(2020-04-24). Once Again, Trump Shreds US Immigration Law. thenation.com Once Again, Trump Shreds US Immigration Law…
(2020-04-24). Either socialism will defeat the louse or the louse will defeat socialism. mronline.org 
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the Great Lockdown, which has no end date, could very well lead to a loss of $9 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product over the entirety of 2020 and 2021; this number is greater than the combined economies of Japan and Germany. This scenario, the Fund's managing director …
(2020-04-24). How the Chinese Authorities and the World Health Organization Handled the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org On April 14, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a news conference at the White House, where he said that his administration would "halt [all] funding" for the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO, founded in 1948, is the principal United Nations agency tasked with the improvement of the health of the world; it is also widely acknowledged as an agency that is best suited to deal with health emergencies.
(2020-04-24). Libertarian Activist Organizes "Re-Open" Santa Cruz March, Calls Pandemic a Hoax. indybay.org Libertarian activist Sean Cutler is organizing a march to Santa Cruz City Hall on April 24 in support of re-opening the "local economy". An event listing posted to social media by Cutler promises "speeches" at City Hall, however it is unclear if the event is real or a stunt, as only one person is listed as attending. The event post for the march demands "an end to the tyrannical quarantine" and encourages participants to "bring flags, banners, posters, and the loving spirit of freedom". On March 16, Cutler posted on social media that the COVID-19 pandemic was, "overblown, childish, and insane". The pandemic is "s…
(2020-04-24). Climate Activists Have Not Lost Hope Amid Pandemic. zcomm.org We're Changing How We Organize…
(2020-04-24). Taliban rejects call for Ramadan ceasefire in Afghanistan — spokesman. rt.com 
The Taliban has rejected an Afghan government call for a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and to let authorities focus on tackling the coronavirus, Reuters reports. | Hopes for an end to Afghanistan's decades of war were raised in late February when the Taliban and the US struck a deal on the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. The deal did not include a ceasefire, which has been left to the US-backed government to negotiate with the insurgents. | A Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, tweeted that a ceasefire would be possible if the peace process was b…
(2020-04-24). Demonstrators Demand Santa Cruz Provide Hotel Vouchers for the Homeless. indybay.org Community members in Santa Cruz organized a "physical distancing" protest today to demand the City and County of Santa Cruz provide hotel vouchers for the homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The demonstration was organized following California Governor Gavin Newsom's statements made during a press conference on April 18 that cities and municipalities that are blocking the State's effort to provide hotels for the homeless will be "judged" by history.
(2020-04-24). Two Mentally Challenged Candidates to Choose Between for US President? counterpunch.org The US is hurtling into uncharted waters as a polity, with the two likely candidates for president this November both clearly suffering from significant cognitive impairment and evidence of continuing mental decline. Back in 1980, the American voters elected a man, Ronald Reagan, who unbeknownst to them already had the beginnings of Alzheimer's dementia. By
(2020-04-24). Cyprus flight ban extended to May 17. rt.com 
Cyprus extended a ban on commercial air traffic until May 17 on Friday to curb the spread of coronavirus. | The ban was first introduced on March 21 and authorities have extended it by decree since then. It will now be extended from April 30 to May 17, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos tweeted, citing a decision by the cabinet. | The island has recorded 795 cases of Covid-19 and 13 deaths as a direct result of the virus, according to data from the Health Ministry released on Thursday. | The country has imposed restrictions on movement, including a night curfew and allowing people to leave their homes only on…
(2020-04-24). China reports recovery of last severe Covid-19 patient in ground-zero city Wuhan. rt.com 
The last patient in Wuhan with severe Covid-19 has been cured, a health official has declared. The now-global disease was first detected in the Chinese city. | The patient, who was the last person in Wuhan and the whole of Hubei Province to experience difficulty overcoming the virus, was released from hospital on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a spokesman for the Chinese National Health Commission. | By Friday morning, there were 47 confirmed Covid-19 patients in the province, including the sole remaining serious patient. No new confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in the province in so…
(2020-04-24). US coronavirus fatalities jump as over 3,000 die in 24 hours in 2nd deadliest Covid-19 day nationwide. rt.com 
The US has reported over 3,100 fatalities related to the coronavirus pandemic within just 24 hours, as lethal cases leapt by more than 1,000 after a brief drop. The figures come as the nation slowly reopens. | Some 3,176 people died after having been infected with the coronavirus in the US in the space of a single day, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday. The staggering number fell short of breaking the record for the most daily coronavirus deaths in the US — which still stands at 4,591 — but the lethal cases soared in comparison to the previous day, when "only" 1,738 fatalities were recorded.
(2020-04-24). European markets sink on worries over EU stimulus, coronavirus drug delay. rt.com 
Stock markets in Europe opened lower on Friday as traders focused on the continued lockdown across the continent and reports that a study into a potential Covid-19 treatment was halted following inconclusive results. | The pan-European STOXX 600 was down more than one percent during early trading, with all sectors and major bourses in negative territory. German DAX, France's CAC 40 and Britain's FTSE 100 were losing around one percent during afternoon trading on Friday. | Asian markets were also broadly lower, with South Korea's Kospi Index leading the region's losses, down 1.4 percent. | The global markets' s…
(2020-04-24). 'No turning back': Duterte threatens martial law after soldiers ambushed and killed during Covid-19 aid delivery. rt.com 
The Philippines' president, Rodrigo Duterte, accused communist rebels of disrupting the government's efforts to help its citizens amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He said he is seriously considering imposing martial law. | "I'm warning everybody, and putting the armed forces and the police on notice, that I might declare martial law. There will be no turning back," Duterte said on Friday, threatening to take swift action against the Communist New People's Army (NPA), which has been active in the country since the late 1960s. | "I have two more years. I will try to finish all of you — including you, the legal […
(2020-04-24). Covid-19: the pandemic of the Great Acceleration. mronline.org 
Many people around the world are familiar with this ancient Chinese proverb. Today, this lovely metaphor has materialized and taken the form of a pandemic, wreaking havoc on a system where few felt safe and most had become accustomed to merely surviving.
(2020-04-24). Global coronavirus death toll passes 190,000 — AFP tally. rt.com 
The global pandemic hit a grim new milestone on Friday, according to AFP, as the number of people who have lost their lives to the disease passed 190,00 and continues to rise, while countries battle to keep their populations safe. | The agency reports that a total of 190,089 people have passed away and 2,698,733 have been confirmed as infected since Covid-19 emerged in China in December. Europe has recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 116,221 people dying across the continent. | More than 1.2 million Europeans have been diagnosed with the disease, putting the mortality rate around 8.9 percent. | The…
(2020-04-24). Crawl away if you dare? Indian official to be disciplined after cases filed against BABY & 3yo among lockdown violators. rt.com 
A city official in India has been admonished for cracking down on coronavirus lockdown offenders with perhaps a bit too much zeal, after a six-month-old baby and a toddler faced legal action for supposedly flouting the rules. | The punishment will be doled out to the town's Covid-19 magistrate after the two youths were hit with complaints, ANI reported, a discovery made after the District Magistrate for the town of Uttarkashi ordered an investigation into the bizarre incident. | Uttarakhand: Disciplinary&suspension action to be taken against COVID19 magistrate Uttarkashi over registration of a case under Juvel…
(2020-04-24). Trump was given 'realtime updates' over Covid-19 as the pandemic developed. mronline.org 
More than a dozen health experts working for the WHO in Geneva relayed regular information to Mr Trump about COVID-19, U.S. and international officials have confirmed.
(2020-04-24). Special delivery: Mourinho volunteers as food delivery driver during Covid-19 crisis (VIDEO). rt.com 
Jose Mourinho has delivered success for the world's best clubs and now it looks like he'll keep delivering during the covid-19 crisis. Tottenham Hotspur confirmed that their head coach will moonlight as a grocery delivery driver. | Days after the Portuguese manager was forced to apologize after being pictured engaging in an impromptu training session with several Spurs players in a London public park, 'The Special One' has found a more productive way to bypass the UK's coronavirus restrictions. | #THFC ⚪️ (2020-04-24). WHO adds 9 candidates for Covid-19 vaccine developed in Russia to global trial list. rt.com 
Russian scientists have developed nine possible Covid-19 vaccines to be used in a global trial backed by the World Health Organization (WHO). All nine are currently at a preclinical evaluation stage. | Vector, a Novosibirsk-based infectious diseases lab, produced six of the nine Russian submissions included on the WHO trial list. Its proposals are derived from platforms for treating Ebola, influenza and other viral infections. | The three other possible vaccines came from St. Petersburg and were developed by two research institutes and a major Russian biopharmaceutical company. They worked solo to make two of…
(2020-04-24). New confirmed Covid-19 cases in Germany must drop to 'few hundred a day' before easing lockdown — senior health official. rt.com 
The coronavirus is still spreading too rapidly to consider lifting quarantine measures in Germany, the deputy chief of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has warned. Chancellor Merkel earlier compared the pandemic to WWII. | Health officials have reported 2,337 new cases of Covid-19 across Germany, which is still a significant increase per day, RKI's Vice President Lars Schaade told reporters on Friday. | "It is necessary for the number of cases to fall to a few hundred a day, so we could consider easing the lockdown," Schaade said. He added that it will take "at least two weeks" to see whether this step will hav…
(2020-04-24). 'Death by meteorite': Turkish researchers claim to have proof of world's first space-rock fatality. rt.com 
A group of researchers in Turkey are claiming to have come across the first credible records yet discovered of 'death by meteorite,' dating from August 22, 1888. | They cite multiple official documents recovered from the General Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, which detail a meteorite strike that hit and killed one man and paralyzed another, in what is now Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. | The Earth endures near-constant bombardment by assorted meteorites and space rocks, at a rate of millions per day, most of which burn up harmlessly in our atmosphere. | For context, and accor…
(2020-04-24). Trump, coronavirus, and climate change: using a pandemic to gut the EPA. mronline.org 
Under the guise of protecting workers and the public from the coronavirus, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two weeks ago that it will not issue fines against companies that violate certain water, air, and hazardous-waste-reporting requirements.
(2020-04-24). 'Fast recovery' possible as Hungary scraps curfew from early May, Orban says. rt.com 
Hungary plans to replace its current lockdown, which has imposed a blanket curfew on the population, with a more fine-tuned version from early May, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. | Orban told state radio that he expected the economy to recover rapidly from the effects of the pandemic. "I am not among the most optimistic people, but neither am I a pessimist," he told state radio. "I expect a fast recovery." | The month-long nationwide lockdown has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs in the country, and Orban said re-establishing these was his top priority. From next month, restrictions will be grad…
(2020-04-24). Beijing says world 'should condemn' cyberattacks on anti-pandemic institutions. rt.com 
China said on Friday that cyberattacks against institutions fighting the coronavirus pandemic should be condemned around the world. | Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks, commenting on a report by the US cybersecurity firm FireEye. | It had alleged that Vietnamese government-linked hackers had attempted to break into the personal and professional email accounts of staff at China's Ministry of Emergency Management and the government of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus emerged last year. | Vietnam's Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the report "baseless." Geng did not comment directl…
(2020-04-24). China to ask 'Questions to Heaven' with country's 1st mission to Mars later this year. rt.com 
China's space agency has announced the title for the country's inaugural mission to Mars. Tianwen-1, which translates roughly to "Questions to Heaven," is expected to set off for Mars later in 2020. | The mission is to launch a Mars probe at some point later in 2020 while hoping for the trifecta of interplanetary exploration: orbiting, landing and roving all in a single mission. | The China National Space Administration (CNSA) used the country's annual Space Day, which began in 2016 as a means of celebrating the anniversary of the successful launch of China's first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 in 1970, as an oppo…
(2020-04-24). The oil market crash is far from over. rt.com 
US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices may have steadied somewhat after a wild couple of days, but the physical market for crude is still collapsing. | Energy stocks posted sharp gains on Thursday as WTI prices "surged" nearly 30 percent to…$17 per barrel. The nascent rebound in oil prices has eased the immediate crisis, but before Monday, WTI in the teens would have been considered catastrophic; now it seems downright reasonable. Amazing what negative $37 WTI will do to perceptions. | But the fact is that the global oil industry is still in dire straits. Refined products are grossly oversup…
(2020-04-24). A Machiavellian Fiasco: How 'Centrist' Gantz Resurrected Netanyahu, Israel's Right. counterpunch.org It was intended to be a Machiavellian move, but the decision by Benny Gantz, leader of Israel's Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) coalition, to join a Benjamin Netanyahu-led government is likely to destabilize the political fabric of Israeli society for years to come. In a surprising move, Gantz has entered into precarious political compromises, whereby
(2020-04-24). Assange's Lawyers to Ask Court to Postpone Extradition Hearing. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – The lawyers of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will ask the court next week to postpone the activist's extradition hearing, a statement by the campaign against Assange's extradition to the United States said Friday.
(2020-04-24). No-deal Brexit would be extra shock on top of coronavirus crisis — French minister. rt.com 
The new coronavirus outbreak crisis does not change European priorities in the Brexit negotiations, French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday. | She also told a French Senate hearing that a no-deal Brexit would be an extra shock on top of the Covid-19 crisis, but Britain would suffer the most, Reuters reported. | The UK government has repeatedly insisted it has no plans to extend…
(2020-04-24). Roaming Charges: Killing Yourself to Live. counterpunch.org + Neoliberalism: an ideology of austerity, which contends that economics is a science and epidemiology is soothsaying. + One of the eternal axioms of American politics: When you don't know anything claim that you're right about everything and wrong about nothing. + This strategy pays off, time and time again. Consider that 3.5 years into
(2020-04-24). A Light Against the Darkness. counterpunch.org Bernie Sanders claimed to have won the war of ideas in his unsuccessful quest for the Democratic Presidential nomination by introducing new concepts like class struggle to our political vocabulary and making universal health care and debt-free higher education subject to mainstream debate. If this is victory, then we have a long road ahead. America
(2020-04-24). Biden Suggests Trump May Make Attempt to 'Kick Back' 2020 Presidential Election. sputniknews.com Joe Biden remains the last presidential hopeful to challenge incumbent Donald Trump in the 3 November elections, after Senator Bernie Sanders wrapped up his bid for the Democratic Party's nomination earlier in April.
(2020-04-24). Militarization in a Time of Pandemic Crisis. counterpunch.org We live at a time when the terrors of life suggests the world has descended into darkness. The COVID-19 crisis has created a dystopian nightmare which floods our screens and media with images of fear. Bodies, doorknobs, cardboard packages, plastic bags, and the breath we exhale and anything else that offers the virus a resting place is comparable to a bomb ready to explode resulting in massive suffering and untold deaths. We can no longer shake hands, embrace our friends, use public transportation, sit in a coffee shop, or walk down the street without experiencing real anxiety and fear. We are told by politicians…
(2020-04-24). New Zealand teachers and nurses oppose easing of lockdown. wsws.org Even as new COVID-19 cases are reported each day, the Labour Party-led government is gambling with the lives and health of the population.
(2020-04-24). Connecting Patients: New habits I've learned from COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Have you created new patterns or behaviors in your daily life, while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are there things you've changed or learned about yourself that you'd like to continue in the future? Bring your ideas to the Mayo Clinic Connect conversation: New Habits from COVID-19 and the New Normal__________________________________________ Shared from a …
(2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Myths and facts about COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have read many conflicting things about COVID-19, including how it spreads from person to person and how I might be able to reduce my risk of getting sick. Can you help me understand whether some things I've heard are myth or fact because I do not want to spread the virus …
(2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to daily life, and disrupted normal routines at work, at school, and at home. Physical isolation can negatively affect mental health, and constant news coverage can bring fear and anxiety about the disease. How can you best cope in these uncertain times? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. …
(2020-04-24). Tyson poultry workers in Tennessee speak out on terrible health and safety conditions. wsws.org Workers describe a regime in the plant in Shelbyville, Tennessee where they are intimidated into silence over lax enforcement of health and safety even as COVID-19 is spreading widely.
(2020-04-24). What to do when anxiety affects your sleep. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org While anxiety around COVID-19 may be affecting your sleep, getting a good night's sleep is key to protecting your health. In these days where there is high anxiety around COVID-19, getting your sleep isn't easy. But a good night's sleep is a key factor in maintaining your health and protecting your immune system. "Sleep is …
(2020-04-24). North Dakota General Electric wind turbine plant closes as 128 people test positive for COVID-19. wsws.org An outbreak at a wind turbine plant in Grand Forks has led to a sharp spike in infections in the sparsely populated state.
(2020-04-24). COVID-19 deaths in Scotland 79 percent higher than official figures. wsws.org The impact of this deadly policy has fallen overwhelmingly on the poor, densely populated areas in deindustrialised centres of the working class.
(2020-04-24). COVID-19 infects over 2.7mn people worldwide with 191K deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) — The worldwide death toll from the new coronavirus has surpassed 191,000 with about 2.7 million cases and more than 749,000 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
(2020-04-24). Covid-19 Highlights Trump's Malignant Narcissism. zcomm.org — And Proves Americans Will Survive Despite Him…
(2020-04-24). When patients with COVID-19 need intensive care support. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Many people who contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms, but for others those symptoms may be severe and lead to hospitalization. Some of the most common complications from severe COVID-19 include respiratory problems like pneumonia, hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Dr. Daniel Brown, director of critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic, says these patients with severe illness …
(2020-04-24). Boris Johnson is well enough to agree UK/US trade deal. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica: Boris Johnson is supposed to be convalescing after his near-death experience with the COVID-19 virus. Although we were told he was taken from hospital to the PM's country retreat at Chequers, he was well enough to make a five-minute speech to the nation from Downing Street. Just two days earlier, it was, in …
(2020-04-24). US propaganda campaign promotes lies blaming China for COVID-19. wsws.org Claims in ruling circles in America and Europe that the coronavirus causing COVID-19 came from a Chinese lab fly in the face of all scientific evidence.
(2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Combating allergies, asthma during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have significant pollen allergies and asthma. In the spring, I usually have sneezing, coughing and an occasional sore throat that coincides with the trees blooming. With COVID-19 concerns, I am wondering if I am at any increased risk for the virus or need to be concerned that I should be tested? …
(2020-04-24). The Fight For PPE On The Docks, The War On Workers & May Day 2020 With ILWU. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews ILWU Local 10 president Trent Willis and ILWU president Keith Shanklin about the struggle protect longshore workers from being contaminated by Covid-19 and the war against working people. They also discuss May Day and the fight of the over 500 seafarers on the Grand Princess who are being kept as prisoners on the ship.
(2020-04-24). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How contact tracing can fight the spread of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Contact tracing is a used to slow community spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Contact tracing is the process of finding and reaching out to the people who have been in contact with an infected person. Then close contacts of a person who might have COVID-19 can be isolated or quarantined to lessen further spread …
(2020-04-24). Basij forces preparing livelihood assistance packages in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) — Under the framework of 'Equality and Sincere Assistance Maneuver', Basij forces have distributed more than 3.5 million packs of foodstuffs and sanitary products among the needy people of Tehran province with the aim of help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.