PBC News & Comment: Calls for Worldwide Truce Gain Momentum

French President Macron says most leaders of nations in UN Security Council—including Trump!—have agreed to truce during pandemic…--to break stalemate in Afghan negotiations, NY Times reports US may reduce CIA presence
--Whitney Webb reports that US “Panama-style invasion” of Venezuela is increasingly likely, driven by collapse of American shale oil production
--with some qualifiers, new study shows why Covid-19 is more concerning than other causes of death
--in full reversal in just 3 days, Trump says governors will determin when and how to lift restrictions
--today, in a likely effort to distract his cult from that retreat, Trump attacks Cuomo and states where Trump supporters have staged rallies against restrictions
--in video interview, Anya Parampil talks to Randy Credico, who brings you the ugly side of Andrew Cuomo
--our daily Covid-19 update, prepared by Linda Lewis
--desperate for good news, Wall St. rallies on news that remdisivir may treat Covid-19, based on leaks from small trial in Chicago with no control group, as doctors who’ve used hydrochloroquine see no evidence it works
--former Trump fixer Michael Cohen gets released due to Covid, as ICE arrests and deports people who’ve tested positive
--Jerry Falwell, Jr. was slammed for re-opening Liberty U, and now slams media for trying to cover news of at least 78 people testing positive
--coast to coast, nurses are being penalized for demanding PPE
--despite California’s temporary ban on evictions, landlords are trying; Rep. Ilhan Omar pens bill to provide relief
--freelancers, small biz owners and independent contractors were promised help, but it’s elusive, or the money has been given out already
--more than 1,000 French sailors in aircraft carrier group test positive, as leaders consider digital contact tracing
--Massachusetts is doing tracing by making phone calls, not tracking phones
--in Israel, TV station reports that US intelligence warned of pandemic last November, but White House wasn’t interested
--in last step before 4th election, Israel’s Knesset gets to try to form a government
--Arizona residents near the border object to construction of The Wall, as San Diego border patrol admits that new wall sections were cut through 18 times in 1 month
--AG Bill Barr uses child trafficking to demand that tech giants leave FBI back door in encryption systems
--Facebook is policing unpopular views and news about Covid by flagging posts and warning people who read them
--in Jeff Schectman’s latest WhoWhatWhy podcast, longtime election integrity activist Emily Levy gets the mic, and breaks down Wisconsin’s ugly primary
--Pepe Escobar credits Confucius and Asian culture for “serene response” to pandemic
--Brazil’s former president Lula says Bolsonaro is “leading Brazil to the slaughterhouse”
--in huge surprise, PBC is enjoying radio host Michael Savage’s attacks on Limbaugh Hannity and other “pimps” in right-wing media