Daily Archives: May 18, 2020

2020-05-18: 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.)

Stir Crazy! Episode #36: Slaves To The Economy
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-05-18
On today's show: Incoming TRNN Executive Director John Duda, PERI Gender and Care Work Program economist Katherine Moos, and Economic Update host and founder of Democracy at Work Richard Wolff. Hosted by Kim Brown.
therealnews.com/stories/stir-crazy-episode-36-slaves-to-the-economy

Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic
Phyllis Bennis | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
From Venezuela to Iran, Washington's illegal and inhumane economic sanctions are putting millions of lives at risk…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/sanctions-in-the-era-of-pandemic/

The Nakba: 72 years of ongoing catastrophe
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2020-05-18
May 15 is the day commemorating Youm al-Nakba, the Day of Catastrophe, when white European settlers declared war on the people of Palestine in 1948. In the violence that immediately followed the settlers' so-called "independence" declaration, at least 700,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes, and hundreds of towns . . . | Continue reading The Nakba: 72 years of ongoing catastrophe at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/05/48740/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-nakba-72-years-of-ongoing-catastrophe

What You Need to Know about the ICC Investigation of War Crimes in Occupied Palestine
Romana Rubeo | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-18
Considering the number of UN resolutions that Israel has violated throughout the years – the perpetual occupation of Palestine, the siege on Gaza, and the elaborate system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians, finding Israel guilty of war crimes, among others "serious crimes" should be a straightforward matter.
mintpressnews.com/icc-investigation-israel-war-crimes-occupied-palestine/267657/

Exposed: CIA used Sheldon Adelson's firm to spy on Julian Assange
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-05-18
The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal reveals explosive new details on the CIA spying and sabotage operation against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange….
thegrayzone.com/2020/05/18/exposed-cia-used-sheldon-adelsons-firm-to-spy-on-julian-assange/

Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/disgraceful-yet-illuminating-reactions-to-the-2002-coup-that-briefly-ousted-chavez-iachr-cpj-and-rsf/

Opening Up for Demonstrations?
Ted Glick | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
Stop racist killings! Act together to end the pandemic! Living wages or income now! A Green New Deal and Medicare for All! Trump must go!
zcomm.org/znetarticle/opening-up-for-demonstrations/

Ghani-Abdullah power sharing deal marks an end to stalemate in Afghanistan
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-18
According to the agreement, president Ashraf Ghani will continue as the Afghan president while rival Abdullah Abdullah will lead the peace talks with the Taliban. Abdullah will also choose an equal number of ministers in the government…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/18/ghani-abdullah-power-sharing-deal-marks-an-end-to-stalemate-in-afghanistan/

The Prospects of Russia and India Jointly Leading a New Non-Aligned Movement
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The ongoing global systemic transition is transforming international relations from its erstwhile unipolarity to what experts agree is either multipolarity or, less popularly, bipolarity. However one chooses to describe the present world order, it's clear that the US and China …
globalresearch.ca/russia-india-leading-new-non-aligned-movement/5713271

Improved Russia-Pakistan Relations. Moscow's "New Bipolarity"
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
There's a growing consensus among Russia's leading experts that International Relations are increasingly characterized by what they've termed the "new bipolarity" that's emerging out of World War C, and it's within this global context that the continued improvement of Russian-Pakistani …
globalresearch.ca/improved-russian-pakistani-relations-help-moscow-balance-new-bipolarity/5713275

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-18
Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had. Across the region, daily positive tests are rising rapidly. Chilean figures show infections have doubled since last week. Around 4,000 Peruvians have tested positive each day in the past week. Meanwhile, Argentina, where an official 12 percent mortality rate suggests authorities are testing nowhere near enough people, suffered its two worst days on Friday and Saturday. As figures are often revised upwards the d…
mintpressnews.com/latin-america-massive-spike-covid-19-cases/267674/

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-18
Many Latin American countries have been hollowed out after decades of neoliberal "reforms," leaving them weaker than ever. | MPN– Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had. Across the region, daily positive tests are rising rapidly. Chilean figures show infections have doubled since last week. Around 4,000 Peruvians have tested positive each day in the past week. Meanwhile, Argentina, where an official 12 percent mortality rate suggests authorities…

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-18
Many Latin American countries have been hollowed out after decades of neoliberal "reforms," leaving them weaker than ever. | MPN– Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had. Across the region, daily positive tests are rising rapidly. Chilean figures show infections have doubled since last week. Around 4,000 Peruvians have tested positive each day in the past week. Meanwhile, Argentina, where an official 12 percent mortality rate suggests authorities…

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases

US Military Planners Advise Expanded Online Psychological Warfare against China
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-18
Just three years ago, Americans had a neutral view of China (and nine years ago it was strongly favorable). Today, the same polls show that 66 percent of Americans dislike the country. | MPN– As the U.S. military turns its attention from the Middle East to conflict with Russia and China, American war planners are advising that the United States greatly expand its own online "psychological operations" against Beijing. | A new report from the Financial Times details how top brass in Washington are strategiz…

US Military Planners Advise Expanded Online Psychological Warfare against China

US Military Planners Advise Expanded Online Psychological Warfare against China
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-18
Just three years ago, Americans had a neutral view of China (and nine years ago it was strongly favorable). Today, the same polls show that 66 percent of Americans dislike the country.
mintpressnews.com/us-military-planners-advise-expanded-online-psychological-warfare-against-china/267665/

Trump Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, China Threatens Retaliation
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
Even during a major public health crisis compounded by economic collapse

Trump Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, China Threatens Retaliation
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
Even during a major public health crisis compounded by economic collapse

Federal Reserve Financial Mismanagement
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The misnamed Federal Reserve isn't federal. It's owned and controlled by major Wall Street banks. | It serves their interests at the expense of sound economic policy, ignoring its congressional mandate to "promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, …
globalresearch.ca/federal-reserve-financial-mismanagement/5713281

Federal Reserve Financial Mismanagement
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The misnamed Federal Reserve isn't federal. It's owned and controlled by major Wall Street banks. | It serves their interests at the expense of sound economic policy, ignoring its congressional mandate to "promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, …
globalresearch.ca/federal-reserve-financial-mismanagement/5713281

Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela
Yves Engler | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
A week ago a former Canadian soldier instigated a harebrained bid to kidnap or kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Launched from Colombia, the plot failed spectacularly with most of the men captured or killed. | Still, the leader of the …
globalresearch.ca/ottawa-colombian-president-undermine-human-rights-regarding-venezuela/5713214

Germany's Kosovo Policy Shift. Implications for Serbia and the EU
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The debate in the German Bundestag on the extension of the mandate of German Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers turned into a criticism of long-time Chancellor Angela Merkel and raised speculation that Berlin might adopt a different position on Kosovo. The …
globalresearch.ca/will-germany-kosovo-policy-shift-back-serbia-favor/5713293

Trump's Megalomania and Boris Johnson's Incompetence Have Only Increased in COVID Pandemic
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
It was the pandemic that turned Trump's and Johnson's character and behavioural flaws into lethal failings that have since killed many people. Both had risen to power by skilfully exploiting nativist fears and ambitions and scapegoating foreigners at home and abroad. They had become like a pair of conmen who have been successfully peddling lies and fantasies, but who must suddenly grapple with a highly-dangerous reality.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/trumps-megalomania-and-boris-johnsons-incompetence-have-only-increased-in-covid-pandemic/

Trump's Megalomania and Boris Johnson's Incompetence Have Only Increased in COVID Pandemic
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
It was the pandemic that turned Trump's and Johnson's character and behavioural flaws into lethal failings that have since killed many people. Both had risen to power by skilfully exploiting nativist fears and ambitions and scapegoating foreigners at home and abroad. They had become like a pair of conmen who have been successfully peddling lies and fantasies, but who must suddenly grapple with a highly-dangerous reality.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/trumps-megalomania-and-boris-johnsons-incompetence-have-only-increased-in-covid-pandemic/

Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-05-18
Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14877

Iran Is Not A Victim, It Is One of The Most Influential and Strong-Minded Nations on Earth
Andre Vltchek | iranian.com | 2020-05-18
When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter how threatening they might be. Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world, and it's precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments. And one such moment …
iranian.com/2020/05/17/iran-is-not-a-victim-it-is-one-of-the-most-influential-and-strong-minded-nations-on-earth/

How Will COVID-19 Change the World? Historian Frank Snowden on Epidemics From the Black Death to Now
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-18
Pandemics, like revolution, war and economic crises, are key determinants of historic change. We look at the history of epidemics, from Black Death to smallpox to COVID-19, and discuss how the coronavirus will reshape the world with leading medical historian Frank Snowden, author of "Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present." He is a professor emeritus at Yale University who has been in Italy since the pandemic began, and himself survived a COVID-19 infection.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/18/frank_snowden_covid_19_epidemics_history

'Rotten from the top': Sexual harassment 'RAMPANT' at McDonald's, international labor group tells OECD in complaint
rt.com | 2020-05-19
An international group of labor unions has filed a complaint alleging "systemic" and "rampant" sexual harassment at McDonald's restaurants around the globe, arguing the corporate fast food giant has ignored the problem for years. | The complaint was filed with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Monday by the International Union of Food Workers (IUF), which said McDonald's had allowed a "sexual harassment crisis" to persist in restaurants all over the world, including in the US, Brazil, Australia, France, the UK, Chile and Colombia, among other countries. | "McDonald's workers h…
rt.com/news/489028-mcdonalds-sexual-harassment-oecd/

'Potential benefit outweighed the risk': Trump's doctor pens letter in defense of HCQ, Twitter still unconvinced he takes it
rt.com | 2020-05-19
With media and online pundits going into a full-blown meltdown after US President Donald Trump said that he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a prophylaxis against coronavirus, his doctor issued a statement in support of the drug. | Trump's admission late Monday that he has been taking the experimental drug, originally designed to treat malaria and several other conditions, has caught many off-guard, spawning a torrent of reactions online. | pic.twitter.com/o9DQrfSjJH– Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) May 19,…
rt.com/usa/489029-hydroxychloroquine-doctor-letter-trump/

'Masks are Sharia-lite!' Explosive conservative host compares Covid-19 orders to 'ISIS & TALIBAN policies' on Rush Limbaugh Show
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Conservative author Mark Steyn has taken criticism of Covid-19 lockdown orders to a new level by comparing the measures to terrorist policies and mask-wearing rules to the Sharia law. | Filling in for conservative Rush Limbaugh on his radio show on Monday, Steyn began his lockdown critique by comparing the canceling of live musical performances to performers being killed and banned in the Middle East by none other than Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL) terrorists. | "You know the last time I was writing about societies banning music it was ISIS and the Taliban," Steyn said. "I'm creeped out by the fact that we're…
rt.com/usa/489020-limbaugh-sharia-masks-coronavirus-lockdown/

Taliban blamed for over 3,800 attacks after peace deal
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Afghan government on Monday blamed the Taliban for "blatantly violating" terms of their peace deal with the US signed in February.Flanked by the country's army chief and interior minister, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Zia Siraj, the head of the secret service NDS, told a news conference the Taliban continued their assaults across the country.Siraj also accused the Taliban of having close ties with foreign terrorist groups such as al-Qaida, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others."The Taliban, after the peace deal with the US orchestrated over 3,800 attacks in differen…
yenisafak.com/en/world/taliban-blamed-for-over-3800-attacks-after-peace-deal-3529810

Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-05-18
Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14877

Poetry in the Time of the Pandemic & Other Earthly Ills
Freedom Socialist Party Bay Area | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
Zoom (access registration after ticket purchase)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/17/18833103.php

Taking the Air out of Balloon Pollution: Grassroots Environmental Activist of the Year Danielle Vosburgh
Douglas Bevington | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
Danielle Vosburgh has been selected as the Fund for Wild Nature's Grassroots Activist of the Year for 2020. Danielle is co-founder of the Florida-based grassroots group Balloons Blow, which opposes helium balloon releases and their harmful impact on wildlife. Discarded balloons are particularly dangerous for animals living in the ocean. When balloons deflate and fall…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/taking-the-air-out-of-balloon-pollution-grassroots-environmental-activist-of-the-year-danielle-vosburgh/

World Health Assembly 2020: Is our response to COVID-19 adequate?
Ben Eder | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-18
Activists of the People's Health Movement talk about the World Health Assembly that begins today, the key issues that will come up for discussion, and the collapse of the global governance system in the realm of public health…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/18/world-health-assembly-2020-are-we-doing-enough-to-protect-the-world-from-covid-19/

Soldiers Abduct Four Palestinians, Injure Many, In Hebron
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-05-18
Israeli soldiers invaded, earlier Monday, Hebron city, and nearby towns of Beit Ummar and Yatta, in addition to the al-'Arroub refugee camp, in southern West Bank, searched and ransacked many homes and abducted four Palestinians, in addition to wounding several others. Mohammad Awad, a local nonviolent media activist in Beit …
imemc.org/article/soldiers-abduct-four-palestinians-injure-many-in-hebron/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=soldiers-abduct-four-palestinians-injure-many-in-hebron

Philadelphia: #FreeBlackMamas demand prisoner release
Joe Piette | workers.org | 2020-05-18
Philadelphia Protesters, led by currently and formerly incarcerated women, trans and non gender-binary people, held a rally on May 15 in a city park next to Riverside Correctional Facility to demand the release of people held in Philadelphia jails and an end to unjust cash bail. The action featured speeches . . . | Continue reading Philadelphia: #FreeBlackMamas demand prisoner release at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/05/48756/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=philadelphia-freeblackmamas-demand-prisoner-release

Video: German Medical Doctor Katrin Korb's Analysis of Big Pharma's "Dubious Vaccine"
Dr. Katrin Korb | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
German Medical Doctor Katrin Korb discusses COVID-19, the lockdown and the vaccine during a protest held in Oldeburg. | Below is the transcript of her speech. | *** | Dear fellow citizens, | I'm thankful for being able to stand here today. My name …
globalresearch.ca/video-german-medical-doctor-katrin-korb/5713250

COVID-19: Podemos, social-democrats prepare to send Spanish police against workers' protests
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
The "left populist" Podemos party is backing plans for Civil Guards to attack working class protests and monitor social media for signs of online dissent.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/pode-m18.html

Part II of the Kent-State Series
Project Censored | projectcensored.org | 2020-05-18
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 Part…
projectcensored.org/part-ii-of-the-kent-state-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=part-ii-of-the-kent-state-series

Israeli Soldiers Abduct Eight Palestinians, Injure Several Others, In West Bank
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-05-18
Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, eight Palestinians, and injured many others, in several parts of the occupied West Bank, after the soldiers invaded many communities, stormed and ransacked homes, and attack protesters. In Jenin, in northern West Bank, the soldiers invaded the home of Ahmad Nabeeh Abu ar-Rob, and violently searched …
imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduct-eight-palestinians-injure-several-others-in-west-bank/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=israeli-soldiers-abduct-eight-palestinians-injure-several-others-in-west-bank

Protest at Fort Mason Against CCSF Cuts
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
People young and old protest CCSF cuts in programs that benefit seniors, immigrants and working people.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/15/18833052.php

'Have a good day & be safe': New Jersey cops are latest police force to REFUSE enforcing Covid-19 restrictions
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Footage of police in New Jersey informing anti-lockdown protesters they're in violation of Covid-19 executive orders, but will not face consequences, is the latest example of officers taking a more hands-off approach to the rules. | People began gathering outside Atilis Gym in southern New Jersey hours before it opened on Monday to show support for the business defying executive orders from the governor, and to protest the continuing lockdown measures in place across the state. | While almost no protesters wore face coverings and were clearly breaking social distancing guidelines by gathering in a big crowd, p…
rt.com/usa/489015-jersey-police-gym-coronavirus-social-distancing/

Group that TRACKED protesters' cell phones accuses them of spreading Covid-19 across US… even if they DIDN'T leave their cars
rt.com | 2020-05-18
A Democrat-linked advocacy group is blaming the spread of Covid-19 on anti-lockdown protesters in the US after tracking their cell phones cross-country. Despite the tempting partisan narrative, though, many never left their cars. | Anti-lockdown demonstrators traveled hundreds of miles to attend protests, almost certainly spreading the coronavirus to places where infections were rare, according to the Committee to Protect Medicare, a supposedly non-partisan group run by a former Democratic congressional candidate. The group provided a comprehensive analysis of smartphone location data from rallies in Michigan,…
rt.com/usa/488992-lockdown-protests-spread-virus-cars/

Protesters storm MBC Iraq office, destroy its contents: report
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

Iraqi protesters storm Saudi channel HQ in Baghdad
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Iraqi demonstrators on Monday stormed the premises of the Saudi-owned MBC channel in Baghdad to protest what they describe as an insult to late Shia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. | Scores of angry protesters gathered outside the MBC office in central Baghdad before forcing their way into the building and destroying everything inside, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene. | Waving photos of al-Muhandis and Iraqi flags, protesters chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia during their rally. | "We don't accept any insult to al-Muhandis, who is one of Iraq's symbols," Hussein al-Jumaili, a protester, told…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iraqi-protesters-storm-saudi-channel-hq-in-baghdad-3529800

UN sends 89 trucks carrying aid to Syria's Idlib
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
The United Nations sent Monday 89 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province where millions are in urgent need of assistance.The trucks loaded with the supplies entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province bordering Idlib.The aid will be distributed to vulnerable people in Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within…
yenisafak.com/en/world/un-sends-89-trucks-carrying-aid-to-syrias-idlib-3529806

New York Democratic governor enlists tech billionaires to push distance learning
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced "Reimagine Education," a partnership with Microsoft's Bill Gates and Google's Eric Schmidt.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/nydg-m18.html

Prisons and class war
Mirinda Crissman | workers.org | 2020-05-18
This is a slightly edited version of a talk given during the "What Road To Socialism?" webinar held by Workers World Party on May 16. Abolitionist Ruth Wilson Gilmore lays out in her book, "Golden Gulag," the political climate in the state of California that gave rise to prison expansion. . . . | Continue reading Prisons and class war at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/05/48732/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prisons-and-class-war

An all-too-familiar occurrence
Editor | workers.org | 2020-05-18
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician in Louisville, Ky., was killed by eight police bullets as she lay in her bed at 1 a.m. on March 13. Breonna Taylor This tragic incident is an all-too-familiar event. Another young Black person has died at the hands of the shoot-first, ask-questions-later . . . | Continue reading An all-too-familiar occurrence at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/05/48750/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-all-too-familiar-occurrence

On anniversary of historic bombing: MOVE's message is 'Free Mumia!'
Betsey Piette | workers.org | 2020-05-18
Philadelphia May 13 was an historic and emotionally charged day as the city of Philadelphia took time to commemorate the horrific bombing of the MOVE family 35 years ago. Police dropped a C4 military-grade bomb on their west Philadelphia home, killing six adults and five children. City officials, including then . . . | Continue reading On anniversary of historic bombing: MOVE's message is 'Free Mumia!' at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/05/48744/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=on-anniversary-of-historic-bombing-moves-message-is-free-mumia

Last Process: 50 Postees: 2020-05-19 03:06 GMT (23:06 EST)

2020-05-18: News Headlines

Yves Engler (2020-05-18). Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela. globalresearch.ca A week ago a former Canadian soldier instigated a harebrained bid to kidnap or kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Launched from Colombia, the plot failed spectacularly with most of the men captured or killed. | Still, the leader of the …

Patrick Cockburn (2020-05-18). Trump's Megalomania and Boris Johnson's Incompetence Have Only Increased in COVID Pandemic. counterpunch.org It was the pandemic that turned Trump's and Johnson's character and behavioural flaws into lethal failings that have since killed many people. Both had risen to power by skilfully exploiting nativist fears and ambitions and scapegoating foreigners at home and abroad. They had become like a pair of conmen who have been successfully peddling lies and fantasies, but who must suddenly grapple with a highly-dangerous reality.

Ted Glick (2020-05-18). Opening Up for Demonstrations? zcomm.org Stop racist killings! Act together to end the pandemic! Living wages or income now! A Green New Deal and Medicare for All! Trump must go!

Andre Vltchek (2020-05-18). Iran — Powerful and Determined. globalresearch.ca I refuse to describe Iran as a victim. It is not. It is one of the most influential and strong-minded nations on Earth. | When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter …

Abdallah El Harif — Vijay Prashad (2020-05-18). The Bouficha Appeal: Universal Call for Humanity to End Militarism and Stop War. counterpunch.org On March 15, 1950, the World Peace Council sent out the Stockholm Appeal, a short text that called for a ban on nuclear weapons and that would eventually be signed by almost 2 million people. The appeal was made up of three elegant sentences: + We demand the outlawing of atomic weapons as instruments of

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-18). North Colombia paramilitaries had access to classified US counternarcotics documents: report. colombiareports.com A paramilitary group from northern Colombia had access classified information from Colombian and international counternarcotics agencies allowing it to avoid drug seizures, according to Noticias Uno. According to the the…

Eds. (2020-05-18). Trump unveils plan that would see Big Pharma reap massive profits from COVID-19 vaccine. mronline.org President Trump has revealed a plan to mobilize the US military to deliver mass vaccinations across the country, coupled with Operation Warp Speed, a "Manhattan project-style" race to produce a COVID-19 vaccine.

Eds. (2020-05-18). UK COVID-19 Death-toll now exceeds 61,000. mronline.org The public, according to incessant government polling and monitoring of the public mood through focus groups and mass data has confirmed that the nation is quickly being 'traumatised' by the UK's experience of the pandemic.

Stephanie Kenific (2020-05-18). Chicago nursing home workers achieve historic contract. liberationnews.org Nursing homes are among the places hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eds. (2020-05-18). Freedom Rider: New attacks on Venezuela. mronline.org The Democratic Party's "left" wing is mute on the latest US aggression against the people and government of Venezuela, thus giving assent to Trump by their silence.

Phyllis Bennis (2020-05-18). Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic. zcomm.org From Venezuela to Iran, Washington's illegal and inhumane economic sanctions are putting millions of lives at risk…

yenisafak (2020-05-18). Taliban blamed for over 3,800 attacks after peace deal. yenisafak.com Afghan government on Monday blamed the Taliban for "blatantly violating" terms of their peace deal with the US signed in February.Flanked by the country's army chief and interior minister, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Zia Siraj, the head of the secret service NDS, told a news conference the Taliban continued their assaults across the country.Siraj also accused the Taliban of having close ties with foreign terrorist groups such as al-Qaida, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others."The Taliban, after the peace deal with the US orchestrated over 3,800 attacks in differen…

Paul Haeder (2020-05-18). Down and Out in Portland: Retired in Style in Waldport, OR. dissidentvoice.org The irony of this quote from the Dustin Hoffman movie, The Graduate, is not wasted on Duane Snider: — One word: plastics. That was Benjamin Braddock, just graduated from college, sitting in a swimming pool. Giving him advice on gaining the American dream, the neighbor's statement says it all. Today? Hedge funds? Flipping houses? Coronavirus …

RT (2020-05-18). Dump the dollar: Russia has now gotten rid of over 96% of its US debt holdings. rt.com Moscow has continued to sell off US Treasury securities, cutting its stockpile by US$8.73 billion in March, according to the latest data from the US Department of the Treasury. | Russia's holdings of US state debt amounted to $3.8 billion in March, compared with $12.5 billion a month earlier. Three years ago, the amount stood at $105 billion. Moscow has liquidated over 96 percent of its holdings in that period. The country's long-term US Treasury securities decreased by $928 million, while short-term securities plunged by $7.8 billion to just $473 million. | Japan remains the biggest holder of US state debt si…

RT (2020-05-18). Saudi-backed Yemen's govt accuses Houthis of covering up coronavirus outbreak, calls for global assistance. rt.com Yemen's Saudi-backed government accused the Houthi movement of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas it holds. The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen's war-ravaged health sector deal with Covid-19, Reuters said. | The United Nations warned that the country could suffer a "catastrophic" food security situation due to the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus is spreading undetected among the population in the country, control of which is divided between the government in the south and the Houthi group in the north. | The government ha…

RT (2020-05-18). A huge fleet of 117 tankers is bringing super cheap crude to China. rt.com While the rest of the world is tentatively coming out of lockdowns, China is taking advantage of the cheapest crude oil in years to stock up as demand is starting to return in the world's largest oil importer. | At present, a total of 117 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) — each capable of shipping 2 million barrels of oil — are traveling to China for unloading at its ports between the middle of May and the middle of August. If those supertankers transport standard-size crude oil cargoes, it could mean that China expects at least 230 million barrels of oil over the next three months, according to Blo…

RT (2020-05-18). Spain may reopen borders to tourists in late June, transport minister says. rt.com Spain aims to reopen borders to visitors around the end of June as its coronavirus lockdown fully winds down, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Monday. Madrid last week surprised its EU partners by imposing a two-week quarantine on all overseas travelers and effectively keeping borders closed, Reuters said. | Spain then explained that the measures were needed to avoid importing a second wave of the Covid-19 disease. However, the move was meant to be temporary and the transport minister said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are easing restriction…

RT (2020-05-18). 'Idiotic & unimplementable': Chief of Europe's largest lowcoster Ryanair slams UK response to Covid-19. rt.com Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has blasted the British government for mismanaging the Covid-19 crisis, and hit out at fresh measures for quarantining travelers coming from abroad. | "It's idiotic and it's unimplementable. You don't have enough police in the UK," O'Leary told BBC radio. | "This [is] the same government that has… mismanaged the crisis for many weeks. | Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that all travellers arriving in Britain will be quarantined for 14 days. The measure is expected to take effect in the end of the month. | O'Leary had previously criticized the idea of q…

RT (2020-05-18). China supports WHO-led review of global response to pandemic after virus is under control — Xi Jinping. rt.com China supports a comprehensive review of the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic led by the World Health Organization (WHO) after the virus is brought under control, President Xi Jinping said on Monday. | In a video speech to the World Health Assembly, Xi said China has been open and transparent about the outbreak that first emerged in the country in late 2019, and will support an investigation conducted in an objective and impartial manner, Reuters reports. | The Chinese leader also pledged US$2 billion over two years to help with the Covid-19 response, adding that any vaccines developed against the dise…

RT (2020-05-18). Beijing says it's premature 'to immediately begin investigation' into coronavirus origins. rt.com China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus. Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over. | The ministry also said separately that President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later on Monday. | Health ministers from around the world are expected to call for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organization's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during a WHO meetin…

RT (2020-05-18). Hungarian govt to table motion on May 26 to end its emergency powers — Orban aide. rt.com Hungary's government will submit a proposal to parliament on May 26 to end its special coronavirus emergency powers, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff was quoted by media as saying. Gergely Gulyas put a date on a similar statement by Orban on Friday, Reuters reports. | Parliament would take a few days to pass the bill, which will end the emergency powers by early June, according to Gulyas. | No end date was set when parliament gave the government permission to rule by decree in matters related to the coronavirus.

RT (2020-05-18). Italian lawmaker demands Bill Gates be ARRESTED for 'crimes against humanity'… But WHY? rt.com An Italian lawmaker has managed to bring the conspiracy blame-game to an entirely new level, exercising her parliamentary privilege to blast Bill Gates as a "vaccine criminal" and globalist tool. | Bill Gates and his latest anti-coronavirus efforts have been at the center of the wildest theories that explore possible sinister motives behind the billionaire's activities. In arguably the most high-profile outcry last week, an Italian MP for Rome Sara Cunial delivered a speech rarely (if ever at all) heard in any parliament. | In her passionate address, Cunial called upon fellow lawmakers to defy any plans for…

RT (2020-05-18). Is that Big Brother behind the medical mask? Bill Gates to co-fund South Korean research of next-gen quarantine methods. rt.com South Korea's biggest telecom firm is banding with Bill Gates to develop next-generation quarantine methods. The $10-million project may stir uncomfortable thoughts in those who suspect the billionaire of having a sinister agenda. | KT, the Seongnam-based multinational giant,

RT (2020-05-18). Two asteroids to approach Earth on Monday, one of them BIGGER than STATUE OF LIBERTY. rt.com Just in case anyone was getting too comfy, NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies is warning that two asteroids are heading towards Earth this Monday. Another one is expected to come close to us early on Tuesday. | All three of the near-Earth asteroids are expected to make close approaches at some point between Monday May 18 and Tuesday May 19, at speeds of between 13,000 and 31,000 miles per hour. | The first of the week's incoming asteroids, 2020 JE2, boasts a diameter of 56 feet, or the equivalent of two London buses one in front of the other, and will fly past us at roughly 2: 19 pm EDT, at a mercifull…

The Canary (2020-05-18). Labour brands new immigration legislation a 'threat to national interest'. thecanary.co Ministers have been accused of "rank hypocrisy" over their attitude to key workers as Labour claimed new immigration legislation would make it harder to fill NHS roles.The government's measures to replace European Union freedom of movement rules in the UK face their first Commons hurdle on Monday.The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) bill is part of the move towards the government's new points-based immigration system, to be introduced from 2021, although it does not set out the details on this. | These will be fleshed out in the immigration rules, which will explain the future system…

The Canary (2020-05-18). Loss of smell or taste added to NHS Covid-19 symptoms list. thecanary.co A loss or changed sense of taste or smell are to be added to the NHS coronavirus symptoms list, weeks after experts first raised concerns that Covid-19 cases are being missed.Anyone suffering loss of taste or smell, or a noticeable change, should now self-isolate for seven days to reduce the risk of spreading the infection, England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said.If the symptomatic person lives with others, they should stay at home for seven days, while all other household members should stay home for 14 days even if they do not have symptoms.The move means loss of smell or taste w…

Freedom Socialist Party Bay Area (2020-05-18). Poetry in the Time of the Pandemic & Other Earthly Ills. indybay.org Zoom (access registration after ticket purchase)…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-18). Profiting From Coronavirus. strategic-culture.org Much has been written about the possibility for a new and better kind of world to emerge after coronavirus. Yet our governments cannot conceive of any model for fighting this threat to the whole world, other than the capitalist, money-making model. The much-touted "race to develop a vaccine" is not a race to save lives. It is a race to make billions.

Zero Hedge (2020-05-18). US Headed For Another 'Tanker War' With Iran — This Time Off Venezuela's Coast. iranian.com Iranian state TV has announced at least five least five Iranian-flagged tankers are transporting fuel to Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean and plan to break the American blockade on the Latin American country. Iran has warned that any US attempt at intercepting its fuel tankers "would have serious repercussions for the Trump administration ahead of the November elections." State-funded PressTV underscores that "Iran is shipping …

Andre Vltchek (2020-05-18). Iran Is Not A Victim, It Is One of The Most Influential and Strong-Minded Nations on Earth. iranian.com When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter how threatening they might be. Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world, and it's precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments. And one such moment …

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-18). Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF. zcomm.org The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered

Ben Eder (2020-05-18). World Health Assembly 2020: Is our response to COVID-19 adequate? peoplesdispatch.org Activists of the People's Health Movement talk about the World Health Assembly that begins today, the key issues that will come up for discussion, and the collapse of the global governance system in the realm of public health…

Douglas Bevington (2020-05-18). Taking the Air out of Balloon Pollution: Grassroots Environmental Activist of the Year Danielle Vosburgh. counterpunch.org Danielle Vosburgh has been selected as the Fund for Wild Nature's Grassroots Activist of the Year for 2020. Danielle is co-founder of the Florida-based grassroots group Balloons Blow, which opposes helium balloon releases and their harmful impact on wildlife. Discarded balloons are particularly dangerous for animals living in the ocean. When balloons deflate and fall

graham (2020-05-18). Outspoken Palestinians — transformed into antisemites simply because they call for peace. truepublica.org.uk By Jonathan Cook: An attack on a prominent British-Palestinian doctor and academic, Ghada Karmi, by a self-styled "antisemitism watchdog" looks suspiciously like a new trend in anti-Palestinian bigotry and bullying dressed up as victimhood. Late last month, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), which claims to represent the interests of the UK's Jewish community, said it …

WSWS (2020-05-18). COVID-19: Podemos, social-democrats prepare to send Spanish police against workers' protests. wsws.org The "left populist" Podemos party is backing plans for Civil Guards to attack working class protests and monitor social media for signs of online dissent.

yenisafak (2020-05-18). UN sends 89 trucks carrying aid to Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The United Nations sent Monday 89 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province where millions are in urgent need of assistance.The trucks loaded with the supplies entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province bordering Idlib.The aid will be distributed to vulnerable people in Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within…

yenisafak (2020-05-18). Iraqi protesters storm Saudi channel HQ in Baghdad. yenisafak.com Iraqi demonstrators on Monday stormed the premises of the Saudi-owned MBC channel in Baghdad to protest what they describe as an insult to late Shia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. | Scores of angry protesters gathered outside the MBC office in central Baghdad before forcing their way into the building and destroying everything inside, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene. | Waving photos of al-Muhandis and Iraqi flags, protesters chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia during their rally. | "We don't accept any insult to al-Muhandis, who is one of Iraq's symbols," Hussein al-Jumaili, a protester, told…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-05-18). Protest at Fort Mason Against CCSF Cuts. indybay.org People young and old protest CCSF cuts in programs that benefit seniors, immigrants and working people.

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-18). Guaido Was the 'Commander in Chief' of the Failed Mercenary Operation Against Venezuela. globalresearch.ca New information divulged this week reveals that Juan Guaidó was designated as "commander and chief" of the mercenary operation that completely unraveled on the shores of Venezuela. The 41 page contract that formed the basis of the already known eight …

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-18). Colombia's most infamous far-right group 'founded by important personalities'. colombiareports.com Presumed members of Colombia's far-right group "Aguilas Negras" said Saturday they were founded by "important national personalities" in a death threat sent to politicians, a unionist and a journalist. In…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-18). How the international community is helping Colombia confront the coronavirus. colombiareports.com The governments of the United States and Canada have announced financial aid to help Colombia's authorities combat the coronavirus pandemic while European nations plan to do the same. The US…

Steve Sweeney (2020-05-18). Britain Warned Against 'Coup-mongering' in Venezuela After Embassy Discovery. globalresearch.ca Venezuela has warned Britain against "coup-mongering" after the discovery of a "Venezuelan reconstruction unit" in the Foreign Office. | Demanding an urgent explanation, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreeaza lodged a formal complaint with ambassador Duncan Hill, who the minister said confirmed …

WSWS (2020-05-18). Britain's covert operations to overthrow Syrian government exposed. wsws.org Sarkha is one of many programmes in a vast network of fake news activities carried out by the intelligence arms of the US and European powers.

WSWS (2020-05-18). On "This Week" news show, Sanders urges supporters to vote for Biden. wsws.org Sanders used the national platform afforded him to once again urge his supporters to vote for the right-wing Democratic candidate.

WSWS (2020-05-18). Amazon eliminates pay raises for workers as COVID-19 toll mounts. wsws.org As the number of infections and deaths continues to rise at Amazon, the world's richest man joins Trump's murderous campaign to "reopen" the economy.

Wim Laven (2020-05-18). Caring About the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery. counterpunch.org Black men are being stalked and killed in the US—business as usual. Ahmaud Arbery's murder was based on: "He's a black man running down our road." Punishment for the crime of being black is sometimes death. Video footage has surfaced to challenge the citizen's-arrest-self-defense narrative. Of course, prosecutors were reluctant to charge the former law

Rashid Nuri (2020-05-18). Covid-19, Big Ag and the Failing Food System. counterpunch.org Big Ag has separated humankind from the process of creating food that sustains existence. This separation has been done for material gain. Big Ag has interrupted the most natural relationship, a spiritual relationship, between humanity and the land. This human/land connection supersedes all religions. It is humankind's association with land that feeds us and fortifies

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Convalescent plasma advocate donates at Mayo Clinic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A recovered COVID-19 patient who has become a strong nationwide advocate for the Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program made a plasma donation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Chaim Lebovits became involved with the program in March and since then has rallied thousands, who have also recovered, to donate.The initiative, which Mayo Clinic is leading, studies …

WSWS (2020-05-18). German Defence Ministry plans to wage international drone warfare. wsws.org Germany's ruling elite is responding to the mounting tensions between the major powers triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic by intensifying its drive to war.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 news briefing. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, covers the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Poland discusses how the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is changing, and how scientists and researchers are rapidly gaining new knowledge about the virus and the disease that it …

Last Process: 50 Citations: 2020-05-18 17:44 GMT (13:44 EST)