(2020-07-25). [World Report] COVID-19 cases surge in Colombia. thelancet.com Colombia has more than 8500 new cases per day, with restrictions being relaxed, putting the health system under strain. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.
(2020-07-25). [Perspectives] Pandemic science and politics. thelancet.com In 2019, the Global Health Security Alliance assessed worldwide adherence to the International Health Regulations (2005), which supposedly commit nations to measures that prevent or control the spread of infectious diseases and mitigate their effects. The study found that no nation was fully prepared, and many countries—rich or poor—fell woefully short. This finding is only one of the many indications that we could have been ready, nationally and globally, to deal with a crisis like COVID-19, but were not.
(2020-07-25). [Comment] Offline: Preparing for a vaccine against COVID-19. thelancet.com The results of two randomised trials reported this week in The Lancet give great encouragement to the view that a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be produced within the next 18 months. There are no guarantees. But the evidence is hopeful. Pedro Folegatti and colleagues from The Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford used a chimpanzee adenovirus viral vector expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to create a vaccine given by a single intramuscular injection.
(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] COVID-19 vaccine affordability and accessibility. thelancet.com The need to ensure the affordability of any future COVID-19 vaccine is gaining increasing attention.1 Although there is support for bulk purchasing, making vaccines affordable is fraught with difficulties, particularly for the so-called missing middle countries that are not eligible for aid from Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance or other aid but lack the resources to produce their own vaccines or afford patent-protected drugs.
(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] Australia's First Nations' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Kaitlin Curtice and Esther Choo1 described the well known risks for infectious diseases among First Nations internationally and the serious concerns that COVID-19 poses for them. These risks include their levels of chronic disease, poverty, poor living conditions, and racism in mainstream services with resulting lack of trust using them. They also highlighted the problem of data not being available specifically for First Nations so that authorities are blind to the situation and hence how best to help them.
(2020-07-25). [Comment] Tapering glucocorticoids in rheumatoid arthritis. thelancet.com Glucocorticoids are a cornerstone of care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Since the 1950s, glucocorticoids have been used to reduce inflammation and symptoms of arthritis, improve physical function, and reduce disability. These drugs are widely available, inexpensive, and typically combined with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to induce remission in rheumatoid arthritis. However, the administration of glucocorticoids is not without risk. Long-term use of glucocorticoids is associated with increased mortality,1 cardiovascular events,2 and bone fractures.
(2020-07-25). [Comment] Abrocitinib for atopic dermatitis: a step forward. thelancet.com Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases worldwide with a global annual prevalence of 3—4%.1 Few data are available on disease activity strata, but in a 2018 multinational survey between 10% and 20% of adults with incident atopic dermatitis reported severe disease.2 Atopic dermatitis pathophysiology is characterised by epidermal dysfunction and T-cell-driven inflammation, with increased production of inflammatory cytokines, in particular type 2 cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, and IL-31.
(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] Women's reproductive rights. thelancet.com I hope it is stating the obvious to suggest that it is despicable both to ban abortion and to impose it on women whether in the name of religion, in the service of a political ideology, or as a perceived demographic imperative.1 Forced birth and forced abortion are foul. They are an assault on the autonomy, dignity, and rights of women, and are a threat to their lives, health, and wellbeing. Examples of banning and forcing abortions are found throughout the world and across time (sometimes in the same place and at the same time, as seen in Nazi Germany).
(2020-07-24). WATCH Portland protesters battling federal police to sound of Star Wars' Imperial March. rt.com 
Chaotic scenes outside Portland's federal courthouse were given a snarky soundtrack by a demonstrator who showed up to the fracas armed with a stereo. The city has seen nightly clashes between police and protesters. | Footage taken by New York Times correspondent Mike Baker shows activists and federal agents fighting over control of a fence guarding the building in downtown Portland, which has been under siege by demonstrators for nearly two months. | Protesters used projectiles and laser pointers against federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the courthouse, who in turn deployed tear gas to keep the m…
(2020-07-24). Uprising: Mass Protests Rock the Nation. counterpunch.org In an act of political desperation, President Donald Trump ordered a contingent of federal law-enforcement officers to impose order in Portland, OR. Under the direction of Attorney General Bill Barr, agents from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons were deployed to protect
(2020-07-24). From Portland to the World. mronline.org 
Since the end of May, demonstrators opposing police violence and white supremacy have thronged the streets of Portland, Oregon, clashing with law enforcement officers. Last week, aspiring autocrat Donald Trump escalated the situation by announcing that he would be sending federal agents around the country to assert his authority through acts of violence against protesters.
(2020-07-24). Oregon judge bans feds from arresting or using force against 'journalists & legal observers' at Portland protests. rt.com 
A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on federal agents deployed in Portland, ruling that they may not arrest, disperse or otherwise use force against reporters and legal observers covering ongoing protests there. | US District Court Judge Michael Simon
(2020-07-24). Portland's movement is fighting back! Defend Portland, Ore.! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Workers World Party Statement Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents — secret police — to Portland, Ore., Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial . . . |
(2020-07-24). Quick Reminder: Casey Mulligan Argued that a Main Factor Pushing Unemployment Higher in the Great Recession Was Food Stamps. cepr.net This is worth keeping in mind when reading a New York Times article discussing Republican plans to cut the weekly $600 supplement to unemployment insurance benefits. The piece cites Mulligan as a conservative economist who argues that this supplement is discouraging people from working and therefore keeping unemployment high. In this context, it is worth …
(2020-07-24). 2020 Vision Will Show You What is True, if You Can Keep Your Sanity. counterpunch.org We've all been making jokes about how terrible 2020 has played out, but I think even those of us with a bit of an imagination for the absurd and ominous missed the mark as far as this ultimate level of governmental degeneracy we've been able to achieve. Dads backing up moms in Portland with leaf
(2020-07-24). Trump orders federal police to more cities. wsws.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing the mayor of Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to additional cities.
(2020-07-24). People of all walks of life say prayers at Hagia Sophia. yenisafak.com People of all walks of life attended Friday prayers at Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia Mosque as it reopened for worship after 86 years.Men, women, the elderly and children were seen waiting at the 11 checkpoints in place. Police searched worshippers, while health workers checked their temperature and masks in line with COVID-19 measures.To save time, some people performed their ablution in the surrounding mosques. Many were seen carrying Turkish flags and prayers mats.A shuttle service was launched to carry foreigners and others from a designated parking space in Yenikapi district.Hitchhiking for first prayerAli…
(2020-07-24). S. Korea to train hundreds of doctors to battle future epidemics. yenisafak.com South Korea will add 4,000 medical students over the next 10 years to swell the number of its doctors and strengthen the response to future public health crises, government and ruling party officials say.Authorities flagged the need to train doctors for potential outbreaks of infectious disease worse than COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus, pointing to the risk of more frequent epidemics and limited numbers of beds for the sick.To fill the gap, officials said they plan to step up admissions to medical schools using a combination of new quotas, incentives for students in less lucrative specialities and t…
(2020-07-24). Iran reports 215 more deaths from coronavirus. yenisafak.com Iran on Friday confirmed 215 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,289, according to an official.A further 2,489 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, raising the overall count to 286,523, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.She said more than 249,212 people have so far recovered and been discharged from hospitals, adding that 3,653 patients remain in critical condition.Over 2.27 million tests have been conducted in the country to date, Lari stated.The alarming surge in daily fatalities has sent shockwaves across Iran as the health ca…
(2020-07-24). India's Largest Vaccine Manufacturer to Provide 50% of Anti-COVID Doses to Poorer GAVI Nations. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): While potential COVID-19 vaccines are reaching their final trial stages, society faces two dangers: price gouging and the stockpiling of the cure by rich countries. Nevertheless, Serum Institute of India has vowed to ensure that 50% of its COVID vaccinations go to poorer nations.
(2020-07-24). Imperial COVID-19 vaccine trial expands to additional sites. imperial.ac.uk Imperial College London's COVID-19 vaccine trial is expanding to additional sites throughout England.
(2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….
(2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …
(2020-07-23). MSNBC's Joe Scarborough calls Portland protests 'peaceful'… despite footage of escalating violence. rt.com 
Joe Scarborough has called protests in Portland "peaceful for the most part," less than a day after the mayor was tear-gassed in the face amid escalating violence following more than two months of demonstrations. | On his Morning Joe show Thursday, Scarborough railed against the deployment of federal agents to the city of Portland, saying they have launched "deeply disturbing attacks" against "peaceful protests, for the most part." | The MSNBC host has no doubt seen footage of federal agents arresting protesters and proceeding to throw them into unmarked vans — but perhaps he missed the videos of demonstr…
(2020-07-23). Secret police in Portland violated human rights of peaceful protesters. indybay.org Videos showing U.S. Federal secret police(with no badges and riding in unmarked vehicles)inflicting massive violence on mostly peaceful protesters are running viral across the Globe. Yet the Federal governing regime brazenly avows that this will be the "new normal" in major cities from now on…
(2020-07-23). California: 700 health care workers at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on five-day strike. wsws.org Workers are protesting understaffing at the hospital, inadequate access to personal protective equipment, and management's proposal to slash their benefits.
(2020-07-23). U.S. Navy veteran speaks out about being attacked by Trump's secret police in Portland this past weekend. nationofchange.org It isn't about me getting beat up. It's about focusing back on the original intention of all of these protests, which is Black Lives Matter.
(2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org 
OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …
(2020-07-23). The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland. thenation.com The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland…
(2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…
(2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…
(2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…
(2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…
(2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…
(2020-07-23). In another night of unrest in Portland, tear gas hits mayor. yenisafak.com The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators.Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted "Shame on You". They said he should have done more to protect Portland's citizens.However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland's Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was him…
(2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.
(2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org 
The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."
(2020-07-23). 'Turkish aid helps Venezuela fight virus effectively'. yenisafak.com Sevki Mutevellioglu told Anadolu Agency last week Turkish aid, including 25 ventilators, 40,000 testing kits, 150,000 masks and protective clothing, reached the capital Caracas.He noted that the aircraft was also carrying medical equipment donated to Venezuela as part of various health projects supervised by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).The ambassador said the Venezuelan side welcomed the aid as its economy is crippled by sanctions.Mutevellioglu praised the "fast, effective and accurate" response of President Nicolas Maduro's government.Noting that the ventilators and other supplies were…
(2020-07-23). Quick facts on China and COVID. workers.org 
This slightly edited talk was given at the July 16 Workers World Party webinar: "Why We Defend China." The webinar can be viewed at tinyurl.com/yxbbpwwy/. The U.S. ruling class has increasingly turned to misinformation and propaganda campaigns to maintain control of the country during the COVID-19 epidemic and to concoct . . . |
(2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org 
The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.
(2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |
(2020-07-23). Public must wear face coverings in sandwich shops says government. thecanary.co 
People will need to wear a face covering in sandwich shops in England under new regulations due to come into force on Friday.The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed face coverings will be needed in shops such as Pret a Manger if people intend to take their food and coffee away.If they sit down to eat or drink, they will be able to remove their face covering in that area.It is likely takeaway outlets will fall under the same criteria. | From Friday, face coverings will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England. | However, remember that it's not possible for people with certain conditions to wear…
(2020-07-23). SCOTUS' Birth Control Decision Favors Medicare for All. commondreams.org I can think of no better argument for Medicare for All than the freeing of the noble employer from the dreadful moral quandary of birth control. Great job, team. Drinks are on Kavanaugh. (Photo: National Nurses United/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-23). Green belts protection law, a road to food sovereignty in Argentina. peoplesdispatch.org A coalition of social and peasant movements are promoting a bill in the Argentine Congress that seeks to protect and strengthen green belts in Argentina. Green belts are strategic production areas close to big cities, where small-scale rural agricultural producers produce 80% of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the country. The Green Belts Protection bill is being promoted by national deputy, Federico Fagioli, from the ruling left-wing coalition of Frente de Todos. | The bill aims to organize urban expansion, protecting green spaces where fresh, healthy and accessible food is supplied to the Argentine popula…
(2020-07-23). COVID-19: No return to 'old normal', says UN health chief, as cases top 15 million. news.un.org COVID-19 cases worldwide have surpassed 15 million, and nearly 620,000 deaths. On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged people everywhere to play a part in preventing further spread of the disease, warning that there will be no return to "the old normal".
(2020-07-23). South Africa didn't use COVID-19 lockdown for mass awareness, testing. peoplesdispatch.org Lydia Cairncross of the People's Health Movement talks about the failure of the South African government to effectively tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and examines the reasons behind it, She says the failure to bring together the public and private sectors, the lack of adequate awareness and testing, as well as investment, has cost the country dear.
(2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…
(2020-07-23). Ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases across Pacific Island states. wsws.org The global health and economic crisis is having a catastrophic impact on the fragile and impoverished former colonies across the Pacific.
(2020-07-23). Mexico struggles to fight COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Mexico emerges as the third worst-hit country in the Latin American and Caribbean region and the seventh nation in the world with most confirmed cases of coronavirus. With a population of about 129 million, Mexico has the second-highest death toll in the region and the fourth-highest in the world, after the United States, Brazil and the United Kingdom. | The first coronavirus case in Mexico was recorded on February 28 and the first fatality on March 19. As of July 22, the country has registered 362,274 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection, 41,190 deaths due to the disease and 231,403 recoveries. | The gov…
(2020-07-23). LA County OKs Coronavirus 'Health Councils' To Watch Worker Safety. popularresistance.org The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, July 21, approved a proposal to facilitate worker-led "health councils" to monitor business compliance with public health orders. | Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Mark Ridley-Thomas co-authored the motion recommending that the county reach out to labor leaders and business representatives and quickly come up with effective ways to monitor compliance with mandates to wear facial coverings, install protective shields and disinfect workplaces. | Essentially, the workers themselves would monitor conditions within their workplace, Kuehl said, noting recent reports…