(2020-02-21). Apocalypse Now! Insects, Pesticide and a Public Health Crisis. counterpunch.org In 2017, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, and UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics, Baskut Tuncak, produced a report that called for a comprehensive new global treaty to regulate and phase out the use of dangerous pesticides in farming and move towards sustainable agricultural practices. In addition to the devastating impacts on human health,
(2020-02-21). Medicare for All Should Be a Reality Today. truthdig.com "People with low or moderate incomes do not get the same medical attention as those with high incomes. The poor have more sickness, but they get less medical care," so said the president of the United States in a message to Congress. No, that wasn't President Donald Trump in 2020. It was President Harry Truman …
(2020-02-21). Government of Indian State Rapidly Withdraws 'No Vasectomies, No Jobs' Demand After Backlash. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The order was issued out by the state government's National Health Mission Director on 11 February and had made it mandatory for employees to muster 5 to 10 men to undergo sterilisation each year. The official note also cited a survey report which showed a decline in men opting to undergo vasectomy in the state.
(2020-02-21). Two more sports events called off in virus-hit China. yenisafak.com In a statement, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced its decision to call off the 2020 Xi'an Open.The tournament was to take place in the city of Xi'an in China's central Shaanxi province from April 13-19."Our thoughts are with everyone in China during this difficult time and we look forward to the WTA Tour events that are scheduled to take place this fall," a WTA spokesperson said."We are watching the situation closely as there isn't anything more important than protecting the health of our players, WTA and event staff, and our fans. We continue to communicate with medical experts as information evolve…
(2020-02-21). Iran confirms 13 more coronavirus cases, two new deaths, mostly in Qom city. yenisafak.com Iran confirmed 13 new coronavirus cases on Friday, two of whom have died, with the outbreak there coming just as the country votes in a parliamentary election.The majority of coronavirus cases in Iran have been in Qom, 120 km (75 miles) south of the capital Tehran.The new cases comprised seven people diagnosed in Qom, four in Tehran and two in Gilan, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a tweet."Most of the cases were residents of Qom or had a history of returning from Qom in recent days and weeks," Jahanpur said in the tweet, referring to the new cases.The total number of cases in Iran now stands a…
(2020-02-20). "Most Important Issue for Most People": Split on Healthcare Continues to Define 2020 Race. democracynow.org 
Healthcare continues to be a central issue of the Democratic nomination fight, with Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren repeating their calls for Medicare for All on the debate stage Wednesday night while their rivals proposed more incremental approaches. | We continue our roundtable discussion on Wednesday's Democratic debate in Nevada. Our guests are Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine, and a columnist for WashingtonPost.com; journalist and activist Raquel Willis, executive editor of Out magazine, who has endorsed Senator Elizabeth War…
(2020-02-20). The biggest threat to unity is the "Anybody But Bernie" crowd. peoplesworld.org 
Wall Street Democrats' worst nightmare seems to be coming true: The momentum of a self-declared socialist who threatens to make health care accessible to every American and pledges to combat climate change while creating green, union jobs is looking increasingly unstoppable. Scroll through the Twitter feed of "centrist think tank" Third Way these days and …
(2020-02-20). Bernie Sanders Says "Will of the People" Should Decide Democratic Nomination, Not Party Insiders. democracynow.org 
As the primary season heads into the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, we unpack the ninth Democratic presidential debate in a roundtable on the tensions at work on the Las Vegas debate stage. Senator Bernie Sanders, currently the front-runner in the race, said the candidate with the most delegates should become the nominee; all his rivals on stage suggested they would be open to a brokered convention, with superdelegates and other party insiders potentially deciding the nomination. | We continue our discussion with Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation; Raquel Willis, journalist, activ…
(2020-02-20). Greta Thunberg 'using award money to create sustainability foundation'. thecanary.co Greta Thunberg is using her prize money from an award often described as an alternative Nobel Prize to establish a sustainability foundation, according to the Swedish organisation behind the prize. | The purpose of the non-profit Greta Thunberg Foundation "is to promote ecological and social sustainability, as well as mental health", the Right Livelihood Foundation said. | The teenage climate activist was one of four recipients of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, which was founded in 1980 to "honour and support courageous people solving global problems". | The one million kronor ( £80,000) that came with th…
(2020-02-20). Who Is WHO's Tedros Adhanom? The Wuhan Lockdown is Unprecedented. globalresearch.ca On the surface it appeared that the Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has acted swiftly and seriously about the spreading coronavirus health emergency spreading across China. He has gone to meet with Chinese leaders to discuss the …
(2020-02-20). MSNBC's Anti-Sanders Bias Was on Display in Nevada, But It Hasn't Hurt Him. truthout.org After months of speculation, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg finally appeared at a Democratic primary debate last night. In an ominous sign, the first answer he gave to a question was a dishonest attack aimed at scaring voters away from a universal health care system. | Asked to compare his chances of beating President Trump to Sen. Bernie Sanders's chances of doing so, Bloomberg attacked Sanders and his Medicare for All Plan, falsely suggesting it would throw 160 million…
(2020-02-20). Trump Ally Roger Stone Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Trump loyalist and ally Roger Stone was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in federal prison, following an extraordinary move by Attorney General William Barr to back off his Justice Department's original sentencing recommendation. | U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Stone's crimes demanded a significant time behind bars, but she said the seven to nine years originally recommended by the Justice Department were excessive. | Stone's lawyers had asked for a sentence of probation, citing his age of 67 years, his health and his lack of criminal history. | Stone had no immediate reactio…
(2020-02-20). Divisions on Health Care Continue to Define 2020 Democratic Race. truthout.org Healthcare continues to be a central issue of the Democratic nomination fight, with Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren repeating their calls for Medicare for All on the debate stage Wednesday night while their rivals proposed more incremental approaches. | We continue our roundtable discussion on Wednesday's Democratic debate in Nevada. Our guests are Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine, and a columnist for WashingtonPost.com; jou…
(2020-02-20). Commission of Detainees' Affairs Calls for Release of Dying Prisoner. imemc.org The Israeli occupation authorities transferred Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer, Muwaffaq Arouq, 77, from Barzilai Medical Center, back to al-Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorated health condition. Commission of Detainees' Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that Arouq was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center, a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon, …
(2020-02-20). The Problem With Canadian Health Care. thenation.com The Problem With Canadian Health Care…
(2020-02-20). Study: Medicare for All Would Save 68,000 lives, Half a Trillion Dollars Per year. mintpressnews.com Under U.S. law, the government is barred from negotiating prices with drug companies, leading to a situation where American-made HIV medication sells for $8 in Australia and up to $2,000 in the US.
(2020-02-20). Trump Visit Comes as Administration's Corruption Plagues Colorado Public Lands. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-02-20). Democrats Call on White House to Ensure Any Coronavirus Vaccine Is Not Profit-Making Venture for Big Pharma. commondreams.org "We cannot allow Big Pharma to price gouge the fruits of Americans investments." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-20). Weinstein Trial Begs a Question: Why Is the Pain of Women and Minorities Often Ignored? commondreams.org Studies suggest there is bias against women and ethnic minorities in both the health care and criminal justice systems. (Photo: Getty Images/Christopher Robbins) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-19). Yale Study Says Medicare for All Would Save U.S. $450 Billion, Prevent Nearly 70,000 Deaths a Year. democracynow.org 
As the Democratic presidential hopefuls prepare to take to the debate stage tonight, we turn to a central issue of the campaign: Medicare for All. In a new study, Yale scholars have found that Medicare for All will save Americans more than $450 billion and prevent 68,000 deaths every year. The study in The Lancet — one of the oldest and most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals — found that Medicare for All, supported by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, will save money and is more cost-effective than "Medicare for All Who Want It, "a model supported by Pete Buttigieg. Sanders referenced the…
(2020-02-19). Nevada Culinary Workers Union Member: I Would Trade My Union Healthcare for Medicare for All. democracynow.org 
The third presidential contest of the primary season takes place Saturday in Nevada. One of the state's most coveted endorsements is from the Culinary Workers Union, which represents some 60,000 workers in the restaurant and hospitality industries in Las Vegas and Reno. Its membership is 54% Latinx. But last week they decided not to endorse any of the candidates. Nevada is a "right to work" state, and the Culinary Workers Union has attracted members by offering them healthcare. It has said it supports "choices" in healthcare. The mobilization of service employees could be critical to winning the Nevada caucuses.
(2020-02-19). While Nicaragua returns to peace, media and international NGOs conjure epidemic of violence with dubious reporting. thegrayzone.com Media bias against Nicaragua's Sandinista government is unremitting, and international NGOs are feeding it by misreporting a violent land dispute…
(2020-02-19). 'Not a single country' does enough to help children flourish, say health experts. news.un.org The world's survival depends on children being able to flourish, but no country is doing enough to give them a sustainable future, dozens of highly respected international health experts said on Wednesday.
(2020-02-19). At Stockholm road safety summit, UN officials join global call to end 'scourge' of preventable deaths. news.un.org Road traffic accidents take some 1.35 million lives every year and cost most countries three per cent of their gross domestic product, the top UN health official said on Wednesday as the Third Global Ministerial Conference On Road Safety kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden.
(2020-02-19). Headlines for February 19, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Falsely Claims He Is "Chief Law Enforcement Officer" of U.S., Trump Issues Clemency to White-Collar Criminals and Political Allies, Democratic Presidential Candidates to Take Debate Stage in Nevada, Resurfaced Video Shows Bloomberg Calling for Cuts to Medicare and Social Security, Death Toll from Coronavirus Surpasses 2,000 People, Afghanistan: Ashraf Ghani Declared Winner of Presidential Election, U.N.: 22 Killed, Including 14 Children, in Massacre in Cameroon, Somali Broadcast Journalist Abdiwali Ali Hassan Assassinated, North Carolina Court Temporarily Blocks Discriminatory Voter ID Laws…
(2020-02-19). Leaked document foretold secret corporate campaign to derail Medicare for All. peoplesworld.org …
(2020-02-19). Millions of children and families in Niger struggle as humanitarian needs mount — UNICEF. news.un.org Malnutrition, disease, floods, droughts and displacement in Niger have put nearly three million people, more than half of them children, in need of humanitarian assistance, UNICEF said on Wednesday, calling for increased attention to their plight.
(2020-02-19). Health check: U.S. manufacturing is in trouble. mronline.org 
President Trump is all in, touting his success in rebuilding U.S. manufacturing. For example, in his state of the union address he claimed: We are restoring our nation's manufacturing might, even though predictions were that this could never be done. After losing 60,000 factories under the previous two administrations, America has now gained 12,000 new […] |
(2020-02-18). ICE's Destruction of Records Must Be Stopped. aclu.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is | notorious for committing rampant unconstitutional and inhumane abuses in its | detention system — something advocates, communities, and years. Public oversight of ICE detention is about to become even harder, | further eroding accountability and endangering the health and safety of more than | 50,000 people in ICE custody every day. That's because the National Archives | and R…
(2020-02-18). 'Working night and day', UN health agency seeks to prevent global coronavirus crisis. news.un.org As COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, continues to spread, the head of the United Nations health agency said that there is still a chance to prevent a broader global crisis.
(2020-02-18). Polio eradication a UN priority, says Guterres in Pakistan visit. news.un.org In one of the last bastions of polio on the planet, millions of children are being given a fighting chance against the paralyzing and potentially fatal disease.
(2020-02-14). Coronavirus: Media and Politicians Take Anti-China Fear Mongering to New Levels. mintpressnews.com Despite praise from the World Health Organization for its handling of the coronavirus, China has been derided by Western media and politicians alike over nearly every aspect of its response.
(2020-02-11). The Trump Administration Wants Health Insurance Companies to Drop Abortion Coverage from Your Insurance Plan. aclu.org From denying | access to abortion | for unaccompanied immigrant minors, to gutting | the Title X | family planning program, to trying to roll | back the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers and universities cover | contr…