2020-05-23: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2020-05-23). Climate-Driven Monster Cyclone, Coronavirus hits Thousands in India,Bangladesh. zcomm.org Oceans have been heated by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, which trap the heat of the sun's rays and prevent them from radiating back out into outer space…

Nathan Tankus (2020-05-23). What are the three concurrent crises of the coronavirus depression? mronline.org The Keynes crisis, the Minsky crisis and the Means crisis…

Federico Fuentes (2020-05-23). Mercenaries, pandemic and riots in Venezuela: A grassroots perspective. mronline.org Venezuela is confronting COVID-19 amid foreign sanctions and mercenary incursions. Complicating matters further is the explosive combination of deep recession and a nationwide lockdown, which has triggered incidents of looting and riots.

Beau Peters (2020-05-23). The Importance of Compensating Veterans for Trauma. dissidentvoice.org Image Source: Unsplash Since the United States was established, veterans have put their lives on the line to fight for freedom and so much more. From the deadly battles of the Civil War to uniting with allies in World War I and II, to fighting against terrorism in more recent years, our military has never …

Minnie Bruce Pratt (2020-05-23). Workers World: A communist newspaper, a collective organizer. workers.org This is a slightly edited version of a talk given during the "What Road to Socialism?" webinar held by Workers World Party on May 16. When I first started writing for Workers World/Mundo Obrero newspaper, longtime comrade Leslie Feinberg said to me that older comrades always told hir, "Remember, no . . . |

Scott Williams (2020-05-23). A historic crossroads: Socialism or Fascism? workers.org The following is a slightly edited talk given during the Workers World Party webinar "What Road to Socialism?" on May 16. We are at a great crossroads in the history of humanity. With the pandemic and the social and economic crises caused by it, this is the most significant moment . . . |

T.P. Wilkinson (2020-05-23). Faschion: Dressing for Obedience. dissidentvoice.org Asset Deals: John Paul II and his successor ex-Hitler Youth and Roman Grand Inquisitor Joseph Ratzingen, Benedict XVI1 In 2015 I argued that the purpose of the CIA war against Vietnam was two-fold. First of all the company was charged with preserving the now US interest in what had been French business in Indochina. The …

WSWS (2020-05-23). Bernie Sanders threatens delegates with removal if they criticize Biden. wsws.org Since ending his second bid for the presidency, Sanders has worked to browbeat his supporters into backing Joe Biden.

Richard Horton (2020-05-23). [Comment] Offline: Health in the unhappy time of COVID-19. thelancet.com It was a tragedy for anyone hoping to see COVID-19 become a catalyst for international solidarity. On the first day of the first-ever virtual World Health Assembly, held during the worst acute global health crisis since WHO's creation in 1948, Alex Azar, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, further damaged the credibility of the US Government as a constructive member of the international community. "We must be frank", he began. What followed was an astonishing series of unsubstantiated allegations.

news.un (2020-05-23). Policing the pandemic: how UN Police are maintaining law, order, and public health. news.un.org In several countries afflicted by years of armed conflict, The UN assists with law and order issues, including policing expertise. This work is being challenged, as never before, by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this interview with UN News, Luis Carrilho, head of the UN Police Division, describes how the virus is affecting the ability of his colleagues to keep the peace.

Birgit Sawitzki, Paul N Harden, Petra Reinke, Aurélie Moreau, James A Hutchinson, David S Game, Qizhi Tang, Eva C Guinan, Manuela Battaglia, William J Burlingham, Ian S D Roberts, Mathias Streitz, Régis Josien, Carsten A Bà∂ger, Cristiano Scottà , James F Markmann, Joanna L Hester, Karsten Juerchott, Cecile Braudeau, Ben James, Laura Contreras-Ruiz, Jeroen B van der Net, Tobias Bergler, Rossana Caldara, William Petchey, Matthias Edinger, Nathalie Dupas, Michael Kapinsky, Ingrid Mutzbauer, Natalie M Otto, Robert àñllinger, Maria P Hernandez-Fuentes, Fadi Issa, Norbert Ahrens, Christoph Meyenberg, Sandra Karitzky, Ulrich Kunzendorf, Stuart J Knechtle, Josep Grinyó, Peter J Morris, Leslie Brent, Andrew Bushell, Laurence A Turka, Jeffrey A Bluestone, Robert I Lechler, Hans J Schlitt, Maria C Cuturi, Stephan Schlickeiser, Peter J Friend, Tewfik Miloud, Alexander Scheffold, Antonio Secchi, Kerry Crisalli, Sang-Mo Kang, Rachel Hilton, Bernhard Banas, Gilles Blancho, Hans-Dieter Volk, Giovanna Lombardi, Kathryn J Wood, Edward K Geissler (2020-05-23). [Articles] Regulatory cell therapy in kidney transplantation (The ONE Study): a harmonised design and analysis of seven non-randomised, single-arm, phase 1/2A trials. thelancet.com Regulatory cell therapy is achievable and safe in living-donor kidney transplant recipients, and is associated with fewer infectious complications, but similar rejection rates in the first year. Therefore, immune cell therapy is a potentially useful therapeutic approach in recipients of kidney transplant to minimise the burden of general immunosuppression.

Geoff Watts (2020-05-23). [Obituary] Robert McCredie May. thelancet.com Physicist turned ecologist and UK Chief Scientific Adviser. He was born in Sydney, NSW, Australia, on Jan 8, 1936, and died of pneumonia in Oxford, UK, on April 28, 2020, aged 84 years.

Talha Burki (2020-05-23). [World Report] England and Wales see 20‚Äà000 excess deaths in care homes. thelancet.com PPE shortages, lack of testing, and a vulnerable population have seen care homes in England and Wales become hotspots of the COVID-19 epidemic. Talha Burki reports.

David Agren (2020-05-23). [World Report] Mexican President López Obrador draws doctors' ire. thelancet.com President López Obrador later apologised after his comments were denounced by Mexican medical associations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. David Agren reports from Mexico City.

Timothy Riddles, Nivene Saad, Helen Benham (2020-05-23). [Clinical Picture] Alternative causes of ankle pain in a patient with enthesopathy and X-linked hypophosphataemia. thelancet.com A 43-year-old Australian-born, white man was referred to our unit because of increasing pain in both his ankles. The pain had developed approximately 7 days earlier. 3 days before the pain started, he had been admitted to hospital with cellulitis of his upper arm; he had been treated for septicaemia and acute kidney injury caused by an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes.

Angus W Thomson, Amit D Tevar (2020-05-23). [Comment] Kidney transplantation: a safe step forward for regulatory immune cell therapy. thelancet.com On the basis of promising animal studies and following the translational path of immune cell therapy in oncology,1 the field of organ transplantation has begun preliminary investigations of infusing regulatory immune cells into graft recipients. These early trials aim to reduce patients' immunosuppressive drug burden and promote drug-free transplant tolerance. The ONE Study was established in 2011 as a multicentre collaborative effort (centres in France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the USA) to compare the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of regulatory cell-based medicinal products (CBMPs) when combined with redu…

Angela Saini (2020-05-23). [Perspectives] Stereotype threat. thelancet.com Among the disturbing statistics to have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the disproportionate impact in terms of death and severe illness on ethnic minorities in the UK and the USA. On April 7, 2020, it was reported that in the US city of Chicago, where the black population is roughly 30%, nearly 70% of COVID-19 deaths were in this demographic. A report released by the UK Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre on April 17, 2020, showed that 34% of patients in the UK receiving advanced respiratory support were non-white, despite the non-white population nationally being about 14%.

The Lancet (2020-05-23). [Editorial] The plight of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has vividly highlighted how much society depends upon essential workers. Praise for the heroic work being done by health-care workers to save lives worldwide in dangerous, exhausting conditions is everywhere. But those same workers are often left unprotected by governments and systems that have failed to supply them with enough personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies, and resources to do their jobs. In April alone, there were an estimated 27 COVID-19-related health worker deaths in the USA, 106 in the UK, and 180 in Russia, with tens of thousands of infections.

Kjell Tullus, Nader Shaikh (2020-05-23). [Review] Urinary tract infections in children. thelancet.com Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children are among the most common bacterial infections in childhood. They are equally common in boys and girls during the first year of life and become more common in girls after the first year of life. Dividing UTIs into three categories; febrile upper UTI (acute pyelonephritis), lower UTI (cystitis), and asymptomatic bacteriuria, is useful for numerous reasons, mainly because it helps to understand the pathophysiology of the infection. A single episode of febrile UTI is often caused by a virulent Escherichia coli strain, whereas recurrent infections and asymptomatic bacteriur…

Richard Lane (2020-05-23). [Perspectives] Helena Legido-Quigley: proponent of health systems strengthening. thelancet.com As Associate Professor in Health Systems at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, Helena Legido-Quigley was able to observe at first-hand how the country responded to its first COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year. "It was striking how well Singapore was prepared, a legacy from the SARS era, with a dedicated infectious diseases hospital and 6 months of supplies of personal protective equipment and ventilators. The public health response was fast and efficient with good governance and effective health-risk communication", she says.

Staff (2020-05-23). Can Sex Workers Survive COVID-19 When The Government Won't Give Aid? therealnews.com Sex Workers' rights advocates have been demanding decriminalization of their work, but now under the pandemic regulations even legal forms of sex work like strip clubs have been targeted by the federal government and alienated from government aid.

Toby Blomé (2020-05-23). Memorial Day Peace Caravan. indybay.org Sponsored by CODEPINK | All invited to join Peace Caravan, with cars decorated with anti-war relevant signs and colorful visuals. We'll travel across the Golden Gate Bridge, thru the Presidio, and end up at Sen. Dianne Feinstein's SF Home for: Rally, Press Conference and Memorial Altar.

Charlotte Casey (2020-05-23). Memorial Day Car Caravan for Peace. indybay.org Stevens Creek & Winchester Blvds, San Jose…

RT (2020-05-23). World's ONLY floating nuclear power plant project goes fully operational in Russia (PHOTOS, VIDEO). rt.com A one-of-a-kind floating nuclear power plant, designed and built by Russia, has become the most northerly nuclear facility in the world, as it begins commercial operations in a remote region in the Arctic.
| A one-of-a-kind floating nuclear power plant, designed and built by Russia, has become the most northerly nuclear facility in the world, as it begins commercial operations in a remote region in the Arctic. | The Akademik Lomonosov, in a small town called Pevek in the far…

RT (2020-05-23). Trump's team considered 1st NUCLEAR TEST since 1992 as show of strength to Russia & China — reports. rt.com US authorities considered whether to carry out a "rapid" nuclear test — the first for almost three decades — to use as a bargaining chip in dealing with Russia and China, according to media reports.
| US authorities considered whether to carry out a "rapid" nuclear test — the first for almost three decades — to use as a bargaining chip in dealing with Russia and China, according to media reports. | The proposal to cause a controlled nuclear explosion is "very much…

RT (2020-05-23). NBA legend Patrick Ewing in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. rt.com Basketball icon Patrick Ewing, 57, has revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus, urging fans "not to take the virus lightly" as he received treatment in hospital.
| Basketball icon Patrick Ewing, 57, has revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus, urging fans "not to take the virus lightly" as he received treatment in hospital. | The current head coach of Georgetown University men's team sent out a statement on Twitter that revealed his result alongsid…

RT (2020-05-23). 'Someone dropped the ball': Suspect in beating of 75yo nursing home patient was moved to facility AFTER contracting Covid-19. rt.com The 20-year-old man accused of beating an elderly patient in a Detroit nursing home — captured in a shocking viral video — was inexplicably moved to the facility after testing positive for Covid-19.
| The 20-year-old man accused of beating an elderly patient in a Detroit nursing home — captured in a shocking viral video — was inexplicably moved to the facility after testing positive for Covid-19. | The young man, who has not been named, was trans…

RT (2020-05-23). Still looking for a bogeyman? Moscow slams US State Dept after it posts $250,000 grant to 'expose Russian health disinformation'. rt.com Instead of casting grudges aside to fight the coronavirus, anti-Russia elements in the US are striving to make the Kremlin a scapegoat, Moscow has said, decrying the new US grant to "expose Russian health disinformation."
| Instead of casting grudges aside to fight the coronavirus, anti-Russia elements in the US are striving to make the Kremlin a scapegoat, Moscow has said, decrying the new US grant to "expose Russian health disinformation." | The Russian Foreign Ministry…

RT (2020-05-23). Car rental giant & pioneer Hertz files for bankruptcy protection as Covid-19 dries up businesses. rt.com Hertz, one of the world's largest vehicle-rental companies, has sought bankruptcy protection after business nosedived as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacting demand.
| Hertz, one of the world's largest vehicle-rental companies, has sought bankruptcy protection after business nosedived as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacting demand. | Corporations worldwide have struggled to stay afloat during the health crisis. The company announced o…

RT (2020-05-23). BBC blasted after political editor jumps to defend PM adviser Cummings following cross-country lockdown breach. rt.com The revelation that Boris Johnson's top adviser traveled over 250 miles to his parents as he had Covid-19 symptoms has unleashed outrage in the UK. The BBC is also under fire after its political editor jumped to defend the move.
| The revelation that Boris Johnson's top adviser traveled over 250 miles to his parents as he had Covid-19 symptoms has unleashed outrage in the UK. The BBC is also under fire after its political editor jumped to defend the move. | News of Domin…

WSWS (2020-05-23). Representatives from Germany's parliamentary parties support far-right protests against coronavirus policies. wsws.org The far-right demonstrations in Germany are being used to drum up support for the dangerous policy of easing coronavirus pandemic restrictions and intimidate all opposition.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-23). Cyclone Amphan's death toll crosses 100, citizens protest over lack of facilities. peoplesdispatch.org The total damage is estimated to be in the range of USD 15 billion. Protests broke out in cities in the Indian State of West Bengal as normalcy has not been restored three days after the cyclone…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-05-23). Life Model Art Rally to Protest Fort Mason Arts Campus Closure. indybay.org Awareness Raising Drawing Session protests cuts to much loved CCSF Arts resource.

Declaration for American Democracy (2020-05-23). #Protect Our VOTE: Car & Tailgate Protest in Contra Costa County. indybay.org Pleasant Hill: RSVPs will be sent exact location to participate…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-05-23). Patterns of Compromise: The EasyJet Data Breach. dissidentvoice.org It has been a withering time for the airlines, whose unused planes moulder in a gruelling waiting game of survival. The receivers are smacking their lips; administration has become a reality for many. Governments across the globe dispute what measures to ease in response to the coronavirus pandemic; travel has been largely suspended; and the …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-23). COVID-19: Tips for going out again. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org If coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stay-at-home restrictions are easing in your community, you might wonder how to visit public places and protect your health. Here's what you need to know. Before you head out Follow guidance where you live. In the U.S., activity restrictions vary among cities and states. Before you head out, check your …

WSWS (2020-05-23). Wealth of US billionaires soars as pandemic expands, nearly 40 million unemployed. wsws.org The class logic at play in the homicidal push to reopen the US economy before the spread of the coronavirus has been controlled is becoming increasingly clear.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-23). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Convalescent plasma program. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Government is supporting a national Expanded Access Program to collect and provide convalescent plasma to patients in need across the country (uscovidplasma.org). Convalescent plasma refers to blood plasma collected from people who have recovered from COVID-19. That plasma, which contains antibodies against the virus, is then used …

WSWS (2020-05-23). Hospitals overwhelmed in California and Alabama as national death toll approaches 100,000. wsws.org The spike in cases in such divergent areas of the country is another indication that, contrary to official policy, the spread of the coronavirus pandemic is not slowing but increasing.

Raul Diego (2020-05-23). Wayback Machine Latest Victim of Big Tech Consolidation and Censorship. mintpressnews.com The promise of an internet modeled around democratized access to information is quickly eroding before our very eyes as the Wayback Machine falls prey to censorship creep and major tech sector consolidations take us to the point of no return…

Alison Weir (2020-05-23). US Senate Quietly Approves $38 Billion for Israel Amid Historic Economic Downturn. mintpressnews.com S.3176 was passed without being named, debated, or even discussed, even though it would set into law the largest such aid package in US history.

WSWS (2020-05-23). Oppose the Trump administration's deportation of 1,000 immigrant children! wsws.org International laws and statutes that once offered special protections for immigrant youth seeking asylum have been made a dead letter by the Trump administration.

Zephyr Teachout (2020-05-23). Cuomo is Letting Billionaires Plan New York's Future. zcomm.org The New York governor is replacing elected representatives with private, unaccountable monopolists, and lawmakers across the US are doing the same thing…

WSWS (2020-05-23). UK Local councils face financial collapse due to pandemic. wsws.org Social care spending could face a shortfall of £3.5 billion, placing up to 225,000 adult social care places at risk in the coming year.

Steve Gillis (2020-05-23). Role of a revolutionary party in an union. workers.org This is a slightly edited version of a talk given during the"What Road to Socialism?" webinar held by Workers World Party on May 16. United Steelworkers Local 8751 has three advantages during this pandemic when going to work on the frontlines is a daily exercise in confronting the life-or-death realities . . . |

WSWS (2020-05-23). South America a "new epicenter" of COVID-19 pandemic, WHO warns. wsws.org The number of new deaths on the continent is surpassing Europe, and Brazil is rapidly overtaking Russia as the country with the second most infections after the US.

WSWS (2020-05-23). The US opioid crisis in the era of COVID-19. wsws.org According to a report from the American Medical Association, over 20 states have reported an increase in opioid-related mortality since the official declaration of the pandemic.

WSWS (2020-05-23). Australian governments fully reopen schools despite intense opposition. wsws.org The danger of sending up to a million children back full-time in New South Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic is compounded by the public transport crisis.

Philip Farruggio (2020-05-23). Right off the right wing radar screen!! nationofchange.org What we have here in this, the middle of an 'Era changing' pandemic, is the use of power by this administration and its Republican Party cohorts going right off the radar screen!

Yadul Krishna (2020-05-23). Combating Covid Through Peoples' Collectives‚Ä®. zcomm.org The Indian state of Kerala has gained successful control over the pandemic with its people-centric policies and the role of participatory governance…