(2020-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Accepts Presidential Nomination, Pledging End to "Season of Darkness", CDC Director: Up to 60 Million U.S. Residents Were Infected with Coronavirus, White House Declares Teachers "Essential Workers" as Unions Threaten Strikes over Coronavirus, Stock Markets Surge Even as 1.1 Million U.S. Workers File New Unemployment Claims, Protesters Call on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to #MakeBillionairesPay, Postmaster General to Face Congressional Grilling over "Sabotage" of Postal Service, Massive California Wildfires Leave 5 Dead, 700,000 Acres Burned, Steve Bannon Arrested, Charged with Pocketing Private Border W…
(2020-08-21). The Day After Election Day. counterpunch.org 
The view passed down from on high in the U.S. is that elections are the effective and legitimate means of collective decision-making in the realm of the political. Conversely, on matters of war and peace, economic distribution, environmental wellbeing, healthcare, education, housing, and social welfare— the areas where collective outcomes matter, these are either considered
(2020-08-21). How America's Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice. dissidentvoice.org 
Any conditions that compel the teacher to take note of failures rather than of healthy growth give false standards and result in distortion and perversion. — John Dewey,1 Academic Fredrik deBoer has written a book, The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice (All Points Books, 2020), that questions the enormous …
(2020-08-21). Only Medicare For All Can Beat Covid. counterpunch.org 
The horrible irony is that the one candidate, Sanders, who could have done the most good for pandemic victims, lost the race just when he was most needed. Since then his somewhat muted support for Medicare for All and how uniquely helpful it would be at this historic juncture, is dispiriting. The thought that this relative silence originates in a desire not to offend the candidate, Biden, whom he now supports, is downright depressing.
(2020-08-21). MPs slam ministers for paying 'scant regard' to data protection during pandemic. thecanary.co 
The UK's information rights body must act to ensure the government stops "playing fast and loose" with people's health, it has been claimed.A cross-party group of MPs has written to information commissioner Elizabeth Denham raising concerns over the government's approach to data protection and privacy.In a letter, the group accused ministers of paying "scant regard" to both privacy concerns and data protection duties during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.Government "appears unwilling to understand its legal duties": The group accused the government of engaging with private contractors that have "probl…
(2020-08-21). The Burden of the Debt: Lessons for Biden Adviser Ted Kaufman. zcomm.org he idea that we would not address pressing needs, like climate change, child care, and health care because we are concerned about the debt burden is close to crazy. As long as the economy is not near its capacity, there is zero reason not to spend to address these priorities…
(2020-08-21). The Real Problem with COVID-19 Vaccines. globalresearch.ca Before even debating the efficacy, safety, and necessity of different vaccines — one must get past the fact that the most corrupt corporations on Earth hold a monopoly over their development (and the profits made from them). | Forbes in their …
(2020-08-21). Muharram mourning in Mosalla of Tabriz. en.mehrnews.com TABRIZ, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Observing health protocols and social distancing due to coronavirus, a mourning ceremony for Imam Hussein (PBUH), was held on Friday in the Mosalla of Tabriz concurrent with the start of mourning Islamic month of Muharram.
(2020-08-21). 'Bangladesh needs other testing methods for COVID-19'. yenisafak.com Experts in Bangladesh suggested that alternative testing methods be introduced alongside the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis amid low COVID-19 testing and sample collection, which has raised fears over the further spread of the deadly disease in the country.The time has come for utilizing antibody and antigen testing to detect the coronavirus as a supporting method as such testing involves less effort and is hassle free, they observed.Bangladesh is now the 16th worst affected country in the world in terms of total infections. Meanwhile, there is an over 20% infection rate in dail…
(2020-08-21). Siberian hospital diagnoses Kremlin critic Navalny with metabolic disease. yenisafak.com The head doctor at the Siberian hospital treating Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday he had been diagnosed with a metabolic disease caused by low blood sugar.Alexander Murakhovsky, the head doctor at the hospital treating Navalny in the city of Omsk, added that traces of industrial chemical substances had been found on the 44-year-old's clothes and fingers.Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, is in a serious condition after drinking tea on Thursday morning that his allies believe was laced with poison.
(2020-08-21). COVID-19 vaccine to seek regulatory review in October. yenisafak.com German-based biotech firm BioNTech announced late Thursday that vaccine candidate for COVID-19 with US drug giant Pfizer was on track for regulatory review as early as October."Assuming clinical success, Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to seek regulatory review of BNT162b2 as early as October 2020," said the company statement."If regulatory authorization or approval is obtained, currently plan to supply up to 100 million doses worldwide by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021," it added.The companies also released additional data from phase 2/3 trial of the BNT162b2 mRNA-based v…
(2020-08-21). [Letter] Police use of force during street protests: A pressing public mental health concern. thelancet.com Street protests are a common means of civic expression and occur across the globe. In the past few years, millions of citizens have attended street protests worldwide. Sometimes however, street protests can constitute significantly stressful and violent contexts. Research has highlighted the physical health impact of street protests due to clashes between protesters and law enforcement or use of CS gas [1]. In addition, police use of less-lethal weapons, such as rubber pellet launchers, is known to cause severe ocular injuries [2].
(2020-08-20). Red line? Biden rejects DNC guest Linda Sarsour's endorsement over her 'anti-Semitism' & BDS support. rt.com 
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden hasn't encountered many far-left policies he won't embrace — from free healthcare for illegal aliens to free college — but he found one leftist supporter he won't abide: Linda Sarsour. | Sarsour, a Muslim activist and co-founder of the Women's March, endorsed Biden last week and spoke on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention's "Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly." Biden responded by denouncing her. | "Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel and a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism his entire life, and he obviously condemns [Sarsour's] view…
(2020-08-20). A new rapid spit test for COVID-19 could be the game changer we need. therealnews.com 
Are known cases just the tip of the iceberg? A new test holds promise – and peril – for how we fight back against the disease.
(2020-08-20). Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger problem. workers.org 
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York issued a strong statement July 21 that condemned Margaret Sanger's relationship with eugenics theory and practice. "By saying this, we disarm a tool anti-abortion opponents use to shame women of color, especially Black women, from seeking the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health . . . |
(2020-08-20). 'Loneliness epidemic': Half of American singles aren't looking for a relationship or even seeking casual dates, Pew poll shows. rt.com 
Half of single adults in the US aren't looking for casual dates, let alone a committed relationship, reflecting a trend toward more reclusive lifestyles in Japan and other developed nations, a new Pew Research Center poll showed. | Some 50 percent of Americans who aren't in a relationship aren't seeking a
(2020-08-20). Doctors say condition of Moscow protest leader Navalny has stabilized, as Kremlin promises probe if traces of poison are found. rt.com 
The team treating Alexey Navalny has managed to stabilize his condition, a lead medic has said. Dr Anatoly Kalinichenko said Russia's best-known anti-corruption activist was in intensive care and getting the necessary treatment. | The doctor also said there are no plans to transfer Navalny to Moscow. His supporters have requested that be moved to Germany or France so he can be admitted to a specialist clinic. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "if the Kremlin or the Russian Health Ministry received a request for Navalny's transfer to a foreign hospital, it would be considered…
(2020-08-20). Johnson government scraps Public Health England, accelerating break-up of National Health Service. wsws.org The main "crime" of PHE for the ruling elite was that it was part of a "bloated" NHS still not sufficiently responsive to the expertise and "flexibility" of the private sector.
(2020-08-20). University Greed in the Midst of a Global Pandemic. zcomm.org This is the way of the modern University administration—they are sneaky, they are greedy, and they care nothing for the health and safety of their students…
(2020-08-20). 750 Million Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Approved for Release in Florida Keys. globalresearch.ca The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) yesterday approved the first-ever U.S. release of genetically engineered mosquitoes. Despite public outcry and scientific dispute over the human health and environment risks posed by this field trial, the approval permits the release …
(2020-08-20). The COVID-19 Vaccine. The Imposition of Compulsory Vaccination with a Biometric Health Passport? globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 vaccine… | Is this THE final goal of this crisis, to impose a compulsory vaccination on everyone, with a biometric health passport and without it, the impossibility to move, to buy, to eat? | The near future will tell. | With …
(2020-08-20). Face Masks Pose Serious Risks to the Healthy. globalresearch.ca First published by GR on May 26, 2020 | "By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain." — Russell Blaylock, …
(2020-08-20). The Democratic Platform and Medicare for All: A Nod Is as Good as a Wink (To a Blind Horse). zcomm.org Medicare for All has won the battle of ideas. Now we have to win the battle against entrenched economic and political power.
(2020-08-20). 'Morning People' May Have Higher Genetic Risk of Developing Alzheimer's – Study. sputniknews.com A new study published in the journal Neurology found that "morning people" and people who sleep for shorter durations are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, an illness that destroys memory and other mental functions.
(2020-08-20). For Skeptics and the Curious: RDIF Releases Information On Development of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine. sputniknews.com According to Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the organization and its partners have received requests from over 20 countries for a total of 1 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
(2020-08-20). Contact tracing apps 'unlikely to contain Covid-19 spread without support'. thecanary.co Contact tracing apps are unlikely to be effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) unless there is a large-scale uptake by the population and it is supported by other public health control measures, scientists have said. | Their findings, published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, are based on a review of data from 15 scientific studies published between January and mid-April this year. | The researchers, led by University College London, also said evidence on the effectiveness of automated contact tracing systems is limited and there is an "urgent need for further evaluation of these apps".
(2020-08-20). UN health body weighs in on Africa schools reopening. yenisafak.com As schools re-open in many African states, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday stressed the need to continue preventive measures against coronavirus.In a media briefing, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Africa director of WHO, said the issue needs to be addressed with the same urgency that we have seen in opening up economies and businesses.Moeti said the WHO's advice is to weigh the risks, to use the data on COVID-19 cases in the community to guide decisions on re-opening schools "and to put in place measures to enable physical distancing […] as well as ensuring students wear masks and are able to wash their…
(2020-08-20). Airbnb bans parties in COVID-19 fight. yenisafak.com No more parties and events in homes listed on Airbnb, the short-term home rental company said on Thursday as it tries to enforce strict social-distancing norms to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.The new rules include a cap on occupancy at 16, with hosts or guests who try to skirt the rules facing a ban from Airbnb's community and even legal action, the company said on Thursday."Instituting a global ban on parties and events is in the best interest of public health," Airbnb said in a statement, adding that the ban applies to all future bookings.Airbnb said 73% of its listings globally already ban parties in their hous…
(2020-08-20). Doctors offer contradictory information on condition of Russia's Navalny. yenisafak.com Medics on Thursday provided contradictory information about the health of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, saying his condition had stabilised, but that there was still a threat to his life.His spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said on Twitter he was in a serious but stable condition.She had earlier said that he was in a coma in a Siberian hospital after drinking a cup of tea that she said she believed was laced with poison.
(2020-08-20). Cuba to begin clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Cuba will begin the first stage of a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine Aug. 24, officials said Wednesday.The Finlay Vaccine Institute registered a clinical trial for one of its candidates at the Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials. The SOBERANA 01 trial is on phase I and II and involves 676 volunteers between the ages of 19 and 80."Achieving an effective vaccine against COVID-19 is a priority for our entire science and innovation system at BioCubaFarma. Today we see how solid and accelerated progress has been made in this project in the Finlay Institute," said Eduardo Martínez, president of the BioCubaFa…
(2020-08-20). The Rise of False Information. thecanary.co This short film, produced by Wilder says, "unreliable information is hurting the global effort to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. A rise in false information has created the perfect storm for cybercrime and spread of harmful falsehoods. The spread of misinformation and disinformation during a health emergency hamper an effective public health resp…
(2020-08-20). Looking for the truth in a sea of false information. thecanary.co Unreliable information is hurting the global effort to defeat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. A surge in false information has created the perfect storm for cybercrime and spreading harmful falsehoods. The increase of misinformation and disinformation during a health emergency hamper an effective public health response while sowing confusion and distrust. To combat this crisis, international collaboration is essential, while citizens must understand the key terms in the uphill battle against the rise of false information. | Coronavirus has created the perfect storm for waves of false information to travel ac…
(2020-08-19). Headlines for August 19, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Formally Wins Democratic Presidential Nomination, Postmaster General Promises to Suspend Service Cuts Until After Election, Notre Dame Cancels In-Person Classes Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Linked to Party, Coronavirus Death Toll from U.S. Prisons and Jails Tops 1,000, World Health Organization Says Young People Are Driving Coronavirus Outbreaks, Malian President Deposed in Military Coup Following Weeks of Protests, Senate Intelligence Committee Alleges Trump Campaign Associate Was Russian Agent, Far-Right Activist, Banned from Twitter over Racism, Wins Florida House GOP Primary, RNC to Feature St. Louis Coup…
(2020-08-19). Dems nominate Biden with roll call featuring workers. peoplesworld.org 
MILWAUKEE—Delegates to the Democratic National Convention formally nominated Joe Biden for president on August 18 in a roll-call that spotlighted a wide variety of working-class people and causes in the U.S., just after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and universal health care activist Andy Barkan made their own dramatic presentations. An unofficial tally disclosed 3,605 votes …
(2020-08-19). Bill Clinton lectures Trump on 'taking responsibility' & proper Oval Office behavior while backing Biden's 2020 bid. rt.com 
Former US president Bill Clinton took aim at the Trump administration's pandemic response in his speech to the Democratic convention, saying it has been "only chaos," while urging voters to send Joe Biden to the Oval Office. | "Denying, distracting and demeaning work great if you're trying to entertain or inflame, but in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards," Clinton said of President Donald Trump's handling of the ongoing health crisis. | At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it's a storm center. There's only chaos. Just one thing never changes — his deter…
(2020-08-19). 'The rich should not be given priority' for Covid-19 vaccine, Pope Francis says, urges against return to 'normality' of inequality. rt.com 
Pope Francis has called on rich countries not to hoard any coronavirus vaccine and asked them to only give pandemic-related bailouts to companies committed to protecting the environment and helping the most needy. | "It would be sad if the rich are given priority for the Covid-19 vaccine. It would be sad if the vaccine becomes property of this or that nation, if it is not universal and for everyone," Francis said during his weekly general audience on Wednesday. | The pontiff also said that the world should not return to normality after the pandemic if 'normal' means social injustice and the degradation of the…
(2020-08-19). Hapless Hancock defends cabinet colleague Williamson over exam fiasco. thecanary.co 
Calls for education secretary Gavin Williamson to quit over the A-level grades fiasco are a distraction at a time when he is focused on getting children back to school next month, a Cabinet colleague has said.Health secretary Matt Hancock said all ministers are "trying to do their best" in unprecedented circumstances "and I know that is true of Gavin Williamson".Hancock also acknowledged calls to increase student places at medical schools and promised that the government is working on the problem.Williamson is under intense pressure after he was forced to abandon the algorithm-based system for awarding A-level an…
(2020-08-19). SAG-AFTRA's Health Plan restructuring faces massive opposition. wsws.org The restructuring of the US union's health plan will reduce coverage for thousands of current and retired performers and media professionals, along with their families.
(2020-08-19). Video: Trudeau and Canadian Government Sued over COVID Measures. Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati. globalresearch.ca Super Lawyer Rocco Galati sues the Canadian government, Trudeau, Health Ministers, and others in first of its kind superior court lawsuit. | Galati lays out for listeners why his client and others have decided to sue over the extreme COVID measures …
(2020-08-19). Russia Tests Chinese Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Russia's company Petrovax Wednesday began the last phase of human trials of the recombinant Ad5-nCoV vaccine, which was got by the partnership between the People's Liberation Army (EPL) and the Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics. | RELATED: | After promising results were obtained in earlier research, Russian scientists coordinated with CanSino Biologics to apply the drug to 625 volunteers at eigh…
(2020-08-19). COVID 19: For how long do antibodies stay? peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Satyajit Rath talks about the immunity developed in recovered COVID-19 patients and also the immunity that the potential vaccines can induce.
(2020-08-19). Analysis of Vaccine, Censorship Claims Another Victim: Honest-Journalism Giant, Del Bigtree's "The Highwire" globalresearch.ca On July 29, YouTube's …
(2020-08-19). Iran's COVID-19 death toll passes 20,000. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — According to Iranian Health Ministry, the novel coronavirus claimed 153 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 20,125.
(2020-08-19). Podcast: COVID-19 vaccine trials latest and privacy in contact tracing. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: Results of the COVID-19 vaccine animal trials and the latest news from the human trials, plus privacy in contact tracing apps.
(2020-08-19). Canada's Post-Pandemic Response. popularresistance.org The antithesis to a vision of austerity and increased privatization is the set of principles endorsed by hundreds of community organizations and groups across Canada known collectively as a just recovery. The pandemic has shown how crucial investments in communities and public services can be to lift vulnerable folks out of poverty and contribute to stronger public health outcomes. | David Bleakney, a representative of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, argued that any stability felt during this crisis has been dependent on frontline labour, including healthcare workers, postal workers, or those on the front l…
(2020-08-19). In an Era of Pandemic and Protest, STEM Education Can't Pretend to Be Apolitical. truthout.org Across the U.S., the push to reopen schools is predicated on troubling beliefs about schools and families. Time at home is assumed to result in "learning loss" because our institutions measure learning and achievement by standardized test scores, and do not consider students' families as a source of education. Besides chasing test score gains, the driving goal for reopening schools is facilitating parents' return to work — regardless of the health consequences for all involved. | Howe…
(2020-08-19). Dying Medicare for All Activist Urges Biden to Adopt Universal Health Care. truthout.org As the Democratic Party formally selected Joe Biden as its nominee for president at the virtual Democratic National Convention, one of those who joined in the call to elect him was activist Ady Barkan, who is paralyzed and unable to speak due to terminal ALS. Barkan is a leading advocate of Medicare for All and has publicly challenged Biden, who does not support Medicare for All. "We live in the richest country in history. And yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right. Everyone living in…
(2020-08-19). The Democratic Platform Heads in Right Direction on Criminal Justice, but Still Misses the Moment. 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… …
(2020-08-19). Syria's Idlib records first coronavirus death. yenisafak.com The first coronavirus death in Syria's northwestern Idlib province was recorded, according to health officials. | "A female patient in her 80s died from the virus," the interim government's Health Minister, Maram al-Sheikh, said in a statement late Tuesday. | He indicated that the patient had suffered from a chronic kidney failure. | A total of 54 virus infections have been recorded in areas under the Syrian opposition, of which 46 recovered as of Wednesday.
(2020-08-19). Britain to bring in mass testing for coronavirus. yenisafak.com Britain is planning to bring in population-wide mass testing for coronavirus to help control the pandemic, said health minister Matt Hancock on Wednesday."This is a really, really important drive that we have across government to bring in mass testing, population-wide testing," Hancock told BBC radio."We'll ramp it up, certainly over the remainder of this year."