French state covered up mass COVID-19 deaths in retirement homes
wsws.org | 2020-04-07
Over the weekend, the reported daily COVID-19 toll in France nearly tripled from earlier levels as deaths of the elderly were finally reported.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/fran-a07.html

Angola 3 Newsletter: DECARCERATE!!!!
ICFA | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
We dedicate this newsletter to the men, women and children in detention centers, jails and prisons, where they are unable to social distance or sanitize–leaving them to anxiously wait for the virus to take hold in their facilities. Please encourage your local governments to take action before the virus hits.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/02/18832077.php

San Diego "Honk for Justice" Calls for the Release of people in ICE Detention
repost | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Author Pedro Rios serves as director of the AFSC's U.S./Mexico Border Program and has been on staff with AFSC since 2003. He is a steering committee member of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, which brings together over 60 organizations along the Southern border working to support migrants and border communities.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832119.php

San Francisco: Mayor Breed Opts for Mass Indoor Camps
Quiver Watts, Street Sheet | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
While hundreds of advocates have been desperately contacting Mayor London Breed imploring her to place homeless people in hotel rooms and vacant units, it seems she has her own plan for addressing poverty during the pandemic: opening indoor camps to further concentrate vulnerable people.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832122.php

As it releases thousands of prisoners, UK government keeps Julian Assange locked-up in danger
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
The WikiLeaks founder is currently held on remand pending extradition to the US, not charged with any crime or serving any sentence, in Belmarsh maximum security prison.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/assa-a06.html

The Pandemic Makes the Bernie 2020 Campaign More Vital Than Ever
Norman Solomon | zcomm.org | 2020-04-06
There's no doubt that Bernie Sanders will do all he can to help defeat Donald Trump…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-pandemic-makes-the-bernie-2020-campaign-more-vital-than-ever/

Correcting the Sentinel's Latest Errors
Robert Norse & Keith McHenry | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry corrects errors, omissions, and distoertions in Sentinel writer Jessica York's recent story "Santa Cruz County launches joint homelessness task force in coronavirus pandemic; Food Not Bombs expands food distribution" (4 PM, April 4th) at www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/04/04/santa-cruz-county-launches-joint-homelessness-task-force-in-coronavirus-pandemic .
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832118.php

Swedish minister's 'Russian trolls' fanning 5G fears turn out to be… anti-radiation activists led by local granny
rt.com | 2020-04-06
Sweden's digitization minister blamed a flurry of anti-5G comments on the usual suspect

Updates from Santa Cruz's Struggling Benchlands Meal & Santa Barbara's Peter Marin
Robert Norse | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Santa Barbara activist Peter Marin blasts Santa Barbara's "Let 'Em Die: " Lack of Services. Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry Calls for More Volunteers, Warns Local Authorities Violate CDC Safeguards for Those Outside…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/04/18832103.php

Webinar: Racial Justice has no Borders: War & Militarization in the time of Pandemic
MoveOn.org, Veterans For Peace, others | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Online (go to link below)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/03/18832098.php

Strikes, protests continue against unsafe working conditions amid coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
Workers are asserting their own interests with increasing forcefulness, while capitalist governments are preoccupied with how quickly they can restart production and renew the flow of profits.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/work-a06.html

"He's Got Eight Numbers, Just Like Everybody Else"
Kathy Kelly | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
On April 4, 2020, my friend Steve Kelly will begin a third year of imprisonment in Georgia's Glynn County jail. He turned 70 while in prison, and while he has served multiple prison sentences for protesting nuclear weapons, spending two years in a county jail is unusual even for him. Yet he adamantly urges supporters…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/hes-got-eight-numbers-just-like-everybody-else/

This week in history: April 6-12
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
25 years ago: One-day strike in RussiaOn April 12, 1995, more than 1 million Russian workers carried out a one-day strike protesting nonpayment of wages and calling for the resignation of the government of President Boris Yeltsin. It was the most widespread strike action in Russia since the 1989 coal miners' walkouts.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/twih-a06.html

Nurses across the US demand equipment for protection against COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
In a show of unity, nurses at hospitals in several states are protesting against the lack of personal protective gear, ventilators and other life-saving equipment.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/nurs-a06.html

Trump's 7 Pro-Contagion Reversals Increase the Coronavirus Toll
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
Trump ridiculed, then minimized, then delayed the federal government's response to the coronavirus for weeks. Then finally he wrapped his boastful, confused ego around reality. But Trump is actively pushing programs that will endanger more Americans. Here's a brief look at Trump's pro-contagion activities that leave Americans defenseless in the face of the virus, implemented…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/trumps-7-pro-contagion-reversals-increase-the-coronavirus-toll/

Australian Committee for Public Education holds successful online meeting on pandemic crisis
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
The Socialist Equality Party's (US) candidate for vice president, Norissa Santa Cruz, brought greetings to the meeting which was attended by more than 70 people.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/meet-a06.html

Neither Pandemic Nor Economic Collapse is Going to Be a Short-Lived Crisis
Dave Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
On Thursday, April 2, the bottom fell out of the US economy, as the US Department of Labor reported that an unprecedented 6.6 million more workers in the US had been laid off and had filed claims for unemployment compensation payments with their state Unemployment Offices last week. That stunning news followed the already shocking…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/neither-pandemic-nor-economic-collapse-is-going-to-be-a-short-lived-crisis/

A Department of Actual Defense in a Time of Coronavirus
David Swanson | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
When a few thousand people were murdered on September 11, 2001, I was actually stupid enough

Oil slips 6% after OPEC+ meeting delay as Trump vows 'very substantial tariffs' if Saudis & Russia fail to reach output cut deal
rt.com | 2020-04-06
US President Donald Trump has promised to impose "very substantial tariffs" on imported oil, unless Saudi Arabia and Russia reach a deal to push crude prices up, just as oil skidded again following last week's rally. | Both Brent and WTI crude futures dived over nine percent at the Asian session opening, before bouncing back to around $32.6 and $26.6 a barrel respectively. The drop comes after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-member partners abruptly delayed their emergency meeting until Thursday, apparently due to standing disagreements between Saudi Arabia and Russia. | Cr…
rt.com/business/485046-oil-saudi-russia-trump-tariffs/

Authoritarian Leaders Rejected the Danger of a COVID-19 Pandemic Because It Challenged Their Image
Nick Licata | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
A Brazilian government official (r) posing for a photo next to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at Mar-A-Lago who tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus. In the current coronavirus pandemic authoritarian-oriented leaders, whether communist or capitalist, initially portrayed the virus as an insignificant danger. Once they could no longer ignore the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/authoritarian-leaders-rejected-the-danger-of-a-covid-19-pandemic-because-it-challenged-their-image/

Livestream: Democracy and COVID-19: What Happens Next?
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/02/18832076.php

Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-06
Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy…
thenation.com/article/politics/wisconsin-covid-primary-election/

Wall Street Wins, Again: Bailouts in the Time of Coronavirus
Nomi Prins | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
To say that these are unprecedented times would be the understatement of the century. Even as the United States became the latest target of Hurricane COVID-19, in "hot spots" around the globe a continuing frenzy of health concerns represented yet another drop down the economic rabbit hole. Stay-at-home orders have engulfed the planet, encompassing a majority of Americans, all of India, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe. A second round of cases may be starting to surface in China. Meanwhile, small- and medium-sized businesses, not to speak of giant corporate entities, are already facing severe financial pain.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/wall-street-wins-again-bailouts-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/

EPA Is Jamming Through Rollbacks That Could Increase Coronavirus Deaths
Sharon Lerner | zcomm.org | 2020-04-06
The EPA has been proceeding with a rule that would severely limit the use of epidemiology, or the study of how disease is distributed throughout populations…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/epa-is-jamming-through-rollbacks-that-could-increase-coronavirus-deaths/

Japan to declare month-long state of emergency in Tokyo, 6 other prefectures, PM Abe says
rt.com | 2020-04-06
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan will declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as Tuesday in a bid to stop the coronavirus. Abe made the announcement in remarks to media televised live. | More than 3,500 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Japan and 85 have died, Reuters reported. The numbers have been rising with particular alarm over the spread in Tokyo, which has more than 1,000 cases, including 83 new ones on Monday. | An emergency, which Abe said would last about a month, will give governors authority to call on people to stay at home and businesses to close, bu…
rt.com/newsline/485069-japan-state-emergency-tokyo/

No to the domestic deployment of the German army!
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
The German army's so-called "Coronavirus operation" is the largest military operation in country's post-war history.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/bund-a06.html

Czech Republic reports slowest daily rise in confirmed Covid-19 cases
rt.com | 2020-04-06
The Czech Republic reported its slowest daily percentage rise in confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, the Health Ministry said. The country had 4,591 cases as of Sunday midnight, up 2.6 percent from the previous day, the lowest percentage increase since early March, when there was a handful of known infections. | This followed increases of 282 on Saturday, 332 on Friday and 269 on Thursday, and was the lowest absolute daily increase since March 22. There were 4,710 tests done on Sunday, down from a record 6,889 on Friday but still up by nearly 2,000 from a week ago, when the daily number of detected infectio…
rt.com/newsline/485063-czech-republic-slowest-cases/

Pentagon orders US military personnel to wear face coverings made from… '–°LEAN T-SHIRTS' & other household items
rt.com | 2020-04-06
All US military personnel must cover their faces in situations where they are unable to adhere to social-distancing guidelines, the Pentagon has announced. However, a shortage of masks means troops will have to get creative. | The new anti-coronavirus protocol

The New Symbols of Our Crisis
Rola Khayyat, The Nation, The Magnum Foundation | thenation.com | 2020-04-06
Rola Khayyat, The Nation, The Magnum Foundation The New Symbols of Our Crisis…
thenation.com/article/society/coronavirus-photography-magnum/

"The Soul Syndicate members dem, dem are all icons": an Interview with Tony Chin
Stephen Cooper | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
On February 26, before coronavirus disrupted normal rhythms of life all over the world, I spoke for twenty minutes with my friend, legendary guitarist Tony Chin, at the Dub Club in Los Angeles; only a few hours later, in a spirited, sizzling performance, Tony would headline a memorable show there with fellow legendary members of the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/the-soul-syndicate-members-dem-dem-are-all-icons-an-interview-with-tony-chin/

European stocks jump as Covid-19 deaths slow across hardest-hit areas
rt.com | 2020-04-06
Stock markets gained on Monday on the positive news that the coronavirus pandemic may be slowing down in some parts of the world, giving hope to investors that global business will resume. | German stocks lead European gains with the DAX index growing more than four percent. France's CAC 40 was up three percent, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose over two percent. | Stock markets also rose strongly across Asia, finishing higher in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea. Markets in mainland China were closed for a public holiday. | "Like the rest of the world, financial markets are searching for any slivers of…
rt.com/business/485062-european-uk-stocks-jump-coronavirus/

Singapore quarantines migrant workers, unveils 'unprecedented budget for extraordinary times'
rt.com | 2020-04-06
Singapore has put nearly 20,000 foreign workers under quarantine for two weeks after a growing number of coronavirus infections were detected in their dormitories. Authorities reported 120 new virus cases Sunday, the highest jump for the country in a single day, with many linked to foreign workers' dorms, AFP said. | Many workers, particularly from parts of South Asia, come to Singapore to work in construction and are typically housed in large dormitory complexes. | On Monday, the city-state announced S$5.1 billion ($3.55 billion) in additional economic spending, such as wage support, waiver of levies and one-…
rt.com/newsline/485058-singapore-quarantines-migrant-budget/

Israel to mass produce beard-friendly masks for the follicled faithful
rt.com | 2020-04-06
Israeli authorities have announced that they will produce custom-made face masks to protect the religious in the country, who sport beards as part of their faith, from the coronavirus. | In a move that will no doubt come as a relief to Israel's religious faithful, there will be no orders issued by government to mow down their mutton chops, or curtail their chin curtains. | Israeli authorities have asked the public to cover their mouths and noses in public, but this provides somewhat of a challenge to pious proponents of pogonotrophy; Jewish, Muslim and Christian groups in the country all wear beards as a sign…
rt.com/news/485077-israel-fitted-masks-protect-beards/

China donates 1000 ventilators to New York
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-06
New York, NY – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on April 4 that China has donated 1000 ventilators to the state of New York. This act further shows the contrast between how China has handled the novel coronavirus versus the United States, and how socialism is better equipped to handle public health crises than capitalism can. | China, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, took swift action when the coronavirus hit. In mid-January, China implemented a lockdown, including movement in and out of Wuhan and 15 cities in the Hubei province. As a result, new cases went from a peak of thousands per day to…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/5/china-donates-1000-ventilators-new-york

US braced for '9/11 moment' as parts of Europe see glimmers of hope
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-06
The United States is braced for one of its darkest weeks in living memory amid the coronavirus pandemic, as some hard-hit European areas were seeing glimmers of hope.Italy, Spain and France saw signs that they are flattening the Covid-19 pandemic curve, but still reported hundreds of people dying each day.(PA Graphics)Leaders cautioned, however, that any gains could easily be reversed if people did not continue to adhere to strict social distancing measures and national lockdowns.In Washington, US surgeon general Jerome Adams offered a stark warning about the expected wave of deaths."This is going to be our Pearl…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/04/06/us-braced-for-9-11-moment-as-parts-of-europe-see-glimmers-of-hope/

African continent in social and economic chaos as official COVID-19 cases hit 10,000
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
The coronavirus crisis has exposed African governments' lack of preparation for the pandemic, which was both foreseeable and foreseen.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/afri-a06.html

Flowers of gratitude: Georgians save desperate farmer from going broke & shower medics fighting Covid-19 with HUNDREDS of tulips
rt.com | 2020-04-06
The coronavirus pandemic calls for self-distancing, but people can still come together to do a good deed

California Apartment Association is afraid of coronavirus rent strikes
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
With millions in California losing their jobs, income, food, and healthcare, while being ordered to shelter-in-place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the state and the nation, it seems reasonable to many that a rent strike not only seems feasible, but necessary.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/04/18832101.php

Russia confirms biggest one-day spike in new Covid-19 cases, as almost 1000 reported on Monday
rt.com | 2020-04-06
A week after most of the country went into a strict partial lockdown, Russia reported 954 new Covid-19 infections on Monday. A sharp increase on the previous days tally and a sign the fight against coronavirus is intensifying. | The total number of cases nationwide now stands at 6,343, with 47 dead. Over two-thirds (4,484) of known cases are concentrated in Moscow, Europe's largest city and the country's main transport hub. | However, there are worrying signs that Covid-19 is also spreading to more far-flung provinces, with infections now recorded in 80 of Russia's 85 federal subjects. On Monday, the first dea…
rt.com/russia/485056-russia-almost-1000-new-covid19-cases/

New Zealand to stick with tough Covid-19 curbs amid 'early signs of improvement'
rt.com | 2020-04-06
New Zealand will stick to its tough curbs to combat the coronavirus, despite some early signs that the spread of the illness has been stabilizing. "Our actions for the remainder of the period in level four will be about doubling down to ensure the gains made in the first half are not squandered in the second," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters in Wellington on Monday. | The country's 67 new infections were the lowest in five days, taking its tally to just over 1,100. New Zealand has reported one death, Reuters said. | Level-four curbs allow people to take walks or go to supermarkets for essentials,…
rt.com/newsline/485060-new-zealand-curbs-improvement/

India's PM Modi, lawmakers agree 30% salary cut as govt deals with coronavirus outbreak
rt.com | 2020-04-06
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top government figures will take a 30 percent salary cut this year, cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday. | Modi has imposed a three-week lockdown to halt the spread of the virus. The move has left millions without jobs and many of the more vulnerable sections of society struggling for food and shelter, Reuters said. | The federal cabinet has approved a decree under which Modi, along with President Ram Nath Kovind, state governors and members of parliament, will take the salary cut as part of their social responsibility, according to Javadekar.
rt.com/newsline/485087-india-modi-salary-cut/

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How does SARS-CoV-2 make people sick?
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been seen before in humans. SARS-Co-V2 is a novel virus, causing the disease COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is a new disease, much is still being learned about how it spreads and the severity of illness it causes. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-qa-podcast-how-does-sars-cov-2-make-people-sick/

Faith in Experts Is As Unwarranted as Faith in Angels
Nawal Arjini | thenation.com | 2020-04-06
Faith in Experts Is As Unwarranted as Faith in Angels…
thenation.com/article/society/sheila-jasanoff-interview-coronavirus/

Japan's PM to declare state of emergency
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-06
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he will declare a state of emergency for Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as Tuesday to fight the coronavirus outbreak but there will be no hard lockdowns.Abe also told reporters his government will launch a 108 trillion yen economic stimulus package to help counter the economic impact of the pandemic, including cash payouts to households in need and support to protect businesses and jobs.The prime minister said experts on a government-commissioned task force urged him to get a state of emergency ready as the Covid-19 outbreak is rapidly expanding in major citie…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/04/06/japans-pm-to-declare-state-of-emergency/

Firefighters work to contain forest fires near Chernobyl nuclear site
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-06
Ukrainian firefighters worked overnight trying to put out two forest blazes in the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power station.The area was evacuated because of radioactive contamination after the 1986 explosion at the plant.Ukraine's emergencies service said one of the fires, covering about five hectares, had been localised. | It said the other fire was about 20 hectares.The head of the state ecological inspection service, Yehor Firsov, earlier said the fires had spread to about 100 hectares.Firsov said radiation levels at the fire were substantially higher than normal.But the emergencies service said radiat…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/04/06/firefighters-work-to-contain-forest-fires-near-chernobyl-nuclear-site/

Mayo Clinic in Florida expands specimen testing and processing capabilities for COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

Six ways home-based cardiac rehab keeps patients safe, healthy during COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
ROCHESTER, Minn. ? COVID-19 presents evolving challenges to health care, in part because it is a new viral disease. People do not have natural immunity and a vaccine hasn't yet been developed. Patients with heart disease are at increased risk of cardiac-related complications and death, and are more likely to develop severe complications from COVID-19. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/six-ways-home-based-cardiac-rehab-keeps-patients-safe-healthy-during-covid-19/

Camus and Kàºbler-Ross in a Time of COVID-19 and Trump
David A. Schultz | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
Truth may be stranger than fiction as Mark Twain once said. Yet fiction often speaks truth to reality. In the case of civilization living under the dagger of Covid-19, many are turning to books and plays for distraction and pleasure. While some might read Waiting for Godot in hopes that the quarantines and the disease will soon…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/camus-and-kubler-ross-in-a-time-of-covid-19-and-trump/

What you need to know about spring allergies and COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
In many parts of the U.S., spring is in full bloom. And with the arrival of spring comes an increase in seasonal allergies and now questions about increased risk related to COVID-19. "Currently, there is no data to substantiate those patients with allergies and asthma are at an increased risk for contracting COVID-19," says Dr. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-you-need-to-know-about-spring-allergies-and-covid-19/

Radiology, Engineering investigating ways to help Mayo Clinic during COVID-19 response
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
ROCHESTER, Minn. ? A supply shortage of critical materials, such as ventilators, face shields and masks, is possible in the U.S. In response, several Mayo Clinic teams have reached out to colleagues to assess their current and expected needs. These teams also are determining how they could print critical medical supplies as part of the …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/radiology-engineering-investigating-ways-to-help-mayo-clinic-during-covid-19-response/