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2020-04-08: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

6 Ways Trump Is Exploiting This Pandemic For Political Gain
Karen J. Greenberg | thenation.com | 2020-04-08
6 Ways Trump Is Exploiting This Pandemic For Political Gain…
thenation.com/article/politics/coronavirus-trump-immigration-election/

Deaths of Inequality
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | zcomm.org | 2020-04-08
Black and Latinx Communities at Epicenter of Epicenter of the Pandemic…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/deaths-of-inequality/

Be A Hero: COVID-19 w/ Ady Barka, Rep. A. Ocasio-Cortez, & Rahna Epting of MoveOn
Be A Hero Fund, MoveOn | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
Online via Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/07/18832151.php

Migrants in detention in Texas face COVID-19
Mirinda Crissman | workers.org | 2020-04-08
Austin, Texas Migrants being held in detention in Texas have been facing abhorrent sanitary conditions in the detention facilities long before the coronavirus pandemic began. Now that the virus is here, and threatens to infect such a vulnerable and captive population at higher rates than the general population, many migrants . . . | Continue reading Migrants in detention in Texas face COVID-19 at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/04/47542/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=migrants-in-detention-in-texas-face-covid-19

San Diego "Honk for Justice" Calls for the Release of people in ICE Detention
repost | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
Author Pedro Rios serves as director of the AFSC's U.S./Mexico Border Program and has been on staff with AFSC since 2003. He is a steering committee member of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, which brings together over 60 organizations along the Southern border working to support migrants and border communities.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832119.php

San Francisco: Mayor Breed Opts for Mass Indoor Camps
Quiver Watts, Street Sheet | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
While hundreds of advocates have been desperately contacting Mayor London Breed imploring her to place homeless people in hotel rooms and vacant units, it seems she has her own plan for addressing poverty during the pandemic: opening indoor camps to further concentrate vulnerable people.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832122.php

Julian Assange and Lockdown Injustice
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Scribes covering the Julian Assange case must surely gawk with a sense of horrified wonder at each proceeding unfolding at the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Assange is in a battle that can only be described as titanic, seeking to …
globalresearch.ca/julian-assange-lockdown-injustice/5709059

Prisons: Breeding Grounds for Disease. Julian Assange's Life in Danger
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
The US gulag prison system is the world's largest by far, the largely unreported in the mainstream shame of the nation. | Official numbers significantly understate the true number of incarcerated inmates annually. | According to a Prison Policy Initiative analysis, nearly …
globalresearch.ca/prisons-breeding-grounds-disease-julian-assange-danger/5709067

Vindictive court rulings prove British state wants Assange dead
wsws.org | 2020-04-08
Judge Vanessa Baraitser has decreed that Assange will remain behind bars and that his extradition show-trial will proceed in May, even as the coronavirus pandemic spreads rapidly in British prisons.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/08/pers-a08.html

Julian Assange and Lockdown Injustice
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-08
Scribes of the Julian Assange case must surely gawk with a sense of horrified wonder at each proceeding unfolding at the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Assange is in a battle that can only be described as titanic, seeking to avoid the clutches of the US Justice Department, not to mention its legal system, and …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/julian-assange-and-lockdown-injustice/

COVID-19 Coronavirus "Fake" Pandemic: Timeline and Analysis
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
On January 30, a far-reaching decision was taken by the WHO without the support of expert opinion at a time when the coronavirus outbreak was limited to Mainland China. 150 confirmed cases outside China, when the decision was taken, 6 in the US, 3 in Canada, 2 in the UK, etc. In early March, 430 cases in the US.
globalresearch.ca/ncov-2019-coronavirus-time-line/5705776

After the Lockdown: A Global Coronavirus Vaccination Program
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
The tendency is towards a Worldwide lockdown spearheaded by fear and media disinformation. Currently, hundreds of millions of people Worldwide are under lockdown. | What is the next step in the evolution of the COV-19 Crisis? A multibillion dollar coronavirus vaccination program to be implemented in the wake of the Lockdown.
globalresearch.ca/after-the-lockdown-a-global-coronavirus-vaccination-program/5706547

The Pandemic Makes the Bernie 2020 Campaign More Vital Than Ever
Norman Solomon | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
Reasons to stay in the race are ample and solid…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/06/18832133.php

Correcting the Sentinel's Latest Errors
Robert Norse & Keith McHenry | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry corrects errors, omissions, and distoertions in Sentinel writer Jessica York's recent story "Santa Cruz County launches joint homelessness task force in coronavirus pandemic; Food Not Bombs expands food distribution" (4 PM, April 4th) at www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/04/04/santa-cruz-county-launches-joint-homelessness-task-force-in-coronavirus-pandemic .
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832118.php

Updates from Santa Cruz's Struggling Benchlands Meal & Santa Barbara's Peter Marin
Robert Norse | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
Santa Barbara activist Peter Marin blasts Santa Barbara's "Let 'Em Die: " Lack of Services. Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry Calls for More Volunteers, Warns Local Authorities Violate CDC Safeguards for Those Outside…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/04/18832103.php

Martin Khor: The Making of a Global Activist
Walden Bello | zcomm.org | 2020-04-08
The late Martin Khor united activists, officials, and thought leaders against trade and climate policies that plundered the Global South. Here's how his comrades remember him…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/martin-khor-the-making-of-a-global-activist/

UN suspends deployment and rotation of peacekeeping troops worldwide due to coronavirus pandemic
rt.com | 2020-04-08
The United Nations has ordered its military and police forces across the globe to suspend rotation in an effort to mitigate the spread of the deadly coronavirus. | The suspension will stay in effect until June 30, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters on Tuesday. | "There is no movement of troops, coming in or out… A few, limited exceptions may be considered," Dujarric told CBS News. | The spokesperson explained that the order applies not only to formed military and police units, but to individual officers as well. | The UN currently has 13 active peacekeeping missi…
rt.com/news/485242-un-suspends-al-peacekeeping-deployments/

When "Moderate" Democrats Lead the Ticket and Win, Down-Ballot Candidates Soon Suffer Losses
Rick Baum | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-08
Many mainstream Democrats claim if "democratic socialist" Sanders were their party's presidential nominee, many party candidates running in down-ballot races would lose in races they should win. They warn that a Sanders' led ticket could result in the Democrats not regaining control of the Senate and even losing their majority in the House along with…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/08/when-moderate-democrats-lead-the-ticket-and-win-down-ballot-candidates-soon-suffer-losses/

Corporate Buybacks Artificially Inflated Stock Prices to Bubble Levels
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
For many years on Wall Street, stock prices and true valuations diverged sharply

US deal with Taliban breaks down while coronavirus spreads in Afghanistan
wsws.org | 2020-04-08
The Taliban has withdrawn from talks with the crisis-ridden Kabul regime over its failure to act on a prisoner release agreement brokered by Washington.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/08/afgh-a08.html

COVID-19 in Democratic Republic of the Congo (CRC): Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst
Dr. Jean-Claude Maswana | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
This week I spoke to Congolese native Jean-Claude Maswana, economics professor at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, about COVID-19 in DRC. | ANN GARRISON: Jean-Claude, reporting on your homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is always daunting. It's not …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-drc-hoping-best-preparing-worst/5709047

As Washington Privatized Pandemic Preparation, the National Security State Left Americans Defenseless Against Coronavirus
Gareth Porter | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Responsibility for pandemic preparation was privatized under the Obama and Trump administrations. It's time to face down the national security state that wasted trillions on imperial wars and abandoned Americans to fight coronavirus alone. | *** | Donald Trump's failure to …
globalresearch.ca/washington-privatized-pandemic-preparation-national-security-state-left-americans-defenseless-against-coronavirus/5709099

Billionaire "Job Creators" and the Keyboard Revolutionaries Who Enable Their Candidates
Michael K. Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-08
Capitalism's "invisible hand" gives us the middle finger with ever more contempt these days. With the national unemployment rate soaring to Depression-era levels and beyond, the self-proclaimed "job creators" of our glorious free-market paradise are now drowning in gluttonous excess from sucking the tit of the "Nanny State" they allegedly abhor. While workers are prohibited …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/billionaire-job-creators-and-the-keyboard-revolutionaries-who-enable-their-candidates/

Montana Ballot Access Decision Suppresses Green Party Voters
Steve Kelly | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-08
In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court held that unequal distribution requirements for statewide petitions violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Again in 1970, citing the 1969 Illinois case, the SCOTUS struck down New York's distribution requirements. Distribution requirements give voters in some geographical areas more power than voters residing in other areas in blatant disregard for a…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/08/montana-ballot-access-decision-suppresses-green-party-voters/

Video: Infighting Among Turkish Proxies Erupts in Syria. Rocket Strike Hits US-operated Oil Facility in Iraq
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Infighting among Turkish-backed groups has erupted near the town of Ras al-Ayn. According to local sources, conflicts over the captured houses and looted properties became the main reason of the conflict between members of the Sultan Murad armed group which …
globalresearch.ca/video-infighting-among-turkish-proxies-syria-rocket-strike-hits-us-operated-oil-facility-iraq/5709044

Video: US Confirms Deployment of Patriot Missiles in Iraq. Iran Prepares for Conflict in Strait of Hormuz
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
On April 5, a series of large explosions rocked the village of al-Kastan in southwestern Idlib injuring 8 people, including 3 members of the so-called White Helmets. According to local sources, an ammunition depot located in the civilian area inside …
globalresearch.ca/video-us-confirms-deployment-patriot-missiles-iraq-iran-prepares-conflict-hormuz/5708899

Open Letter to Condemn Trump Administration's Hypocritical Indictment on Drug Charges of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and High-Ranking Venezuelan Officials
Alliance for Global Justice | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
We, the undersigned organizations and prominent individuals, condemn the false claims of criminal charges by the US government against the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and other high-ranking officials with the pretext of their alleged involvement in international …
globalresearch.ca/open-letter-condemn-trump-administration-drug-charges-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-high-ranking-venezuelan-officials/5709043

Venezuela Pres Maduro's Message to American people
repost | indybay.org | 2020-04-08
Oil rich Venezuela is again threatened with invasion, by Nazi Trump, with no opposition from any Democrat, sending an armada to Venezuela's shores, in the middle of a pandemic, under the obviously false pretext of drug-pushing, which the world knows Venezuela does not do. The democratically elected government of Nicolas Maduro has sent an open letter to the American people. See www.globalresearch.ca/letter-president-maduro-people-united-states/5708882
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/07/18832148.php

The Green New Deal and the State: Lessons from World War II–Part I
Martin Hart-Landsberg | mronline.org | 2020-04-08
There is growing interest in a Green New Deal, but far too little discussion among supporters about the challenging nature of the required economic transformation, the necessary role of public planning and ownership in shaping it, or the strategies necessary to institutionalize a strong worker-community voice in the process and final outcome.
mronline.org/2020/04/08/the-green-new-deal-and-the-state-lessons-from-world-war-ii-part-i/

The Coronavirus Pandemic, Like Other Global Catastrophes, Reveals the Limitations of Nationalism
Lawrence Wittner | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-08
We live with a profound paradox. Our lives are powerfully affected by worldwide economic, communications, transportation, food supply, and entertainment systems. Yet we continue an outdated faith in the nation-state, with all the divisiveness, competition, and helplessness that faith produces when dealing with planetary problems. As we have seen in recent weeks, the coronavirus, like …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/the-coronavirus-pandemic-like-other-global-catastrophes-reveals-the-limitations-of-nationalism/

Biden Says He 'Doesn't Have Enough Information' on Iran to Have a View
Robert Fisk | zcomm.org | 2020-04-08
How Odd, He Negotiated the Nuclear Deal…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/biden-says-he-doesnt-have-enough-information-on-iran-to-have-a-view/

The Cruel Truth Behind Wisconsin's Uncancelled Election
Bill Lueders | progressive.org | 2020-04-08
State Republicans exploited the coronavirus crisis in an effort to elect a state Supreme Court candidate who objects to the idea of government helping people in need.
progressive.org/dispatches/cruel-truth-wisconsin-uncancelled-election-lueders-200408/

People die as capitalists profit from pandemic crisis
| workers.org | 2020-04-08
By Lucy Cruz April 3

Prisoners resist execution by virus
Gloria Rubac | workers.org | 2020-04-08
On a good day, most of the 5,000 prisons and jails in the U.S. are filthy hellholes. Medical care is seriously lacking and can be costly. Racism is ingrained in these institutions, and violence is often the order of the day. Right now, prisoners are terrified that as the COVID-19 . . . | Continue reading Prisoners resist execution by virus at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/04/47540/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prisoners-resist-execution-by-virus

Rosemary Neidenberg: a long and valued life
Deirdre Griswold | workers.org | 2020-04-08
Rosemary Neidenberg had reached the age of 99 before she died on March 29. But losing her then was still too soon and too sad for all her comrades, family and friends. Rosie was a treasure, a loving hug, an encyclopedia of past memories. She was beautiful in every way, . . . | Continue reading Rosemary Neidenberg: a long and valued life at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/04/47547/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rosemary-neidenberg-a-long-and-valued-life

Interview: Amazon worker battles billionaire Bezos
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2020-04-08
Chris Smalls is a former Amazon worker who was fired for organizing a March 30 walkout at the JFK8 Amazon facility in Staten Island, N.Y. Bosses refused to close the facility despite confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the workers. In the aftermath of Smalls' wrongful termination, a leaked memo from . . . | Continue reading Interview: Amazon worker battles billionaire Bezos at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/04/47554/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=interview-amazon-worker-battles-billionaire-bezos

Texas ban seeks to overturn legal abortion
Sue Davis | workers.org | 2020-04-08
April 7

Mayo Clinic joins community efforts urging people to #StoptheSpread during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-08
Jeff Bolton, Mayo Clinic's chief administrative officer, joins other community leaders in Rochester, Minn., in sharing the message that the best defense against COVID-19 is for people to stay home. ROCHESTER, Minn.

Number of coronavirus cases across 81 Russian regions rises by record 1,175 to 8,672
rt.com | 2020-04-08
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Russia has risen by 1,175 over the past day

Seminary student from Russia disinfecting thoroughfares in Qom
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-08
QOM, Apr. 08 (MNA)

Iran welcomes Russia's idea of green corridors: FM Zarif
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-08
TEHRAN, Apr. 08 (MNA)

The COVID-19 Catastrophe: A Global Platform to Take Legal Action against the WHO and Corrupt Governments
Jose Francisco Fernández-Bullón | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Although there seems to be a passive acceptance by citizens of the measures imposed due to the fake coronavirus epidemic, this resignation is largely the consequence of the absence of leaders leading an effective resistance against the disguised coup d'état. …
globalresearch.ca/global-platform-sue-global-authorities/5708834

Video: How COVID-19 Death Certificates Are Being Manipulated. Montana Physician Dr. Annie Bukacek
Dr. Annie Bukacek | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Dr. Annie Bukacek is a longtime Montana physician with over 30 years experience practicing medicine. Signing death certificates is a routine part of her job. | In this brief video, Dr. Bukacek blows the whistle on the way the CDC is …
globalresearch.ca/video-montana-physician-dr-annie-bukacek-discusses-how-covid-19-death-certificates-manipulated/5709062

Neoliberalism, Climate Change and the Future of Architecture
Caoimhghin àì Croidheáin | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Introduction | What is the future for architecture in these times of climate change and economic crises? Should sustainability and affordability be a major factor in the design and development of future buildings? What about aesthetics? There are many individual examples …
globalresearch.ca/neoliberalism-climate-change-future-architecture/5709033

More People Died of Suicide Last Week in Tennessee Than COVID-19
Mac Slavo | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
As we previously warned, this pandemic will bankrupt and kill more people from suicide than the virus will. When you sacrifice people's livelihoods, you create a difficult situation of desperation for many who will see no other way out. | We …
globalresearch.ca/more-people-died-of-suicide-last-week-in-tennessee-than-covid-19/5709093

Coronavirus: The Great Geopolitical Leveller
Johanna Ross | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
Coronavirus is indiscriminate. We have seen young and old affected, rich and poor. In the UK alone, we have seen the Prime Minister himself succumb to it and even Prince Charles. But this pandemic has repercussions beyond our nation states…
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-great-geopolitical-leveller/5708878

They Told Us So. "This Was Not a Strike out of the Blue". Towards A New World Order
Jim Miles | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
I cannot say "I told you so" because I did not. But I can say "They told us so" because they did. "They" being the alternate media that provided news and views that the mainstream media (MSM) would not touch …
globalresearch.ca/they-told-us-so-this-was-not-a-strike-out-of-the-blue-towards-new-world-order/5708774

UK- Australia COVID-19 Deaths, Deprivation Deaths in Developing Countries, Indigenous Avoidable Deaths
Gideon Polya | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
We are all shocked by the Covid-19-related carnage in Western Europe and the US in particular and fervently hope for an early end to the disaster. However it is timely to note huge avoidable deaths from deprivation in the Developing …
globalresearch.ca/uk-australian-covid-19-deaths-versus-developing-country-indigenous-avoidable-deaths-deprivation/5708948

Coronavirus Disease 2019 vs. the Flu
Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H. | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-08
This comparative analysis by a prominent physician and scholar should reassure people. The media fear campaign tends to describe COV-19 as a dangerous and life threatening infection. | *** | Influenza (the flu) and COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus…
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-disease-2019-flu/5708689

As pandemic rages in New York, new budget allows for massive cuts in social programs
wsws.org | 2020-04-08
The newly enacted New York state budget, regardless of its nominal contents, will inevitably lead to major attacks on the working class.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/08/nysb-a08.html

2020-04-07: News Headlines

Nicolás Maduro (2020-04-07). Venezuela's president sends message to U.S. population. workers.org Caracas, April 3, 2020 To the People of the United States of America: For weeks now, the world stands still, trying to control a pandemic that, without any doubt, is the greatest challenge we have faced together as a society and as international community. Our priority is confronting it, as . . . |

(2020-04-07). Toward a Popular Salvation Front in Spain. workers.org Red Network, a communist, anti-imperialist organization that sees socialism as the only way out of the capitalist crisis, published this first draft of a program aimed, after discussion, at uniting other such organizations in the Spanish state in a common front. The program's goal is to defend the lives and . . . |

Monica Moorehead (2020-04-07). Racism, COVID-19 and Black people — WW commentary. workers.org April 4 marks the 52nd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the great civil rights leader, who sacrificed his life to realize a dream for social equality. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was gunned down in cold blood when he went . . . |

John Catalinotto (2020-04-07). COVID-19 exposes the U.S. Armed Forces. workers.org Reports in the media this week have shown that the U.S. Armed Forces — which are the core of the imperialist state power — are far from immune to the coronavirus. Both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. And the hit has . . . |

RT (2020-04-07). Russian military physicians begin treating suspected Covid-19 cases in Serbian capital. rt.com The teams of Russian military physicians commenced treating suspected Covid-19 cases after disinfection in Dragisa Misovic clinical medical center in Belgrad, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. | Nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops and specialized military vehicles are involved in decontamination and disinfection of medical facilities. | Russian military planes earlier delivered 87 servicemen, including medics, virologists, as well as medical equipment and 16 vehicles. Two Russian medical brigades will stay in Belgrade, where the coronavirus situation is the most difficult, while othe…

RT (2020-04-07). 'Who has the nuke codes?' Piers Morgan's provocative quizzing of Michael Gove splits opinion as BoJo lies in intensive care. rt.com Bombastic TV host Piers Morgan's probing of Minister Michael Gove about who's in control of the UK's nuclear weapons while the PM is being treated for Covid-19 has divided Twitter. | Some social media users praised the interview, while others branded the question about the country's nuclear arsenal as "stupid." | Morgan appeared very concerned about who had access to the UK's big red button as he clashed with Gove on

RT (2020-04-07). Indian state leaders want extension to world's biggest lockdown. rt.com Several state leaders in India have called for an extension or only a partial lifting of current restrictions. They said that the 21-day lockdown, which is set to end next week, is the only way to avoid a coronavirus epidemic in the country. | India has so far escaped a big surge in cases after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked its 1.3 billion people to stay indoors in the world's biggest lockdown last month, which authorities have strictly enforced. However, shuttering the $2.9 trillion economy has left millions of people without work and forced those who live on daily wages to flee to their homes in the cou…

RT (2020-04-07). Russia's Covid-19 cases jump by record 1,154, with 11 new fatalities pushing overall death toll to 58. rt.com In Russia, the Covid-19 trend is upward. The daily increase of confirmed infections has for the first time surpassed 1,000 as the total has reached almost 7,500. 58 patients have now died from the killer virus in the country. | Officials announced on Monday morning that 1,154 new patients had been diagnosed with the coronavirus over the preceding 24 hours. In the same period of time, 11 people are known to have succumbed to the disease. | The infection has spread to a new Russian region with the first three cases reported in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic in the south of the country. Of the 85 federal subjects…

RT (2020-04-07). 'Aggressive expropriation attempt': Russia blasts Trump's order declaring space up for grabs by Americans. rt.com The US has declared outer space a legal equivalent of the Wild West, and Russia believes it may lead to the grimmest of consequences like many policies of territorial expansion did in the past. | Russia's space agency was not impressed by President Donald Trump's executive order, which doesn't see space "as a global commons." | "Attempts to expropriate outer space and aggressive plans to de facto seize the territories of other planets will hardly encourage other nations to participate in fruitful cooperation," said Sergey Savelyev, Roscosmos deputy director responsible for international cooperation. | Also on…

Vijay Prashad, Paola Estrada, Ana Maldonado, and Zoe PC (2020-04-07). Trump Sends Gun Boats to Venezuela While the World Partners to Fight a Deadly Pandemic. counterpunch.org On April's Fools Day, U.S. President Donald Trump gave a press conference where he announced a new "counter-narcotics effort" by U.S. Southern Command. "We're deploying additional Navy destroyers, combat ships, aircrafts and helicopters, Coast Guard cutters…doubling our capabilities in the region," he said. The point of this mission—which will be joined by other countries—is to

Dennis Broe (2020-04-07). 'Jordskott' and ecological horror; 'One Day at a Time' revived. peoplesworld.org The Swedish series with the mysterious title Jordskott is an anomaly wrapped in an enigma. Really, what it is, is a deeply rooted ecological series posing as a horror/mystery thriller. The mystery thriller elements include abducted children and several murders perpetrated by a ruthless killer which occur around and in an ancient forest under siege. …

RT (2020-04-07). 'Take me back!' NYC patients 'crying & screaming' not to be sent to overcrowded hospitals during Covid-19 — doctor (VIDEO). rt.com Patients in New York, gripped by a massive outbreak of the Covid-19, are resisting hospitalization out of fear of catching the deadly disease as medical facilities are severely overcrowded with coronavirus cases, a doctor said. | New York has become one of the epicenters of the coronavirus epidemic in the US. The state has seen more than 130,000 confirmed cases as well as 4,758 deaths — already more than in all of China, where the disease was first reported. The dire situation has put a severe strain on the local health system and, for patients, the prospect of being admitted to a hospital is more like a…

RT (2020-04-07). At long last: China reports zero new coronavirus deaths for FIRST TIME as outbreak continues to subside. rt.com Beijing has reported zero new fatalities from Covid-19, the country's National Health Commission said in a statement, a first for China since it was wracked with a major coronavirus outbreak late last year. | The Health Commission Seeing over 82,000 cases in total since last December, larg…

RT (2020-04-07). 'WHO blew it!' Trump accuses global health watchdog of being CHINA-CENTRIC despite 'largely US-funded'. rt.com US President Donald Trump slammed the World Health Organization for its "faulty recommendation" that the US — which now has more coronavirus cases than China — should keep its borders open during the early weeks of the epidemic. | The president warned he would be having a "good look" at why the WHO, chiefly funded by the US, was so "China centric" in a tweet on Tuesday. | Congratulating himself for not listening to the NGO's advice, Trump wondered aloud about its motivations. | The W.H.O. really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving…

RT (2020-04-07). China must step up on African debt relief amid coronavirus pandemic — Ghana. rt.com China must do more to help ease the debt burden of African countries facing economic calamity from the coronavirus pandemic, Ghana's finance minister said. Africa accounts for just a fraction of global cases of the disease, but the continent's economies are expected to contract, putting about 20 million jobs at risk. | "My feeling is that China has to come on stronger," Ken Ofori-Atta said during a conversation on Monday with Masood Ahmed, president of the Washington-based Center for Global Development. "African debt to China is $145 billion or so, over $8 billion of payments is required this year… So that n…

The Canary (2020-04-07). Calls for urgent action to protect prison staff and inmates from coronavirus. thecanary.co Failure to reduce the number of prisoners behind bars drastically and urgently to protect them and others from coronavirus "will have a devastating impact", campaigners have warned.The comments came after it emerged the death toll of inmates who had died after contracting the virus had risen to 10.Three were inmates at HMP Littlehey, Cambridgeshire, with others being held at Birmingham, Manchester, Altcourse in Merseyside, Belmarsh in south east London, Whatton in Nottinghamshire, Sudbury in Derbyshire, and a female prisoner at Low Newton, County Durham.A total of 116 prisoners had tested positive for Covid-19 in…

Patrick Cockburn (2020-04-07). The Chaotic Government Response to COVID-19 Resembles the Failures of 1914. counterpunch.org Government leaders everywhere are calling for their people to wage war against the coronavirus outbreak, recalling past victories in an effort to boost public morale. In Britain, politicians cite the Second World War as a suitable example of determined and successful resistance to a terrifying enemy. Yet the faltering response of the British authorities to

Staff (2020-04-07). Amazon "Profiting from This Pandemic" as Warehouse Workers Walk Off Job to Demand Safer Conditions. democracynow.org Just a week "after Amazon fired": www.democracynow.org/2020/3/31/headlines/amazon_fires_organizer_of_staten_island_strike_action a worker who led a walkout, workers at the same Staten Island warehouse walked off the job again Monday to protest unsafe working conditions as online orders soar during the pandemic. We get an update from Angeles Solis, lead organizer at Make the Road New York, which helped organize the strike. Solis helps lead the group's Beyond Amazon coalition in New York City. If Amazon doesn't do more to protect workers, "they are not only profiting from this pandemic, but they're helping t…

Matt Smith (2020-04-07). Amazon Retaliation: Workers Striking Back. counterpunch.org Last week, my Amazon coworkers in New York took the courageous step of walking off the job to protest our company's lack of action to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Amazon workers in Detroit and Chicago have followed suit, demanding that Amazon shut down any warehouse where positive cases of the virus are found, to ensure a thorough cleaning.

RT (2020-04-07). Too EARLY to talk about positive trend on Covid-19 infection rate despite dropping figures, Germany's public health chief warns. rt.com Health officials need more time to determine whether a decrease in the daily rate of new Covid-19 patients is a long-lasting trend in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) head has said. | The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has grown by 3,834, bringing the total amount of cases in Germany to 99,225, RKI chief Lothar Wieler told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday. | The nation has recently seen a slight decrease in the daily rate of new cases. Nevertheless, Wieler urged everyone not to jump to conclusions. | The number of the newly-reported cases is lower, but we can't rest assured yet… We need t…

RT (2020-04-07). 'There may be retaliation': Trump says India may face US wrath if PM Modi fails to overturn export ban on Covid-19 treatment. rt.com US President Donald Trump has warned that Washington may retaliate against New Delhi over a decision to bar exports of an experimental treatment for Covid-19, not long after asking his Indian counterpart to reverse the move. | Though India on Saturday imposed a

RT (2020-04-07). WHO warns Covid-19 may reignite if restrictions lifted too early as Austria & Denmark announce gradual reopening. rt.com While some nations are beginning to lift some of the measures they imposed in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus, UN's health body warned against being too hasty, saying it may result in resurgence of the epidemic. | "It's similar to being sick yourself if you get out of bed too early and get running too early you risk falling back and having complications," a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a briefing. | Christian Lindmeier added the organization had no blanket recommendations to nations on how and when to lift pandemic lockdowns, but called on the governments to stay on the…

RT (2020-04-07). Indian police release footage of DRONES hunting lockdown violators complete with hilarious commentary. rt.com Police in Kerala, India have deployed a swarm of drones to enforce Covid-19 restrictions in the city. To add levity to the situation, the cops decided to create a compilation of their favorite airborne busts of lockdown breakers. | Not content with a simple gag reel, the fuzz went one step further and added viral cricket commentary to the compilation, both informing and entertaining the public by recalling 2016's infamous #TracerBulletChallenge. | pic.twitter.com/kN3a4YCJ5D— Kerala Police (@TheKeralaPolice) A…

RT (2020-04-07). Don't be excited about the stock market rally, it is going to get 'even worse,' Peter Schiff tells Boom Bust. rt.com The US stock market has rallied for a second day in a row on hopes that the Covid-19 pandemic is slowing and the global economy is getting back to business. Not so fast, CEO of Euro Pacific Capital Peter Schiff tells Boom Bust.

Staff (2020-04-07). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders & Fight for a Progressive Future. democracynow.org As millions hope to receive support as soon as possible from the massive coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress without adequate oversight mechanisms, we look at who will benefit from "extraordinary asymmetrical assistance" that went to corporations instead of working people. "Some of the people who need it the most are not getting it," says Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "This contributes to a public health crisis in addition to an economic one." She also discusses plans for the 2020 election and a "progressive future" for the United States with a single-payer health system and a living wage.

RT (2020-04-07). UK's Covid-19 deaths jump by record 854 to rise above 6,000. rt.com The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the UK has surpassed 6,000, after a record number of deaths were reported for a 24-hour period. The news comes as PM Johnson remains in intensive care with the disease. | NHS England have confirmed the deaths of a further 758 coronavirus patients, while 74 were reported in Scotland, 19 in Wales and three in Northern Ireland. | Johnson was hospitalized over the weekend for further tests for his Covid-19, but was transferred to an intensive care unit on Monday after his condition worsened. His spokesperson said on Tuesday that the PM is in stable condition. | Also…

RT (2020-04-07). Italian minister says coronavirus 'tsunami' is slowly starting to back down but 'hugs and kisses' won't return without a vaccine. rt.com Deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri said that normal life would only return to Italy after an inoculation was readily available, as the country's new infection rate continued to decline. | The politician, who fell victim to virus himself but has since recovered, told Radio Capital in Rome that "a tsunami that struck northern Italy is gradually receding, but hugs and kisses can only return to Italian life after a vaccine is found." | He added that the ban on movement had prevented the disease from spreading south, and urged Italians to still observe proper social distancing and wear face masks when out in p…

The Canary (2020-04-07). In Pictures: How life has changed across the world in fight against Covid-19. thecanary.co Pandemics are by nature worldwide events and the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak has seen every country forced to change the lives of its citizens in the battle to beat it.Graveyards have been busy as the death toll mounts, while many businesses have been mothballed with workers told to stay at home except for essential shopping.Confined to home, many are having to while away the hours in confinement amid efforts to keep the virus at bay.A resident gives mangoes to a police officer as soldiers deliver boxes with food to the poor at the Santa Rosita neighbourhood on the outskirts of Guatemala City (Moises Castillo…

RT (2020-04-07). Abe declares emergency in Japan's major centers until May 6, prepares $990bn stimulus. rt.com Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday declared a state of emergency to fight new coronavirus infections in major population centers. The measure, giving authorities more power to press people to stay at home and businesses to close, will last through May 6. It will be imposed in the capital, Tokyo, and six other prefectures — accounting for about 44 percent of the country's population. | The state of emergency will stop short of imposing a formal lockdown. "The most important thing now is for each citizen to change our actions," Abe said at a meeting of a government task force. "If each of us can…

The Canary (2020-04-07). Raab to lead government as PM battles coronavirus in intensive care. thecanary.co Dominic Raab will take charge of the government's response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis after the prime minister was transferred to intensive care.Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care on Monday after his Covid-19 symptoms worsened during the afternoon.The Conservative Party leader ceded control "where necessary" to foreign secretary and first secretary of state Raab, who will deputise for the PM.The developments follow repeated questions to Downing Street about how the PM was ill enough to be allotted a hospital bed but deemed fine to lead the government. | Raab's first job as stand-in PM on Tuesd…

The Canary (2020-04-07). White House press secretary leaves role without holding single formal briefing. thecanary.co White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham is leaving her post after never holding a single formal press briefing.Grisham will be assuming a new role as chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump.She had continued to represent the first lady while also holding the titles of press secretary and White House communications director since June last year.The overhaul comes as president Donald Trump is facing the biggest crisis of his administration.President Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP)Grisham, who succeeded Sarah Sanders and Sean Spicer, had been sidelined during the coronavirus pandemic and since Mark Meadows,…

The Canary (2020-04-07). Boris Johnson stable after night in intensive care, says No 10. thecanary.co Boris Johnson is "stable" after spending the night in intensive care following a worsening of his coronavirus symptoms, Downing Street has said.The prime minister's official spokesperson said he had been receiving "standard oxygen treatment" but had not required any other assistance in breathing.Johnson was transferred to the intensive care unit at St Thomas' Hospital, London, on Monday evening, after his condition deteriorated.His spokesperson said the move was a "precautionary step" in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.Sreengrab of a post from Boris Johnson's Twitter account (@BorisJohnson/Twitter/PA)"Th…

Staff (2020-04-07). Climate Crisis: COVID-19 Cancels COP26, KXL Construction, Trump Big Oil Huddle. therealnews.com The UN climate summit is cancelled due to coronavirus, while the long-contested Keystone XL pipeline may begin construction because of it. And as global oil prices bottom out, Trump will huddle with Big Oil executives.

RT (2020-04-07). New York confirms record 731 coronavirus deaths in one day. rt.com Death toll in the US state of New York has jumped by record 731 over the last 24 hours reaching 5,489, Governor Andrew Cuomo has confirmed. The number of new hospitalizations in the state gripped by Covid-19 also almost doubled. | Cuomo described the new death toll as the largest single-day increase so far. Yet, despite the grim news, he said that the state is approaching a "plateau" in the total number of coronavirus hospitalizations. | ICU admissions and intubations are both down, and Cuomo announced the state has enough beds and ventilators, something that was a common complaint for the governor in previous…

RT (2020-04-07). Lufthansa cuts fleet size, closes Germanwings due to Covid-19 losses. rt.com Germany's largest airline Lufthansa is cutting its fleet, as the the Covid-19 pandemic keeps biting the world's economies. The carrier will also stop the operations of its low-cost subsidiary, Germanwings amid a drop in demand. | The company expects a period of "significant decline" in air travel to last long after the crisis unleashed by the coronavirus ends, Lufthansa said in a statement explaining its decision. The move appears to be the "first permanent capacity reduction." | The downsizing of flight operations would affect the whole Lufthansa Group. That includes a permanent decommission of more than a do…

The Canary (2020-04-07). Tributes paid after 'highly regarded' surgeon dies with coronavirus. thecanary.co Tributes have been paid to a "highly regarded" surgeon who died in Cardiff after testing positive for Covid-19.Jitendra Rathod, an associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, died on Monday morning.The married father-of-two was described as a "very highly-regarded doctor" by the first minister of Wales, while health minister Vaughan Gething said he was "deeply saddened" by news of Rathod's death.On Tuesday, Public Health Wales said 291 new cases had tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,790.A further 19 deaths were reported of peop…

RT (2020-04-07). US, UK & Italy may suffer majority of coronavirus deaths, study reveals. rt.com The US is expected to suffer the most coronavirus deaths, a new study shows. The UK is likely to have the second-biggest death toll, overtaking Italy and becoming the worst-affected nation in Europe. | The new

The Canary (2020-04-07). MP calls for law to guarantee temporary succession order for prime minister. thecanary.co A succession list detailing who replaces an incapacitated prime minister should be guaranteed in law, an MP has said, amid concerns for the health of Boris Johnson.Conservative Peter Bone welcomed the government's foresight to have foreign secretary and first secretary of state Dominic Raab as Johnson's formal deputy after the PM was admitted to intensive care following a worsening of his coronavirus symptoms.But the MP for Wellingborough said it is unclear what would happen if Raab should also fall ill, adding there is a need for legal certainty.Bone's Prime Minister (Temporary Replacement) bill could be debated…

RT (2020-04-07). European markets climb higher on hopes of Covid-19 pandemic recovery. rt.com Stocks in Europe opened stronger on Tuesday, following gains in US and Asia as investors' fears about coronavirus and its effects on the global economy subside. | The pan-European Stoxx 600 surged 2.6 percent at the opening, with travel and leisure stocks rising 6.3 percent to lead the gains. Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 index of major UK companies jumped over two percent to 5,571.09 points. In the Eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX gained nearly four percent, and the Paris CAC 40 grew over three percent. | Stocks in Asia also rose on hopes that the spread of the global coronavirus pandemic may be slowing. | Markets ha…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-07). Lawmakers slam Trump rules curbing paid sick leave. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—New Trump administration emergency rules for paid sick and family leave for workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic have so many restrictions and loopholes that the two top congressional sponsors of the measure sent an angry letter to Trump Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, saying the Labor Department is "twisting the law." In their April 1 …

Staff (2020-04-07). Deaths of Inequality: AOC on Black and Latinx Communities at Epicenter of Epicenter of the Pandemic. democracynow.org As COVID-19 deaths spike in African-American and immigrant communities, almost a third of New York City's infections are in Queens, one of the most diverse places in the world, and many in the hardest-hit neighborhoods are undocumented and working-class. We speak with Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the neighborhoods at the epicenter of the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, about how the Trump administration's response to the pandemic is causing "deaths of incompetence," "deaths of science denial" and "deaths of inequality."

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-07). Left members of the European Parliament outline pandemic recovery plan. peoplesworld.org BRUSSELS, Belgium—A Europe-wide coalition of left and progressive members of the European Parliament has outlined a wide-ranging plan to help the continent's workers cope with the coronavirus pandemic and particularly its economic impact. Among the measures unveiled are "maintaining work and income," guaranteed housing for all and strengthening Europe's collective bargaining rights for workers — …

RT (2020-04-07). Romania to extend state of emergency by 30 days. rt.com The state of emergency will be extended in Romania by another 30 days after the current period ends next week, President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday. "We need to do this again," Iohannis told a video briefing on measures to halt the spread of the new coronavirus. | "It's a necessity. People should understand that without this measure, the virus cannot be stopped," Iohannis added. Romania has so far recorded 4,057 confirmed cases of infection and 157 deaths, Reuters reports. | Romania will be the first European Union country that volunteered to purchase and host, on behalf of the EU, "a stockpile of ventilato…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-04-07). The Decade of Transformation: Remaking International Relations. dissidentvoice.org The coronavirus pandemic is magnifying the cruelty of US foreign policy. The economic collapse is showing the failure of neoliberalism and how the empire-economy is not working for the people of the world, including the United States. The US is losing its global dominance as it demonstrates its own incompetence in response to the pandemic …

RT (2020-04-07). Czech MPs approve extending state of emergency to end-April. rt.com Czech lawmakers on Tuesday approved extending a state of emergency until April 30. This is a shorter period than the government had wanted for using the extraordinary legal framework to further tackle the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters said. | Prime Minister Andrej Babis' government had sought a one-month extension to May 11 for the state of emergency, which allows the cabinet to curb some rights of citizens, including freedom of movement or enterprise, and gives it more flexibility in areas such as public procurement. | The Czech Republic took some of the swiftest action to all but lock down the country in Mar…

RT (2020-04-07). Norway prepares to ease some restrictions 'little by little'. rt.com Norway will lift some of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Tuesday. "Together we have taken control of the virus, therefore we can open up society little by little," Solberg told reporters. Her health minister said on Monday that the epidemic was "under control" in Norway, pointing to the low rate of transmission of the disease. | The Nordic country was among the first in Europe to shut down a wide range of private and public institutions, sending the economy into a tailspin, triggering hundreds of thousands of layoffs, Reuters said.

Marshall Auerback (2020-04-07). The Coronavirus Pandemic Has Opened the Curtains on the World's Next Economic Model. counterpunch.org When the wealthiest country in the world is unable to produce basic medical gear to cope with a rampaging pandemic, it is dealing with a strategic vulnerability by depending on multinational supply chains to produce manufactured goods. Absent sufficient redundancies and physical reserves of resources, "just-in-time" lean supply systems can't cope with sudden disruptions. The

RT (2020-04-07). Senior UK cabinet minister Gove self-isolating after family member displays Covid-19 symptoms. rt.com UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is self-isolating after a member of his family displayed symptoms of Covid-19. | Gove said on Twitter on Tuesday that he is not currently exhibiting symptoms of the virus but is self-isolating as a precautionary measure. He has yet to be tested for the illness and will continue to work in his capacity as one of the most senior cabinet members for the foreseeable future. | Many thanks for kind messages. In accordance with the guidance, I am isolating at home after a member of my family started to display mild symptoms of coronavirus on Sunday. I have not displayed any sym…

RT (2020-04-07). Israeli govt makes masks in public compulsory, tightens travel restrictions. rt.com Israeli government issued orders on Tuesday making the wearing of masks in public compulsory. Trying to stem the spread of the coronavirus, it also approved a timeline for tightened travel restrictions for the Passover holiday, which begins on Wednesday. | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that this year the festive dinner should be a small affair, limited to household members. Last week, the PM urged Israelis to wear masks while in public. The government says this measure will become compulsory as of Sunday. Children under the age of six, the mentally disabled or those alone in vehicles or workplaces…

Eds. (2020-04-07). This pandemic is ecological breakdown: Different tempo, same song. mronline.org Comparisons between the toll of COVID-19 and climate change are not helpful because they view each as two separate "things"