Coronavirus

  • 'Shameful': Trump golfs, tweets election lies as 14 million set to lose unemployment benefits just after Christmas

    'Shameful': Trump golfs, tweets election lies as 14 million set to lose unemployment benefits just after Christmas

    Dec 28, 2020 11:58

    After threatening to blow up a $900 billion coronavirus relief package over several eleventh-hour demands—one of which is being blocked by his own party—President Donald Trump spent Christmas Eve golfing in Florida and tweeting election lies as millions of desperate Americans were left worrying that they will soon be deprived of their few remaining economic lifelines.

  • Trump is destroying his own party on the way out the door

    Trump is destroying his own party on the way out the door

    Dec 28, 2020 11:55

    This holiday season, President Donald Trump has wreaked havoc on US Congress, its so-called democracy and its judicial system by pardoning political associates and convicted murderers.

  • Trump continues to block pandemic relief package as shutdown looms

    Trump continues to block pandemic relief package as shutdown looms

    Dec 27, 2020 17:57

    As unemployment benefits were due to expire for millions of Americans on Saturday (26 Dec), Donald Trump, who spent Christmas playing golf in Florida, continued to block a $900bn pandemic relief bill that would extend them.

  • With winter comes more stagnant air, intensifying COVID-19 risks in US

    With winter comes more stagnant air, intensifying COVID-19 risks in US

    Dec 27, 2020 06:38

    A study published in November estimated that the COVID-19 death rate increased by 11 percent with an increase in the long-term average concentration of fine particulate matter of one microgram per cubic meter. Overall, approximately 15 percent of global COVID-19 deaths could be attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution, according to another paper published in December.

  • Yemen’s humanitarian crisis worsened amid COVID

    Yemen’s humanitarian crisis worsened amid COVID

    Dec 27, 2020 06:34

    It is hard to comprehend the magnitude of the crisis in Yemen: approximately one child dies every 12 minutes in the country, where 24 million people need humanitarian aid. Nearly 18 million people have no access to clean drinking water, a problem that will worsen in the future. For Yemenis, COVID-19 was only the latest epidemic; the county has in recent years faced outbreaks of malaria, dengue and cholera. Even the outbreak of COVID-19 did not stop the Saudi- led US- supported violence.

  • The main public hospital in the US largest county is out of ICU beds

    The main public hospital in the US largest county is out of ICU beds

    Dec 25, 2020 19:16

    In California, only 3% of ICU beds are available. In the 11-county Southern California region, no ICU beds were open, and in the San Joaquin Valley, just 0.7% were. The county of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest, was perilously close to zero capacity. County health officials reported that the number of daily new COVID cases, deaths and hospitalizations had all soared beyond their previous highs for the entire pandemic.

  • 'Pathetic': US Congress passes COVID relief bill with billions in gifts for the wealthy, $600 checks for the working class

    'Pathetic': US Congress passes COVID relief bill with billions in gifts for the wealthy, $600 checks for the working class

    Dec 25, 2020 06:01

    In late-night votes just hours after nearly 5,600 pages of legislative text were released, the U.S. Congress on Monday December 21st approved trillions of dollars worth of government funding and coronavirus relief that will temporarily avert a catastrophic expiration of key benefits, send $600 direct payments to many Americans, and provide billions of dollars in handouts to the rich.

  • Oil’s vaccine trade faces hurdles ahead

    Oil’s vaccine trade faces hurdles ahead

    Dec 24, 2020 17:09

    The world’s major oil forecasters – the International Energy Agency, the US Energy Information Administration and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – slowly began to factor the coronavirus into their outlooks, initially seeing its impact limited to China. But by April it was apparent that the disease was spreading rapidly elsewhere. Forecasts for 2020 oil demand were slashed and they haven’t recovered much in subsequent months as the statistic charts shows.

  • California desperately searches for more nurses and doctors

    California desperately searches for more nurses and doctors

    Dec 24, 2020 17:05

    Much of California has exhausted its usual ability to staff intensive care beds for treating coronavirus patients, and US’s most populated state is desperately searching for 3,000 temporary medical workers to meet demand. State officials are reaching out to foreign partners in places like Australia and Taiwan amid a shortage of temporary medical workers in the US, particularly nurses trained in critical care.

  • Critics blast $600 stimulus checks that won’t cover 1 month’s rent for most Americans

    Critics blast $600 stimulus checks that won’t cover 1 month’s rent for most Americans

    Dec 24, 2020 16:52

    US Congressional leaders announced on Sunday, December 20 that a deal between Democrats and Republicans had been reached to provide significant aid to Americans struggling with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.