2020-05-14: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-05-14). Why "Obamagate" Will Never Lead To Anything Of Significance. thealtworld.com thrust into mainstream attention by the concerted efforts of Trump and his surrogates after new details on the early days of the Trump-Russia collusion investigation emerged. These details include Obama officials (including Joe Biden) requesting the RT (2020-05-14). US sails guided-missile destroyer near Taiwan, a week before presidential inauguration. rt.com The US Navy said on Thursday it had sailed a guided-missile destroyer through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, a week before Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is inaugurated for a second term in office. | The US Pacific Fleet said in a statement on its Facebook page that the USS McCampbell had traversed the narrow strait that separates Taiwan from mainland China on Wednesday. Taiwan's defense ministry said the ship had sailed south on what it termed an "ordinary mission," Reuters reports. | In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China "paid close attention" to the passage of the US ship. "We hope t…

RT (2020-05-14). British journo branded 'vile' after saying teachers should 'step up' & show 'same bravery' as health workers amid Covid-19 crisis. rt.com British journalist Isabel Oakeshott has provoked a fiery backlash after claiming teachers must "step up" and show the "same bravery" as health workers by returning to school to educate kids as Covid-19 lockdown measures are eased. | Oakeshott — who famously co-authored 'Call Me Dave', the unauthorised biography of former British PM David Cameron — took to Twitter on Thursday. She urged teachers who may take part in the weekly 'clap for our carers' to return to their schools as "millions of children" need them, claiming: "The risk in schools is nothing like the risk in hospitals." | Tonight thousands…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-14). FM spox chides US claims on Iran's non-cooperation in fighting terrorism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA) — In a tweet on Thursday, Spokesperson of Iranian Foreign Ministry Seyyed Abbas Mousavi reacted to the US accusation of Iran about non-cooperation in fighting against terrorism, naming the US as the founder and funder of terrorist groups.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-14). Depite delay, consignment of Iranian-made COVID-19 test kits sent to Turkey: Jahanpour. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA) — In a tweet on Thursday, Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesman for the Iranian Health Ministry, reiterated that a consignment of 40,000 Iranian-made COVID-19 test kits has been sent to Turkey, although with a delay caused by transportation restrictions amid the pandemic, days after Turkish sources denied that the delivery had been made.

Staff (2020-05-14). Pandemic Policing Is Expanding the Use of Surveillance Technology. truthout.org Last week's viral images of New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers handing out masks to crowds of white park-goers while A breakdown…

RT (2020-05-13). Chechen leader Kadyrov BANNED from Instagram AGAIN, loses account with 1.4 MILLION followers. rt.com For many in the 21st century, losing social media access would be a devastating blow. However, for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, it's just another day. For the third time in three years, Kadyrov has been banned from Instagram. | According to Instagram's owners, Facebook, the ban was in relation to US sanctions against the Chechen leader. | Since 2017, Kadyrov has been sanctioned by the United States under the terms of the Magnitsky Act. Signed by President Barack Obama in 2012, and later expanded in 2016, the Magnitsky Act enables the US government to sanction foreign government officials implicated in allege…

RT (2020-05-13). 'They will not silence us': Michigan activists undeterred after Facebook removes anti-lockdown group with 380,000 members. rt.com Facebook has shuttered a popular group for Michiganders who oppose their governor's extreme lockdown measures, fueling debate about free speech during the coronavirus crisis. | 'Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine' had more than 380,000 members, with media reports describing it as one of the largest anti-lockdown groups in the nation. It's not clear if Facebook has provided an explanation for the group's removal. Visiting the page gives the following message: "Sorry, this content isn't available right now." | Garrett Soldano of Mattawan, Michigan created Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine in Apri…

RT (2020-05-13). Assange's extradition: September 7 set for resumption of delayed hearing, WikiLeaks says. rt.com "A date of September 7 has been set for the resumption of Julian Assange's delayed extradition hearing," WikiLeaks tweeted on Wednesday. A court location has yet to be determined, it said. | A London court said on May 4 that the US extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Assange would resume in September. It had been postponed from later this month because of the coronavirus outbreak. | Assange is wanted by US authorities to stand trial for conspiring to hack government computers and espionage. The extradition case began in February for a week before being adjourned until May 18 for another three weeks of a…

RT (2020-05-13). Break or retirement? Russia's 'Angelina Jolie' of curling Anastasia Bryzgalova puts competitive career on hold. rt.com Russian curling stunner Anastasia Bryzgalova who became a viral hit during the 2018 PyeongChang Games, drawing comparisons with Angelina Jolie, has put her competitive career on ice. | The 27-year-old curling star who is taking a break from competitions will focus on training mixed-double duets serving as a second team coach in the Russian national team. | "I wanted to take a break right after the Winter O…

MDAEFG (2020-05-13). #WearOrange for National Gun Violence Awareness Day 2020 (virtual). indybay.org Social media…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-13). National Nurses Day: Not all heroes wear capes. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Photo and article are courtesy of Mayo Clinic News Center andMayo Clinic Employee Facebook. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear scrubs, protective equipment and step out in difficult times to be there for others. As COVID-19 continues to spread and people heed notices to socially distance themselves and hunker down in their homes, there …

commondreams (2020-05-13). Reeling From Controversy, Facebook Launches Faceless Lobbying Group to Influence Congress, Regulators. commondreams.org ______________________________…

WSWS (2020-05-13). Right-wing Facebook groups threaten to assassinate Michigan Governor Whitmer. wsws.org Extreme right-wing members of private Facebook groups have made threats to assassinate the Michigan governor in response to her "stay home, stay safe" executive order.

teleSUR (2020-05-13). US: Twitter Announces Work-From-Home Strategy Extension. telesurenglish.net Twitter chief executive officer Jack Dorsey announced on May 12 Company allowed employees to work indefinitely from home. | RELATED: | "We were uniquely positioned to respond quickly and allow folks to work from home given our emphasis on decentralization and supporting a distributed workforce capable of working from anywhere," Twitter representatives stated. | The social network administration was one of the first t…

teleSUR (2020-05-13). Africa: COVID Crisis Could Lead to Increase in AIDS Deaths. telesurenglish.net WHO and UNAIDS representatives warned on May 12 that an AIDS treatment could increase the total sum of HIV-related deaths by up to 500,000 in Africa. | RELATED: | According to the UNAIDS modeling group preclusion, the COVID-19 crisis could cause antiretroviral drug scarcity and treatment to cease if African HIV patients are not prioritized during the COVID spread. UN and WHO forecasts show a possible half million peo…

The Alternative World (2020-05-12). British propaganda efforts in Syria may have broken UK law. thealtworld.com Ian Cobain, Alice Ross- Internal assessment concluded UK government's covert support of 'moderate opposition' was shallow, lacked coherence and cost lives | MEE- The UK's covert propaganda programmes in war-torn Syria were poorly planned, probably illegal and cost lives, according to a scathing internal review of the initiative that has been seen by Middle East Eye. | Using news agencies, social media, poster campaigns and even children's comics, communications companies working under contract to the British government attempted to undermine both the Assad government and the Islamic State group and bolster elemen…

RT (2020-05-12). Facebook paying $52 million settlement to moderators who claim they developed PTSD through work. rt.com Current and former moderators for Facebook will each be receiving $1,000 or more, as part of a settlement in a lawsuit that claimed having to deal with censoring content made them develop post traumatic stress disorder. | The social media giant will be paying out extra to individuals for additional mental health issues stemming from their jobs, such as depression. The settlement, first reported by

RT (2020-05-12). PROPAGANDA has diminished the Soviet Union's role in victory over fascism — Russian foreign minister. rt.com The White House shocked the internet on May 8 when it posted a now-infamous tweet declaring the USA and the UK as the victors of World War II, omitting the USSR. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes propaganda is to blame. | Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov recalled how, at the Holocaust Forum in January, US Vice President Mike Pence forgot that the Soviets liberated Auschwitz. | "To be frank, it doesn't surprise me to hear such things," he said, following an online meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers. "It's not because we suspect that any particular politician is deliberately obscuring hi…

RT (2020-05-12). Police officer rants about 'tyrannical' & 'unconstitutional' Covid-19 measures… gets in trouble for 'insubordination' (VIDEOS). rt.com A US police officer has urged fellow cops to stop enforcing coronavirus lockdown measures, slamming them as "unconstitutional." While his call to action landed him in trouble, other officers have started to speak out as well. | Port of Seattle Officer Greg Anderson was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after he appeared in a viral video last weekend arguing the lockdown measures are violating the US Constitution and "trampling on people's liberties," questioning the restrictions and whether enforcing them is "the right thing" to do. | I want to remind you that regardless of where you stan…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-12). COVID-19 deaths among nurses: U.S. 91, Canada zero. Why? peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif.—There's a yawning gap between the number of U.S. nurses the viral pandemic has killed so far in the U.S. and the number of Canadian nurses killed. The count as of May 11: U.S. 91, Canada, zero. That prompted National Nurses United President Zunei Cortez, RN, of California and her Canadian counterpart, Linda Silas, …

RT (2020-05-12). 'I feel terrible': Bill Gates says he warned Trump of pandemic threat in 2016, regrets not doing more. rt.com Microsoft founder and multi-billionaire Bill Gates said he tried to warn President-elect Donald Trump of the dangers of a major viral outbreak soon after the 2016 race, but feels guilty for not being more vocal. | "I chose, when I met with people all the way up to the top, in Europe, in the US, around the world, to talk about this pandemic risk," he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Monday, explaining that he even made the case to the US president during a December 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. | I feel terrible. The whole point of talking about it was that we could take action and minim…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-12). COVID-19 deaths among nurses: U.S. 91, Canada 0. Why? peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif.—There's a yawning gap between the number of U.S. nurses the viral pandemic has killed so far in the U.S. and the number of Canadian nurses killed. The count as of May 11: U.S. 91, Canada, 0. That prompted National Nurses United President Zunei Cortez, RN, of California and her Canadian counterpart, Linda Silas, …

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Bolivia Police Repress Protesters That Can't Afford Lockdown. telesurenglish.net Hundreds of people were violently repressed by security forces Monday in the Bolivian K'ara K'ara community located in Cochabamba city, as they took to the streets to demand that the de facto government eases the COVID-19 lockdown as they cannot afford it anymore. | RELATED: | Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators fiercely attacked by the police and army who did not hesitate to use tear gas and rubber bullets, inj…

Ian Cobain (2020-05-12). "Operation Volute": Covert UK Propaganda Efforts in Syria May Have Broken UK Law. globalresearch.ca The UK's covert propaganda programmes in war-torn Syria were poorly planned, probably illegal and cost lives, according to a scathing internal review of the initiative that has been seen by Middle East Eye. | Using news agencies, social media, poster campaigns …

Dr. Gary G. Kohls (2020-05-12). The Important "Plandemic" Documentary that Has Justifiably Gone "Viral" globalresearch.ca The powers-that-be behind the banning of "Plandemic" and the disparaging and slandering of Dr Judy Mikovitz are obviously afraid of something that will expose them for planning something evil. Tyrannical corporate forces, starting with Google and YouTube and the CDC …

Rowe TA, Linder JA. (2020-05-12). Delayed Antibiotic Prescriptions in Ambulatory Care—Reconsidering a Problematic Practice. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the unintended adverse consequences of delayed antibiotic prescribing—provision of an antibiotic prescription to be filled at a later date if a patient's condition has not improved—and calls on clinicians to avoid the practice in patients who have self-limited conditions with likely viral etiologies.

Sanders JM, Monogue ML, Jodlowski TZ, et al. (2020-05-12). Pharmacologic Treatments for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). jamanetwork.com This narrative review summarizes what is currently known about how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells and causes disease as a basis for considering whether chloroquine, remdisivir and other antivirals, or other existing drugs might be effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

RT (2020-05-14). 'We've got videos of you': Former Argentina striker and model girlfriend 'blackmailed by hackers over stolen SEX TAPES and photos'. rt.com Hackers have reportedly threatened Ezequiel Lavezzi via Instagram, demanding thousands of dollars in ransoms to prevent the immediate release of intimate videos and photos featuring the ex-international and lover Natalia Borges. | The World Cup finalist is said to have filed two cases with prosecutors in Buenos Aires after receiving messages from criminals who proved they had stolen intimate videos and pictures of him and Natalia Borges, an actress and model with more than 104,000 followers on the social media platform. | Thieves are seeking $5,000 per file in return for not publishing the material, according…

sputniknews (2020-05-12). Elon Musk Stirs Up Online Crowd With 'Kylie Jenner Pregnancy' Meme. sputniknews.com While many netizens seemed to appreciate Musk's tweet and responded with a barrage of memes of their own, some appeared to suggest that perhaps Elon should take a break from social media.

sputniknews (2020-05-12). 'Like in Avatar': Natural Phenomenon Making California's Ocean Waters Glow Blue Wows Internet. sputniknews.com The phenomenon in question is caused by bioluminescence emitted by certain species of phytoplankton during an algal bloom event known as red tide.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-05-11). Cartoon of "Campus Seen Through the Eyes of Conservatives" Goes Viral Because Right-Wingers Didn't Understand It Was Satire. commondreams.org "Right-wing idiots didn't realize the joke is on them not the students." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/thecampus.jpg

RT (2020-05-11). 'Binders full of women' anyone? Biden blasted for 'calendar model' VP search. rt.com Joe Biden is getting put through the ringer on social media for his latest reported blunder, comparing vice presidential picks to calendar models, which looks especially bad considering he wants a female running mate. | The tidbit that set social media ablaze was buried in a friendly New York Times piece about Biden picking a vice presidential nominee for November. | "Mr. Biden has likened running-mate evaluation to deciding among calendar models," The Times

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-11). Trumka proposes universal federal jobs payments. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —Sticking to a here-and-now solution to coronavirus-caused joblessness, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka proposed the federal government guarantee paid employment — by actually shelling out the money — for all workers. Employers would be a pass-through, nothing more. In a 13-minute speech posted on the federation's Facebook page, Trumka said that with unemployment at highs …

RT (2020-05-11). Huawei goes FULL WOKE with black 'Covid-19 misinformation' panel to battle White House criticism. rt.com The US branch of Chinese tech giant Huawei has chosen a stunning and brave new public relations strategy to combat criticism, announcing web events with black journalists, environmentalists and women in technology. | Arguing that Covid-19 misinformation is "hitting African American, Asian, Hispanic, rural & low-income Americans hard," Huawei USA announced a May 13 event with musician will.i.am and CNN contributor and former Obama adviser Van Jones — among others — hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. | #Misinformation on Andrey Areshev (2020-05-11). How Much Are You Prepared to Pay for Your 'Free' Press? Arab Media Wars Are Driving Us All Towards Twitter. strategic-culture.org In the coming months, it is likely that more Arab media titles in the region will fold following the financial crisis and the vociferous media wars which they conduct which are costly and self-defeating. How do you like your fake news? With or without a media banner? | World Press Day passed like a thief in the night in the Arab world. It's largely seen as something lauded by western countries who use it to chastise what they see as backward countries with authoritarian leaders who only know the one model of journalism in their countries: pay-as-you-go. | Or, if you like, the advanced version of the state dictati…

teleSUR (2020-05-11). Colombia: Avianca Airlines Declares Bankruptcy Due to COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Colombian airline Avianca announced Sunday that they are declaring bankruptcy after an 80% income drop due to the health crisis. | RELATED: | Avianca Holdings airline representatives published a communication announcing voluntary bankruptcy declaration to protect future operations. "Today our wings are closed so that tomorrow we can all continue to fly "tweeted Anko van der Werff, Avianca president. | The compa…

teleSUR (2020-05-11). Bahrain Blocks Event Criticizing Normalization With Israel. telesurenglish.net Authorities in Bahrain canceled Saturday an online event on the Gulf state's normalization of relations with Israel, shortly after its transmission began on YouTube. | RELATED: | The event's organizer, the Bahraini Democratic Youth Society, said it had received a phone call from the security authorities ordering them to stop live-streaming the event "without discussions." | The president of Bahrain's chapter o…