Daily Archives: June 15, 2020

2020-06-15: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-06-15). Pragmatic Advice For Peaceful Protests. thealtworld.com It's imperative that all protests, whether about anti-racism or any other issue, remain peaceful and within the realm of the relevant laws of whichever country they're occurring in otherwise people could get hurt or worse. | The anti-racism protests that have erupted all throughout the West since the death of George Floyd in police custody at the end of last month have unfortunately transformed into a

Ben Norton (2020-06-15). Wikipedia formally censors The Grayzone as regime-change advocates monopolize editing. mronline.org On Wikipedia, a small group of regime-change advocates and right-wing Venezuelan opposition supporters have blacklisted independent media outlets like The Grayzone on explicitly political grounds, violating the encyclopedia's guidelines.

Lawrence Wittner (2020-06-15). Let Them Eat Weapons: Trump's Bizarre Arms Race. zcomm.org In late May of this year, President Donald Trump's special envoy for arms control bragged before a Washington think tank that the U.S. government was prepared to outspend Russia and China to win a new nuclear arms race. "The president has made clear that we have a tried and true practice here," he remarked. "We

Dr. Hakim (2020-06-15). Listening to our Anger and Angst. dissidentvoice.org The family of a killed protester demand fair distribution of bread (Credit: Tolo News) COVID-19 is clarifying a significant source of global anger and angst: inequality. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Afghanistan had 300 ventilators, only one ventilator for every 110,000 Afghans. As a medical physician, I gasped, my heart racing at the …

pip.hinman (2020-06-15). The pandemic is giving rise to conspiracy theorists. greenleft.org.au

Norman Solomon (2020-06-15). Corporate Media Are Focusing on Race — and Dodging Class. indybay.org Economic exploitation, hidden in plain sight…

Lu Aya (2020-06-15). Buffalo Police Assault 75-Year-Old Longtime Peace Activist. zcomm.org Now Trump is attacking him too…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Israel owns 90 nuclear warheads: Report. yenisafak.com Israel is believed to possess between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday. | In a report, SIPRI said Israel continues to pursue a policy of ambiguity regarding its nuclear program. | It said that the number of nuclear warheads in Israel rose to 90, up from 80 warheads in 2019. | "The nine nuclear-armed states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)—together possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020," the S…

Lynda Carson (2020-06-15). Fatal encounters with the cops in Oakland. indybay.org Protest Against Police Brutality and Killer Cops:…

WSWS Repost (2020-06-15). US tech giants aid police militarization and surveillance. indybay.org Despite issuing statements of sympathy for protesters demanding an end to police violence and racism, tech corporations are integral to the increasing militarization of the police.

Gabrielle M Haeusler, Robert Phillips, Monica A. Slavin, Franz E Babl, Richard De Abreu Lourenco, Francoise Mechinaud, Karin A. Thursky, Australian PICNICC study group and the PREDICT network (2020-06-15). Re-evaluating and recalibrating predictors of bacterial infection in children with cancer and febrile neutropenia. thelancet.com Degree of marrow suppression (low platelets), features of inflammation (temperature) and clinical judgement (severely unwell) have been consistently shown to predict infection in children with FN. Recalibration of existing CDRs is a novel way to improve diagnostic performance of CDRs and maintain relevance over time.

Lotus McDougal, Jay G. Silverman, Abhishek Singh, Anita Raj (2020-06-15). Exploring the relationship between spousal violence during pregnancy and subsequent postpartum spacing contraception among first-time mothers in India. thelancet.com : Women who experience spousal abuse during pregnancy have different postpartum contraceptive use patterns. The unique needs of this population should be incorporated into antenatal and postpartum contraceptive counseling. Efforts to increase spacing contraception use in India must consider experiences of gender-based violence and coercion.

WSWS (2020-06-15). New cases of COVID-19 reach 8 million as Latin America still to peak. wsws.org While the Western Hemisphere is currently the epicenter of the pandemic, there has been a new outbreak in China.

_____ (2020-06-15). Health Passports — biosurveillance and pervasive health monitoring to be rolled out. truepublica.org.uk By Rob Woodward — TruePublica: VST Enterprises Ltd (VSTE) the British cybersecurity company founded by tech entrepreneur Louis-James Davis announced recently that a 'sports health passport' style app was now in play to help kick start attendance at all British sporting events over the coming months as Britain emerges and recovers from Covid-19. VSTE want …

WSWS (2020-06-15). Workers' anger grows as auto companies continue coverup of COVID-19 in the factories. wsws.org General Motors and Ford have made it an official policy not to report the number and locations of confirmed COVID-19 cases at their factories, while Fiat Chrysler has also apparently stopped reporting coronavirus cases.

Dean Baker (2020-06-15). NYT Gives Up on Logic in News Reporting — Tells Readers of Risk of Relying on China, with Zero Argument. cepr.net The NYT ran a piece with a headline that began "break the China Habit," and featured the subhead, "the risks of relying economically on the Asian superpower have never seemed clearer. But as the world tries to get moving again, it needs China more than ever." Perhaps the paper considered the risks so apparent that …

Jimin Kang (2020-06-15). What About the International Students? thenation.com What About the International Students?

Austin C. McCoy (2020-06-15). The Struggle Against Police Is International. Our Solidarity Must Be Global. zcomm.org These global expressions of solidarity underscore a long simmering discontent with state violence against Black and Indigenous people, and other communities of color…

_____ (2020-06-15). LSE Director: You cannot solve a global pandemic with national policies. truepublica.org.uk By Dame Minouche Shafik, Director of the London School of Economics. One of the paradoxes of this pandemic is that even as we are forced to turn inwards, we need each other's cooperation more than ever. Most of us are becoming more self-reliant — staying at home, engaging less with others, even braving baking and …

David Sims (2020-06-15). Spike Lee Has Made His Most Ambitious Film Yet. zcomm.org Da 5 Bloods is a searing Vietnam War epic that speaks to this moment…

_____ (2020-06-15). The Uprising Is Only Beginning: Building Power To Win Our Demands. popularresistance.org The current uprising against police violence and racism is just beginning. It is rapidly shifting public consciousness on issues of policing, violence against Black people and others, and systemic racism. The movement is deepening and becoming broader as well as putting forward solutions and making demands. | The confluence of crises including recent police violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic collapse along with the ongoing crises of lack of healthcare, poverty, inequality, homelessness, personal debt, and climate plus awareness of mirage democracy in the United States have created a historic moment ful…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). S.Africa: COVID-19 cases top 70,000, deaths at 1,480. yenisafak.com South Africa saw a massive jump in coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, with 4,302 cases recorded, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country to 70,038.Zweli Mkhize, South Africa's health minister, also said in a statement that 57 more COVID-19 deaths had been recorded, bring the total fatalities to 1,480 with a mortality rate of 2.2%.Despite the high numbers of cases and deaths, health experts continue to applaud South Africa's mass testing campaign.South Africa has so far tested 1.12 million people for COVID-19, with 34,071 tests done over the weekend."The recoveries to date ar…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Iran's coronavirus deaths near 9,000. yenisafak.com A further 2,449 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 189,876, Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said. | A total of 150,590 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, he said, adding that 2,765 remain at hospitals in critical conditions. | Some 1.269 million tests have been done in the country to date, Lari said. | Iran's daily number of COVID-19 cases dropped to around 800 in early May, but since authorities eased restrictions, daily figures have shown an upward trend, especially in the southwestern Khuzestan province. | Despite the rising number of in…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Turkey: Gov't budget balance posts $14B gap in Jan-May. yenisafak.com The Turkish central government registered a budget deficit of 90.1 billion Turkish liras (some $14 billion) in January-May, the country's Treasury and Finance Ministry reported Monday.Turkey's budget revenue reached 389.1 billion Turkish liras ($60.8 billion) in the first five months of the year, up 12% year-on-year.Budget expenditures rose 15.7% on an annual basis to hit 479.2 billion Turkish liras (74.9 billion) from January to May — marking a 90.1 billion Turkish lira (some $60.8 billion) gap.The budget balance, excluding interest payments, posted a deficit of 25.1 billion Turkish liras ($4 billion) in the fi…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Irish parties agree coalition deal. yenisafak.com Ireland's Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green parties struck a deal to form a new coalition government on Monday that if ratified by grassroots members will end a months-long political deadlock, a government spokesman said.The agreement must be approved over the coming 10 days or so by members from each party, with the smaller Greens requiring two-thirds support, a higher bar than the larger two historic rival parties and which could yet scupper the deal.The parties want the new government in place before the end of June as the fractured parliament cannot pass any new laws, including those to uphold a 6.5 billion eu…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Coronavirus cases in Africa exceed 242,000. yenisafak.com The number of coronavirus cases in Africa has reached 242,105, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.Death toll across 54 countries in the continent went up to 6,464, while recoveries stand at 109,977, bringing the total number of active cases to 125,664.The Southern Africa region recorded 73,600 cases, of which South Africa's number stood at 70,000 cases, and with the second most-affected country Zambia registering 1,400 cases.North Africa has 67,600 infections, West 51,300, East 26,700 and Central Africa 22,900.At least 2,700 people have died of the virus so far in North Africa, 1…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Muslim | man invents | corona-free bell | for | Hindu temple | in | India. yenisafak.com In the wake of the deadly coronavirus, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across the world, a Muslim mechanic in India developed an innovative bell which can be rung without being touched for a major Shiva temple in the Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh. 62-year-old Nahru Khan equipped the bell with an electric sensor after temples were reopened in India with strict measures that included not touching bells to prevent the spread of the pandemic, reported the Indian Express.The development of the bell in question with its electric sensor technology is reportedly one-of-a-kind in India."It's a conta…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Turkey's indigenous electric train to serve by year-end. yenisafak.com First Turkish-made electric train, with its tests to be conducted on Aug. 30, will start serving before the end of this year, transport and infrastructure minister said on Monday."Aluminum body production, painting, sandblasting tests of the train set were put into operation in 2019," Adil Karaismailoglu said during his visit to the Turkish Wagon Industry (TUVASAS) plant in the country's northwestern province of Sakarya.The design and operating speeds of the first train set produced were planned as 176 kilometers per hour (109.3 miles per hour), and 160 km/h (99.4 mi/h), respectively."We work on domestic-made hig…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Turkey, Russia to continue talks for truce in Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey will continue talks with Russia to reach a lasting cease-fire in Libya, said Turkey's foreign minister on Monday.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have "agreed to continue working together to establish a lasting cease-fire in Libya," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference alongside his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, who is visiting the Turkish capital Ankara.Libya's government, which enjoys recognition by the UN, has been under attack by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.After launching a counter…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-15). Tehran-Istanbul direct flights to be resumed. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 15 (MNA) — Tehran-Istanbul direct flights, halted under the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, are to be resumed as of July 21.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-15). Iranian, Turkish FMs hold meeting on regional developments. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 15 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met and held talks with his Turkish counterparts on the regional developments and bilateral relations.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-06-15). U.S. President Trump sparks renewed interest in Juneteenth Celebrations Globally. indybay.org "In 1535, the first enslaved Pan African were recorded in California. Spanish conquistadors brought enslaved Pan Africans for conquest and who were later breed with indigenous population (Afro-Latino) throughout "New Spain" and much, much later evolved into today's Republic of Mexico. Authentic Alta California History remains cloaked in slavery and secrecy that remains off limits for any principled dialogue as the California State Legislature prepares for a 2020 Juneteenth State Budget due next week.

CSPTES (2020-06-15). ILWU Work Action On W.C. Ports On Juneteenth STOP Police Terror & Systemic Racism. indybay.org The ILWU on the West Coast will shut down all ports on Juneteenth June 19, 2020 to stop police terror and systemic racism.

CSPTES (2020-06-15). Friday 6/19: ILWU Shutting Down W.C. Ports On Juneteenth STOP Police Terror & Systemic Racism. indybay.org SSA Terminals 1717 Middle Harbor Road at the Port of Oakland to Oscar Grant Plaza…

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (2020-06-15). Friday 6/19: JUNETEENTH: West Coast Port Shutdown. indybay.org Meet at 1717 Middle Harbor Road and caravan to Oscar Grant Plaza…

Fight Back (2020-06-14). Thousands march in Minneapolis to oppose police crimes. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — More than 3000 rallied on the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza, June 13, as people across the country rallied and marched against police crimes. The spirited rally was followed by a march through downtown streets. | The protest was initially called by Black Lives Matter Minnesota as an International Solidarity Day of Protest Against Police Terror. The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar joined the effort, as a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repressions' National Day of Action to Stop Police Crimes. The Native Lives Matter Youth Alliance also join…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-06-14). The Corona Pandemic and Trump's Trade War against China: America's Dependence on "Made in China". Potential Disruption of the US Economy. globalresearch.ca Introduction | The US has been threatening China with trade sanctions for several years. At the outset of the Trump administration in January 2017, Washington not only envisaged punitive trade measures, it also called for "an investigation into China's trade practices" …

_____ (2020-06-14). On Contact: Analysis Of George Floyd Protests. popularresistance.org On the show today, Chris Hedges discusses the George Floyd protests erupting in over 140 American cities with Glen Ford, executive editor of Black Agenda Report. | "And the black misleadership class seems to be more upset and angry about this than the white misleadership class. Sometimes it's funny. Activists have coined the term 'coopaganda,' to describe these funny gestures by cops and other authority figures to be kneeling. A gesture of submission to the demands but of course it's a diversion, a distraction designed to soften people attitude toward the rulers. And it shouldn't fool anyone.

Lucas Koerner (2020-06-14). Venezuela's Supreme Court Names New National Electoral Council. venezuelanalysis.com The Guaido-led opposition vowed to boycott legislative elections due to be held later this year.

David Rovics (2020-06-14). Stop the Evictions Before They Start. dissidentvoice.org Ôªø The system based on a combination of police brutality, mass imprisonment, and evictions at gunpoint may be collapsing, but if it's going to fall in the direction we want it to fall in, we need to push it that way. And if we want to make that happen, we have to organize to stop …

The Canary (2020-06-14). Government, not scientific advisors, to lead decisions over ending lockdown measures. thecanary.co Ministers rather than the government's scientific advisers will take the final decision on whether to ease the two-metre social distancing rule, chancellor Rishi Sunak has said.Sunak confirmed that Boris Johnson has ordered a "comprehensive review" of the rule in England as the government continues its lifting of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.Ministers are bowing to intense pressure from Conservative MPs who see the easing of the two-metre rule as crucial to the further reopening of the economy.He said that it would look at the issue "in the round", drawing on advice from economists as well as scientific…

RT (2020-06-14). Economic revival, border openings & no tax hikes, Macron unveils his plans for post-Covid-19 France. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the next stage of easing coronavirus restrictions in a televised address, two weeks ahead of delayed local elections which do not look promising for his party. The president attempted to lighten the mood of his fellow citizens by telling them France enters the "Green Zone" — a lower state of alert over the epidemic — starting Monday. That means that Paris restaurants in particular can now operate as normal, he said. | "The fight against the epidemic is not finished but I am happy about this first victory against the virus," Macron stated. He also promise…

RT (2020-06-14). Atlanta police offer $10,000 bounty for 'masked white woman' & others suspected of torching Wendy's amid Rayshard Brooks protests. rt.com Authorities in Atlanta have offered a hefty reward and published photos of a woman suspected of setting a Wendy's restaurant on fire during the protest against the police killing of Rayshard Brooks at the fast-food's parking lot. | "Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta is offering a $10,000 reward for information on the individuals responsible for starting a fire that led to the destruction of a Wendy's restaurant at 125 University Avenue," police said in a tweet on Sunday. |

RT (2020-06-14). 'Dirty political fight': Polish president slams Western media after his comparison of LGBT 'ideology' to communism makes headlines. rt.com Polish President Andrzej Duda accused the Western media of "taking his words out of context" after numerous news articles claimed he equated LGBT "ideology" with communism in a speech. He insisted that he supports equality. | Duda's campaign speech on Saturday, in which he stated that LGBT is an ideology even more sinister than "Bolshevism," was picked up by numerous outlets worldwide. | The president is seeking re-election and conservative voters largely constitute his base. He is expected to face liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who is known for his pro-LGBT position, as his main rival. Extensive fore…

The Canary (2020-06-14). Atlanta police officer sacked after another fatal shooting of a Black man. thecanary.co An Atlanta police officer has been sacked following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks — a Black man. Another has been placed on administrative duty, the police department has announced.The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the US following the death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was one of the cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets.Demonstrators, including members of Brooks' family, gathered outside the restaurant where he was shot.The moves follow the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, who stepped down…

The Canary (2020-06-14). Couple falsely arrested by armed police receive apology and £200,000 police payout. thecanary.co A couple arrested when armed police stormed their home and held them for 36 hours over the Gatwick Airport drone chaos have received £200,000 in compensation and an apology.Paul and Elaine Gait have settled their claims for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment against Sussex Police, their legal team announced on Sunday.Drone sightings near the runways over a three-day period in December 2018 caused chaos, with the airport being repeatedly forced to close.Travellers excited for Christmas-time getaways were horrified as flights were cancelled in droves as police investigated the sightings.No-one has ever be…

yenisafak (2020-06-14). 'EU may recognize Palestinian state if Israel annexes W.Bank'. yenisafak.com The European Union's recognition of Palestine as a state would become "inevitable" if Israel moves forward with its controversial plan to annex the West Bank, Luxembourg's foreign minister has said. | Speaking to German weekly Der Spiegel, Jean Asselborn called for a tougher EU stance against the Israeli government's plan to annex significant parts of the West Bank. | "To simply write reproachful letters would be a humiliation for the EU and would significantly weaken its credibility," Asselborn stressed, suggesting stronger measures like economic sanctions or the recognition of Palestine as a state if Israel doe…

Peter Koenig (2020-06-14). Bill Gates and the Depopulation Agenda. Robert F. Kennedy Junior Calls for an Investigation. globalresearch.ca Robert F Kennedy Jr, an avid Defender of Children's Rights and anti-vaccination activist, has launched a petition sent to the White House, calling for "Investigations into the 'Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation' for Medical Malpractice & Crimes Against Humanity"

Umer Beigh (2020-06-14). Health workers left in the lurch as pandemic spreads in Bangladesh. peoplesdispatch.org Bangladesh continues to see a high number of COVID-19 cases even two weeks after restrictions were eased. The first case was reported on March and restrictions were in place til May 31. Activist groups had raised concerns that the restrictions were eased without adequate preparations being put in place. Peoples Dispatch spoke to Manisha Chakraborty, International Secretary of the Socialist Student Front, shortly after the restrictions were eased to understand the situation. | Peoples Dispatch (PD): What is the situation in Bangladesh after the government declared the lifting of the nationwide restrictons? | Mani…

South Front (2020-06-14). Video: The Hypersonic Strike Systems of the United States. globalresearch.ca Even two years ago, hypersonic weapons were barely an item of discussion among the US national security establishment. Today these weapons are all the rage. What accounts for that sudden emergence of US interest in this category of weapons, …