(2020-07-18). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the dangers of Sinophobia. thelancet.com One of the most productive experiences editors at The Lancet have had during the past 6 months has been the intense collaborations with medical and public health scientists in mainland China and Hong Kong. Cooperation began early in the pandemic. During the last week of January, The Lancet published five research papers from mainland China and Hong Kong describing the clinical presentation of patients with COVID-19, human-to-human transmission, genomic relatedness to the SARS coronavirus, and the risks of a global pandemic.
(2020-07-18). [Comment] COVID-19: Africa needs unprecedented attention to strengthen community health systems. thelancet.com As the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Liberia, in March, 2020, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,1 among others,2 highlighted the need to adopt lessons learned from the response to the 2014—16 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in west Africa. Ebola claimed about 11‚Äà300 lives in 21 months across Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.3 Comparisons to Ebola benefit from remembering the key differences between the two viruses. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory virus and is infectious among asymptomatic carriers.
(2020-07-18). [Editorial] No more normal. thelancet.com Do you long for a return to normal after COVID-19?
(2020-07-18). [Perspectives] Seven things organisations should be doing to combat racism. thelancet.com In the USA, the racial disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes collided with national conversations about racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. These events stimulated many organisations, including health-care institutions, to scramble to vocalise their stances on racial equity. The coming years will show if these statements translate into fundamental, lasting change. There are seven actions I hope to see from health-care organisations committed to addressing structural racism and building equitable environments.
(2020-07-18). [Comment] The Lancet—Chatham House Commission on improving population health post COVID-19. thelancet.com The health of populations across the planet is in a perilous state during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 550‚Äà000 deaths worldwide as of July 10, 2020.1 The disease burden is falling mainly on the most disadvantaged groups worldwide and there are major impacts on health systems across high, middle, and low-income countries. In parallel with these direct health impacts, the economic effects of lockdowns are leading to an unprecedented global recession which will have ramifications well into the future.
(2020-07-18). [World Report] New funds proposed to prevent pandemics. thelancet.com A new fund to prevent future pandemics has been proposed by the US Senate, and another by the World Bank. But some global health leaders have criticised the plans. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.
(2020-07-18). [Comment] A candid view of CANDOR. thelancet.com Investigations into new myeloma therapies have included combinations of up to four drugs containing a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulating agent, monoclonal antibody, and dexamethasone.1,2 However, increasing efficacy requires careful balance with toxicity. In The Lancet, Meletios Dimopoulos and colleagues3 report the initial results of the randomised, phase 3 CANDOR study, investigating a three-drug combination excluding an immunomodulator; carfilzomib, daratumumab, and dexamethasone (KdD) was compared with carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who had rec…
(2020-07-18). [Comment] The evolving clinical use of dexmedetomidine. thelancet.com In patients having cardiac and non-cardiac surgery, new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation and postoperative delirium have been associated with several adverse long-term outcomes, including increased cardiovascular, renal, and cerebral complications, worsened postoperative cognitive function, increased mortality, longer length of stay in hospital, and increased medical costs.1—3 Identifying effective therapies and modifiable factors that might reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and postoperative delirium is paramount.
(2020-07-18). [Articles] Urgent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with sphincterotomy versus conservative treatment in predicted severe acute gallstone pancreatitis (APEC): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. thelancet.com In patients with predicted severe gallstone pancreatitis but without cholangitis, urgent ERCP with sphincterotomy did not reduce the composite endpoint of major complications or mortality, compared with conservative treatment. Our findings support a conservative strategy in patients with predicted severe acute gallstone pancreatitis with an ERCP indicated only in patients with cholangitis or persistent cholestasis.
(2020-07-18). [Correspondence] Tranexamic acid for traumatic brain injury — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank the many correspondents for their comments about the CRASH-3 trial.1…
(2020-07-18). [Articles] Dexmedetomidine for reduction of atrial fibrillation and delirium after cardiac surgery (DECADE): a randomised placebo-controlled trial. thelancet.com Dexmedetomidine infusion, initiated at anaesthetic induction and continued for 24 h, did not decrease postoperative atrial arrhythmias or delirium in patients recovering from cardiac surgery. Dexmedetomidine should not be infused to reduce atrial fibrillation or delirium in patients having cardiac surgery.
(2020-07-18). [Perspectives] Abolition medicine. thelancet.com Who do you serve, who do you protect? Doctors and nurses are not soldiers. Antibiotics are not bombs, hospitals are not the front lines, hard-working medical trainees are not "gunners", and neither disease nor patients are "the enemy". Militarised language valorises aggression and violence in medical training and the clinical encounter while obfuscating the loyalties of health workers who serve and protect individuals and communities in need.
(2020-07-18). [Obituary] Bertram S Brown. thelancet.com Influential leader in US mental health. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, USA, on Jan 28, 1931, and died of cardiovascular disease in Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA, on May 14, 2020, aged 89 years.
(2020-07-18). [Correspondence] Tranexamic acid for traumatic brain injury. thelancet.com We read about the CRASH-3 study1 with interest. The CRASH-3 collab ≠orators are to be congratulated for their endeavour and their integrated analysis. However, we ask, who exactly benefits from this treatment?
(2020-07-18). [World Report] Cumberlege Review slams health care in England. thelancet.com The Review describes a culture of denial, institutional resistance to responding to safety concerns, and an absence of accountability. Talha Burki reports.
(2020-07-18). [Correspondence] Tackling corruption in global health. thelancet.com The Lancet Lecture by Patricia García1 on the pervasive yet invisible hand of corruption in global health pres ≠ents a compelling introduction to corruption and the various types that exist. Corruption truly is an "ignored pandemic"2 and we have no doubt that awareness needs to be raised; however, the Lecture does not present ways of raising awareness or specify a starting point. The recommendations to expand funding and adopt an integrated and multidisciplinary approach are incommensurate with the problem facing global health practitioners, the research community, and the public.
(2020-07-18). [Articles] Carfilzomib, dexamethasone, and daratumumab versus carfilzomib and dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (CANDOR): results from a randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 study. thelancet.com KdD significantly prolonged progression-free survival versus Kd in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and was associated with a favourable benefit—risk profile.
(2020-07-17). We cannot have the police viewing the people as the enemy. peoplesworld.org 
After the Black Lives Matter uprisings in May and June, which were prompted by the racist police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the slaying of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, few people in the world are unaware of the intensity of systemic racism in the U.S. From top to bottom, systemic racism dominates the …
(2020-07-17). Police Punish And Wall Street Profits. therealnews.com 
Taxpayers are paying double for police brutality settlements thanks to local governments buying bonds from Wall Street to cover payouts. San Diego cop watcher Kat from Irate Productions discusses recent police harassment of unarmed residents.
(2020-07-17). Saudi Coalition Attack on Yemen Wedding Party Leaves Over 30 Civilians Dead. mintpressnews.com United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths called for a transparent investigation into the attack, which comes just weeks after the UN took Saudi Arabia off its list of child killers.
(2020-07-17). Portland Mayor Condemns Masked Federal Agents Abducting Protesters. mintpressnews.com 
Human rights groups, activists, and local politicians are decrying what appears to be the Trump administration's latest tactic to crush nationwide protests that erupted in late May over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police.
(2020-07-17). Thoughts on Bayard Rustin Nostalgia. counterpunch.org A Dustin Guastella article on Nonsite dated July 9th generated controversy because it opposed defunding the cops. Like Bernie Sanders, another opponent of defunding, Guastella proposed reforms that would satisfy everybody since they would lead to less crime. If there were massive increases in federal social spending, there would be more jobs and hence less
(2020-07-17). Philadelphia Delays Unhoused Encampment Eviction as CDC Says "Let Them Remain" & Stop COVID Spread. democracynow.org 
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says unhoused people living in encampments should be allowed to remain where they are to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we go to Philadelphia, where the mayor has postponed the eviction of an encampment planned for this morning. "The Philadelphia Housing Authority has about 5,000 vacant properties," notes Sterling Johnson, an organizer with Black and Brown Workers Cooperative, who joins us from the camp. "We want to use them to create a community land trust. What they want to do is auction them off to private developers." The move comes as many cities have cont…
(2020-07-17). Monday 7/20: Bay Strike for Black Lives in Oakland. indybay.org Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St, Oakland CA 94611, Oakland, CA 94609…
(2020-07-17). Monday 7/20: San Francisco City Hall Strike for Black Lives. indybay.org San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102…
(2020-07-17). Roaming Charges: The Meaning of BB King in the Age of BLM. counterpunch.org 
In the summer of 1998, Alexander Cockburn and I spent a few days in North Richmond, California, a battered industrial city just outside of Berkeley. We had just published our book Whiteout on the CIA and drug trafficking and had been invited to speak at a black church about the horrific toll of the drug
(2020-07-17). No-fly zone: Pentagon effectively bans Confederate, LGBT and BLM flags from DoD property. rt.com 
The Pentagon has effectively banned the Confederate flag at US military sites around the world, without explicitly saying so, in a new policy unveiled on Friday. | A Department of Defense The LGBT pride flag and Black Lives Matter banners are also absent from the list of acceptable emblems. | A draft version of the policy repor…
(2020-07-17). 'You've the biggest nose I've ever seen': Black Portland cop details racist abuse dished out by white BLM protesters. rt.com 
Portland police officer Jakhary Jackson has detailed the stunning abuse he has faced during Black Lives Matter protests and blasted the "hypocritical" demonstrations for having fewer minorities than the police they're fighting. | In a wide ranging discussion Officer Jackson laid out some of his experiences on the frontline of the civil unrest which has unfolded in the city for nearly two months. | The cop reveals that he has been violently attacked with explosive devices, white protesters have hurled racist abuse at him and protesters routinely label white officers racists "without even knowing anything about…
(2020-07-17). Government-funded museum pulls 'racist' anti-white graphic from website. rt.com 
A taxpayer-funded museum of black history and culture has removed a chart describing a list of wholesome behaviors as white supremacist microaggressions. However, the museum remains committed to "deconstructing" whiteness itself. | The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a Smithsonian institution, and received some $33 million in government funding last year. At least some of that money went toward illustrating a chart describing a number of American virtues — including hard work, timekeeping, the nuclear family and delayed gratification — as traits of "whiteness." | The Nation…
(2020-07-17). Lloyds promises drive to hire more Black managers. thecanary.co One of the UK's biggest banks has promised that at least 3% of its managers will be Black by the middle of the decade. | Lloyds said it plans to increase the number of Black people in senior management roles by around 400%, as it said that a focus on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) targets had not led to enough progress. | As of 2011, a census found that just over 3% of the UK's population were Black, but Black people only make up around 1.5% of Lloyds' total workforce and 0.6% of senior management. | "We aim to create a fully inclusive environment that is representative of modern-day Britain and where ev…
(2020-07-17). Does Sanders Have a Secret Deal with Biden? globalresearch.ca Though Bernie Sanders is less dishonest than any other of the U.S. political leaders who have contested in the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Presidential primary campaigns, no one should trust his endorsements of the DNC's choice (which was what it …
(2020-07-17). The Downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17: The Quest for Truth and Justice. Review of the Evidence. globalresearch.ca The MH17 Inquiry has been conducted in an insidious fashion. Important pieces of evidence including eye witness reports, audio & video material transmitted through Ukraine Intelligence (SBU) have been manipulated or excluded from the Dutch inquiry, which largely endorses Washington's accusations directed against Moscow.
(2020-07-17). Chris Hedges: America Faces A Historic Choice — "Ugly Corporate Tyranny" Or Revolution. popularresistance.org Time is broken in Donald Trump's America. Minutes feel like hours, hours feel like days. Weeks are months, and months are years. And there is an overwhelming sense of time warped by dread as the country careens towards a dangerous climax on Election Day — whatever the outcome. | Disorientation is a feature of life in a failing democracy where fascism is ascendant. | In a widely read conversation here at Salon during the first few weeks of the national pandemic lockdown and the implosion of America's economy, journalist and bestselling author Chris Hedges warned that, compared to what may lie ahead, "these w…
(2020-07-17). Headlines for July 17, 2020. democracynow.org United States Hits Daily Record of 75,600 Coronavirus Cases as Death Rate Rises, Colorado & Arkansas Mandate Masks as Georgia's Governor Sues to Overturn Atlanta Mask Ordinance, Detroit Protesters Block School Buses in Bid to Halt In-Person Summer Classes, "Science Should Not Stand in the Way" of School Reopenings, Says Trump's Spokesperson, India and Brazil Pass Grim Coronavirus Milestones, Colombia's Hospitals Near Capacity as Paramilitaries Enforce Coronavirus Lockdowns with Violence, Thousands Still Planning to Attend Scaled-Back Republican National Convention in Florida, Trump Administration Wins Reprieve in…
(2020-07-17). "This Is Trump's War": U.S.-Backed Saudi Bombing in Yemen Continues as Coronavirus Spreads. democracynow.org 
As the coronavirus spreads in Yemen, where the population already devastated by the world's worst humanitarian crisis faces growing hunger and aid shortages, the Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition continues to drop bombs in the country. We speak to Yemeni scholar Shireen Al-Adeimi, who calls the ongoing crisis "Trump's war." "We're seeing death rates that are just astronomical," Al-Adeimi says. "The war continues, the bombing continues, the blockade is still enforced."
(2020-07-17). Sonia Shah: "It's Time to Tell a New Story About Coronavirus — Our Lives Depend on It" democracynow.org 
The United States hit an all-time high of 75,600 new COVID cases Thursday — the largest number recorded in a single day since the pandemic began. Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says the spike in cases resulted from states rushing to reopen their economies. We speak with investigative journalist Sonia Shah about the government's failed response, the false idea that the virus is a "foreign incursion," and "vaccine nationalism." In her latest piece for The Nation magazine, she argues, "It's Time to Tell a New Story About Coronavirus — Our Lives Depend on It."
(2020-07-17). Now Comes the Davos Global Economy "Great Reset". What Happens After the Covid-19 Pandemic? globalresearch.ca First published by GR on June 10, 2020 | For those wondering what will come after the Covid19 pandemic has successfully all but shut down the entire world economy, spreading the worst depression since the 1930s, the leaders of the premier …
(2020-07-17). The Life-Saving Covid-19 Drugs You've Never Heard Of (and Why). counterpunch.org The American profit-based healthcare system impacts us in more ways than just our gargantuan bill at the excretion end of an emergency room visit. Right now, our lovable idiotic inhumane healthcare system is acting as a hurdle to the manufacture and procurement of the right drugs to treat Covid-19. One of the drugs currently trumpeted
(2020-07-17). Deep organizing key to historic Flint Sit-Down Strike. workers.org 
These slightly edited remarks were given at a July 9 Workers World Party webinar on "Introduction to Revolutionary Deep Organizing." There is a medical definition for "inoculation": a set of methods of inducing immunity against various infectious diseases. The capitalists inoculate people against unionization. So what does it mean for . . . |
(2020-07-17). Biden: Clean energy 'must provide an opportunity to join a union'. peoplesworld.org 
(2020-07-17). The East-Bound Wind Causes a Storm in the West: Iran-China Sign Long-Term Trade Agreement. counterpunch.org 
A few months after the publication of his remarkable book, Adam Smith in Beijing, I had an illuminating conversation with Giovanni Arrighi about the significance of China in world history. The late sociologist was interested in knowing more about the subject of my scholarship—modern Iran and the Iranian revolution. When he saw my puzzled face,
(2020-07-17). The great American firewall: On the question of censorship. mronline.org 
It should not surprise anyone that China would take protective measures against the threat of U.S. imperialism in the realm of cyber technology.
(2020-07-17). The Sky Is Falling — Yes — No. counterpunch.org 
The sky is falling is one of the more disturbing thoughts in society today, as to whether climate change is on a fast track collision course with doomsday amidst a collapsing society. In that regard, according to the details of a scathing review by ScientistsWarning.org ("SW") of Jem Bendell's wildly popular "Deep Adaptation" the answer
(2020-07-17). "Putin Hacked Our Coronavirus Vaccine" Is The Dumbest Story Yet. thealtworld.com Today mainstream media is reporting what is arguably the single dumbest Russiavape story of all time, against some very stiff competition. | "Russian hackers are targeting health care organizations in the West in an attempt to steal coronavirus vaccine research, the U.S. and Britain said," "Hackers backed by the Russian state are trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world, Britain's National Cyber Security…
(2020-07-17). Eric the Clapper tells us why he claps. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES — "Did you clap tonight?" my faraway husband in Mexico asks me almost every evening when we talk. He's stuck there for immigration reasons, and I'm stuck here for coronavirus reasons. We haven't seen each other since early January, except on Facetime. "Oh, yes," I answer, and he always likes to grasp the …
(2020-07-17). To labor cheers, Virginia OKs emergency anti-coronavirus safety standard. peoplesworld.org 
RICHMOND, Va.—To cheers from Virginia workers and unions, the state Department of Labor and Industry went where GOP President Donald Trump's Occupational Safety and Health Administration won't: Imposing a statewide emergency standard ordering firms to immediately craft and put in place plans to protect their workers against the coronavirus pandemic. And if the firms don't …
(2020-07-17). Each heartbeat must be our song; the redness of blood, our banner. mronline.org 
Too little has been made of the fact that countries like Laos and Vietnam have been able to manage the coronavirus; there are no confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in either country.
(2020-07-17). Cuba in the last stretch of the Pandemic. mronline.org 
Cuba is only a few days away from ending its coronavirus quarantine. Except for Havana, all the other provinces are free of the contagion and have begun moving toward a new normality.
(2020-07-17). Behind the #MeToo Headlines with JoAnn Wypijewski. counterpunch.org 
The wise, compassionate and refreshingly sex-positive JoAnn Wypijewski has come out with a remarkable new book with a very long name, What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo: Essays on Sex, Authority and the Mess of Life (Verso). The title's luxurious length underlines how important it is sometimes to discuss things fully, and how, when we
(2020-07-17). Why Government Mostly Helps People Who Need It the Least…Even During a Crisis. counterpunch.org 
In January 2020, the NASDAQ stock market's index stood just under 10,000. In the March crash, it fell to 7,000. As of July 10, 2020, it hit 10,600. The U.S. government's economic policies produced a "recovery" for the rich who own the vast bulk of stocks. Their holdings are worth more now than before COVID-19 hit us. The other major benchmarks for securities, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard and Poor 500, show similarly dramatic, slightly smaller recoveries.
(2020-07-17). Of Toddlers, Wolves, and Public Lands Ranchers. counterpunch.org 
As I sit here thinking about wolves, my child is now peacefully sleeping in his room. I know he will awake tomorrow and much of his toddler fury will have subsided, creating a time for us to interact with each other positively. I can't help but think of the parallels between some bad-acting livestock producers, grazing on public lands across the West, and my raging pre-bedtime toddler. The evening meltdown ritual is full of entitlement, irrational beliefs, and a lot of whining. It is now in these precious hours of silence that I understand why these tantrums are so familiar. I hear the same chorus from stock grow…
(2020-07-17). In Lockdown With Edward Hopper's Prophetic Paintings. counterpunch.org 
When I lived in Chicago, I often went to the Art Institute to admire the paintings of Edward Hopper, especially Nighthawks. Later on, I would do the same thing in New York, at the Whitney; both galleries have excellent Hopper collections. I remembered those visits when, in full lockdown, social media were flooded with images
(2020-07-17). Where Have All the Demos Gone? Cappies Killed 'Em, One By One. counterpunch.org 
The world's greatest democracy will lead a whole world of democracies. — Bill Clinton He can't even run his own life / I'll be damned if he'll run mine, sunshine — Jonathan Edwards There we were, two months in, lost at home, ball-and-chained to a virus, but finally, because we're a nation of 'rugged individualists,'
(2020-07-17). Angel Olsen and Hand Habits "Walls" counterpunch.org 
…
(2020-07-17). Trump: White Bread Not Yet Toasted. counterpunch.org 
The Orange Fascist Death Machine Donald Trump is a fascist death machine. He's proved it again and again in numerous ways, including but not limited to these: the separation and caging of migrant children, hailing Nazi white supremacists as "fine people," pardoning sociopathic fascists and war criminals, holding regular white nationalist hate rallies, conveying far-right
(2020-07-17). A Proposed Origin for SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 Pandemic. counterpunch.org 
In all the discussions of the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, enormous scientific attention has been paid to the molecular character of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including its novel genome sequence in comparison with its near relatives. In stark contrast, virtually no attention has been paid to the physical provenance of those nearest genetic relatives, its
(2020-07-17). Economic Crisis and the Question of Capitalism. counterpunch.org 
On the precipice of what will likely be the worst economic crisis in modern history, the question not being asked is: why capitalism? To date, temporary government payments— tilted largely toward the rich, have sustained some parts of the pre-pandemic economy through a state of suspended animation that ended in fits and starts with reopening.
(2020-07-17). On the Separation of Church and State. counterpunch.org 
Once again, the Supreme Court showed its undemocratic and misogynist colors. It came down against women, encouraging employers not to pay for birth control services. The Supreme Court is obviously catering to the fashionable superstitions of religious preachers who resent the struggle of women for dignity and equality. The judges are also woefully ignorant the planet has
(2020-07-17). Rev. Dr. William Barber II: A Multi-Racial Coalition Is Necessary For This Moment. therealnews.com 
Poor People's Campaign Co-Chairs Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis and Rev. Dr. William Barber II want to seize this moment with a broad-based, multi-racial movement to change an 'impoverished democracy.'
(2020-07-17). Leaked documents show police knew far-right extremists were the real threat at protests, not "ANTIFA" mronline.org 
We've seen the way that the police responded to nonviolent civil disobedience at Standing Rock or in Ferguson versus the laissez-faire approach they've used in a number of these white supremacist riots. They clearly can regulate their behavior. Why they choose not to when it's groups protesting police violence is what I think local government …
(2020-07-17). Philippine President Duterte signs 'Anti-Terrorism Bill' into law. liberationnews.org 
Main photo: National Democratic activists and allies denounce the Anti-Terror Law. Credit: Anakbayan Silicon Valley On July 3, the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, signed into law the Anti-Terrorism Bill of 2020, commonly known as the "Anti-Terrorism Law." The bill, which broadens the definition of terrorism, takes effect July 18. Historical context The National …
(2020-07-17). øPor qué ganaron los beneficios de DACA? workers.org 
La Corte Suprema por más de 230 años ha llevado a cabo los objetivos conservadores de sus creadores. Ha protegido la propiedad privada, incluida la "propiedad" de los seres humanos, y ha minimizado el derecho de los pobres a asociarse para la lucha unida. Actualmente, Corte Suprema de los Estados . . . |
(2020-07-17). News about life behind the walls. workers.org 
Cruel and unusual: Lack of air conditioning exacerbates medical conditions Across the hottest places in the U.S., caged humans often face unbearable and sometimes lethal conditions behind the walls where air conditioning is not provided. The Prison Policy Initiative has found that famously hot states lack universal air conditioning in . . . |
(2020-07-17). WATCH: Immigrant workers camp outside Bezos' NYC apartment as part of AOC-sponsored campaign to tax billionaires. rt.com 
Dozens of immigrant workers have begun a joint 24-hour fast and sleep-out outside billionaire Jeff Bezos' $16 million penthouse in Manhattan, to lobby New York authorities to tax the wealthy to help the pandemic-affected poor. | High-profile Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among those behind a campaign to push New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to further tax the mega-rich in the state and use the revenue generated to help workers in need of assistance during the pandemic. | Eyewitness footage from the scene shows the workers, joined by city council members, set up camp on Fifth Avenue near the Amazon-o…
(2020-07-17). 'Toronto is in Canada, Laura': Internet goes wild after Laura Ingraham slams Biden & Trump for not caring about Canuck Catholics. rt.com 
Fox News' Laura Ingraham has been mercilessly mocked for accusing Donald Trump and Joe Biden of not protecting religious liberty, after Catholic churches were advised to suspend communion during the Covid-19 pandemic… in Canada. | Ingraham tweeted on Friday that there is "not a prayer" of a chance that Democrat candidate Biden would do more to protect religious liberties than Trump if elected president. In…
(2020-07-17). CNN's Acosta mangles White House quote on science & reopening schools, corrects himself ONLY after misleading tweet goes viral. rt.com 
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was lambasted online after relaying the president's support for reopening schools this fall, but a quote singled out by critics was deceptively stripped of all context. | The row was sparked during a White House presser on Thursday, after a reporter asked McEnany about how parents might approach the upcoming academic year, as a growing number of school districts around the country move to full-time virtual learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. | "The president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open," McEnany replied. "I was just in the Oval talking to…
(2020-07-17). Jamaal Bowman's victory over 16-term centrist continues Dems' drift leftward as fight over House Foreign Affairs chair heats up. rt.com 
Progressive Jamaal Bowman's electoral victory over 16-term New York congressman Eliot Engel has been confirmed by the AP after a month of mail-in vote counting, kicking off a battle over Engel's foreign affairs post. | The AP called the election for Bowman on Friday after receiving absentee vote totals from Westchester County, a section of which comprises the richer, whiter portion of the state's 16th District. The totals showed Engel slightly ahead among mail-in voters, but not by nearly enough to overtake Bowman's election day landslide. The final results had Bowman ahead by 16 points. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-07-17). Nazis are VICTIMS of hate crime? Police launch probe into graffiti on monument to SS soldiers, Canadians stunned it even exists. rt.com 
News that graffiti on a memorial to Nazi soldiers is being treated as a "hate crime" has stunned many Canadians, who were not only baffled by the police's logic but also seemingly unaware that their country hosted such a monument. | The object in question, which was erected for Ukrainian nationalists who fought for the Nazis as part of the infamous 1st Galician Division of the SS during World War II, had been defaced in late June. | Located at the Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario, the cenotaph reportedly had the words "Nazi war monument" painted on it some weeks ago — pretty accurat…
(2020-07-17). Portland police say protesters threaten to BURN DOWN the precinct. Tensions between demonstrators and law enforcement mount. rt.com 
Protesters in Portland, Oregon are said to have threatened to torch a police station, hours after law enforcement cleared out a street encampment. The acting Homeland Security chief has arrived in the city to assess the situation. | Demonstrators descended on several areas in downtown Portland on Thursday evening, with dozens of activists surrounding the Portland Police Bureau's Southeast Precinct building. Officers requested that demonstrators vacate the area after they "heard chants stating the crowd around Southeast Precinct wants to enter the property and burn down the precinct." The police force warned th…
(2020-07-17). Connecticut Catholic church defaced with SATANIC & ANARCHIST symbols, as spate of vandalism attacks targets Christian sites. rt.com 
A Catholic church in Connecticut was vandalized sometime between Wednesday night and early Thursday, possibly becoming the latest casualty in a US culture war that has increasingly targeted Christian figures in recent days. | Masses and other activities were canceled at least through Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in New Haven as parish leaders assessed the damage, including what appear to be satanic and anarchist symbols painted on the building's doors, the Rev. John Paul Walker said in a Facebook
(2020-07-17). Why Laos, Vietnam & China Have Beaten the Virus and India, Brazil and the U.S. Have Not. strategic-culture.org 
Vijay Prashad explores the differences between the pandemic responses of a few countries with socialist governments and others in the capitalist order. | Vijay PRASHAD | Too little has been made of the fact that countries like Laos and Vietnam have been able to manage the coronavirus; there are no confirmed deaths from Covid-19 in either country. Both of these Southeast Asian states border China, where the virus was first detected in late December 2019, and both have thriving trade and tourist relations with China. India is separated from China by the high Himalaya Mountains, while Brazil and the United States ha…
(2020-07-17). What are the latest coronavirus lockdown measures to be eased in England? thecanary.co 
Coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown measures are to be relaxed further from 1 August in England under new plans announced by prime minister Boris Johnson.Here is what will change and what measures will remain in place to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.(PA Graphics)Working from home | : Johnson said he would broadly lift the work-from-home guidance which has been in place for most people in the UK during lockdown.However he said it was up to individual employers, rather than the government or workers, to decide whether their staff should return to the office from 1 August.Employers "should be encouraging" workers…
(2020-07-17). Growing number of nurses thinking of leaving the profession, many due to low pay, according to poll. thecanary.co 
An increasing number of nursing staff are thinking of leaving the profession, with many citing pay as a reason, a poll suggests. A survey of 41,798 UK nursing staff by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found 73% said higher pay would make them feel more valued.More than one in three (36%) are thinking of leaving their job, up from 27% in a similar poll at the end of 2019. Of those thinking of leaving, 61% cited pay as a factor.Other factors included the way nursing staff have been treated during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic (44%), low staffing levels (43%), and lack of management support (42%).Alarmin…
(2020-07-17). Good News from Washington: AIPAC, Israel Losing to Progressive Democrats. counterpunch.org 
While the US administration of President Donald Trump remains adamant in its support for Israel, the traditional democratic leadership continues to employ underhanded language, the kind of 'strategic ambiguity' that offers full support to Israel and nothing but lip service to Palestine and peace. Trump's policies on Israel and Palestine have been damaging, culminating in
(2020-07-17). An Ultimate Meaning of the Bernie 2020 Campaign: "Not Him. Us." indybay.org We've got to lead ourselves out of the capitalist wilderness…
(2020-07-17). Remembering Israel's Killing of Four Children on the Beach in Gaza. globalresearch.ca What: Israeli missile kills four children of the same family on a beach in Gaza | When: 16 July, 2014 | Where: The Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine | What happened? | Israel's military
(2020-07-17). Germany's Presidency of the EU Will Determine if the Bloc Joins the New Multipolar World Order. globalresearch.ca Relations between the U.S. and European powers like Germany and France are reaching a historic low. This is especially true after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew a large portion of the American military stationed in Germany to other European countries …
(2020-07-17). China's Economy and Globalization: A Look into the Future. globalresearch.ca After the corona crisis, may the world be facing a monumental paradigm shift of power towards a more balanced civilization — more social justice and equity? The global almost total lockdown, chosen by most governments around the globe in response …
(2020-07-17). Turmoil at Home, Turmoil Abroad: Israel and the U.S. Escalate Their War Against Iran. globalresearch.ca As the combined impact of the corona virus and the wholesale destruction of America's history and culture, or at least the part of it that is white, continues, it is nice to see that other nations are getting into the …
(2020-07-17). SEP candidates respond to California state officials in ballot access lawsuit. indybay.org Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz respond to California officials who would have Socialist Equality Party (SEP) signature gatherers run a deadly COVID-19 "minefield" to gain them ballot access in November. In federal court they argued that putting the signature gatherers and the public at risk during the pandemic is unconstitutional and unacceptable.
(2020-07-17). Video: Unidentified Warplanes Struck Turkish-led Forces in Syria. Turkish Spy Plane Crashed Near Iraqi Border. globalresearch.ca Early on July 16, unidentified warplanes conducted at least 3 airstrikes on the Turkish-occupied town of al-Bab in the Syrian province of Aleppo. The strikes destroyed a large building in the town center and led to multiple casualties. Pro-Turkish sources …
(2020-07-17). Dems and GOP to Debate Extended Stimulus Benefits Next Week. globalresearch.ca Current federal unemployment benefits expire in days. | In May, House-controlled Dems narrowly passed a new $3 trillion stimulus package. | So-called Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) legislation extends current federal benefits through at least yearend. | Senate Majority Leader …
(2020-07-17). At least 72 Taliban killed as violence rages in Afghanistan. yenisafak.com As violence surges across the country, Afghan security forces on Friday said at least 72 Taliban militants, including four top commanders, have been killed in operations in three provinces.In a statement, the Afghan National Army said 32 more insurgents were also injured in ground and air offensives in northern Balkh, Faryab, and Sar-i-Pul provinces over the past 24 hours.Earlier this week, at least 36 security personnel were killed and over 60 others wounded in northern parts of the country amid a rise in Taliban-claimed attacks.On Sunday, the Taliban rejected growing calls for cease-fire by the Afghan governmen…
(2020-07-17). Hong Kong Security Law Is Common Sense, Not Controversial. globalresearch.ca China's special administration region of Hong Kong saw the passing of a security law outlawing acts universally recognized as criminal and threats to any nation's security and sovereignty. | Despite what would appear to be common sense legislation, the Western media …
(2020-07-17). Vulgar Militarism: Expanding the Australian War Memorial. dissidentvoice.org It was a decision both rash and indulgent. In November 2018, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, after being nudged incessantly by then Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson, committed to a redevelopment project intended to double the exhibition space in Campbell. The amount for the project would be just shy of a half-billion dollars and …
(2020-07-17). 'Cancel culture' is a myth. So is the idea that the political right is under siege. thecanary.co An There's certainly something superficially attractive about this argument. After all, who could possibly be against free speech an…
(2020-07-17). The 'strongmen' have failed. peoplesdispatch.org Three countries, the US, Brazil and India, lead the global COVID-19 case count. What connects them are their leaders -Trump, Bolsonaro and Modi – whose policies and polarizing ways have hindered efforts to combat the disease.
(2020-07-17). Neoliberal discourse on land harms livelihoods and environmental security: Oakland Institute report. peoplesdispatch.org Studying the cases of countries like Ukraine, Zambia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Brazil, the Oakland Institute report debunks some of the myths on development and land use propagated by mainstream economics, and calls for the preservation of commons.
(2020-07-17). America Declaring China's Territorial Claims Illegal Is All Bark & No Bite. The US Is Militarily & Economically Impotent. globalresearch.ca Mike Pompeo's statement that Beijing's claims in the South China Sea are unlawful was seen by some as a dramatic step toward war. But it's little more than bluster as the US knows it is not yet capable of taking …
(2020-07-17). Will China be the New Russia? zcomm.org The Future of American Geopolitics…
(2020-07-17). Trump's 'Plan' Is Simply to Make the Virus and Its Casualties Disappear. zcomm.org Source: Independent Media Institute When schoolchildren across the United States began their summer break, President Donald Trump had more than two months to bring the coronavirus crisis under control in time for schools to reopen for the fall. But, instead of tackling the virus' spread head-on, he did what most observers expected of him:
(2020-07-17). More than two hundred Mexican oil workers at PEMEX have died from COVID-19. wsws.org The state-owned oil company also reported that 234 family members of workers have also died from coronavirus.
(2020-07-17). Warnings Grow: "We are in a Massive Economic Downturn" counterpunch.org This week, Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard gave a speech via webcast to the National Association for Business Economics. She warned, effectively, that the rosy spin coming out of the Trump administration needed to be weighed against the reality on the ground. Brainard raised the caution that credit downgrades on bonds and corporate defaults are
(2020-07-17). Class Disparities and Child Abuse in Ireland 2020. counterpunch.org The newly formed government of the Twenty-Six County state in Ireland has been in existence less than a month but is already mired in several controversies; the usual circuses thrown up by capitalist society with governments lurching from each to the next without any alteration to the status quo. One of them is worth looking
(2020-07-17). We Treasure What We Measure. counterpunch.org Transparency, transparency, transparency. The word has become a battle cry in Trump times, and there was another skirmish this week when the administration ordered hospitals to send their Covid-19 data not to the Centers for Disease Control, where it's publicly available, but rather to the Department of Health and Human Services, where it will be
(2020-07-17). The Republicans and Democrats: Two Wings, Same Bird. counterpunch.org The Republican and Democratic conventions are still to come, but the election is already well underway. That is obvious from, among other things, the amount of solicitation emails this writer is receiving from Democratic candidates and organizations. These are all basically the same, and follow a pattern which clearly shows that these people and groups
(2020-07-17). After Years of Underfunding, Public School Teachers are Now Supposed to Save the Economy? counterpunch.org "After 9/11, New York City police and firefighters were hailed as heroes," said Mary Parr-Sanchez, president of the New Mexico affiliate of the National Education Association, when I spoke with her about how educators have responded to the pandemic in her state. "After this, I hope teachers will be viewed as the community pillars that
(2020-07-17). Cut the Pentagon Budget 10 Percent and Invest in Public Health. counterpunch.org It feels like the world is falling apart. But with a pandemic raging and an eviction crisis looming, the Senate is preparing to spend three quarters of a trillion dollars… not on public health or housing, but on the Pentagon. The United States may be going down, but we're going down well-armed. At a time
(2020-07-17). Freedom vs. Public Health: a False Dichotomy. counterpunch.org There has been a new addition to the tedious U.S. culture wars: mask wearing. It didn't have to be this way. A simple tactic to protect oneself and also limit the spread of Covid-19 did not have to become a political hot potato. Wearing a mask did not have to mean one supports secular science
(2020-07-17). Six Years on from Malaysia Airlines MH17 Destruction: A Clear Lack of Evidence that Moscow Was Behind It. globalresearch.ca The fighting that erupted in the east of Ukraine can be traced to a US-instituted coup d'état of February 2014 — confirmed by president Obama on CNN when he confided that Washington had "brokered a deal to transition power" in the country, forcing Viktor Yanukovych from office.
(2020-07-17). Early use of low dose tocilizumab in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study with a complete follow-up. thelancet.com Early treatment with tocilizumab could be helpful to prevent excessive hyper-inflammation and death in COVID-19 related pneumonia. Low dose administration of tocilizumab is not associated with adverse events.
(2020-07-17). COVID-19 tightens its grip on the African continent. peoplesdispatch.org As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent surpasses 600,000, the nature of the virus has taken on its own character. This happens while the global infection rate has surpassed
(2020-07-17). Indian political prisoners, Varavara Rao and G.N. Saibaba face grave health risks. peoplesdispatch.org 79-year-old Varavara Rao has contracted COVID-19 and G.N. Saibaba, who is 90% disabled, is in a prison where a large number of cases have been reported.
(2020-07-17). [Original Research] Socio-demographic heterogeneity in the prevalence of COVID-19 during lockdown is associated with ethnicity and household size: Results from an observational cohort study. thelancet.com In individuals presenting with suspected COVID-19, those from ethnic minority communities and larger households had an increased likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. Pandemic control measures may have more rapid impact on slowing viral transmission amongst those of White ethnicity compared to ethnic minority groups, Research is urgently required to understand the mechanisms underlying these disparities and whether public health interventions have differential effects on individuals from ethnic minority groups.
(2020-07-17). Trump Now Has Free Rein to Cook the Books When It Comes to COVID. zcomm.org Trump has determined that, beginning today, his administration will commandeer the COVID-19 patient numbers, take full control of them, and maybe even get the National Guard involved in this astonishing and dangerous power grab…
(2020-07-17). Palestinian prisoner with cancer who tested positive for COVID-19 is in critical condition. peoplesdispatch.org Kamal Abu Wa'ar, who suffers from throat cancer, was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week. He is currently in the Assaf Harofeh medical center and in a critical condition according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society…
(2020-07-17). Health care workers take action to preserve lives as COVID-19 spreads throughout Africa. wsws.org From the onset of the pandemic, health care workers across the continent sounded the alarm over the lack of staff as well as ventilators and ICU beds.
(2020-07-17). COVID-19 — Remdesivir: License to Kill. Hydroxychloroquine: Prohibition to Cure. globalresearch.ca Remdesivir's fight against Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is somewhat symbolic of the fight of medical journals, of corrupt institutions against field medicine, of the many general practitioners who are at the bedside. | Remdesivir is an expensive molecule, owned by a pharmaceutical company, …
(2020-07-17). As India approaches 1 million COVID-19 cases, Modi government continues to deny community transmission. wsws.org The absurd claim that India is not experiencing significant community transmission is part of the government's reckless back-to-work drive and its criminal "herd immunity" policy.
(2020-07-17). Police Knew Far-Right Extremists Were Real Threat at Protests, not "Antifa" zcomm.org While the White House beat the drum for a crackdown on a leaderless movement on the left, law enforcement offices across the country were sharing detailed reports of far-right extremists seeking to attack the protesters and police during the country's historic demonstrations…
(2020-07-17). Soon, You Will Need to Wear a Mask to Enter Virtually Every Major Retail Store in America. globalresearch.ca If you are adamant about not wearing a mask, you are not going to like this news one bit. Coming into this week, Costco, Starbucks, Best Buy and Panera Bread were requiring customers to wear masks to come into their …
(2020-07-17). 20 Dictators Currently Supported by the US. globalresearch.ca What nations say they stand for and what the evidence suggests they stand for can be — and frequently are — two entirely different things. This highly thought-provoking book puts the world's most powerful nation in the spotlight and compares …
(2020-07-17). The Architecture of Domestic Repression in the United States. globalresearch.ca Millions of Americans have awakened to the shocking realization that they are living in a veritable police state as they witness unarmed peaceful protesters for racial justice being confronted by a …
(2020-07-17). "The Russians Are Coming", Again! Poorly Understood Cybercrimes Play Perfectly into Political Agendas. globalresearch.ca Foreign hackers are determined as ever to steal technology, meddle in elections and skew foreign policy, but fear not! The CIA has apparently been authorized to deliver preemptive cyber-strikes based on partisan mythmaking. | US, UK and Canadian intelligence dropped a …
(2020-07-17). Ontario: An Economic Recovery for Who? globalresearch.ca In the first week of July, the Ontario government announced the
(2020-07-17). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (09— 15 July 2020). imemc.org Summary Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multi-faceted violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, a civilian was killed by Israeli forces while he was walking with his …
(2020-07-17). UN's envoy to Yemen calls for probe into Saudi coalition strike that killed 11. peoplesdispatch.org The airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on a house where people had gathered for a celebration led to the death of at least 11 people according to the UN humanitarian coordination office. Houthi sources said the death toll was 24…
(2020-07-17). Turkish court remands nine PKK/KCK suspects. yenisafak.com A Turkish court remanded nine suspects in the country's southeastern Gaziantep province over links to the PKK/KCK terror group, security sources said Friday.Those remanded include Musa Aydin, a provincial head of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and two aldermen from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).Earlier, prosecutors had issued warrants for the suspects in a probe against the terror group, following which 33 were arrested on Thursday.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU — has…
(2020-07-17). Rights group blasts French 'complicit silence' in Libya. yenisafak.com France's history of solely calling out Turkey's actions in Libya while turning a blind eye to steps taken by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is "complicit silence" par excellence, Human Rights Watch said Friday."That Macron is only accusing Turkey— which supports the government recognized by the United Nations and, at least officially, by France itself— is perplexing, yet it reveals France's ambiguities regarding Libya," Bruno Stagno Ugarte, the group's deputy executive director for advocacy, said in a blog post.He was referring to French President Emmanuel Macron. "In singling out Ankara, Macron k…
(2020-07-17). Imperial's COVID-19 vaccine moves to next phase. imperial.ac.uk Clinical trials to test a new coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at Imperial College London are progressing to the next phase.
(2020-07-17). Majority of US states seeing rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission. imperial.ac.uk The majority of US states are seeing a rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission, according to Imperial analysis.
(2020-07-17). Saturday 7/25: F*ck the UC: No cops, no firings, no layoffs. indybay.org UC Office of the President, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland CA 94607…
(2020-07-17). G20 Must Act, Say Hundreds of Religious, Labor, Human Rights, Environmental and Developmen. indybay.org Washington DC – Ahead of Saturday's G20 Finance Minister meetings, a wide range of 213 organizations is pressing for more action to confront the global health and economic impacts of the coronavirus. The largest religious bodies in the United States and Africa were joined by the biggest labor unions, human rights, environmental and anti-poverty groups in letters sent to the G20, IMF and White House.
(2020-07-17). Thursday 7/23: Food Supply, Diet and the Environment in the age of COVID-19. indybay.org Online via livestream and Zoom…
(2020-07-17). The 9 coffin nails of democracy. indybay.org Democracy is an achievement and must be won anew, expanded and defended against attacks in every era… The political conformity of the mainstream press is a sad chapter. "Representative democracy" is a fine word, but who do the representatives actually represent today? Citizens want "representatives of the people."
(2020-07-17). Wednesday 7/22: History of Alcatraz & Mass Incarceration In America Today. indybay.org Online…
(2020-07-17). Thousands of Elected Officials see a turning point, and rally against fossil fuel industry. indybay.org In this historic moment of reckoning for the energy future of America, elected officials join indigenous and front-lines organizers in celebrating victories over unjust and exploitative pipelines. With the tide of public opinion clearly opposed to carbon emissions and the oil industry's devastating reevaluations the vise-like grip of the fossil fuel industry's lobbying influence has begun to weaken.
(2020-07-17). Economic impact of corona lockdowns. indybay.org Even before the current lockdown-induced economic depression, the assets of the lowest 20 percent of US households – between 2007 and 2019 – had fallen by about a third according to the Wall Street Journal, and their incomes had fallen by 2 percent in real terms in these 12 years. Then came the lockdown. It hit the bottom fifth of the US population correspondingly hard.
(2020-07-17). Questions Still Unanswered. indybay.org In late May, I wrote SCPD boss Andy Mills a lengthy letter reiterating questions asked him around three years ago that have largely been unanswered with any specificity. He responded ("An Updated Letter to SCPD Police Chief Mills in the Wake of the George Floyd Murder" at www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/29/188…). This is my follow-up to his response written in mid-June. I received no answer to any of the follow-up questions…
(2020-07-17). Singing Out & Standing Up For Freedom! Group Yorum Banned & Repressed By The Government. indybay.org This documentary is about Group Yorum band from Turkey and their music of struggle against the system. They have been banned and repressed by the government.
(2020-07-17). Under the Tricolor Flag Flying at Camp Darby. US Military Hegemony in Italy Prevails. globalresearch.ca While many activities blocked by the lockdown are struggling to restart after the restriction's relaxation, there is something that never stopped, and is now accelerating: Camp Darby, the largest US arsenal in the world outside the motherland, which is located …
(2020-07-17). Modi's 'New' India: Notch Or Knot On China's Belt (And Road Initiative). popularresistance.org File it in the rapidly-brimming "biggest-stories-of-2020-you-haven't-heard-about" folder. | Amidst the madness merger of pandemic and protests — both of which Trump's minions have blamed on China — there's been scant attention paid to a brewing conflict between two of the world's nine nuclear-armed powers (accounting for some 430 warheads between them). One is a rather flighty proxy — India — that Washington has long pursued with the oft-hopeless passion of a smitten suitor. The other, an "enemy" of "freedom," America, and apple pie everywhere: a Chinese dragon to whom new cold war enthusi…
(2020-07-17). Colombians Question Deployment Of US Security Forces. popularresistance.org Colombian soldiers and military brass have been implicated in a string of human rights violations in recent weeks. On May 1, Semana magazine reported that the Colombian military illegally used U.S. military aid to spy on journalists and human rights defenders, including U.S. citizens. On June 4, Colombian armed forces carried out forced eradication of illicit crops and injured six farmers. On June 25, seven soldiers confessed to gang-raping a 13-year-old Emberá girl in Northern Colombia. | Yet the United States is only deepening its relationship with the Colombian military. On May 28, the U.S. Southern Command (S…
(2020-07-17). Human Solidarity And A Global Health Commons. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us of the most fundamental features of the human condition: the solidarity that exists between humans across borders, between humans and all other living beings, as well as between living beings and their environments. This reminder, which obtuse nationalisms and competitive logics are already rushing to hush up, invites us to rethink what a true global political institution should be — what we will here call the "global commons of humanity." | The lessons from the pandemic also apply to other major problems that confront humanity, starting with global warming and the processio…
(2020-07-17). Nicaragua: The Revolution Won't Be Stopped. popularresistance.org 2019 was an amazing year in the search for peace in Nicaragua with The Amnesty Law and the promotion of reconciliation between neighbors in every corner of the nation. It was a year of life-giving advances in all aspects of wellbeing: poverty reduction, health, education, gender equity, recreation, culture and infrastructure; strengthened food security, and a new highway that joins Bluefields to the rest of the nation making the first paved transit route from the Caribbean to the Pacific. | And all this despite cruel US unconventional warfare against the Sandinistas that has gone on for decades and reached a peak…
(2020-07-17). Losing the Plot Again… Trump's Anti-EU Rant Has Dangerous Implications for China. strategic-culture.org It was a barnstorming speech even by President Donald Trump's dubious standard when he gave a press conference this week from the White House Rose Garden. | In typical self-promotional style, he lashed out at everyone and everything under the sun, it seemed, from his Democrat presidential rival Joe Biden to China, from coronavirus to illegal immigrants, and much more besides. Here's the It would be charitable to call Trump's electioneering rant "entertaining" so replete was it with vitri…
(2020-07-17). VIDEO: Turmoil at Home, Turmoil Abroad: Israel and the U.S. Escalate Their War Against Iran. strategic-culture.org Iran has been under the threat of war ever since their Islamic revolution over 40 years ago. After decades of war threats, Washington may finally be starting the war… incrementally. Watch the video and read more in the
(2020-07-17). Conflict Looms for Egypt and Ethiopia Over Nile Dam. strategic-culture.org Ethiopia appears to be going ahead with its vow to begin filling a crucial hydroelectric dam on the Nile River after protracted negotiations with Egypt broke down earlier this week. There are grave concerns the two nations may go to war as both water-stressed countries consider their share of the world's longest river a matter of existential imperative. | Cairo is
(2020-07-17). Leicester mayor hits out at lockdown measures being enforced on 'party political' lines. thecanary.co Leicester's mayor has criticised the government for taking a "sledgehammer approach" to the city's lockdown. It came after Matt Hancock announced only a partial relaxation of the measures imposed more than two weeks ago. | Hancock has announced changes to the lockdown boundary, with the restrictions only applying to the city of Leicester and the borough of Oadby and Wigston from 24 July. | #LockdownLeicester — Leicester City Mayor (@CityMayorLeic)
(2020-07-17). Turkey distributes hygiene kits in Tanzania. yenisafak.com Turkey's state-run aid agency distributed hygiene kits to thousands of prisoners in Tanzania amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the agency said in a statement on Friday.The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) dispatched the aid to assist the African nation.Sophia Mjema, district governor of Ilala, thanked TIKA for not forgetting prisoners and supporting the community health care.Tanzania has so far reported 509 coronavirus cases, 183 recoveries and 21 fatalities, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.The global pandemic has claimed over 590,600 lives in 188 countries…
(2020-07-17). Hajj cancelation due to COVID-19 hurting Somali farmers. yenisafak.com With the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the socio-economic lives of Somalis have been dealt a serious blow.Livestock accounts for almost 80% of Somali export earnings, providing nutrition and income to more than 60% of the population, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization."I have to sell my animals whenever I hear there is a market right now. COVID-19 has really affected us who used to export animals all the way to Saudi Arabia for Hajj," livestock trader Cabdi Axmed told Anadolu Agency at an open-air Barwaaqo-sooraan ma…
(2020-07-17). British tourists prefer Turkey for safe tourism. yenisafak.com British tourists are enjoying summertime in Turkey thanks to top-notch measures taken against the coronavirus outbreak.Hosting a large number of foreign tourists, the Aegean province of Mugla has been the most preferred holiday destination of British tourists especially in recent years.Steven Dawlo, one of the tourists, told Anadolu Agency that they love Mugla so much that they visit twice a year."We really love Turkey, and we are glad we can fly now," he said, adding that they feel safer in Turkey than at home.Tommy Doffie, also a tourist, said they have chosen Turkey for holiday many times before.Doffie said th…
(2020-07-17). Pakistan extends lockdown in southern province. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Friday announced a lockdown in its southernmost province of Sindh amid rising coronavirus cases.According to an official notification by the provincial government, the lockdown will remain in place until Aug. 15.All public places including parks and restaurants will remain closed to curb the spread of the virus.Pakistan on Friday reported 2,085 new cases bringing the tally to 259,997, according to the Health Ministry.The country also recorded 49 more fatalities raising the death toll to 5,475.A total of 1,875 are in critical condition in hospitals.Meanwhile, the government claims there has been a decl…
(2020-07-17). Turkey retrieves two more migrant bodies, including child, from lake. yenisafak.com Two more bodies, including one of a child, from late last month's boat sinking incident were recovered Friday from a lake in eastern Turkey.Rescue teams continue efforts to recover the remaining bodies from Lake Van, where a boat carrying up to 60 people sank on June 27.The number of retrieved bodies reached 42. Efforts are underway to recover the remaining bodies.A total of five suspects have been remanded in custody over the incident.Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, the number of irregular migrants arriving in Turkey has declined.However, more than 21,000 migrants have reached Van so far this year,…
(2020-07-17). Handcuffs | are the new rings! Turkish couple get hitched with strange wedding | tradition. yenisafak.com A Turkish couple, both of whom are police officers, were wed on Thursday and forever bound to each other with a pair of handcuffs, breaking from tradition at their wedding ceremony in northwestern Turkey. Groom Muhammed Mustafa Ayhan, who fell in love with the bride Merve Kƒ±lƒ±àß while they were students at the police academy, asked the love of his life via a police radio whether she wanted to marry him before the ceremony, and Kƒ±lƒ±àß once more replied "yes" through the walkie-talkie. After they were officially wed and had signed on the dotted line, t…
(2020-07-17). Turkey's Erdogan says Egypt's actions in Libya are illegal. yenisafak.com Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Egypt's actions in Libya and its support for the eastern-based forces of commander Khalifa Haftar were illegal.Erdogan was responding to a question about Egypt's possible intervention in Libya's conflict, where Ankara has helped the Tripoli administration force Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) to abandon an offensive on Tripoli.President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday that Egypt will not stand idle in the face of any direct threat to Egyptian and Libyan security, after lawmakers allied Haftar urged Cairo to intervene militarily in the country's civil war.
(2020-07-17). Germany calls for upholding Libya arms embargo. yenisafak.com Germany on Friday stressed the need to uphold the Libyan arms embargo in the wake of the latest threats by Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to arm some of the Libyan tribes against the internationally recognized government.Speaking at a regular news briefing in Berlin, Christofer Burger, a deputy spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, made clear that the Libyan arms embargo "applied to all sides."The German diplomat called for an "immediate end" to foreign military support for the conflict parties in civil-war stricken Libya.Al-Sisi met on Thursday with the heads of Libyan tribes in the Egyptian capital Cairo,…
(2020-07-17). Cuba set to strengthen economic ties with Turkey: envoy. yenisafak.com Cuba wants to strengthen economic ties with Turkey and welcome more Turkish entrepreneurs following a range of new trade-facilitating measures in the Caribbean nation, country's ambassador to Turkey said Friday.Luis Alberto Amoros Nunez's remarks came during his visit to Anadolu Agency's Deputy Director-General and Editor-in-Chief Metin Mutanoglu in the agency's Ankara headquarters.The ambassador and Mutanoglu discussed ways to improve bilateral relations and Anadolu Agency's global operation.Noting that the US is trying to limit the third parties' ties with Cuba through embargoes, Amoros said Cuba has taken new…
(2020-07-17). Branded flamingo from France journeys to Turkey. yenisafak.com A 30-year-old branded flamingo from France's Rhone river has made its journey to Turkey via Tunisia and Italy.The flamingo was branded in July 1990 and last seen in late June at Tuzgolu, Turkey's second-largest lake.Environmental conservation officials in Turkey have been monitoring the flamingo — currently the oldest on record in the country.Researching the specimen's history, Biologists Kiraz Erciyas Yavuz, Murat Dogan and Nizamettin Yavuz said the data showed it was seen in Tunisia at three years old and by the age of eight, it had traveled back to Italy, returning to Tunisia when it was 23 and 27.The distanc…
(2020-07-17). Erdogan says Hagia Sophia a matter of Turkey's sovereignty. yenisafak.com Converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque is a matter of sovereignty, Turkey's president told reporters on Friday.Turkey does not see international reactions on the reopening of the Istanbul landmark to Muslim worship as binding, Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed.The first prayers will be held on July 24 for 1,000-1,500 worshipers at the same time, Erdogan added.- Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict"Turkey will never leave Azerbaijan alone," Erdogan said, following recent cross-border artillery fire by Armenia attack."Nakhchivan is under occupation. The Minsk trio has left the issue on the table for 25-30 years," he added.La…
(2020-07-17). 'Armenia targets Azerbaijan's strategic infrastructure'. yenisafak.com Parliament member Ganira Pashayeva told Anadolu Agency that the only road connecting Azerbaijan with the West through Georgia passed through the country's Tovuz district, where Armenian forces violated a cease-fire with Azerbaijan last Sunday, martyring 12 soldiers, including high-ranking officers, and one civilian, besides wounding four other troops."If Armenia captures strategic points, with only one main road that connects Azerbaijan and Turkey, the two countries' joint energy and transportation lines may be shot at any moment by their armed forces. This is one of the aims of occupant Armenia in targeting Tovu…
(2020-07-17). Hagia Sophia mosque coversion benefits tourists: Russia. yenisafak.com Russia's official position on the Hagia Sophia status change is that it is Turkey's internal matter, but Moscow believes the decision will benefit tourists, the Kremlin's spokesperson said on Friday.In an interview with local broadcaster Avtoradio, Dmitry Peskov said people will now be able to visit the historical site for free, as opposed to buying "quite expensive tickets" when it was a museum.Last week, a top Turkish court annulled a 1934 Cabinet decree, under which Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum the following year, paving the way for its use again as a mosque after 85 years."[…] [Our] Turkish partner…
(2020-07-16). The Best VP Choice for Biden When It Comes to Fighting for Black Lives Isn't Black—It's Elizabeth Warren. commondreams.org Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks during an event to introduce Sen. Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All Act of 2017 on Capitol Hill on Sept. 13, 2017. (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-16). How Latin American Activists Are Harnessing the Black Lives Matter Movement. progressive.org Protests have surged in Colombia and throughout Latin America following the police murders of George Floyd and an Afro-Colombian man.
(2020-07-16). How Protester Occupations Can Succeed. counterpunch.org Nationwide demonstrations, mobilized around the Black Lives Matter movement's response to the killing of George Floyd, were held in all fifty states and in 5,000 cities. Rallies were held in public squares and larger cities saw their freeways and bridges blocked. Only a few cities ( Richmond, Va.; Philadelphia; Oakland, CA, and New York City
(2020-07-16). The U.S. Struggle for Justice for Palestine Begins a New Chapter. counterpunch.org 2020 has indisputably been a chaotic year. From the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent disruption of daily life, to the killing of George Floyd and the passionate resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement that followed, to the looming general election: there has been plenty occupying the minds and newsfeeds of Americans. But in between all
(2020-07-16). Cambridge, Mass.: For Us, By Us Collective calls for funding communities, not cops. workers.org 
By Katya Zinn Cambridge, Mass. On June 22, the author acted as an accomplice to a Black-youth-organized civil disobedience demonstration in Cambridge, Mass. This is their field report. Central Square, 6 p.m. An early summer dusk painted a grapefruit haze over awnings of padlocked dive bars and deserted cafés. Outside . . . |
(2020-07-16). Meatpackers hit for discrimination against workers of color in virus protection. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — The nation's big meatpackers, notably Tyson Foods and JBS, are racially discriminating against their predominantly brown, Black, and Asian front-line labor force by not protecting rank-and-file workers against the coronavirus, a coalition of civil rights and pro-worker groups says. And the groups want to punish them by cutting off their federal cash. Fed …
(2020-07-16). Disabled people fight police violence with accessible protests. workers.org 
Because most of the mass protests held after the police murder of George Floyd were not accessible, on June 7 Black disabled activists in Milwaukee held their own. The Milwaukee action was the second George Floyd protest held by Black disabled activists. The first was held in Washington, D.C., where . . . |
(2020-07-16). 87 Face Felony Charges for Kentucky Sit-In for Breonna Taylor. truthout.org Image Credit: Matt Stone/Courier Journal/Reuters | In Louisville, Kentucky, civil rights groups are calling on prosecutors to drop felony charges against 87 people who held a peaceful sit-in protest Tuesday outside the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, a Black Louisville resident who was shot inside her own home in March. Among those arrested: the president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Houston Texans wide…
(2020-07-16). In Attempt to "Intimidate Protesters," 87 Face Felony Charges for Kentucky Sit-In for Breonna Taylor. democracynow.org 
In Louisville, Kentucky, civil rights groups are calling on prosecutors to drop felony charges against 87 people who held a peaceful sit-in protest Tuesday outside the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, a Black Louisville resident who was shot inside her own home in March. Among those arrested: the president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills and Women's March co-founder Linda Sarsour. If convicted on felony charges, they could face up to five years in prison. "What they're…
(2020-07-16). Monday 7/20: Nationwide Strike for Black Lives. indybay.org Nationwide car caravans, rallies, and protest actions…
(2020-07-16). Asheville Approves Reparations For Black Residents. popularresistance.org Asheville, NC – In an extraordinary move, the City Council has apologized for the city's historic role in slavery, discrimination and denial of basic liberties to Black residents and voted to provide reparations to them and their descendants. | The 7-0 vote came the night of July 14. | "Hundreds of years of black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today," said Councilman Keith Young, one of two African American members of the body and the measure's chief proponent. | "It is simply not enough to remove statues. Black people in this country are dealing with issues that are systemic in nature,"
(2020-07-16). Saying 'pro-life' is racist and should be banned, says Rolling Stone writer. rt.com 
Staying woke on what's acceptable and what's racist is an ongoing process of shifting standards, as a Rolling Stone writer proved with the latest addition to terms that have surprisingly been branded as bigotry: "pro-life." | Jamil Smith, a senior writer who covers "the intersection of politics and identity" for the magazine, opined on Twitter Wednesday that the term "pro-life" deserves to be banished along with other recently outlawed characters and words. A wave of racial sensitivity brought on by the Black Lives Matter protest movement has already brought down decades-old consumer products brands such as Un…
(2020-07-16). Sculpture of Black Lives Matter protester removed from Colston plinth. thecanary.co 
A sculpture of a Black Lives Matter protester erected on the plinth where a statue of slave trader Edward Colston used to stand has been removed.Artist Marc Quinn created the life-size black resin and steel piece of Jen Reid after seeing a photo of her standing on the empty plinth following the toppling of the Colston statue in Bristol.The sculpture, A Surge Of Power (Jen Reid) 2020, was installed shortly before 4.30am on 15 July by Quinn's team without the knowledge or consent of Bristol City Council. | This morning we removed the sculpture. It will be held at our museum for the artist to collect or donate to ou…
(2020-07-16). Thousands gather in Martinez to condemn white supremacy and police brutality. liberationnews.org 
A July 12 action in Martinez, California, protested against white-nationalist fliers distributed within the small Bay Area community.
(2020-07-16). Federal agents in Portland, Oregon shoot and critically injure protester. wsws.org Portland is being used by the Trump administration as a test case for the deployment of heavily armed federal agents to suppress popular protests against police brutality.
(2020-07-16). Building Power to Win Is the Revolutionary Approach to "Bourgeois Electoralism" globalresearch.ca We must make clear that it is imperialism that degrades and destroys the earth, makes water a commodity, food a luxury, education an impossibility, and health care a distant dream. | The following is excerpted from a presentation by Ajamu Baraka …
(2020-07-16). Exporting Toxic Chemical Waste to Poor Countries Must End, Says UN. globalresearch.ca Last year, at least 30 rich countries exported locally-banned toxic substances to poorer ones, allowing corporations to write off their costly waste and transferring the costs to some of the poorest people on earth. | *** | The practice of dumping …
(2020-07-16). 'Massive Floating Time Bomb': Warnings of Ecological, Humanitarian Disaster as Tanker Risks Dumping Four Times More Oil Than Exxon Valdez. commondreams.org The potential disaster would "directly affect millions of people in a country that is already enduring the world's largest humanitarian emergency." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-16). India-Iran Relations in Crisis: Geopolitical Realignment in Favor of China. globalresearch.ca These easily discernible strategic chain reactions were regrettably missed by many experts owing either to unfamiliarity with the guiding motivations of each related party and/or pressure to comply with the so-called "political correctness" being pushed by some of the players …
(2020-07-16). Belarus Is Doing America's Bidding by Blaming Russia for Its Color Revolution Unrest. globalresearch.ca Belarus blamed Russia last month for stoking Color Revolution unrest ahead of its presidential election in early August, but even though this accusation is completely false, it still risks being instrumentalized as part of a perception management plot to convince …
(2020-07-16). 'Not Him… Us': On the Ultimate Meaning of the Bernie Sanders Campaign. commondreams.org Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) addresses supporters during a campaign rally on March 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sanders covered his policy agendas for immigration, women's rights, healthcare and economic inequality. (Photo by Brittany Greeson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-16). Video: The COVID-19 Lockdown: Economic and Social Impacts. globalresearch.ca The unspoken truth is that the novel coronavirus provides a pretext to powerful financial interests and corrupt politicians to trigger the entire World into a spiral of mass unemployment, bankruptcy, extreme poverty and despair. | Michel Chossudovsky interviews Economist and Geopolitical …
(2020-07-16). Headlines for July 16, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Army Deploys to Houston as Hospital Beds Fill to Capacity, Florida Coronavirus Cases Top 300,000 as Miami Hospitals Run Out of ICU Beds, Alabama's Republican Governor Mandates Masks After Record COVID-19 Death Toll, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Greets Maskless Donald Trump, Bans Local Mask Mandates, Oklahoma Governor Tests Positive for COVID-19, Won't Require Masks in Public, White House Backs Down After Adviser Peter Navarro Attacks Dr. Anthony Fauci, India Posts Record Coronavirus Toll; Cases Explode in Nairobi Maternity Hospital , Members of Remote Amazon Tribe Test Positive for Coronavirus, President Trump Gu…
(2020-07-16). "The Pandemic Could Get Much, Much Worse": Is Another Lockdown the Only Way to Avoid Catastrophe? democracynow.org 
As health experts warn the coronavirus is on the rise in 41 states, many governors are reimposing restrictions after attempts at opening up the economy, but President Trump wants schools open. We speak with public health historian John Barry, who warns "The Pandemic Could Get Much, Much Worse" if we don't take bolder action now. Barry is a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and author of "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History."
(2020-07-16). COVID-Stricken Marc Lamont Hill: New Floyd Video Shows Familiar Ritual of Racist Police Terror. democracynow.org 
In Minneapolis, newly released police body camera footage reveals devastating new details of George Floyd's killing on Memorial Day, showing that officers pulled a gun, swore at George Floyd to "get out of the f—ing car," as he wept and pleaded, "Please don't shoot me." The video also showed that medics did not appear to rush to Floyd's aid after they arrived on the scene. We discuss the latest developments in the case that sparked an ongoing national uprising against racism and police violence, with Marc Lamont Hill, author of "Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint a…
(2020-07-16). Marc Lamont Hill: "Disturbing" New George Floyd Video Shows Familiar Ritual of Racist Police Terror. democracynow.org In Minneapolis, newly released police body camera footage reveals devastating new details of George Floyd's killing on Memorial Day, showing that officers pulled a gun, swore at George Floyd to "get out of the f—ing car," as he wept and pleaded, "Please don't shoot me." The video also showed that medics did not appear to rush to Floyd's aid after they arrived on the scene. We discuss the latest developments in the case that sparked an ongoing national uprising against racism and police violence, with Marc Lamont Hill, author of "Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint a…
(2020-07-16). Tweedledee, Tweedledum, COVID-19, and China in the U.S. Election. dissidentvoice.org Trump's Main Crime is Criminal Negligence Trump cannot turn back time and re-do February and early March. He cannot undo the damage caused by his inaction on the virus. The fact is, tens of thousands of people in this country became infected while the president pooh-poohed the problem. He showed ignorance and indifference, acting belatedly—as …
(2020-07-16). Republicans Roll Out Resolution Accusing Ilhan Omar of 'Anti-American' Remarks. sputniknews.com Minnesota House of Representatives Democrat Ilhan Omar has been accused by members the Republican party of violating her oath to defend the US Constitution, following a speech earlier this month in which she called on the US public to tear down "systems of oppression" and fight racism and inequality.
(2020-07-16). A New Generation of Protest Holds Great Promise for America. counterpunch.org The inspiring rise of a new generation protesting against racial injustice is driving a new era of change in America, like the generation that emerged 60 years ago to build the civil rights movement of that time. July 16, 1960 is marked in my memory: that is the day I joined seven other friends to
(2020-07-16). Making America Feared Again: The Trump Administration Considers Resuming Nuclear Weapons Testing. zcomm.org Americans who grew up with nightmares of nuclear weapons explosions should get ready for some terrifying flashbacks, for the Trump administration appears to be preparing to resume U.S. nuclear weapons tests. The U.S. government stopped its atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1962, shortly before signing the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963. And it
(2020-07-16). Lee Camp: The Life-Saving COVID-19 Drugs You've Never Heard Of (and Why). mintpressnews.com Only the ridiculously profitable drugs are worth hyping. Only the money makers deserve 80,000 commercials telling every consumer to irrationally demand them. The cheap drugs that simply — save lives — those are garbage.
(2020-07-16). Covid-19: Phase 1 of the "Permanent Crisis"? globalresearch.ca Let's assume that the events of the last five months are neither random nor unexpected. | Let's say they're part of an ingenious plan to transform American democracy into a lockdown police state controlled by criminal elites and their puppet governors. …
(2020-07-16). DeVos Courts Disaster By Claiming It's Safe To Reopen Schools. therealnews.com 
Despite financial threats, school districts across the country are rejecting the guidance of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a fundamentalist billionaire heiress with zero educational experience.
(2020-07-16). US presidential election: Is an October surprise in the offing? thealtworld.com 
With Trump facing an uphill battle to re-election, his administration may be looking to reignite conflicts with Iran and China | Six months ago, US President Donald Trump's re-election seemed like a slam dunk. Now, it appears to be an uphill battle. |
(2020-07-16). El presidente de Cuba y los combatientes del coronavirus hablan sobre la pandemia. peoplesworld.org 
El Presidente llegó tempranito, cuando todavía el sol abrasador de estos días, era una caricia sobre los hermosos jardines del Centro Internacional de Salud La Pradera, al oeste la Capital. "Bien temprano, para que puedan estar pronto en sus casas, que es lo que más ansían", dijo a manera de explicación de aquella cita a …
(2020-07-16). Cuba's president and international coronavirus fighters talk about the pandemic. peoplesworld.org HAVANA — The Cuban president arrived early, when the blazing summer sun was still just a gentle caress over the beautiful gardens of the La Pradera International Health Center, in the western part of the capital, Havana. "We made this really early, 7: 30 in the morning, so you can be home soon, which you must be …
(2020-07-16). Veterans Go to Washington: So What? counterpunch.org 
If you still follow the mainstream media, you're probably part of the 38% of registered voters who knew something about the op-ed Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) published in the New York Times early in June, exhorting the president to use the Insurrection Act to "restore order to our streets." This was in response to what
(2020-07-16). Charlie Russell, Grizzly Whisperer. counterpunch.org 
One day in 2003 I was surprised to get a call from Charlie at a time when he should have been in Kamchatka. In the faintest whisper, he told me that his cubs had been killed. He discovered bear gallbladders nailed to the door of his cabin — clearly a threat intended to send him and his partner Maureen Enns packing back to Canada. The cubs were nowhere to be found. "They are lost, all is lost," he moaned. Charlie's family had been murdered. I could find no words.
(2020-07-16). Laos Has Tackled COVID-19, But It Is Drowning in Debt to International Finance. counterpunch.org 
On June 11, Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic)—a country of 7 million in Southeast Asia—said it had temporarily prevailed over COVID-19. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said that his country had "gained an important victory in the first campaign against this vicious enemy." The first cases of COVID-19 detected in Laos were registered on March 24; a total of 19 people had been infected with the virus by April 12, and—after 58 days of no new cases—the last patient was discharged on June 9. There were no new cases of COVID-19 in Laos since April 12 (93 days of no new cases as of July…
(2020-07-16). Seeing the World Through Touch During a Pandemic. counterpunch.org 
Vimal Thackeray is washing clothes in the tiny bathroom of her two-room house in Vangani town, struggling, with weakened hands, to apply soap to a pile of sarees, shirts and other garments, pouring water over them from a green plastic mug. She then takes each washed item to her nose and smells it several times to
(2020-07-16). How Settler Colonial States use incarceration as a tool of dehumanization during the COVID crisis. mronline.org 
Incarceration is a manifestation and continuation of chronic and interwoven structures of oppression…
(2020-07-16). Turin grants honorary citizenship to head of Cuban medical brigade (+ Photos). mronline.org 
The Municipal Council of Turin granted the honorary citizenship of that city in the region of Piedmont to Dr. Julio Guerra, head of the Cuban medical brigade that helped fight COVID-19 there.
(2020-07-16). Rally in Chicago denounces sanctions on 5-year anniversary of Iran deal. liberationnews.org 
"Sanctions are unjust. Too frequently they are talked about as if they are harmless. We know that sanctions kill."
(2020-07-16). Struggle for community control of Rayshard Brooks Peace Center in Atlanta. workers.org 
Atlanta July 11 — Today the Atlanta community continued to protest, demanding community control for the site of the burned-out Wendy's restaurant where Atlanta police murdered Rayshard Brooks the night of June 12. The Rayshard Brooks Memorial Center in Atlanta. The Saturday demonstration, organized by Community Movement Builders, was in . . . |
(2020-07-16). Out of bounds: How media monopolies keep radical ideas off the agenda. peoplesworld.org 
Whoever controls the media, controls the people. And whoever controls the people, controls the future. Probably the most well-known—and scientific—book on media bias is Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman. The authors describe the mass media's uncritical "reporting" on the federal government, specifically regarding foreign policy. These institutions—The New York Times, CNN, FOX …
(2020-07-16). Capitalist system is 'not above the law'. workers.org 
Big Media headlines trumpeted "Supreme Court says Trump not above the law" when SCOTUS ruled on July 9 that the president's tax returns had to be revealed to — practically no one. The verdict gave narrow access only to New York state criminal prosecutors — and definitely not to Congress . . . |
(2020-07-16). Justice for Breonna Taylor: 87, including NFL player Kenny Stills, arrested. peoplesworld.org 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Eighty-seven demonstrators who gathered at the home of Kentucky's attorney general to demand justice for Breonna Taylor have been arrested and charged with a felony for trying to "intimidate" the prosecutor, police said. Protesters with the social justice organization Until Freedom gathered for a sit-in on the front yard of a …
(2020-07-16). The Dollar "Has Us by the Throat": Chinese Party Official Urges Decoupling. anti-empire.com 
With all eyes on Trump's Tuesday evening Rose Garden speech which unveiled that he'll sign new and punitive measures indirectly targeting China — namely the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, a bipartisan measure to penalize banks that work with Chinese officials found to be interfering in Hong Kong affairs — it remains that arguably the most important recent statements out of China came not from current government officials, but from Zhou Li, the 65-year-old former deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department. He's considered an important voice who echoes the outside the box thi…