Daily Archives: October 2, 2020

2020-10-02: News Headlines

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-10-02). Roaming Charges: Crosstalk Hurricane. counterpunch.org Donald Trump was just one of 43,000 other Americans who tested positive for COVID today. While nearly all of them paid more in taxes than he did, few will have his resources to fight the ravages of the disease and recover from its financial aftershocks.

Peter C. Reynolds (2020-10-02). The Supreme Male Head Unmasked. counterpunch.org Fascism is unique among political systems in that it treats society as a diseased body that needs to be purified. Certainly, the political left thinks that society is in need of reform, often to the point of advocating revolution, but the distinguishing feature of fascism, especially of the Nazi variety, is its organic imagery—the idea

Dan Bacher (2020-10-02). Climate Advocates Criticize Newsom's Executive Order for Not Addressing Oil Drilling. indybay.org "If your climate leadership does not include relief for hundreds of thousands of Californians — the majority people of color — living with oil drilling in their neighborhood, then you are not serious about climate justice and creating healthier, more resilient communities," said Martha Arguà´llo executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles and co-chair of STAND-L.A.

Labor Video Project (2020-10-02). San Leandro Hospital CNA Nurses Fight Covid, For PPE & Conditions For Nurses & Patients. indybay.org San Leandro Hospital nurse and chief CNA rep talks about the conditions at the hospital and the effect of Covid-19 on the workers and patients. She also discusses the role of the Alameda Board of Supervisors in supporting the union busting operations of Alameda Health Services which was set up by the Board to run the public health system.

yenisafak (2020-10-02). UK PM Johnson says sure Trump will stage 'a very strong recovery'. yenisafak.com British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday he was sure that U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania would stage a "very strong recovery" from COVID-19 after they tested positive for the virus."Obviously I think we all want to send our best wishes to the president and the first lady and I've done that this morning as you can imagine," said Johnson, who recovered after being hospitalised with the disease in April.

yenisafak (2020-10-02). UK PM Johnson's battle with COVID-19 may be a warning for Trump. yenisafak.com When Boris Johnson caught COVID-19 in March, the overweight British prime minister tried to work through the illness "in denial" – but ended up wearing an oxygen mask in an intensive care unit and was ultimately out of action for almost a month.He later said he had fought for his life as the state prepared for the unthinkable: the possible death in office of a prime minister.Johnson's experience of trying to stay in charge while struggling with the disease may offer clues about the potential dangers ahead for U.S. President Donald Trump, now that he has tested positive.After being accused of initially failing to…

yenisafak (2020-10-02). US schools in suburbs, small cities reopening without COVID spike; big cities up next. yenisafak.com U.S. schools from kindergarten to high school have avoided a spike in COVID-19 cases, early data show, but medical experts say the real test is coming as students in large densely-populated cities such as New York and Miami return to classrooms.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week said more than 270,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported in children aged 5-17 since March. Cases in school-age children ticked slightly higher in mid-September as more schools reopened, but remains well below the peak set in mid-July.Over 700 primary, middle and high schools that have at least partially reopened, rep…

Staff (2020-10-01). Pandemic of Repression: Modi Government Crushes Dissent While Ignoring India's 6 Million COVID Cases. democracynow.org As India becomes just the second country to hit 6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, we speak to journalist Rana Ayyub in Mumbai, who was recently hospitalized after testing positive for the disease. India's lead pandemic agency says an antibody study suggests more than 60 million people in the country have already been infected with the coronavirus — 10 times the official count but still a small fraction of its population of 1.3 billion. "It doesn't feel like India is even talking about the pandemic," says Ayyub, a global opinions writer for The Washington Post. "More than the fear of the pandemic, people i…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-01). Coronavirus: Turkish government admits excluding asymptomatic cases from figures. middleeasteye.net Coronavirus: Turkish government admits excluding asymptomatic cases from figures | Revelation prompts outrage as Turkish Medical Association accuses government of 'hiding the facts' | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 09: 23 | The official number of daily coronavirus cases in Turkey have begun to decline in recent days after rising over the past several weeks (Reuters) | Doctors and politicians in Turkey…

Dean Baker (2020-10-01). How Much Will Trumpcare Insurance Cost People with Health Issues? cepr.net One of the main goals of Obamacare was to make insurance affordable for people with health problems. Insurers are happy to insure healthy people. People in good health have few claims, so essentially they are just sending a check to the insurer every month. It's a good deal if you can get it. But it's …

RT (2020-10-01). Take the jab or lose your job: Medical journal calls for a MANDATORY Covid vaccine, says 'noncompliance should incur a penalty'. rt.com With half the US population reportedly unwilling to submit to an experimental Covid-19 shot, a new scientific paper has shed light on how state health authorities might enforce compliance with vaccine mandates. | Published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday, the The writers acknowledge that…

RT (2020-10-01). DOJ charges hundreds doctors & nurses in massive $6bn 'healthcare fraud' and opioid bust. rt.com The US Department of Justice has announced charges for nearly 350 suspects in a sweeping bust linked to healthcare fraud. Among them are scores of medical professionals accused of scamming federal programs and private insurers. | The DOJ went public with the nationwide takedown on Wednesday, saying it had filed charges against 345 defendants across 51 federal districts, including more than 100 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. | "These defendants have been charged with submitting more than $6 billion in false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers," the departmen…

RT (2020-10-01). 'You cannot lock down everybody': Madrid leaders oppose Spanish govt's plan to lock down capital. rt.com Conservative-led authorities in the Madrid region on Thursday criticized the Spanish government's plan to confine the capital city in an effort to tackle a surge in Covid-19 cases. | Announcing its plan late on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said the central government was overriding regional authorities to impose a lockdown of the city of over 3 million people in the coming days. Nine surrounding municipalities with populations of at least 100,000 each will also be included in the plan. | "You cannot lock down everybody," regional chief Isabel Diaz Ayuso said, speaking on esRadio. "I'm sure the Madrid plan is…

RT (2020-10-01). Czech PM challenges EU leaders to face up to bloc's shortfalls in handling coronavirus crisis. rt.com Czech PM Andrej Babis called on the EU leadership to discuss the European Union's lack of cooperation on the coronavirus issue, after his country faced a second wave of the pandemic and was forced to declare a state of emergency. | Cooperation between the EU's health authorities and coronavirus experts is effectively not working, Babis said, on his arrival in Brussels on Thursday for an EU summit. | "Now our country is facing the second wave. We were one of the best during the first wave, but now, of course, we're in a different situation and we don't want to shut down the economy anymore," he stated. | Babis…

RT (2020-10-01). 'Don't wait on west': MP from Ukraine's largest opposition party urges Kiev to swallow pride & buy Russian coronavirus vaccine. rt.com A Ukrainian opposition MP has called for Kiev to start a dialogue with Moscow to purchase the Russian Covid-19 vaccine. Viktor Medvedchuk is an influential member of the pro-Russia and eurosceptic 'Opposition Platform' group. | Writing on the party website, Medvedchuk said he believes the country should buy the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, instead of making deals with Western companies for vaccines which don't exist yet. | "Russia has already received applications from 50 countries, including from the CIS, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America," Medvedchuk wrote. "If the Ukrainian government is going…

Peter Koenig (2020-10-01). "The Vaccine Should be Tested on Politicians First. If They Survive, the Vaccine Is Safe. If They Don't, Then the Country Is Safe." globalresearch.ca Polish Author, Monika Wisniewska, suggests that "The vaccine should be tested on politicians first. If they survive, the vaccine is safe. If they don't, then the country is safe". | Sounds like a joke, but it isn't. It is dead-serious. One …

teleSUR (2020-10-01). De Facto Regime Amplifies Crisis in Bolivia, Ex-Minister Says. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's former Health Minister Gabriela Montaño Wednesday criticized the coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez for bringing about a deep economic, political, and social crisis. | RELATED: | She pointed out that this Andean country faces also a health crisis given that the U.S.-backed government mishandled the pandemic, which resulted in 135,311 COVID-19 cases and 7,965 deaths so far. | Additionally, the accelerat…

Michael J. Talmo (2020-10-01). The Pandemic That Never Was. globalresearch.ca On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. When I think of this scary word it conjures up heartbreaking images of vast numbers of people suffering, precipitated into abysmal poverty. The WHO used to agree with …

teleSUR (2020-10-01). Cuba Slams US for Discrediting Its Medical Cooperation. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday condemned "pressure and blackmail" from the U.S. government against the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). | RELATED: | "The Ministry denounces a spurious and mendacious evaluation that is being prepared by and for the aggressive purposes of the United States in its eagerness to discredit Cuba's international cooperation," the ministry said in a statement. | The F…

Matt Sedlar (2020-10-01). Trump's Approach to a Coronavirus Vaccine May Leave America Behind. cepr.net New York Daily News See article on original site As with everything else, Donald Trump likes to boast about how quickly we are moving toward developing a coronavirus vaccine. By historic standards, he has a case. We may have a vaccine through the final Phase 3 tests and approved by the Food and Drug Administration …

Mac Slavo (2020-10-01). Military Personnel Outnumber Civilian Scientists in US Vaccine Program. globalresearch.ca Military personnel outnumber civilian scientists in the United States government's Operation Warp Speed vaccine program. With the military so heavily involved in the distribution of this vaccine, is it any surprise that most Americans don't want anything to do with …

F. Douglas Stephenson (2020-10-01). Is it Time to end Profiteering on Public Health and Nationalize Big Pharma? zcomm.org The antidote is nationalization of the pharmaceutical industry, large increases in production of non-patent medications and ending monopolization by the Big Pharma industry…

Julia Conley (2020-10-01). Analysis Warns Coney Barrett Confirmation Would 'Supercharge' GOP Agenda. zcomm.org "This nominee would be no friend to the small businesses and workers who continue to struggle during the ongoing public health and economic crises."

_____ (2020-10-01). COVID-19 Cases Among Health Care Workers Under-Reported. popularresistance.org Fiana Tulip spent the last 10 weeks trying to figure out how her mother, a health care worker in Dallas, contracted and died of COVID-19. | Isabelle Papadimitriou, 64, was a respiratory therapist at the Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation. She died on July 4, one week after contracting the novel coronavirus. | Tulip said she learned after talking with her mother's colleagues and reading her journals and text messages that the hospital failed to alert her mother and other staff members at the rehabilitation center that one of the patients had tested positive for COVID-19.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-01). COVID-19 infects 3,825, kills 211 in Iran in 24h. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 01 (MNA) — According to the Iranian Health Ministry, the novel coronavirus disease has claimed 211 lives in the country in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-01). Iran ready to coop. with China on COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 01 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani felicitated the Chinese National Day and expressed readiness for increased cooperation with Beijing, especially in producing the COVID-19 vaccine.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-10-01). Double detection of cell changes could diagnose disease earlier. imperial.ac.uk Chemical probes that detect changes in two factors related to inflammation within cells could lead to earlier disease detection.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). US Drugmaker Moderna Says COVID-19 Vaccine Won't Be Ready Before 2020 Election. sputniknews.com US drugmaker Moderna revealed Wednesday that it won't seek an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine before November 25, more than three weeks after the US election.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). FBI Reportedly Tipped Off on Ghislaine Maxwell by Woman Claiming 'Predator Combed Gyms for Recruits'. sputniknews.com A woman has come forward claiming she could have easily fallen victim to Ghislaine Maxwell's dealings. She said that when the socialite offered her a modelling job, she had different career aspirations and declined the offer due to health issues.

Staff (2020-10-01). India Hits 6 Million COVID Cases as Modi Government Represses Dissent. truthout.org As India becomes just the second country to hit 6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, we speak to journalist Rana Ayyub in Mumbai, who was recently hospitalized after testing positive for the disease. India's lead pandemic agency says an antibody study suggests more than 60 million people in the country have already been infected with the coronavirus — 10 times the official count but still a small fraction of its population of 1.3 billion. "It doesn't feel like India is even talking about the pande…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-01). German health workers stage protest demanding better working conditions, higher wages. peoplesdispatch.org The protest was called by the trade union Ver.di. The workers are demanding an increase in salaries by 4.8%, a hike in trainee pay, and a maximum of a 45-hour week for emergency service staff…

yenisafak (2020-10-01). Not all COVID-19 cases are patients: Turkish official. yenisafak.com Since most who test positive for the novel coronavirus in Turkey do not show symptoms, "not all cases are patients," the country's top health official said Wednesday.Explaining that all those who test positive for the virus are listed as "cases," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the vast majority infections were asymptomatic."The rest are those who show symptoms of the disease and are brought under treatment," said Koca, adding that these patients are either monitored in hospitals or their homes."We report those that we treat in hospitals separately as inpatients," he added.Amid swelling case numbers across Eu…

yenisafak (2020-10-01). South Africa opens borders for global travelers. yenisafak.com South Africa Thursday opened its borders to international travelers, barring those coming from high-risk countries.The government has listed 60 countries as being high risk, including the US, the UK, Russia, and several countries in the Middle East and Latin America.The country had closed ports of entry in March to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.In a statement, the government said that all travelers visiting the country will be expected to abide by the health regulations which include mandatory wearing of masks, practicing social distancing in public spaces and sanitizing hands.Travelers are also requir…

Edna Bonhomme (2020-10-01). Covid Threatens to Worsen Disparities in Maternal and Reproductive Care. thenation.com Covid Threatens to Worsen Disparities in Maternal and Reproductive Care…

Staff (2020-09-30). Headlines for September 30, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Refuses to Condemn White Supremacists or Rule Out Post-Election Violence, New York City Coronavirus Infections Surge for First Time in Months, Indian Health Officials Claim 60 Million Coronavirus Infections Nationwide, House Democrats Unveil Pared-Down $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Texas Sheriff and Prosecutor Indicted for Evidence Tampering in Javier Ambler Police Killing, Kentucky AG Didn't Recommend Murder Charges for Breonna Taylor's Killers, Trump Plans Pre-Election ICE Raids in U.S. Sanctuary Cities, More Women Detail Forced Sterilizations, Unnecessary Surgeries at Georgia ICE Jail, World Hea…

RT (2020-09-30). 'Political theater'?! Pennsylvania lawmaker, governor caught joking about taking their MASKS OFF before speech in 'hot mic' VIDEO. rt.com Pennsylvania State Representative Wendy Ullman and Governor Tom Wolf were caught joking off camera about taking their masks off just before they spoke at a press conference touting the need to defend Obamacare during Covid-19. | Just as Ullman was preparing to speak behind the podium on Tuesday at a press conference north of Philadelphia, Wolf can be heard off camera to her left, saying: "So Wendy, I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take my mask off when I speak." | Ullman walks toward Wolf, off camera, and says: "I will as well, just, I'm waiting so that we can do a little political theater." | Wolf replies, "OK," and…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-30). Israel's parliament curbs protests with new coronavirus laws. middleeasteye.net Israel's parliament curbs protests with new coronavirus laws | Critics fear that the measures have been introduced to stop anti-Netanyahu protests over the prime minister's alleged corruption | Wed, 09/30/2020 – 10: 24 | The new laws also give the government powers to declare a 'special emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic' for renewable periods of one week (Reuters) | Israel's par…

teleSUR (2020-09-30). Brazil Again Sees Over 1,000 Daily COVID-19 Deaths. telesurenglish.net Brazil again exceeded 1,000 daily deaths caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after registering 1,031 fatalities from the disease in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 143,952, the government said on Wednesday. | According to the Ministry of Health, it was the first time Brazil had surpassed 1,000 deaths a day since Sept. 15, when 1,113 people died. | RELATED: | In addition, tests detected 33,413…

Imani Countess (2020-09-30). COVID-19, Hunger, and State Violence are on the Rise in Zimbabwe. counterpunch.org Africa reports 1.3 million positive COVID-19 cases, leading some health officials to consider that the continent may have escaped the worst of the coronavirus. In Zimbabwe, the health ministry reports low levels of the virus, with cumulative reports of 7,400 positive cases and 218 deaths by early September. Yet local sources believe that the infection

teleSUR (2020-09-30). Germany Helps Fund COVID-19 Vaccine for Developing Countries. telesurenglish.net Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged on Wednesday to contribute $117 million to help developing countries access a COVID-19 vaccine. | RELATED: | "This is Germany's contribution towards ensuring that developing countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines," the official said during an international conference. "Today, I am in a position to announce another ‚Ǩ100 million that we have earmarked as special funds for Gavi…

Ashley Curtin (2020-09-30). Up to half a million sharks could be killed to create global coronavirus vaccines, conservationists warn. nationofchange.org Conservationists fear that if two doses of the vaccine are needed to immunize the global population than half a million sharks would subsequently die.

Thom Hartmann (2020-09-30). A COVID Primer for Your Trump-Loving Friends. counterpunch.org America's first COVID death was on February 29 of this year, roughly 200 days ago. In that time, more than 200,000 Americans have died of the disease, the equivalent of 1,000 people a day. That's how many people would have died if between February 29 and today three fully-loaded jumbo jets had crashed every single

news.un (2020-09-30). Listen to older people's 'suggestions and ideas' for more inclusive societies, urges UN chief. news.un.org Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is reckoning with the disproportionate and severe impact that the virus has wrought on the "health…rights and well being" of older persons, the UN chief has said, marking the international day highlighting their issues.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). Iran registers 3,582 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,582 COVID-19 infections and 183 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

sputniknews (2020-09-30). 'Not According to Harris': Biden Sets Off Meme Storm After Saying 'I'm the Democratic Party'. sputniknews.com The 29th of September saw the first presidential debate between incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, during which the two exchanged barbs over a spate of issues, including the coronavirus, healthcare, and election integrity.

Staff (2020-09-30). White House Overrules "No-Sail Ban" Despite Cruise Ships Being Hotbeds of COVID. truthout.org Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was overruled by other members of President Trump's coronavirus task force over whether a "no-sail ban" on cruise ships should continue for another four months, apparently thwarting a public health expert's understanding and concern about COVID-19 in favor of appeasing the cruise ship industry. | The current no-sail ban was set to expire on Wednesday, although an industry-imposed ban may continue through O…

yenisafak (2020-09-30). Germany's Merkel pledges $100 mln for COVID-19 vacine for poor countries. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday pledged $100 million to help developing countries access a COVID-19 vaccine as World Bank President David Malpass said "broad, rapid and affordable" access to vaccines "will be at the core of a resilient global economic recovery that lifts everyone."Merkel also called on "those who are still dithering" to commit to the global vaccine effort.

yenisafak (2020-09-30). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Vaccine hopesResults from an early safety study of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots.The findings are reassuring because immunity tends to weaken with age, Dr. Evan Anderson, one of the study's lead researchers, said in a phone interview.Meanwhile, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's largest maker of vaccines, said she was optimistic the industr…

commondreams (2020-09-30). Trump Administration Set to Steamroll CDC on Cruise Ships, Prioritizing Foreign Corporations Over Public Health. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-09-30). Where Did Covid-19 Come From? thealtworld.com Evidence indicates that it came from NIH funding of EcoHealth Alliance, an entity doing "gain-of-function" research in collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Many experts believe that the virus was created by that research and escaped from the Wuhan lab. | Gain-of-function research involves enhancing the pathogenicity and transmissibility of pathogens. Many scientists are opposed to this research as it amounts in effect to bioweapons research. The rationale for the research is that it enhances with pre-knowledge the ability to respond to some emerging pandemic. In the case of the research at Wuhan, i…