Daily Archives: May 12, 2020

2020-05-12: News Headlines

Joshua Hanks (2020-05-13). China reacts with Zero tolerance for racist incidents. workers.org Reports surfaced in April of cases of discrimination against African workers in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong as pictures appeared on the internet of a sign refusing service to Africans at a McDonald's restaurant and allegations that Africans were being evicted from hotels. Ambassador Liu Yuxi, head of Mission . . . |

Dianne Mathiowetz (2020-05-13). A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! workers.org May 11— In the early afternoon of Feb. 23, shots rang out on the tree-lined streets of Satilla Shores, a predominantly white neighborhood bordering the port city of Brunswick on Georgia's Atlantic coast, some 40 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla. Afterward, a 25-year-old Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, lay dead on . . . |

Judy Greenspan (2020-05-13). At San Quentin: 'No state execution by COVID-19!'. workers.org May 9 — It was no coincidence or geographical convenience that prisoners' rights advocates organized a car caravan today to San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, Calif. San Quentin, a mere 11 miles from San Francisco, is the state prison where death row prisoners are incarcerated. It is also . . . |

RT (2020-05-12). 'I don't think you are the end-all': Rand Paul calls out Fauci over Covid-19 policy based 'one wrong prediction after another'. rt.com Republican Senator Rand Paul has challenged National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr Anthony Fauci on the nation's Covid-19 policy, suggesting the US is waiting too long to reopen. | Paul, who also has a medical degree, called for "a little bit of humility in our belief that we know what's best for our economy," questioning Fauci's support for a prolonged economic shutdown during a Senate hearing on the government's coronavirus response on Tuesday. | Sen. Paul argues school decisions should be made district by district, tells Dr. Fauci: "I don't think you're the end all." | Fauci: "I'

RT (2020-05-12). Oil giant Saudi Aramco profits crash amid coronavirus-driven energy market rout. rt.com Falling crude prices amid an unprecedented global demand slump have taken a big bite out of Saudi Aramco's net income in the first three months of this year, according to the financial results released by the oil giant. | In a release published Tuesday, Saudi Aramco reported that its net income plunged to 62.5 billion riyals ($16.6 billion) in the first quarter of 2020 from 83.3 billion riyals ($22 billion) a year earlier. The results are below analysts' estimates, who expected the company to report a $17.8 billion profit. | Aramco said the drop was mainly caused by lower crude oil prices, "as well as declinin…

Combined Sources (2020-05-12). Even White House documents show Trump is lying. peoplesworld.org As President Trump publicly claims that the numbers of COVID-19 infections are "going down almost everywhere," documents from his own White House suggest that infection rates are dramatically increasing in areas that form the base of his political support. A Coronavirus Task Force report from May 7 obtained by NBC suggests that cases are mounting …

Robin McDowell, Margie Mason (2020-05-12). Crime doesn't pay but prison does, even amidst a pandemic. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As factories and other businesses remain shuttered across America, people in prisons in at least 40 states continue going to work. Sometimes they earn pennies an hour, or nothing at all, making masks and hand sanitizer to help guard others from the coronavirus. Those same men and women have been cut off …

Betsey Piette (2020-05-12). Sanctions = Health terrorism. workers.org A timely international webinar, sponsored by SanctionsKill.org on May 9, featured representatives from Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Syria and Venezuela, plus a statement from Zimbabwe addressing the deadly impact of U.S. sanctions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1,000 people from nearly every continent, including multiple U.S. cities, viewed the event. The . . . |

RT (2020-05-12). Police officer rants about 'tyrannical' & 'unconstitutional' Covid-19 measures… gets in trouble for 'insubordination' (VIDEOS). rt.com A US police officer has urged fellow cops to stop enforcing coronavirus lockdown measures, slamming them as "unconstitutional." While his call to action landed him in trouble, other officers have started to speak out as well. | Port of Seattle Officer Greg Anderson was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after he appeared in a viral video last weekend arguing the lockdown measures are violating the US Constitution and "trampling on people's liberties," questioning the restrictions and whether enforcing them is "the right thing" to do. | I want to remind you that regardless of where you stan…

RT (2020-05-12). 2nd virus wave in Denmark is 'unlikely' says expert, as govt plans increased testing. rt.com Denmark is "very unlikely" to be hit by a second wave of coronavirus, the country's chief epidemiologist said on Tuesday. Kare Molbak made the statement after the government laid out plans for increased testing and a contact tracing system. | The Nordic country, which has suffered 533 coronavirus-related deaths, was the first in Europe to relax its coronavirus lockdown almost a month ago. The infection rate and the number of deaths have continued to drop. Denmark began the second phase of relaxing its lockdown this week, which will include reopening restaurants and shopping malls. | "No country has seen an act…

RT (2020-05-12). Lebanon to be 'fully shut down' from Wednesday evening to Sunday — govt. rt.com The government in Beirut on Tuesday decided to fully shut down the country from Wednesday evening until Monday morning at the recommendation of the health minister. The move comes in the wake of the biggest spike in weeks in the numbers of coronavirus cases. | "The general lockdown measures will include exceptions as in the first phase," Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told reporters after a Cabinet session at the presidential palace in Baabda. "We will carry out a reevaluation on Sunday and the expat repatriation process will continue." | Information Minister Manal Abdul Samad said "the full lockdown will be…

RT (2020-05-12). Restaurants could go bust & leave millions without jobs if government fails to help, award-winning chef tells Boom Bust. rt.com Restaurants are one of the hardest-hit sectors by the coronavirus pandemic and even after the outbreak is over the industry will still struggle to survive, according to restaurateur Andrew Zimmern. | Despite some operators — who managed to continue working for delivery and to go orders amid lockdowns in the US — making a profit, the virus is a disaster for the industry which is the second largest employer in America right behind the Defense Department, according to the award-winning chef. | However, working for delivery is "a drop in a bucket" and not a viable solution for most restaurants as they ca…

RT (2020-05-12). Russia becomes world's second hardest-hit country with 230,000+ confirmed Covid-19 cases, surpassing Spain & UK. rt.com With 10,899 more coronavirus infections reported across the country on Tuesday morning, Russia now trails only the United States in terms of people known to have contracted Covid-19. | Nationwide, 232,243 confirmed cases have been discovered since the start of the outbreak, national disease response officials said. This figure is higher than those recorded by Spanish (227,436), British (224,332) and Italian (219,814) authorities. | However, it's worth noting that Russia has over twice the population of those countries and has carried out far more tests. | At the same time, Russia has had considerably fewer dea…

RT (2020-05-12). 'Europe needs a break': EU may open borders closed by Covid-19 lockdowns for tourism as industry faces 'grave danger'. rt.com The European Union is considering opening borders for tourists as part of a plan to roll back coronavirus-related lockdown measures. But leisure travel will be allowed only between states with similar Covid-19 situations. | On Wednesday, the EU is expected to present a three-phase plan — which has been seen and leaked by

Staff (2020-05-12). "Losing the Fabric of the City": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated structural racism" in Chicago.

RT (2020-05-12). Singapore plans coronavirus tests for all migrant workers as some businesses reopen. rt.com Singapore plans to test all 323,000 migrant workers living in cramped dormitories that have become a hotbed for coronavirus in the city-state, the government said on Tuesday. The island's tally of 24,671 infections is one of Asia's highest, with the vast majority among migrant workers squeezed into often unsanitary dormitories. | "The taskforce has drawn up a plan to allow migrant workers residing in the dormitories… to be progressively cleared so they can be safely returned to work when the time comes," Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said. | Infections in the dormitories had "stabilized," Gan added, with the…

RT (2020-05-12). Fire erupts at Saint Petersburg Covid-19 hospital after ventilator malfunctions, 5 dead. rt.com Five patients have perished in a major fire at a Saint Petersburg hospital on Tuesday morning with 150 people evacuated to safety. The facility has been designated to treat patients with coronavirus. | Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at the Saint George Hospital in Russia's second city at around 6: 30am local time. Plumes of smokes were observed coming from the building's sixth floor. | Officials told local media that there were five fatalities. Citing sources, local reporters said the victims were receiving artificial lung ventilation. | The institution was repurposed to care for coronavirus su…

RT (2020-05-12). Antibody tests show Ohio had first Covid-19 cases as early as JANUARY — state health director. rt.com There were at least five coronavirus infections in Ohio as far back as January, the state's health director said, suggesting the illness began spreading there weeks earlier than previously thought. | The five early cases — believed to have emerged across five Ohio counties between January 7 and 27 — were announced on Monday by Department of Health Director Dr Amy Acton, who said the previously unknown infections were picked up amid ramped up antibody testing. | "We actually have a new date of onset. We have found five cases now when the date of onset of symptoms was in January," Acton told a statehou…

RT (2020-05-12). Trump lawyer brands CNN's Stelter 'propagandist' as pair clash over fiery Covid-19 press conference. rt.com US President Donald Trump abruptly ending a Covid-19 press conference after tense exchanges with journalists provided fuel for supporters and critics alike, with his lawyer firing strong verbal barbs at a critical CNN host. | One of Trump's most vocal supporters following his contentious Monday press conference has been Jenna Ellis, the president's senior legal adviser. Liberal critics have meanwhile gone after Trump for his treatment of the press, with some even screaming racism over an exchange with CBS News' Weijia Jiang. | After Jiang asked what is the importance of saying the US is first in Covid-19 testi…

RT (2020-05-12). Spanish govt orders 2-week quarantine for incoming travelers on May 15-24. rt.com The government in Madrid has ordered a two-week quarantine for all travelers coming into Spain from May 15 in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. | Incoming travelers will have to remain indoors and will only be allowed to go outside for grocery shopping, health center visits and in "situations of need," according to an official order published on Tuesday. | The quarantine has been enforced for all travelers entering the country between May 15 and at least May 24, when the state of emergency is due to end. | The quarantine order can be extended jointly with possible state of emergency extensions…

Nina Eichacker (2020-05-12). Learning All the Wrong Lessons From the 2008 Financial Crisis – NYT should not fixate on debt as governments respond to the coronavirus pandemic. fair.org I recently wrote a piece for FAIR (

RT (2020-05-12). 'Humans are not herds': WHO thrashes 'brutal arithmetic' of herd immunity to beat Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com In the absence of a vaccine, the increasingly discussed idea of beating the novel coronavirus pandemic through achieving so-called herd immunity could be a disastrous miscalculation, a senior WHO official has warned. | "This is a really dangerous, dangerous calculation," Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organization's health emergencies program, This idea that maybe countries that had lax measures and haven't done anything will all of a sudden magically reach some herd i…

Emily Apple (2020-05-12). A Cornish charity helping Grenfell survivors is responding brilliantly to the coronavirus crisis. thecanary.co A Cornish charity Cornwall Hugs was set up to provide free holidays in Cornwall, matching people in need with holiday homes. Since the

RT (2020-05-12). Shock at low US confidence in Trump's coronavirus narrative ignores decades of governments abusing Americans' trust. rt.com Just over a third of Americans trust President Donald Trump's information about the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new poll. But given decades of crises mishandled by the government, the only surprise is that it isn't lower. | A CNN poll showing that just 36 percent of Americans trust Trump for reliable information about the coronavirus was held up triumphantly by the president's critics on Tuesday as proof his credibility is circling the drain. But it's more likely to be the fallout not just from Trump, but from the two preceding presidential administrations' misrepresentation of crises, that has created e…

RT (2020-05-12). Russian border may not open fully UNTIL 2021 — Tourism Union. rt.com With countries around the world beginning to loosen their anti-coronavirus measures, many people are starting to ask one thing: when can I travel again? If you're planning to come to Russia, you might need to wait until next year. | According to a letter written by President of the Russian Tourist Industry Union (PCT) Andrey Ignatiev and President of the Russian Hotel Association (RGA) Gennady Lamshin, it might take until January 1, 2021 for passage through Russia's border to get back to normal. | The letter, which was sent to Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and the head of Russia's Federal…

RT (2020-05-12). Norway dipping into its massive piggy bank to battle Covid-19 crisis. rt.com Norway is set to withdraw $41 billion from its sovereign wealth fund to cushion the blow to the economy from the coronavirus crisis that has resulted in falling oil prices and the highest unemployment in the country in 75 years. | Known officially as the Government Pension Fund, it is the world's biggest wealth fund, worth over $1 trillion. The government announced on Tuesday that it will have to sharply increase spending from the fund, to avoid "sharper downturn and to help healthy companies through the crisis." | According to the Finance Ministry's mid-year fiscal review, the revised budget calls for the use…

Staff (2020-05-12). Los New Yorkers: Essential, Underprotected Undocumented Immigrants Struggle to Survive in Epicenter. democracynow.org As the coronavirus continues to devastate New York City communities, we hear the voices of undocumented New Yorkers about how they are surviving the pandemic. Their stories are told in a new ProPublica story headlined "Los New Yorkers: Essential and Underprotected in the Pandemic's Epicenter." We speak with one of the story's reporters, Adriana Gallardo.

RT (2020-05-12). US reports record $738 BILLION budget deficit in April due to Covid-19. rt.com The US Treasury Department has announced a budget deficit of $737.9 billion in April thanks to spending measures put in place to battle the economic effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. | Emergency relief spending by the US government has reached around $3 trillion, with $2.3 trillion approved in late March by Congress for a relief package for US citizens. | The latest deficit figure is another bad sign for the US economy as April is typically a month which sees a surplus, thanks to US citizens filing their taxes on April 15. However, that filing deadline was extended into the summer because of the pan…

RT (2020-05-12). New study says herd immunity is a myth and countries relying on it, including Sweden, chose the wrong strategy. rt.com Herd immunity may be an unrealistic tactic for dealing with Covid-19, new research has warned, calling into question the strategy of several countries — such as Sweden — who shied away from quarantine measures in its favor. | Europe is a long way from reaching the levels of exposure required for herd immunity, according to a new study published by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). Belgium tops the list, with just 6.2 percent of its population exposed to Covid-19 so far, and Sweden — with no enforced lockdown measures — is even lower down the list at just 2.

RT (2020-05-12). No HEROES here: Democrats seek tax breaks for rich donors & lobbyists in $3 TRILLION Covid-19 wishlist bill. rt.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's proposed $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill contains massive tax breaks for wealthy Democrat donors and lobbyists but precious little for working Americans, and has an odd preoccupation with cannabis. | Dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, the

RT (2020-05-12). Canada teams up with Chinese scientists to co-produce potential Covid-19 vaccine and test it on humans. rt.com The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has struck a deal with a Chinese biotechnology company developing one of the "most advanced" vaccine candidates against the novel coronavirus to produce and test in Canada. | A vaccine named Ad5-nCoV, which may prove effective against Covid-19, has been developed by China's CanSino Biologics company together with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, part of the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences. It was already approved for the first phase of clinical trials in China in mid-March and is now expected to be tested in Canada too. | Also on rt.com | | <...

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-05-12). U.S. hand in recent assaults on Cuba, Venezuela. peoplesworld.org Secretary of State Pompeo loudly condemns Iranian border guards who abused Afghans crossing into Iran. He castigates China's supposed failings with the COVID 19 pandemic. He and President Trump rail against dictatorship they see in Venezuela. They protest Cuba's "slave doctors" — who actually "defend health care as a human right," according to Cuba's foreign …

RT (2020-05-12). Black US journalists & public figures shamed into dropping out of Huawei-sponsored Covid disinfo panel. rt.com Chinese tech giant Huawei's 'woke' PR stunt has ended up in a disaster after the host and all the announced participants of its panel on Covid-19 misinformation dropped out under a barrage of mockery and shaming. | The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was scheduled to host a webinar on Wednesday aimed at discussing whether Covid-19 disinformation disproportionately affects ethnic minorities in the US. But many online social justice warriors saw red over the fact that the Chinese telecommunication company Huawei would be the sponsor. | Long before the Covid-19 pandemic originated in China, Huawe…

RT (2020-05-12). China to test ENTIRE POPULATION of Wuhan for Covid-19 after disease reemerges. rt.com Chinese authorities plan to test all of Wuhan's 11 million residents for Covid-19 in a little over a week. After more than a month without newly-recorded cases, the disease has suddenly reappeared in the city. | All districts in the city were ordered to submit a plan on how they will conduct testing of all residents in their areas within 10 days, local media reported, citing a document from the authorities. The officials were told to prioritize the testing of vulnerable groups and places like residential compounds. | The measure was announced as a response to the six new locally-transmitted cases that were rec…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-05-12). Pivot To Peace Must Replace US Pivot To War With China. dissidentvoice.org US and Chinese Fists and Weapons face-off (from the Financial Times) The Trump administration, in seeking to divert attention from its bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic and mishandling of the economic collapse, is escalating the bipartisan anti-China policy, which has a long history. This increases the potential of military conflict and economic war between …

RT (2020-05-12). Oil is back in demand as drivers return to the roads. rt.com Oil demand is on the rise as countries across the globe begin easing lockdown restrictions and commuters head back to work. | From China and Spain to the United States, people are gradually returning to driving their cars as countries and US states re-open for business. People feel safer commuting in their own vehicles than they do using public transportation as social distancing is still on their minds despite the re-opening of economies.The uptick in commuter driving and expectations of increased road trips at the expense of flying for vacations this summer is set to support a gradual recovery of oil demand…

RT (2020-05-12). China lifts tariffs on US goods despite Trump's threat to rip up trade deal. rt.com A new list of US products to be exempt from trade tariffs has been announced by China's finance ministry on Tuesday. It said the new waivers will take effect on May 19 and expire on May 18, 2021. | The exemptions cover 79 products in total, including rare earth mineral ores, aircraft radar equipment, semiconductor parts, medical disinfectants, and a range of precious metals, chemical and petrochemical products. | Importers in China will have to apply to the General Administration of Customs within six months of the announcement to be considered for waivers, which are effective from May 19. | The first batch of…

RT (2020-05-12). Suicide blast at funeral of Afghan police commander in Nangarhar 'kills, wounds dozens' — reports. rt.com Some 40 people are believed "to have been killed or wounded" in a suicide blast on Tuesday at the funeral of a police commander in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the local government. The attacker detonated his explosives in the middle of the ceremony, Khogyani said. | At least 10 people were killed in the attack, TASS said, citing a report by Afghanistan's Ariana News TV channel. | No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Nangarhar, a province near the Pakistan border, has long been a stronghold for both Islamic State (IS, former…

RT (2020-05-12). President Ghani orders Afghan troops to switch to 'offensive mode' after new attacks. rt.com Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the military to move to "offensive mode" on Tuesday, shifting away from a defensive stance it had taken as part of efforts to reduce violence as the US tries to broker peace talks. | "In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks and threats from the Taliban and other terrorist groups, I am ordering Afghan security forces to switch from an active defense mode to an offensive one and to start their operations against the enemies," Ghani said in a televised speech. | The comments followed a violent day in which gunmen killed 16 people at a maternity cl…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-12). The 'See-No-Evil' Phase of Russiagate. strategic-culture.org The media spinfest following the collapse of this conspiracy theory suggests our troubled republic simply cannot accept its errors, leaving us unable to learn from them. | Patrick LAWRENCE | The long, destructive conspiracy theory known as Russiagate, the mother of them all, at last evaporates into thin air. No shred of it remains as of back-to-back disclosures over the past couple of weeks. Where does this leave us? What is to come of this momentous turn of events? | Among those not inclined toward hysteria or copious quaffs of Democratic Party Kool—Aid, it has long been a question how those who concocted…

RT (2020-05-12). Gunmen attack MSF-backed hospital in Kabul, witnesses report suicide bombing & civilians trapped inside. rt.com Explosions and gunfire have been heard from inside a hospital in western Kabul, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) operates a maternity ward. Medical staff are said to be trapped inside as the battle rages on. | The 100-bed hospital is located in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of the Afghan capital. At least two powerful explosions have been heard at the scene, TOLO News reported. | The Afghan Interior Ministry said a special police unit has arrived at the scene. Security troops have encircled the site, media reports said. | ⁄Øÿ≤ÿßÿ±ÿ¥‚ÄåŸ&aa…

RT (2020-05-12). PROPAGANDA has diminished the Soviet Union's role in victory over fascism — Russian foreign minister. rt.com The White House shocked the internet on May 8 when it posted a now-infamous tweet declaring the USA and the UK as the victors of World War II, omitting the USSR. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes propaganda is to blame. | Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov recalled how, at the Holocaust Forum in January, US Vice President Mike Pence forgot that the Soviets liberated Auschwitz. | "To be frank, it doesn't surprise me to hear such things," he said, following an online meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers. "It's not because we suspect that any particular politician is deliberately obscuring hi…

Dennis Broe (2020-05-12). 'Home Before Dark' and fading patriarchal power. peoplesworld.org It's the first masterful series from Apple TV+, after a horrible slip out of the gate with the clumsy, awkward The Morning Show. Home Before Dark details the efforts of a nine-year-old reporter to get to the bottom of a disappearance and supposed murder that has wracked a small town in the state of Washington. …

RT (2020-05-12). College forced to apologize after trying to CENSOR professor over 'offensive' questions about 'Islamic terrorism'. rt.com A public college in Arizona has been forced to backtrack on plans to censor a professor's quiz content on 'Islamic terrorism' which had "offended" students, after a legal warning was sent by an academic freedom organization. | The uproar began when Professor Nicholas Damask, who chairs the political science department at Scottsdale Community College (SCC) and teaches a module called 'Islamic Terrorism', included questions on a quiz about how terrorism is justified by some in the Islamic faith — and about where in Islamic doctrine and law they take these justifications from. | The quiz prompted a complaint…

The Alternative World (2020-05-12). British propaganda efforts in Syria may have broken UK law. thealtworld.com Ian Cobain, Alice Ross- Internal assessment concluded UK government's covert support of 'moderate opposition' was shallow, lacked coherence and cost lives | MEE- The UK's covert propaganda programmes in war-torn Syria were poorly planned, probably illegal and cost lives, according to a scathing internal review of the initiative that has been seen by Middle East Eye. | Using news agencies, social media, poster campaigns and even children's comics, communications companies working under contract to the British government attempted to undermine both the Assad government and the Islamic State group and bolster elemen…

The Canary (2020-05-12). How the four UK nations and Ireland are approaching lockdown. thecanary.co Despite the UK government's preference for a "four nations approach" towards softening the lockdown, clear differences have emerged between the countries. | The devolved governments in the north of Ireland, Scotland and Wales have diverged from England, notably in keeping the "stay at home" slogan after prime minister Boris Johnson unveiled his new "stay alert" message on Sunday. | Here is a look at how the four UK nations — and the Republic of Ireland — differ in their approach to exiting the restrictive regime which was imposed across the board on 23 March. | — England | Everyone has a role to…

RT (2020-05-12). 'I feel terrible': Bill Gates says he warned Trump of pandemic threat in 2016, regrets not doing more. rt.com Microsoft founder and multi-billionaire Bill Gates said he tried to warn President-elect Donald Trump of the dangers of a major viral outbreak soon after the 2016 race, but feels guilty for not being more vocal. | "I chose, when I met with people all the way up to the top, in Europe, in the US, around the world, to talk about this pandemic risk," he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Monday, explaining that he even made the case to the US president during a December 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. | I feel terrible. The whole point of talking about it was that we could take action and minim…

RT (2020-05-12). Bitcoin ready for 'big bull run & best is yet to come,' director of business development tells RT's Keiser Report. rt.com Bitcoin has undergone its latest 'halving' event, which occurs every four years and reduces the reward miners receive for mining new coins to help control inflation. It's the third halving in the cryptocurrency's 11-year history. | Keiser Report spoke to Dan Held of Bitcoin was purpose-built to be a new sound money, says Held, noting: "That message resonates really loudly with this sort…

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2020-05-12). Syria spinmeisters fumble attempts to narrative manage OPCW leaks. mronline.org It's been over 72 hours since The Grayzone published new leaks further exposing how the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been lying about its investigation into an alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria two years ago.

RT (2020-05-12). Yemen govt forces 'to confront armed rebellion' in south after separatists declared self-rule. rt.com Yemen's forces will confront an "armed rebellion" by separatists in the south, the government said Tuesday. it said that the group had refused to de-escalate the situation after declaring self-rule last month. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared self-rule in Aden and nearby areas on April 25, threatening to renew a conflict with the Saudi-backed government, its nominal ally in a coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis. | Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hadhrami said the STC had refused calls from the government and the international community to reverse its declaration. The army will do "everything necess…

2020-05-12: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

At San Quentin: 'No state execution by COVID-19!'
Judy Greenspan | workers.org | 2020-05-13
May 9

China reacts with Zero tolerance for racist incidents
Joshua Hanks | workers.org | 2020-05-13
Reports surfaced in April of cases of discrimination against African workers in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong as pictures appeared on the internet of a sign refusing service to Africans at a McDonald's restaurant and allegations that Africans were being evicted from hotels. Ambassador Liu Yuxi, head of Mission . . . | Continue reading China reacts with Zero tolerance for racist incidents at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48572/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=china-reacts-with-zero-tolerance-for-racist-incidents

A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery!
Dianne Mathiowetz | workers.org | 2020-05-13
May 11– In the early afternoon of Feb. 23, shots rang out on the tree-lined streets of Satilla Shores, a predominantly white neighborhood bordering the port city of Brunswick on Georgia's Atlantic coast, some 40 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla. Afterward, a 25-year-old Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, lay dead on . . . | Continue reading A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48575/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-21st-century-lynching-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery

Syria spinmeisters fumble attempts to narrative manage OPCW leaks
Caitlin A. Johnstone | mronline.org | 2020-05-12
It's been over 72 hours since The Grayzone published new leaks further exposing how the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been lying about its investigation into an alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria two years ago.
mronline.org/2020/05/12/syria-spinmeisters-fumble-attempts-to-narrative-manage-opcw-leaks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syria-spinmeisters-fumble-attempts-to-narrative-manage-opcw-leaks

Fake Coronavirus Data, Fear Campaign. Spread of the COVID-19 Infection
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
Do not let yourself be misled by the fear campaign, pointing to a Worldwide coronavirus calamity with repeated "predictions" that hundreds of thousands of people are going to die. | According to the WHO, the death rate pertaining to Seasonal Influenza globally is between 6 to 12 times higher than COVID-19.
globalresearch.ca/fake-coronavirus-data-fear-campaign-spread-of-the-covid-19-infection/5708643

Video: Al-Qaeda Launches Large-scale Attack in Northwestern Hama Under Cover of Ceasefire Deal
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
The southern part of the Idlib zone has once again turned into a hot point with the Syrian Army and al-Qaeda militants openly clashing with each other. | On May 10, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian Army and forces of …
globalresearch.ca/video-al-qaeda-launches-large-scale-attack-northwestern-hama/5712557

The Bernie Sanders Movement, Its Historical Antecedents, and Its Legacy
Eugene E Ruyle | indybay.org | 2020-05-12
Online ZOOM Meeting. | LOG-IN INFORMATION AT OUR WEBSITE | ICSSMARX.ORG | OR EMAIL CUYLERUYLE [at] MAC.COM
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/08/18832926.php

Israel to Annex the United States
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
As the Beatles once put it, "I read the news today, oh boy…" One might argue that the "oh boy" has been part and parcel of one's morning media review ever since 9/11, but depending on one's own inclinations, the …
globalresearch.ca/israel-annex-united-states/5712625

President Ghani orders Afghan troops to switch to 'offensive mode' after new attacks
rt.com | 2020-05-12
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the military to move to "offensive mode" on Tuesday, shifting away from a defensive stance it had taken as part of efforts to reduce violence as the US tries to broker peace talks. | "In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks and threats from the Taliban and other terrorist groups, I am ordering Afghan security forces to switch from an active defense mode to an offensive one and to start their operations against the enemies," Ghani said in a televised speech. | The comments followed a violent day in which gunmen killed 16 people at a maternity cl…
rt.com/newsline/488461-ghani-afghan-troops-offensive/

Justice Thomas Said Forcing Trump to Release His Taxes Weakens the President
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-12
The United States Supreme Court heard two different cases on a single matter: who may (or may not) have the legal right to access President Donald Trump's financial and tax records. | The two cases involve investigations at the Congressional level as well as within the state Trump once called his home, New York. | The District Attorney from Manhattan, Cyrus Vance Jr., is seeking to obtain…
truthout.org/articles/justice-thomas-said-forcing-trump-to-release-his-taxes-weakens-the-president/

Los New Yorkers: Essential, Underprotected Undocumented Immigrants Struggle to Survive in Epicenter
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-12
As the coronavirus continues to devastate New York City communities, we hear the voices of undocumented New Yorkers about how they are surviving the pandemic. Their stories are told in a new ProPublica story headlined "Los New Yorkers: Essential and Underprotected in the Pandemic's Epicenter." We speak with one of the story's reporters, Adriana Gallardo.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/12/los_new_yorkers_essential_undocumented_workers

"Losing the Fabric of the City": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-12
We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated structural racism" in Chicago.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/12/chicago_70_black_people_dead_first

Trump wins! Completing Obama's Pivot to Asia and the Confrontation with China
Ajamu Baraka | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-12
Even before becoming the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump had one consistent foreign enemy

Authoritarians Using Coronavirus Fear to Destroy America
Rep. Ron Paul | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
A Fresno, California waffle restaurant dared to open its doors for business this weekend to the delight of a long line of customers, who waited up to two hours for the "privilege" of willingly spending their money in a business …
globalresearch.ca/authoritarians-using-coronavirus-fear-destroy-america/5712628

Strained China-US Relations. Renewed Trade War Ahead? New Cold War?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
Sino/US relations are more dismal than at any time since Nixon's 1972 meeting with Mao during his weeklong visit to China. | Are bilateral differences irreconcilable? Is the breach between both countries too great to restore more cooperative relations? | Is a …
globalresearch.ca/sino-us-relations-renewed-trade-war-ahead-new-cold-war/5712600

Trump Regime Hardliners Want Social Security and Medicare Eliminated
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
Social Security and Medicare are insurance programs, not welfare

The US military is hell-bent on trying to overpower China
Vijay Prashad | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-12
On April 1, Admiral Philip Davidson–the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command–told the US Congress that he would like $20 billion to create a robust military cordon that runs from California to Japan and down the Pacific Rim of Asia. His proposal–titled "Regain the Advantage"–pointed to the "renewed threat we face from Great Power Competition. … Without a valid and convincing conventional deterrent, China and Russia will be emboldened to take ac…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/12/the-us-military-is-hell-bent-on-trying-to-overpower-china/

Bernie Sanders' interview with the Washington Post: The thin gruel of Democratic Party politics
wsws.org | 2020-05-12
Sanders glossed over the reality of the health and economic catastrophe facing millions of workers and made no mention of the corporate bailouts for which he has voted in the Senate.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/12/sand-m12.html

COVID-19: Global Pandemic & Climate Disruption With Mike Davis
Speak Out Now | indybay.org | 2020-05-12
Online Zoom meeting, see details here: speakoutsocialists.org/townhall-davis-5-16/
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/10/18832968.php

Germany Wants to Replace Poland's "Patriotic Government" with "Europhile Puppets"?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
The former Polish Minister of Defense accused Germany of conspiring with a few other foreign actors to replace the patriotic Polish government with Europhile puppets, arguing that the country's latest political controversy over the date of its presidential elections is …
globalresearch.ca/germany-wants-replace-patriotic-polish-government-europhile-puppets/5712637

Coronavirus and Dodgy Death Numbers
F. William Engdahl | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
Not only are the coronavirus models being used by WHO and the most national health agencies based on highly dubious methodologies, and not only are the tests being used of wildly different quality, that only indirectly confirm antibodies of a …
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-death-numbers/5712605

Iraq Will be Hit Harder by Falling Oil Prices Than COVID-19 or ISIS
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
The shadowy figures of well-armed Isis gunmen can be seen making an attack in the plains of northern Iraq on an outpost held by paramilitary fighters loyal to the Iraqi government. Some four of the latter are killed by a roadside bomb. Isis specialises in publicising its successful military actions online to show that it remains a force to be feared, despite the destruction of the so-called caliphate and the killing last year of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/12/iraq-will-be-hit-harder-by-falling-oil-prices-than-covid-19-or-isis/

Iraq Will be Hit Harder by Falling Oil Prices Than COVID-19 or ISIS
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
The shadowy figures of well-armed Isis gunmen can be seen making an attack in the plains of northern Iraq on an outpost held by paramilitary fighters loyal to the Iraqi government. Some four of the latter are killed by a roadside bomb. Isis specialises in publicising its successful military actions online to show that it remains a force to be feared, despite the destruction of the so-called caliphate and the killing last year of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/12/122647/

On May Day, the "Opposition" Again Acted Foolishly and Irresponsibly
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-12
May Day in Hong Kong, and here it happened again! Several media outlets reported that "hundreds of protesters did gather in small groups at a shopping mall in the town of Sha Tin, chanting slogans and holding protest flags". A few other groups of rioters were spotted at various other locations in the city. They …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/05/on-may-day-the-opposition-again-acted-foolishly-and-irresponsibly/

Pivot To Peace Must Replace US Pivot To War With China
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-12
US and Chinese Fists and Weapons face-off (from the Financial Times) The Trump administration, in seeking to divert attention from its bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic and mishandling of the economic collapse, is escalating the bipartisan anti-China policy, which has a long history. This increases the potential of military conflict and economic war between …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/05/pivot-to-peace-must-replace-us-pivot-to-war-with-china/

San Quentin Gets Car Caravan Protest
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2020-05-12
Protesters demand end to "Covid-19 death camps."
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/09/18832943.php

Hondurans Stranded in Spain Ask to Return to Their Country
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-12
At least 235 Honduran citizens with few economic resources are trapped in Spain and living in a very critical situation. | RELATED: | Honduras: Quarantine and Curfew Extended Until May 3rd | "Most came to work in Spain but lost their jobs because their immigration status was irregular," Honduran Pablo Jose Perez said on behalf of the group. | …
telesurenglish.net/news/Hondurans-Stranded-in-Spain-Ask-to-Return-to-Their-Country-20200512-0001.html

Australian Labor Party exploits pandemic to scapegoat foreign workers
wsws.org | 2020-05-12
Labor's call for immigration cuts lines up directly behind the drive by governments around the globe, personified by US President Trump, to promote toxic nationalism.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/12/labo-m12.html

Refugee rights supporters occupy the Mantra Hotel
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-05-12
Refugees & migrants Kerry SmithIssue 1265 Australia asylum seekers Mantra Hotel medevacMay 12, 2020At 7.30am on May 12, refugee and…
greenleft.org.au/content/refugee-rights-supporters-occupy-mantra-hotel

US lowers threat perception on Iran
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-05-12
The drawdown of US military presence in the Middle East, especially from Saudi Arabia, may not be an automatic open sesame

Paramilitary Panda: WWF Land Grabs Rooted in Covert Apartheid History
Michael Molitch-Hou | indybay.org | 2020-05-12
According to a BuzzFeed News series, the WWF has been tied to paramilitary violence in third world countries. What they completely ignored was that the WWF was previously involved in the murder of 6,000 anti-apartheid activists in South Africa a part of an "anti-poaching" mission in the 1980s. All evidence seems to suggest that the WWF was used as cover for an MI6 operation on behalf of powerful business interests in South Africa.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/12/18832991.php

Cuba Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for Its Fight Against COVID-19
Orinoco Tribune | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
The French organization Cuba Linda has recommended awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Cuban medical brigades for their efforts to eradicate COVID-19. | "The international community is witnessing the solidarity of health professionals who leave their country to provide services and | …
globalresearch.ca/cuba-nominated-nobel-peace-prize-fight-against-covid-19/5712594

Duque used Colombia's peace funds to pay for presidential approval poll
Adriaan Alsema | colombiareports.com | 2020-05-12
Colombia's President Ivan Duque used money meant for the implementation of peace policies to pay for a poll over public approval of his peace policy, local media reported on Monday….
colombiareports.com/duque-used-colombias-peace-funds-to-pay-for-presidential-approval-poll/

NATO Chief Urges Berlin to 'Protect Peace and Freedom' by Stationing US Nukes
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-12
The appeal comes as leaders from the SPD, Germany's second-largest party and member of Chancellor Merkel's governing coalition, demand the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from the country's airbases.
sputniknews.com/military/202005121079280137-nato-chief-urges-berlin-to-protect-peace-and-freedom-by-stationing-us-nukes/

U.S. hand in recent assaults on Cuba, Venezuela
W. T. Whitney Jr. | peoplesworld.org | 2020-05-12
Secretary of State Pompeo loudly condemns Iranian border guards who abused Afghans crossing into Iran. He castigates China's supposed failings with the COVID 19 pandemic. He and President Trump rail against dictatorship they see in Venezuela. They protest Cuba's "slave doctors"

Kent State 50th with Mickey Huff
Project Censored | projectcensored.org | 2020-05-12
50 years have passed since Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on Kent State University students protesting the Vietnam War. Four students were killed and nine wounded. On this week's…
projectcensored.org/kent-state-50th-with-mickey-huff/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kent-state-50th-with-mickey-huff

Bolivia: Inmates Riot Due to COVID Outbreak in Prison
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-12
Bolivian police forces repressed May 11 an inmate riot in Palmasola prison, in Santa Cruz city. Convicts protested due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the prison population. | RELATED: | Bolivia De-Facto Govt Repress Protesters That Can't Afford More Lockdown | The authorities at the Palmasola penitentiary said two inmates who died last week after presenting respiratory distress. Local news media reported first deceased autopsy revealed he was COVID positive and was buried acco…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-inmates-riot-due-to-covid-prison-outbreak-20200512-0002.html

Bolivia Police Repress Protesters That Can't Afford Lockdown
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-12
Hundreds of people were violently repressed by security forces Monday in the Bolivian K'ara K'ara community located in Cochabamba city, as they took to the streets to demand that the de facto government eases the COVID-19 lockdown as they cannot afford it anymore. | RELATED: | Bolivia: Citizens Protest Against De Facto Government | Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators fiercely attacked by the police and army who did not hesitate to use tear gas and rubber bullets, inj…
telesurenglish.net/news/Hunger-Protests-in-Bolivia-Fiercely-Repressed-by-Security-Forces-20200511-0016.html

Unions in UK protest bid by P&O Ferries to lay off 1,100 workers
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-12
P&O Ferries, owned by Dubai-based DP World, has announced plans to cut 1,100 jobs in the UK citing the crisis in the ferry industry due to the COVID-19 lockdown…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/12/unions-in-uk-protest-bid-by-po-ferries-to-lay-off-1100-workers/

Why Unemployment under Trump is way worse than Numbers Suggest
John Buell | zcomm.org | 2020-05-12
"If the protesters really wanted to protect workers, wouldn't they be demanding laws that replaced lost wages? Other developed countries have passed exactly those sorts of measures, putting their economies into a holding pattern as the pandemic passes."
zcomm.org/znetarticle/why-unemployment-under-trump-is-way-worse-than-numbers-suggest/

[Research Paper] Mapping of variations in child stunting, wasting and underweight within the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2000–2017
ISDBICC | thelancet.com | 2020-05-12
CGF indicators have improved in India, but there are substantial variations between the districts in their magnitude and rate of decline, and the inequality between districts has increased in a large proportion of the states. The poor correlation between the national surveys for CGF estimates highlights the need to standardise collection of anthropometric data in India. The district-level trends in this report provide a useful reference for targeting the efforts under NNM to reduce CGF across India and meet the Indian and global targets.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30061-4/fulltext?rss=yes

Political Prisoners Teach-In: Mumia, migrant rights and cages
Teresa Gutierrez | workers.org | 2020-05-12
These slightly edited remarks were made April 24 at the "U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners" teach-in webinar sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 38 years by the U.S. state. Teresa Gutierrez First of all, happy . . . | Continue reading Political Prisoners Teach-In: Mumia, migrant rights and cages at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48559/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=political-prisoners-teach-in-mumia-migrant-rights-and-cages

Singapore plans coronavirus tests for all migrant workers as some businesses reopen
rt.com | 2020-05-12
Singapore plans to test all 323,000 migrant workers living in cramped dormitories that have become a hotbed for coronavirus in the city-state, the government said on Tuesday. The island's tally of 24,671 infections is one of Asia's highest, with the vast majority among migrant workers squeezed into often unsanitary dormitories. | "The taskforce has drawn up a plan to allow migrant workers residing in the dormitories… to be progressively cleared so they can be safely returned to work when the time comes," Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said. | Infections in the dormitories had "stabilized," Gan added, with the…
rt.com/newsline/488436-singapore-tests-migrant-workers/

U.S. Dishonors Navajo with Death Penalty
Stephen Cooper | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
Amidst the coronavirus devastation, it's important not to overlook the fact that, at the end of April, two federal appellate judges called out the U.S. government for continuing to dishonor the Navajo Nation

The War Against the Wolves of Alaska
Evaggelos Vallianatos | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
Southeast Alaska is home to the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest of north America. Tongass has old-growth and temperate rainforests, which shelter abundant wildlife and biodiversity. However, both the forests of Tongass and wildlife have been under attack for decades. Loggers, miners, and developers and corrupt state and federal agencies look at these ancient trees and see primarily dollars. These are the same people who practically extinguished the old-growth forests of northern California. These are the same people who are the enemies of the natural world and welcomed Trump to the White Hous…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/12/the-war-against-the-wolves-of-alaska/

What If Armed Terrorists Threatened the Prime Minister of Canada?
Maria Paez Victor | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
Fortunately, Canada is not a country that has suffered continuous threats of coup d'etats as Venezuela has these last 21 years. The Motive Be that as it may, as a matter of clarification and discernment, let us imagine the following: suppose a powerful foreign power

Biden Ridin' the Pandemic to the White House, Trump to Take Hit for Neoliberalism's Failures
Roger Harris | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
The world is amidst the COVID-19 crisis and in our corner of the planet a presidential campaign is reduced to a single issue: Trump/not Trump. Pick your poison. At a time that calls for national leadership or least debate on the issues, Congress unanimously passed the two-trillion-dollar Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/12/biden-ridin-the-pandemic-to-the-white-house-trump-to-take-hit-for-neoliberalisms-failures/

Last Year America's CEOs Said They Cared About Us…They Lied
Sam Pizzigati | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
Last August, the nabobs of Corporate America

Trump Is Using COVID-19 As An Excuse To Let Polluters Destroy
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
counterpunch.org/2020/05/12/trump-is-using-covid-19-as-an-excuse-to-let-polluters-destroy/

Why America Cannot Afford to Let the U.S. Postal Service Go Bankrupt
Tom Conway | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-12
Bill Boone was a fresh-faced 23-year-old in 1952 when he cast his first ballot for U.S. president, while proudly serving aboard an aircraft carrier off the coast of Korea. The U.S. Postal Service carried that vote untold miles to the election board in Boone's hometown of Benton, Arkansas, and he's considered "the mail" an essential…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/12/why-america-cannot-afford-to-let-the-u-s-postal-service-go-bankrupt/