2020-06-25: News Headlines

Labor Video Project (2020-06-25). "No Layoffs" "Stop The Greed" Frontline UCSF Workers Protest Cutbacks In Middle Of Covid. indybay.org UCSF AFSCME 3299 Frontline healthcare workers and other union members from UC rallied and protested against the 3,000 cutbacks by UC management and regents. These cutbacks in the midst of a major pandemic will not only threaten the workers the care of the patients and the public.

Max Blumenthal (2020-06-25). How a US and Qatari regime change deception produced 'Caesar' sanctions driving Syria towards famine. thegrayzone.com Like the mysterious figure it is named for, the Caesar sanctions bill is the product of an elaborate deception by…

Max Blumenthal (2020-06-25). How a US & Qatari regime change deception produced the 'Caesar' sanctions driving Syria towards famine. thegrayzone.com Like the mysterious figure it is named for, the Caesar sanctions bill is the product of an elaborate deception by…

Staff (2020-06-25). Stir Crazy! Episode #59: Time Has Come To Rage. therealnews.com On today's show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, political commentator Marcus Ferrell, and political consultant Adriel Hampton, with special guest Ricarra Jones, MD/DC political director for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers-East. Hosted by Kim Brown.

Staff (2020-06-25). Why You Should Give a F*ck | Ep. 3 | Labor Rights. therealnews.com We explore the different areas of labor rights and the role we all play in their enforcement, while digging deeper into the aspect of mental health as it relates to our rights as workers.

John Wojcik (2020-06-25). U.S. coronavirus infection rate now highest since pandemic began. peoplesworld.org More than 45,500 new coronavirus infections were reported in the U.S. overnight, not by the federal government but by state health departments—blowing out of the water by some 11,000 the previous one-day record of 34,203 reached on April 25. The soaring infection rate in the U.S. is being driven by out-of-control outbreaks in the nation's …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-25). Obamacare upgrade: House Democrats roll out Affordable Care Act improvements bill. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Sixty-two times since right-wing Republicans rode to congressional power in the 2010 election, they tried—and failed—to kill the Affordable Care Act. Now the House's ruling Democrats are trying to improve it, or so they contend. In statements at a virtual press conference June 24, party leaders, including the chairs of the three committees that deal …

Joshua Cho (2020-06-25). Debunking Trump and Corporate Media's WHO/China coverup conspiracy theories. mronline.org The Trump administration suspended funding to WHO in April—the UN's primary infectious disease—fighting body—accusing it of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," and of taking China's allegedly deceptive claims about its handling of COVID-19 at "face value." But corporate media had already been boosting these same talking points.

The Canary (2020-06-25). Walk-in centres to provide coronavirus testing in 'heart of communities'. thecanary.co Walk-in centres for coronavirus (Covid-19) testing are to be set up to make it easier for people without cars to get tested for the virus.Six centres are being trialled in Newcastle, Rochdale, Leeds, Brent, Newham and Slough, with the latter described as a hybrid drive and walk through.The exact location of the centres has not been confirmed by officials but one is understood to be on a basketball court, and there have been reports they will spring up in empty shops and car parks.A source at the Department of Health and Social Care said officials were working on "walk through testing sites in England for people w…

Staff (2020-06-25). How U.S. and Brazil Leadership That "Neglects Science" Led to Hemisphere's Worst Coronavirus Crises. democracynow.org As coronavirus infections worldwide approach 10 million, nearly half can be found in the two largest countries in the Americas: the United States and Brazil, which now has the worst infection rate in the world and could surpass the U.S. death toll next month. "What we see in the country is a reflection of the leadership that we have," says Marcia Castro, professor of demography, chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-chair of Harvard's Brazil Studies Program, noting far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the pandemic's severity an…

Ian Cobain (2020-06-25). UK Health Ministry Has No Records on Turkish Protective Equipment (PPE) Fiasco and Won't Say if Files Destroyed. globalresearch.ca Department responsible tells MEE it has no documents about botched import of medical gear, raising concerns of cover-up ahead of inquiry into government's response to Covid-19 | *** | The British government's health ministry says it has no record whatsoever of its …

_____ (2020-06-25). A Better Health Care System? popularresistance.org Suzanne Gordon, a longtime health care reporter and author of Wounds of War: How the VA Delivers Health, Healing, and Hope to the Nation's Veterans, says the VA "outperforms the private sector with one hand tied behind its back." | The VA delivers health care to around nine million veterans each year at more than 1,200 sites across the country. In Wounds of War, Gordon described the VA as resembling "the health care systems of almost all other industrialized nations: a full-service health care system that both pays for and delivers all types of care to those it serves." | The VA's health care providers are salari…

_____ (2020-06-25). Covid-19: NHS plans for second wave bigger than first. truepublica.org.uk The Health Service Journal reports that health services in at least one of the NHS's seven regions are preparing to cope with a second peak of coronavirus demand more than twice the size as the first. By Alison Moore — HSJ: The NHS in the South East of England insisted this scenario was for …

yenisafak (2020-06-25). UK COVID-19 death toll from confirmed cases rises by 149 to 43,230. yenisafak.com Britain's official death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 149 to 43,230, the Department of Health said on Thursday.Including deaths from suspected cases of the disease, Britain's toll is over 54,000.

yenisafak (2020-06-25). WHO says 10th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is over. yenisafak.com A World Health Organization official announced Thursday the end of the 10th Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as no new cases were reported for more than 50 days.During a media briefing on COVID-19 and Ebola in Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, commended the "leadership of the DRC president, and the sacrifice and perseverance of 16,000 front line responders and communities … who have brought about the end of this 10th Ebola outbreak in the country!"Moeti also thanked the people, health workers, including WHO experts, who either got ill, were injured or lo…

yenisafak (2020-06-25). Germany, France shore up political, financial aid to beleaguered WHO. yenisafak.com France and Germany expressed political and financial backing for the World Health Organization (WHO) in its fight against the coronavirus on Thursday, with Berlin saying it would contribute a record half billion euros in funding this year.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Geneva, said the agency, criticised by the United States for being slow off the mark in tackling the pandemic, was getting the financial and political support it needed.U.S. President Donald Trump said last month that the United States was cutting ties with the "China-centric" WHO, but he has still not formal…

yenisafak (2020-06-25). Iran's coronavirus death toll tops 10,000. yenisafak.com Iran on Thursday confirmed 143 additional fatalities from the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,130.A further 2,595 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 215,096, Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said.He said a total of 175,103 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, adding that 2,899 remain at hospitals in critical condition.Over 1.53 million tests have been conducted in the country to date, Lari said.After emerging in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.The p…

Zhou Zhu, Shabei Xu, Hui Wang, Zheng Liu, Jianhong Wu, Guo Li, Jinfeng Miao, Chenyan Zhang, Yuan Yang, Wenzhe Sun, Suiqiang Zhu, Yebin Fan, Yuxi Chen, Junbo Hu, Jihong Liu, Wei Wang (2020-06-24). [Research Paper] COVID-19 in Wuhan: Sociodemographic characteristics and hospital support measures associated with the immediate psychological impact on healthcare workers. thelancet.com Women and those who have more than 10 years of working, concomitant chronic diseases, history of mental disorders, and family members or relatives confirmed or suspected are susceptible to stress, depression and anxiety among HWs during the pandemic. In addition, since HWs often have a greater stigma against mental problems than the general public, it is worthwhile to address the needs of the HWs during this pandemic and to provide appropriate psychological supports for those people at high risk of mental problems.

Richard Armitage, Laura B Nellums (2020-06-24). [Letter] Whistleblowing and patient safety during COVID-19. thelancet.com It has been rightly noted that health workers globally must be able to speak out during COVID-19, allowing them to draw public attention to inadequate PPE supplies and unsafe working conditions, while being protected from censorship, attack, government intimidation, harassment, and arrest [1]. But such systemic failure to provide health workers with the resources they need represents only one of numerous situations in which clinicians may consider raising the alarm. Health service whistleblowing procedures that are secure and robust are of paramount importance to patient safety, and must be strengthened and prote…

Anand Naidoo (2020-06-24). The Heat: China-EU relations. america.cgtn.com Chinese and European Union officials meet to boost economic ties amid a global health crisis.

RT (2020-06-24). Republican police reform bill fails in Senate due to Democrat opposition. rt.com A police reform bill proposed by Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) failed on a procedural vote due to opposition from Democrats, who said it does not go far enough. | Wednesday's vote on the cloture motion was 55 in favor and 45 against, with 60 votes needed to move the bill forward. | Scott, who is African-American, pleaded with his colleagues to not think of this as a Republican or Democrat issue, but something that would start addressing the issues that have plagued the country for decades. | Democrats countered that Scott's proposal didn't ban chokeholds or no-knock warrants and failed to hold police ac…

The Canary (2020-06-24). Health leaders say UK must start preparing for second Covid-19 wave. thecanary.co Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to ensure Britain is properly prepared for the "real risk" of a second wave of coronavirus.Ministers have been warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life and to protect the economy amid growing fears of a renewed outbreak over the winter.The appeal is backed by the presidents of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Surgeons, GPs and Nursing — as well as the chair of the British Medical Association.It comes after Tuesday's announcement by Boris Johnson of the biggest easing to date of the coronavirus lockdown in England.Boris Johnson announ…

The Canary (2020-06-24). As the UK heads into a heatwave Siberia is going off the charts. thecanary.co Scientists have expressed concerns about the implications for the rest of the world after a heatwave in Russia's Siberia region.On Saturday, the thermometer hit a likely record of 38C — or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit — in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk in Russia's Sakha Republic.The World Meteorological Organisation said it is looking to verify the temperature reading, which would be a record for the region north of the Arctic Circle.The increasing temperatures in Siberia have been linked to wildfires that grow bigger and more severe every year, as well as the thawing of the permafrost.Scientists are ala…

_____ (2020-06-24). Twitter Censors Trump for 'Threat of Harm', Has No Problem With Threats to Bomb Foreigners. strategic-culture.org Power is the ability to control what happens. Absolute power is the ability to control what people think about what happens. Our world does not widely understand this, and it is ruled by people who do. We're going to have to change this if we're to begin moving collectively toward health and harmony.

Staff (2020-06-24). The Next AOC? Progressive Insurgent Jamaal Bowman Takes Big Lead Over Rep. Eliot Engel in NY Primary. democracynow.org In what could be one of the biggest progressive upsets of the year, Jamaal Bowman, an African American former middle school principal, appears headed to victory over 16-term Democratic Congressmember Eliot Engel in Tuesday's New York primary election. The race has not been called, but Bowman has a large lead over Engel, the powerful chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee known for his support of Israel. Bowman supports a Green New Deal, Medicare for All and defunding the police. We air his remarks from a campaign party late Tuesday.

_____ (2020-06-24). Ten reasons to be concerned about 5G — and it has nothing to do with C-19. truepublica.org.uk By Annelie Fitzgerald and Tom Imber: 5G has nothing to do with the coronavirus Covid-19 but as you'll see there is a strong case for supporting legal action against it. 5G and existing wireless technologies use artificial radio-frequency radiation (RFR) that has adverse effects on health. 5G has not been safety tested. 5G is …

WSWS (2020-06-24). More than 1,500 COVID-19 infections at pork processing plant in Germany. wsws.org The Tà∂nnies Group, Germany's largest meat processing firm, has a long record of putting profits before the health and safety of its workforce.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-24). Jessy Dayane: "Bolsonaro has never tried to hide his authoritarian project" peoplesdispatch.org The coup d'état in 2016 which overthrew Dilma Rouseff of the Workers' Party of Brazil, marked a new period in Brazil characterized by the attack on democracy. The illegal maneuvering to eliminate popular leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from the 2018 elections and effectively solidify the election of far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro was another step in this process. | Under the leadership of Bolsonaro, Brazilian state institutions and programs have been systematically dismantled, funding for public education and health has been cut, and tensions within Brazilian society have been heightened. | In this context, the…

Ashley Curtin (2020-06-24). Scientists confirm reusable containers safe to use during coronavirus pandemic. nationofchange.org "Based on the best available science and guidance from public health professionals, it is clear that reusable systems can be used safely by employing basic hygiene.">

news.un (2020-06-24). Coronavirus: 10 million infections milestone looms — WHO's Tedros. news.un.org The world is on track to reach 10 million coronavirus cases within the next week, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief executive said on Wednesday, a "sober reminder" that as research continues into therapeutics and vaccines, utmost efforts are needed now to suppress transmission and save lives.

WSWS (2020-06-24). Australia: Coronavirus infections spike in Melbourne's working class suburbs. wsws.org Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton declared that the state was at a "tipping point."

Hazel Healy (2020-06-24). First Ebola, then COVID-19. The Plight of West Africa. globalresearch.ca Four years ago, New Internationalist travelled to West Africa to hear the stories of communities in recovery from the deadly Ebola epidemic. Hazel Healy gets back in touch. | *** | In early April, Sierra Leone confirmed its first case of coronavirus, …

WSWS (2020-06-24). The COVID-19 pandemic and the global plight of refugees and migrant workers. wsws.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to tear through the global population, the disease is having an especially devastating impact on the tens of millions of displaced people throughout the world.

Makia Freeman (2020-06-24). Normal Human Virome: 2017 Study Finds HIV, Hepatitis and Many Other Viruses Present in People. globalresearch.ca Did you know the normal human virome contains a multitude of different viruses, including many strains of coronavirus? And did you know that some of these viruses sound scary — the type people normally associate with disease — even though …

_____ (2020-06-24). Privatization And The Pandemic. popularresistance.org Unlike other epidemics or pandemics — such as tuberculosis, SARS, MERS or HIV/AIDS — COVID-19 has hit hardest at the world's wealthiest countries. As of early June 2020, the 37 industrialized countries of the OECD accounted for 59% of all cases and 78% of deaths, even though they constitute less than 18% of the total population affected. | Looking at the pandemic's effects in another way — using cases and deaths per million population — paints an even starker picture. OECD countries have a prevalence ratio of 2,890 cases per million and a mortality rate of 225 per million, compared with 86…

yenisafak (2020-06-24). 'Pandemic threatens future of 600M kids in South Asia'. yenisafak.com The coronavirus pandemic is profoundly impacting the future of 600 million children in South Asia, UNICEF warned in a report.The UN agency called on governments to take immediate action to protect millions of children and families in the region."The COVID-19 pandemic is unraveling decades of health, education and other advances for children across South Asia, and governments must take urgent action to prevent millions of families from slipping back into poverty," said the report.It said immunization, nutrition, and other vital health services have been severely disrupted, potentially threatening the lives of up t…

yenisafak (2020-06-24). COVID-19 death toll rises in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain. yenisafak.com The death toll from the novel coronavirus rose Wednesday in Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, according to health authorities in the three countries.In a statement, the Kuwaiti Health Ministry said four people had died from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide death toll to 338.A further 742 cases were detected, bringing the total infections in the country to 41,775, the ministry said, adding that the number of recoveries rose to 32,809 after 505 people had recovered.In Oman, the Health Ministry confirmed two additional fatalities, pushing the death toll to 142. As many as 1,142 more cases were register…

yenisafak (2020-06-24). COVID-19 recovery rate at 40% in Bangladesh. yenisafak.com Bangladesh on Wednesday registered 3,462 new cases positive for coronavirus, taking the total count to 122,660 since the first case was detected in early March.Out of total infections, more than 49,500 patients have so far recovered with some 2,000 fresh recoveries in the past 24 hours.The recovery rate now stands at 40.49%, according to the Health Ministry.Meanwhile, the country witnessed the deaths of 37 people from COVID-19, virus-caused disease, rising the tally to 1,582, Nasima Sultana, a director general at the Health Ministry, told a regular online news conference.The South Asian country with a population…

yenisafak (2020-06-24). Paris nears pre-pandemic air pollution levels. yenisafak.com Air pollution in Paris has more than doubled since the end of lockdown on May 11, and hit the highest level among European cities, said a new study put out on Wednesday.The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organization based in Helsinki, Finland, found that the level of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the atmosphere has nearly doubled since confinement was lifted. | Although the level of air pollution — which dropped by 60% during lockdown — is not presently at pre-COVID-19 level, it has risen in the capital by 120%. | COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, origina…

imperial.ac.uk (2020-06-24). Social media and online harms: Imperial researchers inform policymakers. imperial.ac.uk Preventing online harms, an issue at the forefront of health and digital policymaking, was the focus of The Forum's first ever online panel event.

The Canary (2020-06-24). Scientists propose lifting lockdown for whole city to trial mass testing. thecanary.co Scientists have proposed lifting lockdown completely for a "medium-sized city" to see if coronavirus can be controlled through weekly testing of residents. | A paper published in the Royal Society Open Science journal argues that a demonstration study is needed to see if such regular testing, strict household quarantine, contact tracing and mobile phone apps could end the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. | Researchers suggest large-scale testing of city residents could be done through examining saliva samples — a technique called RT-LAMP testing, which they said is cheaper and more viable than nasal or thro…

Staff (2020-06-24). Arizona Mega-Church Hosting Trump Falsely Claims Air Filter Kills 99.9% of COVID. truthout.org Disease experts rejected claims by an Arizona mega-church set to host President Donald Trump on Tuesday that its new air filtration system is capable of killing 99.9% of the new coronavirus. | Brendon Zastrow, the chief financial officer at Dream City Church, and Pastor Luke Barnett posted a video touting the CleanAir EXP filter ahead of Trump's visit. | "When you come into our auditorium, 99.9% of COVID is gone — if it was there in the first place," Zastrow said in the video obtaine…

Stefan Bollinger (2020-06-24). Disease, Power and Capitalism. indybay.org Have you tried DeepL.com, academia.edu, grin.com or grammarly.com? Send me your comments and/or discoveries – as we await the reopening of the libraries and the Biden landslide! Will the great comedian Stephan Colbert be the dark horse candidate at the last moment? Marc…

Andrea Mazzarino (2020-06-23). The War Zone is America: a Military Spouse's Perspective on Racism and Armed Violence in the United States. counterpunch.org Recently, in this Black Lives Matter protest moment, my five-year-old son looked at me and asked, "Mommy, where did all the brown people go? Did the police here shoot them?" We'd just moved to the outskirts of a more affluent rural town from a city where my son and three-and-a-half-year-old daughter mixed daily with black,

RT (2020-06-23). 'If we can't sleep, you won't sleep': New Yorkers hold noisy protest against illegal fireworks outside Mayor de Blasio's home. rt.com New Yorkers assembled outside Bill de Blasio's home to express their anger over the city's unwillingness to crack down on an epidemic of illegal fireworks usage. The demonstrators tried to disrupt the mayor's sleep as payback. | A huge line of cars honked their horns near the mayor's residence, Gracie Mansion, on Monday night as part of the organized demonstration. Videos on social media show the street near de Blasio's house flooded with automobiles and frustrated residents. Many of the demonstrators were from New York's Orthodox Jewish community. Councilman Chaim Deutsch, who attended the rally, said he want…

RT (2020-06-23). CHAZ protesters reinforce barricades & form human chains as Seattle mayor vows to dismantle anarchic encampment (PHOTOS, VIDEO). rt.com The residents of the self-declared 'autonomous zone' in Seattle are preparing for a showdown with police, after city officials signaled that it is time to break up the violence-plagued camp. | Photographs and videos posted to social media show demonstrators strengthening street barricades used to separate the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) from the rest of Seattle. The protesters appear to be focusing their efforts on defending a smaller area around the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct, which they took over after law enforcement pulled out of the neighborhood. | Images from this evening as a grou…

Glenn Greenwald (2020-06-23). Bolsonaro Fraudulently Circumvented Trump's COVID-19 Immigration Ban. zcomm.org Smuggled His Scandal-Plagued Ex-Education Minister Into the U.S.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-23). Health experts blast Trump order to cut down coronavirus testing. peoplesworld.org TULSA, Okla.—GOP President Donald Trump's order to cut down coronavirus testing—because, in so many words, the results would make him look bad—is drawing flak from health experts and top congressional Democrats. Trump boasted about his order at his half-filled controversial rally on June 20 in Tulsa, Okla. Health experts, both nationally and in the Sooner …

John Wojcik (2020-06-23). Push to reopen early behind current COVID outbreak in South. peoplesworld.org The current coronavirus outbreak in the South and West is explained by the loosening of restrictions and lockdowns that began on the Memorial Day weekend, according to the nation's top health officials and experts. The out-of-control rise in cases in Florida, Arizona, Oregon, and many other states, they say, can be traced to what happened …

RT (2020-06-23). 'How is this legal?' Oregon county exempts 'people of color' from mandatory face mask rule. rt.com Oregon's Lincoln County has created an exception for non-white residents in a new compulsory face mask order, citing concerns over racial profiling, but puzzled observers have deemed the move discriminatory, if not illegal. | The county's public health