Monthly Archives: June 2020

2020-06-06: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-06-06). More Australian war crimes exposed in Afghanistan. wsws.org The exposure of Ziauddin's killing highlights the years of coverups by successive Australian governments, both Liberal-National and Labor, of military abuses in the Middle East.

CP Editor (2020-06-06). Rage Against The Machine — Interview with Noam Chomsky (from The Battle Of Mexico City). counterpunch.org

Staff (2020-06-06). Climate Crisis: Black Lives Matter, Looting Puerto Rico, And California's Environmental Racism. therealnews.com This week the climate justice movement says Black Lives Matter, disaster capitalists are still looting Puerto Rico, and California is neglecting to fix the environmental racism of its oil infrastructure.

John Catalinotto (2020-06-06). Will U.S. troops be used against protesters? workers.org June 5 — Four days ago, the White House called on the U.S. military to deploy in U.S. cities to "dominate" the streets. Over the next three days, two former chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke out against this deployment. So did Trump's own former and current secretaries . . . |

Eds. (2020-06-06). From George Floyd back to the structural violence of capitalism. mronline.org Across the country—in city after city—the people have erupted in righteous indignation to George Floyd's recorded lynching. His extrajudicial murder set off a rebellion that had been primed by the highly publicized white-vigilante murder of Ahmaud Arbery and the botched, "no-knock" police raid that killed Breonna Taylor in her bed.

Monica Moorehead (2020-06-06). Rebellion against police exposes the haves and have-nots. workers.org Monica Moorehead delivered this talk as a panelist on a June 4 Workers World Party webinar "It is right to rebel against police terror." This rebellion has not only swept the U.S. but is electrifying the entire world, from Palestine to France to Iran to Africa. Every global sector of . . . |

F. William Engdahl (2020-06-06). Belt and Road: Can China's Silk Road Survive Coronavirus? globalresearch.ca China's priority infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), faces enormous problems just seven years after it was proclaimed in 2013. Serious problems and charges of China luring poorer nations into what a leading Indian analyst termed a "debt …

Matt Kennard (2020-06-06). Five questions for new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about his UK and US national security establishment links. thegrayzone.com The public deserves answers about the UK's new opposition leader and his relationship with the British national security establishment, including…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-06-06). The Corona "Global False Alarm", the Campaign against Racism and Neoliberalism. globalresearch.ca "The media is the most powerful entity on earth. Because they control the minds of the masses, they have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power…If you're not careful, the newspapers …

Ralph Nader (2020-06-06). Governor Cuomo: Avoid Budget Cuts by Not Rebating Stock Sales Tax to Wall Street! dissidentvoice.org New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is basking in the popularity of his meticulous Covid-19 news briefings and simultaneously predicting a pandemic-driven $61 billion state deficit over four years. Astonishingly, the Governor electronically rebates an existing tiny stock transfer sales tax back to Wall Street. This stock transfer sales tax, bringing in an estimated 13 to …

Ralph Nader (2020-06-06). Governor Cuomo: Avoid Budget Cuts by Not Rebating Stock Sales Tax to Wall Street. commondreams.org New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during his daily news conference amid the coronavirus outbreak on March 20, 2020. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cuomo_1.jpg

Joe Emersberger (2020-06-06). When did Venezuela's Economic Crisis begin? zcomm.org The starting point for Venezuela's current depression has been the subject of some debate. It can get a bit technical, so I'll weigh in on it here. Looking at Real GDP Inflation adjusted (i.e. real) Gross Domestic Product (GDP ) is essentially a country's aggregate income. I say "essentially" because there is an adjustment that

Peter Koenig (2020-06-06). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

Global Research News (2020-06-06). Selected Articles: The Corona "Global False Alarm" globalresearch.ca By Having announced he would begin the process to annex portions of the occupied Palestinian West Bank on July 1, he must be …

The Canary (2020-06-06). Joe Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination. thecanary.co Joe Biden has officially clinched the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, setting him up to meet Donald Trump for the leadership of a country beset by the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest. Biden said in a statement: It was an honour to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded, and I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party. | Biden has been his party's presumptive nominee since rival Bernie Sanders ended his campaign in April. But the former vice president's campaign had suffered setbacks with allegations o…

RT (2020-06-06). As UK braces for post-lockdown 'crime tsunami,' some turn to TRAINED DOGS for security. rt.com The UK is bracing for a crime wave, with unemployment soaring and US riots on every screen. But unlike Americans, Brits cannot own guns — so they're scrambling for whatever security they can get, from CCTV to trained dogs. | As Britain begins to ease its Covid-19 lockdown conditions, the nation is on alert. | The UK has been warned to expect a deluge of criminality. | Doctor Simon Harding, a former Home Office and Metropolitan Police adviser,

RT (2020-06-06). WHO's next? Quitting UN health body is an option unless it stops being 'partisan' & 'political', Brazil's Bolsonaro says. rt.com Shortly after the WHO warned Latin America that lifting lockdowns would be premature, President Bolsonaro threatened to consider quitting the "partisan" entity. It comes as Brazil's Covid-19 cases surges past 600,000. | "I'm telling you right now, the United States left the [World Health Organization], and we're studying that [possibility], in the future," Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

RT (2020-06-06). Russia's request for return of seized diplomatic properties to protect staff against Covid-19 ignored by US — Moscow. rt.com "When the New York State governor declared the state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we asked to return said property so our personnel could use it to lower the risks stemming from to the spread of the coronavirus," Russia's deputy envoy to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin, said. | Kuzmin noted that Moscow had hoped that "humanitarian reasons… would trump political motives," but the US ignored the request. | The US seized control over three Russian diplomatic posts in New York, DC, and San Francisco in 2017, after ordering Moscow to vacate the buildings. Moscow slammed the move as hostile and illegal under…

RT (2020-06-06). Biden hits delegate target to cement Democratic nomination after gaffe-prone campaign as protests overshadow election. rt.com Former Vice President Joe Biden has become the Democratic presidential nominee for 2020, scoring enough delegates to secure the nomination despite a string of embarrassing gaffes and major distractions from the race. | Also on rt.com | | Though a number of contests remain in this year's primary season, Biden reached the threshold for his party's nomination on Friday night, winning support from 1,993 delegates, according to the Associated Press."

RT (2020-06-06). US corporate media act as 'mouthpieces of intelligence services' on foreign policy & national security — ex-WSJ journalist to RT. rt.com American private media often "launder" misinformation fed by the secret services, while politicians pressure Facebook to act as its proxy against foreign outlets, author and former Wall Street Journal reporter Joe Lauria told RT. | "Private corporate media, on their foreign policy and national security reporting, are virtually mouthpieces of the intelligence services," Lauria told RT. | They launder misinformation and disinformation from the intelligence services in the US, which gains credibility if you read it in the New York Times and not directly from the CIA. They have a state function as well even if the…

RT (2020-06-06). George Floyd protest is 'for the benefit' of 'democratic struggles' abroad, says US group known for promoting regime change. rt.com The National Endowment for Democracy, a soft-power group mostly known for splashing government dollars on pro-US influence campaigns overseas to enforce regime change, has endorsed protests against police brutality at home. | Also on rt.com | | In a statement on Friday, the NED came out in support of the protests against the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd, which, while originally peaceful, spiralled into violence, wreck…

RT (2020-06-06). George Floyd protest is 'for the benefit' of 'democratic struggles' abroad — US group NED, known for promoting regime change. rt.com The National Endowment for Democracy, a soft-power group mostly known for splashing government dollars on pro-US influence campaigns overseas to enforce regime change, has endorsed protests against police brutality at home. | Also on rt.com | | In a statement on Friday, the NED came out in support of the protests against the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd, which, while originally peaceful, spiralled into violence, wreck…

RT (2020-06-06). Ilhan Omar takes heat after backing call to disband Minneapolis police & replace with 'non-violent' alternative. rt.com Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar has joined a growing call to disband the Minneapolis police force, arguing it is "beyond reform" after the killing of George Floyd. Critics have pilloried the suggestion as dangerous and "asinine." | The congresswoman took to Twitter on Friday to endorse an The Minnea…

RT (2020-06-06). Texas CHAINSAW counter-protester: Man arrested after confronting demonstrators with infamous 'massacre' weapon (VIDEO). rt.com A chainsaw-wielding Texan has been detained after threatening a group of demonstrators with his lumber-cutting mechanical tool. Thankfully, the altercation did not devolve into Hollywood-inspired violence. | A small group of seemingly peaceful protesters in McAllen, Texas briefly found themselves in a real-life slasher film, after a man with a chainsaw rushed at them while shouting profanities. | Footage of the bizarre incident shows a man pointing the deadly tool at protesters as he shouts at them. | "Move! Go home!" he yells above his roaring chainsaw. | He then uses a racial slur while warning against prote…

RT (2020-06-06). 'We're coming to get you out of the White House': NBA champion sends warning to Trump amid George Floyd protests. rt.com Former basketball star Stephen Jackson promised US President Donald Trump that he will not be re-elected this fall as protests against police brutality hit all of the states and receive support from overseas. | "I'm making you a promise, you will not be in the White House come November. You will not be reelected, I'm telling you now," Jackson, who won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, said in a video posted on Instagram. | "We're coming to get you out of the White House," he said. | Jackson earlier told the media that he became a close friend of George Floyd years ago as they both grew…

RT (2020-06-06). Judge BLOCKS Denver police from using tear gas & plastic bullets on 'peaceful' protesters. rt.com A federal judge in Denver has barred police from using tear gas, plastic bullets, and any projectiles against demonstrators, saying the threat to protesters' physical safety and free speech outweighs the threat to property. | R. Brooke Jackson, a US district court judge in Colorado, has

Anand Naidoo (2020-06-06). The Heat: Political Unrest in U.S. Amid Upbeat Economic News. america.cgtn.com Amid civil unrest and a global pandemic, some positive news in the United States, the economy adding 2.5 million jobs.

sputniknews (2020-06-06). American Oil Company Chevron's Crude Cargo Gets Embroiled In US Anti-Venezuela Sanctions. sputniknews.com The day before, Reuters reported, citing unnamed US officials that the US Department of the Treasury was considering sanctioning more than 40 foreign oil tankers over their alleged involvement in the oil trade with Venezuela, which has been sanctioned by the US in its efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Fight Back (2020-06-06). Italian communists to Freedom Road Socialist Organization: 'Fronte Popolare is at your side'. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Italian Marxist- Leninist organization Fronte Popolare. | Dear comrades of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, | In these days of pain, pride and struggle, Fronte Popolare is at your side. Our organization is supportive of those who are fighting for the dignity and rights of all women and men. The results of the mass uprising that exploded with the murder of George Floyd by a racist policeman are of decisive importance not only for American society and for the redemption of the nationalities and oppressed communities that make it up, but for…

_____ (2020-06-06). Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective Wins Legal Victory. popularresistance.org On the morning of June 3, four U.S. citizens from the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective (EPC) who engaged in a two-week-long standoff with right-wing Venezuelan exile hooligans and members of Juan Guaidó's coup administration entered a plea agreement with the U.S. government. | The chief Judge for the U.S. District Court District of Columbia, Beryl Howell, sentenced David Paul, Margaret Flowers, Kevin Zeese, and Adrienne Pine to six months of probation and fines totaling $750 each. Additionally, Judge Howell ordered the four defendants to stay away from the building which formally served as Venezuela's emb…

Asher Mullard (2020-06-06). [World Report] COVID-19 vaccine development pipeline gears up. thelancet.com Vaccine makers are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines, and have advanced ten candidates into clinical trials. But challenges remain. Asher Mullard reports.

Healthier Societies for Healthy Populations Group (2020-06-06). [Comment] Healthier societies for healthy populations. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic makes the importance of health and wellbeing clear. The pandemic's implications for societies are far reaching. Yet the response to this pandemic and the creation and promotion of health and wellbeing require action beyond the health sector—and beyond the usual ways of working in global health. Governments are not adequately tackling inequality, ongoing economic crises, or continuing environmental damage, which undermines the health of current and future generations. For example, tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets, air pollution, and insufficient physical exercise contribute to m…

Kaitlin Curtice, Esther Choo (2020-06-06). [Perspectives] Indigenous populations: left behind in the COVID-19 response. thelancet.com Scholar Annie Belcourt described Native American populations in the USA as having lives that are "challenging and short". Globally, across countries and populations, Indigenous peoples face a greater burden of disease than non-Indigenous peoples, including cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and have higher infant and maternal mortality and lower life expectancy. Their health is impacted by epigenetic stressors of generational oppression and violence, including disproportionate numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women, lower educational attainment, and persistent poverty.

The Lancet (2020-06-06). [Editorial] Salient lessons from Russia's COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com Alexander Myasnikov, Russia's COVID-19 information chief, said in mid-April that it would be "impossible" for Russians to get the virus, estimating the probability of extensive spread in Russia at "0 ∑0%". This hubris has been sorely exposed. As of June 2, Russia has 423‚Äà186 cases, the third most in the world, while relatively few deaths from COVID-19 (5031) have been recorded. The rapid spread of the epidemic in Russia has highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the health system, and presents the traditionally strong Russian leadership with a new challenge.

Richard Horton (2020-06-06). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the ethics of memory. thelancet.com Lockdowns are lifting. Lives are returning. And livelihoods are being gradually reclaimed. Very tentatively, societies are beginning to put the pandemic behind them. There are understandable fears of flare-ups. In the UK, several scientists who advise government are warning that ending strict home curfews is premature. There are still about 2000 new cases of infection being diagnosed daily in the UK (the figure in Italy is around 500) and the test, trace, and isolate system remains incomplete. According to WHO, total confirmed cases of COVID-19 are now approaching 6 million globally, with almost 400‚Ä&…

Giulio Cossu, Robin Fears, George Griffin, Volker ter Meulen (2020-06-06). [Comment] Regenerative medicine: challenges and opportunities. thelancet.com In 2018, the Lancet Commission on stem cells and regenerative medicine1 reported how, despite an exponential growth in experimental therapies, there had been limited clinical uptake. Regenerative medicine comprises various novel approaches such as cell and gene therapy that have produced life-saving therapies for a few genetic diseases affecting blood or skin. Enthusiasm about the broad potential of regenerative medicine led to a gap between expectations and the realities of translating technologies into clinical practice.

Phil Withington (2020-06-06). [Perspectives] Journal of a plague year. thelancet.com Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year is one of the best single accounts of an epidemic written in English. Published anonymously in 1722 as a contribution to public debates about the prospect of plague reaching Britain from the French port of Marseilles, it takes the form of the literary memoir by "H.F." during London's "great plague" of 1665. The sources for the memoir and its status as fact or fiction are complicated. Defoe clearly had strong opinions, informed by continental initiatives, about how societies and people should respond to plague and he used Restoration London as a place to rehearse them.

Joht Singh Chandan, Deepiksana Keerthy, Dawit Tefra Zemedikun, Kelvin Okoth, Krishna Margadhamane Gokhale, Karim Raza, Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Julie Taylor, Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar (2020-06-06). The association between exposure to childhood maltreatment and the subsequent development of functional somatic and visceral pain syndromes. thelancet.com Background: Childhood maltreatment is a global public health issue linked to a vast mortality and morbidity burden. This study builds on current literature to explore the risk of developing central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) (consisting of somatic and visceral pain syndromes) subsequent to childhood maltreatment exposure.Methods: A retrospective population based open cohort study using the UK primary care database, 'The Health Improvement Network,' between 1st January 1995-31st December 2018. 80,657 adult patients who had experienced childhood maltreatment or maltreatment related concerns (exposed patients) were…

Mohamed Ahmed Ahmed, Mahmoud Abdelnabi, Abdallah Almaghraby, Fatma R Elkafrawy, Karim Ziada (2020-06-06). [Clinical Picture] Neuropathy, encephalopathy, status epilepticus, and acute intermittent porphyria. thelancet.com A 23-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in status epilepticus—he had been having repeated episodes of generalised tonic-clonic seizures without gaining consciousness between them. He was in a wheelchair. He was intubated and the seizures were controlled with midazolam and he was then transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). On examination his blood pressure (BP) was 220/110 mm Hg, and his heart rate was 120 beats per min. He was given labetalol and his blood pressure lowered.

Xi Li, Harlan M Krumholz, Winnie Yip, Kar Keung Cheng, Jan De Maeseneer, Qingyue Meng, Elias Mossialos, Chuang Li, Jiapeng Lu, Meng Su, Qiuli Zhang, Dong Roman Xu, Liming Li, Sharon-Lise T Normand, Richard Peto, Jing Li, Zengwu Wang, Hongbing Yan, Runlin Gao, Somsak Chunharas, Xin Gao, Raniero Guerra, Huijie Ji, Yang Ke, Zhigang Pan, Xianping Wu, Shuiyuan Xiao, Xinying Xie, Yujuan Zhang, Jun Zhu, Shanzhu Zhu, Shengshou Hu (2020-06-06). [Review] Quality of primary health care in China: challenges and recommendations. thelancet.com China has substantially increased financial investment and introduced favourable policies for strengthening its primary health care system with core responsibilities in preventing and managing chronic diseases such as hypertension and emerging infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, widespread gaps in the quality of primary health care still exist. In this Review, we aim to identify the causes for this poor quality, and provide policy recommendations. System challenges include: the suboptimal education and training of primary health-care practitioners, a fee-for-service payment s…

Comité No Guerra no Nato (2020-06-06). Video: Let Us Free Ourselves From the Virus of War. globalresearch.ca The complete video produced by the Italian Committee No War No NATO, in collaboration with Global Research. Giulietto Chiesa's last words focussed on Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Information, and Freedom for Julian Assange.

Natalie Shure (2020-06-06). Don't Shame Protesters and Park-Goers Over Covid-19 Spreading—Shame Corporations and the State. commondreams.org Some of the highest risks for Covid-19 spread have been imposed by police. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/police_6.jpg

Project Censored (2020-06-06). "I Can't Breathe" The George Floyd Protests with the Blacktivist Des Mims; Rev. Wanika K. Stephens and Kulwa Apara | Along the Line Ep.92. projectcensored.org On today's episode, Nicholas Baham II (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan Higdon explore George Floyd protests with the Blacktivist Des Mims; Rev. Wanika K. Stephens and Kulwa Apara, Along The…

WSWS (2020-06-06). Brazil's President Bolsonaro calls demonstrators "terrorists," threatens military repression. wsws.org Gen. Hamilton Mourà£o viciously attacked protests against the murder of George Floyd and social inequality, calling for the arrest of demonstrators.

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-06). Israeli Troops Shoot, Injure Four Palestinians at Kufur Qaddoum. imemc.org Israeli military reportedly wounded, on Friday, at least four Palestinians, as a result of Israeli soldier's shooting rubber-coated steel bullets towards the dozens of local Palestinian protesters in the West Bank village of Kufur Qaddoum, a part of the West Bank district of Qalqilia. Those wounded today were taking part …

WSWS (2020-06-06). US autoworkers denounce police violence, Trump's moves to impose military dictatorship. wsws.org The multi-ethnic, multi-racial protests against the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis have evoked widespread sympathy among autoworkers.

WSWS (2020-06-06). The police murder of George Floyd sparks mass protests throughout the world. wsws.org Hundreds of thousands of people have joined demonstrations in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Fight Back (2020-06-06). Keith Ellison and politicians: We demand justice for George and all victims of police crimes! fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On Friday, June 5, the day after the Minneapolis memorial for George Floyd, and two days after all of his killers were finally charged for his murder, the building that houses the office of state Attorney General Keith Ellison was shut down by some 3000 protesters who came to demand more than charges in this single case. Organized by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), they called for re-opening all the cases of police homicide that district attorneys have failed to prosecute in counties across the state, and for community control of police to bring an end to police crimes agains…

WSWS (2020-06-06). Mass protests erupt across Canada against police brutality and Trump. wsws.org Protesters denounce Canadian police brutality and racism, following the US police murder of George Floyd.

Unicorn Riot (2020-06-06). Rally and March to Defund MPD after George Floyd: Day 12. unicornriot.ninja MINNEAPOLIS — Unicorn Riot is covering a march demanding the Minneapolis Police Department is defunded and disbanded. Thousands are in attendance of this action led by Black youth — now the 12th straight day of protests and actions in the city. The event started at…

2020-06-05: News Headlines

Norman Solomon (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

Dave Lindorff (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…

Rania Khalek (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.

Chuck Collins (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

Ilana Cohen (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.

Vijay Prashad (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 …

Liz Theoharis (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

Monica Moorehead (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 . . . |

Eds. (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.

Betsey Piette (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 . . . |

Ramzy Baroud (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

Jack Rasmus (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

Manar Alkuzweny, Anita Raj, Sanjay Mehta (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…

RT (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…

Jeffrey St. Clair (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.

The Canary (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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,…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

sputniknews (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.

yenisafak (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…

Richard Armitage, Laura B Nellums (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.

WSWS (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.

JFLMES (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.

Ron Jacobs (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

Jill Richardson (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,

Paul Cantor (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

Workers World staff (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 . . . |

Kollibri terre Sonnenblume (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

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

Labor Video Project (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.

One Richmond (2020-06-05). Thursday 6/4: We Demand Justice Caravan – Peaceful Protest. indybay.org Meet at JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park.

Brenda Norrell (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.

yenisafak (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: When coronavirus and protests collideAustralian authorities are taking legal action to try to stop a Black Lives Matter protest scheduled for Saturday in Sydney, citing the risk of an outbreak of COVID-19 given the thousands expected to attend.French police have also banned a demonstration planned for Saturday in front of the U.S. Embassy in Paris because of what they said were risks of social disorder and health dangers from large gatherings.New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfiel…

Russell Mokhiber (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

Peoples Dispatch (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…

Labor Video Project (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.

en.mehrnews (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.

WSWS (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.

Lola Allen (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