(2022-02-08). Scientists invent '4-minute' Covid test. rt.com 
The new electromechanical sensors are as precise as PCR lab tests and show results in four minutes, researchers say | Scientists at Fudan University in Shanghai have come up with a new method for coronavirus testing, which they say is as sensitive but much quicker than PCR lab testing. | The new method involves electromechanical sensors capable of detecting, with high precision, SARS-CoV-2 RNA in human genetic material, according to the study published Monday in Nature Biomedical Engineering science journal. | "We implemented an electromechanical biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 into an integrated and…
(2022-02-08). Democratic governors in the US northeast dropping school mask mandates. wsws.org While coronavirus cases have hit record levels among children, and hospitalizations and deaths overall continue to rise, the Democrats, like the Republicans are implementing the policy of profits over lives demanded by corporate America.
(2022-02-08). From Embers: A Transportation Worker Speaks on the "Freedom Convoy" itsgoingdown.org From Embers speaks with a transportation worker in so-called Ottawa about their view on the ongoing far-Right convoy protests against vaccine mandates. We spoke with a transportation worker about the so-called Freedom Convoy currently occupying capital cities and border crossings across Canada. Links: Naujawan Support Network Canadian Anti-Hate Network Punch Up Collective (Ottawa) Ottawa Trip…
(2022-02-08). Omicron wave devastates US nursing home residents and staff. wsws.org In the week ending January 23, there were 42,584 resident cases, according to CDC data. This number surpassed the record set during last winter's surge, when vaccines were just becoming available.
(2022-02-08). Canadian Protesters Against Vaccine Mandate Block Bridge on US-Canada Border, Police Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Canadian protesters demanding an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates have blocked the Ambassador Bridge linking the US city of Detroit and the Canadian city of Windsor, the Ontario Provincial Police said on Tuesday.
(2022-02-08). Canada convoy protest a truckload of anti-vax and white supremacist BS. peoplesworld.org 
(2022-02-08). Times Square action says:'Fight racism, not Russia!'. liberationnews.org 
It wasn't Russia that was forcing us to go back to work during a global pandemic so our bosses could grind out a little extra profit … It was Wall Street.
(2022-02-08). UK rail cleaners strike against poverty pay. wsws.org During the pandemic, rail cleaners have braved hazardous conditions to protect the public from infection. But outsourced cleaners have been paid a pittance and were even denied sick pay.
(2022-02-08). Turkish health workers strike as COVID-19 pandemic, living costs surge. wsws.org As COVID-19 cases explode and real annual inflation exceeds 110 percent in Turkey, many layers of the working class are increasingly taking strike action.
(2022-02-08). Australian nurse speaks out about worsening conditions on the front lines of the pandemic. wsws.org "We sometimes look at each other and are gobsmacked and ask, is this really happening? Do we really have three patients on trolleys in the corridor right now with no beds? What if a medical episode happened with that patient?"
(2022-02-08). Boston University epidemiologist Dr. Eleanor Murray speaks on COVID-19 and endemicity. wsws.org Part one of a two-part interview on the COVID pandemic and the claims that COVID has become endemic.
(2022-02-08). Canada: The Left is nowhere on COVID. And that's a big problem. mronline.org 
They have failed to step into the current political climate and counter far-right protests, and get workers the income, housing and other social support they need.
(2022-02-08). New Zealand government to re-open borders amid escalating Omicron outbreak. wsws.org The dangerous border re-openings are the next stage in the New Zealand Labour-led government's pro-business strategy to end public health restrictions and let COVID run.
(2022-02-08). Policing on Trial: Attorney Ben Crump on Fed Case Against Three Cops Involved in George Floyd Murder. democracynow.org 
The Minneapolis judge who signed the no-knock warrant that led to the fatal police shooting of 22-year-old Black man Amir Locke also presided over the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-police officer convicted for the murder of George Floyd. The trial of three officers facing lesser charges — Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng — is currently underway after being delayed when one of the defendants tested positive for COVID. The trial will show the importance of accountability even from police who are bystanders to murder, says Benjamin Crump, part of the legal team for George Floyd's famil…
(2022-02-08). Right-wing majority on Colorado school board fires superintendent to attack COVID mitigations. wsws.org The ousting of superintendent Corey Wise was an outcome of back-room plotting driven by a campaign against mask mandates and bogus claims about the teaching of Critical Race Theory.
(2022-02-08). More than 200,000 American children have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. wsws.org The staggering figure of 200,000 children deprived of their caregivers represents an incalculable social and personal loss, which will impact all those affected for their entire lives.
(2022-02-08). Australian ruling elite steps up "let it rip" program amid mass school infections, aged care deaths. wsws.org Governments falsely claim that the worst of the crisis has passed as they impose policies that will cause further surges of illness and death.
(2022-02-07). Photo Essay: India's Lockdown Happened Two Years Ago, But the Poor Still Suffer. towardfreedom.org Far-right Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in March 2020 a 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb a pandemic caused by COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. The lockdown was extended to 67 days, causing 121 million people to lose their jobs within the first month, writes Sanket Jain.
(2022-02-07). Spotify Will Not Silence Joe Rogan Over Racial Slur Controversy, CEO Says. sputniknews.com The statement is likely to add pressure to the audio streaming service, which has come under fire in recent weeks to remove Rogan's podcast over misinformation spread by the TV presenter about COVID-19 and the vaccines against the disease.
(2022-02-07). Who Is to Blame for Vaccine Hesitancy? libya360.wordpress.com Donald Boudreaux Tennis star Novak Djokovic famously (or, depending on your perspective, infamously) refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition for entering Australia to play in the Australian Open. Djokovic's refusal prompted National Review's Kevin Williamson and Charles Cooke to engage each other in an online debate over the merits of government-mandated Covid vaccination. Williamson finds such mandates…
(2022-02-07). Uruguay To Cover Remaining Localities With Booster Vaccines. telesurenglish.net Aimed to avoid the spreading of the COVID-19 virus, the Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health started a new stage on the program of booster vaccines in uncovered interior localities. | RELATED: | According to the Daily data from the National Emergency System, there is an average of 10,000 confirmed cases; Santiago Mirazo, a virologist, considers the numbers are at least twice higher, which is not confirmed because of the la…
(2022-02-07). Omicron-specific vaccines: can be helpful, but needs a global policy, experts opine. peoplesdispatch.org Ever since Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have started the variant-specific vaccine's clinical trials, the international community of researchers and scientists are arguing about the necessity, need or sustainability of such variant-specific vaccines…
(2022-02-07). Australian borders open to fully vaccinated tourists from Feb. 21: PM. ecns.cn Australia's international borders will reopen to fully vaccinated tourists within weeks after almost two years since the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2022-02-07). Cooperative Artist Residencies Give Black Creatives the Space to Thrive. independentmediainstitute.org Under the pervasive stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, waxing and waning ad infinitum, with no end in sight, finding time to be creative for creativity's sake can provide a booster to mental health, according to a study conducted in March 2021. Members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) community already coping with …
(2022-02-07). Australian government at war with itself as parliament resumes. wsws.org The Coalition's meltdown is part of a crisis of the entire political establishment, fuelled by mass popular opposition to the profits-before-lives pandemic policies, social inequality and onslaught on wages and conditions.
(2022-02-07). In year 3 of the pandemic, the challenges facing WHO are in plain sight. peoplesdispatch.org Gargeya Telakapalli of People's Health Movement analyzes what the recent Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organization tells us about its future and our handling of the pandemic…
(2022-02-07). Over half of all US teachers consider leaving the profession due to pandemic-related stressors. wsws.org The percentage of teachers compelled to leave the profession sooner than expected has steadily risen throughout the pandemic.
(2022-02-07). Ford, GM report massive 2021 pandemic profits. wsws.org In an indication of the unstable and even illusory character of the economic recovery in the auto industry, both Ford and GM sold fewer cars in 2021 than they did in 2020.
(2022-02-07). UN Security Council Debates Effects of Unilateral Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Russia convened the debate on "General Issues Related to Sanctions: Preventing their Humanitarian and Unintended Consequences." | Unilateral coercive measures that are not based on international law and are imposed without UNSC mandate or in addition to the mandated measures cause particular concern. Even amidst a global pandemic 20% of Member States suffer from UCMs.
(2022-02-07). US: "Miserable" Over COVID Pandemic, Economy: Business Insider. telesurenglish.net The percentage of Americans feeling "very happy" plunged from 32 percent in 2018 to 19 percent in 2021, as Americans feeling "not too happy" soared from 13 to 24 percent in the same time frame, a new survey has found. | RELATED: | "Americans are miserable. They're more miserable than they have been in half a century," the Business Insider reported on Sunday, citing the General Social Survey, an ongoing study at the…
(2022-02-07). Drug Decriminalization Is Working in Oregon. Other States Should Follow. truthout.org 
As COVID-19 continues to rage, another health crisis persists — one that is decades long. In the first year of the pandemic, the United States hit the devastating milestone of
(2022-02-07). Vote No to Australian Education Union wage cutting agreement with Victorian Labor government! wsws.org The AEU bureaucracy is attempting to quickly ram through the deal by mid-March under conditions of an unprecedented explosion of COVID-19 infections within the schools.
(2022-02-07). Michigan State University student speaks out against in-person learning amid record COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. wsws.org Katarina, a student at MSU, spoke to the WSWS about her motivations to start a petition for a remote learning option on her campus.
(2022-02-07). Actriz estadounidense Susan Sarandon aboga por el fin del bloqueo de EEUU contra Cuba. cubadebate.cu La actriz Susan Sarandon se unió al reclamo por el fin del bloqueo de Washington contra Cuba y señaló las potencialidades de la isla en la producción de vacunas antiCovid-19. Diferentes órganos de prensa se hicieron eco de un reciente tuit publicado por la artista, en el que se lee que llegó el momento de levantar ese cerco y dejar que el país caribeño respire.
(2022-02-07). All 72 Wisconsin counties at "critically high" rate of COVID-19 transmission for record fourth week in a row. wsws.org The BA.2 Omicron subvariant has been confirmed in the state as infections and deaths continue at extremely high levels.
(2022-02-07). La pandemia de COVID-19 no existe. globalizacion.ca 
Introducción | Existe mucha confusión y desinformación con respecto a la naturaleza de la llamada "pandemia" de Covid-19. | Los gobiernos y los medios corporativos rara vez mencionan la definición de pandemia. | Lo que confirma la existencia de una pandemia no es…
(2022-02-07). Presidenta de Honduras da positiva a la Covid-19. telesurtv.net "Con la bendición del Creador del universo, sigo atendiendo no presencial, mi Plan de Gobierno para retornar al orden democrático y Constitucional", informó la presidenta.
(2022-02-07). Leonard Peltier has COVID-19: Action needed to get him care. mronline.org 
Indigenous activists and supporters held a news conference in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 31 to announce that Indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier had contracted COVID-19 in prison, endangering his life.
(2022-02-07). Minneapolis rally against war with Russia. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On February 5, 100 protesters gathered at Mayday plaza on the West Bank in Minneapolis to oppose U.S. war with Russia and further intervention in the Ukraine. Protesters held signs that read "No war with Russia," "Fight COVID not Russia" and "Money for housing, not for war." | The protest's program began with a speech from Susan Banaszewski, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee, who focused on the role of U.S. intervention and the role of the media in beating the drums for war, "So U.S. meddling has made everyday life worse for Ukrainians by making sure they have less money in their pockets an…
(2022-02-07). State of emergency declared in Ottawa as far-right Freedom Convoy occupation continues. wsws.org Far-right and fascist activists, many of whom are armed, remain menacingly encamped outside Canada's parliament. They have vowed to remain until all COVID-19 restrictions are scrapped by the federal Liberal government.
(2022-02-07). Sydney University meeting highlights union's role in blocking opposition to reopening of Australian campuses. wsws.org There are real fears among staff members about being exposed, along with students, to the potentially fatal or long-term health consequences of COVID-19.
(2022-02-07). At Beijing Olympics, China & IOC Accused of "Sportswashing" Amid Uyghur Abuses, Peng Shuai Censorship. democracynow.org 
Human rights advocates say renewed international attention for China during the Winter Olympics should focus on rampant human rights violations occurring across the country. It is incumbent upon the International Olympic Committee to deny countries the bid to host if they violate their citizens' human rights, says Jules Boykoff, author and former member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team. While many have commended China's "zero-COVID policy," the emphasis on keeping infection rates low is distracting from other kinds of suffering, adds Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch…
(2022-02-07). 7 months after her arrest, Shatha Odeh's case is emblematic of Israeli attack on Palestinian civil society. peoplesdispatch.org Shatha Odeh, the director of the Health Work Committees, has been in jail since July 2021 during which time she contracted COVID-19. Her case is a microcosm of Israel's attempts to eliminate all voices critical of its discriminatory policies…
(2022-02-07). Headlines for February 7, 2022. democracynow.org Macron Meets with Putin, Scholz with Biden, Amid Ongoing Tensions over Ukraine, U.S. Tops 900,000 COVID Deaths; New Jersey Lifts School Mask Mandate, Turkish President Erdogan and Honduran President Castro Test Positive for COVID-19, Ottawa Declares Emergency as Trucker-Led Anti-Government Protests Spread, Family Demands Justice for Amir Locke, Killed in Minneapolis Police No-Knock Raid, Mexico Raids Tijuana Camp Home to Hundreds of Asylum Seekers Denied U.S. Entry, Iran Talks Show Some Signs of Progress After U.S. Agrees to Waive Certain Sanctions, Tens of Thousands Displaced as Cyclone Batsirai Batters Madagasc…
(2022-02-07). US death toll from COVID-19 heading toward 1 million. wsws.org America's COVID-19 death toll stands as an indictment of a capitalist social order completely indifferent to the death and suffering of the working population.
(2022-02-07). Kiev denies war plans against Russia as conflicts within the Ukrainian ruling class escalate. wsws.org The government of Volydymyr Zelensky is plagued by internal crisis as it marches towards war.
(2022-02-07). Boise Tent Demonstration Remains Strong In Face Of Continued Police And Far-Right Harassment. popularresistance.org Folks are three weeks into the tent demonstration in so-called Boise, Idaho. Lasting through multiple police raids, attacks from local fascist groups, and a whirlwind of misrepresentation in local media; folks are war weathered but are regaining strength and pressing forward. | In the early morning hours of Friday, February 4th, 2022 folks began to hear the soft and eerie hum of police drones flying overhead, followed by the invasion of 40 Idaho state police filling the area. Cops started opening tents and grabbing whatever they could find that could be used to sustain warmth for the protesters who have been occu…
(2022-02-07). FBI Raids Home And Seizes Computers Of Famous Short Seller Andrew Left. moguldom.com As part of a far-reaching investigation into alleged wrongdoing by short-sellers, the Federal Bureau Of Investigations reportedly raided the home of Citron Research founder Andrew Left in 2021 Short-sellers bet that stock prices will drop in price. In short selling, a position is opened by borrowing shares of a stock or other asset that an …
(2022-02-07). Argentina: Investigation of New Tainted Cocaine Victims Begins. telesurenglish.net Argentina's authorities are currently probing whether the six new hospitalized people in Rosario are victims of the contaminated cocaine tragedy, which has resulted in 24 deaths. | RELATED: | According to health officials in the Santa Fe Province city, on Sunday evening, four people were hospitalized in the south of Rosario "with sensory deterioration and respiratory depression.," and late in the night, two more patients arrived, all "with a h…