(2020-04-22). Trump announces plan to halt all immigration to US. wsws.org Trump's "pause" on immigration is a desperate attempt by the crisis-riddled administration to distract from the criminality of the ruling class's own response to the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-04-22). FROM THE FIELD: Migrants use digital 'fab labs' to address Djibouti health protection shortages. news.un.org With Djibouti's health system under enormous strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, young migrants in the country are using 3D-printers to make face shields, and ease the shortfall inside medical facilities.
(2020-04-22). Free julian assange Nation wide Webinar event Panel. indybay.org zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xh2EsZbrTtOq1FZifgfIlw…
(2020-04-22). William Shakespeare and the New World Order: "Hell is Empty and all the Devils are Here" globalresearch.ca William Shakespeare's birthday: he taught us never to despair in our resolve to confront the Lie. "to unmask falsehood and bring truth to light". War criminals in high office are celebrated as messengers of peace: "And thus I clothe my naked villany. And seem a saint, when most I play the devil." (Shakespeare, the words of King Richard III)…
(2020-04-22). Who is Behind "Fake News"? Mainstream Media Use Fake Videos and Images. globalresearch.ca The mainstream corporate media is desperate. They want to suppress independent and alternative online media, which they categorize as "fake news". Readers on social media are warned not to go onto certain sites. Our analysis confirms that the mainstream media are routinely involved in distorting the facts and turning realities upside down.
(2020-04-22). Demonstrators Demand Santa Cruz Provide Hotel Vouchers for the Homeless. indybay.org Community members in Santa Cruz organized a "physical distancing" protest today to demand the City and County of Santa Cruz provide hotel vouchers for the homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The demonstration was organized following California Governor Gavin Newsom's statements made during a press conference on April 18 that cities and municipalities that are blocking the State's effort to provide hotels for the homeless will be "judged" by history.
(2020-04-22). We Won't Stop COVID-19 with "Chickenpox Parties" counterpunch.org Thumbing their noses at both government directives and the coronavirus, right-wing protestors have been massing at state capitols in Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas to demand the lifting of stay-at-home orders issued by Democratic governors. President Donald Trump has responded in a way that looks a whole lot like a call to insurrection. On April 17, Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," and 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA," apparently mistaking those states for Paris in 1944.
(2020-04-22). United States: An 'all hands on deck' moment—Sixty six old new leftists urge support for Joe Biden. mronline.org 
SDS, along with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), had been in the vanguard of the new left in the 1960s, and some of these oldsters now want to challenge a position taken by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), currently the foremost organization on the left today. They tell us "this is an all hands …
(2020-04-22). Thousands view online meeting of UK SEP outlining a socialist perspective on the pandemic. wsws.org Around 500 viewers took part in the event with participants from Britain joined by others from Australia, Sri Lanka, Germany, France, Canada and the US—underscoring the international interest in the meeting.
(2020-04-22). Our Voice: Victim-hood, money and lives underline the "them" versus "us" divide. mronline.org 
Some of the same forces that brought about the single largest act of domestic terrorism in our county—killing 168 people, including dozens of children, and injuring hundreds more—are percolating below the surface today. In fact, last year was the second highest year for domestic terrorism, with attacks that killed 31 people.
(2020-04-22). Oil inventories near breaking point as American Petroleum Institute reports 13 million barrel build. rt.com 
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated on Tuesday another large crude oil inventory build of 13.226 million barrels for the week ending April 17. | Tuesday's inventory build was smaller than the expected 15.15 million barrels. | In the previous week, the API estimated a large build in crude oil inventories of 13.134 million barrels Oil prices were trading down on Tuesday afternoon prior to t…
(2020-04-22). Australian frigate joins US ships in S. China Sea amid rising tension. rt.com 
An Australian frigate has joined three US warships in the South China Sea, near an area where a Chinese vessel is suspected to be exploring for oil, officials said on Wednesday. The warships arrived this week close to where the Chinese government survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 has been operating, which, in turn, is near where a vessel operated by Malaysia's Petronas state oil company is conducting exploratory drilling, Reuters said, citing regional security sources. | The US navy said on Tuesday the USS America amphibious assault ship and the USS Bunker Hill, a guided missile cruiser, were operating in the South…
(2020-04-22). Number of Covid-19 cases exceeds 10,000 in Poland, which plans to re-open hotels in May. rt.com 
The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Poland rose to 10,034 on Wednesday. The death toll among the country's population of 38 million had reached 404, the health ministry tweeted. | On Monday, the government started to relax some of the restrictions that have been imposed during the outbreak. Hotels may be allowed to re-open in May as part of a second phase, Reuters quoted government spokesman Piotr Muller as saying on Wednesday. | "The opening of hotels should be decided in May, including hotels at the seaside," Muller told state broadcaster TVP Info.
(2020-04-22). First Covid-19 deaths in US occurred WEEKS EARLIER than previously thought. rt.com 
People in the US were dying of the novel coronavirus weeks before authorities officially reported the first death linked to the disease, new data published in Santa Clara County, California reveals. | Autopsies performed on two people who died at home on February 6 and February 17 show that their tissues were infected with Covid-19, Santa Clara health authorities said in a The fi…
(2020-04-22). Will America's Corruption End on a Ventilator or in a Mushroom Cloud? dissidentvoice.org 
Little by little, Americans are understanding just how badly our government has let us down by its belated and disastrous response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and how thousands more people are dying as a result. But there are two other crises we face that our government is totally unprepared for and incapable of dealing with: …
(2020-04-22). Thousands of UK healthcare workers given inaccurate Covid-19 tests, minister admits. rt.com 
UK healthcare workers were given flawed Covid-19 tests, a government minister has admitted, meaning frontline staff may have returned to work carrying the deadly virus. | Junior health minister Helen Whately told Sky News on Wednesday that NHS staff have been informed that their coronavirus tests were "not up to scratch" and results may not be accurate. They have now been offered a new test. | At least 100 frontline health workers have died from Covid-19, according to the most recent figures. Defending the serious error, Whately claimed it was all part of a "normal process when you are using a test for an illn…
(2020-04-22). India suspends Covid-19 antibody tests as accuracy concerns grow. rt.com 
The Indian government has ordered a pause in coronavirus-antibody testing owing to accuracy concerns, health officials said on Wednesday. As India's tally of cases nears 20,000, this will complicate the fight against the epidemic. | India trails many countries in conducting the standard swab tests to determine the presence of Covid-19 because of limited testing equipment and protective gear for medical workers. | Earlier this month, health authorities approved blood tests for coronavirus antibodies as a faster way to bolster the screening effort, and ordered half a billion testing kits from China. However, Dr…
(2020-04-22). UK coronavirus deaths may have reached 41,000, study finds. thecanary.co 
Deaths linked to coronavirus (Covid-19) in the UK may have already reached 41,000, according to new analysis.The Financial Times estimate is more than double the latest total announced by the Department of Health, which stood at 17,337 at 5pm on 20 April.The government's figure is based almost entirely on the deaths of hospital patients who tested positive for Covid-19.Differences in reporting mean this total can include a small number of deaths outside hospital that occurred in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Financial Times has used separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…
(2020-04-22). 'We did not get a cent': Palestinian diplomat says US 'lying' about promised $5mn aid package to hospitals facing Covid-19. rt.com 
The Palestinian envoy to France said Washington lied about sending millions in aid to beleaguered hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank, insisting the funds were earmarked for favored NGOs unlikely to spend a dime on healthcare. | In a tweet last week, Washington's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, claimed the US would provide $5 million to "Palestinian hospitals and households to meet immediate, life-saving needs in combating Covid-19," while congratulating the US for being the "world's top humanitarian donor." | I'm very pleased the USA is providing $5M for Palestinian hospitals and households to meet imme…
(2020-04-22). US reports 2,700+ coronavirus deaths in 24 hours in its 2nd biggest single-day spike as it prepares to reopen economy. rt.com 
The United States has reported over 2,700 new Covid-19 fatalities in the space of a single day, AFP reported, citing data from Johns Hopkins University. The daily death toll surged as the country is gradually easing lockdowns. | Some 2,751 American deaths on Tuesday marked one of the deadliest days yet in the global health crisis, which has claimed the lives of some 44,845 people in the US alone. Still the top hotspot for the coronavirus, the US will soon surpass 825,000 cases, more than several of the next worst-hit nations combined. | The spike in fatal cases in the US comes as 20 states — comprising ne…
(2020-04-22). Netherlands extends ban on major public events until September 1, some schools to re-open in May. rt.com 
The Netherlands is extending by three months its ban on major public events, including professional sports and music festivals, until September 1, to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections. However, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday an "encouraging" slowdown in the spread of the virus would enable elementary schools and daycare centers to partly re-open on May 11. | Limitations on the easing of restrictive measures are necessary to prevent a new wave of Covid-19 cases, according to Rutte. "It's better to be cautious now than to have regrets later," he told a televised press conference. | "I wou…
(2020-04-22). Zooming Newport's Climate Awareness Earth Day 2020. dissidentvoice.org 
Fifty years ago, the first Earth Day brought out 20 million Americans across the land — to parks, schools, college campuses, stadiums, the Mall in DC, and for hundreds of river/beach/trail clean-ups. "Our Space Ship is Burning" From the series XR #7 ( XR — Greta Thunberg's movement Extension Rebellion) 20″x30″ Oil, college and gold …
(2020-04-22). Strange Attractors: On Being Addicted to Trump and His Press Conferences. counterpunch.org 
My partner and I have been fighting about politics since we met in 1965. I was 13. She was 18 and my summer camp counselor. (It was another 14 years before we became a couple.) We spent that first summer arguing about the Vietnam War. I was convinced that the U.S. never should have gotten
(2020-04-22). Hosing down corona: WATCH Russian troops disinfect military training center in Serbia. rt.com 
Russian troops who arrived in Serbia to help the country fight its coronavirus epidemic have already disinfected some 80 sites in the Balkan nation. A fresh video has caught them in action. | Footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed a string of khaki-colored Kamaz trucks veering into the training compound in the city of Pozarevac. After disembarking, the servicemen in full protective gear sprayed the buildings' interiors with a disinfectant. | The soldiers worked hand-in-hand with Serbian chemical defense troops, who took it upon themselves to decontaminate an area adjacent to the training…
(2020-04-22). Lockdown reveals fresh air and cleaner rivers in India. thecanary.co 
India's extended lockdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak has shut down schools, workplaces, industries, transport, and forced people to stay home.It also led to an unexpected bonus in the country with six out of 10 of the world's most polluted cities: cleaner air.India accounts for the highest pollution-related deaths in the world with more than two million people every year, according to a December 2019 report by the Global Alliance of Health and Pollution.On 25 March, the first day of the lockdown, the average PM 2.5 levels decreased by 22% and nitrogen dioxide — which comes from burning fossil fuels [m…
(2020-04-22). Vietnam to ease coronavirus lockdown in most areas, PM says. rt.com 
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed on Wednesday to ease the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in most parts of the country, according to state media. | No provinces in the Southeast Asian country are seen as "highly prone" to the new coronavirus, Phuc was quoted as saying on Voice of Vietnam national radio. | Vietnam has recorded 268 cases of the novel coronavirus so far, and no deaths, according to Reuters. | On Wednesday, the government in Hanoi has decided to raise its white rice exports quota for April to 500,000 tons from 400,000 tons.
(2020-04-22). Spain may start easing lockdown in 2nd half of May — PM Sanchez. rt.com 
The Spanish government aims to begin winding down the coronavirus lockdown in the second half of May, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday. Restrictions could be reintroduced if the epidemic worsens again in one of the worst-hit nations. | With the world's second-highest number of infections, more than 200,000, and Europe's second-highest death toll, 21,282, Spain has imposed one of the severest lockdowns, Reuters said. The country has taken a few tentative easing steps, including allowing some workers to return from last week and giving permission for children to go outside from next weekend, but mo…
(2020-04-22). Universal basic income plan for post-lockdown UK endorsed by over 100 opposition MPs. rt.com 
A group of over 100 MPs and Peers have called on the UK government to prepare some form of recovery Universal Basic Income (UBI) to protect citizens from the impending financial crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. | "As the scale and duration of the crisis becomes clear, it is essential that we take steps now to ensure that when we eventually emerge from lockdown, we do so with a fairer and more resilient society and economy," the cross-party Basic Income Conversation group wrote in a blog
(2020-04-22). Trump to sign suspension of legal immigration to US. yenisafak.com U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will sign the executive order halting all legal permanent immigration to the U.S. for at least 60."I will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today," Trump said on Twitter. "In the meantime, even without this order, our Southern Border, aided substantially by the 170 miles of new Border Wall 27,000 Mexican soldiers, is very tight
(2020-04-22). Indian IT Firms at Risk of Losing Around 3% of Revenue After Trump Halts Immigration to US – Analyst. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the US hard, President Donald Trump has decided to suspend immigration to the country for the next two months, which may lead to difficulties for Indian IT specialists.
(2020-04-22). Opposition calls for official inquiry into Johnson govt's coronavirus response. rt.com 
The leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey, a long-time detractor of Boris Johnson, has called for an official inquiry to be launched into the prime minister's handling of the coronavirus response. | "Once we are through this crisis, there will of course need to be an independent inquiry to officially review the government's response to the pandemic, so we can learn the lessons," Liberal Democrats acting leader Ed Davey said. | In Davey's estimation, the inquiry must be granted "the strongest possible powers" given the Tory government's "shocking failures on protective equipment for staff and the slow respon…
(2020-04-22). BJP capitalizes on Coronavirus fears to take India's fascist creep to the next level. mronline.org 
India is accelerating down the track of religious strife, and the government itself is driving the vehicle.
(2020-04-22). RAF plane returns from Turkey PPE mission. thecanary.co 
An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, has landed in the UK.Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A400-M registered ZM416 depart Istanbul and land just after 3.30am on Wednesday at RAF Brize Norton.The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey, late on Monday.It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns. | The government has come in for mounting cr…
(2020-04-22). 'The Fed can't print gold:' Bank of America sees bullion price surge to $3,000. rt.com 
At a time of weak economic growth and increased market volatility, analysts are getting more bullish on gold. According to Bank of America, the precious metal is headed 78 percent higher, to hit $3,000 per ounce in 18 months. | "As economic output contracts sharply, fiscal outlays surge, and central bank balance sheets double, fiat currencies could come under pressure. And investors will aim for gold," the bank's analysts said, adding that the US Federal Reserve has provided enough momentum to propel investment demand and prices higher. | They have warned that the Federal Reserve's balance sheet as a percentag…
(2020-04-22). Barreling down past $16: Brent crude continues its freefall, crashing to lowest point since 1999. rt.com 
Brent crude oil has extended its price plunge, falling to just below $16 per barrel, a level not seen in 20 years. The decline comes as WTI crude slowly recovers after sinking into negative territory earlier this week. | Brent plummeted to as low as $15.98 per barrel on Wednesday morning, dipping by more than 24 percent, according to OilPrice.com and Reuters. The benchmark has not plumbed such depths since 1999. | The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, continued to lag on Tuesday, settling at just shy of $10.89 per barrel after its dramatic downward spiral earlier this week, which pushed WTI pr…
(2020-04-22). The pandemic and the global economy. mronline.org 
Developing countries face collapsing international trade, falling remittances, sharp reversals of capital flows, and currency depreciation. Only bold policies—debt relief, international financing, planning, and more—will avert further catastrophe.
(2020-04-22). Asian community stands up to escalating COVID-19 racist violence. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-04-22). Russia is About to Face its Biggest Test Yet in Syria. counterpunch.org An American reader tired of corona journalism sent me a plea this week: "There must be plenty of cruelty being unleashed by the gangsters-in-chief across the 'Mideast' that simply isn't making it into the headlines," she wrote. "Trump et al are either ignoring it or silently condoning it." I doubt if Donald Trump is ignoring
(2020-04-22). Cancellation Wave Continues, China Leasing Firm Scraps Boeing 737 MAX Order. globalresearch.ca As thousands of Boeing employees head back to work in the Puget Sound region over the last week, the Washington-based aircraft manufacturer has noticed a string of recent cancellations of the grounded 737 MAX jet. | Last Tuesday (April 14), Boeing …
(2020-04-22). "Mask Diplomacy" Might Not be Enough to Save Turkey from Financial Crisis. globalresearch.ca Turkey seems to be getting inspiration from China by engaging in "mask diplomacy" and is helping many coronavirus affected countries. Even though Turkey is being devastated by the pandemic with over 100,000 cases and 2,200 succumbing to the infection, it …
(2020-04-22). Don't Worry, Everything Will Get Back to "Normal" counterpunch.org When will things get back to normal? Everyone is asking. The economic lockdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a mass unemployment shock, forced countless businesses into bankruptcy and is driving many Americans crazy. But this shall pass. The good old days will be back. The coronavirus worried city officials. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers were sleeping "head-to-toe in dormitory-style
(2020-04-22). Israel: Gantz agrees to national emergency government with Netanyahu. wsws.org The new government's real purpose is to protect the wealth of Israel's corporate and financial elite and to suppress social unrest in Israel and Palestine.
(2020-04-22). The Parliamentary Election in South Korea. Moon Jae-in Phenomenal Victory. globalresearch.ca The Democratic Party of President Moon Jae-in won a phenomenal victory at the parliamentary election on April 15. | This victory has been widely reported in media throughout the world with flattery terms. Most of the media seem to attribute this …
(2020-04-22). OPEC unable to handle current situation solely: Zanganeh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cannot solely handle the current market issues, urging other producers' commitment in this regard.
(2020-04-22). Podcast: COVID-19 vaccine development, patient data and isolation diaries. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: We hear from researchers working on a COVID-19 vaccine and with patient samples, and how students are coping in isolation.
(2020-04-22). Real jobless rate could reach 30 percent in Australia. wsws.org Low-paid workers are twice as likely to be thrown out of work as high-income people in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Grattan Institute.
(2020-04-22). Kazakhstan: Hospital workers demand resignation of government official over spread of COVID-19. wsws.org Hospital workers demanded that the city's chief public health officer, who accused medical workers of being responsible for the spread of the virus, be removed from office.
(2020-04-22). Death toll rises at veterans hospital in Massachusetts. wsws.org Roughly 1-in-4 COVID-19 fatalities in the entire Veterans Affairs care system have taken place at a single facility in Massachusetts.
(2020-04-22). Iran records 1,194 new cases, 94 deaths on Wednesday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 85,996, of whom 5,391 have lost their lives to the deadly virus, according to Iran's Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Wednesday.
(2020-04-22). Covid-19 Sweeping Through Farmworker and Meatpacker Ranks. zcomm.org "We work shoulder to shoulder. We're very close to each other…. I've had a fever and flu symptoms, but I take Tylenol and keep working."