2021-12-19: News Headlines

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Trump: China Should Pay Trillions of Dollars for COVID Damages. telesurenglish.net Donald Trump, former U.S. President, claimed once again that China is responsible for the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. He calls for China to pay 60 trillion dollars for the damage caused by the epidemic worldwide. | RELATED: | "China has to pay, they have to pay reparations, and China does not have the money to pay those reparations," Trump declared during an interview with Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartir…

Global Research (2021-12-19). The Omicron Fraud Used to Justify the "Christmas Covid Lockdown" globalresearch.ca The alleged spread of the "deadly" Omicron variant has now become the pretext and justification for implementing partial lockdowns, restrictions on travel as well as confinement and stay at home mandates. | Anthony Fauci is leading the disinformation campaign, intimating that …

Global Research (2021-12-19). Bombshell Document Dump on Pfizer Vaccine Data. globalresearch.ca What is contained in Pfizer's confidential report is detailed evidence on the impacts of the "vaccine" on mortality and morbidity. This data which emanates from the Horse's Mouth can be used to confront as well formulate legal procedures against Big Pharma, the governments, the WHO and the media.

Erika Hidalgo (2021-12-19). Ajmal Amani, another veteran killed by SFPD. liberationnews.org On Nov. 19 the San Francisco Police Department shot and killed 41 year-old Ajmal Amani as he suffered a severe mental health crisis. The brief but deadly interaction with Amani included multiple moments of police simply shouting at Amani while using the wrong name.

Newsroom (2021-12-19). HIPAA Violations: 6 Tips for Preventing Them. moderndiplomacy.eu The US healthcare industry is unfortunately not immune to HIPAA violations. In 2020 there have already been 421 reported violations, and several investigations are still ongoing. The COVID-19 pandemic challenges healthcare professionals in unprecedented ways, which is why additional discretions were introduced in March. There have been over 20 million recorded instances of health information …

Newsroom (2021-12-19). WHO lists 9th COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. moderndiplomacy.eu The World Health Organization (WHO) approved on Friday the Covovax vaccine for emergency use listing (EUL), elevating to nine the number of immunizations approved to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccine is produced by the Serum Institute of India, under licence from Novavax, and will now be part of the COVAX facility portfolio, boosting efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries. WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr. Mariângela Simà£o, said that "even …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-12-19). Forbidden Parties: Boris Johnson's Law on Illegal Covid Gatherings. dissidentvoice.org It was meant to be time to reflect. The eager arms of a new pandemic were enfolding a society with asphyxiating, lethal effect. Public health authorities advocated various measures: social distancing, limited contact between family and friends, limited mobility. No grand booze-ups. No large parties. No bonking, except within dispensations of intimacy and various "bubble" …

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Israel Denies Freedom to Palestinian Prisoner on Hunger Strike. telesurenglish.net On Sunday, the Palestinian Society of Prisoners (SPP) informed that an Israeli court rejected a request to release Hisham Abu Hawash, a Palestinian prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for 125 days demanding an end to his administrative detention. | RELATED: | The Israeli court rejected the request to transfer Hawash to a hospital after the serious deterioration of his health as a result of the hunger strike.

Newsroom (2021-12-19). International Youth Forum "BRICS Plus" moderndiplomacy.eu The International Youth Forum "BRICS PLUS" was held in the online format on 14-15 December 2021. Due to some COVID-19 restrictions it was decided to hold the first part of the forum online and the second part of it will be held offline in 2022. More than 200 youth leaders, public organizations, scientists, entrepreneurs and …

Thomas Klikauer (2021-12-19). Covid-19, Hospitals & The Curse of Capitalism. zcomm.org The idea that sickness must be profitable reaches deep into the ideological heart of neoliberalism…

Sarah Kleiner (2021-12-19). Only a Quarter of the $9 Billion HUD Got to Combat COVID Impacts Has Been Spent. truthout.org This Tucked in the massive pandemic relief act in March 2020 was about $9 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to divvy up between cities and states for housing-related coronavirus…

Sharmila Devi (2021-12-18). [World Report] Russia—Ukraine tensions hampering health-care access. thelancet.com Humanitarian groups warn that medical care for civilians is being jeopardised amid a military standoff. Sharmila Devi reports…

_____ (2021-12-18). Rising Food Prices Could Spark Famine, War, And Revolution In 2022. popularresistance.org Washington — Already dealing with the economic fallout from a protracted pandemic, the rapidly rising prices of food and other key commodities have many fearing that unprecedented political and social instability could be just around the corner next year. | With the clock ticking on student loan and rent debts, the price of a standard cart of food has jumped 6.4% in the past 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the cost of eating out in a restaurant similarly spiking, by 5.8% since November 2020. | The most notable change has been in the price of meat, with beef costing 26.2% more th…

WSWS (2021-12-18). Australian governments ramp up "reopening drive" amid record COVID-19 infections. wsws.org As Labor and Coalition governments alike scrap public health measures, to satisfy the demands of the corporate elite, there are signs of mounting public concern and hostility.

Victoria Hall, Susan Hopkins (2021-12-18). [Comment] COV-BOOST: evidence to support rapid booster deployment. thelancet.com With accruing evidence that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes over time,1—4 and the recent emergence of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant,5 some countries are rapidly deploying vaccine boosters.6 In the UK, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched in December, 2020, and began with prioritised population groups, including people most likely to be at higher risk for severe outcomes or those providing health services or care for these individuals. With emerging evidence from Israel and the UK of vaccine waning, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in September, 2021, recommende…

Jyotsna Singh (2021-12-18). The many faces of travel bans. peoplesdispatch.org After the discovery of omicron, several rich countries blocked air traffic to southern Africa, stalling the delivery of supplies needed for the pandemic response and showing their racist bias towards the Global South…

WSWS (2021-12-18). Democrats allow child tax credit to lapse as Omicron surges. wsws.org The elimination of the last social support measures implemented during the pandemic threaten destitution to working class families facing dislocation as a new, deadly wave of the virus gathers force.

Deborah Fuller (2021-12-18). Five ways to adjust mRNA vaccines for Omicron. asiatimes.com If the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is different enough from the original variant, it's possible that existing vaccines won't be as effective as they have been. If so, it's likely that companies will need to update their vaccines to better fight omicron. Deborah Fuller is a microbiologist who has been studying mRNA and DNA …

WSWS (2021-12-18). Close schools and nonessential businesses! Workers must act to stop Omicron! wsws.org In just two weeks, all of the lies of the government and media have been exposed. Omicron is not "mild," and it is not "manageable." The irresponsible policies being carried out today will result in a wave of deaths in January and beyond.

_____ (2021-12-18). How Did England End Up in This Unprepared Omicron Mess? strategic-culture.org By Caroline MOLLOY | As England stumbles towards the end of the year, confused about whether to socialise, and worried the predicted explosion of infections from already record levels could mean another Christmas isolated from friends and family — how on earth did we get here? | Earlier this year Boris Johnson was riding high on a 'vaccine bounce', with the UK boasting of the most successful immunisation programme in the world. | But the risks were clear. For months, we've known that vaccine immunity from two doses is unlikely to last very long. And we've known that new variants could well challenge that fu…

WSWS (2021-12-18). Scientists warn Canada's health care system could collapse within weeks as Omicron infections explode in Ontario and Quebec. wsws.org Amid dire warnings of a surging toll of mass infection and death over the coming weeks and months, Canada's official pandemic death toll surpassed the horrendous figure of 30,000 Thursday.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-18). The "Killer Vaccine" Worldwide. 7.9 Billion People. globalresearch.ca The stated objective is to enforce the Worldwide vaccination of 7.9 billion people in more than 190 countries, to be followed by the imposition of a digitized "vaccine passport". The evidence of mortality and morbidity resulting from the vaccine is overwhelming. Needless to say this is a multi-billion dollar operation for Big Pharma.

Emily Mangiaracina (2021-12-18). Big Pharma, Gates, Fauci, UK Officials Accused of Crimes against Humanity in Complaint to International court. globalresearch.ca Activists are charging UK officials and the world's most powerful health figures with genocide, citing a range of statistics on the effects of COVID "vaccines" and policies. | . |

| A group that includes former Pfizer vice president Dr. Michael Yeadon

WSWS (2021-12-18). Retail chain pharmacy staff to stage walkout over unsafe working conditions, low pay. wsws.org Thousands of CVS and other retail pharmacy staff organize to protest abhorrent working conditions and chronic understaffing.

Habib Benzian, Carol Guarnizo-Herreño, Cristin Kearns, Miriam Wamotho Muriithi, Richard G Watt (2021-12-18). [Correspondence] The global oral health workforce — Authors' reply. thelancet.com In response to our Comment,1 Gargi Sarode and Sachin Sarode point out the crucial role of human resources for oral health as well as the predominance of the private practitioner model to deliver oral health care. Frank Lobbezoo and Ghizlane Aarab suggest strengthening dental—medical integration as an additional strategy to address oral diseases. These are notable aspects to consider in the context of a future WHO global oral health strategy and country-level reforms of health-care systems towards universal oral health coverage.

Princess Harmony (2021-12-18). WW Commentary: Drug users need unions, compassion clubs. workers.org Drug users and abusers, as a group of people, are among the most oppressed of our class. Because of this, we are in need of an organization or organizations that protect us and our human rights. We also need an organization that helps to combat the overdose epidemic, often caused . . . |

_____ (2021-12-18). The Sociopolitical and Economic Impact of the Pandemic. journal-neo.org Two years of the coronavirus pandemic have seriously changed the world around us economically and politically. The pandemic demonstrated that any mass epidemic is as much a generic challenge to society as war, a change in geological epochs, or economic stages. At this challenging time for everybody, all power structures and public institutions have faced …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-18). "Four Meals from Anarchy": Rising Food Prices Could Spark Famine, War, and Revolution in 2022. libya360.wordpress.com Alan Macleod WASHINGTON — Already dealing with the economic fallout from a protracted pandemic, the rapidly rising prices of food and other key commodities have many fearing that unprecedented political and social instability could be just around the corner next year. With the clock ticking on student loan and rent debts, the price of a…

Brianna Griffith (2021-12-18). 100 days of SB 8: Texans living under assault on reproductive rights. liberationnews.org Those needing abortion or even pregnancy-related healthcare are now being forced to travel hundreds of miles, far out of the state, or resort to highly dangerous self-administered procedures.

Richard F Mollica, Gregory L Fricchione (2021-12-18). [Correspondence] Mental and physical exhaustion of health-care practitioners. thelancet.com Health-care workers are experiencing mental and physical exhaustion after coping with 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dedicated staff members are retiring from the field and leaving their jobs. This occurrence is now widespread. A recent study by The Physicians Foundation found that doctors were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: 61% reported often experiencing feelings of burnout; 57% had experienced inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety; 46% had isolated themselves from others; and more than 55% know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide.

Dr. Pascal Sacré (2021-12-18). The COVID-19 Vaccine. The Imposition of Compulsory Vaccination with a Biometric Health Passport? globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 vaccine… Is this THE final goal of this crisis, to impose a compulsory vaccination on everyone, with a biometric health passport and without it, the impossibility to move, to buy, to eat? The near future will tell.

Joanna Palmer, Highlights 2021 winning contributors (2021-12-18). [Perspectives] Highlights 2021: line of sight. thelancet.com Earlier this year The Lancet invited readers to submit arresting images that illuminate health stories for our annual photography competition, Highlights. We wanted to see what was in your line of sight and we were delighted by the rich variety of images submitted. 17 winning images are published in this issue.

Tom Eccles (2021-12-18). Pandemic inequalities and the mental health crisis. greenleft.org.au The harrowing global effects of COVID-19 have been accompanied by a crisis in mental health, with levels of psychological distress and demand for mental health services growing exponentially. Tom Eccles reports that young people are especially at risk.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Attacks on Brazilian scientists grow amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The Brazilian and international working class must oppose attacks on scientists whose work has helped educate the public and expose the criminal politics of the world's ruling elite during the greatest global health crisis in a century.

Farhat Yaqub (2021-12-18). [World Report] 2021: a year in review. thelancet.com COVID-19, climate, conflict, and good news for malaria. Farhat Yaqub looks back at the major stories in health and medicine in 2021.

John Zarocostas (2021-12-18). [World Report] WHO and World Bank urge spending for UHC. thelancet.com Governments have been urged to strengthen public spending on health as COVID-19 stalls progress towards universal health coverage. John Zarocostas reports from Geneva.

Tom Eccles (2021-12-18). Mental health workers speak out about pandemic challenges. greenleft.org.au Mental health workers Dr Nikola Leka and Sarah Ellyard spoke to Green Left about the mental health crisis exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarah Brown, Chinedu Nwokoro, Andrew Bush, Warren Lenney, Jorgen Vestbo, Caroline Pao, Surendran Thavagnanam (2021-12-18). [Correspondence] Another public health catastrophe. thelancet.com The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is considering prescription of e-cigarettes on the National Health Service.1 This consideration heralds the next big revenue stream for big tobacco, whose lobbyists have campaigned for the prescription of e-cigarettes as UK smoking rates dwindle. We absolutely disagree that "doctors, medical leaders and health campaigners welcomed the move".2…

Andrew Smart (2021-12-18). Public health sacrificed for business as usual. greenleft.org.au The COVID-19 catastrophe presents a challenge of planetary proportions. You would expect it would elicit a response drawing on all our skills, compassion and collective resources. But, as Andrew Smart, argues, we are seeing the opposite.

Peter Koenig (2021-12-18). The Final Solution. Full Digitization. "The QR Codification of the World" globalresearch.ca You have no idea what is or what will eventually be put on this QR-code. The goal is all your personal information, your complete health record, your bank accounts — just everything. But you wouldn't know. You cannot read what is on the QR-code.

Abi Deivanayagam (2021-12-18). There is no health justice without climate justice. peoplesdispatch.org The organizers of the People's Health Hearing at COP26 write about how celebrating the 'right to health' as an add-on to the Glasgow Climate Pact would be to ignore the co-option of health by perpetrators for greenwashing…

ELEL (2021-12-18). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Munro APS, Janani L, Cornelius V, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third dose (booster) following two doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 or BNT162b2 in the UK (COV-BOOST): a blinded, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet 2021; 398: 2258—76—In this Article, Prof Teresa Lambe should have been included in the author list, and her affiliations should have been Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.

Achal Prabhala (2021-12-18). 100+ Firms in Africa, Asia & Latin America Can Make mRNA Vaccine If Tech Shared. zcomm.org If mRNA technology could be shared with the listed companies, "we could vaccinate the world in as close to six months from now"

Dr. Charles Hoffe (2021-12-18). Video: Dr. Charles Hoffe Delivers A Dose Of Reality on mRNA Vaccine You Can't Afford To Miss!!! globalresearch.ca On Thursday December 16th in Pemberton BC Dr. Charles Hoffe gave a speech to about 100 people who braved the cold to hear his message and it certainly was loud and clear…that you and especially your children do not need …

Amy Mek (2021-12-18). South Korea: Covid Numbers Reach Record Peak Despite 92% of Adults Fully 'Vaccinated'. globalresearch.ca Korea's soaring number of Covid infections follows the exact pattern we see in other areas with very high rates of mRNA injections of the population. | South Korea was …

WSWS (2021-12-18). Michigan educators call for immediate end to in-person schooling as COVID-19 infections surge. wsws.org At an urgent meeting of the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee Friday afternoon, educators passed a resolution calling for the immediate end to in-person to stop the transmission of the virus and protect lives.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Committee for Public Education (Australia) holds successful online meeting on the COVID crisis. wsws.org The event, titled "COVID-19 spreads through Australian schools: Lives before profit! Stop the pandemic!" featured a report from Evan Blake, a member of the US SEP and a leading WSWS writer.

Newsroom (2021-12-18). Current pandemic trends bring more uncertainty to economic prospects. moderndiplomacy.eu The most recent data on global manufacturing production, corresponding to the third quarter of 2021, indicate a stabilization after the COVID-19-related economic halt in the previous year. While the economic trajectories vary significantly among countries, most economies experienced solid increases in manufacturing production compared to 2020. Furthermore, higher technology industries had a better production performance …

WSWS (2021-12-18). As COVID-19 cases skyrocket in New York City, schools, offices remain open. wsws.org The rapid growth in infections this week have not deterred the Democratic mayor and governor of New York from keeping schools, government offices and other public institutions open.

The Lancet (2021-12-18). [Editorial] COVID-19: where do we go from here? thelancet.com The end of 2021 brings a sense of uncertainty. Parts of the world are approaching a transition or a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The window for pursuing the elimination of SARS-CoV-2 has closed. Moving towards a so-called post-pandemic world will be far more complicated than scenarios such as "Zero COVID". The challenge now is to determine the level of COVID-19 that is acceptable for individual nations in a fundamentally interconnected world. In the first Lancet Editorial of 2021, we noted: "Countries might justifiably start to look inward to repair the damage after COVID-19.

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