(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 . . . |
(2020-07-22). "Where is the money," Hondurans ask government as health care system collapses. peoplesdispatch.org 
Recent revelations regarding massive corruption are the latest indicator of the rotten state of the health system on Honduras. Meanwhile, the forced disappearance of 4 Garifuna leaders has caused outrage with social movements launching protests…
(2020-07-22). Alameda Highland Hospital Workers Fight Covid, Privatization, Bullying & Union Busting. indybay.org Alameda County Highland hospital workers and supporters protested the privatization, lack of health and safety and union busting by the private operator.
(2020-07-22). Anger Over Israeli Decision to Demolish Palestinian COVID-19 Hospital Ahead of Deadly Second Wave. mintpressnews.com "This shows clearly that Israel doesn't care about Palestinian lives…They can't even give us our basic rights to healthcare so we can treat our people from the coronavirus." –Tayseer Abu Sneineh, Mayor of Hebron…
(2020-07-22). COVID-19 Lays Bare South Africa's Rampant Inequality & Fault Lines of Post-Apartheid Society. democracynow.org 
COVID-19 infections are skyrocketing in South Africa, now fifth in the world for coronavirus cases, with an already fragile hospital system. "I really think it's our inequality reckoning moment," says Fatima Hassan, a human rights lawyer with the Health Justice Initiative. "All of the fault lines of South Africa's post-apartheid democracy, and its inequality and its violence, is actually coming to the fore."
(2020-07-22). "Silence the Guns": Africa's CDC Head on Delayed Pandemic, Health Equity & Dangers of War. democracynow.org 
The African continent has mostly escaped the worst of the pandemic, but the World Health Organization is now warning of an impending acceleration of its spread. "We have always been very clear that the pandemic in Africa was a delayed pandemic, that the continent wasn't spared," says Dr. John Nkengasong, director for Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
(2020-07-22). As COVID Spikes in California, Latinx Workers Who "Keep the State Going" See Up to 5x the Deaths. democracynow.org 
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the United States, the Latinx community has been hit especially hard in places like California, where many Latinx workers fill essential jobs as farmworkers and meatpackers. "Latino and people of color basically do the scut work that keep the state going, its economy going, but get very little of the resources," says Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His recent study shows Latinx Californians between the ages of 50 and 64 have died at more than fiv…
(2020-07-22). People of color face mass homelessness as eviction moratoriums end. peoplesworld.org 
This article about coronavirus evictions was originally published by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom based in Washington, D.C. It was written by CPI reporters Sarah Kleiner, Joe Yerardi, and Pratheek Rebala. WASHINGTON—Latoyia Lorraine is about to lose the one thing that has kept her family safe during a global health pandemic: her home. "We're a family …
(2020-07-22). Defunding police and challenging militarism, a necessary response to their "battle space" mronline.org 
The excessive use of force and killings of unarmed Black Americans by police has fueled a popular movement for slashing police budgets, reimagining policing, and directing freed funds to community-based programs that provide medical and mental health care, housing, and employment support to those in need. This is a long overdue development.
(2020-07-22). Save the Saffel Wolf Pack. counterpunch.org 
There's an old saying about the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. In the West, this could easily apply to public lands ranching and predator management. Ranchers want the predators gone to protect their bottom line but predators are a key part of ecosystem health and are
(2020-07-22). Colleges layoff underpaid adjuncts then challenge their unemployment claims. mronline.org 
Unemployment insurance laws were developed prior to the widespread use of contingent faculty, and were designed to prevent K-12 teachers and full-time college professors from collecting unemployment during scheduled term breaks and summer vacations when they weren't teaching. In nearly all states, these laws are being used to prevent adjuncts, who have since become the …
(2020-07-22). Hulu becoming Hillary network: Second series about Clinton will explore 'alternative history' where she never married Bill. rt.com 
Streaming service Hulu is working on their second Hillary Clinton series, this time exploring an "alternative history" where the former first lady never marries Bill, and how that would have affected her "extraordinary mind." | The idea is based on the The show, muc…
(2020-07-22). Tally of coronavirus deaths in Bahrain tops 130. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Bahrain recorded additional deaths from the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, while Palestine reported fresh cases. | The Bahraini Health Ministry said two people died from the virus over the past 24 hours, while a total of 894 fresh infections were recorded. | The Gulf state's tally to date now stands at 37,316 cases, including 130 deaths, and 33,455 recoveries. | In Palestine, the Health Ministry said 356 new infections were registered, bringing the total to 11,279 cases, including 67 deaths, and 2,124 recoveries. | The given figures cover the occupied West Bank, the blockaded Gaza Strip and…
(2020-07-22). Trump Regime Wants Social Security and Medicare Weakened. globalresearch.ca On Monday, debate began in Washington on extending aid to unemployed workers and other Americans in need at a time of economic crisis conditions. | Trump wants an unacceptable payroll tax cut, opposed by Dems and many Republicans — for political …
(2020-07-22). Report exposes crisis in American university health care systems as coronavirus cases skyrocket. wsws.org The response of university administrators over the poor state of health care on college campuses is to seek immunity from any legal accountability.
(2020-07-22). What Would the NHS Look Like if it Took Health Promotion Seriously? zcomm.org Authoritarian decision-making is another way in which social inequalities are maintained within the NHS…
(2020-07-22). Forced Masking a "Coercive Practice Designed to Drive Up Vaccination Rates" Rules Hospital Arbitrator. globalresearch.ca Back in 2018, the Toronto Academic Health Science Network had a mandatory masking policy in place for nurses and health care workers, according to the
(2020-07-22). Andrew Wakefield Releases "1986: The Act" Film All About Big Pharma's Immunity from Vaccine Liability. globalresearch.ca The much-anticipated 1986: The Act film by Andrew Wakefield has finally Now available for …
(2020-07-22). Doctors warn National Health Service will be "overwhelmed" as Johnson scraps UK lockdown measures. wsws.org The R-rate, which the government previously said must stay below 1.0 to prevent exponential growth, has risen to 1.0 in almost every area.
(2020-07-22). US has contract with Pfizer for 100 mln coronavirus vaccine doses. yenisafak.com U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday the federal government has signed a contract with Pfizer Inc. for 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, once it is approved."We just signed a contract with global pharmaceutical leader Pfizer to produce 100 million doses of vaccine starting in December of this year with an option to buy a half a billion doses," Azar said on Fox News. "Now those would of course have to be safe and effective."
(2020-07-22). Bangladesh struggles to tackle raging COVID-19, floods. yenisafak.com Bangladesh on Wednesday registered 42 new fatalities from the novel coronavirus, while floods in the country have claimed lives of 86 people, authorities said.The death from the coronavirus in the country rose to 2,751, with total number of infections reaching 213,254 after 2,744 fresh cases were reported over the past 24 hours, a Health Ministry official said.The recovery rose to 54.96% with some 1,805 new recoveries over the past day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 117,202, said Nasima Sultana, a director at the ministry, in a regular media briefing.The country has so far conducted a total of 106,66…
(2020-07-22). Romania exceeds 1,000 new coronavirus cases in record daily high. yenisafak.com The number of coronavirus infections in Romania rose by a record 1,030 new cases in a day, the government said on Wednesday, as the World Health Organization said spikes in southern Europe and the Balkans were worrying.Romania has confirmed 40,163 cases since the pandemic reached it in late February and 2,101 people have died. The government has extended a state of alert, in place since May 15, by another 30 days until the middle of August.
(2020-07-22). Coronavirus cases in Africa near 750,000. yenisafak.com The number of coronavirus cases in Africa is now just short of 750,000, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.According to the daily update, 749,492 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in 54 African countries, with fatalities now at 15,726 and 409,568 recoveries.With 396,600 cases, Southern Africa remains the continent's worst-hit region, followed by North Africa with 139,900 infections, West Africa 111,000, East Africa 58,400, and Central Africa with 43,600 cases.South Africa has the highest number of cases among countries — 381,800 — and is trailed by Egypt with 89,10…
(2020-07-22). Nigerian governor tests positive for COVID-19. yenisafak.com Governor of Nigeria's Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.Fayemi, who also chairs Nigeria Governors Forum, is the eighth Nigerian governor to test positive for the disease, according to local media."I took my third Covid-19 test yesterday and it came back positive. I'm generally ok and I'm already self isolating at home and receiving the best of care from my medical team. I'm delegating critical tasks to my Deputy but will continue routine duty from home," he tweeted on Wednesday.On Sunday, Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama announced he had tested…
(2020-07-22). US Government Clinches $2 Bln Deal With Pfizer, BioNTech for 100 Mln Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine. sputniknews.com If everything goes to plan, Americans could begin receiving the vaccine, free of charge, as soon as December of this year.
(2020-07-22). Iran COVID-19 update: 2,586 cases, 219 deaths in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 22 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,586 people in Iran in the past 24 hours, increasing the total cases to 281,413, said Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari on Wednesday.
(2020-07-22). Podcast: COVID-19 vaccine trials, neurodiversity in focus, and poet in residence. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: A participant in Imperial's COVID-19 vaccine trial, a professor who set up a neurodiversity network, and our new poet in residence.
(2020-07-21). Headlines for July 21, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Spikes Across U.S. as Tensions Mount over Plans to Reopen Schools, Labs Show Promising Results in COVID-19 Vaccine as Cases Surge in Countries Around the World, Trump Threatens to Send More Feds into Cities Across U.S. to Crack Down on Protests, Georgia Dems Select State Senator Nikema Williams to Run for Late John Lewis's Congressional Seat, Suspect in Killing of NJ Judge's Son Is Found Dead, Was an "Anti-Feminist," Racist Lawyer, U.K. Suspends Extradition Treaty with Hong Kong, Iran Executes Man Convicted of Spying, After Halting Killing of Protesters Following Public Outcry, Rights Groups Call for…
(2020-07-21). [Research Paper] A country level analysis measuring the impact of government actions, country preparedness and socioeconomic factors on COVID-19 mortality and related health outcomes. thelancet.com In this exploratory analysis, low levels of national preparedness, scale of testing and population characteristics were associated with increased national case load and overall mortality.
(2020-07-21). Cuba flattens the COVID-19 curve. liberationnews.org 
Photo: Director of Epidemiology of the Cuban Ministry of Health Dr. Francisco Durán García, in his daily press conference Yesterday, the United States surpassed 140,000 COVID-19 deaths. More than 3.7 million people in the U.S. are known to have fallen ill, by far the largest number of cases in the world. The Trump administration's monumentally …
(2020-07-21). As US Courts Release Inmates amid COVID-19, Palestinian Political Prisoners Are Still Persecuted. mintpressnews.com 
The now elderly Palestinian political prisoners involved in the Holy Land Foundation case have appealed to the courts for early release, yet despite the looming threat to their fragile health from COVID-19, their motions continue to be denied with tenuous justifications.
(2020-07-21). US indicts two 'state-backed Chinese hackers' for stealing military secrets & coronavirus data. rt.com 
The US Justice Department has accused two "Chinese hackers" of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of trade secrets, including defense data and research related to the development of a vaccine against coronavirus. | The indictment was rolled out on Tuesday, accusing two Chinese nationals, identified as Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, of waging a massive worldwide hacking campaign. The investigation into their alleged activities was triggered back in 2015, when they broke into a network belonging to the Hanford Site, a decommissioned nuclear complex in the state of Washington. | The US Justice Department…
(2020-07-21). Yanny or Laurel 2.0? Confusion as reporter accused of calling WH press sec 'lying b**ch' says it was something ENTIRELY different. rt.com 
Video of a reporter seemingly calling White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany a "lying b**ch" has outraged many — but she claims what was actually said was "engage," and now two opposing camps are battling it out on Twitter. | While taking questions from the press on Tuesday, McEnany was fielding multiple questions at once, one about President Donald Trump's claims of mail-in voting potentially leading to fraud and another from Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett about a claim that there is "tremendous progress" on a Covid-19 vaccine. | After McEnany refused to answer Halkett's question, many on social media…
(2020-07-21). The Only Obstacle to a Healthy World Is Government Secrecy and Propaganda. strategic-culture.org 
Caitlin JOHNSTONE | If the public could see what's actually happening in their world, they would immediately begin using the power of their numbers to overhaul our current system. This is why our current system pours so much energy into preventing the public from seeing what's actually happening in their world. | If it weren't for the constant campaign of obfuscation and manipulation of public perception via veils of government secrecy and propaganda, humanity would naturally find its way out of the power-driven tribulations it now faces, as surely as you'll avoid obstacles and hazards in your path when you are w…
(2020-07-21). Calls Mounting For Trump to Step Aside From Covid-19 Bungling. counterpunch.org Public Citizen's open letter, co-signed by over twenty nonprofit civic organizations working for the public health, demanded that Trump and Pence immediately give up their disastrous daily mismanagement of the Covid-19 response. Trump's bungling and ignorance have allowed the Covid-19 virus to spread faster at an alarming rate around the country. Public Citizen's letter to
(2020-07-21). Coronavirus cases rise sharply in Austria. wsws.org The Ministry of Health in Vienna reported 157 positive COVID-19 tests on Thursday, the highest number since April 10.
(2020-07-21). Alarming Antimicrobial Resistance Trends Emerge Globally. jamanetwork.com Since its launch in 2015, a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative has revealed alarmingly high rates of global antimicrobial resistance in certain pathogens that cause common infections.
(2020-07-21). Ireland heading for second COVID-19 wave. wsws.org Ireland's National Public Health Emergency Team has warned of a second wave of COVID-19 infection as the Central Bank warns of a "severe negative shock".
(2020-07-21). Israeli Soldiers Demolish Under-Construction Covid-19 Testing Center. imemc.org Israeli soldiers demolished, on Tuesday morning, an under-construction Covid-19 testing center in Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. Ra'ed Maswadi, the owner of the land where the testing facility was being built said it was dedicated for Covid-19 testing by the Palestinian Health Ministry. He added …
(2020-07-21). Public Attitudes Regarding Hospitals and Physicians Encouraging Donations From Grateful Patients. jamanetwork.com This survey study assesses US public attitudes about practices used by health care institutions to encourage philanthropic donations from grateful patients.
(2020-07-21). Health and safety of medical workers jeopardized by world leaders' negligent response to the pandemic. wsws.org Health care workers have faced the brunt of the pandemic, with tens of thousands who have contracted the coronavirus and thousands who have died caring for those infected with COVID-19.
(2020-07-21). Lessons from the Pandemic Not Yet Learned. dissidentvoice.org As the coronavirus, once again, surges out of control in the United States, it is safe to say that even those few lessons learned have been cast aside by those who place profits before people. Greed and ignorance, not public health policy, is deciding the fate of tens of thousands in our nation who are …
(2020-07-21). Environmental Disaster and Health Crisis in Cerrejon. dissidentvoice.org At Cerrejon (Colombia), the largest open-pit coal mine in Latin America owned equally by BHP (Australia), Anglo American PLC (United Kingdom) and Glencore (Switzerland), the situation of the indigenous people is progressively worsening. Cerrejon Limited has informed the workers that "all the existing shifts will be unified into a single 7-day work, for three days …
(2020-07-21). USPS Needs Financial Aid to Continue Providing Essential Services. commondreams.org The social mission of USPS is more important than ever as our country faces a health and economic crisis that is tearing apart families and communities. (Photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-21). Are Alternative Payment Models a Victim of Their Own Success? jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint examines whether alternative payment models are a success according to the lack of significant findings by individual demonstration projects on the one hand and the plateau of overall health care spending as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) on the other.
(2020-07-21). Harness multilateralism's power to urgently advance women's rights amid COVID recovery. news.un.org With essential resources for women's health being diverted to emergency COVID-19 response around the world, Governments, civil society leaders, CEOs and academic experts gathered virtually on Tuesday, to explore ways to accelerate the achievement of landmark targets set 25 years ago for gender equality and women's empowerment.
(2020-07-21). The New Lysenkoism in Washington. zcomm.org Trofim Lysenko's refusal to acknowledge scientific fact led to famine and death on an enormous scale…
(2020-07-21). New York Times Can't Find Out About Chinese Coronavirus Vaccines. cepr.net That seems to be the case since an article discussing leading vaccine candidates around the world failed to mention two Chinese candidates that are already in Phase III testing. One of the vaccines, developed by the company Sinovac, is beginning testing in Bangladesh and Brazil. The other vaccine was developed by Sinopharm, and is about …
(2020-07-21). Investment in Child Care Can't Wait until There's a Coronavirus Vaccine. thenation.com Investment in Child Care Can't Wait until There's a Coronavirus Vaccine…
(2020-07-21). Second Drug Okayed for Rare Central Nervous System Disease. jamanetwork.com The FDA approved a second treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a neuroinflammatory disease that can cause permanent blindness and paralysis. An estimated 4000 to 8000 people in the US have NMOSD, mostly women.