Monthly Archives: December 2020

2020-12-10: News Headlines

Workers World Party (2020-12-10). PDF of December 10 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Capitalist COVID catastrophe FIGHT or DIE! Message from Peltier; Reparations now! Justice for Breonna denied again; Disability rights; Workers demand justice; DEA surveillance; Editorial: New president — same wars; Commentary: Becoming a cadre; GLOBAL: China: global vaccines, science; India: worker & farmer uprising; Cuba; France; Palestine; Venezuela. . . . |

Staff (2020-12-10). Food Is the Pathway to Peace: World Food Programme Wins Nobel Peace Prize & Warns of Hunger Pandemic. democracynow.org The World Food Programme, the world's largest humanitarian organization dealing with hunger and food security, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, with its executive director David Beasley warning that the combination of conflict, climate crisis and COVID-19 could push 270 million people to the brink of starvation. In his acceptance speech, Beasley said, "Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use of hunger as a political and military weapon, and a global health pandemic that makes all of that exponentially worse, 270 million people are marching toward starvation. Failure to address their needs…

RT (2020-12-10). President FIRST to be vaxxed: Argentina signs deal for 10 million doses of Russia's pioneering 'Sputnik V' anti-Covid vaccine. rt.com Argentina is the latest country to order a large batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to tackle the coronavirus. Buenos Aires is getting 10 million doses of the drug after signing a contract with Russian Direct Investment Fund. | RDIF, which finances the development of Sputnik V, announced the deal on Thursday. The vaccine for Argentina is going to be produced by the fund's international partners in India, China, South Korea and other countries. | The contract would allow the South American nation, which has seen some 1,480,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 40,000 deaths, to "secure a diversified portfolio of va…

Put People First and partners (2020-12-10). Saturday 12/12: Virtual Vigil Supporting Healthcare Workers & Abolishing Healthcare Profiteering. indybay.org Online livestream…

_____ (2020-12-10). The Politics of COVID Vaccinations: Who Will Get Them and When? strategic-culture.org The first thing to understand is that there will not be enough COVID-19 vaccine to go around for many months to come, so the process of who comes first will essentially be a political decision since governments at various levels will inevitably be managing the distribution process. And there will be considerable confusion when the vaccination process starts as there might be a lot of different versions to choose from. The World Health Organization is currently monitoring the development of no less than "163 candidate vaccines [that are] in preclinical evaluation." | There are legitimate concerns that the vaccine…

Steve Watson (2020-12-10). Canadian Health Ministry Exploring "Immunity Passports," Vaccine "Tracking and Surveillance" globalresearch.ca The Health Minister of Ontario in Canada has stoked controversy by suggesting that people who do not take the coronavirus vaccine will face restrictions on where they can travel and spend time. | *** | When asked by reporters about how the …

Heather Cox Richardson (2020-12-10). Thoughts on the Silence of Republican Lawmakers. indybay.org Coronavirus continues to devastate the country, with official deaths topping 281,000 today, but it turns out that the Trump administration did not actually have a plan for distribution of vaccines. Federal officials have drastically slashed the amount of vaccine they promised to states before the election. Instead of the 300 million doses, the plan is currently to distribute 35 to 40 million doses.

John Goss (2020-12-10). A Nasty Shot in the Arm: RT-PCR Kits and Vaccines Unlicensed by the MHRA. globalresearch.ca Aware of the forthcoming vaccine roll-out aimed, it is said, to protect against a disease (COVID-19) that reached its apex almost nine months ago, I emailed the MHRA (Medical and Healthcare Regulatory Authority) on 20 November 2020. My main concern …

news.un (2020-12-10). Non-communicable diseases killing more people than ever before: UN health agency. news.un.org Non-communicable diseases account for 7 of the world's top 10 causes of death, a sharp increase from two decades ago, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, a new UN World Health Organization (WHO) study has found.

George Ochenski (2020-12-10). No Time to Waste on Whining, Absent Politicians. counterpunch.org The United States is facing what medical professionals call the most serious public health threat in the history of the nation. The coronavirus pandemic is raging fully out of control, which is exacerbated by a near total lack of leadership at the national level and pitifully little on the state or local level. In the meantime,

imperial.ac.uk (2020-12-10). Improving elective care planning could extend life for thousands of patients. imperial.ac.uk Optimizing hospital scheduling for treatment of tumours, diseases of the digestive system and injuries & poisoning will result in notable gains.

Gregg Gonsalves (2020-12-10). So When Can I Get the Covid Vaccine? thenation.com So When Can I Get the Covid Vaccine?

Michael K. Smith (2020-12-10). Michigan Restaurant Owner Calls For Popular Uprising Against Hypocritical Covid Policy. dissidentvoice.org As U.S. death tolls from Covid 19 spiral towards three or four thousand a day, health officials urge us to stop breathing on each other while saying nothing about the vast majority being dependent employees or small entrepreneurs, not free agents, thus unable to cheerfully comply with draconian public health orders that torpedo our jobs …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-12-10). 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Caused Brain Damage in Children. Dr. Anthony Fauci on "Vaccine Safety" Issues. globalresearch.ca A lawsuit against the Trudeau Government for its handling of the COVID-19 Crisis has been launched. What is at stake is the violation of fundamental rights of Canadians. | "The mass and indiscriminate containment of citizens, the restriction of access to …

WSWS (2020-12-10). Detroit Free Press breaks silence on Fiat Chrysler COVID-19 deaths in effort at damage control. wsws.org While acknowledging recent COVID-19 deaths at Detroit-area plants, both the company and the union, along with the corporate media which approvingly reports their comments, blame autoworkers for the spread of the disease in the plants.

Mike Kinney (2020-12-10). Tibetan Delek Children's Foundation: Helping Poor Kids in the Himalayan Mountains. indybay.org Delek Children's Foundation helps with healthcare & education to the poor children in the isolated villages of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Indian in the Himalayan Mountains…

Rachel L. Batterham (2020-12-10). [Commentary] Switching the focus from weight to health: Canada's adult obesity practice guideline set a new standard for obesity management. thelancet.com For the majority of human existence, food supply has been scarce; stored energy, in the form of adipose tissue, was therefore vital for survival. Consequently, multiple powerful biological mechanisms developed to drive eating when food was available. These once life-preserving mechanisms are now key contributors to the global obesity epidemic.

Lyn Redwood (2020-12-10). Children's Health Defense (CHD): Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions to Pfizer COVID Vaccine. globalresearch.ca In August, CHD asked regulators to investigate the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in COVID mRNA vaccines, which could have caused the severe allergic reactions reported this week by two of the first UK recipients of Pfizer's vaccine. | *** | Media …

Ali H. Mokdad, Peter J. Hotez, Walter A. Orenstein (2020-12-10). [Commentary] We have to get it right: Ensuring success. thelancet.com Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Life is like a parachute jump; you've got to get it right the first time." With a spate of Covid-19 vaccines on the horizon, we must prepare to jump.

Sara Flounders (2020-12-09). China's global vaccines — a game changer. workers.org In the U.S., with less than 5% of the world's people, there is little concern for the fate of the globe's other 95% who are facing the pandemic. When, how and under what conditions a vaccine will be distributed in the U.S. is the overwhelming U.S. concern. Rates of COVID-19 . . . |

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-09). COVID Vaccines: Protection or Biohazard? globalresearch.ca All vaccines are hazardous to human health. | Annually, the US Vaccine Adverse Reporting System (VAERS) reports thousands of serious adverse vaccine reactions, including many deaths and disabling disabilities. | Instead of highlighting the danger, corporate-controlled establishment media suppress what's vital for …

MEE and agencies (2020-12-09). Covid-19: UAE officially registers Chinese-produced vaccine for use. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: UAE officially registers Chinese-produced vaccine for use | Health ministry cites trials showing vaccine as 86 percent effective | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 12: 03 | Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm's vaccine has been undergoing third-phase trials in the Emirates since July (AFP) | The UAE has officially approved a Chinese-produced vaccine for Covid-19, citing third-phase trial a…

Kenneth Surin (2020-12-09). UK's Covid Vaccine, and a Fake Competition With the EU. counterpunch.org As the UK stumbles towards a no deal Brexit, the Tory government becomes increasingly desperate in its attempts to show that the UK is much better than the EU, whether as a collective or with respect to its individual members. Claims made by Tories on this issue border on the delusional.

Sameena Rahman (2020-12-09). Florida state agents raid home of COVID-19 whistleblower. liberationnews.org This raid comes at a time when the most recent CDC data indicates that Florida surpassed 19,000 deaths due to the coronavirus, and last week, Florida became the third state in the United States to exceed 1 million cases.

Areeb Ullah (2020-12-09). Egypt: World Bank warned funding for Covid-19 is neglecting jailed doctors. middleeasteye.net Egypt: World Bank warned funding for Covid-19 is neglecting jailed doctors | Human Rights Watch calls on the World Bank to condemn Egypt's arrest of medical workers who criticised Cairo's Covid-19 response | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 10: 58 | Data collected by the Doctors' Syndicate shows Egypt to have one of the highest numbers of Covid-19 deaths among health workers in the world (AFP) | The World Bank was urge…

teleSUR (2020-12-09). Russia Sends Data From Its Second COVID-19 Vaccine To WHO. telesurenglish.net Russia's Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection Director Anna Popova announced her country sent the EpiVacCorona vaccine's clinical data to the World Health Organization (WHO). | RELATED: | "On Dec. 8, the documentation of another Russian vaccine was sent to the WHO. It is EpiVacCorona. We are awaiting the decision of the WHO" on its registration, Popova said, as reported by the Interfax agency. | Developed at th…

Dr. Robert Kluger (2020-12-09). German Doctors Letter to Chancellor Merkel, Put an End to the Covid "Fear Machine" globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on November 8. | Dear Chancellor Dr. Merkel, | We, the signatories, are doctors from all areas of healthcare, who have been serving people in practices and clinics for decades. During this time, we have witnessed more …

Informed Consent Action Network (2020-12-09). Pathologist Petitions FDA to Halt Pfizer Emergency Use Authorization Until Vaccine Efficacy Confirmed. globalresearch.ca Connecticut pathologist Dr. Sin Hang Lee and Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) have "Until an accurate count of …

Abdullah Shihipar (2020-12-09). We Can't Message Our Way Out of a Public Health Crisis. thenation.com We Can't Message Our Way Out of a Public Health Crisis…

Children's Health Defense (2020-12-09). Whistleblower: FDA Failed to Address 'Biohazard Nightmare' at Merck Vaccine Plant. globalresearch.ca A former FDA employee-turned-whistleblower says the agency downgraded his report on safety violations at a Merck vaccine plant. The allegation raises questions about how the FDA will monitor safety of COVID vaccine manufacturers. | *** | A former employee of the U.S. …

Fight Back (2020-12-09). Labor to the front in the battle against COVID-19. fightbacknews.org As of December 1, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic is in an uncontrollable spread in 49 out of 50 states. Our country has over 10 million confirmed cases and over 270,000 deaths. With more than 100,000 new cases a day, hospitalizations and deaths will grow exponentially. Today over 1000 deaths are happening each day. The death rate, even with improved treatments since March, will likely grow significantly as hospitals and health care workers are already becoming overwhelmed. That is the best-case scenario in the large cities. Rural areas are entirely unprepared, lacking equipment and knowledge of the most up-to-dat…

Dean Baker, Achal Prabhala and Arjun Jayadev (2020-12-09). Want Vaccines Fast? Suspend Intellectual Property Rights. counterpunch.org As some reports would have it, this is the beginning of the end. Three coronavirus vaccines have posted excellent results, with more expected to come. But this is not the beginning of the end; it is only the beginning of an endless wait: There aren't enough vaccines to go around in the richest countries on

Nicole Karlis (2020-12-09). Coronavirus vaccines weren't tested on pregnant women — here's why that's a problem. salon.com "Pregnant immune systems are a little different … we don't have any direct data on whether it's safe," one doc said…

commondreams (2020-12-09). Trump "Cost-Benefit" Rule Harms Public Health, Born Out of Corruption. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-09). Iran COVID-19 update: 10,223 infections, 295 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 10,223 COVID-19 infections and 295 deaths due to the respiratory disease in the past 24 hours.

The Canary (2020-12-09). Low sick pay is stopping workers from self-isolating. thecanary.co The UK's unusually low sick pay is preventing some workers who need to self-isolate from doing so — and could be contributing to the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), a new study has claimed. | And it's a study health secretary Matt Hancock should read given his

Media Lens (2020-12-08). Stuck in a Lift with John Pilger: News and How to Use It by Alan Rusbridger. dissidentvoice.org Noticing the way journalists seemed unable to resist commenting on our work, even if it was just to slag us off, Glenn Greenwald tweeted us in 2012: 'You are really deeper in the heads of the British establishment-serving commentariat than anyone else — congrats.' ((Greenwald, Twitter, 12 September 2012.)) If that was true then, our relationship …

Ralph Nader (2020-12-08). Action for Change Starts in Congress. counterpunch.org We know their names! We've given immense power to Five Hundred and Thirty-Five People to do good or bad. One Hundred Senators and Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Representatives. Unfortunately, some 1500 corporations control most Members of Congress. Think about all the dreams for a better world that could come to be realized if our elected officials

Sergio Ferrari (2020-12-08). Cuba: A sign of hope for impoverished countries. peoplesworld.org Just a few days before commercial flights with Cuba were reestablished, in the middle of November, the Swiss physician and professor Franco Cavalli traveled to that Caribbean nation. He is president of MediCuba Europe, an important network of healthcare NGOs with a presence in 13 countries. He is also one of the first European scientists …

MEE staff (2020-12-08). Covid-19 vaccine: How the Middle East and North Africa is preparing. middleeasteye.net Covid-19 vaccine: How the Middle East and North Africa is preparing | MEE takes a look at which countries have ordered doses so far and what their governments have said about efforts to secure the vaccines | Tue, 12/08/2020 – 09: 29 | With most vaccines requiring two doses per person, large order numbers may not actually be as substantial as they appear (AFP) | This month, Covid-19 vaccines are set to begin ro…

Butler SM. (2020-12-08). Four COVID-19 Lessons for Achieving Health Equity. jamanetwork.com The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the deep inequities in our health care system. The disproportionately high levels of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among non-White racial groups reflect poorer underlying health, housing, and job conditions among these minority groups, as well as an inequitable distribution of health resources and persistent gaps in insurance coverage.

Kuehn BM. (2020-12-08). Pulmonary Fungal Infections Affect Patients With COVID-19. jamanetwork.com Investigators in Spain and the United States have added 20 new case reports to mounting evidence that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are vulnerable to developing pulmonary aspergillosis. Authors of the case series noted that increased physician awareness in recent years of an association between severe influenza and the fungal infection may have led to more rapid recognition of coronavirus disease—associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA).

Paul Farmer (2020-12-08). Centuries of Inequality in the U.S. Laid Groundwork for Pandemic Devastation. zcomm.org "All the social pathologies of our nation come to the fore during epidemics"

Melinda C. Mills, David Salisbury (2020-12-08). [Commentary] The challenges of distributing COVID-19 vaccinations. thelancet.com On November 9, 2020, Pfizer/BioNTech reported the preliminary efficacy results for their COVID-19 vaccine, confirming levels of 95% on November 18. On November 16, Moderna announced 95% efficacy and 2 days later, the Oxford and AstraZeneca group reported safety and immunogenicity across a wider range of groups [1]. As attention turns to deployment, we need transparency about vaccine distribution and implementation. Success will hinge on collaboration of complex networks of government, companies, health workers and the public.

Jordan Schachtel (2020-12-08). Everyone Is Already Wearing a Mask. They Just Don't Work. globalresearch.ca One of the most common pro-mask arguments I've heard over the course of the past year, both from "public health experts" and your average citizen, sounds similar to the following statement: | "If only everyone would just wear a mask, we …

Matthew Rozsa (2020-12-08). Trump, self-described dealmaker-in-chief, opted not to buy millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine. salon.com Distribution of coronavirus vaccines in the US will likely be greatly delayed by Trump's misstep…

Sasha Abramsky (2020-12-08). We're Now Facing Both a Public Health and a Poverty Catastrophe. thenation.com We're Now Facing Both a Public Health and a Poverty Catastrophe…

Davidson KW. (2020-12-08). Coding Errors in Study of Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Health Care Personnel. jamanetwork.com To the Editor On behalf of my coauthors, I write to report errors in our Research Letter, "Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Health Care Personnel in the New York City Area," published online first on August 6, 2020, and in the September 1, 2020, issue of JAMA.

Abbasi J. (2020-12-08). Long-acting Cabotegravir Shot Prevents HIV Among Women. jamanetwork.com For the first time, a long-acting shot has been shown to prevent HIV among women in a large-scale trial, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said in a statement. The institute announced interim phase 3 trial results for an injectable form of cabotegravir, an investigational HIV drug.

jamanetwork (2020-12-08). Data Inaccuracies in Text and Tables. jamanetwork.com In the Research Letter titled "Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Health Care Personnel in the New York City Area," published online first on August 6, 2020, and in the September 1, 2020, issue of JAMA, there were inaccuracies that resulted from a coding error. The errors, once corrected, affect the relative risks and 95% CIs for the associations reported in the tables. Working in direct patient care (but not intensive care) is now significant in bivariable but not multivariable analysis, and several demographic variables (including increasing age and non-White race or ethnicity) that were previously reported…

2020-12-10: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

PDF of December 10 issue
Workers World Party | workers.org | 2020-12-10
Download the 12-page PDF. Capitalist COVID catastrophe FIGHT or DIE! Message from Peltier; Reparations now! Justice for Breonna denied again; Disability rights; Workers demand justice; DEA surveillance; Editorial: New president — same wars; Commentary: Becoming a cadre; GLOBAL: China: global vaccines, science; India: worker & farmer uprising; Cuba; France; Palestine; Venezuela. . . . | Continue reading PDF of December 10 issue at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53165/?utm_source=rs…

Food Is the Pathway to Peace: World Food Programme Wins Nobel Peace Prize & Warns of Hunger Pandemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-12-10
The World Food Programme, the world's largest humanitarian organization dealing with hunger and food security, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, with its executive director David Beasley warning that the combination of conflict, climate crisis and COVID-19 could push 270 million people to the brink of starvation. In his acceptance speech, Beasley said, "Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use of hunger as a political and military weapon, and a global health pandemic that makes all of that exponentially worse, 270 million people are marching toward starvation. Failure to address their needs…
www.democracynow.org/2020/12/10/2020_nob…

Hunger Pandemic Will Surpass COVID Impact, Warns World Food Programme
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-10
The World Food Programme, the world's largest humanitarian organization dealing with hunger and food security, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, with its executive director David Beasley warning that the combination of conflict, climate crisis and COVID-19 could push 270 million people to the brink of starvation. In his acceptance speech, Beasley said, "Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use of hunger as a political and military weapon, and a global health pandemic that makes al…
truthout.org/video/hunger-pandemic-will-…

Tibetan Delek Children's Foundation: Helping Poor Kids in the Himalayan Mountains
Mike Kinney | indybay.org | 2020-12-10
Delek Children's Foundation helps with healthcare & education to the poor children in the isolated villages of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Indian in the Himalayan Mountains…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/12/10/1883887…

Non-communicable diseases killing more people than ever before: UN health agency
news.un.org | 2020-12-10
Non-communicable diseases account for 7 of the world's top 10 causes of death, a sharp increase from two decades ago, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, a new UN World Health Organization (WHO) study has found.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/12/1…

Tibetan Delek Children's Foundation
Mike Raccoon Eyes Kinney | indybay.org | 2020-12-10
Non Profit helps Tibetan children with health care & education…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/12/08/1883884…

2009 H1N1 Vaccine Caused Brain Damage in Children. Dr. Anthony Fauci on "Vaccine Safety" Issues
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-10
A lawsuit against the Trudeau Government for its handling of the COVID-19 Crisis has been launched. What is at stake is the violation of fundamental rights of Canadians. | "The mass and indiscriminate containment of citizens, the restriction of access to …
globalresearch.ca/video-dr-anthony-fauci-on-the-2009-h1n1pandemic-the-2009-h1n1-vaccine-caused-brain-damage-in-children/5711540

Thoughts on the Silence of Republican Lawmakers
Heather Cox Richardson | indybay.org | 2020-12-10
Coronavirus continues to devastate the country, with official deaths topping 281,000 today, but it turns out that the Trump administration did not actually have a plan for distribution of vaccines. Federal officials have drastically slashed the amount of vaccine they promised to states before the election. Instead of the 300 million doses, the plan is currently to distribute 35 to 40 million doses.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/12/10/1883889…

Canadian Health Ministry Exploring "Immunity Passports," Vaccine "Tracking and Surveillance"
Steve Watson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-10
The Health Minister of Ontario in Canada has stoked controversy by suggesting that people who do not take the coronavirus vaccine will face restrictions on where they can travel and spend time. | *** | When asked by reporters about how the …
globalresearch.ca/canadian-health-ministry-exploring-immunity-passports-vaccine-tracking-surveillance/5731823

Children's Health Defense (CHD): Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions to Pfizer COVID Vaccine
Lyn Redwood | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-10
In August, CHD asked regulators to investigate the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in COVID mRNA vaccines, which could have caused the severe allergic reactions reported this week by two of the first UK recipients of Pfizer's vaccine. | *** | Media …
globalresearch.ca/chd-responds-news-life-threatening-reaction-pfizer-covid-vaccine/5731793

A Nasty Shot in the Arm: RT-PCR Kits and Vaccines Unlicensed by the MHRA
John Goss | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-10
Aware of the forthcoming vaccine roll-out aimed, it is said, to protect against a disease (COVID-19) that reached its apex almost nine months ago, I emailed the MHRA (Medical and Healthcare Regulatory Authority) on 20 November 2020. My main concern …
globalresearch.ca/rt-pcr-kits-vaccines-unlicensed-mhra/5731837

Selected Articles: Net Worth of US Billionaires Has Soared by $1 Trillion Since Pandemic Began
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-10
2009 H1N1 Vaccine Caused Brain Damage in Children. Dr. Anthony Fauci on "Vaccine Safety" Issues | By Prof Michel Chossudovsky, December 10 2020 | A lawsuit against the Trudeau Government for its…
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-net-worth-of-us-billionaires-has-soared-by-1-trillion-since-pandemic-began/5731841

Saturday 12/12: Virtual Vigil Supporting Healthcare Workers & Abolishing Healthcare Profiteering
Put People First and partners | indybay.org | 2020-12-10