
globalresearch.ca/nicaragua-advancing-so…

COVID-19: Two Major ‘Waves’ of Global Infection, Towards Global Contamination?
Larry Romanoff | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
The US State Department and media are heavily promoting as theology that COVID-19 is “a Chinese virus and China spread it around the world”, demanding apologies and more. One American law firm in Florida filed a class action lawsuit against the Chinese government, seeking compensation for ‘damages’.
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-two-major-wav…

Two Hundred and Thirty Years of Rights and Liberties Shredded: Why I Oppose the Lockdown
Brandon Turbeville | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
Although it was nearly twenty years ago, I can remember 9/11 like it was yesterday. I remember the shock of hearing about the planes crashing into towers, at first believing it was a tragic accident and quickly learning it to …
globalresearch.ca/two-hundred-thirty-yea…

A Swiss Doctor on Covid-19
Swiss Propaganda Research | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
A Swiss medical doctor provided the following information on the current situation in order to enable our readers to make a realistic risk assessment. (Daily updates below) | *** | According to the latest data of the Italian National Health Institute ISS, …
globalresearch.ca/swiss-doctor-covid-19/…

US Media Defends Al Qaeda in Syria
Tony Cartalucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
When is a terrorist group not a terrorist group? Apparently when US foreign policy requires it not to be. This is precisely the case regarding Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch

Planetary Hysteria: Manufactured COVID-19 “Health Crisis” Pushes Humanity, Global Society to Total Shutdown
Larry Chin | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-26
The COVID-19 charade is the biggest single disruption of human society in modern history, perhaps ever in human history. | This “health crisis” is a Big Lie. It is the biggest Big Lie in history. | The fabric of societies has been …
globalresearch.ca/planetary-hysteria-man…

Capitalizing on the sick & dying: RT’s Keiser Report explores what’s wrong with the US healthcare system
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Governments across the world are taking emergency measures to curb the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are currently almost 500,000 cases and over 22,000 deaths worldwide. | The Keiser Report looks at the situation in the US as some experts say the government has already failed to contain the outbreak. | “The US is a hospital masquerading as a country,” Stacy Herbert says, pointing out that 18 percent of the US GDP is devoted to the healthcare system and one of the arguments of the elite about such huge spending is that “we’re innovators, we have the best healthcare system in the world.” | Stacy a…
rt.com/business/484170-us-healthcare-max…

Tory MP promotes Covid-19 ‘collective effort’ while taking £100k from company profiting from testing
Emily Apple | thecanary.co | 2020-03-26
Conservative MP Owen Paterson wrote an article in the Express on 22 March. He said: TACKLING the global Covid-19 pandemic is going to require months of sustained, collective effort of a kind not seen in this country since the Second World War. | But that “collective action” doesn’t appear to include not profiting from the pandemic. Because BuzzFeed News revealed that North Shropshi…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/03/26/tory-mp…

Johnson’s “herd immunity” strategy and the London Conference on Intelligence whitewash: Britain’s ruling class and eugenics
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/euge…

Are We Prepared for a Climate Crisis in the Middle of a Pandemic?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-26
With the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to be discussing how we will handle displaced peoples and limited resources should a climate disaster occur. It is not a matter of if this will occur, but when. | Three-and-half-years ago, I started writing about a fictional apocalypse scenario. My head was spinning with catastrophic scene after catastrophic scene the day after we elected a president who had a disdain for science. After a long and drawn out night, it felt as if the…
truthout.org/articles/are-we-prepared-fo…

US Surpasses China in Number of COVID-19 Cases
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
The United States surpassed China in the number of infected people with COVID-19 Thursday, as the North American nation reported 81,864 cases. | RELATED: | US Could Become New Epicenter of COVID-19 Pandemic, WHO Warns | As the World Health Organization warned earlier this week, the U.S. has become the epicenter of the virus reporting more cases than any other country with a record-time increase. China’s figures reached its max with over 81,000 cases but since last week have repor…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Surpasses-Chi…

After downplaying COVID-19 pandemic, Japan forced to postpone Olympics
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/japn…

The Truth on COVID-19 is Ugly and the Lies are Deadly
Wim Laven | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/the-truth-on…

How many must die for Wall Street?
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.”
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/pers…

Covid-19 Pandemic: Spain Calls for a G20 Coordinated Action
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
At the G20 virtual summit on Thursday, Spain’s President Pedro Sanchez proposed that the United Nations become the center of the multilateral response to the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Spain’s COVID-19 Death Toll Overtakes China’s | Specifically, he asked that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spearhead a global initiative to assess the damage caused by this cr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Covid-19-Pandemi…

Where We’re Looking in Times of Crisis
Inequality | zcomm.org | 2020-03-26
There are plenty of places you can direct your energies to support people taking an economic hit during the pandemic…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/where-were-looking…

The U.S. Harasses Venezuela Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Regardless of the human costs that the economic blockade causes to the Venezuelan people, the U.S. Attorney General William Barr Thursday announced that his country will designate Venezuela as a state sponsoring terrorism. | RELATED: | 8 Nations Address Letter to UN Chief Urging Sanctions Be Lifted | The State Department also announced i…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-U.S.-Harasse…

In a Pandemic, Workers Need Sick Leave…Now
Robin Carver | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
Breathing hurts. The mound of tissues next to the groove you hollow into the couch grows faster than seems possible. Sound and light crash against your skull like hammers, so even binge-watching and reading become painful. In the spring of 2016, my chronic sinusitis had flared up again. It does this at least once a…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/in-a-pandemi…

Unions welcome government’s decision to renationalise rail services
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-03-26
However it should not have taken a pandemic to bring rail back into public ownership, trade unionists say.
mronline.org/2020/03/26/unions-welcome-g…

Trump’s State of Denial, Not the Deep State, Kept Us Unprepared for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Nick Licata | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/trumps-state…

How market reforms made the NHS vulnerable to pandemics
Colin Leys | mronline.org | 2020-03-26
A 2014 report warned that reforms to the NHS would make it vulnerable to pandemics

‘I must confess, I don’t believe!’ Britney Spears claims to break 100m world record, anti-feminism lie-spotter goes crazy
rt.com | 2020-03-26
In these uncertain times it seems nothing provide us with a shock anymore, but Britney Spears claiming she has become the fastest human being in history by slashing Usain Bolt’s 100m world record could be one of them. | At a time when most of the world is in Covid-19 quarantine, many people might find the time to set themselves targets and work hard to achieve things of which they have always dreamed. | Pop idol Britney Spears has spent her time cooped up at home attempting to become the fastest human being on earth by almost slashing in half Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s 9.58 seconds world record for the 100…
rt.com/sport/484165-britney-spears-usain…

Medical workers forced to get creative as face mask shortages in ‘developed’ West complicate battle with Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-03-26
Photographs showing Western medical workers with improvised safety gear have sparked outrage among commentators, who argue that nurses and doctors in developed nations shouldn’t have to wear trash bags as they combat Covid-19. | A photograph of nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City sporting improvised medical gear amid growing shortages caused a firestorm on social media. Staff at the medical facility even told media that the recent death of one of their colleagues from Covid-19 was likely tied to the lack of basic medical supplies available to them. | Nurses are wearing trash bags. In New York City.
rt.com/news/484151-west-protective-gear-…

Chile: Piñera’s Gov’t Asks Homeless People to ‘Stay Home’
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Chile’s government requested the homeless population to “stay at home” and to maintain hygiene to prevent Covid-19. The administrative request generates mockeries and polemic reactions. | RELATED: | Chile: Lower House Postpones Plebiscite Amid Covid-19 Fears | Chile’s Social Development and Family Minister, Sebastian Sichel, affirmed that his administration is asking the ones who live on the streets to go back to their houses. That statement shows the unfamiliarity of the function…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-pineiras-g…

US braces for SHOCKING unemployment numbers as jobless claims could reach 4 MILLION
rt.com | 2020-03-26
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.com/business/484131-us-canada-record-…

Cuba: FM Denounces US Defamation of Cuban Medical Collaboration
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla denounced the claims by the U.S. government about Cuban medical collaboration in the countries affected by Covid-19. | RELATED: | Cuba to Send Doctors to Four Caribbean Countries and Argentina | In an official statement, the Cuban government representative stated that Washington’s hostility towards his country cannot affect Cuban solidarity with nations in need. | On his official Twitter account, Parrilla denounced the U.S. alle…
telesurenglish.net/news/cuba-foreign-min…

Anti-Abortion Groups Are Using the COVID-19 Outbreak to Stop Abortions
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-26
Officials from anti-abortion organizations asked the Trump administration on Tuesday to take steps to halt abortion access as part of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. | Anti-abortion groups, led by Trump ally and Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, wrote in a letter t…
truthout.org/articles/anti-abortion-grou…

Warnings that hundreds of thousands of Indonesians may already have COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/indo…

US Sanctions 20 Iranian, Iraqi Entities Despite Virus Outbreak
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-26
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Thursday that they had sanctioned 20 Iranian and Iraqi companies companies, officials, and business associates over their alleged support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. | “The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 20 Iran- and Iraq-based front companies, senior officials, and business associates that provide support to or act for or on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) in addition to transferring lethal aid to Iranian-backed…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Sanctions-20-…

The wealth of Australia’s richest 250 soars to $377 billion
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
According to the Murdoch media magazine, the number of billionaires has more than trebled in two years, from 33 to 117.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/rich…

Traveling Fast and Silent: Mountain Biking With Grizzly Bears
David Mattson | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
The impacts of mountain bikers on wildlands and wildlife is at the center of a heated nation-wide debate fueled by increasing numbers of increasingly well-organized bikers intent on gaining access to backcountry areas. There is no better example of the contentious debate between mountain bikers and wilderness advocates than in deliberations over how to manage…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/traveling-fa…

Do the Deuteronomy
stclair | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
Do the Deuteronomy Do you want to shampoo Do you want to sham pee Do you want to sit six feet From me And watch the news of the plague On the TV Or do you want to do do do Do the Deuteronomy Deutero, do you know what that means? It’s Greek

When Words Become Music Again
Scott Owen | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
I watched a beautiful video this morning showing the murmuration of a flock of starlings with Pachelbels Canon in D Major in the background. It got me thinking about the ability of creatures to act as a living unit without verbal, visual or any other obvious form of communication. Birds fly in murmurations, fish swim…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/when-words-b…

A Planet of Missing Beauties: In Memoriam
Tom Engelhardt | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
The other morning, walking at the edge of a local park, I caught sight of a beautiful red cardinal, the first bird I ever saw some 63 years ago. Actually, to make that sentence accurate, I should probably have put either “first” or “ever saw” in quotation marks. After all, I was already 12 years…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/a-planet-of-…