(2021-02-05). About Those Executive Orders… counterpunch.org 
A strange stasis now characterizes U.S. foreign affairs, while on the domestic front, Biden roars ahead. As of January 29, he had signed 42 executive orders. Not one addresses what the U.S. does abroad. True, Biden made the superb move of resuming negotiations over the START nuclear treaty with Russia, and he rejoined the Paris Accords and the World Health Organization. But otherwise, quiet blankets the foreign policy landscape.
(2021-02-05). Racism in Food Systems and the Vegan Community. dissidentvoice.org 
Racism is one of the major social justice issues of the modern era. It can be seen in all corners of the globe, and in virtually every industry, negatively impacting minority communities and overall public health. The global food system is no exception. As a niche dietary movement, veganism is particularly problematic, with various news …
(2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up
(2021-02-05). Exposure to misinformation could make people refuse a COVID-19 vaccine. imperial.ac.uk Exposure to online misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines could reduce vaccine uptake, threatening the goal of herd immunity.
(2021-02-05). Should People Who Want to Save the World from the Pandemic Be Demanding We Pay China to Produce Billions of Vaccine Doses? cepr.net I have written repeatedly on how we should have been looking for a collective solution to the pandemic, where countries open-source their research and allow anyone with manufacturing capacity to produce any treatment, test, or vaccine. (We pay upfront, like with Moderna, for those wondering why anyone would do the work.) Anyhow, we obviously did …
(2021-02-05). Vaccine heist? Florida man steals car with $10,000 worth of anti-Covid jabs, triggering nationwide alert. rt.com 
Police in Florida are on the lookout for a thief who made off with a car filled with dozens of vials of coronavirus vaccine worth some $10,000, posting a nationwide alert in their hunt for the suspect. | A vehicle stolen from the Strawberry Festival Grounds in Plant City, Florida — roughly 25 miles east of Tampa — on Wednesday contained 30 vials of the immunization, a local NBC affiliate The Plant City Police Department issued a statement on the incid…
(2021-02-05). Wisconsin governor reimposes Covid-19 mask mandate after Republican-led legislature votes to repeal it. rt.com 
Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin, a Democrat, issued a new statewide mask order an hour after the Republican-majority legislature voted to repeal his previous one saying he lacked the authority. | "If the legislature keeps playing politics and we don't keep wearing masks, we're going to see more preventable deaths, and it's going to take even longer to get our state and our economy back on track," Evers said on Thursday, announcing the order. | Since the beginning of this pandemic, I promised I would: | 1Ô∏è‚É£never play politics with your health | 2Ô∏è&sb…
(2021-02-05). The Super Bowl Ends the Most Toxic Season Ever. counterpunch.org 
Overwhelmed by the intertwined plagues of Covid-19 and Trumpism, sports didn't stand a chance in 2020. No wonder I'm weirded out by the strange, metaphorical moments of that last disastrous year and the first days of this one. To mention just three among so many: Dr. Anthony Fauci's errant pitch on opening day of the
(2021-02-05). Dispatch of millions of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa expected to start in February: WHO. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the joint UN-led COVAX initiative aims to start shipping about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa in February, in what will be the continent's largest ever mass vaccination campaign.
(2021-02-05). 'Turkey won't let FETàñ poison relations with Albania'. yenisafak.com By Fatjon Cuka, Furkan Abdula, and Talha OzturkBELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Turkey will do whatever needed to prevent the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ) from harming its relations with Albania, the visiting Turkish parliament speaker said on Thursday."The Fetullah Terrorist Organization has some presence in Albania as well, like as in several Balkan countries… The terrorist group carries out its covered goals [worldwide] under the guise of education and health institutions, associations, and media," Mustafa Sentop said, warning against the FETàñ threat in countries where it operates."I want to…
(2021-02-04). Biden's COVID Guy Says Doubling Face Diapers Could Increase Virus Spread. anti-empire.com 
An infectious disease expert says wearing two face masks may increase the chances of getting infected by COVID-19. | Michael Osterholm, who was a member of the Biden Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, gave a second opinion after Dr. "When we talk about double masking, remember what we're really talking about is just trying to prevent th…
(2021-02-04). What They Said About Lockdowns Before 2020. anti-empire.com 
In 2020, beliefs about how to handle a new virus shifted massively. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, mainstream epidemiology and public health entities doubted — or even rejected — the efficacy of lockdowns and mass quarantines because they were considered ineffective. This all changed in March 2020, when sentiment flipped in support of lockdown measures. Still, there is a vast body of evidence explaining their original stance and why these mandates do not work. |
(2021-02-04). Europe still wary of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as Dutch scientific advisers recommend limiting jab to under-65s. rt.com 
The Dutch Health Council has followed other medical regulators in limiting its approval of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to those aged under 65, as it issued a warning about the jab's efficacy due to limited data. | The regulator recommended on Thursday that the first available doses of the vaccine be given to people aged 60 to 65, as well as those with medical conditions which put them at greater risk of serious illness and death from the virus. | However, the council said the efficacy of the vaccine in people over 55 cannot be calculated due to the limited number of volunteers from that age group in phase…
(2021-02-04). Church of England launches investigation after clergyman calls fans of WWII hero Captain Tom a 'CULT OF WHITE BRITISH NATIONALISM'. rt.com 
The Church of England is investigating one of its clergymen after he posted a Twitter message smearing fans of WWII veteran Captain Tom Moore, who died this week of Covid-19, as being part of a "cult of white British nationalism." | The Rev. Jarel Robinson-Brown tweeted on Wednesday that he wouldn't be taking part in a national clap to honor Moore, who died at the age of 100 after raising nearly 33 million pounds for the National Health Service in a funds-raising walk. "The cult of Captain Tom is a cult of white British nationalism," Robinson-Brown said. "I will offer prayers for the repose of his kind and gen…
(2021-02-04). NACOSH unveils comprehensive job safety/health strengthening plan. peoplesworld.org 
HOUSTON—One year after the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, Marcos Vasquez, a 20-year day labor construction worker in Houston, still toils for employers who won't provide him an anti-viral mask. Or gloves. Or other personal protective equipment. "There's not enough social distancing," he adds. "The bathrooms" on worksites "are dirty and they lack water and …
(2021-02-04). In Push for Global Vaccine Equity, US AIDS Program PEPFAR Offers Blueprint. truthout.org 
As the U.S. COVID death toll tops 450,000, the Biden administration is attempting to ramp up its vaccination campaign to slow the spread of new coronavirus variants. Meanwhile, health experts warn any vaccination progress in the United States will be threatened without global vaccine equity. "We need to, as quickly as possible, expand access to the vaccines, both in this country, in the United States, as well as around the world," says Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of the ICAP at Columbia University…
(2021-02-04). "Viruses Know No Borders": In Push for Global Vaccine Equity, U.S. AIDS Program Offers Blueprint. democracynow.org 
As the U.S. COVID death toll tops 450,000, the Biden administration is attempting to ramp up its vaccination campaign to slow the spread of new coronavirus variants. Meanwhile, health experts warn any vaccination progress in the United States will be threatened without global vaccine equity. "We need to, as quickly as possible, expand access to the vaccines, both in this country, in the United States, as well as around the world," says Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of the ICAP at Columbia University and professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. She argues that the U.S.
(2021-02-04). Covering Up Workplace Covid-19. counterpunch.org 
The San Francisco Chronicle ran an excellent article on Sunday, January 31 about the failure of the California Public Health Department (CDPH) to abide by state law requiring the agency to disclose information about COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace, and about the failure of county public health departments, including San Francisco, to disclose information about
(2021-02-04). The So-Called Moderna Vaccine Is a Publicly Funded Miracle. counterpunch.org 
The so-called "Moderna" vaccine is a miracle of science. It is nearly 100 percent effective at preventing serious illness and death. By vaccinating the world, we can end the COVID-19 pandemic and save millions of lives. The only problem? We don't have nearly enough doses. But there's a solution: If the Biden administration allowed generic manufacturers, not
(2021-02-04). The Never Ending COVID Crisis. popularresistance.org It was in early 2020 that the word COVID-19 entered the lexicon. In the past year more than 440,000 people in the United States have died from this disease. The impact of shutdowns meant to end the spread of disease have cost millions of people their jobs, and businesses large and small no longer exist at all. COVID-19 has proven that the political system is devoted to the interests of the billionaire class and is therefore incapable of acting in the interests of the people. | The vaccines which hold some promise are distributed by the same for-profit entities that run what passes for a health care system in this…
(2021-02-04). The PCR Test does not Identify the Virus: Covid "False Positives" Used to Justify the Lockdown and Closure of the National Economy. globalresearch.ca We are led to believe that the corona epidemic has entered into a Second Wave, and that the virus is spreading relentlessly. That's a lie. | The PCR test used to estimate covid positive cases is flawed. There is no second …
(2021-02-04). COVAX Will Supply the First Batch of Vaccines for Africa. telesurenglish.net The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti announced that this continent will receive 90 million doses of COVID-19's vaccines this month. | RELATED: | The first batch will be delivered through the United Nations COVID-19 Vaccines mechanism (COVAX), which notified African countries that most of the doses were produced by AstraZeneca. | Moeti affirmed Africa has been marginaliz…
(2021-02-04). New York's COVID-19 nursing home deaths severely undercounted while Cuomo forced out public health officials. wsws.org Nursing home deaths in the state due to the pandemic have been drastically undercounted by nearly 50 percent.
(2021-02-04). Chile Launches Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign. telesurenglish.net Chile's Health Minister Enrique Paris Wednesday reported that over 140,000 people received the COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of the mass vaccination campaign. | RELATED: | Among those who received the first dose, there were 23,942 people over 90 years old, 66 percent of whom were women. | National Service for Minors' officials, health workers, and students in practice were also vaccinated. | From Feb. 8 to 1…
(2021-02-04). EU Open To Use of Approved COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said that COVID-19 vaccines from Russia and China could be approved for use in the European Union (EU) if their full information is submitted. | RELATED: | If Chinese producers "show all the data… then they could get… a conditional market authorization like the other ones," von der Leyen said. | One of the criteria for the EU contracts for vaccines…
(2021-02-04). Wednesday 2/3: Dicussion on Science of COVID Vaccines & Inequities Contributing to Vaccine Hesitancy. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-02-04). 'Right-Wing Media Attack Arauz to Halt His Victory' Expert Say. telesurenglish.net Argentine political scientist Atilio Boron on Wednesday denounced that the Latin American mainstream media is harassing Andres Arauz in an attempt to prevent his victory in the Ecuadorian presidential elections on February 7. | RELATED: | On Monday, for instance, the Buenos Aires outlet Clarin reported that the leftist candidate got the Sputnik V vaccine in Argentina last month. | "The information is based on uni…
(2021-02-04). 'What I Want For Me, I Want For You'. popularresistance.org The 1,400 workers at Hunts Point Market, the largest produce distribution market in the country, went on strike the night of Sunday, January 17. They walked out of the warehouse to win a better contract after risking their lives as essential workers since the beginning of the pandemic. | Management offered them a minimal $0.32 per hour raise. Their demands? Bring members who are making $18.75 an hour up to $20 an hour, give everyone else a $1 an hour raise, and maintain their healthcare coverage at no additional costs to the workers. This was the first time the union, Teamsters Local 202, went on strike since at…
(2021-02-04). The Digital Police State Is Being Institutionalized Throughout the Western World. thealtworld.com This report sounds like science fiction, but it comes from a credentialed source and is posted on a respected website. If correct, the only possible conclusion is that a police state is being institutionalized throughout the Western world and perhaps all of the world. If correct, the report certainly validates my conclusion that the digital revolution is the worst disaster ever to befall humanity, and it validates my conclusion that no Western government represents the people. PCR | Implanted "Vaccine Package" ID: Germany's Parliament Has Ratified GAVI's Digital "Agenda ID2020" | By Peter Koenig, Global Research…
(2021-02-04). American Healthcare System Failed Black Americans. popularresistance.org There are certain policy positions that are such a slam dunk that if someone does not support them, I can't take anything they say seriously, nor can I trust their judgement. Medicare for All is one of those polices. It is the most pro-black legislation in mainstream political discourse right now. Our black leaders, such as Jim Clyburn, teaming up with health insurance companies and Big Pharma, are why the state of healthcare in the African American community is so bleak, as I laid out in my previous article | Liberals, for good reason, hold social wedge issues as their primary litmus test. Can you imagine a stan…
(2021-02-04). The Failings Of Unemployment Insurance Are By Design. popularresistance.org Our unemployment insurance system has failed the country at a moment of great need. With tens of millions of workers struggling just to pay rent and buy food, Congress was forced to pass two emergency spending bills, providing one-time stimulus payments, special weekly unemployment insurance payments, and temporary unemployment benefits to those not covered by the system. And, because of their limited short-term nature, President Biden must now advocate for a third. | The system's shortcomings have been obvious for some time, but little effort has been made to improve it. In fact, those shortcomings were baked in…
(2021-02-04). Iranian press review: Health officials reject Russia's Covid-19 vaccine. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Health officials reject Russia's Covid-19 vaccine | Meanwhile, Tehran hosts Taliban to talk about US-brokered Afghan peace deal, and the Islamic Republic is said to be eying the Caucasus to bypass US sanctions | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 11: 22 | A woman receives an injection during the first trial phase of a locally-made vaccine for Covid-19 in Iran's capital Tehran on 29…
(2021-02-04). Headlines for February 4, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Director Warns Coronavirus Variants Could Reverse Drop in Caseload, Education Secretary Nominee Favors Return to In-Person Classes, Supports Trans Athletes, Senate Agrees to Power-Sharing Deal That Leaves Democrats in Control of Committees, Republican Leader Won't Punish Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over Racist and Violent Rhetoric, 100s of Congressional Aides Call on Senate to Convict Trump and Bar Him from Holding Office, Canada Designates Proud Boys as a Terrorist Group, Prosecutors Seek Rearrest of Kyle Rittenhouse, Wisconsin Teen Charged with Killing 2 Protesters, Tigray Opposition Say 52,000+ Killed in C…
(2021-02-04). [Commentary] Is ivermectin ready to be part of a public health policy for COVID-19 prophylaxis? thelancet.com The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a worldwide time trial in search for therapeutic alternatives that would be effective, safe, and accessible. The despair of front-line physicians in the face of the increment in mortality led to the empirical use of various therapies in a sort of "war medicine." Most of the studies evaluating the efficacy of multiple therapeutic options have been carried out mainly in hospitalized patients with severe or critical illness. Most treatments have proved to be ineffective or partially effective at these stages.
(2021-02-04). New Poll Finds More Vaccine Skeptics in France Than in Other Nations. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – France has the largest share of people opposed to COVID-19 vaccination, followed by the United States and Germany, a fresh poll by global social research company Kantar Public has found.
(2021-02-04). New York restaurants eagerly await arrival of Covid-19 vaccines. laprensalatina.com New York, USA, Feb 4 (efe-epa).- New York's bars and restaurants — once the beating heart of the Big Apple but which have been shut because of the pandemic — are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines after mayor Bill de Blasio announced that their workers are now eligible to be vaccinated. On a …
(2021-02-04). Turkish health minister pens editorial for UN body. yenisafak.com Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and James Campbell, director of the health workforce for the World Health Organization, penned an editorial on the challenges frontline workers face amid the pandemic.According to the editorial, Financing and Protection for the Health and Care Workforce, across the world there was a shortage of 18 million employees in the health sector, mostly in low and lower-middle income countries.Although health care employees were quick to respond to the outbreak, they faced many difficulties such as "accelerated rates of infection and deaths, lack of adequate personal protective equipm…
(2021-02-04). Two S. Africa, one Brazil variant detected in Turkey. yenisafak.com Two Turkish citizens have contracted the South African variant of the coronavirus while one has contracted the Brazilian variant, the country's health minister said Wednesday.Moreover, 196 cases of the UK virus strain have been detected in the country, Fahrettin Koca said.The patients have been isolated, he added.In the wake of rising cases once again, the measures against the pandemic will continue full throttle, he said.The vaccination of citizens over 65 and the second group will commence after safety tests are completed, Koca said.So far, 2.4 million people in the country have been vaccinated with vaccination…
(2021-02-04). US initial jobless claims beat expectation. yenisafak.com Analysts expected 830,000 for the week ending Jan. 30, while the previous week's number was revised down by 35,000 from 847,000 to 812,000.Despite the fall in claims, there are still more than 10 million jobless Americans since the coronavirus pandemic-hit US economy shed 22 million jobs in March and April.Private American companies, on the other hand, added 174,000 jobs in January, as private payrolls recovered from a 123,000 fall in December when they marked the first monthly decline since April.Services sectors added 156,000 jobs last month, with health care leading the way with 48,000, according to ADP Resear…
(2021-02-04). Bernie Sanders Says Biden Decision on Yemen a Tribute to 'So Many Activists Over the Years'. commondreams.org "Yemen needs food, medicine, and healthcare—not bombs and blockades," said Sanders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-02-04). Sturgeon: over-simplistic to argue Brexit benefit for coronavirus vaccines. thecanary.co Nicola Sturgeon has labelled arguments that Brexit has brought a benefit to the UK procuring more coronavirus vaccines as "over-simplistic". | Brexit: | During an interview on Good Morning Britain, Scotland's first minister was asked about comments made by SNP MP Dr Philippa Whitford last July when she said the UK Government should be working with EU partners to find a vaccine. Interviewer Susanna Reid suggested the UK now managing to get vaccines because it is not part of the EU vaccination programme "must be one of the most powerful arguments for Brexit". | The SNP leader replied: I think there's a bigge…
(2021-02-04). [Research Paper] Outcome trends in people with heart failure, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in the UK over twenty years. thelancet.com In a cohort of people with new onset HF, hospitalisations and deaths are high in patients with T2D or CKD, and worst in those with both comorbidities. Whilst outcomes have improved over time for patients with HF and comorbid T2D, similar trends were not seen in those with comorbid CKD. Strategies to prevent and manage CKD in people with HF are urgently needed.
(2021-02-04). Entry of Russian Sputnik V into Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 04 (MNA) — The first batch of the Russian V vaccine to immunize against the coronavirus arrived at Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport on Thursday.
(2021-02-04). Children in crisis don't need a celebrity ambassador, they need a fully funded mental health service. thecanary.co In response to Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, Boris Johnson
(2021-02-04). In A Six-Day Strike, Bronx Produce Workers Inspired New York. popularresistance.org New York City – Drivers and warehouse workers who feed New York City have won their strike. After six days off the job, the strikers at Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx ratified a contract that doubled management's wage offer and defeated a health care cost increase. | The 1,400 workers at the world's largest wholesale produce market, members of Teamsters Local 202, are responsible for packing and delivering 60 percent of the fruits and vegetables that go to restaurants and grocery stores in New York City. | The unit is comprised of 14 different companies that bargain a contract together. Before the strike…
(2021-02-04). Vaccination of Palestinians To Begin with Russia's Sputnik V. telesurenglish.net This batch consists of 10,000 doses of the prophylactic preparation and should arrive this Thursday, said the expert, who said that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) also purchased two million doses of other formulations, which will be enough to vaccinate one million citizens. | The vaccines will arrive here between February 14 and 20, said Alkaila, quoted by the Wafa news agency. | RELATED: | The health minister said that the P…
(2021-02-04). Georgia to allow in Turkish nationals without vaccines. yenisafak.com Georgia on Wednesday added Turkey to its list of countries whose unvaccinated nationals would be allowed into the country with just a negative novel coronavirus test result.Natia Turnava, the country's minister of economy and sustainable development, said that Turkish nationals with a negative PCR test result would not need a vaccine report to be allowed to travel to Georgia.Turnava said that with the decision, international flights would increase and bring more tourists to the country, adding that this would have positive effects on the markets.The Georgian government decided on Jan. 29 that only citizens of EU…
(2021-02-04). Ethiopia plans to vaccinate 20% population in 2021. yenisafak.com Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Muluken Yohannes, a senior adviser to the Health Ministry, said a national coordinating committee and a task force have been set up for the purpose to ensure vaccination.Further, the country is actively engaged in a unique global alliance representing more than two-thirds of the world, to ensure that developing nations get vaccines equitably in terms both of access and cost.The alliance includes the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Gates Foundation, and 191 countries to…
(2021-02-04). 'Voices of resistance, resilience and courage' — UN News podcast bears witness to lives beyond the Holocaust. news.un.org Before Vered Kater‚ÄØbecame a dedicated health worker, traveling to developing countries to administer aid to the needy,‚ÄØshe spent her early years in hiding — from the Nazis.
(2021-02-04). Getting Lazy in Discussing Winning in the Stock Market. cepr.net Neil Irwin had an interesting piece reporting on returns to investors who just held stock index funds over long periods of time. The point of the piece is that people who just held an index, rather than trying to speculate on individual stocks, have seen very healthy returns over the last three decades. While the …