Monthly Archives: April 2021

2021-04-22: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud (2021-04-22). A Palestinian Prayer for Ramadan: May the Voices of the Oppressed Be Heard. dissidentvoice.org COVID-19 cases in Palestine, especially in Gaza, have reached record highs, largely due to the arrival of a greatly contagious coronavirus variant which was first identified in Britain. Gaza has always been vulnerable to the deadly pandemic. Under a hermetic Israeli blockade since 2006, the densely populated Gaza Strip lacks basic services like clean water, …

Staff (2021-04-22). Headlines for April 22, 2021. democracynow.org India Reports Over 315,000 COVID-19 Infections, the Single Worst Daily Toll of Pandemic, Latin American Nations Suffer "Worst Moment" of Coronavirus Pandemic, U.S. Vaccination Pace Slows as White House Hits Goal of 200 Million Doses in 100 Days, Department of Justice Launches Civil Probe into Minneapolis Police Misconduct, Funeral Services Held for Daunte Wright, 20-Year-Old Black Man Killed by White Minnesota Cop, NC Protesters Demand Release of Footage Showing Police Killing of Andrew Brown, Columbus Police Body-Camera Footage Shows Officer Shot 16-Year-Old Ma'Khia Bryant Four Times, GOP Lawmakers in Iowa and O…

Staff (2021-04-22). "An Apocalyptic Situation": Indian Hospitals Overwhelmed as COVID Cases Soar in "Modi-Made Disaster" democracynow.org We go to Mumbai, India, for an update on the state of crisis in the country as COVID-19 cases surge and hospitals run out of oxygen. India recently recorded 315,000 new cases in a single day, the highest daily toll in any country since the start of the pandemic, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued to hold large campaign rallies. Public health experts have blamed the surge on a number of factors, including the government's reluctance to impose another round of lockdowns, the spread of a double mutant variant of the virus, a recent Hindu festival attended by millions, and a slow vaccination drive. India…

Staff (2021-04-22). Meet the Texas Doctor Developing a "People's Vaccine" to Help Inoculate Billions Around the World. democracynow.org We look at the state of the pandemic and vaccine rollout in the United States and around the world with Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Hotez is part of a team at Baylor University that is working with a private Indian company to develop a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine. The task of developing a simple vaccine is "daunting," Dr. Hotez says. "We're talking about 5 billion doses of vaccine. And the question is: Where do you get 5 billion doses of vaccine?" he says. "We'r…

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2021-04-22). Fellow Citizens, Do You Want to Finance a Killer "Vaccine" and be "Inoculated" with It? Pass Me the Cup of Hemlock! globalresearch.ca After my wife carefully read Prof. Chossudovsky's startling article

Stephen Lendman (2021-04-22). Face Masks Don't Protect and Risk Serious Harm to Health. Stanford Study. globalresearch.ca US-dominated Western governments lie and otherwise mass deceive their people on …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-22). Middle East-North Africa most dangerous for journalists, says RSF's 2021 press freedom index. peoplesdispatch.org Press freedoms in almost 75% of the 180 countries evaluated in the index have significantly declined. This has been aggravated by the COVID-19 outbreak which many countries have used as justification for exercising more control over the news media…

Harriet Alexander (2021-04-22). Pentagon Scientists Reveal a Microchip that Senses COVID-19 in Your Body before You Show Symptoms and a Filter that Extracts the Virus from Blood. globalresearch.ca Pentagon scientists working inside a secretive unit set up at the …

Dilip Hiro (2021-04-22). Biden's Anti-China Ambitions. counterpunch.org Like his immediate predecessor, Joe Biden is committed to a distinctly anti-China global strategy and has sworn that China will not "become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world… on my watch." In the topsy-turvy universe created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it

C.J. Hopkins (2021-04-22). The Covidian Cult (Part II). dissidentvoice.org Back in October of 2020, I wrote an essay called The Covidian Cult, in which I described the so-called "New Normal" as a global totalitarian ideological movement. Developments over the last six months have borne out the accuracy of that analogy. A full year after the initial roll-out of the utterly horrifying and completely fictional …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2021-04-22). New Report Highlights COVID-19 Impact On African Trade Finance. eurasiareview.com African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership (MFW4A) released on 15 April the African Trade Finance Survey Report which provides a better understanding of the trade finance landscape across Africa and how it has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report is the first of its kind, surveying 185 banks from across Africa, representing more than 58% of total assets held by African banks. | In his opening remarks, Professor Benedict Oramah, President of…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Research team member expresses surprise, consternation over WHO director's remarks. ecns.cn A scientist who took part in the international team studying the origins of COVID-19 has expressed surprise and dissatisfaction at remarks made by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom over the hypothesis the virus leaked from a laboratory in China.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Indian PM rules out lockdown despite second wave of COVID-19. ecns.cn Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ruled out a lockdown amid the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Brazil's COVID-19 cases top 14 mln. ecns.cn Brazil reported 69,381 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 14,043,076…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). India records fresh high of nearly 300,000 new COVID-19 cases, over 2,000 more deaths. ecns.cn India recorded 295,041 new COVID-19 cases and 2,023 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the caseload to 15,616,130 and the death toll to 182,553, according to data released by the health ministry on Wednesday.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Chinese health official stresses preventing COVID-19 import. ecns.cn A Chinese health official Wednesday called for continuous efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 through imported cases as the number of patients around the globe keeps rising.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass 4.43 mln: Africa CDC. ecns.cn The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 4,439,823 as of Tuesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

Jesper D. Gunst, Nina B. Staerke, Marie H. Pahus, Lena H. Kristensen, Jacob Bodilsen, Nicolai Lohse, Lars S. Dalgaard, Dorthe Brà∏nnum, Ole Frà∂bert, Bo Hà∏nge, Isik S. Johansen, Ida Monrad, Christian Erikstrup, Regitze Rosendal, Emil Vilstrup, Theis Mariager, Dorthe G. Bove, Rasmus Offersen, Shakil Shakar, Sara Cajander, Nis P. Jà∏rgensen, Sajitha S. Sritharan, Peter Breining, Sà∏ren Jespersen, Klaus L. Mortensen, Mads L. Jensen, Lilian Kolte, Giacomo S. Frattari, Carsten S. Larsen, Merete Storgaard, Lars P. Nielsen, Martin Tolstrup, Eva A. Sà¶dder, Lars J. àòstergaard, Hien T.T. Ngo, Morten H. Jensen, Jesper F. Hà∏jen, Mads Kjolby, Ole S. Sà∏gaard (2021-04-22). [Research Paper] Efficacy of the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate in patients hospitalized with Covid-19-a double-blind randomized controlled trial. thelancet.com Under this protocol, camostat mesilate treatment was not associated with increased adverse events during hospitalization for Covid-19 and did not affect time to clinical improvement, progression to ICU admission or mortality.

WSWS (2021-04-22). Canada's vaccine rollout debacle key contributor to COVID-19 third wave. wsws.org Amid the deadliest wave of the pandemic to date, Canada's vaccine rollout is operating at barely half of its capacity.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Australian man hospitalized with blood clots after Pfizer jab. ecns.cn A policeman was reportedly being treated for blood clots on Wednesday in the Australian state of Queensland after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday.

Qiao Collective (2021-04-22). Why China's vaccine internationalism matters. mronline.org As rich nations stockpile COVID-19 vaccines, China is providing a lifeline to Global South nations spurned by Western pharmaceuticals and excluded by the West's neocolonial vaccine nationalism. So why is China being smeared for its efforts? | April 22, 2021 | Newswire…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-22). Ahead of crucial WTO meet, rights groups urge patent waiver on COVID-19 vaccines. peoplesdispatch.org The rich countries have opposed the proposal of a patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines put forth by over 100 poorer countries, calling it harmful for the interests of drug companies…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). China to produce more than 3b COVID-19 vaccines this year: Official. ecns.cn China is expected to produce more than 3 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses this year, an official said Tuesday.

Rachel Carle (2021-04-22). The WTO Stopped Millions of People From Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine. zcomm.org We should not expect the WTO to rule in the favor of equity; it was never designed to…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Australian COVID-19 vaccine rollout plagued by "uncertainties": health chief. ecns.cn Australia's coronavirus vaccine timetable remains uncertain, Secretary of the Department of Health Brendan Murphy has said.

Dorothy Cummings McLean (2021-04-22). Yale Public Health Professor Suggests 60% of New COVID-19 Patients Have Received Vaccine. globalresearch.ca An American Professor of Epidemiology at Yale University revealed that the …

sputniknews (2021-04-22). Pfizer Says Identified Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccines in Mexico, Poland — Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US pharmaceutical company Pfizer has identified fake doses of its vaccine against COVID-19 in Mexico and Poland, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Staff (2021-04-22). To Survive Next Pandemic, We Must Not Forget COVID Like We Forgot the 1918 Flu. truthout.org The second Moderna shot made me sick — as predicted. A 24-hour touch of what an alarmed immune system feels like left me all the more grateful for my good fortune in avoiding the real thing and for being alive at a time when science had devised a 95% effective vaccine in record time. | To distract myself from the fever as I tried to sleep, I visualized strands of synthetic messenger RNA floating into my cells to produce the alien spike protein that attracted my warrior T-cells. I drift…

Reynard Loki (2021-04-22). The Ecological Toll of Disposable COVID Masks and Gloves. counterpunch.org One of the most distinguishable features of the COVID-19 era is the public, everyday use of personal protective equipment (PPE), mainly in the form of disposable face masks and latex gloves. And while these thin layers protect us and others from transmitting and contracting SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the lower respiratory tract disease,

The Canary (2021-04-22). Student leaders call on competition watchdog to take action over fee refunds. thecanary.co A group of students' unions have written to the competition watchdog, urging it to "take action to uphold students' rights" over tuition fees and rent payments amid the pandemic. | The open letter, backed by student leaders at 19 universities across the UK, calls on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to help students asking for blanket fee refunds as a result of Covid-19 disruption. | It urges the regulator to address the "broken" complaints process for students claiming refunds, and help advise students on their ability to withhold fee payments "if they have lost out" due to the pandemic. | The letter,…

Susan Price (2021-04-22). COVID-19 spreading rapidly in North-East Syria. greenleft.org.au COVID-19 cases are spreading rapidly in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, reports Susan Price.

Susan Price (2021-04-22). Philippines: 'Duterte resign!' . greenleft.org.au There are growing calls for Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte to resign over his government's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, corruption and brutality, reports Susan Price.

news.un (2021-04-22). 'Careers have no gender', connect girls to tech, for a brighter future UN urges. news.un.org Despite information and communication technology playing such a key role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief said that half the world remains offline, in his message marking International Girls in ICT Day, on Thursday — most of whom are women and girls in developing countries.

news.un (2021-04-22). Syria receives first COVID-19 vaccines, for most vulnerable. news.un.org More than 250,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Syria on Thursday from the UN-backed COVAX initiative, to inoculate the country's frontline health workers.

_____ (2021-04-22). Worker Centers: Where Causes Cohere, And Forge Power. popularresistance.org In October 2020, on what Amazon calls "Prime Day," Fadumo Mohamed and her co-workers at an Amazon fulfillment center outside Minneapolis stood in the whipping wind alongside a handmade banner that read "Amazon: Hear Our Voice." As the wind howled, Mohamed, bundled in hijab, a face mask, a long black skirt, and track jacket, approached a microphone and shouted to be heard over the storm, "We are human, we are not robots! We have to speak up! We have a voice! We are risking our health!" | In February, Mohamed's two-and-a-half-year-old son took sick, and she had to take him to the hospital for emergency surgery. She…

Eurasia Review (2021-04-22). California's Worst Wildfires Are Helping Improve Air Quality Prediction. eurasiareview.com UC Riverside engineers are developing methods to estimate the impact of California's destructive wildfires on air quality in neighborhoods affected by the smoke from these fires. Their research, funded by NASA and the results published in Atmospheric Pollution Research, fills in the gaps in current methods by providing air quality information at the neighborhood scales required by public health officials to make health assessments and evacuation recommendations. | Measurements of air quality depend largely on ground-based sensors that are typically spaced many miles apart. Determining how healthy it is to brea…

Eurasia Review (2021-04-22). Age At Menopause Can Be Assessed Using Predictive Modeling. eurasiareview.com The age at menopause is known to vary significantly between individuals and it has been associated with postmenopausal health. In a recent study, the researchers developed two models for predicting the age at natural menopause. The results of the study indicated that sex hormone levels, irregular menstrual cycles, menopausal symptoms, and life habits can be used for predicting the age at menopause. | The natural menopause occurs when the menstrual periods cease due to the naturally decreased ovary function. There is a significant interindividual variation in the age at natural menopause but, on average, women…

Jacob Reimann (2021-04-22). Abolish the police! indybay.org We need to put money into housing initiatives, addiction and violence prevention programs, community centers and mental health infrastructures – and in parallel, dismantle the police step by step. We need to develop alternative structures for how we deal with violence as a society.

WSWS repost (2021-04-22). SEIU calls off Sacramento school strike at last minute, allowing all schools to reopen. indybay.org With less than two months left in the school year, scrapping the current distance learning plans and building new hybrid education models and work schedules from scratch is disastrous for public health, academics and family life. Over 90 percent of the union's members had authorized the strike, demanding greater personal protective equipment (PPE) and accommodations for workers with young children at home.

Makia Freeman (2021-04-22). Vaccine Passports: One Passport to Rule Them All. globalresearch.ca Vaccine passports are a major goal of those orchestrating Operation Coronavirus, …

Robert Wheeler (2021-04-22). Still Believe Digital Vaccine Passports Are Something Made Up by Conspiracy Theorists? globalresearch.ca In my past articles I wrote about

Andy Kroll (2021-04-22). The Great Forgetting. tomdispatch.com The second Moderna shot made me sick — as predicted. A 24-hour touch of what an alarmed immune system feels like left me all the more grateful for my good fortune in avoiding the real thing and for being alive at a time when science had devised a 95% effective vaccine in record time. To distract myself from the fever as I tried to sleep, I visualized strands of synthetic messenger RNA floating into my cells to produce the alien spike protein that attracted my warrior T-cells. I drifted off envisioning an epic micro-battle underway in my blood and had a series of weird nightmares. At about two a.m., I woke u…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). UK PM announces new taskforce to find 'promising new medicines' to treat coronavirus. ecns.cn British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday announced a new taskforce to find "promising new medicines" to treat coronavirus.

Staff (2021-04-21). Headlines for April 21, 2021. democracynow.org Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty on All Counts for Murdering George Floyd, Police Shoot Dead 16-Year-Old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio, Judge Denies Dismissal of Prison Sentence for Officer Who Shot and Killed Walter Scott in 2015, India Faces COVID "Storm"; AMLO Gets COVID Vaccine; U.S. Warns Against Travel to 80% of Globe, Johnson & Johnson Resumes European Rollout After Regulator Says Benefits Outweigh Blood Clot Risk, AOC and Sen. Markey Reintroduce Green New Deal as Biden Sets Ambitious Emissions Target, Idriss Déby's Son Named Interim Leader Following Chadian President's Death, Journalists in Over 100 Cou…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-04-21). Big Pharma Conglomerate with a Criminal Record: Pfizer "Takes Over" the EU Vaccine Market. 1.8 Billion Doses. globalresearch.ca "Hundreds of millions of people have taken an injection that allows a …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-04-21). Coronavirus Strikes Papua New Guinea. counterpunch.org There was a time when it seemed Papua New Guinea had managed to dodge a bullet. Instances of SARS-CoV-2 were minimal, along with its disease, COVID-19. Through 2020, the country of eight million people recorded a mere 900 cases. The World Health Organization praised the PNG government in a September 2020 news release in "taking

Michele de Mello (2021-04-21). Brazil may reach 1 million COVID-19 casualties by October 2021. peoplesdispatch.org Brazil could reach the figure of one million deaths from COVID-19 by October 2021 if there continues to be high levels of mobility in the national territory, emergence of new variants, and slow vaccination process, according to a study conducted by Russian social scientist Alexei Kouprianov*. | Currently, there are some 14 million infected in the country, which represents 40% of the cases in the region. More than 378,000 have already died from the disease. The

VINS (2021-04-21). Factory Farming in US Creates Breeding Ground for Next Pandemic. projectcensored.org As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to expand, experts say pandemic prevention should also focus on the United States, where intensive agricultural practices are breeding grounds for disease, according to…

VINS (2021-04-21). Corporate Media Sideline Health Experts during Pandemic. projectcensored.org As the COVID-19 pandemic became more widespread and dangerous in the US, information surrounding it became unclear and uncontrolled. Establishment media outlets had the crucial task of clarifying this information…

WSWS (2021-04-21). Italy to reopen schools, outdoor dining as hundreds die daily of COVID-19. wsws.org The announcement will ensure a further rise in coronavirus cases and deaths and has been widely denounced by medical professionals and scientists.

Updated: 2021-04-22 21:10 | 15:10 EST | 50 | 0 | 18 | 43 | 0

2021-04-20: News Headlines

RT (2021-04-20). Arizona bans 'vaccination passports' & ends requirement to wear masks in schools, prompting backlash. rt.com Arizona Governor Doug Ducey says the state's progress in the immunization campaign means the nearly yearlong school mask mandate can be repealed and that there is no need for people to present proof of vaccination. | The Republican governor signed an executive order prohibiting state and local officials from requiring people to provide their vaccination status in order to receive services or enter a specific area. | Arizona residents must not be required to share their private medical data, Ducey tweeted. "While we strongly recommend all Arizonans get the #COVID19 vaccine, it's not mandated in our state &#150…

George Wuerthner (2021-04-20). How Artificial Feeding Grounds in Wyoming Spread "Mad Elk" Disease. counterpunch.org Wyoming Fish and Game Department has 22 elk feed grounds scattered around the western part of the state and feeds as many as 17,000 elk every winter. The agency currently has eight of its 22 feedgrounds on National Forest land; six on BLM land. The operation of feedgrounds has been controversial for decades. Many wildlife

People's World (2021-04-20). Town Hall event: Confronting the Covid Economy—Women Fight Back. peoplesworld.org The recession caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic and aggravated by corporate-centered policies has been especially devastating for women workers, particularly women of color. Women have lost jobs, income, and savings at significantly higher rates than men, and at the same time, women were burdened with hugely increased demands for their unpaid labor. On Sunday, …

Peter Koenig (2021-04-20). Tenga cuidado con las pruebas de PCR y la implacable campaña "vacunar, vacunar, vacunar" globalizacion.ca La validez de la prueba de PCR ha sido cuestionada durante meses, si no desde el comienzo mismo de la plandemia declarada del covid-19, incluso últimamente también por la OMS . Sin embargo, esta prueba se nos sigue imponiendo cada…

Anand Naidoo (2021-04-20). The Heat: COVID-19 in Europe and U.S. america.cgtn.com Over three million people globally have now died from COVID-19, as governments work to vaccinate everyone.

Global Research News (2021-04-20). Selected Articles: The Legitimacy of the WHO as a Gold Standard of Health is Dubious. globalresearch.ca By RNA inoculations, misnamed vaccines. People are lined up for them now as they are being told incessantly to "get your shot." The RNA inoculations are not vaccines. To call them …

RT (2021-04-20). Rock musician Ted Nugent mocked coronavirus…now says he got 'Chinese s**t' & gets roasted for racism. rt.com Conservative rock musician Ted Nugent announced in a livestream that he had tested positive for Covid-19, before calling the virus a Chinese "attack." | In a Facebook Live video on Monday, Nugent said that although "everybody told" him that he "should not announce this," he had been experiencing flu symptoms for the last ten days and felt like he was dying. | "I was tested positive today. I got the Chinese s**t," he declared. | In case there was any doubt as to what virus Nugent was referring to, he reiterated that he "officially tested positive for COVID-19." | Nugent then went on to call Covid a "Chinese vir…

RT (2021-04-20). Michigan's lockdown-championing Gov. Whitmer traveled to Florida after warning residents to avoid spring break trips. rt.com Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited Florida last month, according to local media, in time to warn constituents against enjoying the sun in the Covid rulebreaker's paradise. Her staff passed it off as a family visit. | Florida repealed its coronavirus dictates late last year, while Michigan's remain in full force. The mask-loving state leader continues to (publicly) warn those in her own state against travel, but her true loyalties are less border-bound than it seems. It was also revealed that at least two of Whitmer's senior advisers left Michigan for "spring break," apparently shrugging off their boss'

RT (2021-04-20). 1 in 3 Americans say they know someone who LIED to skip Covid-19 vaccine queue — poll. rt.com A new poll has found that over 30% of Americans claim to know someone who lied about their personal information in order to obtain a Covid-19 vaccine more quickly than they would have otherwise. | The survey from Axios/Ipsos found that 31% of people say they personally know someone who "claimed to have a health condition or another qualifying criteria that would allow them to get the Covid-19 vaccine sooner." | Covid-19 vaccines in the US only recently became available to the general public, with states initially prioritizing health care professionals and people with certain underlying conditions when first be…

RT (2021-04-20). 'Do Not Travel': Citing Covid-19, State Department updating advisory for 80% of the WORLD. rt.com Citing "unprecedented risk" from the Covid-19 pandemic, the State Department is urging Americans to reconsider going abroad and is updating its travel advisory to the highest, Level 4 warning for most of the planet. | On Monday, Foggy Bottom announced that it will be updating the travel advisory during the week, to "better reflect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) science-based Travel Health Notices," which will result in the number of places at 'Level 4: Do Not Travel' increasing to "approximately 80% of countries worldwide." | The State Department just announced it will issue "Level 4: D…

Whitney Webb (2021-04-20). Military Bases Housing Migrant Children Plagued by Serial Sexual Abuse Claims. orinocotribune.com By Whitney Webb — Apr 16, 2021 | The Biden administration is now housing unaccompanied migrant children on military bases in Texas and California. Some of these bases have been plagued for years by record sexual abuse claims, one with the highest in the nation. All of them suffer from dangerous environmental contamination. | Over the first few months of 2021, the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border has exploded. Due to the policies of the Obama, Trump and now Biden administrations, many of those migrants, particularly unaccompanied minors, remain housed in increasingly controversial "overflow facilities."

Kuehn BM. (2021-04-20). COVID-19 in Clinicians—More Cases in Women, More Deaths in Men. jamanetwork.com Although a greater proportion of COVID-19 cases occurred in women health care workers and nurses early in the pandemic, more male health care workers and physicians died of the disease, a global analysis reported.

_____ (2021-04-20). How To Make A Gulf Monarchy All-American. popularresistance.org Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving American oil and gas companies feeling the pain. As oil prices plummeted, Republican senators from oil-producing states turned their ire directly on Saudi Arabia. Forget that civil war in Yemen — what about fossil-fuel profits here at home? | To address their concerns, Ambassador Bandar Al-Saud agreed to speak with a group of them in a March 18th conference call [m…

Andy Kroll (2021-04-20). Biden's Anti-China Ambitions. tomdispatch.com Like his immediate predecessor, Joe Biden is committed to a distinctly anti-China global strategy and has sworn that China will not "become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world… on my watch." In the topsy-turvy universe created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was, however, Jamie Dimon, the CEO and chairman of JP Morgan Chase, a banking giant with assets of $3.4 trillion, who spoke truth to Biden on the subject. While predicting an immediate boom in the U.S. economy "that could easily run into 2023," Dimon had grimmer news on the future as…

_____ (2021-04-20). Berlin: Protests Against End Of 'Rent Cap' And Real Estate Swindlers. popularresistance.org The repeal of the Berlin "rent cap" by the Supreme Court means massive rent increases, arrears payments and poverty for hundreds of thousands of people. The ruling, which exacerbates homelessness amid the coronavirus crisis, has a signal effect for the whole of Germany and is emblematic of the inhuman enrichment policies of the ruling elites in Germany and Europe. | Balakrishnan Rajagopal, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, spoke on Twitter on Thursday of a "deeply disturbing judgment" and, referring to the pandemic, warned, "The German government still has an international legal obligation to respect…

Staff (2021-04-20). African Muslims spending 2nd Ramadan amid pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Same as all Muslims across the globe, African Muslims fast and preserve Ramadan rituals under anti-Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown this year.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Cambodian PM greatly values China's role in global fight against COVID-19. ecns.cn Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Tuesday said he greatly valued China's leading role in helping other countries to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Wuhan builds pandemic treatment center. ecns.cn A provincial-level pandemic treatment center is being built at a hospital in Wuhan, the Chinese city hardest hit by COVID-19, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year, the president of the hospital said.

Staff (2021-04-20). President Maduro: US Escalates War, Prevents Vaccine Sales to Venezuela. orinocotribune.com The Venezuelan president denounced threats by the US towards COVID-19 vaccine distribution companies, preventing them from trading with the Bolivarian Republic. | "They have gone so far as to threaten the companies that distribute vaccines with sanctions, if they sell vaccines to Venezuela… Washington has escalated its war against the country," said Nicolás Maduro on Sunday, April 18, during a televised speech. | However, the president said, Venezuelan authorities continue to manage the doses they've acquired to combat the pandemic, despite the illegal economic and commercial blockade by the United States and E…

Staff (2021-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2021. democracynow.org Jury Begins Deliberations in Derek Chauvin Murder Trial, Thousands Protest in Minnesota as Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Wraps Up, U.N. Warns Planet Is "On the Verge of the Abyss" from Relentless Climate Change, Hundreds of Climate Scientists Warn Against Criminalizing Peaceful Protests, White House Holds Virtual Climate Summit as U.S. and China Pledge Cuts to Emissions, Migrant Workers Flee India's Capital Ahead of Lockdown as Coronavirus Cases Soar, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Joins Fight for Vaccine Equity, President Biden Urges All U.S. Residents 16 and Over to Get Vaccinated, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Can…

Newsclick (2021-04-20). COVID-19 in India: 'Need to strengthen public health system'. peoplesdispatch.org Immunologist Dr. Satyajit Rath analyses the current COVID-19 crisis in India with Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha. They talk about the worrying aspects of this wave, the failures of the health system, the grossly lacking political response, and the new strain of the virus which is being identified in Indian cases.

Jaklevic M. (2021-04-20). Pathway Eased for Serial COVID-19 Screening Tests. jamanetwork.com The FDA has created an expedited pathway for manufacturers seeking to obtain Emergency Use Authorization for products used in serial testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic individuals. Currently, most tests are authorized for diagnosing people with a suspected infection.

Jaklevic M. (2021-04-20). Molecular COVID-19 Test Gains First EAU for At-home Use. jamanetwork.com The first at-home molecular test for detecting COVID-19 has received an Emergency Use Authorization (EAU). The Cue COVID-19 Test for Home and Over The Counter Use is intended for use in adults and children aged 2 years or older, with or without symptoms.

Eurasia Review (2021-04-20). When Flushing A Public Toilet Don't Linger, Because Aerosolized Droplets Do. eurasiareview.com Flushing a toilet can generate large quantities of microbe-containing aerosols depending on the design, water pressure or flushing power of the toilet. A variety of pathogens are usually found in stagnant water as well as in urine, feces and vomit. When dispersed widely through aerosolization, these pathogens can cause Ebola, norovirus that results in violent food poisoning, as well as COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. | Respiratory droplets are the most prominent source of transmission for COVID-19, however, alternative routes may exist given the discovery of small numbers of viable viruses in urine and stool sa…

Amelie Liu* (2021-04-20). I'm A Multicultural Teen Trying To Fit Into Our 'Melting Pot' — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Reading the latest news, I remain silent and unsurprised as my dumbfounded friends, teachers and primarily white family members gasp. | "Two Asian Women Beaten and Robbed in San Francisco." "8 Dead in Atlanta Spa Shootings, With Fears of Anti-Asian Bias." "Spit On, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety." | While COVID-19 has escalated discrimination against Asians, Asian-hate is not new to me, and it is especially not new in America. But in the wake of the recent Asian-hate crimes, I can't stop thinking about the children of the victims — many of whom are multiracial, born in Ameri…

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Asian economies should brace for opportunities and handle deficits: Boao annual reports. ecns.cn Despite being hard hit by COVID-19, Asia's economies have recovered well compared to the rest of the world. However there remain challenges in maintaining sustainable development, according to two reports released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on Sunday.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Russia's daily COVID-19 infections drop to lowest since late September. ecns.cn Russia logged 8,164 coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest daily increase since Sept. 28, bringing the nationwide count to 4,718,854, the country's monitoring and response center said Tuesday.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). 32 Taiwan compatriots vaccinated against COVID-19 in Fuzhou. ecns.cn The first batch of 32 Taiwan compatriots living in Fuzhou, south China's Fujian Province on Monday received COVID-19 vaccinations free of charge via "Tailutong," a cross-Straits app for Taiwan compatriots working or living in the mainland.

Alisa Solomon (2021-04-20). How Covid Transformed US Theater. thenation.com How Covid Transformed US Theater…

The Canary (2021-04-20). Hundreds to be moved into Napier Barracks despite previous virus outbreak. thecanary.co Hundreds more people are to be moved into Napier Barracks despite serious concerns over conditions, the PA news agency has revealed. | Health risk: | The expected increase comes after nearly 200 cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) were detected and dozens of residents had to be moved out to deal with the crisis earlier this year. An announcement on 19 April, seen by PA, informed local organisations that plans are in place to increase numbers at the controversial barracks to 337 over the coming weeks. | Around 50 people have been moved into the barracks in recent weeks, and the Home Office has declined to comm…

Talanna (2021-04-20). Climate Crisis, Freighter Stuck in Suez Canal, & Species Wounding. indybay.org How Climate Crisis is overlooked when it's an important part of headline stories like a Stuck Freighter in Suez Canal & Covid-19 Virus news.

Eurasia Review (2021-04-20). Earthquakes Continued After COVID-19-Related Oil And Gas Recovery Shutdown. eurasiareview.com When hydraulic fracturing operations ground to a halt last spring in the Kiskatinaw area of British Columbia, researchers expected seismic quiescence in the region. Instead, hundreds of small earthquakes occurred for months after operations shut down, according to a new study. | In her presentation at the Seismological Society of America (SSA)'s 2021 Annual Meeting, Rebecca Salvage of the University of Calgary said about 65% of these events could not be attributed to either natural seismicity or active fluid injection from hydraulic fracturing operations. | Salvage and her colleagues instead suggest the latent…

Dr. Joseph Mercola (2021-04-20). Vaccine Makers Destroy COVID Vaccine Safety Studies. globalresearch.ca Makers of COVID-19 vaccines are now destroying long-term safety studies by …

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). U.S. COVID-19 cases rise as more states ease restrictions. ecns.cn Despite the country's vaccine rollout, a significant number of U.S. cities and states remain hotspots where the coronavirus continues to spread at higher rates than before, according to the Guardian.

Megan Redshaw (2021-04-20). Scientists Warn of 'Vaccine Treadmill' as Vaccine Makers Gear Up for COVID Booster Shots. globalresearch.ca Vaccine makers are

Helen Yaffe (2021-04-20). Cuba Libre to be COVID-libre: Five Vaccines and Counting. globalresearch.ca On March 23, 2021, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a …

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Over 192 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China. ecns.cn Nearly 192.13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Sunday, the National Health Commission said Monday.

Dr. Gary Null (2021-04-20). The Legitimacy of the WHO as a Gold Standard of Health is Dubious. Analysis and Review. globalresearch.ca The ultimate international authority for infectious diseases is the World Health …

Sud M, Fang J, Ko DT. (2021-04-20). Fractional Flow Reserve Treatment and Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply The concern raised by Dr Rigatelli and Mr Zuin regarding our study involves the influence of heart failure on FFR estimates due to elevated right atrial pressure (RAP), which has been a subject of debate. The FFR is the ratio of blood flow in a stenotic coronary artery to blood flow in the same artery without stenosis during maximal hyperemia. It is estimated as FFR = (Pd ‚àí RAP)/(Pa ‚àí RAP), where Pd is the coronary pressure distal to the stenosis and Pa is the aortic pressure. In clinical practice, this is simplified to FFR = Pd/Pa because the influence of RAP…

Zylke J. (2021-04-20). Poloxamer 188 for Sickle Cell Disease. jamanetwork.com Although effective treatments exist to prevent painful vaso-occlusive episodes in patients with sickle cell disease (ie, hydroxyurea), finding therapies to reduce the severity or duration of episodes once they have begun has proved elusive. Inhaled nitric oxide, intravenous magnesium, and intravenous sevuparin have been tried without success. In 2001, JAMA published a phase 3 multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of poloxamer 188 in 255 children and adults with sickle cell disease hospitalized with a vaso-occlusive episode. In that study, Orringer et al found a modest, statistically significa…

Rigatelli G, Zuin M. (2021-04-20). Fractional Flow Reserve Treatment and Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease. jamanetwork.com To the Editor The study by Dr Sud and colleagues, which measured single-vessel fractional flow reserve (FFR) in patients with coronary artery disease, demonstrated that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with a lower rate of major adverse cardiac events for ischemic lesions on FFR but a higher rate of major adverse cardiac events for nonischemic lesions, compared with those not receiving PCI. While these findings support an FFR-based threshold for PCI procedures, we are concerned about its use in patients with heart failure. The authors do not appear to have considered the potential influence…

Casella JF, Barton BA, Kanter J, et al. (2021-04-20). Effect of Poloxamer 188 vs Placebo on Painful Vaso-Occlusive Episodes in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease. jamanetwork.com This phase 3 trial examines the effectiveness of poloxamer 188 in reducing the duration of painful vaso-occlusive episodes in children and adults with sickle cell disease compared with placebo.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-04-20). New research fund to protect future generations from threat of coronaviruses. imperial.ac.uk Imperial and Community Jameel have launched a fund to drive innovative approaches to solving the global threat posed by infectious diseases.

Kuehn BM. (2021-04-20). Costly Hearing Loss Requires Greater Global Attention. jamanetwork.com Hearing loss is projected to affect 1 in 4 people globally by 2050, including at least 700 million who will require rehabilitation services, according to the World Health Organization's first World Report on Hearing.

Maxfield K, Zineh I. (2021-04-20). Precision Drug Dosing—A Clinical and Public Health Imperative. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint describes the concept of precision drug dosing, which would maximize drug benefit and minimize harm for each patient, and reviews the scientific, regulatory, technical, and practical infrastructures that would need to be in place for the idea to become reality in clinical practice settings.

Ingrid Lobet (2021-04-20). Despite Climate Commitments, Health Concerns, States Approve Giant Fuel Tanks. zcomm.org In the Los Angeles area alone, 11 new tank projects are underway, mainly in communities of color…

CNA (2021-04-20). How Catholics Can Speak Up For More Ethical Vaccines. eurasiareview.com A series of letter templates released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) allows Catholic to contact vaccine makers and ask them to stop relying on cell lines from aborted babies. | The Fr. Kyle Ratuiste, a bioethicist in the Diocese of Spokane, explained that "taking practical steps to oppose the use of abo…

Dr. Peter McCullough (2021-04-20). Video: Dr. Peter McCullough: "Warp Speed Went at Full Tilt for Vaccine Development and There Was a Silencing of Any Information on Treatment." globalresearch.ca Dr. Peter McCullough is an internist, cardiologist, and professor of Medicine …

Ramon Tomey (2021-04-20). J&J Coronavirus Vaccine Shipments Halted Due to Ingredient Mix-up During Production. globalresearch.ca Fifteen million doses of the Johnson & Johnson Wuhan coronavirus vaccine …

Adam Dick (2021-04-20). Anthony Fauci, Enemy Of Freedom — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Anthony Fauci, now in his second presidential administration as chief coronavirus fearmonger and coronavirus crackdown champion, offered in a Sunday interview some explanation for his continuing promotion of draconian government restrictions and pressure for

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