(2020-04-11). Grim record: US overtakes Italy in Covid-19 death toll as fatalities go past 20,000. rt.com 
The US has become the country with most coronavirus fatalities in the world after the death toll exceeded 20,280 people and surpassed Italy's numbers, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. | Italy, which remained atop the grim rankings for weeks, has so far registered 19,468 deaths, with third-placed Spain reporting 16,480 people killed by the virus. | The US has taken the lead after recording around 2,000 lethal cases from Covid-19 on each of the last four days – eventually crossing the single-day milestone on Friday. | The Big Apple has remained the nation's hardest-hit city, with death toll ther…
(2020-04-11). NY's Cuomo pleases crowds with 'Hero Compensation Fund' for healthcare workers… after 9 years of hospital cuts. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has launched a fund to support sick healthcare workers and their families, but some blame him for the dire working conditions facing the state's caregivers after nine years of hospital budget cuts. | Cuomo announced the state is working on a "Covid-19 Heroes Compensation Fund" to support healthcare workers and their families who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus during his daily briefing on Friday. It was heralded by his growing Democratic fan club as a generous, thoughtful move from a politician who cares about the "frontline workers." | AAbsent from the lovefest was any…
(2020-04-11). Latest Covid-19 cultural casualty: Famed art & music festival Burning Man canceled. rt.com 
Burning Man, the flamboyant annual party held in the Nevada desert, will not take place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers have announced. Instead, a "virtual" event will be held. | The Burning Man Project said in a statement that the world-renowned festival has been canceled due to the "painful reality" of Covid-19. Organizers explained they were "heartbroken" but decided to call off the event in order to safeguard "public health and the well-being of our participants, staff and neighbors." | Burning Man 2020 was scheduled to take place in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada from Augus…
(2020-04-11). Real opposition? Labour's Starmer stands up for NHS workers… but gets slammed for being late & doing it on Twitter. rt.com 
Labour leader Keir Starmer has been accused of political theatrics after firing off an angry tweet about the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. Some have asked — maybe he should do something about it then? | The internet fracas began after Health Secretary Matt Hancock stressed that UK healthcare workers fighting Covid-19 should use face masks and other medical garments "in line with the guidelines: no more and no less." He insisted that there was enough personal protection equipment (PPE) for medical personnel — but only if the equipment is worn in adherence with current protocols.
(2020-04-11). Ambulances create traffic jams outside Moscow hospitals as Covid-19 patients keep coming (VIDEO). rt.com 
While heavy traffic is no longer an issue on Moscow's roads due to the coronavirus lockdown, the city's emergency medical response teams have encountered another unexpected problem — long lines of ambulances outside hospitals. | A massive queue of the vehicles was filmed outside the War Veterans Hospital in the north of the capital on Friday. The footage provided by RT's Ruptly video agency showed vans emblazoned with red crosses occupying not only the approach road to the hospital — recently repurposed to treat Covid-19 patients — but also most of the neighboring street. | It wasn't an isol…
(2020-04-11). 'I'm sorry you feel that way' — UK Home Secretary Patel savaged for non-apology to NHS workers. rt.com 
As Britain's beleaguered healthcare workers fall ill with Covid-19, Home Secretary Priti Patel has said she's sorry they feel angry, but not for her government's role in equipment shortages. Her remark only fuelled further anger. | As the coronavirus death toll in the UK climbed to just under 10,000 on Saturday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that 19 health workers have died after contracting the deadly virus. The workers themselves have blamed the government for failing to provide enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and have become increasingly angry since Hancock insisted on Friday that "ther…
(2020-04-11). Understanding vaccines during COVID-19. mronline.org 
Dr. Jo Anne Welsch, currently working on vaccine development for low and middle income countries at a global health organization, discusses how vaccines are developed and tested, and the implications of the process for the coronavirus.
(2020-04-11). China sends virologists & aid to Russia ahead of its Covid-19 peak. rt.com 
Just out of its own fight against the coronavirus, China has sent several tons of medical supplies as well as a team of virologists and doctors that will share their firsthand experience with their Russian colleagues. | Invited by the city authorities of Moscow, the Chinese medical team boarded their flight on Saturday, Russia's consulate in Harbin, China said. The task force is comprised of "renowned Chinese virologists and doctors who have huge clinical experience and practical knowledge," the consulate stated. | | © Russian Consulate in Harbin | The mission, run by China's National Health Commission…
(2020-04-11). India sees sharpest ever single-day spike in Covid-19 cases as nationwide total nears 7,500. rt.com 
India has seen its greatest surge in new coronavirus cases since its outbreak began, counting over 1,000 infections in the space of one day, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. | The spate of new Covid-19 patients, 1,035 on Friday alone, sends India's total disease toll to 7,447, ANI reported, citing health officials. Forty new deaths were also recorded on the same day, added to the nearly 200 already accounted for. | The sudden increase in infections comes as regional authorities look to track down members of Tablighi Jamaat, a Muslim religious community, after thousands of adherents atten…
(2020-04-11). Cuba enraged over 'cruel & genocidal' US blockade impeding anti-coronavirus efforts. rt.com 
The suffocating sanctions in place for almost six decades make it extremely difficult for the island nation to import essential supplies needed to battle the coronavirus, Cuban health officials say. | "The United States' economic-financial blockade is the most unfair, severe, prolonged system of sanctions of all time by one country against another," Nestor Marimon, the Cuban Health Ministry's international relations director,
(2020-04-11). Car production resumes at almost full pace as coronavirus restrictions ease in China. rt.com 
Almost all car production lines in China have returned to business after prolonged closures aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus, according to a survey cited by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). | The poll of 204 auto manufacturing bases shows that 86 percent of employees returned to work, while the production resumption rate hit 99.5 percent, the association said on Friday. | However, China's auto market, which was hit hard by the pandemic as demand was crippled, is struggling to get sales back to normal after prolonged lockdowns and restrictions. Sales on the world's biggest…
(2020-04-11). Grim record: US overtakes Italy in Covid-19 death toll — Reuters tally. rt.com The US has become the country with most coronavirus fatalities in the world after the American death toll exceeded 19,600 people and surpassed Italy's numbers, according to calculations by Reuters. | Italy, which remained atop the grim rankings for weeks, has so far registered 19,468 deaths, with third-placed Spain reporting 16,353 people killed by the virus. | The US has taken the lead after recording around 2,000 deaths from Covid-19 on each of the last four days. | The death toll in New York state has already reached 8,627, with the Big Apple being the hardest-hit city. | New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was…
(2020-04-11). Public backlash as star journo Ross Kemp allowed into Covid-19 ward, but visits remain off limits for mortals. rt.com 
Relatives and friends of Covid-19 patients aren't allowed to visit their loved ones in hospital. But celebrity journalist Ross Kemp and his camera crew are. Commenters on twitter are furious. | More than 78,000 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been recorded in the UK, with more than 1,500 of these critical. Owing to the risk of transmission, the National Health Service (NHS) last week
(2020-04-11). Cat scratch fever? Indian state orders ZOOS to report suspected coronavirus cases among animals after tiger in US tests positive. rt.com 
The Indian state of Maharashtra has instructed zoos and rescue centers to send reports on animals showing signs of Covid-19, after concerns were raised when a tiger living in a US zoo was diagnosed with the deadly virus. | The Maharashtra Zoo Authority (MZA) on Friday called on facilities across the state to provide information on any captive animals displaying symptoms of the coronavirus, which include all the typical signs of the illness in humans, such as fever, coughing or difficulties breathing. | "So far we have no reports of any animals showing unusual symptoms or ill-health across any captive animal ce…
(2020-04-11). Anti-5G fever spreads to the Netherlands as towers suffer 'arson and sabotage'. rt.com 
Several 5G broadcasting masts across the Netherlands were damaged in what authorities have described as "a worrying development." Similar acts of sabotage have previously been seen in the UK. | The Netherlands has experienced a string of arson attacks in the past fortnight, with the latest one happening on Friday in the northern city of Groningen, according to a report by newspaper
(2020-04-11). Lotto tickets are OK, but not seeds? Residents baffled after Michigan bans purchases of 'non-essential' items. rt.com 
Michigan residents and local businesses are furious over a new rule, purportedly aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus, which bars them from buying and selling seeds — now deemed a "non-essential" item. | Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced in a public address that "essential" businesses such as grocery stores will be restricted in what they are allowed to offer to their customers. The policy, the governor argued, is meant to limit unnecessary foot traffic in public spaces exempt from the state-wide shutdown. | "If you're not buying food, medicine, or other essential items, you should not be going…
(2020-04-11). Sanctions the best cure? Trump signs order laying out visa sanctions for countries that 'delay or deny' return of their citizens. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has signed an order envisioning penalties for foreign nations that are reluctant to take back their citizens or residents as the coronavirus ravages the US, citing "public health risks." | "Countries that deny or unreasonably delay the acceptance of their citizens, subjects, nationals, or residents from the United States during the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 create unacceptable public health risks for Americans," the
(2020-04-11). Coronavirus has been 'freewheeling' in California since December, says government official. rt.com 
Though California recorded its first case of coronavirus in late January, one Santa Clara physician and government leader says that the virus was likely "freewheeling" through the Sunshine State months before anyone took notice. | Dr. Jeff Smith, a physician and executive officer in the Santa Clara County government, told the
(2020-04-11). First group of volunteers assembled as Russia prepares for human testing of Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
The initial human volunteers have been selected to test a Russian vaccine against the deadly new coronavirus in trials set to begin in late June. The project's chief developer is leading by example by taking his place among them. | Work on the biological preparation began in February at the Vector Institute, Russia's leading virology and biotechnology research center. It's based in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia. Earlier in April, researchers announced that the vaccine had successfully passed trials on mice and ferrets, with preparations for human testing in full swing. | The first stage will see 60…
(2020-04-11). British PM Johson say he 'owes his life' to NHS staff as UK coronavirus death toll closes in on 10,000. rt.com 
UK PM Boris Johnson has credited doctors that have been treating him for coronavirus for saving his life in his first statement after being released from intensive care, as the country's death toll continues to soar. | "I can't thank them enough. I owe them my life," Johnson was cited as saying in a short statement, reported by British media. | The brief statement, issued late Saturday, has become the first the ailing PM made after he was taken to instensive care in St Thomas' Hospital in central London on Monday after his condition deteriorated due to him experiencing "persistent" coronavirus symptoms. | Also…
(2020-04-11). 1st squad of volunteers assembled as Russia prepares for human testing of Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com The fist team of people who will test a Russian vaccine against the coronavirus on themselves — in trials that begin in late June — have been selected, and the lead developer of the drug is among them. | Work on the vaccine began in February at the Vector Institute, Russia's leading virology and biotechnology research center, in Novosibirsk, Siberia. Earlier in April, the researchers announced that the drug successfully passed trials on mice and ferrets, with preparations for human testing in full swing. | The first stage of clinical testing will see 60 people participating, Rinat Maksyutov, Vector…
(2020-04-11). What will happen to India's economy if coronavirus lockdown isn't lifted until May? rt.com 
With India set to extend the lockdown that was due to end next week in an effort to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, global consulting firm McKinsey & Co has warned that the measures could come at a great cost.
(2020-04-11). India's coronavirus lockdown prolonged beyond existing deadline. rt.com 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown which was set to end next Tuesday, Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has confirmed. | The measure comes after several states reportedly urged Modi not to end the restrictions, despite concerns that they have badly affected millions of poor people who migrated from large cities to the countryside. | Commenting on the announcement, Delhi's chief minister said: "India's position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early." He warned that "all gains would be lost" if the lockdown was lifted. | India has r…
(2020-04-11). NY's Cuomo pleases crowds with 'Hero Compensation Fund' for healthcare workers – after 9 years of hospital cuts. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has launched a fund to support sick healthcare workers and their families, but some blame him for the dire working conditions facing the state's caregivers after nine years of hospital budget cuts. | Cuomo announced the state is working on a "Covid-19 Heroes Compensation Fund" to support healthcare workers and their families who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus during his daily briefing on Friday. It was heralded by his growing Democratic fan club as a generous, thoughtful move from a politician who cares about the "frontline workers." | Absent from the lovefest was any m…
(2020-04-11). John Pilger: Can we trust our governments in what they say to us about Coronavirus? No, we can't, absolutely not! mronline.org 
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to legendary journalist and film-maker John Pilger about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
(2020-04-11). Unprecedented: US becomes 1st country to report 2,000+ Covid-19 deaths in SINGLE DAY, breaking global record. rt.com 
The US has counted more than 2,000 Covid-19 fatalities in the space of 24 hours, smashing all previous daily death tolls worldwide as the US outbreak shows little sign of abating, according to Johns Hopkins University. | On Friday, 2,108 new deaths were reported in the US, data gathered by Johns Hopkins shows, putting the US' total at over 18,600, just shy of Italy's death toll, the overall leader in fatalities globally. | After Thursday's casualty count saw a brief drop-off, deaths again surged on Friday, the country's deadliest day yet. | Though US President Donald Trump has stated that the US' epidemic is n…
(2020-04-11). Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes California close to Nevada border. rt.com 
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake has struck near Yosemite National Park, along the California-Nevada border. | Occurring at a depth of six miles (10km), the quake hit shortly after 7: 30am on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. | Its epicenter was around 90 miles (144km) southeast of Lake Tahoe, just north of the sprawling Yosemite National Park. | Also on rt.com | | Yosemite draws upwards of four million visitors per year, b…
(2020-04-11). 'They will not let that happen': OPEC cuts won't close Russian oil wells which would be impossible to reopen, says Novak. rt.com 
Oil producers will not shut down any facilities where they would be unable to relaunch operations, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, as the OPEC and non-cartel oil producers continued talks on historic output cuts. | Speaking to the Russia-1 news channel on Saturday, the chief energy official said that he believes the oil companies themselves "will not let that happen." | Novak was addressing earlier fears that, in order to comply with massive OPEC cuts to boost the tumbling oil market, Russia will have to stop operations at low-production oil wells. Some analysts earlier told TASS that many such f…
(2020-04-11). Trump, neo-fascism, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. mronline.org 
The world is now in what scientists are calling a no-analogue situation. The dangers are increasing and so is the space for revolutionary human development, calling for a new Earth movement, if humanity is to survive, a renewed struggle for freedom as necessity.
(2020-04-11). 'The gig economy is really just pushing people into precarious work'. mronline.org 
CounterSpin interview with Bama Athreya on the gig economy and Covid-19…
(2020-04-11). Neoliberalism, Climate Change and the Future of Architecture. dissidentvoice.org 
Introduction What is the future for architecture in these times of climate change and economic crises? Should sustainability and affordability be a major factor in the design and development of future buildings? What about aesthetics? There are many individual examples of modern buildings today that have positive aesthetic qualities, but can major future problems, like …
(2020-04-11). Trump Welcomes More Guest Workers Amid Crisis While Rejecting Asylum Seekers. truthout.org Two recent news items neatly sum up U.S. immigration policy during the COVID-19 crisis. | Asylum seekers are now being
(2020-04-11). Assange's Extradition: Incarceration in the Time of Covid-19 Threatens His Life. commondreams.org Demonstrators protest outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London on October 21, 2019. (Photo: Isabel Infantes/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/assange_coronavirus.jpg …
(2020-04-11). A year since the arrest of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. wsws.org Assange's arrest was an historic crime, setting a precedent for escalating attacks on press freedom and the democratic rights of the working class.
(2020-04-11). Bernie's Decision: Retreat Should Not Be Confused with Surrender. indybay.org Class war continues without a letup…
(2020-04-11). Colombia's Government Acts Like Doormat for U.S. zcomm.org —and Its People Aren't Going Along With It…
(2020-04-11). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—bewilderment and candour. thelancet.com "This disease is unlike anything I have seen before. If you end up on ICU, you are potentially in real trouble. I have never seen anything like it before." These words were written by one intensive care physician working at a London teaching hospital. As deaths accumulate, the early message that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes mostly a mild illness has been shown to be dangerously false. One in five patients develop complications and are at grave risk. A further misunderstanding concerns age.
(2020-04-11). [Editorial] Palliative care and the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Palliative care services are under-resourced at the best of times. The 2017 Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief described the widespread lack of access to inexpensive and effective interventions as a travesty of justice. And these are not the best of times. As health systems become strained under COVID-19, providing safe and effective palliative care, including end-of-life care, becomes especially vital and especially difficult.
(2020-04-11). [Comment] Centring sexual and reproductive health and justice in the global COVID-19 response. thelancet.com Global responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are converging with pervasive, existing sexual and reproductive health and justice inequities to disproportionately impact the health, wellbeing, and economic stability of women, girls, and vulnerable populations. People whose human rights are least protected are likely to experience unique difficulties from COVID-19.1 Women, girls, and marginalised groups are likely to carry a heavier burden of what will be the devastating downstream economic and social consequences of this pandemic.
(2020-04-11). [World Report] Virtual health care in the era of COVID-19. thelancet.com Patients are under lockdown and health workers are at risk of infection. Paul Webster reports on how telemedicine is being embraced like never before.
(2020-04-11). [World Report] Regulators split on antimalarials for COVID-19. thelancet.com US and French authorities have authorised the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, but the EU regulator and WHO say the science doesn't support the decision. Susan Jaffe reports.
(2020-04-11). The US Seeks to Set New Military Base in Syria Amid Pandemic. telesurenglish.net President Donald Trump administration on Friday deployed a military convoy in Syria to establish a new base in this Arab nation. | RELATED: | A caravan of 35 trucks loaded with vehicles and warfare and logistics materials headed for the city of Shadadi, in the southern Hasakeh province, 866 kilometers northeast of Damascus, as reported by outlet Ikhbariya TV. | Local activists reported on the convoy as it was traveling on…
(2020-04-11). Will This Public Health Crisis Lead to a Voting Rights Crisis? truthout.org Welcome to Moyers on Democracy. | Bill's guest in this episode is the journalist David Daley. His best-selling first book, Ratf**ked — Why Your Vote Doesn't Count, showed how Republicans used gerrymandering to lock up control of many state and local government for years, possibly — decades — and remains their strategy. In his most recent book — Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy — he travels America to report on the grassroots activists devoted to voting r…
(2020-04-11). Rapid spread of COVID-19 in US meat processing facilities. wsws.org Coronavirus has hit the US meatpacking industry, provoking worker protests, short-term closures and an outburst by Vice President Mike Pence.
(2020-04-11). To Heal From COVID-19, We Must Imagine a Different World. zcomm.org Neoliberal indoctrination has pampered big business and Wall Street into believing that corporate socialism will always be theirs for the asking…
(2020-04-11). COVID-19: Capitalist Crisis & Socialist Solutions. indybay.org Online Forum: Join via internet or phone. | Register here: | zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYof-mhqjwsjeCVfc5xIsy7Yuf-wngN4g…
(2020-04-11). Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Help Curb War and Militarism? dissidentvoice.org Decades ago, when I began teaching international history, I used to ask students if they thought it was possible for nations to end their fighting of wars against one another. Their responses varied. But the more pessimistic conclusions were sometimes tempered by the contention that, if the world's nations faced a common foe, such as …
(2020-04-11). Sanders "Broke the Spell" of Neoliberalism. zcomm.org Interview about Bernie Sanders's historic presidential campaign and coronavirus capitalism — President Trump's response to the pandemic…
(2020-04-11). Venezuela Donates COVID-19 Tests to Caribbean Countries. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez reported Friday that the Bolivarian Government donated rapid and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests to several Caribbean countries to help them in the fight against COVID-19. | RELATED: | Rodríguez said that, by order of President Nicolas Maduro, tests were sent to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua, and Barbuda, as well as Dominica and Grenada. | "To our brothers in…
(2020-04-11). Confronting American 'projects' first priority: al-Nujaba. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 11 (MNA) — A spokesman of the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement said that confronting American projects are more important than confronting their equipment.