(2020-10-13). Headlines for October 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dems Warn of Threat to ACA, Roe v. Wade, as Hearing Begins for Trump SCOTUS Nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Trump Returns to Campaigning as COVID Status Remains Unclear, COVID-19 Cases Soaring in Europe, Russia, as India Becomes Second Country to Hit 7 Million Cases, Johnson & Johnson Halts Vaccine Trials; More Evidence of Reinfection Revealed, GA Early Voters Face Long Lines; CA Officials Warn GOP over Illegal Drop Sites, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Sues in Arizona over Voter Suppression Efforts, WH Moves Forward with Taiwan Weapons Sales as U.S. Officials Tell Taiwan to Ramp Up Defense, Bangladeshi Government Approves Death…
(2020-10-13). "Let the People Decide!" Protests at Amy Coney Barrett Hearing Decry GOP Power Grab, Attack on ACA. democracynow.org 
Hundreds protested outside the Senate Monday against the confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. At least 21 were arrested after staging a sit-in to oppose the Senate pushing through Barrett's nomination in the middle of the presidential election. Senate Democrats warn the federal judge's record suggests she would overturn the Affordable Care Act and threaten reproductive rights if she takes the seat left vacant by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "Trump and the Republicans are trying to execute a power grab," says Ana María Archila, co-executive director of…
(2020-10-13). Waiting for a Vaccine: Killing for Inequality. counterpunch.org 
I have been harping on the fact that it is very likely China will be mass producing and distributing a vaccine at least a month, and quite possibly several months, before the United States. This should make people very angry. Even a month's delay is likely to mean tens of thousands of avoidable deaths and
(2020-10-13). Johnson & Johnson pauses coronavirus vaccine study, citing 'unexplained illness' in volunteer. rt.com 
Johnson & Johnson has temporarily halted its coronavirus vaccine trial after a trial participant contracted an "unexplained illness," the company said, though offered few additional details about the setback. | The pharma firm's 60,000-patient vaccine study was paused due to an adverse reaction in a volunteer, J&J "We must respect this par…
(2020-10-13). Video: Is There a Second Wave? The Lockdown, Ireland, Statement of WHO COVID-19 Expert. globalresearch.ca In this Spectator report, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) states the need to combat the virus while restoring economic activity. | The Irish government dismissed the recommendations of the medical experts who are calling for restoring the lockdown. …
(2020-10-13). Belgian Health Experts Demand Full Investigation into WHO for Faking COVID-19 Pandemic. globalresearch.ca A coalition of doctors and other health professionals in Belgium has issued an
(2020-10-13). Chaos in UK Health Care. NHS Staff Are Being Silenced Over COVID-19. "Lose Their Jobs if They Speak Out" globalresearch.ca First published on July 16, 2020 | This report was brought to our attention by Off-Guardian with the following cautionary note: | "First published on
(2020-10-13). Apologies Don't Raise the Dead. zcomm.org Lessons from The Plague about the Difficulty of Decency and the Evil Caused by Ignorance…
(2020-10-13). Health Justice And Black Liberation: Shay-Akil McLean. popularresistance.org The way that people treat each other has biological consequences, meaning that our relationships to one another, institutions, and resources are directly linked to quality of life, life expectancy, and quality of death. State violence is a public health issue because what it does is differentially distribute morbidity and mortality to those that are deemed enemies of the state. All of forms of state violence entail the denial of basic needs and the self-determination of the people in one dimension and/or additional others.
(2020-10-13). Green Infrastructure Bringing Nature Education, Stormwater Management to Church and School. indybay.org San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and Greenprint Partners recently announced the approval of two green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) grants for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and St. Thomas More School. The $2.69 investment will manage 2.2 million gallons of stormwater annually. Nature-based GSI will enhance the local community by delivering environmental, health, and economic benefits while also contributing to SFPUC's goal of managing one billion gallons of stormwater by 2050.
(2020-10-13). Healthcare Workers Endorse Brown, Hill and Kumar for Santa Cruz City Council. indybay.org The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) has endorsed Sandy Brown, Kelsey Hill, and Kayla Kumar for Santa Cruz City Council in the November 2020 election. Additionally, NUHW has endorsed John Leopold for Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, District 1.
(2020-10-13). Health Ministry confirms 4,108 new COVID-19 cases across Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (MNA) — The daily count of coronavirus infections in Iran reached 4,108 on Tuesday, bringing the total cases to 598,389, according to the Health Ministry.
(2020-10-13). Urgent response needed to tackle COVID-19 health disparities. imperial.ac.uk An Imperial expert has called for rapid action to tackle the causes of severe COVID-19 illness and death in ethnic minority groups.
(2020-10-13). Life Within The Matrix Is Our Future. thealtworld.com The question each of us needs to ask ourselves, and one another, is why do we get so much misinformation about Covid from public health authorities, political authorities, and press prostitutes? We get a lot of misinformation from health practioners, because they get the bogus information from health authorities and from researchers associated with Big Pharma. But why do health authorities themselves lie to us? | Take the issue of masks. The masks being worn by the vast majority of the world population, including health care providers, cannot prevent the inhalation and exhalation of bacteria and viruses. If a per…
(2020-10-12). Headlines for October 12, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Resumes Rallies, Declares He Is "Immune" as WH Doctors Refuse to Say If He Tested Negative, Fauci Says His Words Taken Out of Context in New Trump Ad, WH Blocks CDC Order on Face Masks on Public Transportation as U.S. COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise, Stimulus Talks Still at Impasse After Dems and GOP Reject Latest WH Offer, SCOTUS Hearings Kick Off in Senate as Amy Coney Barrett's Anti-Abortion Beliefs in Spotlight, Trump-Biden Debate Canceled After Trump Refuses to Participate in Virtual Format, SC Senate Debate Turns into Candidate Forum After Lindsey Graham Refuses Coronavirus Test, Judge Rejects Trump E…
(2020-10-12). "I Feel for Them": Son of Former White House Butler Says Trump Endangered Health of Residence Staff. democracynow.org 
Charles Allen, whose father Eugene Allen worked as a butler at the White House for 34 years, says President Trump's reckless actions following his COVID-19 hospitalization are threatening the health of the domestic staff at the White House. "As my dad used to say, they were the little people that made it possible for the big people to do what they did," he says. Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan, died in 2010, but his life story became the basis of the 2013 film "The Butler," starring Forest Whitaker.
(2020-10-12). Iran records its highest daily death toll from coronavirus. middleeasteye.net 
Iran records its highest daily death toll from coronavirus | At least 272 deaths and more than 4,200 new cases were reported on Monday, as country grapples with its third wave of infections, health ministry says | Mon, 10/12/2020 – 19: 59 | Masks are now mandated even in outdoor areas of Tehran as the country struggles to contain the virus (AFP/File photo) | For the second day in a row, Iran shattered its sing…
(2020-10-12). COVID-19: How 3 Prior Pandemics Triggered Massive Societal Shifts. strategic-culture.org 
Andrew Latham begins with the Antonine and Cyprian twin plagues, which ravaged the Roman Empire and gave rise to Christianity. | Andrew LATHAM | Before March of this year, few probably thought disease could be a significant driver of human history. | Not so anymore. People are beginning to understand that
(2020-10-12). Pfizer expands coronavirus vaccine trial to include children as young as 12. rt.com 
Pfizer has become the first western pharma firm to begin pediatric testing of its coronavirus vaccine, getting the nod from the FDA to expand its phase III trials to some 48,400 participants, among them kids as young as 12. | The multinational drug giant said it received federal approval to launch pediatric trials in an
(2020-10-12). Letting coronavirus spread freely for 'herd immunity' is unethical, says WHO. rt.com 
The World Health Organization has warned against the idea of allowing Covid-19 to simply spread through society, calling this "herd immunity" approach to fighting the pandemic "unethical." | "Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak, let alone a pandemic," WHO chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said during a virtual briefing on Monday, calling the idea "unethical." | Tedros added that herd immunity to a virus is usually achieved when the vast majority of the population — 80 percent, in the case of polio — is vaccinated, rather than delibe…
(2020-10-12). Netizens Clash Online as Senate Confirmation Hearings for Barrett Go On. sputniknews.com As netizens proceeded to express their opinions on Barrett's nomination, issues like the fate of the Affordable Care Act and even the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court ended up being brought into the equation.
(2020-10-12). As mental health crisis deepens, New York City hospitals leave psych units shuttered. wsws.org Even as the need for mental health services reaches new heights, psychiatric units remain closed and are unlikely to fully reopen.
(2020-10-12). Trump Appoints Big Pharma Exec Connected to Bill Gates to Head Vaccine Developments. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in May 2020. | On Friday, Donald Trump announced his appointment of Moncef Slaoui, a former executive with vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, to lead "Operation Warp Speed", Trump's plan to fast track the development of vaccines for …
(2020-10-12). Video: COVID-19. Contagion Fear, Corruption of Medical Actors. globalresearch.ca Retired nurse and health scientist Dr Kevin Corbett joins me to discuss Covid-19 / SARS-CoV-2 and the similarities to the 1980s panic over HIV-Aids. These similarities span the scientific investigation, clinical testing, elements of the care, and the governmental approaches …
(2020-10-12). WHO (Accidentally) Confirms Covid Is No More Dangerous than Flu. globalresearch.ca The World Health Organization has finally confirmed what we (and many experts and studies) have been saying for months — the coronavirus is no more deadly or dangerous than seasonal flu. | The WHO's top brass made this announcement
(2020-10-12). Alameda County hospital strike in California ends without contract. wsws.org Hospital workers in Oakland spoke on the systemic problems in health care and the impact of the pandemic.
(2020-10-12). China Confirms COVID-19 Outbreak in Qingdao City. telesurenglish.net The city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province has activated a plan to conduct a city-wide nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 after new cases were reported. | RELATED: | The city will complete nucleic acid testing in five districts within the next three days, while the testing will cover the whole city in five days, according to a notice issued by the municipal health commission, adding that the results will be released in a time…
(2020-10-12). Over 30,000 Doses of Drugs for Kids With Cancer Stolen in Mexico. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Monday confirmed the theft of thousands of doses of cancer treatments that were destined mainly for children with this disease. | RELATED: | "Authorities are already investigating to identify the perpetrators of this robbery," AMLO said, noting that this is a very unusual event. | The 37,956 doses of oncological treatment were stolen from the company Novag Infancia S.A.
(2020-10-12). The Great Barrington Declaration. globalresearch.ca As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection. | Coming from both the left and right, …
(2020-10-12). Herd immunity, an 'unethical' COVID-19 strategy, Tedros warns policymakers. news.un.org Using the principle of so-called "herd immunity" to stem the COVID-19 pandemic is "unethical" and "not an option" countries should pursue to defeat the virus, the UN health agency chief warned on Monday.
(2020-10-12). [Research Paper] Parental mental health before and during pregnancy and offspring birth outcomes: A 20-year preconception cohort of maternal and paternal exposure. thelancet.com This first report of an association between paternal preconception mental health and offspring gestational age, while requiring replication in larger samples, complements earlier work on stress in animals, and further strengthens the case for expanding preconception mental health care to both men and women.
(2020-10-12). Illegal sanctions amid pandemic sign of genocide: Namaki. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 12 (MNA) — Iranian Health Minister Saeid Namaki said that illegal sanctions amid pandemic are a sign of genocide that targets ordinary people.
(2020-10-12). Italy's Council of Ministers Approves Package of New Measures to Contain COVID, Sources Say. sputniknews.com ROME (Sputnik) – Italy's Council of Ministers overnight to Tuesday approved a package of new measures aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, government sources told reporters.
(2020-10-12). Omnibus Collisions: Coronavirus Policing and Overreach in Victoria. counterpunch.org In her September 17 speech to parliament, the Attorney General of the Australian state of Victoria, Jill Hennessy, explained various provisions of the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) and Other Acts Amendment Bill. Of most interest was the proposal that would dramatically inflate the scope of public health power in ostensibly preventing a spread of COVID-19.
(2020-10-12). PFAW Spotlights Patients, Real People Afraid of Losing Health Care as SCOTUS Hearings Start. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-12). 'After All, It's Our Money': Global Climate Campaigners Call for Public Banks to Fund Just Recovery and Green Transition. commondreams.org "Especially in the midst of a health and economic emergency, public money must be used to boost existing solutions that will create new jobs and support the people most impacted." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-11). BBC mistakes Taiwan's National Day celebrations for North Korean military parade (VIDEO). rt.com 
BBC World News was left red-faced after it accidentally broadcast footage of National Day celebrations in Taiwan while claiming they were actually a military display marking the 75th anniversary of North Korea's ruling party. | The mistake was made by the network on Saturday, when it aired footage captioned 'Live Pyongyang'. However, the video was from Taipei, with multiple Taiwanese flags fluttering in the air and distinctive landmarks visible. | Aside from the military themes of both the North Korean and Taiwanese displays, they looked nothing alike. The Pyongyang parade featured scores of assorted milita…
(2020-10-11). America's New Peculiar Institution: Health Care only for those who Can Afford it. zcomm.org We must immediately end our moral crime of having the greatest health system in the world, but only for those who can afford it…
(2020-10-11). East Bay Health Care Workers Strike Forces County to Disband the Boss. zcomm.org On day two of their five-day strike, Alameda Health System workers in California's East Bay won a landmark victory…
(2020-10-11). Monday 10/12: Virtual Townhall on Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Food Access & Health Program. indybay.org Online via Zoom or FB livestream, or join by phone…
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Is COVID-19 being used as a weapon against Indigenous Peoples in Brazil? thelancet.com To corroborate the Editors'1 appeal for Indigenous Peoples' right to self-determination as fundamental to ensure their health, we wish to draw attention to the dire situation faced by Indigenous populations in the Amazon, and mainly in Brazil.
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] COVID-19: leaving no one behind in Latin America. thelancet.com The pledge to leave no one behind has been essential in making the plight of refugees more visible1 and in highlighting the need to include migrants and refugees in national health-care systems.
(2020-10-10). Kim Jong-un says socialism saved North Korea from Covid-19, with not a single person infected. rt.com 
Kim Jong-un has credited the country's socialist system with supposedly protecting North Koreans from the Covid-19 pandemic, saying not a single case of the devastating global disease has been registered in his country. | The bold, if unverifiable, claim was made by Kim in a televised speech following a military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party. Recorded footage broadcast by North Korean state media showed neither officials nor the troops wearing face masks during the event, in contrast with some previous public gatherings. | Kim, who at times appeared to be…
(2020-10-10). Afghanistan's Taliban Concerned With Trump's Health, Hope He'll Prevail Over Biden in November. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wanted to have US troops in Afghanistan home by Christmas, after 19 years of combat in the Middle East. The assertion reportedly caught many military and civil officials by surprise and is seen by some Democrats as a way for Trump to gain additional points prior to the 3 November election.
(2020-10-10). Mexico Pays Covax ~160 Million to Ensure a COVID Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Mexico's government announced on Saturday that it paid about 160 million dollars in advance to the World Health Organization (WHO) to secure 51 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX initiative. | RELATED: | "With this payment, Mexico ensures having options to acquire doses of a successful vaccine against COVID-19 within the Covax portfolio", Mexico's Foreign Ministry said. | Mexico officially joined C…
(2020-10-10). The Great VIRAL Debate: Dr Anderson's Opening Statement. thealtworld.com Dr Piers Robinson is our Chair. Off-Guardian is your host. The proposition to be debated is: : SARS-COV-2 merits suppression measures in order to combat the virus rather than the herd/community immunity approach | Dr Anderson responds in support of the proposition: : | Iask readers to reflect a little on health systems and the ideas behind them, and not just react to particular measures. To simply react to the crisis as 'lockdown vs no lockdown', and complain how it affects individual liberties, misses that. | The 2020 pandemic has shown us massive failures in western neoliberal health systems [mdash…
(2020-10-10). Horseshoe crab blood key to COVID-19 vaccine despite negative impact it could have on ecosystem. nationofchange.org "An estimated 50,000 of them die in the [vaccine] process and human interference also means that the species is now vulnerable to extinction."
(2020-10-10). Russia Will Take Its COVID-19 Vaccine to Another LATAM Country. telesurenglish.net As a measure to counteract Bolivia's sanitary crisis, Sigma laboratory Friday sealed an alliance with Russia to produce and export to other Latin American countries a medicine for patients with COVID-19 and to distribute the new Russian vaccine 'Sputnik V'. | RELATED: | The Bolivian company Sigma Corp. will import the new Russian COVID-19 vaccine, which was announced to the world in August by President Vladimir Putin. | Sigma will also begin to produce in Bolivia the anti…
(2020-10-10). Panama: 12 Volunteers Receive COVID Vaccine Trial. telesurenglish.net Panama's Vaccine Research Center (Cervaxin) said on Friday that 12 volunteers for the German CureVac vaccine trial have already received the shot. | RELATED: | "In Panama, we have 12 participants, eight from the first group between 18 and 60 years old, and four from the other group of over 61 years old who have already been inoculated," said the director of Cervaxin, Rodrigo De Antonio. | On September 30, CureVac started the last phase of the clinical trials…
(2020-10-10). COVID-19 sparks increased demand for mental health services: UNFPA. news.un.org While the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been staggering, the full impact on health has been far greater, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The agency said fear, isolation, grief, economic stress and shuttered support services have taken a toll on the mental well-being of people around the world.