2020-03-18: News Headlines

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-03-18). We're In A Recession, And It's Likely To Get Worse. dissidentvoice.org The coronavirus epidemic is creating an ongoing teachable moment that could be used to transform the US economy. COVID-19 and the oil war are triggers leading to a recession that has its roots in record corporate and personal debt, longterm low wages and an artificially-inflated stockmarket. The shortcomings of US economic policy, the healthcare system, and …

WSWS (2020-03-18). Close Australian schools to stave off coronavirus! Form action committees of teachers and school staff! wsws.org The Committee for Public Education insists that in the face of a public health emergency, the voices of teachers and education workers must be heard!

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-03-18). Washington Attempts to Intimidate Indonesia Not to Buy Russian Weapons. globalresearch.ca Correspondents from Bloomberg reported that under pressure from Washington, Indonesia will likely refuse to buy Russian and Chinese weapons. A U.S. State Department spokesman informed Bloomberg that the United States had asked all its allies and partners to abandon new …

Pepe Escobar (2020-03-18). China Locked in Hybrid War with US. globalresearch.ca Among the myriad, earth-shattering geopolitical effects of coronavirus, one is already graphically evident. China has re-positioned itself. For the first time since the start of Deng Xiaoping's reforms in 1978, Beijing openly regards the US as a threat, as stated …

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-03-18). Beijing Believes COVID-19 Is a Biological Weapon. globalresearch.ca From conspiracy theory to geopolitical realism, the possibility to treat COVID-19 as a biological weapon has been finally accepted in the public sphere. The recent statement by the Chinese spokesman Zhao Lijian, formally accusing the US of bringing coronavirus …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (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 …

Michael Snyder (2020-03-18). COV-19 Crisis, Lockdown in America: "Where You Stop Is Where You Stay" — Domestic Travel Restrictions Are Being "Considered" globalresearch.ca Is the United States on the verge of a complete and total "lockdown" like we have already seen in China, Italy and elsewhere? As you will see below, the Trump administration has repeatedly brought up the possibility of "domestic travel …

Shane Quinn (2020-03-18). China Smothers Coronavirus as West Continues Hyperbole for Big Pharma Gain. globalresearch.ca There are firm indications that China has won its battle in suppressing the coronavirus, with daily cases in the country reduced to low double digit numbers. On 8 March 2020, a mere 40 new reports of coronavirus were recorded in …

Stephen Lendman (2020-03-18). When Available, COVID-19 Vaccines May be Hazardous to Human Health. globalresearch.ca In cahoots with government, Big Pharma is more concerned about profits than human health. | Drug companies see a potential bonanza by developing and marketing a COVID-19 vaccine once testing is completed — likely to be available later this year. | What …

WSWS (2020-03-18). Curveball—Germany's role in the Iraq war—and the horrors of the concentration camp in Persian Lessons. wsws.org Johannes Naber's film is a political satire rooted firmly in evidence researched by the director and his team. Vadim Perelman's work follows a man who has to invent an entire language to survive.

Ryan O'Rourke (2020-03-18). Over 450 US Planes Carrying Weapons Landed in Shannon Airport in 2019. globalresearch.ca Over 450 planes carrying weapons on board landed in Shannon Airport last year. | The Government approved 454 applications for "the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft" in Shannon Airport in 2019. | The practice has continued into 2020, with …

Philip A Farruggio (2020-03-18). Money for Something. Keep the Predatory Wall Street Firms Afloat. globalresearch.ca Isn't it funny how whenever Uncle Empire needs to find some of that green to solve a problem THEY deem vital, they find it. | When they DON'T deem it necessary they don't! | Go back 12 years or so when the …

Cody Hounanian, Natalia Abrams (2020-03-18). Now Is the Time to Cancel Student Debt. thenation.com Now Is the Time to Cancel Student Debt…

Mark Medish (2020-03-18). Cicero's Lessons for Life. counterpunch.org My high school Latin teacher, Mr. McPherson, passed away recently, before his time. Joe's death brought back memories of our class more than forty years ago translating Cicero, Ovid, Catullus and other Roman writers. Those old Latin lessons have a way of returning in new forms. Buried deep in the collective past are valuable fragments

Haiti Action Committee (2020-03-18). POSTPONED: Poetry for Haiti. indybay.org For the safety of our community, March 18's poetry reading to support the construction of a teaching hospital in Haiti has been postponed. When it's safe to meet, the generous devorah major and Tongo Eisen-Martin will schedule a new date.

yenisafak (2020-03-18). Bangladesh confirms first death from new coronavirus. yenisafak.com Bangladesh on Wednesday confirmed its first death due to the coronavirus pandemic.Meerjady Sabrina Flora, head of Bangladesh's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, announced during a news conference that the patient was a 70-year-old woman who was suffering from cardiac problems, high-blood pressure, kidney diseases and diabetes.She got infected after getting in contact with a person who had just returned from abroad, said the official.Another 14 people have been infected with the virus which causes the disease known as COVID-19, she added.Flora said that the infection spread in the country du…

yenisafak (2020-03-18). EU posts $2.8B trade deficit in January. yenisafak.com The EU's foreign trade deficit posted a ‚Ǩ2.6 billion ($2.8 billion) in January, compared with ‚Ǩ3.7 billion ($4 billion) in the same month in 2019, the bloc's statistical office revealed on Wednesday.According to Eurostat, the first estimate for extra-EU27 exports of goods in January 2020 was ‚Ǩ166.5 billion, up 0.4% compared with ‚Ǩ165.8 billion in January 2019. Intra-EU27 trade fell to ‚Ǩ255.3 billion in January 2020, down 0.9% compared with the same month last year."Imports from the rest of the world stood at ‚&Cce…

yenisafak (2020-03-18). EU sees rise in annual inflation rate in February. yenisafak.com Consumer prices in the EU increased 1.6% year-on-year in February, the bloc's statistic office announced Wednesday. Eurostat said the 27-member bloc's annual inflation rate last month was down from 1.7% in January.February figure remained constant compared to the same month of last year.In February, annual inflation fell in twenty-one member states, remained stable in one, and rose in five, compared to the previous month."The lowest annual rates were registered in Italy (0.2%), Greece (0.4%) and Portugal (0.5%)," Eurostat said.Hungary (4.4%), Poland (4.1%) and Czechia (3.7%) posted the highest inflation rates dur…

sputniknews (2020-03-18). COVID-19: Indian State of Uttar Pradesh Decides to Promote Students Without Exams. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): With a gradual increase in the number of positive cases of Coronavirus cases, India's federal government had announced a holiday for schools and universities to stop the spread of the infection.

Global Research News (2020-03-18). Selected Articles: Cuban Drug Could Save Thousands of Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic. globalresearch.ca By Cuban medicine could treat thousands of coronavirus patients as production of a "flagship" drug known to combat the disease is set to increase …

Yaditza del Sol González (2020-03-17). Despite U.S. blockade, Cuban pharma industry producing needed COVID-19 medicines. peoplesworld.org HAVANA—(Granma) Although there is no preventive vaccine or specific treatment at this time for the new coronavirus SARS COV-2, which causes COVID-19, the Cuban pharmaceutical industry is guaranteeing production of proven, high efficacy treatment medications, including recombinant human interferon alpha 2b, in addition to another group of drugs that are included in protocols for treating …

The Canary (2020-03-17). Covid-19: Teachers' union accuses Government of creating 'chaos and confusion'. thecanary.co A lack of advice for schools amid the coronavirus pandemic is creating "chaos and confusion" and placing "intolerable pressure" on staff, a teachers' union has warned.The NASUWT, which represents teachers and head teachers, said there was a "rising sense of panic" as it called for a definitive decision on how to protect staff and pupils.Prime minister Boris Johnson stopped short of announcing school closures as he unveiled unprecedented peacetime measures to try to control the spread of Covid-19 on Monday.Although he added that the measures will remain under review, the union criticised Johnson for failing to giv…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-03-17). Quarantine the US Military Machine? globalresearch.ca It happened almost on the same day. Italy's lockdown. People confined to their homes across the European Union. Influx of 30,000 US troops in preparation of the "Defend Europe 2020" war games against Russia in the largest display of military …

The Canary (2020-03-17). Covid-19: Education Secretary announces suspension of Ofsted inspections. thecanary.co Ofsted inspections are being halted to "remove unnecessary burdens" on schools during the coronavirus pandemic, the education secretary has announced. | Gavin Williamson said he had instructed chief inspector Amanda Spielman to postpone all routine checks on schools, further education, early years and children's social care providers. | Tuesday's decision follows pressure from a number of teachers' unions, including the National Education Union, which said it was "unacceptable" for inspections to be going ahead. | We are committed to supporting schools to stay open at this difficult time. As part of our measures…

Brian Gray (2020-03-17). "Defender-Europe 20" War Games, COVID-19 and NATO's Disjointed Flight Forward. Computer Simulations of Nuclear War. globalresearch.ca Presently NATO is in the initial stages of military operations called Defender-Europe 20. The 40,000 soldier strong war game exercise includes roughly 20,000 American troops and accompanying weaponry. This witnesses the largest deployment of US personnel in Europe since 1983 …

South Front (2020-03-17). Video: New Syrian Army Offensive in Idlib Becoming Inevitable as Militants Sabotage Joint Turkish-Russian Patrols. globalresearch.ca On March 15, Russian and Turkish forces conducted a first joint patrol in Greater Idlib in the framework of the new de-escalation agreement reached in Moscow. The planned route of the patrol goes along the M4 highway, where a buffer …

Julian Rose (2020-03-17). Pandemic: The Invention of a Disease Called Fear. People are being "Herded". Disrupting the World Economy. globalresearch.ca The word 'pandemic' bears a similarity to the word 'panic' and indeed 'pandemonium'. In fact 'pandemic' evokes an almost instant flush of fear in those easily manipulated by mass media, before any details have even touched the surface or context …

Tony Cartalucci (2020-03-17). US Kills Iraqis for Demanding End of Illegal Occupation. globalresearch.ca The US has recently carried out deadly attacks across Iraq — targeting Iraqi state-sponsored militias including Kata'ib Hezbollah who were responsible for the defeat of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). | CNN in its article, "

Stephen Lendman (2020-03-17). US Indifference to Public Health: The Shame of the Nation. globalresearch.ca Both right wings of the US one-party state serve privileged interests exclusively at the expense of public health and welfare. | It's been this way throughout the nation's history, notably since the neoliberal 90s, especially post-9/11 when Republicans and undemocratic Dems …

telecompaper (2020-03-17). The Stop5GL Foundation Takes Netherlands Government to Court over 5G Rollout, Citing Health Concerns. globalresearch.ca The Stop5GNL Foundation has filed a suit summary proceedings against the Dutch government, to stop it from rolling out 5G. The foundation believes the deployment is unlawful because it does not protect citizens against the consequences of radiation exposure from …

Jim Miles (2020-03-17). Diana Johnstone's "Circle in the Darkness — Memoir of a World Watcher" globalresearch.ca Diana Johnstone has done a masterful job of writing her autobiography, Circle in the Darkness, that provides many details of her life, her early influences, and the various stages of her career throughout the second half of the Twentieth …

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-03-17). The Coronavirus Hoax. "Governments Love Crises" globalresearch.ca Governments love crises because when the people are fearful they are more willing to give up freedoms for promises that the government will take care of them. After 9/11, for example, Americans accepted the near-total destruction of their civil liberties …

Dr. Gary Null (2020-03-17). 5G: "The End of All Things". The Health Impacts of Electromagnetic Radiation. globalresearch.ca We have become thoroughly accustomed and habituated to endless advertising by drug makers to buy into the promises of pharmaceutical drugs or to consent to the nutritional value of junk food. Yet the drug and food industries are completely indifferent …

Andre Vltchek (2020-03-17). Is Washington's Attack Against Chinese Media a Bad Joke? globalresearch.ca The U.S. is insulting the Chinese media. It is affecting both countries. My colleagues in Beijing believe, correctly, that Washington should have tried to increase communication, not to bring it to a halt. | Twist what is happening; reverse facts. That …

Miri Wood (2020-03-17). Armed Terrorists Storm Syrian Arab Red Crescent Offices in Idlib, Attack Volunteers, Loot Humanitarian Aid. globalresearch.ca In coordinated attacks on Saturday 14 March, armed terrorists stormed the SARC office in Idlib and its sub-branch in Ariha. In both facilities, the savages beat up Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers, looted humanitarian aid, and vandalized that which they …

Steve Sweeney (2020-03-17). Cuban Drug Could Save Thousands of Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic. globalresearch.ca Cuban medicine could treat thousands of coronavirus patients as production of a "flagship" drug known to combat the disease is set to increase significantly, pharmaceutical bosses said at a press conference on Friday. | President of the BioCubaFarma group Eduardo Martinez…

Stephen Lendman (2020-03-17). Sanders Endorses Biden? It's Coming…. globalresearch.ca You heard it here first. No, Sanders hasn't formally endorsed Biden yet, but make no mistake. It's coming — guaranteed, maybe before month's end. | Just like he endorsed legally challenged war criminal, racketeer, perjurer Hillary, a Biden endorsement is virtually …

Staff (2020-03-17). With US Hospitals Unprepared for COVID-19, European Students Urged Home. truthout.org The biggest college in Norway urged students to return from countries with "poorly developed" health systems — such as the United States! — as experts warned that the American hospital system would be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. | Norway's University of Science and Technology issued an alert to students studying abroad urging them to "return home." | "This applies especially if you are staying in a country with poorly developed health services. This also applies for countries…

Staff (2020-03-17). Black Plague, Spanish Flu, Smallpox: All Hold Lessons for Coronavirus. truthdig.com Pandemics are nothing new in history, and their long record across the ages and continents has much to teach us about how best to handle the current outbreak, writes California State University professor Ibrahim Al-Marashi in a fascinating piece at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. | Al-Marashi begins with a tour through the animal origins of both common viruses and lethal pathogens, of which COVID-19 is just the latest example.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-03-17). 'The Send-People-Money Bids Are Ramping Up': As Trump Signals Direct Cash Payments, Progressives Say Check Size and Who Qualifies Matters. commondreams.org "Good," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "Now we must suspend student loan payments." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Eric Zuesse (2020-03-17). China Nearly Conquered Coronavirus Epidemic in 50 Days. dissidentvoice.org According to www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/countr…, which obtains its information from only the most reliable sources, here are the main statistics regarding coronavirus-19 cases in China: as of today, March 17th: WORLD / COUNTRIES / CHINA Last updated: March 17, 2020, 14: 20 GMT China Coronavirus Cases: 80,881 Deaths: 3,226 Recovered: 68,715 ACTIVE CASES 8,940 Currently Infected Patients 5,714 …

Shawgi Tell (2020-03-17). Charter Schools Have No Legitimate Claim to Public Funds. dissidentvoice.org Despite the sustained exposure of endless problems in the segregated charter school sector, charter school promoters are permanently stuck in "blindly repeat disinformation" mode and cannot seem to understand what is happening to them. Their social being and social consciousness objectively prevent them from grasping why the public increasingly opposes charter schools. The most recent …

Stansfield Smith (2020-03-16). A case study of corporate media disinformation. mronline.org Corporate America's disinformation relies on politicians, media and NGOs to implant their messaging. An essential part of combatting that messaging requires us to question our own views, as none of us are entirely immune to disinformation techniques, which have in effect become an advanced science. |

StudentNation (2020-03-16). Campuses Across the Country Are Closing—These Are the Students Impacted. thenation.com Campuses Across the Country Are Closing—These Are the Students Impacted…

Fight Back (2020-03-15). Immediate steps are required to avert mass casualties in prisons and jails. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 14 statement from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | The Illinois Department of Corrections has declared that all civilian visits to Illinois prison will be suspended indefinitely starting Saturday, March 14, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for which a national emergency has been declared. New prison inmates arriving from any of the four "Reception and Classification Centers" are reportedly being held in quarantine. | These are minimal steps not based on science. Depriving prisoners of contact with their families only aggravates…

IRNA (2020-03-14). Coronavirus death toll reaches 611 in Iran. iranian.com The head of the Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education said on Saturday that 12,729 people have so far been infected with the deadly coronavirus in Iran, 611 of whom have died while 4,339 have recovered. Kianoush Jahanpour said that 1,365 other people have been diagnosed with coronavirus …

Alan Macleod (2020-03-13). Government Spends Equivalent of Entire US Student Debt to Rally Stock Market for 15 Minutes. mintpressnews.com The money spent was equal to the total amount of US student debt, more than twice as much as the Wall Street bailout of 2008 and nearly 30 times the net worth of former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the richest man to ever run for president.

Staff (2020-03-12). Trump Calls COVID-19 "Foreign Virus" as Lack of Universal Healthcare Makes the Pandemic Worse. democracynow.org After downplaying the threat of coronavirus for days, President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, calling COVID-19 a "foreign virus" and announcing an unprecedented travel ban from most of Europe to the U.S. He also said he will expand sick leave. This comes as Senate Republicans blocked paid sick leave legislation. Robert Pollin, distinguished university professor of economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says the lack of universal healthcare in the U.S. is exacerbating the coronavirus crisis due to "the ab…

Staff (2020-03-12). Headlines for March 12, 2020. democracynow.org World Health Organization Declares Coronavirus Pandemic, Top Italian Health Official Among 827 Coronavirus Dead as Italy Faces "Darkest Hour", Iran Condemns U.S. Sanctions as "Medical Terrorism" as Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 429, President Trump Announces Europe Travel Ban in Error-Laden Oval Office Speech, U.S. Labs Face Shortage of Supplies Needed to Test for Coronavirus, Sen. Lamar Alexander Blocks Quick Passage of Paid Sick Leave Bill, School Closures from Coronavirus Affecting Over 1 Million K-12 Students Nationwide, Bernie Sanders Promises to Question Biden Over Progressive Policies at Next Debate, Joe Bid…

Staff (2020-03-10). Italy Is Now a Red Zone: Student at Bocconi U. Describes Strict Measures Taken to Contain COVID-19. democracynow.org The entire country of Italy has been placed on lockdown in an attempt to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, impacting 60 million people. People in the nationwide red zone will only be allowed to travel for work, medical reasons or emergencies until early next month. All schools and universities will also remain closed, major sporting events are suspended, and airline passengers now have to justify their reasons for traveling. We go to Italy to speak with Romy Kool, an international student at Bocconi University in Milan, where courses are now being taught online amid the coronavirus outbreak. We are als…