2021-02-09: News Headlines

Ed Rampell (2021-02-09). 'Marble-ous': Russian maestro's masterful Michelangelo biopic. peoplesworld.org My father, Richard Rampell, was a photographer who used to exhibit his artsy black and white pictures in Manhattan's top photo galleries. Always a good provider, Dad supported our family by teaching at Boys High in Bed Stuy, explaining: "All artists require patrons. Even Michelangelo needed patrons. By working as a teacher, I can support …

Grischkan JA, Friedman AB, Chandra A. (2021-02-09). Financing of US Graduate Medical Education—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Teaching hospitals continue to expand the number of resident physicians, exceeding the number of government-funded residency spots, without additional government funding. This is a clear signal that the marginal benefit of employing a resident physician, even in the absence of government funding, clearly exceeds the cost—a narrative at odds with the public advocacy for more federal GME support. We applaud the work done by Dr Royce and others analyzing the distribution of GME funding as it pertains to higher revenue—generating specialties and primary care. It is important to note that there ar…

Karen Conner (2021-02-09). PREVIEW: What to Look for in the January Consumer Price Index. cepr.net (The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) is scheduled for release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday, February 10th at 8: 30 AM Eastern Time.) There has been a sharp slowing of inflation in the main problem sectors of education, medical costs, and rent. In the last four decades, education and medical cost inflation has hugely …

Royce TJ. (2021-02-09). Financing of US Graduate Medical Education. jamanetwork.com To the Editor In their recent Viewpoint, Dr Grischkan and colleagues provided a synopsis of the forces behind the contemporary financing of US graduate medical education (GME). They claimed that training of residents by teaching hospitals is a profitable endeavor. Supporting their position, the authors observed that more than 15‚ÄØ000 resident positions have been created since 2003, despite no increase in federal funding for these positions. Two points deserve further consideration.

Fight Back (2021-02-09). Chicago Teachers Union to vote on tentative framework for resuming in-person learning. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Late in the night of Saturday, February 6, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) received a tentative framework from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for the resumption of in-person learning. CTU members will evaluate this latest proposal and vote soon on whether to accept the offer and begin making arrangements to phase to in-person through this framework, or whether to reject the offer and face a potential lockout. | Until the rank-and-file teachers have made a decision, they will continue to teach remotely. CTU says the framework represents progress that they made at the bargaining table. They say it does…

WSWS (2021-02-09). Turkish government prepares to reopen schools as pandemic surges. wsws.org After the government began face-to-face teaching at the end of September, the number of daily COVID-19 cases rose to 30,000.

Escalante E, Golden RL, Mason DJ. (2021-02-09). Social Isolation and Loneliness: Imperatives for Health Care in a Post-COVID World. jamanetwork.com The importance of social determinants of health has been gaining traction in the health care sector during the last decade. Social determinants of health have been found to be responsible for 80% to 90% of health outcomes, and an abundance of research has demonstrated that no matter the advancements in medicine and health care, the health of individuals and communities will not improve if these root-cause social factors are not addressed. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is highlighting one of these factors: social isolation.

Narayan K, Curran JW, Foege WH. (2021-02-09). COVID-19 Pandemic, an Opportunity for a More Successful Future for Science and Public Health. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to build trust in science and update federal agencies to improve public health and poses questions and offers recommendations for consideration.

Marilynn Marchione (2021-02-09). New variants raise concern about COVID-19 virus reinfections. peoplesworld.org Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time, new research suggests. How long immunity lasts from natural infection is one of the big …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-09). Progressives slam Tory government over disparities in COVID-19 relief. peoplesdispatch.org Research conducted by the Labour Party shows that richer areas in the UK are seeing bigger falls in COVID-19 infection rates following vaccine distribution compared to poorer, working-class areas…

W. T. Whitney (2021-02-09). Cuba's COVID-19 Vaccines Serve the People, Not Profits. counterpunch.org Cuba's socialist approach to developing vaccines against COVID-19 differs strikingly from that of capitalist nations of the world. Cuba's production of four vaccines is grounded in science and dedicated to saving the lives of all Cubans, and to international solidarity. The New York Times's running report on the world's vaccine programs shows 67 vaccines having

W.T. Whitney Jr. (2021-02-09). Cuba develops COVID-19 vaccines, takes socialist approach. zcomm.org Socialist Cuba's production of four vaccines is grounded in science, in a dedication to saving the lives of all Cubans, and in international solidarity…

imperial.ac.uk (2021-02-09). COVID-19 drives creative student connections and events. imperial.ac.uk The Imperial community is helping students feel connected to their studies and social life with innovative events and course adaptations.

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2021-02-09). India needs course correction on Myanmar. mronline.org The ASEAN Chair's statement of Feb, 1 recalled the "purposes and the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter" which include respecting the principles of sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, consensus and unity in diversity."

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-09). Stand with Newsclick: Journalism With a Spine. peoplesdispatch.org We, a group of publications from around the world, join together against the harassment of Newsclick, the Indian web-based news portal. The detention of its editors and the smearing of its reputation in the press is a calculated move to intimidate coverage of the farmer's revolt and other mass struggles that are ongoing in India. | We stand with Newsclick, journalism with a spine. | Vijay Prashad, Chief Correspondent Globetrotter, Executive Director Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research | Zoe Alexandra, Co-Editor Peoples Dispatch | Eugene Puryear, Host BreakThrough News | Ben Becker, Editor-in-Chief Break…

Ragip Soylu (2021-02-09). New app Clubhouse becomes free speech haven in Turkey amid Bogazici protests. middleeasteye.net New app Clubhouse becomes free speech haven in Turkey amid Bogazici protests | The audio-only social media application has quickly become a centre of activism in Turkey's deeply polarised society | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 08: 54 | Protesters take photos as Turkish police officers detain demonstrators during a rally in support of Bogazici University students in Istanbul on 4 February 2021 (AFP) | When Turkish p…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-09). Iran begins Covid-19 vaccination campaign, says state media. middleeasteye.net Iran begins Covid-19 vaccination campaign, says state media | Last week the health ministry announced it bought two million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 07: 24 | A member of staff holds a vial of the Iranian-made "Razi Cov Pars" coronavirus vaccine during an unveiling ceremony at the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute in the city of Karaj in the northern A…

Rep. Ron Paul (2021-02-09). The Trump Political Show Trial. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The Senate trial for now twice-impeached former President Donald Trump is …

Ralph Nader (2021-02-09). Democrats Disarm Themselves Before Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial. zcomm.org If the Democrats do not go full throttle in this trial — this last clear chance to exercise the Constitution against Tyrant Trump — they will be remembered as profiles of infamy…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-09). FDI in industrial sector at over 89% growth in 10 months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — Statistics of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade showed that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in mineral and industrial sector hit an 89% hike in the first 10 months of current year (from Mar. 21, 2020 to Jan. 19, 2021).

The Canary (2021-02-09). Report shows many people are still unable to access financial support to self-isolate. thecanary.co Four in 10 people who needed financial support to self-isolate at the end of 2020 said they had not been able to access it, research suggests. | Support lacking: | Issues included schemes or funding not always being available locally, eligibility criteria being too strict, a lack of awareness about discretionary support, and stigma associated with accessing help, the Red Cross said. | Low earners told to self-isolate by test and trace services across the UK are able to apply for a grant to support them while they stay at home. However, the Red Cross said there are growing concerns about inconsistencies ac…

_____ (2021-02-09). Demands To Drop The Charges On The 646 Mass Arrested. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, MN — Three months after six hundred forty-six people were mass arrested on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis, calls to drop the charges are continuing. A February 5 rally at the Hennepin County Government Center demanded specifically that a felony charge on college student Amina McCaskill be dropped, along with the charges and citations given to the other 645. Dozens braved single-digit temperatures for the Friday rally that featured Amina and numerous speakers that were also part of the 646. Unicorn Riot live streamed the rally and spoke with Amina afterwards. Civil rights lawyer, Nekima Levy Armst…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-02-09). ´Diálogo estratégico ª entre a Itália e a Arábia Saudita. globalresearch.ca Tem suscitado críticas o facto de Matteo Renzi, recebido em Riade por Sua Alteza Real, o Príncipe Mohammed bin Salman, ter elogiado a Arábia Saudita. Sem críticas, mas com um consenso substancial, quando o mesmo Renzi, como Primeiro Ministro e …

Manlio Dinucci (2021-02-09). ´Dialogo strategico ª tra Italia e Arabia Saudita. globalresearch.ca Ha suscitato critiche il fatto che Matteo Renzi, ricevuto a Riad da Sua Altezza Reale Principe Mohammed bin Salman, abbia lodato l'Arabia Saudita. Nessuna critica invece, ma sostanziale consenso, quando lo stesso Renzi, in veste di presidente del consiglio nonché …

WSWS (2021-02-09). UK unemployment rises to highest level in four years. wsws.org This year will see thousands more job losses in retail, following the closure of 320 stores every week in 2020. The Centre for Retail Research forecasts 200,000 job losses in 2021.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-02-09). The 2020 Worldwide Corona Crisis: Destroying Civil Society, Engineered Economic Depression, Global Coup d'État and the "Great Reset" globalresearch.ca We are at the crossroads of one of the most serious crises in modern history. We are living history, yet our understanding of the flow of events since January 2020 has been blurred. Worldwide, people have been misled both by their governments and the media.

John Buell (2021-02-09). The Gamestop Affair shows that America is over-financialized and needs a tax on speculation. juancole.com Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) — It would be unfair to suggest that the titans of Wall Street are oblivious to poverty. One of their central themes is the role that financial literacy can play in teaching citizens how wealth is acquired and maintained. In their worldview saving and investing in the stock …

Scott Ritter (2021-02-09). In Confronting Russian 'Aggression', Biden Forgets He Is the Problem, Not the Solution. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Joe Biden calls on American leadership to confront Russian authoritarianism that …

Timandra Harkness (2021-02-09). We've Turned Teens into Lockdown "Lab Rats" globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Last year an experiment was carried out on a group of …

Prof. James K Galbraith (2021-02-09). Open Letter from 40+ Economists Regarding Ecuador and the Dollar. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Not only has leading presidential candidate Andrés Arauz emphasized that he …

Yves Engler (2021-02-09). Canada Backs Revival of Duvalierism in Haiti. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The ghosts of dictators "Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier still …

Julian Rose (2021-02-09). The Indivisibility of Life. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | 'Know Thyself' | On a tombstone in an English churchyard is the …

Jeffrey G Moebus (2021-02-09). Welcome to Cold War II, and Other Revelations from Biden's Foreign Policy Address. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Introduction | From this retired US Army Master Sergeant's perspective, the success …

Boaz Anglade (2021-02-09). Haiti's Constitutional Crisis: A Tangled Web of Aberrations. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Oh, what a tangled web we weave / When first we …

Robin Philpot (2021-02-09). Review: 10 Years After NATO's War on Libya and Africa: Slouching Towards Sirte. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The war on Libya and Africa began 10 years ago on …

Rod Driver (2021-02-09). A Psychological Perspective on the Role of Power and Money. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | This is the second of two posts about psychology, and should …

teleSUR (2021-02-08). Cuba Allows Over 2000 New Types of Private Sector Jobs. telesurenglish.net Labor and Social Security Minister Marta Elena Feito on Saturday announced that private workers will be able to obtain licenses for over 2,000 new types of jobs. | RELATED: | The new measure eliminates the previous list of 127 authorized activities, establishing another one restricting 124 types of jobs. Vital sectors such as health and education remained prohibited for private-sector workers. | Feito recalled that ov…

teleSUR (2021-02-08). Costa Rica Begins 2021 School Year With In-Person Classes. telesurenglish.net Costa Rica's Interim Education Minister Melania Brenes on Sunday announced the resumption of in-person classes with the attendance of over one million students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Students will return to classes in 4,500 centers under a combined system of "face-to-face" classes and distance education. Didactic materials will be distributed to those pupils who do not have access to the Internet. | On Friday…

WSWS (2021-02-08). Sri Lankan educators' safety committee salutes Chicago teachers. wsws.org "We will campaign among teachers and students in support of the Chicago teachers' struggle, explaining this important experience. The Chicago struggle is our fight."

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-08). Chicago threatens lockout as teachers stand firm on safe classroom demands. mronline.org Despite strong opposition from the Chicago Teachers' Union, representing the educators, the Chicago Public Schools and the city administration have decided to reopen in-person classes on Monday.

Fight Back (2021-02-08). Chicago Mayor Lightfoot orders CPS bargaining team to issue last, best and final offer. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – At 11: 15 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot walked away from the bargaining table again after instructing her Chicago Public Schools (CPS) leadership team to submit a "last, best and final offer" to the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). | The union and the school system have been bargaining in an attempt to reach a deal over conditions for schools to reopen for in-person learning. The mayor has repeatedly issued ultimatums threatening to lock out teachers if they did not return to school in person. The teachers have instead defied those orders and continued to teach from home. So…

mgrochowski (2021-02-08). The Fight for Safe Schools Today. dsausa.org Join the DSA Educators and School Staff Network for a call on Saturday, February 20th at 3 pm ET/12 pm PT on demanding safe schools under a Biden administration with teacher strike leader Michelle Gunderson from the Chicago Teachers Union and others. We demand: #1 No premature opening of schools before school communities have herd immunity#2 Comprehensive…

WSWS (2021-02-08). Chicago Teachers Union endorses a bargain with death, agrees to in-person classes. wsws.org City officials and the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) came to an agreement Sunday on a deadly plan to reopen schools in the third largest district in the US at the height of the pandemic.

WSWS (2021-02-08). Michigan educators call for unity with Chicago educators in fight to close schools. wsws.org The Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee expresses its full support for the Chicago teachers' struggle against the dangerous and indeed criminal drive to resume in-person instruction in Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

teleSUR (2021-02-08). Dominican Republic: University Teachers Go on Strike. telesurenglish.net The Federation of Associations of Teachers at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo went on strike on Monday, demanding a raise in salaries. The professors said that for now, they would stop teaching. | RELATED: | The university employees' association also joined the strike, asking for a 40 percent increase, creating a blood bank, and a more extensive health services coverage. On Tuesday, the employees will carry out…

WSWS (2021-02-08). Vote "No" on the CTU-CPS plan to reopen Chicago schools! Saving lives is non-negotiable! wsws.org The tentative deal Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) leaders reached over the weekend with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials is an abject surrender that must be rejected.

WSWS (2021-02-08). IYSSE online meeting calls for European-wide general strike against school openings. wsws.org Students, educators and workers from throughout Germany participated in the meeting, as well as representatives of Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committees in Britain and the US.

RT (2021-02-08). Russia's real pandemic death rate similar to US & UK: New official data reveals around 162,000 people died of Covid-19 in 2020. rt.com Around 162,000 Russians died because of Covid-19 last year. That's according to preliminary data from the federal statistics agency, which has revealed that the country's death rate in 2020 shot up by around 18% compared to 2019. | Rosstat said that approximately 323,800 more people died in 2020 than the previous year, around half of them due to Covid-19. | The data published by the agency is much worse than the figures presented by Russia's official coronavirus headquarters. According to its numbers, just 57,555 people had died due to Covid-19 as of January 1, meaning the country's real death count is almost…

teleSUR (2021-02-08). Brazil Begins Production of Over 11 Million COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net The Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo, one of the main medical research centers in Brazil, started the production of 8.6 million doses of the Chinese laboratory Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine. | REALTED: | "About 8.6 million new doses will be released for the immunization of Brazilians from Feb. 23," reported the Sao Paulo's government in a statement, without mentioning how long it will take to deliver the entire batch.

Peter Koenig (2021-02-08). Towards a Police State in Switzerland? The Covid Face Mask. globalresearch.ca In the morning of 5 February 2021, a distinguished gentleman, professional, in his early 70s, impeccably dressed in suit and tie (no name shall be mentioned) — was running to catch an 8 AM train at the Geneva principal railway …