(2022-01-07). We need prison abolition, not reform — a WW commentary. workers.org 
Nearly 2.3 million people, who are incarcerated every day in prisons, jails and detention centers in the United States, face possible death sentences while locked up during a deadly respiratory pandemic. Despite facing inhumane and unsanitary conditions, they have shown great solidarity with one another and resistance to their brutal . . . |
(2022-01-07). Yes, there really were only two COVID deaths in mainland China in 2021. Here's how they did it. liberationnews.org To someone who lives under U.S. capitalism, a medical system that can successfully curb a pandemic like COVID-19 may seem like fantasy. What did the people, government, and Communist Party of China do to accomplish this incredible result?>
(2022-01-07). Chicago teachers' struggle part of growing class battle against deadly pandemic policy. wsws.org Working class resistance in the United States and around the world is escalating against the ruling class policy of allowing millions of workers and young people to become infected with Covid-19 in their schools, workplaces and communities.
(2022-01-07). Letter from Nan McCurdy: Remembering Chuck. orinocotribune.com By Nan McCurdy — Jan 6, 2021 | I continue to be deeply saddened by the loss of Chuck Kaufman. I knew he had health problems, but still, he seemed like someone who would, or should, be with us forever. | I've known Chuck since a visit to the Nicaragua Network office in DC — way back, maybe 87 or 88 — I remember thinking he was very humble at the time. | After that I didn't have much contact with him until the US-sponsored coup attempt in 2018. I wrote a synopsis of what went on over a 24-hour period in May and he asked me to co-edit NicaNotes with him. | From that point on we have published dozens…
(2022-01-07). Headlines for January 7, 2022. democracynow.org On Jan. 6 Anniversary, Biden Warns of Trump's "Dagger at the Throat of Democracy", Supreme Court to Weigh Vaccine Mandates as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Hit Record High, WHO Warns Omicron Is Overwhelming Hospitals and Killing People, Not "Mild", As Omicron Shatters Pandemic Records, Brazil's Bolsonaro Blasts Child Vaccinations, Kazakh President Orders Troops to Shoot Without Warning as Protest Death Toll Mounts, 3 Eritrean Refugees, Including 2 Children, Killed by Airstrike in Ethiopia's Tigray, Israelis Kill Two Palestinians in West Bank; Far-Right Protesters Attack Palestinian Reporter, Two Journalists Murdered in…
(2022-01-07). Thursday 1/6: Sacramento: Jan. 6th In-Person Sidewalk Vigil for Democracy & Voting Rights. indybay.org SACRAMENTO: Sidewalk intersection of 16th Street & J Street, Sacramento 95814 | Please wear a mask and be vaccinated/boosted. Follow all COVID safety guidelines, especially w/ omicron variant: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2022-01-07). Thursday 1/6: Sonoma: January 6th Day of Remembrance & Action Vigil for Democracy & Voting Rights. indybay.org SONOMA: Sonoma Plaza, 453 1st St E, Sonoma, CA 95476 | Wear a mask and please be vaccinated/boosted. Follow all COVID safety guidelines, especially w/ omicron variant: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2022-01-07). Thursday 1/6: Santa Rosa: January 6th Day of Remembrance & Action Vigil for Democracy & Voting Rights. indybay.org SANTA ROSA: Courthouse Square, Fourth Street & Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 | Please wear a mask and be vaccinated/boosted. Follow all COVID safety guidelines, especially w/ omicron variant: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2022-01-07). WHO Says Omicron Variant Is Not "Mild" as ER Doctor Describes New COVID Wave Overwhelming Hospitals. democracynow.org 
We look at the skyrocketing number of COVID infections. Coronavirus cases hit record highs this week, with global cases climbing 70% from last week to 9.5 million and the U.S. reporting a single-day record of 1 million new cases on Monday. In the U.S., the extraordinary volume of cases is filling up emergency rooms nationwide and exhausting healthcare workers, says emergency room physician Dr. Craig Spencer, who has been treating coronavirus patients since the pandemic began. "We're much better at treating this disease now," says Spencer, "but the problem is that the amount of volume that we're seeing threatens t…
(2022-01-07). CRD Workers' Struggles in Southern Africa Pacifica's Covid Race & Democracy. indybay.org Pacifica's Covid, Race and Democracy covers the growing working class struggles in South Africa from Namibia to South Africa.
(2022-01-07). The Highest Attainable Standard of Health Is a Fundamental Right. zcomm.org Countries such as the United States and India were hit hard because their public health infrastructure had been weakened and their private health systems were simply not capable of managing a crisis of this proportion…
(2022-01-07). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org French secondary school teachers begin a week of strikes over COVID-19 danger, unions demand mitigation only; 3,000 workers begin five-week strike at Finnish forestry company UPM over collective bargaining agreement; further protests by Iranian workers and pensioners in defence of livelihoods as food inflation hits 80 percent; strike by 5,000 workers at South African dairy group Clover Foods continues, with factory closures imminent and 1,000 job losses…
(2022-01-07). Israel admits Covid mutation rendered travel bans useless. rt.com 
Amid a spike in Omicron infections, Tel Aviv is retiring its 'red list' of destinations | Israel has lifted its strict Covid-19 travel ban against 'high risk' countries, such as the US and UK, acknowledging that the spread of the Omicron variant has rendered such restrictions obsolete. | Nachman Ash, the director-general of Israel's Ministry of Health,
(2022-01-07). US West Coast hospitals overwhelmed by Omicron with thousands of doctors and nurses infected. wsws.org Hospitals from California to Washington state are on the brink of collapse as an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant sweeps across the workforce and drives infections and admissions to all time highs.
(2022-01-07). Third Omicron case found in New Zealand. wsws.org While the number of Omicron cases appear for now to be relatively contained, their emergence inside New Zealand's borders highlights extreme dangers.
(2022-01-07). The way forward for University Michigan faculty and students in the fight against the pandemic. wsws.org The reopening of the campus to in-person learning at the University of Michigan comes in the face of skyrocketing local infections and hospitalizations from the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
(2022-01-07). Thousands of Michigan health care workers test positive for COVID-19 as Omicron surge accelerates. wsws.org As hospital systems in Michigan are being overrun with record numbers of COVID-19 patients, health care employees are testing positive by the hundreds, vastly reducing the health care system's ability to respond to the crisis.
(2022-01-07). Norwegian Vaccine Researcher Says Pandemic 'Over for Most', Health Authorities Beg to Differ. sputniknews.com According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the novel Omicron strain only causes around a third or half as serious a disease as the previously dominant Delta strain. At the same time, Omicron is seen as more infectious than predecessors and may result in a significant wave, encumbering the health service, the authorities have warned.
(2022-01-07). FDA issues emergency use authorization for second at-home COVID-19 treatment. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org For the second time in as many days, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization for an investigational antiviral pill to treat COVID-19. This time it is Merck's molnupiravir. According to the company, under the emergency use authorization, the treatment is cleared to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults who have tested positive for the disease, are at high risk for progression to severe COIVD-19 and for whom alternative COVID-19…
(2022-01-07). Consumer Health: Children and good hand-washing habits. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it's that frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness. Keeping hands clean can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related illnesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Help children stay healthy by encouraging them to wash their hands frequently, and make it a family affair….
(2022-01-07). 'We Are Bathing in Syphilis Right Now': Sweden Sees Spike in Disease Once Forgotten. sputniknews.com The steep rise in syphilis, a disease nearly extinct in the Nordic country, is particularly rampant among homosexual men, which has been partly ascribed to the efficiency of therapy against HIV, which makes people less keen on using condoms.
(2022-01-07). Veterans' Health Care For Mental And Environmental Illnesses Under Attack. popularresistance.org In recent years, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have backed privatization of services provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the VHA serves about nine million patients and operates the largest public healthcare system in the country. Since 2015, billions of dollars have been diverted from VHA care to private doctors and for-profit hospitals who treat veterans in costlier and less effective fashion. This cannibalization of the VHA budget began under President Obama, escalated during the Trump era, and continues under Joe Biden.
(2022-01-07). End of the road for Chile's neoliberal healthcare system? peoplesdispatch.org In an important The victory of a leftist candidate calls into question the
(2022-01-07). Consumer Health: The gift of bone marrow transplantation. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org In this season of celebrating and gift-giving, you could have the chance to give someone the gift of a second chance at life. Each year, approximately 18,000 people in the U.S. under 74 are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses for which a bone marrow transplant or an umbilical cord blood transplant are their best treatment options, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. A bone marrow transplant, also called a stem cell transplant, is a…
(2022-01-07). Former US Secretary of States Reveals How He Managed to Lose 90 Pounds in Half a Year. sputniknews.com Pompeo is not the only official from the Trump administration, who's focused on his health since their departure from the White House. The ex-president himself has lost 15 pounds since last spring after he overcame stress eating and took on a healthy diet.
(2022-01-07). Mental health and the holidays: Resolutions. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Q: The start of a new year stirs up thoughts of reflection and the desire for change. What are healthy resolutions, and what tips do you have for staying committed? A: Change is hard, and new habits are much easier to make and then break because old patterns may be more familiar, comfortable and easy. Also, stress from the COVID-19 pandemic can make some resolutions more difficult to follow through on. For example, you might…
(2022-01-07). Australian authorities revoke entry permit for anti-vaccine tennis player Novak Djokovic after public backlash. wsws.org The exemption provoked mass fury as an egregious example of the subordination of public health to corporate interests.
(2022-01-07). 200 British Troops Sent to London Hospitals to Help NHS Tackle 'Staffing Crisis'. sputniknews.com In late December, Pat Cullen, head of the Royal College of Nursing, revealed that London-based HNS staff are often working 14-hour shifts to make up for the healthcare agency's staff shortages amid a surge in COVID infections.
(2022-01-07). Multimillionaire Republican donor declares vaccines are part of a Jewish plot for world domination. wsws.org Utah capitalist David Bateman, who shared hundreds of fascistic and antisemitic posts on his social media account, resigned from the board of Entrata after his email was made public Monday.
(2022-01-07). Why some intubated COVID-19 patients may need tracheal reconstruction surgery. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org One of the long-term impacts observed during the COVID-19 pandemic stems from patients being intubated and breathing from a ventilator for an extended period of time. These patients usually undergo a procedure known as a tracheostomy. The trachea, also known as the windpipe, allows air to pass between the upper respiratory tract and the lungs. In cases of respiratory failure, prolonged intubation and tracheostomy can lead to a rare complication of a narrowing of the…
(2022-01-07). Global COVID-19 cases surpass 300 mln: Johns Hopkins University. ecns.cn Global COVID-19 cases topped 300 million on Thursday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
(2022-01-07). US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 4,764 job deaths, not including thousands from COVID-19. wsws.org The US Bureau of Labor Statistics failed to include workplace-related deaths from COVID-19, blaming lack of adequate and accurate reporting.
(2022-01-07). UK army deployed to hospitals. rt.com 
Around 200 British soldiers have been deployed to London NHS hospitals amid severe staffing shortages that have put patient care at risk | Military medics have been tasked with aiding the NHS after at least 24 hospital trusts declared critical incidents, amid staffing shortages that risk compromising their ability to care for patients and provide priority services. | The Ministry of Defence confirmed on Friday that 200 military personnel will be deployed for the next three weeks to fill gaps caused by staff having to self-isolate due to a Covid infection or coming into contact a positive case. | The bulk of th…
(2022-01-07). Italia reporta nuevo récord de contagios por la Covid-19. telesurtv.net De acuerdo con cifras del Ministerio de Salud italiano, el país registra casi 7 millones de contagios hasta la fecha.
(2022-01-07). Study: India May See 1 Million COVID Cases Daily by End of January. sputniknews.com Since the end of December, India has been witnessing a continuous rise in COVID-19 cases. On Friday morning, the country reported 117,100 new cases and 302 deaths due to the virus. This is the first time in seven months that daily cases have crossed the 100,000 mark in the country.
(2022-01-07). Mounting crisis in Australian hospitals drives workers to quit. wsws.org New South Wales hospitals have been told to expect a trebling of COVID-19 admissions in the next month.
(2022-01-07). North Korea claims US is leading 'hostile forces' in Olympics decision. rt.com 
The US has been accused of "insulting" China over the Beijing Olympics by North Korea, which has said it will not participate in the Games and praised Xi Jinping's government | North Korea has reached a decision over the Beijing Olympics in an announcement influenced by the pandemic and the "hostile forces" being led by the US. | Pyongyang has announced that it will not be participating in the Games and Paralympics in February, repeating its decision over the Tokyo Olympics in summer 2021, when it did not send a team because of purported fears over Covid. | North Korea's national Olympic committee and sports m…
(2022-01-07). EE.UU. marca récord en hospitalizaciones infantiles por Covid-19. telesurtv.net Estados Unidos duplica el número de hospitalizaciones respecto a la anterior ola provocada por la expansión de la cepa Delta.
(2022-01-07). Envían hacia Nicaragua dosis de Soberana Plus para vacunación pediátrica. cubadebate.cu Un lote de la vacuna cubana anti-COVID-19 Soberana Plus parte hoy hacia Nicaragua, para su uso en la vacunación pediátrica de ese país centroamericano. Así lo informó en la red social Twitter el Instituto Finlay de Vacunas (IFV), desarrollador del inmunógeno y agregó que es un orgullo que los niños nicaragàºenses completen su vacunación con Soberana Plus.
(2022-01-07). Philadelphia teachers demand switch to virtual learning as COVID-19 cases skyrocket. wsws.org Anger is rising among Philadelphia educators as massive levels of COVID-19 infections have prompted the school district to close 92 schools this week.
(2022-01-07). "Pushing the Reset Button" In the Wake of the Covid Crisis: "Coming to the Rescue of Humanity", Implanting Chips in Human Beings. globalresearch.ca first published by Global …
(2022-01-07). Suben los casos, que lo haga también la responsabilidad. cubadebate.cu El grupo temporal de trabajo para la prevención y el control del nuevo coronavirus, encabezado este jueves por el Primer Ministro, Manuel Marrero Cruz, evalúo la actual situación epidemiológica del país e intercambió con las autoridades de todas las provincias y el municipio especial Isla de la Juventud.
(2022-01-06). Thursday 1/6: Sacramento: Jan. 6th In-Person Sidewalk Vigil for Democracy & Voting Rights. indybay.org SACRAMENTO: Sidewalk intersection of 16th Street & J Street, Sacramento 95814 | Please wear a mask and be vaccinated/boosted. Follow all COVID safety guidelines, especially w/ omicron variant: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2022-01-06). Headlines for January 6, 2022. democracynow.org Biden to Call Out Trump's "Singular Responsibility" for Jan. 6 Insurrection, Jimmy Carter: U.S. Is at "Genuine Risk of Civil Conflict and Losing Our Precious Democracy", CDC Endorses Boosters for 12-to-15-Year-Olds as COVID Cases Skyrocket, Dozens Killed in Kazakhstan as Protests Grow in Former Soviet Republic, North Korea Acknowledges Testing Hypersonic Missile, Chilean Constitutional Assembly Elects New President to Rewrite Pinochet-Era Document, 12 Die, Including 8 Children, in Philadelphia House Fire, Ghislaine Maxwell Seeks New Trial After Two Jurors Admit Being Sexual Abuse Survivors, As Guantánamo Turns 20…
(2022-01-06). Thursday 1/6: Santa Rosa: January 6th Day of Remembrance & Action Vigil for Democracy & Voting Rights. indybay.org SANTA ROSA: Courthouse Square, Fourth Street & Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 | Please wear a mask and be vaccinated/boosted. Follow all COVID safety guidelines, especially w/ omicron variant: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2022-01-06). Thursday 1/6: Sonoma: January 6th Day of Remembrance & Action Vigil for Democracy & Voting Rights. indybay.org SONOMA: Sonoma Plaza, 453 1st St E, Sonoma, CA 95476 | Wear a mask and please be vaccinated/boosted. Follow all COVID safety guidelines, especially w/ omicron variant: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/……
(2022-01-06). Norwegian Health Authorities Receive Threats Amid Record COVID-19 Spread. sputniknews.com The threats to the health authorities' lives and health often come in connection with new measures to curb the spread of COVID, as well as vaccination efforts. They were subsequently reported to the police as a "threat to democracy" and given top priority.
(2022-01-06). CRD Workers' Struggles in Southern Africa Pacifica's Covid Race & Democracy. indybay.org Pacifica's Covid, Race and Democracy covers the growing working class struggles in South Africa from Namibia to South Africa.
(2022-01-06). The Highest Attainable Standard of Health Is a Fundamental Right of Every Human Being. dissidentvoice.org 
Ryuki Yamamoto (Japan), Chaos — Spin, 2019. As we enter the new year almost two years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020, the official death toll from COVID-19 sits just below 5.5 million people. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that there is a 'tsunami of cases' …
(2022-01-06). How citizens should respond to Omicron. canadiandimension.com 
The math is simple. The more people the virus is allowed to infect, the larger the percentage of the infected will end up in hospital, writes Andrew Nikiforuk. Image from Shutterstock. | Omicron is spreading rapidly, and hospitalization rates have ominously begun to climb. As a result, deathly sick patients have begun to monopolize hospital beds in the US and New York. That means big trouble ahead for Canadian health-care systems already wearied by the pandemic. | But many Canadian public health officials along with dangerously incompetent premiers such as Alberta's Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan's Scott Mo…