RT (2020-04-17). Denver Broncos star linebacker Von Miller tests positive for COVID-19. rt.com One of the biggest defensive stars of the NFL has been struck down by the coronavirus with the news that Denver Broncos' star outside linebacker Von Miller has tested positive for COVID-19. | Miller told Denver news station 9News on Thursday that he had picked up symptoms linked to the global virus, which has left the sporting world at a virtual standstill throughout the past month. | Read more | | "I've just been here in the…

Medea Benjamin, Leonardo Flores (2020-04-17). Threatening Military Intervention in Venezuela During a Pandemic? counterpunch.org Unbeknownst to most Americans, as we are grappling with this terrifying pandemic, the Trump administration is currently carrying out the largest military operation in Latin America in 30 years, and has made it clear that alleged Venezuelan "narco-terrorism" is the target. It's worth noting that the last deployment of a similar size took place at

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-17). Towards A New World Order, The Global Debt Crisis and the Privatization of the State. globalresearch.ca There is a serious health crisis which must be duly resolved. And this is a number one priority. | But there is another important dimension which has to be addressed. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. …

RT (2020-04-17). Bolsonaro fires health minister, calls for reopening of Brazil's economy. rt.com Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has fired his health minister after clashing with him over how to fight the new coronavirus. On Thursday, the president once again called for states to end stay-at-home orders that he said were hurting the economy. | Bolsonaro has described the virus, which has killed nearly 2,000 Brazilians, as "a little flu" and criticized state governors for imposing restrictions, Reuters said. Health experts and the popular outgoing minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, have supported the curbs. | In televised remarks met with pot-banging protests in several major cities, Bolsonaro said Mande…

Staff (2020-04-17). Frontline Medical Workers Protest New NYC Policy Demanding Doctor's Notes When They Are Sick. democracynow.org A new policy at New York City's public hospitals requires medical workers who call in sick to produce a doctor's note. "We know that people just need a mental health day," says Sean Petty, a registered nurse at a public hospital in the Bronx who is organizing a protest against the policy. "Thousands of us have been exposed. Health workers are the least tested group of people in this city." Petty is a member of the board of directors of the New York State Nurses Association.

350.org Bay Area & many others (2020-04-17). #ClimateStrike: Virtual Protest Against Chase Bank to #Stop The Money Pipeline. indybay.org Online protest actions…

Bill Van Auken (2020-04-17). Pentagon Escalates Tensions with Iran in Persian Gulf. globalresearch.ca The US Navy charged Wednesday that 11 Iranian vessels had "repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches against multiple US naval ships operating in international waters." | The protest, issued by the command of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, represented a further …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-04-17). Spreading the Virus of Occupation: Spitting as a Weapon in the Hand of Colonial Israel. counterpunch.org Spitting at someone is a universal insult. In Israel, however, spitting at Palestinians is an entirely different story. Now that we know that the deadly coronavirus can be transmitted through saliva droplets, Israeli soldiers and illegal Jewish settlers are working extra hard to spit at as many Palestinians, their cars, doorknobs, and so on, as

Whitney Webb (2020-04-17). As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela. mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON DC ( Despite the president's rosy tone, most analysts have called the agreement — which presumably will freeze the Saudi-Russian oil price war that broke out…

Andre Vltchek (2020-04-17). New Indonesian Capital in Borneo: From Rural Misery to Grody Dreams of Urban Glory. globalresearch.ca An old road between Balikpapan and Samarinda passes through the poor villages, through rural slums, as well as stalls selling second-rate local fruits. The cheap, unhygienic eateries, are now half-empty. While the traffic is still heavy here, the 'real action' …

Staff (2020-04-17). "Gangster in the White House": Noam Chomsky on COVID-19, WHO, China, Gaza and Global Capitalism. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. He responds to President Trump's cuts to U.S. support for the World Health Organization and the surge in deaths in the United States to another record high, and discusses conditions in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and the progressive response. "This is typical behavior of autocrats and dictators. When you make colossal errors which are killing thousands of people, find somebody else to blame," say Chomsky. "In the United States, it's unfortunately the case, for well over a century, centu…

Steven Salaita (2020-04-17). Sanders and Palestine: a Post Mortem. counterpunch.org Let me start with a story about the Democratic primary. Now, I'm no operative, so this story has nothing to do with voting choices or electability. It's about how Palestine disappears in US electoral discourses, even when people who identify as Palestinian purport to make it visible. Sometime ago, I was added to an online

Paul Street (2020-04-17). Danger Clown and the Return to American Normalcy. counterpunch.org Recently in an online urban studies discussion, a young white man expressed his desire for his fellow Chicagoans and Americans more generally to get over all this COVID-19 trauma and "return to normal life in my great city and country." I was a little surprised and disappointed he didn't use Warren Harding's made-up word "normalcy."

graham (2020-04-17). Spanish workers furious as forced "back to work" in COVID-19 pandemic. truepublica.org.uk By Alejandro López: Working-class anger is rising against the Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government, which forced millions of nonessential workers back to work on Monday as thousands continue to fall ill each day from the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The measure, enforced by the unions, threatens to lead to hundreds of thousands of more infections and tens …

Roger Harris (2020-04-17). Bernie Sanders Tests the Limits of the US Political System. counterpunch.org The Great Gray Hope has bowed out of the presidential primary race, leaving tottering Joe Biden as the last Democrat standing. What Bernie Sanders accomplished electorally was remarkable, revealing both how far a progressive can venture and the limits proscribing further advancement to the left within the Democratic Party. Sanders pushes the limits of the

Roger D. Harris (2020-04-17). The Great Gray Hope: Bernie Sanders Tests the Limits of US Political Systems. mintpressnews.com For all his remarkable accomplishments, Sanders' legacy in 2020 will likely be that of 2016, which was to be the sheepdog that herded progressives into the Democratic Party and got nothing in return.

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-04-17). Roaming Charges: Bernt Offerings. counterpunch.org + You'd better stock up on those Marvin Gaye stamps while you can because the stamps for Trump's privatized mail service will feature Jim Fisk, Jay Gould, PT Barnum, JP Morgan, Andrew Mellon, Charles Ponzi, old man Rockefeller, Roy Cohn, Michael Milkin, Ken Lay, Bernie Madoff and, of course, Trump himself… + So does Trump

Staff (2020-04-17). Headlines for April 17, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Surge to New Record High as 4,500+ People Die in 24 Hours, New York COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 12,000 While Hospitalizations Continue to Fall | , CDC Investigating SD Pork Processing Plant, Single Biggest COVID-19 Hot Spot in U.S. | , Nurses Suspended in CA for Refusing to Treat COVID-19 Patients Without N95 Masks | , $349B Paycheck Protection Program for Small Businesses Exhausted | , USAA Will No Longer Seize Stimulus Checks; ProPublica Finds Landlords Violated Eviction Ban, NY Gov. Cuomo Rules Out Relief for Undocumented Residents | , UnitedHealth Group Profits Surge as Coronavirus Spre…

Juan Cole (2020-04-17). Israeli Squatters with Covid-19 break Quarantine, assault Palestinians. zcomm.org Palestinian authorities say that a low intensity war is being waged by the illegal squatters on Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, as the world's attention has turned toward the coronavirus pandemic…

RT (2020-04-17). China denies covering up Covid-19 severity, says revision increasing deaths by 50 percent 'common practice'. rt.com The correction of Wuhan's Covid-19 death toll, which rose by 1,290 and now stands at 3,869, was part of a statistical verification process and is a common international practice, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. | Zhao Lijian rejected claims that the Chinese government had engaged in a cover-up of the severity of the outbreak, saying at a daily briefing that Beijing would not allow such a thing. | The claim has been pushed, among others, by US President Donald Trump, who froze funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) this week after accusing it of conspiring with China to mislead the w…

RT (2020-04-17). Double trouble: BAD INTERNET connection rules darts ace Gary Anderson out of online PDC tournament. rt.com Sports stars often bemoan illness and injury as reasons for being unable to compete in major competitions, but in 2020, in the new age of COVID-19, a new issue has arisen. | Former Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) darts world champion Gary Anderson was all set to compete in the organization's first home-based event, but has found his hopes dashed — by an unreliable internet connection. | Read more | | The PDC, in a bid to pro…

RT (2020-04-17). Major automakers to jump start European production from next week. rt.com After a month-long shutdown due to Covid-19, major car manufacturers will gradually reopen plants in Europe. The outbreak has been a huge blow for the auto industry, sending it into the worst tailspin since the financial crisis. | Germany's Volkswagen (VW) which employs about 490,000 people in Europe (the majority of its global workforce of around 670,000) said that production of its passenger car brands will resume at plants in Zwickau, Germany and Bratislava, Slovakia starting the week of April 20. Other plants in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Russia and the United States will restart production the following we…

T.J. Coles (2020-04-17). The Global Fragmentation of Public Health Systems. counterpunch.org In many countries, what should have been a serious problem—COVID-19—quickly escalated into a crisis. Tracking and tracing capabilities were impaired or absent, central coordination was lacking, decisive actions were not taken, and lower-level staff were tasked with making life-or-death choices. This is a reflection of the US-British-led neoliberal form of capitalism that has infected the

RT (2020-04-17). Worst three months in decades: China's economy plunges almost 7% amid coronavirus battle. rt.com The world's second largest economy, China, took a huge hit due to the Covid-19 outbreak, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. It showed a 6.8 percent drop in the first quarter of 2020 from a year earlier. | That is the first such contraction since Beijing began reporting its quarterly gross domestic product in 1992. | Data showed that industrial production declined 8.4 percent in Q1, though March only saw a drop of 1.1 percent. Retail sales crashed 19 percent in the first quarter. Sales of consumer goods dipped by 15.8 percent in March, while online sales of physical goods rose almost six…

RT (2020-04-17). WHO first? It's time to revamp global institutions and prepare for a new post-Covid world order. rt.com With the WHO under attack for alleged complacency in dealing with Covid-19, the roles of other international organizations could be put under the spotlight, too. Is this a chance to rethink how global institutions should function? | When he cut funding for the World Health Organization earlier this week, US President Donald Trump accused the health body of being "China-centric," of propagating "false information about transmission and mortality" and generally of mishandling the pandemic, which has taken 135,000 lives and seen two million people infected globally. | Trump's decision to cut US funding to the WHO…

RT (2020-04-17). 'Devastated': England World Cup-winner Norman Hunter dies from COVID-19 at the age of 76. rt.com Norman Hunter, the defender who won the World Cup with England and was instrumental in Leeds becoming champions of England twice during a 14-year spell at the club, has died from COVID-19 at the age of 76. | Issuing a statement confirming Hunter's death on Friday morning, the club said his passing would leave a "huge hole" at Elland Road, where the former England regular had a lounge named after him and was a familiar presence, attending the Championship clash with Huddersfield last month. | Leeds United are devastated to learn of the passing of club legend Norman Hunter at the age of 76— Leeds United (@…

The Canary (2020-04-17). Emergency services hold minute's silence for pregnant nurse who died of Covid-19. thecanary.co Dozens of emergency service workers rallied round to pay tribute to Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, a pregnant nurse who died of Covid-19.On its Twitter account, the fire service posted a video of its deputy chief fire officer Andrew Hopkinson giving a speech to commemorate Agyapong who worked at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years. | She died on Sunday and her baby daughter was delivered successfully by Caesarean section.Hopkinson told well wishers: "We are taking the opportunity to remember and appreciate a wonderful young woman and nurse who's made a huge contribution to this NHS trust and to th…

John McMurtry (2020-04-17). The Unconscious System Plague: Will Covid-19 Finally Awaken Us? counterpunch.org Like others, I have thought from the first day of the Covid-19 pandemic that it was forcing us to awake from exponential life-system destruction by corporate 'business as usual' to our common life-ground. In the words of the formerly neo-liberal Governor Cuomo of New York, "It is a test of our humanity over the economy

RT (2020-04-17). What a pane! Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher SMASHES window during at-home practice session (VIDEO). rt.com With the sporting world currently on lockdown, professional athletes around the world are being forced to work out at home and get creative as they look to stay in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic. | One such athlete is Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly, who set up a special target in his back yard in order to practice his array of pitches. | Also on rt.com | | Unfortunately for Kelly, his attempt at a change-up p…

RT (2020-04-17). Almost HALF of French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group tested positive for Covid-19. rt.com Some 1,081 servicemen of the 2,300-strong Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group have tested positive for Covid-19, the French defense minister said. France's only carrier was forced to return to port after the outbreak. | The Charles de Gaulle coronavirus tally surged by over 300 confirmed cases on Friday when the country's military revealed new official figures. | Speaking to the country's National Assembly via video link, Defense Minister Florence Parly said that 2,010 tests had been carried out within the carrier group and 1,081 sailors tested positive. Some 545 of them have shown symptoms and 24 remain…

Missy Comley Beattie (2020-04-17). "There Is No Hope, But I May Be Wrong" counterpunch.org We compose our opinion pieces, writing anywhere from 400 to 1000 words. Most of us use "we must" and "we should" and "we need" and conclude with a paragraph that offers hope. Well, I'm pretty fucking far from hopeful. It's this virus, COVID-19, that's changing nearly every aspect of our waking hours, dictating who, what,

Pete Dolack (2020-04-17). Will the Pandemic Finish Trump or Give his Régime an Escape? counterpunch.org Amidst all the talk about if the global Covid-19 pandemic will lead to an opening for socialism, or at least a reduction in the grip of neoliberalism, in the wake of capitalism's failures, a more immediate question is if there is to be a reversal of the march of the Right in electoral politics. Elections

RT (2020-04-17). Sadiq Khan's call for compulsory face masks on London transport provokes both fury and praise. rt.com London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the UK government to make wearing face masks on public transport in the capital compulsory during the Covid-19 crisis, putting him at odds with UK health advisers and dividing public opinion. | During an interview with Sky News on Friday, the mayor of London claimed that "the evidence around the world is that this [face masks] is effective." He referenced countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany and South Korea, all of whom are currently advising their citizens to wear face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. | What I'm lobbying for is for when it comes to those circumsta…

RT (2020-04-17). 'It would be like martial law. You choose': Philippines leader Duterte threatens to deploy troops to enforce Covid-19 quarantine. rt.com President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has said that police and the military will step in to control social distancing and curfew if citizens continue to violate the Covid-19 quarantine rules. | Duterte has sent out his warning in a televised speech. "I am asking for your discipline, because if you don't want to [follow the rules], the military and police will take over. I am ordering them now to be ready," he said, as cited by local media. | The police and the military will enforce social distancing and curfew. It would be like martial law. You choose. | The president said that he could hand down the or…

RT (2020-04-17). 'There were polar bears on the street': Did former England captain John Terry's DAUGHTER scupper 2018 move to Spartak Moscow? rt.com John Terry rejected a move to Spartak Moscow at the last minute after his daughter voiced her fears that polar bears roamed the streets and the Chelsea legend would "never return", Italian agent Marco Trabucchi has revealed. | Terry had completed a medical with Spartak in Rome at the start of the 2018/19 season before a family summit made the free agent decide that a switch to Russia was "not the right move". | He had been expected to sign a lucrative two-year contract to join his first club outside of the UK at the age of 37, but later issued a public apology to Spartak chairman Leonid Fedun in an about-turn…

RT (2020-04-17). Oil market will not start to see recovery before June despite historic production cuts. rt.com Major oil-producing nations struck a historic deal this month aimed at curbing global output in a bid to stabilize the market. RT spoke to experts to find out whether the deal could really solve the falling demand. | The agreement reached by members of OPEC+ and their allies, including Russia and Mexico, represents a drop in production of 9.7 million barrels per day in May and June — the deepest cut ever agreed to by the world's oil producers. After that, the group will steadily ramp up production until the agreement expires in April 2022. | Despite the record reduction, oil prices continued to slide, wit…

RT (2020-04-17). Putin & Macron discuss minimizing negative economic consequences of pandemic in telephone conversation. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed by telephone measures aimed at minimizing the negative socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin's press service said on Friday. | During the conversation, which was initiated by the French side, the two leaders spoke about measures which are being taken in Russia and France. Macron thanked Putin for "helping France with the return of French citizens to their homeland and ensuring conditions for shipments of medical supplies and equipment through Russia to France," the press service said. | Int…

RT (2020-04-17). Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft with 3 crew members lands safely after completing mission on International Space Station (VIDEO). rt.com Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan returned from the International Space Station (ISS) and landed safely in Kazakhstan. | All three space explorers were part of the Expedition 62 aboard the ISS. Skripochka and Meir arrived at the space station in September of last year, while Morgan had been working at the ISS since July 2019. | –ï–°–¢–¨ –ü–û–°–ê–î–ö–ê! | ´–°–∞—Ä–º–∞—&Ccedil…

RT (2020-04-17). Anti-Corbyn Labour Party staff tried to stifle anti-war sentiment from new members, banned use of word 'warmonger' — report. rt.com Labour Party officials who opposed Jeremy Corbyn denied or revoked membership to people who criticized the war policies of former PM Tony Blair and who used phrases like "warmonger" to describe him, a leaked report said. | The information was revealed in an 860-page internal The in-depth report found that anti…

Ron Jacobs (2020-04-17). The Sixties in the City of the Fallen Angels. counterpunch.org Authors Mike Davis and Jon Weiner borrowed the title of their new history of Los Angeles from the Doors song "Light My Fire." Titled Set the Night on Fire: A History of LA in the Sixties, it is a history of social movements for social and economic justice and against imperial war. Indeed, given the

RT (2020-04-17). Israeli TV says US intel warned IDF & NATO of coronavirus threat in NOVEMBER 2019, doubling down on claims dismissed by… US intel. rt.com American intelligence passed an early warning about the coronavirus to Tel Aviv and NATO as far back as November, Israel's Channel 12 claims, even after a top US medical intel officer dismissed a similar report just last week. | The broadcaster aired a story on Thursday alleging that the US intelligence community shared classified information about a new viral outbreak in China with the Israeli military and senior NATO officials. With nobody willing to go on record to confirm the report, however, the story is based on murky anonymous sourcing, leaving it a mystery where the claim originated. | "Still in Novemb…

The Canary (2020-04-17). UK could have the highest death rate in Europe because government was 'too slow', doctor warns. thecanary.co Britain will face "further waves" of coronavirus and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the government was "too slow" to act, a leading physician has warned.Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London's Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs that the "harsh reality" is that "we were too slow with a number of things"."If we're going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage we all hope that the national lockdown and social distancing will bring about a large suppression of the epidemic so far — but we're going to face further wave…

RT (2020-04-17). US Federal Reserve 'put the world on its back' with $2.3 TRILLION injection, chief research analyst tells Boom Bust. rt.com As organizations like the IMF and the UN warn that this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the US central bank has once again decided to pump trillions of dollars into the economy. | RT's Boom Bust talks to the CEO of Transformity Research, Tobin Smith, who has been sounding the alarm lately, saying that the economic downturn in the United States is not due to the coronavirus pandemic. | "Let's bear in mind that up until eight days ago we were in a free fall and then the Fed put the United States on its back and it really put the world on its back. It basically said that the world is too…

Tamara Pearson (2020-04-17). The Self-Centered Rich Country Response to Pandemics and Crises is Wrecking Poor Countries. counterpunch.org I'm squatting on a round piece of concrete, and a 72-year-old man is sitting in the gutter, his walking stick beside him. He tells me that after being deported from the United States, he has been hiking the streets of Mexico City trying to find somewhere to stay. But all the refuges are closed due to the pandemic, including the one we're sitting outside of, where I volunteer. He has run out of insulin for his diabetes and says he can't walk any more.

Marshall Auerback — Jan Frel (2020-04-17). The New Fault Lines in a Post-Globalized World. counterpunch.org The coronavirus pandemic has upended the global economic system, and just as importantly, cast out 40 years of neoliberal orthodoxy that dominated the industrialized world. Forget about the "new world order." Offshoring and global supply chains are out; regional and local production is in. Market fundamentalism is passé; regulation is the norm. Public health is

Howie Wolke (2020-04-17). Wilderness Protects Biological Diversity. counterpunch.org In the current election cycle, three things are clear. First, it is apparent that for the next four years, the President will, like me, be an old white guy (hopefully not named Trump). Second, the global biodiversity crisis, unfortunately, is not a campaign issue. And third, neither is human overpopulation — 7.8 billion and counting

RT (2020-04-17). Austria to let museums, some cultural spaces reopen from mid-May. rt.com Austrian museums and some other cultural spaces will be allowed to reopen from mid-May as part of the step-by-step loosening of its coronavirus lockdown, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler said on Friday. A specific date has not yet been set, Kogler told reporters, adding that large events involving many people close together, such as festivals, would remain banned until August 31. | On Tuesday, the Alpine republic started loosening its lockdown, letting DIY stores, garden centers and smaller shops reopen. Larger shops and hairdressers are due to follow from May 1. | The country will be on the lookout for any accel…

RT (2020-04-17). Medicine not missiles: Iran celebrates Army Day with unique parade to promote healing amid coronavirus crisis (VIDEO). rt.com Iranian authorities opted to forego the usual display of military might befitting the country's national Army Day, opting instead to pay tribute to the men and women fighting on the frontlines of the country's coronavirus crisis. | Missiles, armored vehicles and fighter jet flyovers were swapped out for disinfection trucks, mobile hospitals and soldiers dressed as doctors and nurses in hazmat suits displaying lifesaving medical equipment during Friday's demure 'Defenders of the Homeland, Helpers of Health' army parade. | The normally massive crowds were nowhere to be seen, as the more restrained affair was…

RT (2020-04-17). China's Wuhan death toll spikes by 50% as authorities report 1,290 'delayed & omitted' fatalities. rt.com The Chinese city of Wuhan — ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic — has revised its fatality count, increasing the total by just shy of 1,300 deaths, which officials say went unreported due to "delays" and "omissions." | Authorities in Wuhan added another 1,290 deaths to the city's death toll on Friday, putting the overall figures at 50,333 infections and 3,869 fatalities in the virus' first epicenter. The revision was necessary to "address incorrect reporting, delays and omissions of cases," city officials said, with the new numbers increasing Wuhan's death tally by 50 percent. | "In the early…

RT (2020-04-17). Montreux Jazz Festival canceled for 1st time since 1967 — Swiss organizers. rt.com The Montreux Jazz Festival will not be held in July due to the coronavirus pandemic, marking the first time the Swiss summer festival has not taken place since its launch in 1967. | As the government is keeping most hygiene and social distancing measures in place for now, it is impossible to consider holding an event on such a scale, organizers said on Friday. | The two-week festival along Lake Geneva draws nearly 250,000 people. "The program planned for this summer will be partly carried over to next year's festival, which will take place from 2 to 17 July 2021," the statement said, according to Reuters. | Th…