Daily Archives: April 17, 2020

2020-04-17: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these ‘POSTEES’ on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Pentagon Escalates Tensions with Iran in Persian Gulf
Bill Van Auken | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
The US Navy charged Wednesday that 11 Iranian vessels had “repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches against multiple US naval ships operating in international waters.” | The protest, issued by the command of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, represented a further …
globalresearch.ca/pentagon-escalates-ten…

Towards A New World Order, The Global Debt Crisis and the Privatization of the State
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
There is a serious health crisis which must be duly resolved. And this is a number one priority. | But there is another important dimension which has to be addressed. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. …
globalresearch.ca/towards-a-new-world-or…

ICE is Deporting COVID-19 Positive Detainees from Private Immigration Prisons
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-17
By continuing deportations of quarantined detainees during a pandemic, ICE is greatly increasing the risk of spreading the deadly virus to other countries officials and activists warn,…
mintpressnews.com/ice-deporting-covid-19…

‘The President Is Not a King’: NY Attorney General Tish James
Sasha Abramsky | thenation.com | 2020-04-17
‘The President Is Not a King’: NY Attorney General Tish James…
thenation.com/article/politics/coronavir…

Nepal’s top court orders govt to rescue migrant workers stranded abroad
rt.com | 2020-04-17
The Supreme Court in Nepal has ordered the government to bring back vulnerable migrant workers stranded abroad amid the Covid-19 crisis after the country barred its own citizens from returning. | Up to 2.6 million Nepali migrants are estimated to be in the Gulf, Malaysia and Korea. Labor rights activists say many have lost their jobs due to coronavirus lockdowns in those countries, leaving them highly vulnerable. The government has banned them from returning home for fear they could spread the virus in a country that has so far registered 30 cases and no deaths and is ill-equipped to deal with a major epidemic…
rt.com/newsline/486145-nepal-court-worke…

Threatening Military Intervention in Venezuela During a Pandemic?
Medea Benjamin, Leonardo Flores | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Unbeknownst to most Americans, as we are grappling with this terrifying pandemic, the Trump administration is currently carrying out the largest military operation in Latin America in 30 years, and has made it clear that alleged Venezuelan “narco-terrorism” is the target. It’s worth noting that the last deployment of a similar size took place at…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/threatening-…

NYC Medical Workers Protest New Policy Demanding Doctor’s Notes for Ill Staffers
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
A new policy at New York City’s public hospitals requires medical workers who call in sick to produce a doctor’s note. “We know that people just need a mental health day,” says Sean Petty, a registered nurse at a public hospital in the Bronx who is organizing a protest against the policy. “Thousands of us have been exposed. Health workers are the least tested group of people in this city.” Petty is a member of the board of directors of the New York State Nurses Association. | Please check…
truthout.org/video/nyc-medical-workers-p…

#ClimateStrike: Virtual Protest Against Chase Bank to #Stop The Money Pipeline
350.org Bay Area & many others | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
Online protest actions…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/16/1883242…

Frontline Medical Workers Protest New NYC Policy Demanding Doctor’s Notes When They Are Sick
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-17
A new policy at New York City’s public hospitals requires medical workers who call in sick to produce a doctor’s note. “We know that people just need a mental health day,” says Sean Petty, a registered nurse at a public hospital in the Bronx who is organizing a protest against the policy. “Thousands of us have been exposed. Health workers are the least tested group of people in this city.” Petty is a member of the board of directors of the New York State Nurses Association.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/17/nyc_nurse…

New Indonesian Capital in Borneo: From Rural Misery to Grody Dreams of Urban Glory
Andre Vltchek | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
An old road between Balikpapan and Samarinda passes through the poor villages, through rural slums, as well as stalls selling second-rate local fruits. The cheap, unhygienic eateries, are now half-empty. While the traffic is still heavy here, the ‘real action’ …
globalresearch.ca/indonesian-borneo-rura…

A Big Oil Bailout Would Be the Opposite of the Green New Deal We Need
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
It’s been a wild couple of weeks in the oil markets. Following a price war between major petrostates, the price of oil has tanked. Ever since, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have been desperately trying to save a deeply indebted oil industry. We can all but expect a Trump-led bailout for Big Oil. Instead, our law and policy makers should let the oil producers fail, and devote resources to stave off the next crisis

Spreading the Virus of Occupation: Spitting as a Weapon in the Hand of Colonial Israel
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Spitting at someone is a universal insult. In Israel, however, spitting at Palestinians is an entirely different story. Now that we know that the deadly coronavirus can be transmitted through saliva droplets, Israeli soldiers and illegal Jewish settlers are working extra hard to spit at as many Palestinians, their cars, doorknobs, and so on, as…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/spreading-th…

Are COVID-19 Outbreaks Peaking or Heading Higher Ahead?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
The short answer is it’s unknown

Sanders and Palestine: a Post Mortem
Steven Salaita | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Let me start with a story about the Democratic primary. Now, I’m no operative, so this story has nothing to do with voting choices or electability. It’s about how Palestine disappears in US electoral discourses, even when people who identify as Palestinian purport to make it visible. Sometime ago, I was added to an online…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/sanders-and-…

Sanders and Palestine: a Post Mortem
Steven Salaita | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Let me start with a story about the Democratic primary. Now, I’m no operative, so this story has nothing to do with voting choices or electability. It’s about how Palestine disappears in US electoral discourses, even when people who identify as Palestinian purport to make it visible.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/sanders-and-…

“Gangster in the White House”: Noam Chomsky on COVID-19, WHO, China, Gaza and Global Capitalism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-17
We continue our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. He responds to President Trump’s cuts to U.S. support for the World Health Organization and the surge in deaths in the United States to another record high, and discusses conditions in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and the progressive response. “This is typical behavior of autocrats and dictators. When you make colossal errors which are killing thousands of people, find somebody else to blame,” say Chomsky. “In the United States, it’s unfortunately the case, for well over a century, centu…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/17/noam_chom…

As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-17
WASHINGTON DC ( The Last American Vagabond)

Roaming Charges: Bernt Offerings
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
+ You’d better stock up on those Marvin Gaye stamps while you can because the stamps for Trump’s privatized mail service will feature Jim Fisk, Jay Gould, PT Barnum, JP Morgan, Andrew Mellon, Charles Ponzi, old man Rockefeller, Roy Cohn, Michael Milkin, Ken Lay, Bernie Madoff and, of course, Trump himself… + So does Trump…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/roaming-char…

Video: US-trained Militants Surrender to Syrian Army. Israel Tries to Assassinate Hezbollah Commanders
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
On April 15th, 27 members of Maghawir al-Thawra, a militant group in the Al-Tanf zone, which is both funded and trained by the US-led coalition, surrendered to the Syrian Army with all of their weapons and equipment. These …
globalresearch.ca/video-us-trained-milit…

Noam Chomsky: Trump Blaming WHO for COVID-19 Deaths Is Dictator-Like Behavior
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
We continue our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. He responds to President Trump’s cuts to U.S. support for the World Health Organization and the surge in deaths in the United States to another record high, and discusses conditions in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and the progressive response. “This is typical behavior of autocrats and dictators. When you make colossal errors which are killing thousands of people, find…
truthout.org/video/chomsky-trump-blaming…

Danger Clown and the Return to American Normalcy
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Recently in an online urban studies discussion, a young white man expressed his desire for his fellow Chicagoans and Americans more generally to get over all this COVID-19 trauma and “return to normal life in my great city and country.” I was a little surprised and disappointed he didn’t use Warren Harding’s made-up word “normalcy.”
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/danger-clown…

Humanity is sleepwalking into another disaster, thanks to a trend that’s emerged amid the pandemic
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2020-04-17
Everyone, apart from UK health secretary Matt Hancock on occasion, understands what a vital shield personal protective equipment (PPE) is from coronavirus (Covid-19). But it appears that many people have forgotten the other, immense existential threat t…
thecanary.co/discovery/2020/04/17/humani…

Bernie’s Political Funeral
Kathleen Wallace | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
The end of the Bernie Sanders campaign always had a destination that was not the White House. I’ll admit that I anticipated it playing out in a slightly different manner. The wildcard in all of this was COVID-19, but like all good disaster capitalists, the DNC, with the help of the Obama faction, used it…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/bernies-poli…

The Great Gray Hope: Bernie Sanders Tests the Limits of US Political Systems
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-17
For all his remarkable accomplishments, Sanders’ legacy in 2020 will likely be that of 2016, which was to be the sheepdog that herded progressives into the Democratic Party and got nothing in return.
mintpressnews.com/great-gray-hope-bernie…

Bernie Sanders Tests the Limits of the US Political System
Roger Harris | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
The Great Gray Hope has bowed out of the presidential primary race, leaving tottering Joe Biden as the last Democrat standing. What Bernie Sanders accomplished electorally was remarkable, revealing both how far a progressive can venture and the limits proscribing further advancement to the left within the Democratic Party. Sanders pushes the limits of the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/bernie-sande…

Naomi Walker on Covid-19 Relief, Johanna Bozuwa on the Last ‘New Normal’
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-04-17
The $150 billion designated for state, local and tribal governments as relief from the Covid-19 crisis is nowhere near what those governments will need–and not just that, but forcing them to cut budgets just as they need to be spending more is going to drive a cycle that only hurts more those already hurting.
fair.org/home/naomi-walker-on-covid-19-r…

Billionaires Have Paid 79 Percent Fewer Taxes Since 1980
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
Conventional economic wisdom says a time of crisis is not the moment to enact tax increases. But, as Eric Toder at the Tax Policy Center recently pointed out: “[Tax experts] can begin to think of the time after the pandemic passes and how government should respond to massive increases in the public debt, and the new tax increases that Congress will need to enact to fund them.” | Initial tax increases should…
truthout.org/articles/billionaires-have-…

Wilderness Protects Biological Diversity
Howie Wolke | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
In the current election cycle, three things are clear. First, it is apparent that for the next four years, the President will, like me, be an old white guy (hopefully not named Trump). Second, the global biodiversity crisis, unfortunately, is not a campaign issue. And third, neither is human overpopulation

The Unconscious System Plague: Will Covid-19 Finally Awaken Us?
John McMurtry | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Like others, I have thought from the first day of the Covid-19 pandemic that it was forcing us to awake from exponential life-system destruction by corporate ‘business as usual’ to our common life-ground. In the words of the formerly neo-liberal Governor Cuomo of New York,…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/the-unconsci…

The Global Fragmentation of Public Health Systems
T.J. Coles | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
In many countries, what should have been a serious problem–COVID-19–quickly escalated into a crisis. Tracking and tracing capabilities were impaired or absent, central coordination was lacking, decisive actions were not taken, and lower-level staff were tasked with making life-or-death choices. This is a reflection of the US-British-led neoliberal form of capitalism that has infected the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/the-global-f…

Trump’s COVID-19 Plan Aims to Shift Blame to Governors If Things Worsen
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
President Donald Trump has laid out a three-phase approach for how states can end stay-in-place orders over the next several weeks or so, with hopes that doing so can help send people back to work, revitalizing an economy that has been significantly harmed by the spread of the coronavirus. | The president’s plan, unveiled on Thursday, provides a framework for states to follow in order to move from one phase to the next. The first phase…
truthout.org/articles/trumps-covid-19-pl…

Cuba: Institutions Work Together to Protect the Elderly
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-17
Cuba’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labor and Social Security are working together to reinforce the protection of the population against the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Cuba Calls for International Cooperation to Combat COVID-19 | Authorities determined that Cubans older than 65 years of age should not be kept working. Those who cannot either work from home or cease their activities will receive 100 percent of their wages for the first month and 60 percent of their inco…
telesurenglish.net/news/cuba-elderly-car…

Canada Member of Parliament Says ‘We Need to Get Back to Work’, “Successful Treatment of Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin and Zinc Sulphate”
Marilyn Gladu | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
Sarnia-Lambton’s MP wants Canada to implement COVID-19 cures she claims have been proven in the United States, but are opposed by Canadian health experts. | Marilyn Gladu, the former Conservative health critic, said the Liberals are talking about waiting for …
globalresearch.ca/canada-member-of-parli…

Three COVID-19 Vaccines Are Under Clinical Testing, WHO confirms
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-17
The World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday announced that there are three vaccines in the process of being clinically tested to see if they are effective in neutralizing COVID-19. | RELATED: | WHO Concerned About Confinement Measures in Poorest Countries | “Another 70 vaccines are in development,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added at a press conference. | Although three vaccines are being tested and dozens are in production, it will not be until the spring…
telesurenglish.net/news/who-three-covid1…

Coronavirus vaccine team secures funding to move towards human trials
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-17
Imperial researchers working on a vaccine for COVID-19 have been awarded government funding to take the work forward towards human trials.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196775/coronavirus-vaccine-team-secures-funding-move

Will the Pandemic Finish Trump or Give his Régime an Escape?
Pete Dolack | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Amidst all the talk about if the global Covid-19 pandemic will lead to an opening for socialism, or at least a reduction in the grip of neoliberalism, in the wake of capitalism’s failures, a more immediate question is if there is to be a reversal of the march of the Right in electoral politics. Elections…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/will-the-pan…

Nigeria: Police Brutality Is More Lethal Than COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-17
Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) denounced that the victims of police brutality outnumber those killed by COVID-19 on its territory as the Nigerian police are suspected of having carried out 18 extra-judicial killings between March 30 and April 13. | RELATED: | Africa: COVID Positive Cases Exceed 16,500 | “While the new coronavirus has killed eleven patients, security forces have extrajudicially executed 18 people to enforce orders,” the NHRC head Tony Ojukwu said and added that h…
telesurenglish.net/news/nigeria-police-b…

View From Vietnam: COVID-19 Reminds the World That Trump Has No Clothes
Mark Ashwill | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
The famous 19th century fairy tale by the Danish writer, Hans Christian Anderson, could have been written about Donald Trump, a man-child who lives in a fantasy world of self-delusion and lies and who surrounds himself with sycophantic yes-people who value their positions and professional advancement over truth and justice. The damage caused by this…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/view-from-vi…

‘Let Young People Live’ to Become Brazil’s Healthcare Logic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-17
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro Thursday appointed Nelson Teich as the new Health Minister to replace Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who was removed for defending the World Health Organization (WHO) preventive measures to avoid COVID-19. | RELATED: | Brazil’s COVID-19 Denialist President Fired His Health Minister | The oncologist Teich studied health economics at York University and then took part in a management program at Harvard Business School. | Following his orthodox economic…
telesurenglish.net/news/Let-Young-People…

New Trump Plan to Reopen Economy Contains No National COVID-19 Testing Strategy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
President Donald Trump late Thursday released a vague plan to reopen the U.S. economy that

Colombia: Duque’s Administration Disrespect Health Workers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-17
Colombia’s medical community demanded that President Ivan Duque administration repeal a decree requiring health professionals to attend to the COVID-19 pandemic, although they have poor working conditions. | RELATED: | Colombia Partakes in US-Led Military Operation in the Caribbean | “A decree does not force us to work. Nor does a threat of punishment. We are bound by our vocation and responsibility to the people,” Isaza said. | After several days of negotiation, authorities…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-governm…

“There Is No Hope, But I May Be Wrong”
Missy Comley Beattie | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
We compose our opinion pieces, writing anywhere from 400 to 1000 words. Most of us use “we must” and “we should” and “we need” and conclude with a paragraph that offers hope. Well, I’m pretty fucking far from hopeful. It’s this virus, COVID-19, that’s changing nearly every aspect of our waking hours, dictating who, what,…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/there-is-no-…

Treatments for COVID-19: Drugs Being Tested Against the Coronavirus. Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine
Live Science | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
The world is now desperate to find ways to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and to find effective treatments. As of April 6, more than 200 clinical trials of COVID-19 treatments or vaccines that are either ongoing or …
globalresearch.ca/treatments-covid-19-dr…

COVID-19 Was a Trigger, But Capitalism Caused the Economic Crash
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
After the dot-com crash in 2000, economic policy aimed to “get us back to normal.” It sought to recreate or re-establish the U.S. economy as it was before the crisis hit. After the subprime mortgage crisis, economic policy likewise proceeded to “recovery.” That meant returning to how the economy was before 2008-2009. Now, as we sink into an economic depression by reacting so poorly to the coronavirus, Federal Reserve and Trump Treasury policies seek to return us to that “great economy” Trump boasted about…
truthout.org/articles/covid-19-was-a-tri…

The Illiberal Turn in Indonesian Democracy
Iqra Anugrah | asia-pacificresearch.com | 2020-04-17
asia-pacificresearch.com/illiberal-turn-…

The Self-Centered Rich Country Response to Pandemics and Crises is Wrecking Poor Countries
Tamara Pearson | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
I’m squatting on a round piece of concrete, and a 72-year-old man is sitting in the gutter, his walking stick beside him. He tells me that after being deported from the United States, he has been hiking the streets of Mexico City trying to find somewhere to stay. But all the refuges are closed due to the pandemic, including the one we’re sitting outside of, where I volunteer. He has run out of insulin for his diabetes and says he can’t walk any more.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/the-self-cen…

Further government funding secured for Imperial coronavirus research
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-17
Three Imperial research projects have received £2.4 million of national funding to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196802/further-government-funding-secured-imperial-coronavirus

What does Trump’s Celebration of the Resurgent Dollar Tell us about the International Monetary System?
Emrah Yildiz | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
On April 7, the U.S. President Donald Trump took the stage for the White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing. In his speech, he targeted the World Health Organization (WHO) for mismanaging the Coronavirus pandemic. Trump criticized the organization for focusing too much on China, and accused its leadership of not being proactive enough in…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/what-does-tr…

The Sixties in the City of the Fallen Angels
Ron Jacobs | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Authors Mike Davis and Jon Weiner borrowed the title of their new history of Los Angeles from the Doors song “Light My Fire.” Titled Set the Night on Fire: A History of LA in the Sixties, it is a history of social movements for social and economic justice and against imperial war. Indeed, given the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/the-sixties-…

Cutting the Funding: The WHO, Trump and the Coronavirus Wars
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
The US president is in a warring mood. Having declared himself a president at war, a meaningless gesture given that the US is always, somewhere in the world, at war, finding necessary enemies in distraction was always going to be …
globalresearch.ca/cutting-funding-who-tr…

The Sixties in the City of the Fallen Angels
Ron Jacobs | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Authors Mike Davis and Jon Wiener borrowed the title of their new history of Los Angeles from the Doors song “Light My Fire.” Titled Set the Night on Fire: A History of LA in the Sixties, it is a history of social movements for social and economic justice and against imperial war. Indeed, given the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/the-sixties-…

Texas Atty. General Threatens Criminal Charges for Groups Promoting Mail Voting
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-17
A Texas judge said on Wednesday that all voters afraid of contracting the coronavirus should be allowed to cast absentee ballots in the coming election. Republicans immediately vowed to fight the ruling. | Travis County Judge Tim Sulak announced on Wednesday that h…
truthout.org/articles/texas-attorney-gen…

Consumer spending in Spain has halved during coronavirus lockdown says analysis
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-17
Economic activity in Spain has fallen in the first three months of 2020 compared to the same period last year, says a new analysis.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196957/consumer-spending-spain-halved-during-coronavirus

India and the Coronavirus
Conn Hallinan | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
While the corona virus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States, India promises to be the greatest victim of the disease. But other than a slick public relations campaign, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to confront the crisis. Indeed, a number of policy moves by…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/india-and-th…

How Complex Is this Pneumonia Crisis? Millions of People Lost Their Jobs, Food is Disappearing
Cal Crilly | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
How complex is this? If 8 Million people die from air pollution a year, is the virus THE crisis? | Today is 8th of April 2020 and as I type this millions and millions of people have lost their jobs …
globalresearch.ca/how-complex-pneumonia-…

If Democrats Won’t Dump Biden, They Should At Least Keep Him Out of Sight
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Spring has sprung, but instead of renewal we have another year or more of social distancing and preposterously incompetent national leadership ahead of us, along with an electoral circus in which the greater evil party’s presidential candidate will yet again be the bastard off-spring of Roy Cohn and Norman Vincent Peale, a snake oil salesman…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/if-democrats…

University-Leader-Speak: Play the Game With Me?
Dr. Norm Case | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
Yesterday morning, my academic “community” received an update from the Office of the President, announcing that, after rigorous, stressful planning, the president and the senior staff have decided to “furlough” 30 university staff employees as of this Friday (3 days notice). In the days leading up to yesterday’s announcement, the president and the provost convinced…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/university-l…

Working Class Heroes…. Stiffed! John Lennon
Philip A Farruggio | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
John Lennon, prolific as a writer as much as a performer, wrote this: | Working Class Hero | As soon as you’re born they make you feel small | By giving you no time instead of it all | Till the pain is so | …
globalresearch.ca/working-class-heroes-s…

The Big Lie: Today’s Mainstream Corporate Media
Richard Gale | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-17
The liberal media

If Coronavirus Overwhelms Gaza, Israel Alone is to Blame
Jonathan Cook | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
The Palestinians of Gaza know all about lockdowns. For the past 13 years, some two million of them have endured a closure by Israel more extreme than anything experienced by almost any other society

Local Sewing Group has Marin Covered
County of Marin Update | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
Masketeers assist County by making homemade masks during COVID-19…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/14/1883236…

Ramsey Orta’s life is being threatened by C.O’s at Midstate Correctional Facility!
WeCopwatch | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
As Covid-19 has struck Midstate Correctional Facility, C.O’s are taunting and threatening Ramsey that they will expose him with the virus.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/15/1883238…

Bay Area Refuse Fascism Members Bang Pots, Call for Removal of Trump/Pence
On 2nd “OUTNOW! Tuesday” | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Refuse Fascism updated their 2020 Statement of Conscience/Call To Act. Included here are photos and a 4 second video of members displaying signage, wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and banging pots on an “Out Now Tuesday” April 14. At the same time, 7pm, at other locations in the Bay Area, members shouted “Trump Pence Out Now!” for neighbors to hear.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/15/1883237…

Brave New Normal
CJ Hopkins | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
So the War on Populism is finally over. Go ahead, take a wild guess who won.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/15/1883237…

Freedom of Assembly is Sick
Maximilian Pichl and Doug Henwood | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
For decades, this country was governed as if the climate crisis were a myth. However, it favors natural disasters and diseases that are difficult or impossible to treat. The denial of these problems and the refusal to deal with the destructive effects of capitalism are the reason why the USA is particularly ill-equipped to face future challenges.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/16/1883242…

Earth Day: Climate & Eco Films on Turner Classic Movies (TCM & Earth Day Network)
TCM & Earth Day Network | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
TCM Channel…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/15/1883238…

G20 Suspends Debt Payments for Poor Countries As the Coronavirus Spreads
Kate Zeller | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
The G20 announced a suspension of debt payments and interest for the world’s 76 poorest countries in order to bolster health services to confront the coronavirus.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/15/1883239…

Economic Crisis Could Get Much Worse Says IMF
Kate Zeller | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
The International Monetary and Financial Committee, the leadership of the IMF, released their Spring Meetings communiqué calling coronavirus economic impacts, “unprecedented” and that “the global economic outlook is subject to high uncertainty.”
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/16/1883243…

Iran confirms 1,599 new cases of COVID-19 infection
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Theories on origins of COVID-19 disease
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Russia stresses formation of anti-sanctions campaign
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Health service parade in Rasht on National Army Day
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
RASHT, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Army’s “Service Parade” in Tehran
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Ayatollah Khamenei congratulates Army on its national day
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Iranian Army most powerful, different in world
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

President Rouhani lauds Army as guardian of Iranians’ lives
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Iran’s ‘strong Army’ active in all arenas: chief cmdr
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Talks underway to return stranded Iranians from Italy: FM spox
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Iran Army holds health service parade on National Day
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

FM Zarif congratulates Army on National Day
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

US illegal presence main cause of Persian Gulf insecurity: Gen. Hatami
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MA)

China dismisses any cover-up on coronavirus outbreak
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-17
TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA)

Emergency services hold minute’s silence for pregnant nurse who died of Covid-19
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-17
Dozens of emergency service workers rallied round to pay tribute to Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, a pregnant nurse who died of Covid-19.On its Twitter account, the fire service posted a video of its deputy chief fire officer Andrew Hopkinson giving a speech to commemorate Agyapong who worked at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years. | She died on Sunday and her baby daughter was delivered successfully by Caesarean section.Hopkinson told well wishers: “We are taking the opportunity to remember and appreciate a wonderful young woman and nurse who’s made a huge contribution to this NHS trust and to th…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…

UK could have the highest death rate in Europe because government was ‘too slow’, doctor warns
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-17
Britain will face “further waves” of coronavirus and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the government was “too slow” to act, a leading physician has warned.Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London’s Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs that the “harsh reality” is that “we were too slow with a number of things”.”If we’re going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage we all hope that the national lockdown and social distancing will bring about a large suppression of the epidemic so far

Everyone needs to hear the words of an ‘underfunded’ intensive care nurse about the ‘apocalyptic situation’
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-17
An intensive care nurse has recorded a spoken word poem warning of an “apocalyptic situation” for “underfunded, under-prepared and under-protected” NHS staff. | Tori Wills, a sister at Southampton General Hospital’s intensive care unit, posted the video on Facebook “out of frustration” at people not obeying lockdown rules. | Willis told PA: “I wrote the poem out of general frustration at the public still flouting the rules, when my colleagues are putting their lives at risk and working in extremely harsh environments. | I have never shared any of my spoken word, But today, the sun is out, there are still families…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…

The Gangster Head of the WHO
Thomas Mountain | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
The head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, was a senior capo for the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) gangster mafia that ruled Ethiopia from 1991-2018. During that time he served as Health Minister and Foreign Minister, cementing his credentials as a member of the inner circle of what was one of…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/17/the-gangster…

Japan’s Abe tells G7 he backs WHO on coronavirus response, in contrast with Trump
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed support on Friday for the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the campaign against the coronavirus, in contrast with President Donald Trump who has vowed to cut US funding to the agency. | Abe said at a news conference he had told fellow Group of Seven leaders on Thursday that “the international community, centering on the WHO, must cooperate to fight this infectious disease, which is having a global impact” and Japan would “firmly” support it. | “There’s only the WHO that can serve as an international institution” to address the pandemic, Abe said. He di…
rt.com/newsline/486116-japan-abe-who-tru…

Putin & Macron discuss minimizing negative economic consequences of pandemic in telephone conversation
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed by telephone measures aimed at minimizing the negative socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin’s press service said on Friday. | During the conversation, which was initiated by the French side, the two leaders spoke about measures which are being taken in Russia and France. Macron thanked Putin for “helping France with the return of French citizens to their homeland and ensuring conditions for shipments of medical supplies and equipment through Russia to France,” the press service said. | Int…
rt.com/newsline/486135-putin-macron-disc…

Postal Carriers are Essential Workers…They Need a Stimulus, Too
Sarah Anderson | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-17
The U.S. Postal Service plays a vital role in our nation’s health and stability at this time of crisis. Unfortunately, it’s financially strapped

How the Military-Industrial Complex Is Using the Coronavirus
William D. Hartung, Ben Freeman | thenation.com | 2020-04-17
How the Military-Industrial Complex Is Using the Coronavirus…
thenation.com/article/world/coronavirus-…

Trump’s Sports Advisers Represent the Worst of the Sports World
Dave Zirin | thenation.com | 2020-04-17
Trump’s Sports Advisers Represent the Worst of the Sports World…
thenation.com/article/society/trump-spor…

We Can’t Save the Economy Without Universal Child Care
Bryce Covert | thenation.com | 2020-04-17
We Can’t Save the Economy Without Universal Child Care…
thenation.com/article/economy/child-care…

The Radical ’70s Magazine That Shaped the Hong Kong Left
Promise Li | thenation.com | 2020-04-17
The Radical ’70s Magazine That Shaped the Hong Kong Left…
thenation.com/article/world/hong-kong-le…

Infographic: Convalescent plasma
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
Check the?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website?for additional updates on COVID-19. For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the?Mayo Clinic News Network?and?mayoclinic.org.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/in…

When to seek emergency care during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
In an effort to reduce the burden on hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to lower the risk of disease transmission, people are asked not to go to emergency rooms if they think they may have COVID-19 symptoms but otherwise feel okay. Instead, they’re asked to call their primary care provider to discuss their …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wh…

COVID-19: What to do if you develop symptoms while away from home
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
In many areas of the U.S. and around the world, people are being told to stay home and avoid travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, travel restrictions may not apply to employees of critical industries, such as trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. So what should someone do if they develop …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Mayo Clinic responds to COVID-19 financial impact
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
Mayo Clinic staff are doing extraordinary work, leading in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud of, and committed to, our staff and our communities as they come together to fight this global health crisis. Mayo Clinic is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of these circumstances, including a financial impact that requires significant …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic requiring all patients, visitors to wear masks
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
Beginning today (Monday, April 13), Mayo Clinic is requiring all patients and visitors to wear a face covering or mask to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Patients and visitors are asked to bring their own face covering or mask to wear. If a patient or visitor does not have a mask, Mayo Clinic will …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Is COVID-19 the end of the handshake as we know it?
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to accept a “new normal” and change behaviors. One example has been the need to alter how we greet each other. As part of social distancing, health experts have recommended that people to avoid shaking hands, since hands tend to carry a lot of germs. Dr. Anthony Fauci, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/is…

Science Saturday: The new super power of handwashing
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
Researchers are hard at work identifying ways to help patients with COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But in the meantime, one common household object can be used to help prevent infection. Soap. Good old soap, the Clark Kent of clean, is really the superhero fatty acid salt, the Superman of clean. Soap …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sc…

Is it safe to wear contact lenses during the COVID-19 pandemic?
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
To prevent becoming infected with COVID-19, health experts are urging people to avoid touching their face. That’s because SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can enter the body through the mouth, nose and eyes. That’s left millions of people around the world who wear contact lenses wondering if they should stop wearing them and switch …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/is…

Mayo Clinic Laboratories launches serology testing in support of COVID-19 response
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
ROCHESTER, Minn. ? A new serology test from Mayo Clinic Laboratories that is used to identify the presence of immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is now available to more health care organizations. Mayo Clinic is working closely with state and federal officials to prioritize access to its initial testing capacity to support efforts …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic teaming up with area organizations to collect face masks
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) recently recommended that all people wear cloth face masks or coverings when in public. While face masks do not replace social distancing measures, they help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. Mayo Clinic, and local government and health care partners, have come together to collect and …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Army of Mayo employees come together to identify COVID-19 exposures within hours
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
ROCHESTER, Minn.

Expert Alert: When you can’t cough ? extra COVID-19 precautions for people with physical disabilities
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
ROCHESTER, Minn.

Do you need to be tested for COVID-19? Self-assess first
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
If you are concerned that you need to be tested for COVID-19, you may consider using the Mayo Clinic self-assessment tool as a guide. “Our team developed the Mayo Clinic self-assessment tool. It is being used to help our consumers and patients determine if they should seek testing,” says Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, an internal medicine physician and chief medical editor for …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/do…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Because SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus, researchers are still learning how the virus affects the body. And this raises questions for pregnant women. Can COVID-19 affect pregnancy? Is breastfeeding safe? How can a pregnant woman protect herself from the disease? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Emergency medicine in the time of COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
Emergency medicine is a specialty that prides itself on a mantra: anyone, anything, anytime. The COVID-19 pandemic has put emergency health care providers and first responders on the front lines, fighting the spread of the virus and caring for critically ill patients. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Annie Sadosty, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Understanding COVID-19 testing
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
There are two types of tests for COVID-19, and it is important to understand the difference. The first type, a diagnostic test, is used to find out if you are actively infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. This test typically is done as a nasal swab. The second type of test is a serologic …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Connecting Patients: A different kind of grief in these times
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
Grief is the natural reaction to loss. Grief is both a universal and a personal experience. Individual experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been and continues to be much loss. And different definitions of grief are being revealed. The …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Different types of COVID-19 tests
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: There has been a lot of information about different tests for COVID-19, including a test that determines whether you have it and an antibody test. I’m not sure I know what test I should request or if I should get tested? Can you explain the different tests? ANSWER: Since COVID-19 is such …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Critical care units prepare for COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
An intensive care unit (ICU) is a special unit in a hospital where patients who are very ill can be under constant supervision by their health care team. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed ICU and critical care units in hot spots where the virus had spread widely. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Daniel Brown, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Prescribing an overdose: A chapter in the opioid epidemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-17
ROCHESTER, Minn.

Major automakers to jump start European production from next week
rt.com | 2020-04-17
After a month-long shutdown due to Covid-19, major car manufacturers will gradually reopen plants in Europe. The outbreak has been a huge blow for the auto industry, sending it into the worst tailspin since the financial crisis. | Germany’s Volkswagen (VW) which employs about 490,000 people in Europe (the majority of its global workforce of around 670,000) said that production of its passenger car brands will resume at plants in Zwickau, Germany and Bratislava, Slovakia starting the week of April 20. Other plants in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Russia and the United States will restart production the following we…
rt.com/business/486105-toyota-volkswagen…

Almost HALF of French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group tested positive for Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Some 1,081 servicemen of the 2,300-strong Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group have tested positive for Covid-19, the French defense minister said. France’s only carrier was forced to return to port after the outbreak. | The Charles de Gaulle coronavirus tally surged by over 300 confirmed cases on Friday when the country’s military revealed new official figures. | Speaking to the country’s National Assembly via video link, Defense Minister Florence Parly said that 2,010 tests had been carried out within the carrier group and 1,081 sailors tested positive. Some 545 of them have shown symptoms and 24 remain…
rt.com/news/486132-half-charles-de-gaull…

Double trouble: BAD INTERNET connection rules darts ace Gary Anderson out of online PDC tournament
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Sports stars often bemoan illness and injury as reasons for being unable to compete in major competitions, but in 2020, in the new age of COVID-19, a new issue has arisen. | Former Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) darts world champion Gary Anderson was all set to compete in the organization’s first home-based event, but has found his hopes dashed

Russia & Saudi Arabia ready to make deeper joint OPEC+ output cuts to boost oil prices
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Oil prices continue to plummet despite a deal by major producers to cut crude production by 9.7 million barrels per day. Further reductions may be necessary to meet falling demand amid global Covid-19 shutdowns. | Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said in a joint statement on Friday they will “continue to closely monitor the oil market and are prepared to take further measures jointly with OPEC+ and other producers if these are deemed necessary.” | According to the Russian Energy Ministry, both countries are firmly committed to fulfilling the OPEC+ de…
rt.com/business/486142-saudi-arabia-russ…

China denies covering up Covid-19 severity, says revision increasing deaths by 50 percent ‘common practice’
rt.com | 2020-04-17
The correction of Wuhan’s Covid-19 death toll, which rose by 1,290 and now stands at 3,869, was part of a statistical verification process and is a common international practice, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. | Zhao Lijian rejected claims that the Chinese government had engaged in a cover-up of the severity of the outbreak, saying at a daily briefing that Beijing would not allow such a thing. | The claim has been pushed, among others, by US President Donald Trump, who froze funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) this week after accusing it of conspiring with China to mislead the w…
rt.com/news/486095-china-death-cover-up/

Republicans try for political leverage over China with bill allowing Americans to sue for ‘damage they caused’ with coronavirus
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Republican officials Tom Cotton and Dan Crenshaw have introduced a bill sure to stir up tensions between the US and China that would allow American citizens to sue for ‘damages’ caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. | The senator from Arkansas and the representative from Texas, both vocal critics of the Chinese government, want to amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to create an exception for people to recover “damages caused by China’s dangerous handling of the Covid-19 outbreak.” | The Immunities Act protects foreign nations and their official agencies from being sued in US courts. | Cotton says China is a…
rt.com/usa/486171-cotton-crenshaw-sue-ch…

Sadiq Khan’s call for compulsory face masks on London transport provokes both fury and praise
rt.com | 2020-04-17
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the UK government to make wearing face masks on public transport in the capital compulsory during the Covid-19 crisis, putting him at odds with UK health advisers and dividing public opinion. | During an interview with Sky News on Friday, the mayor of London claimed that “the evidence around the world is that this [face masks] is effective.” He referenced countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany and South Korea, all of whom are currently advising their citizens to wear face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. | What I’m lobbying for is for when it comes to those circumsta…
rt.com/uk/486102-khan-london-face-masks/

Clean up your act! Tech’s answers to the hand-washing solution stopping Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-04-17
It’s hard to predict what trend technology will latch onto next, but the rolling Covid-19 pandemic appears to have inspired tech companies to come up with myriad examples of how they can improve on even the most simple of rituals. | Public health officials the world over have been warning people for months now that one of the simplest and most effective ways of destroying the novel coronavirus is to wash your hands. And now that the age-old practice of handwashing is firmly in the spotlight, technology is being deployed as part of the effort to remind us to keep those hands clean. | There’s an app for that…
rt.com/news/486176-hand-washing-coronavi…

‘It would be like martial law. You choose’: Philippines leader Duterte threatens to deploy troops to enforce Covid-19 quarantine
rt.com | 2020-04-17
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has said that police and the military will step in to control social distancing and curfew if citizens continue to violate the Covid-19 quarantine rules. | Duterte has sent out his warning in a televised speech. “I am asking for your discipline, because if you don’t want to [follow the rules], the military and police will take over. I am ordering them now to be ready,” he said, as cited by local media. | The police and the military will enforce social distancing and curfew. It would be like martial law. You choose. | The president said that he could hand down the or…
rt.com/news/486099-duterte-martial-law-q…

Denver Broncos star linebacker Von Miller tests positive for COVID-19
rt.com | 2020-04-17
One of the biggest defensive stars of the NFL has been struck down by the coronavirus with the news that Denver Broncos’ star outside linebacker Von Miller has tested positive for COVID-19. | Miller told Denver news station 9News on Thursday that he had picked up symptoms linked to the global virus, which has left the sporting world at a virtual standstill throughout the past month. | Read more | | ‘There’s a way of doing that’: Infectious disease expert outlines how US sports can resume this summer (VIDEO) | “I’ve just been here in the…
rt.com/sport/486108-denver-broncos-star-…

Worst three months in decades: China’s economy plunges almost 7% amid coronavirus battle
rt.com | 2020-04-17
The world’s second largest economy, China, took a huge hit due to the Covid-19 outbreak, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. It showed a 6.8 percent drop in the first quarter of 2020 from a year earlier. | That is the first such contraction since Beijing began reporting its quarterly gross domestic product in 1992. | Data showed that industrial production declined 8.4 percent in Q1, though March only saw a drop of 1.1 percent. Retail sales crashed 19 percent in the first quarter. Sales of consumer goods dipped by 15.8 percent in March, while online sales of physical goods rose almost six…
rt.com/business/486091-china-economic-fa…

WHO first? It’s time to revamp global institutions and prepare for a new post-Covid world order
rt.com | 2020-04-17
With the WHO under attack for alleged complacency in dealing with Covid-19, the roles of other international organizations could be put under the spotlight, too. Is this a chance to rethink how global institutions should function? | When he cut funding for the World Health Organization earlier this week, US President Donald Trump accused the health body of being “China-centric,” of propagating “false information about transmission and mortality” and generally of mishandling the pandemic, which has taken 135,000 lives and seen two million people infected globally. | Trump’s decision to cut US funding to the WHO…
rt.com/news/486042-who-funding-trump-ref…

Business as usual? Pompeo claims countries will ‘rethink’ Huawei partnerships after Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-04-17
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has predicted “many, many countries” will reconsider telecom partnerships with China’s Huawei after Covid-19, using Beijing’s supposed lack of “transparency” to take a whack at a favorite target. | Pompeo was “very confident” that the Chinese response to coronavirus would “cause many, many countries [to] rethink what they were doing with respect to their telecom architecture,” he told Fox Business Network on Friday. | “And when Huawei comes knocking to sell them equipment and hardware, they will have a different prism through which to view that decision,” he continued. | Also…
rt.com/usa/486140-pompeo-gloats-huawei-c…

What a pane! Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher SMASHES window during at-home practice session (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-04-17
With the sporting world currently on lockdown, professional athletes around the world are being forced to work out at home and get creative as they look to stay in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic. | One such athlete is Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly, who set up a special target in his back yard in order to practice his array of pitches. | Also on rt.com | | Double trouble: BAD INTERNET connection rules darts ace Gary Anderson out of online PDC tournament | Unfortunately for Kelly, his attempt at a change-up p…
rt.com/sport/486137-los-angeles-dodgers-…

‘Devastated’: England World Cup-winner Norman Hunter dies from COVID-19 at the age of 76
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Norman Hunter, the defender who won the World Cup with England and was instrumental in Leeds becoming champions of England twice during a 14-year spell at the club, has died from COVID-19 at the age of 76. | Issuing a statement confirming Hunter’s death on Friday morning, the club said his passing would leave a “huge hole” at Elland Road, where the former England regular had a lounge named after him and was a familiar presence, attending the Championship clash with Huddersfield last month. | Leeds United are devastated to learn of the passing of club legend Norman Hunter at the age of 76– Leeds United (@…
rt.com/sport/486106-norman-hunter-dead-c…

US Federal Reserve ‘put the world on its back’ with $2.3 TRILLION injection, chief research analyst tells Boom Bust
rt.com | 2020-04-17
As organizations like the IMF and the UN warn that this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the US central bank has once again decided to pump trillions of dollars into the economy. | RT’s Boom Bust talks to the CEO of Transformity Research, Tobin Smith, who has been sounding the alarm lately, saying that the economic downturn in the United States is not due to the coronavirus pandemic. | “Let’s bear in mind that up until eight days ago we were in a free fall and then the Fed put the United States on its back and it really put the world on its back. It basically said that the world is too…
rt.com/business/486134-us-fed-injection-…

Medicine not missiles: Iran celebrates Army Day with unique parade to promote healing amid coronavirus crisis (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Iranian authorities opted to forego the usual display of military might befitting the country’s national Army Day, opting instead to pay tribute to the men and women fighting on the frontlines of the country’s coronavirus crisis. | Missiles, armored vehicles and fighter jet flyovers were swapped out for disinfection trucks, mobile hospitals and soldiers dressed as doctors and nurses in hazmat suits displaying lifesaving medical equipment during Friday’s demure ‘Defenders of the Homeland, Helpers of Health’ army parade. | The normally massive crowds were nowhere to be seen, as the more restrained affair was…
rt.com/news/486124-medicine-not-missiles…

Bulgarian capital Sofia sealed off as number of confirmed coronavirus cases jumps
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Bulgaria has imposed a ban on all travel to and from its capital Sofia, after a spike in coronavirus infections and amid concerns over the risk of further spread during the Orthodox Easter. | At a midnight briefing, Health Minister Kiril Ananiev said travel to and from Sofia, home to some two million people, will be banned until further notice, except for cargo transport and people who have to travel to go to work, or for hospital treatment. Bulgarians have been practicing social distancing and wearing protective masks. | Bulgaria registered over 40 new cases on both Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the total…
rt.com/newsline/486143-bulgaria-sealed-s…

Austria to let museums, some cultural spaces reopen from mid-May
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Austrian museums and some other cultural spaces will be allowed to reopen from mid-May as part of the step-by-step loosening of its coronavirus lockdown, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler said on Friday. A specific date has not yet been set, Kogler told reporters, adding that large events involving many people close together, such as festivals, would remain banned until August 31. | On Tuesday, the Alpine republic started loosening its lockdown, letting DIY stores, garden centers and smaller shops reopen. Larger shops and hairdressers are due to follow from May 1. | The country will be on the lookout for any accel…
rt.com/newsline/486111-austria-museums-c…

German health minister says coronavirus outbreak is now ‘manageable again’
rt.com | 2020-04-17
The coronavirus outbreak in Germany has become manageable again, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. The number of patients who have made a recovery has been higher than the number of new infections every day this week, the minister noted. | “The outbreak has

‘Not asking for magic’: Outrage over UK health secretary’s ‘arrogant’ response on NHS workers reusing PPE
rt.com | 2020-04-17
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s response to plans for healthcare workers to reuse personal protective equipment (PPE) has sparked an outcry, after he said he lacks a “magic wand” to make the vital gear “fall from the sky.” | During questions from the House of Commons Health Committee on Friday, Hancock was asked to respond to proposals revealed in a leaked Public Health England (PHE) document, published earlier this week, which showed the reuse of PPE was being considered as a “last resort”

‘Cash to all people’: Japan’s govt offers $930 virus stimulus payment
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Japan will offer a cash payment of 100,000 yen ($930) to every resident, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday. “We are moving quickly to deliver cash to all people,” Abe said in a televised news conference, explaining his decision to expand a state of emergency nationwide. | An initial plan to provide three times that amount to households, which have seen incomes slashed because of the coronavirus, was ditched and Abe apologized for the confusion, according to AFP. The government had declared a state of emergency in seven regions of the country but expanded this on Thursday to include the entire country. T…
rt.com/newsline/486170-cash-all-japan-ab…

Oil market will not start to see recovery before June despite historic production cuts
rt.com | 2020-04-17
Major oil-producing nations struck a historic deal this month aimed at curbing global output in a bid to stabilize the market. RT spoke to experts to find out whether the deal could really solve the falling demand. | The agreement reached by members of OPEC+ and their allies, including Russia and Mexico, represents a drop in production of 9.7 million barrels per day in May and June

‘There were polar bears on the street’: Did former England captain John Terry’s DAUGHTER scupper 2018 move to Spartak Moscow?
rt.com | 2020-04-17
John Terry rejected a move to Spartak Moscow at the last minute after his daughter voiced her fears that polar bears roamed the streets and the Chelsea legend would “never return”, Italian agent Marco Trabucchi has revealed. | Terry had completed a medical with Spartak in Rome at the start of the 2018/19 season before a family summit made the free agent decide that a switch to Russia was “not the right move”. | He had been expected to sign a lucrative two-year contract to join his first club outside of the UK at the age of 37, but later issued a public apology to Spartak chairman Leonid Fedun in an about-turn…
rt.com/sport/486119-john-terry-daughter-…

Video: Coronavirus: Economic and Social Collapse: Mass Unemployment, Bankruptcy, Poverty and Despair
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-16
There is a serious health crisis which must be duly resolved. But there is another important dimension which has to be addressed. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. In developing countries, poverty and despair prevail. …
globalresearch.ca/video-corona-virus-eco…

Working-class immigrants terrorized by Trump administration avoid COVID-19 testing, treatment
wsws.org | 2020-04-16
Reports from doctors, immigration lawyers and community organizations reveal that a significant number of immigrants, despite showing symptoms associated with COVID-19, have avoided getting tested.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/16/immi…

Arab League warns of virus risk in Syria refugee camps
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-16
The Arab League warned Wednesday that a humanitarian disaster could occur if the coronavirus pandemic spreads in refugee camps in Syria.A statement by the bloc’s 22 Arab nations came after a meeting between its Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.They discussed the dangerous consequences of the spread of the virus among refugees and asylum seekers, and the importance of an Idlib cease-fire agreement, inked March 5 between Turkey and Russia, to prevent the military escalation in the region.The statement said many of those who live in camps do so in poor health condition…
yenisafak.com/en/world/arab-league-warns…

Andrew Cuomo is NOT bae: exposing the governor’s thuggish record with Randy Credico
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-16
Millions of dollars of free earned advertising from his brother on CNN can not cover up the real record of…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/16/andrew-cuomo-…

Bolivian coup leader freaks out on The Grayzone for ‘fascist’ label in complaint to OAS ‘human rights’ arm
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-16
The director of far-right Bolivian coup leader Camacho’s presidential campaign threw a slander-laced tantrum against The Grayzone in a letter…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/16/bolivia-coup-…

The Decade of Transformation: Being in Balance with Nature
Kevin Zeese | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-16
This is the fourth newsletter in our series on the 2020s as a decade of transformation See Remaking International Relations, Remaking the Economy for the People, and Remaking Healthcare. In addition to COVID-19 and the economic collapse, …
globalresearch.ca/decade-transformation-…

Coronavirus stimulus bill funds State Dept/USAID operations that once helped trigger polio outbreak in Syria
Max Blumenthal | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-16
A look at recent USAID schemes from Pakistan to Syria shows US empire can be very hazardous to your health….
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/16/coronavirus-s…

India’s Prime Minister Is Using Pandemic to Repress Dissent, Says Arundhati Roy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-16
Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how “The Pandemic Is a Portal.” She says, “You have the sense that you’re sitting on some kind of explosive substance,” and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its…
truthout.org/video/indias-prime-minister…

India’s Prime Minister Is Using Pandemic to Repress Dissent, Says Arundhati Roy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-16
Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how “The Pandemic Is a Portal.” She says, “You have the sense that you’re sitting on some kind of explosive substance,” and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents. | Please check back later for full transcript.
truthout.org/video/indias-prime-minister…

Pandemic Is a Portal: Arundhati Roy on COVID-19 in India, Imagining Another World & Fighting for It
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-16
Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how “The Pandemic Is a Portal.” She says, “You have the sense that you’re sitting on some kind of explosive substance,” and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/16/arundhati…

German court rules blanket ban on demonstrations ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ as Merkel plans easing of Covid-19 restrictions
rt.com | 2020-04-16
Covid-19 health concerns are not grounds for a general ban on public demonstrations, a German court has ruled, after activists took a case arguing that Berlin’s current restrictions on public gatherings are unconstitutional. | If they adhere to social distancing rules, Germans should have the right to hold political protests, the Constitutional Court said in the Thursday ruling. | Activists in Giessen, a town in the federal state of Hesse, had planned a protest march to denounce new rules that ban gatherings of more than two people in public, arguing that they were in breach of the country’s constitution and c…
rt.com/news/486048-germany-court-ban-unc…

What about Beslan? Russian Human Rights Council fears change in WWII end date may overshadow anniversary of massacre
rt.com | 2020-04-16
Most of the world recognizes September 2, 1945 as the day World War II concluded. Following Victory Day in Europe that May, the conflict continued in Asia for four more months, until Japan formally surrendered. | In Russia, a plan to move the date has upset some activists. On Tuesday, the national parliament (State Duma) passed a law changing the final day of the Second World War to September 3. However, this coincides with another devastating tragedy – the Beslan School Massacre. | According to Chairman of the State Duma’s Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov, moving the date matches the reality in the Soviet…
rt.com/russia/486012-wwii-end-date-chang…

Reopening the US Would Require Thousands Public Health Workers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-16
U.S. public health agencies warned that lifting lockdown measures could require tens of thousands more investigators to call people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine. | RELATED: | Trump Halts US Funding to WHO | Without the extra help, officials insist, states cannot possibly be ready to resume normal everyday activities, and some agencies are so desperate they are considering recruiting librarians and Peace Corps volunteers to join the effort. | “We are trying to build…
telesurenglish.net/news/Reopening-the-US…