2020-05-17: News Headlines

RT (2020-05-17). 'Contradicting the idea of solidarity': France slams Italy for unilateral plan to reopen borders to tourists. rt.com Italy shouldn't have moved to reopen its borders without coordinating with other EU member states first, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said, as a non-uniform Covid-19 pandemic response tests the bloc's unity. | Following more than two months of statewide lockdowns, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Saturday that the country will allow entry to European tourists, while the mandatory 14-day quarantine will be scrapped from June 3. France immediately slammed its neighbor for undermining the idea of European solidarity. | "It's very important for us to coordinate our decisions on th…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-05-17). Protest at Fort Mason Against CCSF Cuts. indybay.org People young and old protest CCSF cuts in programs that benefit seniors, immigrants and working people.

United We Dream (2020-05-17). United We Dream: Immigrants, COVID-19, Jobs & Healthcare Virtual Town Hall. indybay.org Online…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-17). Indian migrant workers killed in road accident while returning home. peoplesdispatch.org 24 laborers who were on their way home from India's capital city of New Delhi were killed when a truck carrying migrant workers rammed the vehicle they were on…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-17). Iraqi side has promised to open southern borders after Eid al-Fitr: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 17 (MNA) — A Presiding Board Member of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Seyyed Hamid Hosseini said that Iraqi officials have promised to open southern borders with Iran, including Mehran, to ease trade.

RT (2020-05-16). 'A bad joke': Trio held after police raid admit to photo-bombing Russian WWII honor-roll site with Nazi pics. rt.com Three suspects have admitted to uploading photos of Third Reich leaders to a website honoring Soviet veterans of World War II. They admitted it was a lame joke — after getting arrested and facing criminal charges. | The suspects were detained in a series of raids this week in the cities of Perm, Samara, Ulyanovsk and Volgograd — the latter being the scene of WWII's bloodiest engagement, the Battle of Stalingrad. | | Screenshot from YouTube © Russia's Investigative Committee | Faced with the evidence, three of the four suspects confessed to putting photos of the likes of Adolf Hitler, SS chief…

RT (2020-05-16). 'A bad joke': Trio admits to photo-bombing Russian WWII site with Nazi pics after police raid. rt.com Three suspects have admitted to uploading photos of Third Reich leaders onto a website honoring Soviet veterans of World War II. They admitted it was a lame joke — after getting arrested and facing criminal charges. | The suspects were detained in a series of raids this week in the cities of Perm, Samara, Ulyanovsk and Volgograd — the latter being the scene of the world's bloodiest WWII Battle of Stalingrad. | | Screenshot from YouTube © Russia's Investigative Committee | Faced with the evidence, three of the four suspects have confessed to putting up the photos of the likes of Adolf Hitler,…

Staff (2020-05-16). Exploiting Pandemic, Trump Admin Weighs Banning Immigration Indefinitely. truthout.org Earlier this week, the Trump administration started hinting that With the country entirely preoccupied by the public health and economic catastrophes, and with protest all but impossible given the dangers of congregating in large crowds, Tr…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Iran treating foreign nationals infected by Covid-19 free of charge: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 17 (MNA) — Director-General of Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs of the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs Mehdi Mahmoudi announced on Saturday that all foreign nationals, in particular those from Afghanistan, infected by the coronavirus are being treated free of charge in Iranian hospitals.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Talks underway between Iran, Iraq to reopen Mehran border crossing amid pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — The Director-General of Ilam Customs Office Rouhollah Gholami said on Sat. that Iranian and Iraqi customs officials are in talks with each other for reopening Mehran Border Crossing with the aim of resuming trade activities halted due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Staff (2020-05-15). "The Wuhan of the Americas": U.S. Deports COVID-19-Positive Immigrants to Haiti & Guatemala. democracynow.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says "U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are 'unconscionable,'" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.

A. Majumdar (2020-05-15). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

Louis Proyect (2020-05-15). How Economic Misery Helped Fuel the Syrian War. counterpunch.org Ever since the civil war began in Syria in early 2011, the left has largely ignored the social and economic circumstances that led to a conflict costing over a half-million deaths and the migration—internal and external—of half the population. The tendency was to see Syria as a piece on a global chessboard with "the axis

W. T. Whitney (2020-05-15). For Cuba and Venezuela, US Silence May Not Be Golden. counterpunch.org The U. S. President and his Secretary of State frequently expound about the supposed failings of enemies abroad. Recently they've blasted China's response to the pandemic, Venezuela's dictatorship, Cuba's "slave doctors" overseas, and even Iranian border guards beating up on Afghan migrants. But they've been mostly silent about two recent disruptions of the imperialist status

Fight Back (2020-05-15). Tampa students demand COVID-19 relief for undocumented students. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On May 14, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a car protest at the University of South Florida (USF) to demand COVID-19 relief funds for undocumented students. USF has offered no financial help for undocumented students during the pandemic and the only COVID-19 aid for students is the CARES Act Fund, for which DACA and undocumented students are ineligible. | Students and SDS members parked near the USF president's mansion on campus for socially-distanced speeches and chants demanding that USF provide relief for undocumented students. Simon Rowe, a member of SDS stated, "DACA stude…

commondreams (2020-05-15). Immigrant Rights Groups Call on Governors, Health Officials to Release People in Immigration Detention. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2020-05-15). US Deports COVID-Positive Immigrants to Haiti and Guatemala, Spreading Virus. truthout.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says "U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are 'unconscionable,'" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: We turn now…

Staff (2020-05-15). My Birth Control Experience Is Why I'm Fighting to Ensure Access for Everyone. truthout.org The issue of birth control is particularly important to me as a woman of color from an immigrant community in Pennsylvania. Beyond my own experience, I also understand the difficulties other marginalized communities face in obtaining this essential health care. | The first time I sought birth control, the provider lectured me based on stereotypes she had of people from my "culture." She also insisted repeatedly that I choose a birth control method which I was not comfortable with because it w…

WSWS (2020-05-15). Sioux tribe faces down South Dakota over sovereignty. wsws.org The Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes in South Dakota have refused to lift checkpoints on highways that cross their tribal borders.

RT (2020-05-14). 'We're in deep s**t': Ousted 'whistleblower' Dr. Bright becomes new anti-Trump hero pinning blame on White House. rt.com Mainstream media has elevated National Institutes of Health whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright to heroic status after his congressional testimony denounced Trump's Covid-19 response as borderline criminally negligent. | Bright, the director of the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) until he was unceremoniously dismissed last month, painted a disturbing picture of a government flying blindly into disaster on Thursday during his testimony on the administration's Covid-19 response before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. | "We're in deep shit"

Jeff Abbott (2020-05-14). The Other Americans: Trump is Spreading the Virus. progressive.org Deportations of migrants are exacerbating already weakened health care systems in Latin America.

WSWS (2020-05-14). Fruit pickers, garment workers strike as opposition grows to reopening US economy. wsws.org Migrant workers in the state of Washington and garment workers at a Mississippi pillow-making factory are striking as the number of job actions demanding safe conditions surpasses 200.

Fight Back (2020-05-13). Georgia politicians, activists demand action for poultry workers. fightbacknews.org Gainesville, GA – COVID-19 virus is spreading quickly among poultry workers and their families in Georgia. In Hall County, northeast of Atlanta, there is a hotspot with over 2000 cases and 29 deaths as of May 12. With roughly 16,500 workers employed by 14 chicken plants across Georgia, and most immigrant families living with two or three generations in one house, the situation is code red. There needs to be an emergency response from the government and the corporations. | Chicken processing is dirty, demanding and dangerous work done mainly by immigrants from Mexico, many of whom are women. The big corporations,…

Jonathan Cook (2020-05-13). Why is Mike Pompeo risking a One-day Trip to Israel Amid the Pandemic? dissidentvoice.org As part of its battle against Covid-19, Israel has closed it borders to foreigners and imposed a two-week quarantine on anyone entering the country. There are also strict requirements to wear masks in public places. Israel, however, has thrown the rules — and caution — to the wind in approving the arrival on Wednesday of …

Staff (2020-05-12). Los New Yorkers: Essential, Underprotected Undocumented Immigrants Struggle to Survive in Epicenter. democracynow.org As the coronavirus continues to devastate New York City communities, we hear the voices of undocumented New Yorkers about how they are surviving the pandemic. Their stories are told in a new ProPublica story headlined "Los New Yorkers: Essential and Underprotected in the Pandemic's Epicenter." We speak with one of the story's reporters, Adriana Gallardo.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-12). Etazini vle depà≤te yon gwo asasen an Ayiti. cepr.net ayiboPost Al gade nan atik sou sit orijinal la An Anglè Pandan pandemi COVID-19 la, prèske tout fwontyè ak ayewopà≤ nan mond lan fèmen men avyon Imigrasyon leta Ameriken (ICE) kontinye vole. Chak 2 a 3 semèn, yon và≤l depà≤tasyon konpayi Swift Air, LLC opere, ateri nan ayewopà≤ Pà≤toprens. Apre youn nan và≤l sa yo …

Fight Back (2020-05-12). Minneapolis vigil honors Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia, first person to die of COVID-19 in ICE detention. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – After dark on Monday, May 11, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held a candlelight vigil at the Minneapolis Federal Courthouse to remember Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia. He is the first person reported to die of COVID-19 while in jail detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The speakers at the vigil called on people to remember Carlos and called on government officials to free all ICE detainees. | Because of COVID-19, all vigil participants wore a mask and maintained social distance. | During the vigil, Escobar-Mejia's name was also projected on a large wall o…

Staff (2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump's "Chaotic" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…

John H Amuasi, Christian Walzer, David Heymann, Hélène Carabin, Le Thi Huong, Andrew Haines, Andrea S Winkler (2020-05-07). [Correspondence] Calling for a COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition. thelancet.com Emerging from its ancestral bat host in December, 2019,1 possibly at a wildlife trading market in Wuhan, China,2 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had by mid-April, 2020, spread globally, infecting more than 2 million individuals and causing at least 130‚Äà000 deaths. Travel restrictions were imposed, borders sealed, schools and businesses closed, and more than half of humanity locked down, all to reduce the spread of this virus.

Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi, Emilia M Sordillo, Marilianna C Márquez-Colmenarez, Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales (2020-05-04). [Correspondence] The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. thelancet.com We read with interest the World Report about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Venezuelan migrants.1 We concur wholeheartedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on Venezuelans who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

Michael Edison Hayden and Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-24). Trump's Immigration Order Was Drafted by Officials With Ties to Hate Groups, According to Report. splcenter.org Two officials with ties to anti-immigrant hate groups helped write President Trump's executive order blocking the issuance of new green cards, according to a report.

splcenter (2020-04-24). Fraihat v. ICE Community Resources. splcenter.org On April 20, 2020, a federal district court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take a number of important steps to protect medically vulnerable people in its custody from COVID-19.