(2020-03-20). Two LA Lakers players test positive for Covid-19, will self-quarantine. rt.com 
Two athletes for the Los Angeles Lakers have contracted the coronavirus, the team said in a statement. Both remain without symptoms, but have been placed into isolation after the positive diagnosis. | "We learned today that two Lakers players have tested positive," the Lakers said in a statement on Thursday evening, adding that "All players and members of the Lakers staff are being asked to continue to observe self-quarantine and shelter at home guidelines." | The team did not name either afflicted player. | t.co/RmqjnRzGLk— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) (2020-03-19). Amazon squeezing workers amid Covid-19 crisis is 'unacceptable' — French finance minister. rt.com 
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Amazon's refusal to pay wages of staff who walk out over coronavirus fears is "unacceptable" as the country is considering nationalization of bigger companies at risk. | "These pressures are unacceptable, we'll let Amazon know," Le Maire said after several hundred workers protested the company's policy on Wednesday. The e-commerce giant refused to pay workers who walked out or stayed at home in self-isolation over coronavirus fears. | www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=282184766102941&set=pcb.282185442769540&type=3&theater | Le Maire said Thursday that he would…
(2020-03-19). Trumka praises workers, slams Trump and profiteers on coronavirus pandemic. peoplesworld.org 
(2020-03-19). Tulsi Gabbard suspends presidential campaign, endorses Biden. rt.com 
Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, citing the establishment favorite's primary victories and the coronavirus as her reasons. | Gabbard made the surprise announcement on Thursday in a video posted to her Twitter account, explaining she was dropping out to focus on dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Hawaii and potentially serving in her National Guard capacity should she be called to action. | The endorsement of Biden came as a particular surprise, given Gabbard's opposition to "regime change wars," a central plank of he…
(2020-03-19). 'Inhumane & reckless': Twitter silences Venezuela's anti-coronavirus chief as IMF denies emergency loan. rt.com 
Amid crushing US sanctions and IMF rejection already making Venezuela's struggle with Covid-19 difficult, Twitter now seems to have hobbled the country's vice-president and head of coronavirus response, Delcy Rodriguez. | Both the personal and the official Twitter account belonging to Rodriguez were "temporarily restricted" on Thursday over "unusual activity," with old tweets still visible to those who choose to view them, but no new tweets available after Wednesday. | Foreign Minister Jorge
(2020-03-19). Convoy of Italian army trucks haul away corpses as local crematorium flooded with coronavirus dead (VIDEO). rt.com 
The Italian military has been called in to help transport dead bodies as the northern city of Bergamo reels from the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. The city's crematorium is reportedly now working around-the-clock. | The head of Lega Nord, Matteo Salvini, posted a photograph on Twitter showing a seemingly endless line of army trucks moving their way through the Italian town, located in the Lombardy region. | L'Esercito porta le bare fuori da Bergamo, per la cremazione fuori dalla Lombardia, una terra messa a prova durissima, che lotta senza tregua contro il male. | àà un'immagine straziante, che colpisce…
(2020-03-19). What about ending endless wars? Tulsi Gabbard drops out of presidential race and backs …Biden. rt.com Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, citing the establishment favorite's primary victories and the coronavirus as her reasons. | Gabbard made the surprise announcement on Thursday in a video posted to her Twitter account, explaining she was dropping out to focus on dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Hawaii and potentially serving in her National Guard capacity should she be called to action. | The endorsement of Biden came as a particular surprise, given Gabbard's opposition to "regime change wars," a central plank of he…
(2020-03-19). 'Soul-destroying': UK foodbank broken into and 'ransacked' as Covid-19 outbreak provokes panic over supplies. rt.com 
A foodbank in West Yorkshire, England has been broken into and £500-worth of items such as food, sanitary products and basic supplies stolen, as the febrile atmosphere in the UK cranks up amid the coronavirus pandemic. | Local Labour MP Yvette Cooper took to social media on Thursday afternoon to express her dismay at the brazen criminality committed against Knottingley Foodbank, tweeting: "Truly appalled anyone could do this right now." | | Truly ap…
(2020-03-19). 'No exceptions': Philippines to ban entry of foreigners over coronavirus. rt.com 
The Philippines is stopping the issuance of visas to foreigners, banning all nationalities from entering the country to halt the spread of coronavirus, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Thursday. | Locsin signed an order stopping the issuance of visas domestically and in all foreign posts, he tweeted, without giving a timeframe for the measures. | "This goes one imperative step forward: a total ban on incoming foreign visitors of all nationalities no exceptions," Locsin said, adding that outgoing foreign visitors will be allowed to leave. | The Philippines has recorded 217 coronavirus infections…
(2020-03-19). Protests Against the "Bolsonaro Virus" Spread in Brazil. telesurenglish.net For the second day in a row, ultra-right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was the subject of protests in several Brazilian cities, local media reported Wednesday. | RELATED: | The protests began in the country on Tuesday, after residents of some communities in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, from windows and balconies, shouted and pot-banging for Bolsonaro's resignation. | After the call went viral on Twitter, the protests rea…
(2020-03-19). Socialist countries response to pandemic shows stark contrast to capitalism. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – As the number of confirmed cases of the viral illness COVID-19 approaches 200,000 worldwide, we can already see how differently issues of public health and human needs are treated in socialist countries vs. capitalist countries. | COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, a major city in the People's Republic of China. Local officials took three to four weeks to recognize its significance. Once the threat was clear, the whole of the country and vast resources were mobilized. Everything was shut down to stop the virus in its tracks. People were quarantined at home as new hospitals were constructed, s…
(2020-03-19). Viral Reactions: The Smugness of Celebrity Self-Isolation. globalresearch.ca The rush to elevate self-isolation to Olympian heights as a way to combat the spread of COVID-19 has gotten to the celebrities. Sports figures are proudly tweeting and taking pictures from hotel rooms (Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton being a …
(2020-03-19). Turkey 'neutralizes' 3 YPG/PKK terrorists in N. Syria. yenisafak.com The Turkish army "neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Thursday."Our heroic commandos neutralized three YPG/PKK terrorists attempting to infiltrate into the area of the [Operation] Peace Spring region," the ministry said on Twitter.The ministry further affirmed its determination to "continue operations to sustain the peace and security in the region."Turkish authorities generally use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful operations across its b…
(2020-03-19). EU Brexit negotiator tests positive for coronavirus. yenisafak.com The EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier announced Thursday that he tested positive for the new coronavirus."I would like to inform you that I have tested positive for #COVID19. I am doing well and in good spirits. I am following all the necessary instructions, as is my team," Barnier said on Twitter."For all those affected already, and for all those currently in isolation, we will get through this together," he added.Separately, Cem Ozdemir, a member of the German Green Party, announced that he also caught the virus."I am fine and nobody should worry about me. Keep staying at home and follow the authorities' in…
(2020-03-19). Best Actor Award Goes to.. Dramatic Goose Fakes Own Death to Fool Prying Labrador – Video. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Animals in the wild have their own unique tactics to escape the ruthless game of hunt and prey, with "acting dead" in presence of the attacker being the most common.
(2020-03-19). "Cryptic" Message in Neil Armstrong's Speech Spotted by Media, Conspiracy Theorists. sputniknews.com As social media users went to dissect Neil Armstrong's speech in their pursuit of hidden truths, one can only wonder whether their findings were anything more than yet another batch of conspiracy theories related to NASA's lunar missions.
(2020-03-18). The Sides of Beef: Humans and Meat Eating. dissidentvoice.org 
For the purposes of preserving any status quo in the present day United States, nothing surpasses a strategy of any question or issue 'cultural.' This has the immediate effect of splitting even slight difference of opinion into hostile camps and deliberately provokes absolutist, visceral responses. Such exchanges, particularly in the sewer of social media or …
(2020-03-18). The Taliban Scores a Coup. globalresearch.ca It threatened to disappear under the viral haze of COVID-19, but February 29 saw representatives from the US and Taliban, loftily acknowledged as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, sign the "Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan". After two decades of …
(2020-03-18). Big Tech Firms are Using Automation to Censor News About the Coronavirus. mintpressnews.com Social media is awash with people angry that their posts have been removed for no legitimate reason. MintPress was no exception, with a story about Cuba's response to the coronavirus flagged and blocked.
(2020-03-18). Facebook hit by software bug which marked coronavirus posts as spam. thecanary.co Facebook has confirmed a bug in its spam filter removed posts incorrectly from the social network, including legitimate news articles about coronavirus. | Multiple users reported receiving alerts from Facebook saying their posts — often news stories from trusted sources about the spread of Covid-19 — had been marked as spam by the site and taken down. | Facebook's Guy Rosen then confirmed on Twitter that the problem was "a bug in an anti-spam system". | He denied suggestions the fault had been caused by Facebook relying more on artificial intelligence and automation for content moderation after it sen…
(2020-03-18). 'Dear World, How Is the Lockdown?' Gaza Takes To Twitter. telesurenglish.net A sly dig at the international community, this is just one among a torrent of social media posts that have emerged from the blockaded Gaza Strip in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | The world lockdown has sparked a surge of bitter feelings on social media from Palestinians in the tiny coastal enclave who has for years lived with enforced isolation and confinement. | Dear people of the world, | Are you af…
(2020-03-18). Bolivia: Añez Uses Police to Enforce Measures Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Bolivian de facto president, Jeanine àÅñez, announced on March 17th that the police and millitary will use force to enforce the Covid-19 containment measures and prevent the illness from spreading across the Andean nation. | RELATED: | According to her Twitter, the mandatary informed her administration that she qualified these measures as severe. àÅñez requested the Bolivian people seek isolation until…
(2020-03-18). Colombia: 2 More Ex-FARC Members Killed, 18 so Far in 2020. telesurenglish.net Two former combatants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – Army of the People (FARC-EP), Belle Carrillo and Irnel Florez were killed Tuesday in the department of Caqueta, in southwestern Colombia, marking 18 deaths so far in 2020. | RELATED: | "The extermination does not stop…The number of former combatants killed rises every day," Colombian Senator and former FARC leader Pablo Catatumbo said on Twitter. | Florez and Carrillo were signatories…
(2020-03-18). Twitter Restricts Profiles of Venezuelan Officials. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan VIce President Delcy Rodriguez denounced the restriction of the executive vice-presidency's official profile on Twitter this week. According to Rodríguez, the aforementioned account was used for informing citizens about the measures and actions against COVID-19. | RELATED: | "In the midst of the worst global pandemic, they are canceling an account where we are informing the population," Venezuelan Vice President…
(2020-03-18). We Are Facing Economic Collapse on Top of a Pandemic. What We Do Now Matters. truthout.org As the COVID-19 virus spreads, the U.S. economy has begun to crumble like a house of cards. | The sudden collapse of the economy is revealing how the "great economy" that Donald Trump has been boasting about on Twitter for the past three years was in fact a mirage caused by wild Wall Street rallies, and boosted by Trump's massive tax cuts and deregulatory efforts, which rolled back all kinds of environmental standards with total disregard for the impact on public health and the climate crisis.
(2020-03-18). As Trump Limits Guest Workers From Mexico Amid Coronavirus, Farmers Warn of Labor and Food Shortages. commondreams.org While images of barren grocery store shelves grab headlines and circulate on social media as people worldwide stock up on staples to get through the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, farmers in the United States are warning that the Trump administration's decision to limit seasonal workers from Mexico could soon lead to labor and food shortages. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hutchins_0.jpg …
(2020-03-18). In one tweet, a bestselling author nails exactly the type of bailout we need right now. thecanary.co 
Rutger Bregman wrote the If there was ever a time to give people a basic income — no strings attached —…
(2020-03-17). Meet 17-Year-Old Avi Schiffmann Who Runs Coronavirus Tracking Website Used by 40+ Million Globally. democracynow.org 
A teenager's website tracking coronavirus has become one of the most vital resources for people seeking accurate and updated numbers on the pandemic. The URL is nCoV2019.live. We speak with 17-year-old Avi Schiffmann, a high school junior from Mercer Island outside Seattle, who started the site in late December, when coronavirus had not yet been detected outside of China. Now the site has been visited by tens of millions, from every country on Earth. It tracks deaths, numbers of cases locally and globally, and provides an interactive map, information on the disease, and a Twitter feed. The resource updates every…
(2020-03-17). Trump Derangement Syndrome meets Covid-19 panic: Hollywood actress spreads conspiracy theory about Israel & coronavirus. rt.com 
Rosanna Arquette inspired some colorful reactions when she floated the theory that Israel has long known about the coronavirus and claimed the country and Jared Kushner are putting "lives at risk for profit." | "I'm still confused," the 'Buffalo 66' actress tweeted to her more than 100,000 Twitter followers on Tuesday, "so Israel has been working on a coronavirus vaccine for a year already? (so they knew)." | Arquette went on to say US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is the main investor in the vaccine. | "Vaccines take a long time to know if they are safe and KUSHNER OSCAR is the major inves…
(2020-03-17). CNN reporter praises Trump's coronavirus response, immediately clarifies on Twitter before she loses lib credibility. rt.com 
Veteran CNN reporter Dana Bash furiously backpedaled on Twitter after getting praise from conservatives — and heat from 'the Resistance' — for calling President Donald Trump's coronavirus press conference "remarkable." | "He is being the kind of leader that people need, at least in tone, today and yesterday, in tone that people need, and want, and yearn for in times of crisis and uncertainty," Bash, CNN's chief political correspondent, said on-air Tuesday in response to Trump's coronavirus press conference. | She also called Trump "remarkable," an adjective you don't typically hear used on CNN to d…
(2020-03-17). Inside the Pro-Trump Facebook Group Where First Responders Call Coronavirus a Hoax. truthdig.com In a private Facebook group, firefighters and paramedics shared memes and conspiracy theories doubting the pandemic, raising concerns that they aren't taking precautions to protect themselves and others.
(2020-03-17). The rise of AI-Capitalism: An interview with Nick Dyer-Witheford. mronline.org 
The political answer is not acceleration but refusal. And this is indeed what is has begun to manifest, in a variety of social rebellions. This includes the strikes of gig economy labor, the protests of Silicon Valley tech workers, anti-surveillance movements, urban protests against the smart city, defections from social media sites, algorithmic-bias busting, and […] |
(2020-03-16). How Cuba is Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus. mintpressnews.com As Cuba sends doctors around the world to help fight coronavirus, a Cuban antiviral drug, Interferon Alpha 2b, is helping countries like China stem the tide of the outbreak.