(2020-03-15). Long lines beset US airports with passengers reportedly waiting up to 10 HOURS to get through due to Covid-19 screening (PHOTOS). rt.com 
Thousands have lined up in long queues to get their bags and pass customs at airports across the US, with photos of the crowds going viral. The chaos has been blamed on enhanced coronavirus checks under the European travel ban. | Also on rt.com | | O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois, one of world's busiest airports by passenger traffic, has been overwhelmed with a sea of people, with photos and videos by stranded travelers showing long lines leading up to the baggage line and cu…
(2020-03-15). 'Just take it easy, just relax': Trump warns against HOARDING over coronavirus as VIDEOS of shoppers cleaning out stores go viral. rt.com 
The White House has warned citizens against hoarding daily supplies in the wake of videos showing people fighting for products like toilet paper and hand sanitizer and panic-buying daily essentials until shelves are empty. | President Donald Trump on Sunday spoke with "more than two dozen" grocery store and supply chain executives and thanked them for their work as people flock to stores to stockpile on supplies over fears surrounding the spread of coronavirus. | Delivering his daily update on the coronavirus situation, Trump suggested Americans "just take it easy, just relax," adding that the empty shelves al…
(2020-03-15). Ukrainian nationalists fire FLARE GUN at Russian embassy in Kiev, threaten to storm diplomatic mission (VIDEO). rt.com 
Ukrainian radicals have shot a round from a flare gun at the Russian embassy in Kiev, hitting the building's roof as they staged a rally outside the mission. Despite a heavy police presence, officers apparently stood idly by. | Russia's diplomatic mission in Kiev suffered the assault late on Saturday as a crowd of mostly far-right radicals gathered in front of the embassy and pelted its premises with flares and smoke pellets. At one point, someone also fired a flare gun round, which hit the building's roof to loud cheers from the crowd, which was chanting anti-Russian slogans, a video published on social media…
(2020-03-15). Trump 'strongly considering' Michael Flynn pardon, points at FBI 'conveniently losing' his records. rt.com 
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he is "strongly considering" pardoning former adviser Michael Flynn after the FBI and Justice Department "destroyed" his life, seemingly confirming the long-standing rumors. | The Mueller investigation may be in the past for many, but Trump put the two-plus year probe back into the spotlight on Sunday by directly answering reports he would pardon Flynn, one of a handful of advisers to face criminal charges from Robert Mueller. | After saying the FBI and Justice Department were "destroying" the lives of Flynn and his "wonderful" family, the president claimed the depar…
(2020-03-15). Come To A Special Discussion On The Coronavirus Pandemic. indybay.org Online: www.facebook.com/RevolutionBooks/…
(2020-03-15). Turkey slams Greece over treatment of asylum seekers. yenisafak.com Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias' remarks on social media are "concrete evidence of the inconsistent, double-standard, illegal and inhumane policies" pursued by this country, said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman on Sunday, referring to the asylum seekers along the Turkey-Greece border.In a written statement, Hami Aksoy said, "Greece does not protect the borders of the European Union, to the contrary, disgracefully tramples on the very principles and values this Union was built upon, by treating the migrants coming to its gates as enemies instead of human beings."Greece is attacking asylum seekers without s…
(2020-03-15). Turkey neutralizes 3 PKK terrorists in N.Syria. yenisafak.com The Turkish army "neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syrian territories, the National Defense Ministry said on Sunday.In a Twitter post, the ministry said two PKK/YPG terrorists who attacked on Turkish troops in the Operation Euphrates Shield area, and another one attempting to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring area were "neutralized."It added that the operations will continue without letup.Turkish authorities generally use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.In 2016-2019, Turkey launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations…
(2020-03-15). Iran's death toll from coronavirus reaches 724. yenisafak.com Iran said on Sunday that the new coronavirus has killed 113 people in the past 24 hours, raising the country's death toll to 724, a health ministry official tweeted, adding that the number of infected people had reached 13,938.The new figures were tweeted by Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister.To contain the outbreak in Iran, one of the deadliest outside of China, officials have called on people to avoid unnecessary trips and stay at home.A host of senior officials, politicians, doctors, commanders of the elite Revolutionary Guards and clerics have been infected with the virus. Several of the…
(2020-03-15). Pakistan confirms 4 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Sunday confirmed four new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 38, according to an official statement.According to the Health Ministry of southern Sindh province, three patients who tested positive recently returned from Saudi Arabia."Sindh Health Department has 4 new cases of Corona Virus in Karachi. 3 patients returned from Saudi Arab a few days back were tested positive today 1 patient has no recent travel history," the provincial ministry said on Twitter.The new cases brought the total number of confirmed cases in the Sindh province to 21, w…
(2020-03-15). Turkey quarantines thousands of Umrah pilgrimages in dormitories. yenisafak.com All passengers returning from the Umrah pilgrimage since last night have been placed in separate rooms of dormitories as part of coronavirus quarantine measures, the Turkish health minister announced Sunday.Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter that people suspected of the coronavirus were taken to a hospital to be tested, adding that the passengers were placed in dormitories in the capital Ankara and in the central province of Konya.Early Sunday, the minister "insistently" asked the passengers returning from Umrah not to leave their homes and not to accept visitors for 14 days."Passing the medical screening does not me…
(2020-03-14). Sing when you're winning: Watch British boxer Nathan Heaney's brilliant ring walk before winning middleweight title fight (VIDEO). rt.com 
British boxer Nathan Heaney may not have been a household name heading into his bout on Friday night, but after his brilliant ring walk went viral on Saturday, he's becoming a lot more popular now. | The 30-year-old middleweight from Stoke-on-Trent, England was the star of the show at a boxing event in his hometown as he took on Malta's Christian Schembri for the vacant IBO continental middleweight title. | Fighting in front of his hometown fans in the biggest fight of his unbeaten career, Heaney was determined to make an impact, and he made sure he did just that, right from the very start of his walkout. | He…
(2020-03-13). 'No tests': AP reporter trying to get Covid-19 test sent from pillar to post by health authorities, told to 'stay home' on Twitter. rt.com 
AP reporter Steve Peoples had no luck trying to get tested for the Covid-19 virus after he presented to a primary care center and was subsequently bounced around to various other health facilities with no tests available anywhere. | Peoples tweeted on Friday that he had been experiencing "mild symptoms" — a headache, mild fever and cough — but that when he arrived at his primary care center in north Jersey, they told him to go to the emergency room instead. | I'm presenting mild symptoms (headache, mild fever, mild cough) and want to get tested in north Jersey. Primary care tells me to go to ER. ER…
(2020-03-13). That's how you spread panic! Ohio official backtracks on claim 100k people in state ALREADY carry coronavirus. rt.com 
Dr Amy Acton's shocking claim that 100,000 Ohioans are already carrying the Covid-19 coronavirus was just "guesstimating," she said a day later, noting that the actual number of confirmed cases stood at just 13. | At least one percent of the population carries the virus, Acton had said at a press conference on Thursday. "We have 11.7 million people. So the math is over 100,000. So that just gives you a sense of how this virus spreads and is spreading quickly." Her comment quickly went viral, so to speak. | By Friday, however, she was walking that back, saying that she was only "guesstimating" the numbers. The…
(2020-03-13). Soccer prez: "I resign…but the blatant sexism wasn't my fault." peoplesworld.org 
My, my, how quickly the mighty fall. Three days after the U.S. Soccer Federation sparked a massive backlash when its legal filings—in a gender discrimination lawsuit no less—argued: "male soccer players are more skilled than female soccer players," Carlos Cordeiro resigned as head of the organization. Cordeiro announced his resignation via Twitter Thursday night, apparently not even information …
(2020-03-13). Bolivia: Evo Morales Expresses Concern About Covid-19. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's former President Evo expressed concern about the mismanagement that the self-proclaimed President Jeanine Añez is carrying out of the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Through his twitter account, Morales addresses the Bolivian people asking them to remain calm, be supportive and not stigmatize any citizen. | He said that the Añez administration spent more than US$50 million ‚Äã‚&Au…
(2020-03-13). Bill de Blasio, Climate Troll. counterpunch.org Bike ticket sting at 59th and 1st Avenue. Two cops ticketing, I think, when folks turn right on red coming south/off the Queensboro Bridge. Good lord, how do you schedule the spring ticket traps at the same time as you tell people to bike to work? Those tweets, from a bicycle commuter and local journalist,
(2020-03-13). Bolsonaro Claims His Second COVID-19 Test Was Negative. telesurenglish.net According to both local media and international news agencies, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive for Covid-19. | The 64-year far-right politician appeared on Thursday on a Facebook live wearing a mask on his face. | His initial test was carried out after the arrival of the Brazilian delegation from the United States. | Bolsonaro was in contact with his communication secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, who also tested positive for the disease.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã This top official was also in cont…
(2020-03-13). Roaming Charges: Going Viral. counterpunch.org 
+ From Albert Camus's The Plague, which is once again on my nightstand: "There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise." + We are witnessing what happens to a country (this one) that faces a pandemic after it has privatized almost every aspect of
(2020-03-13). Peak 'Florida Man'? Ex-Tallahassee mayor denies using crystal meth after he was found in hotel room with overdosed male escort. rt.com 
Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum is taking a break from public life after police walked in on what has been described as a crystal meth-fueled orgy – but which he insists was just a wedding celebration where he drank too much. | Gillum was "unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state" when police chanced upon him in a hotel room at Miami's South Beach Mondrian on Thursday night, responding to another man's "possible drug overdose," revealed the police report, leaked via Twitter on Friday. | The police were concerned enough to request a second "welfare check" on Gillum, while they took his str…
(2020-03-13). As Coronavirus Grips US, Critics Remember Susan Collins' Insistence Pandemic Flu Funding Be Cut From 2009 Stimulus Package. commondreams.org Political observers on social media pointed to an overlooked vote by Sen. Susan Collins from over a decade ago as one example of Republicans' disregard for public health. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/collins.png …
(2020-03-12). 'Leave me be': Did the Simpsons REALLY predict Tom Hanks would get CORONAVIRUS? rt.com 
The news that Tom Hanks has been struck down with coronavirus has shocked fans around the world. The outpouring has even sparked a viral meme claiming that The Simpsons predicted the beloved actor's illness. But is it true? | The iconic cartoon is famous for its uncanny ability to foresee major world events — from the election of US President Donald Trump, a voting machine controversy in the US, and the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis. | The current, breathless claim is that Hanks' cameo in the 2007 feature film 'The Simpsons' during which he appears to self-isolate and asks "if you see me in person, leave me b…
(2020-03-12). US confirms bombing Iraq's Shia Kata'eb Hezbollah militia after rocket strike at base near Baghdad killed 2 troops. rt.com 
US aircraft bombed five Shia militia targets in Iraq in retaliation for the earlier deaths of two US service members and a British nurse in a rocket attack on Camp Taji near Baghdad. | "Earlier this evening, the United States conducted defensive precision strikes against Kata'ib Hizbollah (KH) facilities across Iraq. These strikes targeted five weapon storage facilities to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks against Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces," the US Department of Defense said in a statement, confirming multiple reports on social media. | Branding the raids "de…
(2020-03-12). Trump says trade will 'in no way' be affected by Europe travel ban in apparent about-face after markets crash. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said that trade in "no way" will be impacted by the 30-day Europe travel ban, despite saying less than an hour earlier the restrictive measures would apply to a "tremendous amount of trade and cargo." | Trump has baffled traders and ordinary netizens after he took to Twitter in the wake of his national address earlier on Wednesday to assure the public that his order to suspend all travel from Europe pertains only to the movement of people, but not goods. | Hoping to get the payroll tax cut approved by both Republicans and Democrats, and please remember, very important for all countrie…
(2020-03-06). Oil firm dumps plans to drill the Bight, but fight not over. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-21). In the Midst of Infighting, Anti-LGBTQ Church Network's Website and Social Media Disappear. splcenter.org The New Independent Fundamental Baptist network, most prominently associated with anti-LGBTQ pastor Steven Anderson, appears to be in turmoil as infighting again erupts, this time between Anderson and fellow pastors in the network.