RT (2020-03-20). Two LA Lakers players test positive for Covid-19, will self-quarantine. rt.com Two athletes for the Los Angeles Lakers have contracted the coronavirus, the team said in a statement. Both remain without symptoms, but have been placed into isolation after the positive diagnosis. | "We learned today that two Lakers players have tested positive," the Lakers said in a statement on Thursday evening, adding that "All players and members of the Lakers staff are being asked to continue to observe self-quarantine and shelter at home guidelines." | The team did not name either afflicted player. | t.co/RmqjnRzGLk— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) RT (2020-03-20). Nirbhaya gang rape convicts executed at Delhi prison, bringing shocking 7+ year case to a close after countless delays. rt.com The four men convicted for the grisly 2012 gang rape and murder of a young student in India have been executed by hanging, finally bringing the seven-year 'Nirbhaya' case to an end after a lengthy ordeal of appeals and delays. | The assailants were hanged at New Delhi's Tihar Jail 5: 30am local time Friday, following a marathon legal proceeding the night prior which saw last-ditch attempts to appeal their sentence shot down. | "Now I will get peace," Asha Devi, the mother of the victim, — who has come to be known as 'Nirbhaya', or 'the fearless one' in Hindi — told PTI after the mens' final hanging da…

Doug Johnson Hatlem (2020-03-19). In Loving and Proud Memory of My Friend Derek Soberal. counterpunch.org Derek Soberal, a friend I had lost touch with in recent years, was a proud Canadian whose most inward being recoiled against Canadian fascism. Derek committed suicide on Tuesday morning in awful, spectacular fashion. Emergency personnel received a call about a man covering himself with accelerant in front of the Esso station at Dundas and

Daniel Raventós, Julie Wark (2020-03-19). Covid-19 and the Need, Right Now, For a Universal Basic Income. counterpunch.org Apart from the medical threat revealing a brutal class divide in healthcare, the coronavirus pandemic is creating social and economic havoc among non-rich populations. If ever the need for a universal basic income was evident, it is now. But governments, trying to save the neoliberal system, and making the most of the disaster to lay the foundations for a new round of disaster capitalism, won't see it. To give a couple of examples of this catastrophe profiteering, laissez-faire entrepreneur par excellence, Sir Richard Branson, wants a £7.5 billion government bailout for his airline, and Trump has proposed a…

Eds. (2020-03-19). Crop-protecting insects could be turned into bioweapons, critics warn. mronline.org It sounds like science fiction: A research program funded by the U.S. government plans to create virus-carrying insects that, released in vast numbers, could help crops fight threats such as pests, drought, or pollution. |

RT (2020-03-19). Small gains for stocks after drastic plunge, but Bank of America declares recession. rt.com US stocks closed with moderate gains after a rollercoaster week. However, the Covid-19 coronavirus has continued to hammer investor confidence, and Bank of America smells a recession. | The Dow Jones gained 0.96 percent on Thursday, closing at just over 20,000 points. The NASDAQ Composite closed up 2.3 percent, while the S&P 500 finished up 0.47 percent. | These gains, however, could partly be driven by speculation. According to regulatory filings, billionaire investors like Warren Buffet and Carlos Slim have all spent hundreds of millions of dollars snapping up cheap stocks lately, a move that could have insp…

Adam Hochschild (2020-03-19). When "Fake News" Was Banned: an America Trump Would Have Loved. counterpunch.org Every month, it seems, brings a new act in the Trump administration's war on the media. In January, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exploded at National Public Radio reporter Mary Louise Kelly when he didn't like questions she asked — and then banned a colleague of hers from the plane on which he was leaving

RT (2020-03-19). What about ending endless wars? Tulsi Gabbard drops out of presidential race and backs …Biden. rt.com Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, citing the establishment favorite's primary victories and the coronavirus as her reasons. | Gabbard made the surprise announcement on Thursday in a video posted to her Twitter account, explaining she was dropping out to focus on dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Hawaii and potentially serving in her National Guard capacity should she be called to action. | The endorsement of Biden came as a particular surprise, given Gabbard's opposition to "regime change wars," a central plank of he…

RT (2020-03-19). Trump says oil price war 'devastating' for Russia — but it's Saudis & US shale that stand to suffer most. rt.com Plummeting oil prices have sparked another round of predictions about the economic collapse of Russia — this time from US President Donald Trump, who sounded a lot like his predecessor Barack Obama on the subject. | The price of crude oil has crashed to $20 this week, due to a one-two punch of Saudi Arabia flooding the market with record output and a sharp drop in global demand owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Asked about it during a press conference about the pandemic on Thursday, Trump described the price war as "very bad" for Saudi Arabia and "devastating" to Russia, but helpful in a way to American…

The Canary (2020-03-19). Coronavirus: Scientists warn young people not to be complacent as deaths rise. thecanary.co The government's top scientific advisers have warned young people not to be complacent over Covid-19 as they urged the public to keep up social distancing measures to protect themselves.England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the vast majority of people in all age groups would recover but it was a mistake for young people who are healthy to think they would all just "breeze through" the pandemic.He spoke before latest figures revealed that a further 29 people who tested positive had died in England, taking the UK total to 137, and the Bank of England slashed interest rates to a new historic lo…

RT (2020-03-19). Stay near home & no cycling: France tightens Covid-19 lockdown restrictions to 'max 2km from home'. rt.com France has dramatically tightened restrictions on movement amid its coronavirus lockdown, warning citizens that they should limit their travel to within one kilometer of their homes — and a maximum of two kilometers. | The country went into a 15-day lockdown over the Covid-19 outbreak at noon on Tuesday, and a list of acceptable reasons for travel was published by the government. Those reasons include shopping for basic necessities, seeking medical treatment, helping a neighbor or relative, and walking the dog. Getting exercise was also seen as a legitimate reason — provided that it was done alone.

Staff (2020-03-19). Trump Continues Calling the Coronavirus "Chinese" Despite Reports of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes. democracynow.org "I would like to begin by announcing some important developments in our war against the Chinese virus. I will be invoking the Defense Production Act just in case we need it." That was the opening line of President Trump's news conference Wednesday afternoon. Later in the news conference, Trump was questioned by ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega on continuously referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus." A member of the administration also reportedly referred to the coronavirus as the "kung-flu." Meanwhile, racist incidents and threats of hate crimes against Asian Americans have emerged across the United Sta…

RT (2020-03-19). Going down? 2nd coronavirus case confirmed aboard US Navy warship despite 'aggressive mitigation strategy'. rt.com The USS Boxer is now the first ship in the US Navy with more than one sailor infected with Covid-19. A new case was confirmed on Wednesday. | The first positive test for the disease was recorded among the amphibious assault ship's crew on Friday. | The second infected seaman wasn't in contact with the first one, the Navy said, adding that "the Sailors work in two different departments." | The two sailors are currently isolated at their homes in accordance with protocol. People who came into contact with them have also been quarantined. | The commanders of the ship, which is now stationed in San Diego, Califor…

RT (2020-03-19). 'No exceptions': Philippines to ban entry of foreigners over coronavirus. rt.com The Philippines is stopping the issuance of visas to foreigners, banning all nationalities from entering the country to halt the spread of coronavirus, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Thursday. | Locsin signed an order stopping the issuance of visas domestically and in all foreign posts, he tweeted, without giving a timeframe for the measures. | "This goes one imperative step forward: a total ban on incoming foreign visitors of all nationalities no exceptions," Locsin said, adding that outgoing foreign visitors will be allowed to leave. | The Philippines has recorded 217 coronavirus infections…

The Canary (2020-03-19). Gavin Williamson promises more guidance on school closures and exams. thecanary.co The education secretary has moved to quell concerns over how school closures will affect students and parents.Gavin Williamson said the government will issue guidance on 20 March on how pupils unable to sit their GCSEs and A-levels because of the school closures will be awarded their grades.A list of the key workers whose children can still go to school will also be released later, he said.On 18 March, prime minister Boris Johnson announced school closures across the UK but promised the children of NHS and police workers and supermarket delivery drivers would still be able to attend, as would vulnerable children.

RT (2020-03-19). Tulsi Gabbard suspends presidential campaign, endorses Biden. rt.com Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, citing the establishment favorite's primary victories and the coronavirus as her reasons. | Gabbard made the surprise announcement on Thursday in a video posted to her Twitter account, explaining she was dropping out to focus on dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Hawaii and potentially serving in her National Guard capacity should she be called to action. | The endorsement of Biden came as a particular surprise, given Gabbard's opposition to "regime change wars," a central plank of he…

Staff (2020-03-19). Joseph Stiglitz: Trump's "Trickle-Down" Economic Plans Are Not Enough to Meet Coronavirus Challenge. democracynow.org The coronavirus relief package signed by President Trump Wednesday provides unemployment benefits and free coronavirus testing to millions of Americans suddenly out of a job, but guarantees paid sick leave to less than 20% of American workers. Earlier this month, Trump signed into law an $8 billion coronavirus response package and has laid out the first details of a third, $1 trillion economic package and invoked the Korean War-era Defense Production Act to allow the government to direct industrial production. For more on those bailouts and who benefits, we speak with Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economis…

RT (2020-03-19). Current economic disaster is like three neutron bombs dropped on us, market analyst tells Boom Bust. rt.com The US Federal Reserve has been attempting to stop investor panic with its emergency actions, but those moves are like firing "a water gun" when we need "a bazooka," Tobin Smith, CEO of Transformity Research, believes. | Speaking to RT's Boom Bust, the analyst said that the real problem is in the US debt market, as there is four times as much debt than there was in 2008-2009. | "This is as a financial disaster, as a health disaster as an economic disaster — is like we got three neutron bombs dropped on us," Smith warned. "First we obviously have the coronavirus and the pandemic, then we've got the oil pan…

RT (2020-03-19). European stocks mostly down despite promise of huge stimulus by central bank. rt.com Markets in Europe opened higher on Thursday, but have since retreated. This is despite the ‚Ǩ750 billion ($821 billion) bond-buying program by the European Central Bank to help the region's economy through the Covid-19 crisis. | Stock markets in London and Frankfurt opened over one percent higher, before retreating into negative territory. French stocks were up over three percent in early trade, before giving up most of the gains. | On Wednesday, the regulator announced the new 'Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program' which will use the funds to purchase securities in order to help support the E…

RT (2020-03-19). Italy's coronavirus toll OVERTAKES China, total cases in Europe pass 100,000. rt.com Health officials in Italy have confirmed a further 427 deaths from Covid-19, pushing the country's overall death toll to 3,405. The figure overtakes the number of total deaths in China from the outbreak. | According to a tally compiled by the AFP, the overall number of cases across Europe has now risen over 100,000. | The latest deaths in Italy are a slight decrease on the previous 24-hour period, in which a record 475 people died in one day from the rapidly-spreading virus. | The outbreak was first recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, and has since spread around the world at an alarming rate, i…

RT (2020-03-19). Coronavirus isn't stopping trade between Russia & China. rt.com While the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on global trade, cargo volume between Russia and its biggest trading partner, China, is growing, according to the Russian consul general in Harbin, Vladimir Oschepkov. | "According to our estimates, the volume of cargo transportation between our countries is gradually increasing," the diplomat told RIA Novosti. | More than 300 trucks and up to 35 trains cross the border in both directions every day. Russian carriers mainly transport wood, soy, coal, ore, and fertilizers, which are in demand in China due to the beginning of seasonal field work. | Also on rt.com…

RT (2020-03-19). Russian woman to FACE COURT for allegedly spreading coronavirus FAKE NEWS. rt.com With most of Europe and Asia presently under some form of emergency measures to fight the spread of Covid-19, now is probably not the best time to scare people even more. | A woman in Russia's Far East is set to appear before a court on charges of spreading false information about coronavirus in her remote region. The Amur Oblast where she resides has yet to report a case of the disease, despite bordering China, the original epicenter. | Also on rt.com | | On the o…

RT (2020-03-19). Worldwide coronavirus deaths surpass 9,000 — AFP. rt.com The global death toll from Covid-19 has reached at least 9,000, according to an AFP tally. The benchmark comes a day after fatalities in Europe surpassed those in Asia. | Multiple sources have estimated that the number of worldwide infections reached around 220,000 by Thursday. | China, the reported epicenter of the outbreak, reported no new local infections for the first time since the pandemic began more than two months ago. The hopeful news contrasts sharply with the growing health crisis in Europe. Italy, the hardest-hit nation outside China, reported a record 475 deaths yesterday from the illness. | As Ch…

RT (2020-03-19). For the 1st time since outbreak, China reports NO NEW LOCAL COVID-19 CASES. rt.com Mainland China has had no new local coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours — the first time since the outbreak began in December. Beijing is still struggling to contain imported cases of the disease. | Notably, the purported epicenter of the epidemic — Wuhan, in Hubei province — recorded no new locally-transmitted infections. The same was true across China, according to reports, citing the Chinese government. | Health authorities reported 34 new cases on Thursday, but said that all involved people who had come to China from abroad. Twenty-one of the imported infections were in Beijing, m…

RT (2020-03-19). 'Inhumane & reckless': Twitter silences Venezuela's anti-coronavirus chief as IMF denies emergency loan. rt.com Amid crushing US sanctions and IMF rejection already making Venezuela's struggle with Covid-19 difficult, Twitter now seems to have hobbled the country's vice-president and head of coronavirus response, Delcy Rodriguez. | Both the personal and the official Twitter account belonging to Rodriguez were "temporarily restricted" on Thursday over "unusual activity," with old tweets still visible to those who choose to view them, but no new tweets available after Wednesday. | Foreign Minister Jorge

RT (2020-03-19). Vague emergency legislation gives UK police & 'public health officers' powers to DETAIN suspected Covid-19 sufferers. rt.com The British government is giving police, public health and immigration officers authority to detain those suspected of having coronavirus under a new emergency bill, but it's not clear exactly how the new powers will be exercised. | The proposed powers were outlined in a 329-page emergency bill on Thursday and come as the UK implements more draconian measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. | In explanatory

RT (2020-03-19). Saudi Arabia limits worship at Mecca & Medina mosques, risking tighter crowds amid coronavirus pandemic. rt.com Muslims unable to enter the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina will no longer be allowed to pray in the overflow areas outside their walls, the Saudi government decided ahead of Friday prayers in a bid to contain Covid-19 spread. | The Mecca and Medina mosques are the only two worship sites still open for prayers in Saudi Arabia. The move to restrict worship there as well comes as the desert kingdom attempts to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. | Congregational and Friday prayers have been suspended at every single other mosque in Saudi Arabia, an unprecedented move for the devout country. | Also on r…

RT (2020-03-19). Praying to prevent coronavirus! Moscow monastery introduces nightly processions to fight Covid-19. rt.com While ordinary folk have been told to wash their hands, self-isolate, and keep social distance to fight infection, members of a Moscow religious order have opted for their own solution — nightly processions on the streets. | As first reported by news service Interfax, monks from Moscow's Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery have opted to circle their abode to battle coronavirus. The first procession, which occurred yesterday after the evening service, will become a nightly ritual, presumably until the virus is defeated. The abbot of the monastery, Hegumen Peter Eremeev, explained the logic on his Instagram page.

RT (2020-03-19). Chill, Netflix to cut European traffic after EU said it overloads internet during Covid-19 quarantine. rt.com Movie and TV streaming service Netflix says it will cut its bit rates across Europe by a quarter to ease the internet burden as coronavirus quarantines have forced millions of people to stay home all day. | Many more people than usual are now working from home, thanks to virus-limiting restrictions and lockdowns, while the mass closure of schools and colleges also means more pressure on internet providers from younger service users. | Netflix's move comes after the EU's Internal Markets Commissioner Thierry Breton urged the service to help address the additional strain on internet services. | "To secure Intern…

RT (2020-03-19). 'Soul-destroying': UK foodbank broken into and 'ransacked' as Covid-19 outbreak provokes panic over supplies. rt.com A foodbank in West Yorkshire, England has been broken into and £500-worth of items such as food, sanitary products and basic supplies stolen, as the febrile atmosphere in the UK cranks up amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Local Labour MP Yvette Cooper took to social media on Thursday afternoon to express her dismay at the brazen criminality committed against Knottingley Foodbank, tweeting: "Truly appalled anyone could do this right now." | | Truly ap…

RT (2020-03-19). DIY disaster: CDC tells nurses to 'use bandanas and scarves' as face mask shortage hits US. rt.com The US Centers for Disease Control has advised nurses and frontline healthcare workers to use bandanas and scarves as makeshift masks when caring for Covid-19 patients "as a last resort" should hospitals reach "crisis capacity." | The updated

RT (2020-03-19). Man claiming to be infected with Covid-19 ARRESTED after deliberately coughing at shop staff in England. rt.com A 57-year-old man claiming to be infected with coronavirus has been arrested for assault after deliberately coughing on staff in a shop in England. Eyewitnesses claim the man laughed through the whole ordeal. | Staff suspected the man might be shoplifting and when they confronted him, he reportedly began deliberately coughing at them. The alleged assault took place on High Street in Dudley, near Birmingham, on Wednesday afternoon. | According to eyewitnesses, the man laughed throughout the incident — in between coughs. | "It's understood he coughed on staff who suspected he was shoplifting, and claimed…

RT (2020-03-19). Global corporate losses from coronavirus to top $12 TRILLION — investor Ray Dalio. rt.com The economic damage from the Covid-19 outbreak will be unprecedented, according to the head of one of the world's largest hedge funds Ray Dalio, who says global corporate losses from the epidemic will amount to $12 trillion. | "What's happening has not happened in our lifetime before … What we have is a crisis," Dalio told CNBC. "There will also be individuals who have very big losses… There's a need for the government to spend more money, a lot more money… A lot of people are going to be broke." Talking about US corporations he said they will lose as much as $4 trillion. | The founder of Bridgewater Ass…

RT (2020-03-19). New Delhi to impose 1-week ban on commercial flight landings in India as it cracks down on coronavirus. rt.com India's government has announced a temporary halt to all commercial flight arrivals, as part of a series of measures being put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country. | The Press Information Bureau issued a bulletin on Thursday outlining a series of new policies aimed at combating Covid-19. Passenger aircraft will be barred from landing in India for one week, starting on March 22, the press release said. Discounted railway travel and civil aviation will be suspended except for students, patients and people with disabilities. | Additionally, citizens above the age of 65, and children below…

RT (2020-03-19). 108 new deaths in France, as coronavirus lockdown tightens. rt.com French authorities reported 108 new deaths from the Covid-19 coronavirus, a 41 percent increase that brings the total dead in France to 372. The spike in fatalities comes as France enters a third day of total lockdown, with only essential movement permitted. | In addition to the swift rise in deaths, reported cases of the deadly virus hit 10,995 on Thursday, up from 9,134 the day before. More than 1,000 of these patients require life support. | Though France has not yet seen the number of cases that have cropped up in Italy, Spain or Germany, authorities there imposed a mandatory 15-day quarantine on Tuesday.

RT (2020-03-19). US stocks in for another wild ride on Wall Street as coronavirus rages on. rt.com US markets are swinging wildly on Thursday after plunging 30 percent from their peak. The failure by Western countries to contain the Covid-19 outbreak is bringing global business to a halt and causing panic among investors. | The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down over three percent before recovering earlier losses. The S&P 500 is also in positive territory after losing three percent at the start of trading. The Nasdaq Composite tech index started one and a half percent lower, but is now up. | Despite opening higher earlier in the day, markets in Europe are also slipping. The British FTSE and German DAX…

RT (2020-03-19). First coronavirus patient dies in Russia: Elderly woman with underlying medical conditions. rt.com A 79-year-old woman, with numerous underlying health conditions, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 has died in an infectious disease hospital in Moscow, the agency for monitoring the situation with the disease reports. | The cause of death was pneumonia against the background of other very severe health problems, including type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, and arteriosclerosis among other things. | According to Moscow daily Moskovsky Komsomolets her name was Valentina Zubareva, a professor who lectured at the Gubkin Oil and Gas University in the Russian capital. She was still delive…

RT (2020-03-19). Coronavirus sends British forces home from Iraq. rt.com Britain has pulled some of its forces home from a training mission in Iraq, due to a slowdown in operations as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The illness has forced the British military to reassess its priorities. | An unspecified number of the 400 or so British troops will be pulled from Iraq and sent home to "support loved ones facing the challenges of the virus," the Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday. Some "key military personnel" will be left behind, the MoD added. | The troops were deployed to Iraq in 2014 to train Kurdish forces battling Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants, but Defenc…

Charles Pierson (2020-03-19). Under Capitalism, Every Plague Has a Silver Lining. counterpunch.org However grave the calamity, someone will see it as a way to make a buck. COVID-19, which the World Health Organization declared as a global pandemic on March 11, is no exception. Forget about human misery. The private sector and the Trump Administration see the coronavirus as an opportunity. Because under capitalism, every plague has

RT (2020-03-19). One Iranian dies of coronavirus every 10 minutes, 50 get infected every hour — health ministry. rt.com Iranian authorities have provided shocking statistics showing the massive scale of the local Covid-19 outbreak. The country remains the worst-affected in the Middle East, with 1,284 coronavirus deaths already. | "Based on our information, every 10 minutes one person dies from the coronavirus and some 50 people become infected with the virus every hour in Iran," Kianush Jahanpur, the health ministry spokesman, The death toll from the disease in Iran has reached 1,284 people, with 149 deaths comi…

RT (2020-03-19). 'Infinitely frightening': Juventus ace Rugani's girlfriend reveals pregnancy after couple infected with coronavirus. rt.com Juventus defender Daniele Rugani's girlfriend Michela Persico has revealed fears over her pregnancy after the couple were both infected with Covid-19. | Persico announced she is four months pregnant and expressed hope that the dangerous infection wouldn't affect their unborn baby. | Italy international Rugani was the first Serie A player to test positive for the coronavirus, pl…

The Canary (2020-03-19). Transport services are being slashed on a number of routes in England. thecanary.co Public transport operators have started slashing services due to coronavirus (Covid-19).Train, coach and bus frequencies are being cut amid a collapse in demand and government advice on avoiding non-essential travel.Northern Trains said there will be cancellations on a dozen routes on 19 March "as a result of Covid-19".The affected routes include Liverpool-Manchester Airport, Leeds/Sheffield—Nottingham and Newcastle-Carlisle. | ⚠️Please be reminded that there will be a reduced serivce on several routes today, Thursday 19 March. All routes should be updated on our website and journey planners.

RT (2020-03-19). DIY disaster: CDC tells nurses to use 'use bandanas and scarves' as face mask shortage hits US. rt.com The US Centers for Disease Control has advised nurses and frontline healthcare workers to use bandanas and scarves as makeshift masks when caring for Covid-19 patients "as a last resort" should hospitals reach "crisis capacity." | The updated

RT (2020-03-19). 'America's two-party oligarchy can't relate to those in need': Lee Camp says US coronavirus failure goes beyond just Trump. rt.com As the US teeters on the edge of abyss amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the crisis has revealed systemic flaws brought by years of two-party plutocracy that go beyond a single president, says Lee Camp, host of RT's Redacted Tonight. | While President Donald Trump bears a good portion of the blame for the sluggish US response to Covid-19, he is only one piece of a larger puzzle. America's structural defects long predate Trump's time in office, the comedian argued. | "The fact that so many millions of Americans don't have paid sick leave, or hardly make minimum wage and therefore can't afford an emergency — that…

RT (2020-03-19). Amazon squeezing workers amid Covid-19 crisis is 'unacceptable' — French finance minister. rt.com French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Amazon's refusal to pay wages of staff who walk out over coronavirus fears is "unacceptable" as the country is considering nationalization of bigger companies at risk. | "These pressures are unacceptable, we'll let Amazon know," Le Maire said after several hundred workers protested the company's policy on Wednesday. The e-commerce giant refused to pay workers who walked out or stayed at home in self-isolation over coronavirus fears. | www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=282184766102941&set=pcb.282185442769540&type=3&theater | Le Maire said Thursday that he would…

RT (2020-03-19). Elon Musk's coronavirus PR stunt goes awry after promising to manufacture ventilators, but only 'if' there are shortages. rt.com Elon Musk found himself bombarded with internet rage, after promising to pump out ventilators to treat Covid-19 patients — but only if hospitals needed them. People found this to be a rather ignorant thing to say. | The digital fracas began after Musk signaled that he could use Tesla and SpaceX's production capabilities to make medical equipment to aid those suffering from the global pandemic. The offer, however, came with a condition: Are there hospitals that currently lack enough ventilators to treat the respiratory illness? | Tesla makes cars with sophisticated hvac systems. SpaceX makes spacecraft wi…

RT (2020-03-19). Iran oil: US slaps sanctions on 5 UAE-based companies. rt.com Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions on five United Arab Emirates-based companies, accusing them of having collectively purchased in 2019 hundreds of thousands of metric tons of petroleum products from Iran. | The US Treasury Department said the blacklisted companies — Petro Grand, Alphabet International DMCC, Swissol Trade, Alam Althrwa General Trading and Alwaneo — purchased the petroleum products in 2019 from the National Iranian Oil Company for delivery to the UAE. | The announcement followed the blacklisting of Chinese and South African companies earlier this week over Iran oil trade. | The…

RT (2020-03-19). Israel's Supreme Court hears challenge to coronavirus cellphone monitoring. rt.com Civil liberties activists asked Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday to suspend cellphone monitoring put in place under emergency regulations to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Surveillance began this week after the government approved special orders that circumvented customary parliamentary oversight and enabled the Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency to tap into cellular location data, Reuters reported. | The Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights – and the Joint List of Arab parties petitioned the court to freeze the monitoring. "The government canno…

Jonathan Cook (2020-03-19). A Lesson Coronavirus is About to Teach the World. counterpunch.org If a disease can teach wisdom beyond our understanding of how precarious and precious life is, the coronavirus has offered two lessons. The first is that in a globalised world our lives are so intertwined that the idea of viewing ourselves as islands — whether as individuals, communities, nations, or a uniquely privileged species —

RT (2020-03-19). Kabul orders Afghan forces to switch to 'active defense' as Taliban attacks continue. rt.com The government in Kabul said on Thursday it has ordered Afghanistan's forces to switch to an "active defense posture" as the Taliban continued to attack even after the militants signed a deal with the US. "The Taliban continued high level of violence despite the peace agreement," acting Defense Minister Asadullah Kalid said in a video statement. | "An active defense posture will reduce the restrictions on Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and it will allow them to carry out operations against the Taliban plotting attacks against ANDSF," he said. Afghan government forces had previously been able to fi…