M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-05). Trump's Threat to Iran Has a Hollow, Angsty Ring. counterpunch.org A tweet by the U.S. President Donald Trump on April 22 said, "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea." Trump seems to be talking the language of war while indulging in politics by other means. Like his ban

RT (2020-05-05). Kim Jong-un accepts WWII medal awarded by Putin days after DEATH rumors spread by Western media. rt.com He may have been reported dead last week by US/UK media, but today North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received a medal from President Putin for his contribution to perpetuating the memory of Soviet citizens buried in North Korea. | In 2019, the Kremlin announced the creation of a brand new award named '75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945′, to be given to those chosen by the president. The award has already been presented to multiple people, many of whom are Russian veterans. | | @ Russian Embassy in North Korea | According to the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in North Korea, Kim was…

Philip Giraldi (2020-05-05). Israel's War Crimes Have Killed Americans. thealtworld.com If the president loves to honor the military, start with the U.S.S. Liberty | Imagine if you will a ship from a nation not at war with anyone sailing in international waters on a quiet June day being suddenly attacked by unidentified warplanes and torpedo boats, their markings covered up to conceal their country of origin. The vessel under attack had little with which to defend itself, but its crew heroically made sure that a large national flag was hoisted to demonstrate that it was not a belligerent in anyone's conflict. The attackers noted the nationality of the vessel, but persisted in their aggression in a c…

RT (2020-05-05). Maduro says 2 Americans 'on Trump's security team' were among 'mercenaries' behind failed invasion attempt. rt.com Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed that two US citizens were captured along with a group of "mercenaries" Caracas accused of trying to infiltrate the Latin American nation in order to assassinate him. | Also on rt.com | | "Among those captured are the traitor Antonio Sequea and a citizen with the last name Baduel, who stated that two Americans from Donald Trump's security team were in the raiding group," Maduro's office twee…

Prensa Latina (2020-05-05). Venezuela denuncia serie de acciones de EE.UU y Colombia. peoplesworld.org CARACAS, 5 may (Prensa Latina) El Ministerio Público denunció hoy que el intento de invasión del pasado domingo a Venezuela forma parte de una serie de acciones preparadas y financiadas por Colombia y Estados Unidos para derrocar al presidente Nicolás Maduro. En la cuenta oficial de esa institución, en la red social Twitter, se anuncian …

Steve Sweeney (2020-05-05). Venezuela says U.S. behind another attempted coup this past weekend. peoplesworld.org Washington has been accused of orchestrating a coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after the police and armed forces stopped "a terrorist group" entering the country by sea on Sunday. President of Venezuela's constituent assembly Diosdado Cabello Rondón described the attack as "a coup financed from the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-05). Venezuela arrests 13 mercenaries, incl. two Americans, for incursion attempt. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 05 (MNA) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that 13 mercenaries including two US citizens working with an American military veteran who has earlier claimed responsibility for a recent marine incursion attempt into Venezuela have been arrested.

Aaron Maté (2020-05-05). US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn. thegrayzone.com As the US government hunts Julian Assange, it refuses to extradite a CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn…

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-05-05). The Federal Reserve: More Lethal Than Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca Last week the Federal Reserve announced it will keep interest rates at or near zero until the economy recovers from the government-imposed shutdown. Following this announcement, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell urged Congress and the Trump administration to put aside …

Patrick Cockburn (2020-05-05). Trump is Igniting a Cold War With China to Try to Win Re-election. counterpunch.org "Go to China!", a woman in Denver, Colorado, shouts at two hospital workers standing in front of her car to prevent her from taking part in a protest against the coronavirus lockdown. Her cry is a sign that President Trump is having some success in demonising China: he says that that he has a "high degree of confidence" that the deadly virus emanated from a laboratory in Wuhan, though he cannot reveal the source of his information.

Peter Koenig (2020-05-05). WHO's Integrity Increasingly Questioned. Skepticism? globalresearch.ca Russian NTV: Donald Trump refused to Fund WHO. There are more and more people in the world who are skeptical of the organization. Does this skepticism have any Foundation? | Peter Koenig: Yes, it is true, and yes it does. WHO's …

Staff (2020-05-05). Navajo Nation Suffers Third-Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in U.S. with Limited Healthcare & Water. democracynow.org We get an update from two doctors treating patients with the Navajo Nation, the largest Indigenous reservation in the country, which has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Michelle Tom is a member of the Navajo Nation and a family physician treating COVID-19 patients at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Little Colorado Medical Center in northern Arizona near the Navajo reservation. In Gallup, New Mexico, Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is leading a medical volunteer group of 21 nurses and doctors from the University of California, San Francisco as part of the HEAL Initiative. He says the coronavirus hi…

Staff (2020-05-05). Headlines for May 5, 2020. democracynow.org Dire Forecasts Warn U.S. Death Toll Could Surge in Coming Weeks as States Move to Relax Restrictions, China Rebukes Trump Admin Claim That Coronavirus Was Man-Made, Report Says Brooklyn Jail Destroying Medical Records to Hide Toll of COVID-19, J. Crew Files for Bankruptcy, Betsy DeVos Sued for Garnishing Wages of Student Loan Holders During Pandemic, EU, World Leaders Pledge Billions to Fund Coronavirus Vaccine; U.S. Sits Out, Questions Raised After 3 Healthcare Workers in Russia Fall from Hospital Windows, U.K. May Have Second-Highest Coronavirus Death Toll; France Identifies COVID-19 Case from December, Venezue…

Staff (2020-05-05). Remembering Valentina Blackhorse, Beloved 28-Year-Old Navajo Community Activist Who Died of COVID-19. democracynow.org After New York and New Jersey, the next highest number of coronavirus infections per capita in the United States is in the Navajo Nation, the largest Indigenous reservation in the country. We go to Kayenta, Arizona, to speak with Robby Jones, a member of the Navajo Nation and the partner of one of those to die from the virus: 28-year-old Valentina Blackhorse, a beloved community leader who promoted Navajo culture and left behind a daughter named Poet.

Staff (2020-05-05). Calls Grow for Mass Release from Ohio's Marion Prison as 80% of Prisoners Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died, and at least 80% of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive. Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio's nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state's prisons. "We're seeing a few people being released … but not anywhere near the 20,000 [we are] demanding," says Azzurra Crispino, whose husband, James, is in…

Staff (2020-05-05). The Case for Prison Abolition: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on COVID-19, Racial Capitalism & Decarceration. democracynow.org The spread of COVID-19 threatens the lives of more than 2.3 million people locked up in prisons and jails throughout the United States. We look at how the call to release prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic makes the case for prison abolition, with scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore, co-founder of California Prison Moratorium Project and Critical Resistance and the author of "Golden Gulag: Prison, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California." Her forthcoming book is "Change Everything: Racial Capitalism and the Case for Abolition."

Robert Fisk (2020-05-05). The Only Way the Fight Against Coronavirus Resembles the Real Wars I've Witnessed. counterpunch.org After 40 years of watching "real" war, I obviously have strong views about the fight which statesmen and politicians and liars — the three are, of course, interchangeable — regard as their "war" against coronavirus. Both "real" war and viral war (the Covid variety) produce casualties. They produce heroes. They demonstrate human endurance. But they

Betsey Piette (2020-05-05). Pennies for the workers, billions for the bosses. workers.org The distribution of government funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has torn away any facade of the U.S. as a "democracy," with equal access to wealth. Even as unemployment, poverty and hunger reach levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s, banks and corporations look to their . . . |

RT (2020-05-05). First murder hornets, now tiger mosquitos? Over half of France warned of dengue & Zika-transmitting insects just as lockdown lifts. rt.com Almost 65 percent of France has been placed on red alert following another invasion by the aggressive tiger mosquito, a known carrier of dengue fever, chikungunya and the Zika virus, right before the country emerges from lockdown. | As the US braces for its own invasion by so-called 'murder hornets', a total of 57 of France's 101 departments have been placed on red alert as tiger mosquito hordes descend on the country — just as citizens prepare to return to work on May 11 following weeks of coronavirus lockdown. | A further 10 departments have been placed on orange alert, as experts predict that France wi…

Nigel Bouvart (2020-05-05). The catastrophic unemployment crisis. workers.org The COVID-19 crisis has led to mass layoffs, putting millions out of work in a country where roughly 80 percent of workers lived paycheck to paycheck even prior to the pandemic. As of May 1, 30 million unemployment claims had been filed, yet the real number of unemployed is likely . . . |

(2020-05-05). 'Get back to work!' — Trump tells meatpacking workers facing COVID-19 threat to their lives. workers.org The Southern Workers Assembly "Safe Jobs Save Lives" campaign released this statement on May 2 after the April 28 presidential "Get back to work" order was issued. On April 28, Workers Memorial Day — a day when the labor movement commemorates workers who have died on the job — and . . . |

Deirdre Griswold (2020-05-05). What the statistics reveal about Trump, China and the virus. workers.org May 4 — The Trump administration is trying to deflect anger at its dangerously neglectful attitude toward the COVID-19 pandemic by blaming China. No surprise there. Hikers observing COVID-19 social distancing and masking precautions on the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on May Day, the beginning of a five-day . . . |

(2020-05-05). Tenants take on Philadelphia gentrifier. workers.org By Doris Grass Philadelphia—A new and rapidly growing association of residential and commercial tenants of OCF Realty was formed to demand that OCF meet the needs of its tenants during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Since the inception of Tenants of OCF several weeks ago, members have faced a high . . . |

Larry Holmes (2020-05-05). WWP message on May Day 2020 is Organize! workers.org This edited talk was given by First Secretary of Workers World Party Larry Holmes at "May Day Webinar! Workers Power: Building Workers Assemblies" sponsored by WWP on May 1. Larry Holmes, speaking during the WWP May Day webinar. Happy May Day to everyone. This is the perfect occasion for everybody . . . |

Nic de la Riva (2020-05-05). Paramilitary invasions in Venezuela: Made in USA. liberationnews.org Attempted invasion taken care of swiftly and efficiently by the Venezuelan government.

Federico Fuentes (2020-05-05). Bolivia vs Venezuela: COVID-19 response reveals true nature of governments. mronline.org Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have put into sharp relief their true nature. This is perhaps no more evident than when we compare Bolivia and Venezuela.

RT (2020-05-05). Vienna's vice mayor takes heat after 'ASYLUM SEEKER VIRUS' reference. rt.com The vice mayor of Vienna and high-ranking member of Austria's anti-immigration party faced accusations of racism after he blamed the rise in daily Covid-19 infections on the local migrant community. | "It is now clear… that the increasing coronavirus numbers in Vienna can only be attributed to asylum seekers," Vice Mayor Dominik Nepp

John Wojcik, C.J. Atkins (2020-05-05). Leaked CDC report projects 200,000 infections per day by June 1. peoplesworld.org The Trump administration, despite urging a re-opening of the economy, is sitting on its own projections that the daily death toll from COVID-19 will nearly double in the next four weeks. The report is in the form of an internal CDC document procured by a number of newspapers, including the New York Times and the …

RT (2020-05-05). West Virginia governor explains his 'f**king follow the guidelines' Covid-19 advice as technical glitch as it turns into meme. rt.com West Virginia Governor Jim Justice urged businesses in his state to reopen, but only if they "f**king follow the guidelines." Justice tried to explain his f-bomb as a "technical glitch," but nobody's buying it. | Monday marked the second week of Justice's phased reopening of West Virginia. Restaurants, barber shops and dog groomers are all among the businesses that will open their doors again, yet Justice reminded employers that a resurgence of Covid-19 is still a threat. | "Again I encourage all businesses that are allowed to open to do so, only if they f**kin follow the guidelines to keep West Virginians saf…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-05). Pompeo and the capricious virus. iranian.com Iran has delivered a devastating blow to the ego of the Trump administration, puncturing it beyond repair, by its announcement Sunday that mosques will start reopening in low-risk areas of the country from May 5. President Hassan Rouhani said mosques would reopen in 132 regions designated as white under a colour-coded system after being consistently …

Staff (2020-05-05). Solitary Confinement Used For Children As Young As 11 After COVID-19 Exposure. therealnews.com Lawyers say Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services and the Department of Correctional Services aren't being transparent about conditions in juvenile detention centers.

RT (2020-05-05). 'Not surprising' earlier Covid-19 cases from December reported, more early cases possible — WHO. rt.com Reports that the first cases of Covid-19 in France could have occurred a month earlier than official figures suggest are "not surprising," the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. | The WHO said on Tuesday it's possible that more early cases will now emerge after researchers concluded that the first infection in France was in late December and not January or February, which was originally thought. | French media reported that the Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny re-analyzed negative tests on people who were admitted and diagnosed with pneumonia in December. Of the 24 patients, one came back positive for Covid…

RT (2020-05-05). Summer holidays CANCELED in France? Macron announces indefinite 'limit' on international travel due to Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com President Emmanuel Macron has told French citizens that international travel will be restricted over the summer, dashing the hopes of those who were planning holiday getaways abroad. | The French leader said on Monday that "normal life" cannot resume until the coronavirus pandemic has ended, noting that summer plans will have to be modified accordingly. | "It is too soon to say whether we can take holidays. What I can say is that we will limit major international travel, even during the summer holidays. We will stay among Europeans and, depending on how the epidemic evolves, we might have to reduce that a litt…

The Canary (2020-05-05). UK officially surpasses Italy death toll as experts warn comparing countries is difficult. thecanary.co The UK has passed Italy as the country with the most Covid-19 deaths in Europe, new figures show — but academics have warned that cross-country comparisons are "difficult".The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that 29,710 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales had been registered up to 2 May.Together with the latest equivalent numbers for Scotland (2,272 deaths registered up to 26 April) and Northern Ireland (393 deaths registered up to 29 April), it means a total of 32,375 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered across the UK.The official number of Covid-19 d…

RT (2020-05-05). Hate crimes against Chinese people in UK soar amid Covid-19 outbreak, nearly triple 2018 & 2019 rates. rt.com The number of hate crimes against Chinese people in the UK over the first three months of the year during the coronavirus crisis was almost three times that of the previous two years, according to new data released by police. | The shocking figures obtained from 45 UK police forces and the British Transport Police (BTP) by Sky News through a freedom of information request (FOI), show that as many as 267 offences — including assaults, harassment, robberies and criminal damage — were recorded between January and March 2020. | Most police forces disclosed data of hate crimes recorded against Chinese vic…

RT (2020-05-05). UK health secretary branded a 'bully' after telling Labour doctor MP to check her 'tone' amid Covid-19 criticism. rt.com Health Secretary Matt Hancock has provoked a furious backlash after rebuking a Labour shadow minister — who happens to be an NHS doctor — for her "tone" after she suggested the government's lack of Covid-19 testing had cost lives. | While putting questions about the coronavirus crisis to Hancock in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Shadow Mental Health Minister Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan asked whether he would concede that his government's short supply of testing had been "responsible for many families being unnecessarily torn apart in grief." | The query drew a disgruntled response from Hancock who appe…

RT (2020-05-05). India records its biggest single-day spike in coronavirus cases & deaths, counting nearly 4,000 infections in 24 hours. rt.com India has seen its largest ever one-day jump in Covid-19, both in terms of cases and fatalities, with 195 people succumbing to the illness in the space of 24 hours and 3,900 new infections. | The surge in India's disease and death tolls came between Monday and Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 46,433 and fatalities to 1,568, according to data published by the Health Ministry. Over 14,000 patients are in Maharashtra, which remains the worst-hit state. | 3900

Dan Wright (2020-05-05). Religion and COVID-19 physical distancing: A conflict of belief, or something else? peoplesworld.org The current coronavirus pandemic, in its scope and potential harm, demands that everyone, including members of religious groups, adhere to what best serves the common good. It might seem to be almost a truism, a given fact, that people everywhere would welcome, without question or dissent, measures to mitigate or slow the spread of a …

RT (2020-05-05). Five Eyes spies have NO EVIDENCE that coronavirus emerged from Wuhan lab, report suggests in U-turn from previous leaks. rt.com There is no evidence to substantiate the Trump administration's claims that Covid-19 came from a Chinese laboratory, according to intelligence sources, raising questions about a leaked dossier blaming Beijing for the pandemic. | Sources that

RT (2020-05-05). 'I will beat you': Seven-year-old blasts 'WEAK' Arshavin after ex-Russia star accuses Olympic champ of forcing child into videos. rt.com A bizarre row has broken out between Evgeni Plushenko's son and Andrey Arshavin after the Russia legend accused the figure-skating champion and his wife of forcing the infant to perform in a series of "painful" Instagram videos. | Two-time Olympic champion Plushenko and his wife, producer and TV personality Yana Rudkovskaya, have been prolific makers of videos with their son, Alexander, in the family's opulent home. | While Russia has been in lockdown under health guidelines aimed at stopping the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak, the seven-year-old known as Sasha has joined his parents indoors to test gym equip…

RT (2020-05-05). Russia's lead spacecraft designer & architect of ISS modules dies due to Covid-19. rt.com Yevgeny Mikrin, a top scientist behind Russia's manned spaceflight program and a contributor to the International Space Station designs, succumbed to the coronavirus in a Moscow hospital, the Academy of Sciences said. | Mikrin, who was due to turn 65 this year, has passed away "in the prime of life," President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Alexander Sergeev told the media on Tuesday, calling him an "outstanding scholar" and "a very bright man." | The scientist, who served as a chief designer for Russia's famed corporation Energia — founded by the forefather of the Soviet space program, Sergey K…

Annika Lee (2020-05-05). Detainees put at high risk for COVID-19 at Madison, Wi., jail. liberationnews.org To protect them from COVID-19, incarcerated people must be freed.

RT (2020-05-05). Useless & invasive? UK's Covid-19 contact tracing app gets bad reviews after reportedly failing all performance tests. rt.com Many Britons are scoffing at a government plan to roll out an NHS Covid-19 app to trace cases of the virus, describing the initiative as unnecessary and intrusive. The app received poor marks during initial trials. | The tracing app uses Bluetooth technology to register a "contact" when people come within six feet of each other. Those who later develop symptoms of coronavirus can inform the app, which then sends an alert to the people they've been in contact with.Similar apps have been adopted in countries such as Singapore and Germany. However, the idea has been met with considerable suspicion in Britain. | F…

Staff (2020-05-05). Johns Hopkins Leads The COVID-19 Response, But Just Laid Off Its Low-Wage Workers. therealnews.com At a May Day rally, workers said Johns Hopkins University reneged on a commitment to give laid off workers four weeks pay.

RT (2020-05-05). 'Corona is under control': Bavaria lets residents go out & businesses reopen despite Covid-19 still blighting Germany. rt.com Despite warnings the Covid-19 crisis isn't over, one of Germany's wealthiest states is set to open up, allowing people to go out for any reason and letting almost all businesses — from retail to tourism — welcome visitors again. | "Now it is time to act," proclaimed Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Soeder as he

RT (2020-05-05). Hundreds protest coronavirus lockdown at Massachusetts State House after reopening delayed for two weeks (PHOTOS & VIDEOS). rt.com Scores of protesters hit the streets to demand Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker streamline the reopening of non-essential businesses, delayed due to the lack of progress in slowing down the spread of Covid-19. | Hundreds of demonstrators filled the streets around the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Monday for what event organizers dubbed a "Liberty Rally," voicing outrage over Baker's decision to extend the state's lockdown another two weeks to May 18, further putting off the reopening of nonessential businesses as hundreds of thousands of residents file for unemployment. | "Let my people go", "We a…

Ross Clark (2020-05-05). Herd Immunity May Only Need 10-20 Percent to Be Infected. anti-empire.com Since mid-March there has been an assumption that herd immunity against Covid-19 would not be achieved until around 60 per cent of the population has been infected. It is a figure which gave rise to the now-famous paper by Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College, which claimed that a herd immunity policy (which the government denies ever following) would result in the deaths of 250,000 people in Britain. That figure has been challenged by scientists who have questioned some of the assumptions behind it — for example, it assumed a mortality rate of 0.9 per cent which Imperial College itself has since…

The Canary (2020-05-05). National bereavement service rolled out for mourners during coronavirus lockdown. thecanary.co An end-of-life charity has launched a national bereavement service to support people struggling with losing loved ones during the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown.People finding it difficult to grieve will be able to access up to six weeks of support over the phone from a dedicated volunteer trained by the Marie Curie charity.More than 450,000 people will be mourning the loss of a family member or friend since the start of the lockdown, the charity estimates.Some 90,392 deaths from all causes were registered in England and Wales from the week ending March 27 to the week ending April 17, figures from the Office for…

The Canary (2020-05-05). Handful of new cases in South Korea and China as containment efforts pay off. thecanary.co China and South Korea, which had early outbreaks of coronavirus, have together reported only four new infections and are slowly resuming public events after months of containment efforts.South Korea's three new cases represented the lowest daily jump in nearly three months.More than 10,000 people have been infected in the nation's outbreak, and over 250 have died.As cases slow, South Korea will start reopening schools in phases next week, and its professional baseball league began its new season on Tuesday.A TV cameraman walks through the spectators' seats covered with pictures of fans before a baseball game in I…

Ryan Foley (2020-05-05). Coronavirus cuts 'deep scars' through meatpacking towns across the country. peoplesworld.org IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)—As the coronavirus spread from the nation's meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo, Iowa. In the downstairs unit lived Jim Orvis, 65, a beloved friend and uncle who worked in the laundry department at the Tyson Foods pork processing facility, the largest …