Daily Archives: August 6, 2019

2019-08-06: News Headlines

Bill Lueders (2019-08-06). Take Away My Employer-Based Health Insurance. Please. commondreams.org Don't pretend that most Americans have warm fuzzies for their employer-based health insurance plans. They don't. (Photo: The Progressive) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

The Canary (2019-08-06). More than one in 10 registered deaths in 2018 due to dementia and Alzheimer's. thecanary.co Dementia and Alzheimer's disease accounted for more than a tenth of the registered deaths in England and Wales in 2018, new figures show.Last year saw the highest number of deaths for 10 years, with 541,589 deaths registered in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.But the organisation said mortality rates have remained generally stable since 2011, when taking into account the size and age of the general population.(PA Graphics)Deaths from dementia and Alzheimer's disease continued to increase, accounting for 12.8% of all registered deaths.They were the leading cause of death for women,…

Staff (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…

Kevin Zeese (2019-08-06). On Medicare's 54th Birthday, Another Year Closer to Winning Medicare for All. globalresearch.ca 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 …

Frank Edwards (2019-08-06). Police are more likely to kill men and women of color. nationofchange.org Michael Brown was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, five years ago. Since then, U.S. police have killed more than 5,000 people. | Researchers and activists only know about these deaths because journalists do what the federal government has not: collect detailed information on police-involved fatalities. | Because the government has not collected systematic data on police killings, the public doesn't have definitive numbers that, once interpreted, will show how likely people are to be killed…

Ted Rall (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

Staff (2019-08-06). Is the Pentagon Behind the Rise in Lyme Disease? truthdig.com What follows is a conversation between "Bitten" author Kris Newby and Jacqueline Luqman of The Real News Network. Read a transcript of their conversation below or watch the video at the bottom of…

teleSUR (2019-08-06). Israeli Minister To be Indicted for Shielding Pedophile Teacher. telesurenglish.net Police in Israel recommended Tuesday indictment of the deputy health minister on suspicion he tried to bolster the case of a former Australian school principal pleading mental illness as an argument against extradition to face child molestation charges. | RELATED: | Israeli Far-right Ministers Attend Event Honoring Rabbi Who Praised Palestinian Massacre | Yaakov Litzman, who is also chair of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ), is suspected of obstruc…

Amnesty International (2019-08-06). 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…

National Nurses United (2019-08-06). 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.

Patrick Martin, WSWS (2019-08-06). The fascist attack in Gilroy and the US epidemic of mass shootings. indybay.org [August 3: This article is republished here the same day yet another white supremacist has killed at least 20 people in El Paso, Texas, less than a week after the racist attack at the Garlic Festival in Gilroy.]…

pip.hinman (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…

Jarod Facundo (2019-08-06). What Medicare for All Would Have Meant a Decade Ago. commondreams.org Imagine if, from birth, a new generation could experience guaranteed care, with quality not determined by wealth or income, but instead delivered as the human right it should be. (Photo: Sen. Bernie Sanders/Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (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…

The Canary (2019-08-05). Johnson accused of misleading voters over £1.8bn NHS cash injection. thecanary.co Labour has accused Boris Johnson of misleading voters over a promised £1.8bn cash injection for the National Health Service.The prime minister said his latest high-profile announcement from the Government represented genuine "new money" for the service.However, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said ministers were now simply releasing funds which had previously been blocked.Downing Street insisted the money was new, with £850m going to 20 hospital upgrades, while £1bn was for capital spending.Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth has accused Mr Johnson of misleading voters over NHS spending (P…

teleSUR (2019-08-05). Costa Rican Health Workers Begin Strike Against Privatization. telesurenglish.net Costa Rican health workers started a general strike Monday for 48 hours in demand for strong health services and to defend the Costa Rican Social Security (CCSS). | RELATED: | Costa Rica Celebrates the Month of Afrodescendence | Workers associated with the health sector's Trade Union Front began the stoppage, which will last until early Wednesday as reported by…

Bill Lueders (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…

Alexandra Jacobo (2019-08-05). Environmental groups sue BLM for not conducting environmental reviews in New Mexico fracking permits. nationofchange.org Dine Citizens Against Ruining our Environment, the Sierra Club, WildEarth Guardian, and other environmental and indigenous groups have filed a suit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for approving over 250 oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico without conducting any environmental reviews. | The groups allege that in the 255 permits approved by the BLM between 2016 and now, the bureau "did not conduct any analysis of fracking's impacts on the environment," and therefore completely failed to consider the environmental and public health impacts of fracking. | Rather than conduct environmental review…

WSWS (2019-08-05). Study calls for closure of over half all health clinics in Germany. wsws.org With the argument that only the closure of clinics can achieve more staffing, better equipment and higher quality, the report calls for the closure of 800 of Germany's 1,400 hospitals.

The Canary (2019-08-05). 'We can deliver medicines' says Hancock as Labour asks if the £1.8bn NHS cash is actually new. thecanary.co The Government has guaranteed "full plans" are in place to deliver an unhindered supply of medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit. | Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said a £1.8bn 'boost' for the NHS has nothing to do with preparing for a possible general election. Meanwhile, Labour questioned whether it was actually "new money". | Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Hancock said: "I guarantee that we now have all plans in place to make sure that the NHS will be prepared whatever the Brexit scenario." | He added: "There are 12,000 medicines that are generally prescribed, licensed to be prescribed…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (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, …

Fight Back (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

United Nations (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."

susan_p (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…

Eds. (2019-08-02). Killer heat in the United States: Climate Choices and The Future of Dangerously Hot Days. mronline.org Extreme heat is poised to rise steeply in frequency and severity over the coming decades, bringing unprecedented health risks for people and communities across the country. | Source

Staff (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.

Fight Back (2019-08-01). Grocery workers ready to strike in southern CA. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Over 40 supporters picketed outside of Ralphs grocery store on Sunset Boulevard, July 31. The store's United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike authorization in June. | Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons grocery employees have been without a contract since March of 2019. In March, the corporations wanted to slash checker pay by 25%, eliminate payouts of unpaid sick days, give no overall wage increases, nor contributions to health care and pension plans, among many other unacceptable contract setbacks. Negotiations for 60,000 workers in Southern California are co…

pip.hinman (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…

Staff (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.

Staff (2019-07-31). Sanders & Warren Fight "Republican Talking Point" That Medicare for All Is About Reducing Coverage. democracynow.org Ten Democratic presidential candidates took to the stage in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday night for the first of a two-night debate hosted by CNN. The debate began with an extended discussion on healthcare, where progressive candidates Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their platforms of Medicare for All against more moderate candidates who argued this stance is political suicide. We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, former Michigan gubernatorial candidate.

Staff (2019-07-31). 2nd Democratic Debate, Pt 1: Battle Over Medicare for All and Fixing Immigration (2/3). therealnews.com The debate allowed candidates to show how support for Medicare for All and humanity at the U.S. border are key issues in 2020. With guests Kimberly Moffit and Jeet Heer, hosted by Marc Steiner…

United Nations (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.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-07-30). Venezuela: Six Chavista Militants Killed in Fresh Rural Violence. venezuelanalysis.com Landowner violence continues to plague the Venezuelan countryside.

United Nations (2019-07-30). UNICEF must triple budget to combat Ebola outbreak in DR Congo; complex crisis impacting unprecedented number of children. un.org With an unprecedented number of children affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it would need to triple its budget to tackle the complex crisis, which included intensifying the overall public health response and launching measles vaccinations.

Anya Parampil (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…

Jacob Brooks (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.

ACLU (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…

Paul Kawika Martin (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 …

2019-08-06: Social Media Postees

On Medicare's 54th Birthday, Another Year Closer to Winning Medicare for All
Kevin Zeese | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-06
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 …
globalresearch.ca/medicare-54th-birthday-another-year-closer-winning-medicare-all/5685686

Here is Exactly Why Congress Won't Act on Gun Violence, Climate Change, Impeaching Trump or Anything Else
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-06
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/06/here-is-exac…

Is the Pentagon Behind the Rise in Lyme Disease?
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-06
What follows is a conversation between "Bitten" author Kris Newby and Jacqueline Luqman of The Real News Network. Read a transcript of their conversation below or watch the video at the bottom of…
truthdig.com/articles/is-the-pentagon-be…

More than one in 10 registered deaths in 2018 due to dementia and Alzheimer's
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-06
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease accounted for more than a tenth of the registered deaths in England and Wales in 2018, new figures show.Last year saw the highest number of deaths for 10 years, with 541,589 deaths registered in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.But the organisation said mortality rates have remained generally stable since 2011, when taking into account the size and age of the general population.(PA Graphics)Deaths from dementia and Alzheimer's disease continued to increase, accounting for 12.8% of all registered deaths.They were the leading cause of death for women,…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/08/06/more-than-one-in-10-registered-deaths-in-2018-due-to-dementia-and-alzheimers/

Israeli Minister To be Indicted for Shielding Pedophile Teacher
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-06
Police in Israel recommended Tuesday indictment of the deputy health minister on suspicion he tried to bolster the case of a former Australian school principal pleading mental illness as an argument against extradition to face child molestation charges. | RELATED: | Israeli Far-right Ministers Attend Event Honoring Rabbi Who Praised Palestinian Massacre | Yaakov Litzman, who is also chair of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ), is suspected of obstruc…
telesurenglish.net/news/israel-minister-…

Take Away My Employer-Based Health Insurance. Please
Bill Lueders | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
Don't pretend that most Americans have warm fuzzies for their employer-based health insurance plans. They don't. (Photo: The Progressive) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/06/take-a…

"We Can't Wait for McConnell": Advocates Call for Bold Action to Curb Gun Violence Epidemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-06
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/6/mass_shoot…

What Medicare for All Would Have Meant a Decade Ago
Jarod Facundo | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
Imagine if, from birth, a new generation could experience guaranteed care, with quality not determined by wealth or income, but instead delivered as the human right it should be. (Photo: Sen. Bernie Sanders/Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/06/what-m…

Demonizing Immigrants and Mental Health Conditions is Not a Solution to Gun Violence
Amnesty International | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
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…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/05/1882522…

The fascist attack in Gilroy and the US epidemic of mass shootings
Patrick Martin, WSWS | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
[August 3: This article is republished here the same day yet another white supremacist has killed at least 20 people in El Paso, Texas, less than a week after the racist attack at the Garlic Festival in Gilroy.]…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/03/1882517…

RNs of National Nurses United Say Racism, Xenophobia Combined With Lax Gun Control Laws At Root of Mass Shooting Epidemic
National Nurses United | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
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.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/05/1882522…

NSW MPs urged to decriminalise abortion
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-06
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/nsw-mps-urged-decriminalise-abortion

Is the Rise in Lyme Disease Due to Weaponized Ticks?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-05
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…
therealnews.com/stories/is-the-rise-in-l…

Environmental groups sue BLM for not conducting environmental reviews in New Mexico fracking permits
Alexandra Jacobo | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-05
Dine Citizens Against Ruining our Environment, the Sierra Club, WildEarth Guardian, and other environmental and indigenous groups have filed a suit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for approving over 250 oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico without conducting any environmental reviews. | The groups allege that in the 255 permits approved by the BLM between 2016 and now, the bureau "did not conduct any analysis of fracking's impacts on the environment," and therefore completely failed to consider the environmental and public health impacts of fracking. | Rather than conduct environmental review…
nationofchange.org/2019/08/05/environmen…

Johnson accused of misleading voters over £1.8bn NHS cash injection
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-05
Labour has accused Boris Johnson of misleading voters over a promised £1.8bn cash injection for the National Health Service.The prime minister said his latest high-profile announcement from the Government represented genuine "new money" for the service.However, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said ministers were now simply releasing funds which had previously been blocked.Downing Street insisted the money was new, with £850m going to 20 hospital upgrades, while £1bn was for capital spending.Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth has accused Mr Johnson of misleading voters over NHS spending (P…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/08/05/johnson-accused-of-misleading-voters-over-1-8bn-nhs-cash-injection/

Take Away My Employer-Based Health Insurance. Please
Bill Lueders | progressive.org | 2019-08-05
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…
progressive.org/dispatches/take-away-my-…

Costa Rican Health Workers Begin Strike Against Privatization
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-05
Costa Rican health workers started a general strike Monday for 48 hours in demand for strong health services and to defend the Costa Rican Social Security (CCSS). | RELATED: | Costa Rica Celebrates the Month of Afrodescendence | Workers associated with the health sector's Trade Union Front began the stoppage, which will last until early Wednesday as reported by…
telesurenglish.net/news/costa-rica-healt…

'We can deliver medicines' says Hancock as Labour asks if the £1.8bn NHS cash is actually new
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-05
The Government has guaranteed "full plans" are in place to deliver an unhindered supply of medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit. | Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said a £1.8bn 'boost' for the NHS has nothing to do with preparing for a possible general election. Meanwhile, Labour questioned whether it was actually "new money". | Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Hancock said: "I guarantee that we now have all plans in place to make sure that the NHS will be prepared whatever the Brexit scenario." | He added: "There are 12,000 medicines that are generally prescribed, licensed to be prescribed…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/08/05/we-can-deliver-medicines-says-hancock-as-labour-asks-if-the-1-8bn-nhs-cash-is-actually-new/

Study calls for closure of over half all health clinics in Germany
wsws.org | 2019-08-05
With the argument that only the closure of clinics can achieve more staffing, better equipment and higher quality, the report calls for the closure of 800 of Germany's 1,400 hospitals.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/05/clos…

On Medicare's 54th Birthday, Another Year Closer To Winning Medicare For All
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-04
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, …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/on-medicares-…

Protest against police violence at Inland Port sit in
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-03
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…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/3/protest-a…

Ex-Health Insurance Exec: Industry Is Using Decades-Old Scare Tactics to Fight Medicare for All
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-02
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/2/u_s_health…

Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, demands immediate end to violence hampering response
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
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."
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1…

2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: To Impeach, or Not to Impeach? That Is the Question. (4/4)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
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…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-dem-debate-p…

Killer heat in the United States: Climate Choices and The Future of Dangerously Hot Days
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-02
Extreme heat is poised to rise steeply in frequency and severity over the coming decades, bringing unprecedented health risks for people and communities across the country. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/02/killer-heat-in-t…

Over 100 Killed in Another Mediterannean Shipwreck as Europe Watches
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
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…
therealnews.com/stories/over-100-killed-…

Venezuela: Chavista militants killed as rural violence continues
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-02
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuela-chavista-militants-killed-rural-violence-continues

Cornel West: Corporate Media's Superficial Coverage Helped Create "Fascist Frankenstein Trump"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
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.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/cornel_wes…

Grocery workers ready to strike in southern CA
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-01
Los Angeles, CA – Over 40 supporters picketed outside of Ralphs grocery store on Sunset Boulevard, July 31. The store's United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike authorization in June. | Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons grocery employees have been without a contract since March of 2019. In March, the corporations wanted to slash checker pay by 25%, eliminate payouts of unpaid sick days, give no overall wage increases, nor contributions to health care and pension plans, among many other unacceptable contract setbacks. Negotiations for 60,000 workers in Southern California are co…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/1/grocery-w…

Thanks Miranda Devine, but we will win abortion reform
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-01
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/thanks-miranda-devine-we-will-win-abortion-reform

"We Don't Want Another President Obama": Activist Urges Democrats to Reframe Immigration Debate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
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.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_democ…

2nd Democratic Debate, Pt 1: Battle Over Medicare for All and Fixing Immigration (2/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-31
The debate allowed candidates to show how support for Medicare for All and humanity at the U.S. border are key issues in 2020. With guests Kimberly Moffit and Jeet Heer, hosted by Marc Steiner…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-democratic-d…

Sanders & Warren Fight "Republican Talking Point" That Medicare for All Is About Reducing Coverage
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
Ten Democratic presidential candidates took to the stage in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday night for the first of a two-night debate hosted by CNN. The debate began with an extended discussion on healthcare, where progressive candidates Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their platforms of Medicare for All against more moderate candidates who argued this stance is political suicide. We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, former Michigan gubernatorial candidate.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_debat…

FROM THE FIELD: Turning waste into a business in the slums of Yaoundé, Cameroon
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-31
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.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1…

Venezuela: Six Chavista Militants Killed in Fresh Rural Violence
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-07-30
Landowner violence continues to plague the Venezuelan countryside.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14607

UNICEF must triple budget to combat Ebola outbreak in DR Congo; complex crisis impacting unprecedented number of children
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-30
With an unprecedented number of children affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it would need to triple its budget to tackle the complex crisis, which included intensifying the overall public health response and launching measles vaccinations.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1…

'We are the vaccine against unilateralism': Non-Aligned Movement gathers in Venezuela to resist dictatorship of dollar
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-07-28
The Grayzone reports from the 2019 Non-Aligned Movement, where delegates from over 120 nations offered a crucial endorsement of Venezuelan…
thegrayzone.com/2019/07/28/we-are-the-va…

Hahnemann University Hospital closure planned: Profit vs. people's lives
Jacob Brooks | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-25
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.
liberationnews.org/planned-hahnemann-uni…

This County Criminalized Students for Bad Grades — Until Now
aclu.org | 2019-07-25
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…
aclu.org/blog/juvenile-justice/school-pr…