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2020-04-23: 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.)

Puerto Rico, Protest, Prison: Johanna Fernández and Jose Saldaña Talk About The Young Lords
Susie Day | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
Johanna Fernández, child of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and professor at New York's Baruch College, has just published The Young Lords: A Radical History, a book about the 1960s Puerto Rican activist group. The Young Lords began as a Chicago street gang; then, inspired by the Black Panther Party, morphed into a militant rights…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/puerto-rico-protest-prison-johanna-fernandez-and-jose-saldana-talk-about-the-young-lords/

Will America's Corruption End on a Ventilator or in a Mushroom Cloud?
Nicolas J S Davies, Medea Benjamin | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
Little by little, Americans are understanding just how badly our government has let us down by its belated and disastrous response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and how thousands more people are dying as a result. But there are two other crises we face that our government is totally unprepared for and incapable of dealing with:…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/will-americas-corruption-end-on-a-ventilator-or-in-a-mushroom-cloud/

Libertarian Activist Organizes "Re-Open" Santa Cruz March, Calls Pandemic a Hoax
Santa Cruz News | indybay.org | 2020-04-23
Libertarian activist Sean Cutler is organizing a march to Santa Cruz City Hall on April 24 in support of re-opening the "local economy". An event listing posted to social media by Cutler promises "speeches" at City Hall, however it is unclear if the event is real or a stunt, as only one person is listed as attending. The event post for the march demands "an end to the tyrannical quarantine" and encourages participants to "bring flags, banners, posters, and the loving spirit of freedom". On March 16, Cutler posted on social media that the COVID-19 pandemic was, "overblown, childish, and insane". The pandemic is "s…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/22/18832568.php

Amazon Workers Hold Nationwide Strikes As COVID-19 Sweeps Warehouses
Chris Smalls | zcomm.org | 2020-04-23
Fired Amazon employee Chris Smalls says workers will protest until they feel protected, while Amazon-owned Whole Foods is ranking stores where employees are most likely to unionize…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/amazon-workers-hold-nationwide-strikes-as-covid-19-sweeps-warehouses/

Demonstrators Demand Santa Cruz Provide Hotel Vouchers for the Homeless
Alex Darocy | indybay.org | 2020-04-23
Community members in Santa Cruz organized a "physical distancing" protest today to demand the City and County of Santa Cruz provide hotel vouchers for the homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The demonstration was organized following California Governor Gavin Newsom's statements made during a press conference on April 18 that cities and municipalities that are blocking the State's effort to provide hotels for the homeless will be "judged" by history.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/20/18832521.php

Merchants of death: Multibillion-dollar bailout for arms industry amid rising COVID-19 toll
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
Workers in arms plants, classified as "essential infrastructure," have protested and struck against the coronavirus threat that confronts the entire working class amidst the drive for a return to work.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/pers-a23.html

Talking Points for the "End the Shutdown" Protesters
Gary Leupp | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
Just some helpful, encouraging ideas for the heroes who rally in defense of the dying system, enjoying the rebellious rush of imbibing one another's mucosal droplets in shouted sessions in classic settings. Some thoughts to discuss with friends and supporters, especially with the devout religious people leading the movement: *Pontius Pilate washed his hands after…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/talking-points-for-the-end-the-shutdown-protesters/

Incarceration is Now a Potential Death Sentence
Jesse Jackson | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
This week, the New York Times featured the story of how the coronavirus savaged the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale, Louisiana. On March 28, Patrick Jones, 49, serving a 27-year sentence for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, became the first federal inmate to die of the virus. Barely three weeks later,…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/incarceration-is-now-a-potential-death-sentence/

150 years after the birth of V.I. Lenin: Long Live Leninism!
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-23
On April 22, 1870 the great Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was born in a small city of Simbirsk near the Volga River. Lenin stood at the forefront of Russia's revolutionary movement, at the helm of the world's first socialist country, and simultaneously brought into being the modern international communist movement. Lenin's thinking and the movement he helped create shook the world, and with our collective efforts, will shape the future. | Lenin's practical and theoretical contributions are legion. He was a profoundly practical person, who made major contributions to Marxist theory. In fact, Lenin to…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/22/150-years-after-birth-vi-lenin-long-live-leninism

Trump failed on Coronavirus, now wants to "shoot down" tiny Iranian Skiffs
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-04-23
I doubt that Trump's tweet will last longer than his memory of calling the coronavirus a hoax has. He's just seeing if he can get a rise from his base by … acting like a scoundrel.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trump-failed-on-coronavirus-now-wants-to-shoot-down-tiny-iranian-skiffs/

After Bernie: It's Time to Start Talking About a Democratic Socialist Party
Mimi Harris, Philip Locker and Evan Seitchik | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
We all felt a deep sadness as Bernie Sanders announced the end of his campaign, along with gratitude for all his work fighting for socialist policies. The COVID-19 pandemic brutally underlines just how necessary Bernie's policies are. It's painful to even contemplate the presidential race being between the Wall Street Democrat Joe Biden and the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/after-bernie-its-time-to-start-talking-about-a-democratic-socialist-party/

Our Revolution or Our Capitulation?
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
Seeing Bernie Sanders sitting on camera side by side with Joe Biden, demanding nothing, made me want to… Bernie Sanders gave up without hardly a whimper! No wonder that many of his supporters are fuming and stating that they will not vote for Biden in November. See…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/our-revolution-or-our-capitulation/

The Fight For PPE On The Docks, The War On Workers & May Day 2020 With ILWU
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-04-23
WorkWeek interviews ILWU Local 10 president Trent Willis and ILWU president Keith Shanklin about the struggle protect longshore workers from being contaminated by Covid-19 and the war against working people. They also discuss May Day and the fight of the over 500 seafarers on the Grand Princess who are being kept as prisoners on the ship.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/22/18832560.php

UN chief warns that coronavirus pandemic is becoming a 'human rights crisis'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-23
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said the coronavirus pandemic is "a human crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis".The UN chief issued a video message warning there is discrimination in the delivery of public services to tackle coronavirus (Covid-19) and there are "structural inequalities that impede access to them".He said the pandemic has also seen "disproportionate effects on certain communities, the rise of hate speech, the targeting of vulnerable groups, and the risks of heavy-handed security responses undermining the health response".He warned that with "rising ethno-nationalism, populi…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/04/23/un-chief-warns-that-coronavirus-pandemic-is-becoming-a-human-rights-crisis/

COVID-19: Will social distancing be the new normal? A Mayo Clinic expert discusses what the future might look like
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-23
As some states look toward relaxing restrictions and social distancing measures, such as stay-at-home orders, new projections suggest social distancing may need to continue through 2022. Researchers predict that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will return every winter, and that prolonged or intermittent social distancing strategies could limit the strain on health care systems. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-will-social-distancing-be-the-new-normal-a-mayo-clinic-expert-discusses-what-the-future-might-look-like/

Germany's right-wing Bild newspaper agitates against China
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
The accusation serves to divert attention away from the ruling elite's failure to deal with the pandemic, while at the same time whipping up public opinion for war with China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/bild-j01.html

US provocatively dispatches warships to South China Sea
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
As it amplifies its inflammatory rhetoric blaming China for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration is also raising military tensions in the South China Sea.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/scse-a23.html

Future research and innovation leaders backed through flagship fellowships
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-23
Three Imperial researchers have been awarded Future Leader Fellowships from UK Research and Innovation to tackle pressing global challenges.
imperial.ac.uk/news/197036/future-research-innovation-leaders-backed-through

US unemployment headed for 27 MILLION as pandemic erases all new jobs created since 2008 financial crisis
rt.com | 2020-04-23
With the US Labor Department set to reveal the number of weekly jobless claims on Thursday, economists expect another 4.5 million Americans to have applied for unemployment benefits for the week ending April 18. | A slight decrease on the previous week's 5.2 million claims, it will bring the total number to around 27 million in a month. The number is greater than all the 23.3 million jobs created in the US since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Economists broadly expect the figure to steadily decline going forward. | …
rt.com/business/486619-us-unemployment-claims-soaring/

Brent crude recovers as military spat between US and Iran overshadows investors' fears over storage exhaustion
rt.com | 2020-04-23
The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has climbed by more than nine percent to $22.25 (ICE) on Thursday amid renewed military tensions between the US and Iran. | Brent crude prices had fallen by more than 50 percent over the last week, reaching its lowest level since June 1999. The dramatic drop came as concerns mounted that crude storage tanks are running out of space. | On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump had warned that the US Navy would attack Iranian gunboats if they "harass our ships at sea," reigniting fears of a conflict in the Persian Gulf. | West Texas Intermediate (WTI) had similarly plunged…
rt.com/business/486614-brent-oil-price-recovers/

Stop the Pandemic Profiteers
Jim Hightower | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
Wartime profiteering has been as common in our country as war itself. Indeed, during the American Revolution assorted corrupt merchants and traders lined their pockets by controlling the supply and jacking up the prices on various goods they sold to the Continental Army and to the general public. Often though, feisty colonials struck back at…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/stop-the-pandemic-profiteers/

World Food Programme warns: COVID-19 pandemic will cause "famines of biblical proportions"
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
Hundreds of millions of people face starvation and millions could die as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/hung-a23.html

A Progressive Victory over the Coronavirus
John Feffer | zcomm.org | 2020-04-23
South Korea, having beaten back the coronavirus, is now poised to show the world how to move forward to save lives, democracy, and the planet…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/a-progressive-victory-over-the-coronavirus/

Moon's geology revealed in greater detail than ever before in first all-inclusive map (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-04-23
For the first time in history, the entire lunar surface has been mapped and the geology classified, paving the way for safer future Moon landings and reminding us to look upwards once more. | Scientists from the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, in collaboration with NASA and the Lunar and Planetary Institute, have produced the 'Unified Geologic Map of the Moon,' at 1: 5,000,000 scale, marking the culmination of decades of work. | | © NASA/GSFC/USGS | "People have always been fascinated by the Moon and when we might return," said current USGS director and former NASA astronaut Jim Reilly. "So, it's wonde…
rt.com/news/486628-usgs-detailed-lunar-map/

'Can't offer help with one hand & smother with the other': Russia slams West & its allies after anti-sanction draft fails at UNGA
rt.com | 2020-04-23
Moscow has blasted the decision by a group of countries, including the US, to block a draft resolution calling for an end to unilateral sanctions on developing countries gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. | The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) rejected two draft resolutions on Wednesday, aimed at supporting the battle against the Covid-19. Both of the Russia-sponsored and the Riadh-championed drafts received at least one "nay" after they were circulated among the body's members on Wednesday. A single objection is enough for a draft to be defeated in line with the special voting protocol in effect at th…
rt.com/news/486610-sanctions-resoltion-un-coronavirus-russia/

German court opens first Syria torture trial
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-23
Two suspected members of President Bashar al-Assad's security services had charges of torture and sexual assault read out against them on Thursday in a German court, in what lawyers say is the first trial for war crimes by Syrian government agents.Anwar R., a former intelligence officer who applied for asylum in Germany six years ago after leaving Syria, is charged with 58 murders in a Damascus prison where prosecutors say at least 4,000 opposition activists were tortured in 2011 and 2012.Grey haired, with a bald patch and wearing a moustache, glasses and a dark sweater, he sat calmly behind a glass cubicle erect…
yenisafak.com/en/world/german-court-opens-first-syria-torture-trial-3517747

Immigration Freeze: COVID-19 Provides 'Window of Opportunity' for Key Trump Policy – Prof
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-23
On Wednesday evening US President Trump announced that he had signed an executive order putting a hold on the entry of immigrants to the country for at least 60 days.
sputniknews.com/analysis/202004231079067872-immigration-freeze-covid-19-provides-window-of-opportunity-for-key-trump-policy—prof/

Ex-Concentration Camp Prisoners Ask Investigation Committee to Deal With Actions of Finnish Invaders
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-23
Former prisoners of Finnish concentration camps in Karelia have asked Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigation Committee, to look into the actions of the occupation authorities during the Great Patriotic War.
sputniknews.com/russia/202004231079067297-ex-concentration-camp-prisoners-ask-investigation-committee-to-deal-with-actions-of-finnish/

Nobody Will Survive if Pandemic Spreads in Iraq's IDP Camps – Official
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-23
Iraq's internally displaced persons might have survived Daesh*, but they have zero chances of completely fighting off the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to spread throughout the war-torn country, warns an official who has been working with IDPs since 2016. Certain obstacles make matters worse, but IDPs are determined to keep the virus at bay.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004231079066858-nobody-will-survive-if-pandemic-spreads-in-iraqs-idp-camps/

Iran Summons Swiss Ambassador Representing US to Lodge Protest Against Trump's Threats
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-23
The US president said he had "instructed" the country's Navy to shoot and sink Iranian gunboats if they start harassing American war vessels in the Persian Gulf. Head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami later cautioned Washington against such step warning that Tehran will shoot back.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004231079066568-iran-summons-swiss-ambassador-representing-us-to-lodge-protest-against-trumps-threats/

Earth Day: How to Get Ships Off Fossil Fuels (webinar)
Pacific Environment & Climate Works Found. | indybay.org | 2020-04-23
Online via Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/19/18832492.php

The car industry and the climate crisis
Stephan Kroll and Christian Hofmann | indybay.org | 2020-04-23
The car companies should now be converted into providers of mobility needs based on socio-ecological sustainability. Reduction of working hours – short full time of an average of 30 hours/4 days per week for all – is part of the neceesary radical change to save human lives amid plutocratic neoliberalism.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/22/18832551.php

Pandemics, Climate Crisis and the Turbulent Future
Ted Glick | zcomm.org | 2020-04-23
We must learn from the history of past efforts at systemic change which have floundered because they were male-dominated, monochromatic instead of consciously multi-racial, led too often by white men who too often got wrapped up in ego and power…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/pandemics-climate-crisis-and-the-turbulent-future/

Infographic: Understanding COVID-19 testing
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-23
For the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more information and COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/infographic-understanding-covid-19-testing/

Australia Post announces major restructure threatening thousands of jobs
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
The government and management are utilising the coronavirus pandemic to implement longstanding plans for mass sackings and privatisation.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/post-a23.html

A crisis like no other: social reproduction and the regeneration of capitalist life during the COVID-19 pandemic
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-04-23
As the COVID-19 health crisis deepens, it looks increasingly clear that the short-term collapse in global output is likely to exceed that of any recession in the last 150 years–that is, in the entire history of capitalism. The ILO estimates that the crisis will lead to the destruction of 195 million jobs. Hence, after discussing …
mronline.org/2020/04/23/a-crisis-like-no-other-social-reproduction-and-the-regeneration-of-capitalist-life-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-crisis-like-no-other-social-reproduction-and-the-regeneration-of-capitalist-life-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

When to seek emergency care during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-23
In an effort to reduce the burden on hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to lower the risk of disease transmission, people are asked not to go to emergency rooms if they think they may have COVID-19 symptoms but otherwise feel okay. Instead, they're asked to call their primary care provider to discuss their …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/when-to-seek-emergency-care-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Despite restrictions eviction notices still being delivered in New Orleans amid pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
There have been multiple instances in New Orleans and around the country of landlords sending eviction notices as a bullying tactic to force out or squeeze rent payments from of poor and unemployed workers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/evic-a23.html

Confronting coronavirus pandemic requires global, collective move: Araghchi
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-23
TEHRAN, Apr. 23 (MNA)

The Perils of Politicizing the Pandemic
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
President Trump has so thoroughly polarized the nation that almost every conceivable action is now seen through the false lens of red and blue. If the sky is blue, does that mean it's Democratic? If the sunset is red, does that mean it's Republican? Inane questions

Shakespeare on Trump
Entering 6th Week of Quarantine | indybay.org | 2020-04-23
As we enter the 6th week of quarantine due to Nazi Trump's inexcusable delay in preparing for a pandemic which was known to be a threat in November 2019 , the benchmark of literature in the English language, Shakespeare's writings, teach us that Trump is not an aberration.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/20/18832516.php

Mass deaths in New York nursing homes
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
Combined with a lack of testing three months into the pandemic, state policies have created conditions for an uncontrollable spread of the virus and horrific mass deaths among the elderly, and significant fatalities among the staff.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/nurs-a23.html

UK starts testing potential Covid-19 vaccine on humans
rt.com | 2020-04-23
Over 500 brave volunteers began the process of receiving the first doses of the UK's efforts to create a Covid-19 vaccine as clinical trials got under on Thursday. | The vaccine has been developed by teams at the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, and work began on it as recently as January. This short time-frame has led some to raise questions about the extraordinary speed at which the potential pandemic panacea has been developed. | A total of 510 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 will take part in the clinical trials as the UK joins only the US and China in begi…
rt.com/uk/486623-uk-vaccine-clinical-trials/

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How public health measures can help reopen the country
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-23
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, efforts are underway to find a new normal and begin to reopen the country and the economy. While people are eager for strict social distancing rules to end, public health measures, including testing and tracing for the virus, will be important tools needed to control the spread of the virus …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-qa-podcast-how-public-health-measures-can-help-reopen-the-country/

COVID-19: Mayo Clinic expert on what it's going to take to reopen the US
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-23
Widespread stay-at-home efforts have forced many businesses to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. As talk of reopening the economy ramps up across the U.S., Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expert, answers questions about what it's going to take to get to that point. Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland answers questions on reopening after COVID-19 …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-mayo-clinic-expert-on-what-its-going-to-take-to-reopen-the-us/

Travel firm says offering vouchers instead of refunds is 'bad idea for everyone'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-23
The boss of an online travel agency has condemned travel firms and airlines for offering vouchers instead of cash refunds for cancelled holidays. | Simon Cooper, founder and chief executive of On The Beach, said the issuing of vouchers is "a travesty" as consumers face being ripped off when they re-book once the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is over. | A number of travel companies and airlines are offering vouchers which can be exchanged for an alternative booking at a later date. | In an interview with the PA news agency, Cooper described this as "a bad idea for everyone concerned". | Tour operators issuing vo…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/04/23/travel-firm-says-offering-vouchers-instead-of-refunds-is-bad-idea-for-everyone/

Cooperation Humboldt and the Solidarity Economy
Margaret Kimberley | zcomm.org | 2020-04-23
Founded in 2017, Cooperation Humboldt was already incubating worker cooperatives, administering food sovereignty programs, advocating for public banking and participatory budgeting, and exploring housing cooperatives, an arts hub, and eco-villages–all before the pandemic arrived in the U.S.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/cooperation-humboldt-and-the-solidarity-economy/

As US governors rush to reopen businesses, "Excess death" counts begin to reveal true toll of pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
A series of reports have shown that the real death toll from the coronavirus in many parts of the United States and Europe is likely at least twice what has been officially reported.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/covi-a23.html

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-23
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to daily life, and disrupted normal routines at work, at school, and at home. Physical isolation can negatively affect mental health, and constant news coverage can bring fear and anxiety about the disease. How can you best cope in these uncertain times? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-qa-podcast-managing-stress-and-anxiety-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Twenty-nine London transport workers dead from COVID-19, as anger rises over unsafe working conditions
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
More than six weeks after the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic, London bus drivers say they are being treated as an "expendable commodity."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/lond-a23.html

Last Process: 50 Postees: 2020-04-23 14:06 GMT (10:06 EST)

2020-04-22: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-04-22). Trump announces plan to halt all immigration to US. wsws.org Trump's "pause" on immigration is a desperate attempt by the crisis-riddled administration to distract from the criminality of the ruling class's own response to the coronavirus pandemic.

news.un (2020-04-22). FROM THE FIELD: Migrants use digital 'fab labs' to address Djibouti health protection shortages. news.un.org With Djibouti's health system under enormous strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, young migrants in the country are using 3D-printers to make face shields, and ease the shortfall inside medical facilities.

ORION (2020-04-22). Free julian assange Nation wide Webinar event Panel. indybay.org zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xh2EsZbrTtOq1FZifgfIlw…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-22). William Shakespeare and the New World Order: "Hell is Empty and all the Devils are Here" globalresearch.ca William Shakespeare's birthday: he taught us never to despair in our resolve to confront the Lie. "to unmask falsehood and bring truth to light". War criminals in high office are celebrated as messengers of peace: "And thus I clothe my naked villany. And seem a saint, when most I play the devil." (Shakespeare, the words of King Richard III)…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-22). Who is Behind "Fake News"? Mainstream Media Use Fake Videos and Images. globalresearch.ca The mainstream corporate media is desperate. They want to suppress independent and alternative online media, which they categorize as "fake news". Readers on social media are warned not to go onto certain sites. Our analysis confirms that the mainstream media are routinely involved in distorting the facts and turning realities upside down.

Alex Darocy (2020-04-22). Demonstrators Demand Santa Cruz Provide Hotel Vouchers for the Homeless. indybay.org Community members in Santa Cruz organized a "physical distancing" protest today to demand the City and County of Santa Cruz provide hotel vouchers for the homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The demonstration was organized following California Governor Gavin Newsom's statements made during a press conference on April 18 that cities and municipalities that are blocking the State's effort to provide hotels for the homeless will be "judged" by history.

Charles Pierson (2020-04-22). We Won't Stop COVID-19 with "Chickenpox Parties" counterpunch.org Thumbing their noses at both government directives and the coronavirus, right-wing protestors have been massing at state capitols in Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas to demand the lifting of stay-at-home orders issued by Democratic governors. President Donald Trump has responded in a way that looks a whole lot like a call to insurrection. On April 17, Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," and 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA," apparently mistaking those states for Paris in 1944.

Paul Le Blanc (2020-04-22). United States: An 'all hands on deck' moment—Sixty six old new leftists urge support for Joe Biden. mronline.org SDS, along with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), had been in the vanguard of the new left in the 1960s, and some of these oldsters now want to challenge a position taken by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), currently the foremost organization on the left today. They tell us "this is an all hands …

WSWS (2020-04-22). Thousands view online meeting of UK SEP outlining a socialist perspective on the pandemic. wsws.org Around 500 viewers took part in the event with participants from Britain joined by others from Australia, Sri Lanka, Germany, France, Canada and the US—underscoring the international interest in the meeting.

Eds. (2020-04-22). Our Voice: Victim-hood, money and lives underline the "them" versus "us" divide. mronline.org Some of the same forces that brought about the single largest act of domestic terrorism in our county—killing 168 people, including dozens of children, and injuring hundreds more—are percolating below the surface today. In fact, last year was the second highest year for domestic terrorism, with attacks that killed 31 people.

RT (2020-04-22). Oil inventories near breaking point as American Petroleum Institute reports 13 million barrel build. rt.com The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated on Tuesday another large crude oil inventory build of 13.226 million barrels for the week ending April 17. | Tuesday's inventory build was smaller than the expected 15.15 million barrels. | In the previous week, the API estimated a large build in crude oil inventories of 13.134 million barrels Oil prices were trading down on Tuesday afternoon prior to t…

RT (2020-04-22). Australian frigate joins US ships in S. China Sea amid rising tension. rt.com An Australian frigate has joined three US warships in the South China Sea, near an area where a Chinese vessel is suspected to be exploring for oil, officials said on Wednesday. The warships arrived this week close to where the Chinese government survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 has been operating, which, in turn, is near where a vessel operated by Malaysia's Petronas state oil company is conducting exploratory drilling, Reuters said, citing regional security sources. | The US navy said on Tuesday the USS America amphibious assault ship and the USS Bunker Hill, a guided missile cruiser, were operating in the South…

RT (2020-04-22). Number of Covid-19 cases exceeds 10,000 in Poland, which plans to re-open hotels in May. rt.com The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Poland rose to 10,034 on Wednesday. The death toll among the country's population of 38 million had reached 404, the health ministry tweeted. | On Monday, the government started to relax some of the restrictions that have been imposed during the outbreak. Hotels may be allowed to re-open in May as part of a second phase, Reuters quoted government spokesman Piotr Muller as saying on Wednesday. | "The opening of hotels should be decided in May, including hotels at the seaside," Muller told state broadcaster TVP Info.

RT (2020-04-22). First Covid-19 deaths in US occurred WEEKS EARLIER than previously thought. rt.com People in the US were dying of the novel coronavirus weeks before authorities officially reported the first death linked to the disease, new data published in Santa Clara County, California reveals. | Autopsies performed on two people who died at home on February 6 and February 17 show that their tissues were infected with Covid-19, Santa Clara health authorities said in a The fi…

MBNJSD (2020-04-22). Will America's Corruption End on a Ventilator or in a Mushroom Cloud? dissidentvoice.org Little by little, Americans are understanding just how badly our government has let us down by its belated and disastrous response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and how thousands more people are dying as a result. But there are two other crises we face that our government is totally unprepared for and incapable of dealing with: …

RT (2020-04-22). Thousands of UK healthcare workers given inaccurate Covid-19 tests, minister admits. rt.com UK healthcare workers were given flawed Covid-19 tests, a government minister has admitted, meaning frontline staff may have returned to work carrying the deadly virus. | Junior health minister Helen Whately told Sky News on Wednesday that NHS staff have been informed that their coronavirus tests were "not up to scratch" and results may not be accurate. They have now been offered a new test. | At least 100 frontline health workers have died from Covid-19, according to the most recent figures. Defending the serious error, Whately claimed it was all part of a "normal process when you are using a test for an illn…

RT (2020-04-22). India suspends Covid-19 antibody tests as accuracy concerns grow. rt.com The Indian government has ordered a pause in coronavirus-antibody testing owing to accuracy concerns, health officials said on Wednesday. As India's tally of cases nears 20,000, this will complicate the fight against the epidemic. | India trails many countries in conducting the standard swab tests to determine the presence of Covid-19 because of limited testing equipment and protective gear for medical workers. | Earlier this month, health authorities approved blood tests for coronavirus antibodies as a faster way to bolster the screening effort, and ordered half a billion testing kits from China. However, Dr…

The Canary (2020-04-22). UK coronavirus deaths may have reached 41,000, study finds. thecanary.co Deaths linked to coronavirus (Covid-19) in the UK may have already reached 41,000, according to new analysis.The Financial Times estimate is more than double the latest total announced by the Department of Health, which stood at 17,337 at 5pm on 20 April.The government's figure is based almost entirely on the deaths of hospital patients who tested positive for Covid-19.Differences in reporting mean this total can include a small number of deaths outside hospital that occurred in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Financial Times has used separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…

RT (2020-04-22). 'We did not get a cent': Palestinian diplomat says US 'lying' about promised $5mn aid package to hospitals facing Covid-19. rt.com The Palestinian envoy to France said Washington lied about sending millions in aid to beleaguered hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank, insisting the funds were earmarked for favored NGOs unlikely to spend a dime on healthcare. | In a tweet last week, Washington's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, claimed the US would provide $5 million to "Palestinian hospitals and households to meet immediate, life-saving needs in combating Covid-19," while congratulating the US for being the "world's top humanitarian donor." | I'm very pleased the USA is providing $5M for Palestinian hospitals and households to meet imme…

RT (2020-04-22). US reports 2,700+ coronavirus deaths in 24 hours in its 2nd biggest single-day spike as it prepares to reopen economy. rt.com The United States has reported over 2,700 new Covid-19 fatalities in the space of a single day, AFP reported, citing data from Johns Hopkins University. The daily death toll surged as the country is gradually easing lockdowns. | Some 2,751 American deaths on Tuesday marked one of the deadliest days yet in the global health crisis, which has claimed the lives of some 44,845 people in the US alone. Still the top hotspot for the coronavirus, the US will soon surpass 825,000 cases, more than several of the next worst-hit nations combined. | The spike in fatal cases in the US comes as 20 states — comprising ne…

RT (2020-04-22). Netherlands extends ban on major public events until September 1, some schools to re-open in May. rt.com The Netherlands is extending by three months its ban on major public events, including professional sports and music festivals, until September 1, to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections. However, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday an "encouraging" slowdown in the spread of the virus would enable elementary schools and daycare centers to partly re-open on May 11. | Limitations on the easing of restrictive measures are necessary to prevent a new wave of Covid-19 cases, according to Rutte. "It's better to be cautious now than to have regrets later," he told a televised press conference. | "I wou…

Paul Haeder (2020-04-22). Zooming Newport's Climate Awareness Earth Day 2020. dissidentvoice.org Fifty years ago, the first Earth Day brought out 20 million Americans across the land — to parks, schools, college campuses, stadiums, the Mall in DC, and for hundreds of river/beach/trail clean-ups. "Our Space Ship is Burning" From the series XR #7 ( XR — Greta Thunberg's movement Extension Rebellion) 20″x30″ Oil, college and gold …

Rebecca Gordon (2020-04-22). Strange Attractors: On Being Addicted to Trump and His Press Conferences. counterpunch.org My partner and I have been fighting about politics since we met in 1965. I was 13. She was 18 and my summer camp counselor. (It was another 14 years before we became a couple.) We spent that first summer arguing about the Vietnam War. I was convinced that the U.S. never should have gotten

RT (2020-04-22). Hosing down corona: WATCH Russian troops disinfect military training center in Serbia. rt.com Russian troops who arrived in Serbia to help the country fight its coronavirus epidemic have already disinfected some 80 sites in the Balkan nation. A fresh video has caught them in action. | Footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed a string of khaki-colored Kamaz trucks veering into the training compound in the city of Pozarevac. After disembarking, the servicemen in full protective gear sprayed the buildings' interiors with a disinfectant. | The soldiers worked hand-in-hand with Serbian chemical defense troops, who took it upon themselves to decontaminate an area adjacent to the training…

The Canary (2020-04-22). Lockdown reveals fresh air and cleaner rivers in India. thecanary.co India's extended lockdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak has shut down schools, workplaces, industries, transport, and forced people to stay home.It also led to an unexpected bonus in the country with six out of 10 of the world's most polluted cities: cleaner air.India accounts for the highest pollution-related deaths in the world with more than two million people every year, according to a December 2019 report by the Global Alliance of Health and Pollution.On 25 March, the first day of the lockdown, the average PM 2.5 levels decreased by 22% and nitrogen dioxide — which comes from burning fossil fuels [m…

RT (2020-04-22). Vietnam to ease coronavirus lockdown in most areas, PM says. rt.com Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed on Wednesday to ease the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in most parts of the country, according to state media. | No provinces in the Southeast Asian country are seen as "highly prone" to the new coronavirus, Phuc was quoted as saying on Voice of Vietnam national radio. | Vietnam has recorded 268 cases of the novel coronavirus so far, and no deaths, according to Reuters. | On Wednesday, the government in Hanoi has decided to raise its white rice exports quota for April to 500,000 tons from 400,000 tons.

RT (2020-04-22). Spain may start easing lockdown in 2nd half of May — PM Sanchez. rt.com The Spanish government aims to begin winding down the coronavirus lockdown in the second half of May, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday. Restrictions could be reintroduced if the epidemic worsens again in one of the worst-hit nations. | With the world's second-highest number of infections, more than 200,000, and Europe's second-highest death toll, 21,282, Spain has imposed one of the severest lockdowns, Reuters said. The country has taken a few tentative easing steps, including allowing some workers to return from last week and giving permission for children to go outside from next weekend, but mo…

RT (2020-04-22). Universal basic income plan for post-lockdown UK endorsed by over 100 opposition MPs. rt.com A group of over 100 MPs and Peers have called on the UK government to prepare some form of recovery Universal Basic Income (UBI) to protect citizens from the impending financial crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. | "As the scale and duration of the crisis becomes clear, it is essential that we take steps now to ensure that when we eventually emerge from lockdown, we do so with a fairer and more resilient society and economy," the cross-party Basic Income Conversation group wrote in a blog

yenisafak (2020-04-22). Trump to sign suspension of legal immigration to US. yenisafak.com U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will sign the executive order halting all legal permanent immigration to the U.S. for at least 60."I will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today," Trump said on Twitter. "In the meantime, even without this order, our Southern Border, aided substantially by the 170 miles of new Border Wall 27,000 Mexican soldiers, is very tight

sputniknews (2020-04-22). Indian IT Firms at Risk of Losing Around 3% of Revenue After Trump Halts Immigration to US – Analyst. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the US hard, President Donald Trump has decided to suspend immigration to the country for the next two months, which may lead to difficulties for Indian IT specialists.

RT (2020-04-22). Opposition calls for official inquiry into Johnson govt's coronavirus response. rt.com The leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey, a long-time detractor of Boris Johnson, has called for an official inquiry to be launched into the prime minister's handling of the coronavirus response. | "Once we are through this crisis, there will of course need to be an independent inquiry to officially review the government's response to the pandemic, so we can learn the lessons," Liberal Democrats acting leader Ed Davey said. | In Davey's estimation, the inquiry must be granted "the strongest possible powers" given the Tory government's "shocking failures on protective equipment for staff and the slow respon…

Alan MacLeod (2020-04-22). BJP capitalizes on Coronavirus fears to take India's fascist creep to the next level. mronline.org India is accelerating down the track of religious strife, and the government itself is driving the vehicle.

The Canary (2020-04-22). RAF plane returns from Turkey PPE mission. thecanary.co An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, has landed in the UK.Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A400-M registered ZM416 depart Istanbul and land just after 3.30am on Wednesday at RAF Brize Norton.The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey, late on Monday.It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns. | The government has come in for mounting cr…

RT (2020-04-22). 'The Fed can't print gold:' Bank of America sees bullion price surge to $3,000. rt.com At a time of weak economic growth and increased market volatility, analysts are getting more bullish on gold. According to Bank of America, the precious metal is headed 78 percent higher, to hit $3,000 per ounce in 18 months. | "As economic output contracts sharply, fiscal outlays surge, and central bank balance sheets double, fiat currencies could come under pressure. And investors will aim for gold," the bank's analysts said, adding that the US Federal Reserve has provided enough momentum to propel investment demand and prices higher. | They have warned that the Federal Reserve's balance sheet as a percentag…

RT (2020-04-22). Barreling down past $16: Brent crude continues its freefall, crashing to lowest point since 1999. rt.com Brent crude oil has extended its price plunge, falling to just below $16 per barrel, a level not seen in 20 years. The decline comes as WTI crude slowly recovers after sinking into negative territory earlier this week. | Brent plummeted to as low as $15.98 per barrel on Wednesday morning, dipping by more than 24 percent, according to OilPrice.com and Reuters. The benchmark has not plumbed such depths since 1999. | The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, continued to lag on Tuesday, settling at just shy of $10.89 per barrel after its dramatic downward spiral earlier this week, which pushed WTI pr…

Jayati Ghosh (2020-04-22). The pandemic and the global economy. mronline.org Developing countries face collapsing international trade, falling remittances, sharp reversals of capital flows, and currency depreciation. Only bold policies—debt relief, international financing, planning, and more—will avert further catastrophe.

pip.hinman (2020-04-22). Asian community stands up to escalating COVID-19 racist violence. greenleft.org.au

Robert Fisk (2020-04-22). Russia is About to Face its Biggest Test Yet in Syria. counterpunch.org An American reader tired of corona journalism sent me a plea this week: "There must be plenty of cruelty being unleashed by the gangsters-in-chief across the 'Mideast' that simply isn't making it into the headlines," she wrote. "Trump et al are either ignoring it or silently condoning it." I doubt if Donald Trump is ignoring

Zero Hedge (2020-04-22). Cancellation Wave Continues, China Leasing Firm Scraps Boeing 737 MAX Order. globalresearch.ca As thousands of Boeing employees head back to work in the Puget Sound region over the last week, the Washington-based aircraft manufacturer has noticed a string of recent cancellations of the grounded 737 MAX jet. | Last Tuesday (April 14), Boeing …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-04-22). "Mask Diplomacy" Might Not be Enough to Save Turkey from Financial Crisis. globalresearch.ca Turkey seems to be getting inspiration from China by engaging in "mask diplomacy" and is helping many coronavirus affected countries. Even though Turkey is being devastated by the pandemic with over 100,000 cases and 2,200 succumbing to the infection, it …

Ted Rall (2020-04-22). Don't Worry, Everything Will Get Back to "Normal" counterpunch.org When will things get back to normal? Everyone is asking. The economic lockdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a mass unemployment shock, forced countless businesses into bankruptcy and is driving many Americans crazy. But this shall pass. The good old days will be back. The coronavirus worried city officials. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers were sleeping "head-to-toe in dormitory-style

WSWS (2020-04-22). Israel: Gantz agrees to national emergency government with Netanyahu. wsws.org The new government's real purpose is to protect the wealth of Israel's corporate and financial elite and to suppress social unrest in Israel and Palestine.

Prof. Joseph H. Chung (2020-04-22). The Parliamentary Election in South Korea. Moon Jae-in Phenomenal Victory. globalresearch.ca The Democratic Party of President Moon Jae-in won a phenomenal victory at the parliamentary election on April 15. | This victory has been widely reported in media throughout the world with flattery terms. Most of the media seem to attribute this …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-22). OPEC unable to handle current situation solely: Zanganeh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cannot solely handle the current market issues, urging other producers' commitment in this regard.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-04-22). Podcast: COVID-19 vaccine development, patient data and isolation diaries. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: We hear from researchers working on a COVID-19 vaccine and with patient samples, and how students are coping in isolation.

WSWS (2020-04-22). Real jobless rate could reach 30 percent in Australia. wsws.org Low-paid workers are twice as likely to be thrown out of work as high-income people in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Grattan Institute.

WSWS (2020-04-22). Kazakhstan: Hospital workers demand resignation of government official over spread of COVID-19. wsws.org Hospital workers demanded that the city's chief public health officer, who accused medical workers of being responsible for the spread of the virus, be removed from office.

WSWS (2020-04-22). Death toll rises at veterans hospital in Massachusetts. wsws.org Roughly 1-in-4 COVID-19 fatalities in the entire Veterans Affairs care system have taken place at a single facility in Massachusetts.

en.mehrnews (2020-04-22). Iran records 1,194 new cases, 94 deaths on Wednesday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 85,996, of whom 5,391 have lost their lives to the deadly virus, according to Iran's Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Wednesday.

Danica Jorden (2020-04-22). Covid-19 Sweeping Through Farmworker and Meatpacker Ranks. zcomm.org "We work shoulder to shoulder. We're very close to each other…. I've had a fever and flu symptoms, but I take Tylenol and keep working."

Last Process: 50 Citations: 2020-04-22 14:02 GMT (10:02 EST)