RT (2020-05-08). Trump says 'sick man' Comey and 'Sleepy Joe' Biden tried to take him down, warns 'it's all coming out'. rt.com A day after the Justice Department dropped charges against Gen. Michael Flynn, President Trump is accusing Joe Biden and a host of Obama administration officials of trying to sabotage his presidency, saying "it's all coming out." | The Justice Department on Thursday dropped its charges against former national security adviser Gen. Michael Flynn. One of the first Trump officials ensnared in the FBI's 'Russiagate' probe, Flynn's charges were nixed after it emerged that the FBI pushed him to lie in an interview, and kept their investigation open knowing that they had no evidence of wrongdoing. | In a phone interv…

T.J. Coles (2020-05-08). The Plot to Blame China for COVID-19. counterpunch.org The Trump lot—Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, Mike Pompeo—and their media cheerleaders are as fanatically anti-China as the Biden crew is anti-Russia. Just like George W. Bush's WMD lies in the early-2000s, there is a developing timeline of Trumpian efforts to bend intelligence on COVID to the administration's anti-China policy. TARGET: CHINA In the 1980s, the

RT (2020-05-08). Documents don't forget: Leaked 1996 court file shows Biden accuser Tara Reade told of 'sexual harassment' in his office. rt.com A court document has surfaced showing that Tara Reade — a former Senate staffer for Joe Biden who has accused him of sexual assault — told her then-husband she was harassed while working in his office. | The 1996 court declaration, On "several occasions," Reade told Dronen ab…

Andrew Levine (2020-05-08). Democrats: Dump Biden Now. counterpunch.org Listen up Democrats: dump Joe Biden; dump him now. I implore you not as one of you, but as someone who considers voting for Republicans unthinkable, and who nearly always does vote for Democrats for want of better alternatives. Ever since Ralph Nader's campaign twenty years ago, I have always voted for the Green candidate

RT (2020-05-08). China should TRIPLE nuclear arsenal to deter 'warmongering' US, editor of state-run Global Times argues. rt.com China should drastically increase its stockpile of nuclear warheads to dissuade the United States from pursuing its strategic ambitions abroad, the editor of the Global Times has urged. | In a piece published by his own paper, Hu Xijin said China is a "peace-loving nation" that has pledged to never be the first to use nuclear weapons. He argued, however, that Beijing must aim to expand the number of its nuclear warheads to 1,000 to create a powerful deterrent to "shape the attitudes of US elites toward China." The Asian power currently has around 300 nuclear weapons. | He said that bolstering China's nuclear c…

RT (2020-05-08). Vietnam protests Beijing's 'unilateral fishing ban' in S. China Sea. rt.com Hanoi protested on Friday against what it described as Beijing's unilateral fishing ban in the disputed South China Sea from May 1 to August 16. The statement comes weeks after Vietnamese boat had reportedly been rammed by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel, Reuters said. | China and Vietnam have for years been embroiled in a dispute over the potentially energy-rich stretch of water, called the East Sea by Hanoi. | "Vietnam demands that China not further complicate the situation in the South China Sea," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement. | China's Foreign Ministry said on Apr…

RT (2020-05-08). China will work 'to prevent rebound of coronavirus outbreak' amid pressure from imported cases. rt.com China will "resolutely prevent" a rebound of the coronavirus outbreak as the country faces mounting pressure from imported cases, state television reported on Friday, quoting a top level meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping. | Beijing will work to improve its capability in terms of responding to major public health emergencies, according to the report. | The country will gradually reopen cinemas, museums and other recreational venues, the state council said earlier in the day, as the coronavirus "has passed its peak" in China. | The reopening of those places will be subject to restrictions including reserva…

RT (2020-05-08). US attempts to push Covid-19 China lab theory undermine plan for independent probe into virus' origin — reports. rt.com The push for a comprehensive inquiry into the origin of the novel coronavirus is being hampered by the US narrative that Covid-19 may have stemmed from a lab in China, Australian diplomatic and intelligence sources told Reuters. | Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote to G20 leaders at the end of April, asking them to launch an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. | The country now finds itself between a rock and a hard place, counting both Washington and Beijing among the country's key diplomatic and trade partners. Given these circumstances, the "let's get China" approach puts spanner i…

Gordon Duff (2020-05-08). COVID May 8, 2020 An Intel Drop, White House Hiding a 500,000 Death Figure. thealtworld.com We begin with the deal breaker of all time. COVID is supposed to be a bat virus, a natural bat virus, unmodified, supposedly from China, right? | Name one animal that can't get COVID? | smiling COVID bat, Lugar Center 2018 | The folks in the White House mostly went to business school. They had statistics classes and they all know numbers. You can't steal without being able to count or at least without being able to hire someone who counts, as in Trump's case. | The numbers we are given are fake, not a little fake but great big fa…

RT (2020-05-08). Kim Jong-un sends VERBAL MESSAGE to China's Xi, commends him for battling Covid-19. rt.com Delivering another blow to subsiding death rumors, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has apparently reached out to his Chinese counterpart, praising Beijing's battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. | Kim's "verbal message" congratulated Xi Jinping on "seizing a chance of victory in the war against the unprecedented epidemic," state-run KCNA news agency The North Korean commander-in-chief saluted Xi for "strategically and tactica…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-05-08). Why Trump and Anti-Lockdown Protesters' Calls to Return to Normal Are Acts of White Supremacy. counterpunch.org When the coronavirus pandemic was first declared, Americans dutifully stayed at home to prevent outbreaks like the ones playing out in China and Italy. Although a majority of Americans continue to support quarantine orders intended to quell the spread of the virus, a growing number of anti-lockdown protests across the nation are sending a clear

Staff (2020-05-08). Palestinians And Israelis Remember Casualties Together. therealnews.com The alternative memorial service organized by peace organizations in Israel/Palestine challenges the racist official memorial services of the State of Israel in which only Israeli casualties are remembered.

RT (2020-05-08). British coastguards rescue more than 120 migrants on 7 boats in Channel. rt.com British coastguards rescued more than 120 migrants trying to cross the English Channel on seven small boats, French maritime authorities said on Friday. | The rescue took place in the night from Thursday to Friday, according to a spokesman for the Maritime Prefecture for the Channel and North Sea. | Border officials and coastguards in Britain and France have intercepted numerous attempted crossings in recent months as migrants have repeatedly tried to travel from destinations in Asia and Africa to Britain. | "It's little wonder people living in France's refugee camps are desperate to make this dangerous crossi…

RT (2020-05-08). Ankara claims reports of faulty PPE shipment to UK are part of campaign to 'defame' Turkey. rt.com Media reports about a large shipment of Turkish-made personal protective equipment (PPE) failing quality standards upon arrival in the UK are baseless smears, Ankara has claimed. The story has caused headaches for Downing Street. | A report first published by the Telegraph and later picked up by other outlets alleged that 400,000 items of PPE sent to the United Kingdom to help battle coronavirus were deemed unusable. | However, Turkey's communications director, Fahrettin Altun,

Brad Evans (2020-05-08). This is Not a Conspiracy, It is a Terrifying Opportunity. counterpunch.org Every catastrophe and crisis are followed by a litany of conspiracy theories. The Covid-19 pandemic has proved no exception. From tales concerning transmission of some lethal agent through 5G infrastructure, to grand theories concerning a mastermind plot to destabilise the world, the fantastical and the absurd have spread almost as quickly as the virus. While the early culprits ranged from the Bill Gates to the Iranians, George Soros to the Eco-fascists, it's becoming more and more common to suggest some orchestrated Chinese plot. The alleged death of Kim Jong-un which had socialists the world over speculating ab…

RT (2020-05-08). Positive sign? On VE Day, Putin and Johnson agree need to improve British-Russian relationship. rt.com Victory Day brought a rare positive moment between Russia and the UK, as | President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed on the need to improve the badly soured relations between the two countries. | In a phone call on Friday, Putin and Johnson expressed a mutual desire for improved relations and for renewed "dialogue and cooperation" between London and Moscow, the Kremlin said. | "Both sides expressed readiness to establish dialogue and cooperation on issues on the agenda of Russian-British relations, as well as in solving pressing international problems," the Kremlin said in a readout. | D…

RT (2020-05-08). Bonny & Clyde, who? WATCH 10yo carjacker FLEE Russian cops with 4yo toddler as 'accomplice'. rt.com A 10-year-old boy and his younger sister sparked a bizarre GTA-style car chase in the Siberian city of Tomsk after the pair grabbed hold of the family vehicle and went for the ride of their lives, which police won't soon forget.

RT (2020-05-08). Victory Day karaoke: Russian flashmob invites ANYONE to iconic WWII sing-along in 100+ languages. rt.com A one-of-the-kind Russian website has enabled anyone to pay vocal tribute to the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat — by performing a beloved Russian Victory Day song with lyrics available in multiple languages. | Singing became a tradition in the Red Army during World War II, with soldiers using selected folk or patriotic tunes to raise morale. Innumerable video chronicles from May 1945 show Soviet service members dancing or singing along as they celebrated the fall of the Third Reich in Berlin, or boarded the long-awaited trains home. | 75 years later, a Russian group is taking that tradition fo…

Staff (2020-05-08). "A Lynch Mob": After Months of Inaction, 2 White Men Are Charged with Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in GA. democracynow.org The two white men caught on camera shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African American man, were arrested and charged Thursday with murder. The arrests came two days after video of the attack in February was shared with the public, sparking widespread outrage. Today would have been Arbery's 26th birthday. We speak with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Arbery family and formerly represented Trayvon Martin.

Otis Grotewohl (2020-05-08). Long Live the Spirit of Kent and Jackson State! workers.org May 4 and May 15, 2020, mark the 50th anniversaries of the murders of students at Kent State and Jackson State in the United States. Many people are familiar with the National Guard shooting of students and protesters at Ohio's Kent State University in 1970, which left four dead and . . . |

RT (2020-05-08). The lesson of WWII? 'Industrialized mass murder' only possible when people stop questioning narratives, Werner Herzog tells RT. rt.com The 75th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany should serve as a reminder to all that the Holocaust was carried out using a tightly controlled, unchallenged narrative, filmmaker Werner Herzog told RT. | Having grown up in the ruins of post-war Germany, the acclaimed director, screenwriter and producer spoke with Sophie Co. host Sophie Shevardnadze about lessons that can be gleaned from one of the darkest episodes in human history. | The atrocities carried out by the Nazis were the result of a lockstep narrative of "demonization" which replaced facts, Herzog observed. He argued that scapegoating people and e…

Vincent Tsai (2020-05-08). In NYC pandemic used as excuse to crackdown on the homeless. liberationnews.org This follows incitement by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo against the homeless.

Aviva Levine (2020-05-08). U.S. to roll back infection control rules in nursing homes in midst of pandemic. liberationnews.org Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of long-term care facilities were failing to maintain appropriate standards of hygiene and disease prevention.

Staff (2020-05-08). "A Terrible Price": Mardi Gras Story Lays Bare How COVID-19 Is Devastating Black America. democracynow.org We look at the deadly disparate impact of the pandemic on African Americans as told through an in-depth story for The New York Times Magazine by writer Linda Villarosa in her new piece, "'A Terrible Price': The Deadly Racial Disparities of Covid-19 in America," that tells what happened to the Zulu club, a Black social organization in New Orleans, during and after Mardi Gras. She reports that the experience is usually a joy, but the coronavirus made it a tragedy.

Andrew Bacevich (2020-05-08). V-E Day Plus 75: From a Moment of Victory to a Time of Pandemic. counterpunch.org The 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender in May 1945 ought to prompt thoughtful reflection. For Americans, V-E Day, as it was then commonly called, marked the beginning of "our times." The Covid-19 pandemic may signal that our times are now coming to an end. Tom Engelhardt, editor and proprietor of TomDispatch, was born less

Staff (2020-05-08). Trump Death Clock: Times Square Billboard Tallies Lives Lost to COVID-19 Inaction. democracynow.org A 56-foot billboard called the Trump Death Clock was unveiled in Times Square in New York City. The tally of lives lost to government inaction was created by filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, who says, "On behalf of all of those who needlessly lost their lives to this failed leadership in a pandemic, we need a symbol, a symbol that cries out not only for accountability, but also for more responsible and responsive stewardship, going forward." As of the Friday morning broadcast, the death toll count was nearly 47,000 and growing.

Staff (2020-05-08). As States Loosen Pandemic Restrictions, Dr. Leana Wen Warns "We Are Not Ready for a Safe Reopening" democracynow.org As more than 40 states begin to reopen, President Trump is downplaying the need for mass COVID-19 testing, even as he himself is now being tested every day for the virus. We speak with emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen, who says, "Widespread testing is so critical. … Why shouldn't this testing be available to all Americans?"

(2020-05-08). Mercenaries launch attack on Venezuelan coast, driven back. workers.org Workers World received this statement May 4 that originated from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry about the May 3 attack on that country's shores, made even more ominous by the presence of U.S. Navy warships in the waters off Venezuela. Since that day the Venezuelans report that they stopped another similar . . . |

W. T. Whitney (2020-05-08). Venezuela Confronts Intimidation, Myth-making, and Dirty War. counterpunch.org Venezuela's story currently is of vulnerability and precariousness amidst signs of rising U.S. aggression. The imperialist U.S. government wants the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro removed and insists that Venezuela's massive oil reserves and the entire continent remain within the fold of international capitalism. Crucial to these U.S. designs is junior partner Colombia with

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-08). Colombia's healthcare show: 'If you get sick, you die and that's the truth'. colombiareports.com While Colombia's health minister was in the southwestern town of Leticia faking aid, locals were building the first repository for the town's growing number of COVID-19 deaths. The capital of…

Dave Lindorff (2020-05-08). US Wants Release of Two Special Forces Veterans Who Led Failed Coup Invasion of Venezuela. counterpunch.org Imperial overreach was on full display this week as the US government demanded that a pair of US citizens — former Special Forces soldiers leading a 60-man invasion of Venezuela with the goal of fomenting a coup and/or capturing or killing that country's elected president — be released from arrest and returned to the US.

Tamara Pearson (2020-05-08). Strange and Excessive Abuses by Corporations, Officials, and Narcos are Slipping Under the Radar in Mexico. counterpunch.org It was basically a coup attempt and nobody noticed. Here in Puebla, Mexico, the state government tried to take over city buildings in order to secure power for drug cartels that they allegedly have a pact with. But with empty streets and the media covering Covid-19 to the almost exclusivity of anything else, few people

Evaggelos Vallianatos (2020-05-08). Water and Cadillac Deserts. counterpunch.org My lengthy experience at the US Environmental Protection Agency brought me face to face with the terrors of our "modern" times. One of those awful realizations was that the leaders of America — and the leaders of other countries — are not telling the truth about the impact of people and industries have been having out

RT (2020-05-08). Milan branded a ticking Covid-19 time 'BOMB' by Italian virologist as people flout precautions after lockdown eased. rt.com People snapped grouping together at popular spots in Milan, defying social-distancing rules just days after the city eased its lockdown, have prompted an Italian virologist to compare it to a ticking coronavirus infection 'bomb.' | Italy eased its strict lockdown measures on May 4, but still requires individuals to wear face masks and respect social-distancing measures to prevent a second wave of infections. The country went into lockdown on March 9, introducing some of the strictest measures in Europe, as it became one of the countries worst affected by the outbreak. | However, photos circulating on social me…

RT (2020-05-08). Elon Musk says Tesla to resume 'limited operations' at its California plant. rt.com US electric-car maker Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has told employees that its plant in Fremont, California will be reopened on Friday. It comes as California allows state manufacturers to start reopening following the lockdown. | Musk wrote on Thursday: "In light of Governor Newsom's statement earlier today approving manufacturing in California, we will aim to restart production in Fremont tomorrow afternoon. I will be on the line personally helping wherever I can." | He added: "However, if you feel uncomfortable coming back to work at this time, please do not feel obligated to do so. These are difficult times, so t…

RT (2020-05-08). Indian court asks govt to reply over challenge to mandatory coronavirus app. rt.com A court asked the Indian government on Friday to respond to a challenge against its order for compulsory use of a contact-tracing app by public and private sector employees returning to work. | Last month, India launched the Aarogya Setu — or 'Health Bridge' — app. Downloaded to the phones of 94 million Indians, it makes use of Bluetooth and GPS to alert users who may have encountered people who later test positive for the virus. | However, mandatory use of the app forces a user to "give away data to a system which [they] may or may not approve of, thereby attacking [their] right of informational aut…

RT (2020-05-08). Worst month since Great Depression: US unemployment rate soars to 14.7%, with 20.5 million jobs lost in April. rt.com The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday that the coronavirus shutdown has slashed a record number of jobs from nonfarm payrolls, sending the unemployment rate to record highs. | The 20.5 million jobs lost last month represents by far the largest and most sudden decline since the government began tracking the data in 1939. The last time American joblessness was that severe was during the Great Depression. | With 870,000 jobs slashed in March, a decade's worth of job gains has now been wiped out in under two months. After the US was hit by coronavirus, the unemployment rate skyrocketed from 3.

RT (2020-05-08). Barcelona's beaches partially open as Spanish govt decides on next steps to exit lockdown. rt.com The Spanish government is expected to decide on Friday in which of its regions bars, restaurants and places of worship may reopen, under the next phase of a gradual exit from the coronavirus lockdown. | It looked likely that Madrid and Catalonia would not move forward but, in a sign of life returning to normal, Barcelona's beaches opened for a short window from 6am to 10am on Friday, to allow people to swim and jog. People paddled on boards and swam in the water under the supervision of police. | However, Spain's daily death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 229 on Friday, up from 213 on the previous day…

RT (2020-05-08). Release the hounds! Singapore deploys ROBOT DOG to help enforce social distancing (PHOTOS, VIDEO). rt.com Singapore has taken the monitoring and enforcement of social distancing to a whole new level, opting to deploy a robot dog, backed by a fleet of drones, to make sure citizens keep their hands to themselves to combat coronavirus. | Beginning on Friday May 8, the robot dog, creatively dubbed 'Spot,' will monitor the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in the city-state. | It is the first trial of a new initiative to help manage and enforce social distancing in the Singapore's parks, gardens and nature reserves, all managed by the National Parks Board. | The motorized mutt delivers a pre-recorded message reminding visitors…

RT (2020-05-08). When silence speaks volumes: US cut off ALL communication channels with Caracas after botched mercenary raid, says Maduro. rt.com Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that evidence will soon reveal the US leader himself was behind the failed incursion attempt, noting that Washington severed all remaining ties with Caracas thereafter. | In an interview with Uruguayan reporter Jorge Gestoso on Thursday evening, Maduro said the freshly-appointed Ambassador James Story — the first formal US envoy to the country in some 10 years — and other senior American officials were to blame for last weekend's attempted raid, in which two US security contractors were arrested and eight local fighters killed. | "James Story has his feet,…

RT (2020-05-08). 'It'd be called an invasion': Trump says he'd use ARMY to raid Venezuela as he doubles down on denial of ordering botched plot. rt.com US President Donald Trump has dismissed claims the foiled plot to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had government backing, insisting he'd have done it differently — as a proper "invasion" with an "army." | Trump called in to Fox & Friends on Friday to pour cold water on the idea that the mercenaries arrested earlier this week attempting to land at the northern tip of Venezuela were on official business from Washington. | If we ever did anything with Venezuela, it wouldn't be that way. It'd be slightly different. It'd be called an invasion. | Trump denies involvement in a failed operation to ove…

Eve Ottenberg (2020-05-08). Rich Corporations Get $500 Billion, No Strings Attached. counterpunch.org It is beyond obscene that the U.S. government used the Covid-19 panic to ram through a $500 billion loan giveaway to rich corporations. Loans with no strings attached. How did the geniuses in Washington conclude that stuffing cash into the pockets of oligarchs would help the 30 million dumped out of work? Those plutocrats have

Staff (2020-05-08). Stir Crazy! Episode #31: Cancel Corporate Media. therealnews.com On today's show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, The Progressive Army founder Ben Dixon, and TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.

Ralph Nader (2020-05-08). 100 Years of Shame: Annexation of Palestine Began in San Remo. counterpunch.org One hundred years ago, representatives from a few powerful countries convened at San Remo, a sleepy town on the Italian Riviera. Together, they sealed the fate of the massive territories confiscated from the Ottoman Empire following its defeat in World War I. It was on April 25, 1920, that the San Remo Conference Resolution was

Ron Jacobs (2020-05-08). Jackson State Shootings, 1970. counterpunch.org It's hard to explain the situation in May 1970. I was in ninth grade at a junior high school administered by the US Department of Defense for what are known as dependents in military jargon. In plain English, they are family members of those in the military. Even from that seemingly remote environment, the events

John Davis (2020-05-08). Visions of a Post-Covid-19 World. counterpunch.org While we, perforce, sit at home, inured to many decades of sleep-walking towards the climate apocalypse, the skies cleared, the price of oil dropped to negative $40 a barrel (rebounding to just short of positive $20 at the time of writing) and a global reduction in carbon emissions of nearly 8% is forecast for the year. We are living the dream of effectively confronting our egregious consumption of fossil fuels. From a global warming perspective, our social isolation has been highly efficacious – the pernicious, growth-driven habits of exploitation, extraction and habitat destruction have been put on hold. A wind…

David Rosen (2020-05-08). "They Are Expendable": Who's Paying to Reopen Business? counterpunch.org In late March, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) made a bold, revealing, statement on Fox's "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in support of Pres. Trump's call for businesses to reopen and relaunch the national economic recovery. "Let's get back to living," Patrick said. "Let's be smart about it. And those of us who are 70-plus, we'll take

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2020-05-08). Congress Sets Up Taxpayers to Eat $454 Billion of Wall Street's Losses, Where is the Outrage? counterpunch.org Beginning on March 24 of this year, Larry Kudlow, the White House Economic Advisor, began to roll out the most deviously designed bailout of Wall Street in the history of America. After the Federal Reserve's secret $29 trillion bailout of Wall Street from 2007 to 2010, and the exposure of that by a government audit

RT (2020-05-08). Elon Musk says human language will be OBSOLETE in 10 years, after struggling to pronounce his baby's name on Joe Rogan. rt.com Elon Musk may have chosen a bizarre, cyborg-like name for his newborn child — just try pronouncing "X àÜ A-12" — but the billionaire entrepreneur says spoken language itself may soon become obsolete with the rise of new brain tech. | Appearing on another "How do you say the name? Is it a placeholder?" Rogan asked,…

RT (2020-05-08). 'Second phase': Denmark to reopen museums and cinemas from June 8. rt.com Danish museums, amusement parks and cinemas will be allowed to reopen from June 8, the government said on Friday. It had struck a deal with parliament on how restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 could be eased further. Shopping malls, schools for the oldest students and restaurants will be allowed to reopen in the coming weeks, as the country enters the second phase of reopening after curbing the spread of the virus. | So far, 10,083 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the country of 5.8 million people, and 514 have died of the disease, Reuters said. | In the third phase of its reopening plan, D…