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2020-05-05: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

The Only Way the Fight Against Coronavirus Resembles the Real Wars I've Witnessed
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
After 40 years of watching "real" war, I obviously have strong views about the fight which statesmen and politicians and liars

Trump is Igniting a Cold War With China to Try to Win Re-election
Robert Fisk | zcomm.org | 2020-05-05
The purpose of Trump's lies is not to convince by rational argument but to dominate the news agenda by outrageous allegations…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trump-is-igniting-a-cold-war-with-china-to-try-to-win-re-election/

Video: ISIS Rears Its Ugly Head in Southern Syria and Central Iraq
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-05
Tensions between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian Army are growing in southern Idlib. Recently, government forces repeatedly shelled positions of the terrorist groups in the Zawiya Mountain area. The most intense shelling targeted Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists near Fatterah …
globalresearch.ca/video-isis-southern-syria-central-iraq/5711792

Venezuela says U.S. behind another attempted coup this past weekend
Steve Sweeney | peoplesworld.org | 2020-05-05
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) …
peoplesworld.org/article/venezuela-says-u-s-behind-another-attempted-coup-this-past-weekend/

Maduro says 2 Americans 'on Trump's security team' were among 'mercenaries' behind failed invasion attempt
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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 | | President's ASSASSINATION was ultimate goal of US/Colombia-staged mercenary invasion of Venezuela

Venezuela denuncia serie de acciones de EE.UU y Colombia
Prensa Latina | peoplesworld.org | 2020-05-05
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 …
peoplesworld.org/article/venezuela-denuncia-serie-de-acciones-de-ee-uu-y-colombia/

Putin Didn't Disappear: Russia's Ongoing Decentralization Process
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-05
The Western Mainstream Media's aggressively propagated infowar narrative that President Putin "disappeared" and is "paralyzed" in the face of World War C is factually false because it ignores the Russian leader's regular video conferences with various officials that are widely …
globalresearch.ca/putin-didnt-disappear-he-delegating/5711837

Israel's War Crimes Have Killed Americans
Philip Giraldi | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-05
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…
thealtworld.com/philip_giraldi/israels-war-crimes-have-killed-americans

Kim Jong-un accepts WWII medal awarded by Putin days after DEATH rumors spread by Western media
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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…
rt.com/russia/487828-russia-award-kim-medal/

Kim Jong-un accepts WWII medal awarded by Putin days after DEATH rumors spread by Western media
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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…
rt.com/russia/487828-russia-award-kim-medal/

Calls Grow for Mass Release from Ohio's Marion Prison as 80% of Prisoners Test Positive for COVID-19
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-05
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/5/marion_correctional_institution_coronavirus_outbreak_calls

Navajo Nation Suffers Third-Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in U.S. with Limited Healthcare & Water
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-05
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/5/navajo_nation_coronavirus_pandemic

The Case for Prison Abolition: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on COVID-19, Racial Capitalism & Decarceration
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-05
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."
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/5/ruth_wilson_gilmore_abolition_coronavirus

Remembering Valentina Blackhorse, Beloved 28-Year-Old Navajo Community Activist Who Died of COVID-19
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-05
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.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/5/remembering_valentina_blackhorse_navajo_nation_covid

US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-05-05
As the US government hunts Julian Assange, it refuses to extradite a CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn…
thegrayzone.com/2020/05/05/us-refuses-to-extradite-cia-agent-who-killed-uk-teen-harry-dunn/

Trump is Igniting a Cold War With China to Try to Win Re-election
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
"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.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/05/trump-is-igniting-a-cold-war-with-china-to-try-to-win-re-election/

Trump Is Igniting a Cold War With China to Try to Win Re-election
Andrey Areshev | strategic-culture.org | 2020-05-05
Patrick COCKBURN | "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. | The level of Trump's mendacity is far grosser than that used to sell the Iraq War by claiming that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Then…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/05/05/trump-igniting-cold-war-with-china-try-win-re-election/

The Federal Reserve: More Lethal Than Coronavirus
Rep. Ron Paul | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-05
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 …
globalresearch.ca/federal-reserve-more-lethal-coronavirus/5711834

Defeat of a Dirty Military Incursion into Venezuela on a Sunday Morning
Vijay Prashad, Paola Estrada, Ana Maldonado, and Zoe PC | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
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 a hostile action, since the boats carried heavy weaponry, including assault rifles and ammunition; the people on the boats possessed satellite phones as well as uniforms and helmets with the flag of the United States of America.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/05/defeat-of-a-dirty-military-incursion-into-venezuela-on-a-sunday-morning/

Former top officials in Bernie Sanders campaign form super PAC to back Joe Biden
WSWS Repost | indybay.org | 2020-05-05
With the Democratic Party uniting to promote Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders holds his nose to let his supporters build a super PAC.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/02/18832776.php

Indigenous Leadership Points the Way Out of the COVID Crisis
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-05
The United States is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 1.2 million people and claimed over 70,000 lives. President Donald Trump has failed the American public, bungling the response while forsaking and targeting vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, the hopes for a progressive insurgency have faded with Sen. Bernie Sanders's withdrawal from the race for the Democratic nomination for president…
truthout.org/articles/indigenous-leadership-points-the-way-out-of-the-covid-crisis/

WHO's Integrity Increasingly Questioned. Skepticism?
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-05
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 …
globalresearch.ca/who-integrity/5711795

Trump's Threat to Iran Has a Hollow, Angsty Ring
M. K. Bhadrakumar | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/05/trumps-threat-to-iran-has-a-hollow-angsty-ring/

Paying the Price for Defeating Chevron: an Interview with Steven Donziger
Joe Emersberger | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
U.S. attorney Steven Donziger has been in house arrest in Manhattan for almost eight months. His pre-trial detention stems from a judgement he and a team of Ecuadorian lawyers won over Chevron that could cost the company billions of dollars

New PSL book: 'Climate Solutions: Beyond Capitalism'
Sunil Freeman | liberationnews.org | 2020-05-05
"It is a small book, but expansive in outlook in a way that echoes the holistic eco-socialist society we will need…"
liberationnews.org/new-psl-book-climate-solutions-beyond-capitalism/

On the Brink of Starvation: COVID-19 and the Global Food Chain with Raj Patel
www.speakoutsocialists | indybay.org | 2020-05-05

This is an online townhall. For links and information on how to join the Zoom call visit here: | speakoutsocialists.org/townhall-05-09-20/…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/04/18832819.php

Assange extradition hearing rescheduled for September
wsws.org | 2020-05-05
The British state continues to obstruct both Assange's ability to conduct his defence and journalists' ability to report on the case in detail.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/05/assa-m05.html

Solitary Confinement Used For Children As Young As 11 After COVID-19 Exposure
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-05-05
Lawyers say Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services and the Department of Correctional Services aren't being transparent about conditions in juvenile detention centers.
therealnews.com/stories/solitary-confinement-juvenile-detention-eleven-coronavirus-exposure-maryland

When Coming North is the Only Option: Why We Must Change Our Immigration Policies
Jean Trounstine | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
At a time when the only thing anyone is talking about is COVID-19, I took a break to read Kelsey Freeman's astute look at the struggles of migrants to cross the border, recently published by IGPublishing (April, 2020): No Option But North: The Migrant World and the Perilous Path Across the Border.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/05/when-coming-north-is-the-only-option-why-we-must-change-our-immigration-policies/

Pompeo and the capricious virus
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-05-05
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 …
iranian.com/2020/05/04/pompeo-and-the-capricious-virus/

Vienna's vice mayor takes heat after 'ASYLUM SEEKER VIRUS' reference
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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 said on Monday, after a recent testing campaign at migrants' quarters in the district of Erdberg revealed 26 new Covid…
rt.com/news/487790-coronavirus-vienna-fpo-migrants/

Rohingyas lock down at the world's largest refugee camp
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-05-05
Healthcare Refugees & migrants Paul GregoireIssue 1264 Bangladesh COVID-19 Rohingya refugeesMay 5, 2020To date, there have be…
greenleft.org.au/content/rohingyas-lock-down-worlds-largest-refugee-camp

Italy to offer permits to illegal migrants for farm work in pandemic crisis
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-05
Italy plans to give work permits to thousands of irregular migrants to help farms deal with the Covid-19 epidemic that has cut the flow of cheap labour from abroad, a political source said on Tuesday.The politically sensitive move, earlier reported in Italian media, was immediately attacked by right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini, whose League party has founded its success on a strong anti-migrant platform.Agriculture lobbies have warned Italy will have to throw away huge amounts of fruit and vegetables because there is nobody to pick them, worsening the effects of a shutdown costing the food sector 7 bill…
yenisafak.com/en/world/italy-to-offer-permits-to-illegal-migrants-for-farm-work-in-pandemic-crisis-3518701

Tampa UPS Teamsters organize for hazard pay
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-05-05
Tampa, FL – With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis putting workers at risk and UPS making huge profits, many rank-and-file Teamsters are demanding hazard pay. Teamsters in Tampa, Florida are organizing co-workers to fight for it. | Rank-and-file Teamsters activists distributed buttons and stickers to UPSers with the slogan "Hazard pay for UPS workers." | "We want to unite our co-workers around the demand for hazard pay. We're encouraging folks to wear the buttons at work," said Gage LaCharite, a UPS warehouse worker. "This is the first step in a national campaign to win hazard pay. UPS just announced they made $1 billi…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/5/4/tampa-ups-teamsters-organize-hazard-pay

50 Years of Bat-Shit Crazy Televised Presidential Warmongering
James Bovard | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-05
Fifty years ago, President Richard Nixon popped up on national television on a Thursday night to proudly announce that he invaded Cambodia. At that time, Nixon was selling himself as a peacemaker, promising to withdraw U.S. troops from the Vietnam War. But after the sixth time that Nixon watched the movie "Patton," he was overwhelmed…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/05/50-years-of-bat-shit-crazy-televised-presidential-warmongering/

Turkey urges powers supporting Haftar to rethink
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-05
Turkey on Tuesday called on all powers supporting Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar to "rethink their position and invest" in the Libyan government."Thanks to Turkey's support for the legitimate government of Libya, the destabilizing and illegitimate Haftar forces are losing ground in Libya. All those powers supporting Haftar must rethink their position and invest in the legitimate government for peace and stability," Fahrettin Altun, Turkey's communications director, said on Twitter.Under the guidance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Altun said Turkey is "a capable country that can pursue terrorists in Sy…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-urges-powers-supporting-haftar-to-rethink-3518692

Far Right Group Behind Boston's "Straight Pride" Also Organized "Reopen" Protest
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-05
In March of 1770, a group of British troops found themselves accosted by a mob of angry colonists in Boston. The soldiers were pelted with rocks, snowballs, and struck with clubs. Finally, one soldier fired his weapon in self-defense, and the other troops followed suit. When the smoke cleared, three colonists lay dead. Eight others were wounded, and two of those would later succumb to their injuries. | The event became known as the Boston Massacre, and was initially a public opinion coup for P…
truthout.org/articles/far-right-group-behind-bostons-straight-pride-also-organized-reopen-protest/

Hundreds protest coronavirus lockdown at Massachusetts State House after reopening delayed for two weeks (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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…
rt.com/usa/487773-massachusetts-state-house-lockdown-protest/

Hundreds protest coronavirus lockdown at Massachusetts State House after reopening delayed for two weeks (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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. | t.co/p6j0L5nf2e
rt.com/usa/487773-massachusetts-state-house-lockdown-protest/

Russia waging 'HYBRID WAR' on Europe by protesting removal of Soviet liberator statue, claims Czech official who had it torn down
rt.com | 2020-05-05
A Prague official responsible for removing a statue of Marshal Konev urged Brussels to protect the EU against Moscow's "interference" and "hybrid war," playing the time-tested 'Russia scare' card that never fails to be effective. | Proving that a strong offense sometimes makes the best defense, head of Prague's District 6 Ondrej Kolar wrote an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to Czech media. | Read m…
rt.com/news/487777-prague-konev-monument-hybrid-war/

COVID-19 and the Left: an Ignored Civil Rights Crisis; a Missed Opportunity
Michael Lesher | zcomm.org | 2020-05-05
The very last thing we should be doing is sitting back and watching while business elites manipulate working class protesters with appeals to their civil-rights concerns, steadily corralling all forms of pro-democracy resistance into the politics of the Republican right…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/covid-19-and-the-left-an-ignored-civil-rights-crisis-a-missed-opportunity/

Spain bans May Day protests on "public health" grounds while sending millions back to work
wsws.org | 2020-05-05
Spanish courts ruled that the COVID-19 danger outweighs basic democratic rights, but Madrid does not believe it outweighs workers' duty to produce profits for the capitalists.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/05/spai-m05.html

Over 2,000 doctors infected with COVID-19 in Ukraine amid growing protest by medical workers
wsws.org | 2020-05-05
Opposition grows among Ukrainian medical workers as they are left to combat the disease while lacking both essential equipment and funding.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/05/ukra-m05.html

Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat to Register Strong Protest Over Cross Border Fire
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-05
New Delhi (Sputnik): India and Pakistan both control parts of Kashmir while claiming it in full. The recent escalations at the border began after India revoked the special status of the region in August 2019.
sputniknews.com/asia/202005051079199750-pakistan-summons-indian-diplomat-to-register-strong-protest-over-cross-border-fire/

Global automakers press ahead with reopening in midst of coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-05-05
Auto production is already reopening in Europe, while the corporations are readying their supply chains in North America.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/05/auto-m05.html

Pennies for the workers, billions for the bosses
Betsey Piette | workers.org | 2020-05-05
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 . . . | Continue reading Pennies for the workers, billions for the bosses at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/05/48237/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pennies-for-the-workers-billions-for-the-bosses

Layoffs and corporate bankruptcies spread as US workers face mounting hardship
wsws.org | 2020-05-05
Job cuts are sweeping the US as major manufacturers join retailers in announcing long-term layoffs.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/05/jobs-m05.html

Russia's lead spacecraft designer & architect of ISS modules dies due to Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-05-05
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

Technofascism: The Censorship of David Icke is Digital Book Burning in a Totalitarian Age
John Whitehead | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-05
CHARLOTTESVILLE ( Rutherford) —-We are fast becoming a nation–nay, a world–of book burners.While on paper, we are technically free to speak–at least according to the U.S. Constitution–in reality, however, we are only as free to speak as the government and its corporate partners such as Facebook, Google or YouTube may allow. | That's not a whole lot of freedom. Especially if you're inclined to voice opinions that may be construed as conspiratorial or dangerous. | Take David Icke, for example. | Icke, a popular c…
mintpressnews.com/technofascism-david-icke-digital-book-burning-totalitarian-age/267246/

EU loses $27BN in corporate tax a year to UK, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Netherlands
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-05-05
EU member states are losing over $17 billion in corporate tax a year from US firms abusing the law to shift their profits into the UK, Switzerland and Luxembourg, where corporate tax rates in practice range from 10 per cent to 0.8 per cent. The $17 billion annual corporate tax loss is in addition to …
truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/eu-loses-27bn-in-corporate-tax-a-year-to-uk-switzerland-luxembourg-and-netherlands/

Last Process: 51 Postees: 2020-05-05 23:25 GMT (19:25 EST)

2020-05-04: News Headlines

Ben Norton (2020-05-04). Anatomy of a fake news campaign: Media spreads lie from US govt-funded Korean outlet that Kim Jong-un died. thegrayzone.com Corporate media outlets spread fake news claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died. The lie originated with a Seoul-based…

Dr. Bischara A. Egal (2020-05-04). The Impact of COVID-19 on Africa. The Case of Somalia. globalresearch.ca "We now live in a nation where doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy". — Chris Hedges | The Coronavirus (Covid-19) …

Juan Cole (2020-05-04). Right-Wing "Reopen" Fanatics Would Kill Nearly as Many Americans as Died in All US Wars. commondreams.org Protestors try to enter the Michigan House of Representative chamber and are being kept out by the Michigan State Police. (Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1211398273_1.jpg …

Eugene E Ruyle (2020-05-04). Lenin on Democracy and Dictatorship & its relevance for our time. indybay.org Online ZOOM Meeting. | LOG-IN INFORMATION AT OUR WEBSITE | ICSSMARX.ORG | OR EMAIL CUYLERUYLE@MAC.COM…

RT (2020-05-04). North Korean defectors apologize for Kim Jong-un death rumors — but will Western media ever develop healthy skepticism? rt.com Defectors from North Korea have apologized for spreading fake news about leader Kim Jong-un's death. Will a Western media that believes their every word now finally start fact-checking their wild claims about the country? | Two defectors serving in South Korea's parliament issued public apologies on Monday after insisting the North Korean ruler was dead or close to it. The apologies came on the heels of heavy rebukes from the South's ruling Democratic Party, as well as calls for the defectors to be punished for spreading false rumors. | Over the course of Kim's three-week absence from public duties, the Wester…

Andrea Germanos (2020-05-04). 'Belongs in the Hague': Online Disgust Follows Glowing Praise for George W. Bush's Covid-19 Message. globalresearch.ca George W. Bush's record in office became the subject of numerous tweets after a video message released Saturday from the former president elicited praise from some Democrats. | . | . | . | Good morning. George W Bush belongs in The Hague. | — …

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-04). No, the US Isn't Going to Dump India over Its Atrocious Treatment of Minorities. globalresearch.ca There's been a lot of speculation that the US might be preparing to dump India over its atrocious treatment of minorities after the official White House Twitter account stopped following several Indian government ones including Prime Minister Modi's and the …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-04). Al-Nujaba distributed Subsistence packages in Palestine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — Following its aids to Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian people, al-Nujaba Movement, on the occasion of Ramadan month, distributed aid packages, including foods and medical supplies, among some Palestinian families.

RT (2020-05-04). 'We can't be garbage dump for Europe': Fears in Turkey over imported plastic waste spike. rt.com Turkey has become a primary destination for plastic waste from richer European countries after the garbage was rejected by China and India. An environmental and health crisis is now in the making in Turkey, locals say. | In 2018, China banned the import of plastic waste, citing the environmental damage the practice had done to the country over the decades. India followed suit the next year. The decisions sent shockwaves across the global waste management industry, with exporting nations forced to find new destinations for their refuse. | For several European countries, Turkey became the new major target for se…

RT (2020-05-04). Iran promises 'appropriate and decisive' response as US calls for arms embargo to be prolonged. rt.com Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesman accused Washington of acting "illegally" in their efforts to influence the UN Security Council, adding Iran would not be "seeking to exit the 2015 nuclear deal" the US pulled out of in 2018. | Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran's response would be "proportionate" after the US said last week it was "hopeful" the UN Security Council would extend the arms embargo on Iran before it expires in October. | The Trump administration has taken a harder line against the Islamic Republic after withdrawing from the deal, which relaxed economic sanctions in exchange for Te…

Staff (2020-05-04). ER Doctor: Pulse Oximeters Detect Oxygen Deprivation Earlier from COVID-19, Help Avoid Ventilators. democracynow.org We speak with Dr. Richard Levitan, an emergency physician based in Littleton, New Hampshire, who volunteered at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for 10 days at the height of the COVID-19 surge in April. Based on what he saw, he argues patients should be going to hospitals sooner and that medical professionals could use a small device you clip on your fingertip, called a pulse oximeter, to help detect the virus earlier by revealing oxygenation problems and elevated heart rates. "A pulse oximeter is just a measure of identifying how well the lungs are working, and, I believe, can be basically an early warning system…

Eds. (2020-05-04). ILO: Nearly half of all world's workers may lose their jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic. mronline.org In the absence of strong support measures by governments across the world, the estimated loss of mostly informal jobs would result in rising poverty, starvation and inequality, an ILO report says.

RT (2020-05-04). Time for 'post-mortem' on China's response to Covid-19 will come later, but questions need answering — UK defense chief. rt.com The UK defense secretary says Beijing's handling of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic must be scrutinized once the crisis is under control. The US has led the blame game, while China has slammed it for politicizing the outbreak. | Ben Wallace was asked by radio station LBC whether China has questions to answer over how quickly it notified the world about the extent of the Covid-19 outbreak. "I think it does," he replied. | The time for…

RT (2020-05-04). May the 4th be with you to stay in: Darth Vader enforces Covid-19 lockdown in the Philippines. rt.com Darth Vader and his stormtroopers swapped spaceships for riverboats as they | made their way around Malabon City on the outskirts of Manila as local authorities tried to enforce the coronavirus lockdown. | The representatives of the galactic empire, or local officials in self-made disguise, were met with smiles and waves as they brought some light-hearted fun in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. | Muriel Baldago, an elected official dressed up like a stormtrooper, explained they were enforcing the government guidelines and delivering relief packages to residents in the permanently flooded Artex Compound area…

RT (2020-05-04). WHO should debunk 'conspiracy theorist' Pompeo with independent Covid-19 probe, says German politician. rt.com Leading member of Germany's Green Party Jàºrgen Trittin called on the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the coronavirus so as to counter 'conspiracy theorists' such as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | Trittin reacted on Monday to claims by the top US diplomat that there was "enormous evidence" the Covid-19 pathogen originated in a Chinese laboratory, calling Pompeo a "conspiracy theorist" and demanding a WHO-led independent probe to clear the air. | Verschwà∂rungstheoretikern wie

RT (2020-05-04). Covid-19 victims 'would have died anyway'? Not so, says new research. rt.com A new study analyzing the longevity prospects of people who died from Covid-19 has found that, far from being on death's door anyway, victims would have lived on for an average of 11 years had they not fallen to the disease.

Staff (2020-05-04). As Workers Get Sick & Die from COVID-19, McConnell Demands Corporate Immunity in New Stimulus Bill. democracynow.org As the Senate reconvenes today, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is demanding that Congress use the next stimulus bill to protect corporations from liability for workers. "He wants to protect their right to engage in egregious misconduct," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

RT (2020-05-04). Germany's actual Covid-19 cases could be TEN TIMES higher than officially confirmed number — study. rt.com The number of Covid-19 infections across Germany could be 10 times higher than official numbers show, researchers have concluded after conducting a study in one of the country's hardest-hit towns. | Researchers from the University of Bonn say that while the official count is around 160,000 cases nationwide, in reality about 1.8 million people in the country could be infected — with many people being asymptomatic and others having symptoms so mild that they were not reported. | The team analysed swabs from 919 people living in Heinsberg, a district on the Dutch border which recorded one of the highest deat…

Ramzy Baroud, Romana Rubeo (2020-05-04). Portugal Leads the Way: How European Countries Fared in Their Treatment of Refugees. counterpunch.org As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading its tentacles throughout China and eventually to the rest of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other international groups, sounded the alarm that refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable to the deadly disease. "We strongly emphasize the need for inclusive national public health measures

RT (2020-05-04). 'Brain-dead on and off the pitch': Fans SLATE Liverpool's Lovren over coronavirus claims about Bill Gates, David Icke and vaccines. rt.com Fans have reacted with shock, derision and support on social media after Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren lashed out at a post by Bill Gates in support of health workers and endorsed David Icke's controversial views on COVID-19. | Long-serving center-back Lovren backed claims that the pandemic has been manufactured as a means of forcing the world to accept a vaccine, sounding a warning in response to a post by billionaire Gates, who theorists believe is behind a dastardly population control plan. | Gates, who has pledged some of his vast wealth towards the scientific search for a vaccine and medical aid efforts…

RT (2020-05-04). 'Bluffing': China demands 'enormous evidence' Pompeo cited regarding Covid-19 Wuhan lab origin. rt.com China has responded to Pompeo's claim that he has evidence that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab, saying that his claims were a "bluff," as the war of words continues to escalate between Washington and Beijing. | The Global Times newspaper — an outlet owned by the Chinese Communist Party — This comes in response to claims made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in an interview with ABC that he has "enormous evidenc…

RT (2020-05-04). Liquor shops open in India… & partially close again as customers rush there ignoring social distancing rules (VIDEOS). rt.com Huge crowds were drawn to liquor stores in India after they were reopened amid the Covid-19 lockdown. The shops were quickly closed again by police in some areas due to massive social distancing violations. | Liquor stores, which were shut down on March 25, were allowed to open again on Monday across India, as part of the government's plan of gradually relaxing the lockdown. Only standalone shops located far from specific Covid-19 hotspots were cleared to resume work, while shopping malls remain closed. | Officials ordered everyone to continue wearing masks and stay two meters apart from each other when buying…

RT (2020-05-04). Assange extradition hearing postponed until September AT EARLIEST — WikiLeaks. rt.com The second part of Julian Assange's US extradition hearing has been postponed until at least September, WikiLeaks has confirmed, after parties returned to court in the UK for a brief 20-minute hearing to fix a new date. | Judge Vanessa Baraitser said at the procedural hearing on Monday that, having heard from the prosecution and defense, it was clear that a July date was unworkable. | That was due to the fact that some key witnesses would not be available in July, as well as there still being no guarantee that US prosecutors will be able to fly to the UK by July if Covid-19 measures are still in place. Assange…

David Schultz (2020-05-04). The Anatomy of a Failing University. counterpunch.org American universities are failing. They are private or public schools. They could be religiously-affiliated or not. They could be in the east, west, north, or south of the United States. They traditionally emphasized liberal arts. They are facing an enrollment and budget crunch for several years, seeing that the declining number of eighteen-year-olds in the coming years poses an existential threat. It has a modest endowment. It is not an elite school. It is a school like the one that many professors teach at. It was failing before Covid-19. It may not be around in five years. Wirth COVID-19, it may be around even…

Staff (2020-05-04). "It's Very Scary": COVID Surges in Meat Plants as Activists Demand Worker Safety & Meatless Mondays. democracynow.org At least 20 workers at meat processing plants have died from COVID-19, and around 5,000 have tested positive, but President Trump invoked an executive order to bar local governments from closing meat plants. We hear from meat plant workers and organizers about conditions during the pandemic and speak with Sindy Benavides, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which is supporting the workers with a virtual town hall on food worker safety with presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and calling for Meatless May Mondays.

RT (2020-05-04). Parents in Paris exasperated as schools plan to take only 10% of students back in phase 1 of lifting lockdown. rt.com When public schools in Paris finally reopen on May 11, only 10 percent of children will be accommodated, leaving many worried French parents in the lurch as they attempt to return to work after the Covid-19 lockdown. | The limited capacity is due to the numerous health measures which will need to be implemented in schools as restrictions are being phased out, the deputy mayor in charge of education Patrick Bloche told Le Figaro on Sunday. | "If we reach [this figure], it will already be very good," Bloche said, given that Paris is within France's 'red zone' for Covid-19 and that some school premises will strug…

RT (2020-05-04). First Covid-19 case in France could have been as early as December, new evidence suggests. rt.com The first coronavirus case in France could have occurred a month earlier than official figures suggest, according to a professor from Avicenne Hospital, following the retesting of 24 patient blood samples. | Professor Yves Cohen from the Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny said in an

RT (2020-05-04). 'Political child abuse': UK govt's 'help for disadvantaged students' during Covid-19 crisis slammed by critics citing austerity. rt.com The UK government's pledge to give more resources to help disadvantaged school kids during the Covid-19 pandemic has received an angry backlash from critics who say students are suffering because of the Tories' self-imposed cuts. | During the government's daily Covid-19 briefing — led by cabinet office minister Michael Gove — on Sunday, it was revealed that vulnerable and disadvantaged young people would receive laptops and tablets to borrow, to help them carry on their school learning from home. Gove boasted that schools would continue to receive additional funding "worth around £2.4 billion a…

RT (2020-05-04). Top engineer quits Amazon in protest over firings of Covid-19 whistleblower employees. rt.com Vice-president and top engineer at Amazon Web Services Tim Bray has resigned in protest over the firings of workers, mainly from minorities, who complained over conditions at the company's warehouses during the Covid-19 pandemic. | "I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19," Bray wrote in an open letter titled Bray admitted working with…

sputniknews (2020-05-04). US Supreme Court Breaks Precedent By Allowing Public Broadcast of Oral Arguments. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – For years, Justices had rejected proposals to broadcast oral arguments live. Tuesday's hearing took place by audio conference call, with the court building closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RT (2020-05-04). As number of recorded Covid-19 cases skyrocket, Russian official declares complete victory impossible. rt.com With Russia seeing another day of more than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, it seems like Covid-19 will never end. According to one official, that fear might be exactly right. | Speaking to TV channel Russia 24, Anna Popova, the head of Russia's consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, revealed that it is impossible to completely end the circulation of Covid-19. "No matter what, there will always be some kind of communication," she explained. "There are risks of renewal, even if the virus is no longer in the country." | Popova also announced that anti-coronavirus measures would have to be gradually removed, and…

The Canary (2020-05-04). French care home where staff locked themselves in with residents defies Covid-19. thecanary.co A care home in France which took a novel approach to warding off coronavirus (Covid-19) has emerged with a clean bill of health.As coronavirus cut a deadly path through care homes across the country, Valerie Martin vowed that the story would be different in the home she runs.To keep Covid-19 at bay and stop it from infecting and killing the vulnerable older adults in her care, Martin and her staff locked themselves in with the 106 residents.Residents at the Vilanova care home in Corbas, central France (Valerie Martin via AP)For 47 days and nights, staff and residents of the Vilanova care home on the outskirts of…

RT (2020-05-04). Cuomo wants to fine people not wearing Covid-19 masks because they could 'literally kill someone'. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called people who don't wear masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus "cruel and irresponsible," adding that he supports authorities fining them over it. | Wearing masks in public has been mandatory in New York since mid-April, but enforcement of the measure falls to local governments — and is something Cuomo wants to see happening. | "Do I think local government should be enforcing it? And should there be sanctions? Yes, because it is a public health emergency," Cuomo said at a press conference on Monday when asked about fining citizens for being in public witho…

RT (2020-05-04). Greatest comeback? Trump ad hastily declares victory over Covid-19, includes praise from lib governors, & Pelosi eating ice cream. rt.com A new ad from Donald Trump's campaign touts his accomplishments during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the country still being in the middle of it, and appears to curiously change his slogan. | The 60-second video features criticism of the president's handling of the coronavirus being answered with praise from unlikely sources, such as Democrat Governors Andrew Cuomo (New York) and Gavin Newsom (California). | It also features quick images of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ripping up the president's State of the Union Speech and laughing maniacally with ice cream in hand. | The new campaign ad also demons…

Staff (2020-05-04). Spy Plane Resumes Flights Over Baltimore Amid COVID-19. therealnews.com The expensive aerial surveillance program won't help heavily disinvested Baltimore, say Ceasefire co-founder Erricka Bridgeford and author Brandon Soderberg.

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-04). Russia-China entente deepens in the shadow of the pandemic. mronline.org The Russian-Chinese entente emerged as one of the most significant templates of international politics in the recent period since the hugely consequential developments in Ukraine in 2014 that led to western sanctions against Moscow, which in turn galvanised the latter's 'pivot to Asia'.

Morning Star (2020-05-04). Young Communists lead jobs drive in Vietnam for the unemployed. peoplesworld.org More than 10,000 people have found work in Vietnam's capital Hanoi thanks to a Communist-led initiative for students and young people whose jobs are most vulnerable due to the coronavirus pandemic. Led by the Hanoi section of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU), working alongside the Hanoi Students' Association and the Hanoi Youth …

Jeffrey A. Tucker (2020-05-04). Woodstock Occurred in the Middle of a Pandemic. anti-empire.com In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 and peaking a year later. It ultimately killed 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly over the age of 65, and one million worldwide. | Lifespan in the US in those days was 70 whereas it is 78 today. Population was 200 million as compared with 328 million today. It was also a healthier population with

Albert Bender (2020-05-04). Will the pandemic hasten the demise of capitalism? peoplesworld.org The U.S. economy is collapsing by leaps and bounds. By the latest figures, over 30 million workers have applied for unemployment benefits in the past six weeks. Many economists are predicting a depression that will far surpass the Great Depression of the 1930s. The lines of cars at food banks stretching for miles are surreal enough …

RT (2020-05-04). Asian markets plunge amid escalating US-China tensions. rt.com Stocks in Asia finished the first trading day of the week with losses tracking negative sentiment on Wall Street as the Trump administration continues verbal attacks on China over the coronavirus pandemic. | Shares trading in Hong Kong suffered steep losses, with the Hang Seng index dropping the most it has in six weeks by over four percent. Monday was the first trading day this month at the Hong Kong stock market as it was closed for holidays at the end of last week. | Also on rt.com | |

RT (2020-05-04). Russian flag-carrier Aeroflot warns air travel may not resume until mid-summer. rt.com As the coronavirus pandemic has halted almost all travel around the globe, Russian's biggest airline said that in the best-case scenario, international flights could be resumed in July. | "It is difficult to indicate the exact timing of flights so far but when looking at the best-case forecasts… international traffic may start recovering in the middle of summer," Aeroflot spokesperson Yulia Spivakova told Rossiya 24 TV. | Read more | | Even when most of the danger…

RT (2020-05-04). Buzzing where corona can't get you: Watch Russian warplanes train for V-Day air show. rt.com Russia may have suspended most public events marking the upcoming Victory Day, but demonstrations by military aircraft are still expected to take place. With less than a week to go, the crews are busy training. | Footage released by Russia's Southern Military District on Monday shows fighter jets training solo and in formations for next Saturday's demonstrations, held to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany. | May 9 is one of the biggest national holidays in Russia, with military parades and commemorative ceremonies held throughout the country. This year the coronavirus pandemic threw a spanner in the works…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-04). 30 million jobs lost so far, but many workers can't access unemployment benefits. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Another 3.84 million people filed for jobless benefits nationwide in the prior week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on April 30. That shoots the actual number of jobless due to closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic to over 30 million. The Economic Policy Institute warns that 30 million total may actually be an undercount. …

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-05-04). Protesters block HS2 building sites amid ongoing coronavirus lockdown. thecanary.co Activists protesting the continued construction of the HS2 high-speed railway have blocked access to building sites in London and Warwickshire. A group called

LoadHelp (2020-05-04). Protesters in London Take Part in Group Hug in Defiance of Lockdown. The Po-Po Gets on Their Case. anti-empire.com The crowd outside New Scotland Yard, close to the Houses of Parliament, were seen hugging each other as others held signs reading: "My body, my choice." | Another at the protest in central Around 20 people appeared to be in the crowd, which included young children. | Police told the protesters to go home before arresting a man who did not comply. Gatherings of any sort are banned under the UK's rules to slow the sp…

Ellen Brown (2020-05-04). Crushing the States, Saving the Banks: the Fed's Generous New Rules. counterpunch.org Congress seems to be at war with the states. Only $150 billion of its nearly $3 trillion coronavirus relief package — a mere 5% — has been allocated to the 50 states; and they are not allowed to use it where they need it most, to plug the holes in their budgets caused by the

RT (2020-05-04). Flaring US-China tensions send European markets lower. rt.com Markets in Europe followed their Asian peers, suffering steep losses at Monday's opening, as Washington continues to pin the blame for the coronavirus outbreak on China. | Stock markets in Germany and France dipped on the first trading of this month, as they opened after the Labor Day holiday. France's CAC 40 led the losses, dropping nearly four percent, while Germany's DAX was not much higher as it lost over three percent. | Also on rt.com | | The British stock market, which wa…

Matt Taibbi (2020-05-04). The Inevitable Coronavirus Censorship Crisis Is Here. anti-empire.com

Instead of asking calmly if hydroxychloroquine works, or if the less restrictive Swedish crisis response has merit, or questioning why certain statistical assumptions about the seriousness of the crisis might have been off, we're denouncing the questions themselves as infamous

| Earlier this week, Atlantic magazine — fast becoming the favored media outlet for self-styled intellectual elites of the Aspen Institute type — ran an

Eds. (2020-05-04). Faced with coronavirus, the most effective health system is one focused on prevention. mronline.org "You really are the men and women who do everything eh, you people!" That was the reaction of an 88-year-old patient when she received a phone call from one of our Medicine for the People (MPLP) volunteer workers or staff in mid-March.

John Reynolds (2020-05-04). The Politics of the coronavirus conjuncture in Ireland. mronline.org The election in Ireland in early February marked a clear acceleration of the country's ongoing left turn over recent years. Then came the virus.

Last Process: 50 Citations: 2020-05-04 22:28 GMT (18:28 EST)