(2022-01-08). India reports first Omicron death as daily infections surge past 100,000. wsws.org Despite a sudden and massive rise in cases, the Indian government is not ready to enforce a lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 infections.
(2022-01-08). This Is America #156: Students & Workers Stage Walkouts as Omicron Surges; FBI Surveilled Portland Protests; One Year Since J6. itsgoingdown.org Welcome, to This Is America, January 7th, 2021. On today's episode, we first bring you an audio report from a New Year's Eve noise demo in so-called Tucson, Arizona, where in the past year, at least 10 people have died in the local jail. People rallied outside of the facility, playing music, making noise, shooting…
(2022-01-08). COVID-19 surges in Thailand, amid mounting Omicron cases. wsws.org Despite health warnings about the dangers posed by positive Omicron cases, the government eased restrictions ahead of the New Year celebrations to appease sections of big business.
(2022-01-08). Rank-and-file Canadian educators to hold emergency meeting this Sunday to fight for COVID-19 elimination strategy. wsws.org The Trudeau Liberal government and its provincial counterparts let Omicron run rampant although it was known to be much more infectious and resistant to vaccines.
(2022-01-08). Teachers and students denounce nightmarish conditions as Omicron rips through US schools and colleges. wsws.org Thousands of teachers around the country are staging sickouts in defiance of the unsafe reopening of schools throughout the US.
(2022-01-08). 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.
(2022-01-08). Australian state government considers forcing unvaccinated COVID patients to pay for hospital care. wsws.org Unvaccinated persons, currently less than 6 percent of adults in NSW, are being scapegoated for large outbreaks, with claims that they are taking up a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources.
(2022-01-08). Spanish authorities to cut COVID-19 reporting as cases explode. wsws.org The PSOE-Podemos government has made clear that it plans to take no action to protect the health and lives of the Spanish people, embracing a fascistic policy of "herd immunity."
(2022-01-08). Mom brings child to Covid-testing site in car trunk. rt.com 
A high-school teacher has been accused of felony child endangerment after taking drastic measures to avoid catching the coronavirus from her son | Texas police are looking for a high-school English teacher after she allegedly locked her Covid-19 positive child in a car trunk to limit exposure on the way to a testing facility. | An arrest warrant for felony child endangerment was issued for Sarah Beam, 42, on Friday after her 13-year-old son was discovered in the car trunk at Houston's Pridgeon Stadium Covid-19 testing center this week. | Bevin Gordon, the health services director for the local independent scho…
(2022-01-08). US hospitalizations for COVID-19 rapidly closing in on pandemic high. wsws.org Despite the inundation of health systems across the country, the White House has made clear it intends to stay the course demanding schools and businesses remain open.
(2022-01-08). [Perspectives] Simukai Chigudu: elucidating the politics of global health. thelancet.com In 2003, aged 16 years, Simukai Chigudu came to the UK as a student from Zimbabwe, a country in political upheaval as opposition to the then President Robert Mugabe grew. A year later, Chigudu began a medical degree at Newcastle University. It was, he recalls, an unsettling time: "I felt this sense of being caught between worlds, where I was really struggling to be at one with my new setting in Newcastle, and yet I could never feel disencumbered of home. The more that things in Zimbabwe had deteriorated, the more powerless I felt…It was as if my own sense of identity was being fragmented as much as the country…
(2022-01-08). [Comment] Offline: The origins story—towards a Deep Ecology. thelancet.com Whatever the precise origins of SARS-CoV-2, one doesn't have to wait for the definitive source of COVID-19 to be identified before important lessons are learned—lessons that the global health community presently seems to be ignoring. There are four immediate priorities. First, countries must strengthen public health surveillance to deliver a globally robust early warning system for pneumonias of unknown aetiology. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, chaired by Helen Clark and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, made this recommendation in their May, 2021 report to the World Health Assembly.
(2022-01-08). [Editorial] Children and adolescents deserve a better future. thelancet.com In January, 2020, we announced a Lancet campaign on child and adolescent health. Our intention was to refocus on child mortality, and on the recognition that adolescents matter in global health, at a time when progress had stalled or in some cases reversed amid changing political and environmental circumstances. Little did we know then what the next 2 years would bring.
(2022-01-08). US health staff forced to work while infected with COVID-19. wsws.org An ED nurse in Florida: "I pray that I don't have to work a code or do chest compressions because I don't want to fail my patient in delivering poor CPR because I'm barely able to breathe myself."
(2022-01-08). [Correspondence] Racialised people in clinical guideline panels. thelancet.com Clinical practice guidelines can include recommendations with important implications for health equity; therefore, guideline panels should comprise individuals positioned to make relevant recommendations, including those that reflect the diversity of the priority population.1 Women are under-represented in guideline panels, and, although the inclusion of racialised people in guideline panels has received less attention, racialised clinicians are discriminated against in training and hiring.2—4 We determined the extent to which guideline panels included racialised people and women.
(2022-01-08). NY Teamsters strike at United Metro Energy enters ninth month. themilitant.com NEW YORK — Fourteen workers, members of Teamsters Local 553 in Brooklyn, have been on strike against United Metro Energy Corp. since last April. | They are fighting to win wages and conditions that match what workers at other fuel-terminal operators in the city are paid. Right now they receive only up to half the standard hourly wages. They are also fighting for better medical insurance and a night shift differential. | The strikers joined the union in February 2019, but owner John Catsimatidis, a billionaire and well-known city political figure, dragged out negotiations for more than two years. | "There wa…
(2022-01-08). After FDA says it can release COVID-19 vaccine data by 2097, federal judge orders all info to be shared this year. globalresearch.ca Report by TheBlaze.com | The
(2022-01-08). "Covid Ethnic Cleansing": The Vaccinated vs. the Unvaccinated: Those Who Refuse the Vaccine and the "Official" Covid-19 Narrative are Categorized as "Psychopaths" globalresearch.ca Note: | First published on August 26, 2020. Author's Note | This …
(2022-01-08). US Supreme Court hears challenge to Biden administration vaccine mandates. wsws.org In arguments before the Supreme Court Friday, conservative justices appeared ready to block a vaccine mandate for large employers issued by the Biden administration.
(2022-01-08). Pallet distribution workers in Manchester strike for 5% pay rise. themilitant.com MANCHESTER, England — "Our claim is for a 5% rise in our wages, the company is offering 2%," Malcolm Bostock, a Unite union representative, told the Militant on the picket line at the CHEP U.K. plant in Trafford Park. CHEP is owned by Australian company Brambles, one of the major distributors of pallets worldwide. | Bostock and some five dozen of his co-workers have been on strike since Dec. 17, after four one-day strikes. "We've worked all the way through the COVID pandemic, we'll keep going until we get what we deserve," he said. | Strikers maintain a 24-hour picket line from Monday to Friday. "People sup…
(2022-01-08). An open letter to workers in Australia: Join the global fight to end the pandemic and save lives in 2022! wsws.org The homicidal policies of the ruling classes everywhere are finding stark expression in Australia, where governments have completely abandoned previous mitigation measures and are presiding over an unparalleled increase in COVID-19 infections.
(2022-01-08). Letter from a supplemental autoworker on 12-hour shifts at Warren Truck Assembly Plant. wsws.org A worker describes intolerable conditions at the plant, including long hours and lack of COVID safety measures.
(2022-01-08). Biden assesses future of Covid-19 'new normal'. rt.com 
The US president weighed in on whether the coronavirus will ever be contained | President Joe Biden said he believes the "new normal" brought by the Covid-19 outbreak will eventually let up, offering some optimism about the pandemic while arguing the US is already in a much better place than it was in 2021. | "Covid as we are dealing with it now is not going to stay," Biden told reporters on Friday, adding that the US has "so many more tools we are developing and continue to develop" to suppress the virus. | The president argued that the US is currently in a better position compared to last year, with 90% of s…
(2022-01-08). Teachers and students in Germany support Chicago teachers' fight for remote learning. wsws.org In Germany, teachers, parents and students are following the struggle of Chicago teachers with great interest and agreement, as the German government is also letting COVID-19 rip by keeping schools and businesses open.
(2022-01-08). The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a "Test" To Lock Down Society. globalresearch.ca The misuse of the RT-PCR technique is used as an intentional strategy by some governments, supported by scientific safety councils and by the dominant media, to justify the violation of a large number of constitutional rights, the destruction of the economy with the bankruptcy of entire active sectors of society,…
(2022-01-08). Stop the Covid Holocaust! Open Letter. globalresearch.ca
(2022-01-08). Capitalism's perpetual pandemic. wsws.org The US government and media is demanding that COVID-19 become the "new normal," legitimizing mass death in perpetuity.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). The highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental right of every human being: The First Newsletter (2022). mronline.org 
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.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). Chicago Teachers Voted To Teach Remotely Amid Omicron Wave. popularresistance.org As Covid-19 cases surge to record levels, the 25,000-member Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is once again in a standoff with the city's school system to increase safety measures for educators, students and communities. | After Mayor Lori Lightfoot repeatedly refused the union's proposals for stronger Covid-19 mitigations in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) amid the fast-spreading Omicron wave, 73% of CTU members voted Tuesday night to temporarily teach remotely. In response, Lightfoot and CPS cancelled all classes Wednesday and locked educators out of online learning platforms.
(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). 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). 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). Chicago teachers demand return to remote learning. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On Tuesday, January 4, more than 73% of teachers in Chicago who are represented by Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) voted to not return to classrooms on Wednesday, and instead taught their classes remotely to keep the teachers, staff and students safe as the pandemic surges. As the Omicron variant intensifies, the current positivity rate for COVID-19 in Chicago is at 23% and climbing. | Article 14-1 of the teachers' union contract allows for the union members to assert their right to "safe and healthful conditions" at work which the union says it is doing. However, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot promptly…
