2020-05-18: News Headlines

Phyllis Bennis (2020-05-18). Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic. zcomm.org From Venezuela to Iran, Washington's illegal and inhumane economic sanctions are putting millions of lives at risk…

Eds. (2020-05-18). Freedom Rider: New attacks on Venezuela. mronline.org The Democratic Party's "left" wing is mute on the latest US aggression against the people and government of Venezuela, thus giving assent to Trump by their silence.

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-18). Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats. venezuelanalysis.com Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-18). Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF. zcomm.org The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered

Yves Engler (2020-05-18). Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela. globalresearch.ca A week ago a former Canadian soldier instigated a harebrained bid to kidnap or kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Launched from Colombia, the plot failed spectacularly with most of the men captured or killed. | Still, the leader of the …

Raúl Capote (2020-05-18). Attack on Cuban Embassy in Washington Brings Complicit Silence From U.S. Government. globalresearch.ca Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla discussed the April 30 attack on the country's embassy in Washington with the press yesterday, stating: "Here is the attacker, an AK-47 rifle, 32 shell casings, 32 bullet holes and a statement — by …

WSWS (2020-05-18). Even as death toll climbs, Indonesian government urges workers under 45 to resume work. wsws.org Indonesian epidemiologists have warned that a return to work will dramatically increase transmission of the virus and put the entire population, regardless of age, at extreme risk.

Steve Sweeney (2020-05-18). Britain Warned Against 'Coup-mongering' in Venezuela After Embassy Discovery. globalresearch.ca Venezuela has warned Britain against "coup-mongering" after the discovery of a "Venezuelan reconstruction unit" in the Foreign Office. | Demanding an urgent explanation, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreeaza lodged a formal complaint with ambassador Duncan Hill, who the minister said confirmed …

Paul Dobson (2020-05-18). Venezuela Sees COVID-19 Surge as Returning Migrants Surpass 40,000. venezuelanalysis.com Authorities say that 75 percent of recent cases have been "imported."

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-18). Guaido Was the 'Commander in Chief' of the Failed Mercenary Operation Against Venezuela. globalresearch.ca New information divulged this week reveals that Juan Guaidó was designated as "commander and chief" of the mercenary operation that completely unraveled on the shores of Venezuela. The 41 page contract that formed the basis of the already known eight …

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-17). Venezuela: Guaido's Leadership in Question Following Failed Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com A letter from Silvercorp's lawyers demanding payment has cast doubt on Guaido's denials of involvement in a recent paramilitary operation.

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-17). Attempts to whitewash the military coup of April 2002 in Venezuela. zcomm.org Given the overwhelming support opposition voices have been given in western media since Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998, it is unsurprising that some would have had the audacity to attempt at least a partial whitewash of what the opposition and its foreign allies did in April of 2002. I'll address some of those

Gary L Ross (2020-05-17). [Letter] Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing surgeries during the incubation period of COVID-19 infection. What are the implications for the commencement of elective surgery? thelancet.com

Rania Khalek (2020-05-16). Rania & Anya Show: Venezuela invasion, Bolivia coup, China conspiracies w/ Wyatt Reed. thealtworld.com Rania Khalek and Anya Parampil discuss the attempted mercenary invasion of Venezuela, conspiracies about China and Covid-19, and the aftermath of the US-backed military coup against Bolivia's democratically elected government, with journalist Wyatt Reed, who was on the ground in Bolivia reporting on the violent repression.

A. Majumdar (2020-05-15). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

Staff (2020-05-14). Who's Fighting The War Against Cash? therealnews.com Mastercard, Visa, and Bill Gates are all pushing for polices to make it harder to use cash, hoping to keep closer tabs on the population through the trail of electronic transactions.

Gabriella N. Báez (2020-05-18). Puerto Rico's Sex Workers Are Struggling to Survive. thenation.com Puerto Rico's Sex Workers Are Struggling to Survive…

The Canary (2020-05-16). Wild white storks hatch in UK for first time in centuries. thecanary.co White stork chicks have hatched in the wild in the UK for the first time in centuries.Eggs in one of three nests at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex have hatched, the White Stork Project announced.Observers watched as the parents incubated the nest of five eggs located in an oak tree.They were seen removing eggshells from the nest and later regurgitating food for the chicks.It comes after the same pair of white storks unsuccessfully tried to breed at Knepp last year.Lucy Groves, project officer for the White Stork Project, said it was the first time in hundreds of years that wild white stork chicks have hatched in…

Global Research News (2020-05-18). Selected Articles: Who Is Behind the Failed Invasion of Venezuela? globalresearch.ca Lying is a money making activity and lies are commodities. There is a profitable global market for media and public figures committed to spreading disinformation. | Needless to say, "Telling the Truth", on the other hand, Is Not a Money-Making Proposition. …

Zero Hedge (2020-05-18). US Headed For Another 'Tanker War' With Iran — This Time Off Venezuela's Coast. iranian.com Iranian state TV has announced at least five least five Iranian-flagged tankers are transporting fuel to Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean and plan to break the American blockade on the Latin American country. Iran has warned that any US attempt at intercepting its fuel tankers "would have serious repercussions for the Trump administration ahead of the November elections." State-funded PressTV underscores that "Iran is shipping …

Press TV (2020-05-18). US unable to block Iran gasoline shipments to Venezuela: Source. iranian.com A senior source within the Iranian petroleum industry says the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of gasoline from Iran to Venezuela at a time the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors. Hamid Hosseini, who serves as the spokesman of the Iranian …

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-15). Russia makes a botch of its Syrian alliance. iranian.com Russia's relationships with its client states have never been easy. Of course, managing client states is always a complicated exercise. The Kremlin's cupboard is full of skeletons — Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), Cuba (1962), Afghanistan (1980), Ukraine (2014) and so on. What complicates Russia's relationship with Syria is that two strong-willed, highly self-opinionated leaders are also …

Sputnik News (2020-05-15). Iranian Warns US Acts Over Venezuela Fuel Shipments Will Not 'Go Without Repercussion'. iranian.com An Iranian news agency has warned the US against taking action against several Iranian-flagged tankers transporting fuel to Venezuela, as Washington has threatened. "If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion," Iran's Nour News …

Staff (2020-05-15). "The Wuhan of the Americas": U.S. Deports COVID-19-Positive Immigrants to Haiti & Guatemala. democracynow.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says "U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are 'unconscionable,'" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.

John McEvoy (2020-05-16). Venezuela calls on UK government to 'abandon coup-mongering plans' after The Canary's investigation. thecanary.co Following an investigation by The Canary, the Venezuelan government has Venezuela Reconstruction Unit: | On 13 May, The Canary

RT (2020-05-18). Personal pods, 'bumper tables' & pool noodle hats? Inventive 'social distancing' enforcers ensure New Normal is anything but. rt.com As populations emerge from Covid-19 lockdown, businesses are scrambling to comply with the onerous social-distancing regulations still in place, deploying everything from repurposed pool noodles to hula hoops to keep people apart. | Schools and 'non-essential' businesses like restaurants and bars are preparing to reopen after lengthy lockdowns, but many governments are insisting on the need for continued "social distancing" – keeping people six feet apart at all times to prevent the spread of Covid-19. After months all but trapped in their homes, many people want nothing more than human contact. How to prevent…

RT (2020-05-18). Saudi-backed Yemen's govt accuses Houthis of covering up coronavirus outbreak, calls for global assistance. rt.com Yemen's Saudi-backed government accused the Houthi movement of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas it holds. The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen's war-ravaged health sector deal with Covid-19, Reuters said. | The United Nations warned that the country could suffer a "catastrophic" food security situation due to the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus is spreading undetected among the population in the country, control of which is divided between the government in the south and the Houthi group in the north. | The government ha…

RT (2020-05-15). Define 'distribute'! Trump mobilizing MILITARY to deliver Covid-19 vaccine 'assuming we get it,' sparks conspiracy frenzy. rt.com US President Donald Trump said the military is gearing up to distribute a coronavirus vaccine when one is ready, unleashing a torrent of takes from conspiracy-minded netizens, many sounding alarms over mandatory inoculations. | American GIs are already being mobilized to parcel out a future vaccine to "most of the population," Trump told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Thursday, giving a highly optimistic end-of-the-year time frame even as many experts suggest a remedy won't be ready for mass distribution for another 12 to 18 months. | "We're mobilizing our military on the basis that we do hav…

sputniknews (2020-05-18). Coronavirus; US Election; Venezuela. sputniknews.com Join George Galloway on the new home for the Mother of All Talk Shows – this week we talk all about coronavirus and US election…

yenisafak (2020-05-18). Bangladesh may see coronavirus peak next week: Experts. yenisafak.com As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continues to rise in Bangladesh, experts say the South Asian nation may see a peak in infections in the next two weeks. The country on Monday registered 1,602 new infections of COVID-19, with 21 deaths, marking the single day record in the country of around 165 million population."Bangladesh may see a peak in COVID-19 cases in next two weeks or so," said Dr. Bijon Kumar Sil, leader of a Bangladeshi research team at Gonoshasthaya Kendra Hospital that invented a $3 test kit that can detect the coronavirus in less than 15 minutes.Since the first positive case…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-05-14). Arabs, UN Must Move to Swiftly Protect the Status of Palestinian Refugees. dissidentvoice.org 'Heinous racism,' is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. Lebanon's restrictions on its ever-diminishing population of Palestinian refugees is nothing new. However, this event is particularly alarming as it may be linked to a long-term official policy regarding …

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-13). El ministerio de las Colonias estadounidenses. cepr.net Le Monde diplomatique en español, mayo de 2020 Ver artículo en sitio original Creada en 1948, en el marco del enfrentamiento entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética (URSS), la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) constituye uno de los instrumentos de la proyección geopolítica de Washington en América Latina y los Estados del Caribe, …

Staff (2020-05-12). "Losing the Fabric of the City": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated structural racism" in Chicago.

Kuehn BM. (2020-05-12). Discovering Why Some Infants Have Delayed Hearing Loss Detection. jamanetwork.com Several socioeconomic factors were linked in a recent study with delayed hearing loss diagnoses in Minnesota infants. Launching initiatives to pinpoint these populations and identify infants with hearing loss more quickly could help reduce their risk of delayed speech and language development, the study's authors noted.

Bauchner H, Sharfstein J. (2020-05-12). Medical Students and Public Health Service for the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com Over the next few months it is likely that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has surged in New York City, Seattle, New Orleans, and Detroit will move from city to city and state to state. After the initial peak, absent highly effective medical interventions, the US will likely experience outbreaks of lingering disease for months and potentially years to come. As the US enters the next phase of COVID-19, critical questions will involve the nation's capacity to respond to outbreaks, protect high-risk populations, and limit community spread.

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-11). Guaidó's mercenary hit contract on Venezuela's Maduro mirrors official US bounty, authorizes death squad killings. thegrayzone.com The leaked contract between Juan Guaidó and the Silvercorp USA mercenary firm closely resembles a DEA bounty placed on the…

Staff (2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump's "Chaotic" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…

Paul Dobson (2020-05-11). Western Venezuela Rocked by Rolling Blackouts. venezuelanalysis.com Low water levels at hydroelectric dams, "terrorist sabotage" and damaged infrastructure have been blamed for the power cuts.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-10). [UPDATED] Venezuela Makes Fresh Arrests as Opposition Splinters over Failed Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Trump said the operation "was not a good attack," again denying any US involvement.

Anya Parampil (2020-05-08). Silvercorp co-founder speaks with The Grayzone: What did State Department know about failed Venezuela invasion? thegrayzone.com The Grayzone speaks to Drew White — a close friend and business partner of Silvercorp mercenary firm founder and failed…

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-05-07). US Investigating Ex-Green Beret, Denies 'Direct' Involvement in Failed Venezuela Coup. venezuelanalysis.com New documents confirm that the Venezuelan opposition signed a contract with Florida-based Silvercorp to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-06). Horrifying Glimpse Into How DARPA Will "Save" You From COVID-19 & Venezuela Coup Tied Back To Trump. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/6/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-06). A Massive "COVID-19" Cover Up Is Underway & 'US Mercenaries' Caught In Venezuelan Coup Attempt. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Nic de la Riva (2020-05-05). Paramilitary invasions in Venezuela: Made in USA. liberationnews.org Attempted invasion taken care of swiftly and efficiently by the Venezuelan government.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-05). Venezuela: Two US Citizens Captured in Botched Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com Two former green berets were arrested in a second failed assault on Venezuelan shores on Monday.

Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi, Emilia M Sordillo, Marilianna C Márquez-Colmenarez, Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales (2020-05-04). [Correspondence] The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. thelancet.com We read with interest the World Report about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Venezuelan migrants.1 We concur wholeheartedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on Venezuelans who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

Paul Dobson (2020-05-04). Venezuela: 45 Killed in Guanare Prison Riot. venezuelanalysis.com The government pledged to investigate the May 1 riot, which it described as an attempted breakout.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-03). Venezuelan Armed Forces: Paramilitary Incursion Neutralized. venezuelanalysis.com Former US green beret Jordan Goudreau, reported to have led preparations for a coup, confirmed the operation.

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-02). Former US Special Ops Soldier Led Plot to Invade Venezuela: Sources. venezuelanalysis.com AP reports that the Venezuelan opposition and Colombian authorities were aware of the plan.