(2021-02-11). Coronavirus Scandal Breaking in Merkel's Germany. False Positives and the Drosten PCR Test. globalresearch.ca First posted by Global Research on December 11, 2020 | The widely-praised German model of the Angela Merkel regime to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic is now engulfed in a series of potentially devastating scandals going to the very heart of …
(2021-02-10). Screen Shot 2021-02-10 at 1.13.47 PM.png. progressive.org Addressing the deep inequalities exposed by COVID-19 will probably prove more elusive than treating the disease.
(2021-02-10). Historians Say "Decades of Medical Racism" Led to Unequal COVID Impact on Black & Latinx People. democracynow.org 
Historians Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain dedicate their new book, "Four Hundred Souls," to the "Black lives lost to COVID-19." They put the content of their book in the context of the disparate impact of the pandemic on the African American community in the United States. "This has been in the making for decades. Even though this is a new virus, … it connects to a larger history of racial inequality, and we wanted to make sure that was clear," says Blain. Kendi is a cancer survivor and notes Black and Latinx are more at risk from preexisting conditions because of a history of racist policies, but "Americans d…
(2021-02-10). Right-wing US Supreme Court majority again exempts large religious gatherings from COVID-19 safety measures. wsws.org For the second time since the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, the court has struck down state measures to control the spread of COVID-19 that limit indoor religious services, reversing rulings earlier in the pandemic.
(2021-02-10). Historic vote on Amazon union kicks off in Alabama. peoplesdispatch.org Over 5,800 ballots have been sent out to the employees of Amazon's Bessemer warehouse near Birmingham, Alabama. Workers will have seven weeks to mail-in their ballots, in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic…
(2021-02-10). Philadelphia teachers defy return to classroom order. workers.org 
Credit: Joe Piette Thousands of Philadelphia public school teachers defied an order from school Superintendent William Hite Jr. to return to their classrooms Feb. 8 for the first time since schools became fully virtual in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Across the city, educators demonstrated outside closed . . . |
(2021-02-10). Vaccination and public/private coercion. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In an earlier post I discussed the problem of "vaccine hesitancy" and written evidence to Parliament to Parliament outlining ways in which a vaccination against Covid-19 without consent could be put on a par with capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and with Section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Since the announcement …
(2021-02-10). Headlines for February 10, 2021. democracynow.org Senate Votes to Proceed with Impeachment as Managers Present Harrowing Video of Jan. 6 Insurrection, Gov't to Send Vaccines to Community Health Centers as U.S. Continues Ramping Up Vaccinations, WHO Team Confirms COVID-19 of Animal Origin; Ghana Shuts Parliament After Outbreak Infects Lawmakers, Protesters in Burma Defy Bans, Escalating Crackdown by Police, Journalists Decry Raid on Progressive Indian News Site NewsClick, U.S. to Pursue Extradition of Julian Assange as Press Freedom Groups Warn of Dangerous Precedent, Fossil Fuel Pollution Causes One in Five Global Deaths, Calls Growing to Shut Down DAPL as Key H…
(2021-02-10). Venezuela to Receive 100,000 Doses of Sputnik V Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday announced that 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will arrive in his country next week. | RELATED: | Once the first lot arrives in Caracas, the national vaccination campaign will kick off, prioritizing health workers who are on the front line against COVID-19 and the people most vulnerable to the disease. | The next to be vaccinated will be the country's t…
(2021-02-10). World Health Organization confirms natural origins of coronavirus. wsws.org There is no evidence of to back up the lie peddled by ruling circles in the US and Europe, and reported largely uncritically in the media, that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was made and released by Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(2021-02-10). House panel probes meatpackers' refusal to protect workers from virus. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON —The special House committee investigating the federal government's response, or lack of it, to the coronavirus plague has opened an investigation of big meatpackers' refusal to protect their workers against the contagion. In Feb. 1 letters to the nation's three big meatpacking firms and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Rep. James Clyburn, …
(2021-02-10). Dangling the carrot. workers.org 
Maybe some thought that President Joe Biden was serious about doubling the minimum wage to $15 an hour and doing it during the pandemic when workers were most in need. That was never his plan. One of 300 Fight for $15 demonstrations in the U.S. on May 1, 2019. . . . |
(2021-02-10). 22 Bahman rallies in provinces (2). en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 10 (MNA) — Along with their fellow Iranians, people in Tabriz, Birjand, and in Yazd held drive-in rallies amid the pandemic on Wednesday to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution victory on February 11, 1979.
(2021-02-10). Corona and psychology: Fear works against democratic coexistence. indybay.org The current "simultaneous consolidation and weakening of the state" (Nicos Poulantzas) are two sides of the same coin: the rise of the punitive state goes hand in hand with growing social insecurity and disenfranchisement, rather than an increase in rule-breaking and crime. The state authority & police strengthen themselves in pandemic…
(2021-02-10). Tuesday 2/23: Now or Never: Eradicating Systemic Racism in the Government's Pandemic Response. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-02-10). Los Angeles Hospital slated for closure amid pandemic. wsws.org The impending closure of the Olympia Medical Center Hospital in Los Angeles County in the midst of a pandemic shows the irrationality of health care run for profit.
(2021-02-10). Fossil Fuel Pollution Caused Nearly 1 in 5 Premature Deaths in 2018. zcomm.org "There's a vaccine for the 8.7 million deaths caused each year by air pollution from fossil fuels. That vaccine is called solar panels and wind turbines"
(2021-02-10). Washington state restaurants need more relief, not premature reopening plans. liberationnews.org 
While restaurants are being allowed to open for indoor dining at 25% capacity, restaurant workers are not included as essential workers in the state's vaccine schedule.
(2021-02-10). Cuba to Produce First 150,000 Doses of Soberana 02 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) President Vicente Verez on Tuesday announced that his country started producing the first batch of 150,000 doses of the Soberana 02 vaccine. | RELATED: | "Because of the vaccine's encouraging results, we started producing it on a large scale to launch its third phase of clinical trials in March," Verez said. | Over 700 people have already been vaccinated with Sovereign 02 during the…
(2021-02-10). The Questionable Characters Behind the Kushner-Linked Insurance Giant Oscar Health. mintpressnews.com 
Oscar Health, a tech-based telehealth insurance mishmash co-founded by Joshua Kushner is about to go public with a massive IPO underwritten by the gods of Wall Street and backed by Silicon Valley titans.
(2021-02-10). Wall Street admits curing diseases is bad for business. mronline.org 
Goldman Sachs is openly saying in financial reports that curing people of terrible diseases is not good for business.
(2021-02-10). The Desiccated Hearts and Souls of Working-class Americans. dissidentvoice.org Desiccate: deaden, devitalize, lobotomize, castrate — Merriam-Webster In the United States the average man and woman has been dismissed, devalued and manipulated by both parties and the financial system. They have been prevented access to healthcare, decent-paying jobs, affordable education and food security. And their hopes and dreams have been crushed by the absence of …
(2021-02-10). Boris Johnson warned he risks leaving children 'languishing in poverty'. thecanary.co Ian Blackford MP urged the prime minister to tackle child poverty by making the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit during the Covid-19 pandemic permanent. The Scottish National Party (SNP) Westminster leader told Boris Johnson he risks leaving "a generation of children languishing in poverty" if he proceeds with plans to cut Universal Credit. | Raising the issue at Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs), Blackford said that Johnson has the powers to address poverty in the country. | "Truly shocking": | He told the Commons: New research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the baby bank charity, Littl…
(2021-02-10). Dozens of people develop rare blood disorder after taking coronavirus vaccines — reports. rt.com 
At least 36 recipients of Pfizer's and Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines in the US have developed a rare immune disorder that attacks the blood, according to reports. One patient is dead, and doctors can't rule out blaming the vaccine. | Dr. Gregory Michael — a 56-year-old obstetrician-gynecologist who ran his own practice at Miami Beach's Mount Sinai Medical Center for more than a decade — died in January of a brain hemorrhage. He had received a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine two weeks earlier, and immediately developed immune thrombocytopenia, a rare and sometimes fatal blood disorder.
(2021-02-10). Be a goody two-masks: US health authorities change guidelines to urge DOUBLE masking against Covid-19. rt.com 
The CDC are now saying one mask is good but two are better, urging Americans to wear tight-fitting cloth masks under medical ones so as to increase protection against the spread of the coronavirus. | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their "The bottom line is this: Masks work and they work best when they have a good fit and are worn cor…
(2021-02-10). 'Don't rely' on US intel: WHO team member bats away Washington's scrutiny of Covid fact-finding mission to China. rt.com 
A member of the WHO team sent to China to probe the origins of Covid-19 in the country has shrugged off Washington's demand to verify the mission's findings, saying US intelligence on the matter should be viewed with skepticism. | The World Health Organization (WHO) expert team held a press conference on Tuesday to reveal their findings after spending four weeks in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the first case of the coronavirus was reported back in December 2019. According to their investigation, there is currently no evidence to support the theory that the virus leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, a claim put…
(2021-02-10). Bodyless, UPSIDE-DOWN head of US congressman appears before House committee in latest Zoom snafu (VIDEO). rt.com 
US Representative Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) inadvertently appeared with his head upside down and his body missing as he participated virtually in a House committee meeting, providing the polarized Congress a rare moment of levity. | As Emmer began to speak passionately of the need to help small business owners during the Covid-19 pandemic, his colleagues on the House Financial Services Committee couldn't help but be distracted by his floating, upside-down head. | "I'm sorry, Mr. Emmer," Chairwoman Maxine Waters (R-California) interjected. "Are you OK?" Committee members began to laugh as Emmer assured the mem…
(2021-02-10). S Korea approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, including for elderly. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- South Korea approved Wednesday the use of a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University in adults, including those over 65. It, however, said there was a lack of data on the efficacy of the vaccine in the elderly. South Korea set up a committee to carry out a fast …
(2021-02-10). BioNTech begins COVID vaccine production at new plant. yenisafak.com BioNTech announced Wednesday that it has started vaccine production at its new manufacturing site in the German city of Marburg."We started the manufacturing process at the Marburg facility with the execution of the first step: the production of mRNA, which is the active pharmaceutical ingredient of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine," the German pharma company said in a statement.Once fully operational, the new production site will become one of the largest mRNA manufacturing plants in Europe with an annual production capacity of up to 750 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.BioNTech, which together with the Ame…
(2021-02-10). BioNTech begins Covid-19 vaccine production in German plant. laprensalatina.com Frankfurt, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- German biotech firm BioNTech has started manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine at its new plant in Marburg, central Germany, which it bought from Swiss company Novartis last year. BioNTech said in a statement Wednesday that the vaccine manufacturing process started with the production of mRNA, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech …
(2021-02-10). WHO backs AstraZeneca vaccine for over 65s. laprensalatina.com Geneva, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University was safe for people over 65 years old, despite some countries like Germany and Austria advising against. It is the second approval from the WHO for a vaccine against Covid-19, after the organisation in December …
(2021-02-10). South Africa to reboot vaccination plan with Johnson & Johnson. laprensalatina.com Johannesburg, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- South Africa will restart its halted Covid-19 vaccination program with doses from Johnson & Johnson, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Wednesday, after the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was found to be less effective against a new variant currently prevalent in the country. "We will soon announce more details about the delivery …
(2021-02-10). UK Muslims ask UN to halt Sri Lanka's forced cremations. yenisafak.com The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) submitted a complaint to the UN on Tuesday over the forced cremations of Muslims in Sri Lanka who died of COVID-19.The MCB in partnership with UK-based law firm Bindmans submitted the complaint to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on behalf of their families. "No other state has carried out such unjust and discriminatory measures. We very much hope that the Sri Lankan government will change its policy in line with the World Health Organization's advice," Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the MCB, said in a statement, describing the government's policy as "unprecedented."Tay…
(2021-02-10). 'Turkey supports unity, prosperity, security of Gulf'. yenisafak.com Turkey's foreign minister reiterated on Wednesday that Ankara supports the unity, prosperity and security of the Gulf region."[…]We are ready to work closely with Oman and all other Gulf countries on issues regarding our region," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood al-Busaidi, in Muscat.Saying that the two countries will further improve political, economic and commercial relations despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Cavusoglu hailed Oman's neutral and independent foreign policy. "Oman is a voice of reason and wisdom in the region.""Turkey is the…
(2021-02-10). COVID-19: Expert asks US not to rely much on intel. yenisafak.com A member of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of coronavirus has asked the US not to rely "too much" on information from intelligence agencies."Please don't rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under [Donald] Trump frankly wrong on many aspects… but don't forget it's "TRUST" then "VERIFY"!" Peter Daszak tweeted on Wednesday.He was reacting to the news story, the US will not accept the global health body's findings out of Wuhan without independently verifying.The disease, which first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has killed more than 2.3 mi…
(2021-02-10). COVID-19 And Democrats' Indifference Killed My Husband In Jail. popularresistance.org In February 2020, my husband, Nickolas Lee, was incarcerated in Cook County Jail in Chicago. The judge didn't offer him bail. So even though he was presumed innocent, he had to await his trial in jail. When the coronavirus seeped into the facility, he was sleeping in a dormitory with 50 other men, including those with active COVID-19 symptoms. Nick and the other men had no ability to social distance. Although the sheriff's office claimed to be "clearly leaders in the Country on dealing with the pandemic [sic]," Nick was denied even basic sanitary products, like sanitizer or a mask. He had to use his shirt to cove…
(2021-02-10). 'Women and girls belong in science' declares UN chief. news.un.org Closed labs and increased care responsibilities are just a two of the challenges women in scientific fields are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief said in his message for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, on Thursday.
(2021-02-10). Bulgarian Orthodox believers offer 'miraculous' honey against Covid-19. laprensalatina.com Sofia, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- Thousands of jars of honey have been "sanctified" this Wednesday in a traditional Orthodox liturgy that has been celebrated for years and which is believed, without any scientific evidence, works as a cure against all diseases, Covid-19 included. This tradition was created 15 years ago in a church located in the …
(2021-02-10). Chicago teachers accept to return to in-person learning. yenisafak.com Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in the US state of Illinois has backed a tentative deal to return to in-person learning amid coronavirus pandemic, the union said in a statement Wednesday.The decision was taken by 13,681 members voting in favor, and came after weeks of negotiations between the CTU and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system. 6,585 members voted against the deal.Although the sides agreed on returning to classrooms, the union voiced concern about the safety of schools."This plan is not what any of us deserve. Not us. Not our students. Not their families. The fact that CPS could not delay reopening a few sh…
(2021-02-10). Toyota earned $13.4 billion from April to December, 14.1% drop. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- Japanese car group Toyota Motor said Wednesday it recorded a 1.47 trillion yen ($13.4 billion) net profit from April to December 2020, 14.1 percent less than the previous year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The Japanese firm saw profit fall by 26.1 percent to 1.51 trillion yen in …
(2021-02-10). Iran marks 42nd anniversary of Islamic Revolution in cars, motorcycles. laprensalatina.com Tehran, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- Tens of thousands of Iranians on Wednesday commemorated the anniversary of the country's 1979 revolution in parades of cars and motorcycles, instead of the usual large-scale rallies organized by the government, due to the coronavirus pandemic. From their vehicles, people held up photos of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, who led …
(2021-02-10). Dems try to push through school funding, wage increase. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats on Tuesday muscled past Republicans on portions of President Joe Biden's pandemic plan, including a proposed $130 billion in additional relief to help the nation's schools reopen and a gradual increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee say schools won't …
(2021-02-10). EU chief acknowledges errors in vaccine rollout. laprensalatina.com (Update 1: Provides new angle, adds detail, alters headline, lede). Brussels, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday acknowledged shortcomings in the EU's vaccine rollout. "We were late with the approval. We were too optimistic on mass production and perhaps too confident that what we ordered would …
(2021-02-10). EU chief 'regrets' bid to check vaccine exports on Irish-UK border. laprensalatina.com Brussels, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said the EU made mistakes in its hasty effort to control vaccine exports amid a spat with pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca late last month. The EU triggered an emergency article that would have forced controls at the sensitive border between …
(2021-02-10). EU Vaccine Chaos: Go Now, Ursula. Just Go Now. strategic-culture.org The European Commission president has to be a failed politician who will be dazzled by the bodyguards, motorcades and photo ops with world leaders, but not really take the lead from the front. | When Ursula von der Leyen became European Commission president in December 2019, many journalists responded with vitriol over how such a German political lightweight could take the top job in Brussels. She literally had no success stories in Germany in previous ministerial positions and many Germans when hearing of her appointment reacted with "Ursula who?". | And yet, with the exception of Jacques Delors, European Commis…
(2021-02-10). Even a child-murdering clown wears a mask! Hollywood supercut shows famous characters with masks on to endorse face coverings. rt.com 
The US Centers for Disease Control have reached out to movie-lovers with a montage of classic Hollywood scenes, masking up both heroes and villains. About as subtle as a sledgehammer, the message didn't land quite right. | The public service announcement, sponsored by Warner Media and the Ad Council, took iconic moments from popular films like 'The Matrix', 'Casablanca', and 'Lord of the Rings' and slapped masks on the characters. Notably, the list included both heroes and villains, including Pennywise the Dancing Clown, a child-murdering monster from the film adaptation of Stephen King's 'It'. | Heroes wear m…
(2021-02-10). Five More Memphis, Shelby County Businesses Closed After Allegedly Violating Health Directive. laprensalatina.com SHELBY COUNTY, TN (WREG) — The Shelby County Health Department announced five more businesses were shut down last week after they were found to be in violation of the health directive. Soulz Café & House of Soul at 549 South Parkway East; EL 7 Mares Bar & Grill at 3681 Jackson Avenue; Blue Nile Hookah …
(2021-02-10). Big Oil spent $10 million lobbying CA officials as oil production well permits doubled in 2020. indybay.org The inordinate influence by Big Oil on California politicians and regulators has resulted in widespread air, ground and water pollution with huge health impacts on mostly Black and Brown communities living near oil and gas wells.
(2021-02-09). Covid-19, climate change and the road not to be taken. mronline.org 
Governments from diverse political dispositions have responded to the pandemic by arming themselves with unprecedented emergency powers. India offers a stunning example of how the pandemic can be recast as a security concern.
(2021-02-09). The Value of Universal Vaccination Is So Great That Even the IMF Is Being Forced to Rethink Its Callousness to the Global South. counterpunch.org The world seems to have turned topsy-turvy when the undisputed voices of global capital start talking about the virtues of "cooperation" among nations and "universal distribution of vaccines" to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its January 2021 report, talks about "strong multilateral cooperation" and "universal distribution of vaccines… at affordable