2020-08-02: News Headlines

_____ (2020-08-02). Are Russia And US Different When It Comes To Election Meddling? popularresistance.org On this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence," Robert Scheer challenges guest David Shimer on the fundamental conclusions of his new book, "Rigged: America, Russia and 100 Years of Covert Electoral Interference," regarding the "intentions" for US covert operations versus those of the Soviet Union/Russia. | Excerpted and lauded in the New York Times and elsewhere in the mainstream media, "Rigged" outlines covert operations in various countries by both nation-states, including American interference in 1970s Chile and post-World War II Italy, among others, but has been best reviewed for its deep dive into Russ…

Peter Bolton (2020-08-01). The Venezuelan government's latest move exposes the falsehoods in the US narrative. thecanary.co Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro recently But you wo…

RT (2020-08-01). Next-level protection: Anti-Covid HELMET uses space technologies to stop virus in its tracks (VIDEO). rt.com Forget about face masks, engineers from Colombia have designed a special helmet similar to those used by astronauts to work as a protection bubble against the coronavirus infection. | The futuristic headgear is intended for use by people who are most vulnerable and who "really live their daily lives with a lot of risk" of getting sick, aeronautical engineer, Andres Felipe Giraldo, told RT's Ruptly video agency. | Yet, according to the helmet's co-creator, Ricardo Andres Conde, it will also fit "anyone who wants to protect him or herself" from the disease, which has already infected around 296,000 and killed ov…

WSWS (2020-08-01). As COVID-19 ravages Brazil, governments promote homicidal reopening of schools. wsws.org The attempt by big business politicians to reopen schools in the country faces massive opposition from educators and working-class families.

Walden Bello (2020-08-01). Could the Duterte Regime Be COVID-19's Next Victim? zcomm.org Like Trump in the U.S. and Bolsonaro in Brazil, the Philippine strongman's utter failure to contain COVID-19 may kneecap his authoritarian ambitions…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-08-01). Venezuela Requests Extradition of Former Oil Minister. venezuelanalysis.com Rafael Ramirez has been accused of corrupt dealings during his tenure as oil minister.

_____ (2020-08-01). Bolivians Reject Postponement Of Elections With Massive Mobilizations. popularresistance.org Organizations and trade unions from diverse sectors in Bolivia joined the call to mobilize today, on July 28, against…

yenisafak (2020-08-01). Kuwait bans flights to 31 'high risk' countries due to coronavirus. yenisafak.com Kuwait has banned until further notice commercial flights to 31 countries it said that it regarded as high risk due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Saturday.The countries include India, Pakistan, Egypt, the Philippines, Lebanon and Sri Lanka, which all have large numbers of expatriates in Kuwait. The list also includes China, Iran, Brazil, Mexico, Italy and Iraq.The ban was announced the same day Kuwait began a partial resumption of commercial flights. The authorities have said Kuwait International Airport would run at about 30% capacity from Saturday, gradually…

_____ (2020-08-01). When Corporate Power Is Your Real Government, Corporate Media Is State Media. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | astonishingly horrible article the other day titled "Latin America Is Facing a 'Decline of Democracy' Under the Pandemic" accusing governments like Venezuela and Nicaragua of exploiting Covid-19 to quash opposition and oppress democracy. | The article sources its jarringly propagandistic claims in multiple US government-funded narrative management operations like the Wilson Center and the National Endow…

Staff (2020-07-31). Headlines for July 31, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Top 1,000 for Fourth Consecutive Day, U.S. Economy Recorded Worst Quarterly Drop on Record as Coronavirus Spread, New Orleans Protesters Block Eviction Court Proceedings as Rent Comes Due, Brazil's First Lady Tests Positive for COVID-19 as Deaths Top 91,000, Coronavirus Cases Spike in European Countries that Lifted Lockdowns, Donald Trump Suggests Election Delay, Sparking Bipartisan Outrage, U.S. Postal Delays Spark Fears Over Mail-In Ballots in November Election, Civil Rights Icon and Georgia Congressmember John Lewis Laid to Rest, Herman Cain, Co-Chair of Black Voices for Trump, Dies of…

CounterSpin (2020-07-31). Alex Main on Bolivia Coup, Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression. fair.org Media…

Staff (2020-07-31). EU Shares Blame For Amazon's Destruction, Research Shows. therealnews.com EU countries are responsible for promoting deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions in the Brazilian Amazon by importing and consuming agricultural products contaminated with illegal deforestation, new research has found. | Published in research journal In a classic example of doublespeak, the EU has also been vocal about boycotting products from Brazil over spiking deforestati…

Yanis Iqbal (2020-07-31). Peru's corporate-controlled health system crumbling under stress of COVID-19. peoplesworld.org On March 11, Peru declared a 90-day national sanitary emergency to deal with the emerging coronavirus crisis. Subsequently, the country announced a total lockdown beginning from March 16. But despite implementing one of the earliest and strictest COVID-19 containment regimes in Latin America, Peru has become trapped in the turmoil of rising COVID-19 cases. With …

RT (2020-07-31). Argentina extends lockdown until August 16 as coronavirus cases rise. rt.com Argentina will extend a mandatory lockdown until August 16 as its coronavirus cases continue to rise, President Alberto Fernandez said on Friday. The lockdown, which has been the strictest in the capital Buenos Aires, was due to expire on Sunday. | The South American nation has seen its caseload spike in recent weeks and recorded a record daily tally on Thursday with 6,377 new cases. There are now 185,373 confirmed cases and 3,466 deaths, Reuters reported. | "The big problem that we have had in the last 15 days is that we relaxed, we felt that it was contained," Fernandez said. Argentina has been under lockdow…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-31). "The people of Bolivia will no longer be intimidated" peoplesdispatch.org Bolivian journalist Ollie Vargas talks about the massive protests that have broken out in the country following the authorities' decision to postpone the presidential elections yet again…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Venezuela Requests Italy To Extradite Former PDVSA President. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) declared admissible the extradition request submitted to Italy against PDVSA former president Rafael Ramirez. | RELATED: | Ramirez must return to Venezuela to be subjected to criminal proceedings, for the alleged commission of fraudulent embezzlement and evasion of the bidding procedure. | In the request, Venezuelan authorities committed to judging Ramírez only for…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Argentina Prolongs Quarantine Until August 16. telesurenglish.net Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez Friday announced that the quarantine will be extended until August 16. This announcement was made after this country recorded its highest COVID-19 infection figures on Thursday. | RELATED: | "The virus is increasingly circulating in the country. This new measure is an effort to reduce the infections," Fernandez explained. | Over the last 24 hours, Argentina recorded 153 deaths and 6,37…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Bolivian Workers Ratify Call For Mobilizations On August 3. telesurenglish.net The Bolivian Workers' Union (COB) and the traditional coca growers farmers of the Tropic of Cochabamba ratified this Thursday an indefinite general strike for August 3, after meeting with the Full Chamber of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). | RELATED: | Although they stated that dialogue is not closed, the executive secretary of COB Juan Carlos Huarachi said that the call for the protests has been made and is the decision of a city c…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Brazil: COVID-19 Cases Increase, Bolsonaro Tours Country. telesurenglish.net According to the Ministry of Health's daily report, the country registered 91,263 deaths, while the total number of infections rose to 2,610,102 cases. | RELATED: | After testing positive three times, President Jair Bolsonaro announced Thursday he is taking antibiotics for a lung infection and continues to downplay social distancing measures while resuming his work schedule. | He also said that his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, test…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-31). Brazilian unions reject return to classes without safe conditions. peoplesdispatch.org Brazilian educational and healthcare workers took to the streets on July 29 to denounce the decision by the state government to return to in-person classes while the pandemic rages on…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). WHO Reports Record Daily Rise In Global Covid-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the worldwide total rising by 292,527 on Friday. | RELATED: | According to a daily report, the most significant increases were from the United States, Brazil, India, and South Africa. The four countries have dominated global headlines with large outbreaks, while India recorded its highest daily infection rate, with more th…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Chile Records The Highest Unemployment Rate In A Decade. telesurenglish.net Chile reached the highest overall unemployment rate in a decade amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 12.2 percent, the National Statistics Office (INE) revealed on Friday. | RELATED: | According to the institution during the second quarter of this year, from April to June, the number of unemployed people soared to 996.900, an increment of 299.100 compared to the same period in 2019. | "The national unemployment rate was 12.2 pe…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-31). 212 Land Defenders were killed in 2019. peoplesdispatch.org A recent report shows that 2019 was the most dangerous year for land defenders with over 200 activists being murdered this year. Colombia and the Philippines were the worst affected.

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Ecuador: Prohibition And Curfew In 18 Provinces Amid Covid-19. telesurenglish.net The National Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) established as of Friday, July 31, a new curfew in Quito, the capital, and the cantons of 18 of 24 provinces of Ecuador to prevent the spread of Covid-19. | RELATED: | As reported by El Comercio newspaper, the restriction on the movement of people was extended by the EOC in the face of the spread of Covid-19, which on Friday exceeded 85 000 cases in the country. | Acco…

Jack Delaney (2020-07-31). "Operation Gideon": The Amphibious Assault against Venezuela. globalresearch.ca On May, 3, U.S. mercenaries and the

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Venezuela Comes to an Agreement With PAHO to Fight COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Venezuela ¥s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez Thursday reported the signing of an agreement with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to access resources to fight COVID-19. | RELATED: | "We have had the possibility of having US$10 million to take care of our doctors, health personnel, and COVID-19 patients," Rodriguez said. | She explained that the Presidential Commission for the Prevention and Attention of C…

Staff (2020-07-30). Headlines for July 30, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 150,000 as Public Health Experts Call for "Reset" in Response, GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert Tests Positive for Coronavirus After Refusing to Wear Mask in Capitol, Brazil Records Record Daily Coronavirus Toll as Deaths Top 90,000, Mexico's Health Ministry Recommends Masks But Won't Require Them, Vietnam Reports First Coronavirus Cases in Months; Just 1,000 Pilgrims Join Hajj in Mecca, Oregon Governor Says Federal Agents Will Withdraw From Portland Amid Protests, Lawmakers Grill Big Tech CEOs Over Anticompetitive Practices, Extended Jobless Benefits Expiring as Lawmakers Fail to Break Stalem…

Staff (2020-07-30). Black Americans, Black Brazilians Suffer More From COVID-19. Structural Racism Is To Blame. therealnews.com "Genocides don't always have to be intentional. It's about impact. Whether or not they have been planning to kill people, we know people are dying and Black people are dying disproportionately."

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-30). Bolivians oppose postponement of elections. peoplesdispatch.org On July 23, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) postponed the elections scheduled for September 6 to October 18, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the third time since the coup in November 2019 that elections have been postponed. On July 28, mobilizations were held across Bolivia opposing this delay in elections. Indigenous, peasant, rural and women organizations organized massive demonstrations in the capital city La Paz, among other cities, under the banner of "For Democracy, Health and Life".

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-30). Chile's trade union center calls for a national protest against Piñera's government. peoplesdispatch.org The United Center of Workers of Chile (CUT) rejected the national government's actions that are leading the workers to bear the costs of the current crisis…

Staff (2020-07-29). Headlines for July 29, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Records Highest One-Day Coronavirus Death Toll Since May, Trump Retweets Doctor Who Warned of Sex with Demons and "Alien DNA", Twitter Suspends Donald Trump Jr. for Spreading COVID-19 Misinformation, Progressives Say GOP Coronavirus Bill Would Bring "Mass Poverty and Mass Hunger", Teachers' Union Prepared to Strike If Schools Aren't Made Safe from Coronavirus, World Health Organization Warns Summer Weather Isn't Slowing Coronavirus, Argentina Reports Record COVID-19 Death Toll as Guatemala Reopens Economy, Attorney General Barr Grilled over Police Violence Against Peaceful Protesters, Portland Demonstrators…

_____ (2020-07-29). Imperialist Economic War Costs US Almost $200 Billion. popularresistance.org Quantifying each and every one of the effects of the war that imperialism has declared on the Venezuelan people is impossible. The attacks that Venezuelans have experienced since 1999 have not only been economic, they have also been psychological. There is no way to measure the consequences of the hatred that the undemocratic opposition has sown with its anti-socialist propaganda, to the point of burning people alive if they are suspected Chavistas. The resentment that the Venezuelan people have towards those who claim to be Venezuelans, but who have sold out their homeland, is also unmeasurable. | That said, foc…

WSWS (2020-07-29). What led Argentina's Left Workers Front (FIT) to vote for banning criticism of Israel under the guise of combatting anti-Semitism? wsws.org The FIT legislators voted for a bill introduced by the right-wing Macristas to adopt a definition of anti-Semitism aimed at criminalizing opposition to Israel.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-29). 2019 was the bloodiest year for environmental and land rights activists, says report. peoplesdispatch.org Over 212 "land defenders" were killed in the year 2019, says a report by Global Witness, with Colombia and the Philippines accounting for half of those…

_____ (2020-07-29). Bolivia: Stop State Repression And Violence, For Free And Fair Elections. popularresistance.org Four days after the Interim Bolivian Government suspended elections again, Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic and the University Network for Human Rights (UNHR) released a report on the gross human rights abuses carried out under Bolivia's interim President, Jeanine àÅñez. | The report documents one of the deadliest and most repressive periods in the past several decades in Bolivia as well as the growing fear of indigenous peoples and government critics that their lives and safety are in danger. | "We have identified very troubling patterns of human rights violations since the Interim Go…

yenisafak (2020-07-29). Brazil may face 'consequences' if it gives Huawei 5G access, says US ambassador. yenisafak.com The top U.S. diplomat in Brazil said in a newspaper interview that the country may face "consequences" if it allows China's Huawei Technologies into its 5G network, referring to U.S. warnings that China fails to protect intellectual property.The U.S. government has stepped up efforts to limit Huawei's role in rolling out high-speed, fifth-generation technology in Latin America's largest economy. It believes Huawei would hand over data to the Chinese government for spying. Huawei denies it spies for China.U.S. Ambassador Todd Chapman told O Globo that Brazil would not face reprisals for picking Huawei, but could f…