(2020-07-17). [Original Research] Socio-demographic heterogeneity in the prevalence of COVID-19 during lockdown is associated with ethnicity and household size: Results from an observational cohort study. thelancet.com In individuals presenting with suspected COVID-19, those from ethnic minority communities and larger households had an increased likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. Pandemic control measures may have more rapid impact on slowing viral transmission amongst those of White ethnicity compared to ethnic minority groups, Research is urgently required to understand the mechanisms underlying these disparities and whether public health interventions have differential effects on individuals from ethnic minority groups.
(2020-07-17). In Lockdown With Edward Hopper's Prophetic Paintings. counterpunch.org 
When I lived in Chicago, I often went to the Art Institute to admire the paintings of Edward Hopper, especially Nighthawks. Later on, I would do the same thing in New York, at the Whitney; both galleries have excellent Hopper collections. I remembered those visits when, in full lockdown, social media were flooded with images
(2020-07-17). Connecticut Catholic church defaced with SATANIC & ANARCHIST symbols, as spate of vandalism attacks targets Christian sites. rt.com 
A Catholic church in Connecticut was vandalized sometime between Wednesday night and early Thursday, possibly becoming the latest casualty in a US culture war that has increasingly targeted Christian figures in recent days. | Masses and other activities were canceled at least through Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in New Haven as parish leaders assessed the damage, including what appear to be satanic and anarchist symbols painted on the building's doors, the Rev. John Paul Walker said in a Facebook
(2020-07-17). It's time for white people to get off the plinth. thecanary.co 
On 15 July, Artist Marc Quinn Many people greeted the statue with fierce joy. Dr Lola Solebo tweeted: | #MarcQuinn and team — Dr Lola Solebo (@lolaeyedoc)
(2020-07-17). CNN's Acosta mangles White House quote on science & reopening schools, corrects himself ONLY after misleading tweet goes viral. rt.com 
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was lambasted online after relaying the president's support for reopening schools this fall, but a quote singled out by critics was deceptively stripped of all context. | The row was sparked during a White House presser on Thursday, after a reporter asked McEnany about how parents might approach the upcoming academic year, as a growing number of school districts around the country move to full-time virtual learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. | "The president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open," McEnany replied. "I was just in the Oval talking to…
(2020-07-17). 'Toronto is in Canada, Laura': Internet goes wild after Laura Ingraham slams Biden & Trump for not caring about Canuck Catholics. rt.com 
Fox News' Laura Ingraham has been mercilessly mocked for accusing Donald Trump and Joe Biden of not protecting religious liberty, after Catholic churches were advised to suspend communion during the Covid-19 pandemic… in Canada. | Ingraham tweeted on Friday that there is "not a prayer" of a chance that Democrat candidate Biden would do more to protect religious liberties than Trump if elected president. In…
(2020-07-17). Twitter piles on 'Gestapo' tactics as DHS chief vows to never surrender Portland to 'violent extremists'. rt.com 
The acting head of the Department of Homeland Security has praised federal officers who face off Portland protesters. Tensions in the city are high, as netizens repost images of unmarked agents, comparing them to the Gestapo. | "Our men and women in uniform are patriots. We will never surrender to violent extremists on my watch," Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf wrote on Twitter. | Sharing photographs of him meeting with law enforcement and inspecting vandalized buildings, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief said that police and federal officers would "prevail" against the "violent anar…
(2020-07-17). Amid Sri Lankan elections, YouTube censors Tamil-language WSWS posts. indybay.org Amid national elections, YouTube, the San Bruno, California subsidiary of Google, has been continually removing Sri Lankan World Socialist Web Site and Socialist Equality Party videos at its website.
(2020-07-16). Trump turns to Facebook to announce replacement of Brad Parscale as campaign manager after huge Twitter hack & account lockdown. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has tapped a new campaign manager, but deprived of his Twitter handle following a major hack on the platform, decided — or was forced by a shutdown of verified accounts — to declare the move on Facebook.
(2020-07-16). Police surveilled George Floyd protests with help from Twitter-affiliated startup Dataminr. mronline.org 
The monitoring seems at odds with claims from both Twitter and Dataminr that neither company would engage in or facilitate domestic surveillance following a string of 2016 controversies.
(2020-07-16). Trump critics 'slutshame' Hope Hicks after Lincoln Project founder posts rumor of an affair with Brad Pascale. rt.com 
A tweet claiming Donald Trump's former counselor Hope Hicks was seen in the company of freshly fired campaign manager Brad Pascale might have passed by as a bizarre joke, until it was shared by the Lincoln Project's co-founder. | The narrative seems to have originated in a humorous Twitter conversation between Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the prominent anti-Trump project, and YS, a popular account associated with conspiracy theories. | Ooooof that would make TWO other Trump world people VERY angry. | Only in DC, kids. Only in DC.
(2020-07-16). Nick Cannon dubs Jews 'magnificent people' in long apology after anti-Semitism charges, stays mum about calling whites 'savages'. rt.com 
Entertainer Nick Cannon has offered a lengthy apology after creating a wave of controversy with anti-Jewish remarks in a recently published interview, but offered no mea culpa for similar inflammatory comments about white people. | "First and foremost I extend my deepest and most sincere apologies to my Jewish sisters and brothers for the hurtful and divisive words that came out of my mouth during my interview with Richard Griffin," Cannon said in the first of a series of tweets on Wednesday night, adding that he is "ashamed" his comments "reinforced the worst stereotypes of a proud and magnificent people."
(2020-07-16). Saying 'pro-life' is racist and should be banned, says Rolling Stone writer. rt.com 
Staying woke on what's acceptable and what's racist is an ongoing process of shifting standards, as a Rolling Stone writer proved with the latest addition to terms that have surprisingly been branded as bigotry: "pro-life." | Jamil Smith, a senior writer who covers "the intersection of politics and identity" for the magazine, opined on Twitter Wednesday that the term "pro-life" deserves to be banished along with other recently outlawed characters and words. A wave of racial sensitivity brought on by the Black Lives Matter protest movement has already brought down decades-old consumer products brands such as Un…
(2020-07-16). 'Coordinated social engineering attack': Twitter confirms employees with access to internal systems targeted in bitcoin scam hack. rt.com 
Twitter has said that alleged bitcoin scammers targeted some of its employees to get access to "internal systems and tools," which they then apparently used to hack into high-profile accounts, such as Joe Biden's. | We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools.— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) Noting that it is still investigating the circumstances behind the hack,…
(2020-07-16). 'Tough day for us at Twitter': Twitter unmutes most blue checks after bitcoin scammer hack, says 'functionality may come & go'. rt.com 
The majority of the verified accounts that were silenced by Twitter as it dealt with its most prominent hack to date — allegedly by bitcoin scammers — have been unlocked, the site said, noting that the issue is not yet resolved.
(2020-07-16). Twitter employee COLLUDED with bitcoin scammers in takeover of high-profile accounts, hacker sources say. rt.com 
A Twitter insider "literally did all the work" for the bitcoin scammers who hijacked dozens of celebrities' accounts, sources claiming responsibility for the hack have claimed, saying the employee was paid to enable the takeover. | The massive attack on verified accounts belonging to high-profile figures was achieved using an internal Twitter tool, several sources claiming to be behind the hack
(2020-07-16). EU court of justice strikes down data-sharing pact with US over snooping fears. thecanary.co 
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled an agreement that allows big tech companies to transfer data to the United States is invalid.It said national regulators need to take tougher action to protect the privacy of users' data.The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield will complicate the transfer of a lot of data outside the EU and it could require regulators to vet any new transfers due to concerns the US government can snoop on people's data for national security reasons.Companies such as Facebook routinely move data between servers around the world (Dominic Lipinski/PA)It will no longer simpl…
(2020-07-16). Venezuela Denounces US Destroyer Incursion in Contiguous Zone. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza Thursday denounced to the international community that the USS Pinckney (DDG-91) warship sneaked into the "contiguous zone" of this South American country. | RELATED: | "It is an inexcusable act of provocation that aims to undermine our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Arreaza tweeted. | He also stressed that this act of "erratic and childish" provocati…
(2020-07-16). American Legislative Exchange Council Backs Trump on Confederate Monuments, Policing. commondreams.org Trump has failed to address the connection of many of the monuments to slavery, retweeted a video showing one of his supporters yelling "White power!" earlier this month, and defended people who fly the Confederate flag on July 15. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump-flag-900×508.jpg …
(2020-07-16). New Tell-All Book by Niece Sets Sales Record as Buyers Eager to Read Up on Trump. sputniknews.com Book publisher Simon & Schuster revealed that the new book by US President Donald Trump's niece, titled "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," set a sales record for the company, with 950,000 copies sold through Tuesday, when it was released.
(2020-07-16). Facebook studying EU court ruling on data transfer. yenisafak.com Facebook said on Thursday it was looking at the implications of a European court ruling that deemed a transatlantic data transfer deal invalid because of concerns about U.S. surveillance.The ruling effectively ends the privileged access companies in the United States had to personal data from Europe and puts the country on a similar footing to other nations outside the 27-country bloc."Like many businesses, we are carefully considering the findings and implications of the decision of the Court of Justice in relation to the use of Privacy Shield and we look forward to regulatory guidance in this regard," Eva Nagle…
(2020-07-16). Italy imposes travel ban on 3 more Balkan nations. yenisafak.com Italy on Thursday imposed a travel ban on three more Balkan nations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country's heath minister said.Italy's list of high-risk countries now contains 16 nations with new additions; Kosovo, Serbia, and Montenegro, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Facebook.Travelers, who had been in these countries in the last 14 days, will not be able to enter Italy.The list of restricted countries included Armenia, Bahrein, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bosnia Herzegovina, Chile, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Moldova, Oman, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.Since originati…
(2020-07-16). Azerbaijani group slams 'pro-Armenian' US lawmakers. yenisafak.com Calling Representatives Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Judy Chu, TJ Cox and Senator Andreas Borgeas "pro-Armenian" on Twitter, the community accused the lawmakers of "supporting invasion and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijan by Armenia."The community urged "all" friends of Azerbaijan to condemn such remarks.The members of the Congress described the tension between the two countries as "provocation of Azerbaijan," claiming Armenia is suffering the violence.On Sunday, the Armenian army attempted to attack Azerbaijani positions with artillery fire in the northwestern Tovuz border region and withdrew after suffering losses…
(2020-07-15). Modeling the health impact and cost threshold of long-acting ART for adolescents and young adults in Kenya. thelancet.com Providing LA-ART to AYA can be cost-effective in Kenya if it is less than twice the cost of oral ART. Long-acting injectable ART for priority populations with low viral suppression has the potential to cost-effectively avert disability and death.
(2020-07-15). How Two Seemingly Unrelated Events Laid Israel's Racism Problem Bare. mintpressnews.com 
A viral video showing an Israeli family mocking impoverished Palestinian children and a controversial New York Times editorial by famed Zionist commentator Peter Beinart have exposed the racist underpinning of the so-called Jewish state.
(2020-07-15). Nick Cannon demands apology after being fired by ViacomCBS over 'hateful speech' & 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theories'. rt.com 
Actor Nick Cannon has lashed out at ViacomCBS after he was fired over a "hateful" black supremacist podcast, demanding ownership of the "billion-dollar" entertainment brand he claims was "swindled from" him. | The 'Masked Singer' host tore into ViacomCBS in a lengthy Facebook post titled 'Truth and Reconciliation', noting that despite being a member of its "family" for over two decades, overseeing its longest-running comedy series, and creating a "billion-dollar brand" in sketch show 'Wild 'N Out', he was unceremoniously muscled out of the organization. He wants nothing short of an apology — and full owne…
(2020-07-15). Candace Owens slams Charlamagne tha God's claim that 'Jews have the power' after his friend Nick Cannon's firing. rt.com 
Conservative pundit Candace Owens has called out radio host Charlamagne tha God after the DJ defended his friend (and fellow media personality) Nick Cannon's anti-white and anti-Semitic comments, which triggered Cannon's firing. | Owens took issue with Charlamagne pointing out that Cannon being fired by a Jewish-run media conglomerate for making unflattering comments about Jews meant that "Jews do, in fact, have the power," hitting back on Wednesday against what she saw as a double-standard. | "ONE black man gets fired and now it's 'the Jews have power?'" Owens tweeted in disbelief, even while insisting she "r…
(2020-07-15). Toying with China? Pompeo photo of dog & Winnie the Pooh teddy bear sparks online speculation. rt.com 
A tweet from Mike Pompeo has led to much speculation about whether the back and forth with China is now getting personal, as the picture includes a reference to a derogatory nickname for the Chinese president. | US Secretary of State Pompeo posted a photo of his dog, Mercer, surrounded by all her "favorite toys" to his Twitter page on Tuesday evening, kicking off numerous conspiracy theories thanks to the inclusion of a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal. | Mercer and all of her favorite toys! üê∂
(2020-07-15). ViacomCBS drops Nick Cannon over 'anti-Semitic conspiracies' after he calls whites 'savages' & black people 'the true Hebrews'. rt.com 
ViacomCBS, which has MTV and Nickelodeon among its assets, has said it's severing its relationship with TV host Nick Cannon, after he was accused of racism and anti-Semitism for a series of bizarre claims in a resurfaced clip. | The multinational media conglomerate accused Cannon — who has been a host for 'Wild 'n Out,' a comedy show broadcast by Viacom's MTV and VH1 for over a decade — of "promoting hateful speech" and "spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories" in a statement on Tuesday, shortly after an episode of his 'Cannon's Class' podcast went viral. | "While we support ongoing education and…
(2020-07-15). Jennifer Jones speaks on UK Boycott Return To Unsafe Schools campaign. wsws.org The Facebook site of the group has created a map of school closures due to outbreaks, which is a powerful source of information for parents.
(2020-07-15). Domestic production of "Remdesivir" drug to hit market soon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) — Iran will supply its first localized production of antiviral "Remdesivir" medicine at the market next week in the fight against the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19.
(2020-07-15). As Twitter Went on 'Verified Accounts Lockdown', SputnikNews Goes Into 'Unverified Mode' on Twitter. sputniknews.com On late Wednesday, Twitter was spammed by a massive hacker attack targeting accounts with a blue tick, posting scam texts urging people to send money to a bitcoin address and promising to send payments back doubled.
(2020-07-15). 'Beans for Brains': Critics Say Trump Photo Promoting Goya Makes Clear Ivanka's Tweet Was No Mistake. commondreams.org "This is an official campaign by the Trump administration to support Goya." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bean_man.jpeg …
(2020-07-15). Five words from Boris Johnson at PMQs show he's treating coronavirus as one big joke. thecanary.co Labour leader Keir Starmer challenged Boris Johnson over his handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic at PMQs on 15 July. | But instead of answering Starmer's questions, Johnson treated his interrogation as a joke, stating that Starmer has: more briefs than Calvin Klein. | But while the PM might have received cheers from his Tory colleagues, many social media users were unimpressed: | #pmqs — David Schneider (@davidschneider)
(2020-07-15). Turkish Foreign Ministry marks 2016 defeated coup. yenisafak.com Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday shared a video to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup."Four years ago an attempted military coup perpetrated by FETO terrorist organization was stopped by the Turkish nation. Turkish people united against the traitors and protected their democracy. Turkish people's #VictoryofDemocracy," read a tweet by the ministry along with the video.The video revolves around a young Turkish pupil studying abroad, who delivers a powerful response to his professor's remarks on coup attempts around the world.The professor says: "According to an article, there have been 236…
(2020-07-15). Turkey's medical COVID-19 aid arrives in Kyrgyzstan. yenisafak.com Kyrgyzstan received medical supplies sent by Turkey to contribute to the country's fight against the novel coronavirus, Turkey's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.A Turkish cargo plane carrying the supplies landed in the capital Bishkek, Yavuz Selim Kiran said in a tweet."The medical aid Turkey sent to Kyrgyzstan as an expression of solidarity on the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached Bishkek on a Turkish Airlines cargo plane named Ayasofya [Hagia Sophia]," the minister said.Turkey has sent medical aid to nearly 140 countries to help them combat the coronavirus pandemic.Since it origin…
(2020-07-14). Armenia says it shot down Azerbaijani drone as fierce border clashes continue into third day (VIDEO). rt.com 
The Armenian military has claimed it downed an advanced Azerbaijani drone amid ongoing border clashes. The flare-up has already led to casualties on both sides, with the South Caucasus neighbors blaming each other for the spat. | "Armenian air defense units hit a drone of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which is used as a fire control system," Armenia's Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said on Tuesday, sharing footage of the incident on Facebook. | The drone is said to be an Israeli-made Elbit Hermes 900, a medium-sized multirole UAV. Azerbaijan is believed to have as many as 15 such machines in…
(2020-07-14). Tear gas deployed as anti-govt protesters clash with police on Bastille Day (VIDEO). rt.com 
France's national holiday has been marred by scuffles between police and protesters, as thousands of people took to the streets of Paris to demonstrate against public health support measures they deemed insufficient. | Streets in the center of the French capital once again descended into chaos as police officers in riot gear clashed with groups of angry protesters while France was celebrating Bastille Day. | Videos posted on social media showed officers wearing helmets and body armor using tear gas and pepper-spraying crowds in a tense standoff. The protesters were seen throwing various objects at the police.
(2020-07-14). 'Disgusting organization': PETA savaged online for posting extremely graphic dissected cat photo. rt.com 
Controversial animal rights organization PETA has sparked a social media backlash after shocking users by posting a grizzly photo of a dissected cat carcass and connecting it with the 'realistic cake' meme. | The
(2020-07-14). 'Tax dollars at work': Stunned response greets Chicago mayor's launch of Census Cowboy as city shootings spike (VIDEO). rt.com 
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is being accused of not having her priorities exactly straight as she introduced a mascot dubbed the 'Census Cowboy' to the same city that is seeing a spike in violent crime. | "Giddy up, Chicago. I'm calling on the Census Cowboy to help improve our Census response rates across Chicago," Lightfoot tweeted along with footage from a press conference where she introduced this Census Cowboy, a man on horseback who will be visiting the 10 communities with the lowest response rate to the US census to encourage them to take part. | Giddy up, Chicago. I'm calling on the Census Cowboy to he…
(2020-07-14). Anti-Trump Lincoln Project co-founder says past tweets shouldn't define him, then cans employee for offensive messages a day later. rt.com 
The Lincoln Project, an anti-Donald Trump organization founded by Republicans, has fired its video editor Ben Howe for years-old tweets using female anatomy as an insult — despite one of its co-founders engaging in similar antics. | "Based on these unacceptable and offensive posts, and those that came to light last week, Ben Howe is no longer affiliated with the Lincoln Project, effective immediately," Keith Edwards, a spokesman for the group, said in a statement on Tuesday. | The tweets in question were emailed to the organization by the 19th News, a non-profit media outlet, and had been highlighted by…
(2020-07-14). 'He's gone full black supremacist': Nick Cannon blasted for saying white people are a 'little less' and 'closer to animals'. rt.com 
TV host Nick Cannon is facing accusations of antisemitism and racism following a bizarre and now-viral interview in which he claims white people are "a little less" and black people are who Jewish people "want to be." | During the discussion with former Public Enemy member Richard Griffin (who left the group after saying the "Jews are wicked" in a 1989 interview), Cannon, who hosts the 'Masked Singer,' claimed it is impossible for him to be antisemitic. | "It's never hate speech, you can't be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people," he said. "When we are the same people who they want to be. That's our bir…
(2020-07-14). Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Inhibitors and Susceptibility to and Severity of COVID-19. jamanetwork.com The biological mechanisms by which severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), enters human cells have been identified in detail. The key viral protein involved in cell entry is the spike (S) protein located on the surface of the virus particle. Two host-cell proteins, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine S2 (TMPRSS2), are also critical for cell entry. The viral S protein binds to ACE2, which serves as the cell membrane receptor for SARS-CoV-2, but only after the S protein has been "primed" by th…
(2020-07-14). Monday 7/13: Demanding Women: A Conversation About Gun Violence w/ Karen Bass (Moms Demand Action). indybay.org Online via livestream: www.facebook.com/Everytown/live/…
(2020-07-14). Banksy creates coronavirus-related artwork on London Underground carriage. thecanary.co Banksy has sprayed the inside of a London Underground train carriage with messages about the spread of coronavirus. | The street artist uploaded a 59-second video captioned "If you don't mask — you don't get" to his Instagram and YouTube pages on Tuesday afternoon. | It begins with a laptop playing PA video footage showing the London Underground being deep cleaned in May. | Banksy, wearing a white boiler suit, mask, goggles, blue gloves and an orange hi-viz jacket with the message "stay safe" printed on it, is then seen posing as a Transport for London worker. | He makes his way to a Circle Line train, carr…
(2020-07-14). Nearly 50 confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo. yenisafak.com At least 49 new infections of the Ebola virus have been recorded as a part of an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday."The latest Situation Report from the 11th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in #Mbandaka, Équateur Province #DRC (reported 13 July 2020). 49 cases (46 confirmed, 3 probable). 20 deceased and 11 recovered," WHO African Region tweeted."This is still a very active outbreak, and I would say it is still a great concern," Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert told a news briefing Monday.The WHO expressed concern last month about the outbreak…