(2021-03-11). Kroger closes grocery stores to avoid COVID hazard pay for workers. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—One of the most profitable corporations in the United States is threatening grocery workers' jobs in response to a new coronavirus-era hazard pay requirement. Reacting to a near-unanimous vote by the Los Angeles City Council requiring large grocery and drug chains to offer their front-line essential workers an additional $5 per hour for the …
(2021-03-11). Covid-19: US, UK and EU's excess vaccines enough for 20 crisis-stricken countries. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: US, UK and EU's excess vaccines enough for 20 crisis-stricken countries | As many as 46 million people aged over 60 in these countries unlikely to be vaccinated this year, a new IRC report says | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 16: 31 | Israel has been accused of "vaccine apartheid" in the occupied Palestinian territories (AFP) | The number of excess Covid-19 vaccines secured by the United States, the United Kingd…
(2021-03-11). Turkey to start human trials on 5 more vaccine candidates. yenisafak.com Turkey will start human trials on five more local vaccine candidates soon and will use its own vaccine in the near future, said the health minister on Thursday.Fahrettin Koca speaking at a press conference said that COVID-19 will not become an ordinary disease like the flu any time soon, but in 2021 it will no longer be a nightmare for health workers.Koca said that once the vaccination program is completed, new cases will be reduced to one-fifth and there will barely be patients in critical condition.He said that Turkey is among the fastest nations in procuring vaccine supplies with a 50-million-dose agreement wi…
(2021-03-11). Germany experiencing 3rd wave of COVID-19, says top expert. yenisafak.com Germany is now experiencing a third wave of coronavirus infections, the country's top infectious diseases expert warned on Thursday.Professor Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said there are many indications that a third wave of the pandemic has started in the country."I am very worried," he told a group of international reporters, stressing that the number of cases with more contagious variants is on the rise.The ongoing vaccination campaign is a race against a changing and mutating virus, he said.Germany on Thursday reported its highest daily tally of COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks,…
(2021-03-11). 'Oxford vaccine not responsible for blood clot in Denmark'. yenisafak.com The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Thursday responded to measures taken by the Danish government in halting the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine following the discovery of a blood clot in an individual.Dr. Phil Bryan, the agency's vaccines safety lead, said the action undertaken by Danish authorities was a precautionary measure, while it has not been confirmed with current evidence that the blood clot was a result of the Oxford vaccine."Blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon. More than 11 million doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine have now been admin…
(2021-03-11). EU medicine regulator okays Johnson & Johnson virus jab. yenisafak.com The European Medicine Agency (EMA) on Thursday recommended granting a conditional marketing authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson Johnson.The vaccine developed by pharmaceutical Janssen, owned by the US' Johnson Johnson, is the first COVID-19 vaccine that can be used as a single dose."With this latest positive opinion, authorities across the European Union will have another option to combat the pandemic and protect the lives and health of their citizens," said Emer Cooke, the agency's executive director, in a statement.The vaccine is the fourth vaccine recommended by the agency to combat COV…
(2021-03-11). EU, UK in row over COVID-19 vaccines. yenisafak.com In an interview with Politico on Wednesday, Michel said the EU exports too many doses while accusing the UK of imposing an "outright ban" on the export of vaccines produced in the country."I know because I am a politician, that there are different ways to impose a ban or to impose restrictions on vaccines and/or on medicines, because on medicines there is a clear ban. But the question is the following: how many doses did they export? This is a very simple question, and since yesterday I haven't heard the answer to this very simple question," he said.In a written statement Tuesday, Michel denied the accusations of…
(2021-03-11). Denmark suspends AstraZeneca rollout after blood clot reports. laprensalatina.com Copenhagen, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- Denmark has temporarily halted the use of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca to probe whether it could be linked to several cases of blood clots reported among vaccinated people. The Danish health authority said the decision came after reports of severe blood clots in people after they had taken the …
(2021-03-11). Conspiracy theories fuel Covid-19 vaccine mistrust in Pakistan. laprensalatina.com Islamabad, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- A month after the Covid-19 vaccination drive began in Pakistan, only half of the targeted health workers have received the jab so far, partly due to mistrust fueled by conspiracy theories. The situation is reminiscent of the suspicion about vaccines against polio that is still prevalent in Pakistan because people have …
(2021-03-11). WHO: ignored warnings facilitated spread of Covid-19. laprensalatina.com By Isabel Saco Geneva, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- It is a year since the World Health Organization first formally described the Covid-19 health emergency as a pandemic, but it had already sounded the highest level of alarm weeks earlier, on 30 January. The WHO's early warnings often went ignored, a factor that allowed the new coronavirus …
(2021-03-11). EU approves Johnson & Johnson single dose Covid-19 vaccine. laprensalatina.com Brussels, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- The European Commission on Thursday authorized the use of the single-shot Covid-19 vaccine from Janssen, the European affiliate of American company Johnson & Johnson. The decision followed a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: "More safe and effective vaccines are coming to the market. …
(2021-03-11). Left out of Dominican vaccine plan, Haitians face new form of discrimination. laprensalatina.com By Maria Montecelos Santo Domingo, Mar 11 (efe-epa) .- Born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian parents, Anairis is on the verge of giving birth to her third daughter. But under the terms of the Dominican government's immunization plan, neither she nor her children will receive the Covid-19 vaccine due to a lack identity documents. …
(2021-03-11). India's vaccine outreach: 58 million doses to 70 countries in 50 days. laprensalatina.com New Delhi, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- India sent more than 58 million doses of Covid-19 jabs to nearly 70 countries as part of its vaccine diplomacy initiative launched 50 days ago to extend its global influence and keep the flock of its allies together. The ambitious diplomacy campaign, dubbed "Vaccine Maitri" (the vaccine friendship) as part …
(2021-03-11). Several countries suspend AstraZeneca rollout after Danish blood clot reports. laprensalatina.com (Update: adds info on Norway and Italy) Copenhagen, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- Denmark has temporarily halted the use of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca to probe whether it could be linked to several cases of blood clots reported among vaccinated people. Norway and Italy have also suspended the rollout of the vaccine, developed by the …
(2021-03-11). U.S. & Other Wealthy Nations Block Effort to Waive Vaccine Patent Rights in Blow to Global South. democracynow.org 
The United States and other wealthy members of the World Trade Organization have blocked a push by dozens of developing countries to waive patent rights in an effort to boost production of COVID-19 vaccines for poor nations. The proposal by South Africa and India was supported by hundreds of civil society organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and Amnesty International. Without the waiver, vaccine production will remain in the hands of only a few pharmaceutical companies. "Millions of us are basically going to have to wait for a vaccine, putting global immunity, as well as regional immunity, part…
(2021-03-11). Denmark Suspends Use of AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine. "Serious Cases of Blood Clots" globalresearch.ca The Danish Health Authority on Thursday
(2021-03-11). Video: Doctors and Scientists Write to European Medicines Agency (EMA) Warning of COVID-19 Vaccine Dangers. globalresearch.ca A group of scientists and doctors has today issued an open …
(2021-03-11). Urgent Open Letter from Doctors and Scientists to the European Medicines Agency regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Concerns. globalresearch.ca
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(2021-03-11). Doctors and Scientists Write to European Medicines Agency (EMA) Warning of COVID-19 Vaccine Dangers. globalresearch.ca A group of scientists and doctors has today issued an open …
(2021-03-11). Vaccines: Patents or life! peoplesdispatch.org Patents on vaccines and on new technologies against COVID-19 are the ball and chain in the race out of the global pandemic tunnel. Our lives are worth more than the profits of big pharmaceutical companies.
(2021-03-11). Demand for waving patent rights to produce COVID-19 vaccines gains momentum. peoplesdispatch.org WTO's TRIPS agreements have limited the production of COVID-19 vaccines leading to unequal access globally where some rich countries have amassed more than required doses and majority of poor countries have received none or inadequate number of doses…
(2021-03-11). mRNA Vaccine Technology is "Hacking the Software of Life". Modifies the Human Genome. globalresearch.ca Since seasonal flu was renamed covid early last year, the largest-scale, …
(2021-03-11). 'Some light at the end of the tunnel' as pandemic turns one – Guterres. news.un.org After 12 months where the world has faced "a tsunami of suffering", the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines represents "some light at the end of the tunnel" said the UN chief on Thursday, marking the anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO) issuing its pandemic alert.
(2021-03-11). GOP senator ridiculed for taking credit for provision of Covid-19 relief bill he did NOT vote for, says he's 'entirely consistent'. rt.com 
Republican Senator Roger Wicker has taken heat online after he took credit for championing direct aid to the restaurant industry. The problem is, the assistance is included in a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 package that he opposed. | Wicker has been accused of trying to score political points on the back of the mammoth Covid-19 relief package passed by Congress on Wednesday after a drawn-out debate. The House voted predominantly along party lines, with Democratic Representative Jared Golden of Maine siding with all 210 Republicans to oppose the bill. | Shortly after the legislation was approved, Wicker extolled the…
(2021-03-11). Michigan health department hit with lawsuit over its refusal to share nursing home data amid comparisons to Cuomo's cover-up. rt.com 
A local reporter is suing Michigan's health department after it denied repeat requests for its nursing home data amid the Covid-19 outbreak, piling pressure on the government as lawmakers demand a probe into its pandemic response. | Journalist Charlie LeDuff launched a "Not only does…
(2021-03-11). 'The dysfunction goes up to Cuomo': Whistleblower says NY gov's order created Covid deathtraps at disabled group homes. rt.com 
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing even more scrutiny as reports reveal group homes for developmentally disabled individuals were ordered by the state to accept positive Covid-19 patients, possibly leading to thousands of cases. | Of the nearly 35,000 people living in New York's group homes for disabled individuals, 552 have died from Covid-19 since last year and over 6,000 residents and workers have been infected with the virus, according to the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). | Many are now pointing to an April 10 directive from the Cuomo administration, which is s…
(2021-03-11). Covid has left Americans stressed, drinking more, sleeping less, and struggling with weight issues, psychologists say. rt.com 
A year of living through Covid has left many Americans drinking more, struggling with their weight and sleeping less — and parents, key workers, the young, and people of color are feeling the stress more. | The findings are detailed in a survey released on Thursday by the American Psychological Association (APA), which finds that Americans have been through a collective trauma that will adversely affect their physical and mental health for years to come. | The APA reported that 61% of Americans have experienced undesired changes in their weight since the pandemic started, gaining more than 13kg on averag…
(2021-03-11). Headlines for March 11, 2021. democracynow.org House Democrats Give Final Approval to $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill , 2.6 Million Have Died of COVID-19 Since World Health Organization Declared Pandemic a Year Ago, Studies Find Coronavirus Variant First Observed in U.K. Is More Deadly and More Transmissible, Dr. Fauci Says U.S. Could Reach Herd Immunity by Fall; TX Threatens to Sue Austin over Mask Mandate, Amnesty International, U.N. Security Council Condemn Deadly Crackdown on Burmese Protests, U.N. Urges World Not to Forget 10-Year War in Syria, a "Living Nightmare", Ex-Brazilian President Lula Attacks Bolsonaro's Pandemic Response: "This Country Ha…
(2021-03-11). Israel's Netanyahu 'cancels trip to UAE'. middleeasteye.net 
Israel's Netanyahu 'cancels trip to UAE' | Local media say Israeli prime minister will not now fly to Abu Dhabi on Thursday | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 09: 11 | Benjamin Netanyahu adjusts his mask during a news conference (Reuters) | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled his Thursday trip to Abu Dhabi, local media reported, with his wife's health and Jordanian concerns said to have got in the way.
(2021-03-11). Erdogan says Turkey made history in health over past year. yenisafak.com
(2021-03-11). South Korea's healthcare exports hit record high in 2020. yenisafak.com Amid the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea's healthcare and cosmetics exports grew by a record 38% in 2020, local media reported on Thursday.Exports of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical devices stood at $21.7 billion last year, a 38.3% rise from 2019, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing latest data from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.Medicine exports increased 62.6% to hit $8.43 billion, while exports of medical devices reached $5.7 billion with a 44% increase.Germany was the largest market for South Korean medicines, followed by the US and Japan, the report said.Cosmetics exports climbed 1…
(2021-03-11). Rethinking Employment in the Biden-Harris Era. counterpunch.org 
A year ago, just a few weeks before San Francisco locked itself down for the pandemic, I fell deeply in love with a 50-year-old. The object of my desire was a wooden floor loom in the window of my local thrift shop. Friends knowledgeable on such matters examined photos I took of it and assured
(2021-03-11). Frist Family Leads Pandemic Profiteer Parade in Health Sector. counterpunch.org 
Not everyone is suffering during the pandemic. The Frist family of Tennessee are the founders and biggest shareholders of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the largest for-profit hospital conglomerate in the U.S. Thomas F. Frist Jr. and his family have seen their personal wealth increase from $7.5 billion on March 18, 2020 to $15.6 billion
(2021-03-11). Putin says struggle for vaccine market is going on. yenisafak.com Producers are struggling for the global vaccine market worth $100 billion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.Some producers compete unfairly, sell a small batch of vaccines at a lower price on the condition to be an exclusive supplier, Putin said, speaking at a video meeting on measures to boost investment activity in Moscow."We see how competitors behave in the global vaccine market worth $100 billion. They come, sell a small batch of their vaccine at a discount, on the condition that everything else will be purchased only from this producer," he said.He also said the pandemic has greatly affecte…
(2021-03-11). 'We need a people's vaccine, not a profit vaccine': Sanders urges Biden to support push to suspend pharma patents. nationofchange.org "Ending this pandemic requires collaboration, solidarity, and empathy. It requires a very different mindset—a mindset that puts people over profits at every turn."
(2021-03-11). South Korea approves Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for over-65s. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- South Korea announced Thursday the approval of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 years of age. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), which announced the decision at a press conference, had initially excluded this age group pending further data on its efficacy for the elderly. The decision …
(2021-03-11). More Countries Adopt Vaccine Passports to 'Boost Tourism'. globalresearch.ca Airlines in the US are already in the process of leveraging …
(2021-03-11). 39-Year-Old Woman Dies 4 Days After Second Moderna Vaccine, Autopsy Ordered. globalresearch.ca A 39-year-old woman from Ogden, Utah, died Feb. 5, four days …
(2021-03-11). Despite Immigration Pledges, Biden Admin Detains Thousands of Unaccompanied Migrant Children. democracynow.org 
The Biden administration is struggling to address the flow of migrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents, many fleeing extreme violence, poverty and natural disasters in their home countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. News reports show more than 3,500 children were detained at the border in just the first nine days of March, with many being held longer than the legal limit of 72 hours. "We can call it a crisis. We can call it a surge," says Aura Bogado, senior investigative reporter at Reveal. "What we shouldn't call it is a surprise."
(2021-03-11). NUMSA demands the immediate release of American political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. indybay.org Mumia Abu-Jamal now has congestive heart disease, organ failure of the skin, and COVID 19 breathing difficulties. With Mumia's life at stake, people from all around the world are speaking out and calling for Mumia's immediate release.
(2021-03-11). Cleared of Corruption Charges, Will Lula Challenge Bolsonaro in Brazil's 2022 Presidential Race? democracynow.org 
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been cleared to run for office again after a judge annulled all convictions against him. Three years ago, Lula, a former union leader who served as president from 2003 to 2010, had been considered a favorite in the lead-up to the 2018 presidential election until he was jailed and forced out of the race on what many said were trumped-up corruption charges. Lula's jailing helped pave the way for the election of the far-right former military officer Jair Bolsonaro and constitutes "the biggest judicial scandal on Earth," says Valeska Martins, one of Lula's lead…
(2021-03-11). Israel's arrest of Palestinian children picking vegetables sparks outrage. middleeasteye.net 
Israel's arrest of Palestinian children picking vegetables sparks outrage | 'As a Palestinian father, this is one of your worst nightmares', father of two of five boys arrested in southern Hebron hills tells MEE | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 12: 03 | B'Tselem says Israeli forces arrested five Palestinian children in the West Bank on Wednesday (B'Tselem/Twitter) | A video of armed Israeli soldiers arrestin…
(2021-03-11). Palestinian elections: Fatah sacks prominent leader amid chaos in its rank. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinian elections: Fatah sacks prominent leader amid chaos in its rank | Nasser al-Qudwa has refused to run on a single election list that represents all Fatah candidates, seeking to form a new party | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 13: 55 | Nasser al-Qudwa addresses a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 23 January 2019 (AFP) | The Palestinian movement Fatah has sacked one of its most prominent leaders,…
(2021-03-11). Top Pentagon commander requests astronomical sum of money to prepare for war with China. mronline.org 
A new U.S. war with China would threaten the world with unthinkable destruction. The danger of such a war cannot be ignored, it must be resisted.
(2021-03-11). Lula's right to run for president of Brazil restored in major victory for people's movement. liberationnews.org 
This week's legal breakthrough is a major step in wresting the country from the grips of Brazil's right wing elites.
(2021-03-11). African-American playwright August Wilson honored on 'forever' stamp. peoplesworld.org 
The 44th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors playwright August Wilson (April 27, 1945-October 2, 2005), the "the theater's poet of Black America," who brought fresh perspectives and previously unheard voices to the American stage. The stamp features an oil painting of Wilson based on a 2005 photograph. Behind Wilson, a picket fence alludes …
(2021-03-11). Neoliberalism's in trouble: A Marxist look at the American Rescue Act. peoplesworld.org 
After more than 40 years of dominating our economic and political life, the extreme free market capitalist ideology of neoliberalism is starting to show some serious cracks. "Trickle down" policies that have for decades shoveled money toward the top at the expense of the bottom are breaking down and giving way to a new willingness …
(2021-03-11). Hunger strike against General Iron ends with protests outside Chicago mayor's home. liberationnews.org 
General Iron currently operates in an affluent Northside neighborhood but has requested a permit from the city of Chicago to move their operations to a predominantly Latino neighborhood on the Southeast Side of Chicago.
(2021-03-11). Wits University protest: 'There was no threat to shoot'. peoplesdispatch.org 
The killing of Mthokozisi Ntumba by the South African Police Services (SAPS) marred the protest at the University of the Witwatersrand over financial exclusion. Ntumba, who wasn't part of the march, was killed when police shot without warning in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. It is unclear at this point whether they used live rounds or rubber bullets. | Minutes before he was killed, Ntumba had seen his doctor, Tebogo Sedibe, at the Myclinic Jorissen Medical Centre in Braamfontein. Sedibe, who was seeing another patient, did not witness the shooting but heard gunshots. "My assistant came through to ask me to help out…
(2021-03-11). NATO video talks 'diversity, respect, embrace' but critics see through the wash job. mronline.org 
MR Online