(2020-05-23). [Editorial] The plight of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has vividly highlighted how much society depends upon essential workers. Praise for the heroic work being done by health-care workers to save lives worldwide in dangerous, exhausting conditions is everywhere. But those same workers are often left unprotected by governments and systems that have failed to supply them with enough personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies, and resources to do their jobs. In April alone, there were an estimated 27 COVID-19-related health worker deaths in the USA, 106 in the UK, and 180 in Russia, with tens of thousands of infections.
(2020-05-22). Imperialism and the right to self-determination. workers.org 
This is a slightly edited version of a talk given during the"What Road To Socialism?" webinar held by Workers World Party on May 16. One of the five features V.I. Lenin, leader of the Russian Revolution, laid out in his 1916 book, "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism," was the . . . |
(2020-05-22). Why Russiagate Still Matters. counterpunch.org 
A thought experiment with a purpose is to ask: if a group of former Directors of the CIA, NSA and FBI put forward a story about a malevolent foreign power acting against the U.S. without providing evidence that their story is true, who would believe them? While this wasn't precisely the setup for Russiagate, all
(2020-05-22). Deal Breaking Trump Regime Abandons Open Skies Treaty (OST). globalresearch.ca Throughout his time in office, Trump proved he's more a deal breaker than observer of international law, treaties and agreements. | He abandoned the landmark 1987 INF Treaty with Russia, the 2016 Security Council adopted JCPOA, the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, …
(2020-05-22). Poland is America's Main Partner in Europe: The Talk About US Nukes in Poland Proves that Warsaw Trumps Berlin for Washington. globalresearch.ca It's unimportant whether US nukes will eventually be deployed to Poland or not since the very fact that this scenario is seriously being discussed by both American and Russian diplomats proves that Warsaw trumps Berlin for Washington and that Poland …
(2020-05-22). US withdraws from Open Skies Treaty, heightening danger of war with Russia. wsws.org US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty is a deliberate escalation of military tensions not only with Russia, but also with the major European imperialist powers.
(2020-05-22). How the British Empire Created and Killed George Orwell. globalresearch.ca The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), happily amplified by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in the United States which carries its World News, continues to pump out its regular dreck about the alleged economic chaos in Russia and the imagined miserable …
(2020-05-22). U.S. Unprepared for Nuclear Accident During Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-05-21). Media "tragically vindicated" Trump by overhyping Russiagate. zcomm.org "We were all so much more fascinated by this superficial, melodramatic espionage thriller that has completely destroyed the credibility of the U.S. media."
(2020-05-21). Podcast: Aaron Mate Debunks RussiaGate and Discusses How Liberals Came to Love Bush-Era Neocons. mintpressnews.com Investigative journalist Aaron Mate unpacks four years of Russiagate propaganda and how it was the gift that kept on giving for both the Trump administration and the Democratic Party.
(2020-05-21). Foreign Correspondent: Michael Flynn's Forgotten Turkish Connection. progressive.org Before Russiagate, the former national security advisor was an operative for Turkey, tilting foreign policy against the Kurds.
(2020-05-21). What Goes Around Comes Around. thealtworld.com The Democrats wasted President Trump's first term with contrived investigations of Trump and General Flynn. The Russiagate hoax resulted in illegitimate indictments of Republican consultants Paul Manafort and Roger Stone as the questionable charges against them were unrelated to Robert Mueller's Russiagate investigation and exceeded the scope of his mandate. The charges were brought in order to coerce them into giving false testimony against Trump. The arm-twisting failed, but both were convicted in the media and had their old age ruined by the corrupt Muller's effort to frame the President of the United States.
(2020-05-21). Ukraine's Port Odessa Welcomes First U.S. Crude Oil Cargo. Undermines Russia's Oil and Gas. globalresearch.ca The Ukrainian port Odessa on the Black Sea will receive its first-ever crude oil cargo of WTI Crude from the United States, after the U.S. shipped its first oil to Ukraine just last year as it looks to wean off …
(2020-05-21). COVID-19 Hits Hard, but Challenges BRICS. globalresearch.ca By and large, the coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) since it was declared late January by the World Health Organization (WHO). It allegedly originated (yet to be proved) from …
(2020-05-21). Lies and Censorship, a Second Pandemic. thealtworld.com On April 6, 2020, the University of Manchester published a paper titled COVID-19 Disinformation: Two Short Reports on the Russian Dimension. | That paper focused on highly funded disinformation programs, some funded by the EU and/or UK governments seemingly tasked with censoring or crushing media that strayed from the official "party line.""The EU's main task force for fighting Russian disinformation is in danger of becoming a source for disinformation itself, and so of skewing policy decisions in the EU and the UK, as well as distorting public discourse throughout Europe. Based on EU-sponsored counter-disinforma…
(2020-05-21). Blaming Russia, China, Iran — to profit from Covid-19 vaccine. truepublica.org.uk By Craig Murray: On 5 May, the British security services released to their pet media the claim that Russia, China and Iran were attempting to hack into British research institutes conducting coronavirus research. The BBC reported it. Britain's shameful copy and paste media all, without exception, just copy and pasted the government press release. …
(2020-05-22). Michigan Flood, Says Group, Shows US Unprepared for 'Nightmarish' Threat of Nuclear Disaster Combined With Pandemic. commondreams.org "The prospect of a nuclear disaster prompting a mass evacuation during a viral pandemic reinforces the need for an energy policy focused on safe, clean and affordable renewable energy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/flood_3.jpg …
(2020-05-21). Trump Condemned for Ditching Treaty That Has 'Helped Prevent Nuclear War for Nearly Three Decades'. commondreams.org In a move that alarmed nuclear experts, anti-war activists, and policymakers around the world, the U.S. government notified international partners on Thursday that President Donald Trump is withdrawing the country from the Treaty on Open Skies over alleged Russian violations. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11862935441.jpg …
(2020-05-22). U.S. Warplane Profits Scramble Over Germany's Anti-Nuclear Push. strategic-culture.org When Germany's Social Democrats — the junior governing coalition partner — renewed long-standing calls for withdrawing U.S. nuclear bombs from the country, the backlash from Washington was fast and furious. | Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Berlin, wrote an
(2020-05-22). Lenin for sale? Russian politician suggests flogging Soviet leader's body to the Chinese. rt.com 
No stranger to controversy, veteran politician and perennial presidential candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky caused a stir online after suggesting that Russia sells the preserved body of revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin. | "In France, a businessman wants to sell the painting 'Mona Lisa'. We could sell Lenin's mummy. There are buyers: China, Vietnam, or some other kind of communist. Lenin, in good condition, mummified just 96 years ago," he tweeted. The Soviet leader's body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924. | The controversial Russian politician was referring to a recent suggestio…
(2020-05-22). Russia grateful to US for help in fighting pandemic — deputy FM. rt.com 
Moscow is grateful to the US for providing help to counter the coronavirus pandemic, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday. "Yesterday, we received the first shipment of 50 ventilators from the US. We believe that these gestures are perfectly natural. They are exclusively of humanitarian nature, and we are grateful to the US side for the help provided at this stage," Ryabkov said. | The diplomat noted that on April 1 an An-124 jet delivered medical equipment to New York including 45 ventilators, 15,000 respirators and 1,000,000 masks as part of humanitarian aid to the US. | "I believe t…
(2020-05-22). Moscow says it was US that violated Open Skies Treaty, still willing to save pact essential to European security. rt.com 
Russia will do everything in its power to salvage the Open Skies Treaty (OST) after the US signaled its intention to withdraw from one of the few remaining arms-control pillars, Moscow said, rejecting claims it violated the pact. | "If the US exits the Treaty, a blow will be dealt to a rather fragile balance of interests of its parties. As a result, not only the OST will suffer, but also the European security framework as a whole," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, after US President Donald Trump announced he would be withdrawing from the agreement that allows reconnaissance planes to overfly t…
(2020-05-22). Covid-19 mass screening: first results show 14% of tested Russians have coronavirus antibodies. rt.com 
After the first few days of private clinic antibody testing in Russia, one national chain has revealed that at least 14% of the 40,000 people who took the test in their laboratory received a positive result for SARS-CoV-2. | Invitro, the chain who conducted the tests, began mass testing for Covid-19 antibodies on May 18, using their entire network, which comprises almost 1,500 medical offices. Each test costs 950 rubles ($13), with an extra 200-300 rubles ($3-4) charged for the process of taking the sample. The company is accepting anyone who wants to be tested, apart from those displaying symptoms of an acute…
(2020-05-22). Putin warns of potential 2nd wave of Covid-19 infections in the fall, tells Russian Health Ministry to prepare. rt.com 
Right now, most of the world seems to think the worst of the coronavirus epidemic has passed, with many countries beginning to come out of lockdown. But Russian President Vladimir Putin believes there may be more pain ahead. | According to Putin, the virus may once again begin to spread widely from October to November. During a meeting to discuss the epidemiological situation in Russia, he said the country needs to be ready for a second wave later in the year. | Putin added that the removal of the present restrictions in Russia must be guided by science. However, he also asked officials to prepare recommendati…
(2020-05-21). What does Trump's new spy director think of Russia and China? rt.com 
John Ratcliffe has been confirmed as the US' new director of national intelligence. As he gears up to oversee seventeen intelligence agencies, how will he use these organizations to work with, or against, America's adversaries? | The Senate confirmed Rep. Ratcliffe to the position on Friday, in a 49-44 vote along party lines. President Trump had previously tipped the Texas Republican for the role last year, before urging him to withdraw his application due to "months of slander and libel" from the "lamestream media." The supposed slander centered around Ratcliffe's defense of Trump during Special Counsel Rober…
(2020-05-21). Trump says US will withdraw from Open Skies Treaty, blames Russia. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has notified allies he will withdraw from one of the few remaining arms control mechanisms — the Open Skies Treaty — this week, citing alleged Russian 'violations' of the pact. | "Russia did not adhere to the treaty," Trump told reporters on his way to Michigan on Thursday afternoon. He added that the US could return to the treaty, or negotiate a new one with Moscow, without elaborating. | The Open Skies Treaty, which has been in force since 2002, allows for unarmed aerial surveillance flights to be conducted over the territories of its participants. American personnel are…
(2020-05-21). 'We'll spend you into oblivion': US nuclear envoy reveals 'negotiating' tactic for New START, last arms control deal with Russia. rt.com 
The new US arms control czar has laid out Washington's thinking on the last remaining nuclear pact with Russia, hoping that US threats of a new arms race will force Moscow and Beijing to negotiate a new three-way deal instead. | "We intend to establish a new arms control regime now, precisely to prevent a full-blown arms race," Ambassador Marshall Billingslea, special presidential envoy for arms control, said Thursday during a half-hour interview hosted by the Hudson Institute, a DC-based think tank. | In case there is an arms race, he added, US President Donald Trump "has made clear that we have a tried and t…
(2020-05-22). Israeli regime's expansionist moves may lead to escalation in region: Russia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 22 (MNA) — The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank may lead to an escalation of violence in the region.
(2020-05-22). NATO envoys discuss US pullout from arms control treaty. yenisafak.com NATO ambassadors are meeting on Friday to discuss the US' withdrawal from a nearly two decades old pact meant to reduce the likelihood Washington and Moscow enter a military showdown.US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday his intention to withdraw from the Open Skies treaty, accusing Russia of repeatedly violating its terms.The North Atlantic Council — the organization's main political decision-making body composed of permanent representatives to the alliance's Brussels headquarters — decided to meet and discuss the future of the treaty, a NATO official told Anadolu Agency.The Open Skies Trea…
(2020-05-22). Is the US-Saudi Alliance Headed Off a Cliff? counterpunch.org 
Can the US-Saudi alliance endure? Should it? World oil prices crashed in March during a price war between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and rival oil producer Russia. Disregarding the advice of his ministers, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ("MBS," as he is known to friends and foes), the kingdom's de facto ruler, turned the
(2020-05-21). US Blocks UNSC Draft Resolution Denouncing Paramilitary Incursion into Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Russia, China and other countries criticized violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.
(2020-05-20). New NYPD press officer co-wrote The Intercept Russiagate story that landed source in prison. thegrayzone.com The Intercept published a story that landed Reality Winner in prison, burning its third source. That article was co-authored by…
(2020-05-20). How Russia is botching its alliance with Syria. mronline.org 
Russia's relationships with its client states have never been easy. Of course, managing client states is always a complicated exercise. The Kremlin's cupboard is full of skeletons—Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), Cuba (1962), Afghanistan (1980), Ukraine (2014) and so on.
(2020-04-23). A Myriad of Ways to Wage Peace During These Times. peaceaction.org 
As we shelter in our homes to protect ourselves from this global pandemic, we wanted to share some of the many ways you can remain active and impactful in the work for a more peaceful world. Peace Action has long been a leader in organizing international conferences, marches, and rallies around the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty …
(2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."
(2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
(2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.
(2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.
(2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."