(2022-01-27). School-driven explosion of COVID cases in children linked to alarming spike of MIS-C. wsws.org The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics reports that the vast majority of MIS-C resulted from mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 infections.
(2022-01-27). As COVID-19 surges, deaths exceeded births in half of US states. wsws.org The devastation wrought by the pandemic has also led to an unprecedented situation in which deaths exceeded births in half of all US states in 2020. This decline in the birth-to-death ratio produced the smallest annual percentage population gain in at least a century.
(2022-01-27). West Coast educators and students hold meeting on the fight to pause in-person learning at unsafe schools. wsws.org On Sunday, the West Coast Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committees held an online meeting in opposition to the ruling class drive to keep schools open amid the spread of the Omicron variant.
(2022-01-27). Berlin film festival officials decide to hold in-person event despite record Omicron infection rates. wsws.org The decision of the Berlinale management is clearly directed against the health, lives and cultural interests of the population.
(2022-01-27). Omicron no 'big flu', Tianjin expert warns. ecns.cn Omicron cannot be regarded as a "big flu", a senior medical expert from Tianjin warns.
(2022-01-27). Sri Lankan president maintains criminal silence as Omicron cases surge. wsws.org The Omicron outbreak in Sri Lanka has exploded Rajapakse's lie that his regime has brought the pandemic under control and created the conditions "to resume normal community life."
(2022-01-27). Toxic forever chemicals found in almost 75 percent of stain and waterproof gear sold by major retailers. nationofchange.org Nearly three-quarters of water- and stain-resistant products contain toxic forever chemicals, a new report has found. Public health and environmental organization Toxic-Free Future tested 60 products from 10 major retailers. Of 47 products labeled stain-or water-resistant, 72 percent of them tested positive for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals known for their persistence in the …
(2022-01-27). Judge imposes strike ban on 17,000 BNSF railway workers. wsws.org While the United States never tires of lecturing other countries about their violation of "human rights" and "democracy," the US government regularly runs roughshod over the basic rights of workers, including their right to strike and their right to a safe and healthy work environment.
(2022-01-27). Wisconsin judge temporarily blocks employees from leaving their hospital jobs. wsws.org A group of seven health care specialists were temporarily blocked by a Wisconsin judge's court order from leaving ThedaCare and starting new jobs at a competing hospital chain.
(2022-01-27). Pseudo-left National Educators United "understands" Biden's diktat that schools stay open. wsws.org Amid skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, a collapsing health care system and a horrifying death toll, the NEU has organized a petition to beg Biden and the Democrats for a bit more PPE.
(2022-01-27). Exposing the massive hypocrisy of international insurance companies. nationofchange.org Despite the pro-climate rhetoric of the insurance industry—and warnings by the world's climate scientists calling for an end to fossil fuel exploration—leading global insurers are backing the Brazilian government's massive offshore oil expansion, according to a new report titled, "Fueling Climate Change: The Insurers Behind Brazil's Offshore Oil Expansion." Released on January 20 by Insure …
(2022-01-27). Research Reveals Best Ways to Obtain 'Super Immunity' Against COVID-19 Variants. sputniknews.com The international scientific community and the WHO still recommend vaccination with available and officially approved coronavirus vaccines as the best way to curb the spread of the virus, especially in light of the emergence of increasingly infectious and even more lethal strains.
(2022-01-27). Santa Rita prisoners conduct hunger strike. workers.org 
Protesters outside Alameda County Sheriff's Office call for release of Santa Rita Jail inmates during COVID-19 pandemic. Oakland In what has been a continuing struggle by Alameda county prisoners for decent food and sanitary conditions at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California, two dozen prisoners went on hunger strike Jan. . . . |
(2022-01-27). Australian school guidelines detail dangerous COVID-19 conditions. wsws.org The documents underscore the unsafe conditions that await school workers and students—unless opposed, the return to face to face teaching will inflict entirely preventable mass infection and serious illness and death.
(2022-01-27). Victimized Indian autoworker speaks in support of Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. wsws.org "The corporations and the governments," explains Balakrishnan, "are only concerned about accumulating profit, not the well-being and safety of people."
(2022-01-27). UK: "Partygate" report delayed as Johnson seeks political survival through warmongering and untrammelled COVID herd immunity. wsws.org Johnson stood his ground on his ability to "deliver" the policies dearest to the heart of the Tory right-wing, historically Brexit and today the reopening of the economy and assuming a leading role in US-led military provocations against Russia.
(2022-01-27). Victimized Indian auto worker speaks in support of Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. wsws.org "The corporations and the governments," explains Balakrishnan, "are only concerned about accumulating profit, not the well-being and safety of people."
(2022-01-27). COVID-19 ravages homeless shelters in Toronto. wsws.org Recently homeless individuals are ten times more likely to need intensive care treatment and five times more likely to die than other Canadians infected with COVID-19.
(2022-01-27). Close schools to eliminate the virus! Why the OUSD tentative agreement will not stop COVID-19. wsws.org The tentative agreement reached between the Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Educators Association will do nothing to fundamentally stop the spread of the virus.
(2022-01-27). "Bastille 2022": Building a Worldwide Movement Against "Corona Tyranny" globalresearch.ca Bastille 2022 pertains to the restoration of fundamental rights. It seeks to reverse the criminal COVID-19 agenda which in the course of the last two years has triggered economic, social and political chaos Worldwide, coupled with bankruptcies, unemployment, mass poverty and despair.
(2022-01-26). Africa CDC Director: Vaccine Inequity Prolongs the Pandemic. Global Cooperation Can Stop New Variants. democracynow.org 
As new cases of the highly infectious Omicron variant continue to climb in undervaccinated parts of the world, we speak to the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how vaccine inequity could lead to even more variants of the coronavirus. Dr. John Nkengasong says only 10% of the population is fully immunized in Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion people, and millions of vaccines donated by COVAX went unused because of their short shelf life. Meanwhile, several countries in Africa have begun manufacturing their own vaccines. "We have to shift our focus to vaccinating — that is, m…
(2022-01-26). COVID-19 cases spread across the Pacific. wsws.org A social catastrophe is developing as the Omicron strain sweeps into small Pacific island countries that previously avoided the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2022-01-26). Where Is The 100,000-Strong Public Health Corps Biden Promised Us? popularresistance.org A year after Joe Biden's inauguration, things seem bleak. Despite the existence of life-saving vaccines, tests and masks, on January 21, more than 3,000 people were reported to have died of Covid-19, and the last time daily deaths were below 1,000 was in August. With the more transmissible Omicron variant spreading like wildfire, and only 63% of the country with two doses of the vaccine (only 43% of adults with their booster), things may continue to get worse before they get better. Hospitals are filled to the brim while schools and industries deal with absences. Clearly, we need a policy reset. We need to provid…
(2022-01-26). Headlines for January 26, 2022. democracynow.org U.S. Says Personal Sanctions Against Putin Possible If Russia Invades Ukraine, Aid Ship to Tonga Reports 23 COVID Cases; China Tries to Contain Omicron Ahead of Olympics, Biden Admin Pulls Business Vaccine Requirement; Judge Stays Decision Blocking NY Indoor Mask Mandate, Pfizer Starts Testing Omicron Vaccine; FDA Halts Use of 2 Antibody Therapies | , Leonard Peltier Calls Prison Conditions "Torture" Amid COVID Lockdowns and Neglect, Colombian Indigenous Leader José Albeiro Camayo Killed by Armed Group, Pataxó Protesters in Brazil Launch Blockade, Demand Justice 3 Years After Deadly Vale Dam Disaster, Seven Bangl…
(2022-01-26). More than a quarter of Los Angeles students are out sick amid Omicron surge. wsws.org As the Los Angeles Unified School District enters the third week of the spring semester, coronavirus cases continue to explode throughout student and staff populations.
(2022-01-26). Omicron Spread Continues at San Quentin State Prison. scheerpost.com 
Photo by everett225 on Depositphotos.com. | By Steve Brooks / At San Quentin State Prison (SQ), a musical symphony of hoarse voices, hacking coughs and the clearing of congested nasal passages is signaling another outbreak of COVID-19. | The new Omicron variant, which reportedly broke out in SQ's Alpine and H-Units early January, is now spreading throughout the North and West Block housing units even though the prison was placed on a 15-day lockdown last week along with…
(2022-01-26). Only 10 Percent of Africa's Population Is Fully Vaccinated. truthout.org 
As new cases of the highly infectious Omicron variant continue to climb in undervaccinated parts of the world, we speak to the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how vaccine inequity could lead to even more variants of the coronavirus. Dr. John Nkengasong says only 10% of the population is fully immunized in Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion people, and millions of vaccines donated by COVAX went unused because of their short shelf life. Meanwhile, several countries in Africa have…
(2022-01-26). German officials cut back on contact tracing and testing amid largest COVID-19 wave. wsws.org All parties in Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag, are cooperating closely to remove the remaining obstacles to the pandemic and to infect the population with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
(2022-01-26). New Zealand schools and public transport will be breeding grounds for Omicron infections. wsws.org The WSWS spoke to parents and a bus driver who outlined the dangerous conditions in schools and workplaces, which will contribute to the deadly COVID-19 variant spreading rapidly throughout the country.
(2022-01-26). Bombshell Document Dump on Pfizer Vaccine Data. globalresearch.ca What is contained in Pfizer's confidential report is detailed evidence on the impacts of the "vaccine" on mortality and morbidity. This data which emanates from the Horse's Mouth can be used to confront as well formulate legal procedures against Big Pharma, the governments, the WHO and the media.
(2022-01-26). Study explains how to get 'super immunity' to Covid. rt.com 
"Amazingly high" immune response discovered in fully jabbed people who also caught the disease | Fully vaccinated people who catch Covid, as well as those who had the disease prior to the jabs, get rewarded with the best immune responses, a new Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) researchers took samples from 10…
(2022-01-26). Stored Blood Samples Reveal COVID-19 May Have Reached Norway As Early as 2019. sputniknews.com According to Norwegian researchers, the "very surprising" findings from the same time the disease was officially discovered in China "change the history of the corona pandemic both in Norway and in the entire world".
(2022-01-26). Billionaires Invested In Animal Agony, Climate Extreme Causation & Human Disease. indybay.org More and more are getting out of cattle ranching as vegan product | sales skyrocket and animal flesh becomes more and more expensive. | Some are still invested in the animal suffering, human disease, | deforestation and climate extremes caused by raising animals for…
(2022-01-26). GT: US Plots to Authorise Departure of Staff From Embassies in China Over Epidemic Ahead of Olympics. sputniknews.com The US Department of State is mulling to approve embassies and consulates to authorise the departure of their US employees in China, citing reasons for "China's epidemic situation," a source familiar with the matter told the Global Times on Tuesday.
(2022-01-26). Solution to global inequality is socialism! workers.org 
Around the globe, billions of people are suffering incredible losses resulting from capitalism's inability and refusal to seriously address the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions have lost lives or loved ones. Families are houseless. Workers have been forced to choose between risking their health at minimum wage jobs and feeding their families, . . . |
(2022-01-26). Coalminers On Strike For 10 Months Vow Not To Be 'Starved Out'. popularresistance.org About 1,100 coalminers in Alabama have entered 2022 still on strike, more than 10 months since they walked out back in April last year, making it the longest strike in the US since the Covid-19 pandemic began and the longest in Alabama's history. | Workers started the unfair labor practice strike over claims of bad faith bargaining by Warrior Met Coal over a new union contract. In the previous contract settled in 2016, miners accepted several concessions, including a $6-an-hour pay cut and reductions in health insurance and other benefits as the mines switched employers in the wake of a bankruptcy. | The miners o…
(2022-01-26). Striking Massachusetts Nurses Outwait Corporate Giant Tenet. popularresistance.org Last year's longest-running strike came to an end in early January when nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, overwhelmingly voted to ratify their new contract and return to work. | Seven hundred nurses had walked out over dangerous staffing conditions last March—ten months ago. (See previous Labor Notes coverage from last April and August.) | In a year of health care workers organizing amid Covid surges and staffing shortages, St. Vincent nurses stood out for their willingness to strike indefinitely and for the discipline the strikers showed. | Open-ended strikes are still a rarity in…
(2022-01-26). To Protect Women's Health, Pass the Equal Rights Amendment. otherwords.org Late January marked the 49th anniversary of Roe. V. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. It could very well be the last. | In 1973, Roe codified the right to terminate a pregnancy up until viability — around 23-26 weeks. Anti-abortion forces have fought to negate the decision ever since, and now they appear to be winning. | Two cases are now pending before the right-wing Supreme Court, and either or both could mark the end of safe and legal abortion in the United States. | Texas has outlawed abortion after six weeks, before many women know they're pregnant, and turned to vigi…
(2022-01-26). The Medicaid Gap Fix in the Build Back Better Act Could Improve Health and Save the Lives of Low-Income Individuals. cepr.net The Build Back Better (BBB) Act would improve health and save lives by expanding access to affordable health care.
(2022-01-26). OSHA kills emergency anti-COVID standard on order of right-wing Supreme Court. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (PAI)—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has permanently yanked its Emergency Temporary Standard requiring firms with at least 100 workers to develop and implement plans to protect employees against the coronavirus. But it'll keep working on a permanent standard to achieve that goal. OSHA's January 26 decision obeys the January 13 ruling by the …
(2022-01-26). COVID-19 tests ensure health and safety at Beijing 2022: official. ecns.cn COVID-19 tests during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games comply with international standards and will ensure the health and safety of athletes and stakeholders to the maximum extent, said Beijing 2022 organizers on Tuesday.
(2022-01-26). Anti-vaccine zealots join with fascist militia forces at D.C. rally to oppose all COVID-19 public health measures. wsws.org Promoted by Fox News, the sparsely attended event promoted fascistic, anti-Semitic and anti-scientific conspiracy theories.
(2022-01-26). Australian epidemiologists call for global action to eliminate COVID-19. wsws.org The urgent appeal by three distinguished epidemiologists reflects the growing opposition of principled medical scientists, doctors and health workers to the "let it rip" response of governments to the pandemic.
(2022-01-26). millions of under 12 Iranian to get COVID vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 26 (MNA) — Iran's Ministry of Health Official Mohammad Mehdi Gooya announced that Iranian children of the age 9-12 can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
(2022-01-26). Lung cancer: It is about more than smoking. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org World Cancer Day is February 4 ROCHESTER, Minn.— World Cancer Day is February 4 and that makes this the ideal time to talk about lung cancer and smoking. Internationally, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths and the World Health Organization estimates that 90% of cases could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use. People who smoke are at the greatest risk. Smokeless tobacco is also associated with lung cancer. And lung cancer…
(2022-01-26). As pandemic rages across the EU, WHO Regional Director for Europe proclaims pandemic "endgame" wsws.org The effort to normalize COVID-19 infections and deaths in Europe and the US is not driven by science or public health but by economic considerations.
(2022-01-26). Podcast: The marine carbon cycle, teaching robots, and a mental health zine. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: How fishing may impact the carbon cycle, how to teach a robot to make toast, and sharing research in the form of a short magazine.
(2022-01-26). How WHO Chief Tedros Violated UN Rules to Advance TPLF Interests in Ethiopia. orinocotribune.com By Ann Garrison and Simon Tesfamariam — Jan 18, 2022 | In leaked audio, UN staffers accuse World Health Organization Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of violating UN code to further the objectives of his political allies in Ethiopia's conflict | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General and overseer of the UN's global coronavirus response, has established a shadow relief operation that sidesteps the authority of Ethiopia's sovereign government and directly coordinates with his political allies in the country's civil war. | The alleged actions by Tedros, which h…
(2022-01-26). Hymen repair surgery to be outlawed in UK. rt.com 
The UK government is criminalizing hymen reconstruction procedures to protect vulnerable women and girls | UK Minister for Care and Mental Health Gillian Keegan has confirmed the government will ban the "indefensible" cosmetic surgeries that are linked to conservative cultures. | Hymen repair surgery, known as hymenoplasty, is currently available in UK clinics for up to £3,000 ($4,055.79) and is catering to groups that value virginity before marriage. | The procedure is closely linked with virginity testing.The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that virginity testing is currently practiced in at…
(2022-01-26). San Jose Passes First-of-Its-Kind Insurance Requirement for Gun Owners. truthout.org 
The city council in San Jose, California, has approved a new measure that would require gun owners in the city to purchase liability insurance for their weapons. | Several cities across the U.S. have presented similar proposals, but it's likely that San Jose, which passed the ordinance on Tuesday, There are about 55,000 gun-owning households in the ci…