Daily Archives: September 26, 2020

2020-09-26: News Headlines

Staff (2020-09-26). Reports: Trump to name Judge Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court. therealnews.com Barrett, a hardline conservative, could be instrumental in deciding who wins the 2020 election, and could vote to end Roe v. Wade, the Affordable Care Act, protections for the LGBTQ community, unions, and legislation required to fight climate change.

Dr. Russell Blaylock (2020-09-26). 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, …

_____ (2020-09-26). Let's Talk About Racism And Health. popularresistance.org The current uprising across the nation is a take-off moment for systemic racism in the United States. A take-off moment occurs when awareness about a crisis reaches a level of public consciousness where an event (in this case, the recent high-profile police murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd) sparks protests across the country. Racist …

Ashley Curtin (2020-09-26). Plastic debris plagues Honduras beaches. nationofchange.org The "massive trash tsunami" was filled with plastic debris believed to have come from a neighboring river in Guatemala.

_____ (2020-09-26). Throw Sand In The Gears Of The Machine. popularresistance.org Humanity will continue along its self-destructive trajectory until the masses use the power of their numbers to force real change. Humanity will not use the power of its numbers to force real change as long as it's being successfully propagandized not to do so. The oligarchic propaganda machine is therefore the primary barrier to our transition from our self-destructive patterns into a healthy collaborative relationship with each other and with our ecosystem. | So throw sand in the gears of the machine. If enough of us throw enough sand, we can cause the whole thing to break down.

Dean Baker (2020-09-26). It's Not Vaccine Nationalism, It's Vaccine Idiocy. zcomm.org The pandemic gave us an extraordinary opportunity to experiment with an alternative mechanism for financing research that could have enormously benefitted public health…

Ricardo Ayala, Bernardo Alarcon (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] The social contract and health care in Chile. thelancet.com Francisca Crispi and colleagues' plea for public health in Chile to be rebuilt,1 although thought-provoking, sets the private against the public. As much as we agree that inequalities in Chile have increased since the neoliberal turn, the social contract2 is far from dismantling. In fact, the concept is based on a liberal doctrine that seeks to protect individual freedom and private property.3 Crispi and colleagues' plea is therefore contradictory. Banning discrimination is the one basic condition for the tacit contract between citizens and the state.

Geoff Watts (2020-09-26). [Obituary] Noel Richard Rose. thelancet.com Leading pioneer of autoimmune disease research. He was born in Stamford, CT, USA, on Dec 3, 1927, and died of a stroke in Brookline MA, USA, on July 30, 2020, aged 92 years.

Ikram Ahmed Tunio, Syed Mohammad Qaisar Sajjad, Pakistan Medical Association (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] End curfews in Kashmir. thelancet.com The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is a national organisation representing medical fraternity of Pakistan. PMA works for the betterment of patients and physicians, and it acts to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education, and health-related human rights for all people.

Amitava Banerjee, Laura Pasea, Spiros Denaxas, Bryan Williams, Harry Hemingway (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] Models for mortality require tailoring in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Arielle Lasry and Roberta Horth for their comments on our study1 and agree that long-term mortality models, applicable to people with different underlying conditions, have an important ongoing role in the COVID-19 response, and that they require further development to include wider determinants of health.

Richard Horton (2020-09-26). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 is not a pandemic. thelancet.com As the world approaches 1 million deaths from COVID-19, we must confront the fact that we are taking a far too narrow approach to managing this outbreak of a new coronavirus. We have viewed the cause of this crisis as an infectious disease. All of our interventions have focused on cutting lines of viral transmission, thereby controlling the spread of the pathogen. The "science" that has guided governments has been driven mostly by epidemic modellers and infectious disease specialists, who understandably frame the present health emergency in centuries-old terms of plague.

Rebeccah Slater, Fiona Moultrie, Ralph Bax, John van den Anker, Aomesh Bhatt (2020-09-26). [Comment] Preterm health: time to bridge the evidence gap. thelancet.com Despite the development of revolutionary life-sustaining advances in neonatal medicine, medications are frequently administered in an ad-hoc and suboptimal way. Most drugs prescribed in neonatal care have not been submitted to the stringent regulatory processes of drug licensing that are standard in adult medicine.1 Although clinical research and licensing regulations differ between countries, the scarcity of licensed medications and inevitable use of off-label drugs in neonates are universal problems1 (countries reporting these issues include the USA, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Australia, India, and Brazil).

Susan Jaffe (2020-09-26). [World Report] Media reports reveal political interference at the US CDC. thelancet.com News accounts say that Trump administration officials wanted to edit and approve COVID-19 studies and publish guidance without the usual scientific review. Susan Jaffe reports.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iran COVID-19 update: 3,204 new cases, 172 deaths in 24h. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iran's Health Ministry confirmed 3,204 new COVID-19 infections and 172 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

sputniknews (2020-09-26). CDC: Young Adults Account for More COVID-19 Cases Than Any Other US Age Group. sputniknews.com Young adults aged 20 to 29 accounted for around 20% of all confirmed COVID-19 novel coronavirus cases recorded in the US between June and August, according to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Staff (2020-09-26). It's Highly Unlikely That We Will Have a Safe Vaccine by Election Time. truthout.org Despite President Donald Trump's In sh…

Staff (2020-09-26). Farmers Are Plagued by Debt and Climate Crisis. Trump Has Made Things Worse. truthout.org This story is part of At a

yenisafak (2020-09-26). COVID-19 recoveries top 75% in Bangladesh. yenisafak.com With 1,753 more patients cleared over the past 24 hours, the number of recoveries in the country now stands at 268,777, or 75.1%, according to the Health Ministry.Some 36 more deaths were also reported in Bangladesh over the past day, along with 1,106 more infections, the lowest single-day figure since Aug. 2.The overall COVID-19 case count is now at 357,873, including 5,129 — 1.43% — fatalities.A total of 3,974 men (77.48%) and 1,155 women (22.52%) have died of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, the ministry said.At least 10,680 more coronavirus tests were conducted over the past 24 hours, taking the total to o…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Iran prepares to impose new coronavirus lockdowns as cases rise. yenisafak.com "We are forced to intensify regulations and supervisions," starting in the capital Tehran, Rouhani said in televised remarks.He said government-run coronavirus task-force offices around the country would make recommendations on restrictions and whether to impose one-week lockdowns.Iran's death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed 25,000 and identified cases on Friday totalled 439,882, according to the health ministry.Iran's health officials have expressed alarm over a surge in infections, urging the country to respect health protocols to control the spread of the disease.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-25). Assange on Trial: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies. counterpunch.org The lion's share of today's Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange's extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-25). Assange's Thirteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies. dissidentvoice.org September 24. Central Criminal Court, London. The lion's share of today's Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange's extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US …

Staff (2020-09-25). Headlines for September 25, 2020. democracynow.org Sen. Bernie Sanders Warns of an Election "Between Donald Trump and Democracy", FBI Director Sees No Evidence of Widespread Voter Fraud, 24 Arrested as Louisville Protesters Defy Curfew to Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul Says Goal of Black Lives Matter Is "Terrorism", Drivers Attack Peaceful Black Lives Matter Protesters in Los Angeles, Family of Tucson Man Who Died in Police Custody Demands Charges for Officers, Virginia Officials Warn of "Severe Public Health Threat" If Trump Rally Allowed to Proceed, Iowa Slaughterhouse Fined $957 After COVID-19 Outbreak Infected Hundreds of Workers,…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). COVID 19 Updates: US Cases Surpass 7 Million. telesurenglish.net The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. | – – – – | RABAT — Morocco announced on Friday 2,423 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally in the North African country since March 2 to 112,522. | The number of recoveries from coronavirus in Morocco increased to 91,932 after 1,746 more were added, while the death toll rose by 42 to 1,998, the ministry of health said in a statement. | – – – – | RAMALLAH — The Palestinian health ministry on Friday reported 452 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths from the virus in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. | In a pres…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). Mexican Migrants in US Treat COVID-19 With Home-Made Remedies. telesurenglish.net Mexican migrants to the United States have been treating COVID-19 using home remedies due to a lack of access to health services, according to a report from Mexico's Interior Ministry. | RELATED: | Published by the Immigration Policy Unit in mid-September, the report said that the pandemic has caused greater complications such as job loss and restrictive government policies. | Some Mexican immigrants have dealt with COV…

Health workers & nursing students (2020-09-25). Sunday 9/27: Vigil to Honor Migrant Women and Human Rights Defenders. indybay.org Lake Merritt Amphitheater…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-09-25). 'Recognize What Is at Stake,' Progressives Warn Amid Reports Trump Will Tap Amy Coney Barrett as Ginsburg's Successor. commondreams.org "Barrett is a threat to our healthcare, reproductive freedom, to immigrant rights, equality, and the well-being of American democracy writ large." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-09-25). 'Intentional Cruelty': House Investigation Finds Deadly Medical Neglect in Immigrant Detention Facilities. commondreams.org Despite knowledge of "systemic health and safety issues at immigration detention facilities operated by for-profit contractors," the Trump administration has rewarded these companies with "lucrative contracts." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Eric A. Gordon (2020-09-25). Taxing the rich and expanding the vote on California's ballot. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES — Who wouldn't want to start taxing Disney and Chevron corporate-owned property at today's fair value to fund schools and local public services such as parks, libraries, homeless services, health clinics, and public transit? This is the question Proposition 15 asks voters to decide on the California ballot this year. Who wouldn't want …

Vijay Prashad (2020-09-25). Hunger will kill us before Coronavirus. mronline.org In April 2020, a month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the pandemic, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the numbers of people who lived with acute hunger around the world would double due to COVID-19 by the end of 2020 'unless swift action is taken'.

A Guest Author (2020-09-25). Surviving a pandemic under siege. workers.org During a Sept. 18 "Free Palestine" webinar, Palestinian writers and activists Susan Abulhawa and Khaled Barakat were asked to comment on the spread of COVID-19 in occupied Palestine, and what it means to have access to healthcare under foreign occupation. The following is an edited version of their replies. Susan . . . |

RT (2020-09-25). Two officials charged with 'deadly decision' that led to Covid-19 outbreak at Massachusetts veterans' facility. rt.com The Massachusetts attorney general is pressing criminal charges against two officials for a "deadly" decision that led to a Covid-19 outbreak in a veterans' health care facility. | Holyoke Soldiers' Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh and Dr. David Clinton, the facility's former medical director, are facing felony charges over their decision to combine veterans who were exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms with others not showing any sign of the virus into a single unit. | The attorney general's office also alleges some veterans were marked as being asymptomatic but were actually showing symptoms related to the virus, a…

RT (2020-09-25). Japan will host Olympics in 2021 'as proof that humanity has DEFEATED the pandemic,' PM Suga vows at UN. rt.com Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has vowed to prove the world's triumph over Covid-19 with next summer's Olympics in Tokyo, telling the United Nations the games will be held safely after a year-long postponement. | Making his debut speech to the international body on Friday, Suga told the UN General Assembly that Japan is committed to "leave no one behind" amid the health crisis, and argued the 2021 Olympics will serve as a symbolic victory against the virus. | "In the summer of next year, Japan is determined to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as proof that humanity has defeated the pandemic,…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-25). Mounting Unemployment in America: Over One Million UI Claims for 27 Straight Weeks, Unprecedented US Economic Collapse. globalresearch.ca Nothing remotely like what's gone on since January ever happened before in the US. | For the 27th straight week, over one million working-age Americans filed claims for unemployment insurance (UI). | Numbers for the past week include 870,000 who applied for …

Pepe Escobar (2020-09-25). Sinophobia, Lies and Hybrid War": The Nation which Unleashed This Plague…" according to Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on It took one minute for President Trump to introduce a virus at the virtual 75th UN General Assembly, And then …

Dr. Martin Feeley (2020-09-25). How Lethal is Covid-19? Young and Healthy Majority Need to be Allowed to Live. globalresearch.ca

WSWS (2020-09-25). Report demolishes government claims that reopening UK schools reflects concern for disadvantaged children. wsws.org The education of poorer children is of as little concern for the Johnson government as the health of the working class.

Fight Back (2020-09-25). Layoffs continue as economic crisis drags on. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – The latest weekly report on new applications for regular state unemployment insurance showed an unexpected increase in new claims. The Department of Labor, on Thursday, September 24, said that there were 870,000 people who filed for state unemployment benefits in the week ending September 19, up slightly from 866,000 the week before. However, most economists expected a sizable drop to 850,000. | While the weekly reports are far below the weekly reports of late March and early April which topped 6 million, it is still above the highest number before the current recession and shows that the layoffs a…

Unnamed Nurse (2020-09-25). An Anonymous Nurse Speaks Out: The RT-PCR Test is Totally Unreliable, It Does not Detect the Virus. globalresearch.ca An Anonymous Nurse SPEAKS OUT! Just a shame they can't put their name to it out of fear of losing their job. | This is from a nurse. | *** | I work in the healthcare field. Here's the problem, we are testing …

news.un (2020-09-25). Conflict, climate crisis, threaten fragile gains to advance women and children's health. news.un.org Fragile gains made over the past decade to advance women and children's health are threatened by conflict, the climate crisis and COVID-19, according to a new report from Every Woman Every Child, released on Friday.

news.un (2020-09-25). Japan to 'proactively lead' on COVID-19 response efforts. news.un.org Japan has signaled its intention to take a leading role in global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftershocks, with new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga highlighting the links between recovery, health and economic development.

Jeff Cohen (2020-09-25). Earth to Presidential Debate Moderators: "I'm Burning Up" zcomm.org With the horrific fires on the West Coast and hurricanes and storms pounding the Caribbean and Gulf Coast, in a healthy democracy, one would expect presidential candidates to be pressed hard about climate chaos. I'm not holding my breath.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-25). Tehran-Moscow cooperating in producing COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian envoy to the Russian Federation said that Tehran and Moscow are cooperating in the field of producing the COVID-19 vaccine.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-09-25). COVID-19 vaccine may not need to be fully effective to benefit public health. imperial.ac.uk Even an imperfect, partially effective vaccine against COVID-19 could have a substantial public health benefit if rolled out in 2021, a report says.

sputniknews (2020-09-25). Reproductive Rights; US Spy Planes; Trump Unveils Healthcare Plan. sputniknews.com Three is a gaping hole to fill with the loss of RBG, what will happen next?

news.un (2020-09-25). Updated influenza vaccine advice targets protection of elderly and health workers. news.un.org Amid a potential global shortage in influenza vaccines and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the UN health agency has advised countries to protect the elderly and health workers first.

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Over 1.1M coronavirus patients recover across Africa. yenisafak.com The number of people in Africa who have recovered from the coronavirus topped 1.18 million, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.The death toll from the virus reached 35,007, it said, adding more than 1.43 million people have so far contracted the virus, with the Southern Africa region being the most affected with 727,500 cases.North Africa recorded 314,100 cases, West Africa 173,900, East Africa 164,200 and Central Africa 57,400.At least 640,500 patients have recovered in Southern Africa, 246,900 in North Africa, 154,500 in West Africa, 92,700 in East Africa and 50,000 in Central…

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Iran, Russia discussing joint production of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Iran and Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF are discussing the joint production of a vaccine against COVID-19, Russian news agencies cited the Iranian ambassador to Moscow as saying on Friday."We are holding talks, I spoke with the head of RDIF Kirill Dmitriev, our officials have held several rounds of consultations and we announced that we will co-operate," Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali was cited as saying.Thus far, Russia has struck a manufacturing partnership deal with India, which is due to produce 300 million doses of the 'Sputnik-V' vaccine domestically. It is also discussing such partnerships with sev…

WSWS (2020-09-25). Australian health workers still being denied adequate PPE. wsws.org Nothing has been done to boost protection for health workers, meaning that further mass outbreaks of COVID-19 are all but inevitable.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-25). 40 Groups Demand Congress Probe 'Gross Misuse' of $1 Billion in Covid-19 Funding by Pentagon. commondreams.org "It's unconscionable that the department would prioritize defense contractor wish lists over the health and safety of the American people." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-25). Absent Collective Action, WHO Warns Global Covid-19 Deaths Could Surpass Two Million Before Vaccine Is Ready. commondreams.org "The real question is: Are we prepared, collectively, to do what it takes to avoid that number?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…