Daily Archives: February 2, 2021

2021-02-02: News Headlines

Staff (2021-02-02). Latinx COVID Deaths Rise by 1,000 Percent in Los Angeles as Vaccine Rollout Lags. truthout.org Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Black and Latinx people in the United States have died at higher rates, and new data shows that they are getting vaccinated at much lower rates than white people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 60% of those vaccinated were white, while just 11.5% were Latinx, 6% were Asian, and just over 5% were Black. The CDC data is based on details gathered during the first month of the U.S. vaccination campaign that saw nearly 13 million…

Staff (2021-02-02). Latinx COVID Deaths Soar 1,000% in Los Angeles as Communities of Color Lag Behind in Vaccine Rollout. democracynow.org Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Black and Latinx people in the United States have died at higher rates, and new data shows that they are getting vaccinated at much lower rates than white people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 60% of those vaccinated were white, while just 11.5% were Latinx, 6% were Asian, and just over 5% were Black. The CDC data is based on details gathered during the first month of the U.S. vaccination campaign that saw nearly 13 million Americans get a shot, though race and ethnicity was only known for about half of the recipients. Black and Latinx people…

Alistair Ryder (2021-02-02). The March of COVID-19. progressive.org Two new documentaries show the pandemic through the eyes of frontline health care workers.

Dr. Robert Kluger (2021-02-02). German Doctors Letter to Chancellor Merkel, Put an End to the Covid "Fear Machine" globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on November 8. | Dear Chancellor Dr. Merkel, | We, the signatories, are doctors from all areas of healthcare, who have been serving people in practices and clinics for decades. During this time, we have witnessed more …

Lily Galili (2021-02-02). Covid-19: Netanyahu basks in vaccine success as Israelis suffer his pandemic failures. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Netanyahu basks in vaccine success as Israelis suffer his pandemic failures | Coronavirus is running amok in Israel, but the prime minister won't let you hear it as he embarks on yet another election campaign | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 14: 22 | Benjamin Netanyahu receives a Covid-19 vaccine injection at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv (Reuters) | Muslims pray five times a day; observant Jews thre…

The Conversation (2021-02-02). Israel faces legal — and practical — obligations for including Palestinians in vaccine success. juancole.com By Yara M. Asi | — As nations scramble to vaccinate populations against COVID-19, one country has been ahead of the rest: Israel. By late January, Israel had vaccinated more than 30% of its population — more than double or triple the rate of other high-income states like the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany. …

Peter Koenig (2021-02-02). The Coronavirus Vaccine: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

Staff (2021-02-02). Russia's Sputnik V Is Found to Be 91.6% Effective, Providing Boost for Global Vaccination Effort. democracynow.org Russia has been one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, recording about 73,000 deaths and over 3.8 million infections over the past year. Meanwhile, there is widespread skepticism over the domestically developed Sputnik V vaccine, with many Russians reluctant to get the shot. Now a peer-reviewed study published in the respected Lancet medical journal has confirmed the vaccine's 91.6% efficacy, as developers of the shot have long maintained. "That's good news for the developers of the vaccine in Russia. That's good news for Russia writ large, which certainly has plenty of geopolitical ambitions surroundi…

Juan Cole (2021-02-02). Biden's Green Energy Plans are just Market Wisdom: Norway's Investment Fund just Dumped $6 Bn. in Oil Stocks. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Some have questioned how realistic Biden's plans are to move the US rapidly off fossil fuels. In fact, it is the fossil fuels that are unrealistic. Burning petroleum and coal are bad for everyone's health and destined to make earth swelteringly hot, with lots of climate catastrophes and extreme weather. …

Ali Harb (2021-02-02). Covid-19: Jamaal Bowman calls on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Jamaal Bowman calls on Israel to vaccinate Palestinians | US congressman likens racial disparities in US and his own experiences as Black man to 'hopelessness' Palestinians face | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 18: 53 | Jamaal Bowman defeated staunch Israel supporter Eliot Engel, a senior Democrat, last year (AFP/File photo) | Congressman Jamaal Bowman, a first-term progressive Democrat, has called on the Israeli go…

yenisafak (2021-02-02). Pakistan kicks off COVID-19 vaccination drive. yenisafak.com In line with the priority list, a doctor was the first person to be inoculated at a ceremony also attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan in the capital Islamabad.The premier in his address assured fair distribution of vaccines, and thanked Beijing for the support. He urged the masses to follow safety precautions, i.e. wearing a mask and social distancing, to contain the pandemic, which has claimed nearly 12,000 lives across the country. The overall caseload has reached 547,648.After health care workers, those above age 65 will be vaccinated, as another 1.1 million doses from China are expected to arrive later this…

Staff (2021-02-02). Headlines for February 2, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 26 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Shots, Surpassing Confirmed Coronavirus Cases , Biden Takes Executive Action to Reverse Trump Immigration Policies as Deportations Continue, Senate Republicans Meet at White House to Press Far Smaller Coronavirus Relief Bill, South Africa Receives First COVID-19 Vaccines; New Variant Linked to Reinfections in Brazil, WHO Team Probes Virus Origins in Wuhan; Australia Puts Perth on Lockdown After Single COVID-19 Case, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reveals She Is a Sexual Assault Survivor in Video Recalling Jan. 6 Capitol Attack, Trump Hires New Lawyers. One Declined to Prosecute Bil…

The Canary (2021-02-02). Hampers for Heroes: doctor's plea inspires thousands of donations to NHS staff. thecanary.co A social enterprise is delivering thousands of pounds' worth of treats to help lift the spirits of healthcare workers in the West Midlands, inspired by one doctor's emotional appeal for support. | Big donations: | Hampers for Heroes, which is run by Victoria Hanson, 44, a management consultant from Solihull, has delivered supplies to more than 20,000 health and social care staff in the region since the pandemic began. | A further £7,000 has already been raised since the latest appeal in January to support ICU staff, along with "huge amounts of physical donations" from the community. | Victoria Hanso…

yenisafak (2021-02-02). Russia's Sputnik V vaccine 'safe, effective': Study. yenisafak.com The Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developed in Russia has shown "a consistent strong protective effect across all participant age groups," according to a study published in medical journal The Lancet.Interim results from a Phase 3 trial that included some 20,000 people showed 91.6% efficacy of a two-dose regimen of the adenovirus-based vaccine."No serious adverse events were deemed to be associated with vaccination, and most reported adverse events were mild, including flu-like symptoms, pain at the injection site, and weakness or low energy," the article said.Serious complications, such as requiring hospital ad…

Makia Freeman (2021-02-02). 5G Danger: 13 Reasons 5G Wireless Technology Will Be a Catastrophe for Humanity. globalresearch.ca Important article first publish on September 24, 2019 | The 5G danger can't be overstated. | 5G (5th Generation) is now being actively rolled out in many cities around the world. Simultaneously, as awareness over its horrific health and privacy impacts is …

Marty Hart-Landsberg (2021-02-02). The Failings of Our Unemployment Insurance System Are There by Design. zcomm.org This history makes clear that nothing will be given to us. We need and deserve a better unemployment insurance system. And to get it, we are going to have to fight for it…

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Powers is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Jonas Ecke (2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Power is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that

Staff (2021-02-01). 'Bring Sundiata home': The case for freeing elderly political prisoners. therealnews.com Sundiata Acoli has been locked up for 48 years. At 84 years old, and after contracting COVID-19 in prison, Acoli's health is suffering—and a coalition of friends, family, and faith leaders are calling for him to be released before it's too late.

RT (2021-02-01). England's health officials begin urgent tests amid fears South African Covid strain now spreading in communities. rt.com Urgent testing for the highly contagious South African strain of Covid has been ordered by Public Health England (PHE) as 11 cases were reported across Britain by Monday afternoon amid growing fears of community transmission. | Authorities are to step up testing for the new variant in London, the Southeast and the Midlands. So far, PHE has ordered new tests in eight separate areas of England. | Initially, PHE reported two people who had no travel links to South Africa tested positive for the mutant strain in Surrey on Monday morning. | Just like the UK mutant strain discovered in November, the South Africa var…

RT (2021-02-01). Madrid to relax restaurant Covid-19 rules to help businesses and push back against 'political pressure' despite high infections. rt.com The region of Madrid will relax some of its Covid-19 restrictions this week, the region's president announced on Monday, even though infection rates in the capital remain high and most of Spain is tightening health measures. | From Friday, the number of diners allowed per table on outdoor restaurant terraces in Madrid will be upped from four to six and the 10pm curfew on business activity will be pushed back to midnight "as soon as possible," Isabel Diaz Ayuso said. | Ayuso also announced that the use of face masks inside hospitality establishments will be made mandatory. | Those in the Spanish capital are alr…

RT (2021-02-01). As EU falls behind on supplies of Covid-19 vaccines, German health minister entertains possibility of using Russia's Sputnik V. rt.com German Health Minister Jens Spahn has revealed that Berlin would be open to importing Covid-19 vaccines from Russia and China as the government looks to find ways to overcome the country's shortage of doses. | "Regardless of the country in which a vaccine is manufactured, if they are safe and effective, they can help cope with the pandemic," Spahn told Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. | The German minister's comments came before Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's permanent representative to the EU, revealed that Moscow is not only open to selling its Sputnik V vaccine but will also share information about how…

Karl Grossman, Harvey Wasserman (2021-02-01). Embrittlement in Nuclear Power Plants. counterpunch.org Of all the daunting tasks Joe Biden faces, especially vital is the inspection of dangerously embrittled atomic reactors still operating in the United States. A meltdown at any one of them would threaten the health and safety of millions of people while causing major impact to an already struggling economy. The COVID-19 pandemic would complicate

RT (2021-02-01). Vaccine crime ring: Chinese police make 80 arrests & seize 3,000 saline-filled syringes. rt.com Dozens of people have been detained after Chinese police launched a crackdown on the manufacturing and selling of fake Covid-19 vaccinations. Authorities say the illicit trade has been going on for months. | Read more | | Law enforcement targeted crime rings in Beijing, as well as the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Shandong, resulting in more than 80 arrests and the seizure of some 3,000 syringes filled with saline, state news agency Xin…

WSWS (2021-02-01). Far-right protesters temporarily shut down COVID-19 vaccinations at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. wsws.org The Los Angeles Police Department allowed a few dozen right-wing anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown demonstrators to block traffic into Dodger Stadium, forcing a shutdown of the vaccination site for nearly an hour Saturday afternoon.

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-02-01). The COVID-19 Pandemic Can't Be Managed, It Has to Be Eradicated. counterpunch.org For millions of Americans who believe that COVID-19 is real, dangerous, and requires a plan of action, Joe Biden's election to the presidency has finally offered a path out of the seemingly never-ending pandemic. Indeed, compared to President Donald Trump's approach—which centered on financing the development of vaccines, but did little else to mitigate the

Umar A Farooq (2021-02-01). Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners. middleeasteye.net Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners | Pentagon decided to pause plan to offer coronavirus vaccines to Guantanamo detainees following criticism from Republican lawmaker | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 20: 38 | It is not known how many people at Guantanamo have contracted Covid-19 (AFP) | Rights groups are calling on the Biden administration to publicly reveal its Covid-19…

RT (2021-02-01). 7 die at Spanish care home after getting Pfizer Covid-19 jab as ALL residents test positive for virus, second doses still to come. rt.com All 78 residents at a nursing home in central Spain have tested positive for Covid-19 after being given their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and at least seven people have died, staff confirmed on Monday. | Most of those who succumbed to the virus had existing conditions, according to Spanish news agency The huge outbreak is at the Lagartera Residence for the El…

Choi KR. (2021-02-01). A Nursing Researcher's Experience in a COVID-19 Vaccine Trial. jamanetwork.com This perspective is that of a nursing researcher turned volunteer in a COVID-19 vaccine trial. She considers the experience of study participants and how clinicians will need to prepare their patients for the vaccine's possible adverse effects.

Staff (2021-02-01). Black Americans Are Left Behind as Vaccine Rollout Expands. truthout.org This story also ran on Black Americans are still receiving covid vaccinations at dramatically lower rates than white Americans even as the chaotic rollout reaches more people, according to a new KHN analysis. | Almost se…

RT (2021-02-01). South Africa receives its first 1 million-dose batch of Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com The first coronavirus vaccine shipment to South Africa has arrived in the country, as it struggles with the continent's highest caseload alongside a more transmissible strain of the virus. | A plane carrying the vaccines touched down at OR Tambo international airport on Monday. The load of one million AstraZeneca jabs, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), were warmly welcomed, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and other high-ranking officials in attendance. | Late in January, the president

teleSUR (2021-02-01). Guaido Prevents the Use of Frozen Funds for Vaccines. anti-empire.com Jan 21 (teleSUR) — The former lawmaker rejected a proposal of the legitimate government to allocate gold blocked in the United Kingdom to anti-COVID-19 vaccines. | Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced Wednesday that former opposition deputy Juan Guaidó rejected a proposal by the legitimate government of the South American nation to allocate 120 million dollars, illegally withheld in the United Kingdom, to the purchase of anti-Covid-19 vaccines. | In a message disseminated through the social network Twitter, Arreaza detailed that this maneuver constitutes "another proof of the cruelty of Guaid…

RT (2021-02-01). 7 die at Spanish care home after getting Pfizer Covid-19 jab as ALL residents test positive for virus, second doses still to come. rt.com All 78 residents at a nursing home in central Spain have tested positive for Covid-19 after being given their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and at least seven people have died, staff confirmed on Monday. | Most of those who succumbed to the virus had existing conditions, according to Spanish news agency EFE, while four residents are currently hospitalized, and 12 staff have also been infected. | The huge outbreak is at the Lagartera Residence for the Elderly in the Toledo area, southwest of the capital Madrid. | The home's 33 staff must now present a negative PCR test before they start work, and a…

J.D. ALT (2021-02-01). Shooting Down Deficit Hawks. realprogressives.org Deficit hawks, like dive-bombing kamikazes, are out now again, circling the battleship of our collective efforts to save ourselves. Can we pay ourselves to produce, distribute, and administer the Covid vaccine to every American in six months? No! say the dive-bombing Kamikazes—we cannot collect enough taxes to pay for that. It would require the government to borrow hundreds of billions more, increasing our "deficit" and the national "debt." Can we pay ourselves to design and build a low-carbon infrastructure that will help put a cap on global warming? No and No! say the circling deficit hawks—and h…

Johanna Kichton (2021-02-01). As Congress Negotiates COVID Relief Bill and Budget Reconciliation Process Begins, People's Action Announces Priorities to Protect Everyday People. peoplesaction.org In New Letter to Congressional Democratic Leaders, People's Action Demands Lawmakers Fight for Cash Payments, Vaccines for All, Rent Relief, Good Jobs and Pay, Debt Cancellation, and State Funding Contact: Johanna Kichton, 240.206.1145, press@peoplesaction.org WASHINGTON, D.C.—People's Action today sent a letter to congressional Democrat leadership demanding they protect everyday people in any new COVID relief …

Barnett BS, Morris NP. (2021-02-01). Pharmacy Access to Sterile Injection Supplies for People Who Inject Drugs. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses reforms to pharmacy distribution of over-the-counter sterile injection supplies to prevent infections and death among people who inject drugs, especially important during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

_____ (2021-02-01). Take Action To End The Economic War At Home And Abroad. popularresistance.org It is the same neoliberal economic system, white supremacy and disregard for human life that underlie sanctions abroad and at home. The current recession and pandemic have exposed this in a brutal way in the United States. The populations that are harmed the most are Indigenous peoples and communities of color. The United States government could have taken the effective steps of cancelling rent and debt, providing a monthly income and nationalizing healthcare that other countries took but instead passed laws that funneled wealth to the top while providing minimal relief to the majority.

WSWS (2021-02-01). Capitalism vs. socialism: The pandemic and the global class struggle. wsws.org One year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern," the response of the ruling class to the pandemic has led to the deaths of more than 2.2 million people.

Staff (2021-02-01). Headlines for February 1, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Orders Mask-Wearing on Public Transportation as Experts Urge Speedy Vaccination to Combat Variants, Johnson & Johnson Says One-Shot Vaccine Is Effective, Especially in Preventing Severe Cases, Major Racial Disparities Emerge in Vaccine Recipients as Latinx Deaths in L.A. Jump by 1,000%, Biden Meets with GOP Leaders to Discuss Stripped-Down Counter Bill to $1.9 Trillion Package, Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi, Police Arrest Over 5,100 in Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia, Car Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Aleppo, Syria, U.N. Calls for Repatriation of 27,000 Children Stranded in al-Hol…

Cameron Orr (2021-02-01). NYC Teamsters win battle against "filthy rich bosses" peoplesworld.org HUNTS POINT, Bronx — Members of the Teamsters Local 202 in the Bronx secured a major victory January 23rd after a week-long strike for higher wages and better healthcare provisions. Workers at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx went on strike Saturday, January 17th, after the employers refused to budge on a stingy offer. …

Cameron Orr (2021-02-01). NYC Teamsters win battle against 'filthy rich bosses'. peoplesworld.org HUNTS POINT, Bronx — Members of the Teamsters Local 202 in the Bronx secured a major victory January 23rd after a week-long strike for higher wages and better healthcare provisions. Workers at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx went on strike Saturday, January 17th, after the employers refused to budge on a stingy offer. …

McCormick N, Wallace ZS, Yokose C, et al. (2021-02-01). Prolonged Increases in Public-Payer Spending and Prices After Unapproved Drug Initiative Approval of Colchicine. jamanetwork.com This cohort study examines national Medicaid and Medicare drug-spending data to examine colchicine prices over the period from 2008 to 2017.

Morning Star (2021-02-01). EU urged to end vaccine dispute, focus on helping poor countries. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

Umar A Farooq (2021-02-01). Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners. middleeasteye.net Rights groups say Biden should reveal vaccine plan for Guantanamo prisoners | Pentagon decided to pause plan to offer coronavirus vaccines to Guantanamo detainees following criticism from Republican lawmaker | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 20: 38 | Detainees line up at a chain link fence for library books and magazines inside Camp VI at Guantanamo Bay prison in 2010 (AFP/File photo) | Rights groups are calling…

yenisafak (2021-02-01). EU to get 75M extra Pfizer/BioNTech virus vaccine doses. yenisafak.com US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech will deliver an additional 75 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the EU until summer, the head of the European Commission said on Monday."BioNTech/ Pfizer will deliver 75 million of additional doses in the second quarter of the year – and up to 600 millions in total in 2021″, Ursula von der Leyen said in a Twitter post.‚Ä®On Sunday, the UK-based AstraZeneca also agreed to deliver 9 million more jabs to the bloc during the first three months of the year, making it 40 million doses for the period.‚Ä®This came as a sign…

RT (2021-02-01). Fauci flip-flops again, says there's NO DATA to indicate that wearing multiple masks is beneficial in fighting spread of Covid-19. rt.com Just when he seemed to be a proponent of the double-masking fad, US Covid-19 czar Dr. Anthony Fauci has again reversed his expert advice, saying there is "no data" to show that multiple masks provide increased virus protection. | "There are many people who feel, 'You know, if you really want to have an extra little bit of protection, maybe I should put two masks on.' There's nothing wrong with that, but there's no data that indicates that that is going to make a difference. And that's the reason why the CDC has not changed the recommendations." | Fauci made his comments in a livestreamed conversation late…

RT (2021-02-01). Macron urges swifter European vaccine response after EU spat with AstraZeneca over Covid-19 jab supplies. rt.com Europe must act more quickly and efficiently in its Covid-19 vaccine rollout, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday after a week of turmoil in which the EU sparred with the UK and AstraZeneca over shortages. | "We are in a race against time against the virus," the French leader said in Paris, as he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. | We, as Europeans, need to be more efficient on this matter. I know this is also the intention of Chancellor [Angela] Merkel and [Commission] President [Ursula] Von Der Leyen. We will continue in the coming weeks and months to speed things up. | Last week ended…

RT (2021-02-01). 'I don't really trust experts,' says New York Gov. Cuomo, as 9 health officials resign in protest over his Covid-19 'leadership'. rt.com A handful of top New York health officials have left their posts in protest over Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report that adds another layer to the Democrat's many controversies. | Cuomo has made his position on health experts clear in recent days, even saying during a Friday press conference that he doesn't "really trust them." | "When I say 'experts' in air quotes, it sounds like I'm saying I don't really trust the experts," the governor said. "Because I don't." | The quote now looks especially bad in the context of a new report from the New York Times, deta…

RT (2021-02-01). Elderly will not be given AstraZeneca jab in Poland, vaccine chief says as concerns persist about lack of trial data. rt.com Poland has joined a list of countries, including Germany and France, who have questioned the efficacy of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in elderly people, citing too little research involving people over the age of 55. | "If we are talking about the decision of the [Polish] medical council, we expect it in the coming days or possibly hours, but it is clear that elderly people will not be vaccinated with this shot," said Michal Dworczyk, the prime minister's top aide, who has been put in charge of vaccinations. | He added that a final decision on the issue would be made after the medical council had made its…

news.un (2021-02-01). Consecutive drop in new COVID-19 cases 'encouraging news': WHO. news.un.org The number of new COVID-19 cases globally has fallen for the third week in a row, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday, though urging countries not to let up efforts to defeat the disease.