(2019-08-08). Campaigners welcome 'forward-looking' NHS review on medical cannabis. thecanary.co 
Concerns about both the potential harm to mental health and effectiveness of medical cannabis "is a major hurdle to prescribing", according to an NHS England review.It said more clinical trials need to be carried out and a "UK-wide paediatric specialist clinical network" should be created to help doctors by providing expert advice on complex cases.The "forward-looking and positive review" was welcomed by the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCC), whose executive director is Hannah Deacon. | Her eight-year-old son Alfie Dingley, who suffers from severe epilepsy, was the first of just two patients in the UK to…
(2019-08-08). Emergency Doctor to Trump: You Are Wrong, Mental Illness Is Not to Blame for Gun Violence Epidemic. democracynow.org 
President Trump went to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, where he was met by hundreds of protesters condemning his presence after the mass shootings over the weekend, which killed at least 32 people. Prior to his visits, Trump hinted at the need to strengthen background checks for gun purchases, and doubled down on what some healthcare professionals say is dangerous rhetoric linking illness to mass shootings. Numerous other political figures have pointed to mental illness as a contributing factor in mass shootings. From Montreal, we speak with Dr. Megan Ranney, an associate professor of emergency medi…
(2019-08-08). Visions of Peace: Dreams of a New Way. counterpunch.org After Medgar, Malcolm, and then Martin were killed, people realized there were forces in America that would keep Black people from achieving true freedom "by any means necessary." When the Black Panther Party started to feed children at no cost, opened free health clinics, engaged in free public education, and tried to prevent the police More
(2019-08-08). How much have the 2020 presidential candidates received from the healthcare industry? nationofchange.org Healthcare is a hot topic in the 2020 presidential campaign. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has pledged to take no money from Big Pharma or health insurers and has urged his fellow candidates to follow his lead. | So far the healthcare industry, which includes no only Big Pharma and health insurers but also doctors and hospitals, has contributed more than $5 million to the election across the more than 20 presidential candidates. | President Trump comes in as the top recipient of healthcare money, with $1.4 million donated to his campaign from the healthcare sector. | Bernie Sanders comes in at number f…
(2019-08-08). Mobilizing Muslim Resistance to the War in Yemen. counterpunch.org Right now, the people of Yemen are suffering through the world's worst humanitarian disaster. The Saudi-led coalition, backed by the United States, continues to bomb Yemen and launch unlawful airstrikes that have hit homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques. This violence has left millions at risk of starvation and death due to repeated outbreaks of diseases More
(2019-08-08). 'The US culture of violence is reaping what it has sown'. nationofchange.org The U.S. is in the midst of an epidemic of mass killings. In the 215 days so far this year, the U.S. has seen 252 mass shootings — an average of more than once a day. The reasons why this is happening are pretty obvious: too many guns, inadequate gun laws, a culture of militarism …
(2019-08-08). Demonizing Immigrants and Mental Health Conditions is Not a Solution to Gun Violence. indybay.org Responding to President Donald Trump's speech following a spate of mass shootings over the weekend, Ernest Coverson, Amnesty International USA's End Gun Violence campaign manager said: "Gun violence reform cannot come at the expense of the human rights of any community. When President Trump links background checks for guns with immigration reform, he is once again demonizing immigrants and communities of color. The Trump administration will stop at nothing to shut down the border and limit safety to those who most need it. It is outrageous to denounce bigotry in one breath and terrorize the community that was tar…
(2019-08-08). RNs of National Nurses United Say Racism, Xenophobia Combined With Lax Gun Control Laws At Root of Mass Shooting Epidemic. indybay.org August 04, 2019 – The 150,000 registered nurses of National Nurses United (NNU) are sickened and angered as we bear witness to the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Gilroy, Calif. Horrifically, these three mass shootings have claimed the lives of at least 32 people, and left dozens of others injured. NNU represent nurses in all three locations.
(2019-08-07). On Medicare's 54 Birthday. counterpunch.org In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare Act. Within a year, and without the aid of computers, the United States provided more than 19 million seniors with health coverage. Before the law existed, over half of the elderly in the United States did not have health insurance. Medicare, which now includes people with disabilities, More
(2019-08-07). Message to Congress: Big Pharma's Trail of Greed, Power, and Cruelty Must Be Stopped. commondreams.org Medical professionals, medical students, ACTUP New York and their supporters held a rousing protest rally outside Pfizer World Headquarters in New York one of the worlds largest drug companies. At the beginning of this year, the corporate giant announced price increases for 40 of its drugs. (Photo: Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-07). There Is No 'Nursing Shortage.' There's Just a Good Nursing Job Shortage. thenation.com There Is No 'Nursing Shortage.' There's Just a Good Nursing Job Shortage.
(2019-08-07). Who Doesn't Love Private Health Insurance? thenation.com Who Doesn't Love Private Health Insurance?
(2019-08-07). Opponents Delay $1.25 Billion Plastic Complex in Louisiana. truthout.org | | "Look at what is coming into the Parish, instead of saying 'Yeah, yeah, yeah'— it is time to say 'No,'" Pastor Harry Joseph told the St. James Parish Council on July 24. He implored councilmembers to consider freshly unveiled public health and economic concerns before they reaffirmed a permit allowing yet another petrochemical plant in a southern Louisiana community fed up with its already rapid industrialization. | Joseph, pastor of Mount Triumph Baptist Church in St. James, is one of the plaintif…
(2019-08-07). Opponents Delay $1.25 Billion Plastics Factory in Louisiana. truthout.org | | "Look at what is coming into the Parish, instead of saying 'Yeah, yeah, yeah'— it is time to say 'No,'" Pastor Harry Joseph told the St. James Parish Council on July 24. He implored councilmembers to consider freshly unveiled public health and economic concerns before they reaffirmed a permit allowing yet another petrochemical plant in a southern Louisiana community fed up with its already rapid industrialization. | Joseph, pastor of Mount Triumph Baptist Church in St. James, is one of the plaintif…
(2019-08-07). Can the Progressive-"Conspiracy" Divide be Bridged? globalresearch.ca People from a variety of advocacy communities who tackle issues ranging from the assassinations of the 1960's to vaccine safety are rightly upset by a recent NBC News.com op-ed authored by Lynn Parramore, a progressive journalist known for her …
(2019-08-07). A Modest Proposal: Taking Aim at Firearm Violence with Gun Insurance. progressive.org It's no panacea, but it can help heal our wounded nation.
(2019-08-07). Eating Away at Workers' Wages, Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Costs Soared by 121% Since 1999: Analysis. commondreams.org "As healthcare costs escalate, wages remain stagnant. Winning Medicare for All means abolishing the parasitic private insurers that generate unprecedented inequality in our society." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-07). 'A Great Equalizer': Warren Unveils Plan for $110 Billion Investment in Public Broadband Access and Healthcare for Rural America. commondreams.org As she traveled to Iowa on the campaign trail on Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren outlined how a number of the proposals she's released during her 2020 presidential campaign would support rural communities across the country—as well as releasing a brand-new plan to greatly expand healthcare and broadband access in places she says have gone without it for too long. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-07). Health and Labor Groups Sue Trump EPA for Refusal to Ban Pesticide Linked to Brain Damage in Children. commondreams.org A coalition of health and labor organizations sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over the Environmental Protection Agency's refusal last month to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide tied to brain damage in children. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-07). 'Our System Kills People': 27-Year-Old Diabetic Man Latest to Die in US Amid Skyrocketing Cost of Insulin. commondreams.org The latest reports of a young diabetic American's death due to a lack of affordable insulin were met with outrage on Wednesday from Medicare for All advocates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-07). Demonizing Immigrants and Mental Health Conditions is Not a Solution to Gun Violence. indybay.org Responding to President Donald Trump's speech following a spate of mass shootings over the weekend, Ernest Coverson, Amnesty International USA's End Gun Violence campaign manager said: "Gun violence reform cannot come at the expense of the human rights of any community. When President Trump links background checks for guns with immigration reform, he is once again demonizing immigrants and communities of color. The Trump administration will stop at nothing to shut down the border and limit safety to those who most need it. It is outrageous to denounce bigotry in one breath and terrorize the community that was tar…
(2019-08-07). RNs of National Nurses United Say Racism, Xenophobia Combined With Lax Gun Control Laws At Root of Mass Shooting Epidemic. indybay.org August 04, 2019 – The 150,000 registered nurses of National Nurses United (NNU) are sickened and angered as we bear witness to the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Gilroy, Calif. Horrifically, these three mass shootings have claimed the lives of at least 32 people, and left dozens of others injured. NNU represent nurses in all three locations.
(2019-08-06). $10bn enough? US giant drug distributors bargain in opioid epidemic settlement. rt.com 
Three major drug distributors have proposed paying $10 billion to settle claims that they played a role in fuelling the US' opioid epidemic by downplaying risks and flooding the market with pills — but plaintiffs want much more.
(2019-08-06). "We Can't Wait for McConnell": Advocates Call for Bold Action to Curb Gun Violence Epidemic. democracynow.org 
The death toll in Saturday's anti-immigrant shooting rampage at a Walmart in El Paso has risen to 22, after two more injured victims died Monday. Just before the shooting, the gunman published a manifesto claiming his actions were being done in response to what he described as a "Hispanic invasion of Texas." Most of the dead in El Paso were Latino, including eight Mexican nationals. Thirteen hours after the massacre in El Paso, a gunman in Dayton, Ohio, killed nine people, including his own sister, after opening fire outside a bar. We speak with Kris Brown, president of Brady, formerly the Brady Campaign to Preve…
(2019-08-06). Here is Exactly Why Congress Won't Act on Gun Violence, Climate Change, Impeaching Trump or Anything Else. counterpunch.org I'm from Dayton so I'm thinking about this today: Why hasn't Congress done anything to address our national epidemic of mass shootings, namely reviving the assault weapons ban? People—Democrats and not a few Republicans—ask me that all the time. I bet all left-leaning pundits get that question. The answer is simple. But it's not something most people want to More
(2019-08-06). Richest 10% in US Will Own 100% of the Wealth by 2052: Study. telesurenglish.net If wealth inequalities between rich and poor continue to widen at the current rate in the United States, the richest ten percent will own 100 percent of the wealth by 2052, according to an analysis published Sunday by Dallas Morning News finance columnist Scott Burns. | RELATED: | Rich and Poor Health Gap Widens in US | "The wealthiest people in the U.S. will truly 'have it all' just 33 years from now," the columnist wrote. | The finance expert reached this conclusion by analyzing the changes in shar…
(2019-08-06). Irish government accused of breaking EU law by housing asylum seekers in 'inhumane' conditions. thecanary.co An NGO has called out the Irish government for its treatment of asylum seekers. The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland ( MASI) said the government is housing asylum seekers in "inhumane" conditions. And it argued that they lack food, proper healthcare, an…
(2019-08-06). NSW MPs urged to decriminalise abortion. greenleft.org.au 
Chants of "Free, safe, legal!" rang out in Macquarie Street on August 6 at 9am as hundreds of people gathered in front of NSW Parliament House to urge MPs to vote to decriminalise abortion today. | NSW MPs will start debating the Reproductive Health Reform Bill 2019 bill, moved by independent MP Alex Greenwich and co-sponsored by 15 others. If passed, it would remove abortion from the Crimes Act 1900 and treat the procedure under medical guidelines. | A small, but noisy, group of people who oppose women's…
(2019-08-06). Prenatal Estrogen Levels Linked to Autism: Study. telesurenglish.net Scientist from the University of Cambridge and the State Serum Institute in Denmark say they have conducted a study that finds that the higher the level of estrogen in a mother's womb, the higher the likelihood her child will develop autism. | RELATED: | Chinese Scientists Will Test Long-Lasting HIV Vaccine in Humans | The researchers from both university say they have identified a link between exposure to estrogen sex hormones in the womb and the likelihood of developing aut…
(2019-08-06). The Ongoing Call for Nuclear Abolition at Los Alamos. commondreams.org The sickness of our widespread gun violence epidemic is connected to the sickness of the nuclear weapons industry, and the numbness and despair among us allow these lethal epidemics to threaten us all. (Photo: John Dear) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-05). Is the Rise in Lyme Disease Due to Weaponized Ticks? therealnews.com 
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases affects 400,000 Americans each year, and the reported cases are rising. Did the pentagon weaponized ticks and unleash them on an unsuspecting public? We discuss the possibility with science writer Kris Newby…
(2019-08-05). Take Away My Employer-Based Health Insurance. Please. progressive.org Centrist Democrats like Joe Biden still aim to gin up mass fear over the prospect of leaving behind predatory insurers and the dizzying array of deductibles, co-pays, exclusions, humiliations, and rationing of care that characterizes our current syst…
(2019-08-04). On Medicare's 54th Birthday, Another Year Closer To Winning Medicare For All. dissidentvoice.org 
In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare Act. Within a year, and without the aid of computers, the United States provided more than 19 million seniors with health coverage. Before the law existed, over half of the elderly in the United States did not have health insurance. Medicare, which now includes people with disabilities, …
(2019-08-03). Protest against police violence at Inland Port sit in. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT — "Protect and serve, that's a lie! Speaking up is not a crime!" chanted protesters, outside the SLCPD Public Health and Safety Building, July 23. More than 60 people had gathered for a Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) rally held in response to the excessive police violence used against the peaceful protesters occupying the Chamber of Commerce in downtown SLC on July 9, in response to the proposed Inland Port development. | At the Inland Port protest, police responded to protesters with violence, pushing and shoving community members, including those in the designated ADA section, inj…
(2019-08-02). Ex-Health Insurance Exec: Industry Is Using Decades-Old Scare Tactics to Fight Medicare for All. democracynow.org 
The Democratic presidential candidates remain deeply divided on how to expand healthcare to the tens of millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have both pushed for abolishing private health insurance and establishing a Medicare for All system. Their rivals have pushed a number of different, more incremental approaches. During the first night of the latest debates, Sanders pointed out that the country has taken sweeping action before to expand health coverage to millions of Americans, referring to the 50th anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Me…
(2019-08-02). 2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: To Impeach, or Not to Impeach? That Is the Question. (4/4). therealnews.com 
While Democrats struggle with the question of impeachment, the healthcare debate is getting mired in minutiae and some voters are calling for a working class party. With Kimberly Moffitt, Jacqueline Luqman, and Marc Steiner as host…
(2019-08-02). Over 100 Killed in Another Mediterannean Shipwreck as Europe Watches. therealnews.com 
Frédéric Penard discusses the efforts of small NGOs to rescue refugees crossing the Mediterranean, against the efforts of European governments to block the entry of people fleeing war and famine…
(2019-08-02). Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, demands immediate end to violence hampering response. un.org The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation in the response, as "the disease could spread rapidly, including to neighbouring countries, possibly having serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability."
(2019-08-02). Venezuela: Chavista militants killed as rural violence continues. greenleft.org.au 
Six activists from the grassroots Revolutionary Bolivar and Zamora Current ( CRBZ) were assassinated in Barinas State on July 27. | The victims, one of whom was pregnant, were part of the Hugo Chavez Popular Defence Brigades organised by the CRBZ in Barinas, Tachira, and other states regularly plagued by landowner violence against campesinos. | No information is yet known about the assailants, but the CRBZ claimed in their statement that they had "military…
(2019-08-01). Cornel West: Corporate Media's Superficial Coverage Helped Create "Fascist Frankenstein Trump" democracynow.org 
On Tuesday night, Senator Bernie Sanders openly criticized CNN's handling of the debates. He told CNN's Jake Tapper, "Your question is a Republican talking point. And by the way, the healthcare industry will be advertising tonight on this program." We speak with Cornel West and Dolores Huerta about the media coverage and the structure of the debate.
(2019-08-01). Thanks Miranda Devine, but we will win abortion reform. greenleft.org.au 
Thank you Miranda Devine for your wild overreaction to the bill before NSW parliament to treat abortion as a health issue ("Vote Libs, get Greens", Daily Telegraph, July 31), as it will no doubt lose you and News.com support. | It must also surely rank as top fake news of the week. Far from being "one of the most dangerous radical abortion bills on the planet", the bill is modelled on existing Queensland and Victorian law. | Moreover, your view that Coalition MPs' support for basic health care for women is somehow a Labor-Green plot is equally bizarre. This bill is not about late-term abortions, as you suggest. I…
(2019-07-31). "We Don't Want Another President Obama": Activist Urges Democrats to Reframe Immigration Debate. democracynow.org 
Democratic candidates also sparred on immigration policy, from decriminalizing border crossing to providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants. We hear excerpts of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Plus we speak to Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.
(2019-07-31). FROM THE FIELD: Turning waste into a business in the slums of Yaoundé, Cameroon. un.org The increasing volume and complexity of waste associated with modern economies is posing a serious risk to ecosystems and human health. Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste are collected worldwide, according to the UN Environment Programme.
(2019-07-30). Venezuela: Six Chavista Militants Killed in Fresh Rural Violence. venezuelanalysis.com Landowner violence continues to plague the Venezuelan countryside.
(2019-07-28). 'We are the vaccine against unilateralism': Non-Aligned Movement gathers in Venezuela to resist dictatorship of dollar. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone reports from the 2019 Non-Aligned Movement, where delegates from over 120 nations offered a crucial endorsement of Venezuelan…
(2019-07-25). Hahnemann University Hospital closure planned: Profit vs. people's lives. liberationnews.org 
At the end of June, American Academic Health System corporation announced that they are closing Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, which they have owned since January 2018.
(2019-07-25). This County Criminalized Students for Bad Grades — Until Now. aclu.org Today, we filed a landmark settlement that will end the relationship between the probation department and school districts in Riverside. | Since 2001, the Riverside County, California probation department has been needlessly funneling young people struggling with grades, behavior, trauma, and mental health into the criminal justice system. | This direct line to the criminal system is the product of a partnership between local school districts and the county probation department called the Youth Accountability Team (YAT). Instead of counselors or other school and community-based supports stepping in to support and…
(2019-06-19). House Casts Historic Vote to Repeal Authorization for Endless War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 19, 2019 — In response to the House of Representatives passing H.R. 2740 (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Legislative Branch, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020), which includes language to repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) eight months after …