2020-07-08: News Headlines

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-07-08). Remember the "Fake" 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic: Manipulating the Data to Justify a Worldwide Public Health Emergency. globalresearch.ca A Worldwide public health emergency is unfolding, 4.9 billion doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine are envisaged by the WHO.

_____ (2020-07-08). Vibrant Community Of Resistance Behind New Orleans' Historic Protests. popularresistance.org New Orleans has recently seen some of the largest protests in the city's modern history — with thousands of people taking to the streets daily to demand systemic change, including defunding police and money for housing, healthcare and jobs. These protests are the visible manifestation of grassroots organizing that has been going for decades and did not stop with COVID-19. | This video highlights just a few of the many organizations that have built and organized for this moment — even as the city was under quarantine — culminating not only in mass protests, but also direct action that seized an e…

Staff (2020-07-08). Headlines for July 8, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Begins Formal U.S. Withdrawal from World Health Organization, Brazil's Official Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 65,000 as Jair Bolsonaro Tests Positive, U.S. Confirms Record 60,000+ Coronavirus Cases as Trump Demands School Reopenings, Houston Mayor Pleads with Republicans to Cancel Texas Convention Amid Coronavirus Surge, Prominent GOP Senators to Skip Republican National Convention Amid Pandemic, Serbian Anti-Lockdown Protesters Storm Parliament; Spanish Study Questions "Herd Immunity", Mexican President to Meet with Trump; Canadian PM Won't Attend over COVID Concerns, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley…

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-08). 120 Covid-19 Vaccine Projects are Underway. globalresearch.ca Discussing permissible medical practices, the Nuremberg Code mandates consent and prohibits coercion, following Hippocratic Oath principles of doing no harm. | The Nuremberg Code is one of several foundational documents that influenced the …

RT (2020-07-08). US must tear down 'whole system of oppression,' says Democrat Ilhan Omar. Dems have 'given up' on America, Republicans reply. rt.com Ilhan Omar has called on the US "to tear down systems of oppression." But the Minnesota Democratic representative's remarks have outraged Republicans, who say she wants to ruin the whole American system. | Oppression is seen pretty much across the board in the American system, Omar claimed in a speech in Minnesota on Tuesday. | "We are fighting to tear down systems of oppression that exist in housing, in education, in healthcare, in employment, in the air we breathe," she said. | "We cannot stop at the criminal justice system. We must begin the work of dismantling the whole system of oppression wherever we fin…

Staff (2020-07-08). COVID Exposes "Significant Racial Health Inequities" as Black, Brown & Indigenous People Suffer Most. democracynow.org The coronavirus continues to hit communities of color the hardest, with federal data showing African American and Latinx people are nearly three times more likely to be infected and twice as likely to die from the virus compared to their white neighbors. There were "pretty significant racial health disparities" even before COVID-19 ravaged the country, says Dr. Uché Blackstock, emergency medicine physician in New York and founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, a company working to fight racism and bias in health services. "What we saw in the pandemic these first few months is these really significant racial…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-07-08). The Merits of Medicare for All Have Been Proven by This Pandemic. counterpunch.org A pandemic is not the time to be having discussions about how to design a national health care system. The fact that the United States, which has 4 percent of the world's population, leads the world with 25 percent of all coronavirus infections, indicates at a glance that something about our nation's health care is

Orlando Oramas León (2020-07-08). Cuba helping the world fight COVID-19, despite U.S. government's retaliation efforts. peoplesworld.org HAVANA—While the United States tries to disqualify Cuba's international medical cooperation, the list of brigades sent by the island to fight COVID-19 in different latitudes of the planet grows. They are the members of the Henry Reeve Contingent, created in 2005 by Fidel Castro to face situations of serious epidemics and natural disasters. It is a …

Robert F. Kennedy Jr (2020-07-08). The National Institute of Health (NIH) Owns Half of Moderna Vaccine: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. globalresearch.ca New documents obtained by In addition, four NIH scientists have filed their …

Dr. Pascal Sacré (2020-07-08). Politics and Corruption at the World Health Organization (WHO). globalresearch.ca This article, translated from French, was written prior to the Wuhan Coronavirus epidemic outbreak. | *** | The WHO [OMS in French] is the World Health Organisation. 'WHO' in English — and that's much more appropriate. WHO: who is it really? | Would …

Fight Back (2020-07-08). A new Michigan rally for 'HEROES Act now' set for July 15. fightbacknews.org Grand Rapids, MI – After a lively rally on June 24 with nearly 100 workers, the stagehands union IATSE is calling a new rally on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol for July 15. The stagehands and other gig workers are demanding the passage of the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act by the U.S. Senate. July 25 is looming as the $600 per week unemployment boost that keeps people paying their bills is set to run out. Tensions are rising not just in Michigan, but also for stagehands from New York City to Hollywood, across the whole country. | "The U.S. House of Representatives…

John Feffer (2020-07-08). The US is Now the Global Public Health Emergency. counterpunch.org If the United States had quick-thinking and efficient leadership, the pandemic would have infected about 100,000 people and killed only a couple thousand. That's the experience of South Korea, times seven to account for the difference in population. If the United States had overwhelmed but reasonably sensible leadership, the coronavirus pandemic would have racked up

_____ (2020-07-08). Why Did The Bureau Of Prisons Impose A National Lockdown? popularresistance.org Following the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, a nationwide uprising of unprecedented proportions has swept the U.S. in thousands of cities and towns, large and small, across all 50 states. This surge of mass resistance around issues of racial injustice, occurring against the backdrop of a major public health crisis and increasingly deteriorating economic conditions, has laid bare the failure of our capitalist system to protect working class communities of color. In addition to facing a much higher possibility of being endangered by an encounter with law enforcement, thes…

_____ (2020-07-08). Today's Revolution Includes Kale, Medical Care And Help With Rent. popularresistance.org In recent months, members of progressive direct-action organizations have developed new systems for checking on their neighbors, dropping off food and medicine, providing protective personal equipment to incarcerated family members, and giving cash to those suddenly unemployed to meet immediate rent, food, and medical needs. At the same time, they're continuing to press for workers' rights and proper health care during the pandemic, as well as ensure access to federal stimulus money for individuals and small minority-owned businesses. | In so doing, these organizations are harkening back to their roots: people cr…

yenisafak (2020-07-08). Eurasian nations register new coronavirus cases, deaths. yenisafak.com Coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to rise across Eurasia on Wednesday.- KazakhstanIn the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, new cases rose by 1,376 to reach the total of 51,059.Recoveries increased by 630, bringing the tally to 16,928, the Health Ministry said.The government is trying to eliminate the drug shortage in pharmacies.The country's Foreign Ministry announced that humanitarian aid sent by Russia arrived in the country.The country had announced to implement a 14-day-quarantine procedure as of July 5.- UkraineHealth Minister Maksym Stepanov announced 807 more virus cases over the past 24 hours,…

yenisafak (2020-07-08). China criticizes US for exiting WHO during pandemic. yenisafak.com China on Wednesday said the US' decision to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) during a pandemic was a blow to global efforts against COVID-19."The US' withdrawal from WHO is another example of a US unilateral retreat from an international organization," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian cited by the local daily Global Times as saying."It harms the efforts of the world in its fight against this epidemic and severely harms developing nations that most need international support," he told a news conference in Beijing.His comment came after President Donald Trump's administration officially withdrew t…

yenisafak (2020-07-08). US coronavirus cases top 3 million: study. yenisafak.com Maryland-based university's tally counted 3,009,611 confirmed infections and 131,594 fatalities, while 936,476 people have recovered from the disease.The US continues to be worst-hit country with the highest number of cases and deaths worldwide, followed by Brazil and the UK.Recent spikes in cases and hospitalizations forced many US states to pause their reopenings or reimpose new restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.More than 36.8 million tests have been conducted so far.

en.mehrnews (2020-07-08). 'US sanctions first culprit of Covid-19 damages in Iran'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 08 (MNA) — The Iranian health minister named the US cruel sanctions as the first cause of the economic difficulties and the losses Iran has incurred during the COVID-19 outbreak.

en.mehrnews (2020-07-08). Ayatalloah Jannati asks people to follow health guidelines. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 08 (MNA) — Secretary of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati called on people to stick to health guidelines as the COVID-19 death toll has hit a new high record in Iran.

The Canary (2020-07-08). Sunak backtracks on plan to tax workers who get Covid-19 tests from employers. thecanary.co The chancellor has scrapped plans for workers to pay tax on coronavirus tests funded by their employers, a move that would have particularly affected frontline workers. | Rishi Sunak said he would exempt the tests from income tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) after he was warned that doctors and nurses could be hit with mounting bills. | Mel Stride, chair of the Commons Treasury Committee, said on Wednesday that he was "glad that common sense has prevailed" after pressuring the chancellor to make the U-turn. | New rules published by HM Revenue & Customs on Monday said that staff should pay tax on Co…

Ramona du Houx (2020-07-08). Newsom helps the failing fracking industry — a business that endangers our health. indybay.org Amid a global health pandemic, Californian residents may soon be exposed to compounding respiratory threats from the result of more fracking operations. More than 310 Elected Officials from across the state demand that Governor Newsom stop issuing fracking permits immediately.

Matthew Sakamoto (2020-07-07). Attempted car attacks fail to deter protesters in Tri-Cities, Wa. liberationnews.org Hundreds of protesters gathered at John Dam Plaza in Richland, Washington, on Saturday, July 4 to protest the national epidemic of racist police killings. People from all over the Tri-Cities attended the protest, which lasted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The organizers, members of the local group Blackformation, spoke on the park stage about …

The Canary (2020-07-07). Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19. thecanary.co Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) after months of downplaying the severity of the disease.Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in the country's capital Brasilia."I'm well, normal. I even want to take a walk around here, but I can't due to medical recommendations," Bolsonaro said.People have protested over Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic (AP/Eraldo Peres)The president has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds, at times without a mask. He has said that his history as an…

Jack Rasmus (2020-07-07). Why 3rd Quarter US Economic 'Rebound' Will Falter. zcomm.org The US is currently experiencing what might be called a 'triple crisis'. A health crisis that shows little sign of abating. A deep economic crisis that is still in its early phases. And a ripening political crisis…

Staff (2020-07-07). "They Don't Care About Our Health": Hunger Striker at Otay Mesa ICE Jail Speaks Out as COVID Spreads. democracynow.org As COVID-19 infections continue to rise behind bars, we go inside the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California to speak with Anthony Alexandre, a longtime U.S. resident of Haitian descent, who describes conditions at the for-profit jail, run by private prison company CoreCivic, which has seen a mass outbreak of COVID-19, leading to at least 167 infections and one death. "Basically, CoreCivic is telling us they do not care about our health," says Alexandre. "They do not care about anything else but their bottom line."

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-07-07). India's abysmal healthcare system. mronline.org DD Kosambi uses a telling example to illustrate the crisis of Indian feudalism: at the third Battle of Panipat in 1761, the troops on oneside had not had enough to eat, while the troops on the other side just managed to assuage hunger by looting villages in the neighbourhood; neither side in short had arranged …

Staff (2020-07-07). #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives Wants Racial Justice In The Medical Field. therealnews.com The healthcare industry has a long and well-documented history of racist treatment of Black and Indigenous people. Now, doctors join the movement for Black lives.

The Tricontinental (2020-07-07). Latin America under CoronaShock: Social crisis, neoliberal failure, and the People's Alternatives. mronline.org The first cases of COVID-19 were detected in December 2019 in Wuhan (China). In early March, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the rapidly expanding illness a pandemic.

RT (2020-07-07). US still 'knee-deep' in FIRST wave of Covid-19, Fauci warns. rt.com Unlike countries in Europe, the US failed to get the first wave of Covid-19 under control and is now 'knee-deep' in a new surge of it, according to the country's top epidemic adviser Anthony Fauci. | The coronavirus situation in the US is "not very good," Fauci

RT (2020-07-07). Russia steps up patrols against marmot hunting after bubonic plague outbreaks in neighboring China & Mongolia. rt.com Russia is increasing patrols on its border with China and Mongolia after both of its neighbors reported suspected cases of the bubonic plague. The aim is to stop people from hunting marmots, which can carry the illness. | The rodents are thought to have been the source of the recent outbreak. Russian authorities have warned of the dangers of eating marmots. | Occurrences of the plague have been found in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, and the Mongolian province of Khovd. | The bubonic plague is one of the plague's three variants, and was responsible for killing up to 200 million people in the 14th Centur…

RT (2020-07-07). Florida man fired after angry outburst, yelling 'I feel threatened' when asked to wear mask in Costco (VIDEO). rt.com An insurance salesman from Florida was fired after a video of him losing his temper in a Costco store went viral. The man allegedly exploded after he was scolded by an "elderly woman" for not wearing a protective face mask. | The short video of the encounter, which occurred at Costco in Fort Myers, went viral on Tuesday after it was shared by film director Billy Corben. The clip was viewed nearly seven million times in less than a day. | Footage, believed to be shot about a week ago, shows a raging man wearing a 'Running the World Since 1776' shirt shouting at a person. | "I feel threatened! Back off!" the ang…

WSWS (2020-07-07). Growing opposition to Australian police lockdown of Melbourne public housing residents. wsws.org One resident stated: "We should have seen buses and cars full of healthcare and mental health workers and social workers, not the police."

Gill JR, DeJoseph ME. (2020-07-07). The Importance of Proper Death Certification During the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint emphasizes the importance of accurate, detailed documentation of cause of death, underlying medical disease, and contributing comorbidities to allow public health agencies to track and manage the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic based on timely and accurate classifications.

WSWS (2020-07-07). Organise teachers, parents and school staff committees to oppose reckless school reopening in Melbourne! wsws.org The CFPE calls for the formation of safety action committees to demand the suspension of the school system as part of a comprehensive public health and safety plan to protect the working class.

WSWS (2020-07-07). Joliet, Illinois nurses remain determined as union moves to end strike. wsws.org One hundred percent of the nurses on strike against AMITA Health in Joliet voted to continue after the first day, despite ninety-degree temperatures, the use of strikebreakers and hostility from management.

Nicholls SJ, Nelson AJ. (2020-07-07). Statins for Primary Prevention in the Elderly. jamanetwork.com An aging population brings considerable challenges for health care systems. The increase in disease burden and economic investment required for the care of older patients is in contrast with the minimal data available to guide optimal approaches to prevention and treatment. An area in major need of evidence-based pathways involves the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events in older individuals. The risk of ASCVD events increases substantially with age and is accompanied by an increase in poor outcomes among individuals with clinically manifest disease. The increasing number of older p…

Orkaby AR, Driver JA, Ho Y, et al. (2020-07-07). Association of Statin Use With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in US Veterans 75 and Older. jamanetwork.com This retrospective cohort study uses Veterans Health Administration data on adults free of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) to evaluate the association between new statin use and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and a composite of ASCVD events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and revascularization with CABG surgery or PCI), in veterans 75 years and older.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-07). Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus. peoplesdispatch.org Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro affirmed on Tuesday July 7 that he tested positive for COVID-19. The information was confirmed by the Special Secretary of Social Communication. | "The result of the test of COVID-19 done by the President Jair Bolsonaro on the night of Monday July 7 presented a positive diagnosis. The president remains in good health and at this moment he is in the Alvorada Palace," said the government in a note. | Bolsonaro had already told his followers on Monday July 6, that he had symptoms such as a fever of 38 degrees and pain in his body. He has reported to be feeling well and with "clean…

Baum A, Schwartz MD. (2020-07-07). VA Hospital Emergency Conditions Admissions During COVID-19. jamanetwork.com To assess the effect of COVID-19 on health care, this study compares admissions data from the Veterans Affairs system for overall admissions and for 6 common emergencies immediately before and for 6 weeks during the pandemic.

Proctor RN. (2020-07-07). The Cigarette: A Political History. jamanetwork.com This Arts and Medicine feature reviews a newly published political history of the US tobacco industry, emphasizing the continuing importance of cigarette smoking to illness and death at a time when the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is perceived as the country's greatest health threat.

news.un (2020-07-07). WHO to issue new brief on airborne transmission, following 'active engagement' with scientists. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to issue a brief on the modes of transmission of the new coronavirus, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-07-07). All Articles The World Can Show How Pharma Monopolies Aren't the Only Way to Fight COVID-19. zcomm.org After his disastrous handling of the COVID-19 epidemic, Trump is trying to improve his waning electoral chances by reserving all of Gilead's stock of remdesivir…

Dean Baker (2020-07-07). Unemployment Benefits Should Depend on the Pandemic. counterpunch.org In recent weeks many members of Congress have been arguing against extending the $600 weekly supplement to unemployment insurance benefits that was put into the original pandemic relief package. Some members of Congress have even argued for extra payments to encourage unemployed workers to return to work. These proposals miss the logic that led Congress

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-07). Corporate interests are determining US response to COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Hani Serag explains how the response to COVID-19 has been hampered by the influence of corporate interests and looks at the steps necessary for a comprehensive people's heath-based approach to the disease.

WSWS (2020-07-07). Coronavirus pandemic threatens lives of at least one million people at risk from AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria. wsws.org The global distribution of preventative treatments for other deadly diseases has been severely disrupted by the pandemic.

Hampton T. (2020-07-07). Insulin Given With DPP4 Inhibitors Might Protect Blood Vessels in Patients With Diabetes. jamanetwork.com Investigators have uncovered new insights into how abnormal insulin signaling may contribute to the heart disease and atherosclerosis that often accompany type 2 diabetes, and why aggressive insulin treatment does not help prevent these cardiovascular outcomes. They've also found a way to correct insulin signaling to protect blood vessels.

Pillemer K, Subramanian L, Hupert N. (2020-07-07). The Importance of Long-term Care Populations in Models of COVID-19. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the importance of distinguishing rates and patterns of disease in long-term care vs general populations when developing mathematical models to predict the future spread of COVID-19 infection.

Voelker R. (2020-07-07). New Diagnostic Agent Detects Tau Pathology in the Brain. jamanetwork.com The FDA has approved a new imaging drug to help detect tau pathology—a distinctive characteristic of Alzheimer disease in the brain.

Bindman A. (2020-07-07). Avoiding a Health Care Financial Meltdown. jamanetwork.com The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed gaping holes in the US health care system. Hospitals and physicians are struggling to address the rapid shift in the demand for services while hemorrhaging financial resources because in most cases, the primary business model anticipated a steady flow of fee-for-service payments.

yenisafak (2020-07-07). Rodin museum in Paris reopens, cast bronzes to boost post-lockdown finances. yenisafak.com The Rodin museum in Paris reopened on Tuesday and is hoping the sale of limited-edition cast bronzes of work by the 19th-century sculptor will help make up some of its financial losses from a fall in visitor numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic."The sale of the bronzes is an important element of our commercial strategy, which we have been developing for some years and which will contribute to the financial health of the museum," its director Catherine Chevillot said.The museum, which is self-financed, has a target to sell 3 million euros worth of bronzes each year, she said. Buyers range from museums worldwide…