(2020-06-05). Solidarity Includes Wearing a Mask at Protests. counterpunch.org The nationwide outpouring of protests during the last 10 days has provided a historic moral response to the murder of George Floyd. In one city after another, people braved tear gas, pepper spray, clubs and other weaponry — as well as mass arrests — to nonviolently challenge racist police violence. Those same people were also risking infection
(2020-06-05). Urban Poor Lose Fear and Release Pent-Up Rage. zcomm.org The torching of our cities, and the looting of the malls is what is really sending the message that we're "all in this together," by making it clear that if this country continues down its current path towards ever increasing racial and economic inequality, no one, regardless of their wealth and power, will escape the consequences…
(2020-06-05). Shahid Buttar vs. Pelosi + Leslie Lee + Rania Khalek + Eugene Puryear. thealtworld.com Chat about protests and presidents and everything in between with Shahid Buttar: immigrant, constitutional lawyer, DJ, MC & poet running to replace Nancy Pelosi in CA-12; journalist, activist, author, former D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate, and former PSL candidate Eugene Puryear, fresh from reporting in Minneapolis; journalist, video producer, writer and host Rania Khalek; and writer, broadcast journalist and Struggle Session co-host Leslie Lee.
(2020-06-05). As 42.6 Million Americans File for Unemployment, Billionaires Add Half a Trillion Dollars to Their Cumulative Wealth. counterpunch.org 
In a turbulent week across the nation, the wealth of U.S. billionaires surged past half a trillion dollars since the beginning of the pandemic unemployment. The announcement on June 4th that an additional 1.9 million more have filed for unemployment in the last week means that 42.6 million Americans have filed since March 18th, according
(2020-06-05). We Cannot Postpone Climate Talks Until 2021. thenation.com 
Lawmakers need to wake up: Climate change and the injustices it generates won't break for Covid-19. So the United Nations Climate Change Conference can't, either.
(2020-06-05). Goliath is not invincible. mronline.org 
Last year, I walked with Mariela Machado in her housing complex known as Kaikachi in the neighbourhood of La Vega (Caracas, Venezuela). After Hugo Chávez was inaugurated president in 1999, a group of working-class residents of the city saw an empty piece of land and occupied it. Mariela and others went to the government and …
(2020-06-05). Organizing the Rich or the Poor? Which America Will Be Ours After the Pandemic? counterpunch.org 
In the summer of 1995, when I was 18, I started visiting Tent City, a temporary encampment in an abandoned lot in northeast Philadelphia. About 40 families had taken up residence in tents, shacks, and other makeshift structures. Among them were people of various races, ages, and sexual orientations, all homeless and fighting for the
(2020-06-05). In response to George Floyd lynching, sports figures in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. workers.org 
"When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd." Colin Kaepernick on . . . |
(2020-06-05). What is the Bougaloo Movement? mronline.org 
There has been persistent speculation that peaceful protests against racism and police brutality may have been infiltrated by white provocateurs.
(2020-06-05). Racist Rizzo statue taken down. workers.org 
Philadelphia Philadelphia city officials removed the hated Frank Rizzo statue, long the target of demonstrations against police brutality and white supremacy, during the night of June 3. Rizzo was Philadelphia police commissioner from 1968 to 1971 and mayor from 1972 to 1980. In both roles, Rizzo targeted Black activists, including . . . |
(2020-06-05). 'Wolf Warrior Diplomacy': Israel's China Strategy in Peril. counterpunch.org Israel's balancing act that allowed it to reap America's unconditional and, often, blind support, while slowly benefiting from China's growing economic influence and political prestige, is already floundering. Thanks to the heated cold war between the US and Chinese economic superpowers, the Israeli strategy of playing both sides is unlikely to pay dividends in the
(2020-06-05). Confronting Institutional Racism. counterpunch.org A week ago in Minneapolis, for all the world to see, a black man, George Floyd, was murdered by a policeman, Derek Chauvin. Protests broke out in nearly 100 American cities, and even worldwide, and have continued now for more than a week. Murders of black men by police in America are not new. They
(2020-06-05). [Letter] Preparing for a COVID-19 surge. thelancet.com As of May 12, 2020, over 4.2 million cases of COVID-19 across 187 countries have been reported, of which 1.3 million have occurred in the United States (US) alone [1]. Although many infected individuals will have mild symptoms, older patients are disproportionately more likely to progress to severe disease (US adults aged 65—84 are hospitalized at a rate of 31—59%, and infected adults over 85 at a rate of 31—70%) [2]. As hospital capacity and the population density of older adults vary considerably across the country and worldwide, understanding which regions will face disproportionate burden fr…
(2020-06-05). Male hormones behind BALDNESS could be cause of higher Covid-19 FATALITIES in MEN — research. rt.com 
Scientists now believe that androgens, the group of male hormones that also cause baldness, actually help the coronavirus to attack cells and could be a major factor in the higher number of male Covid-19 deaths worldwide. | Researchers in Madrid are investigating the interaction between these male sex hormones — such as testosterone — and the coronavirus in Covid-19 patients, with multiple studies already finding that bald men suffer worse cases of the disease than others. | "We think androgens or male hormones are definitely the gateway for the virus to enter our cells," said Professor Carlos Wambie…
(2020-06-05). Roaming Charges: Mad Bull, Lost Its Way. counterpunch.org Trump the Brigand ranting about "law & order" in the Rose Garden, as tear gas deployed against nonviolent protesters swirls across the capital of a country that is mourning 105,000 dead and yet is still locking up kids in cages, pretty much capsulizes where the Republic stands at this fraught moment.
(2020-06-05). BAME staff account for 60% of coronavirus health worker deaths and faced the greatest PPE shortages. thecanary.co 
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff account for 60% of frontline healthcare worker deaths with coronavirus, new analysis indicates.The PA news agency has verified the deaths of 166 frontline UK healthcare workers with coronavirus (Covid-19) since the start of March this year.Of those, 100 workers came from BAME backgrounds, while 39 (23%) were white and 27 (16%) were of unknown ethnic origin.The figures include people who were working in roles shortly before their deaths where they were likely to come into contact with patients.Staff at care homes have not been included in the figures as not enough reli…
(2020-06-05). Venezuelan FM says Guaido is holed up in French Embassy in Caracas, calls on Paris to 'hand over the fugitive'. rt.com 
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has taken refuge at the French Embassy in the country's capital, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said. Guaido previously sought to shoot down the rumors, insisting he is "with the people." | "We cannot enter the premises of any country's embassy whatsoever, in this case Spain or France," Arreaza said on Thursday, referring to both Guaido and fellow opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who fled to a Spanish diplomatic compound soon after a failed attempt to spark an insurrection in April 2019. Arreaza said this means that any arrest of the two men "is not possible." | We hop…
(2020-06-05). Paris denies that Guaido is hiding in French Embassy in Caracas as Venezuela demands he be handed over. rt.com 
France has rejected allegations that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been holed up inside the nation's diplomatic mission in Caracas. Venezuelan authorities earlier labeled Guaido a "fugitive from justice." | "Juan Guaido is not at the French residence in Caracas. We have repeatedly confirmed this to the Venezuelan authorities," French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes von der Muhll said. | Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza earlier claimed that Guaido, who was named 'interim president' by the opposition-controlled parliament last year, has been hiding inside the French Embassy, and deman…
(2020-06-05). Erdogan cancels Turkey's weekend lockdown after public backlash but warns of rise in coronavirus cases. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he had decided to cancel a weekend lockdown announced late on Thursday, following a public backlash. | The Interior Ministry said earlier that the stay-at-home order in 15 cities could help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, continuing the policy of weekend lockdowns. | Erdogan explained in a series of tweets on Friday that the government had to impose the weekend lockdown after daily new Covid-19 cases rose from around 700 to nearly 1,000. | "However, the reactions we received from our people pushed us to re-evaluate the decision," the president said,…
(2020-06-05). George Floyd protests will be Covid-19 'seeding event,' CDC director warns while taking heat over pandemic response. rt.com 
CDC head Robert Redfield has faced wrath online after urging protesters to be tested for Covid-19 and lamenting that his agency's message is not getting through. He was reminded of the CDC's own clumsy response to the crisis. | During a congressional hearing on the government's handling of the pandemic on Thursday, Redfield told lawmakers he was "very concerned" that the CDC's message on the virus is not "resonating" with the public. He warned that crowded anti-police brutality demonstrations held in scores of cities over the last week could propel a spike in new cases. | "I do think there is a potential, unfo…
(2020-06-05). Covid-19 pandemic 'under control' in France — head of government advisory body. rt.com 
The spread of the coronavirus is currently "under control" in the country, the head of the French government's Covid-19 scientific advisory council, Jean-Francois Delfraissy, has said. | "There were tens of thousands new daily cases, roughly 80,000, in early March before the lockdown. Now we have an estimated 1,000 cases per day," Delfraissy told France Inter radio on Friday. | Earlier on Thursday, the Covid-19 Scientific Council, an ad hoc body headed by Delfraissy, released a paper outlining four possible scenarios of how the situation in the country could develop with social distancing measures gradually li…
(2020-06-05). Oxygen treatment: Russian doctors experimenting with PRESSURE CHAMBERS to defeat Covid-19. rt.com 
As the world researches vaccines and cures, it is no secret that defeating Covid-19 is everyone's top priority. In Moscow, some scientists are using a completely different, experimental technique: hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). | The procedure works by placing a patient in a pressure chamber and having them breathe in oxygen-rich air. In the chamber, air pressure is much higher than the body is used to, meaning the lungs can breathe in much more pure oxygen, speeding up natural healing processes. | "The procedure aims to avoid transferring the patient to an artificial lung ventilation apparatus," said Serge…
(2020-06-05). Forcing Chinese companies off United States exchanges will harm US interests — Beijing. rt.com 
Beijing said on Friday that forcing Chinese firms to retreat from Unites States stock exchanges would severely harm US interests. | Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also accused Washington of making "hasty generalizations" about China-based companies' accounting practices, Reuters reported. | The spokesman made the comments when asked about remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warning American investors about alleged fraudulent accounting practices of China-based firms. | President Donald Trump issued a memorandum on Thursday calling for recommendations to be issued within two months to protect U…
(2020-06-05). Just 20% of coronavirus cases responsible for 80% of transmissions according to explosive new research. rt.com 
The latest research into so-called "superspreader events" could inform public policy across the world, to help fight the widely feared "second wave" of coronavirus infections, but without the need for strict lockdowns. | A "superspreader" is an infected person who transmits a virus to a large number of people. A growing body of evidence has found that superspreaders account for the vast majority of coronavirus transmissions. | In the latest
(2020-06-05). All residents in Singapore to get wearable virus contact tracing device — minister. rt.com 
Singapore plans to give a wearable device that will identify people who had interacted with carriers of coronavirus to all of its 5.7 million residents, according to the minister in charge of the city-state's smart nation initiative. | "We are developing and will soon roll out a portable wearable device that will… not depend on possession of a smartphone," Vivian Balakrishnan said on Friday. | The small device, which can be worn on the end of a lanyard or carried in a handbag, follows glitches with an earlier smartphone-based Bluetooth system. | Many experts have raised privacy concerns about contact tracing…
(2020-06-05). 'They don't do that': Governor Cuomo denies NYPD brutalized peaceful protesters despite video evidence. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo denied accusations that New York City police officers have used batons against people peacefully protesting against the death of George Floyd, even though multiple videos show them doing so. | During a press briefing on Thursday, Cuomo called the allegations "incendiary rhetoric," asking the reporter who brought them up: "Do you think there's any sensible police officer who believes their job is bludgeoning a peaceful person with a baton?" | "It's not a fact! It's not even an opinion! That is a hyper-partisan rhetorical attack!" he continued, adding that NYPD officers "don't do t…
(2020-06-05). Arctic oil spill: Russian watchdog 'revealed violations' in Norilsk thermal power plant's operations in 2017. rt.com 
Russia's Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) revealed violations in the operation of tanks at the combined heat and power plant CHPP-3 in Norilsk, in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Region, in 2017, according to the SPARK database. During inspections in the fall of 2017, Rostechnadzor found irregularities in the operation of two tanks for fuel storage at the thermal power plant that belongs to the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company (NTEC), which is part of the Nornickel group. | The watchdog also said the company had failed to conduct repair work which had been planned earlier at…
(2020-06-05). GRAPHIC VIDEO shows officers pushing protester, knocking him UNCONSCIOUS, then claim he 'tripped'. rt.com A chilling video captured an elderly protester being shoved to the ground by officers in Buffalo as they moved in to clear the area after the curfew. The man could be seen lying motionless while bleeding from his ear. | Graphic footage shows police officers swarming the area in front of City Hall in Buffalo, New York right after its 8pm curfew went into effect on Thursday. As police advance on protesters, a man with what looks like a smartphone in his hand approaches the officers leading the procession in an attempt to confront them. | WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO | Just about an hour ago, police officers shove man…
(2020-06-05). US Carries Out First Airstrikes Against Taliban Since End of Afghan Ceasefire – Official. sputniknews.com A ceasefire, which was part of the peace deal negotiated between the Afghan government and the Taliban with the mediation of the United States earlier this year, expired on 26 May.
(2020-06-05). India: No need for federal agency to probe Muslim group. yenisafak.com India's government said on Friday there is no need for separate probe by a federal agency into a gathering of a Muslim religious group in March, which has been blamed for the coronavirus outbreak in the country.The Tablighi Jamaat has recently faced public vilification in India, as the country's initial coronavirus cases in April were being linked to its gatherings, especially one in the capital New Delhi in March.In a written response on Friday, the government told the Supreme Court that the Delhi police's probe into the group's activities is "progressing on a day-to-day basis" and efforts are being made to comp…
(2020-06-05). [Letter] COVID-19: Compounding the health-related harms of human trafficking. thelancet.com Those affected by human trafficking are exposed to multiple severe health risks, including physical, sexual, and psychological violence, occupational hazards, and deprivation, and usually require urgent medical care to address the physical and psychological consequences of extreme exploitation [1]. COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate the health disparities faced by this vulnerable group.
(2020-06-05). German protests in solidarity with George Floyd and against police violence. wsws.org The brutal video-recorded murder has shocked people in Germany and many have taken to the streets in protest.
(2020-06-05). Direct Action and the Rejection of Monumental History. counterpunch.org As people have gathered across the country to oppose police violence, including the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, they have targeted statues, monuments, and buildings commemorating white supremacy. In Philadelphia, protestors defaced a statue of Frank Rizzo, the city's segregationist mayor and police commissioner. In Birmingham, they toppled a likeness of Confederate veteran and Alabama banker Charles Linn and set fire to another of slaveowning president Thomas Jefferson.
(2020-06-05). Generals Are Not the People's Ally. counterpunch.org James Mattis is not a friend of the people protesting in the streets. He is the same murdering general he always was. People who think otherwise are only fooling themselves. He still thinks shooting people is "sometimes fun." He still supports the ongoing presence of US military around the globe. He still believes the US
(2020-06-05). It Doesn't Matter Who Protested and Who "Rioted" counterpunch.org The grocery store across from my old house in La Mesa, California (just outside of San Diego) has been vandalized and looted. Two nearby banks were burned to the ground. Who did it? In similar scenes across the country, it depends who you ask. Various reports blame white supremacists, far-right extremists, anarchists and outside agitators,
(2020-06-05). Thank You, Peaceful Protesters! counterpunch.org Protest! No Justice No Peace. Sunday May 31st. Location: Stop & Shop. That was the message I received in my email Saturday. So Sunday I set out on a two mile walk to join the protest. And as I did so my mind took me on another trip entirely. First stop 2009. I am sitting
(2020-06-05). WW statement in solidarity with rebellion. workers.org The following Workers World Party public statement was issued on June 4. In SOLIDARITY we demand: Withdraw the Police & National Guard! End Mass Arrests & Curfews! Drop All Charges! Hands Off Antifa! Stop Attacks on Anti-Racist Protesters! Smash White Supremacy! No Justice! No Peace! Black Lives Matter! Minneapolis protest . . . |
(2020-06-05). Social Media Sucks for Reporting News. counterpunch.org What's happening at all the George Floyd protests around the country? How many people are showing up? What are the demographics? How many cops are there? Which community organizations are involved? Are local elected officials helping or hurting? Who really broke that window or set that fire? What about these reports of incitement by white
(2020-06-05). Protests erupt in France against police violence and Trump's coup d'état. wsws.org After the anti-constitutional threats by Trump to deploy the military against protests in the United States, 20,000 people demonstrated in Paris on Tuesday.
(2020-06-05). Protests spread in Chile as hospitals reach saturation point. wsws.org The loss of life is the outcome of decades of pro-corporate policies that have led to a chronically underfunded health system, now on the verge of collapse and extreme poverty.
(2020-06-05). Stop The Police Murders & Repression! Fruitvale Plaza Rally After Murder Of George Lloyd. indybay.org A rally was held at the Oscar Grant/Fruitvale BART Plaza in Oakland on June 1 to protest the murder of George Lloyd and many many others by the police.
(2020-06-05). Thursday 6/4: We Demand Justice Caravan – Peaceful Protest. indybay.org Meet at JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park.
(2020-06-05). Lakota and Navajo respond as police blind and beat reporters and peaceful protesters. indybay.org Lakota and Navajo respond, as news reporters and peaceful protesters are shot, blinded and beaten during Black Lives Matter protests. In Albuquerque, The Red Nation group was stalked and confronted by white vigilantes working with Albuquerque Police officers.
(2020-06-05). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
(2020-06-05). ICE Wants to Deport Marc Petitpierre to Switzerland. counterpunch.org People in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia will remember Marc Petitpierre as the political activist who would ride his Segway all over town. Petitpierre lived in Berkeley Springs for fourteen years from 1991 to 2005, when a divorce forced a move to Martinsburg. In Martinsburg, Petitpierre held jobs at McDonald's, Sheetz, FedEx and elsewhere. But his
(2020-06-05). Nijmie Zakkiyah Dzurinko: "State violence has many fronts" peoplesdispatch.org Activist from Put People First! Pennsylvania discusses the denial of healthcare as an aspect of state violence and historic, systemic oppression of Black, Indigenous and working class people in the US…
(2020-06-05). Enough Is Enough! Thousands Speak Out & Rally In SF Against Murder of George Floyd. indybay.org Ten to fifteen thousand youth, activists and fighters against racism rallied and marched against the murder of George Floyd.
(2020-06-05). Russia backs Iran's peaceful satellite launch. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 05 (MNA) — Russia has defended Iran's right to launch a satellite, dismissing US claims that Tehran was defying the UN resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers by sending it into space.
(2020-06-05). New US weekly unemployment claims near 2 million as foreclosures, hunger loom. wsws.org The economic meltdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is evolving into a deep and long economic slump.
(2020-06-05). How Has Bolivia's de Facto Regime Taken Advantage of COVID-19 to Consolidate Its Power and Repress Political Rivals? counterpunch.org On April 29, Bolivia's de facto president, Jeanine àÅñez, announced that the country would be moving into a "dynamic quarantine" phase on May 11. This decision was intended to alleviate the social and economic repercussions of the pandemic by loosening lockdown restrictions. However, the most heavily affected areas ‚Äï located primarily in poor communities ‚Äï