(2020-08-13). Ilhan Omar defeats Corporate Democrat, Israel Lobbies in Overwhelming Primary Victory. zcomm.org Although the Israel lobbies put a lot of money into defeating Omar, the issues on which she won, of progressive policing and health care, were largely disconnected from the geopolitical ones where her straight talk had attracted so much vitriol to her…
(2020-08-13). Bolivia's perfect storm: Pandemic, economic crisis, repressive coup regime. mronline.org 
The rising toll of diseased and deceased from the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Bolivia particularly hard, in a continent that is now in the lead in global contagion rates.
(2020-08-13). U.S. the world leader in both health and economic disaster. peoplesworld.org 
With more than 5 million cases, the U.S. is the world leader in the numbers of people infected with the deadly coronavirus. To top that off, jobless figures released today show that at least 30 million are unemployed, with the actual number estimated to be well over 50 million. The percentage of people who are …
(2020-08-13). Testing and medical insurance: a profitable disaster. workers.org 
Drive-through COVID-19 testing in Bergen County, N.J. These tests were a "partnership" of state government with Quest Diagnostics and Walmart stores hosting the sites. In the midst of a capitalist crash and an out-of-control health crisis, two mega-industries that bear a heavy burden of responsibility for the health disaster are . . . |
(2020-08-13). Fed-up women health workers lead strike of 3.5 million across India. workers.org 
Workers around the world are demonstrating against their governments' policies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. From South America to Asia, political protests and strikes are taking place. In many countries, health workers are in the lead, as they are on the front lines in this massive medical crisis. They . . . |
(2020-08-13). Vote Democrat to wear a mask? Biden says Americans must mask up for AT LEAST 3 months as CDC warns of 'worst fall ever'. rt.com 
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has urged all Americans to 'mask up' outdoors for the next three months – at the same time as health officials warned disobeying their Covid-19 orders will cause unprecedented suffering. | "Every single American should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at a minimum," Biden said during a press briefing on Thursday, adding in his characteristic awkward cadence that "every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing." | A nationwide mask mandate would save "over 40,000 lives," according to the experts, Biden claimed. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-08-13). 'Big problem': Bill Gates rejects 'strange' Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies about him, says he wants to save lives. rt.com 
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has revealed his thoughts about when the world will move on from the Covid-19 pandemic, and addressed the "strange" conspiracy theories surrounding his interest in funding a vaccine. | Despite investing $350 million in the search for a vaccine to Covid-19, Gates said in a new interview with Bloomberg that he doesn't believe the current pandemic will be over until "the end of 2021." He also doesn't have much faith in an initial vaccine pushed to the public. | "Well, the initial vaccine won't be ideal in terms of its effectiveness against sickness and transmission. It may not have a…
(2020-08-13). 'Ludicrous' testing system needs to be more localised, says health official. thecanary.co 
A public health official suggested making Test and Trace more localised to help reach more people, as he described the centralised system as "ludicrous".Ivan Browne, director of public health for Leicester, also said the government needs to change its narrative when it comes to easing restrictions, as he expressed his concerns over schemes such as Eat Out To Help Out.His comments came as the latest weekly NHS Test and Trace figures showed a drop in the 24-hour turnaround target for coronavirus (Covid-19) "in-person" test results to just two-thirds, despite prime minister Boris Johnson pledging that all such tests…
(2020-08-13). Why a Growing Force in Brazil Is Charging That President Jair Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity. counterpunch.org 
Jhuliana Rodrigues works as a nurse technician at the Hospital Sà£o Vicente in Jundiaí, Brazil. "It is very difficult," she says of her job these days. Brazil has just passed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, with 3 million Brazilians infected with the virus. "We meet colleagues and feel a heavy energy, a lot of pressure, a block," Rodrigues says. She is the vice president of Sinsaúde Campinas, a trade union of health workers. |
(2020-08-13). Disbelief and Denial in the West as Russia Produces First COVID Vaccine. globalresearch.ca 'Startling and confusing' proclaimed Science magazine. 'Reckless and foolish' said US vaccine scientist Peter Hotez. 'Dangerously rushed' said the journal Nature. Western scientists are in denial. The first vaccine against the disease which has dominated all our lives for …
(2020-08-13). VIDEO: The "Lock Step" Simulation Scenario: "A Coronavirus-like Pandemic that Becomes Trigger for Police State Controls" globalresearch.ca First published on February 5, 2020. In-depth analysis of the Simulation of a pandemic conducted in 2010 under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation. | By now, those following the novel coronavirus epidemic are familiar with Event 201, the pandemic
(2020-08-13). Real Life Heroes: on a journey towards quality healthcare. news.un.org In the remote Lamu region, on the northeast coast of Kenya, quality healthcare is hard to come by. Every month, medical staff from Safari Doctors, an NGO founded by Umra Omar, set sail on a boat filled with medicines, to provide free basic medicines to hundreds of marginalized inhabitants in several coastal villages.
(2020-08-13). Analysis: COVID-19 Deaths Likely Undercounted By Over 50,000. popularresistance.org More than 165,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US passed the grim statistic of 5 million cases of COVID-19 earlier this month. As horrifying as these figures are, a new analysis shows that the number of deaths from the coronavirus likely has been significantly undercounted. | Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed by the New York Times have revealed that 200,700 people died from March 15, when the pandemic took hold, to July 25. This is 54,000 higher than the confirmed death toll, averaged, for the same time period i…
(2020-08-13). 'Western' Media Falsely Claim Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine Is Ready. popularresistance.org After President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia's Covid-19 vaccine candidate had gained an approval from its regulator, 'western' media went into a anti-Russian frenzy to sow fear and doubt about it. Russia has not approved a vaccine against Covid-19 and it is not skipping large-scale clinical trials. | The Russia regulator gave a preliminary approval for a vaccine candidate to start the large-scale clinical trial. This is similar to an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
(2020-08-13). Priest who shared stage with Modi tests positive; India sees record number of cases. yenisafak.com India reported another record jump in its surging coronavirus cases on Thursday with nearly 67,000 new infections, among them a religious leader who shared a stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a ceremony to launch construction of a grand temple.Nritya Gopal Das, an 82-year-old Hindu priest, was the latest public figure to test positive after a string of Modi's top cabinet colleagues were stricken with COVID-19, including interior minister Amit Shah.With Thursday's jump of 66,999 cases India now has nearly 2.4 million infections, according to the Health Ministry, behind only the United States and Brazi…
(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: 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). 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). Russian Health Ministry says catching Covid-19 is far more dangerous than any possible side effects from world's first vaccine. rt.com 
The risks posed by coronavirus are far more severe than any possible side effects of Russia's new vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health in Moscow, which has rejected claims that the development process was rushed. | Sergey Glagolev, an adviser to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, explained that being vaccinated involves significantly lower risk than having contact with someone who has been infected with Covid-19. This ought to be taken into account, given the scale of the pandemic, he said. | "Using our digital capabilities, we can monitor the safety of the vaccine in real-time," Glagolev said, noting t…
(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). Coronavirus and schools: Access to handwashing facilities key for safe reopening. news.un.org Nearly 820 million children worldwide do not have basic handwashing facilities at school, putting them at increased risk of COVID-19 and other transmittable diseases, according to a report published on Thursday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF.
(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). Within Health Care USA, Risk and Reward Have Never Been More Out of Kilter. counterpunch.org How's pandemic life been going for you? If you work in America's health care industry, that depends. That totally depends. If you happen to provide health care services to actual Covid-19 patients — as a nurse or a doctor, an orderly or a physician's assistant — this has been the year from hell. Amid the
(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). 'Gotta Go to School': Trump Issues Guidance for Reopening Educational Institutions Amid Pandemic. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump says that teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stand ready for possible deployment as schools across the nation reopen for in-school classes.
(2020-08-12). Customers Attack 17-Year-Old Chili's Restaurant Hostess for Enforcing COVID-19 Guidelines. sputniknews.com The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic prompted many businesses and public places to shut down for months before being allowed by local governments to reopen, with the condition of enforcing social distancing and wearing masks to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory disease.
(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). Now Comes the Difficult Work of Pushing the Biden-Harris Ticket Left. commondreams.org Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) speak during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019. (Photo: Jim Waton/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(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…
(2020-08-12). 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). Amid Pandemic and Economic Pain, UNICEF Unveils First-Ever Project to Combat Child Suffering in US. commondreams.org International children's aid agency UNICEF on Wednesday announced its first permanent initiative focused on aiding children in the U.S., after decades of focusing mainly on supporting young people in developing countries affected by extreme poverty, war, and disease. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-12). Betsy DeVos Has a Very Deadly Plan to Reopen US Public Schools. commondreams.org "In the middle of the worst public health crisis in more than a century," writes Reich, Trump's Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is "jeopardizing the safety of our students, teachers, parents, bus drivers, and custodians, while rerouting desperately needed public school funds towards the private schools she's always championed." (Image: Inequality Media) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-12). Another Physicians Group Endorses Medicare for All. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-12). [Commentary] Some challenges of sparse data necessitating strong assumptions in investigating early COVID-19 disease. thelancet.com In this study published in EClinicalMedicine, Du et al. [1] use a novel approach to estimate unseen COVID-19 cases early in the pandemic, when neither awareness of the disease nor suitable testing was available. By retrospectively testing samples from patients seeking treatment for seasonal flu, then calculating the 'COVID-19-to-influenza positives ratio' (CIPR) of SARS-CoV-2 positives to flu positives, and applying the CIPR to observed flu cases, they extrapolate the likely unseen COVID-19 cases.
(2020-08-12). Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the US. thelancet.com Although our study found a 67% acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine, there were noticeable demographic and geographical disparities in vaccine acceptance. Before a COVID-19 vaccine is introduced to the U.S., public health officials and policymakers must prioritize effective COVID-19 vaccine-acceptance messaging for all Americans, especially those who are most vulnerable.
(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). Alert! Social Security and Medicare are in critical danger. nationofchange.org Trump launches attack on key programs for the elderly…
(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). 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). 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). '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…