(2020-08-12). Political strike shuts down Bolivia. workers.org 
Ibarra, Ecuador Do Bolivian lives matter? The Bolivian masses are experiencing a perfect storm of social, health and economic crises. A U.S.-backed military coup overthrew President Evo Morales Ayma in November 2019 — Morales called it a lithium coup. To Wall Street, only the great reserves of Bolivian lithium matter. . . . |
(2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: We filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com 
Mainstream media have denounced Ruptly video of Portland protesters burning Bibles as 'Russian disinfo', countering the unaltered viral footage with fake news of their own in bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump" as they neatly drape first an American flag over the flames, in the original video, which clocks in at under 90 seconds. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some…
(2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: Ruptly filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com Mainstream media have denounced RT's Ruptly video agency for documenting Portland protesters burning Bibles, dismissing the unaltered footage as 'Russian disinfo' in an attempt at bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump," as they neatly drape an American flag over the flames. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. The 90-second clip was part of a 4-hour livestream. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some corners…
(2020-08-12). Science and politics tied up in global race for a coronavirus vaccine. thecanary.co 
The announcement on Tuesday by Russian president Vladimir Putin that his country was the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine has been met by doubts about the science and safety.But it also underscored how the competition to have the first vaccine is about international rivalries as well as science.The first nation to develop a way to defeat the novel coronavirus will achieve a kind of moonshot victory and the global status that goes along with it.That is valuable to Putin, whose popularity at home has declined amid a stagnant economy and the ravages of the virus outbreak.Russian President Vladimir Putin announ…
(2020-08-12). The Likud Conspiracy: Israel in the Throes of a Major Political Crisis. counterpunch.org 
Protests against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have raged on for weeks, turning violent sometimes. Israelis are furious at their government's mediocre response to the coronavirus pandemic, especially as COVID-19 disease is experiencing a massive surge throughout the country. Netanyahu warned protesters, thousands of whom have been rallying outside his residence in Jerusalem, against "anarchy
(2020-08-12). Is the Face Mask Epidemic "Bringing on the Dumbing Down of Society?" globalresearch.ca "The mask is just as detrimental to society as vaccinations," says Rose Davidson in
(2020-08-12). What do we know about the Russian COVID-19 vaccine? peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Satyajit Rath talks to Peoples Dispatch about the recent announcement made by Russian president Vladimir Putin declaring that the country has developed a vaccine for COVID-19.
(2020-08-12). Iran COVID-19 update: 2,510 cases, 188 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,510 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 333,699.
(2020-08-12). VIDEO: Russia registers world's 1st COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Russia registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday. It marks a milestone in the fight against the new coronavirus but amid safety concerns in the West over the country's accelerated clinical evaluations.
(2020-08-12). Study advises regular testing and 'extreme caution' to reduce risk of coronavirus in maternity wards. thecanary.co NHS staff should have regular tests for coronavirus (Covid-19), scientists have said, after a new study highlighted the proportion of staff who had the disease but showed no symptoms. The new study found that one in six maternity health workers have had coronavirus. One in three of these were completely asymptomatic — meaning they continued to go about their work as usual, potentially passing the virus on to mothers and their new babies. | Asymptomatic: | The new study, published in the journal Anaesthesia, examined infection rates among workers in two London hospital maternity units. | In total, 20…
(2020-08-12). Coronavirus deaths rise to almost 19,000 in Iran. yenisafak.com As many as 188 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,988, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.A total of 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 333,699, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 290,244 patients have recovered so far, while 3,940 are hospitalized in critical condition.Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.More than 20.3 mil…
(2020-08-12). COVID-19: Face masks mandatory in Brussels. yenisafak.com Wearing a face mask became mandatory in all public spaces of the Belgian capital Brussels as of Wednesday.The measure entered into force automatically after the publication of the latest COVID-19 figures.So far, Brussels residents were only obliged to cover their nose and mouth in shops, as well as on public transport and certain popularly frequented streets.But, the city council decided last week to make face covers obligatory everywhere if the daily average of new infections passed the limit of 50 per 100,000 inhabitants on a weekly average.According to the latest data of the country's Public Health Institute S…
(2020-08-12). Yemeni president to visit US for medical checkups. yenisafak.com Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi will leave Riyadh for the United States on Wednesday to undergo medical checkups in Cleveland, a senior government official told Anadolu Agency. | "Hadi is in good health," the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. | He said the Yemeni leader, who had undergone a heart surgery in May, was scheduled to visit the US a few months ago, but the trip was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. | Hadi had made several trips to the US for medical examinations due to his heart condition. | Yemen has been engulfed by violence and…
(2020-08-11). Medical Experts Denounce 'Irresponsible' Rush to Covid-19 Vaccine by Russia. commondreams.org "The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-11). End Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Repost, first published on February 11, 2020 | On Nov 22, 2019, we, a group of more than 60 medical doctors, wrote to the UK Home Secretary to express our serious concerns about the physical and mental health of Julian Assange.1 …
(2020-08-11). Trump Launches Attack on Social Security and Medicare. counterpunch.org Watch out! Uncle Donald is coming for your and all your relatives' Social Security and your Medicare! The all-out attack on Social Security and Medicare, those two remaining standing edifices of the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's New Society, has begun in earnest with President Trump's latest executive order calling for the
(2020-08-11). Alert! Social Security and Medicare are in critical danger. nationofchange.org Trump launches attack on key programs for the elderly…
(2020-08-11). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns Amid Public Rage over Beirut Blast, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. democracynow.org 
After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of Bard College's Masters of Arts program in human rights and the arts, who says despite public outrage toppli…
(2020-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanese Gov't Steps Down in Wake of Catastrophic Beirut Explosion and Mounting Protests, Trump Mulls Barring Americans from Reentry into U.S.; Coronavirus Cases Rise in Kids, Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine; New Zealand Goes Back into Lockdown, Unrest in Chicago Sparked by Police Shooting Leads to 100+ Arrests, 16 People Arrested in Portland, OR Protests, Including Hate Crime Survivor Demetria Hester, Belarus in Turmoil as Lukashenko Cracks Down on Protests, Opposition Candidate Flees to Lithuania, Bolivia Protests Against Interim Right-Wing Gov't Intensify; Union Calls for General Strike, Fires in Brazil…
(2020-08-11). Leaders in Lebanon Resign Over 200 Tragic Deaths, But Trump Refuses Accountability for 163,505 Covid-19 Fatalities. commondreams.org Dr. Anthony Fauci (center) in the White House briefing room while President Donald Trump talks to reporters about the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year. (Photo: Alliance for Health Policy/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-11). Student-athletes organize for health, Black Lives Matter, labor rights. workers.org 
Since March 12, the coronavirus has impacted every sector of U.S. society, not only health but also social life. With all the suffering going on and with no national public health care system in the U.S., different sectors of society are seeking to protect themselves by preventing the spread of . . . |
(2020-08-11). France extends ban on mass gatherings to October 30 as 'infection rate heads in wrong direction'. rt.com 
PM Jean Castex said on Tuesday that the coronavirus infection rate in France was headed in the wrong direction, adding that a collective response was necessary. | The public was becoming careless, Castex warned, after official data recorded nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases from Saturday to Monday. The epidemic has killed more than 30,300 people in France, Reuters said. | France is extending a ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of October, Castex said. New restrictions will be drawn up in the 20 largest cities to curb the rising infection rate. Local officials wil be asked to encourage…
(2020-08-11). 'Safe & effective' over 'first': US throws shade at Russia's first-to-market Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
Top US health officials insist they're holding out for a "safe and effective" Covid-19 vaccine, hinting that Russia's shot is anything but — or even that it's a plot to 'goad the US into forcing early action on our vaccines.' | "The point is not to be first with a vaccine, the point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world," US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar told ABC on Tuesday, demanding "transparent" phase-three test data. | Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb was more pointed in his criticism of Russia's…
(2020-08-11). Western countries fighting 'info war' to discredit Russian Covid-19 vaccine are 'endangering lives of their citizens' — developer. rt.com 
Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine against Covid-19, has already become subject to coordinated information attacks from nations that have political differences with Moscow. | That's according to the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) which bankrolled the research. Kirill Dmitriev claims that, whether inspired by commercial concerns or just malice, the politicized approach of a number of Western countries ultimately jeopardizes the health and safety of their own citizens. | In the development and trials of the vaccine, Russia used a proven platform that had been tested on thousands of people over the…
(2020-08-11). Russia receives orders from 20 countries for ONE BILLION doses of world's first Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
A total of 20 nations from Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia have already requested doses of Russia's breakthrough coronavirus vaccine, which was confirmed to be registered on Tuesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin. | At a conference dedicated to the announcement of the vaccine's registration, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) explained that it had already received orders for a billion doses. | "Together with our foreign partners, we are ready to produce more than 500 million doses of the vaccine per year," Kirill Dmitriev explained. Everything produced in Russia will be used dom…
(2020-08-11). The world's first Covid-19 vaccine: Everything we know about Russia's 'Sputnik V'. rt.com 
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country had registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, named 'Sputnik V'. | The president said that one of his daughters had tested the drug on herself. | What we know about the vaccine: : | Read more | | Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the dose is based on a platform already used for six other vaccines,…
(2020-08-11). Coronavirus vaccine registered in Russia, says Putin. thecanary.co 
Russian president Vladimir Putin says a coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated.Putin emphasised that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and has proven efficient, offering a lasting immunity from coronavirus.However, scientists have been sounding the alarm that the rush to start using the vaccine before Phase 3 trials — which normally last for months and involve thousands of people — could backfire.Speaking at a government meeting, Putin emphasised that the vaccine has undergone proper testing and p…
(2020-08-11). Severe Hypoglycemia Linked With Over-the-Counter Supplement. jamanetwork.com An over-the-counter supplement promising male sexual enhancement led at least 17 men in Virginia to develop severe hypoglycemia in 2019, the CDC reported.
(2020-08-11). Regulatory T Cells Tested in COVID-19 ARDS. jamanetwork.com Two men with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) survived after treatment with off-the-shelf regulatory T cells, also known as Tregs, Johns Hopkins physicians recently reported. The investigational allogenic Tregs with lung-homing markers were derived from cord blood.
(2020-08-11). In Familial ALS, Antisense Agent Reduces Disease-Related Proteins. jamanetwork.com An investigational antisense oligonucleotide drug improved cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the protein responsible for up to a fifth of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases among people of European origin, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
(2020-08-11). 34 Attorneys General Call to Bust Gilead's Pharma Monopoly on COVID Treatment Remdesivir. counterpunch.org On August 4, nearly three dozen attorneys general representing nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population published an open letteraddressing top federal health officials. Even by the standards of an increasingly heated and high-stakes debate over drug prices, the letter is a remarkable document. With clarity and urgency, the signatories push the federal government to
(2020-08-11). COVID-19 Response in Lebanon—Experiences and Challenges in a Low-Resource Setting. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint describes the unique challenges faced by Lebanon, a small densely populated country with a fragmented health care system, in its response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, and it summarizes organizational, testing, and communications policies the nation has implemented that might be useful to other resource-limited countries and settings.
(2020-08-11). Is Big Pharma more Interested in Profiteering than Protecting us from Coronavirus? zcomm.org Forty years of private corporatist Big Pharma and oligarch control of our economy has left the public totally exposed and ill-prepared to face the public health crisis of COVID-19…
(2020-08-11). Why Temp Workers Are Among the Most Vulnerable Right Now. progressive.org With no paid sick leave or health insurance, temp workers face a grim choice: go to work and risk infection or stay home and not get paid.
(2020-08-11). Health care workers rally across UK against unsafe conditions. wsws.org Thousands of health workers took part in demonstrations and rallies across the UK demanding a pay rise and adequate protection from COVID-19.
(2020-08-11). Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment and ICU Admission Near the End of Life. jamanetwork.com To the Editor Dr Lee and colleagues found that 38% of patients with treatment-limiting Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) received intensive care that was discordant with the POLST. In their Editorial, Drs Truog and Fried suggested reasons for this discordance, including differing health status between time of POLST completion and implementation, and the inability of the form to reflect changes in preferences. We offer a third explanation that may account for the discordant care found in the study: that the POLST form may not be completed correctly at the time of recording.
(2020-08-11). AI-Assisted Conversational Agents in Health Care—Clinical, Legal, and Ethical Aspects. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses evidence supporting use of conversational agents in health care—artificial intelligence (AI) programs that interpret users' questions or concerns and respond with answers—and proposes 12 domains (eg, safety, transparency, security) that clinicians and health care organizations should evaluate before using them for patient care.
(2020-08-11). Debt cancellation is vital for global recovery. zcomm.org Cancelling debt for poor countries is desperately needed to shore up public health systems, social protections and address global structural inequality…
(2020-08-11). Health Care Cost Growth Benchmarks in 5 States. jamanetwork.com In 2018, national health care spending increased by 4.6%, reaching $11‚ÄØ000 per person. Amid this growth, states are seeking novel ways to protect their budgets. One approach is to set a cost growth benchmark—a percentage growth rate under which states aim to maintain annual health care costs.
(2020-08-11). Two years of Duque's Colombia: deepening neoliberalism, increased violence and a public health crisis. peoplesdispatch.org Colombian social leader Milena Ochoa analyses the past two years of Iván Duque's government and explains how its functioning has been completely in favor of big business, landowners, paramilitaries and the corrupt…
(2020-08-11). Effects of Liberal vs Restrictive Transfusion Thresholds on Outcomes in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants. jamanetwork.com This randomized clinical trial assesses the effect of liberal vs restrictive red blood cell transfusion thresholds (based on postnatal age and current health state) on death or disability at 24 months of age among extremely low-birth-weight infants.
(2020-08-11). Top US health official makes provocative trip to Taiwan. wsws.org With the visit by US Secretary of Health Alex Azar to Taiwan, the Trump administration is taking another step towards overturning the "One China" policy and breaking US diplomatic relations with China.
(2020-08-11). Producers push reckless resumption of North American film production in face of pandemic. wsws.org In an indication of the studios' disregard for the health and safety of workers, now showing up in film production contracts are waivers designed to give the employers legal immunity from suits over failure to provide protection against the virus.
(2020-08-11). Sweden Debunks the Covid Hysteria: No Lockdown, No Masks, No Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Here in the United States, we have become inundated with tales of COVID-19 doom and gloom. In America, the mainstream narrative is rife with hopelessness. | We are told that there is simply no way to stop this virus without repetitive …
(2020-08-11). Regional states should strengthen coop. in combating COVID19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Health Saeed Namaki held talks with WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al-Mandhari on the expansion of regional cooperation in the fight against coronavirus via videoconference.
(2020-08-11). Over 331K people infected by COVID-19, death toll at 18,800. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iran's Health Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that 184 more Iranians have died from coronavirus (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 18,800.
(2020-08-11). Iran to continue efforts to produce COVID-19 vaccine strongly. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that efforts to produce coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccine and drugs will continue vigorously until the final result is achieved.
(2020-08-11). Russia 1st country to register COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia has become the first country in the world to register a vaccine against COVID-19.
(2020-08-11). The global impact of Imperial's COVID-19 Response Team. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's COVID-19 Response Team have been working with health services and governments around the world to help plan responses to the pandemic.
(2020-08-11). School Bus Drivers: 'No Reopening Without Safety First!'. popularresistance.org Boston school bus drivers say, "No school reopening without Union-planned and -designed health and safety procedures!" | Teachers, nurses, bus drivers and monitors, custodians, paraprofessionals, food workers demand a seat at the planning table, now! | First step: Nurses in every school, bus yard, and food and nutrition facility to ensure frontline Emergency COVID-19 Worksite Standard Operating Procedures. | Transdev: Stop the fraud! Hire professional bus and facility disinfecting companies, now!