Staff (2020-05-11). "Weaponized and Racialized": Police Departments Use COVID-19 to Target Black & Brown Communities. democracynow.org Viral images have shone a spotlight on uneven policing. Some show police officers distributing masks to White residents in crowded New York City parks — and apparently arresting no one. Meanwhile, videos have emerged of violent crackdowns on social distancing measures in Black and Latinx neighborhoods. We continue our look at how Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City's enforcement measures during the pandemic, and also discuss how officers have ordered protesters to disband, citing executive orders from the mayor and the governor that ban "any non-ess…

Staff (2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump's "Chaotic" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…

Staff (2020-05-11). Trump Death Clock: Creator Eugene Jarecki Says "Reckless Mishandling" of COVID-19 Must Be Quantified. democracynow.org As the death toll from COVID-19 in the United States surpasses 80,000, an unusual new billboard called the Trump Death Clock in New York City's Times Square keeps tally of lives lost to government inaction. "What we found was that there was an amazing and very dark truth underlying the numbers that spoke to reckless mishandling of a pandemic by the president and his team, and we felt that ought to be quantified," says Eugene Jarecki, the award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and activist behind the project.

Staff (2020-05-11). "COVID-19 Has Been Racialized": Black Scholar Jill Nelson Arrested for Chalking "Trump = Plague" democracynow.org Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City's response to the spread of COVID-19. We speak with author and activist Jill Nelson, who was herself arrested by NYPD in April for writing "Trump = Plague" in chalk on an abandoned building in her Washington Heights neighborhood. The 67-year-old scholar was handcuffed, taken to the police station and held for five hours. Now she is speaking out. The president is "telling us that as people of color, and older people, we should just die," says Nelson. "It's ridiculous."

Zero Hedge (2020-05-11). Leaked UK Doc Shows Mandated Remote-Working Plan for Obese Brits. globalresearch.ca

Prof. Vijay Prashad (2020-05-11). A Dirty Military Incursion into Venezuela. globalresearch.ca In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 3, speedboats left the Colombian coastlines and headed toward Venezuela. These boats had no authorization to cross the maritime border. They landed on the Venezuelan coastline at La Guaira. This was clearly …

Newsclick (2020-05-11). No greater hypocrisy than Indian Govt's pronouncements on migrants: Sitaram Yechury. peoplesdispatch.org Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), talks about the Indian government's failure to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic, the hypocrisy in its policy on migrants and the steps it needs to take to address the crisis. He also talks about how the pandemic has led to a greater realization of the failures of capitalism and will spur fresh struggles for a more just system.

Eugene E Ruyle (2020-05-11). The Bernie Sanders Movement, Its Historical Antecedents, and Its Legacy. indybay.org Online ZOOM Meeting. | LOG-IN INFORMATION AT OUR WEBSITE | ICSSMARX.ORG | OR EMAIL CUYLERUYLE [at] MAC.COM…

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-11). Geopolitical Corridors: Did Iran Inadvertently Sacrifice "The India Chabahar Corridor" for the Sake of Afghan Border Security? globalresearch.ca The recent political crisis that exploded between Iran and Afghanistan after the former's security forces were accused of forcing over 50 of the latter's illegal immigrants into a river on their shared border (where the majority of them are thought …

Telesur (2020-05-11). Venezuela: Full Silvercorp Contract Unveiled, Guaido Involved. globalresearch.ca According to the Washington Post, the document was provided by Venezuelan opposition officials on the condition that one of the attachments be redacted. Nonetheless, the text showcases the extent of the intervention financed by Juan Guaido and his supporters. | Some …

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-11). Victory in Europe Day: These American Corporations Aided Nazi Germany. globalresearch.ca May 8 marks the 75th anniversary of the Allied armies' victory in Europe, the day when they accepted the formal surrender of Nazi Germany after a bitter, six-year-long struggle that saw tens of millions killed in fighting, famines or …

Alan Macleod (2020-05-11). World's Super Rich Buying Pandemic Escape Mansions in New Zealand. mintpressnews.com A number of the planet's richest people, including billionaire co-founder of Paypal Peter Thiel, are escaping to New Zealand to shelter in luxury bunkers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alan Macleod (2020-05-11). New Facial Recognition Software Predicts You're a Criminal Based on your Face. mintpressnews.com The latest technological development appears to be an updated, "algorithmic phrenology," repackaging a dangerous idea for the 21st century, all the more noteworthy because they are trying to sell it to law enforcement as an unbiased tool helping society.

Richard D. Wolff (2020-05-11). Mass Unemployment Is a Failure of Capitalism. counterpunch.org The difficulties caused to workers by record unemployment during the pandemic are a product of capitalism. Most of the time, employers decide to hire or fire workers depending on which choice maximizes employers' profits. Profit, not the full employment of workers nor of means of production, is "the bottom line" of capitalism and thus of capitalists. That is how the system works. Capitalists are rewarded when their profits are high and punished when they are not. It's nothing personal; it's just business.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-05-11). 'Justice is Indivisible': Placing Palestine Back at the Center of Muslim Discourse in the West. counterpunch.org It was nearly twenty years ago at a Muslim conference in Washington D.C. that I heard the distressing argument that Palestine should not be made a central topic in the American Muslim political agenda. The point, which took many by surprise, was enunciated by a young American Pakistani Muslim academic, whose name is not important

RT (2020-05-11). German media watchdog rejects Browder's complaint against Spiegel over Magnitsky story report, says his own narrative lacks proof. rt.com Bill Browder's complaint against Der Spiegel for questioning the story he used to push for anti-Russian sanctions has backfired, with Germany's Press Council concluding his own position is far from being an "indisputable fact." | "We cannot agree with your analysis, in which you criticize the allegations made by the author," the German Press Council — a monitoring organization formed by major German publishers and journalistic associations — said in its response to Browder's team, as it rejected the complaint against one of Germany's major news media outlets. | The papers detailing the council's deci…

RT (2020-05-11). 'Pure provocation': Moscow fumes as Czech media names diplomat a ricin courier in alleged assassination plot. rt.com The Czech media has outed an employee of a Russian foreign aid agency as a suspect in an assassination plot against Prague officials. The agency called the allegations "pure provocation." | "Our representative is a young man fluent in Czech, who is fond of the country and loves it," Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Eleonora Mitrofanova told Ria Novosti. "This is baseless pure provocation on the part of the Czech authorities." | Mitrofanova's agency acts to further cultural ties and humanitarian projects. But one of its employees, Andrey Konchakov, is now at the center of a diplomatic scandal between Russia and the C…

RT (2020-05-11). Moscow reports a sharp rise in 'excess' April deaths as Covid-19 continues to spread in Russia. rt.com As the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of abating, grim April statistics from Russia's capital show an 18% rise in deaths from the same month last year, and a 10% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2018. | The preliminary

RT (2020-05-11). ÔªøPaid holidays end May 12, Russia to start gradually easing coronavirus quarantine measures — Putin. rt.com Russia will begin to ease its coronavirus-related restrictions, President Vladimir Putin has announced. The exit from the partial lockdown will be gradual and not too fast, he added. | "Starting from tomorrow, May 12, the joint non-working period for the whole country and for all the sectors of its economy ends," Putin said during a televised speech on Monday. | But the fight against the epidemic does not end. The danger persists, even in areas where the situation is relatively safe. | The non-working period was announced in Russia in late March and has been extended several times since then. | The conclusion…

RT (2020-05-11). Surfer KILLED by great white shark after riding the waves at beach CLOSED during COVID-19 pandemic (VIDEO). rt.com Ben Kelly was brought to shore but could not recover from injuries sustained in an attack that is thought to have made him the first victim of a giant great white shark off the Manresa State Beach since 2004. | Authorities had kept the beach closed during the day as part of attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19, but experienced surf addict Ben Kelly could not resist heading off the shore of the North Carolina coast — despite footage showing schools of sharks in the vicinity just days earlier. | Rescuers could not save the 26-year-old Santa Cruz resident, who was around 100 yards from land when he was at…

RT (2020-05-11). VIDEO shows damaged Iranian naval ship involved in training incident that left 19 dead & 15 injured. rt.com Local media have released the first video of an Iranian ship which was accidentally destroyed during a military exercise near the Strait of Hormuz. More than a dozen sailors died. | The short clip, released by Iranian media, shows a heavily damaged vessel with plumes of smoke billowing from its surface. | The Iranian Navy had previously confirmed that at least 19 sailors were killed and 15 injured on board the logistics and support ship Konarak during a military drill near the port city of Jask in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday evening. The officials did not provide details of the incident, while an investigati…

RT (2020-05-11). Incident during drills: At least 19 killed, 15 injured on Iranian ship near Strait of Hormuz. rt.com At least 19 Iranian sailors were killed and 15 injured in an incident during an exercise, the military has confirmed. Earlier unofficial reports said that an Iranian frigate accidentally fired a missile at a naval support vessel. | The incident involving the naval logistics and support ship Konarak occurred during an exercise in the port city of Jask in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday evening, local media reported earlier, citing the Iranian Navy. | Rescue teams were quickly deployed to the site where they evacuated the wounded. The damaged ship was taken to a port, and an investigation was launched to determine th…

Julie Hollar (2020-05-11). New York State tries to suspend Democracy; NYT and WaPo shrug. mronline.org Blaming health risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York State Board of Elections announced last week that the state would simply cancel its Democratic presidential primary, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden to be proclaimed the victor without a vote. The response from the country's two most prominent newspapers? Meh.

RT (2020-05-11). What's in the UK government's Covid-19 lockdown easing plan? Here are the main points. rt.com Downing Street has finally published a detailed plan for easing the Covid-19 lockdown in England amid widespread confusion following PM Boris Johnson's address to the nation on Sunday, which was slammed for lacking clarity. | The 50-page

G. Dunkel (2020-05-11). In Haiti/ICE is spreading COVID-19. workers.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency charged with deporting people from the United States, scheduled five deportations to Haiti on May 11 from the Pine Prairie Detention Center in Louisiana. The agency claims the five individuals have either tested positive for COVID-19 or show signs of having the disease. (Miami . . . |

RT (2020-05-11). Trump responsible for deaths in US and globally because of Covid-19 response, says Chomsky. rt.com Donald Trump is culpable for deaths in the US and beyond due to his Covid-19 pandemic response, according to Noam Chomsky, from making states deal with the crisis individually to cutting the World Health Organization funding. | The progressive activist and author is less than pleased with the president's coronavirus response, and insists his small government attitude and slashing of healthcare and research funds has put the US in a poor position to handle a pandemic. | "That's something that Trump has been doing every year of his term, cutting it back more. So [his plan is] let's continue to cut it back, let's…

RT (2020-05-11). US coronavirus death toll tops 80,000. rt.com Deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic in the US have topped 80,000, just as some states have begun relaxing lockdown measures and President Donald Trump tweeted the numbers are "looking much better." | WH officials had previously predicted a death total of 100,000 to 240,000 from the virus. Some states have already begun slowly reopening, including New York, which has been the hardest hit state in the US. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday some non-essential businesses will be allowed to reopen on Friday, declaring a partial victory over the virus, saying, "we are on the other side of the mountain." | The p…

RT (2020-05-11). Mission 'social distancing' failed: Passengers packed onto Paris Metro train spark outrage as Covid-19 restrictions eased (VIDEO). rt.com Footage of Parisians crowded onto a Paris Metro train with no ability to implement social distancing rules left many French netizens fuming as the country began its 'gradual' reopening and easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. | Passengers were packed like sardines onto a train running on Paris' busy Line 13 on Monday morning, video from news channel BFM showed, as many people finally returned to work and the government urged public caution to avoid a second spike in virus cases after eight weeks of confinement. | Social distancing seemed a thing of the past, however, as the metro was far too cramped to al…

Zero Hedge (2020-05-11). Pompeo Likens Iran To Nazis On 2nd Anniversary Of US Nuclear Deal Exit. iranian.com Perhaps attempting to ensure the anti-Iran 'maximum pressure' campaign remains front and center, even in the midst of a pandemic and historic unemployment, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has resorted to the one of the most common — and we might note laziest — labels for America's 'enemies'. In official statements Saturday, and on the same day Russia and …

yenisafak (2020-05-11). Bosnia report exposes institutions, individuals who deny Srebrenica genocide. yenisafak.com Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday released a report on denial of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, in which over 8,300 Muslims were killed by Serbian forces. | The report, written by historian Monica Hanson Green, includes many details about the war in Bosnia in 1992-1995, subsequent war crimes trials, and the media outlets and people who deny the genocide. | Emir Suljagic, head of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, which published the report, said that the problem of genocide denial is very important. | "We took a new responsibility to raise awareness of the genocide. This report is the first step in this," said Suljagi…

RT (2020-05-11). Get your kit off: World Naked Bike Ride organizers say all-day exposure for NUDE cycling is 'best thing that could happen' (VIDEO). rt.com As mass activities worldwide fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the world's foremost bare-biking gathering are planning to turn their annual stripped cycle into a day-long event open to even more pedaling nudists. | While the Tour de France was forced to postpone its launch by more than two months as mass gatherings were outlawed to meet health guidelines around the COVID-19 pandemic, another key date for cycling enthusiasts will go ahead on the tour's original start date of June 27 — albeit in slightly altered form. | Portland's edition of the World Naked Bike Ride is the flagbearer for…

Henry Giroux (2020-05-11). Radical Politics and Pandemic Nightmares. counterpunch.org In this wide ranging interview with educators from the University of Barcelona , I analyze the Covid-19 crisis as part of more comprehensive crisis of politics and morality through what I label as pandemic pedagogy. I argue that in a time of crisis, the relationship between language and politics becomes more vivid, if not urgent

RT (2020-05-11). Covid-19 crisis leaves 700,000 children without sufficient food in Italy — report. rt.com The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic hardship has left 700,000 children under 15 years of age in Italy without enough food, the country's biggest farming organization has warned. | "The number of children under the age of 15 who need help to get milk or food to eat has risen to 700,000," the farmers organization Coldiretti said in a statement released on Sunday, which was Mother's Day in Italy. | The "critical" situation has been "aggravated in many families by the closure of schools and school restaurants" which were where many children received a guaranteed hot meal every day, the union said. | The…

RT (2020-05-11). 'European virus': Cuomo goes all-in on Covid-19 language gymnastics in standoff with Trump. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called Covid-19 the "European virus," to zero pushback from the press that gave President Donald Trump no end of trouble back when he called it a "Chinese virus." | Outlining a plan to reopen some parts of the state for business — while keeping New York City and its environs under strict lockdown — at a press conference on Monday, Cuomo argued that the virus came to New York from Europe, not China, and even referred to it as the "European virus" multiple times. | New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is now describing the coronavirus pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China as…

RT (2020-05-11). Dreaded comeback? Wuhan reports 5 new coronavirus cases, its highest surge in 2 MONTHS. rt.com Wuhan, China, the original hotspot of the Covid-19 pandemic, has reported five new indigenous cases as the number of infections across mainland China has grown slightly. | China reported 17 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday — three more than the day before. Of the newly-detected cases, seven are linked to overseas travel, and 10 are believed to be the result of local transmission. | In addition to five indigenous cases in Wuhan, three others

RT (2020-05-11). US coronavirus death toll tops 80,000- Reuters tally. rt.com Deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic in the US have topped 80,000, just as some states have begun relaxing lockdown measures and President Donald Trump tweeted the numbers are "looking much better." | WH officials had previously predicted a death total of 100,000 to 240,000 from the virus. Some states have already begun slowly reopening, including New York, which has been the hardest hit state in the US. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday some non-essential businesses will be allowed to reopen on Friday, declaring a partial victory over the virus, saying, "we are on the other side of the mountain." | The p…

Martha Grevatt (2020-05-11). COVID-19 strike wave enters third month. workers.org Workers at 50 locations across Florida struck McDonald's, Starbucks and other fast-food restaurants on May 6. What united them was the failure of these multibillion-dollar enterprises to correct hazardous working conditions that put workers at risk of contracting COVID-19. Some of these McDonald's workers are also part of a statewide . . . |

RT (2020-05-11). Huawei goes FULL WOKE with black 'Covid-19 misinformation' panel to battle White House criticism. rt.com The US branch of Chinese tech giant Huawei has chosen a stunning and brave new public relations strategy to combat criticism, announcing web events with black journalists, environmentalists and women in technology. | Arguing that Covid-19 misinformation is "hitting African American, Asian, Hispanic, rural & low-income Americans hard," Huawei USA announced a May 13 event with musician will.i.am and CNN contributor and former Obama adviser Van Jones — among others — hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. | #Misinformation on Joshua Hanks (2020-05-11). How Vietnam has won again — this time vs. the virus. workers.org As of May 11, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 in 25 straight days, a remarkable achievement for the southeast Asian nation of nearly 100 million people. The number of confirmed cases remains at just 288, with 148 of those originating outside the . . . |

RT (2020-05-11). PM Johnson's 'confused' & 'shambolic' lockdown changes announcement causes ridicule instead of relief. rt.com British PM Boris Johnson's video address to the nation outlining the "roadmap" out of lockdown amid the Covid-19 crisis has provoked widespread derision, with critics suggesting he has created unnecessary confusion. | In a pre-recorded message broadcast on Sunday night, the PM announced a new system of alert levels that will be used to ease or tighten up Covid-19 suppression measures, depending on the rate at which the deadly virus is spreading. | Also on rt.com | |

RT (2020-05-11). Trudeau makes Covid-19 aid intended to 'save Canadian jobs' conditional on meeting climate change goals. rt.com Adding insult to the injury of Covid-19 closures, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that businesses seeking emergency payroll funding will have to demonstrate their compliance with 'climate change' guidelines. | Citing the need to protect "Canadian middle-class jobs and safeguard our economy," Trudeau on Monday rolled out the expansion of the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF), intended to provide bridge liquidity to companies unable to meet their payroll due to the shutdown. | We know Canadians are worried about their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Today, we're announcin…

RT (2020-05-11). 'We are at war. Make no mistake': WH official kicks anti-China rhetoric up a notch. rt.com The US is currently "at war" with China, White House official Peter Navarro said, insisting it owes compensation for the "damage" caused by Covid-19 as Washington heats up tensions with Beijing over the pandemic. | "We are at war, make no mistake about that. The Chinese unleashed a virus on the world," the Trump adviser told Fox & Friends on Monday. | Navarro also said China will owe the US "some form of compensatory damage" following the pandemic. | Peter Navarro: "It crossed me that Disneyland in Shanghai is opening this morning, while my own Disneyland in my own homeland in Orange County, in Anaheim, where…

RT (2020-05-11). Virgin Mary image flown on HELICOPTER over Ecuador's Covid-19 hotspot as families struggle to bury the dead. rt.com A Virgin Mary image was flown above Guayaquil, Ecuador in a helicopter, marking the end of a pilgrimage — which was held virtually this year as the city is the worst affected by Covid-19 in the country. | Usually, it's the worshippers who line up to a shrine, sometimes waiting for hours to receive a blessing. However, this year in Guayaquil, it was the Virgin Mary herself who set off on the 'Route of Health' pilgrimage, flying over the city on Saturday. | The local chapter of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement was behind the flyover. | "We thought about the possibility, at the beginning only as a possibi…

RT (2020-05-11). 'Arrest me': Elon Musk DEFIES Covid-19 quarantine by reopening Tesla plant in California. rt.com Elon Musk escalated his confrontation with California, reopening the Tesla car factory in Fremont in defiance of local officials and saying he is ready to be arrested for it, after critics called him callous and even racist. | Having complained over the weekend about being the only carmaker in the US still shuttered by the Covid-19 lockdown, Musk I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it onl…

RT (2020-05-11). 'Everything's up for grabs': Soros sees big opportunities after Covid-19 'endangers our civilization'. rt.com Billionaire currency speculator George Soros has hailed the Covid-19 pandemic as the crisis of his lifetime, all but salivating over the chance to remake society amid the "revolutionary moment" he claims preceded the virus. | "Even before the pandemic hit, I realized that we were in a revolutionary moment where what would be impossible or even inconceivable in normal times had become not only possible, but probably absolutely necessary," Soros told Project Syndicate on Monday. "And then came Covid-19." | Acknowledging the "unprecedented event that probably has never occurred in this combination…really endang…

RT (2020-05-11). Dying industry? German coffin makers appeal for govt support to shield from foreign competition during Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com Coffin manufacturers in Germany say they're struggling to make money despite serving a crucial public health role, because the market has been flooded with cheaper imports from Eastern Europe. | The country's casket producers are calling for financial aid to help prop up Germany's dwindling coffin making industry, while pointing out that safe and hygienic burials are particularly important during the coronavirus pandemic. | Just 20 percent of the 950,000 caskets needed annually in Germany are made there, with local producers saying the market has been flooded by cheaper imports from Eastern Europe. | The Feder…

Ian Goodrum (2020-05-11). Lab lies: U.S. continues disinformation campaign about Wuhan virus lab. peoplesworld.org As COVID-19 maintains its devastating spread throughout the world, it has found an unlikely ally: The United States government. Case and fatality counts in the U.S. continue to rise—nearly 1.4 million infected and over 80,000 dead as of May 11—but rather than take stock of its disastrous response and chart a new course, the U.S. …

Joe Bernick (2020-05-11). Right wing on the defensive in Arizona elections. peoplesworld.org TUCSON—Arizona's right-wing governor and state legislature are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to defeat progressive change. The Republicans in this state are terrified that Arizona will flip to the Democrats in the 2020 elections. They are scared of the fightback by striking teachers, miners, and all working people, and of the rising militancy …

The Canary (2020-05-11). Key points from the PM's address to the nation. thecanary.co After almost two months of lockdown, Boris Johnson has set out what he called "the first sketch of a road map for reopening society". The guidelines will apply in England only.Here, presented without comment, are the key points: | A new Covid Alert System is being set up determined mainly by the reinfection rate and the number of cases.The alert levels will be one to five and the higher the level, the tougher social distancing measures will have to be. The PM said the UK had been in Level Four but "we are now in a position to begin to move in steps to Level Three".From Monday, people who cannot work from home are…

The Canary (2020-05-11). Rush-hour commuters 'nervous' after PM eases lockdown measures. thecanary.co Commuters have said they are worried about having to travel on busier trains as some returned to work following the easing of coronavirus lockdown measures.Passenger numbers remained low at Waterloo station — which is normally one of London's busiest — during Monday morning's rush-hour, with only a few dozen walking through the main concourse at any one time.It came after prime minister Boris Johnson