Monthly Archives: April 2020

2020-04-14: News Headlines

RT (2020-04-14). 'Zoom-bombed': National swimming organization red-faced after X-RATED content broadcast during FAMILY online workout session. rt.com Scottish Swimming has apologized after an online session aimed at providing workout tips for families during coronavirus lockdown was hijacked by online trolls who played x-rated content to an audience of around 300 people. | The video stream, which was broadcast live on the live broadcasting service Zoom, was intended to provide tips for people looking to exercise remotely and was co-ordinated by Scottish Swimming, the country's national body for the sport. | It featured a host of the Scotland's top swimmers but organizers were forced to pull the plug when the feed was hacked and what was later referred to as…

Stephen Lendman (2020-04-14). Get Ready for an Unacceptable "New Normal": Censorship, Extrajudicial Arrests, Is Martial Law the Next Shoe to Drop? globalresearch.ca At times like now, ideas lying around dormant on the shelf become reality. | Economic and other crisis conditions are times when most people can be convinced to accept unacceptable policies they'd likely reject otherwise. | During and after 2008-09 economic crisis …

Staff (2020-04-14). "You're a Fake" — Trump Attacks Reporter for Questioning His Propaganda Video. truthout.org President Donald Trump featured a video produced by the White House at a press briefing on Monday during which he took on a decidedly defensive tone toward reporters and the media in general over his slow response to the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. | The video, which

CP Editor (2020-04-14). Mainstream Media Blind Spots In The Coronavirus Crisis. counterpunch.org

Peter A. Coclanis (2020-04-13). How to Convince the Recalcitrant That This Time Really is Different. counterpunch.org Although I personally agree with the "shelter in place" policy currently in effect in North Carolina and other states, and am more or less reconciled to "the way we live now"—to borrow from Trollope—a bit more context on the crisis provoked by the novel corona virus COVID-19 might at once provide some useful information to the public and allow the recalcitrant better to understand what all the fuss is about.

Ben Norton (2020-04-13). As Nicaragua confronts Covid, its US-backed opposition exploits the pandemic to create chaos. thegrayzone.com Nicaragua's right-wing opposition is waging an information warfare campaign to undermine the elected Sandinista government, spreading fake news on coronavirus,…

news.un (2020-04-13). During this coronavirus pandemic, 'fake news' is putting lives at risk: UNESCO. news.un.org Unreliable and false information is spreading around the world to such an extent, that some commentators are now referring to the new avalanche of misinformation that's accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic as a 'disinfodemic'.

graham (2020-04-13). Editor at The Economist: 'Something fishy' about Boris Johnson's intensive care stay. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: I'm not sure what to make of this story. Boris Johnson has made a career out of creating fictitious nonsense, publishing propaganda and outright lying. If he was someone you knew in the pub or was somehow in your social circle, you wouldn't take his word for anything and dismiss him as a …

graham (2020-04-13). Brexit Mission Creep: Half of UK chickens already produced by US agri-giants. truepublica.org.uk By Andrew Wasley, Alexandra Heal, Claire Colley: Half of the UK's chickens are being produced by companies fully or partly controlled by US agribusinesses, according to an analysis of industry data, fuelling concerns of growing American influence over the British food sector. Moy Park, owned by Pilgrims Pride, now produces approximately 312 million birds a year, while Avara Foods …

RT (2020-04-12). Believe all women? New York Times only remembers its journalistic skepticism when it's Biden in the crosshairs. rt.com For anyone running for office in modern America, accusations of sexual assault are par for the course. But when it comes to weighing up these accusations, the US' mainstream paper of record applies some very uneven standards. | Take Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee. If doubts weren't already raised by his fondness for Yet amid the coronav…

Fight Back (2020-04-11). New People's Army fights COVID-19, Armed Forces of Philippines spreads lies. fightbacknews.org Over the past few days the Armed Forces of the Philippines (APF) has stepped up in its propaganda drive against the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army (NPA) in a desperate attempt to discredit the ongoing public health and economic campaign of the people's army and the mass organizations to help the efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. | According to an April 11, statement from Marco L. Valbuena, Information Officer, Communist Party of the Philippines, "The AFP's anti-NPA propaganda drive smacks of pure lies and accusations based solely on AFP-manufactured inf…

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

Ed Sykes (2020-04-08). The stark contrast between MSM coverage of #ClapForBoris and reality on the streets. thecanary.co The front pages of mainstream media outlets on 8 April claimed that 'the nation' had come together the previous night to show support for Boris Johnson. Some even suggested that the country had stopped to clap for the PM as he spent his second night in intensive care with coronavirus (Covid-19). | The actual response around the country, however, seemed to be very different. | Corporate media out of step with reality? Whatever next?: | The Times

Gregory Shupak (2020-04-08). As US Consigns Iranians to Death, Corporate Media Look the Other Way. fair.org Covid-19 has hammered few countries as hard as it has hit Iran, which reports (as of

Richard E Appleton (2020-03-20). [Comment] Second-line anticonvulsants for paediatric convulsive status epilepticus. thelancet.com Convulsive status epilepticus is the most common life-threatening neurological emergency in childhood. Mortality is low but morbidity is not, which could substantially affect the child, their family, and health and social care systems. The cause and the management of convulsive status epilepticus are the two most important factors in determining its outcome.1 Benzodiazepines are the recommended first-line drug treatment of convulsive status epilepticus and for which reasonably good scientific evidence based on a number of randomised controlled trials exists to support their use.

Joel Hellewell, Sam Abbott, Amy Gimma, Nikos I Bosse, Christopher I Jarvis, Timothy W Russell, James D Munday, Adam J Kucharski, W John Edmunds, Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Working Group, Sebastian Funk, Rosalind M Eggo (2020-02-28). [Articles] Feasibility of controlling COVID-19 outbreaks by isolation of cases and contacts. thelancet.com In most scenarios, highly effective contact tracing and case isolation is enough to control a new outbreak of COVID-19 within 3 months. The probability of control decreases with long delays from symptom onset to isolation, fewer cases ascertained by contact tracing, and increasing transmission before symptoms. This model can be modified to reflect updated transmission characteristics and more specific definitions of outbreak control to assess the potential success of local response efforts.

CounterSpin (2020-02-21). Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity. fair.org There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.

Xingfei Pan, Dexiong Chen, Yong Xia, Xinwei Wu, Tangsheng Li, Xueting Ou, Liyang Zhou, Jing Liu (2020-02-19). [Correspondence] Asymptomatic cases in a family cluster with SARS-CoV-2 infection. thelancet.com Since December, 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a serious epidemic in China and other countries, resulting in worldwide concern.1 Family clusters of infected individuals have been reported, and this phenomenon could present a serious threat to public health if not strictly controlled. In a previously reported family cluster, most infected individuals had clinical symptoms, decreased lymphocyte counts, and abnormal chest CT images, and were positive for the virus on quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis.

2020-04-14: 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.)

Get Ready for an Unacceptable "New Normal": Censorship, Extrajudicial Arrests, Is Martial Law the Next Shoe to Drop?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-14
At times like now, ideas lying around dormant on the shelf become reality. | Economic and other crisis conditions are times when most people can be convinced to accept unacceptable policies they'd likely reject otherwise. | During and after 2008-09 economic crisis …
globalresearch.ca/get-ready-unacceptable…

Mainstream Media Blind Spots In The Coronavirus Crisis
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-14
counterpunch.org/2020/04/14/mainstream-m…

'Zoom-bombed': National swimming organization red-faced after X-RATED content broadcast during FAMILY online workout session
rt.com | 2020-04-14
Scottish Swimming has apologized after an online session aimed at providing workout tips for families during coronavirus lockdown was hijacked by online trolls who played x-rated content to an audience of around 300 people. | The video stream, which was broadcast live on the live broadcasting service Zoom, was intended to provide tips for people looking to exercise remotely and was co-ordinated by Scottish Swimming, the country's national body for the sport. | It featured a host of the Scotland's top swimmers but organizers were forced to pull the plug when the feed was hacked and what was later referred to as…
rt.com/sport/485799-scottish-swmming-x-r…

As Nicaragua confronts Covid, its US-backed opposition exploits the pandemic to create chaos
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-13
Nicaragua's right-wing opposition is waging an information warfare campaign to undermine the elected Sandinista government, spreading fake news on coronavirus,…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/13/regime-change…

As Nicaragua confronts Covid, its US-backed opposition exploits the pandemic to create chaos
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-13
Nicaragua's right-wing opposition is waging an information warfare campaign to undermine the elected Sandinista government, spreading fake news on coronavirus,…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/13/regime-change…

During this coronavirus pandemic, 'fake news' is putting lives at risk: UNESCO
news.un.org | 2020-04-13
Unreliable and false information is spreading around the world to such an extent, that some commentators are now referring to the new avalanche of misinformation that's accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic as a 'disinfodemic'.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1…

The President and His Mob: the Autopsy of Governance
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-13
The mainstream media have insufficiently explained the fundamental importance of the role of the Inspector General, particularly in the national security bureaucracy that dominates discretionary spending and can resort to secret funding. National security institutions, such as the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, are reluctant to admit that they have made mistakes, let alone allow the lifting of the veil on illegal practices. There are institutional concerns that drive this reluctance: vulnerability to legal action; reduced budgets, setbacks to programs considered important; and the possibility of ho…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/13/the-presiden…

How to Convince the Recalcitrant That This Time Really is Different
Peter A. Coclanis | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-13
Although I personally agree with the "shelter in place" policy currently in effect in North Carolina and other states, and am more or less reconciled to "the way we live now"–to borrow from Trollope–a bit more context on the crisis provoked by the novel corona virus COVID-19 might at once provide some useful information to the public and allow the recalcitrant better to understand what all the fuss is about.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/13/how-to-convi…

How to Convince the Recalcitrant That This Time Really is Different
Peter A. Coclanis | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-13
Although I personally agree with the "shelter in place" policy currently in effect in North Carolina and other states, and am more or less reconciled to "the way we live now"–to borrow from Trollope–a bit more context on the crisis provoked by the novel corona virus COVID-19 might at once provide some useful information to the public and allow the recalcitrant better to understand what all the fuss is about.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/13/how-to-convi…

Editor at The Economist: 'Something fishy' about Boris Johnson's intensive care stay
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-04-13
TruePublica Editor: I'm not sure what to make of this story. Boris Johnson has made a career out of creating fictitious nonsense, publishing propaganda and outright lying. If he was someone you knew in the pub or was somehow in your social circle, you wouldn't take his word for anything and dismiss him as a …
truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/something-fishy-about-boris-johnsons-intensive-care-stay/

Brexit Mission Creep: Half of UK chickens already produced by US agri-giants
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-04-13
By Andrew Wasley, Alexandra Heal, Claire Colley: Half of the UK's chickens are being produced by companies fully or partly controlled by US agribusinesses, according to an analysis of industry data, fuelling concerns of growing American influence over the British food sector. Moy Park, owned by Pilgrims Pride, now produces approximately 312 million birds a year, while Avara Foods …
truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/brexit-mission-creep-half-of-uk-chickens-already-produced-by-us-agri-giants/

Believe all women? New York Times only remembers its journalistic skepticism when it's Biden in the crosshairs
rt.com | 2020-04-12
For anyone running for office in modern America, accusations of sexual assault are par for the course. But when it comes to weighing up these accusations, the US' mainstream paper of record applies some very uneven standards. | Take Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee. If doubts weren't already raised by his fondness for sniffing women, the emergence last month of a sexual assault allegation against the former vice president could have caused a major headache for his campaign. | Yet amid the coronav…
rt.com/usa/485620-biden-new-york-times-k…

Believe all women? New York Times only remembers its journalistic skepticism when it's Biden in the crosshairs
rt.com | 2020-04-12
For anyone running for office in modern America, accusations of sexual assault are par for the course. But when it comes to weighing up these accusations, the US' mainstream paper of record applies some very uneven standards. | Take Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee. If doubts weren't already raised by his fondness for sniffing women, the emergence last month of a sexual assault allegation against the former vice president could have caused a major headache for his campaign. | Yet amid the coronav…
rt.com/usa/485620-biden-new-york-times-k…

New People's Army fights COVID-19, Armed Forces of Philippines spreads lies
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-11
Over the past few days the Armed Forces of the Philippines (APF) has stepped up in its propaganda drive against the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army (NPA) in a desperate attempt to discredit the ongoing public health and economic campaign of the people's army and the mass organizations to help the efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. | According to an April 11, statement from Marco L. Valbuena, Information Officer, Communist Party of the Philippines, "The AFP's anti-NPA propaganda drive smacks of pure lies and accusations based solely on AFP-manufactured inf…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/11/new-peop…

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-c…

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-c…

The stark contrast between MSM coverage of #ClapForBoris and reality on the streets
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2020-04-08
The front pages of mainstream media outlets on 8 April claimed that 'the nation' had come together the previous night to show support for Boris Johnson. Some even suggested that the country had stopped to clap for the PM as he spent his second night in intensive care with coronavirus (Covid-19). | The actual response around the country, however, seemed to be very different. | Corporate media out of step with reality? Whatever next?: | The Times said "Britain sends message of hope to battling Johnson". The Daily Express, meanwhile,…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/04/08/the-stark-contrast-between-msm-coverage-of-clapforboris-and-reality-on-the-streets/

As US Consigns Iranians to Death, Corporate Media Look the Other Way
Gregory Shupak | fair.org | 2020-04-08
Covid-19 has hammered few countries as hard as it has hit Iran, which reports (as of April 8) 64,586 cases and 3,993 deaths. US sanctions are a major reason that Iranians are getting infected with and dying from the coronavirus in such large numbers: The US's economic warfare softened Iran up for the pandemic well before its outbreak. Even before the pandemic hit, Human Rights Watch ( 10/29/19) was reporting that Trump administration sanctions were "causing…
fair.org/home/as-us-consigns-iranians-to…

[Comment] Second-line anticonvulsants for paediatric convulsive status epilepticus
Richard E Appleton | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
Convulsive status epilepticus is the most common life-threatening neurological emergency in childhood. Mortality is low but morbidity is not, which could substantially affect the child, their family, and health and social care systems. The cause and the management of convulsive status epilepticus are the two most important factors in determining its outcome.1 Benzodiazepines are the recommended first-line drug treatment of convulsive status epilepticus and for which reasonably good scientific evidence based on a number of randomised controlled trials exists to support their use.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30674-7/fulltext?rss=yes