Daily Archives: April 24, 2020

2020-04-24: News Headlines

RT (2020-04-24). Global coronavirus death toll passes 190,000 — AFP tally. rt.com The global pandemic hit a grim new milestone on Friday, according to AFP, as the number of people who have lost their lives to the disease passed 190,00 and continues to rise, while countries battle to keep their populations safe. | The agency reports that a total of 190,089 people have passed away and 2,698,733 have been confirmed as infected since Covid-19 emerged in China in December. Europe has recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 116,221 people dying across the continent. | More than 1.2 million Europeans have been diagnosed with the disease, putting the mortality rate around 8.9 percent. | The…

RT (2020-04-24). 'Fast recovery' possible as Hungary scraps curfew from early May, Orban says. rt.com Hungary plans to replace its current lockdown, which has imposed a blanket curfew on the population, with a more fine-tuned version from early May, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. | Orban told state radio that he expected the economy to recover rapidly from the effects of the pandemic. "I am not among the most optimistic people, but neither am I a pessimist," he told state radio. "I expect a fast recovery." | The month-long nationwide lockdown has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs in the country, and Orban said re-establishing these was his top priority. From next month, restrictions will be grad…

WSWS (2020-04-24). Tens of thousands of Nepali workers stranded abroad by COVID-19 disaster. wsws.org Nepal has a population of 28 million but so far only 8,763 people have been tested for the virus.

WSWS (2020-04-24). New Zealand teachers and nurses oppose easing of lockdown. wsws.org Even as new COVID-19 cases are reported each day, the Labour Party-led government is gambling with the lives and health of the population.

Medea Benjamin (2020-04-23). Cuba to the Rescue, But Don't Tell the American People. commondreams.org Doctors and nurses of Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade pose with a portrait of Cuban late leader Fidel Castro as they are bid farewell before travelling to hard-hit Italy to help in the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation in Havana, on March 21, 2020. (Photo: Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cuba_covid.jpg

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-23). Trump Administration Orders Chevron to Shutter Venezuela Operations. globalresearch.ca The United States Treasury Department gave California-based oil giant Chevron until December 1 to wind down its operations in Venezuela. | The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a temporary

Staff (2020-04-23). Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy. democracynow.org As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing — finding who infected patients have been in contact with so they can get tested and isolated. We'll speak with global health expert Dr. Joia Mukherjee, with Partners in Health, about a contact tracing project she is working on now in Massachusetts.

teleSUR (2020-04-23). New Cuban Medical Aid Brigade Arrives in St. Lucia. telesurenglish.net Cuba's medical brigade arrived in Saint Lucia to assist COVID-19 patients and prevent the virus from spreading. Biomedical engineers, nurses, and doctors made up the new group that reinforces Cuban medical aid on the Caribbean island. | RELATED: | The Henry Reeve brigade members are assisting at various health institutions across the country.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚&Auml…

teleSUR (2020-04-23). U.S. Blockade Prevents Swiss Aid to Cuba. telesurenglish.net Swiss solidarity groups on April 22 denounced the blockade of aid to Cuba. The medical supplies and other resources were intended for Cuban COVID-19 patients, as the Caribbean island is in need of this aid. | RELATED: | "The U.S. blockade has imposed an enormous burden on the country's health system, while also endangering the lives of many Cubans," affirmed MediCuba Switzerland and Switzerland-Cuba representati…

The Canary (2020-04-23). The WHO says care home residents account for up to half of coronavirus deaths in Europe. thecanary.co Residents in long-term care facilities account for up to half of coronavirus-related deaths in Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. | Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said there was a "deeply concerning picture" emerging of the impact coronavirus (Covid-19) is having on those in care. | He told a press conference on 23 April that the way some care facilities operate is "providing pathways" for the virus to spread within the population. | Dr Kluge said: "According to estimates from countries in the European region, up to half of those who have died from Covid-19 were resident in long-…

Staff (2020-04-23). We Must Hire More Contact Tracers to Stop COVID, Global Health Doctor Says. truthout.org As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing — finding who infected patients have been in contact with so they can get tested and isolated. We'll speak with global health expert Dr. Joia Mukherjee, with Partners in Health, about a contact tracing project she is working on now in Massachusetts. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a…

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2020-04-23). Psychological Remarks on "Authority Obedience". Say No! globalresearch.ca What is happening in front of all our eyes at the moment is a huge scary dizziness. "Corona" is a geopolitical operation by the "global elite" and their "depopulation agenda" is real. Isolation imprisonment makes people sick and kills …

Staff (2020-04-22). Bill McKibben on Earth Day at 50: We Must Stop Subsidizing Fossil Fuel Industry Wrecking the Planet. democracynow.org Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, when more than 20 million Americans joined in actions to protect the environment — 10% of the U.S. population at the time. Half a century later, in the middle of a pandemic, protests planned around the world have moved online, and the Trump administration has gutted the Environmental Protection Agency — established not long after Earth Day — rolled back fuel economy standards and eased the enforcement of pollution regulations. "The countries that flattened the coronavirus curve early on are doing far better than those like ours, which delayed," says…

Alan Macleod (2020-04-22). Sanctioned Countries Are Now Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus. mintpressnews.com Countries currently facing US sanctions, around a quarter of the world's population, are faring far better than the United States and leading the global fight against COVID-19.

Udi Ofer (2020-04-22). New Model Shows Reducing Jail Population will Lower COVID-19 Death Toll for All of Us. aclu.org The Trump administration optimistically projects that "substantially under" 100,000 people will die from COVID-19 in the United States. Horrific as that statistic is,

Matt Sedlar (2020-04-22). Tracking COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean. cepr.net The COVID-19 data tracker will be continually updated as the pandemic spreads throughout the region and CEPR experts will be providing regular analysis on The Americas Blog.

news.un (2020-04-21). COVID-19 to cause biggest economic contraction ever in Latin America & Caribbean. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic will herald the worst economic contraction in the history of Latin American and the Caribbean, with a projected -5.3 per cent drop in activity this year, according to a report by the UN office for the region, ECLAC, published on Tuesday.

Colin Todhunter (2020-04-21). Coronavirus Capitalism: Entrenching Dispossession and Dependency. dissidentvoice.org There is surprisingly a certain degree of optimism around at the moment, despite virtually entire populations and economies on lockdown. Although things are really bad for millions right now due to the effects of lockdown, economist Mariana Mazzucato believes that the Covid-19 crisis will shine light on societal and economic systems all across the world, …

Fight Back (2020-04-21). New Orleans community unites in solidarity with large homeless population during pandemic lockdown. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – Community members and workers have come together to provide basic emergency relief to thousands of houseless people in New Orleans. After coronavirus locked down the city, they organized a group called Southern Solidarity. The organization works to make up for city officials' failures in providing food, water and supplies to houseless people. | Southern Solidarity brings together dozens of volunteers on a daily basis. Most of them are furloughed workers who are otherwise social distancing. Volunteers wear masks, gloves, face shields and wash their hands regularly to confront the emergency in a s…

Alan Macleod (2020-04-20). Experts Warn: Years of US Intervention Have Set the Stage for a Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak in Haiti. mintpressnews.com Since 2004, successive administrations have partnered with Washington to loot Haiti, stripping away its assets to the point of collapse and leaving it woefully unprepared to face the coming pandemic.

Beau Peters (2020-04-18). The Important Role of the Gig Economy Worker in Times of Crisis. dissidentvoice.org Photo Credit: Kai Pilger, Unsplash In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 55 million Americans were gig economy workers, making up 34% of the working population. At that time, it was expected for the number to rise to 43%, but due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the gig economy is changing. Currently, about …

ACLU (2020-04-17). A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform. aclu.org

2020-04-24: Social Media Postees

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'Fast recovery' possible as Hungary scraps curfew from early May, Orban says
rt.com | 2020-04-24
Hungary plans to replace its current lockdown, which has imposed a blanket curfew on the population, with a more fine-tuned version from early May, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. | Orban told state radio that he expected the economy to recover rapidly from the effects of the pandemic. "I am not among the most optimistic people, but neither am I a pessimist," he told state radio. "I expect a fast recovery." | The month-long nationwide lockdown has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs in the country, and Orban said re-establishing these was his top priority. From next month, restrictions will be grad…
rt.com/newsline/486733-fast-recovery-hungary-orban/

New Zealand teachers and nurses oppose easing of lockdown
wsws.org | 2020-04-24
Even as new COVID-19 cases are reported each day, the Labour Party-led government is gambling with the lives and health of the population.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/24/newz-a24.html

Tens of thousands of Nepali workers stranded abroad by COVID-19 disaster
wsws.org | 2020-04-24
Nepal has a population of 28 million but so far only 8,763 people have been tested for the virus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/24/nepl-a24.html

Cuba to the Rescue, But Don't Tell the American People
Medea Benjamin | commondreams.org | 2020-04-23
Doctors and nurses of Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade pose with a portrait of Cuban late leader Fidel Castro as they are bid farewell before travelling to hard-hit Italy to help in the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation in Havana, on March 21, 2020. (Photo: Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cuba_covid.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/04/23/cuba-rescue-dont-tell-american-people?cd-origin=rss

Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-23
As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing

U.S. Blockade Prevents Swiss Aid to Cuba
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-23
Swiss solidarity groups on April 22 denounced the blockade of aid to Cuba. The medical supplies and other resources were intended for Cuban COVID-19 patients, as the Caribbean island is in need of this aid. | RELATED: | Cuba: In Test Phase Vaccine That Activates Innate Immune System | "The U.S. blockade has imposed an enormous burden on the country's health system, while also endangering the lives of many Cubans," affirmed MediCuba Switzerland and Switzerland-Cuba representati…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-blockade-prevents-swiss-aid-to-cuba-20200423-0002.html

New Cuban Medical Aid Brigade Arrives in St. Lucia
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-23
Cuba's medical brigade arrived in Saint Lucia to assist COVID-19 patients and prevent the virus from spreading. Biomedical engineers, nurses, and doctors made up the new group that reinforces Cuban medical aid on the Caribbean island. | RELATED: | U.S. Blockade Prevents Swiss Aid to Cuba | The Henry Reeve brigade members are assisting at various health institutions across the country.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚&Auml…
telesurenglish.net/news/new-cuban-medical-aid-brigade-arrives-in-st-lucia–20200423-0008.html

UK: COVID-19 Vaccine Begins First Human Trials
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-23
Two volunteers received a vaccine to treat the new coronavirus in the United Kingdom on Thursday, which is currently undergoing clinical trials. | RELATED: | Cuba: In Test Phase Vaccine That Activates Innate Immune System | This is the first clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, UK scientists say. | The drug was developed at the University of Oxford, and to know its effectiveness, an experiment will be carried out with the participation of 800 people. | During the ex…
telesurenglish.net/news/uk-covid-19-vaccine-begins-first-human-trials–20200423-0007.html

The WHO says care home residents account for up to half of coronavirus deaths in Europe
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-23
Residents in long-term care facilities account for up to half of coronavirus-related deaths in Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. | Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said there was a "deeply concerning picture" emerging of the impact coronavirus (Covid-19) is having on those in care. | He told a press conference on 23 April that the way some care facilities operate is "providing pathways" for the virus to spread within the population. | Dr Kluge said: "According to estimates from countries in the European region, up to half of those who have died from Covid-19 were resident in long-…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/04/23/the-who-says-care-home-residents-account-for-up-to-half-of-coronavirus-deaths-in-europe/

We Must Hire More Contact Tracers to Stop COVID, Global Health Doctor Says
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-23
As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing

US Deports Thousands of Migrants to COVID-19 Vulnerable Nations
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-22
The United States is continuing the deportation of thousands of migrants, some already sick with the novel coronavirus, to the most vulnerable countries in the Western Hemisphere despite widespread complaints and criticism, national media has reported. | RELATED: | Trump Orders U.S. Oil Companies to Halt Operations in Venezuela | The worrisome trend comes as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the White House would halt the immigration of green card recipients for 60…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Deports-Thousands-of-Migrants-to-COVID-19-Vulnerable-Nations-20200422-0015.html

Bill McKibben on Earth Day at 50: We Must Stop Subsidizing Fossil Fuel Industry Wrecking the Planet
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-22
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, when more than 20 million Americans joined in actions to protect the environment

Sanctioned Countries Are Now Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-22
Countries currently facing US sanctions, around a quarter of the world's population, are faring far better than the United States and leading the global fight against COVID-19.
mintpressnews.com/sanctioned-countries-leading-world-fight-against-coronavirus/266878/

Tracking COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean
Matt Sedlar | cepr.net | 2020-04-22
The COVID-19 data tracker will be continually updated as the pandemic spreads throughout the region and CEPR experts will be providing regular analysis on The Americas Blog.
cepr.net/tracking-covid-19-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

New Model Shows Reducing Jail Population will Lower COVID-19 Death Toll for All of Us
Udi Ofer | aclu.org | 2020-04-22
The Trump administration optimistically projects that "substantially under" 100,000 people will die from COVID-19 in the United States. Horrific as that statistic is, a new model suggests it could be a huge underestimate. The government models fail to consider the impact of the virus on the incarcerated population, who will be infected and die at higher rates. And any prison or jail outbreak is bound to spill over into the broader community

COVID-19: First US Deaths Took Place Weeks Earlier Than Thought
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-22
The first US deaths of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has become a global pandemic, succumbed weeks earlier than previously thought, officials in California said late Tuesday. | RELATED: | Trump Orders U.S. Oil Companies to Halt Operations in Venezuela | The Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner said autopsies on two people who died in early and mid-February showed they had been infected by the virus. Samples sent to the Centers for Disease Control a…
telesurenglish.net/news/COVID-19-First-US-Deaths-Took-Place-Weeks-Earlier-Than-Thought-20200422-0017.html

COVID-19 to cause biggest economic contraction ever in Latin America & Caribbean
news.un.org | 2020-04-21
The COVID-19 pandemic will herald the worst economic contraction in the history of Latin American and the Caribbean, with a projected -5.3 per cent drop in activity this year, according to a report by the UN office for the region, ECLAC, published on Tuesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1062292

Coronavirus Capitalism: Entrenching Dispossession and Dependency
Colin Todhunter | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-21
There is surprisingly a certain degree of optimism around at the moment, despite virtually entire populations and economies on lockdown. Although things are really bad for millions right now due to the effects of lockdown, economist Mariana Mazzucato believes that the Covid-19 crisis will shine light on societal and economic systems all across the world, …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/coronavirus-capitalism-entrenching-dispossession-and-dependency/

New Orleans community unites in solidarity with large homeless population during pandemic lockdown
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-21
New Orleans, LA – Community members and workers have come together to provide basic emergency relief to thousands of houseless people in New Orleans. After coronavirus locked down the city, they organized a group called Southern Solidarity. The organization works to make up for city officials' failures in providing food, water and supplies to houseless people. | Southern Solidarity brings together dozens of volunteers on a daily basis. Most of them are furloughed workers who are otherwise social distancing. Volunteers wear masks, gloves, face shields and wash their hands regularly to confront the emergency in a s…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/21/new-orleans-community-unites-solidarity-large-homeless-population-during-pandemic-lockdown

Experts Warn: Years of US Intervention Have Set the Stage for a Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak in Haiti
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-20
Since 2004, successive administrations have partnered with Washington to loot Haiti, stripping away its assets to the point of collapse and leaving it woefully unprepared to face the coming pandemic.
mintpressnews.com/us-intervention-haiti-set-stage-deadly-coronavirus-outbreak/266794/

The Important Role of the Gig Economy Worker in Times of Crisis
Beau Peters | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-18
Photo Credit: Kai Pilger, Unsplash In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 55 million Americans were gig economy workers, making up 34% of the working population. At that time, it was expected for the number to rise to 43%, but due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the gig economy is changing. Currently, about …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/the-important-role-of-the-gig-economy-worker-in-times-of-crisis/

A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform
aclu.org | 2020-04-17

| For decades, marijuana laws have been used to criminalize Black and Brown peo…
aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/a-tale-of-two-countries-racially-targeted-arrests-in-the-era-of-marijuana-reform

Corporate Media Cover for US Mob Threats Against Venezuela
Lucas Koerner | fair.org | 2020-04-15
The Trump administration unveiled on March 31 a "democratic transition" plan to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office, in favor of a "council of state" composed of both opposition and ruling party loyalists. | The plan was, however, less an offer to negotiate than a diktat, with the US State Department ( 3/31/20) vowing that "sanctions will remain in effect, and increase, until the Maduro regime accepts a genuine political transition." | Despite the obvious mafioso over…
fair.org/home/corporate-media-cover-for-us-mob-threats-against-venezuela/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corporate-media-cover-for-us-mob-threats-against-venezuela

HaàØti au bord du précipice en raison des ravages du coronavirus et des dirigeants imposés par les États-Unis
Jeb Sprague | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-14
Alors que le gouvernement d'HaàØti, soutenu par les États-Unis et largement méprisé, encourage officiellement la distanciation sociale pour restreindre la…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/14/haiti-coronavirus-etats-unis/

Federal Wardens Must Immediately Flatten the Curve in our Nation's Prisons
Kanya Bennett | aclu.org | 2020-04-13
With 10 deaths and more than 500 positive COVID-19 cases in the nation's federal prisons, wardens must " move with dispatch" to " move vulnerable inmates out of these institutions." These are the words that Attorney General William Barr used on April 3rd when he directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reduce the federal prison population in the wake of COVID-19…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/federal-wardens-must-immediately-flatten-the-curve-in-our-nations-prisons

Colonialism & coronavirus: 800,000 Haitians may die of COVID-19
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-09
Gutted by US-allied, neoliberal governments which have controlled the country since 2004, Haiti's healthcare sector braces for a potential catastrophe….
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/09/colonialism-coronavirus-haitians-covid/

Database Inaccuracies and Disparities in Care Among Hospitalized Homeless Adults
Essien UR, Paul DW, Jr, Kushel M. | jamanetwork.com | 2020-04-01
To the Editor In a recent issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, Wadhera and colleagues reported that hospitalized adults experiencing homelessness are less likely than those who were not homeless to undergo indicated cardiovascular interventions, including coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft. Those who were homeless experienced higher mortality rates. Their study adds to the literature on poor health outcomes in homeless populations by demonstrating that disparities may, in part, be because of disparities in care provided to hospitalized patients.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2763746

Human Rights Watch cabildea por sanciones letales contra Nicaragua y Venezuela, mientras arrecia la crisis de Covid-19
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-20
Human Rights Watch está orgullosamente asumiendo el crédito por sanciones devastadoras contra Nicaragua, mientras busca escalar la guerra económica en…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/20/human-rights-watch-sanciones-nicaragua-venezuela/

Implementation of HIV Self-Testing Program in New York City–Reply
MacGowan RJ, Chavez PR, Mermin JH. | jamanetwork.com | 2020-04-01
In Reply We were pleased to read the letter from Edelstein and colleagues about successful HIV self-testing programs supported by the New York City Health Department since 2015. The distribution of HIV self-tests to men who have sex with men and to other at-risk populations has the potential to increase HIV testing, awareness of HIV infection, and to initiate access to treatment and prevention services for more than 150‚ÄØ000 people living in the country with undiagnosed HIV. HIV testing programs could distribute HIV self-tests via the internet, community-based organizations, or other avenues. T…
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2763753

70+ Groups Demand Trump Immediately End US Sanctions Against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and Others During Covid-19 Crisis
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-23
"In a context of global pandemic, impeding medical efforts in one country heightens the risk for all of us." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/coronavirus_leadership.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/23/70-groups-demand-trump-immediately-end-us-sanctions-against-iran-venezuela-cuba-and?cd-origin=rss