(2020-09-13). An interview with Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK, on Cuba and Cuba-US Relations. thecanary.co Medea, first I would like to talk to you about your recent article in Jacobin We Should Applaud the Cuban Health System — and … | By | Medea, first I would like to talk to you about your recent article in Jacobin
(2020-09-13). Gaza records 2 deaths, 100 infections from coronavirus. yenisafak.com Palestinian health authorities registered two fatalities and 100 infections from the coronavirus outbreak in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.In a statement, the Health Ministry said the territory's tally rose to 1,819 confirmed cases, including 15 deaths, and 216 recoveries."The number of active cases in Gaza rose to 1,588," the ministry said.Reeling under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007, the Gaza Strip suffers a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, in addition to daily electric outages.The Hamas-led government imposed a lockdown in Gaza on Aug. 24 to help curb the outbreak in the blockaded enclave…
(2020-09-13). Death toll climbs as fires continue to rage in US. thecanary.co 
At least 31 people have died as wildfires continue to rage across the West Coast of the United States.Authorities are expecting yet more fatalities. Oregon's emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible "mass fatality event".Meanwhile, smoke from the wildfires is posing a health hazard to millions. Firefighters continue to battle the deadly blazes, which have already obliterated some towns and displaced tens of thousands of people.Oregon, Washington and California: More than 40,000 people in Oregon have already been evacuated. Moreover, about 500,000 are in different levels of…
(2020-09-13). OSHA Fines Smithfield Foods For 'Failing To Protect Employees'. popularresistance.org The Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, which was the epicenter of one of the nation's largest coronavirus hotspots in April, has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor. | The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday that it was fining the Smithfield Packaged Meats Corporation for $13,494 for "failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus," a news release states. The fine is the maximum amount allowed by law. | At least 1,294 Smithfield employees contracted coronavirus, and four employees died from the virus, the release states.
(2020-09-13). We Must Take The Vaccine Industry Into Public Ownership. zcomm.org Only by taking the vaccine industry into full public ownership, with small "d" democratic controls in place, can we provide an internationalized response to this and future pandemics that properly recognizes vaccines as a global public good…
(2020-09-13). Rouhani hails nation's resistance against challenges. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 13 (MNA) — President Hassan Rouhani hailed the Iranian nation's resistance against the current challenges, stressing the need to continue the health protocols amid pandemic.
(2020-09-13). New academic year officially kicks off across Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 13 (MNA) — New academic year officially kicked off on Sunday morning in a ceremony held in the presence of Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, Health Minister, Vice President for Science and Technology in Tehran University.
(2020-09-13). Rural and Native Communities Are Hard Hit by COVID-Era Food Insecurity. truthout.org Nonie Woolf, a retired public health nutritionist and chair of
(2020-09-13). Iran's confirmed coronavirus cases exceed 400,000. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran rose by 2,089 to 402,029, a health ministry spokeswoman told state TV on Sunday, as the country reported 128 new deaths in the past 24 hours.Sima Sadat Lari said the official death toll stood at 23,157 in Iran, one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East.
(2020-09-13). Coronavirus claims over 1,200 lives in Brazil, Mexico. yenisafak.com Brazil reported 814 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, while Mexico saw 421 over the past 24 hours, health authorities said Sunday.In Brazil, the third worst-hit country in the world after India with the highest number of cases, the death toll reached 131,210, while confirmed cases to date surpassed 4.15 million with 33,523 new infections.According to the Brazilian Health Ministry, over 3.55 million people have so far recovered from the virus in the Latin American country.With a population of over 211 million, Brazil is seen as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the region.Brazil's vibrant financi…
(2020-09-13). S.Korea eases social distancing for two weeks ahead of major holiday. yenisafak.com The government has lifted a ban on onsite dining after 9 p.m. though still requires restaurants and cafes to restrict seating and record patrons' names and contact details.While leisure facilities such as gyms and internet cafes are also allowed to reopen, under so-called phase two restrictions, indoor gatherings are limited to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100, while spectators are banned from sporting events.Health authorities said the easing would contribute toward a reopening of the economy, before returning to tougher guidelines for two weeks again from Sept. 28 during the Chuseok holiday."After a comp…
(2020-09-13). Scores arrested at protests in Australia's coronavirus hotspot. yenisafak.com Police in Australia's Victoria state arrested 74 people and fined 176 for breaching public health orders as scattered protests against a weeks-long coronavirus lockdown continued for a second straight day across Melbourne.A riot squad marched through fruit and vegetable stalls at the city's landmark, the Queen Victoria market, before the scuffling with protesters erupted, with some people throwing fruit at the police, television footage showed.Victoria Police said in a statement that there were between 200 and 250 people involved in the protests, but there were no immediately known injuries to the police."It was…
(2020-09-13). Czech Republic sees record rise in virus cases for third straight day. yenisafak.com The Czech Republic reported its largest single-day increase in new coronavirus infections for a third straight day on Sunday, recording 1,541 cases, according to Health Ministry data.It was the fifth day in a row with new infections above 1,000 as the country of 10.7 million sees a surge in cases that is among the fastest in the European Union. The government has tightened rules requiring face mask use but aims to avoid harsh lockdowns.
(2020-09-13). Virus cases, casualties rise in Eurasia, Central Asia. yenisafak.com Over 3,900 new cases of the novel coronavirus and more than 80 fatalities were reported across several Eurasian and Central Asian countries on Sunday.- UkraineUkraine continues to report the highest numbers in the region, with 2,476 more COVID-19 cases and 30 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours.The overall case count in the country stands at 154,335, including 3,178 fatalities and 68,893 recoveries, which increased by 547 over the past day, according to Health Minister Maksym Stepanov.- GeorgiaIn Georgia, 152 more coronavirus cases raised the total to 2,268.Recoveries increased by six to reach 1,369, while the…
(2020-09-12). [Editorial] Global collaboration for health: rhetoric versus reality. thelancet.com The 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) opens on Sept 15, 2020. Being held remotely for the first time, the meeting will inevitably be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but other issues on the agenda that have resonance for global health include the climate crisis, peace, disarmament, and humanitarian assistance. Underpinning this year's agenda is the UN theme of multilateralism, under the banner "The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism".
(2020-09-12). Colombia: Indigenous Leader and His Daughter Killed in Cauca. telesurenglish.net Colombia's National Indigenous Organization (ONIC) Friday denounced the murder of indigenous leader Oliverio Conejo and his daughter Emy Yaqueline in the Totoro municipality, Cauca department. | RELATED: | "We denounce the assassination of the Health Service Provider Institution (IPS) coordinator Oliverio Conejo and his daughter. He was the leader of the Totoroes indigenous reservation in Cauca," ONIC tweeted. | The activist and his…
(2020-09-12). While the stock market is booming, jobs report hides hunger. workers.org 
Getting enough food was hard for people working low-wage jobs before the pandemic. Now it's harder, given the huge increase in unemployment — 29 million jobless workers now live off meager unemployment insurance. Millions without work are getting nothing, and more than 50 million people are "food insecure," meaning they . . . |
(2020-09-12). 'Stop clapping, start paying': NHS workers demand better wages. thecanary.co 
Frontline NHS workers, many of whom have been helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic, have protested to demand better wages.Campaigners in central London held banners which read "stop clapping, start paying," "priceless yet penniless" and "640 healthcare workers dead, blood on their hands", alongside images of prime minister Boris Johnson. Many wore scrubs or other NHS uniforms.Demonstrators began a march to Trafalgar Square after a two-minute silence in honour of 640 healthcare workers who have died during the pandemic.The protest comes after nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 publ…
(2020-09-12). Novel & untested: Head of Russian vaccine-funding team reacts to AstraZeneca resuming trial, says Sputnik V won't carry same risks. rt.com 
The trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has resumed after an adverse reaction in a participant. The hiccup shows how risky the technology is, and why Sputnik V is not using it, the Russian vaccine funder's CEO said. | AstraZeneca announced the suspension of its phase-three trial on Tuesday, after one of the trial participants suffered a "serious adverse reaction." The trial was resumed on Saturday with the approval of British regulators. | "We are delighted that AstraZeneca has resumed its trials and continues to move forward," said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which…
(2020-09-12). Sputnik V launched: Russia dispatches first batches of pioneering Covid-19 vaccine to all of its 85 regions. rt.com 
Russia has sent out the initial batches of the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine to all parts of its vast territory, as authorities test the delivery system of the much-needed drug. | The formula is expected to be delivered on Monday, said Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko. "The first small batches have already been shipped," Murashko said, explaining that the government is testing the supply chain to ensure a robust delivery system across the country's 85 regions. As well as testing the efficacy and safety of the vaccine itself, the government believes it is paramount to ensure the efficien…
(2020-09-12). Head of Russia's Sovereign Wealth Fund says its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine carries fewer risks than rival British formula. rt.com The pause in trials of Britain's Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after an adverse reaction in a participant shows how risky the technology is, and why the developers of Russia's Sputnik V have chosen another platform. | That's according to Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is bankrolling the Russian formula's development. He was speaking as it was revealed that the British trials were resumed on Saturday with the approval of national regulators. | AstraZeneca announced the suspension of its phase-three trial on Tuesday, after one of the trial participants suffered a "serious…
(2020-09-12). Why Has Canada Fared Better Than US In The pandemic? popularresistance.org Vancouver – Why has Canada been more successful at limiting the spread of COVID-19 than our neighbours in the U.S.? | One "critically important" factor is Canada's universal health care system, B.C. health officials said Thursday. | "People don't have to pay for a test," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said after being asked to weigh Canada's advantages. "They weren't worried that if they got sick they would not be able to get care."
(2020-09-12). Cuba Maintains Strict Health Measures to Halt COVID-19 Rebound. telesurenglish.net Cuba's authorities on Saturday announced that the severe health measures will be extended in the west and center of the island to halt the surge of the new COVID-19 wave of infections. | RELATED: | From next Monday to September 30, public transportation in Havana will continue to be paralyzed, and restrictive measures in areas that report high numbers of sick people will be reinforced. | "The capital remains the epicenter of the disease. We…
(2020-09-12). Hundreds of new COVID-19 cases raise fears of uncontrolled outbreaks across the Pacific. wsws.org The surge in cases across the Pacific is causing a deepening health and social crisis, underscoring the global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-09-12). US Tax Dollars Funded Every New Pharmaceutical in the Last Decade. zcomm.org Amid debates over costs—and profits—from a coronavirus vaccine, a new study shows that taxpayers have been footing the bill for every new drug approved between 2010 and 2019…
(2020-09-12). [Comment] The Lancet Small Vulnerable Newborn Series: science for a healthy start. thelancet.com The Lancet 2020 Campaign1 on child and adolescent health is a welcome call for a renewed focus on children. With less than a decade remaining to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the campaign is a timely reminder about an unfinished agenda, reiterating the centrality of child survival and wellbeing in global development. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic bring more urgency to the need for increased attention to children. Although COVID-19 is usually mild in children, health-service disruptions and other indirect effects of the pandemic response are having devastating impacts on the wellbeing…
(2020-09-12). [Correspondence] Asthma exacerbations, air pollution, and allergens — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Jordi Sunyer and Josep Antó for their comments regarding our Viewpoint.1 Their ground-breaking studies in the 1980s showed that what had been reported as an association of an outbreak of asthma with an increase in ambient levels of oxides of nitrogen,2 was in fact caused by exposure to an allergen. Without identifying the specific allergen, there would have been no way of knowing that the initial report was misleading. After the epidemics had been controlled, sporadic cases of asthma exacerbations that were associated with soybean allergy continued to occur.
(2020-09-12). [Correspondence] Asthma exacerbations, air pollution, and allergens. thelancet.com Peter Burney and André Amaral1 refer to the episodes of severe asthma epidemics in Barcelona, Spain, to suggest that aeroallergens could be more threatening for people with asthma than are urban air pollutants. The principal cause of the asthma epidemics in Barcelona was a protein from the hull of the soybean (which was dispersed from the harbour silos to the city air when the cargo was unloaded) and not urban air pollutants, such as black carbon particles or nitrogen dioxide. However, the effect of exposure to soybeans on asthma exacerbations was lower than was the effect of exposure to air pollutants in the who…
(2020-09-12). [Comment] Secondary prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. thelancet.com The burden of congenital cytomegalovirus infection is an unmet public health issue. Congenital cytomegalovirus affects 0 ∑7% of all neonates worldwide, and 15—20% of these have long-term sequelae.1 In high-income countries, around half of infected neonates are infected after maternal primary infection, and the other half after maternal non-primary infection (reactivation or reinfection).2 Since the late 1990s, the development of IgG avidity and PCR to quantify viral DNA load have improved diagnosis of maternal primary infection and of fetal infection with positive PCR in amniotic fluid retrieved by amni…
(2020-09-12). [Comment] Offline: The crisis of political language. thelancet.com George Orwell, in his 1945 essay Politics and the English Language, wrote that "to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration". The Moscow press briefing held last week on the Russian COVID-19 vaccine quickly turned into a platform for national rivalry. The research, led by scientists at the N F Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, found encouraging evidence of an immune response using their prime boost strategy of a two-component, human recombinant adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
(2020-09-12). 2nd round of 11th parliamentary election in Ahvaz. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 12 (MNA) — The second round of the 11th parliamentary election was held in Ahvaz on Friday with the participation of people by fully observing health protocols due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
(2020-09-12). Trump Aides Tried to Alter CDC COVID Reports to Fit President's False Claims. truthout.org Days after President Donald Trump
(2020-09-12). New Arrival of Cuban Doctors & Health Professionals in Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Venezuela has welcomed another 93 Cuban doctors this week, who'll collaborate with health authorities to combat COVID-19. | RELATED: | Vice Minister for the Ministry of Health, Gerardo Briceño, reported that the newly arrived medical professionals would be joining teams around the country. | "93 comrades from the Cuban Medical Brigade, from the Henry Reeve Brigade, are coming to join six important Brigades in the Center, East and West of the c…
(2020-09-12). Spain sets pandemic record with 12,183 new cases. yenisafak.com The latest surge broke the previous record, which was set on Thursday, although at the beginning of the pandemic widespread testing was not available to confirm cases.Concern, however, is picking up over testing, with the rates of positive tests continuing to increase. Overall, the average positivity rate over the last week now sits at 11.8%.The World Health Organization says a country does not have the pandemic under control until the positivity rate is below 5%. Only one Spanish region — Asturias — has managed to keep it below that threshold.Deaths increased by almost 50 on Friday, leaving the count…
(2020-09-11). Why is the US Government Using Stolen Cash To Pay Doctors in Venezuela? thealtworld.com The US government is using cash stolen from the Venezuelan government as part of a hearts and minds campaign on behalf of opposition figure Juan Guaidó. | MPN— Venezuelan doctors currently fighting COVID-19 are receiving funding from an unlikely source: U.S. backed coup leader Juan Guaidó. Health workers, who sometimes earn less than $20 per month, are receiving $100 dollars monthly from the self-declared president of Venezuela. Where is Guaidó getting all this money from? The U.S. government, who, in turn, is using the billions of dollars it has confiscated from Venezuela to fund his latest political stunt.
(2020-09-11). Headlines for September 11, 2020. democracynow.org 500,000 Evacuated Across Oregon as Record-Shattering Fires Rage in Western States, AstraZeneca CEO Warned Investors of Vaccine Recipient Who Became Ill, Trump Admin Fines Pork Processor $13,500 for Lapses at Plant Where 1,300 Contracted Coronavirus, India Records Another Record Daily Coronavirus Toll, Senate Coronavirus Relief Bill Fails as Another 857,000 File New Unemployment Claims, Amazon Accused of Price Gouging After Raising Prices Up to 1,000% During Lockdown, Philadelphia Activists Defy City Order to Vacate Encampment for Unhoused Residents, Joe Biden Says He May Further Increase Military Spending If Elec…
(2020-09-11). What Went Wrong with AstraZeneca's Vaccine Trial? CEO Only Shares Details with Investors. democracynow.org 
As the world races to find a COVID-19 vaccine, one of the most promising vaccine trials has hit a major roadblock. AstraZeneca paused its Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial after a woman in the trial developed severe neurological symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, or inflammation of the spinal cord. Details were only revealed during a CEO call with investors, and "everyone was left to guess what went wrong," writes Ed Silverman, senior writer at the health news site STAT, which broke the story. Silverman says the halting of the U.K. trial raises several issues, including whether pharmaceutical companies ar…
(2020-09-11). 'Gather': Despite America's history of violence, Indigenous food sovereignty carries on. peoplesworld.org 
(2020-09-11). The rule of big oil causes misery in the Middle East. peoplesworld.org 
During the reign of the Emperor Justinian I (527-565 AD), a mysterious plague spread out of the Nile Valley to Constantinople and finished off the Roman Empire. Appearing first in China and North India, the "Black Death" (Yersinia pestis) radiated throughout the Mediterranean and into Northern Europe. It may well have killed close to half …
(2020-09-11). Times remain hard, especially for low-wage workers. mronline.org 
The current economic crisis has hit workers hard. Unemployment rates remain high, with total weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits continuing to grow.
(2020-09-11). Almost half of Russians say they don't want to be vaccinated against Covid-19 & 43% believe dangers of coronavirus are exaggerated. rt.com 
Just under half (45.6 percent) of surveyed Russians don't want to be vaccinated against coronavirus, regardless of where the vaccine comes from, according to a new study by Moscow's Higher School of Economics (HSE). | The research revealed that just 13.2 percent of those questioned want to get vaccinated as soon as possible, with a further 4.6 percent wishing to wait a few months. Of those who refuse to be immunized, almost a quarter (24.6 percent) still intend to monitor the results of mass vaccination, with another quarter (25 percent) saying they're entirely opposed to all vaccines. | Part of the country's…
(2020-09-11). Help on its way: Russia set to ship up to 50 MILLION doses of pioneering coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V to badly-hit Brazil. rt.com 
Brazil, which has suffered the world's second highest Covid-19 death toll, is planning to receive up to 50 million doses of the Russian made Sputnik V, the planet's first registered coronavirus vaccine. | "Deliveries are expected to start in November," according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which bankrolled the formula's development. The matter is still awaiting final approval by Brazilian regulators. | As of now, the multimillion dose agreement involves only a single Brazilian state, Bahia, but it is expected it be eventually be rolled out at national level. | After some Western criticism, th…
(2020-09-11). LA health director accused of 'playing politics' after saying schools won't reopen 'until after the election' in leaked audio. rt.com 
LA County's public health chief has come under fire after saying that local schools would not reopen until after the 2020 presidential election, prompting criticism that officials are putting politics ahead of science. | The county's health director, Barbara Ferrer, recently told local educators that schools would remain shuttered until the beginning of November, repeatedly referring to the upcoming election, according to "We don't realistically anticipate that we would be moving t…
(2020-09-11). For Nearly Six Months, Weekly US Unemployment Claims Exceed One Million. globalresearch.ca Since March, weekly US claims for unemployment insurance (UI) were greater than ever before in the nation's history for 25 straight weeks. | What seemed unimaginable when 2020 began is cold, hard reality. | Over one million jobless US workers continue to …
(2020-09-11). New UN Report Recommends ICC Investigate Possible War Crimes by All Sides—Including US-Backed Coalition—in Yemen. commondreams.org "Yemen has been ravaged in ways that should shock the conscience of humanity," said one of the report's authors. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-09-11). WHO warns against potential Ebola spread in DR Congo and beyond. news.un.org Ebola is spreading in a western province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising fears that the disease could reach neighbouring Republic of Congo and even the capital, Kinshasa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
(2020-09-11). Unemployment insurance numbers rise across the board. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – The latest report on unemployment insurance by the Department of Labor showed larger numbers across a number of measures. The number of new claims for regular state UI the week ending September 5 increased by 20,000 from the previous week. The same for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA for self-employed and gig workers, which rose by more than 90,000, or 12%. Together total new claims rose to almost 1.7 million for the latest week. | The numbers of continuing claims, which show how many people are actually collecting benefits, also rose. The number of people getting regular state…
(2020-09-11). UK: England COVID-19 Cases Are Doubling Every Seven Days, Study. telesurenglish.net A population surveillance study developed by the Imperial College London in England found that COVID-19 cases are doubling every seven days, according to the latest statistics. | RELATED: | "The prevalence of the virus in the population is increasing. We found evidence that it has been accelerating at the end of August and beginning of September," professor of infectious disease dynamics and research co-writer Stev…
(2020-09-11). Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected. popularresistance.org In America's four largest cities, at least half of people say they have experienced the loss of a job or a reduction in wages or work hours in their household since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. That's the finding of a new poll published Wednesday by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. | Many of these problems are concentrated among Black and Latino households in the four cities, according to the poll, which gathered responses from July 1 through Aug 3.
(2020-09-11). Chile To Remember Allende and Victims of Pinochet Dictatorship. telesurenglish.net Human rights defenders Friday will hold a procession in Santiago to honor late President Salvador Allende and all those killed during the coup that happened on September 11, 1973. | RELATED: | The pilgrimage will be held amidst strong health measures. However, relatives and friends of those arrested, executed, and disappeared will march to demand justice as many of the victim's whereabouts are still unknown. | Presiden…