2020-07-18: News Headlines

Andre Vltchek (2020-07-18). U.K. and Hong Kong: Mutually Reinforced Ignorance. dissidentvoice.org Three years ago, I visited Old Supreme Court Building in Hong Kong, also known as The Court of Final Appeal, together with my friend, an Afghan-British lawyer, who was on a personal mission of 're-discovering Asia.' Coming from a prominent, highly educated family in Afghanistan, my friend was extremely well aware that both the United …

Naomi Klein (2020-07-18). Naomi Klein on Juice Podcast. zcomm.org Interview on the lessons we're learning during this historic period, Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, and why the liberals are going to get us all killed…

Jeremy Loffredo (2020-07-18). Why the Bill Gates Global Health Empire Promises More Empire and Less Public Health. Gates Foundation Owns the WHO! globalresearch.ca Behind a veil of corporate media PR, the Gates Foundation has served as a vehicle for Western capital while exploiting the Global South as a human laboratory. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to intensify this disturbing agenda. | *** | President Donald …

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-07-18). What Lies Ahead: Permanent Job Losses, Poverty in America, Financial and Political Instability. globalresearch.ca On July 6, 2020 I posted my extended view and analysis why the 3rd quarter US GDP would falter—and lead to a W-shape recovery, as it typical of all Great Recessions. The current recession's scenario was compared with 1929-30 and …

Vijay Prashad (2020-07-18). COVID-19: Rot exposed by pandemic augurs a future of fear. mronline.org Vijay Prashad raises deep questions about the exhaustion of the global capitalist system in a time of great human suffering.

Eds. (2020-07-18). 1978: Ernest Mandel — Rosa Luxemburg and political economy. mronline.org The Accumulation of Capital was published in 1913, and it was probably only after completing her magnum opus that Luxemburg resumed writing her Introduction to Political Economy. Interrupted once again, now by the outbreak of war, she continued to work on the Introduction during her stay in prison in Wronke, in the German province of …

Sam Pizzigati (2020-07-18). Will the Biden-Sanders Economic Task Force Report Rattle the Rich? zcomm.org Wish-lists of progressive public policies never change the world. But they sometimes do excite the people who can…

WSWS (2020-07-18). Brazil surpasses two million coronavirus cases as reopening drive continues. wsws.org "We cannot continue suffocating the economy," President Jair Bolsonaro said, as Brazil suffered the highest single day death toll in the world.

Richard Horton (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.

WSWS (2020-07-18). US escalates economic warfare against Russia and China. wsws.org After securing a decision by the UK government to ban the Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G rollout, the US is pressuring the Merkel government in Germany to take the same decision.

Robert Hunziker (2020-07-18). The Sky Is Falling: Yes? No? dissidentvoice.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 …

news.un (2020-07-18). FROM THE FIELD: Frontline resilience in Somalia. news.un.org One hundred thousand households in Somaliland in northwest Somalia have better access to water, protecting them not just from the ravages of climate change but also against the spread of COVID-19, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme.

Lyudmila Nepomnyashchiy, Bernice Dahn, Rachel Saykpah, Mallika Raghavan (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.

WSWS (2020-07-18). Australian medical experts call for workplace and school shutdowns as Victoria's COVID-19 surge escalates. wsws.org Despite the highest spike in Australian coronavirus infections since the pandemic began, the Victorian Labor government has implemented a "lockdown" that leaves schools and most workplaces open.

WSWS (2020-07-18). Australia: Hundreds of health workers in Victoria contract COVID-19. wsws.org A national survey of 500 healthcare workers found that half were experiencing PPE shortages and some were having to source their own supplies.

WSWS (2020-07-18). US hits record 74,987 new daily COVID-19 cases. wsws.org The number of daily new cases in the United States has tripled from a month ago amid a massive resurgence of the pandemic.

Nicole Hassoun (2020-07-18). Putting ethics before profits. zcomm.org Ending the pandemic will take global access to COVID-19 treatment and vaccines…

Harry Rutter, Richard Horton, Theresa M Marteau (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.

Esther Choo (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.

The Canary (2020-07-18). Mayor demands that Trump remove federal police from Portland. thecanary.co The mayor of Portland has demanded that US president Donald Trump remove federal law enforcement from the city. Black Lives Matter protests have taken place in the city for nearly two months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May.Federal agents in green camouflage uniforms have reportedly arrested and detained protesters in the city. This happened after they were sent solely to protect federal property. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler told reporters: Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city.Federal officers deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd…

RT (2020-07-18). CBP says Portland protester in viral 'kidnapping' clip was assault & vandalism suspect, denies officers wore no insignia. rt.com The US Customs and Border Protection agency has taken credit for a Portland protester's hot-button arrest this week, saying the man was a criminal suspect, while refuting claims he was 'kidnapped' by agents wearing no insignia. | The CBP sought to address the incident in a statement on Friday, noting that the protester arrested one day prior was suspected of vandalism and attacks on agents amid anti-police brutality demonstrations, which it said were organized by "violent anarchists." | "CBP agents had information indicating the person… was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of feder…

The Fight for $15 (2020-07-18). Monday 7/20: Bay Strike for Black Lives in Oakland. indybay.org Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94609…

WSWS Repost (2020-07-18). 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.

_____ (2020-07-18). Artists Install Anti-Trump Living Statues Around DC. popularresistance.org Living statues were installed around Washington, D.C. on Friday depicting President Trump as a "destroyer of civil rights and liberties." | A group of artists known as the Trump Statue Initiative is behind the installations, including one that depicts Trump holding up a Bible while Black Lives Matters protesters are beaten and another showing him telling a masked child to "go back to school" while holding a golf club. | "The concept is that the history he's painting of himself right now, where his narcissistic or racist or self-serving moments abound, this is what he's leaving us with," filmmaker Bryan Buckley to…

_____ (2020-07-18). Cops And Their Supporters Unite To Attack BLM Counterers. popularresistance.org George Floyd's murder, along with the murders of Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others, laid bare for the world how police are mandated by the state to terrorize people of color, especially Black people. The severe repression against protesters put this violence on display on a mass scale and showed the lengths the state is willing to go to keep its hold on "law and order." Yet, even as politicians, NGOs, and nonprofits try desperately to co-opt and pacify the movement, the most leftward expression of protesters' demands — from defunding and disbanding police departments to abolishing police a…

RT (2020-07-18). Leader of radical black-only militia NFAC 'believes in violence' & wants a real-life Wakanda for every black person in America. rt.com NFAC, the masked, armed black militia that recently marched through a park in Georgia, deems violence and killing an acceptable response to oppression. Their end goal is to break away from the US as their own black-only nation. | The NFAC (Not F*cking Around Coalition) grabbed plenty of attention on social media with a high-profile public debut on July 4. The sight of an all-black militia, clutching rifles and handguns, marching in the heartland of the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain caused plenty of ripples. | But very little is known about them, despite a frenzy of speculation. It's not even clear when they w…

RT (2020-07-18). Portland police 'retreat' after standoff with NAKED female protester (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com Police officers in Portland, Oregon were caught off guard after being approached by a nude female demonstrator, who lay down in the street and began performing yoga. The cops were then filmed "withdrawing." | A woman wearing nothing except a mask and a beanie approached a group of officers clearing out the downtown area in the early hours of Saturday. A line of police and federal agents were standing at an intersection when the naked woman seemingly appeared out of nowhere. | "Naked Athena appeared and the little boys didn't know what to do," joked Donovan Farley, a reporter on the ground who documented the ri…

_____ (2020-07-18). 'Putin Hacked Our Coronavirus Vaccine' Is the Dumbest Story Yet. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | 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…

Staff (2020-07-18). George Yancy: To Be Black in the US Is to Have a Knee Against Your Neck Each Day. truthout.org What drives the current rift between white and Black America, and how as individuals can we effectively contribute to the fight against the worldmaking of whiteness? | Philosopher

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Israel 'relieved' as ICC adjourns war crimes probe. yenisafak.com The Israeli government breathed a sigh of relief after a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to adjourn without opening an investigation against Tel Aviv over possible war crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to Israeli media.The ICC pre-trial was supposed to assess if the court's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has the authority to open an investigation into war crimes by Israel along with defining the territorial boundaries within which the investigation will take place.In May, Bensouda said that there is a basis to launch an investigation into war crimes committe…

The Lancet (2020-07-18). [Editorial] No more normal. thelancet.com Do you long for a return to normal after COVID-19?

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (2020-07-18). A Multi-Racial Coalition Is Necessary For This Moment. zcomm.org Interview on seizing this moment with a broad-based, multi-racial movement to change an 'impoverished democracy.'

Kit Knightly (2020-07-18). The "Russian Vaccine Hack" Is a 3-for-1 Deal on Propaganda. globalresearch.ca The Guardian, and all the other predictable voices, are currently reporting that Russian At this stage they offer no substantiation, but it does serve as good …

Ali Salam (2020-07-18). Several Palestinians Suffocate at Kufur Qaddoum, Nablus and Salfit Protests. imemc.org Three major demonstrations were held by Palestinians, on Friday, to express their objection to Israel's continued colonial settlement activities in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces opened fire, on Friday afternoon, towards Palestinians during a peaceful protest north of Nablus city, in Asira Ash-Shamaliyya town, northern West Bank, according to …

Ali Salam (2020-07-18). 8 Palestinians Detained by Israeli Forces, All Former Detainees. imemc.org Israeli forces, Thursday evening, detained a Palestinian astro-physicist at the entrance of Anata town, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, said Palestinian WAFA News Agency correspondent. He reported that Israeli soldiers ordered Imad Barghouthi, 56, an astrophysics professor at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, out of his vehicle at the entrance …

Sebastian Bourn, Nick Dodds (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?

Ian Roberts, Haleema Shakur-Still (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…

Yoshiko Iwai, Zahra H Khan, Sayantani DasGupta (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.

Federico Bilotta, Francesco Pugliese (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.

Nicolien J Schepers, Nora D L Hallensleben, Marc G Besselink, Marie-Paule G F Anten, Thomas L Bollen, David W da Costa, Foke van Delft, Sven M van Dijk, Hendrik M van Dullemen, Marcel G W Dijkgraaf, Casper H J van Eijck, G Willemien Erkelens, Nicole S Erler, Paul Fockens, Erwin J M van Geenen, Janneke van Grinsven, Robbert A Hollemans, Jeanin E van Hooft, Rene W M van der Hulst, Jeroen M Jansen, Frank J G M Kubben, Sjoerd D Kuiken, Robert J F Laheij, Rutger Quispel, Rogier J J de Ridder, Marno C M Rijk, Tessa E H Rà∂mkens, Carola H M Ruigrok, Erik J Schoon, Matthijs P Schwartz, Xavier J N M Smeets, B W Marcel Spanier, Adriaan C I T L Tan, Willem J Thijs, Robin Timmer, Niels G Venneman, Robert C Verdonk, Frank P Vleggaar, Wim van de Vrie, Ben J Witteman, Hjalmar C van Santvoort, Olaf J Bakker, Marco J Bruno, Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group (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.

Meletios Dimopoulos, Hang Quach, Maria-Victoria Mateos, Ola Landgren, Xavier Leleu, David Siegel, Katja Weisel, Hui Yang, Zandra Klippel, Anita Zahlten-Kumeli, Saad Z Usmani (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.

Alparslan Turan, Andra Duncan, Steve Leung, Nika Karimi, Jonathan Fang, Guangmei Mao, Jennifer Hargrave, Marc Gillinov, Carlos Trombetta, Sabry Ayad, Manal Hassan, Andrew Feider, Kimberly Howard-Quijano, Kurt Ruetzler, Daniel I Sessler, DECADE Study Group (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.

Ann Danaiya Usher (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.

Talha Burki (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.

Raija Silvennoinen, Caroline A Heckman (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…

Geoff Watts (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.

teleSUR (2020-07-18). US: Trump Sends Undercover Police to Quell Portland's Protests. telesurenglish.net U.S. Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) Thursday denounced that President Donald Trump has deployed federal agents in Portland, Oregon, dressed in camouflage but without any visible insignia, to round up and detain U.S. citizens. | RELATED: | "Multiple videos released on digital platforms show federal officials approaching people, arresting them and leaving without any explanation to justify the arrest," OPB said in a statement. | Since at least July 14, officials have dr…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-18). Unions thwart liquidation of South African Airways. peoplesdispatch.org The decision of stakeholders to approve a rescue plan for the crisis-ridden South African Airways ensures that it will not get liquidated as was feared earlier. Unions fought a long battle to prevent liquidation…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). US swoops down on Portland protesters after Trump order to protect monuments. yenisafak.com Federal law enforcement officers are cracking down on protesters in Portland, Oregon, under the Trump administration's new executive order to protect U.S. monuments in what the state's Democratic governor has called "political theater."Multiple videos posted online show camouflage-clad officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to transport arrested protesters."It's kidnapping people!" one person said off-camera, as officers marched a protester away.A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman said on Friday agents had been deployed to Portland to support a newly laun…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Sixth Indian shipment to Afghanistan arrives at Iranian port. en.mehrnews.com CHABAHAR, Jul. 18 (MNA) — India's sixth consignment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has arrived at Chabahar's Shahid Beheshti Port, the director-general of Sistan and Baluchestan Ports and Maritime Department said on Saturday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Iran-China cooperation major challenge to US unilateralism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Chinese TV in a report described Iran-China 25-year cooperation roadmap as the result of US maximum pressure, stressing it has posed major challenge to the US unilateralism in the international community.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Iranian researchers produce antivirus hospital clothing. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Iranian researchers in a knowledge-based company designed and produced isolated antivirus hospital clothing, applicable in the fight against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in particular.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Admitting defeat against Iran better than foolish bluffs. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said accepting defeat against powerful Iran is better than foolish bluffs.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Saudi sponsored TV channel showed utter obscenity: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to UK Hamid Baeidinjad reacted to the live broadcast of the gathering of MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) terrorist group on the Iran International Channel in his Twitter account.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Iran-Syria military coop. to defeat Zionist Regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17(MNA) — An Iranian Lawmaker said that military cooperation agreements must be signed between Iran and regional countries including Syria to strengthen Iran and the axis of Resistance and to defeat the Zionist Regime and other enemies.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Parl. investigating withdrawal form UN 'additional protocol'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — An MP informed on Saturday that the Parliament is investigating a new plan to have Iran out of the United Nations' additional protocol.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-18). Economic benefits needed for Iran's full compliance to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that expecting Iran to fully comply with JCPAO obligations without having the country benefit from the economic advantages of the deal is not acceptable.

UC Students & Workers (2020-07-18). 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…

By Lynda Carson (2020-07-18). Housing wage for 2 bedroom unit is $43.06 for Oakland-Fremont area. indybay.org COVID-19 Guidance for Multifamily Residential Buildings:…

Roland Rottenfuss (2020-07-18). 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."

Ramona du Houx (2020-07-18). 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.

_____ (2020-07-18). Bolivians Take To The Streets Against The Añez Government. popularresistance.org Bolivia's Workers Central (COB) Tuesday called for tens of thousands of people to hold a mass protest in several cities against the coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez. | "The Bolivian people, the Indigenous groups, and educational organizations raised their voice of protest today," the COB Secretary-General Juan Carlos Huarachi said in La Paz. | One of the demonstrators' main calls is the definitive confirmation of the general elections for September 6. | "We ask for a democratically elected government that resolves the country's economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19," Huarachi added, adding that citize…

_____ (2020-07-18). How NATO-Member Turkey Reverted Back to Being an Islamic Dictatorship. strategic-culture.org The gradual process of Turkey's becoming an Islamic

_____ (2020-07-18). The Pendulum Swings Again: the Desecration of Hagia Sophia. strategic-culture.org The Turkish President should have consulted the prophecies of St. Paisius of the Holy Mountain rather than whatever kitaps he was reading before embarking on his risky provocation. In plain Greek, several decades ago St. Paisius was educating Turkish leaders about

Staff (2020-07-18). Trump Blocks CDC Experts From Testifying to Education Panel on School Reopenings. truthout.org The Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee

Staff (2020-07-18). Trump's Federal Police Are Kidnapping and Brutalizing Protesters in Portland. truthout.org On July 11, Donavan LaBella, 26, was shot in the head with an impact munition as he stood at a protest holding a speaker over his head. "It caused a pretty deep laceration, but he was bleeding from his nose, his mouth, his ears — it was pretty bad,"

yenisafak (2020-07-18). UK coronavirus antibody test found to be a success. yenisafak.com Following successful trials, the British government is set to start distributing millions of free coronavirus antibody tests, local media reported on Saturday.The finger-prick tests can tell within 20 minutes if a person has been exposed to the virus and were found to be 98.6% accurate during human trials that took place in June.The test was developed under a partnership between Oxford University and leading diagnostics firms of the UK.Sir John Bell, professor of medicine at Oxford University and head of the government's antibody testing program, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying: "This rapid test appears to…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). UK pauses daily coronavirus death toll update over data concerns. yenisafak.com Britain said on Saturday it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concerns the toll might have been exaggerated.Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures in England means they may be distorted compared to other parts of the United Kingdom."Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Libya's oil firm calls for foreign mercenaries to leave. yenisafak.com Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Saturday called for the immediate withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from oil facilities in the country.In a statement, the NOC condemned the deployment of Russia's Wagner Group and Syrian and Janjaweed mercenaries in Libyan oil installations, most recently at Es Sidra port."NOC demands their immediate withdrawal from all facilities," it said, calling the UN to "send observers to supervise the demilitarization in the areas of NOC operations across the country.""There are currently large numbers of foreign mercenaries in NOC facilities who do not share this wish," the state…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Germany's military missing over 60000 rounds of ammunition. yenisafak.com More than 100 weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition have disappeared from the inventory of the German armed forces and police, the daily WELT newspaper reported Saturday.At least 60,000 rounds of ammunition have been unaccounted for in the German military and police force over the past 10 years.This figure does not include around 48,000 rounds that went missing from the army's elite Special Forces Command (KSK) unit, which lately made headlines after far-right extremism was exposed among its soldiers.The German Defense Ministry has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident.The exact r…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). US government executes third prisoner after 17-year hiatus. yenisafak.com The U.S. Department of Justice executed a convicted murderer on Friday in the third federal execution within a week after a 17-year hiatus, according to a reporter serving as a media witness.Dustin Lee Honken, 52, was a dealer in illegal methamphetamine when he and his girlfriend murdered five people in Iowa in 1993, including two girls aged 10 and 6. He was convicted in 2004.Honken was pronounced dead at 4: 36 p.m. EDT at the Justice Department's execution chamber at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, the media witness said.

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Protest held against Armenia's border attacks in Hungary. yenisafak.com The protest was organized by Azerbaijani associations based in Hungary.Carrying Azerbaijani, Turkish and Hungarian flags, the protesters chanted slogans.Ramiz Emirli, the head of the Azerbaijani-Hungarian Brotherhood Association, told Anadolu Agency that they organized the protests to announce in Europe that Armenia attacked Azerbaijan and martyred its soldiers.Armenian attacks since last Sunday have martyred a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers. However, they have since withdrawn after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for the "provocative" actions, with T…

yenisafak (2020-07-18). Ethiopian premier in Eritrea to discuss regional issues. yenisafak.com Ethiopia's prime minister arrived in Eritrea on an official visit on Saturday.Abiy Ahmed was welcomed in the capital Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and other senior officials.The two leaders will confer on bilateral and regional issues, according to a statement by the Ethiopian premier's office.Relations between the neighboring countries were restored in June 2018 after two decades of mistrust and tensions.They fought a bloody war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed around 70,000 lives.Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for leading efforts to normalize Ethiopia and Eritrea's ties and for making regional…

Joel Wendland-Liu (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 …

Laura Flanders (2020-07-17). As Trump Moves to Hide Covid-19, We Already Know Which Communities Are Suffering Most. commondreams.org Nationally, Black Americans die at 2.5 times the rate of whites, and in the states seeing rising rates right now, the disparities are especially stark. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

RT (2020-07-17). Two arrested after Black Lives Matter mural near Trump Tower in NYC vandalized for second time this week (VIDEO). rt.com At least two people were arrested after vandalizing a Black Lives Matter mural near Trump Tower in New York City, prompting a heavy police response and a face-off with activists in the mural's second defacing in a matter of days. | A group of some 10 people gathered around the art installation in New York City's Midtown on Friday — a massive street painting of the words "Black Lives Matter" — splashing blue paint across part of the mural. The incident was captured in footage shared to social media. | One of those reportedly taken into custody wore a shirt with the words "All Lives Matter" and donned…

Staff (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…

SEIU Local 1021 (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…

Jeffrey St. Clair (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

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (2020-07-17). 'You have 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…

RT (2020-07-17). London cop suspended over footage of officer kneeling on man's neck during arrest. rt.com One Metropolitan Police officer has been suspended and another one removed from operational duties over an incident, captured on camera, in which a cop knelt on a suspect's neck during his arrest in Islington, London. | Filmed by a concerned bystander, the footage shows two police officers holding a handcuffed black man on the ground. The suspect is heard to scream, "Get off my neck," as one of the policemen appears to put his knee on him. | Absolutely disgusting, my sister is in this video witnessing police brutality and them kneeling on this black man's neck. He is clearly not a threat and is in cuffs. Pleas…

RT (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…

sputniknews (2020-07-17). 'Facade of Freedom': Florida's Ex-Felon Voting Rights Rule Gutted in 'War on Poor People'. sputniknews.com The gutting of a 2018 amendment in Florida that gave ex-felons the right to vote, is just the latest attack in the government's war on poor, Black and brown people in America, two activists told Sputnik.

The Canary (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…

Staff (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.

Ahmed Abdulkareem (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.

Alan Macleod (2020-07-17). Aid Groups Call for Worldwide COVID-19 Bailout Amid Fears of Mass Hunger. mintpressnews.com "As many as 12,000 people could die every day from COVID-linked hunger, which is more than those dying daily from the virus itself," warns Oxfam America President Abby Maxman.

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-17). Portland Mayor Condemns Masked Federal Agents Abducting Protesters. thealtworld.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. | MPN— Anonymous masked federal agents in military uniforms jump out of unmarked minivans, abducting seemingly random people on the street in Portland, frightening new viral videos show. Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection's BORTAC have been sent to the city to tamp down of 49 days of continuous demonstrations against raci…

Louis Proyect (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

Eric Zuesse (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 …

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-07-17). 'Masks for All': Bernie Sanders Calls on Federal Government to Provide Face Coverings for Everyone in the Country. commondreams.org "The science is clear: Wearing a mask not only saves lives, but the widespread use of masks will get Americans back to work sooner and reunite families who have stayed apart." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (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.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-07-17). Video: "The House Cat Flu" is Coming. The Meow Apocalypse… globalresearch.ca The following episode of the Simpsons was released in 2010. | It is a satire. But at the same time it reveals the unspoken truth. The writer of the script is an award winning author and political analyst. Michael Price | This …

_____ (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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."

Staff (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."

F. William Engdahl (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 …

Ajit Singh (2020-07-17). With US support, Taiwan planted deception about warning the World Health Organization of Covid. thegrayzone.com Taiwan's claim that it provided early warning to the WHO about Covid and "human-to human-transmission" has been exploited by the…

Lawrence Wittner (2020-07-17). Making America Feared Again: The Trump Administration Considers Resuming Nuclear Weapons Testing. commondreams.org The nuclear testing now being considered by the Trump administration is designed with the same purpose that weapons have traditionally had in world affairs: to intimidate other nations. (Photo: Scott Howe/DVIDS) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Lee Camp (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

Martha Grevatt (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 . . . |

ACLU (2020-07-17). Padma Lakshmi on Immigration, Food, and Authorship. aclu.org Recently, we've seen a reckoning in the culinary world around the whitewashing and co-opting of ethnic food. The industry has long been controlled by a limited number of people — many of them white — who have authored and then profited from the foods we eat and the stories we share. But the tide is turning. And our guest for this episode, Padma Lakshmi, is part of that movement., , You've likely seen her tasting and critiquing some of the best chefs in the U.S. on Top Chef, sharing her favorite recipes across social media and advocating for immigrants rights and women's rights. Pa…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-17). Biden: Clean energy 'must provide an opportunity to join a union'. peoplesworld.org

Danny Haiphong (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.

Behrooz Ghamari Tabrizi (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,

Robert Hunziker (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

Eric A. Gordon (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 …

Caitlin Johnstone (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…

Vijay Prashad (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.

Mumia Abu-Jamal (2020-07-17). Mumia Abu-Jamal: 'A rogue nation?'— a commentary. workers.org This slightly edited commentary from July 8 by political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal is available at prisonradio.org/media/audio/mumia. Several days ago, the European Union announced that Americans were not welcome to visit any of the 28 member countries of the EU. Why? Because of the explosive expansion of the coronavirus among U.S. . . . |

Eds. (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.

Mark Gruenberg (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 …

Paul Street (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

Rob Urie (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.

Monika Zgustova (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

Evaggelos Vallianatos (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

CP Editor (2020-07-17). Angel Olsen and Hand Habits "Walls" counterpunch.org

Samantha Bruegger (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…

Jonathan Latham — Allison Wilson (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

Richard D. Wolff (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.

John Kendall Hawkins (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,'

Susan Block (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

Staff (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.'

Eds. (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 …

Mark Andrews (2020-07-17). Philippine President Duterte signs 'Anti-Terrorism Bill' into law. liberationnews.org National Democratic activists and allies denounce the Anti-Terror Law. Photo: 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 Democratic movement …

Monica Moorehead (2020-07-17). In honor of her 73rd birthday/A tribute to Assata Shakur. workers.org The great African American revolutionary, Assata Shakur, turned 73 on July 16. The following slightly edited article first appeared online on May 7, 2013, with the original headline, "Assata Shakur is a modern-day Harriet Tubman." I had the distinct honor of meeting Assata Shakur in person at the 1997 World . . . |

Mirinda Crissman (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 . . . |

Workers World Party (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 . . . |

Anand Naidoo (2020-07-17). The Heat: China's economic recovery. america.cgtn.com China's GDP beats expectations and is the first major economy to record positive growth this year. We will take a look at the country's recovery and how it impacts the global economy.

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (2020-07-17). Google will cut advertising revenue from sites that go against the coronavirus 'consensus'. rt.com Google has announced that it will ban advertisements from web pages that promote coronavirus conspiracy theories, or challenge the "authoritative scientific consensus" on the deadly virus. | Google has already banned adverts promoting phony coronavirus cures or touting "medical misinformation," but the tech giant went one step further on Friday, telling

RT (2020-07-17). Biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases since pandemic began — World Health Organization. rt.com Nearly a quarter of a million people worldwide were diagnosed with Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The increase is the single biggest daily jump in cases since the onset of the pandemic. | A record 237,743 cases of the coronavirus were reported since Thursday, according to the WHO's daily situation report on Friday. 5,682 deaths were reported, a figure that's stayed relatively consistent for the last two months. | The latest increase brings the total number of cases worldwide to just under 14 million. The majority of the new cases were registered in the United States, Br…

RT (2020-07-17). Forget Russian hackers: Real danger is the US hoarding UK vaccines, says head of Imperial College study. rt.com As researchers at Imperial College London begin round 2 of Covid-19 vaccine trials, the project's head has revealed the UK government urged him to make the jab at home, lest the US attempt to hoard a shot manufactured there. | Professor Robin Shattock, director of Imperial's coronavirus vaccine project, revealed his researchers had a "deliberate policy" of making their experimental jab in the UK, "something [they] were encouraged to do by the UK government, to make sure there is capacity in the UK for manufacturing." | In a Friday interview with Sky News, he hinted officials were concerned a vaccine made in th…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (2020-07-17). Real Russiagate bombshell: FBI knew Steele dossier was fiction, Strzok notes show NYTimes reporting 'misleading and inaccurate'. rt.com New documents show the FBI was aware that the infamous dossier used as a pretext to spy on President Donald Trump's campaign was unreliable, and that the New York Times published false information about the 'Russiagate' probe. | The two documents were published on Friday by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), as part of an ongoing probe of the FBI's investigation of Trump. One is a 59-page, heavily redacted

RT (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

RT (2020-07-17). Real Russiagate bombshell: FBI knew Steele dossier was fiction; Strzok notes show NYTimes reporting 'misleading and inaccurate'. rt.com New documents show the FBI was aware that the infamous dossier used as a pretext to spy on President Donald Trump's campaign was unreliable, and that the New York Times published false information about the 'Russiagate' probe. | The two documents were published Friday by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), as part of an ongoing probe of the FBI's investigation of Trump. One is a 59-page, heavily redacted

RT (2020-07-17). Water world: New theory around origins of water on Earth points towards organic matter. rt.com Scientists have found it is possible to produce water by heating interstellar organic matter, leading to the theory that life from space was the cause of water on Earth, casting further doubt on the idea that it came from ice. | Water is essential to life on Earth; without its soluble qualities, the chemical reactions prerequisite to life would never have taken place. | Until now, terrestrial liquids had been

RT (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…

RT (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). 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…

The Canary (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…

The Canary (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…

Ramzy Baroud (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

Norman Solomon (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…

Muhammad Hussein (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

Paul Antonopoulos (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 …

Peter Koenig (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 …

Philip Giraldi (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 …

South Front (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 …

Stephen Lendman (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 …

yenisafak (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…

Tony Cartalucci (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 …

Manar Waheed (2020-07-17). Students, Colleges, and Universities Win Against the Trump Administration's Latest Anti-Immigrant Attack. aclu.org After a week of chaos, international students were able to relax after the Trump administration agreed to rescind its latest attack on immigrants: an attempt to ban international students whose classes would be entirely online this fall. The administration has normalized chaos, fear, and trauma over the last few years, beginning with airports all over the country during the Muslim ban and tearing children apart from their parents to attempting to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status programs. In the last several months, the administration has repeatedly used the p…

Dylan Hayre (2020-07-17). While Trump Protects His Cronies, Governors can Use That Same Power to Protect the Most Vulnerable. aclu.org Since Roger Stone's commutation first made news, politicians on both sides of the aisle have been

Tom Gallagher (2020-07-17). Withdrawing Troops From Afghanistan and Germany Is Still a Good Idea. commondreams.org The immediate matters at hand are Trump's plans to withdraw the 8,600 American troops remaining in Afghanistan and 9,500 of our 34,500 troops in Germany. (Photo: U.S. Army/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Binoy Kampmark (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 …

Peter Bolton (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…

Abdul Rahman (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.

teleSUR (2020-07-17). The US Increases Risk of War in South America, Lula Warns. telesurenglish.net Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva harshly criticized President Jair Bolsonaro's new National Defense Policy (NDP) and warned that the United States is pushing his country into a warlike conflict against Venezuela. | RELATED: | "I have been reading with concern the reports on the NDP new edition. Our governments have tried to make the defense policy and strategy instruments for peace, sovereignty, a…

Peoples Dispatch (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.

teleSUR (2020-07-17). The United States Deploys Aircraft Carriers in the South China Sea. telesurenglish.net President Donald Trump's administration Friday deployed the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carriers to the South China Sea when relations between the United States and China are becoming increasingly strained. | RELATED: | "Nimitz and Reagan Carrier Strike Groups are operating in the South China Sea, wherever international law allows, to reinforce our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, a rules-ba…

teleSUR (2020-07-17). Stop Harassing Chinese Enterprises, Diplomat Hua Asked the US. telesurenglish.net China's Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying Friday urged the United States to halt its unjustified and unilateral sanctions against his country's companies. | RELATED: | "Stop suppressing specific Chinese enterprises unreasonably, stop abusing the concept of national security, and stop smearing China maliciously," Hua said, as reported by Xinhua. | On Aug. 13, the U.S. will implement new regulations aimed at prohibi…

Scott Ritter (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 …

Richard Falk (2020-07-17). Will China be the New Russia? zcomm.org The Future of American Geopolitics…

WSWS (2020-07-17). Facing mounting crisis, US lashes out against China. wsws.org Confronted with an economic and social crisis at home and his own worsening election prospects, Trump is aggressively confronting China across a whole range of potentially explosive issues.

Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya (2020-07-17). Geo-Strategic Chessboard: War Between India and China? globalresearch.ca New Delhi caught between alliances? An encircling military ring that involves India has been created around China.

Tim Whitehouse (2020-07-17). COVID-19, the Climate Crisis, and Our Urgent Duty to Rebuild This Country. commondreams.org The United States, writes Whitehouse, "must adopt a recovery plan that addresses the intersecting crises of economy, climate, and justice through policies that speed the transition to clean energy, train unemployed workers for jobs in energy efficiency and renewable energy, make communities healthier and more resilient, promote smart growth and electric transit in cities, and restore biodiversity and soil health in rural areas." (Photo: Ronen Tivony / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

teleSUR (2020-07-17). Argentina Rejects U.S. Plans To Rule Regional Bank. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Sola Thursday rejected U.S. intentions to propose a candidate for Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) presidency. | RELATED: | Several countries have already presented candidates after Colombian Luis Alberto Moreno announced that he will be leaving the Bank's presidency in September. | In this line, Mauricio Claver-Carone became the U.S.'s first candidate for this p…

WSWS (2020-07-17). Oklahoma cops tased Jared Lakey over 50 times before he died, video shows. wsws.org Jared Lakey died last year less than 48 hours after suffering a heart attack after being electrocuted and choked by police officers in Wilson, Oklahoma.

WSWS (2020-07-17). Canada's largest lingerie and swimwear retailer scraps worker bonuses. wsws.org La Vie en Rose workers, many of whom are paid minimum wage, are being pressured to show up even when they have coronavirus symptoms and are receiving totally inadequate workplace protection from the company.

Sonali Kolhatkar (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:

WSWS (2020-07-17). More than two hundred Mexican oil workers at PEMEX have died from COVID-19. wsws.org The state-owned oil company reported that 234 family members of workers have also died from coronavirus.

Josh Bivens (2020-07-17). Recovering Fully From the Coronavirus Shock Will Require Large Increases in Federal Debt—and There's Nothing Wrong With That. commondreams.org It is important to note that right now, and for the foreseeable future, we are in a demand-constrained economy, not a supply-constrained economy. (Photo: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

teleSUR (2020-07-17). Russia Denies British Allegations Of COVID-19 Vaccine Hacking. telesurenglish.net The Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov Friday rejected London's claims that Russian intelligence services allegedly hacked a coronavirus vaccine research. | RELATED: | Early this week, the British National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) stated that the Russians were linked to a hacker group called APT29, which was accused of being the main actor in a cyberattack aimed at R&D organizations working on the making of COVID-19 vaccines in the…

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (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

Michael Snyder (2020-07-17). Why Did Hundreds Of CEOs Resign Just Before The World Started Going Absolutely Crazy? globalresearch.ca In the months prior to the most ferocious stock market crash in history and the eruption of the biggest public health crisis of our generation, we witnessed the biggest exodus of corporate CEOs that we have ever seen. And as …

WSWS (2020-07-17). US automakers continue cover-up of COVID-19 outbreaks as workers call for action. wsws.org Fiat Chrysler, with the aid of the United Auto Workers and the corporate media, continues to downplay the uncontrolled spread of the virus at the Toledo North Assembly Complex.

Laura Flanders (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

Kerron àì Luain (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

Eve Ottenberg (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

Robert Fantina (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

Jeff Bryant (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

Lindsay Koshgarian (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

teleSUR (2020-07-17). Bolivia: Senate Will Try To Ban Unconstitutional Military Promotion. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Senate President Eva Copa Thursday announced she will file a legal proceeding to annul military promotion by decree imposed by the coup-born government of Jeanine Añez. | RELATED: | Senator indicated that she will address the Constitutional Court to advance in a measure against the promotions decreed. | "We will not allow a transitional government to take attributions like that," Copa stated to a local radio station…

Shane Quinn (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.

WSWS (2020-07-17). "Palace letters" point to the plotting behind the 1975 constitutional coup in Australia. wsws.org Together with the military coup in Chile in 1973, the Labor government's dismissal was one of the first acts in what became an international counter-offensive against the working class.

news.un (2020-07-17). World's poorest being pushed 'closer to the abyss' of famine, warns WFP chief. news.un.org Hunger threatens to soar to devastating levels in 25 countries in the coming months due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are warning.

Nicola De Rossi, Cristina Scarpazza, Chiara Filippini, Cinzia Cordioli, Sarah Rasia, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Damiano Rizzoni, Giuseppe Romanelli, Stefania Cossi, Nereo Vettoretto, Sergio Bove, Silvano Manfredini, Eva Andrea Beindorf, Carlo Mosca, Vittorio Scipione, Gigliola Flamminio, Elena Albini Albini, Paola Giansiracusa, Ruggero Capra, Montichiari COVID-19 Study Group (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.

WSWS (2020-07-17). Outbreak of COVID-19 at Pretty Little Thing distribution centre in Sheffield, UK. wsws.org The outbreak among the 1,000 plus workforce demonstrates that the highly exploitative and unsafe practices of the Boohoo Group extend across the supply and distribution network.

news.un (2020-07-17). COVID-19 highlights need for renewed, inclusive multilateralism: UN chief. news.un.org With the COVID-19 pandemic putting development gains at risk, exposing vulnerabilities and inequalities both within and among nations, the UN Secretary-General is urging governments to reexamine how they work together to solve global challenges.

WSWS (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.

William rivers Pitt (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…

teleSUR (2020-07-17). About 25 Nations Could Face Hunger Due To COVID-19, FAO Warns. telesurenglish.net The Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) warned Friday that about 25 nations would face devastating hunger due to COVID-19 economic impact. | RELATED: | Both organizations released the Early Warning Analysis of Acute Food Insecurity Hotspots for July of 2020. The report assesses the pandemic influence on food production, specifically in nations suffering pa…

Sasha Abramsky (2020-07-17). Never Mind the Rising Death Toll—the Trump Show Must Go On! thenation.com Never Mind the Rising Death Toll—the Trump Show Must Go On!

2020-07-17: News Headlines

Richard Horton (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.

Lyudmila Nepomnyashchiy, Bernice Dahn, Rachel Saykpah, Mallika Raghavan (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.

The Lancet (2020-07-18). [Editorial] No more normal. thelancet.com Do you long for a return to normal after COVID-19?

Esther Choo (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.

Harry Rutter, Richard Horton, Theresa M Marteau (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.

Ann Danaiya Usher (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.

Raija Silvennoinen, Caroline A Heckman (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…

Federico Bilotta, Francesco Pugliese (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.

Nicolien J Schepers, Nora D L Hallensleben, Marc G Besselink, Marie-Paule G F Anten, Thomas L Bollen, David W da Costa, Foke van Delft, Sven M van Dijk, Hendrik M van Dullemen, Marcel G W Dijkgraaf, Casper H J van Eijck, G Willemien Erkelens, Nicole S Erler, Paul Fockens, Erwin J M van Geenen, Janneke van Grinsven, Robbert A Hollemans, Jeanin E van Hooft, Rene W M van der Hulst, Jeroen M Jansen, Frank J G M Kubben, Sjoerd D Kuiken, Robert J F Laheij, Rutger Quispel, Rogier J J de Ridder, Marno C M Rijk, Tessa E H Rà∂mkens, Carola H M Ruigrok, Erik J Schoon, Matthijs P Schwartz, Xavier J N M Smeets, B W Marcel Spanier, Adriaan C I T L Tan, Willem J Thijs, Robin Timmer, Niels G Venneman, Robert C Verdonk, Frank P Vleggaar, Wim van de Vrie, Ben J Witteman, Hjalmar C van Santvoort, Olaf J Bakker, Marco J Bruno, Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group (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.

Ian Roberts, Haleema Shakur-Still (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…

Alparslan Turan, Andra Duncan, Steve Leung, Nika Karimi, Jonathan Fang, Guangmei Mao, Jennifer Hargrave, Marc Gillinov, Carlos Trombetta, Sabry Ayad, Manal Hassan, Andrew Feider, Kimberly Howard-Quijano, Kurt Ruetzler, Daniel I Sessler, DECADE Study Group (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.

Yoshiko Iwai, Zahra H Khan, Sayantani DasGupta (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.

Geoff Watts (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.

Sebastian Bourn, Nick Dodds (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?

Talha Burki (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.

Maimouna Bah, Ludmilla Charlier, Camilla Davila, Sophie Descousse, BenoàÆt Frimon-Richard, Sameh Hashem, Clara Leroy, Marie Minault, Violette Mouro, Rajiv Nillameyom, Louise Schlàºter, Manon Wailly (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.

Meletios Dimopoulos, Hang Quach, Maria-Victoria Mateos, Ola Landgren, Xavier Leleu, David Siegel, Katja Weisel, Hui Yang, Zandra Klippel, Anita Zahlten-Kumeli, Saad Z Usmani (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.

Joel Wendland-Liu (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 …

Staff (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.

Ahmed Abdulkareem (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.

Alan Macleod (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.

Louis Proyect (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

Staff (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…

The Fight for $15 (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…

SEIU Local 1021 (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…

Jeffrey St. Clair (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

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

The Canary (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…

Eric Zuesse (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 …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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."

Staff (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."

F. William Engdahl (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 …

Lee Camp (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

Martha Grevatt (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 . . . |

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-17). Biden: Clean energy 'must provide an opportunity to join a union'. peoplesworld.org

Behrooz Ghamari Tabrizi (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,

Danny Haiphong (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.

Robert Hunziker (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

Caitlin Johnstone (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…

Eric A. Gordon (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 …

Mark Gruenberg (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 …

Vijay Prashad (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.

Eds. (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.

Susan Block (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

Richard D. Wolff (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.

Samantha Bruegger (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…

Monika Zgustova (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

John Kendall Hawkins (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,'

CP Editor (2020-07-17). Angel Olsen and Hand Habits "Walls" counterpunch.org

Paul Street (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

Jonathan Latham — Allison Wilson (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

Rob Urie (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.

Evaggelos Vallianatos (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

Staff (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.'

Eds. (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 …

Mark Andrews (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 …

Workers World Party (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 . . . |

Mirinda Crissman (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 . . . |

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

The Canary (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…

The Canary (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…

Ramzy Baroud (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

Norman Solomon (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…

Muhammad Hussein (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

Paul Antonopoulos (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 …

Peter Koenig (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 …

Philip Giraldi (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 …

WSWS Repost (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.

South Front (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 …

Stephen Lendman (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 …

yenisafak (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…

Tony Cartalucci (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 …

Binoy Kampmark (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 …

Peter Bolton (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…

Peoples Dispatch (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.

Abdul Rahman (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.

Scott Ritter (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 …

Richard Falk (2020-07-17). Will China be the New Russia? zcomm.org The Future of American Geopolitics…

Sonali Kolhatkar (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:

WSWS (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.

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (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

Kerron àì Luain (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

Laura Flanders (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

Robert Fantina (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

Jeff Bryant (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

Lindsay Koshgarian (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

Eve Ottenberg (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

Shane Quinn (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.

Nicola De Rossi, Cristina Scarpazza, Chiara Filippini, Cinzia Cordioli, Sarah Rasia, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Damiano Rizzoni, Giuseppe Romanelli, Stefania Cossi, Nereo Vettoretto, Sergio Bove, Silvano Manfredini, Eva Andrea Beindorf, Carlo Mosca, Vittorio Scipione, Gigliola Flamminio, Elena Albini Albini, Paola Giansiracusa, Ruggero Capra, Montichiari COVID-19 Study Group (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.

Pan Africanism Today Secretariat (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

Peoples Dispatch (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.

Christopher A. Martin, David R. Jenkins, Jatinder S. Minhas, Laura J. Gray, Julian Tang, Caroline Williams, Shirley Sze, Daniel Pan, William Jones, Raman Verma, Scott Knapp, Rupert Major, Melanie Davies, Nigel Brunskill, Martin Wiselka, Chris Brightling, Kamlesh Khunti, Pranab Haldar, Manish Pareek, Leicester COVID-19 consortium (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.

William rivers Pitt (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…

Peoples Dispatch (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…

WSWS (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.

Dr. Pascal Sacré (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, …

WSWS (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.

Ryan Devereaux (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…

Michael Snyder (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 …

Phil Armstrong (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 …

Donald Monaco (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 …

Helen Buyniski (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 …

Bruce Kecskes (2020-07-17). Ontario: An Economic Recovery for Who? globalresearch.ca In the first week of July, the Ontario government announced the

PCHR (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 …

Peoples Dispatch (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

imperial.ac.uk (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.

imperial.ac.uk (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.

UC Students & Workers (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…

Zach Conti (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.

Earth Day Network (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…

Roland Rottenfuss (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."

San Francisco Public Library (2020-07-17). Wednesday 7/22: History of Alcatraz & Mass Incarceration In America Today. indybay.org Online…

Ramona du Houx (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.

Christian Kreiss (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.

Robert Norse (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…

LaborFest.net (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.

Manlio Dinucci (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

The Canary (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)

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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,…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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.

yenisafak (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,…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

Angela Peoples, Phillip Agnew (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…

Jennifer Bitterly (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.

Nick Licata (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

Mary Miller — Ariel Gold (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

A Guest Author (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 . . . |

Mark Gruenberg (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 …

Workers World New York Disabilities bureau (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 . . . |

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Strike for Black Lives (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,"

RT (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…

The Canary (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…

Claudia Drdul (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.

WSWS (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.

Ajamu Baraka (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 …

Alan MacLeod (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 …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (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…

Andrew Korybko (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 …

Andrew Korybko (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 …

Norman Solomon (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…

Peter Koenig (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 …

Staff (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…

Staff (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."

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Gary Leupp (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 …

sputniknews (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.

Jesse Jackson (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

Lawrence Wittner (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

Lee Camp (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.

Mike Whitney (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. …

Staff (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.

Marco Carnelos (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. |

Arleen Rodríguez Derivet (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 …

Arleen Rodríguez Derivet (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 …

Nan Levinson (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

Louisa Willcox (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.

Vijay Prashad (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…

Jyoti Saraswati (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

Eds. (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…

Eds. (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.

Shabbir Manjee (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."

Arielle Robinson (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 . . . |

Emily Karreman (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 …

Editor (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 . . . |

Rebecca Reynolds Yonker, Dylan Lovan (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 …

Tyler Durden (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…

2020-07-16: News Headlines

Nick Licata (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

Claudia Drdul (2020-07-16). Thousands gather in Martinez to condemn white supremacy and police brutality. liberationnews.org A July 12 action in Martinez, California, by Together We Stand, Southern Alameda County Resistance Network, and Martizians for Black Lives protested against white-nationalist fliers distributed within the small Bay Area community. Nakenya Allen, a resident of Martinez who lives a few blocks from where the fliers were found, said: "There was absolutely no way …

Mary Miller — Ariel Gold (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

Workers World New York Disabilities bureau (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 . . . |

Ajamu Baraka (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 …

Alan MacLeod (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 …

Andrew Korybko (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 …

Jesse Jackson (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

Rocco Galati (2020-07-16). Video: Covid-19 Unlawful Acts: Law Suit against Trudeau Government: Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati. globalresearch.ca A large constitutional claim against Canadian government actors for their actions in COVID-19 has just been filed at the Superior Court in Toronto, Canada. | Watch Atty. Rocco Galati speak in the video below. | Thanks to Mark Taliano for bringing …

Louisa Willcox (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.

Jyoti Saraswati (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

Vijay Prashad (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…

Eds. (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.

Eds. (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…

Arielle Robinson (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 . . . |

Editor (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 . . . |

Staff (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…

Tyler Durden (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…

Robert Langreth (2020-07-16). Moderna's Vaccine Side Effect Is COVID-19. anti-empire.com The findings are likely to increase hopes that a vaccine can be brought to market quickly. However, a number of patients in the trial experienced side effects, some of them severe. The vaccine will move into a much larger late-stage trial later this month that's likely to determine whether it's approved by U.S. re…

Mike Walter (2020-07-16). The Heat: Global view of U.S. america.cgtn.com As coronavirus rages across the United States and after weeks of protests against police abuse, has America's reputation taken a global hit? The U.S. response to its huge number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has caused dismay to people watching around the world. Meanwhile, weeks …

Staff (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…

Staff (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."

Staff (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…

pip.hinman (2020-07-16). Community-led response 'essential' to deal with pandemic. greenleft.org.au

Strike for Black Lives (2020-07-16). Monday 7/20: Nationwide Strike for Black Lives. indybay.org Nationwide car caravans, rallies, and protest actions…

RT (2020-07-16). 'Coordinated social engineering attack': Twitter confirms employees with access to internal systems targeted in bitcoin scam hack. rt.com Twitter has said that alleged bitcoin scammers targeted some of its employees to get access to "internal systems and tools," which they then apparently used to hack into high-profile accounts, such as Joe Biden's. | We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools.— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) Noting that it is still investigating the circumstances behind the hack,…

RT (2020-07-16). Georgia governor bans mask mandates. 'Ignore the science and survive the best you can,' Savannah mayor complains. rt.com Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has prohibited cities from forcing residents to wear masks in public, voiding requirements put in place by some local governments. The move led to one mayor hurling incendiary accusations at Kemp. | The ban on mandatory face coverings was part of a new executive order which extended state measures purportedly put in place to fight the spread of coronavirus. Although Kemp has encouraged voluntary mask-wearing, his order made it clear that cities and counties could not coerce people into donning a face covering. The move voids orders adopted by at least 15 local governments across the…

RT (2020-07-16). 'Tough day for us at Twitter': Twitter unmutes most blue checks after bitcoin scammer hack, says 'functionality may come & go'. rt.com The majority of the verified accounts that were silenced by Twitter as it dealt with its most prominent hack to date — allegedly by bitcoin scammers — have been unlocked, the site said, noting that the issue is not yet resolved.

_____ (2020-07-16). Turmoil at Home, Turmoil Abroad: Israel and the U.S. Escalate Their War Against Iran. strategic-culture.org 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 game that will lead to the de facto elimination of western civilization. No one is yet quite up the U.S. level of senseless destruction and looting by the heroes of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa, but in Britain mobs are beating policemen, statues including that of Winston Churchill are being attacked and the Cenotaph commemorating the country's war dead has been vandalized. In a bizarre inc…

The Canary (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…

RT (2020-07-16). Trump turns to Facebook to announce replacement of Brad Parscale as campaign manager after huge Twitter hack & account lockdown. rt.com US President Donald Trump has tapped a new campaign manager, but deprived of his Twitter handle following a major hack on the platform, decided — or was forced by a shutdown of verified accounts — to declare the move on Facebook.

Norman Solomon (2020-07-16). An Ultimate Meaning of the Bernie 2020 Campaign: "Not Him. Us." zcomm.org Those of us who regret some of Bernie's tactical decisions during the last three months would do well to recall Eugene Debs' words about why he was not seeking to "lead you into the promised land." The future is up to us.

Sam Bahour (2020-07-16). Time's Up Israel: Get Your Knee Off Palestine's neck. counterpunch.org The timer is now ticking on Israel. While Israel historically put Palestinians on the slow burner, gnawing at their lands and livelihoods, time was in Israel's favor was the world turned a blind eye. Those days are over. Israel must now choose, allow the state of Palestine to emerge, or have it imposed upon them.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-16). US-NATO Seek to Exclude Russia from the Mediterranean. In Libya, Russia is on the Side of Haftar. globalresearch.ca Russia is conducting "military intimidation" in the Mediterranean according to RAND in a newly published

Philip Giraldi (2020-07-16). Israeli Proxies Profit from U.S. Coronavirus Funding. globalresearch.ca Washington D.C. is surely one of the most corrupt places on earth. Money talks and nearly everyone into the game sometimes referred to as politics has his or her hand out and expects to end up a millionaire. Given that, …

South Front (2020-07-16). Video: Turkish Proxies in Syria Went Out of Control, Attack Joint Turkish-Russian Patrol. globalresearch.ca On July 14th and 15th, Syrian Army artillery units and warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted extensive strikes on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Turkistan Islamic Party and other radical groups in northern Lattakia and southern Idlib. The …

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-16). Britain Caves to US, Bans Huawei from 5G Network Build-Out, More US Anti-China Sanctions Coming. globalresearch.ca Trump regime hardliners are pushing a diabolical full-court press to weaken and isolate China on the world stage — wanting its economic, industrial and technological development undermined. | I stressed these points in earlier articles, stressing as well the risk that …

Vanessa Beeley (2020-07-16). Syrian Christians Respond to Erdogan's Neo-Ottoman Agenda. globalresearch.ca The steadfast city of Al Sqeilbiyyeh responds strongly to the move of neo-Ottoman would-be-Emperor, Erdogan, to convert the historic church of Hagia Sophia from a secular, inclusive museum into a Mosque. | According to Turkish media (Hurriyet) changes will be applied …

Jenny Gonzales (2020-07-16). Top Amazon Deforestation Satellite Researcher Sacked by Bolsonaro. globalresearch.ca Just days after the

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-07-16). Every Billionaire Is A Predator: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com Step 2: Buy up all news media. | Step 3: Structure outlets to elevate voices who defend the status quo. | Step 4: Smear non-plutocratic media who don't protect the status quo as crazy conspiracy theorists and Russian propaganda. | Step 5: Dominate the narrative about what's going on in the world. | ~ | Mainstream news is just advertising. You watch advertisements for maintaining the plutocratic status quo, then you watch advertisements between those advertisements for useless crap to make plutocrats even richer. It's all just different layers of marketing. When I was getting my journalism degree they used to talk…

Peter Bolton (2020-07-16). Trump's latest comment about military spending shines a revealing light onto the right-wing mindset. thecanary.co US President Donald Trump's latest speech was one of his usual rambling and semi-coherent rants. It was filled with the standard litany of misrepresentations, half-truths, and outright lies we've come to expect of him. But one comment stood out as particularly revealing. | Though certainly a falsehood, it wasn't the kind of falsehood that is confined solely to the tangled mind of Trump or the ignorant worldview of his followers. Rather, it has formed one of the centerpieces of right-wing thought in the US since long before Trump entered the political arena. This shines a revealing light on the fundamental nature…

Do Thi Thu Huong (2020-07-16). Vietnam's Success Against COVID-19. globalresearch.ca While other countries are still lifting quarantine or planning to re-open public activities, Vietnam — a small, developing country that has about 1,400 km of land, river and stream and borders with China — has been opened up for more …

Thomas Nicholas, Galen Hall, & Colleen Schmidt (2020-07-16). The faulty science, doomism, and flawed conclusions of Deep Adaptation. zcomm.org The claim that runaway climate change has made societal collapse inevitable is not only wrong — it undermines the cause of the climate movement…

Gregg Gonsalves (2020-07-16). The New Lysenkoism in Washington. thenation.com The New Lysenkoism in Washington…

Dean Baker (2020-07-16). It's Going to be a Long, Hard Recession. counterpunch.org When the unemployment rate goes up, a standard theme in the media is that workers don't have the right skills. We saw that yesterday in the New York Times when an article told us "The Pandemic Has Accelerated Demands for a More Skilled Workforce." It tells us how the growth of telecommuting in response to

Rajan Menon (2020-07-16). How the Pandemic Hit Americans: Selective in Its Impact, the Virus Has Struck the Homeless Hard. counterpunch.org The novel SARS-CoV-2 has roared through the American landscape leaving physical, emotional, and economic devastation in its wake. By early July, known infections in this country exceeded three million, while deaths topped 135,000. Home to just over 4% of the global population, the United States accounts for more than a quarter of all fatalities from

F. Douglas Stephenson (2020-07-16). The End of Private Health Insurance? zcomm.org Covid Crash shows Why we Need Medicare for All…

Yanis Iqbal (2020-07-16). The Ravages of Lithium Extraction in Chile. globalresearch.ca In Chile, the Covid-19 pandemic is raging with an unprecedented speed. There are

Elizabeth Woodworth (2020-07-16). The Battle for Pandemic Sanity: Hydroxychloroquine Efficacy vs. Its Suppression. globalresearch.ca Covid-19 cases are on the rise again in the U.S. | Why are Dr. Anthony Fauci's NIAID, the FDA, and the CDC so blind to the real-world success of HCQ+azithromycin? | If this combination is the simple, cheap, safe way to prevent …

Julian Rose (2020-07-16). Towards a Totalitarian Regime? European Commission Adopts GMO Vaccine to Combat Non Existent Covid-19 Virus. globalresearch.ca In a decision which will shock many, the European Commission has taken a big step towards its ambition to subject its citizens to a totalitarian regime in which DNA altering technology forms the centre piece of mass control and unapologetic …

2020-07-15: News Headlines

Margaret Kimberley (2020-07-15). Propaganda Will Not Be Enough to Win Joe Biden the White House. mintpressnews.com The biggest threat to Biden's chances is the continuing suppression of black votes and the refusal of the Democrats to do anything about it.

Maureen Skehan (2020-07-15). Boston #SayHerName/Black women lead BLM march. workers.org By M. Skehan and G. Lechat — Over a thousand people took to the streets July Fourth to center Black women's role in the ongoing Black Lives Matter rebellion. Gathering in Boston's Nubian Square, recently stripped of its slaver name, the #SayHerName demonstration and march were organized by the initiative . . . |

Chris Schiavo (2020-07-15). Say Their Names. Black Lives Matter. thenation.com Say Their Names. Black Lives Matter.

Rann Miller (2020-07-15). Why Saying Black Lives Matter Isn't Enough. progressive.org White educators who say they support the movement need to show it by helping get rid of cops in schools.

Karen Rothmyer (2020-07-15). Where I Live, Hostility Toward Black Lives Matter Is Often Indirect. thenation.com Where I Live, Hostility Toward Black Lives Matter Is Often Indirect…

M. Skehan and G. Lechat (2020-07-15). Boston #SayHerNameBlack women lead BLM march. workers.org Over a thousand people took to the streets July Fourth to center Black women's role in the ongoing Black Lives Matter rebellion. Gathering in Boston's Nubian Square, recently stripped of its slaver name, the #SayHerName demonstration and march were organized by the initiative of Black women community leaders Daunasia Yancey, . . . |

Ladan Golestaneh, Joel Neugarten, Molly Fisher, Henny H. Billett, Morayma Reyes Gil, Tanya Johns, Milagros Yunes, Michele H. Mokrzycki, Maria Coco, Keith C. Norris, Hector R. Perez, Shani Scott, Ryung S. Kim, Eran Bellin (2020-07-15). The association of race and COVID-19 mortality. thelancet.com The BMHS COVID experience demonstrates that Blacks do have a higher mortality with COVID incompletely explained by age, multiple reported comorbidities and available metrics of sociodemographic disparity.

Amanda Yee (2020-07-15). Five years after Sandra Bland's death, NYC protesters demand justice for Black women. liberationnews.org The current national uprising against racist police terror has pushed Sandra Bland's name back into the public consciousness.

Edward Hunt (2020-07-15). 'Bias, Racism, and Quiet Discrimination' at the State Department. progressive.org For decades, Black diplomats have been struggling to change the department's racist culture.

Fight Back (2020-07-15). Elections signal post-socialist Poland's descent into reaction and repression. fightbacknews.org On July 12, Poland completed its second round of elections to decide who will be president and whether the far-right, chauvinistic, racist PiS would have full powers of the Sejm – Poland's equivalent to the House of Representatives. Sadly, despite being incredibly close and potentially contested, the official reports show Andrzej Duda getting 51% of the vote, while his opponent Rafal Trzaskowski achieved 49% of the vote. Duda is the candidate that represented the Prawo I Sprawiedliwosc (in English, the Law and Justice party). His opponent, Trzaskowski, represented the right-centrist party known as the Civil Platf…

Teddy Duncan (2020-07-15). The terms of the protests: Systemic and institutional reform. nationofchange.org People may even want different things, such as more radical change like abolishing the police entirely, but these ten proposed changes are a crucial contribution to the conversation of what to do about police brutality in America.

Alan Macleod (2020-07-15). Trump Fires Latest Salvo in US-China Sanctions War. mintpressnews.com Trump's new law, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, places mandatory sanctions on officials or organizations (including businesses) that the White House views as helping Beijing clamp down on political freedoms.

Alan Macleod (2020-07-15). UN Warns COVID-19 Fears Leading to "Alarming" Decline in Immunizations and Hospital Visits. mintpressnews.com The WHO and UNICEF have expressed concern over what they describe as an "alarming decline" of children's immunization programs, hospital visits for serious issues, including heart attacks and even a reversal in the fight against AIDS.

Ali Abunimah (2020-07-15). German anti-Semitism chief must resign, say Jewish and Israeli scholars. zcomm.org As Israel moves towards annexing large parts of the occupied West Bank, the scholars say that "the need for loud international criticism and opposition is only growing," but Klein keeps "chilling the public and political debate in Germany and beyond."

Max Blumenthal (2020-07-15). Did neocon cancel queen Bari Weiss stage her NYT resignation to fuel her career? thegrayzone.com A closer look at the events surrounding Bari Weiss' resignation suggests she omitted some critical details about her toxic presence…

Max Blumenthal (2020-07-15). Did neocon cancel queen Bari Weiss stage her NY Times resignation to fuel her career? thegrayzone.com A closer look at the events surrounding Bari Weiss' resignation suggests she omitted some critical details about her toxic presence…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-07-15). 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Caused Brain Damage in Children. Dr. Anthony Fauci on "Vaccine Safety" Issues. globalresearch.ca A lawsuit against the Trudeau Government for its handling of the COVID-19 Crisis has been launched. What is at stake is the violation of fundamental rights of Canadians. | "The mass and indiscriminate containment of citizens, the restriction of access to …

Daniel Ellsberg (2020-07-15). The Doomsday Machine Still Exists. zcomm.org Interview on seeking profit in spite of the risk of nuclear winter is "institutional madness"

Staff (2020-07-15). The Left Remakes the World: Amna Akbar on Canceling Rent, Defunding Police & Where We Go from Here. democracynow.org We look at another looming crisis for the American public: mass evictions. More than four months into a pandemic that has left millions unemployed, eviction freezes across the country are ending, even as case numbers rise and states reimpose lockdown measures. As the Cancel the Rent movement inspires rent strikes and protests nationwide, a coalition of labor unions, workers and racial and social justice groups in 25 states plans to stage a mass walkout this Monday called the "Strike for Black Lives." We speak with Amna Akbar, law professor at Ohio State University, who wrote about how to respond to all of this in…

Staff (2020-07-15). Headlines for July 15, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Sets Another Single-Day Record with 67,000+ Coronavirus Cases, Trump Admin Orders Hospitals to Bypass CDC on Reporting COVID-19 Data, GOP Convention in Jacksonville May Move Outdoors, as COVID-19 Skyrockets in Florida, U.N. Chief Warns Pandemic May Set Back Global Economy by "Decades", Trump Admin Rescinds Plan to Strip International Student Visas, Jeff Sessions Loses Bid to Reclaim Alabama Senate Seat, Democrats Pick Challengers to GOP Incumbent Senators in Texas & Maine, Progressive Challenger José Garza Unseats District Attorney of Travis County, TX, Joe Biden Unveils $2 Trillion Clean Energy and Jobs Pla…

Staff (2020-07-15). Tucson Mayor Romero Slams Arizona Gov. Ducey for Downplaying COVID & Hasty Reopening as ICUs Fill. democracynow.org As COVID-19 cases soar in the U.S. South and Southwest, we go to the hot spot of Arizona, where 88% of ICU beds are full and the family of one man accuses Arizona Governor Ducey and President Trump of being directly responsible for his death, after they downplayed the threat of the virus and obstructed local officials from requiring masks even as Arizona's case numbers were exploding. "We have been in a state of crisis since Governor Ducey decided to hastily reopen the state," says Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, who has been standing up to Ducey and is the first Latina and the first woman to be elected mayor of Tucs…

Staff (2020-07-15). As COVID-19 Cases Spike, Epidemiologist Warns "The Road to an Uncertain Vaccine Is Paved in Death" democracynow.org As the U.S. reports its highest one-day spike in infections and 11 states report record hospitalizations, the Trump administration is demanding states stop sending COVID patient data to the CDC, which then releases it to the public. We speak with Dr. Ali Khan, epidemiologist and the dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, about the Trump administration's handling of the crisis and his hopes for a vaccine. "The road to an uncertain vaccine is paved in death," notes Dr. Khan. He is the former director of the CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, where he…

Strike for Black Lives (2020-07-15). Monday 7/20: Nationwide Strike for Black Lives. indybay.org Nationwide car caravans, rallies, and protest actions…

John W. Whitehead (2020-07-15). America, You've Been Blacklisted: McCarthyism Refashioned for a New Age. globalresearch.ca "If we confuse dissent with disloyalty—if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox—if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for …

RT (2020-07-15). ViacomCBS drops Nick Cannon over 'anti-Semitic conspiracies' after he calls whites 'savages' & black people 'the true Hebrews'. rt.com ViacomCBS, which has MTV and Nickelodeon among its assets, has said it's severing its relationship with TV host Nick Cannon, after he was accused of racism and anti-Semitism for a series of bizarre claims in a resurfaced clip. | The multinational media conglomerate accused Cannon — who has been a host for 'Wild 'n Out,' a comedy show broadcast by Viacom's MTV and VH1 for over a decade — of "promoting hateful speech" and "spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories" in a statement on Tuesday, shortly after an episode of his 'Cannon's Class' podcast went viral. | "While we support ongoing education and…

RT (2020-07-15). Precedent set: North Carolina city approves reparations for black Americans, Rhode Island mayor looking into doing the same. rt.com The city council in Asheville, North Carolina approved paying reparations to black residents, while a mayor in Rhode Island signed an order promising to look into the act, leading many to argue this is the start of a major trend. | "Hundreds of years of Black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today," Keith Young, one of black members of the Asheville City Council, said. "It is simply not enough to remove statutes. Black people in this country are dealing with issues that are systemic in nature." | The vote was 7-0 in favor of the measure. | The reparations will not be direct payments to…

_____ (2020-07-15). 10 Reasons Why Defunding Police Should Lead to Defunding War. strategic-culture.org If we find indiscriminate state violence in our streets appalling, we should feel similarly about state violence abroad, write Medea Benjamin and Zoltán Grossman. | Medea BENJAMIN, Zoltán GROSSMAN | Since George Floyd was murdered, we have seen an increasing convergence of the "war at home" against black and brown people with the "wars abroad" that the U.S. has waged against people in other countries. | Army and National Guard troops have been deployed in U.S. cities, as militarized police treat our cities as occupied war zones. In response to this "endless war" at home, the growing and thunderous cries for defun…

The Canary (2020-07-15). Sculpture of Black protester installed on plinth on Edward Colston statue. thecanary.co A sculpture of a Black woman who took part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol has been erected on the plinth where a statue of slave trader Edward Colston used to stand.Artist Marc Quinn created the life-size black resin and steel piece of Jen Reid, from Bristol, after seeing a photograph of her standing on the empty plinth after the Colston statue was toppled.The sculpture, entitled A Surge of Power (Jen Reid), was erected shortly before 5am on Wednesday by Quinn's team without the knowledge or consent of Bristol City Council.The black resin and steel statue by Marc Quinn is titled A Surge of Power (Jen…

Staff (2020-07-15). Activists Fight to Cancel Rents as Pandemic Eviction Freezes Come to an End. truthout.org We look at another looming crisis for the American public: mass evictions. More than four months into a pandemic that has left millions unemployed, eviction freezes across the country are ending, even as case numbers rise and states reimpose lockdown measures. As the Cancel the Rent movement inspires rent strikes and protests nationwide, a coalition of labor unions, workers and racial and social justice groups in 25 states plans to stage a mass walkout this Monday called the "Strike for Black Lives.

Fight Back (2020-07-15). Terrorist regime vilifies human rights organizations and victims of human rights violations as terrorist. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Jose Maria Sison, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Chief Political Consultant. | While it is frenziedly engaged in state terrorism and suppression of democratic rights in the Philippines, the Duterte regime has submitted to the UN Human Rights Office a 137-page report entitled "The Philippine Human Rights Situationer May 2020" to achieve two malicious purposes: | 1) to make false accusations against the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People' Army and the National Democratic Front; and | 2) to slander and vilify the human…

Eva Bartlett (2020-07-15). US Sanctions Are Part of a Multi-front War on Syria, and Its Long-suffering Civilians Are the Main Target. globalresearch.ca The US is waging multiple fronts of war against Syria, including brutal sanctions, while claiming concern over the wellbeing of Syrian civilians — the vast majority of whom are suffering as a direct result of US policies. | On June 17, …

Denis Rogatyuk (2020-07-15). Assange's father speaks out, calls oppression of WikiLeaks founder a "great crime of 21st century" thegrayzone.com An extended interview with Julian Assange's father John Shipton, who condemns the US, UK, and Australian governments for their "11…

Greg Palast (2020-07-15). ERIC Crow, Jim Crow's liberal twin. nationofchange.org I don't for a minute believe that the Pew Trust is out to wipe away African-American voting rights; just the opposite, they are the quintessential do-gooders. They just don't do any good.

Germán Gorraiz López (2020-07-15). Is U.S. Military Action against Venezuela Contemplated? Trump Wants to Extradite Maduro. globalresearch.ca The Sino-Venezuelan agreement by which the Chinese state petrochemical company Sinopec will invest 14,000 million dollars to achieve daily oil production of 200,000 barrels per day of crude in the Orinoco Oil Belt, (considered the most abundant oil field in …

_____ (2020-07-15). Trump Tells Florida Crowd 'Something Will Happen In Venezuela' Soon. popularresistance.org On a trip to COVID-19 riddled Florida this weekend, President Donald Trump not-so-cryptically revealed that he had something big planned for Venezuela during a meeting with leaders of the U.S. military's Southern Command. "Something will happen with Venezuela. That's all I can tell you," he said, before adding that Washington would be "very much involved" in what he was referencing. Biden has also taken a hard line on Venezuela and is attempting to out-hawk Trump on the issue. "It's time for free and fair elections so that the Venezuelan people can turn the page on the corrupt and repressive Maduro regime," he sa…

Cira Pascual Marquina (2020-07-15). Popular protagonism in Venezuela's transition to socialism: A conversation with Michael Lebowitz. mronline.org The Marxist theorist emphasizes that socialism involves people transforming themselves.

Staff (2020-07-15). Corporate Greed Drives COVID-19 Pandemic Inside Peruvian Amazon. therealnews.com Peru's lawmakers are weighing a vote on crucial legislation, which, if passed, will declare large areas of pristine Amazon rainforest off limits to drilling and mining projects—a clear showdown between Big Oil and corporate mining interests and the rights of Indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. | Peru's Congress was expected to vote on the draft bill Thursday, July 2. But the proposal did not make it into the legislative agenda, prompting questions about whether corporate dollars are pulling the strings behind the scenes. | The proposed amendment has revived bitter decades-old social divisions in the…

Chris Marion (2020-07-15). 'Palestine is here in New Hampshire'. liberationnews.org "Palestine is a struggle against settler colonialism, apartheid and systemic racism — defining traits of the United States since its inception…"

Denis Doherty, Hannah Middleton (2020-07-15). Australian government ramps up anti-China campaign, spends billions on weaponry. peoplesworld.org SYDNEY—In announcing $270 billion ($189 billion USD) for the military on July 1, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had the task of convincing Australians that the exorbitant spending was necessary. He turned to fear as his chief weapon, evoking the rise of Nazism and World War II and describing…

Adam Geller, Malcolm Ritter (2020-07-15). Profile of a killer: Understanding the deadly coronavirus pandemic. peoplesworld.org Editor's note: This special report on what is known thus far about the deadly coronavirus was released today by the Associated Press. We publish it because the information contained in it sheds light on what we are facing during the dark days of this pandemic. It is clear that, in addition to embracing the safety …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-15). Labor launches video to get OSHA standards into coronavirus aid bill. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health launched a major drive, complete with a riveting video to be attached to communications to lawmakers, to ensure a mandatory anti-coronavirus safety and health standard is in the next economic stimulus law. The objective: To put enough pressure on GOP senators, notably ones who are vulnerable at …

Vijay Prashad (2020-07-15). Laos has tackled COVID-19, but it is drowning in debt to international finance. mronline.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.

Terry Everton (2020-07-15). Trump's Priorities in the Midst of a Pandemic. dissidentvoice.org What are the priorities of a president when the nation struggles with a seemingly unremitting pandemic? A look at Donald trump's pronouncements while COVID-19 surges in several states.

Genevieve Lechat (2020-07-15). Trump's xenophobic attack on international students. workers.org July 13 — Unions representing graduate student workers, many international, organized simultaneous July 13 rallies from coast to coast in opposition to a draconian Immigration and Customs Enforcement order threatening their right to remain in the U.S. Ultimately, a million individual international students are endangered by their second-class status as . . . |

Miko Peled (2020-07-15). How Two Seemingly Unrelated Events Laid Israel's Racism Problem Bare. mintpressnews.com A viral video showing an Israeli family mocking impoverished Palestinian children and a controversial New York Times editorial by famed Zionist commentator Peter Beinart have exposed the racist underpinning of the so-called Jewish state.

Eds. (2020-07-15). U.S. ruling class demands deadly reopening of schools. mronline.org The ruling class, having worked out its strategic response to the pandemic in February and March, has carried out an unrelenting assault on workers ever since. The working class must respond with equal determination and ruthlessness. It must fight for the socialist overturn of the capitalist system, which threatens the lives of millions of workers …

Gloria Rubac (2020-07-15). Texas death penalty under fire after cruel treatment of mourners. workers.org While executions are nothing unusual in Texas, the state outdid itself last week. It not only executed Billy Wardlow, but then its church liaison for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice used the viewing of the body by loved ones to verbally attack Wardlow's fiancée and her friends. Wardlow had . . . |

Anand Naidoo (2020-07-15). The Heat: COVID-19 economic impact & youth infection rate grows. america.cgtn.com U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed optimism despite Covid-19 continuing to cut a devastating path across America. On Monday, the United States surpassed more than 60,000 new coronavirus‚ÄØcases for the first time in a single day. Across the country, more than a third of states reported …

RT (2020-07-15). Google faces $5 BILLION lawsuit over tracking users' activities even in 'private' mode. rt.com Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc have been accused of pervasively — and illegally — tracking the activities of millions of people even when they turn tracking off in a lawsuit demanding $5 billion in damages. | Filed with a US district court in San Jose on Tuesday, the complaint states that Google has violated the American federal wiretap law and the California privacy law by collecting information about what people look at in the news, search for online or do in their mobile apps — even when they turn off tracking in their account settings or switch browsers to private mode. | The l…

RT (2020-07-15). Nation of Islam posts Farrakhan's call for Jews to ditch the Talmud & be saved amid Nick Cannon antisemitism debacle. rt.com The Nation of Islam posted a call from leader Louis Farrakhan to the "Jewish community" telling them to "turn away from the Talmud" to be spared by God – hours after Farrakhan fan Nick Cannon was fired over his own "antisemitism."

The Canary (2020-07-15). Trump takes credit for convincing UK to ban China's Huawei. thecanary.co Donald Trump has appeared to take credit for having "convinced many countries", including the UK, not to use Huawei after Boris Johnson ordered a ban on the Chinese firm with the country's 5G network.The US president said, "I did this myself, for the most part", as he spoke of having worked to pressure nations to not use Huawei, adding: "If they want to do business with us, they can't use it." | In a major U-turn provoking criticism from China, the prime minister

The Canary (2020-07-15). Huge boost to business and jobs worldwide if nature is prioritised says World Economic Forum. thecanary.co Stimulating growth in ways that puts nature first could provide an £8tn boost and create hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide, experts have said.A "future of nature and business" report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) highlights how governments and businesses can build back better from the economic fallout of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and tackle the nature and climate crisis.Industry moves ranging from recycling clothing to installing energy-saving light bulbs and green roofs into buildings, and even diversifying diets, could help create 395 million jobs around the world by 2030, the WEF sai…

The Canary (2020-07-15). Hancock 'not frankly interested' in Gove not wearing a mask while shopping. thecanary.co Health secretary Matt Hancock has said he is "not frankly interested" in his Cabinet colleague Michael Gove being pictured in a shop without a mask ahead of them being made compulsory to slow the spread of coronavirus.The senior Cabinet Office minister, who had earlier sparked confusion by suggesting face coverings would not be mandatory in shops in England, was photographed uncovered in Pret A Manger despite insisting it was "basic good manners" to wear a mask.His maskless face was in stark contrast to that of international trade secretary Liz Truss, who minutes earlier had left the same store in Westminster wea…

John Catalinotto (2020-07-15). What is needed to reopen schools in the U.S.? workers.org July 13 — The Trump administration has ignored facts, science and the advice of experts when issuing an order for schools to open countrywide. Pediatricians, teachers and other education workers who are on the front lines have said they want to reopen schools, but only under safe conditions. They say . . . |

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-15). China-Iran Deal Is a Major Blow to U.S. Aspirations in Central Asia. globalresearch.ca "Two ancient Asian cultures, two partners in the sectors of trade, economy, politics, culture and security with a similar outlook and many mutual bilateral and multilateral interests will consider one another strategic partners" — these were the opening words of …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-15). Converting Hagia Sophia for Domestic Consumption Will Backfire on Erdogan. globalresearch.ca On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of the Byzantine-era built Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque. The first Islamic service in the formerly Christian Orthodox Cathedral is scheduled for July 24 …

Stansfield Smith (2020-07-15). WOLA's David Smilde Advocates a more Efficient Regime Change Strategy against Venezuela. dissidentvoice.org Common Dreams, a liberal-left website, reposted an article by David Smilde of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA): "Joe Biden Should Not Try to Out-Hawk Trump on Venezuela." It starts off well with the subtitle: "The first task for a Biden administration would be to take military intervention off the table." The US has …

WSWS Repost (2020-07-15). Newsom: allowing SEP candidates on ballot would "frustrate democratic process." indybay.org Democratic Party officials argue that the Socialist Equality Party should have been collecting ballot signatures in California during the dangerous COVID-19 lockdown.

South Front (2020-07-15). Video: Saudi Regime on Brink of Collapse? Economic Crisis and Setbacks in Yemeni War. globalresearch.ca Saudi Arabia has become a hostage of its own military campaign in Yemen. The Kingdom suffers from both its own inability to achieve a military victory in the conflict and regular losses from the retaliatory actions of the Houthis. At …

Robert Reich (2020-07-15). Corporate hypocrisy on racism. nationofchange.org Far from being the solution to systemic racism in America, these billionaires and their corporations are actively perpetuating it.

Melvin Goodman (2020-07-15). Bolton's Book is Not the "Bomb" as Advertised. counterpunch.org John Bolton's "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir" will not tell you anything you already don't know about Donald Trump and his administration. If you have read Michael Wolff ("Fire and Fury"), Bob Woodward ("Fear"), and Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig ("A Very Stable Genius"), you have a full picture of Trump's

WSWS (2020-07-15). US secretary of state denounces China over South China Sea. wsws.org The Trump administration formally adopts the 2016 Hague ruling against Chinese claims in the sensitive, strategic waters, as it ramps up US naval provocations there.

Andrew McCormick (2020-07-15). Climate Change Is a Political—Not Partisan—Story. thenation.com Climate Change Is a Political—Not Partisan—Story…

Dean Baker (2020-07-15). New York Times Is Badly Confused About Economics of Coronavirus Vaccine. cepr.net The New York Times had a piece reporting on the progress of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, based on a newly published article. After reporting on the relative success of the vaccine in a group of 45 healthy people, the NYT tells readers: "Experts agree that more than one vaccine will be needed, because no single company …

Rajan Menon (2020-07-15). This Pandemic Is Already Hitting the Homeless Hard. It's About to Get Worse. thenation.com This Pandemic Is Already Hitting the Homeless Hard. It's About to Get Worse.

Dr. Christian Drosten (2020-07-15). The Tests: Covid-19 and the Benign Common Cold Coronavirus. Can They be Distinguished? globalresearch.ca Introductory Note by Dr. Gary Kohls | It has long been known that benign coronavirus species are capable of causing 15 — 30 % of common colds (usual symptoms: runny nose, cough, sore throat). | This reality was recently mentioned by a …

Renee Bracey Sherman (2020-07-15). The Covid Crisis Reveals the Need to Abolish Abortion Restrictions. thenation.com The Covid Crisis Reveals the Need to Abolish Abortion Restrictions…

Julia Conley (2020-07-15). US corporations a driving force behind 'unprecedented wave' of global land privatization: Report. nationofchange.org The U.S. in particular, the report says, is a "key player in an unfettered offensive to privatize land around the world."

Robin Wonsley — Ty Moore (2020-07-15). Minneapolis Ballot Measure to Dismantle the Police Will Test the Strength of Our Movement. counterpunch.org In November, Minneapolis voters may get to decide whether to dismantle the city's police department, setting up a dramatic battle for public opinion in the epicenter of the national uprising. This presents a huge opportunity for the movement to substantially weaken the repressive powers of the police, and to win new investments addressing the deep

Omar Ramahi (2020-07-15). Hagia Sophia and the Catastrophe of Symbolism. counterpunch.org As a Muslim, I find Erdogan's "decree" to change the status of Hagia Sophia (or Ayasofya in Turkish) from a museum to a masjid extremely disturbing. Yes, it is true that Turkey is a sovereign state, so it can do whatever it wants within its borders. But these actions have severe consequences. Hagia Sophia was

Kenneth Surin (2020-07-15). Boris Johnson's "Blundering Brilliance"…Now Only the Blundering Remains. counterpunch.org In December last year The New York Times referred to Boris Johnson's "blundering brilliance" in an attempt to account for his popularity with many voters. The NYT went on to say: "It's hard to take the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, completely seriously. Just look at him: a chubby, permanently disheveled toff with an accent

Jennifer Loewenstein (2020-07-15). Forging Greater Israel: Annexation by Any Other Name. counterpunch.org July 1st came and went and Netanyahu made no formal statement regarding annexation. That left many journalists, politicians, activists, and others feeling abandoned to speculation. Declarations of support or opposition went forward accompanied by an air of uncertainty and the frustration of trying to second guess the objectives of those whose actions would determine the

Daniel Warner (2020-07-15). Audacity and Hope in the Summer of Discontent. counterpunch.org We are in the summer of discontent, overwhelmed by the pandemic, civil unrest and economic hardship. In what seems ages ago, Barack Obama talked of the audacity of hope. That audacity now appears as neither audacious nor hopeful. Obama's "Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" seem more like a nightmare than a dream. With the

Yu-miao Zhao, Yao-min Shang, Wen-bin Song, Qing-quan Li, Hua Xie, Qin-fu Xu, Jun-li Jia, Li-ming Li, Hong-li Mao, Xiu-man Zhou, Hong Luo, Yan-feng Gao, Ai-guo Xu (2020-07-15). Follow-up study of the pulmonary function and related physiological characteristics of COVID-19 survivors three months after recovery. thelancet.com Radiological and physiological abnormalities were still found in a considerable proportion of COVID-19 survivors without critical cases 3 months after discharge. Higher level of D-dimer on admission could effectively predict impaired DLCO after 3 months discharge. It is necessary to follow up the COVID-19 patients to appropriately manage any persistent or emerging long-term sequelae.

Anthony Murdoch (2020-07-15). Vaccine Group Sues Trudeau Government for 'Draconian and Unjustifiable' Response to COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Vaccine Choice Canada, a not-for-profit society founded by families who have suffered from vaccine reactions and injuries, is suing Trudeau's Liberal Government along with Ford's Government of Ontario to hold them "accountable" for their "overreach and the draconian and unjustifiable …

Sean Stinson (2020-07-15). The End of History lasted 2 Years: I'll give the Great Reset 18 Months. dissidentvoice.org The many similarities in the unfolding narrative of Covid-19 to that of September 11, 2001 — the mass hysteria, the banker bailouts, the insider trading, the censorship of dissent, the apparent foreknowledge (Lockstep, Event 201, PNAC, Catastrophic Terrorism, A Clean Break etc), the rollout of mass surveillance measures and more — make the two seem …

news.un (2020-07-15). Pandemic putting immunization gains at risk, UN agencies warn. news.un.org Disruptions in the delivery of immunization services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to unravel global gains in reaching more children and young people with a wider range of vaccines, two UN agencies warned on Wednesday…

WSWS (2020-07-15). Record single-day COVID-19 deaths in Florida, Alabama and Utah. wsws.org Hospitalizations are up 43 percent in California. Texas and Arizona are readying refrigerated trucks to store the overflow of bodies from inundated morgues.

news.un (2020-07-15). Our 'new normal' requires human contact, UN chief tells youth webinar on mental health. news.un.org How to adapt and move forward in the new reality of a COVID-19 world was the focus of a UN webinar on Wednesday, which considered how young people can maintain good mental health and a sense of wellbeing.

The Global Research Team (2020-07-15). GlobalResearch.ca: Help Us Stay Afloat. globalresearch.ca Maintaining our projects, websites and operations involves some very real costs, and the fact that we are independent places us in a precarious position. Our recurring donors and members help us to be able to plan ahead and gain some …

Heidi Peltier (2020-07-15). Profit Driven "Military Contracting" Camouflages Military Costs, Exacerbates Inequality. globalresearch.ca Military contracting was sold to the American people as a way to reduce the cost of military operations, yet the result has been quite the opposite. Recent

Prof. Bill Willers (2020-07-15). The Mask as a Symbol of Subjugation. globalresearch.ca We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. — (T)hey told us exactly what was coming, and advised us to shut …

Lawrence Freeman (2020-07-15). IMF "Economic Medicine" Contributes to Health Crisis in Africa: Shortage of Health Workers. globalresearch.ca As I have told my friends for many years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is incapable of helping nations grow their economies. I do not believe the IMF can point to any success story, where its policies led to improving …

Fernando Ravsberg (2020-07-15). Cuba in the Last Stretch of the Pandemic. globalresearch.ca Introduction | The following article by Fernando Ravsberg It is worth mentioning some …

IMEMC Staff (2020-07-15). Israeli Forces Deliver Demolition Orders to Three Palestinians in Jenin. imemc.org Israeli authorities in the northern West Bank district of Jenin, delivered three demolition orders, on Tuesday, to different residents from the Ya'bad town, south-west of Jenin. According to the board-member of the Ya'bad municipality, Samer Abu Bakr, the demolition orders involve stores belonging to Omar Alkilani and Zaid Herzallah, as …

IMEMC News (2020-07-15). Israeli Soldiers Injure Many Detainees In Ofer Prison. imemc.org Israeli soldiers injured, late on Tuesday at night, many Palestinian political prisoners in Ofer prison, which is built on Palestinian lands west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, in addition to forcing one detainee in solitary confinement. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that dozens of soldiers …

IMEMC News (2020-07-15). Soldiers Demolish A Home In Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers demolished, on Wednesday morning, an under-construction Palestinian home in Jabal al-Mokabber village, south of occupied East Jerusalem. Eyewitnesses said dozens of soldiers, and police officers, accompanied bulldozers and personnel of the City Council in the occupied city into the village, after surrounding it. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center …

Brasil de Fato (2020-07-15). Bolsonaro's crimes: social movements file a new impeachment request. peoplesdispatch.org Social movements filed in Congress an impeachment request against President Jair Bolsonaro, on Tuesday, July 14th. In the document, these entities put forth an array of possible crimes committed by the former army captain. | According to these organizations, since the beginning of his term Bolsonaro has "gravely and systematically infringed upon the Constitution of the Republic. By adopting this standard of constant disrespect towards the constitutional directive, the head of State seems to be pushing for the normalization and acceptance of these violations." | Furthermore, these organizations allege that by comm…

news.un (2020-07-15). Venezuela: amputation, extortion and death amidst booming gold mining racket. news.un.org The Human Rights Council on Wednesday heard damning reports of serious exploitation and abuse of children and indigenous communities in Venezuela, where mining for gold and other minerals is booming.

Sophie Marie Anne Effing, Bishal Gyawali (2020-07-15). [Research Paper] Assessing the risk-benefit profile of ramucirumab in patients with advanced solid tumors: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. thelancet.com In this meta-analysis of RCTs, use of ramucirumab in patients with advanced cancer was associated with increased risk of treatment related serious and possibly fatal adverse events but the magnitude of clinical benefit from ramucirumab was mostly negligible with no trial reporting an improvement in QOL. These relative risks and benefits should be considered in clinical and regulatory decision making.

Sara Larsen, Rasmus Vinther Russell, Lotte Klinten Ockert, Stephen Spanos, Helena Strà∏mstad Travis, Lars Holger Ehlers, Anders Mà¶rkedahl (2020-07-15). [Research Paper] Rate and impact of duodenoscope contamination: A systematic review and meta-analysis. thelancet.com This is the first meta-analysis to estimate the contamination rate of patient-ready duodenoscopes used for ERCP. Based on the available literature, our analysis demonstrates that there is a 15.25% contamination rate of reprocessed patient-ready duodenoscopes. Additionally, the analysis indicates that dHLD and EtO reprocessing methods are superior to single HLD but still not efficient in regards to cleaning the duodenoscopes properly. Furthermore, studies conducted following an outbreak did not entail a higher contamination rate compared to non-outbreak-initiated studies.

Jessica Culhane, Monisha Sharma, Kate Wilson, D.Allen Roberts, Cyrus Mugo, Dalton Wamalwa, Irene Inwani, Ruanne V. Barnabas, Pamela K. Kohler (2020-07-15). Modeling the health impact and cost threshold of long-acting ART for adolescents and young adults in Kenya. thelancet.com Providing LA-ART to AYA can be cost-effective in Kenya if it is less than twice the cost of oral ART. Long-acting injectable ART for priority populations with low viral suppression has the potential to cost-effectively avert disability and death.

Raul Diego (2020-07-15). Texting App with Ties to Trump Campaign to Be Repurposed for Contact Tracing. mintpressnews.com A mobile app once used by the Trump campaign and other partisan interests has been rebranded and is now part of an "approved" national app database specifically designed for use by public health and safety agencies.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-15). Nigeria's Human Rights Commission blocks workers' strike with court order. peoplesdispatch.org On Wednesday July 15, an industrial court in Nigerian capital Abuja gave an interim order interdicting the strike action which was planned by the workers of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). | Until the court's final decision on the matter, the order also prohibits these workers from holding any meetings, protests, rally or other forms of gatherings to mobilize for any form of industrial action against the non-payment of minimum wages. | This order came after the Commission, charged with protecting human rights, went to court to stop its workers from exercising their right to strike. The strike action w…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-15). Indian students say no to exams during pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org Students across India staged a four-day protest against the government's decision to conduct online exams in universities. They said it would accentuate existing inequalities.

Rajan Menon (2020-07-15). How the Pandemic Hit Americans. zcomm.org Selective in Its Impact, the Virus Has Struck the Homeless Hard…

Jean Jores Pierre (2020-07-15). PetroCaribe is at the heart of a geopolitical battle in the Carribean. peoplesdispatch.org For the past two years, Haitians have been engaged in several

Marwa Osman (2020-07-15). Hezbollah's New Battle—MES EP.62. thealtworld.com 1st Segment | Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stressed that Lebanon must explore all options to rescue the country's economy while announcing Hezbollah's new front by saying that the Resistance party has decided to be in the heart of agricultural and industrial battle. To discuss this issue with us in Beirut is Dr. Bilal Farhat former Member of Parliament with the Loyalty of the Resistance Bloc, Hezbollah. | 2nd Segment | The U.S.-backed Separatists militias of the anti-Damascus Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been impeding the delivery of flour to bread facilities in the northeastern provi…

news.un (2020-07-15). Concerns and hopes of Yemenis at heart of UN plans for better future. news.un.org In a wide-ranging interview for UN News on Wednesday, Martin Griffiths, the UN's Special Envoy in Yemen, addresses the protracted peace process in the country, and the enormous challenges that still need to be overcome.

news.un (2020-07-15). Yemen oil tanker wreck: Time running out to avert 'looming environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe'. news.un.org Time is fast running out for getting a UN team of experts aboard the Yemeni oil storage vessel Safer, before it spills its cargo of 1.148 million barrels of light crude oil into the Red Sea, triggering what would likely be a massive environmental and economic catastrophe, the Security Council heard on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Afghanistan seeking Iran's experience in COVID-19 combat. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — The spokesperson of Afghanistan's Ministry of Health stated that the country is seeking to use Iran's experience in the fight against coronavirus.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Afghanistan sends 3rd transit consignment to India via Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 04 (MNA) — The third shipment of Afghanistan's transit goods has been shipped to India via a port in southern Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Deputy FM Araghchi arrives in Kabul for bilateral talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Wednesday evening at the head of a political, security and economic delegation for holding talks with senior Afghan officials.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Kyrgyzstan to import medicine from Iran to cure Covid-19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 16 (MNA) — The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Kubatbek Ayilchiyevich Boronov has announced that his country is to import anti-coronavirus and Pneumonia medicine from Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Domestic production of "Remdesivir" drug to hit market soon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Iran will supply its first localized production of antiviral "Remdesivir" medicine at the market next week in the fight against the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Observing health protocols, solution in fight against corona. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that complying with healthcare instructions is the definite solution in battling the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Iran COVID-19 updates: 2,388 new cases, 199 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,388 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 264,561.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Iran_Iraq border crossing' operations resume. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 16 (MNA) —the head of Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that after a few months of closing some Iran-Iraq borders due to the spreading of COVID-19, the situation has recently improved and trade has resumed in the borders.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). VIDEO: Virtual trip to Bozqush mount. in E. Azarbaijan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Mountain Bozqush is a 3,306 meters volcanic mountain 20 km south of Sarab and north of Mianeh, East Azarbaijan Province, Iran, that separates Iranian plateau from the Caucasus. In Azerbaijani language, Bozqush means grey bird.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Intl. conf. on polyethylene value chain to be held in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — The Iranian capital is to host the first international conference on polyethylene value chain with a focus on introducing new technologies, grades and business markets on October 3-4, 2020.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Borrell urges Europe to do more to satisfy Iran with JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Wed. called on Europe to do more to win satisfaction of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Hiroshima Intl. Filmfest. to host 2 Iranian animations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Two Iranian animation, namely 'Am I A Wolf?' and 'Crab', will vie at the competition section of the 2020 Hiroshima International Animation Festival in Japan.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). VIDEO: Kavir National Park in Semnan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Kavir National Park is a protected ecological zone in northern Iran. It has an area of 4,000 square kilometers. It sits on the western end of one of Iran's two major deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Iran paves way for foreign researchers. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA_ Hossein Salar Amoli announced that Iran has paved the way for presence of Foreign researchers in the country under a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Cooperation.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Police seize 160 kg of illicit drugs in SW Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — The police forces of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, southwestern Iran, have confiscated 160 kg of illicit drugs in a single operation.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Iranian MPs to visit Natanz nuclear facilitiy site. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — A delegation of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament is to pay a visit to Natanz Nuclear Site on Monday, July 20.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). Iran equipped with high-tech military equipment. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA)_Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari said "Today, we have taken great steps in achieving our goal of equipping ourselves with smart, pinpoint, digital and electronic weapons.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-15). VIDEO: Protests on streets of Tel Aviv. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 16 (MNA) — Hundreds of people have held a demonstration on Wednesday in Tel Aviv to protest against Netanyahu's economic policies amid the pandemic.

Speak Out Now (2020-07-15). Saturday 7/25: COVID-19: A Natural Event But a Human Made Catastrophe (Online). indybay.org Online meeting, see website for details…

Karen Topakian (2020-07-15). Wednesday 7/15: NorCal War Tax Resisters Grant $$$ for COVID Crisis & Racial Justice Groups. indybay.org ZOOM Meeting ID: 886 9702 3906, Password: 421632…

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-07-15). Friday 7/17: Online Socialism Forum: People or Profits? U.S. Pandemic Priorities. indybay.org register here: bit.ly/people-v-profits

People Over Petro (2020-07-15). Thursday 7/23: Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic: Environmental Impact (Part 2 of 2). indybay.org Online…

People Over Petrol (2020-07-15). Tuesday 7/21: Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic: Environmental Impact (Part 1 of 2). indybay.org Online…

Laborfest (2020-07-15). Monday 7/20: LaborFest 2020 presents: Poetry and Performance With David Mills and Howard Pflanzer. indybay.org This is a free LIVE Zoom based event. You can be anywhere to view and participant. Please visit the LaborFest 2020 website URL to register and to receive a Zoom invitation to the event.

_____ (2020-07-15). Report Warns Of Unprecedented Wave Of Land Privatization. popularresistance.org Amidst a worsening climate crisis, the Oakland Institute's new report, Driving Dispossession: The Global Push to "Unlock the Economic Potential of Land," sounds the alarm on the unprecedented wave of privatization of natural resources that is underway around the world. Through six case studies—Ukraine, Zambia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Brazil—the report details the myriad ways by which governments—willingly or under the pressure of financial institutions and Western donor agencies—are putting more land into so-called "productive use" in the name of development. | "The fact…

_____ (2020-07-15). Trump's Harsh Sanctions Lead To Iran-China Partnership. popularresistance.org China and Iran have drafted a "sweeping economic and security partnership," according to The New York Times. China will get a regular, heavily discounted supply of Iranian oil for the next 25 years, as well as an expanded role in Iranian banking, ports, railways, telecommunications and myriad other projects. Iran and China will also increase their military cooperation. | This "strategic partnership" is the result of Donald Trump's punishing sanctions against Iran. Although it has not yet been formally approved by Iran's Parliament, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, favors the partnership. | Two years…

_____ (2020-07-15). NYT Acknowledges Coup In Bolivia While Shirking Blame For Its Supporting Role. popularresistance.org The New York Times (6/7/20) declared that an Organization of American States (OAS) report alleging fraud in the 2019 Bolivian presidential elections—which was used as justification for a bloody, authoritarian coup d'etat in November 2019—was fundamentally flawed. | The Times reported the findings of a new study by independent researchers; the Times brags of contributing to it by sharing data it "obtained from Bolivian electoral authorities," though this data has been publicly available since before the 2019 coup. | The article never uses the word "coup"—it says that President Evo Morales was "pu…

_____ (2020-07-15). Why Workers Need A Voice On The Job Now More Than Ever. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred multiple crises in our country including a public health crisis and an economic one. The need to protect the health of Americans and the need to protect their livelihoods might seem to require disparate approaches. But, as unlikely as it may seem, we believe that rewriting the rules of how workers can act collectively is a key solution to both. | Why? COVID-19 poses particular and grave challenges to working people, and, in the context of the pandemic, threats to workers' health are a threat to public health. As has become painfully obvious, moreover, the costs of the pandemic ar…

_____ (2020-07-15). Toppling Statues As An Act Of Historical Redemption. popularresistance.org The brutal murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police set off an unprecedented wave of protests. In a highly publicized, graphic execution, Floyd was killed in broad daylight for possession of an alleged counterfeit bill. The ensuing rebellion of global dimensions is undoubtedly fueled by the exposure to uncertainty, stress and anxiety that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated. In the United States and beyond, frustration and anger at unprepared and incompetent governments overlap with the pressures of systemic racism, seen in sheer wealth gaps and repressive state practices. | Across the pond, protests ha…

_____ (2020-07-15). Community Peacemakers Offer A Proven Alternative To Policing. popularresistance.org Imagine a world where after being accused of using a counterfeit bill, George Floyd was approached by a community member who helped mediate the situation, rather than the police officer who suffocated him as he begged for his life. A world where Rayshard Brooks was not murdered for falling asleep in his car in a Wendy's parking lot, but given a ride home. A world where Elijah McClain was not choked and injected with ketamine for "acting suspicious," but simply asked by a neighbor how he was doing. | Those in power would have us believe that such a world is impossible — but for the past four years, the Insti…

_____ (2020-07-15). Economic Collapse, Pandemic: There Is No Plan (For You). popularresistance.org In the midst of an enormous, unavoidable increase in national unemployment, the $600 per week unemployment benefit increase that has sustained millions is set to run out at the end of this month, and is unlikely to be renewed at its current level, if at all. Eviction moratoriums are expiring, and more than 20 million Americans could be in danger of eviction in the next four months. Many small businesses, their resources exhausted, are closing for good, and bankruptcies of large businesses are accelerating. Millions have already lost their employer-based health insurance, and millions more will. At the same time t…

Global Research News (2020-07-15). Selected Articles: Covid-19 and the Benign Common Cold Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca If you look to Global Research as a resource for information and understanding, to stay current on world events, or to experience honesty and transparency in your news coverage, please consider making a

sputniknews (2020-07-15). Biden Extends Lead Over Trump in Battleground States as Some Cite 'Secret Trump Voters'. sputniknews.com With just 4 months to go to the November presidential election, opinion polling is looking increasingly dire for incumbent President Donald Trump. His presumptive rival – former US Vice President Joe Biden – is beginning to surge in key battleground states.

sputniknews (2020-07-15). George Floyd's Family Files Lawsuit Against Minneapolis, Ex-Police Officers Over Fatal Arrest. sputniknews.com The killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis in May triggered nationwide anti-police-brutality protests in the US and in many major cities around the world. The four officers involved in the killing were fired and later charged with criminal counts, with the officer filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck charged with second-degree murder.

sputniknews (2020-07-15). Video: Chinese Jets Flex Aerial Combat Prowess in Rare Recording of J-10 Dogfight. sputniknews.com New air combat training footage from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) provides viewers with a firsthand perspective of what it is like to operate a Chengdu J-10 single-engine, lightweight, multirole fighter jet during an aerial showdown.

sputniknews (2020-07-15). As Twitter Went on 'Verified Accounts Lockdown', SputnikNews Goes Into 'Unverified Mode' on Twitter. sputniknews.com On late Wednesday, Twitter was spammed by a massive hacker attack targeting accounts with a blue tick, posting scam texts urging people to send money to a bitcoin address and promising to send payments back doubled.

sputniknews (2020-07-15). After 75 Years, Downwind Victims of 'Dirty' Trinity Nuclear Test Shown 'Genocidal' Lack of Concern. sputniknews.com Thursday marks the 75th commemoration of the Trinity Test, the first detonation of a nuclear bomb, in the New Mexico desert. However, the bomb's dirty explosion has caused untold suffering downwind of the blast – suffering never acknowledged or compensated for by the US government, an expert told Sputnik.

_____ (2020-07-15). Deluded Britain Rows in Behind U.S. Gunboat Diplomacy on China. strategic-culture.org America's trusty British lieutenant has weighed in to stoke tensions in the South China Sea with reports that Britain is to deploy its two new aircraft carriers to the Pacific region. The carrier strike groups which include frigates, destroyers and nuclear-powered submarines, are to join with U.S. and Japanese warships to conduct naval drills. | Beijing has already

The Canary (2020-07-15). Five words from Boris Johnson at PMQs show he's treating coronavirus as one big joke. thecanary.co Labour leader Keir Starmer challenged Boris Johnson over his handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic at PMQs on 15 July. | But instead of answering Starmer's questions, Johnson treated his interrogation as a joke, stating that Starmer has: more briefs than Calvin Klein. | But while the PM might have received cheers from his Tory colleagues, many social media users were unimpressed: | #pmqs — David Schneider (@davidschneider)

Staff (2020-07-15). Majority of Americans Oppose Trump's Threats to Defund Schools That Don't Reopen. truthout.org As a number of schools across the United States question whether to reopen their doors at what appears to be the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the country so far, a recent poll finds that most Americans don't want to send children back into classrooms this fall. |

Staff (2020-07-15). "I Just Want To Do My Job," Says Fauci in Response to White House Smear Campaign. truthout.org Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House's coronavirus task force, expressed dismay at what he called "bizarre" attempts to discredit him by members of the Trump administration. | Earlier this week,

Staff (2020-07-15). Oklahoma Governor Who Welcomed Trump's Tulsa Rally Has Tested Positive for COVID. truthout.org Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announced during a virtual press conference on Wednesday that he has tested positive for coronavirus. | Stitt is believed to be the first United States governor to be diagnosed with the infection. It's possible that the governor…

Staff (2020-07-15). Trump Now Has Free Rein to Cook the Books When It Comes to COVID. truthout.org The presidential administration of Donald J. Trump has, at long last, finally hit the panic button on COVID-19, but in an utterly terrifying way that must be thwarted at all costs. | After months spent lying, ignoring skyrocketing infection rates, disdaining science, disdaining the masks recommended by science, denying responsibility for anything, and championing armed right-wingers assembled in defiance of social distancing strictures, the White House appears to have figured out that COVID isn't going t…

Staff (2020-07-15). Trump's Guest Worker Ban Sparks New Focus on Immigrant Push for Labor Overhaul. truthout.org President Trump's decision For Mark Krikorian, who heads the immigration-rest…

Staff (2020-07-15). The DOJ Has No Reason to Execute the Federally Incarcerated During a Pandemic. truthout.org As the federal government ratchets up the "

Staff (2020-07-15). 30 Years of Teach For America Shows How Reform Movements Can Become Co-Opted. truthout.org The 30-year anniversary of Teach For America (TFA), the controversial organization that places recent college graduates as teachers in urban and rural schools, came and went this spring with little fanfare. TFA will celebrate the milestone in February 2021 with a summit, and this year's Summer Institute, five weeks of teacher training that many TFA corps members and educators find woefully inadequate, will move online. This year's 3,000 new recruits will, presumably, enter classrooms in the h…

Staff (2020-07-15). Texas and Arizona Request Refrigerated Trucks as Morgues Run Out of Space. truthout.org Refrigerated trucks are en route to Texas and Arizona as morgues struggle to deal with the rising number of deaths resulting from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat, told reporters that at least one morgue in Maricopa County, home to nearly 60% of the state's population, was "near cap…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Apple escapes $15B EU fine. yenisafak.com The European Court of Justice on Wednesday annulled a European Commission decision ordering Apple to pay back ‚Ǩ13 billion ($14.8 billion) plus interest for evading taxes in Ireland. | The European Commission decided in 2016 to impose a record high punishment on the US tech giant. | According to the EU body, Ireland had given Apple "tax sweetheart deals" since 1991, and this "treatment allowed Apple to pay an effective corporate tax rate of 1% on its European profits in 2003 down to 0.005% in 2014." | This practice could be considered state aid which put Apple in an unfairly advantaged position…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Coronavirus claims more lives in Oman, Bahrain. yenisafak.com Local health authorities on Wednesday recorded eight deaths from the novel coronavirus in Oman and another three in Bahrain. In a statement, the Omani Health Ministry said 1,679 additional cases were registered, raising the total count to 61,247, including 281 deaths, and 39,038 recoveries.In Bahrain, three people died from the virus over the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.The Gulf state's tally now stands at 34,078 cases, including 114 deaths, and 29,753 recoveries.Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Turkey's medical COVID-19 aid arrives in Kyrgyzstan. yenisafak.com Kyrgyzstan received medical supplies sent by Turkey to contribute to the country's fight against the novel coronavirus, Turkey's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.A Turkish cargo plane carrying the supplies landed in the capital Bishkek, Yavuz Selim Kiran said in a tweet."The medical aid Turkey sent to Kyrgyzstan as an expression of solidarity on the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached Bishkek on a Turkish Airlines cargo plane named Ayasofya [Hagia Sophia]," the minister said.Turkey has sent medical aid to nearly 140 countries to help them combat the coronavirus pandemic.Since it origin…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Funding shortfall risks COVID-19 spread in Yemen: UN. yenisafak.com The United Nations warned that the coronavirus and broader humanitarian response remain hugely underfunded in Yemen, risking an increase in the spread of the pandemic in the war-torn country."Aid agencies have for months been operating on the basis that there is full-blown community transmission of COVID-19 in Yemen and they continued to focus efforts on suppressing transmission of the virus," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said in a statement.It said aid agencies have distributed thousands of metric tons of supplies and equipment, supporting COVID-19 clinical readiness, and s…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Three more migrant bodies recovered from lake in eastern Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish teams continue efforts to retrieve bodies from Lake Van, where a boat carrying up to 60 people sank on June 28.So far, a total of 36 bodies have been pulled out of the lake.Recovery operations are underway.A total of five suspects have been remanded in custody over the sinking.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, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.Of them, 16,000 were denied entry but 4,500 managed to enter illegally, Soylu added.Turkey has been a key tr…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Russia completes 1st phase of COVID-19 vaccine trials. yenisafak.com Two Russian medical research centers completed the first phase of COVID-19 candidate vaccine trials on Wednesday.Two groups of 18 volunteers were discharged from hospitals after separately taking part in 28-day clinical trials in the First Moscow State Medical University and the Main Military Clinical Burdenko Hospital.Before being released, they had a medical checkup and passed a blood test to study the development of an immune response to the novel coronavirus, the officials of both medical establishments told reporters.The preliminary findings show that the vaccines are safe and well-tolerated, no serious comp…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Bangladesh: 50% of virus deaths come from capital Dhaka. yenisafak.com Almost 50% of coronavirus deaths in Bangladesh come from the capital Dhaka, according to a new Health Ministry report. | The overcrowded south Asian country of over 165 million people as of Wednesday had recorded 2,457 deaths from COVID-19, including 33 in the last 24 hours. | According to a ministry death tally broken down geographically, of the total deaths, 1,224 came from Dhaka, meaning that 49.82% of COVID-19 deaths took place in the country's most crowded region. | The country also recorded 3,533 fresh cases, pushing the number of confirmed cases to 193,590 out of over 980,000 tests given. Of them, 105,023…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Erdogan hails 'heroes emerging on 2016 coup bid night'. yenisafak.com With Turkey marking the fourth anniversary of defeated 2016 coup on Wednesday, the nation's leader acclaimed "the heroes emerging across the country on the night of coup bid" to defend the nation."Sometimes, a single hero changes the fate of the whole nation. On July 15, millions of heroes emerged from all corners of our country and left a mark on the nation's future," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a ceremony at parliamentary complex.Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Fighter j…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Turkey neutralizes over 17,000 terrorists since July 2015. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces have neutralized more than 17,000 terrorists since July 2015, the country's defense minister said on Wednesday."Turkey is determined to end the terrorism and our campaigns against terrorists will continue with the same precision," Hulusi Akar reiterated during a memorial ceremony to honor martyrs of defeated 2016 coup.Since the beginning of 2020, 1,900 terrorists have been neutralized, Akar added.The ceremony was also attended by the chiefs of land, air and naval forces as well as chief of general staff.The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orche…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Kenya's memorial forest honors Turkish martyrs. yenisafak.com A special plantation was opened in Kenya on Wednesday to honor the martyrs of Turkey's 2016 defeated coup.The July 15 Martyrs Memorial Forest, located in the Ngong Hills area on the outskirts of Kenya's capital Nairobi, was inaugurated on the fourth anniversary of the July 15, 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.A number of Kenyans and Turks joined Turkish Ambassador Cemil Ahmet Miroglu and other Turkish and Kenyan officials at the ceremony."We are planting these trees to honor the spirits of our martyrs. We are very happy that our Kenyan friends are supporting us today, and this forest will always be a symbol of our fr…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Turkish Foreign Ministry marks 2016 defeated coup. yenisafak.com Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday shared a video to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup."Four years ago an attempted military coup perpetrated by FETO terrorist organization was stopped by the Turkish nation. Turkish people united against the traitors and protected their democracy. Turkish people's #VictoryofDemocracy," read a tweet by the ministry along with the video.The video revolves around a young Turkish pupil studying abroad, who delivers a powerful response to his professor's remarks on coup attempts around the world.The professor says: "According to an article, there have been 236…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). France: Protesters confront Macron, chant 'Resign!'. yenisafak.com An evening stroll late Tuesday by first couple Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron through Paris's Tuileries Gardens included …

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Kenya resumes domestic flights amid rise in virus cases. yenisafak.com Kenya's flag carrier Kenya Airways among other budget airlines resumed domestic flights on Wednesday after implementing an array of safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.This came after Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta ordered on July 6 the resumption of flights to save the East African nation's fragile economy chocking under the impact of COVID-19 despite the growing number of infections.Kenyan Transport Minister James Macharia flagged off the first flights from the Kenyan capital Nairobi heading to the towns of Mombasa and Kisumu in western Kenya."The local flights will act as a benchmark of our success…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Germany's Merkel discusses Ukraine agreement in call with Putin: spox. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed implementing the Minsk agreement to peacefully solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.Merkel and Putin also talked about the arms embargo against Iran and the current situation in Libya, Seibert said.

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Iraq bans parties, tribes from carrying weapons. yenisafak.com The Iraqi government decided on Wednesday to ban parties and tribes from carrying weapons, according to the official Iraqi news agency.Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said his cabinet held a meeting in the southern Basra province and voted to prevent any party or tribe from carrying arms.The move came four days after al-Kadhimi ordered the Iraqi army to control the proliferation of weapons in the country.Arms and weapons are widespread in Iraq, especially in hands of Iranian-backed militant groups, amid accusations for these groups of launching attacks against US targets in the country.Iraqi tribesmen also poss…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Libya army spots arrival of Egyptian weapons for Haftar. yenisafak.com The Libyan army said Wednesday it has spotted the dispatch of military supplies from Egypt to the city of Tobruk in northeastern Libya.The new development came shortly after warlord Khalifa Haftar said his forces were preparing for a "major battle" near the cities of Sirte and al-Jufra.Images published by the government-led Operation Volcano of Rage showed people in military uniform standing beside vehicles carrying weapons and military equipment.The Libyan army, however, did not give further details.On April 8, the Libyan army released photos of an Egyptian vessel arriving at the Tobruk harbor carrying 40 contai…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Turkey-Russia air travel resumes Wednesday: Minister. yenisafak.com Air travel between Turkey and Russia will resume today, Turkey's transport and infrastructure minister announced on Wednesday."As of today, we have agreed to resume flights with Russia," Adil Karaismailoglu told Anadolu Agency.He said Turkey has restarted flights with 31 countries since June 11 as part of its post-pandemic normalization process.Negotiations are also ongoing to resume air travel with 20 other countries, according to the ministry.

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Yemen: nine civilians killed in Saudi-led airstrike. yenisafak.com Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday nine civilians were killed and seven others injured in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in the northern al-Jawf province.The group's website, citing a security source, said two women were among the victims, while five children were injured in the attack.The source said the airstrike targeted civilian homes in al-Masafa area in the provincial capital al-Hazm.There was no comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the claim.On Monday, the United Nations condemned an airstrike in Hajjah province that killed seven children and two women.In the statement, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Fresh Ebola outbreak raises concern in DR Congo. yenisafak.com Nearly a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ebola-free, a fresh wave of the epidemic has hit the western part of the country.Confirming that 48 new cases have been detected in DRC's Equateur province, Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert admitted that this is still a very active outbreak and a great cause of concern.This could be the 11th Ebola outbreak in the country. On May 14, the WHO and the DRC government had declared the country free from the 10th outbreak of the epidemic.Ebola discovered 40 years ago, known as a hemorrhagic fever virus is sp…

commondreams (2020-07-14). 350.org supports the Movement For Black Lives' BREATHE Act. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jeremy Brecher (2020-07-14). Black Lives and the Green New Deal. zcomm.org Photo by Amani A/Shutterstock.com We are in the midst of the largest mass uprising in half a century. It is a response to the killing of an unarmed Black man named George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. But it challenges a pattern of Black oppression that goes far beyond one cop killing one

Kevin Zeese (2020-07-14). The Uprising Is Only Beginning: Building Power To Win Our Demands. zcomm.org Photo by Untitled Title/Shutterstock.com The current uprising against police violence and racism is just beginning. It is rapidly shifting public consciousness on issues of policing, violence against Black people and others, and systemic racism. The movement is deepening and becoming broader as well as putting forward solutions and making demands. The confluence of crises

Peace Action (2020-07-14). #BlackLivesMatter Resources for Advocacy. peaceaction.org As peace activists and organizers, we unequivocally stand in solidarity with the black community in the US and around the globe in demanding justice and dismantling white supremacy. We honor the lives of and mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Tony McDade, and countless others who have been murdered at the hands of …

Paul Street (2020-07-14). Sorry, the Chicago Blackhawks Need to Change Their Name and Logo. counterpunch.org "Fast Getting Rid of Those Demons in Human Shape" The great Sauk warrior Black Hawk, called Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak ("Black Sparrow Hawk") in the Algonquian language of his people, was born in 1767 in the glorious village of Saukenuk in the northwestern section of what later became the state of Illinois. In 1829, Black Hawk's Sauk band

Jo-Shing Yang (2020-07-14). The New "Water Barons": Wall Street Mega-Banks are Buying up the World's Water. globalresearch.ca Mega-banks and investing powerhouses such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, UBS, Deutsche Bank, the Blackstone Group, Allianz, and HSBC Bank, among others, are consolidating their control over water.

Fight Back (2020-07-14). Lone "All Lives Matter" Demonstrator at Black Lives Matter Protest in Novato, California. indybay.org Hundreds of BLM protesters and one white supremacist on July 11.

Fight Back (2020-07-14). In Novato, BLM Protest Held in Response to Right Wing Rallies in their City. indybay.org Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at a Black Lives Matter rally and march in Novato on July 11. Young activists who organized the march from Slade Park to downtown Novato were countering a recent local rally supporting President Trump. There have been several right-wing demonstrations in Novato since May 23.

Labor Video Project (2020-07-14). Healthcare Workers, Covid & Black Lives Matter with Luci Riley NNU CNA Alta Bates Hospital. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews NNU CNA Peralta Bates nurse Luci Riley about the Covid-19 pandemic and the effect on Blacks and other minorities. She discusses the systemic racism in healthcare and the healthcare crisis.

John Whitehead (2020-07-14). Divide We Fall: America Has Been Blacklisted and McCarthyism Refashioned for a New Age. mintpressnews.com Who needs a government censor when the American people are already doing such a great job at censoring themselves and each other.

_____ (2020-07-14). To Abolish The Medical Industrial Complex. popularresistance.org The past six months have highlighted the fight that Black people are in against state violence, both in the form of policing and the US healthcare system. Though the ruling class cries that the coronavirus pandemic is "the great equalizer ," the virus continues to demonstrate exactly who our capitalist health-care system was designed to keep alive. So far, across the country, about 42% of coronavirus deaths have been Black people , even though they were only about 21% of the population in the areas analyzed. In Louisiana , over 70% of people who died were Black (despite Black people being only 32% of the populati…

RT (2020-07-14). 'He's gone full black supremacist': Nick Cannon blasted for saying white people are a 'little less' and 'closer to animals'. rt.com TV host Nick Cannon is facing accusations of antisemitism and racism following a bizarre and now-viral interview in which he claims white people are "a little less" and black people are who Jewish people "want to be." | During the discussion with former Public Enemy member Richard Griffin (who left the group after saying the "Jews are wicked" in a 1989 interview), Cannon, who hosts the 'Masked Singer,' claimed it is impossible for him to be antisemitic. | "It's never hate speech, you can't be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people," he said. "When we are the same people who they want to be. That's our bir…

RT (2020-07-14). 'We should be allowed to say what we want': Idris Elba blasts censorship of movies & TV over offensive material. rt.com 'Luther' star Idris Elba has pushed back against moves to censor past movies and television shows, saying he believes in "freedom of speech" and is against censorship to protect audiences. | "The thing about freedom of speech is that it's not suitable for everybody," Elba told "To mock the truth, you have to know the truth. But to censor racist themes within a show, to…

RT (2020-07-14). 'Threat to the community'? Detroit student sent to DETENTION CENTER during pandemic for not doing her homework. rt.com A Michigan teenager was incarcerated during the Covid-19 outbreak for breaching probation, despite the governor's moratorium on locking up youthful violators who weren't "threats to the community." Her crime? Not doing homework. | A 15-year-old black girl has spent over a month in the Children's Village juvenile detention facility outside Detroit, after being deemed a "threat to the community" by Oakland County Family Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan for merely failing to do her homework while attending high school remotely during the pandemic. Shot through with hints of racism and discrimination against a child…

Fight Back (2020-07-14). National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression calls for National Day of Protest July 18 against police crimes. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | We are calling a national day of protest in what has now been a double-edged sword of crisis, with the pandemic on the one edge, and the horrific racist injustices against Black people on the other. | The fact that we have entered a new era of rebellion unprecedented in the annals of U.S. history is now recognized by the powers that be, as well as the hucksters in the mass media, and all strands of the people's movement. | We are issuing this call for a national day of protest not o…

yenisafak (2020-07-14). Sudanese demand UAE apology over recruitment for Haftar. yenisafak.com Hundreds of Sudanese staged a rally outside the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Khartoum on Tuesday to protest their recruitment to fight for Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar's militia. | Protesters demanded "apology and compensation" from the UAE authorities for being deceived by Emirati company "Black Shield Security Services" to fight for Haftar instead of employment. | "We demand an apology from the UAE to the Sudanese people because we are not mercenaries," Abu Alma'ali Hamza Taha, a protester, told Anadolu Agency. | Ahmad Babakr, another protester, threatened to take the issue to the UN and human rights…

Fight Back (2020-07-14). Cop tells man he's about to kill, 'You're about to die, my friend'. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – Protesters gathered in front of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's office, July 8, to demand justice for Bryan Valencia and Chad Breinholt and all victims of police violence. Protesters chanted, "Justice for Chad Breinholt!" and "Justice for Bryan Valencia," as posters with the same demands were hung on the DA's office building. | Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) called the rally to bring attention to these two local cases that have not had the same spotlight as some other local and national police killings. | Breinholt was killed by West Valley City police inside of West Valle…

Alan Macleod (2020-07-14). Exporting Toxic Chemical Waste to Poor Countries Must End, Says UN. mintpressnews.com 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.

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-14). Trump Tells Florida Crowd "Something Will Happen in Venezuela" Soon. thealtworld.com "Something will happen with Venezuela. That's all I can tell you," Trump said, before not-so-cryptically adding that Washington would be "very much involved." | MPN— On a trip to COVID-19 riddled Florida this weekend, President Donald Trump not-so-cryptically revealed that he had something big planned for Venezuela during a meeting with leaders of the U.S. military's Southern Command. "Something will happen with Venezuela. That's all I can tell you," he

Andrew Korybko (2020-07-14). Reelection of President Duda: Poland's Future Remains Bright, But The Glow Is Dimming. globalresearch.ca The narrow re-election of Polish President Duda saved the country from returning under Brussels' Euro-Liberal yoke, yet the electorate's clear-cut age and locality divides bode ominously for the country's future since they suggest that the opposition might inevitably return to …

Anya Parampil (2020-07-14). Blockbuster oil bribery scandal exposes corrupt double-dealing of Guaidó 'attorney general'. thegrayzone.com Jose Ignacio Hernandez has raked in lucrative fees as a legal mercenary for the corporate looters of Venezuela's PDVSA oil…

Andrew Jackson (2020-07-14). The Fiscal Deficit, Modern Monetary Theory and Progressive Economic Policy. globalresearch.ca Modern Monetary Theory or MMT has crept in from the academic margins to become an influential doctrine in progressive policy circles in the United States. Both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders drew on the ideas of MMT to shape their …

Staff (2020-07-14). Headlines for July 14, 2020. democracynow.org California Shuts Down Again as COVID-19 Cases Surge, L.A., San Diego, Atlanta to Hold All Classes Online, "Shame on You!": Protester Disrupts Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mexican Man Dies of COVID-19 a Month After Being Detained by ICE, Report: 5.4 Million Lose Health Insurance Due to Job Losses During Pandemic, WHO Warns Pandemic Could "Get Worse and Worse and Worse", Amnesty: 3,000 Health Workers Have Died from COVID-19, China: 2 Million Displaced, 141 Missing in Historic Flooding, Federal Government Carries Out First Execution in 17 Years, Judges Block Restrictive Abortion Laws in Tennessee and Georgia, Oreg…

Staff (2020-07-14). "Release Is Only Way to Save Lives": Migrant Families Face Separation as COVID Spreads in ICE Jails. democracynow.org As the United States leads the world in coronavirus infections, we go behind the walls of immigrant jails, where infection rates are also soaring, and also look at how thousands more jailed migrant parents may be separated from their children starting Friday. "Release is the only way to save the lives of people in custody," says reporter Jacob Soboroff, who went inside these ICE jails and first witnessed kids in cages in 2018, which he writes about in his new book, "Separated: Inside an American Tragedy."

Staff (2020-07-14). Trump's Fox Fave Tucker Carlson Goes Fishing After Lead Writer Resigns over Racist Online Comments. democracynow.org The lead writer for President Trump's favorite Fox News TV show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" — the most popular cable show in history — has resigned for posting disturbing racist and misogynist messages to an online forum under a pseudonym. Now Tucker Carlson says he's going on vacation, and his advertisement blocks "are a wasteland," says Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters, where he documents the relationship between Fox News and the Trump administration.

F. William Engdahl (2020-07-14). Has Saudi Arabia Once More Made a Catastrophic Oil Blunder? globalresearch.ca In March of this year Saudi Arabia launched what was clearly a catastrophic move to regain its role as the world oil superpower. What initially was a move aimed at taking markets away from Russia, after the latter declined to …

Staff (2020-07-14). Texas Progressives Eye GOP House Seat That Got Away in 2018. truthout.org The primary race between Democratic candidates Mike Siegel and Pritesh Gandhi is coming down to a competition between progressive endorsements and a well-funded opponent in Siegel, a former civil rights attorney and public school teacher, is considered the progressive in the race with his support of hallmark progressive policies, such as universal healthcare and a Green New Deal. He won endo…

_____ (2020-07-14). Truth And Justice: Green's Trailblazing World Peace Platform. popularresistance.org The Green Party believes that economic development is only environmentally sustainable globally when it's rooted democratically in social and economic justice. As a superpower, our government's domestic militarism is tied to international militarism. Thus, our foreign policy of attacking, through overt and covert warfare, the sovereignty of nation-states to acquire their natural, financial, and human resources to maintain geopolitical supremacy must end if we are to protect ourselves and the people of the world against the corporate hijacking of our foreign policy. Our interests are best served in respecting inte…

commondreams (2020-07-14). People's Action Proudly Endorses Rep. Ilhan Omar for Reelection to Congress. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jack Rasmus (2020-07-14). Second COVID-19 Wave and the U.S. Economy. zcomm.org It's not a COVID-19 economy. It's a capitalist economy, the instability of which has been rendered even more unstable by the current COVID-19 health crisis…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-07-14). COVID-19 Corruption: Wealthy and Well Connected Get Rich while People Suffer. dissidentvoice.org COVID Dollars from Fiscal Times While corrupt elected officials and elites feed at the public trough, the economic collapse is hitting people in the United States hard. According to the newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics figures 47.2 percent of working-age people are without work and businesses are finding it impossible to pay their rent or …

Lawrence Wittner (2020-07-14). Humanity is an Endangered Species. dissidentvoice.org Have you noticed recently that things are collapsing? Sure, the right-wing, nationalist rulers of many countries never stop telling us that they have made their nations "great" again. But we would have to be dislocated from reality not to notice that something is wrong‚Äïvery wrong. After all, the world is currently engulfed in a coronavirus pandemic that has …

Lawrence Wittner (2020-07-14). Let Them Eat Weapons: Trump's Bizarre Arms Race. zcomm.org For a variety of reasons—rewarding giant corporations, getting reelected, and dominating the world‚ÄïTrump remains fixated on "winning" the arms race…

Raul Diego (2020-07-14). Gladio Links Remain Unsolved as Sweden Identifies New Olof Palme Assassin. mintpressnews.com Swedish authorities declare that they have identified a dead man as Olof Palme's assassin, but questions surrounding the former Prime Minister's death to Operation Gladio linger.