Daily Archives: May 14, 2020

2020-05-14: News Headlines

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-05-14). Will Turkey Contract Its Militarism Because of Its Economic Problems? globalresearch.ca A report by

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-05-14). EU Offers West Balkans ‚Ǩ3.3 Billion as Forgiveness for Coronavirus Snub. globalresearch.ca The European Union promised ‚Ǩ3.3 billion to the West Balkan countries and provinces of Serbia, Montenegro Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. In return, the European Union is demanding loyalty and renunciation of close ties with Moscow and Beijing. …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-05-14). Obamagate Shows Biden Is Inadequate in Challenging Trump. globalresearch.ca Former U.S. President Barack Obama is coming under increasing pressure, led by what President Donald Trump is calling "Obamagate." This comes as Mexico has requested to finally clarify the affair with the secret sale of American weapons to Mexican drug …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-14). Iran names Palestine most significant issue in Muslim World. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA) — Iran's Foreign Ministry has released a statement on the occasion of the Nakba Day, which marks the anniversary of the establishment of the illegitimate Zionist regime of Israel, naming Palestine the most important issue in the Muslim world.

Editor (2020-05-14). Exigencias socialistas para la crisis del COVID-19. workers.org A medida que la pandemia de COVID-19 continúa extendiéndose, la respuesta del gobierno a la crisis ha sido criminalmente negligente, mientras que los capitalistas prefieren arriesgar la salud de los trabajadores que detener la producción con fines de lucro. A medida que la clase dominante se muestra incapaz de abordar . . . |

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-14). India Is Intensifying Its U.S. Backed Hybrid War on China. globalresearch.ca Whether it's India's latest clashes with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), its selective embrace of "economic nationalism" to "poach" foreign companies from the People's Republic, or its forthcoming leadership of the World Health Assembly (WHA) where it …

Jesse Jackson (2020-05-14). Our Continuing Terror: the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery. counterpunch.org Today there is a national outcry about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The public condemnation has forced a belated response. Those accused of his murder finally have been arrested. His murder has become a global embarrassment for whites. For blacks, however, it is another humiliation, a continuing terror. It is the normal silence, however, that condemns

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-05-14). Why "Obamagate" Will Never Lead To Anything Of Significance. thealtworld.com thrust into mainstream attention by the concerted efforts of Trump and his surrogates after new details on the early days of the Trump-Russia collusion investigation emerged. These details include Obama officials (including Joe Biden) requesting the Prof. Marjorie Cohn (2020-05-14). Don't Expect to See Trump's Tax Returns Before the Election. globalresearch.ca Donald Trump claims that while he is president, his pre-presidency financial records can't be subpoenaed and he can't even be investigated for criminal conduct. The Supreme Court will decide by the end of June whether Trump is indeed beyond the …

RT (2020-05-14). Gunpoint diplomacy: US to 'snap back' all UN sanctions on Iran if expiring arms embargo isn't renewed. rt.com Two years after spectacularly exiting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the US has threatened to trigger a return of all UN sanctions — once lifted under those accords — if it doesn't renew an arms embargo set to expire in October.

Sue Davis (2020-05-14). Trump v. birth control case heard by Supreme Court. workers.org A March 2016 demonstration in support of birth control coverage in the Affordable Care Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington, D.C. Health care is the most pressing issue in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So it's in keeping with the Trump administration's overall right-wing agenda to . . . |

A. Majumdar (2020-05-14). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

Olujimi Alade (2020-05-14). You have to experience everything. workers.org My life today is completely different than it was four years ago: I am a college graduate and now a member of the workforce — although that could change. Sitting here in the early months of 2020, it is clear to see that we are headed toward a crisis that . . . |

Mirinda Crissman (2020-05-14). U.S. global prison model: white supremacy on display. workers.org The United States has institutionalized white supremacist violence at home and abroad through its use of police and prisons. This does not come as revelation, but as a call to action. Whether we examine photographs coming out of El Salvador's prisons, or surveillance software used by U.S. police and Immigration . . . |

Makasi Motema (2020-05-14). Working class democracy and centralism. workers.org Painting shows V. I. Lenin speaking to soldiers and civilians. We are taught in school that the United States is a democracy, but this claim is completely divorced from the reality of class struggle. The wealthy ruling class, which owns the greater proportion of our economy through the stock market . . . |

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). Unless Duque changes course, Colombia could be heading for collapse. colombiareports.com It took the 1918 Spanish Flu less than a month to collapse Bogota. A lockdown prevented the immediate collapse of Colombia by the coronavirus in March, but not indefinitely. President…

RT (2020-05-14). Global energy demand will collapse again if coronavirus makes a comeback, IEA warns. rt.com A Second wave of Covid-19 cases is a major risk for the energy market, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned. The agency raised its outlook for oil demand, which will still see a record drop this year. | In its key monthly report published on Thursday, the Paris-based energy watchdog said it expects global oil demand to fall by 8.6 million barrels per day (bpd). That's around 700,000 bpd more than the IEA said in its previous report. | "Major uncertainties remain. The biggest is whether governments can ease the lockdown measures without sparking a resurgence of Covid-19 outbreaks," the report said.

RT (2020-05-14). How dare you… use CHINESE drones!? US lawmakers 'grill' feds over spying on lockdown-violating Americans. rt.com A group of House Republicans has called on federal agencies to shed light on drones used by police across the country to surveil and enforce Covid-19 lockdowns, arguing that Chinese devices could compromise "sensitive US data." | The 14 GOP representatives, all on the House Judiciary Committee, penned

RT (2020-05-14). 'Unlawful & invalid': Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state's stay-at-home order. rt.com Measures purportedly enacted to stop the spread of coronavirus in Wisconsin have been overturned by the state's Supreme Court, which ruled that the orders violate the law and cannot be enforced. | The state's highest court issued a 4-3 ruling describing the restrictions as "unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable." The decision comes after Republican lawmakers sued Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, after she unilaterally extended the state's "Safer at Home" emergency order in mid-April. The measures were first implemented in March and were set to expire on May 26. | Wisconsin has alrea…

RT (2020-05-14). British journo branded 'vile' after saying teachers should 'step up' & show 'same bravery' as health workers amid Covid-19 crisis. rt.com British journalist Isabel Oakeshott has provoked a fiery backlash after claiming teachers must "step up" and show the "same bravery" as health workers by returning to school to educate kids as Covid-19 lockdown measures are eased. | Oakeshott — who famously co-authored 'Call Me Dave', the unauthorised biography of former British PM David Cameron — took to Twitter on Thursday. She urged teachers who may take part in the weekly 'clap for our carers' to return to their schools as "millions of children" need them, claiming: "The risk in schools is nothing like the risk in hospitals." | Tonight thousands…

RT (2020-05-14). More than 70 servicemen who helped to tackle coronavirus in Italy return to Russia. rt.com Il-76 planes belonging to the Russian Aerospace Forces have brought home more than 70 Russian servicemen who helped to tackle the novel coronavirus outbreak in Italy, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "Starting from May 8, more than 70 servicemen and 19 pieces of special-purpose military equipment, have been brought from… the Verona Villafranca Airport," it said. | A total of 10 Russian planes have already arrived from Verona. From March 22 to May 7, Russian specialists working with Italian military personnel fully disinfected care homes for elderly people and other facilities in around 100 comm…

RT (2020-05-14). Russian aviation industry gets government lifeline to stay afloat during pandemic-related flight restrictions. rt.com The Russian government has allocated 23.4 billion rubles ($316 million) to support domestic airlines, which are suffering tremendous losses as a result of coronavirus-related restrictions. | The subsidies were unveiled on the government website early Thursday following Russian President Vladimir Putin's call to support the troubled sector. | According to the document, air carriers will have to use at least 60 percent of the funds on wages for their employees. The rest can be spent on leasing payments (30 percent at most), payments for aircraft parking, as well as other operating activities. The companies will…

RT (2020-05-14). Russia fills coffers with gold & adds $2.5 billion to forex reserves during coronavirus peak. rt.com Russian gold and foreign currency holdings have hit $566 billion as of May 1, according to the latest data released by the country's central bank. International funds grew by $2.53 billion, or 0.4 percent, last month. | The regulator said that currency holdings decreased by 0.8 percent in April, to $440 billion. At the same time, the value of monetary gold rose by 5.2 percent, amounting to over $126 billion. | The state's international reserves are highly liquid foreign assets comprising stocks of monetary gold, foreign currencies and Special Drawing Right (SDR) assets, which are at the disposal of the Central…

RT (2020-05-14). Investigation opened after photos of HITLER & HIMMLER uploaded to Russian online WWII victory celebration. rt.com Russia's Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case after pictures of Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler were found on the website Immortal Regiment Online, celebrating Soviet veterans of World War II. | Every May 9, Russia celebrates the triumph over Nazism in the Second World War with fireworks, ceremonies, and parties. Another tradition, introduced in 2012, is the

RT (2020-05-14). Fearsome storm ravages Siberian city, ripping roofs from buildings, tossing cars down street (VIDEOS). rt.com A powerful storm has battered the Siberian city of Chita, raining roof tiles and lumber down upon the city streets while tossing cars and mobile garages alike down the road with terrifying ease. At least three people were injured. | The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that winds of between 25 and 30 meters per second upended trees and crushed multiple vehicles with a barrage of flying debris, with the tempest eventually causing a citywide power outage. | Eyewitness footage shows the sheer ferocity of the wind as beleaguered residents sought shelter wherever they could. | Thankfully no-one was c…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-14). Transit union leaders, system heads seek further aid. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—Saying U.S. mass transit systems are essential both to move "essential" workers to jobs now, and to economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent forced closures, transit union leaders and top transit managers seek $32 billion-$33 billion to keep the buses, subways and commuter railroads going through the end of 2021. House …

RT (2020-05-14). Bitcoin could 'easily' reach $10 TRILLION market cap, similar to that of gold — investment strategist on RT's Keiser Report. rt.com Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones said recently he was betting on bitcoin as the best hedge against inflation in the age of coronavirus. The cryptocurrency reminds him of gold in the 1970s, he added. | RT's Max Keiser spoke to Raoul Pal of Global Macro Investor and Real Vision Group about those statements and whether or not they will spur interest from the larger hedge fund investors. They discussed gold's current market capitalization, which is around $9 trillion, while bitcoin's market cap sits at $117.8 billion. | Talking about bitcoin's valuation over time, Raoul said: "If it becomes an eco-system, and…

Ian Angus (2020-05-14). 3.5 billion people may face 'unlivable' heat in 50 years. mronline.org Every degree of global warming will push a billion people out of the human survival zone.

Saul Foster (2020-05-14). The 1930s and now: Looking back to move forward. mronline.org While there are great differences between the crises and political movements and possibilities of the 1930s and now, there are also important lessons that can be learned from the efforts of activists to build mass movements for social transformation during the Great Depression. My aim in this paper is to illuminate the challenges faced and …

RT (2020-05-14). WHO warns Covid-19 may 'never go away' as Trump clashes with Fauci over US reopening. rt.com US President Donald Trump has pushed for reopening schools, against the advice of his chief epidemiologist. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned that the coronavirus may become endemic and never really disappear. | After meeting with governors of Colorado and North Dakota in the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he won't consider any state fully open until the schools are back up and running. | "I think you should absolutely open the schools. Our country has got to get back and it's got to get back as soon as possible, and I don't consider our country coming back if the schools are closed," T…

Erik Edstrom (2020-05-14). Celebrated to Death: the Betrayal of the American Soldier. counterpunch.org "Every day is a copy of a copy of a copy." That meme, from the moment when Edward Norton's character in Fight Club offers a 1,000-yard stare at an office copy machine, captures this moment perfectly — at least for those of us removed from the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis. Isolated inside a

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). Why Xi Won't Repeat Ming Dynasty Mistakes. strategic-culture.org China has learned from its own rich history and is applying those lessons to re-emerge as a major 21st century power | Pepe ESCOBAR | With hybrid warfare 2.0 against China reaching fever pitch, the New Silk Roads, or Belt and Road Initiative, will continue to be demonized 24/7 as the proverbial evil communist plot for economic and geopolitical domination of the "free" world, boosted by a sinister disinformation campaign. | It's idle to discuss with simpletons. In the interest of an informed debate, what matters is to find the deeper roots of Beijing's strategy — what the Chinese learned from their own rich…

RT (2020-05-14). Beijing signals harsh counter-sanctions for US lawmakers & STATES targeting China over Covid-19 outbreak. rt.com China will not submit to US lawsuits and legislation aimed at blaming Beijing for the coronavirus crisis, state media has warned, suggesting that counter-sanctions against officials and entire states are already in the works. | Numerous members of Congress and other officials will be put onto China's sanctions list for their involvement in efforts to demonize China for its alleged responsibility for the pandemic, the Global Times The "painful" countermeasures will likely target Senator John Haw…

RT (2020-05-14). FBI serves search warrant, seizes Sen. Richard Burr's phone amid probe into insider trading before Covid-19 market crash — reports. rt.com Federal agents have seized the private cell phone of Republican Senator Richard Burr, reportedly serving him with a search warrant amid a Justice Department probe into suspicious stock trades he made soon after Covid-19 hit the US | The North Carolina senator was presented with the warrant at his Washington-area residence on Wednesday night, the LA Times The move comes as the DOJ intensifies…

Raul Diego (2020-05-14). Massachusetts Contact Tracing Program Handed to Clinton-Linked NGO with Questionable Past. mintpressnews.com A new contact tracing program was recently unveiled in Massachusetts in partnership with Partners in Health, an NGO with links to US regime change operations, big pharma and the Clinton Foundation.

RT (2020-05-14). DOZENS of babies born to Ukrainian surrogate mothers left stranded in Kiev hotel due to Covid-19. rt.com It has emerged that nearly 50 infants waiting to be delivered to their foreign would-be parents are stuck in Ukraine's capital due to border closures, adding to worries about the country becoming a supplier of surrogate babies. | The news, broken by a handful of local media outlets, revolves around a video appeal issued by Biotexcom, which describes itself as a "center for human reproduction." It shows 46 newborn babies lying in their cradles at a hotel called 'Venice' or being taken care of by the clinical staff. | Foster parents, the clinic lamented, "do not have the opportunity to pick up their newborns" as…

RT (2020-05-14). 'Don't give 2 rats' a**es about your cops': NYC police unions call on health commissioner to resign after refusal to provide masks. rt.com Unions representing New York City police officers have demanded the dismissal of the city's health commissioner after she scoffed at a request to provide the force with surgical masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Dr. Oxiris Barbot refused to provide the city's police with 500,000 masks as Covid-19 began to spread in March, telling a high-ranking law enforcement official, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan: "I don't give two rats' asses about your cops." The conversation, first reported by the New York Post, was confirmed to the media by the NYC Health Department. Barbot has since apologized to Monaha…

Liberation Staff (2020-05-14). Bay Area car caravan: Stop state executions by COVID-19! liberationnews.org More than 80 cars drove around San Quentin prison in Marin County, California on Sat. May .

RT (2020-05-14). It will 'take months for EU travel to return to normal,' says Irish PM Varadkar. rt.com It will be a matter of months, not weeks, before Covid-19 restrictions are lifted and travel around the European Union returns to normal, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday. | Ireland is part of a Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom but is not a member of the European Union's Schengen free travel area. The country is considering strengthening public health requirements for visitors from abroad, Varadkar told parliament. | "While it is our policy to resume normal travel for business, leisure, study and visits to friends and relatives (around the EU) as soon as it is safe to do so… it wi…

RT (2020-05-14). Beijing opposes 'US slander' after it says 'China-linked hackers breaking into Covid-19 research'. rt.com China's Foreign Ministry, asked about alleged China-linked hackers breaking into US Covid-19 research, said Beijing opposed what it called slander from the US. | Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian added on Thursday that any action online to sabotage efforts against the disease should be condemned. | In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security said China-linked hackers are breaking into US organizations carrying out such research. | The FBI is investigating digital break-ins at US organizations by China-linked 'cyber actors' that it had monitored "a…

RT (2020-05-14). China's politburo: Task to prevent rebound in local coronavirus cases 'remains arduous'. rt.com China's task to prevent rebound in local coronavirus cases remains arduous, the Communist Party's politburo said on Thursday. | The government should step up targeted prevention and control measures for clusters coronavirus cases in northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, a state television report said, citing the politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping. | China will also take more flexible measures to prevent imported coronavirus cases, the statement added. | The country will step up Covid-19 testing and screening to prevent a rebound of the coronavirus epidemic, the National Health Commissio…

The Canary (2020-05-14). Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines, making social distancing 'almost impossible'. thecanary.co A strong typhoon has hit the Philippines after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the coronavirus (Covid-19) risks of overcrowding emergency shelters.The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon local time, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight Covid-19 outbreaks largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections. More than 11,600 infec…

The Canary (2020-05-14). Health leaders say it will take months for NHS services to fully resume. thecanary.co It will be months before the NHS is able to fully restart services in the face of coronavirus (Covid-19), health leaders say. | Experts from the Health Foundation, the King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust will tell MPs on 14 May of the significant challenges facing the health service as it tries to create a "new normal". | It comes as NHS waiting list data is due to be published which is expected to show the number of people waiting for treatment has swollen during the pandemic. | The waiting list for planned treatment stood at around 4.4 million before the coronavirus outbreak but is now expected to be much higher…

RT (2020-05-14). Your money, your right? France disputes PRIVILEGED ACCESS to Covid-19 vaccine for US. rt.com Pharmaceutical giant Sanofi should not give the US first access to its Covid-19 vaccine, Secretary of State for Economy Agnes Pannier-Runacher has said, urging that the firm make the treatment available to all countries. | Headquartered in Paris, Sanofi received funding from the US government to develop a vaccine for Covid-19. As a result, the United States has "the right to the largest pre-order because it's invested in taking the risk," the company's CEO, Paul Hudson, told Bloomberg News. | The French government has disputed this line of reasoning, insisting that no nation should be given priority once the v…

Staff (2020-05-14). When Patients Die Alone, How Do Families and Health Workers Cope, Relieve Suffering? democracynow.org We look at the tremendous emotional toll the coronavirus is taking on families when loved ones are forced to battle COVID alone in hospitals or at home, with Dr. Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care and a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She helped start a 24-hour palliative care hotline for COVID-19 patients in New York City that served nearly 900 people in a four-week period.

RT (2020-05-14). Global investments pour into China as Covid-19 turmoil grips financial markets. rt.com China has seen more capital flow into its stock markets as a result of market dislocations caused by the Covid-19 crisis. According to some strategists, this is part of a longer-term trend. | Allocation to Chinese stocks among more than 800 global funds reached nearly a quarter of their almost $2 trillion in assets under management, according to data from EPFR, a company which provides fund flow and asset allocation information to financial institutions around the world. That's up from about 20 percent a year ago. | The data covers funds that break down holdings into nine categories of stocks listed in mainlan…

The Canary (2020-05-14). More than £30,000 raised for family of rail worker who died after being spat at. thecanary.co A fundraising campaign for the family of a rail worker who died with coronavirus after being spat at on a station concourse has topped £30,000 as her union issued demands over staff safety.The gofundme initiative has received more than 1,700 individual donations following the shocked reaction to the death of Belly Mujinga.British Transport Police has launched an investigation after Mujinga died a fortnight after the incident at London's Victoria station.(Gofundme/PA)The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said many of its members were now fearful for their safety.Officials contacted Mujinga's emplo…

David Ruccio (2020-05-14). The jungle—pandemic edition. mronline.org Like nursing homes, the U.S. meatpacking industry has become one of the hotspots of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

RT (2020-05-14). Japan's plan to end emergency for 39 prefectures accepted by experts — minister. rt.com A panel of experts has accepted the Japanese government's plan to end the state of emergency for 39 prefectures, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Thursday. The 39 prefectures in which the emergency is expected to be lifted account for 54 percent of Japan's population. | Japan was expected to lift the state of emergency across a large part of the country on Thursday but the capital, Tokyo is likely to remain under restrictions until there is a convincing containment of the coronavirus. | The world's third-largest economy declared a nationwide state of emergency a month ago, urging citizens to reduce…

RT (2020-05-14). Japan lifts coronavirus-related state of emergency in most regions, Tokyo not included. rt.com Most of Japan's prefectures, except Tokyo and seven others, will be lifting emergency restrictions imposed to battle the novel coronavirus outbreak, effective Thursday. | The decision comes as the number of new cases of infection has consistently fallen in 39 provinces, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to say that the pandemic is "currently not spreading widely." The regions mentioned account for 54 percent of Japan's total population. | Also on rt.com | | Japan declar…

2020-05-14: 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.)

When Patients Die Alone, How Do Families and Health Workers Cope, Relieve Suffering?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-14
We look at the tremendous emotional toll the coronavirus is taking on families when loved ones are forced to battle COVID alone in hospitals or at home, with Dr. Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care and a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She helped start a 24-hour palliative care hotline for COVID-19 patients in New York City that served nearly 900 people in a four-week period.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/14/diane_meier_palliative_care

Coronavirus Pandemic Prompts Global Mental Health Crisis as Millions Feel Alone, Anxious & Depressed
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-14
Is the coronavirus pandemic generating a mental illness crisis? Millions face isolation, poverty and anxiety. We speak with psychology professor and author Andrew Solomon, as the United Nations calls on governments to put mental health "front and center" in their response to the crisis.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/14/andrew_solomon

Hell No, You Can't be Safer at Home
Ruth Conniff | progressive.org | 2020-05-14
Wisconsin Supreme Court, in act of 'blatant . . . judicial activism,' strikes down state rules meant to curb spread of COVID-19.
progressive.org/dispatches/hell-no-you-cant-be-safer-at-home-conniff-200514/

Trump v. birth control case heard by Supreme Court
Sue Davis | workers.org | 2020-05-14
A March 2016 demonstration in support of birth control coverage in the Affordable Care Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington, D.C. Health care is the most pressing issue in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So it's in keeping with the Trump administration's overall right-wing agenda to . . . | Continue reading Trump v. birth control case heard by Supreme Court at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48590/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trump-v-birth-control-case-heard-by-supreme-court

Despite pandemic, Colombia's public hospitals still granted to politicians' buddies
Adriaan Alsema | colombiareports.com | 2020-05-14
While Colombia's Supreme Court is investigating at least 11 governors for corruption with coronavirus emergency funds, at least nine public hospitals fell in the hands of friends and allies of…
colombiareports.com/despite-pandemic-colombias-politicians-give-public-hospitals-to-buddies/

'Unlawful & invalid': Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state's stay-at-home order
rt.com | 2020-05-14
Measures purportedly enacted to stop the spread of coronavirus in Wisconsin have been overturned by the state's Supreme Court, which ruled that the orders violate the law and cannot be enforced. | The state's highest court issued a 4-3 ruling describing the restrictions as "unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable." The decision comes after Republican lawmakers sued Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, after she unilaterally extended the state's "Safer at Home" emergency order in mid-April. The measures were first implemented in March and were set to expire on May 26. | Wisconsin has alrea…
rt.com/usa/488600-wisconsin-supreme-court-lockdown-unlawful/

Don't Expect to See Trump's Tax Returns Before the Election
Prof. Marjorie Cohn | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
Donald Trump claims that while he is president, his pre-presidency financial records can't be subpoenaed and he can't even be investigated for criminal conduct. The Supreme Court will decide by the end of June whether Trump is indeed beyond the …
globalresearch.ca/dont-expect-see-trump-tax-returns-before-election/5712890

Exigencias socialistas para la crisis del COVID-19
Editor | workers.org | 2020-05-14
A medida que la pandemia de COVID-19 continúa extendiéndose, la respuesta del gobierno a la crisis ha sido criminalmente negligente, mientras que los capitalistas prefieren arriesgar la salud de los trabajadores que detener la producción con fines de lucro. A medida que la clase dominante se muestra incapaz de abordar . . . | Continue reading Exigencias socialistas para la crisis del COVID-19 at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48587/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exigencias-socialistas-para-la-crisis-del-covid-19-2

The U.S. Military is Hell-Bent on Trying to Overpower China
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-14
On April 1, Admiral Philip Davidson–the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command–told the U.S. 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…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/14/the-u-s-military-is-hell-bent-on-trying-to-overpower-china/

India Is Intensifying Its U.S. Backed Hybrid War on China
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
Whether it's India's latest clashes with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), its selective embrace of "economic nationalism" to "poach" foreign companies from the People's Republic, or its forthcoming leadership of the World Health Assembly (WHA) where it …
globalresearch.ca/india-intensifying-american-backed-hybrid-war-china/5712884

US Imperialism's Decomposition Accelerates: Outsourcing 'Regime Change'. Mercenary Incursions into Venezuela
Francisco Dominguez | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
On May 3rd a bunch of mercenaries, led by Rambo-like US soldiers of fortune attempted to disembark on the coastal town of Macuto in the La Guaira state in Venezuela's Caribbean coast, in a so-called Operation Gedeon. | Their leader, 'contractor' …
globalresearch.ca/us-imperialism-regime-change/5712893

Massachusetts Contact Tracing Program Handed to Clinton-Linked NGO with Questionable Past
Raul Diego | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-14
A new contact tracing program was recently unveiled in Massachusetts in partnership with Partners in Health, an NGO with links to US regime change operations, big pharma and the Clinton Foundation.
mintpressnews.com/massachusetts-contact-tracing-partners-in-health-clinton/267534/

EU Offers West Balkans €3.3 Billion as Forgiveness for Coronavirus Snub
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
The European Union promised ‚Ǩ3.3 billion to the West Balkan countries and provinces of Serbia, Montenegro Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. In return, the European Union is demanding loyalty and renunciation of close ties with Moscow and Beijing. …
globalresearch.ca/eu-offers-west-balkans-billion-forgiveness-coronavirus-snub/5712802

Will Turkey Contract Its Militarism Because of Its Economic Problems?
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
A report by New Economy found that "Turkey had significant foreign exchange outflows" because of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's costly wars. The report also found that "Turkey's probability of bankruptcy is extremely high," along with its three big banks …
globalresearch.ca/will-turkey-contract-militarism-because-economic-problems/5712732

Obamagate Shows Biden Is Inadequate in Challenging Trump
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
Former U.S. President Barack Obama is coming under increasing pressure, led by what President Donald Trump is calling "Obamagate." This comes as Mexico has requested to finally clarify the affair with the secret sale of American weapons to Mexican drug …
globalresearch.ca/obamagate-shows-biden-inadequate-challenging-trump/5712924

Our Continuing Terror: the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery
Jesse Jackson | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-14
Today there is a national outcry about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The public condemnation has forced a belated response. Those accused of his murder finally have been arrested. His murder has become a global embarrassment for whites. For blacks, however, it is another humiliation, a continuing terror. It is the normal silence, however, that condemns…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/14/our-continuing-terror-the-murder-of-ahmaud-arbery/

Iran names Palestine most significant issue in Muslim World
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-14
TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA)

Slovenian Left protests amendments to Nature Conservation Act
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-14
The amendments proposed by the Slovenian government make it more difficult for organizations to attain the status of a nature conservation organization in public interest. This is believed to be a step towards the sale of the country's resources…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/14/slovenian-left-protests-amendments-to-nature-conservation-act/

El Salvador: Pot-Banging Against Bukele's Pandemic Management
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-14
In San Salvador city's upper-class neighborhoods, residents banged pans and honked car horns on Wednesday to protest against President Nayib Bukele's handling of the pandemic. | RELATED: | El Salvador: White Cloths to Protest Hunger | Through social networks, citizens called to protest against the situation of people confined in containment centers, the arrests of t…
telesurenglish.net/news/El-Salvador-Pot-Banging-Against-Bukeles-Pandemic-Management-20200514-0001.html

US further complicates prospects for peace in Colombia
Adriaan Alsema | colombiareports.com | 2020-05-14
The United States government further complicated the future of peace in Colombia on Wednesday, adding Cuba to its list of non-cooperative countries in counter-terrorism efforts for not extraditing ELN peace…
colombiareports.com/us-further-complicates-prospects-for-peace-in-colombia/

The 1930s and now: Looking back to move forward
Saul Foster | mronline.org | 2020-05-14
While there are great differences between the crises and political movements and possibilities of the 1930s and now, there are also important lessons that can be learned from the efforts of activists to build mass movements for social transformation during the Great Depression. My aim in this paper is to illuminate the challenges faced and …
mronline.org/2020/05/14/the-1930s-and-now-looking-back-to-move-forward/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-1930s-and-now-looking-back-to-move-forward

Paramilitary Panda: WWF Land Grabs Rooted in Covert Apartheid History
Michael Molitch-Hou | indybay.org | 2020-05-14
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

AI-Powered Medical "Pre-Crime" Is Officially Here To "Fight COVID-19"
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-05-14
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/13/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/ai-powered-medical-pre-crime-officially-here-fight-covid-19/

Dispatch from the Frontlines: Gender Inequality and COVID-19 (CPCC)
Congressional Progressive Caucus Ctr & others | indybay.org | 2020-05-14
Online livestream & Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/13/18833009.php

Africa: Lesotho Reports First COVID-19 Case
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-14
Lesotho Health Minister Nkaku Kabi announced on May 13 the first COVID-19 positive case in his nation. Lesotho is the latest African country to report the virus outbreak. | RELATED: | Cuba Rejects US Terrorism Accusations, as Habana Blacklisted | According to Kabi, 81 people were tested given their recent traveling chart. The positive patient is a Lesothan student who returned from Saudi Arabia via South Africa, with no visible symptoms. The health authorities decided to isolate…
telesurenglish.net/news/africa-lesotho-reports-first-covid19-case-20200514-0003.html

Beijing opposes 'US slander' after it says 'China-linked hackers breaking into Covid-19 research'
rt.com | 2020-05-14
China's Foreign Ministry, asked about alleged China-linked hackers breaking into US Covid-19 research, said Beijing opposed what it called slander from the US. | Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian added on Thursday that any action online to sabotage efforts against the disease should be condemned. | In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security said China-linked hackers are breaking into US organizations carrying out such research. | The FBI is investigating digital break-ins at US organizations by China-linked 'cyber actors' that it had monitored "a…
rt.com/newsline/488614-china-us-slander-hackers/

COVID-19: Mélenchon offers national unity with France's banks
wsws.org | 2020-05-14
Mélenchon hails the Sacred Union between the far-right and social democracy in World War I as a model to keep social cohesion despite mass COVID-19 deaths.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/14/fran-m14.html

Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Confront Double Threat of COVID-19 and Bolsonaro's Policies
Gabriel Leà£o | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-14
After six days of fighting for his life in an intensive care unit in a Amazonas state hospital, a 15-year-old Yanomami teenage boy died in April 9 from complications caused by the novel coronavirus. The boy's death sounded the alarm for Brazil's Indigenous peoples who now face the fear of the virus alongside the stress…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/14/brazilian-indigenous-peoples-confront-double-threat-of-covid-19-and-bolsonaros-policies/

The COVID-19 Chronicles: USA
Ulson Gunnar | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
The US is claimed to be hardest hit by COVID-19 with, at the time of writing, over 80,000 deaths attributed to the virus. The nation is also suffering from socioeconomic disaster as lockdowns have driven millions of Americans into not …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-chronicles-usa/5712850

It will 'take months for EU travel to return to normal,' says Irish PM Varadkar
rt.com | 2020-05-14
It will be a matter of months, not weeks, before Covid-19 restrictions are lifted and travel around the European Union returns to normal, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday. | Ireland is part of a Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom but is not a member of the European Union's Schengen free travel area. The country is considering strengthening public health requirements for visitors from abroad, Varadkar told parliament. | "While it is our policy to resume normal travel for business, leisure, study and visits to friends and relatives (around the EU) as soon as it is safe to do so… it wi…
rt.com/newsline/488648-eu-travel-normal-ireland/

Southeast Asia Witnesses Significant Rise in COVID-19 Cases
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-14
The Southeast Asia region has reported a significant rise in COVID-19 related cases, as several countries, including many densely populated nations, have announced several infections among its people. | RELATED: | COVID-19 May Never Go Away, WHO Warns | Bangladesh reported 1,041 new COVID-19 cases, dipping slightly from Wednesday's high of 1,162, bringing the total number of the cases in the country to nearly 19,000. | The Afghan health authorities recorded 413 new COVID-19 cases across the country, the…
telesurenglish.net/news/Southeast-Asia-Witnesses-Significant-Rise-in-COVID-19-Cases-20200514-0005.html

A World Health Crisis? So Ramp Up Confrontation and Deploy Nuclear Bombers against China, Russia, Iran and North Korea
Brian Cloughley | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
The Pentagon is excelling itself in its enthusiastic march to war. There are countless thousands suffering from the effects of the Covid-19 virus, including hundreds of members of the U.S. armed services, while the world's despots are relishing their freedom …
globalresearch.ca/world-health-crisis-ramp-up-confrontation-deploy-nuclear-bombers/5712909

21-Year-Old Dies in Santa Cruz County Jail
Santa Cruz Police News | indybay.org | 2020-05-14
The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office says on Sunday evening, May 10, correctional officers discovered 21-year-old Tamario Smith was unresponsive in his cell at the County Jail. At about 6pm, paramedics administered medical aid, however Smith was pronounced deceased at the scene. According to the Sheriff's Office, Smith did not share a cell, and foul play is not suspected. The Sheriff's Office states there were no signs of trauma or visible injuries, and that Smith did not show signs of COVID-19 symptoms.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/11/18832983.php

DOZENS of babies born to Ukrainian surrogate mothers left stranded in Kiev hotel due to Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-05-14
It has emerged that nearly 50 infants waiting to be delivered to their foreign would-be parents are stuck in Ukraine's capital due to border closures, adding to worries about the country becoming a supplier of surrogate babies. | The news, broken by a handful of local media outlets, revolves around a video appeal issued by Biotexcom, which describes itself as a "center for human reproduction." It shows 46 newborn babies lying in their cradles at a hotel called 'Venice' or being taken care of by the clinical staff. | Foster parents, the clinic lamented, "do not have the opportunity to pick up their newborns" as…
rt.com/news/488634-ukraine-surrogate-babies-stranded/

Trump's Advisers Have a Brazen Plot to Gut Social Security
Alex Lawson | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-14
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the policy Donald Trump is fixated on has nothing to do with ramping up testing, getting protective equipment to workers, or sending resources to nursing homes where tens of thousands of seniors are dying of COVID-19. Instead, he's obsessed with cutting payroll taxes, Social Security's dedicated revenue. Now,…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/14/trumps-advisers-have-a-brazen-plot-to-gut-social-security/

Imperial MBBS medics deliver action plans for London GPs and local communities
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-05-14
Third-year medical students have partnered with community, voluntary, health & social care leaders to respond to local needs in the era of COVID-19.
imperial.ac.uk/news/197237/imperial-mbbs-medics-deliver-action-plans

Mounting worker opposition to Quebec's reckless back-to-work drive
wsws.org | 2020-05-14
Quebec's rightwing populist CAQ government is spearheading the drive of Canada's business elite to force a precipitous return to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/14/quco-m14.html

Health leaders say it will take months for NHS services to fully resume
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-05-14
It will be months before the NHS is able to fully restart services in the face of coronavirus (Covid-19), health leaders say. | Experts from the Health Foundation, the King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust will tell MPs on 14 May of the significant challenges facing the health service as it tries to create a "new normal". | It comes as NHS waiting list data is due to be published which is expected to show the number of people waiting for treatment has swollen during the pandemic. | The waiting list for planned treatment stood at around 4.4 million before the coronavirus outbreak but is now expected to be much higher…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/05/14/health-leaders-say-it-will-take-months-for-nhs-services-to-fully-resume/

Depite delay, consignment of Iranian-made COVID-19 test kits sent to Turkey: Jahanpour
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-14
TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA)

After COVID-19 infection discovered, 300 workers walk out of Mississippi pillow factory
wsws.org | 2020-05-14
Concern over a possible plantwide spread of the virus was mounting for days when a worker at the plant told supervisors that her husband–also employed at the factory–had tested positive for coronavirus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/14/miss-m14.html

China's politburo: Task to prevent rebound in local coronavirus cases 'remains arduous'
rt.com | 2020-05-14
China's task to prevent rebound in local coronavirus cases remains arduous, the Communist Party's politburo said on Thursday. | The government should step up targeted prevention and control measures for clusters coronavirus cases in northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, a state television report said, citing the politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping. | China will also take more flexible measures to prevent imported coronavirus cases, the statement added. | The country will step up Covid-19 testing and screening to prevent a rebound of the coronavirus epidemic, the National Health Commissio…
rt.com/newsline/488649-china-politburo-prevent-rebound/

America's Newest Wedge Issue and the Tale of the Bizarre 2020 Presidential Elections
Andrey Areshev | strategic-culture.org | 2020-05-14
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate the news and life of the American Republic. With currently no end in sight it is not paranoid to wonder if and how the pandemic will affect the presidential elections coming up in November. Two World Wars, The Civil War, The Great Depression and the Spanish Flu were not enough to stop voting for some congressmen and the top executive of the United States as planned. Now for the first time there are rumors moving abo…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/05/14/america-newest-wedge-issue-and-tale-bizarre-2020-presidential-elections/

COVID-19: Why Iran Is Doing Better Than You Think
Karim Sharara | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-14
So Iran's going through its worst year and is hiding the true numbers of Coronavirus victims? It seems it's also been digging mass graves because it can't handle the increasing number of deaths, and people are collapsing on the street left and right because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Not only that but apparently the evil…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/14/covid-19-why-iran-is-doing-better-than-you-think/

Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines, making social distancing 'almost impossible'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-05-14
A strong typhoon has hit the Philippines after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the coronavirus (Covid-19) risks of overcrowding emergency shelters.The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon local time, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight Covid-19 outbreaks largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections. More than 11,600 infec…
thecanary.co/discovery/2020/05/14/strong-typhoon-slams-into-pandemic-hit-philippines-making-social-distancing-almost-impossible/

Confirmed known Covid-19 cases for 2,818 federal inmates
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2020-05-14
Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/13/18833003.php

Global investments pour into China as Covid-19 turmoil grips financial markets
rt.com | 2020-05-14
China has seen more capital flow into its stock markets as a result of market dislocations caused by the Covid-19 crisis. According to some strategists, this is part of a longer-term trend. | Allocation to Chinese stocks among more than 800 global funds reached nearly a quarter of their almost $2 trillion in assets under management, according to data from EPFR, a company which provides fund flow and asset allocation information to financial institutions around the world. That's up from about 20 percent a year ago. | The data covers funds that break down holdings into nine categories of stocks listed in mainlan…
rt.com/business/488608-global-funds-investments-china/

Over 90,000 health care workers worldwide have been infected with COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-05-14
The International Council of Nurses estimates that over 260 health care workers have died from the virus, while acknowledging that the figures are a severe underestimate due to the refusal of governments worldwide to adequately track this data.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/14/care-m14.html

The Frontline Response: Local Latino Leaders Address COVID-19 (town hall)
Unidos US | indybay.org | 2020-05-14
Online via Zoom: unidosus.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8vJrGBs4SJuzlwnme6PktQ
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/12/18832997.php

ACLU of California Legislative Webinar: COVID-19, Current Bills, & Building Community
ACLU Northern California | indybay.org | 2020-05-14
Online via Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/12/18832990.php

Cuban Interferon Proven Effective Against COVID-19
Orfilio Peláez | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-14
Since the appearance, March 11, of the first cases of COVID-19 in Cuba, the country's Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) has reported that the inclusion of Recombinant Human Interferon Alpha 2b in treatment protocols for these patients has shown positive …
globalresearch.ca/cuban-interferon-proven-effective-against-covid-19/5712903