2020-05-18: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

The Prospects of Russia and India Jointly Leading a New Non-Aligned Movement
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The ongoing global systemic transition is transforming international relations from its erstwhile unipolarity to what experts agree is either multipolarity or, less popularly, bipolarity. However one chooses to describe the present world order, it's clear that the US and China …
globalresearch.ca/russia-india-leading-new-non-aligned-movement/5713271

Improved Russia-Pakistan Relations. Moscow's "New Bipolarity"
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
There's a growing consensus among Russia's leading experts that International Relations are increasingly characterized by what they've termed the "new bipolarity" that's emerging out of World War C, and it's within this global context that the continued improvement of Russian-Pakistani …
globalresearch.ca/improved-russian-pakistani-relations-help-moscow-balance-new-bipolarity/5713275

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

Exposed: CIA used Sheldon Adelson's firm to spy on Julian Assange
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-05-18
The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal reveals explosive new details on the CIA spying and sabotage operation against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange….
thegrayzone.com/2020/05/18/exposed-cia-used-sheldon-adelsons-firm-to-spy-on-julian-assange/

Opening Up for Demonstrations?
Ted Glick | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
Stop racist killings! Act together to end the pandemic! Living wages or income now! A Green New Deal and Medicare for All! Trump must go!
zcomm.org/znetarticle/opening-up-for-demonstrations/

Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
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 Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/disgraceful-yet-illuminating-reactions-to-the-2002-coup-that-briefly-ousted-chavez-iachr-cpj-and-rsf/

What You Need to Know about the ICC Investigation of War Crimes in Occupied Palestine
Romana Rubeo | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-18
Considering the number of UN resolutions that Israel has violated throughout the years – the perpetual occupation of Palestine, the siege on Gaza, and the elaborate system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians, finding Israel guilty of war crimes, among others "serious crimes" should be a straightforward matter.
mintpressnews.com/icc-investigation-israel-war-crimes-occupied-palestine/267657/

The Nakba: 72 years of ongoing catastrophe
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2020-05-18
May 15 is the day commemorating Youm al-Nakba, the Day of Catastrophe, when white European settlers declared war on the people of Palestine in 1948. In the violence that immediately followed the settlers' so-called "independence" declaration, at least 700,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes, and hundreds of towns . . . | Continue reading The Nakba: 72 years of ongoing catastrophe at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48740/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-nakba-72-years-of-ongoing-catastrophe

Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela
Yves Engler | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
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 …
globalresearch.ca/ottawa-colombian-president-undermine-human-rights-regarding-venezuela/5713214

Germany's Kosovo Policy Shift. Implications for Serbia and the EU
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The debate in the German Bundestag on the extension of the mandate of German Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers turned into a criticism of long-time Chancellor Angela Merkel and raised speculation that Berlin might adopt a different position on Kosovo. The …
globalresearch.ca/will-germany-kosovo-policy-shift-back-serbia-favor/5713293

Trump's Megalomania and Boris Johnson's Incompetence Have Only Increased in COVID Pandemic
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
It was the pandemic that turned Trump's and Johnson's character and behavioural flaws into lethal failings that have since killed many people. Both had risen to power by skilfully exploiting nativist fears and ambitions and scapegoating foreigners at home and abroad. They had become like a pair of conmen who have been successfully peddling lies and fantasies, but who must suddenly grapple with a highly-dangerous reality.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/trumps-megalomania-and-boris-johnsons-incompetence-have-only-increased-in-covid-pandemic/

Trump's Megalomania and Boris Johnson's Incompetence Have Only Increased in COVID Pandemic
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
It was the pandemic that turned Trump's and Johnson's character and behavioural flaws into lethal failings that have since killed many people. Both had risen to power by skilfully exploiting nativist fears and ambitions and scapegoating foreigners at home and abroad. They had become like a pair of conmen who have been successfully peddling lies and fantasies, but who must suddenly grapple with a highly-dangerous reality.
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/trumps-megalomania-and-boris-johnsons-incompetence-have-only-increased-in-covid-pandemic/

Trump Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, China Threatens Retaliation
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
Even during a major public health crisis compounded by economic collapse

Trump Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, China Threatens Retaliation
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
Even during a major public health crisis compounded by economic collapse

Federal Reserve Financial Mismanagement
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The misnamed Federal Reserve isn't federal. It's owned and controlled by major Wall Street banks. | It serves their interests at the expense of sound economic policy, ignoring its congressional mandate to "promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, …
globalresearch.ca/federal-reserve-financial-mismanagement/5713281

Federal Reserve Financial Mismanagement
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
The misnamed Federal Reserve isn't federal. It's owned and controlled by major Wall Street banks. | It serves their interests at the expense of sound economic policy, ignoring its congressional mandate to "promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, …
globalresearch.ca/federal-reserve-financial-mismanagement/5713281

US Military Planners Advise Expanded Online Psychological Warfare against China
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-18
Just three years ago, Americans had a neutral view of China (and nine years ago it was strongly favorable). Today, the same polls show that 66 percent of Americans dislike the country. | MPN– As the U.S. military turns its attention from the Middle East to conflict with Russia and China, American war planners are advising that the United States greatly expand its own online "psychological operations" against Beijing. | A new report from the Financial Times details how top brass in Washington are strategiz…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/us-military-planners-advise-expanded-online-psychological-warfare-against-china

US Military Planners Advise Expanded Online Psychological Warfare against China
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-18
Just three years ago, Americans had a neutral view of China (and nine years ago it was strongly favorable). Today, the same polls show that 66 percent of Americans dislike the country.
mintpressnews.com/us-military-planners-advise-expanded-online-psychological-warfare-against-china/267665/

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-18
Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had. Across the region, daily positive tests are rising rapidly. Chilean figures show infections have doubled since last week. Around 4,000 Peruvians have tested positive each day in the past week. Meanwhile, Argentina, where an official 12 percent mortality rate suggests authorities are testing nowhere near enough people, suffered its two worst days on Friday and Saturday. As figures are often revised upwards the d…
mintpressnews.com/latin-america-massive-spike-covid-19-cases/267674/

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-18
Many Latin American countries have been hollowed out after decades of neoliberal "reforms," leaving them weaker than ever. | MPN– Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had. Across the region, daily positive tests are rising rapidly. Chilean figures show infections have doubled since last week. Around 4,000 Peruvians have tested positive each day in the past week. Meanwhile, Argentina, where an official 12 percent mortality rate suggests authorities…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/latin-america-braces-for-major-spike-in-covid-19-cases

Latin America Braces for Major Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-18
Many Latin American countries have been hollowed out after decades of neoliberal "reforms," leaving them weaker than ever. | MPN– Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had. Across the region, daily positive tests are rising rapidly. Chilean figures show infections have doubled since last week. Around 4,000 Peruvians have tested positive each day in the past week. Meanwhile, Argentina, where an official 12 percent mortality rate suggests authorities…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/latin-america-braces-for-major-spike-in-covid-19-cases

Stir Crazy! Episode #36: Slaves To The Economy
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-05-18
On today's show: Incoming TRNN Executive Director John Duda, PERI Gender and Care Work Program economist Katherine Moos, and Economic Update host and founder of Democracy at Work Richard Wolff. Hosted by Kim Brown.
therealnews.com/stories/stir-crazy-episode-36-slaves-to-the-economy

Ghani-Abdullah power sharing deal marks an end to stalemate in Afghanistan
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-18
According to the agreement, president Ashraf Ghani will continue as the Afghan president while rival Abdullah Abdullah will lead the peace talks with the Taliban. Abdullah will also choose an equal number of ministers in the government…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/18/ghani-abdullah-power-sharing-deal-marks-an-end-to-stalemate-in-afghanistan/

Iran Is Not A Victim, It Is One of The Most Influential and Strong-Minded Nations on Earth
Andre Vltchek | iranian.com | 2020-05-18
When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter how threatening they might be. Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world, and it's precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments. And one such moment …
iranian.com/2020/05/17/iran-is-not-a-victim-it-is-one-of-the-most-influential-and-strong-minded-nations-on-earth/

How Will COVID-19 Change the World? Historian Frank Snowden on Epidemics From the Black Death to Now
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-18
Pandemics, like revolution, war and economic crises, are key determinants of historic change. We look at the history of epidemics, from Black Death to smallpox to COVID-19, and discuss how the coronavirus will reshape the world with leading medical historian Frank Snowden, author of "Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present." He is a professor emeritus at Yale University who has been in Italy since the pandemic began, and himself survived a COVID-19 infection.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/18/frank_snowden_covid_19_epidemics_history

Poetry in the Time of the Pandemic & Other Earthly Ills
Freedom Socialist Party Bay Area | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
Zoom (access registration after ticket purchase)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/17/18833103.php

'Rotten from the top': Sexual harassment 'RAMPANT' at McDonald's, international labor group tells OECD in complaint
rt.com | 2020-05-19
An international group of labor unions has filed a complaint alleging "systemic" and "rampant" sexual harassment at McDonald's restaurants around the globe, arguing the corporate fast food giant has ignored the problem for years. | The complaint was filed with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Monday by the International Union of Food Workers (IUF), which said McDonald's had allowed a "sexual harassment crisis" to persist in restaurants all over the world, including in the US, Brazil, Australia, France, the UK, Chile and Colombia, among other countries. | "McDonald's workers h…
rt.com/news/489028-mcdonalds-sexual-harassment-oecd/

'Potential benefit outweighed the risk': Trump's doctor pens letter in defense of HCQ, Twitter still unconvinced he takes it
rt.com | 2020-05-19
With media and online pundits going into a full-blown meltdown after US President Donald Trump said that he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a prophylaxis against coronavirus, his doctor issued a statement in support of the drug. | Trump's admission late Monday that he has been taking the experimental drug, originally designed to treat malaria and several other conditions, has caught many off-guard, spawning a torrent of reactions online. | pic.twitter.com/o9DQrfSjJH– Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) May 19,…
rt.com/usa/489029-hydroxychloroquine-doctor-letter-trump/

'Masks are Sharia-lite!' Explosive conservative host compares Covid-19 orders to 'ISIS & TALIBAN policies' on Rush Limbaugh Show
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Conservative author Mark Steyn has taken criticism of Covid-19 lockdown orders to a new level by comparing the measures to terrorist policies and mask-wearing rules to the Sharia law. | Filling in for conservative Rush Limbaugh on his radio show on Monday, Steyn began his lockdown critique by comparing the canceling of live musical performances to performers being killed and banned in the Middle East by none other than Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL) terrorists. | "You know the last time I was writing about societies banning music it was ISIS and the Taliban," Steyn said. "I'm creeped out by the fact that we're…
rt.com/usa/489020-limbaugh-sharia-masks-coronavirus-lockdown/

Taliban blamed for over 3,800 attacks after peace deal
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Afghan government on Monday blamed the Taliban for "blatantly violating" terms of their peace deal with the US signed in February.Flanked by the country's army chief and interior minister, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Zia Siraj, the head of the secret service NDS, told a news conference the Taliban continued their assaults across the country.Siraj also accused the Taliban of having close ties with foreign terrorist groups such as al-Qaida, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others."The Taliban, after the peace deal with the US orchestrated over 3,800 attacks in differen…
yenisafak.com/en/world/taliban-blamed-for-over-3800-attacks-after-peace-deal-3529810

Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-05-18
Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14877

Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-05-18
Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14877

Part II of the Kent-State Series
Project Censored | projectcensored.org | 2020-05-18
50 years have passed since Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on Kent State University students protesting the Vietnam War. Four students were killed and nine wounded. On this Part…
projectcensored.org/part-ii-of-the-kent-state-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=part-ii-of-the-kent-state-series

Video: German Medical Doctor Katrin Korb's Analysis of Big Pharma's "Dubious Vaccine"
Dr. Katrin Korb | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
German Medical Doctor Katrin Korb discusses COVID-19, the lockdown and the vaccine during a protest held in Oldeburg. | Below is the transcript of her speech. | *** | Dear fellow citizens, | I'm thankful for being able to stand here today. My name …
globalresearch.ca/video-german-medical-doctor-katrin-korb/5713250

Israeli Soldiers Abduct Eight Palestinians, Injure Several Others, In West Bank
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-05-18
Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, eight Palestinians, and injured many others, in several parts of the occupied West Bank, after the soldiers invaded many communities, stormed and ransacked homes, and attack protesters. In Jenin, in northern West Bank, the soldiers invaded the home of Ahmad Nabeeh Abu ar-Rob, and violently searched …
imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduct-eight-palestinians-injure-several-others-in-west-bank/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=israeli-soldiers-abduct-eight-palestinians-injure-several-others-in-west-bank

COVID-19: Podemos, social-democrats prepare to send Spanish police against workers' protests
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
The "left populist" Podemos party is backing plans for Civil Guards to attack working class protests and monitor social media for signs of online dissent.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/pode-m18.html

Philadelphia: #FreeBlackMamas demand prisoner release
Joe Piette | workers.org | 2020-05-18
Philadelphia Protesters, led by currently and formerly incarcerated women, trans and non gender-binary people, held a rally on May 15 in a city park next to Riverside Correctional Facility to demand the release of people held in Philadelphia jails and an end to unjust cash bail. The action featured speeches . . . | Continue reading Philadelphia: #FreeBlackMamas demand prisoner release at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48756/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=philadelphia-freeblackmamas-demand-prisoner-release

Protest at Fort Mason Against CCSF Cuts
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
People young and old protest CCSF cuts in programs that benefit seniors, immigrants and working people.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/15/18833052.php

Group that TRACKED protesters' cell phones accuses them of spreading Covid-19 across US… even if they DIDN'T leave their cars
rt.com | 2020-05-18
A Democrat-linked advocacy group is blaming the spread of Covid-19 on anti-lockdown protesters in the US after tracking their cell phones cross-country. Despite the tempting partisan narrative, though, many never left their cars. | Anti-lockdown demonstrators traveled hundreds of miles to attend protests, almost certainly spreading the coronavirus to places where infections were rare, according to the Committee to Protect Medicare, a supposedly non-partisan group run by a former Democratic congressional candidate. The group provided a comprehensive analysis of smartphone location data from rallies in Michigan,…
rt.com/usa/488992-lockdown-protests-spread-virus-cars/

'Have a good day & be safe': New Jersey cops are latest police force to REFUSE enforcing Covid-19 restrictions
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Footage of police in New Jersey informing anti-lockdown protesters they're in violation of Covid-19 executive orders, but will not face consequences, is the latest example of officers taking a more hands-off approach to the rules. | People began gathering outside Atilis Gym in southern New Jersey hours before it opened on Monday to show support for the business defying executive orders from the governor, and to protest the continuing lockdown measures in place across the state. | While almost no protesters wore face coverings and were clearly breaking social distancing guidelines by gathering in a big crowd, p…
rt.com/usa/489015-jersey-police-gym-coronavirus-social-distancing/

Protesters storm MBC Iraq office, destroy its contents: report
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

UN sends 89 trucks carrying aid to Syria's Idlib
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
The United Nations sent Monday 89 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province where millions are in urgent need of assistance.The trucks loaded with the supplies entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province bordering Idlib.The aid will be distributed to vulnerable people in Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within…
yenisafak.com/en/world/un-sends-89-trucks-carrying-aid-to-syrias-idlib-3529806

Iraqi protesters storm Saudi channel HQ in Baghdad
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Iraqi demonstrators on Monday stormed the premises of the Saudi-owned MBC channel in Baghdad to protest what they describe as an insult to late Shia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. | Scores of angry protesters gathered outside the MBC office in central Baghdad before forcing their way into the building and destroying everything inside, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene. | Waving photos of al-Muhandis and Iraqi flags, protesters chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia during their rally. | "We don't accept any insult to al-Muhandis, who is one of Iraq's symbols," Hussein al-Jumaili, a protester, told…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iraqi-protesters-storm-saudi-channel-hq-in-baghdad-3529800

Soldiers Abduct Four Palestinians, Injure Many, In Hebron
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-05-18
Israeli soldiers invaded, earlier Monday, Hebron city, and nearby towns of Beit Ummar and Yatta, in addition to the al-'Arroub refugee camp, in southern West Bank, searched and ransacked many homes and abducted four Palestinians, in addition to wounding several others. Mohammad Awad, a local nonviolent media activist in Beit …
imemc.org/article/soldiers-abduct-four-palestinians-injure-many-in-hebron/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=soldiers-abduct-four-palestinians-injure-many-in-hebron

Taking the Air out of Balloon Pollution: Grassroots Environmental Activist of the Year Danielle Vosburgh
Douglas Bevington | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
Danielle Vosburgh has been selected as the Fund for Wild Nature's Grassroots Activist of the Year for 2020. Danielle is co-founder of the Florida-based grassroots group Balloons Blow, which opposes helium balloon releases and their harmful impact on wildlife. Discarded balloons are particularly dangerous for animals living in the ocean. When balloons deflate and fall…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/taking-the-air-out-of-balloon-pollution-grassroots-environmental-activist-of-the-year-danielle-vosburgh/

World Health Assembly 2020: Is our response to COVID-19 adequate?
Ben Eder | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-18
Activists of the People's Health Movement talk about the World Health Assembly that begins today, the key issues that will come up for discussion, and the collapse of the global governance system in the realm of public health…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/18/world-health-assembly-2020-are-we-doing-enough-to-protect-the-world-from-covid-19/

Corporate Media Setting Stage for "New Cold War" with China
Gregory Shupak | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
Corporate media are laying the ideological groundwork for a new cold war with China, presenting the nation as a hostile power that needs to be kept in check. | The Washington Post ( 4/23/20) ran an article by Republican Sen. …
globalresearch.ca/corporate-media-setting-stage-new-cold-war-china/5713266

Australian government heightens trade conflict with China
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Successive Australian governments have been in the forefront of imposing tariffs and other restrictions on imports from China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/auch-m18.html

As death toll mounts, White House steps up efforts to scapegoat China for pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Blaming China not only deflects attention from the Trump administration's responsibility for the horrific US death toll but feeds into its anti-China trade war measures.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/usch-m18.html

The Coming Nuclear Menace: Hypersonic Missiles
Karl Grossman | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
The United States is seeking to acquire "volumes of hundreds or even thousands" of nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles that are "stealthy" and can fly undetected at 3,600 miles per hour, five times faster than the speed of sound. Why so many? A Pentagon official is quoted in the current issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology as saying "we have to be careful we're not building boutique weapons. If we build boutique weapons, we won't–we'll be very reluctant to–use them." | …
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/the-coming-nuclear-menace-hypersonic-missiles/

2020-05-17: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-17). Trump Regime Aims to Block Legal Cooperation Between Iran and Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The US is at war by hot or others means against all nations unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to its interests. | Russia and China top its regime change target list, Iran and Venezuela close behind. | The Islamic and Bolivarian …

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

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Venezuelan Army Captures Another Member of Operation Gedeon. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan armed forces captured another member Saturday involved in the failed coup plot, dubbed 'Operation Gedeon', against President Nicolas Maduro. | RELATED: | The Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (CEOFANB) reported that the arrest was made by the Operational Defense Comprehensive Zone (ZODI) of northern Aragua state. | The Venezuelan national police reported that se…

RT (2020-05-16). POLAND would gladly host American nukes if Germany refuses, US envoy claims, fanning 'Cuban missile crisis 2.0'. rt.com As the US ambassador to Germany — and acting spy chief — tried persuading Berlin to keep hosting US nuclear weapons, his colleague in Warsaw suggested Poland would be willing to take them instead, an act sure to provoke Moscow. | "If Germany wants to diminish nuclear capability and weaken NATO, perhaps Poland — which pays its fair share, understands the risks, and is on NATO's eastern flank — could house the capabilities here," Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher tweeted on Friday. | If Germany wants to diminish nuclear capability and weaken NATO, perhaps Poland – which pays its fair share, un…

RT (2020-05-16). Hungary's Orban says Budapest lockdown will now be gradually lifted amid Covid-19 powers row with EU. rt.com The gradual removal of coronavirus restrictions will begin in Budapest from Monday, bringing Hungarian PM Victor Orban closer to fulfilling his promise to give up the emergency powers that had angered the EU. | "It has become clear that we have managed to curb the epidemic in Budapest as well…and thus we can lift the lockdown," Orban announced in a video address on his Facebook page. | However, the prime minister pointed out that the government will be moving "cautiously" towards what he called the second phase of defense against the virus in Hungary's capital and largest city, which has a population of mor…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Washington places Cuba and Venezuela on "terror" list. wsws.org After fostering an abortive mercenary invasion aimed at overthrowing Venezuela's government and murdering its president, the US placed Caracas on a list of governments deemed uncooperative in the "war on terrorism."

Staff (2020-05-16). Cuba's Resilience Through Economic Crisis Prepared It for COVID Health Crisis. truthout.org In times of crisis, who we are is revealed. That is true of people and of nations. What COVID-19 has exposed — not created — is a deeply flawed and inequitable society. The truths of how race and class intersect to shorten the existence of some in our society are now laid bare for all to see. The collapse of structures that were barely holding on have revealed how inadequate they were to begin with. The failure of many states to prevent, protect against and help contain an illness…

Don Fitz (2020-05-16). Cuba's Biotechnology and "Medical Internationalism". Monsanto "Bioimperialism" versus Cuba's "Biosolidarity" globalresearch.ca Genetically engineered crops are a form of food imperialism. This technology allows mega-corporations like Bayer/Monsanto to patent seeds, lure farmers into buying them with visions of high yields, and then destroy the ability of small farmers to survive. | Genetic engineering …

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Puerto Rico to Hold Statehood Referendum Amid Disillusion. telesurenglish.net Puerto Rico's Governor Wanda Vazquez announced Saturday that she will hold a nonbinding referendum in November to decide whether Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state, a move that comes amid growing disillusion with the island's U.S. territorial status. | RELATED: | For the first time in the island's history, the referendum will ask a single, simple question: Should Puerto Rico be immediately admitted as a U.S. state? | It i…

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Iran Warns US Against Actions on Tankers Heading to Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Iran warned that any "pirate-like" actions take by the United States against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela would trigger Tehran's "harsh response," as reported Saturday by Iran's Nour News Agency. | RELATED: | "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 agency said. | Iran's Fars…

teleSUR (2020-05-16). 'Colombia's Policy Towards Venezuela Is Aggressive' Samper Says. telesurenglish.net Colombia's RELATED: | "Colombia has had ill-advised handling of its relationship with Venezuela. Colombian policy has been very aggressive to…

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

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Trade exchange between Iran, Venezuela has nothing to do with anyone else. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said that trade volume exchange between Islamic Republic of Iran and Venezuela, as two independent countries in the world, has nothing to do with anyone else, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to sell its oil.

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.

ahtribune (2020-05-15). Venezuela Shows World Under No Less Threat of War After Donald Trump's First Term. ahtribune.com When Donald Trump ran for president in the 2016 election, his criticisms of regime change presented a real opportunity for anti-war voices and organizations to demand an end to U.S. regime change wars abroad. That did not happen. In fact, the Trump administration has become even more bellicose amid the spread of the

W. T. Whitney (2020-05-15). For Cuba and Venezuela, US Silence May Not Be Golden. counterpunch.org The U. S. President and his Secretary of State frequently expound about the supposed failings of enemies abroad. Recently they've blasted China's response to the pandemic, Venezuela's dictatorship, Cuba's "slave doctors" overseas, and even Iranian border guards beating up on Afghan migrants. But they've been mostly silent about two recent disruptions of the imperialist status

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 . . . |

Louis Proyect (2020-05-15). How Economic Misery Helped Fuel the Syrian War. counterpunch.org Ever since the civil war began in Syria in early 2011, the left has largely ignored the social and economic circumstances that led to a conflict costing over a half-million deaths and the migration—internal and external—of half the population. The tendency was to see Syria as a piece on a global chessboard with "the axis

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…

Ryan Parry (2020-05-15). Venezuelan TV Exposed US Mercenaries' Names, Photos and Incursion Plan a Month Before It Happened. anti-empire.com The Americans behind the failed Venezuelan coup went ahead with the ill-fated mission even though the country's ruling regime publicly exposed their plan on live TV more than a month earlier. | In footage unearthed by DailyMail.com Venezuelan state television claimed its government had infiltrated the 'mercenaries' and even aired photographs of the coup's US leader, Jordan Goudreau. | They also appeared to have the names of the other two Americans captured and paraded on TV this week, ex Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry. | The revelation, alongside the apparent lack of funding and adequate equipment fo…

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-15). Guaidó and the Failed Military Operation Against Venezuela: a Story of Betrayal and Financial Corruption. counterpunch.org Now that we have had a few days to study the failed, illegal paramilitary incursion by a group of American and Venezuelan mercenaries into Venezuela, some key details have emerged in this incredible story. They reveal the internal dynamics of the fractured, demoralized, and financially corrupt nature of the hardline sectors of the opposition. Much

Irina Slav (2020-05-15). Up to Five Iranian Tankers en Route to Venezuela Carrying Much-Needed Gasoline. anti-empire.com An Iranian tanker loaded with gasoline has set sail for Venezuela, Reuters reports, citing tanker tracking data. The cargo should help alleviate a growing shortage of gasoline in the sanctions-stricken South American country. | The Clavel, a medium tanker, loaded in March at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and this week passed the Suez Canal, the data showed. | TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani confirmed the data to Oilprice.com, noting that there were several vessels en route from Iran to Venezuela, with the cargo all or mostly gasoline. | twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1261022167669

Staff (2020-05-15). US Deports COVID-Positive Immigrants to Haiti and Guatemala, Spreading Virus. truthout.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. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: We turn now…

WSWS (2020-05-15). Rushed relaxation of coronavirus measures in Germany puts thousands of lives at risk. wsws.org With the general relaxation of the coronavirus measures, cases in schools, retirement homes, local transport, industry and the entire working population are inevitably on the rise again.

WSWS (2020-05-15). Amid charges of unsafe conditions, Puerto Rico's governor issues back-to-work orders. wsws.org Businesses have been left to supervise themselves in all matters related to worker safety as the government's regulatory agencies essentially wash their hands of the matter.

Macdonald Stainsby (2020-05-15). Socialism and Collective Responses: Attacking Venezuela in a Pandemic. counterpunch.org That feeling of international solidarity. This pandemic has brought terror in daily life to many, including this home where a 79 year old with COPD resides. Global calls of "we are all in this together" have served to blunt the bleakness in the face of unprecedented threats to our collective health. However, the initial rush

Nino Pagliccia (2020-05-15). Canadians Must Ask Questions About the Mercenary Raid on Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Details of the failed armed mercenary incursion on Venezuela are surfacing daily thanks to the prompt public information system from Venezuela and scant corporate media reports. The so-called Operation Gideon took off from Colombia on May 3 and was effectively …

teleSUR (2020-05-14). President Maduro: New Mercenary Groups are Formed in Colombia. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, denounced this Thursday that "new groups of mercenaries are being formed in Colombia" under the complicity of the Ivan Duque government, with the purpose of attempting new attacks against his country. | "New groups of hitmen, mercenaries and terrorists are being formed in Colombia; We have the names, the place where they are, those who protect them and everything points to Ivan Duque again ", denounced the president while leading the day with the health sector to evaluate the protocols implemented in the combat of Covid-19. | The head of state asserted that those who pro…

Sasha Yumbila Paz (2020-05-14). The Colombian Political System is Ravaged by Corruption: Pablo Beltrán. peoplesdispatch.org The ELN, took up arms in 1964. Since 1989, it has held peace talks with five administrations. The government of Juan Manuel Santos and the ELN advanced an agenda to end the conflict. The last round of negotiations was held in Havana, Cuba, where the ELN's Dialogue Delegation continues to work for a political solution to Colombia's armed conflict. | The government of Iván Duque Márquez, since taking office in August 2018, has ignored the Agenda for Peace Talks, including the security protocols and the return of the ELN to Colombia; and in January 2019 it terminated all dialogue. | Over 56 years, the armed conflict…

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…

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 …

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.

Surangya (2020-05-14). COVID crisis in Puerto Rico worsened by US neglect. peoplesdispatch.org After hurricanes and earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic is the third major health crisis in Puerto Rico in three years. There have been around 2,300 COVID cases and around 115 deaths in the Caribbean island as of May 14. This crisis is exacerbated in the region because of the historical neglect and because of its colonial relationship with the United States.

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). UN economic commission backs guaranteed minimum income in Colombia. colombiareports.com The United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) supports an urgent guaranteed minimum income (GMI) as proposed in Colombia's senate. The proposal was coined by some…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). 'Major' Mental Health Crisis Looming Due to COVID-19: UN. telesurenglish.net The COVID-19 outbreak risks sparking a major global mental health crisis, the United Nations warned Thursday, calling for urgent action to address the psychological suffering brought on by the pandemic. | RELATED: | While protecting physical health has been the primary concern during the first months of the crisis, it is also placing substantial mental strains on large swathes of the global population, the U.N. sai…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). 'Zombie Neocon': How This Iran Contra Architect Is Leading Trump Policy. strategic-culture.org Hawk Elliot Abrams, reborn as a U.S. envoy, is at the spear point of recent aggressive moves in Venezuela. | Barbara BOLAND | As we await answers on who funded the plot to Called the "neocon zombie" by officials at the State Department, Abrams is know…

John McEvoy (2020-05-14). Revealed: Secretive British Unit Planning for 'Reconstruction' of Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the 'reconstruction' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of …

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.

Don Fitz (2020-05-13). Can we simultaneously oppose Bayer/Monsanto's biotechnology and support Cuba's Interferon Alpha 2B? mronline.org Technology reflects social factors throughout its development and use. Genetically engineered crops allow mega-corporations to patent seeds, lure farmers into buying them with visions of high yields, and then destroy small farmers. Cuba's drugs are shared throughout the world. Making a distinction between the biotechnology of agro-industry and Cuba requires understanding the difference between bioimperialism …

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, …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-13). Coronavirus will have bigger impact on world's most disadvantaged and vulnerable. imperial.ac.uk The coronavirus pandemic will have a greater impact on the world's most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, according to an Imperial report.

ahtribune (2020-05-12). Trump's Ex-Security Company and Their Botched Plot to Overthrow the President of Venezuela. ahtribune.com Reports coming out of Venezuela and Miami, Florida in the United States are boarding on the hilarious. If you thought you had seen it all with Venezuela's hard right-wing opposition and their allies in the U.S. with their actions to overthrow the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro, well, think again. In recent days, images of two captured North American mercenaries have been flooding the air waves in the South American country of Venezuela where Maduro remains the president, despite harsh U.S. Accord…

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.

Beau Peters (2020-05-12). Shelter-in-Place and Internet Inequality: What's the Connection? dissidentvoice.org Photo Source: Unsplash As most of the world is forced to stay home, internet and technology play essential roles in almost every aspect of the population's shelter-at-home lives. The internet keeps loved ones communicating and in touch, informs people of what's going on in the world, connects students to their teachers and professors, and provides …

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…

ahtribune (2020-05-11). Was the Latest Coup Plot Against Democratic Venezuela Made in the US? ahtribune.com UN Charter Article 2(4) states the following: | "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." | Since US grand theft of half of Mexican territory in the mid 19th century, long before the UN Charter's existence, the US time and again waged wars by hot and other means against nations threatening no one, including countless coups — seeking to control them and their resources. | Since establishment of Bolivarian V…

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.