(2020-05-06). Former top officials in Bernie Sanders campaign form super PAC to back Joe Biden. indybay.org With the Democratic Party uniting to promote Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders holds his nose to let his supporters build a super PAC.
(2020-05-06). On the Brink of Starvation: COVID-19 and the Global Food Chain with Raj Patel. indybay.org This is an online townhall. For links and information on how to join the Zoom call visit here: | speakoutsocialists.org/townhall-05-09-20/…
(2020-05-06). A China-bashing coronavirus jester? Beijing tears into Pompeo's 'clown show'. rt.com 
China has fired back at Mike Pompeo's allegations that Beijing is somehow behind the origin and spread of Covid-19, describing his "comedy routine" as deeply cynical and damaging to the United States. | State-operated China Daily took aim at the US secretary of state, slamming the top American diplomat for "bad-mouthing" China and the World Health Organization (WHO) instead of seeking global cooperation and solidarity to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. | Pompeo continues to insist that the illness came from a laboratory in Wuhan, even though he has yet to present evidence for this incendiary claim, and has ign…
(2020-05-06). Experts warn of new nuclear arms race after Trump signals U.S. withdrawal from START Treaty. mronline.org 
While much of the corporate press has blamed Russia and China for the sudden failure of multiple longstanding nuclear treaties, experts put the blame on squarely on the Trump administration.
(2020-05-06). Our Slaughterhouses Aren't Just for Cattle, Hogs, and Poultry Anymore. Add People. counterpunch.org 
Some businesses make us feel all warm and cuddly. Like bakeries. Who can resist smiling just thinking about the smell of newly baked bread? But other businesses — like meatpacking — we do our best to ignore. Who wants to think about blood and guts and squealing pigs? But think we must. Unsavory enterprises can
(2020-05-06). South Korean intelligence says 'no signs' Kim Jong-un had heart surgery. rt.com 
Seoul's spy agency has joined other state officials in dispelling rumors around North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un's health, insisting there is no reason to believe he underwent a heart operation as speculation refuses to die down. | "Evidence for Kim Jong-un's health abnormality is absent," the National Intelligence Service said on Wednesday morning, according to Yonhap News, adding that it had seen "no signs of heart surgery." | The rebuttal comes after three weeks of conjecture about the North Korean leader, who was rumored to be in grave condition after undergoing surgery, while other reports suggested he mig…
(2020-05-06). The car is a symbol of freedom and mobility. Covid-19 isn't going to change that. rt.com 
The pandemic is laying waste to industries big and small, but motor manufacturers will endure — even if most of their vehicles might be made in Africa in the future. | At the beginning of this year, when the Covid-19 crisis hit the Chinese province of Hubei, an important supplier for the automotive industry, various German car producers started to recalculate their figures for output and sales. | The Chinese market is a major part of the production and market for German manufacturers, like BMW and Volkswagen. In the aftermath of the global lockdown, these calculations are being reworked on a daily basis.
(2020-05-06). Cafes may reopen if they can provide outdoor facilities, says Hancock. thecanary.co 
Cafes may be able to reopen in the summer months if they can provide outdoor facilities, health secretary Matt Hancock has said.Hancock also said it would have been good if the UK had gone into the Covid-19 pandemic with the diagnostic capabilities of Germany, and added that experts are looking at how people who are shielding can be given more freedom before a vaccine is found.Hancock was answering questions from viewers on Sky News, including one from a man who asked how he could reopen his cafe safely once the lockdown is lifted.It comes as Boris Johnson is expected to publish a road map at the weekend on how r…
(2020-05-06). Venezuela thwarts invasion attempt by mercenaries. mronline.org 
Venezuelan officials reported that a group of mercenaries attempted to invade the country on Sunday but were stopped by the country's army and police.
(2020-05-06). Surprise asteroid EVADES Earth protection satellites in one of the closest flybys ever recorded. rt.com 
A truck-sized asteroid has careened past Earth in one of the closest flybys ever recorded — but none of satellites scanning the skies to protect our planet saw the space rock coming. | The previously unseen asteroid, 2020 JJ, whizzed past at a distance of around 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) this week. In astronomical terms, that's an incredibly close shave, and it makes it one of the closest passes of our planet ever recorded. | In a development that might worry those tasked with protecting Earth from being smashed by space objects, the asteroid was only discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona…
(2020-05-06). Minister admits UK abandoned Covid-19 contact tracing due to lack of testing capacity. thecanary.co 
A higher capacity for testing at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak could have meant continuing widespread checks in the community, a minister has conceded.Security minister James Brokenshire said "capacity constraints" earlier in the coronavirus crisis meant contact tracing among the public was abandoned in March.England's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee on Tuesday that it would have been "beneficial" if testing capacity had been ramped up more quickly.James Brokenshire said extra testing capacity earlier in the crisis would have been beneficial (Dominic…
(2020-05-06). Czech population's coronavirus immunity low, says ministry after antibody study. rt.com 
Immunity to the novel coronavirus is building very slowly in the Czech Republic, with likely no more than four to five percent of the population covered, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The statement came after mass testing for antibodies started last month. | The preliminary results from the study found immunity levels were likely lower in the two biggest cities of Prague and Brno. Overall, it found 107 positive cases after testing 26,549, making it one of the largest studies in Europe. | The country of 10.7 million was one of the swiftest in Europe to impose curbs on travel and border crossings and sh…
(2020-05-06). No evidence Covid-19 is man-made, UK health minister says, as US insists it came out of Wuhan lab. rt.com 
The UK's health minister has said there's nothing in the roots of the Covid-19 epidemic to support allegations of a man-made origin, as unsubstantiated theories continue to be touted on the other side of the Atlantic. | "We have looked into this and we don't have any evidence that this is a man-made coronavirus," Matt Hancock stated on Wednesday. The remark came as he was pressed into giving his take on the US government alleging that the novel coronavirus originated from a Chinese laboratory. | We haven't seen any evidence of a link, there's nothing I've seen that confirms the allegation. | Days ago, US Presi…
(2020-05-06). Game changer: German scientists find antibodies that BLOCK coronavirus from spreading further. rt.com 
Scientists have detected an antibody that blocks the coronavirus from entering cells, providing a much-needed shield for severely ill patients. While not a cure or vaccine, it is still a significant development. | "This is clearly a breakthrough that shows that we are on the right track for the development of a drug against Covid-19," said virologist Professor Luka Cicin-Sain. | "In repeated experiments, we were able to show that this result is sustainable." | Cicin-Sain and his team analyzed 6,000 different human antibodies and found more than 750 that dock with the coronavirus and prevent it from spreading…
(2020-05-06). Delayed US marines rotation to Australia may continue 'under strict Covid-19 measures'. rt.com 
A delayed rotation of US Marines to a defense base in Australia's northern city of Darwin will go ahead based on strict adherence to Covid-19 measures, according to Australia's defense minister. | The minister, Linda Reynolds and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had agreed a modified rotation could proceed, with Marines required to undergo the 14-day quarantine and comply with other requirements, Reuters said. | Up to 2,500 US Marines had been scheduled to arrive in April, in a major defense alliance cooperation exercise, but this was postponed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. | The remote North…
(2020-05-06). India's services business activity grinds to near complete halt due to nationwide Covid-19 shutdown. rt.com 
The IHS Markit India Services Business Activity Index plummeted at a historic rate during April, posting a shocking 5.4 points in comparison with the previous month's 49.3. A reading below 50 on the scale represents contraction. | According to the IHS Markit Commenting on the data, Joe Hayes, economist at IHS Markit, said: "The Indian ser…
(2020-05-06). Trump administration 'ignored virus warnings and pushed unproven drug'. thecanary.co 
The Trump administration failed to prepare for the onslaught of coronavirus, then sought a quick fix by trying to rush an unproven drug to patients, a senior government scientist has alleged in a whistleblower complaint.Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, alleges he was reassigned to a lesser role because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug pushed by Donald Trump.He said the Trump administration wanted to "flood" hot spots in New York and New Jersey with the drug.Rick Bright (Health and Human Services/…
(2020-05-06). EU says Poland must ensure free & fair presidential election amid political and virus crisis. rt.com 
The EU's executive said on Wednesday that Poland must ensure "free and fair" elections, as the bloc's largest ex-communist country is locked in a political crisis over a presidential vote due this Sunday. | European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen discussed with her EU executive in Brussels "the importance of free and fair presidential elections in Poland in the context of the coronavirus crisis," according to a spokesman. | Amid political infighting within the ruling coalition led by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party — which has proposed a postal-only ballot because of the coronavirus pand…
(2020-05-06). No evidence Covid-19 has mutated into different types, researchers conclude. thecanary.co 
The virus that causes Covid-19 has not mutated into different types, according to new analysis. | Recent research had suggested more than one type of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is now circulating, with one strain being more aggressive and causing more serious illness than the other. | However using analysis of SARS-CoV-2 virus samples, scientists from the Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) have found only one type of the virus. | Viruses, including the one causing Covid-19, naturally accumulate mutations — or changes — in their genetic seque…
(2020-05-06). 'Cool, weird & scary': Skies over Niger's capital dyed BLOOD RED as massive sandstorm engulfs city (PHOTOS & VIDEOS). rt.com 
An enormous sandstorm over Niger's capital turned the skies a deep crimson red as a towering wall of dust swept the city, creating an impressive and menacing spectacle that was captured on film by eyewitnesses. | The immense storm swept through Niamey on Monday, shrouding the city in an eerie reddish darkness, aptly summed up by an onlooker as "Kind of cool, kind of weird, kind of scary" in footage obtained by Ruptly. | Standing hundreds of meters tall, a vast dust cloud could also be seen as it swallowed the city, turning day to night for anyone standing in its path. | A sandstorm can be seen sweeping over…
(2020-05-06). The economic crash is already ravaging Africa. mronline.org 
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing its greatest crisis in generations. The continent thus far has been less affected by the pandemic than other parts of the world. But the impact of the global economic crisis is already enormous.
(2020-05-06). Astronomers detect ferocious storms wheeling across surface of 'failed star' 6.5 light years away (VIDEO). rt.com 
Scientists using cutting-edge techniques and instruments have detected vast storms sweeping across the face of a brown dwarf star 6.5 light-years from Earth, developing our long-range scanning capabilities in the hunt for life. | While 6.5 light-years might seem relatively close on the cosmic scale, the brown dwarf, or failed star, is still 379438.2 AUs away (an Astronomical Unit is the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun), and therefore extremely difficult to observe in any kind of detail. | This is the first time astronomers have detected such turbulence on such a distant object using a technique cal…
(2020-05-06). Ecuador's Moreno govt persecutes opponents as coronavirus catastrophe exposes its neoliberal war on public sector. thegrayzone.com Sentencing former President Rafael Correa and Jorge Glas to eight years in jail and barring them from public office for…
(2020-05-06). "Is There No Balm in Gilead?" counterpunch.org Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Jeremiah 8: 22 (KJV) The biblical prophet Jeremiah was bemoaning the spiritual sickness of the people of the Kingdom of Judah in the sixth century BCE. He alluded to the fabled balm
(2020-05-06). Iranian envoy, Taliban officials hold talks on developments in Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 6 (MNA) — Iran's special envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian and Taliban political bureau officials held a phone talk on the latest developments in Afghanistan.
(2020-05-06). Coronavirus War Versus Real Wars. zcomm.org Johnson and his acolytes will announce victory, but this will be untrue. Britons will still be dying with Covid-19, but their deaths will have become normal…
(2020-05-06). Trump Promoting Fossil Fuels will displace Millions toward US. zcomm.org You can't pursue both pro-carbon and anti-immigration policies successfully at the same time…
(2020-05-06). Trump Must Choose Between a Global Ceasefire and America's Long Lost Wars. counterpunch.org As President Trump has complained, the U.S. does not win wars anymore. In fact, since 1945, the only 4 wars it has won were over the small neocolonial outposts of Grenada, Panama, Kuwait and Kosovo. Americans across the political spectrum refer to the wars the U.S. has launched since 2001 as "endless" or "unwinnable" wars.
(2020-05-06). Super-exploited migrant workers bear brunt of Singapore's COVID-19 'second wave'. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-05-06). Afghanistan says Daesh/ISIS network said to be shattered. yenisafak.com Afghan special forces on Wednesday claimed to have busted a network of Daesh/ISIS operatives in the capital Kabul involved in high-profile attacks.According to the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan secret service, its special forces conducted two coordinated operations to bust the terror network.The Daesh/ISIS operatives were conducting terror activities in liaison with the Haqqani network, a Taliban offshoot, it added.The directorate said five militants were killed and eight others taken into custody during the operation. A large cache of arms was also seized."This joint network carried out rocket att…
(2020-05-06). Iran, Afghanistan mulling over death of Afghan immigrants. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 06 (MNA) — Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Tehran and Kabul agreed to set up a joint commission taskforce on deaths of Afghan immigrants in 'Harirud' [Hari River].
(2020-05-06). "Blood Money & Murder On The Job" Amazon 2020 On May Day. indybay.org New York MTA TWU 100 steward John Ferretti and Amazon worker Chris Smalls are interviewed about May Day and why they were protesting at the Amazon JFK8 Staten Island warehouse.
(2020-05-06). UN sends truckloads of aid to Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The trucks loaded with the supplies entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province, which borders Idlib.The aid will be distributed to people in Idlib city and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone. The area has been the subject of multiple ceasefire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its al…
(2020-05-06). Indian man fired for Islamophobic tweet in Canada. yenisafak.com An Indian man has lost his role as school council chair and his job at a real estate company in Ontario, Canada, over an Islamophobic tweet he posted last week.Ravi Hooda protested Brampton city's decision to extend noise bylaw exceptions to mosques and tweeted: "What's next? Separate lanes for camel goat riders?"In the tweet from his now private account, he went on to disparage the Islamic ritual of animal sacrifice and the practice of Muslim women wearing burqa, a body-length covering, or headscarves.Hooda insinuated that Canadian officials were only tolerant towards these Muslim practices to "appease" the comm…
(2020-05-06). Mayo Clinic expert discusses potential neurological effects of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can take a severe toll on the respiratory system. However, recent research suggests that the virus may also infect the nervous system. A study of patients with COVID-19 out of Wuhan, China found that possible neurological signs and symptoms caused by COVID-19 can include loss of taste and smell, …
(2020-05-06). US ramps up COVID-19 propaganda war against China. wsws.org The crude attempt to blame China is aimed at diverting attention from the Trump administration's criminal negligence in failing to respond to the dangers of COVID-19.
(2020-05-06). China donates medical aid to W. Azarbaijan in battling COVID-19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 06 (MNA) — Chancellor of West Azarbaijan University of Medical Sciences on Wed. revealed the donation of 52 cartons of medical aids from China to West Azarbaijan province to fight against coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
(2020-05-06). The Washington Post's Neocons are Beating Cold War Drums…Again. counterpunch.org The Washington Post has a reputation as liberal and even left-of-center, although its editorial pages are dominated by neoconservatives who support the idea of American exceptionalism and the extreme operational tempo of America's military. In the past week, we have been treated to a series of oped essays that are supportive of expanded American military power and a political, if not military, confrontation with China.
(2020-05-06). Iranian midwives supporting pregnant women, new-born babies during pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 06 (MNA) — Midwives are in a unique position, given the emphasis of the philosophy of midwifery care on building relationships and incorporating a holistic approach, to support women to make healthy choices with the aim of promoting health and preventing ill health and to back new-borns. They play a vital role in responding to the current coronavirus pandemic. International Day of the Midwives was first celebrated on May 5, 1991, and has since been observed in over 50 nations around the world.
(2020-05-06). Measuring Inflation During the Time of Coronavirus. counterpunch.org There has been some discussion of whether we should anticipate deflation or inflation as a result of the impact of the pandemic. I have been in the camp arguing the latter, based on the idea that precautionary measures will raise costs in major areas of the economy while reducing supply. (This is not an argument
(2020-05-06). What the President Continues to Say (About the Plague). counterpunch.org In two previous pieces in CounterPunch I compiled Donald Trump's statements on the COVID-19 pandemic up to April 19th (early evening). Here is a continuation of that list. Rather than place Trump's statements in strict chronological order, I have sometimes put 2 or more of statements from different days together, to highlight Trump's contradictions and
(2020-05-06). Capitalism's Voracious Appetite: Bodies are the Commodities. counterpunch.org The allure of capitalism has never been a clean or ethical one—the very roots are predicated on a system of continued growth and extraction, only becoming less feudal and more "modern" with the advent of beliefs that technological advances could usher in continued input to help the system survive. This has been true is some ways, such as the advent of fracking, which was able to massively disrupt Hubbert's peak (the bell curve expected to show the gradual diminished reserves of oil). That peak was extended like a covid graph 10 days after an evangelical beach party. The rub with all things extractive and un…
(2020-05-06). A Kingston Reasoning with Legendary Guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith. counterpunch.org Back in early March, before "social distancing" and travel restrictions became the norm, before in many ways literally and figuratively (except online, at home, and in our hearts), the music died — killed by the coronavirus — one of my wildest dreams as a reggae fan came true. Because of my friendship with legendary musicians Santa
(2020-05-06). Kachchh Camel Herders: Lockdown Last Straw? counterpunch.org "I am selling some vegetables, but there's not much profit in it. We all are sitting at home, idle, mostly. The local cement factory is running, but we aren't going to work," Karim Jat tells me on the phone from Mori, his village in Lakhpat taluka of Kachchh district. Karim Jat is a maldhari of
(2020-05-06). The Joker We Deserve: Unmasked Power and Our "Slicey Dicey" President. counterpunch.org l"I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen." —Donald Trump attempting to apply intense gaslight to disinfect asinine statements he made about how to kill the coronavirus Sarcastic: using remarks that clearly mean the opposite of what you say, in order to hurt someone's feelings or to humorously criticize something. —Cambridge Dictionary Donald Trump has done it again.
(2020-05-06). Gen Z National Student Leadership Begins Fightback for College Relief. counterpunch.org College students last week gained tenacious footing and found ways to fight back against pandemics of disease and insecurity, but their struggle is still overlooked in the grand scheme of trillion-dollar rescues that focus on fruits, not roots of human flourishing. After a month-long delay caused by a foot-dragging and mean-spirited Department of Education (ED),
(2020-05-06). Chainsaw Medicine on the Ochoco. counterpunch.org Hurray for Central Oregon Land Watch and Oregon Wild for suing the Ochoco National Forest over its proposed Black Mountain Vegetation Management Project near Big Prairie. As is typical of the Forest Service today, they use euphemisms to conceal what they always have been and continue to be—a handmaiden to the timber industry. The Forest
(2020-05-06). Beware the Pentagon's Pandemic Profiteers. counterpunch.org At this moment of unprecedented crisis, you might think that those not overcome by the economic and mortal consequences of the coronavirus would be asking, "What can we do to help?" A few companies have indeed pivoted to making masks and ventilators for an overwhelmed medical establishment. Unfortunately, when it comes to the top officials
(2020-05-06). US Commission on the Pandemic of 2020: No Culpability, No Accountability for 70,000 Americans Killed in 60 Days. counterpunch.org "We present the narrative of this report and the recommendations that flow from it to the President of the United States, the United States Congress, and the American people for their consideration. Ten Commissioners—five Republicans and five Democrats chosen by elected leaders from our nation's capital at a time of great partisan division—have come together
(2020-05-06). Rich Peasants, Poor Peasants and "Mom-and-Pop Landlords" counterpunch.org In the course of the evolving patchwork of rent strikes happening right now across the US, there is suddenly a lot of talk in the press about how much the landlords are hurting. The landlords, of course, own the press, control the federal government, run all fifty states, and have a stranglehold on most of