(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). 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). 2.2 Million People in the U.S. Could Die If Coronavirus Goes Unchecked. zcomm.org The earlier viral outbreak known as SARS showed that patients living in areas with moderate air pollution were 84 percent more likely to die from that virus than patients in regions with low pollution, according to a 2003 study.
(2020-03-18). Trunken Party: 'Binge-Drinking' Elephants Found Passed Out After 'Consuming Alcohol' – Photos. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): An Indian Forest Service officer has revealed that in tribal belts, elephants, who do have a taste for alcohol, manage to find the country-made liquor that people hide.
(2020-03-18). Jay Electronica: Muslim Rapper Faces Jewish Backlash for 'Synagogue of Satan' Line. sputniknews.com A Jewish radio host clashed with Electronica over the controversial line, which appeared to be a reference to the New Testament's Book of Revelation.
(2020-03-18). 'Your Best Visuals': Fans Thrilled as Lady Gaga Poses as Nude Cyborg for Cover Shoot. sputniknews.com In March 2020 the larger-than-life pop icon Lady Gaga officially announced her next album "Chromatica" was to drop on 10 April in her first studio release since 2016's "Joanne."
(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). 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). Cuba's Contribution to Combatting COVID-19. counterpunch.org COVID-19 surged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December 2019 and by January 2020 it had hit Hubei province like a tidal wave, swirling over China and rippling out overseas. The Chinese state rolled into action to combat the spread and care for those infected. Among the 30 medicines the Chinese National Health Commission selected to fight the virus was a Cuban anti-viral drug Interferon Alpha 2b. This drug has been produced in China since 2003, by the enterprise ChangHeber, a Cuban-Chinese joint venture.
(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). US Health and Human Services faces cyber attack during coronavirus response — reports. rt.com 
The US Health and Human Services Department's computer system was reportedly hacked on Sunday night, with the National Security Council needing to step in and warn that news of a mass quarantine was fake news. | Three people "familiar with the matter" briefed Bloomberg on the hack and said the breach was meant to slow the department's system down in the middle of the coronavirus response. Though no major damage was done, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump have been informed of the attack, which is said to have included several incidents. The National Security Council tweeted in response…
(2020-03-16). Thousands of volunteers join effort to help vulnerable people during UK coronavirus crisis. thecanary.co 
Thousands of Britons have joined local Facebook groups offering food and support for elderly and vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak.The groups, named Covid-19 Mutual Aid, have been set up in most London boroughs, cities including Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham, as well as smaller towns throughout the UK.Some groups have received several thousand members in recent days as more and more people self-isolate to prevent the spread of the virus.In one group, users shared a printable postcard which could be dropped in to neighbours' letterboxes, with offers to pick up shopping, post mail or even jus…
(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.
(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…
(2020-03-06). 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.