(2021-01-08). COVID Scientist Rebekah Jones Condemns Armed Police Raid on Her Home & Florida's Pandemic Response. democracynow.org 
As Florida sets new records for daily coronavirus cases, we speak with a whistleblower who was fired in May from the Florida Department of Health after she refused to censor information about the state's COVID-19 outbreak. Rebekah Jones is a data scientist who helped build Florida's coronavirus tracking dashboard, and she says her termination came after she refused to manipulate data to support the state's reopening. In December, police raided Jones's home in Tallahassee, seizing her computer and phone and holding her family at gunpoint, as part of an alleged investigation into a hacking of the Florida Health Dep…
(2021-01-08). Survival of the Fittest? Florida Seniors Forced to Camp Overnight in Cars, Hoping for Vaccine. democracynow.org 
As the United States reports record COVID-19 deaths, Florida broke the record for the highest single-day increase in new cases Thursday. Across the state, long lines to get vaccinations against COVID-19 left senior citizens camping in their cars overnight in cold weather, after Governor Ron DeSantis lowered the priority age to 65, 10 years below the CDC recommended age of 75. Those aged 79 and older are reportedly four times as likely to die from COVID. We speak with John and Maria Luisa Schoch, aged 79 and 80, as they enter their second day in line waiting for shots.
(2021-01-08). Plunge in Restaurant Jobs Due to COVID Leads to First Job Loss Since April. truthout.org The economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, all of which can be attributed to a plunge in restaurant employment of 372,000. Other sectors highly sensitive to the pandemic, such as hotels and recreation, also lost jobs. The unemployment rate and employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) were both unchanged at 6.7 percent and 57.4 percent, respectively. | The resurgence of the pandemic further heightened the two-track nature of this recession. Construction and manufacturing, two sectors normally hard…
(2021-01-08). Florida Seniors Forced to Camp Overnight in Cars in Hope of Vaccine. truthout.org As the United States reports record COVID-19 deaths, Florida broke the record for the highest single-day increase in new cases Thursday. Across the state, long lines to get vaccinations against COVID-19 left senior citizens camping in their cars overnight in cold weather, after Governor Ron DeSantis lowered the priority age to 65, 10 years below the CDC recommended age of 75. Those aged 79 and older are reportedly four times as likely to die from COVID. We speak with John and Maria Luisa Schoch, aged 79…
(2021-01-08). The COVID-19 Pandemic Shows the Dangers of For-Profit Housing. truthout.org A recently published article in The Atlantic titled " As white-collar workers have left expensive urban cores in droves, apartments have emptied and rents have fallen, just as your average economist would predict.
(2021-01-08). Is Israel Practicing Vaccine Leadership or Medical Apartheid? counterpunch.org 
Israel has a population of around 9 million. About 20 percent of Israel's population are Palestinian citizens of Israel. These people can vote in elections, have representation in the Knesset, and are being vaccinated against COVID-19. But, there are another around 5 million Palestinians who live under Israeli rule, without rights, and like the rest of the world, are suffering from the pandemic.
(2021-01-08). How to Make a COVID-19 Vaccine @Home. realprogressives.org This is a script of the video embedded below. | Hello Internet, I'm Jackie Fox and I have a new idea I want to bring you in the final hours of a dark year. This may be a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. It combines video games, community, scientific research, and even vaccines and medical treatments. In some ways it's a follow up to cover new info about vaccines in general I learned since the last series, but the core concept is about this project called Folding@Home. | See, back in 2007, I bought a PlayStation 3, and after a few updates, there was a mysterious app added called "Folding@Home" and I…
(2021-01-08). Vaccinating equitably 'saves lives, stabilizes health systems' — WHO chief. news.un.org Two billion doses of "safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines" have been secured by the international equitable vaccine alliance COVAX, and they will be ready for distribution as soon they are delivered, the UN health agency chief said on Friday.
(2021-01-08). Patriarchy And The Pandemic. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic has made it agonizingly clear that the systems under which we are living were already broken. The pandemic has only exacerbated the crisis of the capitalist system and removed any illusions about this reality. However, the impact of the crisis has not been uniform. The neoliberal capitalist model, which survives and profits by exploiting the vulnerable, again fell back on its same old ways. As a result, it has been the workers, the migrants, the women, and others, whose unpaid and underpaid labor serves as the basis for capitalists to profit, who have suffered the most. | In this conversatio…
(2021-01-08). Capitalism on a Ventilator: A new book analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. and China. mronline.org 
While China contained COVID-19 and preserved its economy, the U.S. spins lies while hundreds of thousands of its people die for lack of even a semblance of a national health system.
(2021-01-08). Comentario: øEnfrenta EE.UU. una situación revolucionaria? workers.org 
El deber ineludible de un socialista revolucionario es percibir los cambios que se están produciendo en la sociedad y que agudizan la lucha de clases y actuar sobre esos cambios sin vacilar. Cualquier organización socialista o persona socialista que no lo haga no puede ser considerada una defensora del proletariado . . . |
(2021-01-08). Immunization with SARS [1] Coronavirus Vaccines Leads to Pulmonary Immunopathology on Challenge with the SARS Virus. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in April 2012. | It pertains to Severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS-CoV (2002) which has, according to the WHO and the CDC similar features to SARS-CoV-2. | A vaccine was envisaged in relation to SARS-1. | This article …
(2021-01-08). Vaccine distribution mired in delays across Europe. wsws.org As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread out of control throughout the European continent, the program of vaccination organized by the European Union is already widely recognized to be a debacle.
(2021-01-08). Immunization with SARS [1] Coronavirus Vaccines Leads to Pulmonary Immunopathology on Challenge with the SARS Virus. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in April 2012. | It pertains to Severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS-CoV (2002) which has, according to the WHO and the CDC similar features to SARS-CoV-2. | It is of relevance to the current debate on the …
(2021-01-08). Unison leader retires with blast against Boris Johnson and the government. thecanary.co The outgoing head of the country's biggest trade union has criticised the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis and their treatment of public sector workers. | "Reckoning": | Dave Prentis, who has been general secretary of Unison for 20 years, said ministers had been behind the curve on procuring enough safety equipment at the start of the pandemic, made promises they hadn't kept, and were now denying a pay rise to workers who had heroically served their communities. | He called for a public inquiry into how the government had handled the crisis, saying there has to be a "day of reckoning". | He…
(2021-01-08). This Pandemic Shows How Elites Have Forgotten Us. zcomm.org Belgium has suffered the world's worst rate of coronavirus deaths…
(2021-01-08). Coronavirus hits jobs again, 140k jobs lost in December. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The national coronavirus pandemic has hit workers' jobs again. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 8 that companies shed a net of 140,000 jobs in December. The U.S. ended 2020 with a 6.7% jobless rate, compared to 3.6% in Dec. 2019. But those jobs numbers actually understate the virus's impact. And the day …
(2021-01-08). Cuba's revolution continues during the pandemic. workers.org 
During the first week of January, Cubans celebrated the 61st anniversary of their great Revolution, marking the day when Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos and the revolutionary forces entered Havana and ousted the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Since the victory in 1959, Cuba has resisted attack after attack by . . . |
(2021-01-08). Jackson, Miss., schools 'Smart Restart' pushed by capitalism, not families. liberationnews.org 
JPS leaders are making the decision to reopen campus because our racist capitalist system refuses to prioritize public health and safety, even during a global pandemic.
(2021-01-08). Pandemic-Caused Plunge in Restaurant Jobs Leads to First Job Loss Since April. cepr.net The pain from the recession is heavily concentrated among the long-term unemployed. The economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, all of which can be attributed to a plunge in restaurant employment of 372,000. Other sectors highly sensitive to the pandemic, such as hotels and recreation, also lost jobs. The unemployment rate and employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) …
(2021-01-08). Jackson, Miss. schools 'Smart Restart' pushed by capitalism, not families. liberationnews.org JPS leaders are making the decision to reopen campus because our racist capitalist system refuses to prioritize public health and safety, even during a global pandemic.
(2021-01-08). Is Israel practicing vaccine leadership or medical apartheid? peoplesdispatch.org The media is abuzz these days with
(2021-01-08). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Employees at British Gas walk out to defend pay and conditions; UK University students rent strike across 31 universities; Kenyan healthcare workers' strike continues despite union sending doctors back…
(2021-01-08). Is the Virus Real? Has It Been Photographed? What About Koch's Postulates? globalresearch.ca Even though I thought I had answered these questions, smart people whom I respect keep asking if the virus is real. So here is another stab at answering this. | Yes, the virus is real. A misleading CDC/FDA document originally written …
(2021-01-08). Security Culture and a New Day in Portland. counterpunch.org Truth be told, I should not be writing this to you now. It was part of the code I signed in order to do the behind-the-scenes protest mental health work that I would never contact "the media." Anarchists, I've learned, like most humans, are on a continuum of extremes. The anarchists I admire most would
(2021-01-07). Not believing in God 'as dangerous' as Covid-19 denialism says Head of Russian Church, asking followers to trust the experts. rt.com 
Coronavirus isn't the only pandemic sweeping through society, the Russian Orthodox Church's top cleric has said. According to Patriarch Kirill, disbelief is public health enemy number one, ahead of purely biological threats. | In a sermon to mark the start of Christmas in Russia on Wednesday, the bishop told worshippers that "there are people who do not believe in anything at all — not in disease or in danger, and neglect medical advice." | "But we believers know that these stupid people exist. There are also many people who do not believe in God… which is very dangerous, even deadly," he added. "Just a…
(2021-01-07). UK may need to 'revaccinate' every 6 MONTHS and Covid testing will still be needed next year, health secretary warns. rt.com 
The UK may need to revaccinate people for immunisation to coronavirus every six months, while Covid-19 testing will still be required in 2022, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said during a select committee hearing on Thursday. | "I anticipate that we will probably need to revaccinate because we don't know the longevity of the protection from these vaccines," Hancock said in response to an MP's question. "It might need to be every six months, it might need to be every year." | Hancock added that "yes" he did think that England's current national lockdown would be the country's last, but said: "There's absolutely…
(2021-01-07). Ecuador To Receive 50,000 Doses of Pfizer Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's authorities Wednesday announced the country bought 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. | RELATED: | The doses will arrive in the country on January 18. The vaccination campaign will start with health workers who assist COVID-19 patients. | The military, police, the elderly who are in public nursing homes, and their workers will also receive Pfizer doses as part of the vaccinatio…
(2021-01-07). As the pandemic death toll mounts, governments delay administration of second vaccine dose. wsws.org With the death toll from COVID-19 projected to accelerate over the next several weeks, some governments are attempting to compensate for problems in the production and distribution of vaccines by delaying the second dose, despite a lack of data proving the efficacy of a prolonged dose regimen.
(2021-01-07). Bolivia approves emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. peoplesdispatch.org Bolivia hopes to vaccinate up to 20% of its population in the first quarter of this year. The health ministry has endorsed Russia's Sputnik V and China's CoronaVac vaccines against COVID-19…
(2021-01-07). Nebraska governor says undocumented meatpacking workers will not receive vaccine. wsws.org Governor Ricketts said during a press conference that undocumented immigrants in the meat processing industry will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine and his spokesman said its distribution will be prioritized by citizenship status.
(2021-01-07). WHO warns of COVID-19 'tipping point' as cases rise across Europe. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a "tipping point" in the fight against COVID-19, amid surging cases in Europe and the fresh challenge of a mutating virus.
(2021-01-07). 'There's only so much you can see' — heartbreaking words from hospital staff on the pandemic frontline. thecanary.co 
Hospital staff on the coronavirus frontline have described how there is "very little joy" in the job during the second wave, with some in intensive care units resigning and managers concerned over the long-term mental health impact on employees.Tori Cooper, head of nursing in the Emergency Department at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south-west London, said the usually good staff morale had been chipped away during the Covid-19 pandemic.Cooper told the PA news agency: "There is very little joy in our work at the moment."It's hard to find that joy when you come into work — you're scared for your colleagues,…
(2021-01-07). Possible Presence of UK Strain Puts Bogota on Red Alert. telesurenglish.net Bogota's Major Claudia Lopez on Thursday announced that the recent increase in COVID-19 cases has caused an occupation of 85 percent of the city's Intensive Care Units (ICU), which made her declare a red alert. | RELATED: | "British strain is already circulating in the capital city," she said and attributed that presence to the people who arrived in the country from abroad since mid-December. | Lopez acknowledged that local health authorities…
(2021-01-07). A New Book Analyzes The Impact Of COVID-19 On The US And China. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic has placed China and the United States on the opposite ends of human progress. In the U.S., massive casualties of the pandemic have been coupled with the worst capitalist crash since the Great Depression. The story is much different in China. China began re-opening its economy as early as April of 2020. Deaths due to COVID-19 are virtually non-existent, and economists now predict that China's economy will surpass the U.S. economy in GDP terms two years ahead of schedule. Capitalism on a Ventilator: The Impact of COVID-19 in China and the U.S. is an anthology comprised of more than fifty cont…
(2021-01-07). Cuba: Infant Mortality Stayed Low in 2020. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Health Ministry (MINSAP) reported an infant mortality rate of 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2020 despite the pressures put by the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. sanctions on the health system. | RELATED: | The Medical Records and Statistics Division informed that 105,030 children were born on the island, which represents 4,686 fewer births than in 2019. | Experiencing a reduction in the under-five years' mortality rate, the Carib…
(2021-01-07). Invermectin: South Africa Bans 'Miracle' COVID-19 Treatment as "Unsafe" globalresearch.ca The import into South Africa of ivermectin, a drug that has made international headlines recently as a so-called "miracle cure" for Covid-19, has been declared illegal by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). | Ivermectin, which has been used …
(2021-01-07). Brazil: Bolsonaro Cancels Purchase of Syringes for Vaccination. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro suspended the purchase of syringes destined for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign "due to a price increase." | RELATED: | "The syringes' cost increased absurdly. The Ministry of Health suspended the purchase until their value returns to normal," Bolsonaro said. | During a broadcast message, the far-right-wing president minimized the pandemic's impact on the country and the need for syringe…
(2021-01-07). Five Canadian health care workers die within a week as COVID-19 infections rise sharply nationwide. wsws.org Canada's health and senior's care systems are buckling under a second wave of the pandemic for which the entire political establishment is responsible.
(2021-01-07). COVID-19 Contact Tracing and State Surveillance. globalresearch.ca The US remains wholly incapable of tracing Covid-19 contagion, but if it tried, we might wind up with "the worst of both worlds" — a horror of coercion and confusion that still failed to stop the epidemic. | "Low income communities, …
(2021-01-07). German teachers' union backs in-person learning as COVID-19 deaths soar. wsws.org In enforcing their inhumane pandemic policies, the federal and state governments, consisting of a broad range of political coalitions, can rely on the close cooperation of Germany's trade unions.
(2021-01-07). COVID-19: "Virus Isolation". Does the Virus Exist? globalresearch.ca Editor's Note | This is a controversial issue which has been raised by several prominent scientists. | On January 7, 2020 the Chinese authorities "identify a new type of virus" which was "isolated". The CDC also confirmed that the virus had been …
(2021-01-07). Bolsonaro Seeks Another "Capitol Riot" in Brazil. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro forecast a storm similar to the Capitol riots that occurred in Washington on Wednesday afternoon. This, as the far-right leader tried to discredit the mail-voting system, an option widely recommended amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "In the U.S., people voted by mail because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, people voted three or four times, even dead people v…
(2021-01-07). Ivermectin: South Africa Bans 'Miracle' COVID-19 Treatment as "Unsafe" globalresearch.ca The import into South Africa of ivermectin, a drug that has made international headlines recently as a so-called "miracle cure" for Covid-19, has been declared illegal by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). | Ivermectin, which has been used …
(2021-01-07). Latin America Celebrates 'Three Kings Day'. telesurenglish.net Latin American countries on Wednesday marked the Three Kings Day, which is a religious festivity that worships the Child Jesus. | Every January 6, as part of a tradition inherited from the Spanish Colony, families praise the arrival of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar in Belem. | On the Three Kings Day, thousands of people go to churches to pray for their families' health. It is also a tradition to give gifts to children, make artistic presentations in the streets, and bake a roll. | This 2021, however, the celebration was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Churches were not as crowded as they were in previ…
(2021-01-07). Selected Articles: A Pandemic of Insanity. globalresearch.ca 
By This is a controversial issue which has been raised by several prominent scientists. On January 7, 2020 the Chinese authorities "identify a new type …
(2021-01-07). University Of Michigan Strike Showed The Power Of Student Organizing. popularresistance.org As the winter university semester is set to begin, the coronavirus is surging. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, like many universities reliant on tuition dollars, tried to reopen in September with a "public health-informed" semester, as the university called it. That meant a mix of in-person and remote classes and dormitories operating at about 70 percent capacity. | Throughout the summer, the graduate workers union at the University of Michigan, the Graduate Employees Organization, or GEO, and Local 3550 of the American Federation of Teachers, had also been preparing for the fall semester by organizing a…
(2021-01-07). What to Look for in the December Jobs Report. counterpunch.org The monthly Employment Situation is scheduled for release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, January 8th at 8: 30 AM Eastern Time. Soaring coronavirus infection rates are likely to be the main story in the employment report in December. Fear of the pandemic, coupled with new state and local restrictions, has led to a fall in
(2021-01-07). Hundreds of thousands in UK spend Christmas and New Year homeless as pandemic worsens. wsws.org A third lockdown is now underway and the Conservative government has committed no more funding to deal with the homeless crisis and consigned its Everyone In scheme to the scrapheap.
(2021-01-07). Why vaccines are being wasted in the United States. salon.com The US needs to vaccinate 9 million people a week to end the pandemic by July 1. We're very far from that goal…