(2022-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2022. democracynow.org NATO Defense Ministers Gather in Brussels, Dispute Russia's Claims of Troop Drawback, COVID-19 Pandemic Claimed 75,000 Lives Last Week, U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prepares to Roll Back Guidelines for COVID Restrictions, Hospitals in War-Ravaged Syria Forced to Close Amid Cuts in International Aid, U.N. Says 8 Million Yemenis Could Lose All Humanitarian Aid Next Month Due to Funding Shortages, Colombia Forced Displacement Crisis Worsened in 2021, Mexican Journalists Interrupt Congress to Demand Justice for Assassinated Colleagues, Amnesty International Condemns "Sham Trial" for Jailed Russi…
(2022-02-17). The war that must be waged is the war on COVID-19. wsws.org While no cost is too great for the American ruling elites to wage imperialist war, there has been a full-scale capitulation to COVID-19 during the Omicron surge.
(2022-02-17). Simple DNA Test May Make Breakthrough in Diagnosing Genetic and Neurological Diseases, Study Says. sputniknews.com Scientists say in some cases it is diagnosis and not the cure that plays a crucial role — patients can spend years suffering from certain symptoms and still be unaware of what ailment they have. The new method is expected to rectify this problem and help treat diseases in their early stages.
(2022-02-17). Scientists Find Three New Coronaviruses That 'Could Represent Risk for Human Health'. sputniknews.com With the world already in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the origins of the disease, which according to Johns Hopkins University has already killed 5.8 million people, remains a mystery. Different explanations are offered, including one suggesting the virus appeared due to a lab leak.
(2022-02-17). Vietnam To Resume Int'l Tourism From March 15. telesurenglish.net Vietnam will reopen borders for international tourism starting from March 15. Foreign travelers aged 12 and over must prove that they have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, and show a negative test result as per requirements by local health authorities. | Photo taken on April 1, 2020 shows a tourist attraction in Hoi An ancient city in Vietnam's central Quang Nam province.
(2022-02-17). £2.1 million grant for research into brain activity 'avalanches'. imperial.ac.uk Researchers working to understand how the brain functions in various states of health have received a £2.1 million grant for their project.
(2022-02-17). Back to Normal? Many Immunocompromised People Feel Left Behind as U.S. Lifts Pandemic Measures. democracynow.org 
As U.S. health guidelines start to loosen as COVID-19 cases fall from record-high levels of infection, we look at how there there are still millions of immunocompromised people who face acute risk of illness and feel they have received little to no guidance on how to stay safe in a prolonged COVID-19 world. Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong of The Atlantic spoke to immunocompromised people for his new report and says, "While a lot of the world opens up, their world shuts down, and they feel left behind and abandoned by the government, by their friends, by their workplaces." Yong notes immu…
(2022-02-17). COVID cases surge in South Korea as virtually all public health measures ended. wsws.org The steps taken by the Moon Jae-in administration are meant to ensure big business will continue to make record profits.
(2022-02-17). Sri Lanka unions betray health workers' indefinite strike. wsws.org Health Minister Rambukwella told the media that the government "strategically used the law courts" and convinced union leaders to stop the strike, without him agreeing to any major demand.
(2022-02-17). New Zealand right-wing, pseudo-lefts urge government to "engage" with far-right protesters. wsws.org The media, including liberal and pseudo-left commentators, and opposition politicians, are seeking to sanitise the protest at parliament, which is demanding the removal of all COVID-19 public health measures.
(2022-02-17). SF City Workers Fed Up With Low Staffing, Wages, Union Busting Privatization & Corruption. indybay.org Hundreds of San Francisco City workers rally to protest the low staffing, lack of wage increases, two tier union busting and systemic corruption by City officials and retaliation against whistlelblowers. Workers were also protesting the firing of workers for not taking the vaccine…
(2022-02-17). Protests here to stay, Canadian radio host axed for pro-trucker comments tells RT. rt.com 
Kid Carson lost his job after speaking out against mandates, but insists the public are on his side | Vancouver-based radio host Kid Carson was "politely shown the door" this week after railing against vaccine mandates and supporting the ongoing truckers' protest in Ottawa, Canada, he told RT on Thursday. Carson believes that despite the best efforts of the mainstream media, the public is sick of the "corruption and craziness" of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, and the truckers parked on Parliament Hill aren't going anywhere. | Carson was dropped last week by Vancouver's Z95.3 FM, after an…
(2022-02-17). Why Gaza must be vaccinated. electronicintifada.net I am devastated after my uncle died from COVID.
(2022-02-17). Imperial receives Queen's Anniversary Prize for 'world-class' COVID-19 response. imperial.ac.uk Imperial College London has been recognised for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic at a Queen's Anniversary Prize presentation this week.
(2022-02-17). The criminal role of the Swedish government in the pandemic: Testimony from anti-COVID-19 activist Keith Begg—Part 2. wsws.org This interview is about the experience of the pandemic in Sweden, the birthplace of the homicidal "herd immunity" strategy which the Social Democratic government has ruthlessly pursued since March 2020.
(2022-02-17). VIDEO — Australia: Striking New South Wales nurses speak out. wsws.org "Over the last two years with COVID, we just dealt with it, right? We just toughed it out. But it's been two years, and I think we've been through enough that it's about time we speak up."
(2022-02-17). Rep. Dominicana suspende medidas de restricción por la Covid-19. telesurtv.net "Desde ahora, a todos nos tocará cuidarnos, con responsabilidad, pero sin restricciones", destacó el presidente Abinader.
(2022-02-17). Last Native Speaker of Chile's Yaghan Indigenous Language Dies. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, 93-year-old Chilean Cristina Calderon, the last native speaker of the Yaghan Indigenous language, died to COVID-19 in a hospital in the Magallanes region. | RELATED: | "I have deep regret for not being with you when you passed away. Be sure that everything I do is in your name and in that of our people," tweeted Calderon's daughter Lidia Gonzalez, who is Vice President of the Constitutional Convention.
(2022-02-17). Unvaccinated U.S. seniors dying from COVID-19 at incredibly high rates: The Atlantic. ecns.cn The vaccination rates of American adults aged 65 and older are still low, and the unvaccinated elderly have been dying from COVID-19 at incredibly high rates, The Atlantic magazine has reported.
(2022-02-17). Exposed: Why the mad rush to jab kids? dissidentvoice.org 
Even if you still somehow believe the pandemic narrative, you surely recognize that the virus does not exactly threaten children. For example, in England, the child mortality rate from Covid-19 is 2 per million (0.0002%) across the whole population (assuming you also still somehow trust the insanely flawed PCR test). So… why the frenetic campaign …
(2022-02-17). Medical officials estimate Long COVID affects 1 million in Spain. wsws.org This is the result of the official policy, shared by all Europe's major governments, embracing mass COVID-19 infections under cover of declaring the virus "endemic."
(2022-02-17). The UK anti-vax movement is not an "ally" against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. wsws.org The people confronting Starmer were in London that day on a protest "to end all the jab mandates and the jab programmes in the United Kingdom and the world… to end all the COVID regulations," in the words of their leader Piers Corbyn.
(2022-02-17). As Trudeau Cracks Down, the Left Drives Protesters Into the Arms of the Right Once Again. mintpressnews.com OTTAWA — If you were Canada's prime minister, what would you be prepared to do to enforce Covid restrictions on large swaths of your population? No one need ask that question any longer. Now we know the answer. | For the first time in the country's history, Justin Trudeau has invested his office with sweeping and undemocratic powers under the 1988 Emergencies Act in a bid to stop the so-called "Truckers' Protests" against Canada's pandemic restrictions. But, as one might expect, Trudeau has
(2022-02-17). Cuba reporta 733 nuevos casos de COVID-19 y cinco fallecidos. cubadebate.cu Cuba confirmó al cierre de este miércoles 733 casos positivos a la COVID-19, cinco fallecidos y 924 altas médicas, informó en su reporte habitual el Ministerio de Salud Pública (Minsap).
(2022-02-17). Suiza eliminará algunas restricciones contra la Covid-19. telesurtv.net Las autoridades suizas precisaron que el contexto pandémico en el país mejora paulatinamente, por lo cual es pertinente levantar algunas restricciones sanitarias.
(2022-02-17). COVID-19 deaths continue to rise among children in the US. wsws.org A comparative analysis among flu-related and COVID-19-related deaths among children shows that COVID-19 deaths among children not only far outpaced flu-related deaths but continue to rise sharply.
(2022-02-17). Chile reporta mayor cifra de hospitalizados por Covid en seis meses. telesurtv.net Chile registró 37 fallecimientos la última jornada por lo que el país acumula 40.735 decesos desde el inicio de la pandemia.
(2022-02-17). Why the US trade war on China has been an economic disaster for Americans. rt.com 
Trump hailed his 2020 deal with Beijing as "transformative" for the US. He was right — it's made ordinary US citizens much poorer | At the end of January, the US-China 'phase one' trade deal made under Donald Trump expired. The agreement, struck in January 2020 at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and before ties with Beijing fell off a cliff, stipulated that China would purchase (ludicrously) over $200 billion in agricultural products from the US per annum in order to end Trump's trade war. It was more like a one-sided extortion, placing huge demands on Beijing with very little compromise on t…
(2022-02-16). Every weakness is claimed as strength. canadiandimension.com 
Worker in protective gear near the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Photo courtesy Chinatopix/AP. | | Social Contagion: and Other Material on Microbiological Class War in China: | Chuang | Charles H. Kerr, 2021 | The following review is reprinted from the website of the
(2022-02-16). Headlines for February 16, 2022. democracynow.org NATO, U.S. Express Doubt over Russian Troop Pullback as Putin, Biden Say Diplomatic Path Still Open, Sandy Hook Families Reach Historic $73 Million Deal with Remington, Prince Andrew Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit with Survivor Virginia Giuffre, Ex-Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández Arrested for Drug Trafficking, U.N.: Pollution Causes More Premature Deaths Than COVID-19, U.S. Coastal Sea Levels Will Rise Another Foot by Mid-Century, Climate Change-Fueled "Megadrought" in Western U.S. Worst in 12 Centuries, Flooding and Mudslides Kill at Least 34 People in Petrópolis, Brazil, Israeli Forces Kil…
(2022-02-16). NZ protests swell, defying police ultimatum. rt.com 
Anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators have ignored a warning from the authorities to leave voluntarily | Hundreds of protesters defied a police ultimatum to leave the area around Wellington's 'Beehive' parliament on Wednesday, with the crowd continuing to swell. The authorities have described the ongoing demonstration as "orderly." | Inspired by the 'Freedom Convoy' in Canada, activists have blocked several roads in the capital with trucks, vans and motorcycles for nine days. Protesters have also been camping on the grounds outside the distinctive parliament building. | Had a bird's eye view of the protest in Wel…
(2022-02-16). Scientists protest Johnson government ripping up UK COVID restrictions. wsws.org Since the detection of Omicron in Britain on November 27, just 11 weeks ago, a staggering 8.2 million people have been recorded infected with COVID and 14,880 more people have died from the disease.
(2022-02-16). Good news? The jobs reports for January, 2022. mronline.org 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) job report offered some surprises, especially in light of dire predictions about the Omicron crisis. At first glance the impact seemed slight.
(2022-02-16). Worsening COVID-19 Situation in the Americas -PAHO Director. telesurenglish.net Carissa F. Etienne, PAHO Director, warned that the relaxation of containment measures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worrying scenario with the new Omicron variant spreading quickly throughout the region. | RELATED: | COVID-19 infections turned 31% this week, however, deaths are still up 5.6%. Many deaths in the latest surge occurred among those yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. | COVID-19 spread can…
(2022-02-16). As Pharma Giants Continue to Raise Drug Prices in the U.S., New Campaign Launches to Make Meds Affordable. peoplesaction.org Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Ady Barkan join progressive groups to launch event for pressure effort targeting Biden administration Contact: People's Action: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 202.660.0605 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A chorus of progressive and grassroots organizations today launched a new campaign targeting President Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra urging them to bring down …
(2022-02-16). Covid vaccines during pregnancy impact newborns — study. rt.com 
Immunity can be passed from jabbed mothers to babies, according to new research | Babies born to mothers who took the Covid-19 vaccine during their pregnancy are likely to have some form of immunity against the virus, according to the latest research from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published on Tuesday. | Researchers analyzed data from 379 hospitalized infants — 176 suffered from Covid-19 and 203 were admitted for other reasons. The children were all under six months old between July 2021 and January 2022. | Their study found that hospitalization risks were reduced by 61% in…
(2022-02-16). Woman beats HIV using novel treatment. rt.com 
The American became the fourth person ever to be cured of the virus | A New York woman who had undergone a risky treatment for HIV appears to have been cured of the disease. She finished her medication a year ago, and now doctors say they are unable to find any trace of the virus in her system. | The woman, known only as the "New York patient," was diagnosed with HIV in 2013, and developed leukemia in 2017. Her situation seemed hopeless, but it also made her a perfect candidate for a rare and extremely risky stem-cell treatment. | Due to its high fatality rate, the procedure is only being offered to HIV patien…
(2022-02-16). Selected Articles: The COVID Mandates Are Leaving Europe. globalresearch.ca 
By Many of the European countries have announced that they will move forward treating Covid as just another endemic disease. Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the …
(2022-02-16). In OtherWords: February 16, 2022. otherwords.org This week, Ennedith Lopez shares a frustrating experience she had with police while peacefully demonstrating for abortion rights. She knows firsthand it isn't always easy to speak up for reproductive health. But with Roe v. Wade on the verge of being overturned — something Americans oppose 2 to 1 — it's more important than ever, she argues. | Also this week, Rebekah Entralgo looks at the growing push to hold Amazon accountable for the December 2021 warehouse collapse that killed six workers. And Sonali Kolhatkar looks beyond the recent Neil Young-Spotify feud to the streaming giant's exploitative busi…
(2022-02-16). Podcast: Debating vaccines, LGBTQ+ history month, and humans of health research. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: A scientist countering vaccine misinformation, members of Imperial's LGBTQ+ network, and the people behind an impactful asthma trial.
(2022-02-16). Pandemic and vaccine inequality have exacerbated global inequality. wsws.org While it does not say so explicitly, an International Labour Organisation report makes clear that the refusal to implement an elimination strategy, using both vaccines and stringent public health measures on the basis that it would cost too much, has worsened economic prospects.
(2022-02-16). Constant State of Emergency. indybay.org The wars are waged by special forces, while the population is kept quiet in a permanent state of emergency under the slogan "war is peace" by full technical control, including mental and health surveillance. Anyone who questions this kind of peace is threatened with annihilation.
(2022-02-16). Far-right anti-vaccine protests in Australia's capital promoted by corporate media. wsws.org Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the right-wing rabble as "speaking up for the things they feel strongly about," while making common cause with their attacks on state vaccine mandates.
(2022-02-16). Unite our class to fight COVID-19. workers.org 
Private industries in the imperialist countries of North America and Europe have superexploited the COVID-19 crisis. And the governments have managed it so poorly that the disaster created an opening for ultraright groups to mobilize. The so-called truckers' revolt in Canada illustrates the danger. In the U.S., the pro-Trump gang . . . |
(2022-02-16). Caravan in Solidarity With Cuba To March in Seattle Streets. telesurenglish.net On February 27, caravans will march in Seattle streets demanding the lifting of the U.S. blockade against Cuba and to show solidarity with the Caribbean Island. | RELATED: | "Help us spread that it is time to stop punishing the Cuban people for making a revolution. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to stop smothering the people of the island," stated the call for the caravans. | The initiative…
(2022-02-16). The criminal role of the Swedish government in the pandemic: Testimony from anti-COVID activist Keith Begg. wsws.org This is the first of a two-part interview on the experience of the pandemic in Sweden, the birthplace of the homicidal "herd immunity" strategy which the Social Democratic government has ruthlessly pursued since March 2020.
(2022-02-16). Video: Nurses and midwives strike outside NSW parliament. greenleft.org.au Thousands of nurses and midwives went on strike after years of unsafe staffing levels were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Isaac Nellist reports.
(2022-02-16). Weekly COVID-19 mortality up 4% worldwide – WHO. tass.com The number of new infections decreased by 19%…
(2022-02-16). Cuba presentará en marzo dossier de vacunas anticovid a la OMS. telesurtv.net El anuncio fue hecho por el funcionario cubano en rueda de prensa durante la convocatoria al Congreso Internacional Bio Habana 2022.