Daily Archives: May 18, 2020

2020-05-18: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-05-18). COVID-19: Podemos, social-democrats prepare to send Spanish police against workers' protests. wsws.org The "left populist" Podemos party is backing plans for Civil Guards to attack working class protests and monitor social media for signs of online dissent.

Robert Mackey (2020-05-18). Long Island Protest Praised by Trump Featured Anti-Vaxxer Call to "Hang Fauci" zcomm.org On Saturday morning, in a tweet that echoed his infamous praise for white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville in 2017, Trump described the protesters who had harassed the reporter as "Great people!"

graham (2020-05-18). Another example of social media censorship. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: Regular readers of TruePublica know we have given up almost completely with social media as a way of driving traffic to the website. This is because we value organic growth. Growth that can be withdrawn or manipulated at will by others with no response to reasonable questions is not sustainable. We have asked …

graham (2020-05-18). Buzzfeed UK — brought down by Google and Facebook. truepublica.org.uk There are a number of problems in mainstream media today. Leaving aside the rank level of extremism, fake news and conspiracy nonsense spewed out by the likes of the Express, The Sun and Daily Mail, real journalism itself is under a very real threat by the American tech giants. Without investigations, journalists and editors holding …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). 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 …

Jim Naureckas (2020-05-17). Grading the States' Coronavirus Control. fair.org I recently wrote a Twitter thread ( The good idea, which appears on the Times' "Coronavirus in the US"

Emily Apple (2020-05-17). One of the world's biggest arms companies just tried pushing its progressive credentials. It didn't end well. thecanary.co One of the world's So BAE Systems took to Twitter to s…

Cristina Pérez-Cameo, Juan Marín-Lahoz (2020-05-17). [Commentary] Serosurveys and convalescent plasma in COVID-19. thelancet.com The current pandemic is not only overwhelming the health systems of the affected countries but also is killing thousands of other ways healthy adults. Convalescent plasma has been proposed [1] and approved to treat COVID-19 based on the experience acquired treating other viral diseases such as influenza, Ebola, and SARS [2]. It is considered a safe treatment (at least its side effects and contraindications are well known) and it has proven to be efficacious in several viral infections for more than a century.

Ari Paul (2020-05-16). Missing the Context of De Blasio's 'Jewish Community' Tweet. fair.org New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's tweet ( Time for a Yiddish lesson: Shanda, meaning a shame or disgrace; a scandal. | Right-wing voices throughout the media thought they found one with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's tweet ( The background is this: Some Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, members of a strictly Ort…

Hatewatch Staff (2020-05-15). 'Boogaloo Boy' Arrested in Texas, Charged With Plotting To Murder Cops on Facebook Live. splcenter.org "Boogaloo Boys" — individuals associated with an online community characterized by calls for civil strife and ownership of firearms and tactical gear — have advocated for an armed revolution online and at public rallies for months. On April 11, one self-proclaimed "Boogaloo Boy" allegedly used Facebook Live to show himself attempting to murder police.

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).

David Quinn-Jacobs (2020-05-11). Saturday, May 16, Second Webinar: Disarm and Divest During Covid-19. kingsbayplowshares7.org Disarm & Divest During COVID19 Last KBP 7 Webinar Before Sentencing SATURDAY, MAY 16 The recording of the webinar can be viewed on Facebook now. Eventually we hope to have an edited version up on the KBP Youtube channel and will post link. In it current form we recommend that you skip the first…

Trudy Hess (2020-05-11). Senator Nina Turner has something to Share! peoplesparty.org has something to share! | I'm happy to say that after her courageous show of support last weekend, Senator Nina Turner will be joining us on a National Call soon. She wanted me to let you know she's been watching our movement with admiration for some time. | SNT has a history of standing up for what is right, even in the face of immense pressure and adversity. She is not afraid to stand up for bold new ideas. | | Justice for Ahmaud Arbery | Join the call at 8 pm ET on May 13. |

Jane R. Millar, Nomonde Bengu, Rowena Fillis, Ken Sprenger, Vuyokazi Ntlantsana, Vinicius A. Vieira, Nisreen Khambati, Moherndran Archary, Maximilian Muenchhoff, Andreas Groll, Nicholas Grayson, John Adamson, Katya Govender, Krista Dong, Photini Kiepiela, Bruce D. Walker, David Bonsall, Thomas Connor, Matthew J. Bull, Nelisiwe Nxele, Julia Roider, Nasreen Ismail, Emily Adland, Maria C. Puertas, Javier Martinez-Picado, Philippa C. Matthews, Thumbi Ndung'u, Philip Goulder, the Ucwaningo Lwabantwana Consortium (2020-05-08). HIGH-FREQUENCY failure of combination antiretroviral therapy in paediatric HIV infection is associated with unmet maternal needs causing maternal NON-ADHERENCE. thelancet.com The success of early infant testing and cART initiation strategies is severely limited by subsequent cART non-adherence in HIV-infected children. Although there are practical challenges to administering paediatric cART formulations, these are overcome by mothers who themselves are cART-adherent. These findings point to the ongoing obligation to address the unmet needs of the mothers. Eliminating the particular barriers preventing adequate treatment for these vulnerable women and infants need to be prioritised in order to achieve durable suppression of viraemia on cART, let alone HIV cure/remission, in HIV-infecte…

Sunil Freeman (2020-05-05). New PSL book: 'Climate Solutions: Beyond Capitalism'. liberationnews.org "It is a small book, but expansive in outlook in a way that echoes the holistic eco-socialist society we will need…"

Hatewatch Staff (2020-05-04). Facebook Is Go-To Platform For Organizing Protests Against Social Distancing. splcenter.org As COVID-19 continues to pose a lethal threat worldwide, fringe, right-wing activists are using Facebook to mobilize protests of stay-at-home orders in several states.

Ryan Cristián (2020-04-24). Dr. Rashid Buttar Interview — Why COVID-19 Is Not What You Think. thelastamericanvagabond.com Joining me today to discuss further some of the very relevant and important points we went over during our recent roundtable (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO2Fh3ThKoE) is Dr. Rashid Buttar. We discuss the very obvious way in which it seems we are all being deceived, and the many and varied ways in which that deception is taking place. (d.tube/c/tlavagabond) …

Whitney Webb (2020-04-22). Is Trump's "Shoot Down And Destroy" Tweet About Boosting Oil Prices Or A Harbinger Of War With Iran? thelastamericanvagabond.com Trump's recent tweet to "shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships" has sparked concern over a new war in the Middle East. However, the more immediate effect of Trump's tweet has been a big boost in oil prices and a rise in the stock market. Was that Trump's …

Alberto L García-Basteiro, Carlos Chaccour, Caterina Guinovart, Anna Llupià , Joe Brew, Antoni Trilla, Antoni Plasencia (2020-04-02). [Comment] Monitoring the COVID-19 epidemic in the context of widespread local transmission. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019.1 Given the fast spread, the severity of disease, the increasing number of cases outside China, and the number of affected countries, WHO declared the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.2 The availability of reliable surveillance platforms is crucial to monitor the COVID-19 epidemic in a timely manner and to respond with adequate control measures.

yenisafak (2020-05-18). Turkey condemns pig's-head vandalism of German mosque. yenisafak.com An Islamophobic incident in which a pig's head was mounted onto the door of mosque in southern Germany drew condemnation from Turkey on Monday."Even during the holy month of Ramadan and the epidemic, racism and hostility against Islam continues in Europe. The ugly attack on our mosque in Germany is the latest example of this," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted on Monday.Denouncing the perpetrators' "sick mentality," he urged that they be caught immediately.The incident took place Saturday at the Fatih Mosque in the city of Vaihingen, run by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs. The incident too…

sputniknews (2020-05-18). Controversy as Identities of 4 K-Pop Idols Who Visited Itaewon Week Before COVID Breakout Revealed. sputniknews.com At the beginning of May, South Korea, which effectively contained the spread of COVID-19, reported dozens of news cases after an infected person visited a party district in Seoul.

RT (2020-05-16). Trump vows to strip 'radical left' of 'TOTAL COMMAND' over FB, IG, Twitter & Google. rt.com President Donald Trump has vowed to break the "radical left's" apparent control of social media platforms. Earlier, the president thanked his "keyboard warriors" for their support, as they accused the tech firms of censorship. | "The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tuned, and send names & events." | The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google. The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tun…

RT (2020-05-15). Jailing people who use Covid-19 as bioweapon would be 'discrimination.' So better lock up everyone instead? rt.com Accidentally spreading Covid-19 is wanting grandma dead, say opponents of ending lockdowns. Yet activists now worry that proposed laws to punish those who threaten to spread it deliberately would discriminate against minorities. | A Florida man spat and coughed on a police officer responding to a domestic violence call, and faces up to five years in prison on a federal charge of biological weapons hoax (he was negative for Covid-19). Another man in Texas, who falsely claimed on Facebook that he paid someone to spread the virus at local grocery stores, was charged with the same thing. A Michigan man who wiped h…

RT (2020-05-15). Trump salutes his 'keyboard warriors,' but has he actually curtailed corporate online censorship? rt.com President Donald Trump has paid his respects to the legions of online meme-makers and "keyboard warriors" who helped him get elected. But among these netizens, many feel the president hasn't done enough to fight online censorship. | "Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors," Trump tweeted on Friday. "You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!" | Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors. You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonald…

Staff (2020-05-17). Big Oil Takes $1.9 Billion in CARES Act Tax Breaks Intended for Small Businesses. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders was among critics outraged that the fossil fuel industry is using tax breaks in the CARES Act meant to help businesses keep workers employed to avoid paying millions of dollars in taxes — and then delivering that money to executives. | "Good thing President Trump is looking out for the real victims of the coronavirus: fossil fuel executives," Sanders tweeted sarcastically Friday. | t.co/4sj6gT53f9 | — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) Billie Pierre (2020-05-18). Tribal Leader Red-Tagged in Philippines During COVID-19 Crisis. indybay.org 00: 21.42 Length. Hi, this is Billie Pierre with Media Coop, in so-called Canada. Today is May 17, 2020, and we'll be hearing from a tribal indigenous land defender Windel Bolinget from the Cordillera People's Alliance in the Northern Philippines. Himself and his children are currently being smeared in a dangerous disinformation campaign through social media.

Staff (2020-05-11). "Weaponized and Racialized": Police Departments Use COVID-19 to Target Black & Brown Communities. democracynow.org Viral images have shone a spotlight on uneven policing. Some show police officers distributing masks to White residents in crowded New York City parks — and apparently arresting no one. Meanwhile, videos have emerged of violent crackdowns on social distancing measures in Black and Latinx neighborhoods. We continue our look at how Black and Brown communities are being disproportionately targeted and policed in New York City's enforcement measures during the pandemic, and also discuss how officers have ordered protesters to disband, citing executive orders from the mayor and the governor that ban "any non-ess…

Tasnim News (2020-05-17). Google Play Removes Iranian App Used against Coronavirus. iranian.com The anti-Iran sanctions imposed by the "Wild West" have forced Google to remove Iranian mobile application 'Mask', developed to tackle the novel coronavirus and warn people to avoid high-risk areas, from its Play Store, a health official said. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Kianoosh Jahanpoor said in a post on his Twitter account that the homegrown …

Erica Fein (2020-05-13). After Trump Vetoed the Iran War Powers Resolution, Congress Must Continue to Act. iranian.com The bipartisan majority that has come together on this issue should not stop working to enact legislation to reclaim its war powers and block Trump from taking us to war with Iran. On April 22, President Trump took to Twitter and threatened to attack Iran, instructing the Navy to "shoot down and destroy any and …

Oriol Mitjà , Bonaventura Clotet (2020-03-19). [Correspondence] Use of antiviral drugs to reduce COVID-19 transmission. thelancet.com As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads, efforts are being made to reduce transmission via standard public health interventions based on isolation of cases and tracing of contacts. In their modelling study, Joel Hellewell and colleagues1 predict that such a strategy could contribute to reducing the overall size of an outbreak, but will still be insufficient to achieve outbreak control of COVID-19 when the basic reproduction number (R0) is higher than 1 ∑5 or the proportion of contacts traced is lower than 80%.

Paul A Gastañaduy, Umesh D Parashar (2020-02-20). [Comment] Efficient transmission of viral gastroenteritis in Dutch households. thelancet.com Community cohorts of acute gastroenteritis, such as the one presented by Franke Quee and colleagues1 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, provide a crucial opportunity to understand the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of different enteric viruses that could be targeted to prevent diarrhoea in vulnerable populations.

2020-05-18: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

COVID-19: Podemos, social-democrats prepare to send Spanish police against workers' protests
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
The "left populist" Podemos party is backing plans for Civil Guards to attack working class protests and monitor social media for signs of online dissent.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/pode-m18.html

Long Island Protest Praised by Trump Featured Anti-Vaxxer Call to "Hang Fauci"
Robert Mackey | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
On Saturday morning, in a tweet that echoed his infamous praise for white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville in 2017, Trump described the protesters who had harassed the reporter as "Great people!"
zcomm.org/znetarticle/long-island-protest-praised-by-trump-featured-anti-vaxxer-call-to-hang-fauci/

Another example of social media censorship
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-05-18
TruePublica Editor: Regular readers of TruePublica know we have given up almost completely with social media as a way of driving traffic to the website. This is because we value organic growth. Growth that can be withdrawn or manipulated at will by others with no response to reasonable questions is not sustainable. We have asked …
truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/another-example-of-social-media-censorship/

National Nurses Day: Not all heroes wear capes
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
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 …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/national-nurses-day-not-all-heroes-wear-capes/

VIRUS: COVID-19 registry first to track global ICU experience to shed light on trends in care of critically ill patients
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill

[Commentary] Serosurveys and convalescent plasma in COVID-19
Cristina Pérez-Cameo, Juan Marín-Lahoz | thelancet.com | 2020-05-17
The current pandemic is not only overwhelming the health systems of the affected countries but also is killing thousands of other ways healthy adults. Convalescent plasma has been proposed [1] and approved to treat COVID-19 based on the experience acquired treating other viral diseases such as influenza, Ebola, and SARS [2]. It is considered a safe treatment (at least its side effects and contraindications are well known) and it has proven to be efficacious in several viral infections for more than a century.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30114-0/fulltext?rss=yes

One of the world's biggest arms companies just tried pushing its progressive credentials. It didn't end well
Emily Apple | thecanary.co | 2020-05-17
One of the world's largest arms companies took to Twitter to try and show how progressive it is. May 17 is the international day against homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia. It's 'a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities' and this year's social media campaign used the hashtag #BreakingTheSilence. | So BAE Systems took to Twitter to s…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/05/17/one-of-the-worlds-biggest-arms-companies-just-tried-pushing-its-progressive-credentials-it-didnt-end-well/

Grading the States' Coronavirus Control
Jim Naureckas | fair.org | 2020-05-17
I recently wrote a Twitter thread ( 5/12/20) about another New York Times graphic feature that was a good idea, strangely executed. | The good idea, which appears on the Times' "Coronavirus in the US" page, is to sort states in terms of how well they're controlling the coronavirus outbreak, using graphs of the daily count of new cases in each state. This seems like a good cho…
fair.org/home/grading-the-states-coronavirus-control/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=grading-the-states-coronavirus-control

Missing the Context of De Blasio's 'Jewish Community' Tweet
Ari Paul | fair.org | 2020-05-16
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's tweet ( 4/28/20) to "the Jewish community." | Time for a Yiddish lesson: Shanda, meaning a shame or disgrace; a scandal. | Right-wing voices throughout the media thought they found one with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's tweet ( 4/28/20) about a Hasidic funeral that violated Covid-19 social-distancing rules. But their shoddy coverage was the real shanda. | The background is this: Some Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, members of a strictly Ort…
fair.org/home/missing-the-context-of-de-blasios-jewish-community-tweet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=missing-the-context-of-de-blasios-jewish-community-tweet

'Boogaloo Boy' Arrested in Texas, Charged With Plotting To Murder Cops on Facebook Live
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-05-15
"Boogaloo Boys"

Pharmacologic Treatments for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Sanders JM, Monogue ML, Jodlowski TZ, et al. | jamanetwork.com | 2020-05-12
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).
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2764727

Delayed Antibiotic Prescriptions in Ambulatory Care–Reconsidering a Problematic Practice
Rowe TA, Linder JA. | jamanetwork.com | 2020-05-12
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.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2764822

Saturday, May 16, Second Webinar: Disarm and Divest During Covid-19
David Quinn-Jacobs | kingsbayplowshares7.org | 2020-05-11
Disarm & Divest During COVID19 Last KBP 7 Webinar Before Sentencing SATURDAY, MAY 16 The recording of the webinar can be viewed on Facebook now. Eventually we hope to have an edited version up on the KBP Youtube channel and will post link. In it current form we recommend that you skip the first…
kingsbayplowshares7.org/2020/05/sat-5-16-last-kbp7-webinar/

HIGH-FREQUENCY failure of combination antiretroviral therapy in paediatric HIV infection is associated with unmet maternal needs causing maternal NON-ADHERENCE
Jane R. Millar, Nomonde Bengu, Rowena Fillis, Ken Sprenger, Vuyokazi Ntlantsana, Vinicius A. Vieira, Nisreen Khambati, Moherndran Archary, Maximilian Muenchhoff, Andreas Groll, Nicholas Grayson, John Adamson, Katya Govender, Krista Dong, Photini Kiepiela, Bruce D. Walker, David Bonsall, Thomas Connor, Matthew J. Bull, Nelisiwe Nxele, Julia Roider, Nasreen Ismail, Emily Adland, Maria C. Puertas, Javier Martinez-Picado, Philippa C. Matthews, Thumbi Ndung'u, Philip Goulder, the Ucwaningo Lwabantwana Consortium | thelancet.com | 2020-05-08
The success of early infant testing and cART initiation strategies is severely limited by subsequent cART non-adherence in HIV-infected children. Although there are practical challenges to administering paediatric cART formulations, these are overcome by mothers who themselves are cART-adherent. These findings point to the ongoing obligation to address the unmet needs of the mothers. Eliminating the particular barriers preventing adequate treatment for these vulnerable women and infants need to be prioritised in order to achieve durable suppression of viraemia on cART, let alone HIV cure/remission, in HIV-infecte…
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30088-2/fulltext?rss=yes

Facebook Is Go-To Platform For Organizing Protests Against Social Distancing
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-05-04
As COVID-19 continues to pose a lethal threat worldwide, fringe, right-wing activists are using Facebook to mobilize protests of stay-at-home orders in several states.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/05/05/facebook-go-platform-organizing-protests-against-social-distancing

Is Trump's "Shoot Down And Destroy" Tweet About Boosting Oil Prices Or A Harbinger Of War With Iran?
Whitney Webb | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-04-22
Trump's recent tweet to "shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships" has sparked concern over a new war in the Middle East. However, the more immediate effect of Trump's tweet has been a big boost in oil prices and a rise in the stock market. Was that Trump's …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/foreign-policy/trumps-shoot-destroy-tweet-about-boosting-oil-prices-harbinger-war-with-iran/

Turkey condemns pig's-head vandalism of German mosque
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
An Islamophobic incident in which a pig's head was mounted onto the door of mosque in southern Germany drew condemnation from Turkey on Monday."Even during the holy month of Ramadan and the epidemic, racism and hostility against Islam continues in Europe. The ugly attack on our mosque in Germany is the latest example of this," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted on Monday.Denouncing the perpetrators' "sick mentality," he urged that they be caught immediately.The incident took place Saturday at the Fatih Mosque in the city of Vaihingen, run by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs. The incident too…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-condemns-pigs-head-vandalism-of-german-mosque-3529803

Controversy as Identities of 4 K-Pop Idols Who Visited Itaewon Week Before COVID Breakout Revealed
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
At the beginning of May, South Korea, which effectively contained the spread of COVID-19, reported dozens of news cases after an infected person visited a party district in Seoul.
sputniknews.com/viral/202005181079340783-controversy-as-identities-of-4-k-pop-idols-who-visited-itaewon-week-before-covid-breakout-revealed/

Trump vows to strip 'radical left' of 'TOTAL COMMAND' over FB, IG, Twitter & Google
rt.com | 2020-05-16
President Donald Trump has vowed to break the "radical left's" apparent control of social media platforms. Earlier, the president thanked his "keyboard warriors" for their support, as they accused the tech firms of censorship. | "The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tuned, and send names & events." | The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google. The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tun…
rt.com/usa/488860-trump-left-censorship-social-media/

Jailing people who use Covid-19 as bioweapon would be 'discrimination.' So better lock up everyone instead?
rt.com | 2020-05-15
Accidentally spreading Covid-19 is wanting grandma dead, say opponents of ending lockdowns. Yet activists now worry that proposed laws to punish those who threaten to spread it deliberately would discriminate against minorities. | A Florida man spat and coughed on a police officer responding to a domestic violence call, and faces up to five years in prison on a federal charge of biological weapons hoax (he was negative for Covid-19). Another man in Texas, who falsely claimed on Facebook that he paid someone to spread the virus at local grocery stores, was charged with the same thing. A Michigan man who wiped h…
rt.com/usa/488692-criminalizing-covid-discrimination-minorities/

Trump salutes his 'keyboard warriors,' but has he actually curtailed corporate online censorship?
rt.com | 2020-05-15
President Donald Trump has paid his respects to the legions of online meme-makers and "keyboard warriors" who helped him get elected. But among these netizens, many feel the president hasn't done enough to fight online censorship. | "Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors," Trump tweeted on Friday. "You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!" | Thank you to all of my great Keyboard Warriors. You are better, and far more brilliant, than anyone on Madison Avenue (Ad Agencies). There is nobody like you!– Donald J. Trump (@realDonald…
rt.com/usa/488798-trump-keyboard-warriors-censorship/

Big Oil Takes $1.9 Billion in CARES Act Tax Breaks Intended for Small Businesses
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-05-17
Sen. Bernie Sanders was among critics outraged that the fossil fuel industry is using tax breaks in the CARES Act meant to help businesses keep workers employed to avoid paying millions of dollars in taxes

Tribal Leader Red-Tagged in Philippines During COVID-19 Crisis
Billie Pierre | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
00: 21.42 Length. Hi, this is Billie Pierre with Media Coop, in so-called Canada. Today is May 17, 2020, and we'll be hearing from a tribal indigenous land defender Windel Bolinget from the Cordillera People's Alliance in the Northern Philippines. Himself and his children are currently being smeared in a dangerous disinformation campaign through social media.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/17/18833104.php

"Weaponized and Racialized": Police Departments Use COVID-19 to Target Black & Brown Communities
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-11
Viral images have shone a spotlight on uneven policing. Some show police officers distributing masks to White residents in crowded New York City parks

Google Play Removes Iranian App Used against Coronavirus
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-05-17
The anti-Iran sanctions imposed by the "Wild West" have forced Google to remove Iranian mobile application 'Mask', developed to tackle the novel coronavirus and warn people to avoid high-risk areas, from its Play Store, a health official said. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Kianoosh Jahanpoor said in a post on his Twitter account that the homegrown …
iranian.com/2020/05/16/google-play-removes-iranian-app-used-against-coronavirus/

After Trump Vetoed the Iran War Powers Resolution, Congress Must Continue to Act
Erica Fein | iranian.com | 2020-05-13
The bipartisan majority that has come together on this issue should not stop working to enact legislation to reclaim its war powers and block Trump from taking us to war with Iran. On April 22, President Trump took to Twitter and threatened to attack Iran, instructing the Navy to "shoot down and destroy any and …
iranian.com/2020/05/12/after-trump-vetoed-the-iran-war-powers-resolution-congress-must-continue-to-act/